Thicker than blood

I do not own any film in the Alien franchise.

Chapter 6

Since it has been so long since I have updated, what with a dead computer, I am starting up again with a simultaneous view of what everyone is doing, sort of as a re-cap. Then the action will start next chapter.

Thanks for your patience. I am almost out of it, because I hate Windows 7! When I try to write at home, my laptop shuts down, or rather the Net connection does. I tend to write within the fanfic site itself. Work also has Windows 7, and fanfic will sometimes just disconnect me. This makes writing very frustrating (losing everything I had typed) but I currently have no Office Word system downloaded on my laptop. Thus the extreme delays in updating. My apologies and gratitude to anyone still hanging in there.

On the planet, in the former Colony 04

Annalise felt panic rise up within her, and she had no idea the source of her trepidation. She only knew, even from far off across space, that there was something wrong with her children. "Maybe I never should have let them go to Earth with Richard, Sul'ss." She reached out with her mind, trying to read whatever it was that connected her with her off-spring.

Sul'ss didn't sense what his mate was feeling.

How do you know they are in danger, Ahhhhnnleeessss? he asked, confused.

"Maybe it's because I'm their mother. Maybe it's because I'm their queen. But I know. They're in trouble."

Sul'ss stood near his mate, offering his usual constant support. He had no doubt that the twins would be safe with the human warrior they had come to trust over the years. But if Annalise was sensing danger to their children, he wanted to know why. As father to the nest, it was his duty to protect his children. As her mate, it was his duty to protect Annalise, and help her if she decided to go to Earth. He would not let her venture to her home world alone.

Angry at her inability to act immediately, fear invaded Annalise's being. What if her arrival on Earth was too late to prevent harm to the twins. "We have to get to Earth as soon as possible," she said bluntly.

How is this to be done? Technology was something Sul'ss' people had little experience with. Even the Mother had little understanding of the vessel that had brought her to this world so long ago.

Annalise thought a moment. The ships on the flight deck hadn't been used since the days after the colonists' deaths. The Science Board and the military had wanted to strip the colony clean, but Richard, still having some influence, ordered everything left as it was. Only bodies had been removed for return to their families. Although the vessels had gone unused for awhile, more than one must still function.

Annalise said to Sul'ss, "We have to look over the ships in the flight bay. Maybe we can use one of them to go to Earth. We don't have the time for any thorough checks, so we'll have to use the automated flight prep system." Annalise had some flight experience, and didn't like automated systems. She preferred the hands on approach. Never having requested pilot's status at the colony meant less flight time, since recreational flying wasn't allowed. But Annalise had enjoyed her job at the colony enough to refuse any offers to transfer to full time transport duty.

Sul'ss had never been off this planet, the world of his birth. The idea of traveling between planets did not thrill him in any way. He followed Annalise as she headed for the nursery to leave orders to the nest. "If we can find just one long range vessel, check to make sure it's fueled and flight-ready, we can take off as soon as possible." She only hoped this wasn't a futile effort that would end in disaster. The nest needed their queen, but Jonathan amd Cres'sa needed their mother.

Grabbing Annalise's arm, Sul'ss asked, You cannot just contact Richard Tanner for his aid?

"No. I must go for them." Attempting to soothe the xenomorph, she spoke gently and with affection. "You may stay here and watch the nest. I know space travel isn't your cup of tea."

Sul'ss hissed sharply. I will come with you. And that was his last word on the subject.

When they reached the nest, Annalise knew someone had to remain in charge to care for the children in her absence. She chose the strongest and wisest of her offspring. "Al'lese, you will be in charge of the nest. Is'sa will remain in charge of the nursery." Turning to Sul'ss, she asked, "You do agree that we should go bring our children home, don't you, Sul'ss?" She reached out to the xenomorph, and felt her body enveloped in his strong inhuman arms. Embracing was a human affectation that she had taught him, and both took pleasure in it. Her thoughts went to the problem they would have getting through planet security. If she could contact Tanner while they were in orbit, maybe he could help clear a landing route for her. Hopefully, he would be able to meet them at the landing site. And what of Sul'ss? It wasn't as if he could freely walk the streets of any city. But she needed him. Yes, contacting Tanner would be essential.

Leaving Sul'ss' embrace, Annalise left final orders with the young xenomorphs, then departed. She was confident that no one from the neighboring colonies would bother this complex. She also knew her children would defend the nest with their lives. To her mate, Annalise said, "Let's go check the ships. Hopefully we will find one that'll work." They headed quickly for the colony's flight bay.

Somewhere over Earth

Tanner's ships were on their way to a secret military outpost. There was no way they were going back to the residential sector. Tanner wanted to know how the location of his forces got out. Security was tight, or so he had thought. He trusted his people implicitly, each and every one. Of course, he wouldn't put anything past Weyland Industries. They had operatives everywhere, some human, some not. Some known to him, some not.

Toward the back of the ship, Cres'sa crouched next to her human protector as he played with his rifle. She felt he was merely keeping busy to avoid facing her. Her curiosity about the male human grew, and this made Ed Wheaton uncomfortable. Cres'sa was unaware of his feelings, never having much experience with humans. Her own feelings where the human was concerned were a mystery to her as well. Cres'sa only knew that she was interested in her protector, and wanted to know more about him. She actually enjoyed being near him.

Reaching out with a taloned hand, she touched his hair, which was short, but not the traditional buzz cut so many of the male soldiers preferred. Human hair was strange, and it pleased her to feel it run through her fingers.

