Disclaimer:
This story has been written purely for entertainment purposes, and in no way, shape, form, or fashion means to impede, or infringe upon any copyrighted material whatsoever. I do however retain credit and claim responsibility for the creation of names and character statistics of any and all characters within this publication. These characters are based on copyrighted ideas and or characters of the respective owners of said material within the entertainment industry. No money will be attributed to the author of the following publication in any form. Definitions and wording used to describe devices, and other such items are derived from other literary works involving these types of characters. This publication was created for the sole purpose of entertainment and the expansion of a concept formerly copyrighted by an individual or individuals as a group.
Chapter 11Hulij-Thwei felt the impact throughout his entire body, as his right shoulder and face smashed into the cold, hard, polished floor. It had been long ago when he last felt this close to death and he had survived that even without immediate medical treatment. He knew that he would survive this as well. There was no doubt in his mind that his fellow Yautja would have him placed in a healing chamber; not an idea he was fond of.
It was only moments that he had been on the floor feeling the weight of his eyelids slide across the surface of his cornea, and the sting of the blood that had run into one of them. He strained with every effort he could afford to keep them open and not completely pass out. It was his sense of honor that made him so determined to stay conscious for as long as possible. It was bad enough, in his mind, that one day some Yautja would be able to use the knowledge of his having been in a healing chamber against him.
The matter of having to utilize the healing qualities of the chamber was something of an enigma among the Yautja. Some would say that having to have been in one was a sign of weakness. Yet others would see it as a sign that a warrior had seen fierce battle far beyond those who had never been healed in one. The argument would most likely endure for years to come.
Hulij-Thwei's thoughts became more random as blood loss began to take its toll on his body and mind. He no longer possessed the ability to speak clearly let alone think in a linear fashion, and logic as well seemed to escape him at the moment.
"Aside from the small one person escape craft that ejected into space from the planet's surface, you are the only survivor that we know of." Heard Hulij-Thwei faintly through all of the other voices and sounds rippling through his barely conscious mind. He recognized the voice as that of his Yautja father's and felt somewhat more at ease from the comfort that the familiarity of this memory gave him.
Visions of his past flashed before him in random without the clarity of chronological order. Events unfolded before him in a way he had never thought possible. Chaotic memories of being quite young, living with humans on a planet only vaguely familiar to him, flooded his senses and would disappear only to bring to the surface another scene of his life. His perspective and thoughts in regards to these images were changed as rapidly as they emerged and departed.
Only rare moments of clarity studded the onslaught of these mental pictures. One of which seemed to stand out more than others at the moment.
Hulij-Thwei remembered being an Unblooded youth at the time, nearly the equivalent of a human male in his late teens when he and his adoptive Yautja father figure were having a conversation.
"Were there no life signs aboard the craft, did no one attempt to intercept it? Maybe they needed help as I did?" Asked a rather young Hulij-Thwei.
"The craft was too far for us to get any life sign readings. The sensors were barely able to detect its presence in the first place, and even then the small craft was only within range for less than a hundredth py'ev. We did try and find it later; unfortunately the Kin'chen De'ok had littered the sky with their ships above the planet. Several kerev had passed when we were finally able to fight them off and leave the planet with honor. As soon as we had disengaged from the battle and began to leave the planet's orbit the Kin'chen De'ok did the same. It became apparent to our forces that they simply wanted no human or Yautja; on a planet they considered theirs. A quick search of the area brought no results in trying to find the human escape pod. It was then assumed that it was destroyed." Replied his Yautja father.
"Someone was onboard that craft father."
"What proof would you have of that? You were but a mere child no more than ten or twelve revolutions of Earth's sun."
"I just know, don't ask me how. I think I sensed it. It is only recently that I have given this subject thought, but somehow I know that there was someone on that craft. Somehow I have known all these years that someone else survived."
"Perhaps the answers will come to you one day, I hope that in the meantime my son that you are satisfied with the life I have given you here. If you ever wish to know more of your human side I will not stop you, but that would have to be something you decide for now. Like you though, I have a strange feeling that you will be a great Leader, and perhaps help to bring our two peoples together. Promise me that if the opportunity presents itself, and you will know when that is, that you will do all you can to embrace your human side and learn all you can about your human brethren."
