The inhabitants of the planet Rulu IV (ROO-loo) were a peaceful people, just achieving spaceflight and exploring their solar system, when the shifting fronts of the centuries-old conflict between The Lor Republic and The Grue Unity came to their world. A Grue fleet surrounded the planet, and the Ruluan authorities surrendered after the invaders demonstrated their might by vaporizing a population center. So began what the Ruluans called the Occupation, and the formation of the Resistance.
 
Malak Krin joined the Resistance after Grue troopers killed one of her brothers while the other, a government minister and collaborator, chose to do nothing. Fighting against the telepathic and shape-shifting Grue was a daunting task, even for a race like the Ruluans, possessed of considerable strength and energy projection abilities. Rebel scientists sought ways to neutralize the Grue’s advantages or, at least, even the playing field. An isolation of Grue neoplasm had promising potential. Several rebels volunteered to test it but, before they learned its effects, the Grue and Ruluan government forces raided their base. Many of the rebels were killed, while others were captured. All Malak can recall from that terrible day is the blaster fire, the screams and the smoke, the strange sensation of her body slipping away from her, terrible pain, and then long, deep darkness...
 
Biologist Kim Kamada didn’t know what to make of the strange artifact at first, found embedded in the volcanic soil of a Pacific Northwest rainforest while she was investigating reports of mutated animals in the area. It was a metallic cylinder, similar in size and shape to a SCUBA tank, but covered with years of mineral deposits. She put it aside and notified the proper authorities, planning to investigate further. Then, during the night, she heard—or felt—it calling out to her. Almost in a trance, Kim touched the cylinder and received flashes of memories not her own: alien vessels skirting the mountains and forests, an overload rupturing a vital system, the offending part jettisoned into the night, crashing to Earth....
 
Light flared at her camp, and Kim squinted, blinded. Was it the Feds? The police?
 
“We’ll take that,” a voice said, weapons raised and trained at Kim. She ran, and they opened fire. One of the shots must have hit the cylinder, because it ruptured and burst. The attackers backed off as a humanoid shape unfolded from within. “The Xeno!” one of the men yelled, just before laser-like beams flared from the alien’s dark eyes. The men fled, taking their injured with them and leaving behind a very confused visitor, and a mortally-wounded Kim Kamada.
 
Malak tried to save her but, when she did, she instead found her shifting, unstable form was merging with Kim’s. Memories that were not her own flooded her mind and, suddenly, she was Kim Kamada. At least, she looked like her, sounded like her, and could remember her whole life. But inside, she was still Malak Krin, lost and alone and very far from home. Since then, Xeno has adopted Kim Kamada’s identity and used it to get her bearings. She also uses her amazing abilities to aid the people of her new home while searching for information about what has become of her homeworld, her people, and the Rebellion.