Translations:
kiande amedha- hard meats
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The room buzzed with chatter while the elders quickly discussed among themselves. A large orange hologram of a planet floated in the middle of the room.
Lex watched the sphere slowly rotate on its axis, deep in thought. Scar stood behind her making idle chit chat with the guys. Jag remained close by to the pair, occasionally stating his opinion in the conversation next to him before returning to his own thoughts.
"Do you fear?"
"Fear what?"
"What is to come. Death. Hard meats," Jag stated, a tad annoyed at the avoidance.
"No. Not entirely." The chatter behind her died down as Scar's chest plate just barely touched her back.
"A warrior does not fear, Lex," Molten's hand rested reassuringly on her shoulder as he came to stand before her.
"I don't fear for myself, Molten."
"Then what?" Scar's chest pressed firmly against her back as he looked down on her.
Ever since that night, he had been much more touchy but Lex didn't mind. Though, it did get a bit overwhelming at times.
"I just don't like seeing my friends hurt. I hate to lose anybody." Jag and Molten chuckled but Night stayed eerily silent.
"We are strong, make no mistake, Lex. But, we do care for you as well." Night ruffled her hair a bit before turning around to face the elders.
They had moved away from their little meeting and now the elder of the ship, Elder N'nagara, stood before them.
"Warriors and Hunters alike. We have an emergency! The kiande amedha has broken loose during a Chiva! We must cleanse the area and kill the queen! Those who are too afraid, leave now. Those who are weak, leave now. But those who are brave and strong, join your brothers and sisters! Let us hunt!" The roar in the room was deafening but Lex couldn't find the heart to join them. It would be Antarctica all over again.
Scar purred to comfort Lex. He had translated what she couldn't understand in the Elder's speech and he knew what it would entail for her. He also knew it was time for her to get over her fear, her traumatizing event back on Earth would be different from that here. He'd be here, along with their friends. This would be a slaughter of kiande amedha, not one of Yuatja or human.
"We should go prepare," Lex moved from his grasp and nodded to the rest.
They slowly filed out of the room to grab their things for the hunt. Most stayed back to cheer on their good fortune. For most, it had been quite a while since they were allowed to hunt these creatures and they were going to make the most of it.
Lex had separated from the guys to go to her own living quarters. Lu leaned against the metal wall by her door, already waiting for her.
"Lex, you don't seem happy about this predicament. Why?" Lu clicked curiously and followed Lex inside.
"Antarctica wasn't the best experience for me, Lu." She nodded. Everyone knew the story and though some saw Lex as brave, Lu understood the costs at which it had come with.
"You have Scar though," Lu slightly hit Lex's shoulder with a wink. She groaned before laughing at her Yuatja friend who never ceased to poke fun at her.
"And I hear you got cozy with Molten that week huh?" Now Lu blushed before growling under her breath.
"I need to go help prepare the ships to take off." Lu hurried out of the room leaving a laughing Lex behind.
"Ah, Lex, I want you to meet someone!" Lu pulled her to a stop in front of another Yuatja just outside of the docking stations.
The female Yautja towered above her, as most did, with a light olive and orange pattern across her skin and her eyes a deep brown.
"Here is my sister Ka'Nik or as I like to call her Nikki!" Lu clapped her hands together in excitement.
"Hi, I'm Lex." They shook hands - Lex unable to reach her shoulder for the proper Yautja greeting - but Nikki didn't say anything. Lu lightly punched her in the ribs and with a hiss shot her sister a look.
"Yeah... Hi. You must be... Night's friend. I see you hang around that group a lot."
"I do. You're close with Night?"
Lu giggled and replied for her sister, "Yep! Quite close if you catch me," she continued to giggle even after Nikki's withering glare.
"How do you stand to put up with her? I mean she's my sister but you actually have a choice!" Lu flushed and yelled out a 'hey' but Lex just laughed and shrugged. Lu was a very bubbly girl that seemed to be an oddball herself among the others on the ship.
"Ka'Nik." The deep rumble wasn't hard to place.
Night stood behind Lex with his arms crossed. He didn't seem mad but he didn't seem happy either. Nikki chose not to reply and instead nodded her head to Lex before walking away. Lu hugged Lex before running after her sister.
"Night... What was that-"
"A little quarrel is all. Come, we've been waiting for you." Lex followed Night, slightly annoyed that he cut her off.
