As usual I must thank my reviewers for all that they do for me, both in terms of brighteneing my day, and in terms of giving me feedback. For a while I was a bit nervous of this chapter, but I think it turned out okay.
Plague Carriers
Out of the shadows of the foliage a set of figures raced. Similarly armed to the teeth they darted like wraiths towards the buildings their comrades had formerly guarded. A pair crouched beside the pair of bodies and a quick inspection confirmed their fears. Both of the guards were dead, even Yautja did not survive having their heads cut off and their spines ripped out. Which made it all the worse. Only one species was known to do that, and they were that race. One of the new arrivals raised his armoured head and emitted a long low growl. His partner made a series of clicks and grunts that was what their language was. But his meaning was clear. This was worse than anything else that they could possible deal with. The two motioned for the others to go in, no need for stealth anymore, if they had the time to remove heads and spines, then it was no use thinking they were still here. This had been done long ago, long before any of them would have arrived. With a motion they urged the bearers to bring over the stretchers and to bear the warriors away to a burial fit for the hunters. After they were safely away towards the drop ship, the two got up and proceeded inside. On the surface everything seemed normal, but they knew that below ground everything was not the same. Down they descended, into the very bowels of the storehouse, for that is what it was. A giant storehouse, where their most lethal prey was placed. The hunters needed this prey to train their new bloods. The idea to place the Hard Meat on an uninhabited planet where it could be dealt with quickly and easily if there was an uprising was a good one. How this had happened was not for them to know, but for their chief to decide. As it was they had to conduct an investigation into what had happened and bring him the evidence. The elevator stopped. Casters at the ready the guards leaped out into the area and began to scan for enemies. Nothing, and from the scans their masks were capable of, there was nothing in the next room either. Nothing out of pace that is. That's what they all thought until they got in there.
--
Henceforth, for reasons of reader compatibility, the speech of the Yautja will be translated from the series of clicks and roars that it sounds like, to the profound tongue that it is to all who understand.
"How many?"
The Yautja clan Chieftain rose off his throne.
"Five eggs of the Hard Meat are missing, great one."
With a crash of ornate armour the giant Predator sat. This was an utter disaster. "What types?"
"Two we believe are regular ones, two more are those who produce Praetorian as well as ordinary Drones, and the last." The two warriors looked at one another.
"Speak!" the chieftain roared.
"The fifth egg is a Queen producer." was the monotone reply.
With a groan of weariness the Chieftain leaned his great head with its mass of dreadlocks back against the back of the throne. Hard Meat Queens on the loose. There were no words to describe this anarchy. "Do you know what this means, warriors of my people?"
"They are loose again." The greatest and most feared elder of combat in the room, whom shall be known as Hunter, leaned forward out of his seat.
"Correct. All bear witness to this. Loose Hard Meat is the reason we had to destroy them and take the remaining samples away to the secure location. Who knew where it was?"
"All the clan Chiefs did, great one." A voice from the technical Elders side spoke. "We are not privy to the location of the Hard Meat facility."
Hunter was the one who voiced the unspoken comment. "That Bad Blood chief knew."
The Chieftain stiffened. "Do not mention that name again. He is disgraced and we are all familiar with the fact that you failed to stop him Hunter Elder."
There was a guttural growl from the Elder in question. "When a vast number of his clan decided to join him in his rampage, what do you expect from me? I am no sorcerer able to solve everything with a simple wash of power!"
Chairs were vacated as Elders all around stood and roared at him for his brazen speech.
"Silence!" the Chieftain roared over all of them. "Keep the proper level of respect in your voice Hunter or I will tear it out!"
Hunter bowed his head, the Yautja sign of obeisance. "I apologise Great One. I lost my temper. It is a bitter memory."
