Chapter Six
The birds were singing and the sun was shining when Sam came to breakfast the next morning.
Kyle was already finishing his delightful cooking, Sophie helping. Sam was amused as Sophie would hand Kyle jars of spices or other ingredients, almost automatically, and Kyle would grab them without even looking. She was still amazed at how well they worked together.
"Have a seat! Breakfast will be ready in a little bit." Sam smiled as she took her seat. The smell coming from the kitchen was wonderful. Sam's mouth was watering by the time Kyle arrived with a wonderful stew. The breakfast was tasty and warm, and the company was delightful.
"Kyle, Sophie, I just can't thank you two enough." Kyle smiled as he finished his portion.
"Don't mention it, Sam." Sophie purred her agreement. Sam chuckled softly.
"I mean it. You two have done so much for me." When Sam felt a few tears threaten to run, she felt something gently touch her shoulder. She looked up, and Sophie's tail was softly touching her shoulder in a comforting manner as Sophie purred. Sam smiled as she laid her hand on the obsidian-black appendage in gratitude. Sam gave a soft, relieved sigh. "Kyle, would you mind if I use the radio on your ship to contact the dry-dock and ask for an estimate on my ship?" Kyle looked slightly surprised, but smiled.
"Not at all." Sam nodded and sat down in her wheelchair and headed out as Kyle and Sophie looked at each other and grinned knowingly.
XXX
About fifteen minutes later, Sam returned. She looked around and saw Sophie and Kyle, standing side-by-side at the sink, doing dishes, Sophie's tail slowly swishing from side to side like a metronome.
"Do you know what they told me?" Sam asked. Kyle looked at her, green eyes wide and innocent-looking.
"No, what?" he replied, trying to sound innocent. Sam blinked as she came closer and huffed.
"They said they're doing a complete overhaul and refit of my boat! And that it's all paid for!"
Kyle dropped his jaw and Sophie gave a soft hiss, her tail sticking straight out in surprise.
"No way, imagine that . . ." Sam shook her head.
"I'm going to end out owing you for the rest of my life!" Kyle rolled his eyes in thought, a soapy hand touching his chin.
"Yep, pretty much," he replied. Sam laughed, as did Sophie. Kyle had a wide, goofy grin on his face as Sam wrapped her arms around him. Sophie purred as she hugged them both.
"Thank you both, so much!" Sam pulled back and smiled at her friends. "I can't begin to tell you two how much all of this means to me. I want to help you guys so badly. After what you've done, it's the least I could do." Kyle blinked. He looked up as Sophie moaned softly. They looked at each other for a brief moment before Kyle looked back at Sam.
"Well, actually, I think there is." Sam smiled. "Since you have a medical background, do you think you could give us your input on something?" Sam smiled wider.
"Absolutely." Kyle smiled and left for a few minutes. Sophie finished washing the dishes and directed Sam over next to the couch as Kyle returned with a PDA.
"This, Sam, belonged to Catherine, the android assistant of Dr. Reinhardt . . ." Sam stared as Kyle handed it to her. "There's a lot of important, if disturbing information in there. I think we can trust you with it." Sam smiled as she looked down at the black PDA. Kyle directed Sam through the files, in particular, the ones regarding the medical records of his time in Reinhardt's lab.
Sam couldn't help being both awed, and disturbed when she actually watched the footage of Kyle, unconscious on a table as the egg opened like a flower, and the spider-like Seeker inside slowly crawled out and across his sleeping body to settle over his face and wrap its tail around his neck.
Sophie smelled the unease in Sam's pheromones, and gently touched her hand in comfort.
Sam was amazed as a doctor, and as a scientist as she watched the scans, showing the Seeker actually implanting Sophie within Kyle, attaching her to his lungs. Sam couldn't help being more than a little angry when she watched the surgery to remove Sophie from Kyle's chest.
They were far from gentle as they cracked his chest open. They may as well have used pruning shears, they were that rough. Sam couldn't help smiling when Catherine severed the small umbilical connection, and was promptly bitten by Sophie, who screeched and wriggled in her grip in an attempt to free herself and return to her host.
"You should have bit her more . . ." Sam mused as she watched the rest of the video. Kyle smiled as Sophie purred, wrapped around him as they sat on the couch. Sam sighed as they tossed Sophie into a small metal cage, like she was trash. Sam frowned, forcing herself to watch as they finished and closed Kyle's chest. When the video was done, she shut it off. Sam shook her head before looking up at her friends.
Sophie was sitting next to Kyle, but her legs were draped over his, her tail wrapped around his waist and chest as she held him close, stroking his hair and purring softly. It made Sam incredibly angry that they had treated Sophie like that, especially when she was just a baby! The way they treated Kyle was just as deplorable. She watched as Kyle held Sophie's hand. "I'm so glad you two were able to get out of there before they hurt you worse." Kyle nodded and Sophie moaned softly.
"My one regret is I wasn't able to be there for Sophie when she was small . . ." Sophie purred softly as she cuddled her mate. Sam could imagine Sophie as a baby, curled in Kyle's arms, or nestled in his shirt, warm and protected.
You were with me, my love . . .
The more Sam learned about the whole mess, the more uneasy she became. It downright frightened her to learn that Catherine was no ordinary android, but one of the most dangerous of all combat-androids: Nexus Nine. These ruthless, efficient killers had been the main attack-force of the Fourth Reich, and were not only banned, but outright hated. Sam looked at Sophie, wrapped around Kyle in a protective and loving embrace and smiled. It was a testament to how strong and powerful Sophie was to be able to fight a Nexus Nine, and win.
