The Purple Praetorian

Part 18.

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I've been locked in this fucking cage for what feels like years, but more realistically a few days. Now I understand how my bounties feel whenever I capture them, but I never did anything illegal like they did to end up here. Being the only purple xenomorph in existence isn't all its cracked up to be, makes those like Lockdown hunt you down and put you in a cage. The other Xenomorphs were beginning to get restless from the time spent waiting to escape at the perfect moment, understandably so but they have no sense of patience whatsoever.

"Ugh, HOW MUCH LONGER?!" Takara roared and punched the bars of his cage.

"Patience Takara, our escape is drawing near." I hiss.

"How near?! I'm tired of this fucking cage!! Admit it, you don't even have a plan, do you?!"

"I DO have a plan, it simply requires some patience."

"What's patience?" One of the Xenomorphs, a Runner, asks with a head tilt.

I look to the 4 legged xenomorph with a smile.

"Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. For example, I have the patience to endure the time I spend in this hell to ensure our escape is swift."

"Oh. You are a wise Queen." The runner hissed.

"Again, I am no Queen. Actually, why IS there no Queen on this ship?" I ask.

"Because he knows how smart Queens are with an army of us, but he doesn't know that Praetorians are young Queens and have some of their abilities. Like speaking to us with your mind." Takara snarled.

If only the bounty hunter knew that I was smarter than any matriarch, or that I can communicate to other serpents through telepathy. He will be in for quite the surprise when we are free of these cages, running to my vessel which should be here very soon. Thank Pala that Je'Trya had warned them of my capture, but I also worry for them being caught as well. Nova is smaller than me and cannot run nearly as fast, but Zexal would trample and rip apart any of these guards and/or Lockdown. Both of which I wouldn't complain over.

The door to the room opened and I proceeded to go quadrepedal, the large guard known as Switchgear entered the chamber and came right up to my cage. I would hiss, snarl and whip my bladed tail at the bars, but the guard was seemingly unphased by my actions. He only watched me as I watched him, neither of us breaking eye contact.

"Lockdown was correct when he said you were a unique specimen, so unique that he's decided to have you examined."

Examined??

Switchgear grabbed a handle atop my cage and proceeded to pull it off the shelf it sat upon, I stumbled and fell as the guard carried my cell out of the room. He carried me down a long corridor lined with more huge cages, each of them occupied. What the hell did he mean by examined?? As in going to cut me open? Or going to put me through painful tests? Both? I do not know, but I am starting to feel nervous. As I kept looking around at the cages, a glistening to the left caught my attention. I squinted my eyes to get a better look, and the moment I discovered what it was, I felt my heart drop.

There were 6 pods, cryo pods to be exact. Ahzak told me that they used cryo pods rather than cells to house dangerous criminals until their sentencing begins, but it wasn't criminals that were in them. They were Yautjas, they wore no masks as I saw the symbol of the P'Tuera upon their foreheads. Dear Pala....they're the youngbloods that Shuna had lost! They've been HERE the entire time! I would stare at the cryo pods until Switchgear turned into another corridor. We would walk past another large door leading into a room with enormous weapons upon the wall. I took a quick glance and saw my armor hanging upon the wall as well as my cape, combistick, shotgun, and ammunition belts. I now know where to go to find the things stolen from me.