AN: Greetings! Sorry for the delay. There comes a point when you have to say "it's fine, print, that's a wrap!" And you have no idea how many different ways this chapter came out before I reached the final product. Won't give details, but you'd probably be happy and hate me at the same time if I'd gone with the original idea! Hugs and sloppy kisses from da Cap'n! (Oh yeah, and no offense to Elvis people...)
p.s. I just realized while re-reading for the last time that all 3 buttons are in use...gimpy as that sounds. so...
Bold is Yautja Speak
Italics is thought or dream
Underline stands for stressing that word in speech
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A Fine Mess
Chapter 37 –Jailhouse Rock
"I have found the Firstborn's location. I will contact you when I have him in my custody."
Grand Matron Sh'aan replayed the message for a sixth time, hearing the words but unable to accept them. The Arbitrator's tone suggested that it would not be easy to acquire his target, and the regal female found herself hoping that it proved impossible. It was not unheard of for an Arbitrator's quarry to elude him, and she hoped that Kh'aan and his companion were clever enough to do so. I would prefer to never see him again than have my Firstborn returned in chains that he does not deserve.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a quiet chirp from somewhere over her shoulder. Sh'aan turned to meet the concerned eyes of her faithful assistant, and before speaking the aide placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Do not worry, Grand Matron. They will be fine."
Sh'aan shuddered and rose from her seat. "I wish that I shared your confidence, Mr'sah. I cannot help but think that we have lost them."
"You must remain positive, Grand Matron. We cannot know the future until it happens; there is no logic in fearing it."
Sh'aan nodded, but her stance remained rigid with tension. They stood in an extended silence while the frustrated leader stared out of her viewport. "It is not knowing their future that frightens me. If only I knew the Council's decision with certainty…" She closed her eyes and huffed out an exhausted breath. "There is nothing that I can do."
Mr'sah heard the despair in her superior's voice, and took a step back toward the door feeling helpless to assist. "I will continue to monitor all frequencies, Grand Matron. As soon as I hear more I will inform you." She bowed respectfully and then hurried out of the room, nearly colliding with High Elder Kh'alik in her haste.
"Forgive me, High Elder."
Kh'alik barely grunted in response before marching into the Grand Matron's chambers. Mr'sah snorted. This is not the time for unannounced guests. Her theory was answered by a loud growl from the room, and the aide quickly left the area to search for Shl'nar.
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"I am in no mood, Kh'alik. Please return at another time."
"This is imperative, Sh'aan. You received Kh'val's message, so you know that we must act quickly."
The Grand Matron whirled on her former consort, rage surrounding her like a cloud. "Act on what, Kh'alik? Our ability to influence events has passed. There is nothing that we can do but wait for the Council to require our input. Exactly what course of action do you believe we can take at this moment?" Her eyes flashed, and Kh'alik realized that even the poised Grand Matron was at the end of her wits.
"We can contact Kh'val and ensure that he has them, rather than finding out when it is too late."
"Too late? It is already too late, Kh'alik!" Sh'aan's voice rose in her agitation and a heavy snarl punctuated her words. "We squandered our time arguing amongst ourselves, and now it is out of our hands. We will be lucky if Kh'val follows orders and returns them alive as it is. We are completely at a loss. We…"
Elder Kh'alik stepped forward and grasped her shoulders. The Grand Matron struggled in his grip for a moment before her body sagged, nearly reducing her to his height. "I want them to get away." Her voice was small and the High Elder was unsure if he heard her correctly.
"What?"
Sh'aan's eyes rose to meet his. "I want them to escape. Is that too much to ask?"
He released her shoulders and stepped back, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Yes, it is. Kh'aan would never attempt it, especially not if Kh'val actually apprehends him. He knows that to do so would be suicide."
Sh'aan snorted and turned away to the viewport. "This entire situation is suicide, and he threw himself and the ooman right into it."
Kh'alik started to speak when the realization hit him that their arguments were reversing for the first time since this mess started. He thought his words through carefully. "Several weeks ago I would have agreed with you, but now I am not so sure. Kh'aan never had any intention of returning, did he? Theirs was a reckless chance at life, not suicide."
