Chapter 7: Retracing

Disclaimer: I do not own Alien/Predator series or any characters and may not follow all customs and cultures found in Alien/Predator movies.

It was an exhausting night.

Rory had led me deep underground that was only accessed by another elevator, reminding much of how Yautja Prime worked. He led to a series of tunnels similar to the mountain we were fighting in yesterday. According to Rory, he gave me the best room available. It was mostly isolated from the rest and I liked it that way. I was still wary of my surroundings and Rory knew all too well. It wasn't much. The room was a single bedroom with a twin bed in the middle and a small bathroom with a sink and a hot tub. It was enough for me. There was a cabinet to store items that Rory requested. A place where I can put my armor when I don't need it. Do I ever not need it? It doesn't seem like it now.

I tried to sleep in the bed but the sheets felt scratchy, irritating my skin so much that I ended up sleeping on the ground. Other than pillows to settle my head, I had nothing to cover myself. I was alright and I eventually fell asleep.

What started my day off in a bad way was when Rory called me. There's a COMM system in each room that I wasn't aware of. The alarm goes off and I jumped out of fright. I kept a knife under my pillow and threw it in the direction of where the sound came from. It almost destroyed the connection so Rory had to get repairs for it later. He only called to meet with him today after he finished with meetings to catch up on what's happened while we were separated. I needed to get some fresh air and so I did.

Putting on a shirt and leggings that were provided along with a knife for safety measure, I slipped out of my room and went back up to check around CHPS. Of course, everyone looked at me with fascination and I tolerated, walking on like I don't see it. The machinery was alright to watch for a few moments along with people working on armor and such. One was testing out another prototype of the Protector and I watched as he activated it, checked the weapons, and then turned it off. I got a glimpse of the weapon that Rory used on me. The man flicks his wrist when the armor was on and a small nod emerged, sparking out shocks. I shuddered at the feeling it caused. I moved on, interested in one thing.

The training ring.

My training at Yautja Prime with Daugo had set my mind to condition and keep my body at its best. Yautjas dedicate most of their time in doing so and I was no exception. My mind was set on it. When I got there, it was being occupied by two combatants with the man named Mike I met yesterday. His attitude towards me still stung. He must have a reason . . . but no excuse to behave like that. But I didn't want to start an unnecessary fight so I watched from a distance. Mike was instructing the males how to turn and twist, dodging their opponent's attacks and throwing a counterattack. It was cool and all but they made so many mistakes that Yautjas would never pull. I shook my head every time I saw one. Pathetic.

"Cool, isn't it?"

I turned my head and noticed Molly had slipped next to me without me being aware. Paid too much attention to the training. I huffed, crossing my arms. "They can do better."

"I'm sure. You were trained with Yautjas, right? What was it like?"

"I don't know how to explain it enough to make sense to oomans."

Molly focused her eyes on me. "Oomans?"

I rolled my eyes, sighing in frustration. I forgot that no one else knows what I'm talking about. I rubbed the bridge between my nose, closing my eyes. "This is proving to be more difficult than I thought."

"Yeah . . . It must be."

My eyes shot wide open. Did she just . . ? I whipped my head around, shocked at what Molly said or rather in what language. "How did you . . ?"

She giggles. "Rory helped me with some lessons."

"But how?" I didn't recall Rory speaking the Yautja language or even being taught. I couldn't think of any other way. At least Molly wasn't the type to hold valuable information. She went out of her way to tell me everything.

"We found an old Predator . . . or Yautja . . . ship that was abandoned years ago and taken by Stargazer. Rory seemed to know what it was and brought it here after the former group dissolved. We found tons of information and decipher the language. Or rather . . . Rory managed it. Gave lessons to those who wanted to learn, including myself."

A ship? Abandoned years ago? Stargazer?

