Chapter 23: Missing Piece

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

I focused on the humming of the engine as the ship coasted through the darkness of space. I sat idly in one of the seats used for extra passengers. It was the worst silence I endured in my lifetime, topping off when I was stuck in the trucks on Earth when we went back to the facility. What made it worse was Lar'ja not saying a word even though he was right next to me. Olgoth and T'uark were in the same room but after the little argument we had, they decided to hang out with Xen'ork in the front deck as he piloted the Bad Blood ship. Only Nei'hman-de and Yeyinde stayed, sitting on the opposite side.

As for that, it was the suggestion made by A'ni-de to bring them along. He expressed that bringing my mate and my ooman friends for support may not be enough. I had a lecture that Lar'ja would hinder our chances as he explained he was an 'emotional wreck' and such.

Brackett and Lex decided to do the same with Royce following behind as they left but for a different reason. I should have known better but I needed Rory with me for the hacking part and I needed McKenna's military experience for infiltrating an enemy base. When I spoke about that, Rory made a fit but there was nothing that would change my mind. Both were about to butt heads if I didn't give the order to separate them. But now, maybe it would have been better to keep them in my sights. Something to keep me busy.

Lar'ja kept to himself with his arms crossed, growling and grunting to himself. I wasn't sure if it had something to do with the fact that I made him wear the Bad Blood armor he stole earlier. The others didn't complain but I knew too well of Lar'ja's disdain of it. He did mention that he hated wearing it. But I knew it was more of the plan I made at the last minute.

I decided to break the silence, feeling that it's better to talk than letting it simmer. Also, my chest was feeling heavy. Guilt was starting to seep in. "Lar'ja?"

He groaned but lowered his gaze. The small glow from his golden eyes made it much difficult, but I stood my ground. "I know you don't like this but there was no other option."

"I know . . ." I was a bit shocked by his response but let him keep going. "But it doesn't change the fact that I fear of putting you in danger. Worse that I can't go with you."

He crosses his arms and leans back in the chair, staring forward. I could see his hands trembling and it hurt me to know that I caused it.

"It's for the best. Yeyinde and Nei'hman-de will be with me as guards. Brackett and Lex will also be with me."

The plan that was discussed was that I was going in as a prisoner, supposedly captured by recruits of the Killer Yautja, which is where Yeyinde and Nei'hman-de would play. According to some intel, Hak'rouh has been gathering Bad Bloods that have previously been on the run before all of this went down. So we're hoping that they won't see the difference since we had the armor and the ship that belonged to them. But to make it more legit, I would be 'captured' with Brackett and Lex. No matter what, Bad Bloods would sometimes keep female prey alive for entertainment or worse. I told both of them that something bad might happen but they agreed. Their determination and loyalty touched me. Lar'ja and the rest would figure an escape route for us while finding a way to give Rory access and hack the system to get a better layout of the Xy'lophion. My job was to find Daugo and Arkarb in case I ran into him but the others will still search for him in case.

But I had some 'insurance' in case things go down bad.

Lar'ja knew that but he wasn't deterred from his moodiness. Some part of me knew what he was going through. My heart constricted at the thought of what he was going through. I wanted to reassure him so I grabbed his hand. He tensed for a moment but allowed me to pull his hand and place it on my cheek. I pressed hard against it, inhaling deeply into his palm to smell that spring rain. A purr elicited from his chest before leaning his mandibles on the top of my head.

"I don't want to lose you."

I smiled, moving my body out of the seat and sitting on his lap. He welcomed me with open arms, wrapping them like I was a child. His warmth reached to me and I hummed, closing my eyes to enjoy this moment.

After a moment, I had the urge to open my eyes when I heard footsteps coming. I listened enough that I could tell if it's a Yautja or ooman. It was the latter one I could hear. As soon as I looked, it was McKenna that had entered the room. He had gone to stay in the small room in the ship but decided to come out. He looked around before catching me in his sight. He didn't move but his old, weary eyes told me he wanted to talk.

Reluctantly, I loosened the hold on Lar'ja to get off. He didn't let go though. "What is it?"

"I think McKenna wants to talk with me."

Lar'ja looked and saw him as well. "I guess he finally decided."

"What?"

Lar'ja tensed like he wasn't supposed to say anything. But now, he knew my curiosity would push me to ask so he decided to speak. "When we went on that hunt on D'nii, I discussed with McKenna and he told me some things that he wanted to keep under wraps until he talked with you."