Ed swatted at Cres'sa's hand. "Stop that!" He suppressed the smile that threatened to betray his amusement. He wondered if she realized just how much trouble she and her brother were in. If someone felt the need to attack the Major's forces so openly, they would not stop until they had achieved their goal. There was sure to be another attempt to kidnap the xenomorphs. They had to be ready for any threat.

Cres'sa turned away, feeling slighted by the human. She didn't fully understand her own feelings, although she was only slightly familiar with humans and their ways, because of the human Richard Tanner and his close alliance with her mother. Still, not being human handicapped the xenomorph that was part human. She compared her feelings for Richard Tanner and Ed Wheaton. They weren't the same. Something more instinctual stirred within her when she was with her protector.

For his part, Ed Wheaton was curious about the alien female he had been ordered to guard. He never felt threatened by her, yet knew that she could rip him a new one had she the inclination. Fortunately, he could tell she did not. And that troubled him. His own growing ability to relax around Cres'sa made him wonder about his changing inclinations toward her. He shook his head as he reminded himself she was his charge, his responsibility. Nothing more.

While Ed was busy trying to keep Cres'sa off his equipment, Sgt Jennifer Philips was trying to keep the mutant xenomorph Jonathan off her. She maintained her professional demeanor, as she had been trained to, even in the worst situations. Major Tanner instilled in his soldiers that losing one's cool opened them up to rash actions. And that not only endangered the individual, but the entire platoon.

Jonathan shifted across the aisle to sit in the seat beside the female who was his guard. He noticed her hands tighten their grip on her rifle. Moving closer, he whispered in her ear, "I am not the enemy, Jennifer." When he sensed her body stiffen, he moved away from her. She didn't trust him, and he chastised himself for causing this reaction by moving too quickly. He still wanted her, but he had decided that he needed her to want him as well.

"Excuse me." Her temper in check, Jennifer rose from her seat, and headed to the small galley amidship. She found a cup and set it into a recess in the wall. Pushing a button, she waited while steaming hot coffee poured into the cup.

"You keep running from me, Jennifer Philips."

Jennie's hand trembled, causing a bit of coffee to spill over the edge of the cup. "Damn!" she whispered under her breath. Picking up a napkin, she wiped at the spilled coffee. Turning, she wished she could reach for her rifle, just to make her feel better, and send a message to Jonathan. But she had set it against the far wall. "What do you want, Jonathan?" she demanded in a low voice, trying not to attract attention.

Removing the dark glasses, he peered down at her with black eyes. "You know...Jennie." He was careful not to press too closely, even though he could feel her heat drawing him in. "H'sta-ess," he said, wondering if she knew the meaning of the word. She did not.

Jennifer turned to look at the wall, finding the black eyes staring at her disconcerting. "What...?"

"Nevermind. You will understand. I promise." He put his glasses back on, and smiling, turned away from the human he desired. He so wanted to touch her, even try kissing her. But Jonathan felt going slow while this mission was still in play would bring him ultimate satisfaction. He dared not anger Uncle Richard again. But Jennifer Philips would be his mate. Eventually. As he walked back to his seat, he wondered if he would be able to breed with her.

Jennie breathed a sigh of relief. She sipped from the cup, but found the coffee too hot. It burned her tongue. "Damn, damn, damn!" She dumped the cup along with its fluid into the recycler, and returned to her seat. Purposely, she refused to look at Jonathan. Screw him, she thought, holding her rifle tightly in her hands.

In Layton Thomas' lab

"You had better come up with a good reason to see the xenomorphs again, Doctor Thomas. Create the opportunity for us, and we'll take over from there. We won't make the same mistakes twice."

"I have to be cautious. Tanner isn't stupid. It wouldn't take long for him to put two and two together. Then he'll never trust me to be left alone with the Aliens."

The man in the dark suit gave the anxious doctor an impassive stare. "You contracted to help us, Doctor. Do not go back on your word if you want our continued support. The Company doesn't look kindly on anyone who attempts to cheat us out of what we want. And we want those creatures."

You don't own the xenomorphs, you corporate ass, Layton thought, while trying not to show his anxiety. It was their money that enabled him to continue his research. He hoped that once the xenomorph twins were in the hands of the Company, he would be asked to spearhead the study of the alien race. But he could only guess the true intentions of the Company's plans for Jonathan and Cres'sa. "I hope your bosses can appreciate the potential of these particular aliens. They're not just xenomorphs. These are hybrids, with both alien and human qualities. Why don't you just go back to the colony, and capture the aliens left there? You could use them for your agenda. Oh, right, those ones have only two things in mind, reproducing and killing. Actually, they reproduce by killing. Capturing them wouldn't be easy. You can't train them!"

The man smiled. "That's not your concern, Doctor. Just keep to your side of the bargain." Sure that the doctor would be cooperative, he left.

Layton Thomas wondered if what he was feeling was regret in dealing with the Company in the first place, or the consequences should his friend, Major Tanner, find out about his betrayal. He and Richard had served together, fought and almost died together. To hear his old friend had been killed by the Company's team of attackers would have saddened him greatly.

Somewhere over North America

Major Tanner's ships cruised towards their destination, unaware that they were being stalked by three ships of unknown origins. Hanging just a few kilometers under cloud cover, the ships had few soldiers aboard. They had something else in mind.