Ok, long story short, things have been F**KING hectic, between new chapters and overhauling the terrible previous chapters, the magical 2.0 and I are slowly getting there, so check out the new PROLOGUE, CHAPTER 1, 2 AND 3!
There is more on the way! Time between updates won't be this long again, hopefully...
M.
Chapter 36: The Hidden…
"… Ava…!" Syn put on a smile for his new friend, the Guard Chief.
"In the name of Darkness… It lives!" Avaal'ekan's second in command, Kur'rel-taa, pushed through the group of guards. "You gave us all quite a scare…"
Like previously at the Hub, there was something about the way Kur'rel-taa spoke to his superior that didn't sit right with Syn.
"It will take more than that to keep me down, my friend. But please, there will be time for us to talk. For now, I must speak with Syn."
"Syn…" Kur'rel-taa almost looked disappointed "As you wish…"
Several thoughts passed through Syn'kra-vaal's mind as he watched Kur'rel-taa walk away. Thei-de Ka'antyra reared his head as an echo is Syn's thoughts, his antagonistic humor blatantly obvious. 'Yes… you are indeed correct… He enjoys it from another male.'
The Blade operative grinned and turned his attention back to Avaal'ekan; most of his Guard Force had expanded their circle so that it now encompassed their superior as well. Syn watched, still leaning against the wall, quite grateful that he was no longer the center of attention. The guards doted upon their Rylt'ah for a short while, one of them handing him a very full C'ntlip bowl. Ava took a humble mouthful before he excused himself and turned back to Syn, nodding that he should follow. As they both walked away from the group of guards to where the projection consoles had been positioned near the front of the chamber, Syn took a sip from his bowl and cleared his throat.
"You are feeling better then?"
"Indeed, though it still remains somewhat uncomfortable to move my neck. Tau'ken-re says that will fade in a day."
"Good," smiled Syn "So, we are to drink and talk of bloody adventures?"
"Amongst other things…" Avaal'ekan winked at his new friend.
The two males pushed through the many bodies that populated the dining chamber, trying to make their way toward the front. It was a slow journey, as many Yautja would stop them to show their respects and offer words of appreciation. Syn eventually saw the ghostly figure of Ju'lyn-zal among the crowd, his stunning heart mate standing next to her. Saa'retah appeared to be talking passionately about something with the female, Ka'cxa-te, whom they had met earlier. Syn was still too far away to decipher anything of their conversation from all the other loud babble around them.
A few moments later, Syn and Avaal'ekan closed the last couple of meters between them and where Cassandra and the others were standing, Ju'lyn-zal's company included. As they approached, Syn could hear Ka'cxa-te babbling loudly to Saa'retah.
"… No, said she was this intelligent you did not!" Ka'cxa-te's face was serious as usual, but her tone depicted her slight humor.
"It sounds as though I was done no justice in either cause!" laughed Cass, looking at Saa'retah. "Is she always like this?"
"Unfortunately, yes." giggled Saa'retah with mirth, "C'ntlip makes her worse…"
"There is nothing wrong with the way I am!" Ka'cxa-te glared at both her friends and clicked her mandibles impatiently. "Ju'lyn-zal should remain here with us! It is obvious she has a brilliant mind, why waste it on hunting…"
'Because science is almost as painful as your voice…' Ju'lyn-zal commented to Cassandra.
'That was actually quite amusing…' Cass replied with an audible snort.
"I have asked her on numerous occasions!" exclaimed Saa'retah "There is too much thick skull in her…"
Because there was much going on in front of her, it was quite easy for Syn'kra-vaal to sneak up on Cassandra from behind. The Blade female may not have noticed her male approaching her, but Ju'lyn-zal did. She raised her eyebrows, but aside from that, the ascended female remained still. Syn waited until he was right behind his lovely mate before he spoke.
"You are not attempting to steal my heart mate away again are you, Saa'retah…?"
"Not I, Ka'cxa-te. But she is not making it easy."
Cassandra hid her alarm like a true professional and turned on her heel to face her male, who was waiting with a grin. Cass smiled at him with those eyes, making his hearts flutter for a brief moment. Ju'lyn-zal watched as she dipped her head toward him and nuzzled her cheek against his. Out of the corner of his eye, Syn could see their 'Watcher' doing just that. He made eye contact with her for a brief moment before pulling away from his female. He heard her scenting him quietly, making him smile. Her actions, though not entirely abnormal for a Yautja, brought him joy.