Sam smiled further. If people on Zerichs II heard about that, they would welcome Sophie with open arms everywhere. Enemies of the Nazis always were welcome on Zerichs II. Sam blinked as she processed everything she had learned.
"This is just amazing, all of it." Kyle smiled softly as Sam looked through some of the medical files and scans. She looked up at Kyle and frowned slightly. "Where did they first learn about Sophie's kind, anyway?" Sam asked. Kyle directed her to several files:
The Nostromo Incident, The Acheron Disaster, and The Auriga Fiasco. Sam grew more and more disgusted as she read the files that Weyland-Yutani had provided Reinhardt with. It made Sam sick how many innocent people had been hurt because of the greed of W-Y. It also was disturbing how long ago it had first happened.
According to the files, they had first detected the signal from the crashed alien ship almost exactly six hundred years ago. It was long reading, stretching out over several hours. Sam also learned a lot from Kyle, who had been able to look at the files and dissect things in ways a normal person couldn't.
Namely the first incident.
Kyle explained that Sophie's kind really were not meant to be alone, and that the pain and trauma from the death of their host when they were born was alleviated by the Hive. Since the poor one on the Nostromo was alone, there was no one to comfort her. With the death of her host, surrounded by humans that wanted to kill her, she went into a sort of psychotic rage. It made Kyle sad, and he lamented that, if only they had found out and been able to remove the baby within the crew member, things might have been different.
Sam also raised questions about the ship on which they first found Sophie's kind. From what was known, the captain of the Nostromo had said they had found what appeared to be the pilot, fossilized inside the ship, and other indications that it had been there for a considerable amount of time. The other files concluded that the derelict craft had been destroyed when the volcanoes of Acheron became active following the detonation of the atmosphere processor.
Sam shook her head as she wondered on this strange, derelict alien craft. Where had it come from? Why was it there? Who were the people piloting it? Why were Sophie's kind on board? Not even Sophie had any answers to these questions.
As Sam thought on all this, something seemed to click in her head. She blinked as she looked at Kyle and Sophie. "Kyle, I just realized something," Kyle raised an eyebrow. Sam smiled. "About The Bond you have with Sophie. It seems to me, at some point in their evolution, they wouldn't have killed their hosts, but instead Bonded to them, like Sophie has to you." Kyle blinked and Sophie gave a soft moan. Kyle nodded.
"That does make sense. But the fact that humans wouldn't be the normal hosts might also have something to do with it." Sam nodded, looking excited.
"Then, it stands to reason that whatever their original hosts are, they would be able to survive the birth and Bond with them!" Sophie purred softly. Kyle smiled as his mate gently caressed his face.
"Yes, there is something very vague in Sophie's Hive Memories about that, but it's hard to make out." Sam looked extremely pleased with herself, as if she had solved part of a puzzle.
Kyle could feel something tickling at the back of Sophie's mind. Like something she could almost remember, but was just out of reach. He gave her warm thoughts and feelings as he gently wrapped his arm around her slim waist, to which she purred happily. As he looked at Sam, she seemed distracted. Sophie moaned softly as she could smell a hint of fear in Sam's pheromones as she looked at the window. "Sam, what's the matter?" She looked at him, and even Kyle could see a hint of fear in her eyes.
"I was just remembering what Barnabas said about dangerous animals being here. And hearing about the land-deal when you came and all that-" Kyle held up his hands, stopping her.
"Relax, Sam. They're all gone." Sam blinked at that. Sophie purred softly as her tail picked up a blanket draped over the back of couch and gently draped it over Sam's shoulders. Sam smiled with gratitude as she pulled the blanket tighter around her. "And there's the proof." Sam took a closer look at the buttery-soft blanket, and found it wasn't a blanket at all, but a fur. She stared at the brindle fur for a few seconds before she recognized it, her head snapping up.
"There were Serrex here?!" Sam was floored.
The Serrek Raptor, so called because of its resemblance to the Earth Velociraptor, was one of the most dangerous creatures in the galaxy, and a ongoing problem as an introduced pest on Zerichs II.
They were monsters in the truest sense of the word. They were voracious eaters and pack hunters, and were not above eating their own kind. There was a sizable bounty on Serrex, but they were very dangerous to hunt, even for professionals. Sam ran her fingers across the soft, warm fur.
The nasty little beasts had been introduced by an imbecile who had planned to raise them for their fur, which was soft and warm. As was almost always the case, the Serrex escaped and got into the local ecosystem. It was ironic that the man who brought them was their first victim. For nearly one-hundred-and-fifty years the Serrex had been causing problems and destroying ecosystems on the islands they swam to or floated to on Coralyte. They still were having trouble wiping the beasts out.
Sam swallowed as she processed everything. Kyle smiled and Sophie purred.
"And that's not the only fur we have." Sam blinked in surprise as she stared at them.
"Jeez, how many were there?" Kyle frowned very slightly as Sophie hissed softly.
"Lots. At least three hundred." Sam gulped.
"My god. It's a miracle you aren't dead!" Kyle sighed as he pulled up the right leg of his pants.
"I came pretty close . . ." Sam stared at the long, white scars on his leg from the claws of a Serrek. Sophie moaned as she cuddled him, curling her tail around his waist as she nuzzled him.
Sam smiled as she watched Sophie.
"Sophie got rid of them?" Sophie hissed as she cuddled her mate, the tip of her tail twitching.
"She hunted down every last one. Even wiped out their burrows." Sam seemed to wilt with relief. "I'm sorry you were scared. It's my fault. I forgot to fill you in." Sam smiled as she pulled the Serrek fur tighter around her and shook her head.
"That's all right. I'm just glad you two are safe." Sophie held out her hand, which Sam took.
