Nine

Luar'ka was shaken awake roughly when the ship began to rattle and quake ferociously. Her eyes snapped open and she leaped to her feet, rushing to the window in a panic as she stared out into the black, now not so black void. The light of a nearby sun blinded her for a moment until an enormous shadow crossed into its rays, blocking it from view. Her eyes went wide as this shadow drew nearer and she realized that it was a massive planet.

And they were steering toward it!

"Ah!" she cried when the ship became once more engulfed in flames. Again, she had no way of understanding that this meant they'd begun atmospheric descent. She backed away from the window, quaking fearfully as she watched the outside of the ship grow hotter and hotter, the light from the fire nearly blinding her. The ship continued to shake ferociously and she imagined it breaking apart and flinging her into the deep, black nothingness she'd grown used to over the past several days.

However this never happened. Gradually, the shaking died down, replaced by the constant roaring of the engines as the ship stabilized itself in the atmosphere, adjusting for wind currents to avoid scuttling badly. She crept over to the window again, peering out curiously. Below, she could see a vast expanse of blue water stretching as far as she could see in one direction, but in the other direction she could see a stretch of green and brown, signaling the approach of land. Her first thought was that they'd circled back to Earth. But she shook it out of her head, knowing there was no way this could be true.

Luar'ka turned, eying the vent she'd used a few times as an escape route. She knew she had to be careful using it much more. Thwei'ja might just seal it up on her and she'd suffocate.

Gradually, the rumbling stopped. The ship seemed to be weightless now as she watched the ground move past outside the window. They weren't descending any longer, even though they were still moving. It felt weird, but Luar'ka found herself fascinated all the same. To think that other planets like Earth existed out in the vast reaches of the night sky. Her clan would never believe this if they saw it. But Luar'ka believed it for sure. She was looking at it, marveling at it and looking forward to stepping down onto it.

That is, if her wayward companions gave her the chance to.

She jumped when the door suddenly slid open, revealing Kar'kha standing there staring ominously at her. It occurred to her then; were they planning to dump her on this planet? Was she never going back to Earth? Instinctively, she backed away from him, growling low in her throat. He clicked something to her in his own language and motioned her to her feet. When she hesitated, he snarled viciously, spurring her into action. She scrambled up, her heart roaring her pulse through her ears as he approached her. Wide eyed, she watched as he grabbed her right wrist and attached some sort of metal clasp to it. He raised his left arm and activated the device attached to it, typing something in rapidly. To Luar'ka's amazement, a bright red light erupted from the gauntlet on his arm and snaked into the air like a wispy spiderweb. It coiled toward her and she watched as it fastened itself to the clasp on her wrist, forming some kind of connection between them. She frowned at him, tilting her head. He grumbled something she didn't understand and then stepped back, yanking on the tether. To her surprise, the tug knocked her off balance as her arm was pulled forward. It may have been a tether composed of energy, but it was stronger than it looked.

"Kar'kha, what's going on?" she asked. He didn't answer her of course and she sighed, not really having expected him to. He tugged the tether again and she followed him out of the storeroom. She looked around curiously. The corridors were always a little misty and smelled odd compared to air and mist from Earth. But today, the mist seemed heavier than normal. She glanced up at Kar'kha curiously as he walked in front of her, his pace slowed somewhat to allow for her much shorter stride compared to his own. She flexed her wings in mild trepidation, wondering where they were going.

She heard footsteps approaching from one of the other corridors leading to the cockpit and looked up as Ikthya'de and Thwei'ja approached, both donning intricate armor covering their chests, shoulders, shins and thighs, each also wearing sturdy metal gauntlets on their wrists. Both of them were wearing their masks as well, rendering their already barely readable expressions flat out incomprehensible. Fidgeting with her tunic, Luar'ka listened intently as they began chattering to one another, a flurry of clicks, growls and snarls that blended together seamlessly into their complex language. However, thanks to her studies and Ikthya'de's coaching, she found she was able to pick up scant amounts of what was being said;

((...Find...do not...back...confront...no...))

She scrunched her eyes shut, struggling to concentrate on their words as she pieced together the conversation. She was so wrapped up in her focus that she didn't even notice when they stopped talking and glanced over at her curiously. Thwei'ja tilted his head, glancing over at Kar'kha, ((What is she doing?))

