((A/N: I felt rather empty after I finished APH. But luckily, after talking to a friend about it, I got inspiration immediately for this one. Once again, Peya Luna has managed to hit the nail almost in its centre, even though I won't reveal that plot in this intro yet XD Are you telepathically gifted or something? XD
Either way, bare with me. For the plot to work, I've had to bend the laws of physics a little. I hope you find the way I've done that plausible enough :) ))
Intro.
El'is carefully climbed down the ladder. Once on the ground, she pressed a button, the ladder folding itself, much like Yautja spears did. She looked up. The ceiling was littered with skulls and other bones. It was nearly too full. She grinned proudly. And to think, this was her second trophy room already. It wouldn't be long until she caught up with F'gath at this rate.
Today was her birthday. And she had celebrated it by going on a hunt, naturally. She tried not to think of how old she had become. Though she had long since grown accustomed to the Yautja way of life, sometimes the human standards caught up with her. She looked at her hands. They were still as smooth-skinned as ever.
After the council had finally accepted her, they had let her in on one of the greatest secrets the race held. Yautja did not die. They could be killed, but they did not die. Not of old age anyway. She had been stunned to find out that those she had thought of as the Yautja elders, were over a hundred thousand years old. They had retired, but they could live on forever if they wanted to, unless something felled them before that.
This was actually the part where her genes had come in handy. Due to her being fully accepted, scientists had worked around the clock and found a way to activate that same gene in El'is. She hadn't believed it at first, until years started to pass rapidly with hunts and other matters and her thirty-years old body didn't age one bit.
It was still a mind-boggling fact and often she couldn't wrap her mind around it. That's why she usually just tried not to think about it. She was grateful for the eternal youth she had received though. She never would have been able to enjoy several things that were most precious to her otherwise.
Her grin softened into a smile as she remembered. She was officially mated now. From what she understood, Vi'can had done it far more quick than usual. Most Yautja waited until their significant other was at least a thousand years old, but she hadn't even reached a hundred yet when he asked her to. Of course she had said yes. His family still disapproved of their relationship now, despite her status in society. So he had moved in with her instead of the other way around.
F'gath had accepted it all, and had given them a wing of his house as their quarters. The mating rituals of Yautja were quite unique. They had to duel each other in a very specific way that didn't lead to a winner, before sharing each others blood. That had been a thing on its own. Before the ritual could even start, they had to test whether or not Yautja blood was poisonous to her or not. Needless to say, it hadn't been.
As a sign of their vows to each other, they had sacrificed an easily recognised part of their greatest kill. Because of that, the hybrid skull now missed a tusk at one of its mandibles. She had drilled a hole into it and had formed it into a necklace, which her mate wore every day. She had been very touched to learn that Vi'can had sacrificed most of the skull of his first kill to make the gift he had made her. Around her neck sat a choker necklace. It fitted her neck perfectly, ending in a small v-point at the base of her neck. The xenomorphic skin felt smooth to the touch, and she was grateful that it wasn't cold. The only times she took it off were the same times he didn't wear the tusk: when they had retired to bed.
She subconsciously stroked her necklace. It had been quite a while since that day already. And they were still together. On Earth, one out of three couples divorced, but not here. Yautja were truly dedicated to their mates. Vi'can wasn't shy to show her how he felt about her either, though it didn't go passed holding hands in public. Sure, they quarrelled and sometimes had fights -real ones too- but that was natural. She didn't think they would have managed this long if they always agreed with each other.
Something tucked at the sleeve of her pants, bringing her out of her thoughts. As she looked down, she saw one of M'rids pups. He hardly came passed her knee in height yet, truly a babe still. She had been quite surprised when she learned M'rid was going to be a father. She hadn't been able to picture the light-hearted and humorous Yautja as a responsible father, but he had been doing an awesome job for his pups. All thirty-two of them. The little guy spread his arms up and out, his way of signalling he wanted to be picked up.
El'is obliged, lifting him into her arms and nuzzling him tenderly. She was rewarded by a giggle. Some of M'rids children were already adults, but she doubted he and his mate would stop trying to get more any time soon. He had picked a good mate, a strong woman in both spirit and body. She reigned him in if she thought he was being too irresponsible, but she allowed him to be himself. She could laugh at his jokes. In El'is' eyes, that was the most important part.
