Let The Games Begin..

To the lovely reviewer who asked me if Vas and Aa’Ro end up together; there’s gonna be some SICK plot happening – will have to wait and see.


~*~*~*~*~

It began with an explosion. Nothing to severe but it cleared an entire deck within moments and caused enough chaos to ensure that the path from the med lab to one of the most rarely used elevator platforms was completely cleared. The corridors were thickly filled with smoke and as Zion evacuated with the others of the clan he wondered if him and the vile annoying ooman female had used a little bit too much of the explosives she called nitro glycerine.

Adopting his facial attributes into an annoyed scowl he began to loudly complain, posture and cause as much distraction as he could; much like the son of his first mate was doing next to him. Car’Mek was of course in on it. His curiosity about the little ooman female was much like his own.

Boundless.

Even through her vitals continued to drop with frightening regularity her body refused to give up and most disturbingly of all her brainwaves through faint were evolving. It was almost as if the body was swiftly changing itself, adapting in an enviable way after being half destroyed. What he wouldn’t give for genes like that. With the correct mutation it would lead to new vaccines and ways to improve his status as chief healer for his clan.

He had watched with a sombre eye as the female Vasquez had hefted the half dead body of her comrade clutching the pathetic ooman version of a plasma burner to her side and taking off in a stumbley run before she set off the detonations. It would have been nice, he thought on a dour note, to of been given at least a meagre show of gratitude for his pains. His lab was probably half destroyed in the fracas and it would be HELL when it became apparent that the explosion was not exactly an accident.

Zion smiled, his crab like appendages stretching with mirth when the klaxon alarms for danger suddenly changed to a more high-pitched version.

Could have laughed out loud as he began to hear snippets that someone was in the ooman docking bay and was attempting a coup.

He smothered a smile when the ooman pack bundled past the lock in doors onto the ships middle ring, two members very absent.

The technician had done a very good job it seemed hacking into the ships computers, thus locking all doors from the habitat levels and ensuring a successful escape.

Zion winced slightly as the Clan Elder arrived and started barking at a very pissed off tune. He was by no means a coward but some fights he would not enter; especially not this one. The feisty ooman female was on her own, and if they managed to get the doors opened then they managed to get the doors open – he was a physician first he would say, honor bound to his patients and the ooman had a very good argument that hinted that the young ones life could be saved.

He rattled a light trill in the back of his throat. Things were in the hands of Paya.


~*~*~*~*~

Vasquez was tired. She had not slept since she had begun planning. She had to do this, she had to save the kid and if meant that pissing the fuck out of some alien assholes and her commanding officer then so be it. She owed the brat and she always paid her dues.

Grunting with effort she ducked her head and scoped for targets before pulling out a remote. Looking down at the mess of limbs at her feet she knelt down and softly ruffled the normally pristine blonde hair that was now dirty with sweat, blood and god knows what else.

“I’ll save you baby. I promise little girl.”
Breathing deep through her nostrils in and attempt at enhancing her inner calm squeezed the military issue detonator and in a quick movement depressed the trigger in three rapid movements.

Instantly the ship rocked violently. She supposed it was due to the proximity of the explosions as she steadied herself. The high-pitched klaxons kicked in immediately and in the distance she could hear soft roars from the ships inhabitants and soon enough smoke, thick cloying smoke started to furl around her shoulders and legs. Fixing a breathing mask to her face Vasquez knelt and as gently as she could slid an arm underneath the kids’ shoulders, her fingers gripping under her arm pit and hefted.

In the space of 48 hours the kid all of a sudden weighed next to nothing. It was as if she was a baby again and not a half pint teenager. Wheeling herself and her precious cargo around the deserted fume filled tunnel she followed the emergency lights that directed her to her exit point – Call had promised that she would light the way but even through she was an aut-ton; the most shit hot piece of android machinery going she couldn’t however promise how long her moments of grace would be.

It didn’t matter, she had said. She’d get the kid to the ship somehow and all Call needed to do was the make the gotdamned doors open and the ship powered ready to make a speedy exit.

It had been a hard slog the last day readying things without her crew were in on the know. Fixing the Betty up for a hard warp flight; supplies and weapons and above all else the plan. The crafty son of a bitch alien healer was a complete asshole. He went along with everything they had said until the distraction and then laughed in their faces and proceeding to tell them that something so minor would not keep the hunters or the alpha female of their group from getting to the bottom of whatever coup they were intent on attempting.