Kar'kha cast a quick look down at his odd apprentice and shook his head, ((I do not know for sure.))

((She is listening to us.))

Both of them snapped toward Ikthya'de in amazement and the motion startled Luar'ka back into reality, jumping slightly and moving back behind Kar'kha when she noticed Thwei'ja had drawn nearer to her without noticing. They began chattering again, this time too fast for her to pick up much.

((Listening!? And how is THAT possible?)) Thwei'ja barked, eying Kar'kha suspiciously. Ikthya'de piped up to his brother's defense, ((Now spare him your anger, Thwei'ja. I have been instructing the young female to our dialect. She is quite the fast learner.))

((Thei-de...,)) Thwei'ja groaned, shaking his head. He snapped back up to Ikthya'de, ((I will have to report this.))

((There will be no issue, Thwei'ja. She will have to learn at some point.))

((Ki'cte. Go. Now.)) he snarled, sounding agitated. Luar'ka looked back and forth from him to Ikthya'de, who looked fairly pleased with himself even behind the mask.

Ikthya'de moved past Thwei'ja and glanced briefly at Luar'ka. He tapped her shoulder as he passed and moved through the door and down the metal steps out of sight. She watched him go, shifting slightly on her feet as she glanced up at Thwei'ja, standing stock still with his fists clenched at his sides. She raised her gaze briefly to his hidden face before looking away quickly. He barked something toward the cockpit, receiving a growling reply from Than'ja who was going to stay aboard to keep watch. She felt the tug on her wrist as Kar'kha moved down the ramp, lightly dragging her with him. Luar'ka followed clumsily at first, her claws sliding precariously on the metal as she stepped slowly down. Once she found herself on hard ground again, she tug her claws into the soil and sighed contentedly, having missed this pleasant feeling. Kar'kha looked over at her as she did this, his head tilted in curiosity. He watched as she stretched her wings, grunting from the exertion and exhaling a deep sigh, raising her face to the sky to squint at the sunlight streaming down.

((Kar'kha!))

Kar'kha turned at the sound of Ikthya'de addressing him, making his way over, ((Thwei'ja has ordered us to split up. I am to scour the west sector toward the mountains. You have been assigned the north. Keep in mind, this is where the settlement is located. We are to avoid contact with the residents here if at all possible, but we are not to reject it if we should be spotted.))

Kar'kha nodded, ((I understand. But I have never actually witnessed any of the residents here firsthand.))

((No need to worry; the locals are utterly harmless. As such, they are not to be harmed. Of course, this should go without saying.)) Ikthya'de said somewhat dryly. Kar'kha could practically hear the smirk in his voice. He knew enough that the locals on this planet were currently some of the extremely scarce allies the Yautja maintained connections with. Thus, they were to be protected on occasion. This was the purpose of this mission; to make sure that the settlement here went undisturbed by threats. Kar'kha knew with experience he would eventually come to learn why the residents of Illmianyar were held in fair esteem by his and a handful of other clans.

He watched his brother head off in the western course he'd set, disappearing into the trees flanking the grassy clearing they'd landed in. Originally, the plan had been to establish a stationary orbit around the planet, but Thwei'ja had changed his mind at the last second. Kar'kha knew that with Me'vi-te also in stationary orbit, Thwei'ja would want to establish as much distance as possible between himself and his former Hunt Brother. Experience had taught him that, while civil with each other, the two clearly wished to have little to do with one another these days.

"Kar'kha?"

The tiny voice of his apprentice jolted him from this thoughts and he turned, glancing down at her curiously. She was looking up at him expectantly, her gaze occasionally moving toward the forested scenery around them. She tugged lightly on the tether at her wrist. He heaved a rattling sigh and started forward, yanking on the tether and making her stumble. She caught herself easily, proceeding along rather quickly behind him. Already, he could tell his decision was going to be a problem. Quick as she appeared to be and the levels of raw talent he knew she already possessed, it didn't matter. She was still leagues behind him in ability and he couldn't defend her from attacks while defending himself at the same time. But he didn't trust Thwei'ja enough to leave her on board the ship and as much as he hated to admit it, he didn't trust Than'ja with her safety just yet either. His oldest brother was still a little too leery of the young female, despite claiming to support him on this endeavor. The only Yautja he felt he could trust around her was Ikthya'de, who seemed to have fully accepted the responsibility of teaching her their language. But since he had gone on ahead of them to scout on his own, that choice was out. It was too late to take her back to her home planet, plus she'd already been made more than well aware of their existence, to say nothing of her limited knowledge of their language. If he took her back now, he'd be forced to end her life. His Youngblood impulsiveness had really gotten him in deep this time.

