Slayer's Vengeance

by Jago-Dakari

A meeting between a yautja huntress and a human marine turned vengefull slayer will shake the very foundation of both races in this story of adventure, love and loss.

28. Chapter 27

Hello, my minions

After much lengthy writing, and crashing into writer blocks on the way, the next chapter is available for your viewing pleasure, though i still think it could do with some improvements later on. in this chapter, the truth of the xenomorphs is revealed and it is not something that can be readily believed as Alaric performs some thing akin to a miracle. To Snyperwulff, thank you for the lengthy review and rest assured, Alaric will be losing several times in this story, in more ways then one. that'll be coming in the next story arc.

On a side note, to those who message me about updates and have never written a story on this site (not naming anyone in particular), you try writing something like this THEN ask me for updates. It's allot harder then it looks because there are many things you have to take in consideration. and most of the reviews in the in the review box are things like 'Update plz' or 'How long till next chapter?'. To me, even though it's good to see people are enjoying the story, that's not what i call a review. I need something more substantial with maybe some pointers or any constructive criticisms you think might improve my skills.

lastly, I'm not intending to be offensive from what i just said, I'm just illustrating that stories takes time both in planning and writing.

Anyway, read away and leave a review, !REVIEW!, in the box.

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Chapter 27- Horrific truth.

Alaric was interrupted at that point, rather fortuitously, by a stubborn problem.

A scream from one of the colonists was heard, and everyone saw the reason why as they turned back to the ruined convoy. In the distance, far ahead of them, one of the xenomorphs was displaying that annoying tendency of not being dead. It was the xenomorph that had it's neck sliced open by Alaric's kopis. From where they were standing, everyone saw the ragged and gaping wound knit itself together, arteries and veins lashing out and melding together as flesh grew in sheets and hardened into carapace. And it didn't take much to know that it would come straight for them when it's head got back on.

"Fuck, not again!" Karl cursed, drawing his sword.

The Archangels reached for their swords but Alaric held a hand up.

"I got it." Alaric calmly said, reaching for the gauss rifle on his back.

He casually paced up in front of the group, hefting the rifle in his hands. Upon closer inspection, the Archangels saw that this rifle had a vaguely familiar layout to a pulse rifle and had an attached axe-like bayonet. And that led to a foregone conclusion for the entire group.

"Alaric, firearms are pointless!" Hicks stated. "They'll just bounce off it's shell!"

Alaric wasn't deterred by this defeatism. Especially how the xenomorph had now spotted them and was even now storming towards them.

"When did I say it was conventional?" he clarified.

He flicked the safety catch and the weapon hummed into life, indentations and readouts glowing as he aimed it at the charging xenomorph. Alaric squeezed the trigger and the rifle fired blisteringly fast with bright blue electrostatic muzzle flashes. The rounds, firing so fast that it made the ocular illusion of being a continuous beam, punched into the xenomorph with resonating impacts, throwing it's mass around as it continued to charge. Everyone could make out the impacts flashes as the rounds penetrated it's armour, though the holes were smaller then what would be expected for a round to inflict that kind of force.

Those watching were completely taken aback when these rounds actually had an effect on the xenomorph. Especially how when one projectile hit it's arm at the elbow between armour plates, the whole lower arm was blown clean off.

Alaric stopped firing after he had fired off a hundred rounds, as indicated by the runic readout and the barrel was faintly glowing. The xenomorph, completely, utterly and literally blown away, staggered on the last few paces, stopping just in front of the assembled group. It then stood for a moment, swaying unevenly, before it fell forwards, stone dead. Everyone hastily moved out of the way as the towering xenomoprh came crashing down. Alaric simply stepped to the side as the xenomorph crashed into the snow. And it was there that everyone saw the damage Alaric had inflicted. While they saw a multitude of small entry holes on the front, on the back the exit wounds were massive. It effectively had nearly it's entire back blown away, leaving only a smoking ragged mess in it's place. It's tail, dorsal spines and everything in between was gone, leaving just a scene that one would see in an autopsy of an industrial accident.

"Holy shit!" came the response from a flabbergasted Hicks.

Alaric lowered the rifle with a content smirk.

Suffice to say, the gauss rifle was more powerful then it looked.

"I thought that fucker was dead." a marine exclaimed. "You damn near cut it's head off!"

"Dead now, ain't it?" Alaric said, walking up to the mangled corpse.

He then pulled the xenomorph's head forward, or what was left of it, to expose it's neck and with that he hefted the gauss rifle and brought the axe bayonet into it's neck, hacking away until he cut right through this time. He then hefted the head with one hand and tossed it away. And like everything else Alaric carried, acid did not melt the bayonet.

"Make that double dead." Alaric said, hefting the rifle on his shoulder and walking back to the others.

One Archangel couldn't keep his excitement in from seeing this display of firepower.

"Now that's a hell of a gun!" Sergei praised, rushing up to look more closely at it. "It like you've got a 50. cal HMG in assault rifle form!"

As a point of fact, the 50. cal heavy machine gun, in it's most updated form, was still in use in this century for it's reliability, low cost and heavy firepower. Not bad for a weapon designed in the early twentieth century.

Alaric looked at the rifle on his shoulder with a knowing look before he made a decision.

"Here, you'll make better use of it then me." he said, handing it over.

Sergei eagerly took the rifle, surprised by how solid the craftsmanship was and wasted no time going over it. He checked the sights, the stock and the barrels in awe at how well made it was. Aside from looked like the usual aging, there was no defects that he could recognised. He swiftly found the magazine release catch and extracted the large magazine. He was baffled when he saw the ammunition, just 7.62mm sized bullets with intricate geometrical lines with no casings or propellent.

His face said it all.

"That's a surprise." Hicks said, coming up for a closer look. "No propellant whatsoever."

Sergei looked to Alaric as if he had been cheated.

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" Sergei asked credulously, looking up to Alaric.

Alaric didn't have time to answer as the snow ahead of them erupted and more xenomorphs, thought to be dead, regenerated. Those that were fried by lightning peeled off their blackened carapace, revealing fresh shining chitin beneath. Others reformed their broken forms, snapping limbs back in line and cracked carapace filling out. Those which were too damaged, such as being blown to bits, disintegrated or decapitated, didn't regenerate.

"Looks like the fuckers want a second round." Alaric said, hefting his helmet up.

Alaric swiftly donned his helmet, the lenses flashing into life as the colonists reacted to this second ambush in the usual mixture of terror and retreat. He turned to Sergei.

"Just like a pulse rifle!" He quickly said, charging forward. "Get the civvies clear!"

Alaric charged right at the xenomorphs, hoping to cut them down while they were vulnerable. To ensure that they remained dead, he would have to relieve them of their heads. He drew the kopis, the blade singing in the air as he reached jumping distance.

Aegis jumped from his shoulder to hang back with the rest as the Archangels stepped forward with swords drawn, ushering them to a safe location. The hawk hovered over head keeping an eye out for any surprise attack.

Jumping forth, kicking up snow as he did, Alaric flew through the air and was able to slash right through the xenomorph's neck, severing it's head from it's shoulder. The headless cadaver tumbled to the ground after it's head, gush acid behind it as Alaric landed on his feet. And the xenomorphs were on top of him.

And owing to their rapid and ungodly adaptation to hazards, their carapace had gotten tougher to compensate for Alaric's weaponry. But that would not deter Alaric in the slightest from tearing them limb from limb.

Sergei, turning his attention back on the rifle, slammed the magazine back in place and then cocked the handle. The rifle clicked and hummed as Sergei held it to his shoulder and aimed down the iron sights. He adjusted them, being more used to using a scope, before digging the stock into his shoulder.

Andrzej noticed Sergei mulling over the weapon, somewhat hesitant to fire. Considering what they saw it do to that xenomorph, Sergei was sure the recoil was going to be hard to control. He didn't have a suit of power armour, to put it simply, to counter it.

"You know how to use that?" Andrzej asked.

Sergei looked to the captain.

"He said it's like a pulse rifle." Sergei said apprehensively, before aiming down the sights. "Here goes."

Sergei squeezed the trigger for a burst, preparing himself for the recoil that he was sure was going to buck like a mule. He was surprised when he felt hardly any recoil as the rifle gave out a burst of sharp electrostatic cracks. His aim was true as the rounds rocketed out and nailed a xenomorph, who was about to pounce on Alaric from behind, right in the head. The xenomorphs head exploded like a ripe melon from the side as the bullets passed through and out.

Sergei's eyes were wide when he saw what he just did. And the squad were just as surprised as the sniper looked down at the weapon.

Alaric swiftly turned to see the xenomorph collapse into the snow, dead once again as it's ruptured head spilled cranial matter. He then turned to a stunned Sergei.

"See?" he called out, blocking a xenomorph's tail with his shield in a shower of blue sparks. "Just like a pulse rifle!"

Alaric countered the xenomorph by slicing it's tail off before driving his shield into it's leg, smashing it's knee in. He then smashed it in the head with his shield before hacking through it's neck to finish it off.

Sergei realised at that point, having felt it fire and how it operated, what kind of weapon the rifle was.

"It's a railgun!" he realised. "A miniaturised railgun!"

However, to ruin the mood, firing that shot had alerted several of the xenomorphs to this new and sudden threat. They broke off from engaging Alaric and pounded right towards the squad, intent on eliminating this new-found resistance.