The only thing that came to mind was Lar'ja's ship that crashed more than twenty years ago. It was left behind after I followed Stargazer who had taken Lar'ja at the time. I should have known that Stargazer would take it. That must be it. At least that solved the mystery of how oomans were able to speak Yautja language. But I still had questions to ask and I hope that Rory can give them to me. I turned my attention back to the fight, critiquing mistakes. I glanced at Molly who looked interested as well.

"Do you know how to fight?"

Her reaction confused me. Expecting her to be confident, her face lowers to the ground in shame. What? I reached out and gently rubbed her shoulders. She didn't move. "Did I say something wrong?"

She shook her head. "No, you didn't. It's just . . ." I heard her swallow. "I don't know how to fight."

I tilted my head in confusion. From what I gathered, everyone seemed like they went through rigorous training. I thought Molly would have gotten some basics but from our first meeting, she had the personality of a teddy bear. There was nothing wrong with it but I wondered how she fits into CHPS. She needs to learn how to defend herself at least and so an idea popped into my head.

"Do you want me to train you?"

Her eyes zip up to me. Her eyes were as wide as jawbreakers. "You? Train me?"

"So what?"

Her mouth opened and closed multiple times like a fish, stuttering to put out at least a sentence. "I don't . . . know if . . . that's a good idea." She twiddled her thumbs together and I watched for a second. "I'm not . . . the type . . . that can fight like that." She lowers her face once more.

For some reason or another, Molly reminded me of myself long before all of this happened. Scared . . . and unsure. My body softened and a smile grew on my lips. I patted her head like a child and she flinches in surprise but looks up in surprise.

"Anyone can fight if they have the will. Look at me. No one would have thought I could survive in a Yautja world but here I am. I'm sure you can and if I train you, you'll have a better chance against these idiots."

I saw the gears in her head turn. She thought for a moment before she smiled and her eyes shined in brilliance. "You got a point." I chuckled in response. She's so much like a child stuck in a woman's body.

"You think we're idiots?"

Another deeper voice grabs my attention. Both Molly and I looked to see it was one of the combatants that were training earlier. He looked pretty mad by the looks of it. C'jit . . . always has to be me. He jumps down from the ring and walks over, swaying his hips in irritation. It was a petty move that I've seen in Young Bloods when they want to intimidate another.

"I don't see you showing fighting skills. All the rumors we've heard are nothing but gossip."

The male inches closer and I growled in warning. A Yautja would have gotten the message to stay away but this idiot kept coming closer. Anger burning in my veins, egging me on to teach him a lesson. But I remembered to keep my composure, to never show weakness in times when you don't have to. Taking slow breaths through my nose ease the tension but when the male began to smirk, I growled again.

"Tread very carefully. It's not wise what you're doing."

In a surprise twist, Mike interrupted. "Get back over here. It's disrespectful what you're doing."

The male stopped and turned to Mike who was walking over. He was the least expected to put up a defense for me . . . if that was his intention. He was angry at me the first time we've met but then again, I did say a mean comment of him and Dutch being too old to fight. Mike wanted to prevent a fight. The male didn't see eye to eye though and pointed to me as he spoke to Mike. "Seriously? Many claims she's a hybrid between a Predator and human but I don't see that. As far as anyone is concerned, she's faking it."

I corrected him. "First off, I have no reason to show myself, especially in front of the likes of you." I emphasized the last part with a hiss. "And second, it's Yautja . . . not Predator."

"Does it matter? They're monsters."

I felt a vein in the top of my head pulse tightly. I hate it when someone uses the word 'monster' to refer to Yautjas . . . and myself. Some would think that since they're not 'human' but there's more to them than meets the eye. Lar'ja and everyone else were clear examples that they aren't. My heart pounds when I thought of Lar'ja and to have someone disrespect my life mate like that . . . I don't want to go there.

I clenched my teeth and my fists formed into fists. "Be careful with your words."

The male huffs in disgust. He continues coming towards me. This guy's asking for trouble. I felt Molly inch closer to me, trying to tug me away. I was too angry to leave now. I shook her off and decided to face him head-on. I waited until he stopped inches from me. He glances over my body before glaring into my eyes.

