Kjon's Audio Diary Log.
June 2, 2621
Our travels took us over to a desert planet. From the surface you'd think that it was nothing but sand and rocks, but the place did have a few forests here and there, and quite a few spacious jungle oases. As for the rest of the planet, yeah, it was just desert. I will say though that I did appreciate the warmth, as opposed to KJ147's winter months. Although it was a tropical jungle and a humid desert itself, that didn't mean it couldn't get cold during the winter. Jenny however, was less than enthusiastic about the "sweltering" heat.
"Why is it so hot?" She huffed as we felt the heat begin to encapsulate us as we landed.
"My kind live on a binary star system ,babe. That means our summers are warmer because of that, and we love the heat. Also this is a mostly desert planet with a lot of volcanic activity." I explained.
"Man! How are you guy's still breathing?!" Jenny asked as she wiped some sweat off of her forehead.
"We'll be outside in just a few moments ,Pyode Tarei'hsan." I said trying to offer some reassurance to her.
"And that's suppose to make me feel better?" She asked. I shrugged a little as a response. As I'd told her things were a little cooler outside, but the weather around us was still warm enough that I didn't even need my meshing on. I grabbed our stuff before moving out of the ship to admire my world. It wasn't the greatest, but that didn't mean it wasn't beautiful. There were a lot of mountains that stretched all along the horizon to our west, and a little to our north and south. I could see vast amounts of lava pouring out of them, which may have added to the humidity of the planet's surface. To the east we saw one of the oases. As we looked over in the direction of where the jungle paradise stood, we saw a group of Yatja approaching us. One of them held up a banner with the symbol of my clan on it, but I didn't need to see it in order to know they were here for me and Jenny.
The enforcer captain came out and greeted the Yatja with a respectful bow. They also made the same motion. One of the Yatja had a golden mask on with blue eye visors, and multiple horn-like protrusions coming off the top of his mask. I assumed he was the one in charge.
"Are these the ones, the Grand Elder has sent for us?" The one Predator asked.
"Yes. This is the Schaefer Abomination, and the Weyland Ooman." The captain answered. The Predators starred at us for short moment, growling thoughtfully as they did so.
"Very well. We shall take them from here." The Yatja told the captain, before they both bowed their heads to each other in farewell. "Come." He ordered us to follow him, which we obediently did so. I can remember holding Jenny's hand while she kept her tail wrapped around my leg like she normally did when seeking comfort. I could understand her nervous behavior, and I was feeling the same way she was, but we both made a point to show no fear in the face of our adversity. We still had each other and we'd been down narrower roads than this before, so really I wasn't feeling to bad about our situation. Although that didn't mean I was letting my guard down.
The jungles of our planets were much like those of regular jungles on KJ147, and a bunch of other Ooman terraformed planets, only much bigger. The bushes were as tall as Jenny was and, the trees were the size of skyscrapers, or at least it looked like that if you looked up at them. Still they were much taller than the trees on KJ147. Even the vines were bigger. Seriously these things were the size of underwater power cables. Other than the fact that everything was super-sized, there really wasn't much else different to the jungle.
After trudging for about an hour through the lush foliage, we finally came upon my clan's civilization. Most of the buildings were made of wood and what I guessed was either sand stone, or cement, I couldn't really tell I'm not a geologist. There were some other stone structures made from either a bronze, copper, or cobblestone looking material, but most of the houses, and markets, and smaller buildings were made from the sandstone cement material. There was a large pyramid that sat in the center of the whole city which was mostly made up of the cobblestone material, and laced with silver. I honestly don't know what my kinds deal is with the Aztec, and Egyptian look is. I had a feeling that that was where we'd be going.
Like I'd mentioned previously, my clan was poor, so it didn't have very many materials to work with to make their hunting equipment or build buildings. Despite this however, they did make up for this loss with a surplus of farms. After the Battle of Marlow's, they had to relocate. Even though they'd managed to trade in that queen they'd caught, it still wasn't enough to help them fix their poverty issues. The massive loss of life that took place that day also weighed heavily on the clan. These problems forced them to relocate from their previous settlement, causing them to settle here. Things weren't all bad though. The ground was fertile enough for them to build many farms. The purity of the rain (and it does rain fairly often in the jungles of my home planet), and the vast amount of sun light from the two stars we orbited made the vegetation very rich. That's most likely why the foliage was so large as it was. Because of this, their harvests were very rich and plentiful, and because of the inventory they had to work with, they also did trade with other clans that didn't have the type of agriculture they did, which solved their poverty issues. Now although this was the case, the clan was not rich, but it wasn't struggling either like it had before. They were comfortable, and I was glad of that. I learned about most of this later on.
