Blarg… Long chapter. Much grim stuff happened in this story, but I like dark stuff. As probably every reader does as well, since they wouldn't be reading Alien or Predator fics if they didn't.
Nihkou'te- Tooth or tusk.
Guan-Thwei- Night Blood.
Thwei Tjau'ke- Blood Stone.
Setg'in-kwei- Tricky and quick.
Kehrite- Battle/practice arena.
Cnt'lip- Strong alcoholic beverage.
C'jit- Damn.
Ell'os-de pauk- Fuck you!
N'dhi-ja- Bye.
Pauk- Fuck
Pauk-de- Fucker or fucking.
Pyode Amedha- Soft Meat, human.
Paya- Term of respect.
Cetanu- God of Death, The Black Warrior.
Chapter 11
They spent the next few days in orbit, allowing everyone to heal and gain strength. A day and a half after they escaped, Gts-paik woke up and just as Matt has predicted, she was in a foul mood. Just about the only strong thing about her was her voice, which she used in excess. Her body was one solid ache and she was ravenously hungry. Nihkou'te was allowed to move around and spent most of his time babying Gts-paik, to M'yin-de's disgust. Thwei-Tjau'ke was up too; he had not been badly hurt after all. He only suffered from mild malnutrition, as did everyone else and the cramps in his scars. He did not put on his ruined prosthetic leg, instead hopping around with his spear to brace himself. After J'nana gave Celia some sort of medication, she was violently ill for about a day, vomiting, achy, and feverish… It worried Matt until she became miraculously better the next, in much better spirits too. J'nana inspected Guan-Thwei's eye socket and performed surgery to clean up the damaged socket and proclaimed him to be a good candidate for a prosthetic eye. There was a new addition to the medical bay; a human male with a heavily bandaged face that was kept restrained and sedated at all times. Paya M'yin-de allowed no one near him but the other two Arbitrators. All in all, everyone seemed to be recovering well, despite Gts-paik's generalized bitchings and Guan-Thwei's frequent complaints over the uncomfortable metal sphere the healer had inserted into his eye socket to keep it from healing over and closing the gap.
…..
M'yin-de and Lee bonded quite well, the latter eager to hear of the warrior's experiences and of Yautja history. Matt approved.
"It's great you're getting so much more comfortable."
"Well, they aren't that scary once you get to know them. M'yin-de is great; I have no idea why everyone gets so nervous around her."
Matt laughed weakly. "That's because you don't know Paya like we do. She's taken a shine to you."
"Nihkou'te is not afraid of her." Lee retorted.
"That's because Nihkou'te has fluff for brains. He isn't afraid of anything."
"Why do you call her 'Paya' all the time?"
"It's a term of respect, like 'lord' or 'sir' or 'mistress'. It's something you call an honored warrior or Elder. She doesn't like it when people forget to call her Paya."
Celia said quietly, "She doesn't ask me to call her Paya."
"She likes you; thinks of you kind of like a daughter. She's very maternal, which is weird because she's only had four kids."
"That's lots!"
"Not for the Yautja. They sometimes have a dozen or more children. They live a long time so they can have lots. There's also a high mortality rate, so they need to. Sometimes half of their children die before they can reproduce. It's the hunts."
"Oh. I see. But anyways, why is she scary?" asked Lee.
"She has a bad temper. It has a long fuse, but once it's aroused… Very, very bad. She will follow any Council order they give her; no matter how grisly. She's one of the greatest warriors alive. "
"Then how did she lose her arm?"
"When she was young, she was only an average fighter. She was strong and cocky and didn't try very hard. She didn't need to. After she lost her arm, she got really, really good. That's what's funny. Yautja mothers tell their young that M'yin-de is an incarnation of Cetanu, the god of death, to make sure they behave. They say she made a deal with him and he demanded her arm in payment."
"Ah…"
"It's all silly Youngblood rumor. I suppose the injury and rehab focused her. You'll see what everything is like once we get back to the clan ship."
Celia blinked. "Sorry? Clan ship?"
"Well, yeah. You're coming with us, aren't you?"
"No! Why would you think that?"
Matt was silent a moment, trying to explain. "You've been through shit, through hell! They won't leave you alone because of me and I thought you wanted to come with us; you wouldn't have to be a warrior or anything-"
"Matt. I can't! I'm going back to school in the fall! I have a life on Earth and I can't just drop it and run off to an alien world."
"But we can keep you safe."
"Safe?" Lee pointed to some of Matt's scars. "I won't be safe. I'm not like you; I could only fight to protect myself or someone else. Not for fun. I don't like it and no matter how shitty things are on Earth, I cannot run from my problems. I will face them and get over it! Besides, I rather think the government will have learned to leave me alone."
Matt fell silent, knowing he could do nothing to change her mind and somehow knowing she was right.
…..
