Drok'ti was still wondering how Strife had managed to get that door open from where she was. Maybe her evolution did something weird to her. She had always been able to make things happen, but not like that. It was more luck related, at least that's what Drok'ti chalked it up to. He wanted to know why it was her that had saved him, why not someone else, someone that would have just sent him on his way when he was better, someone that didn't always seem to show up, someone that didn't have to be so admirable and someone he wouldn't have been attracted to. His fire for her still burned as hot as ever, but he could never stay with her. She was an ooman and he was a Yautja. All the Yautja that had ever grown to love an ooman were persecuted and cast out. It wasn't right in his mind. Then why did he have those feelings for her? Why was she so damned likable?

He snorted and looked at his trophy wall. He decided he was just going to forget about Strife and get on with life the way he was supposed to live it. No more traveling around with a weak little ooman female. He is a warrior, not a suckling-sitter. There was a knock on the door and Drok'ti was startled out of his thoughts. He stood up and opened the door. His brother was standing there. Drok'ti put his hand on his brother's shoulder to greet him. His brother returned the gesture.

"Welcome back."

"Thank you. How is our sire?"

"He's pleased that you have finally returned. We were wondering when we would see you again."

"Yeah."

"So what took you so long to return? And how did you get captured?"

"It's a long story, you don't want to hear it."

"I asked, didn't I? Have you done something to ruin your honor?"

"No, at least I don't think I did. I didn't break any rules."

"Then you can tell me. I swear it wont go any further than me."

"I suppose so."

Drok'ti sat down in his favorite chair again and looked at his brother. He wasn't sure how to start at first. It was a very long story and he needed to be careful just how much he told his brother. He didn't want to provoke the wrath of anyone, let alone his own flesh and blood.

"It started when I went to earth for the hunt before my last. I was attacked by that bad blood, but I was injured far worse than I let anyone know. My self destruct was damaged beyond use. I crawled my way into the first shelter I could find and laid there either waiting to die or waiting to get the strength to move on."

"Why did you not tell out sire about that?"

"Because of what happened next. While I was unconscious a young ooman female found me. She mended my wounds and watched over all night. She even aided me in killing the bad blood."

"An ooman helped you?"

"Yes. I left in a hurry and realized too late I had left my knife in her dwelling. That is why I returned so soon after my last hunt."

"I knew something strange was going on."

Drok'ti nodded and looked at the wall.

"I got back and. . .I acted dishonorably towards her. I frightened her and because of her contact with me she was taken by the ooman government. They were questioning her about where I was, but she never told them anything. She never betrayed anything to them. I managed to save her from them, but they had cut her eyes out and she was bleeding to death. I had to take her onto the ship to save her life. Then the government men found the ship, so I was forced to leave earth with her on the ship."

"Why would they do that to her?"

"Oomans are cruel to everything, especially each other."

"So was she all right?"

"Yes she was fine. She was left completely helpless though, so I couldn't just leave her there. I had a feeling the government men would find her and kill her."

Drok'ti recounted most of the story, but left out some details like the parts about his feelings for her and the closeness they had. He was so glad that he didn't have those for her anymore. He could find a mate here, have a few sucklings and they could grow to be mighty warriors, just like him. His brother listened intently. Drok'ti realized that he had been very mean to Strife. He couldn't do anything about it now, so why worry about it? Because Strife had feelings just as he did and he hurt hers. Those last few days, the way he treated her after everything she had done to help him and to save him was regrettable, but what could he do about it? Not a thing.

Drok'ti finally finished the story and looked back at his brother. His brother seemed empathetic towards Strife.

"So you think she got back to earth all right?"

"I don't' know. Probably. She always seemed to know what to do."

"I think you admire her."

"What?"

"At least a part of you does. Come on, such a small weak being doing all those things must strike a small admiration for her in your mind."

"I suppose. Oh well. It's all over now. I'm here and she's wherever she is."

"Maybe one day you'll be able to cope with your feelings for her."

There seemed to be a deeper meaning in his brother's words and Drok'ti didn't know how to react. He wasn't going to give anything away, not now. Perhaps in a hundred years or so he could look back at this and admit how he felt to his brother or his young. That was a while though, so he had plenty of time to shut his emotions up and try to forget about them. His brother stood and Dtok'ti stood with him.

"Well, I should get back home Ti'mara was expecting me back a while ago."

"Talk to you later."

"Bye."

His brother walked out the door and Drok'ti was left to dwell on his thoughts. He worried about Strife, hoped she was ok. He snorted and put his thoughts of her out of his head. He has things to do. Hunts to complete. Now that he didn't have Strife around to mess things up, he could do what he had been born and raised and trained to do. But how many things did Strife really mess up? He couldn't really think of any examples. She had always been helpful in most every situation. Her strong will was what angered him. She had too much spirit for an ooman. Oomans are supposed to obey the Yautja because they are superior. Drok'ti stood there for a few minutes. Who was really superior? Strife put up with Drok'ti without any complaint, yet Drok'ti was the one that walked away from everything. He couldn't deal with it so he ran away.

"Enough of this."

He decided he was going to spend the next day repairing his weapons and planning his next hunt. That would take his mind off past events. For now he was going to sleep.