We approached the cities wall which was made of thick tree trunk logs, that were held together with red laser string, and cobblestone supports that helped keep the beams up. As we approached the entrance, a narrow blue light came down on us to scan us. After it did, the huge log door began to open and we entered.
The inhabitants on the other side proved to be just as hospitable and welcoming as the last groups were, only they were a little more fierce. "ABOMINATION! KILL IT! KILL THE ABOMINATION!" They all roared aloud as some of them held up their weapons, while others held up their farming tools they could use as weapons. They even began throwing their crops at us, or rather they were throwing them at me. I can remember one of the women throwing this bluish purple egg plant-pineapple looking thing right at the face. The thing had the density of a plastic jar filled with rocks too, which bruised one of my mandibles upon impact. The riot was so bad that other guards had to force the crowds back just for us to get through. I think they were a little more pissed at me than the others were because I was an Abomination that was from their clan, so they were responsible for my dishonorable existence.
Jenny's face began to contort in worry. I rested my arm on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry ,Jenny! They're only after me!" I had to shout just to be heard over the cacophony of roaring voices.
"I know that! That's why I'm scared!" She replied. I gave her a soft brave smirk, before pulling her closer towards me.
"Don't worry ,babe! It'll be okay!" I told her with an affectionate growl that was drowned out by all of the noise.
Despite the opposition we faced, we managed to make it to the temple relatively unhindered. Inside we met with the clan's council, who was made up of all the elders, and the clan leader. The clan leaders, family and concubines were also there to spectate.
The clan leader was light brown with pale yellow stripes running up and down his body, and a yellow arrow pattern on the top of his head, just like me. In fact, there was a lot about this Yatja's physical appearance that bore a striking resemblance to me. I could see it, but I just couldn't be able to put my finger on it. The clan leader had these small white hairs that ran along the sides of his head and some were around his crested eyebrows. His head was a little wrinkled, giving it a scaly texture, but his deadlocks were still black which meant he was still fairly young, or at least middle aged. He was have probably a couple hundred years old. I also saw these markings around his lower mandibles that had probably been painted onto him.
His caped figure rose from his cushioned bronze throne as he saw us enter. The elders all sneered and snarled as they saw me. I expected that to happen. We stood in the center of the council's semicircle in a short moment of silence as the clan leader studied us. He regarded Jenny with some interest, because of her tail, but he seemed more focused on me. He also sensed something familiar about my presence, and gave a thoughtful growl as he looked down at me with mild perplexity.
After a few seconds of awkward starring, the clan leader finally spoke, "The trial of the Schaefer Abomination, and the Weyland Ooman's challenge shall commence now. Elders what say you."
"With all do respect, Ph-rills. I do not believe these CREATURES deserve such an opportunity as they are receiving. You as well as the rest of us know that this blight is an Abomination, and that it's pathetic Ooman is one of the Weylands. I do not know what the Grand Leader sees in them, but I say that they be destroyed, or at least banished." One of them spoke in a shrill hissing voice.
"I agree." another elder said.
"Oh, here we go." I said rolling my eyes in annoyance. This situation was beginning to build up the same way it had at the Grand Council only things were a lot more hostile then. I just hoped like hell that the clan leader had some understanding like the Grand Leader had.
"Such actions shall not be permitted without a demonstration of their abilities. You remember what the Grand Leader told us. He wants a full report of them and we shall not go against his judgment." I was a little shocked by the clan leaders response, but since this wasn't my first time on trial with a powerful Yatja taking an interest in my person, I wasn't to surprised. If anything I was more surprised by how similarly the trials were shaping out. "I am also in agreeance with the Grand Elder's decision. You all know what he told us. This Abomination is a Schaefer, and although the Ooman is of the Weylands I also see interest in her as well. You all know well by now that these two, along with the new leaders of the once dishonorable Vall-kcor'sta clan, have returned our technology to us from those bad bloods. The Grand Leader has also revealed to us that they have brought us knowledge of a large bad blood uprising, and because of their noble actions they are being reinstated into our society." The clan leader delineated.