"Here they come!" Andrzej yelled, as he drew his sword. "Get tactical, marines!"

The squad lined up with swords drawn as Sergei quickly aimed down the sights, ready to drop them before they got close. The other marines went about trying to get the colonists out of harms way but staying together.

Alaric decapitated his current opponant before he noticed that the xenomoprhs were not engaging him anymore. He realised that, oppurtunistic as they are, they were going for the virtually unarmed colonists.

"Oh for fucks sake!" Alaric yelled in frustration, chasing after the xenomoprhs. "Stay fucking dead!"

Sergei was quick with the rifle, concentrating his fire on the closest xenomorphs. He was successful in rendering most of their heads into paste but there were two xenomorphs that moved faster then Sergei could aim. His sniper habit of not wasting ammunition on misses was working against him.

"I can't get a shot!" Sergei yelled, as the xenomorphs pounced at the group.

"Evade!" Andzrej yelled.

Everyone was quick to respond but the xenomorphs proved quicker. While most of the group managed to get clear, one of the Archangels weren't so lucky.

Sergei, in retribution of killing it's brood kin, was smacked hard in the gut by the first xenomorph's tail, the gauss rifle flying from his grip and away out of anyone's immediate reach, his armour crumpling with a loud metallic crunch. He was sent careening into the snow, cradling his chest and gasping for breath. The rest of the Archangels pulled back to allow Alaric came charging up to deal with it. Sarah rushed to Sergei and dragged him back to the colonists and other marines out of harms way, the sniper coughing hard and he tried to get air back in his lungs. His armour, thanks to it's composite structure, had taken the full brunt of the blow. But still, it was badly caved in, requiring forceful pulling on it's latches to get it free and allow him to breath.

The rest of the Archangels rushed in to fill the gap.

Alaric lined himself up for a jump as the xenomorph's back was turned. But he was soon deterred from saving his squad.

Alaric abruptly skidded to a halt as another xenomorph erupted out of the snow in a pounce right at him. Alaric ducked, bracing his shield up as the xenomorph landed right on top of him. Pushing up, he rebounded the xenomorph up and over him as the shield's energy field flashed from the impact. The xenomorph landed deftly on it's feet before turning to Alaric who brought his kopis to bear.

The rest of the Archangels fenced and parried their attacking xenomorph's attacks, dodging those that knew they couldn't parry. Mal'fax and Fel'tak rushed in to engage the second xenomorph. Fel'tak was eager to get a new trophy while Mal'fax was intent on killing it before it did any damage. Ly'enta was with Kra'vyx, hauling him to safety much to his defiance.

Kra'vyx was placed up against a wrecked truck out of the fighting.

"Kra'vyx, stay here."Ly'enta urged.

"I can fight!" Kra'vyx protested.

"You're not in any shape to be fighting." Ly'enta told him, keeping Kra'vyx down. "Besides, Alaric wouldn't want you in there."

Before Kra'vyx could protest further, Ly'enta rushed to join Mal'fax and Fel'tak. Kra'vyx slumped his shoulders at the thought of being useless when he could be helping them. He still had to earn a trophy before all this was over.

Kra'vyx sighed despondently before he noticed something buried in the snow.

Ly'enta in the meantime kept her distance as she watched Mal'fax and Fel'tak engage the xenomorph, keeping it occupied. This was not out of reluctance to attack but rather biding her time for the right moment to attack. She was looking for a weak spot to exploit so that they can go in for the kill.

When the xenomorph reared it's head up ready to pounce, Ly'enta struck at that crucial moment.

A sharp crack was heard as Ly'enta, seeing the opening, lashed out with both whips. The chains wrapped around its neck, the barbed chains digging into gaps in its carapace. The xenomorph reacted to this sudden incapacitation by yanking on the chains. Ly'enta was nearly pulled off her feet but, skidding along like she was wake boarding, she found purchase on a rock. She dug her feet in and heaved.

Mal'fax and Fel'tak rushed in to take advantage of the situation, jabbing and pummelling away trying to get past it's armour. Fel'tak had some luck in jabbing between carapace plates and Mal'fax's barrage of blows was starting to crack them opening The xenomorph however, seeing this as an annoyance rather then a threat, swatted them hard with a fierce back slap, scattering the two young hunters. It then turned it's head towards Ly'enta, it's tail rising up ready to spear her.

Ly'enta, with resolve burning in her eyes, tugged on her whips as hard as she could in unison, the bladed chains grinding into the xenomorph's neck like a chainsaw cutting into a tree, chitin shards flying in a shower of sparks. And then the blades found a way between the armour plating and into the sinuous flesh within with a loud screech of metal into flesh. The xenomoprh gave out a loud gargled screech as the blades sawed right into it's jugulars.

With a sharp screech of metal, Ly'enta fell to the ground hard as the chains came free abruptly. The xenomorph staggered a few steps, acid gushing from it's deeply ruptured neck before it lost it's footing and crashed into the snow. It hit it's head on a conveniently placed rock and it's head snapped off it's shredded spine with a loud crack.

Ly'enta took in what she had just accomplished. She had just earned her trophy and her right to become a huntress. But when she looked at her whips, she saw that there was a price to be had. Her chain-whips' blades were fractured, cracked and above else blunted from grinding into the hardened carapace.

"Well done!" Mal'fax praised, snapping Ly'enta out of her thoughts.

Fel'tak however was occupied with getting another trophy then giving praise.

"Next one's mine!" Fel'tak declared, rushing to the second xenomorph.

"Fel'tak, wait!" Mal'fax yelled rushing after him.

The Archangels in the meantime had manage to keep their xenomorph contained using hit and run manoeuvres, preventing from getting to the colonists and other surviving marines. If they could keep the xenomorph busy until Alaric or the initiates could engaged it, they could get the colonists to safety. Or as safe as could be on this planet.

However, that plan was about to go awry.

The xenomorph at that point noticed some sheep who left the safety of the flock. A female colonist, holding her young son in her arms, rushing toward one of the wrecked transports. While this may seem like a sound strategy, it was not one that was suitable for this situation.

And Andrzej knew it when he turned his back for a moment and what he saw was an open target.

"Get back here!" Andrzej shouted to her.

The xenomorph's opportunism revealed itself.

With a mighty lash from it's tail, it battered the Archangels away like bowling pins, the marines groggily rolling to their feet. Fel'tak rushed in for the kill, seeing an opening in the xenomorph's attack. But the xenomorph was just waiting for him. Fel'tak, jumping for the xenomorph's throat, found his stave glancing harmlessly off it's armoured crest. It then bucked it's head up, catapulting Fel'tak high in the air. Fel'tak yelled in a mixture of surprise and cheated rage as he tumbled back down. The xemomorph then swung it's tail once more and smacked Fel'tak away like a major league batter scoring a home run. Fel'tak yelled in pain as the tail impacted his back, flying several metres before skidding into the snow in a pain wracked heap.

Fortunately, his yautja physiology ensured his back wasn't pulverised by the impact of the xenomorph's tail. Only badly bruised and it would take time before he had any feeling in his legs.

The xenomorph was clear to charge the colonist who had now got her son inside the wrecked transport. It stampeded towards her, arms out and ready to grab the both of them. She screamed in terror as the xenomorph got within leaping distance.

At that moment, something tackled the xenomorph from behind in a cloud of snow, causing to stagger towards the colonist and her son. The xenomorph skidded to it's knees and the mother grabbed her child out of the way and dived to the side. The xenomorph crashed into the transport, tipping it onto it's side with a loud crashing clatter.

Everyone thought that Alaric had finally managed to intercept. Only the problem with that is that Alaric was just now ripping his xenomorph's head off and had now looked to see what was going on.

The saviour in question was completely unexpected as the xenomorph got to it's feet and was revealed to be hanging on it's back.

It was a malformed xenomorph that looked human in shape. It was draped in the tattered remnants of miner smocks and the only parts of it that were xenomorph was it's legs, it's right arm ended in a set of talons, a tail waved from it's coccyx and the top half of it's head from the eyes up was smooth carapace like a mask that then pointed in malformed stubs like devil horns. The rest of the body was human, gaunt flesh that was exposed to view was covered in greying hardened blotches and the human mouth was starting to take on the xenomorph's characteristic toothy grin.

It looked like it was in considerable pain from the way it moved. As if its body was resisting it's thoughts.

Alaric, remembering what he had saw in the hive, quickly recognised it as the occupant that had been prematurely birthed and ran towards it. And it surprised everyone when it did something that no xenomorph could.

"Run!" it rasped in a surprisingly protective and human male voice. "Get away!"

Alaric's eyes widened as he skidded to a halt, as indicated by his helmet's lenses, by this sudden speech.

The xenomorph roared as it smacked the mutant off it's back. The mutant however defiantly held on, driving his tail into it's side like an anchor. The xenomorph screeched in annoyance as it tried to grab the mutant. The mutant proved to be a determined clinger like an overly persistent fly. The colonist took her chance hauling her son up in her arms and ran for cover far from here.

The xenomorph lashed out an arm to try and catch her but the mutant wrenched at it's neck as he lurched out of the way.

"You won't take them!" the mutant rasped, clawing at it's back defiantly. "You won't take them!"

The xenomorph screeched in annoyance, continuing to grab after the mutant who was even now using his clawed hand to hack, somewhat ineffectively, at it's back. The xenomoprh then bucked to and fro to shake him off, making the mutated colonist hold on even tighter and claw further in determination.