I was a bit pissed off that he held such information from me but I thought for a moment and believed that McKenna wouldn't have said anything unless it was serious. Maybe it's personal . . . maybe about between him and Rory.

Out of curiosity, I asked for more. I switched to Yautja speak to make sure McKenna couldn't delve into our conversation as he kept coming closer. "About what?"

Lar'ja hummed. "Something about hiding and stuff. I don't remember much since I promised to keep it a secret and eventually . . . I forgot."

I chuckled. "Of course you would."

McKenna walked closer and I knew that he was determined to talk with me. With a sigh, I freed myself from Lar'ja's hold and stood up. "Can you give us a moment?"

He didn't argue or fight back. Lar'ja lets go of me and I stood up, allowing him to do the same. Before he left, he caressed my cheek before his fingers reached to my lips, carefully tracing them. I couldn't help but give a small kiss on the tip of his finger, purring in satisfaction. He purrs as well, looking down with such loving eyes before he walks away, heading for the front deck no less. He must have said something to Yeyinde and Nei'hman-de because they followed him as well. Yeyinde glanced at the last minute, giving such a curious look, or at least that is how I described it. Now . . . it was only McKenna and me alone.

Neither of us didn't move, staring as if we hadn't seen each other in such a long time. Well you did and haven't given a long talk like this. I looked over his features and noticed how much he's changed. He was much older looking with the grey hairs growing in his short hair. The bulky body shape that I remembered was less so but he was still strong looking for his age. His eyes were the only ones he couldn't hide his age. The wrinkles around them made them appear as if they were sinking into his skull. I felt bad, thinking how little I have changed. A price for having Yautja blood.

I broke the silence and smiled. "It's good to see you, McKenna."

He smiled back. "It's good to see you as well, Anya. Or should I say Ta'kasa? I've heard 'they've' been calling you that."

"A name that was given by my father."

"Your father?"

I nodded. "Daugo. I see him like that."

"I see."

Again, the awkward silence came but it didn't last long. I got more comfortable now that the first layer of ice broke. "Please." I held a hand to an empty seat next to mine and McKenna gladly took it. I waited for him to sit down and get comfortable before following him. Slowly, I let myself fall into the seat, still warm from when I left it. I rested my back fully on the seat and gave a deep sigh, letting the tension that building up inside fade. Geez . . . I feel like a ball of stress all the time.

"It's been a while since we'd last spoken," McKenna spoke with a lining of sadness.

"My apologies. It's been hectic long before I returned to Earth and I hadn't got much time to enjoy myself."

"Except when it comes to Lar'ja." I had to turn away and hide the blush when I saw him wink at me. Oh god . . . help me, please.

"That's a different story," I growled in warning, surprising McKenna in some way. The last time he saw me, I barely could control my Yautja powers. But now that I grew and begun understanding them, I was able to make the same noises as a Yautja even in my ooman form. So I should have expected the shocked expression he gave. His eyes were as wide as an owl's, making me giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"Your face!" I pointed at him and laughed. It was one of the rarest moments I could let out. McKenna had to take a double-take before he tightened his eyebrows and glared funnily.

"I may be old, but I can still fight. I may not win against you but I will leave an impression that you won't forget."

He was making a challenge and the instinct of a Yautja grew. I was trained to never back down in a fight, even if it was against a lesser opponent . . . that I should never underestimate them. My chest rose and my nose flared but I kept myself back. Instead, I took a moment and smiled.

"I'm sure you will."

He chuckled and nudged my shoulder with his own. "So what happened while you were gone from Earth? I assume from our current situation and what recently happened with the whole 'Yautja' situation . . . there's a lot to be told."

"You have no idea."

The conversation went casual with me doing most of the talking. I told him about my first time on Yautja Prime and how many discriminated against me. He made some jokes about this and that while I talked about my training and how I rose in rank to become the Leader of the Elites. He didn't know how high that was until I explained the hierarchy of Yautja society. He got some learning lessons about the Yautja culture and he seemed intrigued. The rest was quick, only pointing out the general stuff and not go into personal details that I'd rather avoid.

"That's crazy. You've been through Hell and back."

I shook my head. "Yeah. I wish I can say the same about you."

In an instant, McKenna turned his head away. The aura around us turned sour. Oh great . . . You should have kept your mouth shut about that.

I sighed and leaned back into the chair once more. There was a sore subject that we couldn't ignore much longer. I glanced at McKenna while he looked out in the distance or rather at the wall. I could sense that he had a lot on his mind so I couldn't read what he was thinking. I let him have a quiet minute or two to think before I spoke, asking about the one thing we needed to discuss.