"Those worthless bad bloods should have not been given such forgiveness." I heard one of the elders whisper a hiss.
"As for these two, especially this young-blood here, they give them the more credit for this!" The clan leader said in a harsher tone, as he heard the one elder speak. "I also find some interest in there beings as well." He continued, as he starred at me again, clicking his mandibles thoughtfully. "So, I ask you all again. As the elders of our fair and honorable clan, what challenge do you all propose they take?" He asked.
One of the elders couldn't contain his anger over what he'd just heard, and went to take a swipe at Jenny, roaring as he did so. I caught the older Yatjas arm, which angered him.
"Hey, why don't you back away from my Ooman?! She did nothing to you! Why are you going after her?!" I roared.
"You dare challenge me ,Abomination!" He snarled at me as he twisted his arm out of my grasp and back handed me in the face.
I growled a little before giving him my answer. "No, but if you ever take a swipe at Jenny again, I'll kick your ass so far off of this fcking planet, your feet won't even touch the ground again!"
"Are you threatening me ,Blight?!" He asked again.
I was about to respond when Jenny entered the argument which I didn't expect.
"Why don't you lay off my Yautja while your at it you ugly son of a btch!" She began sizing up with the elder as she came out from behind me.
"You little wretched-!" the elder interjected as he went to back hand her. I was about to make a move to defend her, but she managed to catch the Yatja's arm and skillfully twisted it behind his back hard enough to drop him to his knees. I was very impressed by that, as was the rest of the council, although they were less pleasantly surprised as I was and began to move in to help their friend.
"CEASE THIS CHILDISH BRAWLING THIS INSTANT! ALL OF YOU!" the clan leader ordered. The guards quickly took action and began to point their spears and combi-sticks at us. The rest of the council did as they were told. As Jenny moved to release the elder he swiftly pulled her in front of him before throwing her.
"YOU MOTHER FCKER!" I roared. Jenny recovered quickly and I went with her to square up with the elder. We were both restrained by the guards. The elder went and smacked my girlfriend in the face.
"You want to fcking go asshole! I'll fcking throw down with you right now!" She screamed ferociously.
"Same goes for me!" I roared in agreeance.
"I SAID ENOUGH!" The clan leader roared at all of us as he moved between us. "TO YOUR PLACES!"
"But these-!" The elder tried to complain with the clan leader, but was shot down.
"YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO FORCEFULLY HARM THE YOUNG-BLOOD'S OOMAN FEMALE! I SHOULD HAVE YOU PUNISHED FOR THIS BEHAVIOR! NOW RETURN TO YOUR PLACE THIS INSTANT!" The clan leader ordered. The elder gave leered at us and growled as he did as he was told. The elders weren't beginning to look like the wise old warriors mother made them out to be. Instead they seemed like a bunch of whiny little btches. "Release them both." the clan leader ordered his guards who did as instructed.
"Sorry." Jenny and I said as moved back over to where we had stood.
"Your behavior is forgiven. Although you have just challenged my elder. Such pronounces are taken very seriously among them. Do you both wish to challenge them?" the clan leader asked in a warning voice.
"Pussies!" I flared my mandibles challengingly at them. They all began to snarl and flare their mandibles aggressively as well.
"Do you both dare to challenge them?" The clan leader asked again, this time in a louder tone of voice.
Jenny and I looked at each other with a pissed of look of agreeance. "Yes." Jenny and I replied.
"Very well then." The clan leader said before turning to face the rest of the room. "The young-blood and his Ooman have made their decision. They shall challenge the elders of their choosing into combat."
The rest of the council began to make an uproar, "But we have not chosen clan leader ,Ph-rills! How can you make such judgment for them?!" The elder that had antagonized me and Jenny asked.
"It seems apparent to me that you all were not in agreeance to make a decision for yourselves! You were only concerned with harming them, and they have accepted your challenges! Let us not continue to argue any further! Understood?!" The clan leader explained. The elders glared at us hissing their mandibles as they did so. We returned with some hard looks of our own.