He smelled fresh water nearby and from the way her head raised and her eyes darted through the thick forest, he could see that she did as well. A glint of light shimmering through the trees caught his eye and he started toward it, veering slightly off course. He vaulted easily over a moss-covered log and waited for a fraction of a second for Luar'ka to do the same. She managed the jump easily. It was the landing she had difficulty with. She fell flat on her face, her wings crumpling from the momentum. Picking herself up with a groan, she scowled up at him and hissed, baring her teeth. While he was impressed at the jump for something as small as she was, he had to admit her coordination needed work. He yanked on the tether again, dragging her briefly until she caught her balance. Making his way through the dense undergrowth of the trees, the light grew steadily brighter and he shoved a massive growth of branches aside, emerging into the daylight on the edge of a large freshwater lake. Luar'ka shielded her eyes from the stark white of this planet's sun. She moved to stand beside him, her minute height barely enough to reach his hip. He looked down at her, reached over to grasp the arm with the metal clasp and deactivated the tether. It coiled back into his gauntlet and vanished from sight while he removed the clasp and knelt down in front of her, close to her level. He reached up to grasp her head, turning her gaze to look at his face. He let out a soft clicking rumble to make sure he had her attention. Her gaze didn't waver as she watched him expectantly. The rumble in his chest grew slightly louder as he jabbed a claw lightly at her chest and then brought it out to point down at the sand beneath them. He stabbed the air downward a few times with meaning, clicking his mandibles behind the mask.

"I...stay here?" she ventured, her voice small. He trilled in response, nodding a few times. He knew that she would be safer here at this lake where there were plenty of hiding places in case she ran into trouble, as well as water and, if she felt like it, wild game for hunting. Any chance to encourage her to find her own sustenance seemed a good idea to him, even if this was only an excuse to get rid of her for a few hours. This kind of experience could help her immensely, as well as keep her out of immediate harm's way in case any kiande amedha were in the area, which he doubted highly. He reached around to a sheathed knife attached to his thigh, unstrapping it and handing it to her delicately. With trembling hands, she took it, her eyes widening at him in alarm. He drew back slightly at this sudden horrified manner radiating off of her. What was she scared of? This lake was perfectly safe. His mask wasn't picking up any heat signatures larger than small lizards darting about. He'd even scanned through the other vision settings to be safe and not a single threatening creature revealed its presence. He tilted his head when he noticed her legs start shaking and he trilled an inquiry.

"...no...," she whispered, moving closer to him, "No...No, don't...don't leave me here, please!"

She flew forward and crashed into him, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. He trilled suddenly, clicking his mandibles and straightening up in surprise at her reaction; "I promise I won't escape through the vent anymore! I shouldn't have done it, I know! Just don't leave me here, Kar'kha!"

He unhooked her arms from around his neck and lightly shoved her back, his clicking rumble softening into a purr to calm her. It didn't seem to be working, however, as her fear only seemed to spike, which caused him mild trepidation; after all, if his purr was defective, he had a serious problem on his hands when it came to impressing the females of his kind during the breeding season. His purr stuttered abruptly and he straightened up, forgoing his attempts to soothe Luar'ka for now. He'd deal with her issues when he returned later to get her. Activating his cloak so she couldn't follow him easily, he bounded off into the trees, ignoring the shriek she let out after him, one seemingly combined of fear and anger. It was piercing enough to even hurt his ears. He shuddered to think of what would happen if she learned to control that ability.

