Disclaimer: I don't own the story or fandom. This work belongs solely to blacktalon117 and the movie producers.
"You are not healthy enough to have accepted this trial."
It was the fifth time Ti'kon had said that, and quite frankly it was starting to piss her off. They were all standing in some sort of arena, a Kehrite, Kin'varn had called it. Nova's translator didn't decipher the word, but she understood enough. This was where shit hit the fan.
She was flanked by her new family members, K'on, Kin'varn, and Little Knife. While Ti'kon had taken up pacing back and forth in front of her. She could see the big ass bitch on the other side of the arena flanked by her own warm up crew. What was her name?.Something hardcore... Thwei'duh, that's right. Apparently, her translator liked to turn the word into 'Blood knife'.
Were all women in this society compared to knives?
"We haven't even been to my quarters, and already you have taken a challenge," Ti'kon was ranting now. "Only six hours you have been on this ship, and when we haven't even..."
Ti'kon stopped talking suddenly, but she knew what he was going to say. She had only been here six hours and he hadn't had the time to be 'naughty' with her, and now she had to get into a smack down, which, she may not come out of in one piece.
"You heard what she said. The whole dining room heard what she said, how the hell was I supposed to let that go? And she had the nerve to bring you into it. I wouldn't have pushed her back, if she hadn't said your name, but she did," Nova had only discovered ten minutes ago that by pushing a Yautja back meant you accepted a challenge."So, I've told you once, and I'll probably tell you a thousand times, I'm a big girl and I can handle this."
Ti'kon's pacing only increased at her words, his mandibles flaring back and forth with his strides, like a man would clench his fists.
"You can not handle everything, Mate. By accepting a challenge over me, it means that if you are not the victor, I will be honor bound to spend a night with her. Even if we are Life-mates, honor dictates that I mate with her for one night. You have made me the prize in this fight."
'Well, shit.'
She hadn't know that little nugget of knowledge.
She had no idea she agreed to that. If she lost, Ti'kon suffered as well, and she had a terrible feeling that the Big bitch would not go easy on her man if she won.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know," she whispered softly.
So softly, she didn't think he would hear, but he did. Ti'kon stopped pacing. His yellow eyes locking with hers.
"And that is entirely my fault."
How could he do that? He was blaming himself again, like back at the dinner table. This was her mess, not his. If their roles were reversed she would be cursing his very existence for using her as a bargaining chip in such a gamble, but he was blaming himself for her lack of knowledge...again.
Nova was not sure if she had ever felt this shitty before.
"Do not look so grim, Brother, Little Sister," Kin'varn spoke up, far too cheery for her liking, "If you lose this, I could always be used as a substitute for my brother."
"What?" Nova asked startled.
"You would do that?" Ti'kon asked at the same time.
"Yes," her brother-in-law declared happily, before turning to her. "As Ti'kon's blood, and a Yautja of equal worth and position, I can always stand in for him. In fact, I think that because my brother is mated and I am not, it would selfish not to offer."
"Brother are you sure? This is not a normal female this is Thwei'duh, surely you know of the stories?"
Nova didn't think Ti'kon could look more upset than he did before, but he pulled it off. Staring at his Brother like he had just lost his mind. Also, what stories?
"I have heard the stories," Kin'varn shrugged, "and I think the female would be an extraordinary challenge for me to conquer. After all, if any male can stand up to her strength, it would be me. Give me a night with her, and I'm sure she will be tamed by morning."
If a Yautja could grin wickedly with all their mandibles, Kin'varn managed it. Nova changed her mind, she didn't want to know the stories.
"Your arrogance is not amusing, Brother," Ti'kon growled. "This is no light matter!"
"And I am no cowering Young blood!" Kin'varn snapped back.
"Stop!" Nova yelled, annoyed with the bickering brothers. "No one will be sleeping with that... Shemale, because I am going to kick 'er ass six ways from Sunday. Now, will you all shut up and tell me what the rules are for this smack down?"
The two brothers did as she suggested, and shut up, but neither spoke. Instead they both glared at each other, continuing to argue with their eyes.