The elders then looked back to their clan leader and replied. "Yes."
"Very well. Everyone disperse. This council is finished." The clan leader order the rest of the council, and his guards who obediently did as they were told. We were about to go to, but the clan leader stopped us. "Except you two. You both shall stay." The elders continued to glare hatefully at us as the move out of the temple. I can remember seeing the one that had attacked us, stare for a little longer than the others did as he slowly left the room. I scratched my upper mandible with my middle finger, subtly flipping him off as I did so. That caused Jenny to chuckle a little as she saw it.
The clan leader turned to his children and his concubines, and gave them some affectionate gestures, before they left the room as well. That left us in complete privacy with the clan leader.
"I apologize sincerely for my elders behavior." He said as he approached us.
"It's fine ,Sir." Jenny excused the Yatja with a respectful bow.
"It wasn't your fault ,Sir. You don't have to apologize." I said with a respectful bow of my own.
"It is still my place to apologize for whatever dishonorable actions my clan causes, especially to such highly favored individuals such as you two." The clan leader said as he stepped in front of me and Jenny. I could see that the Yatja was just a little taller than I was. "It would interest me, to know both of your names." The clan leader formally requested.
"I'm Kjon Schaefer, and this is Jennifer Bishop Weyland." I replied.
"Kjon. Jennifer," He said nodding to the both of us before giving us a grateful bow, "Thank you for returning what was rightfully ours, and for bringing knowledge of an uprising to out Grand Leader."
"Your welcome ,Sir." Jenny replied to the clan leader.
"Any time." I responded.
"The Grand Leader has told me much of what he knows of both of you, and I am very well pleased to met the both of you. I am Ph-rills, the leader of this clan. I bid you both welcome." He said as he placed his hand on our shoulders and shook it in a greeting gesture.
"Happy to finally be here." I replied as I made the same motion with my hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Jenny formally replied as she tried to make the same gesture, but because of her smaller size she was having difficulty reaching the Yatja's shoulder. She instead placed her hand on his arm as high as she could and he accepted it just the same.
"The Grand Leader, has told me of your accomplishments. He says that it was mostly because of your efforts that the bad blooded insurgents, were able to be defeated and their uprising brought to our attention. I heard you even managed to slay two Abominations on your own, without any weapons, and while you were wounded. I have even been told that you met the Grand Leader in person. And, lest we forget, you are an accepted member of the Schaefer Oomans." The clan leader said.
"Eh, the bad bloods really took team work to take down, so I wouldn't say that that first statement is true. That's just what my friends say." I told the clan leader truthfully. I felt Jenny bump my side with your elbow as I said that.
"That's Bullsht and you know it ,Jon." She told me with a smirk as I looked down at her. I simply rolled my eyes with a smile.
"Like I said it's what my friends say. But those other things though are true." I continued.
"Still I am very esteemed to have you both be within the presence of my clan, despite what most of my clan believes." The clan leader said.
"No offense to you, but screw them." I said.
"Your animosity is understandable and excused mighty young-blood. I should also say that I would like to know more of you both, but I'm afraid to say you still must prove your worth to us."
"We understand ,Sir." Jenny said.
"Also I must warn you that the elders are a very stubborn group of Yatja that despise Abominations above anything else. They are also very well experienced and exceptionally strong fighters. They are nothing like the bad bloods you two faced before." The older Yatja told us.
"Personally, if you ask me, I think they're a bunch of tight-assed sht heads. Once again no offense intended." I said to the clan leader respectfully.
"I see your points clearly. I still am partially believing that your challenging the elders was foolish, but given what you both have been able to overcome thus far, I have hope that you shall overcome them." The clan leader said.
"We hope to do the same as well." Jenny said before glancing up at me with a confident smile. I looked at her with a similar look.
"Very well then. I shall have my guards escort you to your dwellings for the evening. They shall keep watch over you until you have proved yourselves. The battle shall commence tomorrow." He said as he clapped his hands ushering in his guards, some of whom had waited stealthily inside the room, and had heard his request. "And to you both I wish the best of luck." He finished as we were guided out by the other Yatja.
"Peace be upon you ,Sir." I told him as we exited the temple.