"For any other Yautja, perhaps, but not for Kh'aan. He has always been cautious nearly to the point of paranoia. Reckless is not his way." The Grand Matron turned and raised her troubled eyes to his. "I must speak with him before he faces the Council."
"All is not lost, Sh'aan. We may still have a chance."
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Light filtered through the Arbitrators eyelids, drawing him out of his first dreamless slumber in weeks. Kh'val had taken no chances before retiring to his chambers, and a full syringe of sedative had granted him brief respite from his internal battles. Against his better judgment, he cracked his eyes open to stare at the overhead lighting. The desire to roll over and go back to sleep gnawed at his consciousness, but instead he growled heavily and heaved to his feet. There will be no rest until this is finished.
After a quick detour to the meal chamber, he shuffled into the control room and gracelessly dropped into the command chair. His eyes slid over the console as though he'd never seen it before, and he absently adjusted a few settings before returning them to their standard positions. His mind fretted over why he felt so distracted, but before he could draw a conclusion the comm. received a transmission. Activating the device, Kh'val came face to face with Elder Ne'hak.
"Honored Elder, how may I assist you?" The Arbitrator could not muster more strength into his voice, and for a brief moment the Elder's expression softened.
"This is most trying for you, is it not?"
"I am weary, Honored Elder, that is all."
Ne'hak nodded once, and then his features hardened again. "You have them both?"
Kh'val nodded. "I will arrive at the clan ship in six days."
The time frame seemed to surprise the head of Nightblood Clan. "So far removed? It is a testament to your perseverance, Arbitrator, that you found him at all."
Kh'val choked on a snarl. No thanks to you. "I will contact you again when I am within range of the clan ship."
The moment the transmission ended Kh'val slammed a fist into the console and smashed the targeting controls. "Pauk!" Fury surged through is veins, and the Arbitrator immediately rose to his feet and marched down to the holding cells. Pauking arrogant fool! His fury got the best of him and he punched the wall, bruising his knuckles on the metal. Pauking Kh'aan! The thought of his brother boiled his blood, and he kicked the door to the cell block before storming down the stairs. Pauking ooman! Suddenly his rage cleared and his steps ground to a halt as he stared at the cell doors.
"What am I doing?" His mind was assaulted by images of the human, and he turned and left the cell block before he could put any of the disturbingly enticing ideas into action.
"Pauk!"
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Kh'aan relaxed as the footsteps retreated, and moments later he heard the hiss of the outer door closing. He'd been lost in his own thoughts when his brother's steps thundered through the ship, and now felt the chilly fingers of unease creep up his spine. What are you up to, Kh'val? Do I even want to know what goes on in your twisted mind? As though hearing his thoughts, Kayla shifted in his lap and growled under her breath. A smile crossed his features and the hunter purred until her breathing returned to normal.
"Reading my mind in your sleep, crazy ooman?"
Sitting cross-legged as he was, the female fit perfectly on his lap with her feet anchored against his leg and her arms curled against his stomach. Strange how this could be so comfortable to me. It was not long ago that I hated all oomans equally and without remorse. His gaze traveled along her curled form, and with nothing else to do he found himself curious to explore. Tentatively he released one hand from around her waist and brought it up to her shoulder. The hunter chittered briefly before he gently pressed a talon to her arm. He watched the heat radiate from beneath his claw as he increased pressure, but he was surprised that he did not puncture the surface. Oomans are so easy to damage, and yet a gentle touch shows the strength of their skin. Interesting. He released the pressure and gently rubbed the spot until its heat returned to normal. Fueled by this initial discovery, he then reached up to carefully touch the hair he so frequently found himself playing with. Rubbing the thin strands through his fingers, he marveled at the vast difference from his own. What purpose could such thin and insensitive fur possibly have? It has never made much sense to me why their genetics would include something so seemingly pointless. He tugged gently at a few strands and the female twitched in his lap, her neck moving as though to pull her head out of his reach. Perhaps it is somewhat sensitive then, but only where attached.