` Saa'retah, Ka'cxa-te and Avaal'ekan watched as the Blade couple interacted, unashamed. It hadn't taken much effort for Saa'retah to notice Cassandra looking over at her male every few minutes, even just to make eye contact for a second. Syn'kra-vaal purred quietly and moved around so he was between Cassandra and their Watcher, Ju'lyn-zal. Cass returned the gesture to her male, looking down at him for a second before placing an arm around his waist; Ju'lyn-zal's voice came to both of them.
'Could the pair of you be more affectionate…?'
'Yes.' Syn answered simply, sipping at the C'ntlip bowl he had brought with him from the rear of the chamber. 'Would you like to observe?'
Cassandra stifled her laughter and watched as Avaal'ekan stepped straight though the ascended female and moved so he was between Saa'retah and Ka'cxa-te. The Blade female mimicked her mate, took a small mouthful of C'ntlip and swallowed with delight.
"… The only way I would stay here is if Syn was staying here also…"
'Of course…' the Watcher rolled her eyes.
"And happen that will not." stated Syn with a smile "Too long it has been since I have hunted my own food…"
"That is just something you thick skulls say in place of 'I feel the need to kill something'…" Ka'cxa-te mumbled.
Avaal'ekan laughed with Daan'sha's mate, though Ka'cxa-te remained looking rather serious, as was apparently normal. The five Yautja and Ju'lyn-zal all turned to look as they heard Daan'sha's voice from behind them.
"Killing…? There will be no such thing here tonight!"
"No…" laughed Saa'retah as her skinny male reached up to touch her face before reaching out for a C'ntlip bowl "Syn was merely expressing his need to hunt his own food…"
"Hah…" chuckled Daan'sha "That is just thick skull 'speak' for 'I am bored and want to bludgeon something to death…'"
The group of friends all laughed as Ka'cxa-te shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'told you so'. It was amongst this display of happiness that Syn'kra-vaal first noticed Avaal'ekan stealing the occasional glance at Cassandra. Unlike every other male in the chamber, his eyes did not show his desire to covet what he saw. No, the Rylt'ah was watching her like he was waiting for her to do something out of character. Syn's composure remained true to the occasion, but as he sipped his C'ntlip, he concentrated hard on the figure of Ju'lyn-zal and thought his words clearly.
'Ju'lyn-zal…'
'Syn'kra-vaal…' she replied, her tone cold.
'He knows, does he not…? Avaal'ekan, the Rylt'ah, he knows about Cassandra…'
'In all honesty, I do not know…' she looked at Ava 'though he is very sharp; take a lot of effort it will to deceive this one.'
Syn'kra-vaal could hear the words of the other Yautja in their small faction of friends, but he had to concentrate hard on Ju'lyn-zal. It was quite difficult to do both and remained composed at the same time. It was times like these that he truly envied Cassandra's uncanny multitasking ability.
'Look at him… He dishonors our manner of truce. He knows something…' Syn snarled mentally, causing Thei-de Ka'antyra to enthusiastically rear out of the darkness once again.
'You know better than to overreact, Syn'kra-vaal. You must remain calm; the only way you can beat him without destroying your relationship with Daan'sha is in a battle of wits.'
'I cannot have him just standing there, gloating like he thinks he knows everything… He dishonors the friendship I have shown him…'
'You care greatly for her…' it was not a question as much as a statement.
'… I do…' Syn nodded his head subtly at the ascended Watcher.
'The time for my intervention approaches…' smiled Ju'lyn-zal, changing the subject suddenly.
'I do not understand…'
'Watch, Syn'kra-vaal. Like Cassandra, I, too am learning at a rapid rate…'
Syn looked sharply at Avaal'ekan, then to Daan'sha as the Guard Chief's hyper-vigilant, piercing gaze flickered to Cassandra once again, only this time the Rylt'ah cleared his throat and began to talk. The Blade male swore to himself as he mentally fought off his violence-hungry, battle-worn persona. As usual, Thei-de Ka'antyra was all too keen for bloodshed. 'It may not be easy, a challenge, but one worthy to put forward…'
Syn tried to ignore his hostile side; usually he was quite good at controlling himself. But with Cassandra as a potential target, self control had been discarded for protectiveness. With all this going on inside his head, Syn'kra-vaal miraculously looked rather composed in a physical sense. This underhandedness was what made him such an effective operative, even for one as young and 'inexperienced' as he.
