The spacecraft circled area above the remains of the human colony. Sobik, made the approach carefully. If any Pyode Amade were left he didn't want them launching any strikes against them. It likely wouldn't do much but maybe scratch the ship and Sobik liked his ship.
He snarled into the wrist communicator, letting the other hunters aboard know that it was time to head to the shuttle that would land on the planet.

Once again he replayed the message that they had intercepted.
"This is Colonel Harding. We are under attack by an alien organism. Send help immediately. We are low on ammo, supplies and personnel. Repeat, send help immed-"
The transmission cut off there. Either the human male was attacked or their worthless equipment ceased to function. He really didn't understand how the Pyode Amade's remained alive so long.

Sobik slowly, almost reverently, suited up in his specially made armor and face mask. His weapons, a Combi stick with a dagger on each end and several large throwing stars that expanded into something the size of spinning buzz saw blades and several long serated knives, were tucked into their proper places. He hadn't become an Elite for nothing. Everything from his armor and face mask and each of his weapons had been custom made for him. It had cost a fortune, but it had been worth it. No other hunter had these and it made him easily recognizable to Elite, Bad Bloods and Young Bloods alike. 
Also to females.
But he had a life mate who would tear his malehood off if he even so much as glanced at a female, and would take the head of any female who tried to seduce him. He chuckled. His lifemate was indeed something, and he knew it. Which was why she normally got her way in things he didn't like.

Such as the Pyode Amade that had become part of his clan. So many times he had wanted to leave the pup to the hounds, or use her as Kiande Amade bait, or just snap her neck and be done with it. But his lifemate had insisted she be kept, not even as a pet but as a replacement pup! He had never accepted the pup as his own. To him she was a waste and an embarrassment.
But he had to admit, it was with no little amount of pride that he watched her complete her Chiva. He had been the one to train her, again at his lifemate's insistence, and hadn't been disappointed. Everyone congratulated him on managing to train a useless prey into an above average warrior. He had never taken it easy one her, but now that she was almost equal to a Blooded Warrior he was more amiable towards her now.

He headed towards the loading bay for the shuttle. It was time to hunt.

~~~~~~~~~

In the colony below the hallways, that had once bustled with activity, were now silent. Steam from pipes in disrepair seemed almost like ghosts twisting along the corridors.
A vent popped open and the form of a small girl slid out. She had scrambled into the vent like Ed had told her to when they had been attacked. She had scrambled away like he'd said, not stopping or looking back until the screeches of the monsters were far away.

Lyra's hair was messy and her clothes were torn. Her little stomach rumbled as she wiped the tears from her eyes, leaving clean tracks on her face. She wanted to cry out for Ed, but noise just brought more monsters. They had taken everyone away. Lyra had even seen one of the monsters explode out of someone's chest. The person's screams and the sound of cracking ribs still haunted her nightmares. And all of the blood...
Lyra's stomach rumbled again, the familiar ache of hunger gnawing at her. There wasn't much food left in this part of the colony, which meant soon they would have to go to another part to scavenge. Ed didn't need food, at least not much. He had barely eaten since the monsters had appeared, preferring Lyra to be fed over himself. If it hadn't been for Ed, Lyra knew she would be dead right now with her own chest exploded.

More tears. She wiped them away angrily. She wasn't a baby. She couldn't cry. She hadn't cried much since her mommy and daddy had disappeared. Lyra knew they had been taken by the monsters, or else they would have found her by now. Most of her nightmares were about seeing their chests explode.

A noise made her immediately scramble into a large empty steam pipe. It was very hot and Lyra started to sweat badly. She covered her mouth to stop her cries as two of the monsters moved past in front of her. They were moving quickly but still slow enough that she knew they were searching. Thankfully the monsters didn't like really hot or really cold things so they didn't go near the empty steam pipe. It wasn't the first time Lyra had used hot and cold places to hide. One time she and Ed had hidden in a freezer for two hours, him keeping her warm enough to not get hyperthermia.

The monsters were almost gone when one stopped and looked back, hissing. Lyra never felt so scared. Had it somehow sensed her? Could it smell her? Could it see her? Could it hear her?
Suddenly it looked up and snarled, racing off. Had it heard something? Ed maybe? Was he coming? Lyra climbed out of the pipe and tried to breathe. The heat was incredible and she was feeling weak and thirsty now. But she had to stay alert. 
She had to hide. 
She had to find Ed. 
She had to survive...