Location: The Scorpion.
Ghardeh looks at Shane as he nods at her response..
"I'd be in way over my head.. I'd probably just get in the way or get blown up. Just thought I'd ask. Being stuck on a ship with a… Fictional but real.. Alien."
She nods with several clicks..
"Let's try and get some sleep.." she says he looks at her with raised brows.
"Are you going to be ok with those nightmares." She nods.. "Night Shane."
"Night Ghardeh.." he walks back over to his makeshift bed and Ghardeh turns off the light and flops back down.
She tries to think of the happy thoughts. But decides to think of nothing at all..
She eventually sleeps.
Shane wakes up he sees the lights are on again meaning its daytime cycle.
He sees Ghardeh asleep laid across with her head between her arms,
He decides to explore the small ship.
He walks past the restroom then takes a right down the corridor there is a small door with a blue forcefield and behind it he sees a mist or fog.
He slowly walks up to it and touches the forcefield it ripples at the centre of his touch. He walks forward into it but he feels a large hand on his shoulder making him shudder with a "JESUS!"
He turns to see Ghardeh.
"How did you do that?"
She clicks.
"Don't go beyond that forcefield.. Off limits.."
He looks back beyond the forcefield.
"What's back there?"
She looks at the corridor ahead.
"The core and engine room but the mist will cause your lungs a hard time."
He raises his head.
"You have rolled it back here."
She nods and trills.
"That's because you are free in this area for now, trust Shane."
"Ok.. Trust. But you trust me a little bit.. Right?"
She stretches her fingers before curving them.
"Somewhat, but I've always had a softer spot for humans than my own kind.. It's why i mainly speak human."
Shanes brows raise and he nods to her. "I have been thinking about that, you speak it fluently, like you have spoken it all your life.."
They slowly walk back into the main hall and stop,
"How do you understand yautja?"
"Shane.. I can speak both language fluently.. It's just because i have a human in my presence.. Would you rather understand me? Or have me talk in an alien language you know nothing about?"
"Fair point but could you understand other languages out there?"
She points to her mask on her hip
"It has a translator built in. Turns words into the chosen language. So long as the translative files are installed.
If i wanted to i could turn it the other way around have you talk human but have it translate to yautja.
He nods then looks at her gauntlet "Does that do anything else other than explode and rip new assholes?"
She brings up her arm and taps several buttons..
It shows her looking at the green armoured freak.
The clip plays,
The display shows an in detail recording of her fight with the ic'jit.
Her hand in his huge grip.
Her view turns to see three more equally large predators..
The words playing back "Get rid of her Vir'garhr too much attention already."
Her view turns back on him as he swipes her arm away her view jerks then a foot is seen sending her flying backward rock and mortar crumble as she flies through the wall..
She presses a button and Shane watches as she sees a orange rectangle flash then literally over her shoulder a barrage of rockets hits her target her view shudders with the explosions.
Another frameshift and she has her large wrist blades aimed at the predator his right eye a black oozing mess followed by a sweeping triangle and with a white flash and bleep. A white flash hits his head and causes a black mess as he falls back…
Her view shifts as she sprints her arms just moving under her view she looks behind to see a blinding beam of light then looks up to see her ship crashing into trees she jumps up her arms grab onto the ramp edge and effortlessly pulls herself up. The recording ends.
Shanes eyes look at hers "kickass and take names.. Turn you into the hero of a film.."
They walk to the cockpit and there is a call coming through.
She answers it.
It's Riz'ghah..
He looks "Just thought I'd ask how the kv'var is going? Found any yet?"
She holds up her hand and raises two fingers.. "Two.."
"His brow raises.. T… Two?! All dead? She nods.. "One and a half. I left the last one with no ship and a bomb on a dead planet".
He shakes his head
"Definitely do not anger the blade dancer.."
Shane walks into view.
"Ghardeh who is the ooman?"
She leans into the console.
"The last ic'jit thought she'd try a bait trap. Unfortunately i don't hunt humans, unbeknownst to them."
What will you do with him after you finish with the Yau…"
"Ic'... Jit…."
She says slowly with frustration,
"With them" he continues.
"Send him back to earth of course."
"Such a kind heart.. You have no idea ooman the company you are in."
"fill me in then.."
"Are we done here?" Ghardeh interrupts saving herself the embarrassment of Riz.
"yes i suppose we are."
"be careful with her ooman she-"
"Goodbye Riz.." She says cutting his communication off.