Syn'kra-vaal could do little more than stand and watch as Avaal'ekan began to converse with Cassandra. She was very intelligent and it would not take her long to cotton on to what the Guard Chief was doing. Or so Syn hoped. Any well seasoned operative would know that in some situations, there is little more one can do but stand still and remain 'in character'. If this meant taking a beating in a fight, or simply allowing the mental interrogation of a loved one… It had to be done if the Operative's cover was to remain strong.
Saa'retah and Ka'cxa-te both talked quietly to Daan'sha as Avaal'ekan engaged Cass, with Syn and Ju'lyn-zal listening quietly, ignoring the many other Yautja voices in the chamber. At first the Rylt'ah asked simple, polite questions, but little by little, he was getting deeper into her train of thought. Luckily, Cassandra's study of Yautja history was redeeming itself as something of a life line to Avaal'ekan's questions. She knew what the Guard Chief was trying to do, she knew that look in his eyes from his 'encounter' with her previous form. Little did Ava know what he was truly getting himself into. Unlike their past encounter, Cass could now speak the Yautja tongue. And this time around, she had more information stored in her over-active brain. Not to mention the ghostly looking Yautja female that seemed to be hanging around like a bad smell.
Avaal'ekan sipped at his C'ntlip bowl for a moment, his hard, piercing eyes still boring into Cassandra while he drank. She returned the gesture subtly, not hostile per se, but somewhat unreceptive so that he got the message. The whole time they had been talking, Cass hadn't looked at her male once. This is what Avaal'ekan would be expecting. For her to look at Syn'kra-vaal would prove that there was something to hide. The Guard Chief smiled slightly, his eyes still hard.
"Your knowledge of Yautja history is quite impeccable, Ju'lyn-zal." Avaal'ekan spoke like he was almost mocking her.
"A pastime of mine it is. I enjoy history, and not just our own." she replied politely.
"I would wager that you know a lot about Ooman history, am I right…?"
"I would not wager anything on my knowledge of Ooman…!" laughed Cass. Never before had she felt as adept at anything as she did right at that moment; being a Yautja Operative had a nasty habit of coming so naturally to the striking female. "I do have some knowledge, more than most, but nothing so impressive that another could not find it by looking in a well stocked data base."
"Interesting…" Avaal'ekan sipped quickly at his C'ntlip bowl "Tell me, is your history limited to general happenings and political events… Or do you fancy a detailed narration into wartime activities as well."
"A little of both…" she lied, remaining amazingly composed on the outside. But her complex mind was working frantically to organize her impromptu rebuttal. "Being an Operative, I have been trained to absorb any information I might come across…"
"Training…" Avaal'ekan's eyes flared for just a second.
"Excuse me?"
"Training…" he repeated "Said you did, that you were 'trained' to absorb information'. But you are not a fully fledged Operative, are you? So, in fact, you would still be training."
"Of course." she replied with a smile, cursing the Guard Chief in her mind. "I do not sample C'ntlip often, especially of this quality."
"I am sure…" smirked Avaal'ekan before continuing. "… A unique moment in Yautja history I quite like to regale is that of the intelligent Kainde Amedha Queen… She apparently was allied with a rebel faction of Oomen. You know of this?"
The Bastard! It was a fifty/fifty risk. Either all Yautja knew this or not. Of course, Cassandra was well aware of a faction of humans hundreds of years back that had sided with a supposedly sentient Xenomorph Queen. This was something all humans knew, which was also a problem. Was Avaal'ekan privy to this information somehow? And would it prove all his theories if she admitted knowledge of this event…? Cassandra was not sure which way to go when a familiar voice echoed into her thoughts.
'Say yes…' Ju'lyn-zal moved away from Syn'kra-vaal and into position on the other side of her corporeal form, 'I have been getting bored… clearly, you know not of the Yautja version of these events…'
"Yes, of course…" smiled Cass to her antagonist.
'Remain calm, this will cause you discomfort. I am to channel the knowledge directly from the Dark One himself. I am here to act as a conduit between the two of you…'
'I thought you were just going to tell me…' Cassandra's eyes did not deviate from Avaal'ekan.
'As did I, but HE has other plans…'
Cassandra wanted to burst out laughing, it was such a 'Darkling' type of thing to happen. Was he going to be there at every turn for her? Making her life easier? Where was the challenge in that? Though her eyes remained on Avaal'ekan, several seconds had already passed and he had not responded. While in the process of pondering whether to antagonize the Guard Chief further, Cass suddenly felt a strange pressure inside her skull. It was not so much of a physical pain as a mental one. Then, from nowhere, that familiar, deep, almost clichéd 'God–like' voice boomed into her thoughts for a second.