"I promise, Father."
Hulij-Thwei blinked heavily while his head still made contact with the floor beneath him. Consciously he remembered for a moment, while fighting off the returning wave of rogue memories, that his father was always as wise as one could ever hope to be. Gon'tok-de knew that even then his adoptive son would one day need to know of his human past and insightfully gave him the option to stay or seek out the knowledge of his human side, but only with the promise that he would eventually do so anyway.
With the realization that it was his decision to not seek out his humanity he no longer mentally questioned Gon'tok-de's decision regarding his welfare. Not that it was much of a factor in his development to begin with, but there was always that nagging feeling of 'What if?' in his subconscious.
Naturally, with the conclusion of one revelation there came another. What happened to the craft, and the person on it? Why did he feel as of there was someone onboard? These thoughts only led to more confusion in Hulij-Thwei's overly taxed mind and began to once again pull him down, further into the abyss of unconsciousness.
Suddenly though, there was a slight vibration he felt through the floor, much like those created by someone walking toward him. Someone had kneeled down in front of him and firmly gripped his left shoulder turning him over on his backside. His vision was blurry and the blood that had pooled in his left eye kept him from making a positive identification of the person now tending to him.
He heard a voice that sounded as if they were speaking directly to him.
"Crazy Blood…can you hear me?" Spoke the voice.
To Hulij-Thwei the voice was soothing and somewhat familiar to him; although determining exactly who it was at the moment would take a few seconds of having to process through the deep recesses of his mind. Again he heard the voice.
"Crazy Blood, the Yautja say that you're going to be alright."
It was now that he recognized Morgan's voice. There was no doubt about it; he felt a bit of embarrassment at the fact that she had seen him like this; or for that matter that anyone had seen him like this. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about that at the moment. It was later that he would deal with the consequences of his own pride. Strangely enough though, he did experience some kind of peace of mind with her presence. Her company at his side had almost a calming effect on his psyche. This too was something he couldn't immediately explain to even himself, and wondered if he would be able to explain it at all later on, to anybody, in a way that would make sense.
It wasn't a second later that Hulij-Thwei felt the grip of several powerful hands on various parts of his body, lifting him onto the Yautja version of a hand carried stretcher. His senses were still somewhat in tune with his surroundings as he noticed the movement of the board beneath him. His eyes remained closed since feeling the calming effects of Morgan's presence. Despite this he somehow knew that she had remained stationary in the hallway as he was carried off toward the Yautja medical facilities.
A vibrant heat crept over him as he began to feel strength again, and his mind once again became his own. Something was different though, there were more than just his own thoughts gathering in his mind. There were the thoughts of another being along with his. He could sense but not quite see images beginning to form in the ether of his consciousness. It was unclear to him what was happening. There was a voice that spoke without words. Visions of his own body, as if he were seeing himself with someone else's eyes, flashed quickly in and out of focus. Then, as if from far away in the darkness, beyond his own mental vision there came the image of Morgan. Her lips never moved and yet he knew the voice belonged to her. What he heard was more than just a voice it was a language, and even more so than just a language; it was communication on a level he had never contemplated, or had knowledge of.
Soon after realizing the significance of his vision and the presence of Morgan in his mind, he was again filled with an eerie confirmation of his well being; and that he would surely live to see another day. It was upon feeling this latest sensation of inner elation that things changed dramatically for him.
The image of Morgan mentally fell to her knees in front of him as if she were drained of all her energy. He tried reaching out mentally to help and found that even in this half subconscious state he was too weak to move; physically or otherwise Suddenly, a fear like he had never known flushed in on him, filling his entire existence with a trembling sensation that he was sure would be reflected in some physical way that the others around him could see. At that very moment Morgan's image faded, finally disappearing from his mind and he felt his body render itself into a fully unconscious state, knowing that he would soon be placed in the healing chamber only to reemerge with his injuries mostly alleviated. Before falling completely away into the deep passages of his subconscious, he remembered what the voices had said in the nightmare he had not to long ago.