"We need to talk about the elephant in the room."

His throat tightened as he swallowed. "I know." He hesitated but eventually turned his attention to me. His blue eyes scanning into my own for a moment. "You want to know about Rory and me."

I nodded. "Yes. I don't know what happened between the two of you but I would like to understand. I only have one side of the story and yet to find out about the other."

He groaned, lowering his head further while twiddling his fingers. A behavior I wasn't familiar with him doing. It made me a bit nervous.

"What did Rory say to you?"

"Nothing much to be honest. Other than you somehow faked your death and such. He didn't speak to me afterward. Frankly, I stayed out of it, thinking that both of you would settle the matter. But your 'family drama' is starting to cause problems that I had to cover for both of you."

McKenna nodded but didn't say much, almost looking guilt-ridden when I spoke about it. I wasn't going to hide anything from him. There was no point now to try such things. "What happened to you while I was gone?"

I waited patiently, hoping to get answers to what was going on between them. It had to be extreme if Rory acted angry every time he saw his father. I couldn't imagine the same thing between me and Daugo. We did have our differences but we worked them out together and everything was fine. He protected me like I was his own and never saw me as inferior like most Yautjas of his status would do. This has to be serious.

Eventually, McKenna relented. He pulls his head up and turns in his seat until he is facing me somewhat in an awkward position. Our eyes connected as he tested me, seeing if I was about to back down. We knew well enough that I wasn't the type to drop it once it was in my mind.

He sighed. "When you left, what was left of your group was taken into custody by the FBI when they caught us. They did their usual thing and interrogated us one by one about the incident. There was something weird about this one though."

"Weird?"

"Yeah. Some men came, claiming to be part of an organization known as OWL. I had no fucking idea who they were but he didn't seem like the type to joke around."

I cocked my head to the side. OWL?

"What did he say?"

He huffed. "He said he knew about the predator's existence and all that. I thought it was bullshit until he showed me the evidence. That's when I knew it was serious. He did tell me that since I was part of the military, I would be put under court-martial for my actions. That's when he made the offer of letting me work under their services."

"For what?" I growled, not liking the sound of it. "They might have been using you for their gain."

"I know that." He raised his voice but lowered back down, realizing his mistake. I scooted back to avoid a confrontation. "But I had no choice. Rory and my wife would have been detained or been left to fend for themselves. I didn't want to leave them like that so I took it and they gave me and my family protection."

My heart clamped down for a second. I wasn't too familiar with this OWL group but I knew how ruthless the ooman government could be. I've seen it myself.

"So for a few years, I served them under the pretenses of disguising myself in the military as an officer. Rory and my wife were given enough money to live comfortably and I kept communications with them. Until . . ."

He stopped. I didn't want him to but I saw the hurt in his face, twisted in a dark way that sent chills down my spine. The urge to ask was overwhelming but I felt it best to wait for McKenna to continue. The time went on longer than expected and I was about to say something until he began again. I shut my mouth tightly.

"I was given a mission to investigate a company that has been growing in power and money. OWL thought they were getting too strong so they thought something was up. So I went in and saw that they obtained great knowledge about the Yautjas and even the Xenomorphs . . . but using it in a bad way."

He glanced at me and I nodded for him to continue.

"I did what I had to survive. But they were powerful and if they'd find out who I was, they would go after my family, even with OWL's protection."

"So you faked your death . . ."

It wasn't hard to follow where he was going. The more I heard his story, the more complicated it became. But that part was clear enough. McKenna didn't look at me, staring back to the ground. "I had no choice. They had me trapped and tried to kill me. It's nuts but it gave the perfect cover to watch them . . . until I heard about CHPS and then you."

I hummed. "Who was this organization you were stalking?"

"They're called the Weyland-Yutani Corporation."

I squinted my eyes. I didn't know much about them other than they were some sort of business that specializes in new technology but I didn't think much of them. I was far too busy with my problems but they sounded dangerous. I was curious why I haven't seen them if what McKenna said is true and they were looking into Yautjas and kainde amedha. They sounded too much like Stargazer.

"But that doesn't explain why Rory is angry with you. I'm sure that he'll understand if you—"

"It's not that simple."

McKenna stood up so fast. His fists tightened against his sides. This was a point that I backed off immediately and in fear. His eyes were closed shut like he was in pain. This is pauking serious.

"McKenna."

I stood up and went to his side. "You need to tell me."