He said that if any such plan was to work the clan ship needed to be incapacitated but not overly damaged, so much so that immediate pursuit would not be possible. Vasquez remembered how his eyes had darkened when Call has asked whom they should watch out for. He had immediately appeared insulted and refused to speak to them for half a day before standing appearingly affronted before them and gave a list in his opinion of those would be up for an immediate pursuit and that needed to be distracted or contained.

It was a surprise for both her and Call to hear that the big guy that had half killed Chase before was interested in the kid. As in interested – as a male would be with a female. Call hadn’t said a word but had smiled and had said something about being physically incompatible due to species. The crab man came back with stories of how humans and the Yautja had ‘mated’ in the past with no problems and has been very cocky in his come back. Call had said nothing but Vasquez could tell she had wanted to.

After all these things hunted the bugs and Chase was for all intensive purposes half bug.

And besides the kid was too young for that shit right? It was however a question for later and not now as she was traipsing along with an almost terminal bug brat under her arm with a ticket to see Dr. Gediman the second.

Flickering lights greeted dimly in the gloom and Vasquez started to breath easier. The loading platform to the docking bay was just there. The Betty was a few hundred feat underneath them all powered up and reading to buck the fuck out of here. Punching the keypad savagely she almost jumped when Call’s voice rang out.

“You don’t have long. You are two minutes behind schedule and they already know that that something is up and that you’re missing. I don’t have long before I have to disengage and try to act as if I have fuck all to do with this. Not like that for chrissakes! Left button followed by the one that looks like a fucked up triangle.!”

“Man they all look like fucking triangles, how about you quit flapping your virtual lips and operate the fucking thing!”

Aiming a kick to the doors Vasquez swore in her mother tongue violently and then broke it off as the cage opened wide and inviting. Turning a dial on the emergency mask she was wearing, thinning the mix to stay frosty she then began to drag the prone body of her teammate in behind her.

“Shit.. They found the bombs and know that they are ours – and they are on the habitat ring about 30 meters from you right now trying to get through the doors…” A loud boom interrupted calls commentary.

“You have a minute tops, the ship is already powered and the bay doors are set to open in exactly 2 minutes. Set the beacon when you land in the Abraxus system and for fucksakes Vasquez.. Take care of you and yours. Call out.”

The elevator doors opened to the bay just as the android ended her transmission. They were almost through the fucking doors were they? SHIT! Navigating around a load of alien supply boxes the Latino almost cried at the sight of the Betty and would of kissed the charred metal if it wasn’t for the fact that she had exactly.. Well fuck she didn’t know.. FUCK.. Breaking out into a light jog, she heaved herself and Chase up the cargo hold steps and slammed it shut behind them. There was no time right now to secure Chase into stasis or a chair. Dropping her body in a crumpled heap Vasquez hauled ass to the cockpit.

Flicking the necessary switches she almost missed a viewing port coming to life in front of them.

Eyes widening Vasquez could only sit in silence as the faces of her team and a few dozen of the hunters stared at her. There was no sound but she could see that Ripley was angrily snarling though the port. Flicking a switch she opened communications and looked at her watch. 20 seconds.

Furious ranting greeted her as the alien technology immediately interfaced.

Vasquez held up a hand.

“I don’t have the fucking time to explain. Chase needs this asshole Ripley and ya fucking know it. I’m doing what you assholes won’t.”

“You will stop what you are doing Private. I wont repeat myself. You have no idea what these doctors will do if they get a hold of Chase. I know exactly what will happen…”

Vasquez growled down her headset as another klaxon sounded, its piercing wail an ode to victory in her mind.

“Shit hits I promise I’ll do us both. Just like Hicks promised you on LV426. I owe her this, Christ Rip; we all owe her this for fucksakes! She’s not another alien to me anymore godamnit…”


Vasquez stopped shouting and breathed out and ran her fingertips over the directional control pads. “We’ll be back. Later bitches.”

Private Vasquez ended the transmission and looked at the port as the outer doors began to open in time to see Call join the group. She could see Hudson going bat shit, arms all over the place. There was Hicks staring her down, something akin to a mix of respect and disappointment adorning his handsome bubba boy face. Johner was just simply staring at her. She resisted sneering at him in return and the others were hidden by the hunters as a few stepped forward and attacked the computers with fervour at the command from the grey haired elder at their backs.

Too late assholes.

The Betty’s engines roared to life as the air was visibly sucked out of the docking bay, a haunting metallic clunking was heard as metal moved against metal the gap between the landing bay doors and space getting wider by the millisecond. Swirling a finger the Betty instantly responded and lifted with a lurch from its stationary position and headed towards the beckoning doors. Not once paying attention to the silent screams from one pissed off parent.


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