The small pup she was holding now was named T'ren, after M'rids father. No Yautja was ever named directly after someone, but they often switched the letters about to give the pup a new name, while still being able to honour the one it was named after. Is'el and Le'is had both been named after El'is, like Ic'van was named after Vi'can. El'is and her mate were the godparents of those three and the little one she was holding now. The majority of M'rids children was male, but from what she knew, that had always been the case in his family.
N'ter loved it all. He spend as much time with his grandchildren as he could. He told everyone that he had resigned from the council so F'gath could enter it, but El'is knew quite sure that he just wanted to be a part of his family's life more. She smiled at the pup in her arms before exiting the room to join the others.
She and Vi'can didn't have any offspring. Yet. A while ago, she had requested the medical department of the planet to see if they could find a way to let her bear full Yautja children. She didn't want a mix of human and Yautja. Not only would they be seen as abominations, she doubted they would really be happy with themselves either. F'gath kept quiet about it, but El'is reckoned he wouldn't mind being a grandfather either. He didn't hunt as often as he used to anymore. When she asked about it, he would say that he had seen enough in his life.
"I think you lost one," she told N'ter as she entered the playroom, T'ren still on her arm. The child squealed upon seeing his grandfather and she put him down, watching as the chubby little legs moved towards the elderly Yautja. Though M'rids family didn't live in the house, they had designed this room for the kids, because they visited one another often enough.
"There you are!" N'ter exclaimed as if surprised, picking the child up and throwing him into the air before catching him again before smiling at El'is. "I hope he wasn't too much trouble..?"
"Never," El'is said with a grin. "I think he just wanted to see my trophies. He has his fathers genes."
N'ter seemed even more proud at that. He was very proud of M'rid and all that M'rid had accomplished. He then turned more serious though.
"Aren't they looking for you yet? It's your party after all," he said, then motioned at the brats of all shapes and sizes walking around. "I don't mind babysitting, so go right ahead. Just ask them to bring something up for dinner for me as well, rather than for just the kids."
"Of course," El'is said with a smile. "I'll see you later then, grandpa."
She headed out the room and went to the stairs, always preferring them over the elevators the house had. Over the years, the translator-glasses had made way for contacts as technology advanced. More language had been added into it, causing it to become a sort of universal translator. It was build into all helmets now. The contacts gave her eyes a slightly green gleam, but it was far better than having to wear glasses all the time.
She halted at the top of the stairs, looking down. The hall in which the stairs stood had been transformed into a dining-hall. Her network of friends had grown exponentially, especially once she started teaching youngsters how to Thai-box. She had been quite proud when she was asked to do that by the council. Now it was part of the basic training they got. They couldn't perform some moves she could, because their bodies were bulkier and more compact in general, but most techniques were quite possible for them.
"I was looking for you," she heard a familiar voice behind her. She smiled and turned around, feeling an arm slide around her waist as she looked into her mate's face. Vi'can hadn't changed at all either over the years, though a few scars lined his face now. "You have to stay at your own party, skull or not."
He raised his hand and gently stroked her cheek as he looked into her eyes.
"After all, it's not every day a human turns six-hundred-and-seventy-three," he said with a smile, leaning forwards and letting his head rest against her forehead for a moment.
"Actually, I don't think any human even reaches close to that age," El'is said with a laugh. She quickly kissed his cheek before breaking away, taking his hand instead. He was wearing his official armour. It looked very much like the one F'gath had been wearing when she first arrived on this planet. He had climbed in rank rapidly, as had she. She was wearing the female equivalent of it. The biggest difference was that hers carried F'gaths family-crest, whereas Vi'can wore his own. Since their mating, he had officially stepped away from his family.
In order to still allow his children a family-crest and an honourable name, he had requested -and got- his own. A small version of it was etched into El'is' shoulder-armour, just like F'gaths was on Vi'cans. There was no question who they belonged with. He squeezed her hand gently before leading her down the stairs, towards their guests and friends.
"R'van wants a word with you," he told her as they descended. He looked at her questioningly. R'van was the leader of all scientists the Yautja race new. He was also one of her dearest friends, and the one she had made the request to. Though Vi'can knew it could just be a talk, it wasn't often he had seen the scientist so enthusiastic and excited. R'van was usually a rather stiff man.
"It's a surprise, I hope," El'is said with a beaming smile. If this meant what she thought it did, it would be a perfect birthday.