Alec Hadley woke early, as he always did, and with his morning coffee checked his messages and overnight system reports. There was one received late the night before from Commander Baines with orders to return Dha-viath's personal belongings to her, which had been confiscated upon her arrival over a week before. Alec had been studying them closely, but was, of course, a little wary of prodding too much, lest he set off some sort of fail-safe.

He left a note on his sister's door for her to come to the lab before heading over himself to get her things ready. The curiosity about how everything worked was eating at him, but it was far more advanced than anything he or anyone else there had ever used. There would be no deciphering it without Dha-viath's help.

To him, it seemed there was little more than faint echoes left of the girl he had known to be his sister, but that was to be expected considering twenty years had passed. She had been effectively assimilated into another culture altogether. It didn't make it any easier to cope with, though, still he struggled with his guilt over being unable to save her from their father's abuse. He couldn't deny that the life she had led with the hunters was better still than any even his grandparents could have given her. The clan that took her in had shown her that she amounted to more than the things that happened to her in the past, that she was not responsible for the actions of others, and that she was strong and capable of overcoming anything.

They had made her whole…they had made her dangerous. They'd taken a brilliant child and honed her mind to a level above anything any other human could comprehend. He wasn't sure if he was disturbed or perhaps a little jealous of the knowledge she possessed. More than anything, he was glad that she had lived and that she had lived well. It was more than he could have ever wanted for her.

When Dha-viath arrived to the lab, she had Commander Baines in tow and the tension between them was markedly different than before. Something had changed or had happened and he was fairly certain he didn't want to know what.

"Good morning, Dem, I didn't realize you weren't coming alone." Alec greeted, wryly. She gave a shrug though, pushing her braids back over her shoulders.

"Your note did not say come alone, and the commander was on his way here as well." She replied. "What did you want to see me about?" She was already eyeing her items on the table behind him though, delight unchecked on her face. No doubt Baines' prompt to return her things had been because of some discussion or something between them.

Alec found he resented whatever it was developing between the two. He and Baines had never really gotten along to begin with, and the man was…old…no matter how massive or fit he was. Baines was the most dangerous person in the colony…well, now second only to Dha-viath who was effectively more dangerous than the whole of their security forces combined.

"It's been determined that your things are to be released back to you." He explained to her. "I…I am very curious about their utility, though. I was hoping you'd tell me a bit about them at least. Though, I imagine you probably won't want to reveal everything."

"I can tell you some things." She went over to the table, looking down fondly and with some relief that everything seemed to be intact. On the table lay her helm, a chest plate, a metal pack of some sort that the small, disassembled energy canon attached to, spaulders, body netting, leather boots, loincloth, top, and gauntlets, which had wrist blades and a computer attached. There was also what he had assumed was some sort of retractable spear, and a large knife. The alloys everything was constructed from was nothing any of his tests could identify. All Alec knew was that the metal was stronger than anything he'd ever heard of. "I am very glad to have these back." His sister murmured.

Without warning, Dha-viath yanked her top off, reaching for the one lying on the table and Alec quickly turned away, frowning slightly. Truly, her people had no qualms about nudity. He noticed then that Baines had not turned away, but instead folded his massive arms, a smirk on his face as he watched.

"Are you really going to stand there and eye-fuck my sister?" Alec demanded.

"Absolutely." Baines replied without so much as a glance in his direction.

"I am adequately covered according to your delicate sensibilities, brother." Dha-viath said, obviously amused, and he turned back around. She was sitting on the table, clad in the netting and her leathers, lacing up one of the boots but he made a disgruntled sort of noise looking from her to Baines and back again, wondering just how amiable they had become. Initially he had been concerned that they'd end up in some sort of brawl, but it appeared there was a fine line between animosity and…he shuddered, pushing the thought away.

"Is this all you use when hunting?" Alec asked her, trying to ignore his ever-expanding distaste for Baines.

