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SUMMARY: In space a predator drifts, stalking its prey. It finds it and the universe will never be the same. {Feel free to leave comments}

Chapter 1-The Hidden Predator

In the deep recesses of space, a vessel creped. It was shaped like an oversize egg, but it was far from harmless. It was painted in a dark but reflective black and on visual scanners would almost seem invisible. It's curved body and lack of sharp edges rendered it unnoticeable but to the most advanced of sensors. Nether was its covering as weak as the shell of an egg. Crafted from strange alloys produced in the center of star's core, its hull could resist danger farm more than the ship could hide from sensors.

Hidden weapon bays of untold power lat unseen beneath the ship's hull. A horrible array of weapons lay at its disposal from Shimera lasers, to the latest tachylon and anti matter warheads. In its hallowed hull stood the masters of metal, rulers of the atom, and emperors of creation themselves. Through the ships short but wide corridors lurked these beasts from the planet Liekris. The shuffling of claws on metal echoed through the dimly lit and warm ship.

One such beast stood moving through the corridors with incredible purpose. It stood at over five feet tall but was eight feet long head to tail. With a gait and stroll only predators knew it quickly and efficiently made its way through the ships numerous and shifting passages. Its called occasionally brushed against the walls, perhaps moving for support or to feel the familiar trespasses of long worn paths. Even against the ships incredible metal, the claws still scrapped and laid marks on a material fused in the core of stars.

The beast suddenly slowed as it came to an impasse, one of the few doors in the ship. Seemingly engraved upon the metal door was the symbol of Liekerisian Superiority, the eternal red eye watching as claw ripped through the hide of a beast. This image best surmised the Liekerisians or Lekers as they were known by other species.

Two Lekers stood to either side of the door as if protecting something inside. Each of them was of the warrior caste of the Lekers strong and proud, but somewhat dumb. The lowly servant caste Lekers in front of them motioned for the two to move before it could continue but both Lekers held their ground. They stood motionless, awaiting the proof of this lowly Lekers passage permit. To further illustrate the Leker's inferiority, a strong light was thrown onto its body. For the first time sense its journey through the perilous and ever continuing corridors of the shift, the Leker's features were clearly illustrated.

A human looking then would see a beast out of old Terra's past. A reptile of a primeval world that was long since gone. Yet this beast born no relation to the ancient Terran Reptile and a flower was genetically closer than to the dinosaur than to it. Of all Reptile beasts of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, the raptor perhaps came closest to it. Yet for all of its hunting and Predatory instincts, the raptor was far kinder than the Lekers. No raptor would, as they had been brought back to life on certain Human worlds, ever have the glint of intelligent in its eye as the Lekers had, nor the twisted desire to cause pain in its victims.

The Leker fumbled around in the leather pouch around its waste for the crystal that would give it safe passage. For several agonizing seconds the two Leker guards seemed ready to pounce upon the lowly Leker that dared to approach and bother their time. Yet before the two beasts ripped him into pieces, the servant was able to take out the red crystal and held it to the guards. As if to even further show their suspicion and hatred for the Leker in front of them, the two guards ran the crystal through a metal identifier. Satisfied that it past, the two Leker guards moved aside and pulled open the massive doors that led into the inner sanctum of the ship.