Sophie's tail softly coiled around Kyle's waist and chest, flowing out and around Sam's arm. The room was awash with the happy warmth of friendship. "On that note . . ." Sam said as she brought up the PDA "Do you mind if I study the surgery more?" Kyle smiled and shook his head.
"Take as long as you need. We trust you." Sam beamed as Sophie purred.
Sam studied the footage from Catherine's memories long into the small hours of the night, fascinated by how Sophie had been implanted and the intricate connections to Kyle's lungs and heart.
Kyle and Sophie had long since gone to bed, but, as sometimes happened, Kyle's sleep was far from restful. Images of snapping teeth, a whooping whistle and the sounds of feet rustling through bushes and brush filled his mind. Sophie was startled out of her sleep by the frightened whimper of her mate. Sophie brushed the images away as easily as one brushes dust off one's sleeve.
It's all right, my darling. You're safe. Sophie gently kissed Kyle on his cheek as he settled back down, his mind at peace. Sophie thrummed as she stroked his hair.
Sophie would not soon forget how close she came to losing her Bonded. She pulled him tighter against her as the images faded away. Sophie could still recall the sounds of those beasts snarling and growling, the scent of aggression and hunger from them. She still could smell them, and it was a smell Sophie loathed. The scent of aggression and hostility. Even as the dream faded, the scent remained.
Sophie gave a soft growl. The more she focused on it, the stronger the scent became. The scent slowly changed.
Suddenly, Sophie's head snapped up as she looked up at the window of their bedroom, open just a crack to let in the pleasant summer breeze. Sophie recognized the scent of humans, but these weren't from any she knew. She already smelled males, and there was definitely aggression in their scent.
Sophie gently shook Kyle. Kyle, wake up! Kyle groaned as he sat up quickly, his mind still sleepy.
Someone's coming! Kyle snapped to wakefulness almost instantly.
As Kyle quickly dressed, Sophie embraced Kyle's mind, letting him feel and smell what she could. Already he knew whoever they were, they were armed, as the smell of gun oil was very unique. They had always feared that this day would come, but prepared for it. You get Sam, I'll take care of our "guests" . . . Sophie urged with a low growl. Kyle gave her a quick hug before rushing down the hall as quickly, but as quietly as possible. Sam was startled when Kyle threw her door open.
"Sam, somebody's coming." She blinked as she looked up from the PDA.
"What do you mean? Who's coming?" Kyle frowned as he came over to her bed.
"I think the Nazis." Sam felt like someone had dumped ice all over her as she shivered. Kyle grabbed Sam's jacket and threw it on the bed. "Get dressed and follow me!" he said in a low tone.
Sam quickly pulled on her pants and boots. "Take the PDA. Can't let them find that." Sam put the PDA in her pocket as Kyle grabbed her hand and took her with him down the hall to what looked like a dead end. Kyle carefully opened a door that was completely hidden in the wall. Sam smiled as he pulled her in and closed it quietly as the sound of boots on the floor came closer.
XXX
The four armed men opened the door as quietly as they could. They all were dressed in gray and black camouflage with black helmets. They carefully swept the living room with their weapons, watching for any movement. One motioned for the others to spread out. They separated and began to search through the house for the occupants.
"Nehring here. I found something . . ." said one of them through the radio in German.
"What is it?" asked the leader. There was a slight hiss of static.
"Don't know, but it's weird, whatever it is." The other three followed and found their companion on the first floor, looking into a bedroom, but one unlike anything they had ever seen before.
The walls and ceiling were covered in a strange, black substance shaped like bones, tubing and all manner of strange and macabre things. A four-post bed dominated one side of the room, also made of the same substance. Off white silk curtains created a canopy around the bed.
"Mein gott . . . What is this?" asked one of them as the group slowly walked into the bedroom, their guns sweeping around. There was nobody around. They could see another door, open, next to the bed. As they walked in, they never saw the long, segmented black tail reach down from the ceiling and silently close the door behind them . . .
XXX
Sam was almost breathless as Kyle led her through the narrow passage, a thin beam of light coming from the small flashlight he held out in front.
"What about Sophie?" Sam asked as loudly as she dared.
"Don't worry. She's taking care of things. She'll meet us when we come out." Kyle replied.
"Come out where? Where are we?" She almost could feel Kyle smile.
"Whoever owned this place before us obviously wanted to keep some things secret. This passage leads out into the forest. I'm guessing pirates or smugglers from the storerooms along the way." They came to a door set into the stone passageway and Kyle opened it and took a pair of bags made of canvas and leather, as well as a lever-action rifle. He turned to Sam and smiled. Armed and ready, they headed forward, Kyle guiding them with the light from his flashlight.
Sam was surprised when Kyle switched the light off as they came to some steps. "Can't afford to let the Nazis see any light. Thank goodness it's cloudy tonight . . ." He took Sam's hand and led her upwards.
"I just hope Sophie's okay . . ." Kyle tightened his grip reassuringly.
"She's fine." Through their link, Kyle could feel her satisfaction as she left their house and headed for the forest.
Sophie, how many? Kyle asked as he and Sam neared the forest entrance.
There were four in the house, but there's a larger group in the forest. I can sense them from here. Kyle sighed as Sophie relayed the mental map. Kyle could see how close the main group of Nazis was, and he was far from pleased. Wait a few minutes and I'll draw them off. Kyle frowned deeply at this.
Sophie, just be careful. Anything can happen at any time. Sophie acknowledged and moved to intercept the Nazis. Kyle and Sam finally came to a wooden door. Kyle carefully opened it and peered out.
The forest was dark, and a thick layer of fog covered the ground. He couldn't see his own feet.