"No, I have more, much heavier armor and different weapons depending on the hunt." She strapped on the plate and the pack, quickly reassembling the shoulder cannon and reattaching it.

"What sorts of things do you take into consideration when selecting gear for a hunt?" Alec asked. She looked up at him.

"The type of quarry, how likely it is to kill us, what tools it might have to do so. Personally, I prefer to hunt with less bogging me down but there are those who insist I not get killed. I have to admit, the armor has saved my life on more than one occasion." She grabbed the knife in its sheath, checked it, and then attached it to her belt.

"What is the net?" Baines piped up, not one to be left out of a discussion.

"Thermal mesh, it regulates my body temperature, adjusting to the climate I'm hunting in. I've worn only this in snow and ice and been fine." She grinned at their shocked faces. Andrea arrived just then and halted, looking from person to person.

"Are you leaving?" She asked, sounding a little concerned.

"Not yet, no. But I have my things back." Dha-viath's delight seemed even more abundant and she pulled on her gauntlets. The blades on the right one extended and retracted before she popped open the computer on the left, quickly punching something in. Several holographic screens appeared, trailing symbols that were entirely indecipherable and she scanned them, typing in something else then snapped it shut. "Looks like nothing's happened to my ship at least since I got here." The only items remaining on the table were her helm and the spear. "So…what questions do you have?"

"Why the double blades on the wrist?" Baines asked first.

"More damage, of course, but also for convenience when taking trophies from vertebrates. They quickly detach the ribs and allow for removal of the spine and skull." She explained. Alec felt himself blanch at the thought, unable to keep himself from visualizing it.

"And the computer?" he asked, wanting to move away from the gorier aspects of her existence.

"Allows me to connect to the overall system links, I can access anything from it and also transfer information to the view screen inside my mask." She picked up the spear and though it did not appear she'd done anything to engage it, it extended, sharp blades on either end, before retracting again.

"You seem much more comfortable with your things back in your possession." Andrea noted and Dha-viath nodded.

"Wouldn't you be? If you were amongst us forced to dress this way…" She gestured to herself. "Would you not prefer to be in your own clothes?"

"Fair point." The doctor conceded.

"The helm is the most important item, is it not?" Baines stepped forward and touched the metal mask that lay on the table. Dha-viath looked up at him, mischief in her smile.

"The hunters themselves are most important, the mask simply allows us to use analysis tools." She told him, picking it up. "Among other things."

Brushing by Baines, she went up to one of the large monitors, poking around behind it before pulling out a cord which she promptly sliced the end off of using the wrist blade, doing something to the wires inside. She unscrewed the connection of one of the hoses that was attached to her pack and twisted them together before putting the mask on, and attaching the second hose to it. On the screen, an image framed in red flickered into view, it was the lab. She turned toward them and they saw themselves. Strings of symbols scrolled by, as various graphics seemed to change at regular intervals.

"I use this to change the way I see…there is thermal, infrared, or I can program it to highlight specific materials or elements." She illustrated the various modes. Alec stared in fascination but she quickly detached the mask from the screen, took off the second hose and then removed the mask, looking up at Baines. "Would you like to see how my equipment works?" She asked him, an absolutely devious smile curling on her lips.

"Oh! That would…" Andrea started, but Alec elbowed her.

"That demonstration would not be for us." He told her out the side of his mouth. Her eyes widened then, noting the way Dha-viath and the commander were looking at each other.

"Ah…yeah." She cleared her throat a little. "I suppose not."

.

Dha-viath led Baines out the front gates of the colony, the guards all watching in curiosity. The mask hung from one shoulder, though, as she didn't wish to alarm any of the other colonists further than she already was by wearing armor.

"The times we've been in the woods together have been…somewhat unpleasant." He commented. She glanced up at him over her shoulder and shrugged.

