Sorrry it took me so long to get Chapter 9 up. It's up and I have begun to work on Chapter 10 already. I should have it done within a few weeks, hopefully...

The thought of a sequal has crossed my mind once or twice...I don't know. I would need some input before I made a decision and started forming a plot...

Chapter 9

ki'cti-pa: Wrist Blade

Aleris stayed on the bridge with the other Yautja men, much to their dismay. She was leaned over one of the long control counters in between two working Yautja, looking intently out of the window.

In front of the ship was the mostly blue planet of Earth. It looked so surreal there, like a gentle dolphin swimming in a sea of uncertainty.

"It's so beautiful" Aleris said. She turned around to face her friends. "Isn't it?" She asked happily, not expecting an answer.

The three friends stood quiet. Xerxes, surrounded by Hiram and Tangoroa, all stood with their arms crossed.

Aleris smiled at them and turned back around. She knew they very well couldn't understand a word coming out of her mouth.

The Yautja officers had been trying to fix the holes in the security system for some time they fixed some of them, but in the process they had knocked out most of the translators.

"Do you think she is prepared for what is to come?" Tangoroa clicked generally

"Probably not. But she is strong. I believe she can do it" Xerxes clicked softly

They worried about her and now there was going to be a good chance that she would die. She appeared that she either didn't care about it or had already prepared herself for it.

Aleris ran from panel to panel and from Yautja to Yautja, annoying the hell out of each one as she went. She knew what was coming. She wasn't stupid. She was trying to relax so she could be better on the battle field.

The automatic door to the bridge opened and Eryx walked in. He hadn't shown his face since Aleris had beaten him down before. Now that she had her own warrior mark, he couldn't' challenge her without being shamed again.

Aleris looked to him as he joined the line of Yautja forming on the bridge. The other three Yautja nodded their heads to the still slightly honored Yautja.

"Eryx! " Aleris said happily

Eryx looked at her, but then turned to Hiram. "Did she just say my name?" He asked him

Hiram nodded to him. Eryx crossed his arms and absorbed the thought. His name was short and kind of plain when spoken in her tongue, but it had a kind of feel of nobility when spoken by Aleris. It must have been her accent.

"Sir! We are ready to land on Earth" A Yautja officer said

"I'll prep Aleris for the departure" Xerxes said sternly

He walked up to Aleris and grabbed her arm and gently tugged on it, telling her it was her time. She looked back to the Yautja that she had just got done annoying. He was happy she was going to leave. Anything more from her and he would get up and kill her. Aleris took one step away, but stopped, smiling devilishly. Xerxes knew she was up to no good, but he was not about to stop her.

She ran up to the Yautja that she had just gotten done pestering and wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed slightly. Then quickly let go and ran towards Xerxes. The peered over his shoulder and gave her a filthily look, but went back to work.

Xerxes walked down the many hallways it took to get to the airlock. Tangoroa also walked with him. He was going to wish Aleris off on her dangerous mission. Hiram walked behind the two other Yautja. He kind of had to go to the airlock. Aleris had jumped onto his back and demanding to be given something she called a "piggy back ride". He didn't know what it meant, but he decided just to go to the airlock anyway.

Once they arrived, Aleris quickly jumped off of Hiram's back and ran to a cage that was sitting next to the airlock. Her three Kainde Amedha friends were inside the cage. Aleris was told it was for safe keeping until they arrived at Earth and her friends told her that the Yautja did not hurt them any.

A Yautja officer came up to the cage. He was going to open the door and let the hissing Kainde Amedha out and let them reunite with Aleris. He hesitated though, knowing these creatures true power and their ability to kill Yautja quickly. He managed to open the cage though, and jumped back when the Kainde Amedha flew out to Aleris. They quickly began to nuzzle her and hiss at the contact of her.

Another Yautja walked up to her slowly. In his hands he held a curved piece of metal. Aleris looked at it and then to the Yautja. She had no idea what that was. The Yautja, noticing her confusion and probably thinking she a complete and utter idiot, motioned Tangoroa over to him. Tangoroa walked over to him and held out his arm. The Yautja pointed to the computer on Tangoroa's arm, pointed to the one in his hand, then pointed to Aleris.

"Oh…you mean I get my own cool wrist guard?" She said excitably

The Yautja rolled his eyes. She didn't have a clue what it was. Hiram decided to come over and try and explain it to her.

He told her that the computer they would attach to her left arm would not only monitor her health signals and be used as a communication link between her and the Yautja. On her right arm would be the extendable wrist blade. In case of close, hand-to-hand combat, she could expel a wrist blade so she could hack her prey down. Tangoroa showed her what it looked like using his own. She seemed most impressed.

He went on to explain that the computer and wrist blade would attach itself through her flesh so if anything attempted to remove it in anyway, she would die. She was a little confused by this, but Hiram said it was so she didn't have to suffer through painful experimentation and torture. She understood that completely.

The Yautja put it on her left arm gently and hooked the two sides together. They had to modify their wrist computers to suit her small arm and wrist. The Yautja flipped open the computer and typed in a few symbols and the computer itself stuck what felt like several sharp needles into her arm. Aleris was startled, but she shrugged it off.

Hiram pulled her aside and started to explain how to use the computer and wrist blade. They didn't have very much time, so a rushed explanation would have to do.

Xerxes looked her over. She was such a strong girl. She killed Kainde Amedha, almost killed a Yautja and survived another's attack, and she had created friendships with Yautja and Kainde Amedha. Now she was using Yautja technology. She was truly a unique being, a specie of her own. He hoped against all that he would return alive from her mission. She was much stronger than anyone here on the ship and she brought something into the room whenever she arrived. Xerxes liked that.

The ship shook slightly. The intercom within the room clicked open just long enough for a Yautja to inform everyone in the room that they had landed on Earth and that the Ooman should make hast to get off the ship since the area was heavily infested with Kainde Amedha and could easily invade the ship. The airlock door opened, telling Aleris that she had to leave now.

Xerxes had to give her a parting word before she left. At the very least it would make him feel better about sending her on a suicide mission.

"Aleris?" The voice was broken and was disrupted by much static

It was a bit scrambled, but Aleris could understand the British guy enough to know what he was saying.

"What is it Xerxes?" he said in a soft tone, showing she was not afraid, even now as she faced her fate

"I want you to know, that if you do die on this most dangerous mission…you shall forever be honored in our clan"

"Well, that's awful nice of you…" Aleris grabbed a small bag a Yautja handed her. "But that won't be necessary" She looked at him. He didn't know what she was getting at. "I will be coming back" She finished with a smile

She turned her back to the Yautja and walked into the airlock. The three Kainde Amedha followed her closely. The doors inside the ship closed and the doors on the outside opened wide. Aleris stepped off the ship with her friends and the doors closed behind her. She gave one last glance to the Yautja looking at her through the doors. She smiled and waved at them as the ship began to move again.

She disappeared quickly, replaced by green plants off in the distance, then blue, then the darkness of space. Xerxes still stood silently. Hiram placed his hand on his shoulder, trying to snap him out of his trance.

"How long will we be in orbit?" Hiram clicked

"Until she succeeds or dies trying" He clicked back

He turned and headed back for the bridge. Tangoroa and Hiram traded looks of concernment, but both soon left for their separate destinations.