"Friend of yours?" Shane asks
She looks back at him
"A thorn in my side.. We have known each other many years but yes a friend.. So to speak." She hates to admit it but they ARE friends… just borderlining close friends which is why she hasn't killed him with his constant disrespectful remarks or accusations.. Or.. Riz.. Just being Riz. A pompous ass…
Anyone else would have a few leaking arteries.. Or missing heads.
Still, admittedly she hasn't many 'friends' many are long dead and in the end she just stopped trying to reach out outside her tribe.
Now it's just Tenjra, Riz, Nina, Danny, Osh'ikeille and Uzkielle.. Finally..
And possibly this human Shane.
She does feel calm around him, like he is calm around her.. Despite their incident last night.
He isn't showing fear.. Which is definitely strange. Danny was the same but he is living with two yautja.. But Shane? He has every right to be 'afraid' he was taken away from his home, taken god knows where. And yet there is an air of calm about him.
She looks at him as he inspects a console.. Old habits die hard..
She walks up to him as he has a hand up under his chin trying to make no sense of the weird dashes that change sides or numbers of dashes. In a yellow color like the rest of the cockpit consoles.
"That's the life support and environmental console she says walking up to him..
She walks over to the pilot chair and sees the fuel bars are getting low.
She presses a button on the chair and it brings up a thicker bar below the fuel gauge bar. She holds the button and as the large bar slowly depletes the smaller bar rapidly fills. She sees a sun nearby and flies towards it as she orbits the sun a rune appears on the view screen with a bar, suddenly the ship makes a thunk sound and the bar fills up when it fills there is a bleep and another thunk is heard.
She stays near the sun as Shane walks up past her and up to the cockpit view.
She clicks..
"You make a great door krit." she says jokingly.
He turns to her.. "Oh.. You are one to talk? How tall are you Ghardeh?"
She trills at the question… "I'm roughly about.. 7ft..32in..
He bends towards her with a smile..
"I'm a whopping 5ft 4in.."
She laughs slightly.
"you still make a good door.."
He snorts.
"Please.. You aren't even trying."
"Come with me.." She says
She takes him to the armoury and takes a weapon.. It's an oversized pistol.. It has one large barrel with a similar shaped stabiliser under the barrel and on the back of the slide there is a ring, it has a small indenture near the grip three tiny holes.. The pistol itself is a light silver made from d'lex very light very strong. She takes a clip from the stand beside where the weapon was positioned with a metallic scrape she inserts a clip into the slot under the ring it makes a blipping sound then the ring glows cyan as she tests the weapons sights a holographic cyan sight appears and a cyan three dotted laser appears on the wall slowly spinning. As she aims it at her hand the spinning stops and the laser slowly shrinks as if locked on,
the front of both barrels are ribbed in a aesthetic design the grip guard curves toward the bottom of the pistols grip. A very good looking weapon.
She holds it out to Shane. "Here.."
He slowly takes it his hand feels its hefty weight but it is impeccably well balanced. He aims it with both hands and presses the latch on the side of the weapon it makes a vibration in his hand as the clip jolts out slightly. The cyan ring flashing red. With a light beeping.
He takes the clip out then puts it back in then the cyan ring fills in a second he looks to the right to see a large dent and two large holes in the Hull.
"Did you fire something there?" Ghardeh nods.
"My fist.. Stress."
He looks away
"Come on". She takes Shane to a room just off to the side of the armoury a small target room.
"Use the targets see if you can wield it.."
He looks at her then aims down the cyan holosight. The cyan laser slowly closes in on the stationery target. And he grips the weapon tight then fires.
His arm shoots up there is a satisfying noise to the weapon a deep pllooooww!
He sees the shimmer of the module as the plasma bolt hits it then aims at the moving ones..
He fires until the 15 capacity clip empties with a blipping then the clip jolts out again slightly.. He is passed another one from behind. He pulls out the clip it clatters on the metallic floor.
The new clip is entered and he fires again but his arms tire and he lowers the weapon he turns to her..
"Why don't you show me how it's done?"
She puts 3 clips on her magnetic belt and clicks the weapon he steps back and her stance changes.
She holds the weapon to a slight angle aiming with her right hand but looking down the sight with her left eye.
Her arms barely tense as she fires at each target. He watches with one brow raised as she moves around the room hitting every target multiple times.. As the clip empties she reloads with a fluid movement. The clip that's discarded doesn't hit the floor before a new clip is entered. He ducks slightly as she aims above him and fires at the target above him. Not a single shot misses. The final clip is entered but the discarded clip is ejected quickly its as if she had it already waiting.. The final targets pop up and once again she strafe her aim precise and accurate.. Once all targets are vanished she fires the last round the slats open. She clicks the weapon and the slats close.
