Chapter 35: To Celebrate Honor…
Syn'kra-vaal watched his heart mate with quizzical, yet somewhat smitten eyes as she stood with her back turned to him. There was indeed something different about her; perhaps her reaction to C'ntlip was the answer. A moment later she turned back to face Saa'retah and Syn'kra-vaal as Daan'sha stood from his seated position and made for his sleeping chamber, his eyes flashing a quick glance at Cassandra. The two Yautja that remained sitting watched her as she smiled subtly and looked at her feet. Syn chuckled lightly and used his foot to push a large vacant high-backed chair in the direction of his female.
"Come, sit with me…" he purred gently.
Saa'retah watched the two of them; Cassandra's long legs stepped effortlessly to where Syn was sitting, the glow of the fading afternoon light bathing her in a bizarre radiance. The scientist in Saa'retah made her an excellent observer, and she was able to notice the mood change in both of her friends when their eyes met. It was like something that she would have heard in a story from when she was but a youngling. If she knew the true extent of the Dark Hunter's involvement, it could well have been a tale.
Syn'kra-vaal reached over and retrieved the large flask from near the center of the table and poured his Huntress another drink, though only half filling her bowl. Saa'retah had forewarned him of Cass' intolerance. She smiled her thanks with eyes that would make most males paralytic and took a small draught. Placing her bowl gently back onto the polished granite-looking table top, Cassandra took a deep breath and calmly placed her hands, palms down, next to her C'ntlip bowl. Fighting the urge to burst out laughing, she spoke as calmly as possible in her current state.
"This is the first and last time I will be taking knowledge of dress from you…" she pointed a clawed finger at Saa'retah who smiled with self-satisfaction.
"I think you enjoy this very much…" teased Syn "I know I do."
"He is right!" laughed Saa'retah "I say give it an hour or so and you will be flaunting what your blood clan gave you…!" Saa'retah's eyes widened as she realized what she had said moments after it had left her mouth.
"You wish you could flaunt as I do!" laughed Cass, ignoring the comment about her blood clan and letting go of her attempts to remain sober. After all, she didn't even know her blood clan… not yet.
Syn'kra-vaal laughed and reached for his own C'ntlip bowl, which he had been nursing very slowly. During his exile, he had become reliant upon the intoxicating liquid; he wanted to make sure that did not happen again. He continued to chuckle as Saa'retah tried to keep a composed look while she thought of a rebuttal. Cass' musical laughter echoed through the chamber, and Syn could not keep his eyes from her, especially when she was smiling. A little more than two weeks ago, had someone told Syn'kra-vaal that in only a short time he would be rescuing an Ooman that would later become a Yautja, chances are, he would have hit them upside the head. But with the involvement of certain beings, what would seem like an insane dream to most became the new reality of Syn's life. And soon, very soon, he would take his life, his second chance, and his heart mate and together, they would rain merry hell upon their enemies. That was the plan anyway, as far as Syn was concerned.
"Syn…?" Cassandra poked him with a sharp claw.
"What…? I apologize; I lost myself in thought for a moment." The male smiled and shook his head.
"And said I was intolerant, you did!" laughed Cassandra to Saa'retah.
"In my defense, it has been a while since I last sampled C'ntlip of this quality." smiled Syn "Though unlike you, I am no Ch'hkt-a'tlip, perhaps occasionally…"
"What were you thinking about?" smiled Cass, her mood infectious.
Syn took a long draught from his bowl and stretched out, the claws of his left hand instinctively finding some part of Cassandra he could idly stroke while he talked. Saa'retah noted the reaction of her friend as the Blade male softly traced the shape of one of the natural markings upon her exposed shoulder.
"Thinking I was, about how much I am longing to get into that new armor of ours, and to go and introduce ourselves to the galaxy, starting with a few certain Ooman that are in need of our presence." he said in a proud and happy tone.
"I think I can… get used to that." Cass purred and shivered slightly under her male's delicate touch "But can you please stop that…?" she asked, blushing and looking briefly to the hand that seemed to be acting of its own accord.
Syn'kra-vaal pulled his hand away from her and smiled across the table at Saa'retah. Cassandra's mood was so strong that even she knew what the Dark Blade Huntress was feeling. The male specialist stretched and yawned again; he was getting more and more bored the longer he spent in this place. Cassandra stole a quick glance at her male, who was still only wearing his training bottoms. She knew that she was not the only one enjoying the scenery, though Saa'retah was not nearly as adept at hiding her wandering eyes as her Dark Blade friend. Cass chuckled to herself then clicked her mandibles politely to get Saa'retah's attention.
"You are enjoying the view…?"
"Y… Yes…" stammered Saa'retah "The afternoon is always magnificent here; thankfully we received moderately clear skies this day." she finished, quickly recovering herself.
"Perhaps you should wear a mask, Saa'retah, it would be less obvious!" laughed Cass.
"At least Iknow what to do with the 'view'!" laughed the female scientist, baring her tusks in mock hostility.
