Aliens: Phalanx
Aliens: Phalanx is a 2020 science fiction horror novel by Scott Sigler and the ninth book in the third novel series based on the Alien franchise. It was first published in 2020 through Titan Books in audio, e-book, and print.
Premise
On the planet Ataegina, which has a medieval culture, humans engage in conflict with an army of Xenomorphs.Synopsis
The novel is set on the world of Ataegina, where humanity lives in mountain holds in order to escape death from the "demons", their name for Xenomorphs. They are unaware of life on other planets or other events in the Alien universe and their culture is varied but similar to feudalism. The inhabitants pass along what limited information they know about the demons, including knowledge of a Demon Mother living on Black Smoke Mountain, through warnings and mythology.The story focuses primarily on Ahiliyah, Brandun, and Creen, runners from Lemeth Hold. Runners are responsible for making trips to various holds such as Dakatera and Keflan while carrying large amounts of cargo to trade for much-needed goods, supplies, and information. Although proud of her skills, Ahiliyah chafes under the patriarchal mindset of the Hold and would rather be a warrior. Women are not allowed to become warriors due to the Margrave and council's belief that women cannot be good warriors and can only perform gender-specific roles, such as motherhood and marriage. Only one hold, Datakera, believes that women can hold positions of power, as it is led by a Margravine, a female hold leader.
During a run from her hold to Keflan, the trio discovers that demons have overtaken the hold and killed many of its people. Aware that their hold needs supplies found only at Keflan, they load up their packs and return home. On the way they are attacked by a demon, which Ahiliyah manages to kill. In the process they discover that the caminus leaves they use as camouflage, which grow in abundance everywhere, can neutralize the demons' blood. Upon their return Creen is given permission to develop the leaves as a weapon, however Ahiliyah cannot convince the Margrave that their hold is in danger of being overtaken.
Creen manages to create a paste that can kill demons, albeit slowly. During some testing he and Ahiliyah discover survivors from Dakatera, which has also fallen. They bring the survivors inside, however soon after Lemeth is attacked by the demons, who have managed to burrow into the holds by breeding with a burrowing animal capable of making tunnels. Ahiliyah takes command of several warriors and, using the paste, successfully fends off two waves of demons. She sends word to other holds that they have an effective weapon against the demons and wants others to march with her to Black Smoke Mountain to defeat the Demon Mother. Troops from one of the other holds arrive and march with her, but the commander refuses to follow Ahiliyah's strategy of a circular phalanx. As a result, they are overtaken and brought into the mountain to become hosts for new demons.
Ahiliyah, Brandun, and Creen manage to survive by eating the caminus leaves on their clothing, which kills the demon embryos. While trying to escape they encounter Zachariah, a synthetic that tells them the history of the demons. Just over 300 years ago a colony ship was overtaken by Xenomorphs and crash-landed on Ataegina. The ship's crew and presumably adult colonists died, but the children survived and went on to form civilizations without knowledge of the outside universe. The Xenomorphs also survived and eventually managed to make their way out of the mountain and overtake the humans, forcing them to live in holds.
Ahiliyah comes up with the idea of killing the Demon Mother by cooking her with a superheated blast of water from a geyser, but this plan is unsuccessful and Zachariah is killed by one of the demons. Brandun then chooses to use their final dose of poison to kill the Demon Mother, sacrificing himself in the process. The remaining demons are relatively easily killed by the remaining troops and new reinforcements from other holds and Ahiliyah becomes the ruler of a new, unified Ataegina, continuing to train her army against the threat of human raiders from across the sea to the north.