However, the xenomorph had the idea of using the transport wreck as a deterrent.

The xenomorph charged into the wreckage, spinning in mid jump so that it's back would impact and dislodge the mutated colonist. The transport exploded with a loud metallic screech into a shower of sparks and twisted shrapnel as the xenomorph smashed right through. It may have been subjected to multiple lacerations on it's back in the process but it had attained it's objective.

The mutant's grip faltered for a second upon impact and that was all it took.

The xenomorph reached behind and grabbed the mutant by the newly dislodged tail. Before the mutant could respond, he was brutally wrenched off the xenomorph's bleeding back before being slammed into the ground hard. The xenomorph brutally and sadistically, like a silver-back ape dispatching a rival male, slammed the mutant again and again, loud cracks filling the air.

This was entirely not what a xenomorph, known for swift merciless killing, would normally do.

The xenomorph pinned the mutant into the ground under one foot before it leant down and bit down hard at the base of the mutant's tail. The mutant yelled in distorted pain as razor sharp teeth punctured carapace. With a loud snapping crunch, the xenomorph bit the mutant's tail off in a ragged arc of blackish blood, tossing the twitching appendage like offal into a street.

And then the xenomorph tossed the pulverised mutant up in the air and it's tail shot out.

The xenomorphs tail punched right through the mutant's back with a loud crunch before bursting out of it's chest, blackish blood erupted out from the wound that hissed as it hit the snow. The mutant gave out a loud echoing distorted scream as he was held in the air. He was then slammed hard into the ground with a very audible crack before being slung off into the snow. The mutant landed into a broken heap, skidding through the snow and impacting the rock face first where the colonist and her son was hiding.

The colonist was quick to vacate her hiding place when the mutant crashed with a loud crunch of half-formed chitin. The Archangels rushed in with their swords up as Alaric rushed in with his shield up, ready to engage.

The xenomorph roared loudly at them in a show of strength before a loud electrostatic crack was heard. The xenomorph was hit hard in the upper chest by what looked like a fiery rocket travelling at unprecedented speed. The projectile punched deep into it's chest, causing it to buckle before it exploded in a fiery conflagration of flying chitin, flying appendages, scattering snow and spraying acid in a massive arc. All that was left was it's legs and tail, twitching in the blasted snow.

The Archangels dove in to the snow when the xenomorph exploded out of reflex while Alaric braced behind his shield.

That was a surprise to those watching. It was like the xenomorph suddenly vanished, in a manner of speaking, in a puff of smoke. And then the blasted remains rained down around them like a fleshy monsoon. Alaric held his shield up like an umbrella, chunks of blackened carapace thumping on the metal, while the Archangels smartly stepped aside to avoid being hit by charred acidic remnants.

When the rain of limbs and offal ceased, there was a puzzle to solve.

"Who fired that shot?" Andrzej asked, slowly sheathing his sword.

The Archangels sheathed their swords as they pondered the exact same thing.

"I think the better question is: Did we have a spare SADAR hidden somewhere?" Hicks clarified.

Alaric lowered his shield as he remembered seeing a sight like this before.

"I think I know what did that." Alaric revealed, sheathing his kopis.

Following the direction from which the projectile travelled, Alaric and the Archangels turned to a surprising sight.

Kra'vyx, kneeling in the snow, was holding the gauss rifle in his hands and the grenade launcher's barrel was glowing hot. Kra'vyx was the one who took the xenomorph down by a stroke of good fortune as it turned out he was unknowingly taken to where the gauss rifle was flung from Sergei's grip.

Kray'vyx lowered the rifle as he took in what he had finally managed to accomplish. After being beaten to a pulp, terrified out of his mind and almost torn limb from limb, he had finally fulfilled his right to become a hunter.

"Finally got my trophy!" he declared in overdue but frustrated victory, dumping the rifle to the ground, the rifle's glowing barrel hissing and steaming in the snow, and sat back down hard.

Then on cue, the xenomorph's head landed next to him with a loud thump, smoking from the explosion.

While Mal'fax and Ly'enta were pleased he had finally earned his right as a hunter, one certain initiate was less then supportive.

"Not fair!" Fel'tak complained, holding his back as he numbingly got to his knees.

He was silenced by a smack over the head by Mal'fax, sending him face first back into the snow.

"You had your chance." Mal'fax reminded, pointing a finger at him. "Kra'vyx earned this!"

Fel'tak heaved himself up, spitting snow out of his mouth.

"He didn't use his own weapons!" Fel'tak countered.

"Really? Well, you weren't so eager to go charging back at it with your stave now, were you?" Mal'fax reminded.

"Only due to being nearly made a paraplegic!" Fel'tak stated, pointing to his back.

As Mal'fax and Fel'tak bickered, Ly'enta walked up to Kra'vyx and helped him to his feet.

"We did it." she praised. "We got our trophies!"

Kra'vyx looked at his, still smoking from its demise.

"Wasn't a total failure now, am I?" he said, reaching down to pick up the smoking cranium.

Alaric inwardly smiled at Kra'vyx's achievement. The Archangels took in what had just happened.

"Another surprise." Karl added up. "What's next, lightsabers?"

"A railgun AND a SADAR equivalent." Hicks added up. "What a mix!"

The other angels were just as surprised by the revelation. They all made similar comments about the concept and how they had yet to develop it. Hicks even concluded that this, along with Alaric's armour, had to be technology of a yet undiscovered alien race.

Sarah came up at that point with Sergei supported on her shoulder. He had ditched his imploded cuirass and was left with his thermal jacket with improvised bandages tightly wrapped around his chest to keep his ribs in place.

Andrzej approached them.

"How is he?" Andzrej questioned.

"Cracked ribs." Sarah diagnosed. "Bruising and general disorientation. Luckily, his armour took the brunt of it."

"Is he still combat capable?" Andrzej asked, wanting his sniper to be still useful instead of a liability

"As long as he doesn't overexert himself, he'll be alright." Sarah cautioned.

Segei coughed and winced from it.

"Judging by the explosion, you got the bastard?" Sergei wheezed.

"Got him?" Hicks quipped, pointing to a steaming chunk of carapace by his feet. "It's spread over a hundred feet radius to be exact!"

Sergei chuckled before his chest stopped him with a hiss.

"Careful, you're lucky you didn't implode from that impact." Sarah reminded.

While the squad and the colonists celebrated survival yet again, Alaric however had another thought on his mind other then celebrations

Alaric looked back towards where the mutant landed and he could see something that made his heart ache.

The mutant, despite evidence to the contrary, was dragging himself towards the colonist and her son, leaving a steaming blackish trail behind him. The damage the mutant had sustained was incredible and in many ways heartbreaking. His tail was now a ragged stump of flesh and carapace, his body was covered in cracks seeping out blackish blood, the carapace on his head had a huge fracture that exposed the inner parts and the xenomorph's tail had completely annihilated his spine, forcing him to drag his lifeless legs behind him.

All these injuries and the punishing forces that delivered them could have easily caused death. But by sheer determination or because of the xenomorph corruption within him, the mutant was still alive.

The colonist was keeping her distance from the mutant as he approached, rasping incoherently. Her son in her arms looked just as fearful, but in his eyes he could sense something about this malformed xenomorph.

Something that felt... parental.

In a sudden burst of speed, the mutant reached for her hand, falling at the last hurdle and only managed to yank her glove off. She reacted in fright, hauling her son away. But the mutant persistently followed her, dragging his lifeless legs behind him.

"What going on over there?" Mac said, pointing out to the colonist.

The colonist looked around feverishly for anything to protect herself and her child. She almost tripped over something in the snow and looking down she saw a bolt-gun, likely scattered or dropped during the battle, half buried by her feet. Putting her son down, she quickly dug it out of the snow and hefted it in her hands.

The mutant rasped something indistinctly, like he was trying to speak but his vocal chords were refusing to work.

Alaric was quick to hurry over when his helmet picked up the inhibited speech. The Archangels quickly followed him, the medic having just got the sniper back on his feet, curious to see what was going on. But their reactions, a combination of disgust and logic-defying surprise, betrayed their shock when they arrived.

They all thought that it was a xenomorph that was woefully underdeveloped before bursting.

The mutant continued painfully crawl it's way towards the colonist and her son. She immediately brought up the bolt-gun and did her best to aim the heavy tool at the mutant's head. She cocked it, thankful that there was one bolt left in it's drum magazine. She would have fired the weapon if not for one tiny detail she saw glinting as the mutant reached it's humanoid hand towards her.

A wedding ring.

One that matched hers on her gloveless hand.

The mutant rasped out again and this time she could hear him say something.

Mel.

Her name.

And in a voice, though distorted, that she recognised

And when the mutant shakily raised his head to look up at her, she could definitely see a human's blue right eye with the sclera starting to become jet black, looking up at her through the crack in the smooth carapace covering his eyes.

The colonist's grip loosened on the bolt-gun immediately on seeing this unexpected sight and the tool thumped into the snow.

"Mel." the mutant wheezed. "Help me."

She raised her bolt-gun up again as the mutant said her name. But, either through shock or reluctance or even fear, she could not bring herself to fire.

The mutant then helped her.

The mutant reached out for the bolt-gun with his claw, the broken talons clattering on the metal shrouding. He then raised the barrel and shakily planted it against his head. He then reached his human hand over and clasped hers, using his thumb to make her finger press the trigger.