'No my child, I will not help you at every turn…'
'Oh, hey Dark Guy…!' Cassandra wasn't sure why, but she tried to make her mind speech as Ooman as she could 'What's happening?'
'Your intolerance of C'ntlip makes you entertaining. But you need to pay attention now; there is much to learn from the knowledge I am going to impart upon you… Use it wisely.'
Before she could even think about replying, the strange feeling inside her head was gone, as was the presence of the Darkling. For a split second, Cassandra felt no different, then it was like someone had opened another door into her memory. She knew everything, every detail of the events Avaal'ekan spoke of, but not only the Yautja details, the ascended side of the story. Cass wanted nothing more than to scream out; her head felt as if it would simply burst from the sheer excitement. Just in that spilt second of gaining the memories of a God, even if only for this specific event in history, made everything so clear, her purpose… no, their purpose. The stunning female's eyes suddenly flared at Avaal'ekan's silent gaze. She wasted no more time.
"You are feeling well, Ava?" she asked.
"Fine…" he replied, looking a little confused, as if he had just woken up.
"Asked of me you did, whether I knew of the Ooman alliance with the Kainde Amedha, the one that caused the downfall of a fresh settling planet…"
"Do not let me interrupt you… continue. There are many versions of these events, I am simply curious to know which you are familiar with."
"This account is correct in every detail. That I can assure you…"
Avaal'ekan listened wide eyed as Cassandra recalled the events that had been passed to her from the infinite mind of the Darkling, changing certain elements and totally removing others to avoid undue suspicion. Both Syn'kra-vaal and Ju'lyn-zal listened intently as the strikingly beautiful female tore Avaal'ekan a new mental asshole. Even after Cass knew Avaal'ekan had been swayed that she was genuine, she continued, just to tease his wounds.
"… That being said, these events occurred hundreds of years ago. Many would say the blame lies with the hunt leader's inability to embrace the new ways of the Yautja."
"That is possibly why they sought to create their own settlement…" added Avaal'ekan, trying to make it look as if he hadn't opposed Cassandra.
"It would not be the first time, nor the last I doubt. The old ways… these should have phased out millennia ago… Now, there are many things that could be in relative conjunction that would cause these turn of events. Populating a world in a system that close to Ooman occupied territory is one of them, obviously our overlooking the actual mental evolution of the Kainde Amedha is another."
Cass knew she was hitting Avaal'ekan where it hurt, and the fact that Saa'retah and Ka'cxa-te were now listening made it so much better. But now, it was time to put him down once and for all. "Even now, the question still remains… Why only that clan's homeworld? It was small, it was a fresh settling planet, obviously there would not have been that many there, several thousand perhaps? Not much of a warning to the rest of us really…" Cass knew the real reason only that world was laid to waste, but saying that now would do nothing but prove her to be insane. "… The clan in question was the primary force, and some of them were wiped out well before the strike against the planet. There may have been others settled there, outcasts, Bad Bloods, no one really knows, the planet did not even last long enough to have any historical records… that we know of." Cass looked the Guard Chief dead in the eye, "Your interest in this topic seems to be fading, Avaal'ekan…"
For the first time since the Guard Chief had started talking to her, Cass chanced a glance to her right, down at her male. She was rewarded with his warm eyes smiling back at her, beaming with pride. Ju'lyn-zal too, was wearing a smug looking grin. When Avaal'ekan did not reply, she looked back at him and spoke quietly, so only their small group could hear.
"I appear too Ooman for your liking. This is true, is it not…?"
Never before had Avaal'ekan been put in his place by a Yautja as young as Cassandra. He blushed, his face sour at thought of the mental defeat he had just suffered. The stunned looks of Daan'sha, Saa'retah and Ka'cxa-te told a similar story. For the final dressing of the trophy, Cassandra leant close to the Rylt'ah male. "The Ooman, or whatever it was, gave what was left of her life so that I may live. You will not dishonor her. It matters not what she is, she died with honor. She had the courage to help a being completely alien to her, knowing it would end her own life… If you have your doubts from here on, all you need do it say so. We will decide just how Yautja I am, in the Kehrite. Complete contact…"
"I… apologize. You are correct, I had reason to believe you had been compromised. I was wrong. I will excuse myself and return to my Guards."