Thankfully, there was no tension between the siblings. Matt did insist that she allow him to teach her more self-defense. The ship had a small kehrite, which was perfect. The second day after their conversation, they found Nihkou'te in the kehrite. He was sitting on the ground, leaning against the slightly raised edge of the arena. He turned a folded shuriken over in his hands, occasionally opening and closing it.
"Hey, Nihkou'te! What's up?"
At first the Yautja ignored him, but slowly looked up. Matt knew immediately that something was wrong. He never moved slowly. It was always jerks and twitches. Walking closer and signaling Lee to stay put, Matt got a whiff of the Yautja. He smelled bad, reeking of something familiar. Once he was close enough, Matt saw an empty cnt'lip flask beside him.
"Oh no…" Matt muttered, rubbing the scar on his brow.
"Was' up, M'aat-hew?" Nihkou'te slurred, waving awkwardly. He raised a bottle and drank sloppily.
"What's wrong with him?" Celia asked, wrinkling her nose. She hadn't listened to Matt and had come over.
"Nihkou'te is an alcoholic and broke into the booze."
"Oh. Ew."
"They're all gone."
"Who is?"
"Meh'ket. Setg'in-kwei. Kant'jil. More… Lots more. All gone." Nihkou'te struggled upright with a grunt. He took another slug of the alcohol. "'s stupid. You sshould go too. You'll be gone too…" The warrior's face sagged, caught in depression and dreams of dead warriors.
"Come on, let's go find somewhere for you to lay down." Matt took Nihkou'te by the arm and tried to lead him off.
The drunken Yautja snarled and pulled himself away. "C'jit youuu… Ce'lia. Come herrre. Ce'lia." He gestured.
She backed off. Nihkou'te made a grab for her. She yelped, pulling at his fingers.
He said something unintelligible in Yautian, but made an unpleasant face. Celia squawked and poked him in the eye. He roared, clapping a hand over his eye. Matt tackled Nihkou'te, punching him in the face and twisting his arm up.
"Get some more warriors here! Anyone!" he yelled, struggling with the drunken warrior. "I can't hold him long!"
She ran.
"What the pauk is your problem, Nihkou'te?! You know what cnt'lip does to you! You know your problem!"
"C'jit! Ell'os-de pauk, pyode amedha scum!" roared Nihkou'te. Just in time, Lee returned with Guan-Thwei and M'yin-de. Nihkou'te threw Matt off and turned just in time for Guan-Thwei to punch him in the face. He dropped like a rock. Guan-Thwei sat on his chest.
"Nihkou'te! Pauk-de idiot! Why would you do this?!" he howled, slapping his friend.
He yelped.
"You promised no more! Have you no self-control? After all this, you decide to go boozing?! How will Gts-paik like a mate who is drunk all the time? She will not! You will be alone, pauk-de!"
Nihkou'te's face crumpled from its mask of anger and shock.
Guan-Thwei got off, watching his friend roll over and bury his face in his arms, wailing piteously. M'yin-de snarled a curse, rolling her eyes and picked up Nihkou'te bodily, throwing him none to gently over one broad shoulder.
"Piss or vomit on me and I'll neuter you, idiot." she growled.
Guan-Thwei followed them out, still yelling at Nihkou'te.
"Holy shit." Celia said. "That was… Interesting."
…..
After Nihkou'te sobered up, he avoided everyone else. When he was seen, he was flushed with shame. He had lost control, something the Yautja prized. Matt and Lee hunted him down, trying to talk. At first he evaded them, making excuses. But after a while, he could make no more excuses and on the ship, they ran out quickly.
"What do you want?" he sighed finally, slouched in the currently empty common room, a pile of pillows strewn around him.
"We need to talk." Matt replied in Yautian, sitting on one pillow.
"I know that. About what? I told you I am sorry for my behavior. I did not mean to frighten Ce'lia."
"We know you are sorry and we have not come to give you a hard time. Ce'lia doesn't blame you."
Lee piped up, knowing Nihkou'te understood more English than he spoke. "You didn't really scare me. Our father was an alcoholic too and he was much worse than you. He used to beat us. I didn't think you were going to do that."
"C'ould 'ave." he muttered in English. "'ave be'fore."
"But you didn't! You still have more self control than others."
"Oomans. No self con-trol."
"Please. If I had no self control, than why haven't I punched you in the head already for being such a self-pitying douchebag?"
A ghost of a smile showed up on his mandibles.
"Christ. If you would talk about your problems instead of bottling them up, it would help! What is with all the macho bullshit?"
Nihkou'te shrugged.
"Just stop hiding from everyone." Matt said. "You aren't the only one that got drunk after that. I did! Guan-Thwei was well on his way too."
"The others know when to stop. I do not. I start and will not stop until I pass out or someone stops me. I always want to drink."
"That is because it is an addiction. You do very well most of the time. Everyone understands… Well, maybe not M'yin-de, but you never have cared what she thinks anyways. Just stop hiding."