"You're a silly girl who doesn't know shit. So stay out of a man's job or else you'll regret it."

As soon as he said that, the male shoved at my shoulders. That is a big mistake. It was an initiation to fight for Yautjas. He may not know it but there's no excuse for his behavior. Instinct told me to smash his face on the concrete floor but it wouldn't do any good. I had to be in control of my emotions as befitting for an Elite Leader like myself. Still, if he wanted to see my other half . . . who am I to deny him? In a split second, I grabbed the male's throat in a vise. I lifted him high in the air, letting my body transform before him. My clothes began to rip into shreds, barely clinging onto me. His eyes widened in terror as he saw a Yautja instead of an ooman. When my body finished, I let my sights focus on him. Slowly, I leaned my head closer. I extended my mandibles out slowly like a pair of hands reaching for his face. He began to struggle but very little, too shocked to move. I inhaled slowly and let it out to brush over his face.

"Now . . . what were you saying?"

The male swallowed but couldn't speak. I felt his body shake under my grip. I leaned my face away, growling in annoyance. "Just as I thought."

I dropped him instantly. When he hits the ground, the male scrambles out of there in fear. Good riddance. Shaking my head so my dreadlocks would straighten, I turned around and froze when I saw Molly's reaction. Her eyes widened but it was hard to determine if she was scared, shocked, or both. That's when I heard mumbles and whispers all around me. I look up and see a crowd forming around me. I could see the shock and curiosity in everyone's eyes. It made claustrophobic.

"So is that what they look like?"

"She's a hybrid alright."

"Look at that."

From their tones, they have never seen a Yautja in the flesh before except for Mike. He wasn't as shocked as the others but warier. He's seen this before . . . I turned my focus elsewhere when the crowd got bigger. Many people stopped what they were doing to see me. I started to feel claustrophobic. My first instinct was to roar so that they would scramble away.

"Anya! What are you doing?"

I heard Rory calling from behind. I turned as he walked towards me. He wasn't alone and had Lex and Dutch following behind him. Surprise was written on both of their faces, more subtle in Dutch than Lex. I thought Rory would be somewhat angry but instead, he smirks as if proud of what I've. "Been a long time since I'd seen that form. Scared that boy to death now and won't bother you anymore."

Was he watching me?

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. I decided to test something "He asked for it. And when were you going to tell me you can speak Yautja?"

Rory paused and scratched his head. I've learned to know that was his tick for being nervous. Sure enough, he confirmed that he understood what I said, speaking in Yautja fluently. "When we were about to discuss when I finished. And how did you find out?"

I tilted my head in the direction where Molly stood still, frozen in a moment. Rory shook his head and chuckled. "Are you okay, Molly?"

Her mouth opens and closes. "Okay . . ." Molly looks up and down my body, maybe one too many times. I look to Rory and he nods. I took a deep breath and my body relaxes, feeling my skin soften and shrink in size. The clothing loosened but the ends were shredded into dreads. Great . . . again. I rolled my eyes mentally but checked on Molly if she was okay.

"Molly? You okay now?"

She stayed silent until she yells out of nowhere. "I can't believe I got to see you. That's what you truly look like?" She jumps to my side, filled with excitement. It only confused me all the more. Weirdo . . .

"Molly. Leave her alone."

Rory comes to us and gets between her and me. "Why don't you get some food to eat?" He only needed to give a short glance for Molly to understand. She smiles towards me and Rory before heading off. I sighed, rubbing my head as soon as I felt the pressure building up. You at what you've done.

"I'm sorry about that."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about. It's my fault for not letting you know about certain things."

I tilted my head, wanting to ask more but shut my mouth quickly. Rory motioned his head towards the headquarters. "Let's go somewhere else. I'll get you some clothes on the way." He turns around and walks off with Lex and Dutch in tow. The male glances at me for a split second before turning around. What is he looking at?

