A faint tapping filled the rainforest as a sprinkling rain fell.

  The undergrowth here consisted of many palm leaves and ferns, as well as vine and roots that draped the trees and forest floor. Much of it glistened in a white-silver sheen due to the rain. It was mostly shadowed, with few beams of light cascading down through the canopy above.

  'Huff', 'huff'.

  Dense fur existed in a mound, snorting about the wet soil like a pig searching for truffles, it's features largely obscured by the long fuzzy hair that hung about it like a curtain.

  It nibbled a bit of exposed root, and decided it wasn't the kind it searched for.

  'Crack'

  The sound of snapping branches caused the mound of fluff to hide beneath a particularly wide set of palm leaves.

  'Huff', 'huff', 'huff'.

  It snorted a few more times before going quiet, calming itself and waiting patiently. It scanned the forest around with blurry vision, but the mist of different scents were visible to it. Slightly muted by the rainfall.

  Just then a scaly creature, possibly reptilian in nature breathed onto it from above, from where it dangled. Its breath would've been invisible to a human, but to this fuzzy creature, it was as if it was bathed in a red mist. It let out a frightened squeal.

  Two muscular arms carried the fuzzy mound to its maw lined with razor sharp teeth and chomped down on it lazily. Dark red blood fell onto the palms below in a single heavy sheet, wetting the side of the tree trunk it clung to.

  This creature was a fair bit larger, covered in light scales of teal. Its face had many yellow frills along a saurian snout, which curved along the back of its dragon-like head, turning to two stripes of feathers and fuzz that went down the length of it's back, coalescing into a singular stripe on the tail which ended in a puff of feathers.

  It had six limbs. Four of which clung to the trees' base.

  A few scraggly deer-like legs dangled out from beneath the fuzz mound it gripped in its maw, a twitching hoof went still just before it was swallowed whole along with the rest of the body.

  Contented and no longer hunting stealthily, the creature clambered down from the tree trunk, licking the blood from its lips with a narrow tongue. Chunks of bark fell from the tree, sliced off with razor sharp talons.

  It was about to find a place to rest from a successful hunt when it heard a rumble, it heard many footfalls which sounded like the rain, but heavier. Distant. The horse-sized reptile stood erect on its hind legs like a meerkat, looking above the undergrowth curiously towards the strange, alien sound.

  Then ran.

  It bounded through the forest, scurrying over a fallen log and leaping from the base of a tree, rolling between bushes. Sprinting frantically.

  The foliage behind it rustled with the movement, and hundreds of antennae could be seen in pursuit like many reeds.

  It wasn't alone. The forest came alive with movement, fleeing the wave of strange creatures for whom the scent of death followed.

  A rocky mountain vista laid before the swarm, a nearby waterfall fell over a hundred meters from a cliff overgrown with green, emptying into lakes which glistened like thousands of blades.

  At the top of the waterfall was a plateau, which a familiar ship was parked. The Sequester. And a caasiok loomed over it, its crab legs held it aloft like giant pillars of chitin. So large and expansive that the surrounding light was diffused in mist. Tentacles laid limply around it, serving as ramps for the endless swarm to descend onto the world.

  Next to the river before it fell from the waterfall was a makeshift campsite where Dr. Bryant, the Evolutionist, Aboleth, and some infested stood patiently. With a few munlocs and scantids serving as guards.

  A canvas canopy was unfolded, as well as a long table. For Dr. Bryant's convenience.

  It was an optimal landing sight, as at this elevation much of the dense forest foliage was receded, the soil dry and laid bare besides some patches of short grass.

  Dr. Bryant was tapping away on a tablet as he usually was, categorizing data on the planet's different life forms, scanning for beneficial traits that could be assimilated into their Queen's swarm.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  "A gorgeous world. It is a shame that it should be consumed to replenish our forces." Jae-Sung said, a lithe infested with korean features. He stood near the river, overlooking the top of the waterfall, observing the misty mountain valley blanketed in forest before him.

  Jade was leaned on a nearby boulder, changing her hand into various blade shapes in boredom.

  "I prefer the Zykra aesthetic." she said.

  Angela, an infested white woman with long dark brown hair and blue eyes examined the bit of jewelry on her neck. A diamond studded silver cross. And Hensley, a bald muscular infested, stood near Dr. Bryant. Looking over his shoulder at the tablet. Occasionally asking questions about the different species they saw.

  "Your drones gather this data?" Hensley asked, his voice somewhat layered—as most infested's were. Besides Jade's, whose voice was more like her original selves, smokey and low. For a woman's anyway.

  "Yes." Dr. Bryant said.

  "Anything useful?"

  The scientist in a lab coat and flannel shook his head.

  "The Zykra are an ancient, primordial race. It is unlikely that we'll find useful traits so easily, but that is why I'm searching personally... The Evolutionist is so confident in his own abilities that he neglects to search through the gathered dead for beneficial traits. But he should remember that the Zykra were not initially formed by their own guided evolutions, it was founded through their unique ability to assimilate other species and their traits into the fold. One species could potentially elevate the swarm far more than a million years of an evolutionists work."