"As you have no armour," K'on spoke, sounding more reasonable than both his elders, "Thwei'duh will also have no armour. Normally you would both be wearing it," Nova nodded, focusing on the young male, "because of the type of challenge, the victor with be the first to knock the other unconscious-"
Good, this wasn't a death match then. She had been expecting a fight to the death, but this was more doable. She still had to find a way to hit her thick head hard enough but, at least the female also had a big head, so it wasn't like her target was small or anything.
"You will be allowed to choose a weapon from the wall first-"
"Do you have any training in using a weapon?" Ti'kon cut his nephew off, sounding serious now.
"Nope."
"Hand to hand combat?"
"Nope."
"Then how do you intend to win this?"
"By being smarter, and better looking than her."
Harsh laughter suddenly sounded from behind them, and they all turned to see a tall male in familiar deep, red robes standing at the arena's entrance with guards flanking him. The only thing different about him from before was that he now wore gold shoulder plates with matching gauntlets, like some ancient king or emperor.
"An amusing strategy, Ooman, I look forward to seeing it in action."
"Hey, you're the important looking guy from before," Nova said, ignoring the sharp look from Ti'kon as she said so.
"Indeed, and you are the small looking alien from before. Who has managed to receive a challenge before the day has finished, which I now have to preside over."
"Yeah, that sounds like me," Nova said sheepishly.
"Ah, good, I would not want to get you confused with another small, trouble making, alien."
"There are other small, trouble making, aliens?"
"You would be surprised. I am expecting a decided increase in small, trouble making, aliens in the near future."
"Something to look forward to then?"
"Indeed, now follow me, Ooman. I want this fight to be over with. I have arrangements to make for the incoming small aliens."
Nova wasn't going to argue with the male, he was obviously important, and not to be fucked with. She had caused enough mayhem for today, she didn't want to add more to it.
"Lead the way, Boss."
"High Elder, actually."
"High Elder Boss."
"Humm, quite."
Nova smiled, liking how he simply took her smart assedness in stride. It also amazed her how he seemed to acknowledge, and dismiss her, at the same time.
How was that even possible?
She went to follow behind him, only to be pulled up by a large hand on her shoulder.
She turned to face Ti'kon, his eyes burning into hers.
"You will win this Little Knife. I may be worried, but I have faith in you. You are strong, and fast. You can bring her down."
A little voice inside of her head told her she shouldn't do what she was about to do, but her hands were already moving. Nova grabbed Ti'kon's front two black tresses and yanked on them hard, bringing his face down to hers, while a strange half gurgled cry escaped his mouth.
"Damn right I'll win. I'm not letting another woman touch you."
She released him as quickly as she grabbed him, leaving him with slack mandibles and glowing yellow eyes. She ran to catch up with the High Elder, who had paused to wait for her.
"I never thought I would see the day when an Honored warrior could look so... scandalized," the male spoke to her quietly, when she reached his side. "I hope that all Ooman females are this bold. And to think, life on the ship was starting to get dull. Have the rules of combat been explained to you?"
"No armor. Get to have a weapon. First to score a knockout wins."
"Put simply, yes, but death in matches such as this are common. I feel I should also warn you not to fall into the pit."
The death part Nova had assumed, but what pit? Looking at the arena, it was just a simple square marked on the floor, a huge square, but still just a square. She could see the She-male on the other side moving towards towards them, a huge crowd gathering behind her, but no pit.
"Pit?"
"Yes, are you not familiar with such things? You should be. What is it Oomans call them...ah, yes, pyramids. Pyramids have them, among other clever traps that we designed."
Nova's head snapped from observing the room to stare at the towering alien.
"Yautja built the Pyramids?"
'Wow.'
If they had, Nova owed an apology to several raving nut-cases back on Earth.
The High Elder laughed, and it was deeper and harsher than Ti'kon's manly chuckles, an amazing feat really.
"No, Ooman, Yautja did not build the pyramids. We did, however, order that they be built, and hand over the construction plans. So, it is all up to perspective if you want to consider our involvement. But, I can assure you that not one Yautja lifted a hand building process."