--
"We are all familiar with what happened then. That fool wanted to go to war with the Covenant and wipe out humanity. He believed we should rule the galaxy. That is not our way, we are hunters, we seek worthy prey, we fight only what can fight back. And we are few in number! We do not have the resources to go to war with a conglomerate of species which are more than capable of wiping us out, and will do so without a moment's hesitation! If any of you believe humans to be any different, you are foolish in our beliefs. The spawn at a faster rate than Hard Meat, number in the trillions, and possess weaponry which, whilst not as good as our own, is capable of doing serious damage. And they too would think nothing of wiping us from the galaxy. Humanity has always been a violent race! I have read that certain of their sacred texts and histories tell us that the progenitors of their race killed their own family over trivial matters. They fight more wars than any other species in galactic history, with the exception of the krogan, who are no more. At the same time they demonstrate an inexplicable talent for survival. Do not underestimate them. A war with them is a futile one. That was not something that the Bad Blood chief would hear." The Chieftain paused in his reading and noted that all the Elders were listening intently. "This Bad Blood wanted war; he wanted revenge for the loss of his son. We are more than just individuals ruling by wishes, we are each our clan, we are our people and we speak for them, not ourselves. But he would not listen. It fell to me to order my Elder Hunter to execute this Bad Blood for the shame he had brought to our race. The siding of his clan with him was an unexpected move. Never before have we had a civil war, not while we roam the galaxy. The eight clans do not like infighting and will destroy any attempts to start one. To try is an immediate Bad Blood offence. But this began a civil war, a war of secrets and ambushes, of treachery. However hard he tries, one clan cannot defeat seven. They have been gone for almost four hundred years, I doubt they will be back."
--
"Great One, I fear that is the case!" the voice belonged to one of the investigators.
"You are?"
"I am called Blitz, Great One."
"What basis do you have for your belief Blitz?"
"All the markings on the bodies were in accordance with the rituals for a good death!"
There was an audible intake of breath. Only Yautja would do something like that, mark their opponent out of respect for his fighting prowess. But then, only a Yautja would take a skull and spine trophy from their victims. Hunter smashed a clawed fist down on the arm of his chair!
"He plans a xenocide!" he said in a growl. "Great One, I would speak before the court."
"Proceed."
Hunter rose and strode with purposeful step out into the centre of the ringed court, into the area with the raised dais upon which the Chieftain sat.
"The Hard Meat reproduces fastest with the human race, that is where he will take the Hard Meat. To their home planet, Earth, there to unleash the plague that is the Xenomorphs. They are recently exhausted from their war with the Covenant and the Flood, they rely heavily on their air given by their Sangheili allies. Without a shadow of a doubt the Bad Blood intends to infect both races at the same time using this technique."
The Chieftain leaned back. "What you say makes sense Hunter, but I doubt it will be towards Earth he will precede first."
"Why is that, Great one?"
The Chieftain beckoned to one of the Subterfuge Elders, who stood.
--
"At present our reconnaissance has revealed that, while the New Covenant has been busy, the humans have also been able to replace a large portion of their destroyed fleet. Their Fifth Fleet also managed to avoid being wiped out and has been the founder of the new fleets. Together with the Sangheili, Unggoy and Mgalekgolo they have founded a new fleet, the First Combined Fleet. This is powerful enough, and carries enough humans to allow them to restart their race in complete safety. That fleet is, in essence, a floating world of mixed races. A massive number of Sangheili are also on the fleet. They would be able to field a big enough army to wipe out the Xenomorphs should they need to fight a battle with them."
"As you can see from this Hunter there are reserves that he will need to deal with before he can launch his war." The Chieftain explained.
"What is more," the Elder continued, "They are headed for the remnants of the planet Onyx, there to seek something, we were unable to decipher that part of the logs. We also know that, what?"
A young technician had approached the Elder, bringing information. Since no one was allowed to disturb the meeting save under dire circumstances, he was allowed to speak with his Elder.
"Are you sure?"
A nod, both of obeisance and of confirmation.
"What is it, Elder?" the Chieftain was insistent.