As I turned, some people from the crowd were still around and watching me. The majority were observing, showing wonder in their eyes but it's the others that got my attention. The familiar glares stung in my chest, an awful reminder of the past. I shook my head, thinking this is just like back then.

Nothing has changed much . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I got dressed on the way, slipping on the new ones over the ripped ones. Rory offered to let me take my time but I was eager to find out what I missed. We reached the headquarters with no interruptions if you don't count the stares nearby. I felt less anxious when it was only Rory, me, Lex and Dutch.

"Again, I want to apologize for that man's discrimination. Not all our members came out of curiosity and to make a difference."

I hummed, crossing my arms. "How so?"

Rory hesitated and I could see the doubt in his eyes. Might as well tell me the ugly truth. I cleared my throat, signaling him to tell me. He straightened himself out. "When we began building CHPS, we brought in those who had interactions with Yautjas. We thought it would be safer than gathering random people who had no idea. But most of their experience with Yautjas wasn't great . . . more terrible."

I knew Yautjas wasn't exactly the warm welcoming committee to new species. They looked at other beings as prey to hunt. Oomans were no different. So that's one of the reasons I was surprised that many people were welcoming me when I arrived. But now, I was hearing about the ugly side of the truth. "In what ways?"

"Many fought one and succeeded in surviving . . . but not without consequences." Rory points to Lex first. She took over the conversation.

"When I was on an expedition for a company in Antarctica, my group fell into a war between those black creatures and Yautjas as they call themselves. Little did we know that it was one of those Chivas you mentioned." Lex sighed, lowering her gaze but I can sense she was in pain. "Everyone I knew died, including the Yautja I called Scar. We fought alongside but he died from injuries the Queen inflicted. In the end, I was marked with their clan symbol, gifted with a spear from their Clan Leader."

She grabs something from her back, pulling it out to reveal a Yautja spear with so much detail. I was surprised I didn't see it before. From the blades to the shaft, it was definitely from a high ranking Yautja. She extends it and the spear elongates to form a trident. Wow . . . that's impressive. Lex puts it away, placing it back on her back.

"So that's how I got involved in all of this."

"And you hate Yautjas for the death of your comrades?"

She cringed when I asked. I knew it. She blames them . . . and myself in some way. However, Lex's answer took me by surprise. "No."

My eyes perked up in shock as she continued. "As much as I initially hated them, it's their way of life. There's no personal vendetta and we knew there was a risk of not making it before we went in."

Lex smiled and in turn, I couldn't help but do the same. I knew she wasn't hiding anything. It was nice to have someone like her. "Well . . . at least you're better than that Royce guy who was giving me nothing but glares all the time."

"Royce?"

I nodded, turning to Rory. "Yeah. I thought at any moment he was going to shoot me. Unlike his partner."

I still remember Royce's eyes never looking away for a moment. They reminded me of a Yautja I fought before who hated my guts so much. It was made worse when we had rooms next to each other on my trip to train as an Elite. His piercing, yellow eyes were like staring into the face of a devil. Any opportunity I gave him, he would take it without a second thought. Royce was no different.

Rory rolled his eyes. "It's understandable. Both he and his wife went through Hell and back just to survive. By the time our expedition crew found them, he was close to insanity and acted like anyone was going to kill him."

I tightened my eyebrows in confusion and Rory picked it up quickly. "At the beginning of CHPS, we tried to prepare for an invasion since we didn't hear from you. So we sent our first ship outer space to find new information. Eventually, our crew landed on an isolated planet, finding evidence of a hunting preserve. You should have seen the remains we found of various creatures. It was then that they encountered Royce and Isabella . . . starving and weak. They came back with them and it took a while before they got 'semi-normal'. Isabella took it well but Royce . . ." He paused. " . . . is another manner. They were used as prey for Bad Bloods."