"You are challenging me?" laughed Cass "Give me all you have, weakling. I wrote the entire program of not to be fucked with!"
"Do not be dishonest!" giggled Saa'retah, getting to her feet "You are not intelligent enough to write!"
"Females… Calm yourselves!" Daan'sha stood at the door of his and Saa'retah's sleeping chamber, looking rather charming in his formal robes "… There is enough of me for you to share!"
Syn'kra-vaal and Cassandra both looked at each other in silence for a second before they burst out laughing. Saa'retah clicked loudly and stepped over to her male. Daan'sha looked up at her with his usual grin, his chest puffed out in an effort to make himself look bigger.
"There is nothing wrong with my male!" Saa'retah growled.
"Be sure about that I would not..." grinned the male Specialist, flexing his muscles dramatically.
"You see…?" laughed Cass, "You can not keep your eyes from him!"
"Shut your mouth!" snapped Saa'retah, putting an arm around her male as she began to blush "Physical ability is not everything one looks for in a mate!"
"Good thing you chose Daan then," chuckled Syn "If his brain was any bigger, he would lose balance constantly!"
"Just remember who has what you desire my friend…" winked Daan'sha.
"I will never forget… She is sitting right beside me." replied Syn shamelessly.
Cassandra blushed and gently shoved her male as Daan'sha chuckled lightly and shook his head before reaching for the C'ntlip bowl that sat on the table in his vacant position. He took a short draught and sighed contentedly.
"I was talking about your armor… both of you." he smiled innocently.
"Hmmph…" grunted the Blade male, not wanting to be out-done, "I am going to wash myself…"
Daan'sha and Saa'retah both smiled triumphantly as Syn stood from the large circular table, picked his formal robes up from the floor and made for the guest chamber. He mumbled as he walked.
"Remember, once you have gifted me with this armor you speak of, have nothing to hold over me you will."
"I will always have something that you would like to get your claws into. If I do not, then I will make something you desire."
The Blade operative just grumbled and stepped past Cassandra, who remained seated. As he passed her, he softly ran a claw along the back of her exposed shoulders. She closed her eyes and purred shamelessly, something of an oddity for her. Daan'sha chuckled again as he occupied the place where he had previously been sitting. He looked up at his female and grinned with delight.
"Good to be triumphant it is…"
"… Do not become too accustomed to it…" Syn's voice grumbled from the guest chamber.
Cass blinked several times as she thought to herself, a silent battle raging inside her head: Should she follow Syn into their sleeping chamber…? Was it the right thing to do…? Darkness knows she wanted to, and in her current state, her want for him was greater than usual, as was her impulsiveness. The Huntress' inhibition was also somewhat affected by her intoxication; this became even more obvious as she looked up at Saa'retah and smiled mischievously. Before Daan'sha or his mate could say anything, she got to her feet, swallowed a large mouthful of C'ntlip and stepped through the doorway before Syn'kra-vaal had a chance to close it.
The Blade male looked up in surprise as he heard another step into the chamber; it took him only a microsecond to realize it was Cassandra, even before he saw her. She stepped into the chamber rather purposefully and sealed the door behind her. Turning around slowly, she leant backwards, resting her back against the closed entranceway. A seemingly silent eternity passed between the two Yautja as Cass drew in a deep breath, drinking in the scent of her male.
Though it took an exceptional amount of effort, the Blade operative managed to contain himself. Syn'kra-vaal was thankful for the masterful control he had over his body; years and years of painful physical and mental training finally became useful for something. He mused at his thoughts for a moment, but as his heart mate stood before him, her chest rising and falling as she took in his scent, he could feel his will beginning to erode. The fiery, unfamiliarHeaH look he had seen in her eyes previously had now become somewhat of a dominating feature, though one that made Syn's hearts race. The persona, Thei-de Ka'antyra, bared imaginary tusks in anticipation…
The Yautja male stood unmoving near the end of their sleeping platform as Cass began to step slowly toward him, their eyes locked in an unending embrace. Her long legs moved in an almost hypnotic motion, making a small part of Syn wish that she had not entered the chamber. Though on the other hand, there was a part of him that had been waiting for this day ever since he had first laid his eyes upon her.
As Cassandra slowly closed the distance between them, the warm scent of her male became much more potent, pushing her closer to losing control; if she had not done so already. She felt herself blush as the chemical signals generated in her body made her hearts pump harder. She broke the gaze of her male only once as she stared down at his body.
Cassandra was all but a few paces away from him and Syn could already hear her thumping heart beats. Her scent was thick with lust, but also tainted by her nervousness. The natural aroma that emanated from her body was like a jack hammer to Syn'kra-vaal's resolve. It played with his mind; he felt as if he was becoming more intoxicated by the second, by just being exposed to her. This was possibly the hardest thing he had ever done, but the male's determination was strong. Surely she had sensed his battling apprehension? Perhaps she was as affected by his current scent as he was hers.