When they reached the deck, Night escorted her to the hunting ship she had originally been on. From reports, the hard meats were traveling very fast throughout the planet and so several hunting ships would deposit groups in certain regions to combat the spread.
"Ready?" Scar stood next to her.
"As I'll ever be." Lex shrugged nonchalantly but inside her nerves were already shot and her stomach had twisted into a thousand knots.
"This planet is very cold, especially the region our group has been assigned to. Let me see your gauntlet to set your temperature correctly." Lex held up her arm at Scar's request and let him configure the right settings. When finished, they boarded the ship.
Everybody looked ecstatic with laughter and drinks all around. Yet, Lex noted how worried they were. Constantly checking their weapons. Sharpening their blades for the umpteenth time. As if one could never be too sure, too prepared.
This was one of the largest outbreaks to ever happen according to what Scar had been telling Lex. Not uncommon but not necessarily common either. The outbreak didn't occur during the Chiva, thankfully, but right after it. Two out of the three survived and they had seen nothing that would have let the serpents out. Whatever the cause, the elders planned to check it out personally.
"You're too tense. Come eat, relax, everything will be fine," Scar tugged Lex off to one of the tables to eat.
In less than an hour, they would arrive at their set destination. They would have to stay until the elders called them back or they needed emergency pick up.
Time flew by all too quickly and they had to leave. They descended down the ramp and out into the cold forest. Despite the netting, Lex felt a shiver pass through her. Jag and Molten decided to have a competition and set off on their own way while Night followed the duo.
Nikki also followed them down the ramp but immediately split from the group as well. She had stopped Lex earlier and wished her luck, telling Scar to keep Lex toasty per Lu's request.
"Go Night," everyone looked at the green-gray Yuatja, "you want to stay with Na'Nik. I can tell. I don't know what fight you two had but you should resolve it now. Your mind will be clouded during your hunt and I, as well as Lex, don't wish to see you hurt."
"Right," Lex chimed in.
Night chuckled and shook both of their shoulders before running off. Smiling at each other, the couple headed deeper into the forest.
A few hours later, they made camp in the cluster of trees. Frosty vines hanged low and the stiff bark felt rock solid. The particular tree they chose rose several meters into the air and had a slight cave in at the top which allowed them to settle in among the branches.
"I can keep the first watch, you go ahead and sleep." Scar looked up from his bag before nodding.
Scar was shocked she offered to watch as he had intended to take first watch. He wouldn't pass up the opportunity to sleep and agreed.
Once settled down, he dozed off, leaving Lex to watch and get lost in her thoughts. Her mask on thermal, the only heat signature being Scar's.
Huffing, she settled into her own. They had no fire since they had their nets plus they were sitting in a tree surrounded by snow. Fire wouldn't do well here.
Fire. So bright and colorful yet so powerful and deadly.
Weyland...
Blinking the thoughts of the old man away, Lex focused on Scar's gentle rise and fall of breath. The rest of her shift remained quiet. Then Scar took over and Lex's mind thrust her into a series of dreams. Some climbing with her dad, by herself or with Miana. Others, the freezing cold of Antarctica. The dark maze. The ancient walls. The serpents.
With a sudden jolt, Lex woke to Scar sitting not too far off from her. He didn't see her wake with his back to her. Swallowing away the fear, Lex sat up.
"Sleep well?" Lex ruffled her hair a bit but chose not to answer his question. Instead, she lifted off her mask to drink some water.
"Let's go. There should be some mountains up ahead. They could have taken refuge in the caves there." Scar led the way and they trekked through the ever building snow.
Eventually, only Scar plowed through while Lex moved to walk behind him. The snow had reached his chest and over her head.
"If this collapses on me..."
"Get on my back then." Scar stopped to look over his shoulder.
"I'm just saying I could possibly die from snow here which would be sad." Scar clicked, slightly amused, before he squatted down to let her up. They made the rest of the way in silence.
"Do you see it?" Scar looked back at her, wondering what she meant.
"The heat signatures. There on the mountain. Look, " she pointed to the moving forms just ahead of them.
"Perhaps kiande amedha?"
"Perhaps." Lex shrugged, internally hoping not.
Scar shifted her on his back and moved even faster to the mountain. If there were kiande amedha, he wanted to hunt.