Hiya! Thanx for all the reviews! Another short chapter, but the next is really long to make up for it. The cursed homework prevents me from uploading many chapters because I'm a slow typer, so no yelling at me!:) Don't worry, Celia will be appearing again much later in the story. I don't really know how a person would react in the Pred's atmosphere, so I'm making an educated guess. Nihkou'te looks like the Pred from Predator 2, which I don't own. Enjoy and review.
C'jit-Damn
Ooman-Human
Awu'asa-Suit of armor
Chapter 6
Guan-Thwei woke abruptly from his deep sleep. The door of the sleep pod hissed open and he exited, stretching. For about thirty seconds he couldn't remember why the other pod was on. Then it all rushed back and he muttered,
"C'jit ooman." Guan-Thwei sighed and headed to the armory to collect his awu'asa, weapons and trophies.
…..
He leaned against the door, waiting for Matt to wake up. As soon as the door opened, the ooman stumbled out. He staggered dizzily for a moment.
"I feel like I'm hyper ventilating all the time." he explained. "Where are we now? The Homeworld?" added Matt. Guan-Thwei shook his head and replied.
"No. We are nearing my clan ship. I live on it most of the time. Come. You can sit in… in the cockpit while I pilot my ship in."
Matt watched the Yautja carefully steer the ship into a massive hanger. The cockpit was much larger then one in an airplane and just as complicated. Small blinking lights decorated the panels in red, yellow and green constellations. On several screens spiky red letters scrolled. Once in a while, a harsh computerized voice sounded; Guan-Thwei didn't seem to like it and would growl things at it. Everything in the cockpit gave off a faint heat. Matt voiced this to Guan-Thwei.
"We see heat. In order for us to see anything, it must be warmer or cooler than everything around it or absorb or reflect heat differently."
"Oh." Matt thought about this. Suddenly, the Yautja seemed even more alien. The ship shuddered as it slid into place. Guan-Thwei tapped on a few keys and the barely audible hum of the ship ceased.
"M'aat-hew, do not speak to other Yautja unless I tell you to, do not leave my side and above all, never be disrespectful to Elders or females." cautioned Guan-Thwei. He stood up and stalked down the hallway, Matt followed, flapping his shirt against the oppressive heat. They walked through the main doors and waited a moment before another, even more massive set of doors slid open. Another short corridor and then they found themselves in a large hall.
"Guan-Thwei!" roared something. Matt whirled to see another Yautja striding towards them, one hand raised in greeting. Guan-Thwei turned and grinned.
"Nihkou'te!" he shouted back. They stopped in front of each other, grinning madly. They shook each other's shoulders and exchanged rapid, clicking words. Nihkou'te was a few inches taller then Guan-Thwei, bringing him to nearly eight feet. He was not a pale yellowish color, but a darker yellow. Instead of dark green mottling, he was marked with streaks and spots of various shades of red, reddish brown and burnt orange. Especially on his face. That was heavily marked, accenting the spikes and ridges on his face. Nihkou'te also had the same scar on his brow. For a moment there was a lull in the conversation and Nihkou'te looked at Matt. Then Guan-Thwei said something and the new Yautja's mandibles spread in a smile. He continued looking at Matt and listening to Guan-Thwei. Then he started laughing. The new Yautja turned to Matt and reached out, gripping his shoulder. Matt reached up hesitantly and grabbed Nihkou'te's shoulder. He was shaken until his teeth rattled.
"H…Hello, M'aat-hew! Weh'licom to Yautja life!" said Nihkou'te in broken, heavily accented English. He waved at Guan-Thwei and ambled off, still laughing to himself. Matt felt overwhelmed.
"Nihkou'te will be good to you. He is respectful to oomans. He thinks most of life is a joke." They continued along the confusing halls, other Yautja stopping to talk to Guan-Thwei or to greet him. Eventually, they reached Guan-Thwei's rooms. They were not particularly large compared to most rooms they had seen. They consisted of a bedroom, armory and all purpose room. The main room had one wall entirely dominated by a trophy case.
"You stay here while I get a mattress for you to sleep on." Matt nodded. Once Guan-Thwei was out of the room, Matt explored the rest of the chambers. The armory was not very different than the one on the ship, but larger. Guan-Thwei's bedroom had a huge mattress on a slightly raised dais and tapestries on three of the walls. They were in shifting colors and depicted odd and disturbing aliens, Yautja locked in fierce combat with each. One particular alien was on most. It was black and spiky, with a long oblong head. On a table in the room was a bladed disc, like a Frisbee. It was opened and wires were strewn everywhere. Matt shrugged and went back into the main room to look at the trophy case. He stopped abruptly, seeing the vicious skulls on it. They were they same as the ones on the tapestries. A huge, crested skull dominated the centre of the trophy case. It glared eyelessly at him over a mouthful of teeth. Several human skulls were on the wall as well, but he was mostly distracted from them because of the alien skulls.
…..
Matt did not have a watch, so he did not know how much time passed before Guan-Thwei returned with a mattress. Once in place, the Yautja motioned for Matt to follow him.