But before the electrical impulse could shoot the bolt and end his suffering, an ulterior force intervened.

The mutant suddenly convulsed, retching as if all the air in his lung was suddenly forced out. Mel jumped backwards in fright, dropping the bot gun as she fell into the snow. The mutant rolled onto his back, rasping for air. Then there was the unmistakable sound of crunching flesh.

His body was changing. The corruption was taking further hold, exploiting his weakened state with ruthless ambition.

"What the fuck?!" Hicks yelled in surprise.

"Kill me!" the mutant rasped "Please! The voices!"

The carapace on the mutant's body was already starting to heal and spread to the areas of deformed humanity left. Filling in the gaps so to speak as plates of it began to form. The stubs on his head were lengthening out into wickedly curved spikes.

"Holy shit!" someone shouted in shock. "It turning into one of them!"

"Captain, this is bad." Mac warned. "It's maturing."

"Then there's only one thing left." Andzrej said, reaching to his back.

The Archangels raised their swords, ready to cut down the mutant. But Alaric quickly stepped out in front of them, a hand out to stop them.

"Wait!" he said. "Captain, you can't do this."

Andzrej held his sword towards Alaric.

"Alaric." Andrzej warned. "You know what must be done. It has to die now before it's fully gown. Step aside"

That was a bold order, considering what Alaric was capable of.

"Captain... trust me." Alaric firmly pleaded.

Andrzej looked towards the mutant, watching the black carapace slowly spread like a black wave across it's body, before returning h's eyes to Alaric. Andrzej gestured his hand and the Archangels lowered their swords.

"Okay." Andrzej said, sheathing his blade. "You deal with it. Make it quick."

Alaric looked to Aegis on his shoulder. Something had to be done before this mutant lost the last of his humanity.

"Aegis." Alaric asked. "Is there anything to be done to stop this?"

Aegis nodded. The hawk hopped of his shoulder, landing above the mutant's head. Aegis's plumage then started to shimmer as he spread his wings like an array and stood straight and shut his eyes. The mutant continued to painfully convulse as his teeth started to grown into fangs.

"What are you doing?" Alaric asked.

Aegis didn't answer as he seemed to be in deep concentration for what ever was going to happen. Alaric got his answer from the only one who knew Aegis first-hand.

Aegis is going to try and cleanse him. Gri'nyr revealed in Alaric's mind.Purge the primarch's corruption from his body while there is still time. But, given his current state, he will need assistance.

Alaric surmised that it must be because of the damage that Aegis had sustained millennia ago, shielding Gri'nyr from the sniper's disruptor shot.

What do I need to do? Alaric asked in his mind.

Hold your hand over his chest and I'll do the rest. Gri'nyr explained. But we must hurry. Be ready to act when the source reveals itself.

Alaric promptly knelt down to the mutant miner and held his gauntleted hand over his chest. Aegis opened his eyes and diamonds glowed with white light and his plumage rippled as if his feathers were of mercury.

This may kill him, Gri'nyr's voice warned. But then death is preferable to enslavement. Still, he was strong enough to resist this far, he may have a chance.

Alaric could then hear Gri'nyr's voice in his head, chanting in the tongue of the Ancients. While Alaric could barely understand what the incantation was, he could feel that it was one of cleansing. Something to free the mutant from this corruption.

Aegis' sheild-like crest started to glow. The ritual was about to begin.

Suffice to say, with such odd actions being taken, questions were bound come up.

"Alaric, what's going on? Andrzej asked.

Alaric turned his head to the captain before returning to his focus.

"If he's going to die, then he'll die human." Alaric replied bluntly.

"Human?" the captain said in puzzlement.

Alaric's gauntleted hand started to glow, the ornamentation on the armour plating lighting up. Then runes of an unknown scripture, but familiar to Alaric, materialised around his hands like orbiting planets.

"Whoa." Karl said in astonishment.

"What tech is this?" Hicks asked in awe, scrambling to find his datapad to record this.

He had just managed to hit 'record' as the spectacle began.

Embers of white light started to glow and then rise from the mutated miner. The embers then turned into white blue tinged flames with the embers flaring in number in a mesmerising display of almost celestial nature. The xenomorph tainted areas of his body, the claws and taloned feet, even the horrific wound in the abdomen and tail stump, were slowly starting to glow like hot metal in a forge.

What was most disturbing was that carapace looked as if it was pulsing in reaction to this intrusion. Much like how flesh becomes inflamed when it is infected.

Aegis then held his head up high, looking up to the sky as his eyes shone more intensely. The runes floating around Alaric's hands then converged into his hand with a bright flash of power, embers erupting from their impact. Aegis lowered his head down and from his eyes streams of ethereal energy flowed out into the mutant's chest like water through the air.

It was at that moment that the initiates arrived to see what all the commotion was and what they saw would prove to be most mind-bending to an already unbelievable journey.

The mutant started to strain in perceived discomfort, feeling the flames course through him a like a torrent, light erupting from the fissures in the xenomorph carapace. Either from the resisting corruption in his body or by the fire that was even now burning through him, he could not tell. Then as the flames intensified into, an inferno fragments of the xenomorph carapace and chitin throughout his body started to crumble, bits of varying sizes broke off and rose from him like a cliff face eroding into a sea.

The glowing fragments of xenomorph carapace and internal tissues rose into the air before disintegrating into masses of embers. And as each fragment lifted from the mutant, pure flames of light was revealed underneath like magma beneath the earth's crust.

Hicks looked at his datapad's screen, silent from what he was recording. The light was blotting out the view like he was recording the sun.

"Unreal" someone murmured.

But then the sight turned very real in a literal change of colour.

The white flames ominously bled into a deathless black giving off an eldritch purple light. The mutant then gave off a series of distorted pain-filled yells as the black flames, in a manner that spoke sentience, began to force themselves back inside him.

Hick's datapad at that point started to fizzle and crack before the screen blew out in a shower of sparks.

"What is this?!" Hicks said, dropping his now useless instrument in shock.

The other Archangels were just as if not more disturbed by this spectacle. Especially how their comms, along with any other communications gear the survivors had, were now going into a serious bout of interference with a loud piercing electronic screech and the cameras on those helmets cracked and fractured. Helmets and headsets were being wrenched off with a feverish urgency that left their wearers holding their ears.

These flames were more then just energy in a sense. The flames were alive!

"My head!" Sergei grunted through gritted teeth.

Mac yelled in Japanese, holding his ears in pain. This screech had gotten right into their heads in more ways then one and some were worse off then others.

"Look, the flames are trying to get back inside it!" Karl said, pointing at the writhing black flames trying to burrow even deeper into the mutant.

And more so when the mutant started convulsing like a host about to release a chestburster. And the skin on his chest was heaving, adding to that sickening notion.

"There's something in there!" Sarah shouted in disgust.

Most of the assembled spectators started taking a few cautious steps back from this all too familiar reaction. The Archangels and a few braver marines stayed their ground.

The initiates were just as shocked from this sight. Fel'tak was spouting shocked and colourfully explicit ramblings while Mal'fax was silent with wide eyes. Kra'vyx, holding the gauss rifle in his arms, was more or less perplexed at this living flame. Ly'enta was, to put it lightly, frozen with fear at this unnatural sight.

Alaric, with his helmet enhancing his view and protecting his ears, looked into the black flames and it was there that he found the source of the corruption, like a void sucking in surround light. It was just within reach.

There it is, Grinyr indicated in Alaric's head. It's exposed. Grab it!

Alaric's eye's narrowed into slits as he drove his hand into the black flames as Aegis' eyes flared brighter in concentration. The ornamentation on his armour glowed as the flames ceased their intrusion into the mutant and instead started to encircled his arm like a void firestorm.

It looked like the black flame wasn't going to be extinguished without a fight.

Alaric was now visibly wresting with the flames, trying to somehow get a firm hold of them. More black flames erupted from the mutant as he continued to scream, lashing out at the surround area and causing everyone in the vicinity to hurriedly back off.

"This is fucked up!" a marine shouted.

"This is beyond fucked up!" another marine corrected.

But as the flames continued to resist, lashing out at him in fiery swipes, Alaric spotted what he was reaching for as the core of the flames agonisingly slowly emerged from the mutant's chest from a glowing ring-like fissure in his chest.

An invisible ragged crystal shard, wreathed in black and purple flame.

And the energy streams from Aegis's eyes were directed to it.

"Gotcha!" Alaric growled through his teeth.

He lunged down with his arm and grabbed the crystalline heart of the black flames in a fiery flash of black and purple embers that made everyone take a step another back. Fel'tak filled the air with more explicitness as he tumbled backwards into the snow. Mal'fax tumbled over him, landing on his back.

Alaric pulled at the crystal, trying to wrench it out of the mutant, who was now giving off an unholy cacophony of screams that added terror to his already light consumed body. The crystal was now sending out tendril-like arcs of energy in response to being yanked out of it's host. The tendrils latched onto the mutant, causing him to scream even more as the crystal struggled to burrow itself deeper. Some tendrils lashed out and wrapped themselves around Alaric's arm and others lashed out wildly.

You almost got the shard out, Gri'nyr warned. Careful, It's looking for a new host.

Alaric turned this head towards the others who had already taken a good few steps back.