Syn smiled nervously. Being with a female was not the issue at hand, being with Cassandra was the cause for his concern. His feelings for her were strong, much stronger than he had ever felt before. But most unfortunately, there was to be a time and place for them to share their love, and this was not it. The Yautja male took a calming breath and swallowed hard. Thei-de Ka'antyra, knowing what was to happen, hissed and stomped back to the depths of Syn'kra-vaal's mind. Despite being so sure of his resolution, out of nowhere, Cassandra appeared directly in front of him.
Before Syn could even react, she reached out with both hands, tenderly pushing the dreaded locks back away from either side of his face. The male felt shooting tingles surging down his spine as her fingers softly followed his contours. Her mischievous clawed hands further explored the back of her male's head and then made their way down his neck. Syn closed his eyes and remained still, ever more determined to do the right thing. Her presence he had managed, her scent was a challenge… But now her touch…
His conscience was screaming as she pulled him toward her, but his body reacted automatically, without instruction. He felt every touch of her body against his. Her breasts, pushing into his upper chest and neck, her clawed fingers, ever so slowly moving down his back. Syn's eyes bulged when he felt a gentle pressure as Cassandra dipped her hips, rubbing herself against him. With his face buried against her neck, all he could feel was her hearts racing, all he could hear was her heavy breathing, and all he could smell was her soft skin.
Syn'kra-vaal just wanted to scream in frustration. As much as he was trying to resist, he could feel himself physically reacting to her. Out of nowhere, a husky, sensual, yet soft voice interrupted Cassandra's semi-labored breathing.
"There is something I have been thinking about doing… all afternoon…"
Cassandra purred tenderly and pulled away a little, she looked down at her male, their eyes locked for just a second before she gave a shy grin and dipped her head slightly. Syn closed his eyes and smiled a warm, heartfelt smile as Cass bent forward and ever so gently caressed his cheek with her own, a show of great affection among the Yautja. Syn'kra-vaal happily reciprocated the gesture by nuzzling her in return. While they were still locked in their display of love, Syn took a calming breath and mumbled quietly.
"Right at this moment… there is nothing I want more, than to do bad things to you…"
"However…?" Cass moaned and pulled away from her male with a flustered smile.
"You are only new to this, my heart, this life. Also, you are not thinking clearly. Wrong it would be for me to take advantage of you."
"…Take advantage of me?" Cass held Syn at arms length and laughed "If anything, it is I who is manipulating you."
"That may be so." Syn shrugged "Though change the fact it does not, that you should perhaps gain more familiarity with your new form before that happens… After all…"
"… There is a better time and place… I know." Cass rolled her eyes "Say that a lot, you do."
"Perhaps, but there is a method to madness, even my madness…" Now that Cassandra had shown she was familiar with the aspects of Yautja intimacy, Syn tip toed up and nuzzled his cheek against hers.
"If I did not enjoy that so much, rather irritated I may be right now." purred Cass.
"Worry not, when the time comes, disappoint you I will not…" winked Syn, making his female laugh "But for now, I will wash and ready myself."
"Do not think I am leaving… We have a few other issues that require discussion."
"Is that so?"
Cass nodded to her male as he stepped back and away from her, his eyes holding her gaze the entire time. Despite the current circumstances, she sighed contentedly and fell backward onto their sleeping platform. Syn grinned to himself as he removed his training bottoms and stepped into the recessed section of floor. Cassandra heard the water start to rain from the ceiling and raised her head from the bed so she could spy a look at her male's naked body, his back turned to her. The Dark Blade female grinned to herself.
'He is one that would be worth waiting for.'
Cass let her head fall back onto the bed and spoke so Syn could hear while she stared at the ceiling.
"When are we to leave this place…?"
Syn stopped washing himself for a moment and turned to look over his shoulder at his female, who remained lying on her back, staring at the ceiling. "You are wanting to leave?"
"You know I am, as are you." She replied with a chuckle.
"This is true…" he sighed "I feel very bored here. I mean absolutely no injustice to Daan'sha's hospitality, but as soon as he delivers this armor he speaks of, we are to be ghosts in this place." Syn began to wash himself again as he continued to speak "We have much training to do before that happens though. Very fast you are learning, but soon we will progress to weapons training. Yautja weapons are very different to those of the Oomen; you will need to gain much proficiency before you are ready to return to your old friends…"
"Friends indeed…" growled Cass "Though speaking of such things, I have been thinking of a strike plan for when the time comes. They will be expecting something, and I for one, would hate very much to disappoint them."
"What have you in mind?"
"Well, you are familiar with the pentagonal shape of the complex?"
"Of course, I studied the designs well. On that topic, the important Ooman structures used for research and the likes, they all seem to be that same, pentagonal shape…"
"Oh…" Cassandra laughed quietly "A carryover from hundreds of years before. For a great many decades a building of similar shape, though much smaller, served as an important icon in Ooman society." She raised her head and looked at him once more as he shut the water off.
"Interesting, some Yautja colonies also share architectural likeness with Yau'te."
