Ch. 03

A New Beginning

Pt. 01

The Journey

We now have to move, start our search for a new area to make a hive, or a suitable cave to adapt to make a hive. Everyone is still disorientated from the explosion. I send the runners to scout ahead, the drones carry the eggs and hosts, our less stronger warriors help carry the injured ones, while our strongest and least damaged ones form a circle to protect the xenomorphs inside. I carry this strange organic jar that holds royal jelly, the last of it. There are three options now and I have to make the decision; First I can become the new Queen, but no I still have too much adventure to get out. Then there is my sister, she is the oldest, it does seem like the preferable choice. Lastly, the Predalien. Not pure I know, but imagine a new era and a new form of Queen. Would her temper hold? How would she treat the other xenomorphs, and more importantly how would the hive react to a transbreed becoming a Queen? I didn't know which choice to make, but I had time to think.

As the days passed, there was still no luck. A few died from their injuries. I entrusted the royal jelly to my sister, since her being a purebred she has no use for it. I went off adventuring. My favorite pastime, swinging limb to limb in the jungle trees. It's an adrenaline rush, the trees are over a mile high, the only branches thick and sturdy enough to support my weight are towards the top, so a drop would kill me. As I climb to the top of one I enjoy the moonlight, my skin glistening. Suddenly, there is a rustling I clutch tightly to balance myself and ready my tail. I move closer hissing and through the leaves bursts a bird. I let out a slight laugh. Then I get tackled and start hurdling down. I cannot see what is holding onto me but I manage to get my tail free and have it wrap around a branch swinging me and this thing, I shift my weight, as we swing we head towards a tree and I slam it into the tree. It lets go and I do a full circle swing and perch myself on the branch and take a look at who dares to try and kill me. The pitch blackness of night shrouds my enemy.

I let out my roar to signify that I will not back down, and that the darkness cannot hide its identity. Being the perfect hunter I can through total darkness. My enemy is perhaps one of the greatest I will ever face. Another Praetorian, but not just any Praetorian, a genetically cloned Praetorian, a K-Series. They are un-pure and an abomination to our very existence.

Pt. 02

Captivity

On a distant moon, orbiting the xenomorph homeworld, Xenomorph Prime, a human installation is home to a number of humans. Mostly scientists but there are also marines to contain their specimens. This is where the humans have successfully, after many failed attempts and many deaths, cloned the perfect killing machine; a xenomorph. To note the difference between the two they made the pigment in the cloned species a very yellow color. The doctor Samuel Kadinsky was the scientist who made this abomination, and such as the new species was named the K-Series Xenomorphs. When he thought he perfected his new "pet" he put 60 eggs in a large closed off lab with hosts. 30 of these eggs were the K-Series, the other 30 were the purebreed xenomorphs. Dr. Kadinsky pitted us against one another however the original strain proved to be the superior of the two. The tests continued and they were cloned to be stronger, but since all xenomorphs are linked through different sets of hive minds; the largest is where all of us are connected through our Queen Mother this is the strongest, the next one below that is with the Matriarch, then the Empress, and lastly our Queen, but the link with the Queen is used most often until dire circumstances. Because of this information about the K-Series was now spread to every single xenomorph that was alive and would ever be born. We did not like this, the very fact of their existence enraged us, we wanted to keep our species pure. A Yautja attack on the facility eventually freed the K-Series and they were able to escape to Xenomorph Prime by stowing away on a marine drop ship. They grew to immense size and now we compete for space, food, hosts, and to live; it is war, it is extermination.

Pt. 03

A Message

We stare at each other, she is slouched, not poised like a real Praetorian should be. I stand straight up and tall on this branch, my tail waving back and forth behind me. I give out a hiss as if to say, "Move along you mutated freak." this enrages her, as was my intention, she lunges but is too slow. I swing my tail full force slamming into her side sending her flying down. The cloned Praetorian falls several meters breaking multiple branches before she finally orientates herself to be able to dig her claws into the trunk and stop herself, but once she looks up she sees me lunging straight at her. I start tearing at her crest with my hands, my feet pinning her to the trunk, and my tail hanging onto a branch. I'm able to rip off several chunks of her crest before she pushes me off. I land on a branch and I snap it off when bouncing back, I take it with me coming back at her,I slam the thick branch into her, disorientating her before I pry open her jaw and rip out her inner jaw. I then push her off of the tree, but grab her tail. I swing her into the tree several times before letting go. She lands on a branch, hurt and knocked out. I leave her, so she can go back to her pathetic hive and let them see how she has failed with barely half a head crest, and no inner jaw, and so they know that we are here.

Pt. 04

Home

After my encounter with the K-Series I knew our hive had to be made close to theirs, so that once large enough we could wipe them out. Our hive needs to evolve, be different, and for that we need a new better Queen. It's either going to be me, or the PredAlien. The PredAlien would make a strong leader and Queen, but so would I. I also know how to change the xenomorphs genes, as only purebred Queens can do this. As I think it over we find a cave just close enough, and just far enough away from the K-Series; this is where we settle down and our drones begin creating the hive. I keep constant rotations of Runners out on patrol, scouting the land. If we get hit again, by the humans or K-Series, I wanna know about it beforehand. I start to tend to the eggs, and order the Drones to tend the wounded. We must get everything in order for a new Queen.

Pt. 05

Exploration

This new cave system runs deep, very deep. It will serve well as a new Hive. I travel down the depth, exploring. My hand glides along the walls as I think about what is to happen next. Once I reach the deepest cavern I notice something, drawings. Ancient depictions from long ago, from the species that was once on this planet. It showed them worshiping us, worshiping a Queen. They did not fight the parasite and willingly gave up hosts for us to grow and conquer. I knew then what must be done. I started secreting a royal hive resin for a Queen chamber, and made sure to have it cover every inch, seep into every crack, and root itself deep into the ground.