Out about a hundred feet, he could see flashlights moving around. Kyle scowled as Sam looked over his shoulder. The lights seemed to be moving closer. Kyle pulled Sam back in as he closed the door to only a tiny crack. The lights came within fifty feet, actually shining on the large tree that concealed the entrance of the tunnel. Kyle reached out to Sophie, who wasn't too far away. Kyle hardly dared to breathe as he watched the lights come closer.
Sophie had been about to move, when the Nazis made a sharp turn and went in a different direction. Kyle gave a slightly relieved sigh. He turned back to Sam as he carefully opened the door and stepped out into the night.
"Come on. Stay low and keep quiet." Sam nodded as Kyle closed the door and readied the rifle, just in case. With a quick glance around, they ducked down into the brush and headed for the spire where the Talon was.
"What about Sophie?" Sam asked as quietly as she could. Kyle didn't look back as he led her through the dark, misty forest.
"She's hunting . . ."
XXX
The group of Nazis was nervous as they trudged through the forest. There was no contact with their teammates that had gone to investigate the house. That was not good. They knew very well how much the locals hated and loathed them. If they were caught, the best they could expect was a public execution. Obviously, someone, or something had been alert to their presence. It was time to abort the mission and return to the U-Boat. As they walked along the narrow "paths" that wound through the forest, the fog seemed to get even thicker. They couldn't even see their feet.
The lights on their weapons illuminated the darkness, but only a short ways. They were nervous. Supposedly, even the locals were wary about this island and the forests on it. Even if it was a bunch of superstitious nonsense, the eerie darkness of the forest and the way the fog seemed to weave around like living tentacles made them uneasy. As they walked through the fog, they heard a sound from somewhere in the forest. It seemed to echo from everywhere. They stopped and looked around with the lights on their guns. It was distant and diffused, but they still recognized it.
It was a hiss.
"What the hell was that?" asked one as he looked up at the trees with his light.
"I don't know," another answered. They played their lights around, trying to find the source of the noise. Nothing moved. The forest remained silent.
"No wonder the locals fear this place. It's creepy," one of them mused aloud.
"Quiet back there!" their leader hissed. They all grew silent. "Let's get back to the U-Boat." With that, they headed off again. As they did, one of them stumbled. His teammates looked back as he saved himself from falling.
"Damn tree roots . . ." he huffed as he stood back up and followed the rest. A short time later, another one of them tripped. This one actually fell. His comrades looked back as he staggered back to his feet and grumbled as he wiped leaves and twigs out of his clothes. A short while later, someone else tripped, and another after that.
After the fourth episode, nobody paid any mind when somebody tripped, as it seemed to happen with almost every step. With such thick fog, it wasn't that big a surprise. In the dark, almost every tree looked the same. Without the aid of GPS, they had no idea where they were, and they had to get back to the U-Boat before dawn, which was fast-approaching.
XXX
Kyle and Sam hid carefully in the brush as they slowly and carefully made their way towards the spire where Kyle and Sophie's ship was. As they neared the clearing around the spire, Kyle stopped them. There were lights in the cave of the spire. Kyle growled softly. This was not good. He checked his rifle and clicked the safety off. He looked at Sam. She nodded. Kyle closed his eyes and took a breath as he brought the butt of the rifle against his shoulder and carefully took aim down the sights at the light moving around.
Even though the light was dim, he could see the figure and aimed carefully at the head and neck area. Kyle hoped for the best as he squeezed the trigger. The rifle discharged with a crack, the blue blast of electric energy signature of mag-rail guns.
Although shaped like the ancient Winchester rifle, Kyle's rifle fired slugs with magnetic force, instead of gunpowder and metal cartridges.
Kyle watched the figure fall down as his comrade was alerted. Kyle quickly pulled the lever down to load another round as the other Nazi scrambled for cover. Kyle could see a shape in the dark, and he aimed, just as a burst of fire came from the cave. Kyle moved to the side, away from Sam as he fired again. Another burst of five rounds told Kyle his enemy was armed with an automatic weapon.
Kyle noticed the Nazi had switched off the light on his weapon. Kyle used the last place he had seen the flash to guess where his target was as he fired again.
The exchange continued like that sporadically for almost a minute as Kyle and Sam carefully made their way towards the spire. Every now and then, Kyle reloaded so he didn't run out, keeping his ammo topped up. His heart was racing as they finally managed to make it to the edge of the cave. Kyle tried to keep his breathing quiet as he turned to Sam.
"You hide here. I'll get you when it's clear." Kyle whispered into her ear as he slowly made his way into the cave in a crouched walk. Sam frowned deeply as she watched him go.
XXX
After what seemed like an eternity, they had finally found the way back to the shoreline where they had landed. The leader sighed softly as he could see some of the predawn sky through the trees.
He motioned for someone to come forward. He waited before making the motion with his hand again. He frowned as he turned back and looked.
There was nobody behind him.
He quickly brought his weapon up, shining the light all around as his breathing became uneven. His eyes darted around wildly as he carefully backed up. He whirled and pointed his weapon back down the path towards the shore. He glanced back, then dashed as fast as he could. As he ran along the path, he was certain he was being followed, and not by anything human. He leaped over raised roots and ducked under low branches as he sped through the dark forest. He could hardly believe it. Twenty men and he was the only one left. He doubled his efforts as he dashed towards the edge of the forest.
Sophie leaped through the trees silently, but swiftly as she followed the Nazi. It had been an easy task to start simply with tripping the Nazis with her tail under the mist to make them drop their guard. So, when she began taking them out, they paid it no mind because they thought their comrades had merely tripped. As Sophie followed, she picked up the scent of another male, quickly getting closer. She focused on the scent, and quickly recognized it.