I closed my eyes, absorbing what I heard. Explains his hatred for me. I remind him too much of that time. I didn't need to ask what horrors the Bad Bloods put them through. I've already got plenty from Hakr'ouh. They were ruthless . . . merciless . . . and did as they pleased regardless of who is being tortured. To know that Royce and Isabella went through is enough for me to understand.

But then I turned my gaze onto Dutch. The scar on his face was the first to catch my attention. The first time I wasn't able to get a whole lot of time to observe it. But now, I could see it. The black veining was bringing some memory to the surface that I didn't seem to notice before. But as soon as Dutch looked at me, I turned away. Something got him . . . but it wasn't caused by an ooman. Something . . . else. I didn't bother to ask anymore. I've already gotten enough that each founder of CHPS had a run-in with Yautjas with some bothered by my presence. The only ones I don't have many clues about are Molly, Dallas, and Mike. Molly seemed cheerful, not bothered by all of what's going on and even more so when she saw my Yautja form. Dallas was collected but more of an acquaintance than a friend . . . for now. Mike is the most mysterious since his behavior was somewhat erratic when I questioned him so I had no idea if it was due to my presence or another thing altogether.

"Well . . . that gives me some clarity. But I'd still like to know what has happened since I left Earth. Like about Stargazer for example."

I turned to Rory as I said that. He still had much to explain and he might know better than anyone. He shifted in his spot, scratching his head again. I'm starting to think that's a tick from his mental health. Sounds cruel when I say that.

"Okay. We have a lot of ground to cover up."

"I can wait all day."

Again, he scratches his head. He was very nervous and I knew my eagerness wasn't helping. I called out once more but in a lighter tone of voice. "Please? Rory?"

That did the trick. Rory's body relaxes a little and he stops his scratching. I watch as he swallows deeply, rubbing his hands together. "Okay. But can you tell us what's going on with all the Bad Bloods and the black creatures running around?"

I knew he was going to ask that.

I sighed. "Alright. I'll start from the very beginning."

And so I began my story, starting when I arrived on Yautja Prime until the moment I crashed on Earth. I tried to keep it general and not go into details, particularly about the arguments between Lar'ja and I along with . . . intimate moments. That I'll keep unless Rory asks. He'll understand . . . I told them about Hakr'ouh being the Leader, hiding in plain sight and plotted to take over Yautja Prime. It seemed like hours until I finished but it barely past half an hour. As soon as I finished, I glanced at everyone's reaction. Lex was astounded, no surprise given the betrayals and havoc I endured. Yautjas are more like up that we think. Dutch didn't show anything and I figured he wouldn't. He was built like a soldier, solid like a rock and unmoving. Or that I'm watching him.

"Fuck. It's worse than we thought." Rory shook his head in disbelief, trying to make sense of it all.

"That's what I know."

"So you have no idea what's happening on Yautja Prime? If the Killer Yautja as they call themselves have completely taken over?"

Lex asked and I shook my head as an answer. "With my communications destroyed, I'm in the dark. As far as I know, my Elites, Lar'ja, my clan and the others might be scattered throughout the universe, captured . . . or killed."

I didn't want to admit but there's no other evidence to suggest otherwise. I saw Rory's eyes lower to me in concern. I knew he was thinking about how I felt about Lar'ja along with our relationship. He remained quiet, turning his focus on something else. "So the reason they've come to Earth is that we're a threat and a breeding ground for the . . . kainde amedha as they're called?"

"Yes. Hakr'ouh supposedly claimed that this is to protect the Yautja species from other threats, particularly oomans." I stopped. "I mean . . . humans. And with the Protector you possess, he's making a move to destroy this planet."

Dutch comes into the conversation. "That's what I would do if I had an enemy that was growing in strength. Wipe them out before they get too strong. A military tactic I know too well."

I nodded. "Agreed. I've been trying to halt their progress for six months but they keep coming. Who knows how much time we have before they get tired of playing this game? And wipe out Earth altogether?"