"I know," winked Cass "…Network…"
"Known that, I should have." chuckled Syn, shamelessly rubbing himself down, removing the excess water from his body.
"As I was saying…" Cass coughed to cover the awkwardness of Syn's nudity and quickly averted her eyes to the ceiling "In the center of the Ooman complex, there is a communications tower…"
"Of this I am aware…" smiled the male, openly.
"The large shaft that runs down the center of the structure…" Cass blushed and cursed quietly at her choice of words "This large conduit, under the tower,is where the entire infrastructure for every level of the facility converges."
"It seems rather foolish to house all a structure's weaknesses in one location."
"What is more, the main reactor core is at the very base of this conduit, albeit, quite a few nok underground." Cass was proud of herself, she was sounding more and more like a Yautja every passing day. "Granted, this is a seemingly foolish way to design a structure. But that being said, the outer walls are heavily reinforced and the shield technology the Oomen are utilizing now is simple but quite effective."
"What is your intention, my heart?" Syn smiled down at her with pride as he started pulling on his robe.
"Destroy it. The communications tower…" she grinned "It will create complete and utter chaos of unimaginable proportions …for the Oomen at least."
"I love the way your mind works sometimes." smiled Syn, settling the freshly adorned robe on his shoulders.
Cassandra got to her feet and smiled contentedly as she watched her male fuss about with his clothing. She thought they had looked rather bland while on the floor, however, now that they had a body inside of them, they seemed to naturally suit their wearer. The garment hugged Syn's well conditioned body across his shoulders and chest, giving emphasis to his physique, but in a subtle manner. The Dark Blade female flashed a grin down at her male as she admired his appearance in formalwear. Though simple, Cassandra thought they suited the Blade Clan rather well. She liked the strange touch of chainmail, it added character.
"Rather handsome you look. Perhaps you should dress this way more often."
"Perhaps, though this evening I think you will be stealing the attention away from the way I look."
"Do not remind me…" Cass rolled her eyes.
"Come, let us make way to the dining chamber, we can talk more of what you have planned for your assault. I am interested to know more of your offensive mind."
"I tried to show you that earlier…" winked Cass.
Syn growled enthusiastically as he playfully pushed Cassandra toward the chamber door, both his hands on her hips. She giggled mischievously as Syn purred at her.
"Speak no more of that … something bad might happen." he grinned.
"… Following those events…? Well, of course I left it to the thick skulls and Daan'sha to take care of things, but yes, as to your original question, it was me who discovered Siy'kaa's betrayal." Ul'teh gloated as he leant casually against the far western wall of the dining chamber, near the large entrance. His attempts to woo a certain female he had had his eyes on were surprisingly working. Surprising, because he was three days without sleep and still taking C'ntlip.
"I overheard one of the 'thick skulls' mention you are from Yau'te?" questioned the female.
"Yes, my blood clan is settled there, though I have travelled around many of the Yautja systems, and some of the non–Yautja systems as well…" he added with a lopsided smile.
"I too am from Yau'te. From what region does your blood clan hail?"
"Yau'te-ka." he grinned "And your clan? Where do they reside?"
"You are quite central. That is much too busy for my desire, from Na'hou'tak I am."
"I have not travelled to many of the outer regions of Yau'te…" Ul'teh shook his head and looked around at the many Yautja that currently populated the dining chamber before gazing back to the female who was accompanying him. "…though if more like you reside in that area, perhaps I should indeed travel there!"
Ul'teh flashed his most charming smile. The female blushed and looked over his shoulder as a Yautja couple entered the busy chamber. Just the expression on her face told the skinny communications technician that there was something obviously worth looking at. As he turned in the direction of the main entrance, Ul'teh noticed a lot of others were doing the same thing. The loud conversations suddenly died away and soon everyone was staring in stunned silence at the latest arrivals. It actually took Ul'teh a few moments to realize that the pair were Syn'kra-vaal and Cassandra, whom he and most others knew as Ju'lyn-zal. Never before had he seen a female as striking. The same most likely went for every other male in the chamber. She flashed a shy grin and turned her head slightly to whisper something to Syn'kra-vaal. It was equally as hard not to notice her fellow Dark Blade companion. He strolled in leisurely with his arm around her waist, and a million dollar smile on his face. He too was looking very presentable, the formalwear of the Blade Clan standing out against his distinct yet subtly muscled body.
All the Yautja in the dining chamber, especially the males, were forced to tear their vision away and turn to face the far end of the chamber. Near where the trio of consoles had been deployed, Daan'sha stood atop one of the square tables and clicked loudly to get the attention of all Yautja. Cassandra exhaled with a sigh of relief, making Syn'kra-vaal grin and elbow her in the ribs, though the relief was short lived. From his heightened position, their skinny friend pointed across the chamber at them and spoke in a proud voice.
"A few of you may know why we have gathered here this evening…" Daan'sha looked straight at Cassandra and winked.
"Do not…!" whispered Cass under her breath, though her mandibles were pulling back into a smile.