It was MacReady. Sophie was surprised. Her surprise turned to fear when she realized where he was. MacReady was moving along the edge of the forest, along the eastern cliffs. Sophie quickly changed direction to intercept MacReady.
The eastern cliffs were very unstable. If MacReady stepped wrong in the mist, he would fall nearly two-hundred feet to the sharp, jagged rocks and Coralyte below.
XXX
Mac was breathing hard as he ran, rifle at the ready. The mist was heavy and he barely could see his feet as he ran along the cliff. He had seen the shadow of one of the Nazis running through the forest and followed. He was fighting to keep from panicking. He had found four dead Nazis at Kyle and Sophie's house, but no sign of anyone else. There was no blood or signs of a fight or struggle.
All manner of scenarios ran through his mind as he ran. MacReady had every intention of shooting this Kraut's legs out from under him and beating answers out of him.
Mac could vaguely see his quarry ahead of him at the cliffs as he exited the forest. Mac raised his rifle, but was startled as his foot slipped on loose rocks. He fought to maintain his balance, or at least fall into the forest, but to no avail.
He could feel his weight going towards the sea as he flailed his arms. Just as he fell, something grabbed him around the waist, saving him from certain death. Mac blinked as he looked down at the segmented black tail wrapped around his waist. He looked up at the eyeless face that greeted him.
"Sophie?" She nodded as she pulled him up. Suddenly, the crack of a rifle made them both duck. Sophie pulled him tight against a tree with her as she hissed. Sophie pulled him with her as she moved on all fours, low to the ground towards the shore. Sophie carefully peered over the cliff and out at the sea. A black shape moved in the water, away from the island. She looked down, and the Nazi she had been following was laying on a rock, dead.
He had been shot by his own comrades, likely by accident. Sophie gave a soft snort and snapped her fingers as her tail unwound from MacReady and lightly slapped the ground in frustration. Mac groaned as he looked out at the water and the conning tower of the U-Boat slowly moving away. The first light of dawn was beginning to show on the horizon.
"Damn." He looked at Sophie. "Please tell me Kyle and Sam aren't on that thing." Sophie shook her head and Mac sighed with immense relief. Sophie pointed back into the forest and Mac nodded. "Lead the way." Sophie turned and ran off, but slow enough for Mac to follow. As he did, he tapped the earpiece of his radio. "Everyone, there's a U-Boat escaping off the eastern coast of Eramore! Somebody get on it!" he growled as he ran as fast as he could, trying to keep up with Sophie.
XXX
Kyle carefully and quietly made his way into the cave, rifle leveled and ready to fire. He tried to keep his breathing as even and quiet as possible. He was as tense as the string of a bow. He hadn't heard any movement in a while, and that made him nervous. His eyes darted around, taking in as much as they could. All of his senses were working overtime. This was a very dangerous game of Cat and Mouse, and one misstep would be fatal. Kyle kept as low to the ground as he could, almost crouched as he slowly entered and made his way around the Talon.
Kyle made sure he made as little noise as possible. Not just to keep his own position a secret, but in hopes he would hear where the Nazi was as he moved. With the coming of dawn, the darkness was quickly fading. Kyle's little cover of the darkness was quickly vanishing, as was his advantage. He had to end this as quickly as possible, but not rush into a trap. Kyle swallowed as he carefully rounded a corner.
The Nazi lunged faster than he anticipated and Kyle fired. The shot missed as the Nazi struck with his rifle, to which Kyle responded. The weapons clashed as Kyle angrily smashed the butt of his rifle into the Nazi's face. The Nazi tried to get back enough to raise his rifle, but Kyle stuck to him like glue, keeping their rifles pressed together, almost squeezed between their bodies as Kyle kicked his enemy. The two men grunted as they wrestled and shoved each other, trying to gain the upper hand.
Kyle managed to bring his leg up and brought the heel of his boot down and knocked the Nazi's rifle, and his own, out of his hands. Kyle quickly followed it up with a shove against the man's stomach.
Kyle grabbed up his rifle just as the Nazi brought up a pistol and aimed it at Kyle's head. Just as the Nazi was about to fire, something hit him in the back of the neck and Kyle ducked as the gun fired.
"Take that, you bastard!" Sam yelled as she clubbed the Nazi again with the large rock she had hit him with. Kyle kicked the pistol away as he panted. "Are you okay?" Sam asked as she dropped the rock. Kyle smiled as the dim light from outside the cave showed him the worry on Sam's face.
"Yeah. Thanks, Sam." She smiled before kicking the Nazi.
That was when Sophie arrived, growling as she ran along the ceiling of the cave.
Kyle, are you hurt?! He smiled as he looked up at his mate as she climbed down a stalactite and dropped to the floor.
Not at all. Sophie looked at the dead Nazi and hissed before wrapping her tail around Sam as she drew her and Kyle into a relieved embrace. Kyle looked up as MacReady arrived, looking winded.
The tall man swept the area with his rifle as he approached. He looked around before looking at Kyle, Sophie and Sam.
"You two all right?" he asked as he lowered his rifle.
"Yeah. Thanks, Mac," Sam breathed. Mac nodded.
"Let's get to my shuttle. Who knows how many more there are . . ." Mac growled softly as he brought his rifle up. Kyle smiled.
"None. They're all gone." Mac blinked.
"How do you know?" Sophie gave a deep purr as her tail swished.
"Sophie took care of it." Mac looked at her, a little surprised, but smiled.
"Heh, not bad . . ." Kyle walked up to MacReady and shook his head.
"What the Hell is going on?" Mac sighed as he looked at them.
"We found out who was helping the damn Nazis, and found out they were going after you guys." Sam was surprised.