Everyone in the room nodded in unison. It doesn't take a genius to figure out their general motive. The tricky part is finding out 'how' they're going to do it. Hakr'ouh had tricked me before and there's no doubt he'll try dirty ones to get the job done. I raised my hands to finish my story.

"Now I told my part . . . can you explain your half so we can get the pieces together?"

This time, Rory didn't hesitate. "You got it."

He steps closer to me but only comes a few feet. He takes a deep breath and begins. "After you and Lar'ja left, my father, Brackett and I had to hide out since Stargazer was looking for us. It was only a few months later that their activity suddenly stopped but that's when the US government found us. Took us in and interrogated."

I gripped my fists together. Knowing that Rory and my friends were interrogated sent chills up my spine followed by rage. No matter if it was Stargazer or the government, their methods were all the same. "Did they hurt you?"

Rory shook his head immediately. "No, they didn't. They knew of Yautja's existence with all the run-ins with them. Although they deemed us safe, they were very clear on keeping all of this confidential but we didn't want to go back to our normal lives. There wasn't much to go back to anyway."

His eyes dropped to the ground for a split second. Despair was all over him and I can sense it easily. His whole life was messed up ever since McKenna encountered Lar'ja for the first time. It was a nightmare after that. I should know.

"So we made a deal. If they could allow us to study Yautja technology on our own, then the government would give us the freedom to do so as long as we keep it secret. Around that time, we found out that Stargazer was dissolved due to the government finding out about their illegal operations via us." He points to himself. "So we got everything Stargazer was working on, including the ship that Lar'ja came here the first time."

"Wait . . . so you have a Yautja ship?"

He nodded. "Yes. We brought it here, set up the equipment and use its knowledge to figure out the Protector and make new weapons. Also to study the language."

I smirked. "So you learned from a broken-down ship how to speak Yautja?"

I tested him again, seeing if he learned well. Sure enough, Rory smiles and knows what I'm trying to do. "Of course."

I laughed. "I should have known better than a hacker like you would figure it out." Yautja ships are very cryptic and hard to hack. It's to prevent any other species to learn of Yautja's existence and their technology. For Rory, it was a piece of cake so I shouldn't have been surprised. He was so proud of a deed that many would have frowned upon, smirking like a clown who got the joke on someone.

He spoke back to human language. "Aren't you proud?"

I chuckled. "Maybe. It depends on how you use that knowledge."

He shakes his head. "Anyway . . . we somehow knew the war was coming so I gathered anyone who had been involved in alien activity and brought them together along with others. We have so many people that I've lost count. The point is that we're gathering an army should the worst happen."

He raises his hands. "And the rest is history."

Hearing all of that, I felt more worried than relieved. I thought that hearing all of this would help me understand. It did in some way, but thinking of what Rory had to deal with was painful. I left him with this mess. Although I don't regret leaving him and Brackett to stop the war, I felt responsible for what happened to him. Hiding out from Stargazer . . . it was the same with me.

"I'm sorry, Rory . . . for leaving you with all these problems."

I lowered my head. I felt like I had no right to look him in the face. After everything . . . I closed my eyes tightly, wishing that I could have done things differently or caught on to Hakr'ouh's plan when I had the chance. I felt like a fool.

I didn't notice Rory had come next to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. I lifted my head, only to be greeted by his forehead pressing on my own. The warm feeling spread inside me, pushing all doubts and worries to the side. Our eyes were only inches from each other. I watched as Rory smiled.

"You have nothing to apologize. We're here now . . . together. That's all that matters and we will stop the Bad Bloods together. No matter what."

His words were touching. It showed his maturity from the boy I knew to the adult in command of a whole coalition of fighters, dedicated to protecting Earth and maybe all Yautjas. There's no doubt that he was like a brother to me. Someone who I can rely on if I felt lost. I smiled and pressed my head on him.