Avaal'ekan bowed his head low, showing his reverence. Ju'lyn-zal smiled and waved goodbye as the Rylt'ah stepped past Cassandra and Syn'kra-vaal. His scent gave away his true feelings, making Syn raise his eyebrows at the ascended Watcher just before she faded from the room. Cassandra just grinned in foolish triumph, and like previously, when she had been concentrating hard on Ka'cxa-te's words, the loud babble of the chamber began to fade back into audible focus. There were so many questions Syn wanted answered right then, but Daan'sha opened his mouth before the Blade male had a chance.
"What… was that?"
"Had it coming, he did…" grinned Syn.
"I agree." nodded Cass "I was not going to let him insult my intelligence in such a way."
"There is something I am missing…" Daan'sha shook his head "How exactly do you know that information…?"
Cass was careful of what she said next. Of course Syn'kra-vaal, Daan'sha and Saa'retah were aware of her true background, but Ka'cxa-te was not. And like a lot of the Yautja around this place, she was very intelligent and would likely figure something was being hidden from her.
"Like I said to your Rylt'ah, Bre'ta'ak trained me to absorb any and all information I may come across that is of use. Your network is an unbelievable source of data."
Cassandra and the skinny male shared a silent understanding as their eyes locked for just a second. Daan'sha nodded once, subtly in understanding.
"Just when I thought you could not surprise me any further, they are breeding intelligent thick skulls on O'ka'an now…"
Daan'sha was careful to disguise his own suspicions with his usual humorous tone. Syn'kra-vaal, on the other hand, wanted to know what had happened between his heart mate and Ju'lyn-zal. He knew very well of the events she and Avaal'ekan had spoken of, but what he did not know was what else she knew, and exactly how she had learnt that much detail.
Both Saa'retah and Ka'cxa-te were still wearing the same shocked expressions. It made Cassandra laugh. The Blade Huntress took a small mouthful of her C'ntlip and grinned back at them, still riding out the strange high the liquid influenced her with.
"Any Yautja in this room would think the two of you had seen the Dark Hunter by looking at your faces!"
"Perhaps in their dreams…" chuckled Daan'sha with an awkward glance at his female, who was careful to conceal her reaction, "Enough socializing, it is time to stop taking away the focus of the evening. Go find yourselves a place to sit, my display will begin soon…."
Syn'kra-vaal moaned. This was the part of the evening he was least looking forward to. Cassandra smiled at her male's reaction and bumped into him playfully as they walked toward a nearby table. Saa'retah smiled at her two Dark Blade friends before turning to follow Daan'sha to where the three projection consoles had been set up. Ka'cxa-te tailed Syn and Cass to the table where they would sit. It was occupied by an old male, who sipped his C'ntlip happily. He seemed to tune out all the loud chatter happening around him, and smiled as the trio approached. As far as she could tell, Cassandra was sure he was the oldest mortal Yautja she had ever met.
The old male got to his feet as they neared. Cass bowed her head, showing her respect toward one older than herself. Syn parroted her gesture, making the male smile wider. "Your respect is welcomed, Blade Slingers. I see less and less of it these days…"
"This is Ju'lyn-zal… I am S…"
"Syn'kra-vaal… I know. You have the look of your father." The old male cocked his head to one side as he studied Syn.
"My blood clan you know of?" Syn asked, his brow furrowed.
"Yes, quite well actually. Ahh but where is my demeanor. I am known as Xa'el, but most in this place refer to me simply as 'Old One'."
Xa'el bowed to Cassandra before turning to Syn'kra-vaal; there was a dull slap as they clasped each other's forearms in the Yautja manner of greeting. The old male had a strong grip. Syn'kra-vaal smiled; Xa'el reminded him a lot of Bre'ta'ak. Learning the old male was quite easy from that point onward. His hands were large, powerful, meaning he wasn't a scientist. That much was more than obvious. His face was weathered; Xa'el had spent a lot of time in active field work, the calluses on the fingers and the palm of the hand that held the inside of Syn's forearm confirmed that fact. His formal garment appeared well worn, but not to the point where it looked un-presentable. Its owner had taken the careful time to clean and preserve it well. This indicated to Syn'kra-vaal that Xa'el was meticulous; he had an agenda, a daily schedule that he followed, no doubt he trained daily as well. This 'Old One' was military conditioned, but strangely, he bore no clan marking or symbol that he had been a Blooded hunter.
