I'm baaaaack!

Hey MistFits! Long time no read! I've missed you all. Life has been soooooo busy. I thank you all for your condolences: unfortunately, we did end up losing two of the family members, but the other is out of the hospital and recovering. This chapter is a very short because I've got to get back in the groove of this series, and I felt kinda out of touch. I'll probably end up rereading the original TEH to get my feel back. Anyways, despite the shortness of this chapter, I hope you enjoy it, and I'll see you in 2 weeks. (I'll be deleting the previous announcement chapters for easier reading in case someone wants to go back through)

As usual, please excuse any typos, grammatical errors, or world errors.


THE ENEMY'S HEART

Unknown Territories

COMPONENT:

FIVE

If eyes alone could speak, the room would have been filled with so many words – so many declarations of curiosity, disdain, but even more than those: genuine shock that the pair were actually brave enough to come and stand before a Council of judgment and, perhaps, condemnation and exile. Scar stepped forward into the chamber boldly with his head held high, and yet somehow retained a certain air of respectability toward the Elders. He bypassed the gathered ones on each side of the room, heading straight for the form of Ta'uk standing ahead at the hologram projecting table – Yeyin'thwei sitting in a large chair in the rear corner. Only his expression appeared the most pleased to see the pair's arrival. Lex trailed behind her partner, focusing on the male's back to avoid meeting eyes with the others who were so intently focused on her – the true source of havoc revolving around the Yautja way of life.

The ooman species were great prey for the Yautja – worthy opponents and trophies due to their resilience and mental capabilities. They may have been smaller, physically weaker, and primitive in their technological advancements, but oomans steadily proved their value as prey in death or respect in victory (no matter how rare the latter may have been). Their importance was always highly regarded, BUT on a singular, unattached level that never went beyond a bow of the head and exchange of weaponry as a symbol of respect. But this? This in which the young hunter brought before the old ones?! In every eye that witnessed this, it was apparent she was more than just his mate – more than just a foreign creature to bed for pleasure. Her skill on the ice land had earned the woman the Blooded mark given to her by the now deceased Elder of Scar's clan. But it was evident now that that was only the beginning. Watching her hunt alongside the youth for such an extended period, witnessing more of her abilities that seemed birthed out of the presence of Scar, made it clear to all who watched that there was more to not just her – but possibly more to her entire species. And in this potential, an indescribable, dangerous bond had been formed. What Scar and this female ooman were creating, stretched and shattered the strings of the past. It raised mankind up beyond what they had previously been. It did the impossible: bringing the oomans up to a place that potentially made them equal with the Yautja. A new balance was suddenly before the hunters…and it would be foolish to ignore the fact that it bothered them.

A massive form suddenly slid in front of her, cutting off Lex and physically separating her from Scar. The atmosphere shifted with the force of a whirlwind. The few gathered Elders rose to their feet, or leaned forward with anticipation, as Lex took a step back and stared up at the body ahead of her…and she struggled not to gasp in fear. Taking on a random youth was one thing, but this male was something different. He wanted her gone – voiced more than anyone else – and that made his threat level go beyond conventional means. Krii'var towered in front of Woods, cocking his head to the side with what Lex interpreted as a malicious grin. He purred and bent forward, extending clawed fingers and lightly tracing the mark upon her cheek in a taunting manner. "So," the clan Leader speaks aloud in her language with a guttural deepness, much to her surprise, "this is the ooman who's caused so…much…trouble…" Entirely laced with malcontent, his English was good, almost fluent, but she couldn't help but notice the small bones decorated around the collar of his cape (which was made of some strange reptilian skin). A shiver raced up Lex's spine...human finger and spinal bones. Fuck.

Lex slaps his hand away with a scowl – feeling polluted and grimy under his gaze and touch. But Krii'var merely laughed at her attempt before bringing his hand back quickly to her throat, seizing it tightly. Lex gripped his massive wrist with one hand, and snatched at her combi-stick with the other, unsheathing its bladed tip. Krii'var tilted his head slightly so as to miss the spear head's approach, and raised his arm – dragging Lex upward and off the floor straight for his face. The human woman struggled under the tightened squeeze and upward pressure of the adversary's advance, her legs kicking. Krii'var leaned in and growled softly, "What delicious fight you have, little one. I could get used to my hand around your fragile-…"

Lex gritted her teeth, scratching her nails into his tough flesh.

"…little…"

A shadow rose from behind Krii'var, and the gathered Yautja practically flew out of their seats in a powerful excitement. Lex pulled her lips back over her teeth and hissed at the dangerous Predator threateningly, opposing the power that he had over her. Fear may have been in her heart – but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing it in her eyes. Krii'var raised her up higher, and in shock the female produced a cry of strain against his obvious force. In the background, Ta'uk's voice boomed, but her gaze caught the shadow, and a twisted smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"…neck!"

