Operation: Aliens- Rhino Alien by GavinoElDiabloGuapo on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

There were two Xenomorph hives on Delta 9, the original strain and the cloned PredAlien strain. Since the two hives were in competition with each other, both of their populations remained low for the time being. But they would continue to reproduce and spread across the planet if left unchecked.

The problem remained that the Bug Stompers would have to deal with two populations of the most dangerous creatures in the universe. But the marines found an unexpected ally in the Renegade Predator. The marines wouldn't know why, but the Predator was also hunting the Aliens, particularly the PredAlien Queen.

The plan was to divide and conquer, taking on both hives at the same time. If they focused on one hive at a time, the other would lose their competition and spread uncontrollably. Most of the Bug Stompers went to take on the original strain while a some of them went for the PredAliens along with Renegade.

While making their move on the XX121 Hive, the Bug Stompers experienced more resistance that previously expected. For being a small hive, they already had a Stage VI Xenomorph, a Crusher. Normally, Stage VI Xenomorphs don't show up until the hive population grows to be around 300, but both hives only had 47 combined.

The presence of the Stage VI Xenomorph must be a response to the conflict with the PredAliens. But this Crusher is different than the ones previously recorded, having a horn like a rhinoceros. It's uncertain if this was inherited from its host or an adaptation to better fight the PredAliens. Either way, the Rhino Xenomorph was an extra obstacle for the Bug Stompers before they could take on the Queen.

Notes:

• Originally, I didn't want to use the Bull or Rhino Aliens from Kenner. The toy line came out before Alien 3, so no one knew what a bovine-bred Alien would look like at the time. But now we know that Aliens bred from quadrupeds like dogs and oxen become Runners. To work around this, I made the Rhino Alien a Crusher with an added horn.
• I had a lot of the Kenner Aliens growing up, but I actually didn't have either the Bull or Rhino Alien. The Bull Alien came out first, and the Rhino Alien was just a remodel. It wasn't a repaint like the Night Cougar was for the Panther, but it had the same mechanics like how the Gorilla and the Mantis shared theirs.
• The Crusher is one of the few things I liked from Aliens: Colonial Marines, and I like that it returned in Aliens: Fireteam Elite and the RPG.
• The idea for the Bug Stompers is for them to take out Xenomorph hives before they get too big. I use the bio cards for the Kenner toys as examples for the sizes of the hives, none of which were over 100. Any larger, they would have to resort to an orbital strike.
  (C)Alien and related characters by 20th Century Studios/Disney