"Kar'kha!" Luar'ka screamed at the treeline, watching the warped, cloudy form of the cloak vanishing rapidly into the forest. From what little she could see of the fuzzy image, and from the sounds of his footfalls disappearing from her hearing range, he appeared to be heading in the direction he'd been going originally before their impromptu detour to the lake. While this thought calmed her slightly, she was still tense with fear and worry; what if he did leave her here? On this planet, seven of their ship's travel days from Earth? If he circled back to the ship and deserted her here, she'd be done for.

She squeezed her eyes shut, gripping the knife and sheath until her knuckles turned white. She inhaled deeply, held it and then exhaled, her wings sagging. She opened her eyes, willing her racing heart to still. He wasn't abandoning her here; he'd simply left her here for safety. He'd come back. He had to.

She repeated this mantra in her head again and again to calm herself as she turned toward the water, scratching her head absently. Okay, so maybe that was the plan. That, she could buy. But still...what was she expected to do until he returned? Her nose twitched at the smell of the lake and she turned, frowning. Well...she could always go for a swim. The water seemed peaceful enough. The lake was situated in the bottom of an enormous, crater-like basin with tall, forested hills flanking all sides. It was at least two miles wide, crystal clear and sparkling in the shining sun in the sky. Luar'ka was amazed at how similar this planet was to Earth. Even so, there were mild differences. She could make out what appeared to be two moons in the sky, though she couldn't be sure. The sand beneath her feet felt softer than any Earth sand she'd known, almost like silk to the touch. She bent down and raked her claws through it, marveling at its silken texture through her fingers. The water smelled fresh and pure, and was absurdly clear as she stared at it. Luar'ka crept closer, lightly stepping into the cool water. The ripples fanned out into the lake toward the center and she peered down at her reflection in the water, warped by the ripples. Standing stock still, she watched as her reflection finally settled, revealing her familiar mop of fluffy black down covering her head and growing slightly down her neck. Her face was gaunt and pale and she could see the lingering effects of ravaging hunger on her body. Regular food had helped a lot, but she was still recovering. She turned slightly, stretching her wings to their full span. She sighed unhappily. Her wings looked so tiny on her back. She could only hope that one day, they'd be functional. For now, they were inconvenient decorations.

Moving slowly through the water, she threaded her foot claws carefully along the soft, sandy bottom of the lake, moving slightly deeper. Even with the clouds of sand puffing up with every step, the water barely darkened at all. In fact, she found she could see several dozen yards down through the crystalline depths, revealing a deserted lake bed. The deep water looked so cool and tempting. She was tempted to just dive right in.

She jumped when she heard Kar'kha's familiar bellow far off in the distance, whirling to look in that direction. She sighed, her wings sagging as she stilled her beating heart. He'd started hunting something. She felt a little better at least; he hadn't left the planet or returned to the ship. Maybe he thought she was just too small to be an effective hunter yet.

She clutched the knife in the sheath he'd given her. She wrapped the strap around her wrist and waded deeper into the water, her sharp eyes catching sight of silvery fish darting through the shallows. She licked her lips in anticipation, leaning forward with her wings extending outward to counterbalance herself. She moved slowly, cautiously, recalling all the failed hunts for rabbits she'd seen back on Earth. Slow and steady, that was the key. Once she got to her hips in depth, she froze, allowing the water to settle and letting the fish come to her. Several small guppy-like creatures swished gracefully past her, brushing her sides and zipping between and around her legs. She let them be. They were too small to be bothered with. A few larger ones darted into view, put off by the large obstruction suddenly standing in their path. Luar'ka held as still as possible, hardly even daring to breathe. Her eyes landed on a fish about a foot long, its scales shimmering in the clear sunlight streaming down. They shined a rainbow of hues and Luar'ka was briefly mesmerized by the beauty of its scaly body. But she composed herself quickly, waiting patiently. It was swimming close...so, so close. Her eyes narrowed and she could feel her mouth beginning to water from hunger. Her claws twitched, her gaze locked on the fish and didn't budge. She held perfectly still, her legs tense from being coiled so long. Her claws shifted again...NOW! She shot forward, slashing down through the water with precision force...and missed. The fish had noticed her movement as she began her strike. She straightened up in the churning water, an irritated scowl crossing her face as she flicked the water from her down. She sighed heavily, feeling the ache in her stomach as she turned back toward shore. She waded out onto the sand, ignoring how it now clung to her feet and claws from the excess water as she shook her wings dry. She sighed heavily, glaring off into the trees. This wasn't fair; he just left her behind at this lake to fend for herself and granted, trying to teach herself to hunt was a lot harder than most would think. She stared into the trees, remembering that he'd told her to stay on the shore, but feeling restless all the same. She wanted to go back to the ship. As similar as this world was to Earth, it still didn't feel right and she felt anxious. She felt like Kar'kha might actually leave her here.