"…We are here because, together, we have uncloaked the mysteries of Ma'kaan Tu-wa's Dark Portal Energy Generation theory!"
There were a few gasps of genuine surprise from the Yautja who had been skeptical of the way Daan'sha implemented the design. Then suddenly the chamber erupted in approbation, many of the Yautja scientists roaring their congratulations. The guards just stood in their populated corner of the chamber, opposite the large entryway, with blank looks upon their faces. Cass looked at their corner of the large eatery with a big smile on her face. Even though she could understand Daan'sha's project to a degree, she also understood how they felt. The Blade female looked to her right as Ul'teh approached, his companion in tow, and then back to Daan'sha as he talked loudly over the fading appreciative noise.
"I thank all of you that assisted with this project, though there is still much to be completed. However, when finalized, I believe it will indeed keep the Elders content in their desire for power." Daan'sha laughed with most of his brain trust at the humorous comment. Again, most of the guards looked on with blank expressions; several of them groaned and shook their heads. "Regrettably, there is also a more serious issue at hand, one that, no doubt a great deal of you know of already." Daan'sha looked at Syn'kra-vaal, then to the guards, "I am speaking of one of our more recent additions to the Guard Force, Siy'kaa. It was discovered recently that Siy'kaa was covertly breeching your trust and mine by supplying information of a sensitive nature to an unknown source."
Daan'sha paused to let his words sink in. It was the first time such a thing had happened, and many Yautja, especially the Guards, growled their revulsion. "It was only the swift and just actions of several Yautja, including Avaal'ekan and our guest, operative of the Dark Blade Clan, Syn'kra-vaal, which prevented Siy'kaa's escape."
As Avaal'ekan was still recovering from his injury, the entire chamber turned to face the newcomers once again. Cassandra could feel the eyes of many moving over her body and shifted uncomfortably as a blush rose to her face. She felt her male remove his arm from around her waist. Syn stood tall before bowing humbly, in a show of his respect. Daan'sha's stare of appreciation never left the eyes of his Dark Blade friend as he returned the gesture. Again, a thunderous wave of approbation rolled through the chamber, though this time, it was the guards making a great deal of the noise. Syn smiled with pride at his skinny friend, blushing almost as much as Cassandra.
Ul'teh was looking slightly annoyed at the fact that his name was not mentioned; Syn noticed this as he flashed a look to his right. The female accompanying the technician looked down at Ul'teh with slight apprehension. Syn'kra-vaal acted quickly and sidestepped next to them, putting his arm around the skinny male.
"I thank you all for your praise…." Syn spoke loudly "However, it is misplaced. The true champion of this day was your own communications technician, Ul'teh!" Again, the chamber erupted in praise. Syn'kra-vaal grinned and waited a few moments before raising a hand, and his audience fell quiet. "His commitment to honor, to his trade, and to this facility is something that every Yautja should take from these events."
A big smile spread across Ul'teh's face as technicians and researchers alike roared their appreciation once more. They were all too happy that it was one of their own and not the thick skulls getting all the praise. Ul'teh leant close to his new Dark Blade friend.
"Thank you Syn'kra-vaal…"
"Think nothing of it," replied Syn quietly "I am certain now, that you will indeed be mated by the end of this evening…"
"I will come looking for you if I do not!" laughed Ul'teh, turning his attention back to the female that accompanied him "Ka'cxa-te, you know of Syn'kra-vaal and Ju'lyn-zal?"
"Of course…" she smiled politely to the newcomers.
"Ju'lyn-zal, Syn, this is Ka'cxa-te. Like me, she is from Yau'te."
"It is an honor to meet you both." she bowed courteously.
At first glance Ka'cxa-te reminded Cassandra a lot of Saa'retah. Though she was a little older than Daan'sha's mate, she was also a little taller, very close to Cass' height. Ka'cxa-te looked on with a slightly confused expression as both the Dark Blade hunters cocked their heads slightly to one side as they silently interrogated their new acquaintance for a second. She didn't know that Syn was mocking his heart mate. To her, it was as if they had both practiced the expressions they wore for a moment, each mirroring the other. Ul'teh laughed as the two hunters both scented at the same time. Cass elbowed Syn hard in the ribs.
"Stop mocking me!" she laughed.
"Help it I cannot!" grinned the Blade male "I know you too well…"
"I am sorry, Ka'cxa-te." Cass bowed her head with a friendly smile. "My nature is very curious… And the nature of my male is pure stupidity on occasion."
"There is no need to apologize." smiled Ka'cxa-te "Males will be males…"
Cass laughed again as Syn stepped away to a nearby table; he came back in moments with two C'ntlip bowls and handed one to Cassandra. She grinned knowingly at him and took a sip. The Blade female was beginning to feel a little more at ease; slowly the stares in her direction were becoming little more than curious glances. The conversation was getting louder as Yautja raised their voices to be heard, and then others talked even louder so they could be heard. Ka'cxa-te moved from her position beside Ul'teh, stepping closer so she could talk with her new friend while their males shared words.