"I don't think either of us is going to try to kill the other today." She was hoping this little outing would end up more interesting than a simple demonstration of her technical devices. Judging by Baines' current state, the early stages of sexual arousal, she didn't suppose there would be all that much technical demonstrating anyway. His heartrate was elevated, blood flow increased, he'd become hyperaware of her, her proximity, and his breath was increased though their walk wasn't over-exerting by any means. She knew all that of course because she was experiencing precisely the same things.

They walked for a while in silence, leaving the road and trails immediately for the rough undergrowth of the forest. Unbeknownst to Baines, Dha-viath had headed in the direction of her ship. She wanted to check on it and also swap out some of her items that would be more useful for providing the colony usable research data.

"Is this how your people start the hunt? You simply stroll through the woods?" Baines asked, amused.

"I didn't realize you wished to hunt." She stopped and looked up at him. "A hunt requires preparation. First, I would identify my quarry, learn its habits, watch it, and then formulate my plan. I would make sure it was capable of defending itself against me before I attacked it head on." She explained. "It is a time-consuming process, there are few impromptu hunts, though it is certainly exciting when something unexpected happens."

"I imagine so." He murmured, and not very unexpectedly grabbed Dha-viath around the middle, pulling her against him, his mouth close to her ear. His breath was hot on her skin, and she felt a throb deep down that made her insides clench in anticipation. "Am I your prey after all?"

"I have enjoyed this hunt." She breathed, turning in his arms and kissed him. The tension throughout his body and the rough urgency with which his mouth invaded hers indicated this first encounter would likely be brief and forceful, which she had no issue with at all. She loosened and threw down her gauntlets before unfastening the fly of his pants. Baines lifted Dha-viath and dropped to his knees, putting her on her back. He reached down, pushing aside the leather loincloth before freeing himself and there was no hesitation as he drove forward hard into her with his full length, letting out a deep groan.

Dha-viath's mind had gone in a multitude of directions…it felt good to have him inside her, but it was strange and unfamiliar. She was torn between simply enjoying him and analyzing everything about the encounter. The way he moved…the sound of his breath…her body reacting to his. The thoughts vanished as he kissed her again and the combination of his tongue moving against hers in tandem with his body sent her over the edge much sooner than she anticipated. She cried out, arching against him and Baines watched her face, his pace increasing as he, too, got close. But his muscles strained a little as he held back.

"You will not hurt me." She panted. "Do as you will, Baines, take your pleasure." He pulled out and flipped her onto her stomach, then jerked her hips up so she was on her elbows and knees.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"I am." She looked back at him and he slammed forward so that she gasped. Baines took a fistful of her braids in one hand, gripping her hip with the other as he moved hard. She listened to him breathing, the movement…the impact…and another climax gripped her just as he plunged forward, finishing with a guttural cry.

Baines was trembling slightly and he released her, withdrawing and lying down on his back, breathing hard.

"Sorry…" He said at once.

"Is it customary for humans to apologize after sex?" Dha-viath asked, kneeling beside him. There was a sheen of sweat on his brow and dark, damp spots on his shirt.

"I…no, but…"

"But?" She smirked. "You feel that rutting in the woods like an animal is…disrespectful?" He just stared at her for a moment, then reached up to touch her face.

"I'm too old for sex to be meaningless. Is that how it is for your people?" It wasn't a rude or criticizing question, it was just a question. Dha-viath shook her head.

"It is never meaningless. There are just different meanings." She replied. "I can only speak for myself and what I know. You are the second individual I have been with in such a way." He seemed surprised by that for some reason. "That means something." He sat up then, and leaned forward, kissing her more gently, but she pulled back as her satcom beeped a warning. She flipped it open, reading the message. "No time for more out here." She said and got to her feet, pulling her gauntlets on once more. "There is a storm coming, we must hurry."

"Hurry to what?" He stuffed himself away, doing up his pants again.

"My ship! There are things I need."