His curiosity running rampant, Kh'aan carefully continued his exploration. An impulse gave him the brief courage needed to move the human, until her head gently lolled back against his arm. She moaned quietly and turned toward him, her breath warm on his chest. From this angle he could study her face up close. So smooth, ooman faces, and yet beneath that skin…the mechanics behind each of her strange ooman emotions. I suppose without tusks and an adequate sense of smell, their odd features are the best alternative. He released his hold around her legs and raised his other hand, curious exactly how aware humans were in their sleep. Reaching forward with a talon, he carefully poked the tip of her nose. Almost immediately Kayla reached up to bat his hand away. He poked her cheek next and received the same response. Holding back a chuckle, the hunter used all of his control to very gently disturb the small patch of fur above her eye, his talon carefully worming through the hairs while not touching her skin. The female whimpered angrily and her hand snapped up again, nearly hitting herself in the face in the process. Her sleepy voice was full of venom.
"Quit it!"
Kh'aan swallowed another hearty laugh and settled back to let her rest peacefully. "What is to become of us, my friend? We are prisoners, trapped at the whim of my insane brother, and can only hope that the Council will set us free. The possibility is so miniscule as to be non-existent." The hunter huffed under his breath and gently wove his talons back into her hair. "I wish that we could escape, 'take him' as you put it and get away. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to settle this matter with Kh'val once and for all. He has become that which he has hunted all of these years, I am certain. He is a coward! A filthy Bad Blood!" His tone grew more forceful in his anger, and Kayla shifted in his lap at the noise. The hunter's tusks snapped shut and he purred until she settled down, and then shifted her back to her tucked curl against his torso.
"Forgive me. I should not allow him to affect me so strongly." His train of thought drifted while he struggled to settle his ire. "I wish that we were back on our island. I find it surprising that it was starting to feel like home. A primitive and lost existence, to be sure, but I believe I was happy there..." He glanced down at the female and smiled. "…with you. Unfortunately, even if we are released we could never return there. Even if the waters recede, Kh'val will certainly inform the Council of our sanctuary. It would be best if we found a new home…far from both your people and mine."
His top tusks tapped together thoughtfully. "Would you agree to come with me? Would you be willing to spend your life in my company? I suspect you might grow bored with me after a while. I am, after all, a simple hunter. Though I have traveled extensively, my sense of adventure is not quite as developed as yours." His smile vanished. "I cannot lose you, Kayla. You are a part of my life that I never expected, and now do not think that I can live without." A chill ran down his spine and he unconsciously tightened his arms around her. "Perhaps we will be lucky and die together. I can think of worse fates."
Such a morbid thought gave Kh'aan pause and stifled the rumble of laughter in his chest. He did not want anything to happen to her, but after a moment's reflection he realized that he'd spoken the truth. Who knew the murderous rage that would be unleashed if anyone tried to separate them again? The hunter snarled. Yes, Cetanu, you have my oath. I would rather die with her.
Mind made up, he allowed his other senses to focus on the human and the relaxing effect of her presence. Her scent was calm, an almost sweet aroma with just a hint of earth and ocean. He took several deep breaths of her and could not stop the contented purr that rumbled through his body. He felt the rise and fall of her chest against his, her breathing a dull hum beneath the steady thrum of her heartbeat, and its soothing cadence slowly lulled him to sleep.
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"Hold still, kitty, damn you!" Kayla grumbled in frustration. She found herself stuck in an exhaust vent trying to catch a troublesome cat with mandibles, and the offending feline kept pouncing on her head. "Ouch! Goddamn cat!" The obnoxious little menace purred again and its tusks tapped together before its mottled hide disappeared from sight. "Does Kh'aan know that you stole his skin?"
The human was jolted from slumber by another bang on the head. "Damn cat!" Grumbling at the interruption, her eyes cracked open to get an up-close view of Kh'aan's chest. She yawned contentedly before her gaze traveled upwards and got an eyeful of Yautja chin…or the equivalent. Said jaw dropped abruptly toward her as her companion again nodded in his sleep, and she quickly turned to the side before he could give her a black eye.
"You're dangerous even when asleep, you oaf!"
Though she was rather comfortable on her perch, Kayla knew that sleeping upright was not worth the aches and pains later, and contemplated adjusting Kh'aan's current position. The thought reminded her of a time that her squad had to dig their ATV out of a snow bank with their bare hands, and she wondered if this would be any easier. The hunter's solid arms encircled her waist, and when she pushed back against them his grip tightened.