However, our moment was shattered when the room went into an alarm. Red lights flashed, darkening the room. I pulled away from Rory, hearing Lex yelling through the horrible alarm sounds screeching. "What the fuck is going on!?"

Dutch answered. "I don't know!"

Rory turned and headed for the panels that were next to the wall. He pressed furiously, trying to find out what's causing the alarm to go off. I heard shouting from below where everyone else is. Lex, Dutch, and I went to Rory's side in a hurry.

"Rory! What is it!?"

"I'm trying to find out!"

Eventually, he got an image to pop through the screen. It was some radar that military personnel uses to monitor the skies. A small dot was located, coming from the southeast if I'm reading it correctly. Rory grunted in frustration. "Something's coming towards us."

Lex inches closer to him. "Is it heading straight for us!?"

"Don't jump to conclusions! No one should know we are here!"

I didn't like any of this. Something was wrong and I could feel it. I'm not sure if it's because of seeing Rory agitated by this or a gut feeling. It had to be the latter since my heart and mind were saying otherwise. I don't know . . . Suddenly, the panels to the elevator open and all of us whipped to see it was Brackett. From her gasping alone, she must have run as hard as she could to reach up. She had something important to say.

"Brackett! What is it!?"

Dutch calls for her but she takes a minute to catch her breath. When she's able to, she gives us some bad news. "Our scouts saw that a Yautja ship is on its way here!"

"What!?"

Rory jumped out of his seat so fast that I had to move so I wouldn't get smacked by his arm. I was much in shock as he along with Lex and Dutch. It was written all over their faces. Oh no . . . Could it be a Bad Blood!? That thought alone was enough to push me into overdrive. "Are you sure!?"

She nodded. "There's no doubt! I have no idea but somehow it found us! The whole base is on high alert!"

"Did they say the ship had a red X on it?!"

She shook her head. "They didn't get a great view but it's a Yautja ship no doubt! I'm assembled a small unit to fight in case! They're waiting outside for your orders, Rory!"

"Alright! If we need to fight, then so be it!"

Rory turns around to face us. "Lex! I want you to secure all non-combatants and get them to the safe houses underground! Dutch . . . grab all available weapons to use and meet us outside!"

"Yes, sir!"

Lex and Dutch took off for the elevator, leaving me, Rory and Brackett. "I'm going up to command the unit! Brackett! Anya! Follow me!"

I didn't hesitate to follow. Although I only had a knife to fight with, I was a warrior and I wasn't going to stand by and let them fight. If it is a Bad Blood, then there's all the more reason for me to go. I followed Rory and Brackett to the elevator to head up for a fight.

The adrenaline was pumping through my body. The urge to fight was pushing me on. I never once denied its call and I wasn't about to do it now. Still, that small worry inside whispered in my ear, telling me something wasn't adding up. I wondered if it was warning me of something.

Or someone . . .

Hello Everyone!

Some new information Anya has discovered and questions that have been answered to some extent. At least she doesn't have to worry about Stargazer anymore. However, she's got to deal with issues in CHPS that feel like repeating history. The anger and disgust in some members towards here . . . it's still there. It's kind of like real life when you keep moving one but you never really heal from the pain. All you can do is keep pushing forward for what is right.

Will Anya be able to do the same? And what Yautja ship is coming their way? Is it another Bad Blood that has discovered their location? Or something else?

Find out when Chapter 8 (Back Together) is posted either by this Friday or earlier (hoping to get it posted soon with school next week :( . . . Oh well.)

Thank you for Mariah, Anonymous-E, and Nightroad for the reviews on Chapter 6.

I hope I've answered some questions for now. And I got the notes from you, Anonymous-E for the Respect sequel. Hope to hear more from you. :)

Thank you and Good Hunting! :)))

Reading notes:

Normal = Anya (human form) or any human speaking English (ooman language)

Italic = Anya (human form) or any human speaking Yautja

Bold = Any Yautja speaking English (ooman language)

Bold and Italic = Any Yautja speaking Yautja language