"Our reports indicate that a conglomerate of other specie still exists. Large parts of the Old Covenant were able to escape retribution and still pose a threat to the New Covenant, namely the Jiralhanae, the San 'Shyuum, the Kig-Yar and the Yanme'e. A few Mgalekgolo still serve them, but they are not as numerous."
"If this is information for the benefit of the humans, why do we need it?" Hunter was slightly bemused.
Looking him squarely in the eye, the Elder spoke. "Because the Bad Blood has joined with them to destroy the humans! As we speak they are on their way to Onyx as well, though they will arrive later than the First Combined."
--
Uproar was the word to describe the reaction. Predator Elders were placing their heads in their hands and shaking their dreadlocks. Others flared their mandibles and roared a loud long roar of rage. It was unthinkable! Yautja did not ally themselves with any other species unless necessity dictated it. Predators and Humans had allied on a couple of occasions, especially when destroying the Xenomorphs who were a threat to all species. Why would the Jiralhanae ally themselves with Predators who would kill them in betrayal as soon as they had a chance?
"This is madness!" One Elder roared, "No self respecting Yautja could contemplate such a thing!"
"He is not self respecting!" Hunter replied in anger, "And both fleets will have similar goals, to destroy the race of men!"
"And then they will turn on us!" screamed another voice.
The Subterfuge Elder replied with a growl, "They will destroy the Old Covenant first, that or force them to be slaves!"
"Silence!"
--
There was silence. The Chieftain had spoken. With a rustle of their ceremonial armour the Elders sat.
"The Bad Blood has begun a campaign we are powerless to stop. Unless we act in accordance. The Elder of the Field Workers is correct, we do not ally. But we do not ally unless we have no choice!" he thumped the table in front of his desk. "Now we have no choice, but to ally. It is our duty. The traitors will be destroyed. The only question is, what do we respond with?"
"We should send a message and let them know we mean no harm, and that we have information. Then we leave them to their fate."
The Chieftain asked of the Subterfuge Elder, "How many ships are in this Brute Fleet?" he used the common human word for the Jiralhanae, a quite apt one that even the Sangheili had taken on.
The Subterfuge looked down at his holographic reports. "Almost two thousand ships, not including the Bad Bloods."
"Combined how many do the New Covenant have?"
"Almost a thousand, but they have better commanders than the Brutes."
"The First Combined alone?"
There was a long pause. "Two hundred at the most, although at the moment they have seven hundred as they are conducting a search. That and the fact that Onyx is surrounded by almost a hundred thousand Forerunner Sentinels."
"I thought the planet had been destroyed?" Hunter asked
The Subterfuge Elder shook his head. "No. It has been demolished, but the core remains. There is something highly odd about that system, but we have not yet been able to decipher it."
The Chieftain was musing over two numbers. "Seven hundred against two thousand."
"They should be able to handle that, Sangheili consider a three to one disadvantage a good fight."
The Chief shot him a look. "But not when they are surprised."
--
"We should go to their assist."
"We will not be in time."
"But we may stave off annihilation."
"Perhaps."
"Hunter?" the Elder looked up. "What do you think?"
Hunter was silent for a time. War would come of this, but the alternative was too terrible to think of. Complete annihilation at the claws of the Hard Meat. He recalled his own initiation process and the terrible struggle he'd had with the Hard Meat, a struggle he had won purely by chance and by prowess. One of his companions had not been so lucky. He had been killed in the struggle, dying honourably, but his comrades had survived. He had heard of the times that the Serpents had almost won. Whole civilisations wiped out to prevent contamination. This time it would be on a galactic scale.
"We will help the humans. Nothing is more important than this, nothing at all. Of primary import is that we stop the Serpents from gaining control. They will need to be destroyed, we cannot allow these things, to get loose. If we do, all will die!"
As can be seen, all the pieces are coming together. A few of you may be asking, when is Star Wars coming into this? Have no fear, I will have the Galaxy Far Far Away involved soon enough. In roughly the next three chapters to be exact. Leave a review and let me know what you think.