On trembling legs, remembering the last few times she'd disobeyed the Yautja, she swallowed her fear thickly and started off into the trees, away from the lake. The forest was well lit and dry, but vibrantly green and alive. The trees soared high into the sky, their trunks so big it would take her five minutes to walk around them. She could hear the cries of far off birds and animals in the distance, the sounds otherworldly and oddly beautiful to her ears. After spending her whole life in the desert, everything she saw filled her with wonder and her fear at entering the forest was swiftly forgotten.

That tingling. Her eyes widened. Her back was tingling again, the feeling shooting up and down her spine from her lower back all the way to the top of her head and forehead. She twitched her wings, turning slowly as she scanned the forest around her. It wasn't like Darkling Wood. This place was far brighter. But she had to remind herself she was still on another planet, a fact she still didn't care to dwell too heavily on.

She jumped when something zipped past her in the thick ferns and shrubs to her left. She caught sight of it briefly, running through the trees. It paused beneath a thick overhang of tree fronds and leaves, its shadow barely visible in the shade of the canopy filtering the sunlight streaming down. Spreading her wings, she eyed it cautiously as it stood in the shadows, watching her. She crept forward and noted with some curiosity that it copied her motions, moving slightly toward her as well. She straightened up, her eyes narrowing, "Hello?" she called softly, making sure to keep her voice low in case anything else was in the area, "Who's there?"

"Who are you?" a soft voice replied. Luar'ka was surprised to hear such a melodic whisper reply to her, but she kept her guard up, recalling how Kar'kha could mimic voices so thoroughly, as he'd mimicked Maria's voice during their fight.

"Who are you?" Luar'ka asked back, tilting her head slightly.

"Sorry, but I asked first." they said, giggling slightly. Luar'ka frowned, unfolding her wings, "Yeah, well I'm not telling you who I am until you come out. I don't like talking to shadows."

Another bout of faint giggling; "Okay, I can understand that. Give me a second, please."

They disappeared from the trees and Luar'ka heard the clattering of rocks and soft footfalls. Scanning the trees, she waited with baited breath, even as nothing came into her line of sight at first.

"You surprised me. I didn't expect to see anyone out here right now."

Luar'ka still couldn't see whoever or whatever it was, but the voice sounded female, and not too old. She stepped back slightly, still waiting for her to appear, "I'm surprised you can understand what I'm saying." she said, "I'm not really...uh...from around here, I guess."

"Neither am I. You're speaking basic dialect as I do. Clearly, I can speak it as well. Mala insisted I learn it. Where are you from?"

Luar'ka scraped her claws on the ground impatiently, "I'll talk with you when I can actually see you." she insisted. The voice sighed, "Oh, all right. But promise you won't tell anyone I was this deep in the woods. I'll get into trouble."

Luar'ka barely had time to wonder who she was going to tell before something dropped down from the branches above her, landing delicately on the forest floor just feet away from her. She yelped and jumped back in alarm, eyes wide. She blinked a few times in surprise at the girl standing in front of her. She smiled, "Hello. Were you looking for us?"

Terminology

Thei'de-Dead, can also stand for stupidity

Ki'cte-Enough

So the crossover this story was originally intended to be has been eliminated. What is to continue from here is entirely my own creation. Also, until I start working on the second book, updates are going to happen every Thursday from now on, instead of every month. Mostly because I'm currently at chapter 26 and this is only chapter 9. I'm doing fairly well. Also, shout out to werewolfbleu, without whose help, a MAJOR plot change in this story would never have happened. Read her story, 'Deadly Curiosities' and show her some love for it! It's amazingly written and her humor is hysterical.

See you next week, my lovelies!

~Luna