"Who was it, Mac?" Sam asked as Sophie looked her over to make sure she was unhurt.
"Len . . ." Sam sighed and closed her eyes.
"Why am I not surprised?" she growled. "That rat-tailed, stunted, lying, no-good, cheating, little-" Sam growled as she kicked the dead Nazi right in the head. Mac smiled darkly as he slung his rifle.
"Don't worry, he's getting his as we speak." Sam sighed.
Len had been a trader, and had lost his trade license for unfair deals and cheating in the past. Instead of learning from his mistakes, he blamed everyone else for his predicament. Len was also known for being a liar of the worst order, a braggart, a gossip and a cheat. In short, Len was the kind of person that everybody loathed.
Sam was brought out of her reverie by the hiss of static and a voice from MacReady's radio.
"Yee-ha! I caught me a big one! I got the bastards' sub! I'm reelin' em in!" said the jovial voice over the radio of one of Mac's fellow pilots. MacReady grinned at the news before the radio screeched, making him wince as a new voice came on.
"That bloody tub is booby-trapped, you idiot! Drop it NOW!" Kyle gasped and Sophie hissed. It was Barnabas' voice. A second later, they all heard a very loud boom in the distance and Kyle felt all the color drain from his face. Mac swore and tapped his radio.
"Keith, what happened?!" They all were breathless as there was no answer at first.
"Goddammit! I just had those mag-lines installed!" Kyle sighed heavily as he rolled his eyes.
Mac groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I'll buy you new ones, you simpleton! Just be glad you're still in one piece!" Mac yelled into the radio. Despite the situation, Kyle couldn't help smiling at the sound of Keith blowing a raspberry into the radio at MacReady. The bearded ship captain sighed before touching his radio again.
"Barn, what's going on?"
"That blasted Gerry sub went firecracker on us, just glad Keith dropped the lines when he did . . ." Mac sighed and shook his head.
"We're in fine shape . . ." They could hear the most unusual chuckle from the Bar-Master.
"Oh, there's some good news. We caught one of the Gerries. Alive." Mac blinked and even Sophie hissed with surprise. Mac was stunned.
"How?"
"The stupid bounders made a raid on Monk's Mountain . . ." Mac blinked before grinning.
The monks of Monks' Mountain Island were far from pushovers or pacifists. In times of war, they were some of the most fierce fighters one could ever meet. The Nazis couldn't have picked a worse place to raid. "What's the situation where you are?" Mac sighed softly.
"Good. Nobody hurt, five dead Krauts that I've seen, but there are a few more strewn around the forest." Mac looked at Sophie and grinned. "They met a bigger predator . . ." Sophie smiled as she held Kyle and Sam protectively.
"Good to hear. If it's all right with Kyle, I'd like to come by so we can assess the situation." MacReady looked questioningly at Kyle and Sophie.
Kyle smiled and nodded while Sophie purred. Sam frowned as she looked at them.
"Kyle," The blonde looked at her. Sam took Sophie's hand and placed it on Kyle's shoulder."They have to know about Sophie." Kyle frowned slightly as he looked at his mate, who moaned softly. Sam smiled reassuringly. "You can trust them." Kyle looked at her and smiled.
Mac smiled softly, waiting for the exchange to end before speaking into his radio.
"No problem, Barn. Aim for the clearing with a spire in it, we'll meet you there."
"Understood. As soon as I pick up Brother Shaun, I'll be there." Kyle blinked and Sophie hissed in surprise.
"Oh, and you're going to be meeting the other resident of the island, so don't have a bird."
"Ah, Kyle's mysterious lady-partner. A pleasure, I'm sure." Barnabas sounded amused as he clicked off.
Mac looked over as Kyle picked up the handgun of the dead Nazi.
Kyle blinked as he recognized the weapon. It was a Luger, an ancient pistol more at home in a museum than on a battlefield. To top it off, it was a genuine cartridge-firing one. It was probably worth a small fortune. Kyle unloaded it as Mac came over. The captain whistled at the prize.
"One helluva of a trophy . . ." Kyle frowned as he looked at the weapon with distaste.
"I'm really not too keen on keeping something like this . . ." Mac was about to respond when his radio hissed.
"Mac, where are you?!" Kyle recognized the voice. It was Leon.
"I'm with Sam and Kyle at the moment." There was a sigh from the other end.
"Good to hear. Shiloh's been worried sick about those three. Especially after what happened."
Mac frowned at that.
"Yeah, I know . . ." Kyle blinked and Sophie hissed softly.
"We'll meet up with Barnabas and meet you there." Mac sighed and shook his head at the situation. Sam sighed from where she sat on a rock.
"Well, we'd better get ready for when they get here . . ." Kyle nodded as he looked at the dead Nazi. Sophie gently nuzzled him as she wrapped her arms and tail around him.
"Right. Let's get things cleaned up . . ."
XXX
The small ship landed quickly and cleanly in the clearing next to the spire, settling down on the grass with a whine. With a hiss, the ramp lowered and four figures disembarked.
Barnabas was dressed in a dark-gray overcoat, his cane in his hand as he turned back to the others as they walked down the ramp. Leon was next, followed by Shiloh. The last was a tall figure, robed in the traditional robes of a Zerichs monk, the face obscured by the hood of the robe.
Sam was waiting to greet them at the edge of the clearing. Barnabas smiled, despite the gravity of the situation.
"Good to see you unharmed, Luv." Sam smiled as she led them down the path in the forest.
"Before you guys get there, you need to know something important . . ." They all looked at Sam. She smiled softly as they walked. "Kyle doesn't live here alone . . ."
As they walked, Sam related about Kyle and Sophie, how they had met and how Dr. Reinhardt and the Nazis had been involved. They all were stunned.