"Do not let fear guide you."
Those words helped to guide him through the last moments of conscious awareness before completely releasing his entire essence to deeper functions of his mind. Hulij-Thwei concentrated on these words and felt the peace within wash over him canceling out any fear that he may have currently experienced. Mentally he had entered what the Yautja commonly called the zazin, or centering of ones mind. Unfortunately for most Yautja the zazin was not commonly achieved. For Hulij-Thwei though, he was rather proficient at this practice and use of its advantages in this scenario would most likely be the leading factor in what would end up being a relatively fast healing process.
"That there is one bad ass, mother fucker! If that were me, I'd be dead…straight up fuckin' dead. It's a shame he ain't gonna make it. We coulda' used him against those bastards we'll be at war with." Stated Billy Bob with what was obviously an amazed tone of admiration in his voice.
Pok'de it'ktse appeared quickly in front of Billy Bob and reached out with one hand picking him up by the throat before speaking.
"Ooman…have some respect for our culture…never speak of someone's fate before knowing the outcome. In doing so you risk cursing them to the fate of which you speak instead of the fate they themselves choose in the face of the Shadow of Death."
Fortunately the translator they all wore allowed Billy Bob to understand fully the possible consequences of his words and mumbled as best he could to his captor that he was sorry for not keeping with the guidelines of respect toward his Yautja hosts. No one bothered to stop Pok'de it'ktse from grabbing Billy Bob.
The Colonel had heard the comment and immediately began to intervene, when the Elder Itu're Kra'a placed his hand respectfully in front of the Colonel's chest and spoke to him with confidence.
"From one commander to another, I can assure you that Pok'de it'ktse will not hurt him, he would only bring dishonor upon himself."
The Colonel peered at Itu're Kra'a for but a moment before turning his head to see that what the Elder had said was true.
"Unlike you humans we don't share outwardly our emotions. Rather we act upon them, but without usually ever speaking the words. Pok'de it'ktse and Hulij-Thwei have been friends for long years now. He is doing what you humans refer to as 'venting.'" Stated the Elder calmly.
The Colonel more than understood, and he, like the rest of the onlookers merely watched as the huge Yautja expressed his distaste for Billy Bob's earlier comment.
Pok'de it'ktse slowly lowered the human to the ground and calmly released his grip from around his hostage's neck. They both stared intently at one another afterward. Billy Bob acknowledged further that he was in the wrong and Pok'de it'ktse nodded in approval of Billy Bob's submissive stance.
Billy Bob remained where Pok'de it'ktse had set him down on the floor. He continued to follow the Yautja with his eyes, and having gained a somewhat more respectful view of these creatures, he stood vigilantly, curiously watching for the next minute or so until the Yautja stretcher had arrived. Noticing Pok'de it'ktse's curious path towards where Crazy Blood was lying on the floor he realized even further that these beings, despite their ability to hold back any weak emotional expressions, were actually rather honorable toward one another, it wasn't just a code to them. These beings had the same emotional needs as humans; they just went about satisfying them in much different ways. He knew that this creature, this Yautja, this fellow warrior either had a deep-seated regard for the one fallen, or had known him for some time.
The stretcher had arrived and Billy Bob could no longer stand there doing nothing. He chose instead to walk briskly over to where Pok'de it'ktse stood next to Crazy Blood. Upon reaching that position he peered directly at his former would-be adversary and spoke.
"Can I help?"
Pok'de it'ktse matched his stare and after taking no more than a few seconds he understood that the human had grasped the concept of what it was to have respect for someone. This was acceptable and decided to allow the human to make up for his mistake by indeed helping to carry Hulij-Thwei to the medical facilities. To communicate this to Billy Bob, he simply nodded and clicked in what was perceived in to be a passive expression. Without speaking further the two of them worked together in helping to cautiously place Hulij-Thwei's body onto the stretcher along with the aid of two healers. They picked up the stretcher and proceeded toward the medical facility when both Pok'de it'ktse and Billy Bob noticed that Morgan seemed to be frozen in place. As they moved away, she remained solid. Her eyes fluttered nearly closed, when without warning she collapsed and those around her quickly rushed to her aid.