Without a word, without warning, a large fist flew out from the side and landed with a monstrous vigor against Krii'var's face – causing the Leader to drop Lex almost instantaneously and fly across the room and crash into a set of empty seats. Scar splayed his arms outward with a vicious roar, standing over his mate defensively as Lex gripped her throat and coughed from between his legs. The elders who remained on Ta'uk's Mother Ship backed away to give the two Yautja room, eager to see just how much stronger the young Blooded hunter had become. No one verbally encouraged the potential brawl onward, but none were willing to stop it either. Even Krii'var had those who disliked him amongst his kindred. They would watch…and see.

Scar's mandibles spread as his voice commanded loudly, "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER AGAIN!"

Krii'var rose to his feet and scoffed as the robust male dusted off his shoulders. "I will do as I please, u'darahje! You can't protect her always from me!"

Lex staggered to her feet, planting her weight against the upraised combi-stick. "Son of a bitch…" Suddenly, she feels a shiver race from the base of her spine to the hairline on the back of her neck. A warning. Lex grabs the plasma handgun fastened to her hip and spins, aiming it straight for the crotch of a short, dark Yautja who wore a lizard-like cape similar to Krii'var's. Must have been one of his men. "Don't even fucking think about it!"

Krii'var touches the side of his mouth and pulls back his fingers before growling in blatant anger. Bleeding. He was bleeding. THIS UPSTART MADE HIM BLEED! The heavyweight Yautja lowers his stance and arches his back in a display of aggression. He is about to lunge forward when a boisterous roar suddenly fills the entirety of the room. All eyes turn to the rear corner, and immediately every Yautja elder drops to their knee in submission – Krii'var the first to cower. Lex and Scar turn and face Ta'uk, expecting him to be the source of the sudden acquiescence – only to find him kneeling along with the others. Instead, over the bowed heads, Yeyin'thwei stood, having risen from his seat with great aggravation across his features. The Ancient Yautja walked forward, no longer looking quite as frail as Lex once thought he had. Now she could see that despite being slimmer, there was still great potential of speed, agility, and danger within that aged body…everyone else knew it as well; perhaps they'd even witnessed it at some point.

"ENOUGH!" the Ancient commanded sternly in the Yautja language. "We few remained to welcome our brother and sister home from a bountiful hunt; to praise the vigilance and strength in completing such a dangerous task. We are here to give honor – and yet YOU," he snaps his neck in Krii'var's direction, "would TAINT that honor with your personal discord!"

Krii'var's brow twitches as he struggles to maintain his attitude despite the chastisement in which he felt was so unwarranted. "He challenged me-," the Leader begins to defend himself.

"You assaulted his mate!"

"He made me, A CLAN LEADER, BLEED!" the heavyset Yautja shot back, the agitation growing in his tone.

"You showed great animosity towards our sister-."

Krii'var's head snatched upwards then and his eyes burned with great rage as he screamed aloud, "SHE IS NOT MY SISTER!" Ta'uk raised to his feet as a chorus of disapproving growls rang out within the confines of the room. Yeyin'thwei's brows narrowed dangerously as he approached the Leader, who went on with his hateful rhetoric: "She is an ooman woman, soft flesh and weak. She is meant for tasting, for hunting," Scar's snarl could shake the very earth, "– not for the honor of being called a Yautja. Our customs may differ from clan to clan across the great void, but even other clans with different customs would not accept her." Krii'var gazes into the eyes of the Ancient who now stood before him. "I would rather face Paya after a thousand deaths than call that bag of meat my 'sister'!"

A tense silence pulsated around them. Lex stood slightly behind Scar with an arm wrapped around his waist to calm the obvious anger that threatened to send him flying forward into the Leader he so desperately hated. At her touch, his quaking stilled and his breathing normalized. He didn't have to defend her. Not only was Lex proving herself capable of standing up for herself even when she was outnumbered or outmatched, but the Ancient of Ancients himself was on their side. Still, that did not fully diminish the thoughts that they should not have come back here. How could he fear cultural exile over her safety? Or perhaps he returned in hopes that they could see her worthiness and ensure some level of peace for her. A dark admonition made itself present in the forefront of the youth's mind: danger lurked for them while here. And, chances were, he would have to extinguish that danger to the fullest extent.

Yeyin'thwei's mandibles spread at Krii'var before he stated softly, "If that is what you wish, I would be happy to grant you it." Krii'var shivered and lowered his head once more in submission, and the eldest in the room merely purred in satisfaction before returning back to his seat. Once there, he motioned to Ta'uk to commence with the meeting as the others raised from their lowered stance and took to their own chairs, leaving the odd couple standing in the middle of the room side by side, Scar still eyeing his mate's attacker darkly – and vice versa. Despite her brave façade, he could feel Lex shaking, and anger boiled within his heart. The fact that Krii'var so boldly made a move against the human woman amongst the others unsettled the Blooded male – and he assured himself that he would never allow that monster an opportunity to do so again.

The ruler of the Mother Ship eyed all before him, until his gaze finally settled on the pair. "Young, Blooded ones…we have much to discuss…"

To be continued…


Well, looks like we're going to get some deets on the expectations of Scar and Lex's stay among the Mother Ship. This will be interesting - ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW MY OWN SELF, JUST YET! *nervous, hysterical laughter*