Part X: To Thine Own Self Be True

When the transmittion had ended, Tyr was as still as a statue. He couldn't bring himself to move or even breathe. He felt he didn't deserve any life sustaining breath. How could he have possibly known that his personal act of self-redemption came at such a high price? Going in, he was sure that the consequences of his actions were his and his alone, but now, he has inadvertently put the last of his pride in mortal danger.

He knows he has a responsibility to tell them the truth, but at what cost? These people may be members of his own pride, but they are Nietzscheans, first and foremost. If they feel he is a threat to their health and well being, they would gladly hand him and the Progenitor's remains over to the Drago Kazov. Not because they are cowards(the word doesn't exist among Nietzscheans), but because it's the sensible thing to do. Hell, he would do it were it he in their position. Also, there is the matter of Lysandra. The last thing he wants is to lose the only family he has left.

Dylan looks over at him and is well aware of the dilemma he's wrestling with, especially when he considers their last run-in with Cuchulain. It involved something along the lines of a Sabra/Jaguar treaty they helped come to pass, resulting in two newly independent solar systems and all were created for the sole purpose of keeping a close watch over the Dragons. They're quite sure he hasn't forgiven them for that. Trance, feeling the uneasy tension between Tyr and Dylan, feels it's her duty to break the silence.

"Dylan... Tyr... what are we going to do?!"

"There's one thing we can do and Tyr, you know exactly what that is."

"No!" Tyr protested. "There has to be another way!"

"We don't have much of a choice, Tyr!" Dylan shouted back. "I mean, I can't believe that you're actually considering risking all of our lives to hold on to someone that's already dead! Now, if we just set up some kind of exchange with the Dragons, hopefully they won't destroy the pride or us. We have to tell Lysandra...! "

"We will tell her nothing!! It wouldn't change anything anyway!" Tyr growled. "Don't you see that it's all the same to the Dragons?! They will attack us anyway, whether we give them the Progenitor or not!"

"Well, can't we just do what we originally came here to do and rescue them?" Trance proposed. She didn't realize how horribly offensive her suggestion was until Tyr gave her the most intimidating and uncomfortable stare. Afterwards, she decides that she should keep her comments to herself for the duration of this conversation. Dylan, on the other hand, feels that Trance's thinking is on the right track and wants to rephrase her idea, making it more "Nietzschean friendly".

"I think what Trance was trying to say is, whatever the pride decides, we want to help out... whether it's vacating the planet before Drago Kazov get here or fighting them off when they do get here. It's entirely your decision." Tyr starts to contemplate the offer just as Dylan knew he would. As a human who has dealt many times with Nietzscheans, in his experience, he's learned that they respond better when the ball is in their court. After thinking it over, Tyr agrees to have Dylan and Trance help out. Just as they've finish speaking on the matter, seconds later, Lysandra reenters her quarters along with Balthasar and a few other Kodiak alpha males. They all are feverishly trying to figure out what the pride's next move should be. Emotions are running so high, they don't even notice that Tyr, Dylan and Trance are in the room with them.

"Cuchulain is absolutely insane!" one of the males shouted. "God damn him!! God damn all the Dragons...!!"

"No, Marcellus... the only one that God seems to be damming is us!" states Lysandra, hiding her face in her hands out of frustration.

"We have only a week until he comes here. What in the hell are we going to do?!" another Alpha asked.

"Well, Cairbre, I know what I'm going to do. I'm taking my wives and my children and we're disappearing off of this rock!" said yet another male.

"Braima, are you actually going to abandon the pride when we need more than ever to stand together?!" questioned Lysandra, angry that he wants to turn tail and leave.

"Stand together?" Braima echoed. "As in standing up to Cuchulain and rest of the Drago Kazov? Marcellus was wrong. Cuchulain isn't insane, Lysandra... you are! The Dragons numbers are in the thousands. We, on the other hand, are just barely under 300. Twenty years ago when our numbers were at their highest, we still couldn't defeat them in the clan war. I lost my parents, my siblings and I barely got away with my life. Why, in God's name, do you think things will be any different this time?!"