As Xa'el pulled his right hand away from Syn's arm, the Dark Blade male's left hand whipped out and caught the old male by the wrist. The movement was so swift that even Cassandra had to think twice about what she had just seen. Syn'kra-vaal turned Xa'el's hand over so his worn palm was facing upward. Syn looked down at the hand, then back at the old Yautja.
"You are a weapons crafter. No doubt, a Master Trade weapons crafter... Your lack of presentable clan marking tells me two possible options. Either your Clan marking is concealed because you were a Covert, or you were a mercenary in your younger years. I would think the latter of the two as you still train hard, you still have great strength, and the hard surface of your trigger finger is very smooth, meaning you still train with active weapons."
"Xe'aka'an was right…" laughed the old male, "you never fail to impress, do you young one? No wonder they wanted you out of the way…"
"Xe'aka'an? The Xe'aka'an, of O'ka'an?" asked Syn, surprised at the mention of the name.
"Correct, he is my brother…"
"Who is Xe'aka'an…?" asked Cassandra, not sure if she should already know or not.
"Xe'aka'an is possibly the best melee weapons crafter in existence." replied Syn, turning his head to face his lovely mate "his blood clan has been based on O'ka'an for generations. I am surprised Bre'ta'ak never took you to meet him." he added as he noticed her concerned expression. Turning back to Xa'el, he narrowed his eyes. "Explain to me what you meant by 'they wanted you out of the way.'…"
"Need I be so blunt in a chamber full of Yautja…?"
"No, I do not think so…"
"Worry not, I am a friend. I have been meaning to make time to come and meet you, but I am posted in the Secure wing. Alas, it becomes a hassle coming and going from there too often." Xa'el held his wrist device close to Syn's, a typical interactive comm. projection flashed up, and the old male jabbed a claw at one of the holographic looking symbols. "I have your private frequency now," he said "I will be in contact before you leave. Enjoy the remainder of your evening …and one more thing…"
"Yes…?"
"I hope you are both excited about your new 'equipment'." he mumbled, looking at both of the Dark Blade operatives.
Xa'el winked at them, gave a weathered looking smile and turned to leave, stepping in between the numerous bodies swarming the chamber. Syn'kra-vaal, Cassandra and Ka'cxa-te all watched as Ul'teh came bustling toward them through the crowds of Yautja. He stopped momentarily and clapped a hand on Xa'el's shoulder.
"Evening greetings, Old One. You are staying out of trouble…?"
"A hard thing to do that is. It seems to know where I am most of the time…" grinned Xa'el before continuing on his way.
Ul'teh grinned as he approached his friends, staggering slightly. Syn laughed at him before turning to sit at the now vacant, square shaped table. Cassandra followed suit, Ka'cxa-te waiting for Ul'teh to approach before she joined her two friends. The tables would comfortably sit four Yautja, one on each side, allowing conversation to flow easily among its occupants. Once they had all been seated, Ul'teh shook his head slightly and reached for a large flask of water that sat in the middle of the table. Ka'cxa-te smiled at him, though her eyes still retained her serious perception.
"That is possibly the most intelligent thing you have done this evening…"
"Right you are…" sighed Ul'teh as he filled his bowl with water and drank "Nowhere near as palatable as C'ntlip though…"
Cassandra watched with a grin as the technician replaced the large flask back into the center of the table. The water flask was not the only item in front of them. Several large platters had been prepared with various meats and plant produce, as well as another, more familiar looking flask of C'ntlip. Cass was surprised that Syn had not begun his assault upon the food platters yet. She casually picked up a piece of Maan'tak fruit, knowing it was her male's favorite. He grinned as she waved it in front of his mouth, teasing him somewhat; Ul'teh clicked his mandibles and groaned.
"Pups… why do you persist in shaming yourselves…?"
"I know not the meaning of shame…" purred Syn as he ate the fruit from Cass' hand. His female responded by patting him on the head, as one might do with a child.
"Fine. On a different topic… Who did what to Avaal'ekan…?"
Both Cassandra and Syn looked at each other and smiled. After a moment of what appeared to be silent communication passing between them, Cass laughed.
"He can not handle a youngling such as myself putting him in his place."
"Well, that is obvious…" Ul'teh rolled his eyes, "I am not saying he is bad at his trade, quite the opposite, but Ava tries to pretend that he knows more than he does. Then he gets annoyed when others correct him…"
"Typical thick skull mentality." Ka'cxa-te smiled at Cassandra.