"Saa'retah tells me you are not so much of a, uhhh…"
"Thick Skull?" grinned Cass, feeling her little rush from the C'ntlip.
"I was thinking whether to use that term or not." replied the female with a small smile.
"I do not mind. But in answer to your question, I am a thick skull, though one who enjoys intelligence as a pastime."
"Excellent. Conversation may not be so boring after all…" her tone was ringing with subtle humor. Clearly, Ka'cxa-te had a serious manner.
"Entertaining it would be. I am some what, Ch'hkt-a'tlip…" winked Cassandra.
"Ahh," nodded the female, as if she had figured something out "Ul'teh is 'Ch'hkt-a'tlip' as well."
"I figured that, how else could he stay awake for three days?"
Ka'cxa-te smiled at her new friend, though her seriousness still showed in her expression. She already enjoyed the company of this hunter, Ju'lyn-zal, and was sure that Ul'teh was glad to have someone new to talk to. She had not known him that long, but it was obvious that he saw himself somewhere in between the guards and the scientists. Sometimes he spoke more with the thick skulls, and others he preferred the company of intelligence. Tonight, his choice of friendship was blatantly obvious as both he and Syn were waved over to the corner populated by the majority of the Guard Force. Both the males looked to Ka'cxa-te and Cassandra before leaving, as if to ask for permission. Ka'cxa-te smiled somewhat tenderly to Ul'teh and nodded her head once. Syn, on the other hand, stepped up to his heart mate and shamelessly nuzzled his cheek against her own, embarrassing her in the best way he could. Cass clicked her tusks quietly.
"Why do you shame me so…?"
"Like this very much you do." winked Syn as he pulled away from her "I am going to socialize, or attempt to do so at least."
"Of course, I will be watching you." Cass smiled playfully.
"Ka'cxa-te…" Syn smiled and bowed to their new acquaintance before turning to follow Ul'teh through the groups of Yautja.
Cassandra laughed at her new friend's expression; it appeared as if she was trying to remain serious though blushing at the same time. Ka'cxa-te half shrugged and smiled innocently.
"I am not ashamed… It is a natural reaction to a male as attractive as yours."
"There is nothing to be ashamed of!"
"That I am aware." nodded Ka'cxa-te "But it has indeed been a long while since I have seen a male such as Syn'kra-vaal…"
"Tell me, Ka'cxa-te, what is your area of expertise?" asked Cassandra, lightheartedly in an attempt to politely change the topic of conversation.
"I have offended you. I apologize." Ka'cxa-te bowed her head.
"Do not be ridiculous," smiled Cass "You can not help what you feel, just as I cannot."
"You are very even in principality; I like that in a friend. My area of expertise is vessel specific power generation and propulsion systems. Being an active warrior, albeit a young one…" she smiled "…you are no doubt familiar with basic shuttle operation systems?"
"Of course…" lied Cass.
"Well, I was the Primary alongside Daan'sha for the 'Ghost Reactor' project. You are familiar with it?"
"I have heard about it, but know much of the details I do not…" Cass hated being dishonest, but it was the best way to learn what Ka'cxa-te knew.
"Very well, I shall explain. Your intelligence level seems very high for a hunter, so you should have no problem. You are familiar with the operation of Na-ao'tok cold fusion reactors?"
"Indeed." nodded Cass, telling the truth this time. Yautja power generation technology had been one of the first things she had learnt from the Network. Though she hoped Ka'cxa-te was not always this serious.
"Many advances in technology have only been made possible because of the Na-ao'tok reactors. In the several centuries they have been in service, many refinements have been made to both the reactors themselves and their control modules. It was expected that sooner or later the Leading Elders would want something new and more powerful for their War Haulers. It was then that Daan'sha created Na-el'tok. It is identical to Na-ao'tok, with the exception of a super-heavy proton. Daan'sha insists that the idea for 'ghost reaction' came to him in a dream; I can not speculate otherwise. All I know is that he opened yet another door to our understanding of advanced particle technology. The name Ghost Reaction comes from an exceptionally unique secondary collapse of the Na-el'tok nucleus. You see, once the fuel is activated and the electrostatic bond of the nucleus is broken, the super-heavy proton becomes very volatile and actually emits great amounts of energy before the primary reaction has occurred!" This was the most emotion Cass had seen from her new friend, who was looking at the huntress wide eyed, like she was expecting a round of applause or something.
"Absolutely bizarre that is!" beamed Cass. She would indeed dig up more information from the Yautja network at a later date. "But how did Daan'sha alter the Na-ao'tok?"
"True to his form, he designed and built a very powerful, high intensity containment field that allows us to artificially alter the very basic structure of a particle in real time. It was built specifically for this purpose, though now it is used for other assignments as well."
"Wha…?" Cass stuttered "He built a device that can alter atom structures, at the particulate level…?"