As they moved through the misty woods, Leon noticed how Shiloh would glance around nervously. Leon had tried to get her to stay home, but she adamantly refused. She tried to hide it and be brave, but he knew it was because she was terrified that she had come. Leon slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close and comforting her. The Milurians were already almost in a panic.
For two-hundred years they had told stories of the camps and the suffering, death and tears of the Milurian Holocaust. The appearance of the Nazis was like the Boogeyman or the Monster-Under-The-Stairs suddenly becoming real. The Milurians were as sweet and innocent as they were when they were first welcomed, when Mercy's Caravan returned with its most precious cargo.
Gods' blessings upon Tobias Morgan, may his memory endure.
When they reached the clearing where the house was, Mac was sitting on the front step, smoking his pipe, his rifle laying across his lap. He looked up and smiled ever so slightly as he puffed some smoke.
"Let's get inside and go over this mess," Mac said as he stood and emptied his pipe. As they walked towards the door. Leon noticed a tarp over something. His eyes narrowed when he saw boots sticking out from underneath. Barnabas saw it, too, and quickly moved to block the sight from Shiloh's view. Mac opened the door and walked in, Barnabas following, then the monk, Shiloh and lastly Leon.
Kyle looked up from where he was finishing setting the table and smiled.
"Come on in and make yourselves comfortable." Kyle then motioned for someone to come in from the kitchen. They all blinked as the tall, black form entered and looked at them. Kyle smiled as the tall being gently placed a hand on his shoulder, giving a soft purr. "I'd like you all to meet Sophie."
They all stared, awed at her for a few moments.
Shiloh was the first to move. Without fear, she walked up and wrapped her arms around Sophie, a warm smile adorning her features.
"Kyle, she's beautiful." Sophie purred as she returned the embrace. Barnabas and Leon smiled, and the monk gave a deep, resonant chuckle from deep within his hood.
"Even in times of war, the warmth of friendship and solidarity keeps us strong . . ." said the monk. Kyle smiled as the monk pulled back his hood, revealing a human face. His head was shaved except for the left side of his head, where his hair was long and braided into a scalp-lock.
"It's good to see you again, Brother Shaun." Shaun nodded. Kyle motioned towards the table.
"Tea's hot and we have plenty of stew." With that, everybody sat to discuss the events swirling around.
Kyle sighed as he looked up from his tea. "Okay, tell me what's happening." Barnabas cleared his throat as he nodded.
"The Gerries were apparently on some scouting mission of some sort, but why the bounders would attack and give away their presence is beyond me." Kyle frowned at that. He looked at the Bar-Master.
"You said you caught one of them alive . . ." Brother Shaun chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, we did indeed. We'll interrogate him and see what we can drag out of him. We have herbs that will aid in extracting information from him." Kyle frowned. Mac looked at Brother Shaun.
"So, you caught one of the Krauts, huh? He high up?" Barnabas grunted softly as he sipped his tea.
"He's a Sergeant Major of the Waffen SS. The leader of this attack squad, most likely. We had bit of a lucky break there. But, that's assuming we can get anything out of the bugger. As nasty a bunch they are, SS are tough. Getting information, even with 'persuasion' will be difficult at best . . ."
Sophie gave a soft moan as she gently stroked Shiloh's fur, purring softly to reassure her.
Kyle, she's so frightened . . . Kyle looked at the trembling Milurian and smiled softly.
Sophie, please get her a blanket. Sophie gave another purr before leaving. Kyle stood up and walked over to gently hug Shiloh.
"It's okay, Shiloh. You and everyone else are safe. Don't you worry." Shiloh gave a soft, almost inaudible whine as she returned the embrace. Leon smiled gratefully at Kyle. Sophie returned from their bedroom with one of their silk blankets and draped it over Shiloh's shoulders, purring softly. The ginger-colored Milurian smiled with gratitude at Sophie, who smiled back.
"Thank you, Sophie. It's so nice to finally meet you." Sophie purred as she nodded. Kyle sighed as he looked back at Barnabas.
"I think I have a better idea how we can get information." Barnabas raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? How's that, lad?" Everyone looked at him as Sophie purred, feeling what her mate had up his sleeve.
"Did you manage to get his PDA?" Brother Shaun nodded and reached into his sleeve and produced a black PDA, similar to the one Catherine had used.
"Hand it over," Kyle took it and tapped the screen, fiddling for a few seconds before it beeped and he smiled as he handed it to Barnabas. "Here you go." Everyone stared as Sophie gave a stuttering hiss. "I was a tech engineer for Weyland-Yutani before I came here . . ." Barnabas blinked for a few seconds while Brother Shaun snickered. MacReady smiled as he relit his pipe.
"Go, nerds . . ." Kyle ignored the comment and Sam's retaliatory smack on Mac's head as Barnabas poured over the information in the PDA.
"You can read German?" Kyle asked. Barnabas smiled at the young blonde.
"Of course. Helps quite a bit when you have to deal with the likes of these bounders . . ."
Everyone was almost on the edge of their seats as the Bar-Master read through the information contained in the PDA. "Interesting . . ."
"What is?" Mac asked. Barnabas sipped more of his tea as he read.
"Well, according to what I'm seeing here, their directives are 'Investigate hostile world for number of hosts for Bio-Weapon-HS90'. Don't like the sound of that . . ." Barnabas looked up and was startled at the change in Kyle. His face was ashen, his eyes wide and unblinking.
No. No, that can't be. They said they only found those seven Cradles . . . Kyle's mind was only a few steps away from panicking. Sophie gave a soft moan as she stroked his hair. MacReady and Leon exchanged glances.