"Stay back!" Alaric yelled as a tendril lashed out at the nearest colonists before latching onto his helmet. "Don't let it touch you!"

Everyone took another obligatory step backwards

Alaric regained his grip on the crystal, making sure he had a good grip for extraction. As much as he could with black fire and tendrils in account.

Pull! Gri'nyr urged.

Alaric heaved at the crystal with as much force as his armour could muster. The crystal gave off a loud crystalline screech that made everyone reach for their ears again. The black flames were now being sucked back into the crystal. The tendrils continued to wrestled with Alaric as he continued to pull, the ornamentation on his armour glowing intensely. With a loud flash, his armour gave out a pulse of power that battered the tendrils off him like an unearthly squid spreading it's tentacles in the ocean.

And that was the last lock in the way.

There was a loud crunch as the crystal finally gave out and came free in a loud fiery flash of black and violet. The energy tendrils dissipated like dust in the wind. The mutant's screams gave out as, either by loss of consciousness or death, he fell comatose and unmoving into the snow.

Aegis' eyes stopped glowing and he lowered his wings in exhaustion as he half sat, half fell into the snow, his plumage now notably dull. Alaric slowly rose to his feet as the mutant's body continued to glow, the ornamentation on his armour dimming and fading.

"Got it." Alaric said softly in victory.

Andrzej hesitantly stepped forward as the squad followed him.

"Alaric?" he asked, stopping behind Alaric. "What did you get?"

Alaric turned to the captain and what he held in his hand was something that was not there before. In his hand was a crystal, barely visible in his hand, the size of an index finger and wreathed with purple and black flames.

Suffice to say, this sight was something that was unnerving and unexpected.

"God, what is that?" a bystander asked.

"Fire isn't supposed to be black!" another said.

The Archangels were wary of this object that wasn't in Alaric's hand a few moments ago. The initiates were

Alaric looked down into the crystal like a fortune teller peering into her crystal ball. He could make out the shard's shape from the flames seeping from it. And in his eyes, he could make out a dark shape in the flame that bore a distinctive crest. And then the whispers started to infiltrate his mind, slowly but surely getting louder.

And he wasn't the only one to feel it. Everyone in close proximity with the shard, maybe a metre or so, started to hold their heads like they were on the onset of a headache. They started to complain about loud, almost tune-like ringing in their ears, though none else was hearing anything. Sarah attributed it to combat stress. Hicks, however, said he could only hear a slight humming, not a ringing. But as soon as they took a pace or two back, the ringing lessened until it rang out.

Mal'fax deciding he and his friends have seen enough, ushered them away. Kra'vyx however need some more forceful encouragement. There would be time for Alaric to explain later.

Alaric, gazing into the crystal, was certain now that the source of this shard was staring back at him. And he would send a message right back at it as he clenched his hand.

Alaric watched as the crystal writhed in his hand as he squeezed, watching glowing cracks fracture inside before it shattered in a flash of black and purple embers. What could be described as diamond dust slipped through his fingers and dispersed into the air, fading into nothingness. And the whispers faded with it.

Alaric gave his hand a once-over, watching for any residue that the crystal might have left behind.

That wasn't so difficult, Alaric quipped.

That was only a fragment. Gri'nyr reminded. The Primarch's soul will be much harder to crack.

The Archangel came back over to him, holding their heads.

"What was that thing, Alaric?" Andrzej asked, holding his ears. "Our ears were ringing."

"Ringing?" Hicks interjected, picking up his blown out datapad. "I only heard a buzzing."

"There was definitely ringing, Hicks" Karl corrected.

Alaric looked to them.

"That was the cancer." Alaric revealed, lowering his hand.

Alaric turned back to the mutant whose light consumed body was even now starting to dim. He held out an arm and Aegis jumped onto his forearm before hopping up to his shoulder.

"Hopefully, he survived." Alaric said in anticipation.

"Survived?" Andrzej questioned.

All that screaming from before was suggesting that the mutant had died a slow and agonising death.

When the light dissipated into a dim glow before dying out, shock was everyone's reaction. Alaric however was hardened by the truth. There in front of them, half-naked in the snow was a miner, albeit in bad shape with red flamelike scarring where the xenomorph carapace used to be and completely bereft of any hair.

A miner that was thought long dead after being taken by the xenomorphs.

"It... can't be." Mel stammered.

Her son beaten her to the chase.

"Dad!" he cried in happiness.

The miner opened his eyes with a start, taking a long unrestricted breath. He then coughed hard as his lungs reacted to having more oxygen in them. His right eye was blue and human but, like a scar, his left eye was jet black as xenomorph carapace. A reminder of the fate he almost succumbed to.

"Kenneth?!"

Kenneth rolled onto his front, coughing loudly as he shakily tried to get to his knees. He looked up at his wife and son. When he saw them with his own eyes, and not in the vision of the xenomorphs, he smiled weakly

"The voices are gone." Kenneth rasped with long overdue relief, slipping into a shivering heap in the snow. "Finally."

Alaric looked to Sarah, seeing the medic was just stupefied from what had just transpired.

"Don't just stand there, get him some thermal gear!" Alaric ordered.

Sarah's medical training kicked in as she reached for her pack and pulled out the thermal blanket that was rolled tightly on top, activating the heat filaments within with a prompt crack. Alaric quickly got Kenneth out of the snow and Sarah wrapped the thermal blanket around him. But before she could wrap him up, his son rushed into his arms in a much overdue hug that sent them crashing into Alaric's legs.

Kenneth winced as he felt his son hugging him tightly, the flame scarring already raw from his ordeal.

"Careful, he's lucky the purge didn't kill him." Alaric warned, wrapping the thermal blanket around Kenneth.

At that point the silence was abruptly ended as the situation finally set in.

"Wasn't he taken?!" a colonist questioned.

"Him and Dylan were taken not two days ago!" another added

Andzrej at that point joined in with the questioning.

"Alaric, what is this." he demanded.

Alaric looked up to the captain as he stood up and removed his helmet.

"This is one of the missing colonists." Alaric answered, as if it wasn't obvious enough. "Who else do you think it is?"

Alaric then walked away from the group but the squad followed after him. Kenneth was now being seen to by several colonists who had began gathering any salvaged clothing for him to wear. Not that the dead was going to be needing them any more.

"Nobody ever comes back after they were taken!" a colonist said in disbelief.

"He was taken, just like the others!" another added.

Alaric stopped when he was out of earshot of the colonists for what he was about to reveal to his squad. Suffice to say, his body language was starting to agitate his fellow archangels.

"Alaric, what are you not telling us?" Andrzej demanded. "That colonist we know for certain was taken by the bugs like the others."

Alaric turned to the captain as Aegis jumped off his shoulder and into the snow.

"Yes, like the others." Alaric confirmed before he gestured to all the dead xenomorphs. "And, as much as I hate to say it, even now their bodies lay all around us."

Andrzej rolled his eyes as his patience ran out.

"Well of course they're all around us, most of them got butchered by the bugs!" Andrzej reminded, like Alaric had suddenly gone dumb.

Alaric, annoyed that they had not yet got it, walked right up to Andrzej, face to face until they were just inches apart.

"Not just them, the bugs too!" Alaric revealed, pointing out with his helmet.

Andrzej went silent from what Alaric had almost shouted in his face. Not out of the manner of insubordination but for the answer he was given.

The squad looked around at all the dead xenomorphs after Alaric's answer. As far as they could see, dead xenomorphs littered the area.

Suffice to say, Alaric's answer was met with immediate scepticism.

"What?" Andrzej said in disbelief.

"Alaric, you cannot be serious." Hicks said, thinking that the cold must have got to Alaric's brain.

Karl openly laughed the mere idea.

"You're joking." Karl laughed credulously.

Alaric was dead serious. And when Alaric was serious, that was when all theory and postulation is thrown out of the window.

Karl's grin left his face and was replaced with dread.

"Wait, you're not seriously suggesting..." Karl started.

"They ARE the colonists." Alaric bluntly revealed, gesturing once more to all the dead xenomorphs littering the convoy wrecks. "These demonic bugs are in fact the missing colonists."

This was not something that could be readily believed. Considering the huge fundamental difference between humans and xenomorphs. But if what they saw Kenneth as was real, as a unholy combination of both species when he intervened to save his wife and son, then that meant one thing.

Suffice to say, denial was the first reaction.

"No. No fucking way!" Karl said, shaking his head and walking off.

Sarah started whispering in French as the thought of slaughtering colonists entered her head.

"Oh, I think so." Sergei confirmed, rubbing his back.

Mac held a hand to his eyes when realisation hit home, muttering in japanese.

Hicks held his head in shock.

"But... how can..." Hicks started, trying to come up with a logical explanation. "Xenomorphs use hosts to breed!"

Alaric turned to him.

"You're correct." Alaric answered. "They do use hosts, only they don't simply use them as incubators. These bugs infected them. Changed them cell by cell and sculpted them in their own image."

Andrzej, who was silent Alaric's confession, spoke up. While it wasn't clear whether or not he believed Alaric, he was taking it as a possibility.

"You've seen it with your own eyes." he questioned. "What they did to this colonist. The honest, god-fearing truth?"

Alaric turned to him.

"Yes." He confirmed. "I saw it with my own eyes in their hive."

The Archangels' eyes went wide and a jaw or two dropped.

"You were in their hive!?"

