"I've never liked oral," Drake replied, laughing. He fired the pistol, the weapon spitting a trio of rounds in a burst. The facehugger shrieked as it was ripped apart, then shuddered, dead. Once the thing's blood was less acidic he grabbed his knife. "Lesson one, Crest: never leave home without one of these."

"Roger that Hunter" she grinned and reached down to the belt strap around her curvy thigh in tight black pants and grabbed her own ornate looking dagger. Showing it to him. It was jewelled at the handle and befitting a woman who liked pretty things. It had been a gift to her from a very rich father. Any normal soldier would use a standard issue combat knife. But not varia crest.

Drake nodded. "Get some sleep," he ordered. "I'll wake you up when it's your shift."



Three days passed, and the bugs had only attacked once. He felt that the attacks were halfhearted, like something was occupying them. Good for us, the Sergeant thought. The Wey-Yu PMCs settled in, and the Marines were only semi-hostile towards them now. Drake had updated the Autumn, and received new orders: they were to go into the nest today.

Varia slept while it wasn't her turn to take watch. Maria, the other female marine in Drake's squad, walked over to the PM who was face hugged. "How are you holding up?" She asked and pointed to his chest, which had been stapled back together again. He nods. "I'm doing okay." He then points over to Varia, watching her sleep soundly, curled up in the corner with her arms cradling her gun. "She's really somethin' ain't she? I'd be dead if it weren't for her."

"Yeah. She acted quickly to save you." Maria nodded and folded her arms. "But you were the one not alert enough to avoid the creature. So you should be on your guard more." She warned him as he nodded. "Aye aye, Miss." He gave a playful salute to her.

Varia slowly awakens to the voices talking, slowly coming around from a dream of being back home, but she found herself in this god awful place and sighed, rubbing her eyes. She just wanted it to be over already as she sat staring at the cold dark floor in a distant gaze. Maybe the realisation that the longer she stayed here, the more chance she had of dying, finally getting her down. She just wasn't cut out for military life.

"Listen up, you dumb apes!" Drake barked. He meant it in the most affectionate way possible. "We've just gotten word from the Autumn. We're hitting the hive at 1800 hours. We are to kill anything that moves, crawls, or spits acid, and then haul ass out before they fire the ship-mounted magnetic accelerator cannons. The base-- and probably a good chunk of this rock-- will be blown to hell. Those who fall behind are left behind. Am I clear?"

Varia looked up and rose to her feet, nodding. "Roger!" She felt herself getting pumped up and the adrenaline kicked in, she grabbed her two guns and made sure her knife was pocketed in her thigh. At that she stood attention and awaited them to move out.

While the other Marines readied themselves, the Sergeant approached Varia. "Ever been inside a hivr before, Crest?" he asked. "It's some scary shit. You need to stay frosty regardless of what's happening."

Varia shook her head up at the Sergeant, some slight concern glinting behind her blue eyes. "Um, no Sir I haven't..." She noted his advice gratefully. "Thanks for the tip." She shifted slightly in her padded armour, gripping her gun to her chest tighter. She was going to regret ever coming on this expedition. But it was for the greater good of humanity that she persevered. She entrusted in her Sergeant to lead them into battle with high morale and the best possible tactics to hand.

Several Cheyanne dropships landed outside, dropping off several APCs full of marines. It was all or nothing, it seemed.



The humans were mobilizing, and Wyvern knew that his time was short. He had to kill the White Queen before the soldiers did, but he could use the primitives to his advantage...



The Queen knew it was time. She could sense more hosts coming, and each and every one was ready to fight. Although unable to read thoughts, the White Queen could detect emotions and minds. The minds she sensed had come for blood.

And they would get it.

The squad fell in line behind the Sargeant as he lead them away from the CIC. They were pumped and ready for action. Marching in line, guns at the ready. The soldiers at the front taking each corner as they passed and the ones at the back picking up the rear walking backward. Varia was a sniper and so she was at the center so she had ample time to react to further targets. But she kept her dagger close to her side, gripping it tightly.

The Smart Gunners took point, with Drake right behind them. He wouldn't be in the middle of the group, like some leaders. He'd shot another Sergeant in the past, when he's panicked and ran. "Eyes on those motion trackers!" he barked.

Varia nodded. She glanced down at the motion trackers now and then. She spotted something in the corner of her eye on the radar, a dot on the left. She glanced up, saw a turning on the left. "Facehugger on the left!" She barked to the comrades at front. One turned and fired a round of guns at it. Only it alerted more to the scene. A facehugger crawled on the ceiling, Varia had no time to react, she followed it viewing it on the scope and watched and followed...watched and followed...it came closer into view, she moved her point into the line of its path aaaand ~click~. One pull of the trigger was all it needed from her gun. A swift and simple kill, less noise. But another came crawling soon after, she did the same. And then another on the right hand wall.

Drake opened fire with his AR's underbarrel shotgun. Facehuggers exploded as pellets shredded their flesh. A PMC was grabbed from above, screaming as he was pulled into a vent.

Varia gasped and leaped back, shooting up at the vent as it was the guy just in front of her. She widened her eyes at the realisation that it could have been her just a few milliseconds later.

Moonscar felt the human slamming his weapon against the carapace of her skull, to no effect. Really, it annoyed her more than it hurt her. The closest translation of whata she was thinking: This one... perhaps better as food. Make dumb Sister.



Wyvern tailed the humans, close enough to keep abreast of their actions and react quickly, but far enough away that the shimmer of his active camouflage didn't give him away. He knew the serpents could see him even now, but the humans took priority.