Yes, she owed them apologies.
"Trust such small minded animals not to know the history of their own planet."
A voice snarled close by. So the Bitch had caught up with them. Nova didn't even bother turning to look at her, instead she ignored her. She would be the bigger bitch and not take the bait. Nova would be putting her in her place shortly anyway. Besides, the official guy was near, and she didn't want to look short tempered in front of him. And if the glint in his eye was anything to go by, he approved of her restraint.
"Choose your weapons wisely," he declared, gesturing to a wall covered with them, half of which Nova had no clue how to work.
Big and busty didn't hesitate. She pulled what looked like a spear from the wall. With a flourish she extended it somehow, and proceeded to fling it around her body in a display of skill that Nova assumed was meant to intimidate her.
'Yeah, I bet she could write her name in the snow, too.'
Choosing to ignore the physical taunt, Nova examined the wall of pointy, dangerous, shiny items, looking for something usable and suitable. The bigger items were out of the question. They would slow her down. Instead she focused on the smaller ones.
'There!'
In the corner of the wall, right down at the bottom, were two small daggers crossed over each other. Well, they were small for Yautja standards, but for Nova they were about half her forearm long, and unlike the other weapons, these didn't shine. She walked closer to inspect them. Plucking one from the wall. She could hear murmurs around the room as she tested the weight of it. They were made of bone, with a hollow handle, or perhaps they were made of ivory. Nova had no idea what sort of creature produced this weapon, but it was light, with an incredibly thin blade. The type where you wouldn't feel it going in, but you would certainly feel it coming out. She would be able to throw it easily as well. The only problem was, they probably broke easily. It would be hard to defend with them.
Nova weighed her options, and quickly came to a decision.
'They do call me Little Knife.'
She pulled it's twin from the wall and stepped back. She had a plan now.
"A very interesting choice," the Elder spoke from behind her. "Please take your place in the center and wait for my call."
Both females followed the order, walking through the gathering crowd around the ring to stand at its center. Nova breathed deeply as they faced off, calming herself for the coming battle. Blocking out the cheers and cries from the crowd, she focused only on her opponent. She had to win this, either Ti'kon or her new brother would suffer if she didn't. Well, maybe Kin'varn wouldn't suffer so much, but she would be damned before she turned him into some sort of whore. This was her family now, and it was time to start carving her place into this society.
"POSITIONS!"
The She-male crouched down, her arms and legs wide, her mandibles flared. Nova admitted to herself that the pose would cause a lesser person to need a change of underwear. She didn't follow such dramatics however, and stayed how she was standing. Simply flipping the knives in her hands back, so they ran along her forearms. She would be harder to disarm, if you couldn't grab her wrist.
Nova's cool composure faltered, however, when the arena's floor started to rumble. The sides suddenly fell away from the square, opening up to reveal a huge pit that ran the entire way around them, sealing Nova and the Yautja off completely from the crowd. She could just see faint glints of silver hidden in the shadows of the hollow.
Spikes.
They were trapped until someone finished this.
'Well, isn't this just fantastic!'
"BEGIN!"
The Cow charged her, spear out, ready to impale her.
Nova had been expecting that, and quickly spun out of the way, slicing her blades down the outside of the females left thigh as she passed. Behind the confused Yautja now, she used her speed to score two lines down the insides of her thighs also, where she hoped a major artery was.
Her slashes were light, and quick, she didn't want to kill, merely weaken. It helped that the other woman was so tall and her thighs easily accessible as well.
It must have stung when Nova sliced her inner thighs, because the Heifer/Bull roared. Swinging her spear back behind her. It cracked into the back of Nova's head, clipping her ear. Nova felt something tear, as she fell forward. Instinctively she held her knives in front of her.
She collided into the Bitch's back, stabbing her knives into the lower part as she did so.
The roar was deafening this time, making Nova's head throb.
She jumped back from the Yautja, narrowly missing another blind spear swipe. The She-beast, spun around to face her again. Looking more pissed then Nova thought was possible.
"What's the matter, Big Brown, thought this would be easy did you?" Nova taunted smugly, knowing it would anger the female more, and ignored the trickling sensation down the side of her face.