"Shit, Kh'aan," she whispered in frustration. "Let go, will ya?"
For several minutes she attempted to pull out of his grasp, but every effort resulted in the hunter nearly squeezing the breath out of her frame. Kayla stilled for a moment and growled quietly. I'm trying to help, you overgrown bear! Ease up already! Suddenly the thought clicked clearly in her mind, and the marine huffed at her own stupidity.
"You ridiculous overprotective bull! So, if that makes you hang on…"
With a crooked grin on her face, Kayla untucked her arm from against Kh'aan's chest and then draped her hand over the fist around her midsection. She wiggled her fingers until his hand relaxed, and then curled the digits in between his. After another minute, the hunter's reflexes kicked in and his grip tightened, locking their hands together in her lap. She found herself mesmerized by the unusual contrast of their skin, but then shook off her curiosity.
"Step one complete…let's see if I can move this tree limb of yours."
Kayla took a deep breath, and then slowly lifted his arm from her waist. Kh'aan resisted, but her grip over his seemed to be enough reassurance that he did not fight her. After an eternity of micro-movements, her shaking arm finally cleared the hunter's knee and she stopped pulling. Though his head continued to loll forward Kh'aan's sleep remained undisturbed, and the human nervously gnawed her lip.
"This isn't going to be pretty…"
With one hand busy occupying Kh'aan's grasp, Kayla had no choice but to roll out of his lap. She turned her hips and rested her left hand on his knee for balance. Just as she figured out the least disruptive direction to fall, her heel came in contact with a bulge of rounded metal and she froze. Oh shit oh shit ohshit! Blushing furiously, she slowly glanced at his face to see if he aware of the intrusion. Kh'aan nodded and jerked upright for the tenth time, but otherwise remained oblivious.
"Oh thank god!"
At that moment her left hand chose to remind her of how awkwardly it was supporting her weight, balanced on his knee by her wrist. Unable to hold the position any longer, the human slid to the floor in a heap with her arm bent awkwardly beneath her stomach. Please don't wake up now or I'll never hear the end of this!
She carefully shuffled to her knees still clutching Kh'aan's fist, and then scooted forward to replace his arm on his lap. The hunter abruptly began to chitter and chirp as though holding a conversation, and he unexpectedly raised a hand to make some vague gesture. The movement forced Kayla to lean away from the razor sharp talons, and she wondered what he, and Yautja in general, might dream about.
"Recounting the hunt for some outrageously dangerous beast, no doubt," she muttered with a snort.
Another yawn worked its way from her throat, and Kayla took the opportunity to stretch out her limbs. Though she had been quite scrunched on his lap, she was surprise to find very little stiffness in her bones and muscles. Her gaze fell on Kh'aan as a tiny smile teased her lips. You make a nice pillow, old boy. As she watched, suddenly the hunter's body began to slide sideways down the wall, apparently off balance now that she'd moved. The marine choked on a yelp and dove forward, head-butting the wall just as she halted his movement.
Bent forward under his bulk with her butt in the air and nose crushed against his shoulder, Kayla nearly laughed out loud. This is almost too stupid to be funny! Scooting her knees forward until they hit the wall, the human then slowly turned around. It was more of a roll than a turn, and she kept Kh'aan's weight situated first on one shoulder and then on the back of her neck. After more extensive worming she finally managed to plant her back against the wall, and could not stop a groan from escaping.
"Next time you stay AS IS!"
With the hard part finished, the marine gently reached up to grasp Kh'aan's shoulder. She feared waking him, not so much for the disruption but because she did not know if he'd rip her head off without realizing it, and so her hands trembled when they touched the hunter. She carefully guided him down the wall, scooting away as necessary until his head was finally in her lap. Jeez! Even your noggin weighs a goddamn ton! She let out a heavy breath and then chuckled when she heard him sniff the air.
"That's right, you big baby. Safe and sound, now back to sleep."