"Yes." Alaric answered. "As much as I'd want to deny it. I found one miner undergoing the change." he pointed towards Kenneth. "His brother."

Andzrej looked at all the dead xenomorphs. They way Alaric was so earnest in his explanation seemed to hit home with the captain. In his mind he saw not xenomorphs, but colonists.

"Then... we had been killing the people we were... trying to protect." Andzrej said, shaking his head. "How ironic."

"No. They're not people. Not any more." Alaric corrected "They were dead the moment they were caught."

"But then how does that explain why they knew where to strike us?" Hicks asked. "It not like they had any..."

"Interrogation." Alaric cut in. "From key personnel."

Alaric resumed his attention to the captain.

"You're wondering why the bugs knew so much about the colony?" Alaric asked. "Now you know. The bugs converted those who had that knowledge. The colonial administrator. The marine's CO. Everyone who knew the inner workings of the colony."

Alaric then produced something from Razeal's holster that he had foresight to retrieve on his way out of the hive. It was the desiccated remains of the colonial administrator's badge. Andrzej took it in his hands and confirmed that it was authentic, along with the hive webbing that was still stuck on it.

It was at that point that Hicks had a eureka moment.

"Wait a second." Hicks said in realisation as he reached for his blown out datapad. "I think Alaric has a point!"

He quickly retrieved the memory card, thankfully undamaged, and he inserted it into his wrist unit before typing rapidly.

"What is it?" Andzrej asked. "You believe Alaric now?"

"Not believe, conferring." he corrected.

The rest of the squad huddled around him.

"Hicks, is there something you're not telling us?" Andrzej questioned.

Hicks did a quick head check to make sure no one from the colony would be eaves dropping.

"I know I'll be court-martialed for this, but, these are images I accessed a few weeks back without clearance." he said, reaching for a portable holo-projector from his belt and connecting it to his wrist unit.

"You hacked into the database?!" Sarah exclaimed.

"No, someone conveniently left the door open." Hicks quipped."I was looking into obscure findings from other Spec Ops squads, during an insomnia episode, when I came across this classified file before it was stored. I thought it was a novelty at first but after what Alaric said, I don't think it is."

Film footage was rapidly projecting over his hand, no doubt helmet-cam footage. It showed Spec Ops marines venturing into a dark cave complex, searching for something. Eventually they came across what looked like an abnormally small hive that took up an area of no more then ten feet.

"This is from an incident which involved a single drone but it's similar to what Alaric is talking about." Hicks explained, continuing to play the footage. "The xenomorph was quickly eliminated during a host run but when the squad searched for the missing colonists it took, they found this."

He paused the footage at the correct point.

The image that was projector showed was something that was stomach turning, enough to make the less fortitude turn away in nauseating disgust and shock. It was the sight of an unfortunate colonist cocooned in what looked like a developing xenomorph egg and that the egg was actually forming from the victim itself. The victim looked long dead and was partially dissolved, or more accurately absorbed, into the egg. Opposite the growing egg was another colonist who no doubt was going to be the resulting host.

Suffice to say, apart from Alaric, the Archangels were both disturbed and disgusted.

"I knew you could be eccentric at times but this is disgusting, Hicks!" Karl said, turning away.

"And I thought my country thought of some disturbing stuff in its time." Mac mused.

"Is that even... feasible?" Sarah questioned in contained revulsion.

The medic was nauseated over this strange sight that seemed to defy medical reasoning.

Andrzej as not as disgusted from the image, having seen many a host in stages of decomposition in hives, but he did get an idea of why Hicks thought this was relevant.

"I have never seen or heard of anything like that. Ever." Andzrej said, looking to Hicks.

"This is only the third known instance of this kind of host ever recorded." Hicks pointing out before typing into his pad. "And it only happens if there are no queens or at the very least no eggs."

He then projected a scientific file that detailed forensic investigations involved in dissecting one of these 'eggs'. It even showed extensive details on how, theoretically, the victim's biomass was absorbed and then reconstructed into ovomorph tissues.

"From what could be ascertained before the 'hosts' were terminated, it seemed that the xenomorphs could convert the victim's biomass into a viable egg, no doubt one bearing a royal facehugger for the host adjacent to it." Hicks concluded. "That gave me reason to believe that what Alaric is saying is plausible at least."

"Only instead of starting from scratch, they just morph the colonists into mature bugs." Andrzej finished.

"And they still retain memories from when they used to be human." Alaric added with importance. "Which they then use against us to strike sensitive targets."

Andrzej cupped his chin in thought. Putting together everything that they had learned so far, the stunning perfection in their attacks on the colony that captured important colonists and destroyed vital machinery, he had to take into consideration that this was all entirely plausible. And seeing one of the colonists in the process of this metamorphosis added more favour to it.

He was soon interrupted from his thoughts.

A load pained groan was heard at that point. And it was coming from one of the wrecked trucks on the outskirts.

"Shit, there's someone else alive out there!" a colonist said.

"Where was it?" another asked.

Andzrej held up his binoculars to ascertain whether or not this was a trap. Xenomorphs and yautja hunters had been known use hostages as bait to lure their enemies into a trap. Another grown was heard, the noise sounding like pain from movement like if one was walking on a fractured foot for instance. And it was coming from one of the wrecks in the perimiter.

When he saw a blackened humanoid shape tumbled into view from behind a wrecked truck, he lowered the binoculars when he recognised a badly scarred head.

"Sarah, get over there now!" he ordered.

Sergeant Kelso, who had likely just regained consciousness, was seen dragging himself out from the truck he was flung into. He crawled out, a hand on his side from where the xenomorph tail struck him, drawing a trail of bloodied snow behind him. His armour was damaged beyond use and his clothing blackened from the wreckage.

Again, despite getting his ass manhandled to him for a second time, he didn't die.

But as the Archangels' medic rushed to him with the beaten sniper in tow, it was evident that he was hiding something. The medic skidded to him.

"Kelso, come on." Sarah urged, grabbing him by his free arm "We have to get you out of here."

Kelso however resisted her administrations with a forceful push and sat himself against the wrecked truck. He coughed hard, blood bubbling out of his mouth before he winced.

"Sorry, I'm going somewhere, but not with you." Kelso strained, laying back against the wrecked chassis and holding his side with both hands. "That fucking bug already gave my ticket out of here."

Sarah looked down to where Kelso was holding his bloodied side, seeing blood seep from his fingers in a steady trickle. Moving his hands out of the way for a better look, she gasped with a hand to her mouth when she saw the damage he had sustained.

Kelso had been ripped open from that tail slash, his armour torn through like tin foil and he was literally holding in his guts. It was a miracle that he was still alive. But, considering the injuries he already sustained at the refinery beforehand, he would not be for much longer

And it wasn't like they had the equipment to save his life anyway.

Sarah whispered in French at the extent of his wounds as the rest of the squad walked up as the. Sergei, still shaky on his feet from his earlier defeat, sat down next to Kelso, hissing as his back connected with the chassis behind them. Kelso turned to him.

"I got blind-sided." Kelso pointed out, indicating his wound.

"Tell me about it." Sergei wheezed. "Fuckers have a nasty left hook."

Kelso chuckled before the pain made him stop. He saw all the rest of the colonists went about scavenging what they could or tending to the wounded. The initiates were tending to their own, Ly'enta taking care of Kra'vyx and a less then cooperative Fel'tak while Mal'fax was keeping an eye out.

He looked up to Andrzej.

"The colonists?" Kelso asked.

"Most of them are safe. Some of your marines too." Andrzej revealed. 'And the hunters made it as well."

Kelso groaned in relief.

"So the evacuation wasn't a complete failure." he sighed. "Fucking bugs."

Alaric walked up and Kelso looked up at him, a smile creeping onto his mauled and scarred face.

"Well... you finally made it." Kelso praised. "Nice gear by the way."

Alaric knelt down to him and saw the extant of Kelso's injuries.

"I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner." Alaric apologised.

"Don't apologise." Kelso waved off. "If the Corps teaches one thing: We all die eventually. Some sooner then later. Just make sure it counts like Flambe did."

He gave Alaric a look over, seeing his armour up close and the weaponry with which he made literally mincemeat out of the xenomorphs before he grinned.

"I saw the whole thing with you saving the day." he said. "It's about time those bugs got their asses kicked."

His eye widened as he remembered the last part.

"And that light show. God, talk about a twist ending though." he added.

"You saw it?" Alaric asked.

"Enough to know the truth." Kelso revealed.

Kelso coughed up more blood and they could hear his breath hitching. Sarah looked to Alaric, more accurately to Aegis. Having seen the hawk help Kenneth, Aegis could heal Kelso.

"Alaric, can't your hawk help him?" she asked.

"Yeah, it saved the colonist." Sergei asked. "Could be worth a shot if he doesn't mind checking my ribs too."

Aegis answered that question when he gestured to his dull plumage. Alaric understood the meaning.

"Aegis is pretty drained from cleansing the colonist." Alaric confirmed, holding his hand out as Aegis hopped on. "I don't know if he'll be able to heal Kelso fully, but he could stem the bleeding."

Kelso waved his hand in refusal as Alaric was about to hand Aegis over.

"I know enough about triage to know I'm a lost cause." he said, acknowledging his fate. "Even if it is... magic being used here."

Kelso coughed harder then before, blood spraying out from his mouth and his entrails bulged behind his hands. He breathed sharply as he felt pain erupt in his ruptured side.