"The battle has only just begun you pathetic creature. I'll have your skull as a trophy and your male beneath me before this is through."
"Honey, no one can be beneath you. You'll smother them all with your fat ass and thighs."
The Yautja's mandibles flared, releasing an enraged roar, as she charged for the second time. Nova dodged to the right, but the Yautja was wiser now, and she made a swipe with her spear. Nova narrowly missed it, lashing out at the offending spear arm, slicing from wrist to elbow as she passed.
Focusing so much on her spear hand, Nova forgot she had another. Only to be reminded when it plowed into the side of her face, where she was already bleeding, rattling her teeth, and probably loosening them.
Nova saw stars, falling to the ground, she landed with a thud. Blinking to gain her vision back just in time to see spear heading for her face. She rolled out of the way, finding herself between a pair of legs that were as thick as tree trunks. The spear planted in the ground beside her head. Severing a huge chunk of her back hair.
Nova didn't question her good fortune, as she sprang up between She-man's legs. Slicing her inner thighs, not caring how deep she got her.
The woman was going to spear her in the face before.
She jumped up behind the Yautja again, and did something she knew was not very nice, she stabbed the bitch in the ass, twice, cutting into the thick flesh of her cheeks.
The Yautja cried out and stumbled, as Nova struggled to stay upright. Swaying slightly. The bitch stumbled away from her, and kept stumbling. Nova foggily wondered what the hell was happening, until the Yautja spun around throwing the spear straight at her. Nova gave everything over to instinct as the spear hurtled towards her. Dropping her knives, she reached out, gripping the spear as it flew, and spun with it, three sixty, before releasing it again.
In slow motion she saw it go through the Yautja's shoulder to come out the other side.
"Holy shit, I'm a ninja," Nova slurred, as the other female swayed, green blood leaking from her shoulder.
She watched in amazement, as the aliens knees began to buckle, Nova realized she was falling.
Wait.
The Yautja was falling, her stumbles bringing her to the edge of the ring.
Nova wasn't sure what she thought at that moment. One might say she had a change of heart, an epiphany of sorts. But as the other female struggled, strange, iridescent blood painting all of her lower body, she felt remorse. Like she was killing a rare species of large cat. Like watching a alpha wolf being caught in a snare.
She was watching something powerful, and majestic die.
The humans at the lab, they had tortured her. They deserved everything she had done to them, but this; watching another unwittingly stumble to their death because of a few heated words, felt wrong.
When Thwei'duh fell, Nova was already running.
Sliding on her stomach, she grabbed onto the Yautja's flailing hand with both of hers. Crying out in agony when the hulking weight of the Yautja popped one of her shoulders out, but she refused let go.
She screamed every swear word that came to mind, mainly fuck, but she didn't let go.
Thwei'duh dangled precariously above the spikes, the only thing saving her from certain death was Nova's slipping grip. With unbelieving eyes she stared up at her unlikely saviour, spear still protruding from her shoulder.
"Why?"
Nova instinctively knew what she meant.
"Fucked if I know."
Nova could feel her body slipping forward, inching closer to the edge, pulled by her heavy burden.
"Are you gonna pull your fat ass up or not, Bitch?"
'Fuck, my shoulder hurts'
Thwei'duh didn't look concerned about the insult at all.
"I can't lift my other arm."
"Fuck!"
"Swing me."
"What?"
"Pauking, swing me."
Nova finally caught on to what she meant, and braced herself for the pain this was going to cause. With a war cry that rivaled any Yautjas, she used what strength she had to sway Thwei'duh back and forth, the female helping by throwing her body as well.
Thwei'duh was gaining momentum, but Nova was sliding forward with every sway, pain loosening her grip even more.
"Can't...hold...any..longer."
"Just one more and I can reach."
"That better fucking be true."
With a blood curdling scream, Nova gave all the energy she had left into the swing, the Yautja's injured arm catching the edge, so she could haul herself up.
Nova let go of the females hand. Rolling onto her back, as Thwei'duh collapsed beside her, spear and all. They were both panting, and bleeding, muscles twitching with exertion. Nova closed her eyes briefly, wondering why the room was so quiet.