Kh'aan's brow furrowed briefly, and then he took another deep breath. Kayla snickered at the scrunched expression on his features, but wound up biting her tongue when the hunter turned his face into her stomach. He huffed out a breath against her tunic and then nuzzled his face into her belly. As a ripple of sensation surged through Kayla's body, she wondered if she should turn him before he suffocated himself.
The marine's incredulous expression remained for several minutes while she contemplated this new arrangement. Can you even breathe? She held back a chuckle that was certain to wake the slumbering beast, and instead tentatively raised a hand to the crown of his head, resting it lightly against his skin. She gently rubbed her thumb along his crest and smirked at the former Firstborn.
"Would you freak out if you woke up right now? I know I might have several weeks ago, but now I'm not so sure." She huffed out a sigh that the sleeping hunter echoed. "We're so in tune now that it's almost scary, but how the hell did we get here? Was it before or after you died on me? I don't think I've ever been such a wreck, not even when Grampa died." The memory sent a chill down her spine, and she forcibly directed her thoughts elsewhere.
"Such a change in my life because of you. I'd still be Sergeant Kayla Victor, second in command of Alpha Squad, imprisoned into servitude to a maniacal scientist on a desolate frozen moon. But no…I had to get into a fight with an alien, who then saved my life at the cost of his own." She gazed down at his once frightening features and brushed her thumb across his brow. "I should feel insanely guilty. I should have insisted that you drop me somewhere to save yourself. You offered to but, honestly, I just didn't want to die. Funny, that…life with you might be infinitely more dangerous than among my own kind." She sighed and settled more comfortably against the wall. "But the fact of the matter is, I simply don't want to be anywhere else."
Kayla closed her eyes, unwilling to think anymore for the moment. Kh'aan's weight settled around her like a heavy winter blanket, and before she realized it she was humming quietly. The tune did not register in her mind until suddenly Kh'aan snorted and reached up to wrap his arms around her waist. She glanced down to see his right tusks tapping together in what she knew was amusement, and then realized that she was humming "The song that doesn't end." Kh'aan chittered something into her belly and then snorted again, and the marine was certain that he was laughing in his sleep.
"Silly ox! It is a strange lullaby, isn't it?"
The human resumed humming quietly, her fingers tracing circles along Kh'aan's crest in time with the tune. The hunter purred deeply in his sleep, and she took comfort in knowing that she wasn't disturbing him with her human 'noise'. Her eyes had just decided that it was time to close when she felt heavy vibrations through the floor. Instantly on the alert, she strained her ears to track the sound. Moments later she heard footfalls in the corridor. They stomped toward Kh'aan's cell door and stopped, setting her nerves on edge, and then she heard them retreat.
"What the hell?"
Seconds later they returned, accompanied by a heavy growl. She tracked them as though seeing through the wall, and could not stop the nervous tap of her thumb on Kh'aan's skull. Keep on walking, you freak! To her disgust the footsteps did just that, coming to a halt outside her cell door before turning and heading back to the access stairs. She heard the distant door clamp shut and released the breath she'd been holding.
"Why you perverted asshole!"
With the chill of unease notched firmly between her shoulder blades, Kayla wrenched her gaze from the door and settled on Kh'aan. The weight of the hunter in her lap suddenly reminded her of an old friend's enormous dog, and the thought made her laugh. I'm so glad you don't drool. She resumed humming, her fingers tracing Kh'aan's ferocious features.
Your skin is so thick, but it's not as reptilian as that Croc after all. More like a sea of goosebumps, each with a pixel of color on them and all over a sea of beige. You're like a painting from that ancient artist what's-his-name, at least up close. How strange. She leaned closer to study the odd pattern, her breath crossing Kh'aan's face, and was unprepared when he suddenly lunged up from his prone position, a snort of air blasting her from point blank range. Kayla leaned back biting her tongue to keep from shouting, but the wall behind her and the hunter's grip around her torso kept her from going far.
"You goof!" She grumbled, noting his tapping tusks again. "Even in your sleep you just have to make me crazy."
She settled as comfortably as possible in his embrace, though it was slightly difficult with his linked hands in the small of her back. She wormed around the obstacle until numbed by it and then huffed out a sigh. A new tune began to form in her head, and the initial notes of "Don't Worry, Be Happy" had just found their way out of her throat when Kh'val's heavy footfalls returned to the corridor. He paced back and forth between the two cells, and Kayla finally decided to risk waking her companion.