"As I mentioned, 'true to his form'… But finished I have not. In normal reactor systems using only Na-ao'tok fuel, the instability I mentioned was something overcome in the first few prototypes. Daan'sha, on the other hand, somehow came up with the idea that this new fuel would only work to its true potential if it was unstable. As usual, he was correct…"
"Wait!" Cass laughed and held up her hands, still in disbelief "This facility has a device that can alter atom structures, at the particulate level…?"
"Uhh… Yes…" nodded Ka'cxa-te with a bewildered expression "Have you suffered sudden hearing loss?"
"No…" Cass started to laugh, but quickly realized Ka'cxa-te was serious.
"Very well…" she looked at Cass with a strange expression, but continued her explanation. "Apart from what I explained previously, the Na-el'tok reactors work in the same manner as conventional systems. Of course, their circuitry and control systems are vastly superior, for obvious reasons. If just one Ghost Reactor was to fail and reach critical mass… and coupled with the antimatter propulsion drive systems… I can not imagine how much destruction it would cause. And as you know, there are eight primary reactors aboard Jag'd'ja vessels, each with its own coupled engine. Not to mention the several other smaller secondary power generation reactors…"
"What modifications were made to the propulsion systems in order to process the kind of energy created by this process?"
"Surprisingly, very little modifications were required, just some basic changes to the repulsion field emitters and primary reaction chambers. Of course, the operating systems had to be completely overhauled and reconfigured. Once the first vessel was complete, we were all surprised at how efficient the Jag'd'ja could function. Even under full load situations, the updated engines performed well beyond expectations."
"Never before have I met one so passionate about their trade, perhaps Daan'sha or Syn'kra-vaal…" smiled Cass, "Tell me how these new propulsion systems function, I am indeed interested."
"In similarity to standard antimatter impulsion engines, the stored energy is fed from the element cells into a small plasma reflection chamber. Or if under full load, the engine draws directly from its mated reactor. The purpose of this first phase is to hyper-excite the energy particles. This helps to siphon the electrons away from the nucleus, leaving only the raw energy proton. The electrons are removed via a very sophisticated electromagnetic filter. I could explain further, but very complicated it becomes…"
Ka'cxa-te, like Daan'sha, had a rather amusing habit of talking very fast when the topic was something of interest to her, though she paused occasionally to sip from her C'ntlip bowl. As she drank, Cassandra ran over what she had said in her mind. Listening and absorbing the information was not an issue for her, though understanding Yautja particle physics was becoming more of a problem. Especially considering they had been doing things that Oomen scientists thought impossible, and the Yautja had been doing these things for hundreds of years. The human race had developed their own crude version of antimatter drives for the purpose of interstellar travel, and still used them in active service. In Ooman terms, the process was known as Nuclear Pulse Catalyst Antimatter Propulsion, and was horrendously basic in comparison to the Yautja version. It involved introducing very minute amounts of antimatter fuel into an already active fusion reaction. This was effective in creating massive amounts of frighteningly volatile energy, but there were many harmful byproducts, and it was very inefficient.
Ka'cxa-te cleared her throat, politely interrupting Cassandra's train of thought. It seemed that her mind worked very effectively when intoxicated, or so she got the feeling.
"Now, let me continue… After the electrons are siphoned away, this leaves only an excited proton and several neutrons, which are burnt off as the remaining particles are drawn into a powerful compression coil. Compressing the Na-el'tok energy protons to near the event of singularity was the only way we could reliably superheat them to the point where the natural electrostatic repulsion between them breaks down…"
"In truth, I think know enough about particle nature to figure out how you get your antimatter energy…" Cass said as she sipped her C'ntlip idly, her mind working quickly.
"You speak the truth…?" asked Ka'cxa-te in disbelief.
"Of course… I had a basic understanding before, but now that you have explained most of it, I think I have it resolved. The purpose of removing the protons' natural reaction to repel from one another is to initiate a proton annihilation reaction. This would indeed create positive beta decay, rich with Na-ao'tok… apologies, Na-el'tok positrons. Am I correct…?" asked Cass with a sly grin. It seemed her mind had absorbed quite a lot more information from the network than she first thought.
"Ye… Yes, correct you are…" Ka'cxa-te looked at her new friend with a perplexed expression.
"Though I wonder how you control such a reaction, the beta decay would be exceptionally destructive, would it not?"
"Indeed so…" nodded Ka'cxa-te, still looking wide eyed at Cass "A density resolution field pulsates constantly around the inner layer of the compression spirals, millions of times per second, controlling absolutely the exact point where the proton repulsion field breaks down. This is what keeps every aspect of the antimatter drives in synchronous. By controlling the proton annihilation, we can dictate the exact concentration of the positive beta decay. After that, it is rather simple. The Na-el'tok positrons are drawn instantly from the beta decay to the previously siphoned electrons in the primary reaction chamber. By this time there is absolutely nothing that will stop the particles from colliding instantly, at close to the speed of light. You can not imagine the energy created, the mind boggles…"
"Oh I think I could get a fair idea…"
"In the primary reaction chambers, there is only one place for the enormous amounts of energy to go, and that is out the thrust ports. Of course, everything I have just explained happens before you can even think about blinking an eye."