Getting the group's attention, Dylan declares, "Because we're here to offer our assistance to you." All eyes focused on the opposite side of the room to see who made such an audacious declaration. They were very surprised that they didn't noticed the three uninvited outsiders eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Alright, which one of you said that?" Braima demanded.

"I did."

Braima starts to laugh just as Lysandra did before. "You did? A human?!" Getting somewhat tired of his intentions being laughed at, but not wanting to let it upset him, Dylan takes it on the chin by grinning and shaking his head.

"Yes, I know I'm but a 'mere human', but I'm a mere human who's had my own personal encounter with Cuchulain and the Drago Kazov.

Braima chuckled. "You're living in a fantasy world because if that were true, Human, you'd be a corpse!"

"But it is true!" Trance said, defending Dylan. "You've heard of the Jaguar/Sabra treaty, haven't you? Well, Dylan made that happen and we all helped him do it." The grins on the males' faces were starting to disappear. This little "fairy tale" Dylan and Trance were spouting was becoming very bothersome and frankly, insulting to their Nietzschean manhood. They have heard the tales of the treaty between pride Jaguar and pride Sabra and the circumstances surrounding it, but they never thought to believe any of it because it was too far-fetched... that is, until now. The all-powerful Cuchulain and the rest of the Drago Kazov... outwitted by a crew of six, led by a Kludge?

The Kodiaks are more or less oppressed by the Dragons on a daily basis, so how could this inferior human possibly have done what he alleges? The inner voice of their Nietzschean superiority is telling them there is no way this could have been done, but another voice(a clearer voice) is stating something altogether different... that this human is speaking the truth. Braima and the rest of the Alpha males carefully weigh the possible implications of this information. The more they thought about Dylan's claim, the angrier it made them and Tyr could see that. Just as the Alphas were about to directly express their displeasure, he proposes a brilliant idea.

"If I may make a suggestion, gentlemen, I would like for my comrade here to... prove his usefulness to you all." Dylan gives him a look as if to ask what Tyr means by his statement. "True, Capt. Hunt is a human, but he is also a survivor, not unlike ourselves, with a survivor's instinct and tactical ability."

"And... your point is?" sneered Cairbre.

"My point is... I'm offering you a challenge. Capt. Hunt and myself against any two pride members in hand to hand combat for 30 minutes." They couldn't believe their ears, especially Dylan who was stunned beyond belief. They thought this was some kind of joke.

"Let me get this straight... you and your Kludge friend against any two of our men in hand to hand combat?" laughed Braima. "That's very amusing! What's the catch?"

"After that time is if we win, the catch is, gentlemen... you have to do what we say as far as how to handle Cuchulain. If not, we agree to step back and you can handle this any way you wish."

"No!" interupted Braima. "You're not going to get off that easily! If you and your comrade are defeated after that time... you two will lose your lives! Do we have a deal, uber?"

Dylan looks at Tyr and hopes that his Nietzschean pride doesn't get them in deeper than they already are, but sadly he knew that it would.

"Don't ever call me that!" Tyr growled. Lysandra starts trying to be the voice of reason.

"Braima... Tyr.. stop this nonsense!! We don't have time for this! The last thing we need is to waste valuable time fighting amongst ourselves! This won't do anyone any good."

"Yes, please don't do this!" pleaded Trance, seconding what Lysandra said, but their pleas were swiftly ignored. The men were discussing the details of the upcoming challenge.

"We will all meet in the middle of the village in one hour. Knives and fists... no other weapons allowed. Are these conditions clear?" Braima explained.

"Clear as crystal." agreed a stone-faced Tyr, not wanting to appear shaken. Dylan, on the other hand, was visibly angry... mostly it was at Tyr. How could he have allowed himself to be placed in the predicament? As Braima and the rest of the males retired to their quarters to prepare for the fight, Dylan wants a word with Tyr.

"Tyr, what in the hell are you thinking?!"