By the time of Xenocide, three decades have passed, and the Hive Queen has established herself on Lusitania. Each chapter begins with a philosophical psychic conversation between the Hive Queen and Human, a Pequenino Father Tree. The renewed Formic species has grown, but remains hidden from the local human society. When it becomes known that Starways Congress has sent a ship to destroy Lusitania with the "Little Doctor", a molecular-disruption weapon similar to the "Doctor Device" that Ender used to destroy the Formics, the Hive Queen begins to build starships, with the intent of disseminating her species throughout the cosmos and rendering them indestructible.
When conflict breaks out between the humans and the Pequeninos, the Hive Queen is brought in to hold the peace, setting a perimeter of Formics around the human colony to prevent the violence from escalating further. Some colonists live in fear of these creatures, who have been part of the nightmares of humanity for three millennia, but others believe the more positive account of the species given in The Hive Queen. The Pequeninos have allied themselves with the Hive Queen, whom they hope will construct starships in which they can travel to other worlds.
Jane, Grego and Olhado learn that, when one Hive Queen wishes to spawn another, she must summon forth an Aiúa (soul) from a higher plane of existence, known as the "Outside". Each Hive Queen is imbued with an Aiúa at birth, granting her awareness and autonomy. With her vast memory bands and computing power, Jane is able to send objects and creatures "Outside", and bring them back at any point in space.
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