"Kyle, you okay?" Leon asked. Kyle blinked as he looked at the floor, then down the hall, and, without saying another word, got up and left, Sophie following. Mac looked at Barnabas.
"This doesn't look good . . ." Sam shook her head as she set her tea aside.
"It isn't . . ." They all looked at her. She sighed as she looked at the small group. "What I'm going to tell you must never leave this room . . ."
XXX
Upstairs, Kyle had walked into the studio, feeling numb and in shock. Kyle wasn't really seeing, just moving. He stopped and looked up. His eyes fell on a sketch. He came closer and looked at the drawing in black and white of the most hallowed place on all of Zerichs II.
Two-hundred years ago, when word reached Zerichs II of the tragedy of the Milurian Holocaust, the local traders and ship captains got together and linked together five cargo ships to take supplies to the desperate and starving Milurians who had survived the camps. They arrived in record time, setting a record for speed that had never been surpassed by loaded freighters since.
It was only because of their timely arrival that so many Milurians survived, but the ships returned carrying an even more precious cargo: Ten thousand Milurians, desperately seeking shelter and safety. Males, females, and the very few pups that survived. Those same ships were lovingly enshrined on top of a cliff not far from Zeraven. The grateful Milruians called the ships "Mercy's Caravan", a name that was known across civilized space.
When Kyle had first set foot there, he broke into tears. The image was powerful, but to actually stand next to these legendary ships was breathtaking. Kyle felt the tears return as he looked at the drawing. He felt Sophie wrap her tail around them both, softly embracing him and leaning her head against his as she comforted him.
I'm here, darling. He smiled softly, but sadly as he stroked her face. He looked at his other sketch and stared at the image of one of the most well-known, but most mysterious men.
When Kyle was a little boy, growing up in the ghettos of Berren Prime, he had once seen the only picture of the captain of Mercy's Caravan and admired the man as a true hero.
Tobias Morgan.
When he came to Zerichs II, Kyle was amazed that there were numerous other pictures of one of humanity's greatest heroes. Kyle's sketch was of Captain Tobias embracing his wife, Shaloora, who was perhaps the most well-known survivor of the Milurian Holocaust.
Her whole family had died in the camps, and all but one of her seven pups as well. When she arrived on Zerichs II, Tobias made sure she never wanted for anything in her life, and loved her and her child as his own, to his dying breath. Sadly, none of those things were known off-world. That hardly mattered to locals, though. In fact, from his heroism, came a Zerichs term, still used.
To call someone a "Morganor" was saying they were a person of merit and heart who did what was right. It was the local term for a hero. Kyle's fingers touched the sketch and he smiled.
He had captured Tobias holding his wife lovingly as she cradled her baby. Interestingly enough, the way Kyle had rendered it, it looked almost like a statue. If superimposed over his sketch of Mercy's Caravan, it would look like a life-size stature standing in front of the ships, in the middle of the garden of flowers people had planted there. Sophie hugged her mate, giving him warm, loving thoughts to comfort his troubled mind.
Kyle felt someone approach through Sophie's mind. They turned, and Shiloh was standing in the doorway. Looking at her, neither of them could imagine how anyone could be so cruel and evil to such sweet, wonderful and loving people. Kyle tried to find words, but they died in his throat. He didn't need them.
Without a word, Shiloh walked up and wrapped her arms and tail around Kyle and Sophie.
They gladly returned the sweet embrace. Sophie purred, lowering it into the thrum she used when she was truly peaceful and happy. She's so sweet. Sophie observed as Shiloh's ears twitched.
She really is . . . Ever since Kyle had first met Shiloh, Sophie had truly wanted to meet her, too, but they never could have risked it before. Sophie softly purred as she stroked Shiloh's fur.
"You're a lot like him . . ." Kyle blinked at Shiloh's words. She pulled back and looked at the sketch of Tobias. "No Milurian will ever forget his name." Shiloh looked up at Kyle as she brushed a strand of sandy-blonde hair from his emerald eyes. "You're a good man, Kyle Williams." Shiloh looked at Sophie and smiled. "And you're a very lucky lady. You have one of the best men in the universe." Sophie purred deeply at that.
I know. I'm the luckiest female alive . . . Kyle hugged Shiloh, as did Sophie. His eyes caught his sketch of Mercy's Caravan as they filled with tears.
Never again. Never again . . .
XXX
Sam had finished telling the others about the past incidents with Sophie's kind and Weyland-Yutani and they were stunned. MacReady blinked as he thought on everything.
"Boy . . ." said the bearded ship captain.
"Indeed." Barnabas agreed, his arms crossed. Leon sipped his tea.
"This is a nightmare. If the Nazis have their hands on Xenomorph eggs, it would make the Borvanian Plague look like a flu outbreak." Brother Shaun had remained silent through the whole thing, just listening. Mac looked at Leon.
"Understatement of the millennium. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll get killed by their own weapons." Barnabas was about to speak when Kyle, Sophie and Shiloh returned.
"Kyle, are you all right, lad?" asked the violet-eyed man. Sam looked up, and was startled.
Kyle had always looked very young to her. His face had such a youthful innocence to it. Filled with life, seeming to glow. Now, though, he looked older. His eyes particularly. They weren't the eyes of an innocent and naive boy, but the eyes of a man, and a determined one at that.
"We have preparations to make . . ."
Author's note: An extra big thanks goes to my mother, whose help once again was invaluable. She helped me a lot with World-Building, something I haven't done a lot of before. Her help was instrumental with building the world and history of Zerichs II and Galactic history as well. So, if you wondered why this took so long, envisioning and writing seven-hundred years of fictional history across at least three galaxies takes a bit . . .