She picks up the empty clips then walks up to Shane.
"A Death Dance." He says. Stepping aside. They re-enter the armoury.
She nods. "You could say that..
It's just my style of firing the weapon every yautja has his or her own style.
Same with the weapons.." He looks at the sword.. And looks at her.. "Go ahead.. Just becareful with it."
He takes it carefully off the rack.. "
Shit its light.."
He slowly releases it from the black scabbard and is amazed by its detail its black finish glints in the ships lighting..
He sees red markings on the blade near the hilt..
"What does it say?"
"I belong to the warrior in whom the old ways have joined the new."
He looks again admiring the white handle and silver casing between the blade and handle. Another marking.
"What's this say?"
She clicks.. "that is my father's name.."
Shane looks at her.. "What was his name?"
She blinks.. "Va'krian Etur'sek.."
He looks.. "So.. Your full name.. Is Ghardeh Etur'sek?"
He slides it back in.
"Why do i get the feeling i just caused an unpleasantness." Shane says putting it back carefully… She huffs.. My mother was slain during an initial attack on the city during the bombings.. Of the scourge.. And my father…
He was also killed during the scourge.
An event that wracked my heart with grief..
She recalls the memory…
"I had just passed my test becoming blooded.. Hanging my xenomorph skull on my ship.. 4 days i tracked the xenomorphs down to their lair in a cave system on a planet i care not to remember.. 5 of us went into that filth.. Only i remained having killed several xenomorphs and brought one of their heads back.." She walks to the trophy wall opening it..
"When the scourge hit the city of skri'jash'n, i had just been blooded.
I fought alongside the guards and elder when disaster struck.. For 5 years the battle went on, back and forth until i finally made one final push with a handful of sain'ja or warriors.
My father attempted to battle with the leader but was attacked by a caster round.
I only realised as we made our way to the centre of the outpost what had transpired.
I took up my father's sword and killed every one of them..
With the elder dead i was offered a seat but i refused.. I wanted to be free of politics and i wasn't suited to pampering pompous fools so i trained as a huntress learning on my own.. Ra'zele.. Osh'ikeilles and Uzkielles sire or father trained me further, we became very good friends. Then as many cycles pass i find my pace.. My style. My trademark weapon. Then my awu'asa.. I make a name for myself.. 'Black angel the blade dancer..' A feared and respected yautja throughout maia…
Then i meet Tenjra who thought he could tame me.. For many many cycles he tried.. There were many other much worthy females to squabble over. But he wanted the hard to catch..
It worked.. And with it we sired two lovely children, which for a long time caused me to put down my weapons and focus on the tribe and the two girls. Many females are usually seen as.. Aggressive.. Dominant.. Some maybe so.. But I've always had a way with calmness.. But with a natural lick of fire. That's what i found out that drew him to me.. A natural fighter.. As he would say.
And now here i am.. Looking for a pack of ic'jit.. One things for certain, after this Shane.. Once i have finished this.. Mission of mine.. I'm going to appreciate life a lot more..
I'm tired of living dangerously on the edge.. Once this is done.. I'm putting all of this away never to be used. Unless of the utmost urgency…"
She finds Shane with a hand to his mouth and nods but she can see it has affected him..
He turns to her.. "Ghardeh… I know it has only been a day and a half. But.. I just want you to know.. Since we may be here together for a while… I'd consider you as a friend. You did save me after all. That's worth its weight in gold.
You won't be truly alone in this..
Your story.. Well it.. Its inspiring.. You had many opportunities to go back the way you came but you stuck to it.. You always hear of the stories where the hero walks away.. And rides off into the sunset with their mission accomplished. But there is a chance you may not in this case.. But you keep moving on with purpose and an air of 'this time I'll try even if i fail'.
And those are the stories that stick with people the most.. Like you are holding onto something.."
She looks with a slight curious gaze.
"And what am i holding onto Shane?"
Shane turns to her fully.
"That there's still some good left in your life.. And it's worth fighting for.."
she blinks and clicks several times.. Regarding him.
"I think you and i finally understand one another Shane.."
Author note: More exposition with Ghardeh and a mellow chapter to break up the action a little bit, There may be more to Shane than he is letting on. Or maybe he secretly likes living on the edge? I'll be updating this story with three chapters a day.
Stay awesome peeps.
Yautja words:
Awu'asa- Armour.
Ic'jit- Dishonoured.
Ooman- Human. (Guuhh)
Kv'var- Hunt.
Ra'zele- One of Werewolfbleus characters from "Look Nina an alien!" (He is mentioned but still want to clarify.)