  Aboleth approached them, she was in her human form.

  "I'd tell you that you're arrogant to think so, but I suppose that's something all of us gathered here have in common. Given our human origins, we're an example of that process. Our Queen was assimilated by the Zykra directly, after all."

  Jade looked up at their General then. Her eyes were filled with irritation and malice.

  "Speaking of which, when will we get 'our Queen' back?"

  Aboleth narrowed her eyes at the infested, causing them to look away.

  "Watch your tone, infested. I am second only to the Queen herself. And while you and your siblings have impressed me, I expect a degree of decorum and respect."

  "Of course," Jade said, still looking away. "I don't mean to disrespect you, I'm just pissed off, General, and it's not just us. The entire brood is restless. As effective of a leader you are, you were there when our Queen was captured. And were helpless to stop it. Some of us may begin to think we would be better off following someone else until we get her back."

  The gall of this infested to say such a thing, but Aboleth found herself smirking. As biting as the words were—there was a degree of truth to them. Frigid honesty was what separated their command structure from the humans. They didn't waste time on superficial pandering and pleasantries.

  They cut to the point. Aboleth walked past them and stood near Jae-Sung at the top of the waterfall.

  "Its as Jae-Sung said, we're replenishing our forces. From here, we will mount our counter-attack." she gestured to the disheveled scientist beneath the canvas canopy. "Dr. Bryant and I have numerous plans to give the resistance reason to return our Queen. As formidable as they are—they are not the Protectorate. They do not have a million core-worlds to draw forces from, and are uniquely vulnerable to us. We will not underestimate them again."

  Hensley rubbed a clawed hand over his bald head.

  "Couldn't we... Ask the other Zykra for help?"

  -That, that made Aboleth a bit angry.

  "If Ku'senai was forced to intervene, she would do so. And purge our brood at the same time. Perhaps you should leave the thinking to others?"

  It was quiet for a moment then. It was a tense, angry silence.

  "I understand the swarms' frustrations most of all. We are only tools, without her, we lack purpose." she spoke as she overlooked the world. It was gradually changing. Trees were being shoved over by biomass which grew across the land, creating fields of dark blue and green carapace. Pipes, alcoves, tunnels and structures of keratin and bone grew.

  "It has taken us far too long to secure a foothold in this sector, but my failure is not mine alone."

  Dr. Bryant spoke next.

  "As much as I enjoy your inter-brood prattling, I feel that I should note that the resistance are not our only enemy. The Protectorate is currently expunging our other established territories. The red planet we initially claimed for example was destroyed entirely."

  "Don't you think I know that? They captured our queen, and we are forced to run with our tails between our legs. While the Protectorate burns the ground behind us. They're pushing us deeper into Zykra space, if we don't turn course now, we will have to rival other Zykra to claim enough biomass to build our own forces. And as much as I loathe Ku'senai, she is ancient and far more formidable than either the resistance or Protectorate. Conflict with her would be certain death."

  "So what do we do?" Jae-Sung asked, looking to his General in desperation.

  "They captured our leader? We'll capture theirs." she looked towards the Sequester as the ramp lowered. Two men began to walk down it, dressed in common clothes.

  "Who are these humans?" Hensley asked as they approached.

  "We're not human, dumbass." Danny said. "But the fact that you can't tell is a good sign, I guess."

  Raymond raised a hand, and it crinkled and popped as chitin grew over his skin, purple veins snaked around and black talons grew in place of fingernails.

  "You finished it then..." Dr. Bryant muttered in amazement.

  The Evolutionist flicked his antennae in pride.

  "Human genome largely redundant, replication difficult. Mimicry simpler—more effective. Will suffice."

  "Doesn't feel like a mimicry." Raymond said, reverting his arm back to normal. "I feel like me."

  Danny scoffed. "If that was true, I'd be pissed about my sister, and you'd be pissed about all the other shit Selene did."

  Raymond shrugged. "And Selene only did all that because her Zykra side became too much to handle."

  "You're just making excuses to justify how you feel now. You don't care. I know you don't, because I don't."

  "It is enough to understand. To mimic. Effective for purpose." The Evolutionist said, ending their argument.

  Dr. Bryant looked between the two of them, then towards Aboleth's back.

  "Does this mean the process could be effective for our plan to convert elites to our cause?" he asked her.

  "Process requires abundant biomass, tremorasque incapable of producing." The Evolutionist answered for him. "Will require further experimentation to achieve."

  "Ah, so what do you intend to do with them?"

  The Evolutionist looked to Aboleth to answer that one.

  Their General turned and looked between the gathering of Zykra here, in confusion.

  "Isn't it obvious? We're going to do what we planned on doing to the Protectorate, to the resistance instead."

  Behind The Chapter...