"Oh, fine." Nihkou'te sighed. He was already feeling better. Matt could tell.
"Males…" Celia muttered. "I'll never understand them…"
…..
The ship descended down through the atmosphere, shuddering violently, the air roaring around it. Everyone was strapped firmly down in their seats. Guan-Thwei had his eyes shut and was sweating, hissing curses every time the ship made a particularly severe lurch. It landed, not far from their campsite. It looked almost the same. The government people had left it alone.
Guan-Thwei galloped out and disappeared into some bushes where loud retching noises issued.
Nihkou'te cackled with amusement once his friend emerged, looking shaky and greener than usual.
"So this is it. I shall miss you, Ce'lia." M'yin-de said.
"Me too." she replied. "It's gonna be real fun explaining my disappearance to my boss. Oh well."
"Paya M'yin-de, I need to speak with you." Matt suddenly said.
She tilted her head to the side.
"In private."
The Elder nodded and strode off into the trees where even Yautja ears would have problems spying. "What is it, M'aat-hew? Is it about your sister?"
"No… Not really…" He rubbed the scar on his brow, then brushed his hand through his hair. "That foul old man, Smith. He said that the Yautja would destroy whole cities if we knew that the information they took had gotten out to other places. Is that true?"
She crouched down. "Did information get out?"
He stared into her eyes. "…Yes."
M'yin-de rumbled, "That is bad. I do have my duties to the Council."
"So you would do it? Give the order to destroy whole cities for what they have?"
"We have before. You know that."
"Yeah, but that was centuries ago."
"It happened in my mother's lifetime. It was not so long ago. Another clan had to eliminate many towns on another planet just a short while ago. Some discovered we were not gods and lead an uprising."
"But there are so many oomans in the cities now! Females and children!" Matt gasped.
"Yes."
"I'm an ooman."
She nodded. "It is not an easy decision for anyone. Especially one who knows oomans are as intelligent as us. Who knows oomans are more like us than many would care to think." She stood up. "But, what did they steal? Information on our anatomy? Some weapons designs? They could hardly replicate it without seeing how some things work. They do not have some of the correct materials. We have been involved with Earth for centuries upon centuries, shaping its history. There are many oomans who know of us. They know we are not gods and have for a very long time. They know we can be killed and captured. To do anything to them, we would have to wage war on the planet, take them as slaves. Or bombard it from orbit and destroy civilization, let them return to a more primitive state. A more governable, superstitious state. That would be a rather large amount of work."
She turned away.
"So you're not going to tell the Council?"
"No. I do not think so."
Matt gave a little sigh of relief.
"M'aat-hew?"
"Yes, Paya?"
"You are not planning on coming back with us, are you?"
He stared at her.
"I know you better than you think. You are a very loyal warrior. I saw that from the beginning, when you were still an eta. That is why I convinced the Council to let you train as a Youngblood. You cannot bear to leave your family after such horrible things have been done to it. Ce'lia is, after all, the only family you have left. Look after her. I liked her very much. I hope you will come back to the Yautja again soon."
"Thank you, Paya."
"Oh, and M'aat-hew? If you are going to stay, keep an eye on the oomans. Make sure that they do not do anything with that information besides argue."
"I will do my best, Paya M'yin-de."
When they walked back out of the trees, Guan-Thwei knew something had happened between them. He did not know what though.
"Guan-Thwei? Nihkou'te? It has been very good hunting with you. I will be staying here"
"What?!" Guan-Thwei, Nihkou'te and Lee said at the same time.
"How the hell are you going to live? You have no money, no post-secondary, you are a wanted criminal… What the hell prompted that decision?"
"M'aat-hew! You cannot be serious!" gasped Guan-Thwei.
"Are you coming back?" Nihkou'te asked.
"I'll be back eventually. I want to make sure Celia is going to be okay. I won't have more government slime balls harassing her. And, I'll be fine. I'll just do what I'm good at. I can bounty hunt or guide hunters or teach people self defense. This isn't for forever. I just need to do this. Besides, M'yin-de gave me a duty to perform."
They stared at each him in shock.
"It was good hunting with you, M'aat-hew. We shall come back and visit you." Guan-Thwei finally said. Good-byes were awkward.
"Cause lots of trouble for the oomans! N'dhi-ja!" Nihkou'te said.
"I'll tell you if the oomans need reminding to leave the Yautja alone. We'll cause lots of trouble together."
…..
Matt watched them leave, a lump in his throat. He hoped he had done the right thing, that he wasn't causing more trouble for everyone by staying.
"Wait a second." Celia said. "Where the hell are you going to be staying?"
"Where do you think?" he replied, smiling a little.
"Man… What are you going to do for clothes?"
End of the Matthew Booker Trilogy.
So… What did everyone think? Did you like it? Hate it? I'd love to know. And, this is not going to be the end of Matt. I'll be writing a second trilogy eventually!