"Absolutely amazing…" Cass couldn't believe what she had heard, and for a brief moment her mind wandered, lost in sheer amazement. "I can not even imagine how detailed the command systems must be…"
For the short while they had been talking, Cass seemed to be in some far off place, concentrating only on Ka'cxa-te's voice. But as their topic of conversation came to an end, Cassandra came back to reality, the boisterous chatter and laughter in the dining chamber seeming louder than ever. Cass' new friend continued to look at her; her face was serious, though her eyes and her scent told of her intrigue. Unsure of what to say next, Cass looked over to Syn and Ul'teh. They were semi-surrounded by stunned guards as Ul'teh recalled the events of the afternoon. Cass strained her hearing, and even though Ul'teh's back was facing her, she was able to hear him clearly.
"… That was nothing; you should have seen him catch the blade from direct flight…"
"You were not even there Ul'teh, how would you know?" laughed an older guard, mocking the technician's enthusiasm.
"No, there I was not, thick skull, but I had a better view than any other. You see, I had previously opened a back door into the Jag'd'ja that was adjacent to Syn'kra-vaal's shuttle. From there, writing a directive to access its external security feeds was almost infantile…"
Syn remained silent, leaning calmly against the wall, blushing slightly, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. Cass watched him closely; it seemed she was learning more about him by the minute. Contradictory to how he acted around her, he was really rather shy at times. The Blade huntress' face flushed as she thought about the events that had taken place earlier in the evening. She temporarily hid her face in her bowl. No matter what he had said, it made no difference. She still wanted him, and the C'ntlip was not helping her state of mind. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could pick up the curious glances of other males stealing looks at her, but suddenly she felt something different. She could not explain how, but she knew Syn was looking at her. She turned her head quickly to the side and as their eyes met, she felt her hearts flutter; 'Damn him… why does he affect me so…?' she thought to herself, taking another sip from her bowl.
'That would be because you are more in love with him than I was… And this he knows.'
Cassandra was mentally startled, but as usual, showed no physical sign what so ever. She looked up and smiled at Ka'cxa-te politely before looking slightly to her left to see Ju'lyn-zal, hovering an inch from the floor, behind her new friend. The ascended female grinned and looked Cass up and down.
'You look stunning. I miss not having that body…'
'Thank you, Jul… what is the occasion?'
'Can a higher being not pass by to see her friend…?'
'No. There has to be a reason for you to be here.'
'More and more like your male you are becoming, very stubborn. But you are correct, of course. The Dark One sent me. Apparently, you will need some information from me very soon.'
'You do not know when…? It seems his annoying habit of being vague is not only focused to us "lower beings".'
'I will know when the opportunity presents itself…'
'Then enjoy the celebrations…'
'You are going to ignore me? How rude…'
'It would be rather inconvenient if other Yautja began to think I was insane…'
"Ca… Ju'lyn-zal!" Cassandra heard Saa'retah's voice over the other loud babble.
'She almost fucked that up rather well…' Ju'lyn-zal smiled over Ka'cxa-te's shoulder at Cass.
"Ju'lyn-zal!" Saa'retah called again, waving her hand to get Cass' attention "Bring Ka'cxa-te with you and come to the front of the chamber!"
Cass looked over her shoulder at Syn once more, taking in just the very sight of him before she turned to her new acquaintance and shrugged.
"The matriarch beckons us…"
"Lead the way." smiled Ka'cxa-te, the intrigue starting to present itself more on her outward appearance.
The Blade male saw the whole thing, and like Cassandra, he gave no physical tell of his mood change. The ascended form of Ju'lyn-zal was with them again. His curiosity began to peak, but he had to remain where he was; walking away now would do nothing more than start questions from the wrong Yautja. He watched as Saa'retah waved Cass and the female, Ka'cxa-te, toward her position. The ghostly form of Ju'lyn-zal followed, passing through several Yautja in her path. Though Syn's eyes were on the ascended being, his ears were listening to the conversations of the guards and Ul'teh. It would be rude for him to leave at this point, he was their 'guest of honor' so to speak, but like every professional operative, all he wanted was information. What was Ju'lyn-zal doing here? The Blade male sighed to himself. He would just have to continue to play the part until he could get back to Cassandra.
A sudden hand clapping down upon his right shoulder startled Syn, but again, he did not show his surprise, though he had to control his thoughts well. Startling him was usually a hard thing to do, but if successful, there was usually a bad outcome of some description. The Yautja operative had to continuously remind himself that he was among friends, and that breaking the arm of someone who meant only a friendly greeting was going to cause trouble.
"Syn'kra-vaal! My friend…" Avaal'ekan's familiar voice chorused above his fellow guards. Syn suppressed his defensive anger as he wondered quietly to himself… Why was Avaal'ekan so eager to forgive and forget…? What was he hiding…? Perhaps there was more to the Guard Chief than first meets the eye…