"I FOLD TO THE OOMAN!" Thwei'duh suddenly screamed next to her.
"Damn right, you do," Nova panted.
Had she seriously just saved her enemies life?
But, she wasn't really an enemy, was she? She was just an alien bitch, that needed an attitude adjustment.
"Don't get too arrogant, Ooman."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Noise slowly started to come back into the room, Yautja were roaring. The ground rumbled, and Nova knew the pit was gone. Huge hands were on her, lifting her, making her wince as they jarred her shoulder. Looking up she expected to see Ti'kon, only it was the High Elder holding her.
"I think that fight, Little Alien. . . .will be spoken of for a very long time. I myself am particularly fond of the ending."
"I'm glad you found me entertaining. Where's Ti'kon?"
"Oh, I'm sure he'll be breathing down my neck in a few seconds."
She hated that he sounded so happy when she was so exhausted.
"Put me down, I can still walk."
The male did as she asked, placing her on the ground. She looked over to find Thwei'duh being attended to by several males, all purring like crazy. Even covered in her own blood the female looked content, surrounded by males cautiously lifting her.
"Little Knife!"
Large hands were on her again, as Ti'kon grabbed her. Turning her to face him, while one of his hands went to her head.
"Paya, she has torn your ear off."
"No she hasn't," Nova said uncertainly, her own hand moving to join his.
"Do not touch the wound!" Ti'kon barked at her, clearly worried.
"My ear is still there, I know it is!" She yelled back, starting to panic. She didn't need more scars. And ears were important, weren't they?
"Well, technically, you still have half an ear," the Elder spoke up, "Perhaps the rest can be mended," he looked around the arena like he was searching for something, "or found."
A mournful noise broke from Nova's throat.
Her ear.
Now that they had told her she only had half of one, she could feel it throbbing along with her shoulder. They shouldn't have said anything. She was happy being ignorant.
"You need to see a medic now," Ti'kon declared, scooping her into his arms as she protested, repeating that she could walk on her own.
"Then I believe you will need this."
All of them turned at the strange voice.
It was a thin Yautja male, very thin. He stood almost awkwardly, holding a piece of mangled flesh in his huge palm, flesh that looked somewhat like a human ear. With scars criss-crossing his body, Nova recognized him immediately.
"Tube Guy found my ear," Nova exclaimed, managing to sound surprised after all that had happened to her today.
"Yes," he said, looking her with strangely familiar brown eyes. "If you hurry, I'm sure it can be reattached."
He handed the flesh to her, and she took it awkwardly, trying not to look at it.
"That was an honorable battle you just fought. I'm sure your Mate is very proud of you."
"I am," Ti'kon spoke before she could, "very proud. Thank you for finding her...ear," he frowned as he said that, "and I have to talk to you about your rescue from Earth, but for now my mate needs attending. I will speak with you later, stranger."
"Oh, I am no stranger," the male spoke.
He had been staring at Nova the entire time. Not taking his eyes off her, even when Ti'kon was speaking. Which was fine with Nova, as she had been doing the same, amazed with how their scars were all in the same places.
"You may call me Guan. . . . Ti'kon, is it?" Her mate nodded. "But I would prefer it if the little female did not call me that."
Everyone, including the High Elder, looked confused at his words.
"Why?" Nova asked, studiously trying to ignore the fact that she was holding her own freaking ear.
"I would prefer you call me what I am."
"Yautja?" Nova asked, now very confused.
"No, your father."
If asked later, Nova would tell you it never happened. She would even tell you that the witnesses were liars, but at that moment everything that had happened to her that day hit her.
All she could see was the Yautja's identical brown eyes.
All she could feel was Ti'kon's arms wrapped around her, and the slight weight of her ear in her hand.
Then like a switch had been flicked, she fainted, upsetting three males in the process greatly.
Two of those males because of emotional and blood ties to her, the other one because he was the only one sensible enough to catch her mangled ear as it fell.
At least human blood was red, so it went quite nicely with his robes.