Morgan had been kneeling next to Crazy Blood's body for less than a minute when she heard the vocalizations of Billy Bob from back in the hallways large junction. If it weren't for her need to see this man live another day, she would have gotten up and thrashed Billy Bob herself. To her advantage though, Pok'de it'ktse had taken care of that for her. As much as she tried to ignore the ramblings of some southern-bred moron, the part about his dying is what seemed to bother her the most. She didn't know why. In fact she really didn't know this Crazy Blood person very well at all; at least that's what her common sense told her. On the other hand she somehow sensed a familiarity between them. What could explain that?
At present her main goal was to try and focus on his survival. She checked his vitals and all seemed to be quite low but somewhat steady, comparatively speaking. It was unlike anything she had seen before. No man that she knew of could have taken so much damage and still live, let alone the fact that only moments ago he was still standing, doing battle, throwing a fit of rage that surely would have given any normal man a heart attack, and then managed to walk with pride beyond the glaring eyes of those around him. All the more surprising, was that he still remained conscious after falling into the position he was now in.
She had quite easily turned this man's large hulking frame over onto his back before checking his vitals and it was now clear that the extent of his injuries went beyond the physical. He was mentally fighting the urge to fall into unconsciousness. His eyes had blinked heavily and slowly with nearly that of meaningful purpose. It was at that moment that she spoke to him.
"Crazy Blood…can you hear me?"
Morgan paused for nothing more than a few seconds after waiting for some effort on his behalf signifying his response. That was when she again made the attempt to communicate with him.
"Crazy Blood, the Yautja say that you're going to be alright."
She then noticed Pok'de it'ktse standing over both Crazy Blood and herself. He was watching carefully as if to protect them from any further danger. His protective stance was more than welcome considering that they were in a very prone position. Just beyond Pok'de it'ktse were the two arriving healers with a stretcher and joining them was Billy Bob. It didn't take but a quick glance at Billy Bob and then a nod from him in her direction for her to tell that he approved of Billy Bob's presence. She naturally assumed that Billy Bob was here to help. She wouldn't object, somehow she knew she could trust Pok'de it'ktse's decision to let him help carry Crazy Blood.
The healers carefully guided everyone's actions in sliding Hulij-Thwei's body onto the stretcher and the four of them began to raise it into the air. During all of this she had unknowingly placed both of her hands tightly around one of Crazy Blood's forearms and her eyes fluttered to an almost closed position.
She felt her mind suddenly become cluttered with thoughts that were not her own. Her mind expanded into a large field of nothingness, when suddenly there was an image directly ahead, her consciousness moved toward it and she realized it was Crazy Blood. 'What? How?' She asked herself, noticing that visions of ether and smoke colored clouds rushed toward her from beyond and blocked out the image of Crazy Blood's body completely. She felt as if she were absorbing the very meaning behind everything she saw, but one thing stood out in her mind. Find Crazy Blood.
She moved forward mentally concentrating on her previous vision of Crazy Blood and suddenly began to see a faint outline of what she thought she was looking for. He was still there.
She attempted to speak and yet no words were spoken. She knew though, that what was being said he was hearing. It was unexplainable this sensation of speaking with thought. How would he understand what she wanted him to know; would he have to understand. Perhaps in this…place, there was no need to understand, you simply did. She only knew that she understood more about him at this point. Perhaps that would be enough.
As quickly as she felt she had arrived here, everything rushed away from her leaving only a darkness that engulfed her minds eye. Morgan then sensed someone touching her. They had gripped her arm with some effort and it seemed as if they were trying to help her stand. What she remembered of the last few moments was confusing to be sure and she wasn't sure if she even knew how to explain it to begin with.
"What happened?" Asked Morgan.
The Colonel stood on one side of her and peered over at Devi who had grabbed her by the other arm opposite the Colonel. This was his way of letting Devi know that he would be the one to do the speaking.
"You passed out. Do you feel alright now?"
"I think I just need to rest." Spoke Morgan.