Syn'kra-vaal was about to retort to the female's comment, but Daan'sha's loud voice cut him off. Every Yautja looked toward the front of the chamber as their overseer drew their attention, instructing them all to be seated. "Now then, let us begin…"
The Dark Blade male tuned out to the goings on then, it really didn't interest him at all, though some of the technical babble did sink in somewhat. Cassandra, on the other hand, seemed to be focused on nothing but their skinny friend and his large, detailed projection at the front of the chamber. Syn sighed to himself, sipping idly at his C'ntlip and picking away at the food that sat in front of them. A small part of him, a very small part, had wanted Ju'lyn-zal to hang around for a little longer, at least then he would have had someone to talk to.
While Daan'sha prattled on, Syn's eyes wandered around the chamber. A great deal of the Yautja present were in much the same kind of 'trance' as Cassandra. Thei-de Ka'antyra grumbled from the depths of Syn'kra-vaal's mind; 'Put all the intelligent Yautja in one place and what else did you expect to happen…? Boring this is, let us go and pay a visit to that coward, Siy'kaa… No one will be the wiser…' Syn's eyes widened, sometimes it was his own mind that came up with the most obvious alternatives to his boredom.
Thinking about Siy'kaa made the Blade Male turn around and look to the rear of the chamber. The guards were in much the same situation as Syn. They all watched impatiently, drinking their C'ntlip and eating quietly. Avaal'ekan sat near the rear of the group, his look still sour. Clearly the loss he suffered at the hands of Cassandra was still fresh in his thoughts. This made Syn smile; the distrust he had shown toward Cass was something that he would not easily forgive the Rylt'ah for. There was much to do before the two Dark Blade Specialists made their bid away from Daan'sha's company, and actions like that of Avaal'ekan's did not make for a smooth transition.
Syn'kra-vaal's thoughts wandered as his skinny friend's presentation continued. In theory, there was no reason why he could not sneak away from the chamber and get what he needed from Siy'kaa. He was not going out of his way to keep his word to Avaal'ekan, not after his previous actions. Syn was still a little two-minded about the idea though. He did not want to dishonor his friendship with Daan'sha, especially after the day's events. There were certain ways that he could get away with it, but even if he did tell Daan'sha and went ahead without Avaal'ekan knowing so, it would look like mistrust between the two of them. And seeing as Avaal'ekan was heading the security force, it would not be a nice place to be.
The Dark Blade male sighed, took a long draught of his C'ntlip and closed his eyes; it would be impossible to sneak away without being seen by someone. He grinned at his thoughts and opened his eyes just slightly so he could look sideways at Cassandra. If they were going to be seen, it may as well be in the pretence that they do not want to be disturbed after they leave. He knew Cass would have no problem playing along; after all, she would just have to act normal. But the timing had to be right, if they left too early, there would be suspicion, if they left it too late, they could be flanked by Avaal'ekan again. The ideal time to shadow away from the function would be just after Daan'sha's presentation has finished and Yautja are returning to their previous socialization.
Syn'kra-vaal reached out and took a cut of meat from one of the serving platters, he closed his eyes again while he chewed slowly, savoring the subtle flavors. Even though he had been pacing himself, the C'ntlip was affecting him more than he would have liked. Syn listened to Daan'sha's words patiently, and like he was being snapped out of a hypnotized trance, the skinny male's closing words ended his friend's short reverie.
"… but for the time being, keep up all your hard work. Once the Black Hole Project is approved for real time implementation, we will all need to be the best we can be. Again, I thank you all. Enjoy the evening. I will be around to answer any questions you have."
Syn followed the actions of all the other Yautja and rose to his feet to show his commendation toward Daan'sha and the others that had made his project a success. Choosing his moment carefully, Syn leaned close to Cassandra and spoke so she could hear over the loud roaring of applause.
"Do not turn around, remain as you are… Avaal'ekan is watching…There has been a change of tactic; in several minutes we will be leaving."
"Finally…" breathed Cass, doing exactly as her male instructed, remaining perfectly composed; "There is some fun to be had…?"
"Remember earlier this evening…" Syn's voice was not lighthearted or playful, it was not a question, more like a command, Cass understood perfectly.
"Just tell me when…" she replied, excited.
The Blade male smiled subtly to himself. This would be the first time they would work together in concealed operations, and definitely not the last. Syn would have been lying had he not admitted to himself that he was a little nervous. Cass was an exceptionally fast learner, but any well trained Yautja operative knows that even the most well thought out plans fail from time to time, and being able to adapt and change your tactics on the fly is something that take decades to master.