Baines waited outside the ship, simply staring at it in some sort of stupefied awe while Dha-viath rummaged around inside for the pack with her analysis tools in it. It had been cloaked when they approached but she turned it off when they drew near. The ship's cloaking used a different mechanism than the individual devices Yautja used when hunting, there was almost no way to detect it with the naked eye. Quickly, she swapped some of her equipment for the heavier, more powerful items, including her boots and whip. Better to be cautious and prepared.

The wind had picked up some by the time she reemerged and Baines was looking up at the sky, glancing around as his concern grew.

"How bad is this storm going to be?" He asked.

"Bad. I would have known sooner if I had gotten my things back when I was released." She told him, closing and re-cloaking the ship. She started to jog and he followed.

"How bad?"

"There will likely be substantial wind damage and some flooding at lower elevations. The colony will have significant cleanup to do afterward but is unlikely to sustain water damage. I don't anticipate it wiping any of the structures out entirely, at least not from what I've read of your schematics."

"You've read our schematics?" Baines frowned.

"Of course I have." She scoffed.

By the time the colony was in sight, there was thunder rumbling distantly and fat raindrops had begun to fall. The colonists themselves looked concerned, peering up at the sky. It was unlikely they had experienced this sort of storm before, judging by the weather pattern analysis, there was one major storm of this magnitude a year, sometimes every other year.

"Everyone needs to take cover, if they have a sub-level in their domicile, it will be the safest place; if not, they should seek shelter in a structure that does have a sub level. If there are no other options, then a concrete structure with minimal windows will work." She told Baines quickly.

"How long will the storm last?" His voice rose as the wind picked up and she popped open her satcom, flipping through the ongoing planet analysis.

"It could be anywhere from a day to four days, so they will need food and water as well." She told him.

"I will send word out now, how much time do we have before it hits?" He was leaning close, concern in his eyes and something that wasn't there before…trust. He believed her and believed she would give them the information that would keep his people safe.

"Thirty minutes at best, but I would recommend everyone be at their safe locations in fifteen minutes." Her tone grew more urgent as she watched the clouds darkening.

Baines began barking orders into his own com and at once an alarm began to sound. The instant the colonists heard it, they began to run. Dha-viath felt a pang of regret that she did not know sooner, much of their school construction would end up damaged most likely. The air of panic the scurrying humans gave off made her anxious as well and while Baines was doing his job, she put her mask on and began scanning for anyone outside the perimeter.

There was a child hiding beneath a park bench and Dha-viath took off immediately, running full-bore in that direction. With ease, she plucked the child, quite young, from his hiding spot and he began screaming in terror immediately. She had no time to allay his fears as she headed back toward the main structures of the colony. Spotting a frantic looking adult male, she shoved the child at him and he blinked, taken aback. His gratitude was lost in the sound of the wind as she was on the move again, scaling the colony wall and running along the top of it. Her viewer was set to identify any humans within range.

Two figures registering as adults were running down the road toward the main gates and she leapt down into the watch tower from its roof, startling the guard posted there.

"Two adults incoming, see that they make it, you have minutes only before you all need to seek shelter. GO!" She shouted. The young guard seemed at a loss and looked around wildly, so with a growl, she grabbed the front of his vest and leapt over the edge of the tower. He shrieked but she slowed their descent by digging her gauntlet claws into the concrete wall. "GO NOW!" She dropped him and he bolted in the direction of the people running down the road.

Dha-viath climbed the wall again scanning both inside and outside the wall for individuals hiding or in distress. She ran the full length of the wall and by the time she'd gone full circle, the people running toward the gate were inside and the doors were being closed. Inside the walls, most people had gotten inside and those remaining who were still running around were guards and soldiers checking that the people were secure. She jumped off the wall, landing deftly and jogged toward Baines.

"Is my brother safe?" She asked.

"Yes, he's with the doctor and her family." He replied.

"Should I go with them?" The rain was coming down harder and turning into hail but he leaned in close.

"I have room." Baines told her and behind her mask she grinned.

"Yes, I suppose that will do."