Alpha Krintis forced itself to recover from the disastrous nerve jam mishap that appeared to have disabled its weaker underlings. The Cursed Human was dangerous enough without it being lucky, and the nerve jam grenade had only ricocheted back towards the Brood because it had fell forward after being hit with the anti-tank blast rather than being splattered against the wall like any reasonable species.
It wasn’t so lucky that it had got away cleanly this time though; Alpha Krintis had seen the way it was limping when it had fled.
Was it scared? That would be normal but the Cursed Human was an aberration. It may be a trap, or on its way to spring one. That would be more like the creature Alpha Krintis knew it was hunting.
Alpha Krintis proceeded with caution, following the Cursed Human at a distance to make sure it could take advantage of its next moment of weakness.
It had reached the Cargo Bay at last and was in the process of opening the door. An alarm was sounding throughout the ship now, some kind of countdown to who knew what. The Cursed Human was in a frenzied hurry though and Alpha Krintis knew that it couldn’t be good.
Alpha Krintis understood that the time for hesitation was over. Whatever the Cursed Human intended, only Alpha Krintis could stop it. Now was its moment, and Alpha Krintis seized it.
Alpha Krintis sunk its teeth of the Cursed Human’s fleshy shoulder, revelling in the agony it had caused, momentarily overcome by the wonder of the rich, dense meat. That hint of sentience that was the greatest of spices, given new flavour from the un-preylike mind.
It was overcome for long enough to earn a punch to the face that sent it barrelling backwards, slamming it half senseless against the floor and wall.
Through the haze of pain, Alpha Krintis still revelled in the flavours awash in its maw. It waited for the Cursed Human to finish the job. It waited and was disappointed.
The Cursed Human was gone.
All that was left was the countdown.
Alpha Krintis waited to see what would happen. What masterful trap the Cursed Human would spring this time.
The countdown ended and the lights went out, along with the gravity. Distant howl and rush of wind told Alpha Krintis that the atmosphere was being vented as well.
It was disappointed. Was this the great trap? If the Cursed Human had thought to deprive the swarm of air it would soon find that many of those who had boarded had done so prepared for such an event.
Alpha Krintis snarled in disgust, it had expected more from the creature that had had such flavour! It-
Alpha Krintis paused, realising its flesh was tingling. It scratched at its side experimentally, chittering in horror as the flesh came away.
The tingling turned to fire as the flesh began to slough away, and Alpha Krintis screamed.
+++++
Alpha-of-Alphas main vessel, vicinity of Zhadersil
The Alpha-of-Alphas surveyed the ruins of the assault fleet in seething fury. Of the vessels that had been sent to hunt down the Cursed Human nearly three-quarters were adrift, massively irradiated tombstones marking the folly of Broods that lacked the intelligence to escape when their enemy had begun showing signs of an incredible energy build up. The number of ships lost in that way would make a significant difference to the size of the Swarm of Swarms, but it was nothing that could not be rebuilt, given time.
At the center of the catastrophic enterprise was the great alien ship, equally irradiated if not more so. Any attempt to board that vessel would earn a lethal dose within moments, and by the time it could be scrubbed clean the Cursed Human’s meat – if any still remained – would be ruined.
That the Cursed Human had died was cold comfort in the face of such losses. That it had died untasted was the greatest injustice. Any creature that had inflicted such losses upon the Swarm of Swarms would have been beyond delicious.
This sort of victory was not the kind that cemented its position as Alpha-of-Alphas. This sort of victory was too dangerous to leave be. The Alpha-of-Alphas had formed a plan, however, to ensure that even in the face of this outcome, there would be no doubt as to its leadership.
The Alpha-of-Alphas began its broadcast. +<pride; statement> Today we are rid of a creature that has plagued us. The greatest of its kind, felled only in brutal conflict, it preferred to give its own life than to allow us its meat. That was its fear.+
It allowed a brief, dramatic pause for emphasis on its coming words. +<satisfaction; statement> But even deprived of its meat, it has not been without its gifts. New tactics were displayed, and they are now known to the Brood. It will not be again, as it was today. Next time, resistance will be crushed! Next time the meat will be ours! Next time there will be a feast!+
The message went out, from Brood to Brood, spreading out through the Swarm until all knew of the great victory that had come at such cost.
With the Cursed Human dead, there was no human remaining who might stand against them. There was nothing that would stand in the way of the Great Hunt.
+<exaltation; statement> MEAT TO THE MAW!!!+
Zhadersil Cargo Bay
Pure Darkness.
The Zhadersil’s cargo bay was sealed away from the red sun and stars, a wide space of unbroken, radioactive darkness.
Except every now and then.
A blip of light.
There was no power to the reactors, those had been burned out entirely, and even the Endless Sequence and the Hunter vessel had shut themselves down.
And yet, a blip of light.
A single stasis pod still had power, and it was full.