As Yautja began to settle back into their social groups or merely sit back down at their tables, Cass and Syn followed suit. Any uncertainty the Blade male had about Cassandra's ability to follow character was quelled as she turned to Ka'cxa-te and engaged her in conversation. Her unusual mastery of her physical body language and scent was matched only by her confidence. Had Syn been a stranger to her, she would indeed be very able to deceive him without any suspicion at all. Whether it was just Cassandra's nature from her previous life, or some sort of 'divine intervention', this life just came so naturally to her. With time and the correct training, Cass would make an unbeatable operative, that fact was definitively undeniable.
While the two females talked excitedly between themselves, Ul'teh placed his elbows upon the table top and cradled his head in his hands. Syn'kra-vaal laughed quietly and reached over for the large water flask, filling the technician's drinking bowl.
"You really do not look well…"
"Believe me, if the way I look is anything like the way I feel…" mumbled Ul'teh "I am never drinking C'ntlip again..."
"I would not be very intelligent if I believed I would see that happening." purred Ka'cxa-te, interrupting them as she stood and helped Ul'teh to his feet, "Come, fool, I will take you to your quarters…"
"Enjoy the rest of your evening." smiled Syn.
"I am sure I will…" replied Ka'cxa-te, rolling her eyes "Ju'lyn-zal, I have enjoyed your company, I hope to see you again soon."
"You will…" replied Cass in her musical tone, "Best of luck, Ul'teh."
The communications technician said nothing, but waved a dismissing hand as he leaned on Ka'cxa-te for support. Both of the Dark Blade operatives watched as she placed a hand around his waist, half dragging him toward the chamber entrance. Syn looked sideways at his lovely mate.
"That could not have worked better…"
"How do you mean?" she asked. Syn was sure he saw the ghost of a wink.
"Well…" he purred, running the claw of his left index finger up her arm "Now we do not have an 'audience'."
"I beg to differ…" she replied with her 'mind controlling' smile and leant closer to her mate "Or is that you telling me 'when'…?"
Syn chuckled quietly as she used the claws of her left hand to trace the some of the darker markings upon his right forearm.
"I think that it is you who is telling me…"
"Perhaps… so tell me, why are we doing this…?"
"Because I find it very hard to resist you." he winked, moving his body closer to hers.
"Syn…" she purred, "Unless this is going somewhere, stop teasing me."
"Going somewhere it is." he whispered as he nuzzled his face into her neck "Just not where you want it to…"
"I do not mind being used as a means to steal away, as long as it is you, but I would like it if you told me what you have planned." She rested her cheek against the side of his head, keeping the charade as she whispered to her male.
"Hunting for information we are."
"Siy'kaa…?"
"Correct you are. Now is the ideal time, everyone else is distracted."
"Will that not be dishonoring Daan'sha?"
"Tell him I will have to …" sighed Syn "After we have learnt all we can."
"Is that not a dangerous move? Especially after what happened earlier today…"
"Daan'sha understands there is more at stake that our friendship," Syn whispered to her, rubbing his cheek against hers, "It is Avaal'ekan I am more concerned with."
"Avaal'ekan…" grumbled Cassandra "Perhaps you should have just let Siy'kaa kill him."
"No, that is something that neither one of us can do, no matter how much he dishonors us. His relationship with Daan'sha is important."
"Why are you concerned with him learning of our interrogation of Siy'kaa?"
"Because I told him I would not pursue such actions without his presence…" sighed the Blade male, wishing he hadn't.
"In my opinion, he forfeited any prior respect to either of us when he opened his mouth to me earlier…" she muttered. Though she stood her ground against the Guard Chief exceptionally well, her feelings toward him were not so forthcoming.
"Hmmm…" Syn smiled happily into her neck again "I was trying to remember why I found you so enticing… Come, let us depart. I think we have made enough of a scene that others will understand why we are leaving."
Cassandra smiled at his words, blushing slightly. She wished that the reason every other Yautja would think they were leaving was actually the real one. Her C'ntlip 'high' was still as strong as ever, but she was becoming somewhat accustomed to it. The stunning Blade female stood slowly, mimicking her mate. Together they walked through the groups of Yautja toward the chamber exit, Syn pressing his body against hers as they went. He could hear her heart rhythm increase slightly as he did so, making him smile even more. Similar to when they had entered the chamber, many pairs of eyes watched them leave, Cass' arm unworriedly draped around her male's shoulders.