//------------------------------//
// Suspicions  
// Story: Claws within the Black 
// by WhispersandAshes 
//------------------------------//

Truly a glorious sight. Before me thirteen drones bow to the Queen, bodies flat to the ground in adoration, hisses and cries sounding from their throats as they call out praise for their Mother. The Queen stirs in her egg, and immediately all sounds cease, as we listen to her wishes. A voice, soft, and gentle yet carrying an immense authority behind it, sounds out within our beings. It is obvious, that she is pleased with our success, the expansion of the hive into the surrounding earth goes well, and even now hosts continue to be turned into new eggs, all in the name of the Queen. 

However, time grows short. My Queen sense that forces are in motion against us, that the cold clock work of the starts has the minute-hand pointed once again on a pivotal moment. We must act quickly, as these forces are not the only threat to us. There is another hive mind present on this planet. The outrage of my family at that moment had it possessed heat would have burnt this world, scouring across its surface in a miasma of fire and ash. Another hive? Another threat to our majesty, our mother? Unacceptable!  Shouts of rage, threats hissed from throats echo through her Majesties chamber. It becomes necessary to bear teeth and snarl in order to reign them in. Such devotion is only to be expected from Drones, their minds are designed for little else.

The Queen continues to inform us that she has whispered to the other hive, seeded ideas and spread her thoughts through their collective consciousness, blessing them with insights from her Royal mind.  She has spoken, conversed mind to mind with the ruler of this hive. Incredible how, even in her infant state my majesty is capable of projecting her mental influence over miles!  It seems that an agreement has been reached between us, an....alliance of sorts.

The hive on this world is similar, yet different to ours. They were not designed to hunt, but to disguise, blend in among chosen prey before striking and overwhelming, or so our Queen understands from her "conversations" with their hive-mind focal point. They are weak, a single drone of ours could slay hundreds of their finest, killing even more as they fell and their life blood scorched the earth beneath them. But they number in the thousands, and their hive is extensive, running for miles underground. Conflict at this point would be pointless. Both sides would suffer heavy losses, and as much as I adore my majesty, she is not invincible, and in this state she could not lead us against an army. Plot and subterfuge yes, but wage war? I think not. I raise my concerns with mother, and she agrees.

Through her wordless voice, she shows me her plan, and a grin splits my features, thin saliva dripping onto the dura-steel floor. It seems that this hive also uses hosts, but in a different way, feeding off of the hormone induced chemical relations in organics known as emotions. This process it seems, drains the host, leaving them alive, but not unharmed. Far from it. The constant draining reduces them to naught but a hollow husk, not capable of producing anything fit for consumption. Typically by then they have reached the end of their usefulness and are disposed of. This is where my Majesty has shown her brilliance once again. Instead of being killed, the hosts shall be given to us,blessed with the life altering seed of the mother and reborn into the glory of our Hive! 

Of course, I mother does not expect them to simply give us these hosts. As she has seen, they are weak, laughably so. My Mother in her wisdom has offered them warrior from our hive, as a sort of....escort I suppose. We shall provide the muscle, they shall provide the hosts, and both hives shall benefit, mine from an abundance of hosts and theirs from a refreshed supply of food. At last, mother shall be born into a fitting host, and the Hives shall spread and consume, all shall be reborn in the  glorious name of the Hive!
It seems that our new allies aren't far from our position, that they to are based within this vast forest. Excellent, this means that hosts can be captured and transported quickly and efficiently. It also means that if our Hive-mates are in trouble, we can muster support far quicker, providing we have the resources. 

Mother speaks to me once again, it seems that hosts are already on their way, sent from the, what was it she called them? Changelings? hive, a testimony to founded relationship it seems. Bowing to mother, I chirp at four drones, and at once they scurry to my side, crouched and ready to move. Rising and snarling at the remaining drones, they bow and pace off into the hive, returning to whatever tasks that had been doing before mother called them to her side. My escort and myself take off, tearing through the dank, corroded halls and up the silicon streamer that is blood spattered and scratched by the incapacitated hosts we have brought here constantly .
Bursting into the dappled sunlight with the drones at my side, I open my mind and let mother steer me in the direction of our allies. Linked to their hive, if only temporarily  I make them aware of my presence. A meeting place is arranged, marked by pheromones and once again I tear off into the forest, Drones by my side.
Life prevails.