"Kh'aan?" She leaned forward again and tried to whisper, but the behemoth remained dead to the world. She blew a breath across his face, and Kh'aan snuffled slightly, but still he did not wake. Kayla's eyes flicked to the corridor wall as the footsteps returned to the access stairs, and once she heard the outer door close she resumed her efforts in earnest.
"Kh'aan, wake up!" She tapped her fingers against his skull and snickered when he snarled in agitation. "Naptime is over, big boy. Up and at 'em!"
A low growl began in the hunter's chest and traveled to the human through his arms, making her insides quiver. "Woah, that is a very unpleasant sensation, pal! Cut it out!"
She freed her left arm from his vice and placed both hands on his face, turning his head until his closed eyes were aligned with her open ones. "Kh'aan…you have to wake up. Nefarious happenings are afoot!" She snickered at her own choice of words and then reached up with both hands. The marine prayed that he wouldn't awaken violently, and then squeezed his 'cheeks' and tried to shake him back into the waking world. "Kh'aan!"
The former Firstbor swore inwardly at the abrupt end to the best sleep he's had in weeks, and eased out of sleep with some difficulty. His bleary eyes cracked open to meet hers, and one twitching mandible disrupted an enormous yawn. "What?"
Kayla laughed and poked at one of his tusks. "What indeed. I'm sorry to wake you, sleeping beauty, but I think we're about to have company."
Kh'aan snarled quietly, and to the human's surprise buried his face back into her stomach. Kayla's brow furrowed when she heard him make a sound, as though blowing air out of his mouth and then catching it again. "Pauk!"
"What was that?"
The hunter rolled to his back and released her from his all-encompassing hold, his head nestled comfortably in her lap. A strange look crossed his features for a moment before he repeated the noise. "Pauk."
Kayla strained to make out a word, but only heard the air and catch. "Phooh-chk?"
Kh'aan's eyes grew wide, and then a rumble coursed through his body and came out in a hearty grating laugh. He squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to control himself, but the look on her face and the sound she'd made were absolutely ridiculous. After a moment he managed to chirp out "No."
Her features scrunched up in concentration and more than a little defiance, and she tried again. "Phhaah-hchk?"
Kh'aan let out a loud bark and turned his head, gracelessly rolling off of her lap. He tried in vain to contain the uncontrollable fit threatening to well up in his chest, but the more she tried to pronounce the word, the harder it became to breathe. "No…no, no, no!"
The marine frowned. "Well whatever…what's it mean?"
The hunter chuckled for a few more moments before he felt restrained enough to face her. He rolled over and rested his jaw on her knee. "Oomans say 'fuck'." When her eyes nearly bulged from her skull he lost all control again, and clamped his tusks around her knee in an effort to maintain what was left of his sanity.
"It's not funny!" She giggled as his mirth became infectious. "Is that really the first word I learn in your language? Fuck?"
Kh'aan's grip on her knee tightened for a moment before he released her. "'Chiva' was first. This would be the second."
It was Kayla's turn to stare wide-eyed, and they both wound up in stitches on the floor. She repeatedly attempted to say Pauk correctly, and Kh'aan's color darkened by several shades in his efforts to hold in roars of laughter. Only the ominous hiss of the outer door opening was enough to end their hysterics.
Kh'aan snarled and sat straight up from the floor, though the marine was not at all surprised that his abdominal muscles could pull off such a feat. They silently tracked the Arbitrator as he approached the door, and Kayla let out a dark laugh when he passed Kh'aan's cell. Kh'aan growled and rose to his feet, appalled over what his mind was deducing as Kh'val's intention. I was right, brother. Paya help me, don't let me be right.
Kayla nodded as she eased back into the far corner of the cell. "After the fourth trip I had a feeling that he was going for me…fucking psycho." After a small chuckle she corrected herself. "Phooh-chk-ing psycho!"
Kh'aan's head turned just enough that she could see the amused glint in his eye, and his mandibles quivered before he turned back to the corridor. "Stick to your own tongue, Crazy."