"Shit." he strained.

Andrzej nodded to Sarah. Sarah reached into her pack and pulled out out her injector unit. She then pulled out an ampoule of potent painkillers, loaded the injector and then injected it into Kelso's neck. His strained features softened after a few moments.

A little something to help him along his way.

"Good stuff." Kelso joked.

He motioned Alaric over to him. Alaric leaned over as Aegis hopped back on his shoulder.

"Alaric, you're the only one who can protect them now." Kelso rasped, breathing deeply to get as much air as he could. "Get them... off this rock. Don't let me... and my boys die for nothing. "

He coughed again before his eyes dilated as he leant back.

"Here I come, boys." he chuckled in anticipation. "First one's on me."

Kelso gave his last breath and his head slumped down. His hands limply fell and, mercifully, his entrails did not spill out. Alaric sighed as Sarah reached over to shut Kelso's eyes and retrieve his dog tags.

A slight screeching was heard.

"Shit, we got a live one!" a marine yelled in warning.

Turning around, everyone saw that it was coming from the xenomorph that had issued Kelso's death warrant. It's bladed tail still had his blood on it as it tried to get up, no doubt having not yet fully regenerated from Alaric's beating earlier. Some marines, hastily armed with metal piping were keeping their distance from it but had it surrounded.

The course of action was already decided.

"Archangels, restrain the fucker." Andrzej commanded.

The Archangels drew their swords and they marched towards the xenomorph. As they approached they could see that it was trying to get away. No doubt to retreat to the hive. The Archangels on the other hand had no intention of letting it go.

Alaric, putting on his helmet, jumped up onto it's back and stomped it into the snow as the rest of the squad moved up. One angel each stabbed a limb, sliding the swords through gaps in it's carapace while the other two went for the tail, nailing it. It screeched and thrashed as the blades kept in place as the Archangels put their weight upon it. Sergei, who had taken his place on the tail's midsection, was driving his sword in deeper, muttering in russian in payback for it's brood kin's attack on him.

"That's right." Alaric coldly said. "How does it feel to be the prey?"

Alaric grabbed the xenomorph's head by it's upper jaw and wrenched it up. It shot out it's inner jaw in defiance but Alaric grabbed it as it snapped shut. With a wrench, he tore out the jaw and tossed it to the side. Acidic blood bubbled out of its mouth from the shredded stump and it gurgled from the haemorrhaging orifice.

Alaric plucked one of the grenades from his belt. The Archangels put their full weight on their swords and braced themselves. He then wrenched the xenomorphs head back in a headlock so that he was now staring it in the eyes, in a manner of speaking.

"If you're watching this, it's YOUR turn to be afraid!" Alaric declared, pulling the pin.

Alaric shoved the grenade down the the xenomorph's maw before stomping it's head into the snow, keeping it's jaw shut. The xenomorph thrashed around, trying to get free and get the grenade out of its mouth but the Archangels kept it's limbs nailed to the ground and Alaric kept it's head firmly in the snow.

The grenade detonated, a massive eruption of flame rushed out of it's clenched maw and gaps in carapace, making the snow around them billow out in a cloud. It's skull actually bulged out from containing the blast, flecks of chitin pinging off. When explosion ceased, it's head resembled a demented xenomorph jack-o-lantern.

Alaric stomped with his boot and the xenomorph's blasted head imploded in a shower of chitin and smoke. He then hopped off the now sufficiently dead xenomorph as the Archangels sheathed their swords.

Alaric looked around for any other xenomoprhs that might have regenerated.

"Any more want to have a third round!?" Alaric called out, daring any regenerating xenomoprh to attack him.

No other xenomorphs regenerated this time. It would seem they had taken the hint in a manner of speaking.

"That's what I thought." he finished, removing his helmet.

They walked back to the colinists as the initiates went about claiming their trophies. Fel'tak, rather pathetically, was scrounging in the wrecked transport searching for what was left of his trophy. Mal'fax, who was watching Fel'tak's efforts, was repeatedly telling him to forget about it, only to have abuse and the odd scrap of metal hurled at him in response. Some of the surviving marines were roaming about, hesitantly getting near dead xenomorphs to check if they were definitely deceased. It didn't hurt to make sure that their heads were fully away from their necks.

"Back to where we were, is that the last of them?" Andrzej repeated as a marine walked up to him.

"We checked the area. That's the last of the bastards... for the moment." a marine reported before turning to Alaric. "With hope, you killed the whole hive." he optimistically added.

Alaric however then ruined the moment of relief.

"No." Alaric stated as Aegis hopped onto his shoulder. "Not all of them."

Everyone looked to each other when they heard Alaric's denial.

"What do you mean?" Andzrej asked. "You virtually wiped out everything they threw at us."

Alaric looked out into the snowy distance as if he was waiting for something to emerge.

"Haven't seen the Primarch yet." he clarified

That word stumped his fellow marines. It was one word that they have never heard associated to xenomorphs in one form or another.

"Primarch?" Andrzej said.

"The one responsible for this mess." Alaric explained.

By that, they thought that the word 'Primarch' was simply another word for 'Queen'.

"Don't you mean the queen?" Hicks corrected.

"No, Pri-march." Alaric enunciated. "Think of it vaguely as a queen mother, only far more dangerous."

The Archangels pondered the meaning of this supposed higher caste. The highest tier of the xenomorph hierarchy was taken by the the Queen Mothers with the Empresses below them.

"You've seen this 'Primarch'?" Andrzej asked "While you were still in the hive, you saw this thing?"

Alaric shook his head.

"Not really. I only caught a glimpse of it in it's... cocoon." Alaric answered. "But it was big. Real big."

"How big." Andrzej questioned, wanting a more definitive answer.

"It makes even a queen mother look like a drone in comparison from it's size." Alaric explained. "But, I'm telling you, this Primarch is nothing like anything we have ever fought before."

Andrzej crossed his arms.

"There's something else isn't there?" he guessed.

Alaric took a breath.

"This bug was... ancient." He described "Ancient and powerful. Glowing with... unnatural power."

He held his hand up to temple, tapping in emphasis.

"And it was... I don't know how to say it but... it was like it was pushing it's way into my head." Alaric added. "These whispers kept filling my mind, trying to get me to submit. The harder I fought it, the louder the whispers got."

He lowered his hand.

"When I got away from it, I thought tears were rolling down my face." Alaric described. "But, when I took my helmet off and rubbed my eyes, turns out it was blood I was weeping."

The xenomorphs have been confirmed to have a certain level of psychic potential, sharing the hive mind that links all xenomorphs to their queens. And it had been confirmed, especially leading to, during and after the infestation of Earth, they are capable of subtly... influencing those who are less strong in mind. Often, those who have been driven mad or those of a religiously fanatical background as evidenced by the Xeno Extremists.

Steps were heard approaching them and they saw Kenneth hobbling along towards them. He had been hastily dressed up in salvaged and slightly haphazard clothing to replace his shredded miner smocks, most notably a large hooded jacket and a pair of goggles as if to hide his scars. His son was back with his wife and from the way he approached, it would appear he had something to add to Alaric's description.

"I can confirm that." Kenneth added.

His voice had come back a bit better though it was still hoarse.

Alaric turned to Kenneth as he stopped next to the captain.

"I was subjected to them for days, trying to keep my head together." Kenneth added. "The voices jabbing right into my head, the whispers so loud they almost drove me mad."

"Can you describe what you felt?" Andrzej asked.

Kenneth remembered what he had felt when he was in the hive. As much as he would love to forget it ever happening, the phantoms will plague him long afterwards.

"Stuck up in that hive, the voices were... almost like a blanket the way they surrounded me. Like when you are subjected to extreme cold for an extended time." he described. " And it felt like... you don't want to fight, you want to give in and go to sleep."

He paused, taking a breath before he continued.

"I stayed awake for days, fighting the urge to sleep, even as I felt my body... changing." he recalled. "I saw many fall asleep and watched as they changed into those... bugs."

He looked at his right arm, visualising how it had turned into xenomorph claws right before his eyes.

"But after two days of fighting and slowly changing, they decided or figured I wasn't worth it so they threw me out to die." he continued, holding his head. "But even then, I was still hearing the voices, telling me to submit and the harder I thought, the louder they got."

He lowered his hand.

"Until he ripped it out of me." he finished, indicating Alaric.

He then remembered main reason he came up to Alaric.

"Listen... um, Alaric." Kenneth started. "There's something I have to ask."

Alaric knew what Kenneth was going to ask him. He could hear it in his voice.

"My brother, Dylan?" Kenneth asked, in anticipation. "You saw him in that place?"

"Yes." Alaric confirmed. "He managed to give me some insight into the hive, what they were planning, until he was... morphed." He looked back to Andrzej. "I saw those spines burst out of his back and his face taking on that certain grin." He looked back to Kenneth. "I'm sorry, but death was his only way out. I saw to it myself."

Kenneth's head sunk when he heard his brothers' fate but he nodded in approval of Alaric's actions. Death was more preferable then turning into one of those xenomorphs.

"Thank you." Kenneth thanked softly. "May he rest in peace."

Andrzej, seeing Kenneth, asked Alaric another pertinent question.

"Was that... thing you pulled out of his chest... part of this Primarch?" Andrzej asked.

