Author's Note: I can honestly say this fic is the most fun I've had writing in ages.
Piusnex waited upside down from the ceiling of the cave, around her ten drones also waited in total silence. Chances were the yautja would enter through this, the least used entrance to the hive. Of course this wasn't the only entrance being guarded, every one of the seven entrances had a praetorian and at least a couple of drones.
They'd been waiting for four hours. It was frustrating, especially with how she had found the human's lair just last night. She knew she shouldn't care but since she'd made the find she wanted to make the kill, or better yet the capture.
Still she was tired, even xenomorphs needed some sleep and she hadn't slept since yesterday morning and the sun was just starting to set. It was most curious, predators were so foolhardy that one should have attacked by now.
They were all tired beyond belief, almost asleep herself she was barely paying attention when one drone fell asleep and released it's grip on the ceiling. A bolt of plasma ripped it apart before it even hit the floor.
Just as they had set a trap the yautja had prepared a trap in turn. Ordering the now rather alert drones to stay put she crept deeper into the hive, half-expected a plasma charge to hit her between the shoulders.
Alec watched the walls nervously, prepared to flee at even the slightest hiss, it wasn't the first time he'd ventured into the hive and it hopefully wouldn't be the last.
Keeping one eye on the ceiling he ventured through every tunnel he could, the remote for the repulsor drones clasped tightly in a sweaty palm. As much as possible he needed to conserve the batteries, which meant that his weekly walk through the hive was now even more terrifying than usual.
He remembered when he'd entered the hive today, a praetorian and a swarm of drones had watched him from the ceiling. He'd panicked and pressed the remote, which turned the repulsors off. For a few seconds all eyes were on him – metaphorically – and then they ignored him. His second big mistake that day and they'd just ignored him, just letting him waltz right in. He didn't know what was going on but to have the hive so preoccupied they ignored him was worrying in itself.
With the repulsors slowly circling him, still off, he couldn't help his other hand creeping to the small handgun on strapped to his hip, always the last resort, the gunshots were loud enough to be heard through the repulsors. As one of the last surviving marines had unfortunately forgotten. The screaming had lasted for minutes.
Creeping with his back to a wall he saw a praetorian go past at what passed for a sprint, he vaguely recognised it as Chrome, so nicknamed because of how reflective the praetorian's chitinous armour was.
Forcing himself to be calm he turned and began to walk, quickly, the other way; anything that could scare a praetorian would probably prove hazardous to his health.
The cloak was almost useless against the kainde amedha, therefore rather than recklessly plunging into the hive Yeythwei took the time to scout the entrances before settling on the most remote. With any luck he'd get in, kill the queen and be out before the hard meat noticed his presence.
Yet something felt off about the whole thing, he hadn't seen a drone since the morning and the sun was beginning to set. Which was extremely significant when you considered the planet had a forty hour day, over thirty hours and not a single kainde amedha had ventured from the hive.
Just to be sure he settled down in the long grass and waited, gun aimed at the entrance. Sure enough before ten minutes had passed a single drone fell from the ceiling. He pulled the trigger. And left the area, heading for the main entrance. No doubt within minutes drone and praetorian alike would be swarming that entrance, leaving the front door wide open.
Author's Note: And that's a wrap, I've decided one section per POV so once I use up all four (currently) POVs the chapter is over. It'll keep it short for now – it always takes me a while to start grinding out huge chapters - but hopefully it will also provide a good overview and keep it interesting.