"You started it!"
Their banter was interrupted by the sound of the Arbitrator's talons tapping on the wall, first a soft tap, and then a staccato of raps in his increasing agitation. The fugitives tensed in anticipation, and moments later heard the beep of the panel when Kh'val entered the access code. The door to her cell hissed open, and barely a heartbeat later the Arbitrator roared in unmistakable fury. His steps thundered through the bulkheads, and when their cell opened he was the epitome of rage.
"WHERE IS…she?" Kh'val's eyes locked with Kh'aan's before they caught the shadow at his side. His gaze skirted past his brother to see the human rise from the floor with a sneer on her face. "How did that ooman get in here?"
Kh'aan's chuckle came out as more of a growl, and he pushed Kayla behind his back. "She has many skills."
The Arbitrator's eyes narrowed and his mandibles flared as a throaty hiss streamed from his mouth. Faster than they could blink he lunged forward, and Kh'aan met his brother head on. They collided in the center of the tiny cell, clawed hands locked together in a challenge of strength, and Kayla did not want to stick around to see who won the bet. As the two behemoths pushed each other violently around the room, the human dove to the floor and scrambled between their vicious feet, hoping against hope that their razor claws missed her completely until she made it out the door.
Kh'aan shoved his brother against the wall, purposely jamming his legs against the low bench. "You are a pathetic disgrace, Kh'val!"
"I was just thinking the same thing about you, brother," the Arbitrator snarled. He abruptly head-butted Kh'aan and knocked the taller hunter back a step, but their claws remained locked in the backs of each other's hands. He felt the passage of air along his legs, and briefly glanced down to see the human skirt past their feet. He lashed out with a kick and smirked when his foot connected.
Kh'aan heard a gasp from his companion and roared in his brother's face before returning the head-butt with one of his own. "Touch her again and I will kill you!"
"You keep saying that." Kh'val yanked the hunter forward by the arms and raised a knee to his midsection. The abrupt stop knocked the wind out of Kh'aan's lungs and gave the Arbitrator the opportunity to find the human again.
Kayla was curled on the floor beneath the bench, her lungs heaving desperately for air. Goddamn psychopathic maniac! I'll kill you when I can breathe again. Her eyes opened in time to see his tree-trunk legs approaching, while behind him Kh'aan was also struggling to breathe. As Kh'val raised his foot again, Kayla took a risk and darted out from under the bench. She locked her legs around Kh'val's planted foot and rolled with all of her might, much like she had when sparring with Kh'aan. With his balance already upset by his raised leg, the Arbitrator could not remain upright when her movement dislodged his support.
Kh'aan sucked in a deep and painful breath, and his eyes cracked open in time to see Kh'val topple sideways with Kayla's legs wrapped around his ankle. His brother could not break his fall fast enough, and crashed head-first into the metal wall. Kh'val slumped to the floor groaning weakly, and the presented opportunity was too good for Kh'aan to let pass. He stepped forward flexing his hand in preparation, and delivered a sound punch to the dangerously sensitive spot on Kh'val's skull. The blow did its job quickly and the Arbitrator immediately went still.
Kayla remained sprawled on the floor, her wide eyes locked on Kh'val as though expecting him to rise again. Only when Kh'aan stepped forward and started to disarm his unconscious brother did she hazard a breath. And then hissed.
"Fuck me!"
Kh'aan's eyes snapped to the human, wincing on the floor and holding her side. As much as his chest hurt, he could only imagine how many of her ribs had been damaged. He threw the Arbitrator's weapons out into the corridor and dropped to his knees by her side.
"Are you broken?"
Her eyes watered slightly but her features were stone. "Nope, I'm good. Just bruised. Help me up."
They heaved to their feet, wincing in unison, and quickly shuffled out of the cell. Kh'aan turned and stared at his brother for several minutes wondering what had just happened, and only Kayla's hand on his arm snapped him out of the trance. He activated the panel and locked the cell door, and then used the Arbitrator's wristblades to disable the panel entirely. After another moment he faced the human, and it took some effort to pull her own gaze from the door. Their eyes met as mirrors of apprehension.
"Ok," the human huffed. "Now what?"