Kenneth subconsciously held a gloved hand to his chest as he remembered 'It' being pulled out. Still, he was feeling a wrenching hole where it had been.

"I think the ringing in your ears was proof of that." Alaric clarified. "But it was only a small shard. I guess you could say it's part of the hive mind made manifest."

"Well, if that doesn't prove that Xenomorphs are telepathic then nothing will." Hicks interjected.

So far, this Primarch was proving to be a threat that was far greater then anyone could have anticipated. But if the xenomorphs they were facing were any indication, then this Primarch would have to be the most terrifying entity to be yet faced. Not only, according to Alaric, that it was far larger then a queen mother but it was also powerfully psionic as well.

And, to the survivors, one that begs to be avoided.

"What do you suggest we do?" Andrzej asked "About this Primarch?"

Alaric answer rung with determination.

"Kill it." Alaric answered.

He was met with immediate scepticism and looks of outright lunacy.

"You're serious?" Karl scoffed, like he thought Alaric had lost his marbles. "US killing something that YOU say is more dangerous then even a queen mother?"

Andrej was inclined to agree with the Norwegian marine.

"Alaric, if the thing is still in that temple, let it rot there." Andrzej reasoned. "The last thing we need is to give it more reason to hunt us down."

Alaric was adamant with his decision.

"We are NOT letting this bastard get off this planet." Alaric declared. "If it could do this to an outlying colony, think what it could do to the inner territories. If xeno extremists get wind of this creature, it'll be like the Second Coming for them and Earth could be infested again, permanently."

"But how?!" Karl asked, waving an arm around. "Look around us!"

Devastation was what surrounded them. Broken bodies, flaming wrecks and noting but snow and rocks. And there were barely two dozen of the colony left and most of them were either civilians or wounded.

Karl's shout now brought the whole colony over to find out why he was so angry.

"We have taken severe losses. We have no weapons, no supplies and no way to get off this planet!" he reminded. "And I doubt that even you could even kill it, especially if it's capable of getting inside your head."

Alaric gave him a look that spoke his usual defiance.

"Anything that is alive can be killed." He insisted. "And this thing has to be killed."

Karl held his hands up in frustration before lowering them with grunt. Hicks went up to Karl and ushered him away. Whenever Alaric had his mind made up, it was almost impossible to convince him otherwise.

Andrzej came up to Alaric.

"Alaric, I don't care what your priorities are, considering the circumstances, but we have orders to protect and evacuate surviving colonists." Andzrej reminded. "But to do so, we need to be able to evacuate while we can."

"Exactly." Sarah added. "We barely have anyone who has not been wounded in some manner."

"The ships?" Foreman Hernandez pointed out, bringing up a map of the planet's topography of the area with their route highlighted. "The maps say that the plateau is just beyond this valley."

Sergei stepped over so that he could see the map.

"Well, we can't go back to the colony." Sergei pointed. "If we move now, we could get to the ships before we freeze."

That was met with immediate approval by the colonists who just wanted to get to the ships as soon as possible. But, Alaric shook his head as he banged his helmet on his shield. The noise startled those who didn't expect Alaric's action.

"Forget it." he said. "Those ships are a death trap."

"Death trap?" Hernandez They're in the most secure hanger on this whole planet. Nothing could get to them."

"That would be playing into their hands." he firmly stated before he turned to Andrzej. "Remember what I said about the colonists? They would know about the ships from those they took. The colonial administrator especially."

Hernandez lowered his map at the mention of the long gone administrator.

"What is he talking about?" he asked.

Mac leaned over in a discreet manner.

"Long story, you really don't want to hear it." Mac explained, quickly and seriously.

"Some of them, their reserves maybe, could be just waiting for us to get on those ships and leave. Use us to spread them to other colonies." Alaric continued. "If they're anything like the bugs we're used to, you can bet they'll be even more cunning.

He then gestured to Kenneth.

"This man had been held captive by the bugs for days." he told everyone. "He of all people knows what they're planning."

Kenneth nodded in confirmation, citing that it was the only reason he knew where to find the convoy.

Alaric then pointed to Andrzej.

"And besides, if they did get the Archangels, especially captain Kabowski, then they would know in depth about our military and would be able to counter it." Alaric pointed out "Especially if a recon unit came to investigate their disappearance."

The Archangels looked to each other after that little piece of protocol. Its true that if they're overdue then a search team would be sent to find them. And, seeing as the marines to come would have no intel on the xenomorphs on this planet, then they would just be lambs to the slaughter. Or worse, become unwilling carriers for the xenomorphs in more ways then one.

In any case, the situation at the present had to take priority.

"So what do you suggest?" Hicks asked. "I mean, you somehow managed to find a suit of power armour that would make Robert Heinlen proud, escape a hive and pretty much wiped out the hive."

"Not to mention we are at a severe disadvantage in manpower and resources." Karl reminded. "Just making it clear."

Alaric slipped his helmet back on.

"I've already made my choice." he declared. "What about you lot?"

Everyone looked Andrzej for his input on the situation. As the sole highest ranking marine on the planet, the decision was now entirely up to him. But this was not a decision to take lightly. On one hand, they had the option of continuing to the ships locked up in their hanger but, have the possibility of a xenomorph ambush waiting for them, a situation that they are in no position to even resist. And on the other hand, take a gamble with the lives of his squad and those of the colony, and follow Alaric to an uncertain destination in hopes of salvation.

Andrzej had to choose wisely.

After a minute in thought, Andrzej, the whole colony waiting for his answer with anticipation, made his choice.

"Alaric has defied everything so far."Andrzej reminded ."Maybe we should listen to him this time."

But, as was duly noted, the wounded and those weakened by the fighting would not be able to get far in the snow unless they had transportation. That would be easier said then done, considering the amount of damage that the xenomorphs inflicted from their ambush. But one or maybe two of the transports only had their armour plating torn off, leaving their engines mostly intact. The xenomorphs were more intent on grabbing hosts then wrecking everything in sight.

The captain turned to his Scandinavian mechanic.

"Karlson, if we cannibalise the wrecks, can you get one of the more intact tranports up and running for the wounded?"

Karl scratched off some of the ice and snow from his beard.

"Let me go and literally dig out my tools and I'll see what I can do." he said, leaving the group to set about his work. "Any mechanics left, follow me!" he called out.

Several colonists, including Kenneth, followed him. Karl retraced his steps to where he threw his tools down in frustration and promptly dug them out. Andrzej turned to the remaining colonists.

"Everyone, salvage what you can." he ordered. "We leave within the hour."

It didn't take long to salvage what little could be found. Mostly what they had on their person. But, without too much swearing, Karl got the larger transport which contained the power loaders running, complete with ad-hoc patches of metal covering the gaps and with some assistance from Alaric to de-freeze the engine and fuel tank using his plasmacasters on low power. It was a squeeze to get all the colonists, plus the initiates and their trophies, on board but fortunately, Hicks had played a lot of tetris in his youth. On the plus side, they would be warm from their combined body heat.

Alaric had to gather up the initiates and inform them of the plan in advance. Fel'tak had managed to find his trophy, now a blackened husk of it's former glory. Mal'fax had his similarly blackened trophy and Ly'enta and Kra'vyx had theirs. But needless to say, they required some persuasion to get into the crowded transport.

The Archangels, having been allocated any scavenged weaponry with a pittance of unused ammunition, a few paltry bolt-guns and a salvaged flamer unit, settled themselves on top of the transport, Karl and Hicks in the driver's cab and the rest on the roof. Sergei had regained possession of the gauss rifle, cradling it somewhat possessively to his chest so as not to lose it again. Sarah was next to him to make sure that he didn't risk breaking his ribs. Mac was at the rear of the transport, holding the flamer in his hands. Captain Kabowski was standing on the cab as Alaric moved in front of the transport and looked up to him, Aegis on his shoulder and his spear out and ready.

They had their helmets back on and had been retuned after the interference fotrunately only threw them out of sync. Alaric had linked his helmet's comms to their network and was now able to communicate with them.

"Ready, captain?" Alaric asked.

Andrzej tapped his boot on the cab roof.

"Start her up." Andrzej ordered.

Karl hit the ignition and the engine gave of a loud half-frozen gurgle. Karl, muttering in Norwegian, continued to hit the ignition until the engine came to life with a loud belch of black exhaust. A large black cloud erupted around the transport and the squad gave off some humorous coughing, waving the black smog away. The headlights then flared into life, illuminating Alaric.

"Well, Alaric." Andrzej called out, wafting the dark cloud from him. " We're up an running. Where do we go from here?"

Alaric looked to Aegis, who was now looking more refreshes after a rest, on his shoulder.

"Aegis, is there a way off this planet?" Alaric asked the hawk. "A way that the Primarch wouldn't know about?"

Aegis nodded.

"Show us." Alaric commanded.

Aegis spread his wings and jumped off his shoulder. He flew over the transport, the Archangels watched on as he glided away, his plumage glowing brightly like a beacon. Alaric turned to the transport as Aegis hovered in place several meters from their position.

"This way." Alaric said, pointing after Aegis and walking after the hawk.

Karl gave the engine some gas and the transport slowly ploughed it's way through the snow after Alaric. Alaric's walk then turned into a brisk jog and Karl matched his speed so as not to lose sight of him.

"So Alaric, where are we going?" Andrzej asked, sitting down on the cab

"Following the light." Alaric answered, pointing the way with his spear.