I kept my sights on him, unyielding when he turned to me. He looked pretty angry but it died down. The corners of his lips began to quiver and his shoulder trembled. He slowly sat down again, looking defeated. I did the same but more cautiously, being as patient as I could be.

McKenna took a deep breath. "When I faked my death, I lost contact with my family. I only heard whispers from OWL reports. They kept an eye on them. But a few years later, I found out my wife had died and Rory was placed in a foster home."

I closed my eyes when I heard that last part. Bad move, McKenna . . . bad move. Now, I had a connection as to why Rory was angry with his father in some way. McKenna leaves and is never heard from again. And with the death of his mother, he had to be placed in a foster home since he must not have been old enough to be on his own. That and whatever went on during his young life, Rory must have been building up rage inside of himself until it finally emerged with his father's appearance. Like me before . . .

With that and finding out that his father was alive all along . . . I rubbed my forehead to get rid of the headache coming on. This is going down the drain quickly.

"I made some fucking mistakes but I had reasons for it."

I grunted. "I'm sure you thought that."

I breathed deeply into my nose and let it out through my mouth. I bent my neck to let the back of my head settle on the wall as I looked up to the ceiling. "You need to tell him."

I heard McKenna groan. "I know."

"I can't play peacemaker forever."

"I know . . ."

I sighed again. This was a fun talk. Some part of me wanted not to know about this but maybe it would give a better understanding of their estranged relationship. But eventually, they need to have at each other if they have to. Despite my thoughts, McKenna and Rory were like family and I will support them no matter what. In a small gesture, I grabbed his shoulder and shook it firmly. It grabbed his attention, raising his head in surprise.

All I could do was smile. "It'll be alright in the end."

I didn't know if it would help but at least I could give him my support. McKenna took a moment before smiling back, patting my head like I was a child. I wouldn't tolerate it before but this was McKenna and I was alright.

"Thanks, kid."

It was alright until I felt a sudden ache in my stomach. It was the weirdest sensation I felt in a long time. I pulled away from McKenna and curled my upper body into a fetal position, wrapping my hands around my midsection. Urg . . . I don't feel so good.

"Are you alright, Anya?"

I shook my head. I couldn't answer him. My stomach began to twist and turn like someone was reaching into me. I felt sick. Thankfully, it went away as quickly as it came. I had to take a few breaths to get better. I barely noticed McKenna had his hands around me for support. I shook them off and smiled weakly.

"I'm okay, McKenna. It was just a stomach ache or something."

Well . . . you've been pushing yourself. Maybe you should rest."

I waved my hand to stop him. "I'm good. But thank you for the kind gesture."

We heard the door to the front deck open with a creak. We let go of each other to see it was Lar'ja coming. He came with confidence but slowed down when he noticed me. He took one look at McKenna and then to me. "Anya?"

"Hey, Lar'ja. Everything going well?"

I hoped that he got the message of leaving whatever he was thinking alone. I didn't want him to worry about me even more. He was already tense as it is. He grunted for a minute as I watched his facial expression softened. "We're almost at the ship. It's time."

"Of course." I turned to McKenna as he got to his feet as well. "Think about it."

The only answer he gave is a nod and a smile. I showed the same before I followed Lar'ja to the front deck. It wasn't until we exited the room and the door closed behind that Lar'ja said another word.

"Everything went well?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "As well as expected . . . Disaster mostly."

His mandibles clicked as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, drawing me close to him. "I'm sure you did your best."

I chuckled, rubbing my chin against the side of his chest and enjoying the vibrations from his purr. It was the calm before the storm . . . and it was going to be huge.

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

The ship glided slowly across space until we saw the Xy'lophion in our sights. The room became heavy with anticipation. Xen'ork slowed the engine down with a hum. We were on our own as the rest of our forces took off The panel began to beep rapidly, signaling that someone was trying to give a message.

"Looks like they know we're here. It's best if all of you prepared. I'll let them know of our intentions." He hits a few buttons and the beeping stops. "I hope you know what you're doing."

I punched his shoulder, hearing the sarcasm in his voice. He grunts in pain. "Just do your job."

I turned around, looking around the room to see everyone together. Olgoth, T'uark, Yeyinde, and Nei'hman-de were making final adjustments on their disguises with Brackett, Lex, and Royce hanging out on the side. Lar'ja loomed over my side but his focus was on Rory and McKenna once more. Again, we had to split them apart and I was rather getting annoyed with Rory glaring at McKenna. I hope that they get to talk soon.

"You all know the plan. Each of you has a job so make sure you keep to it." I scanned the room once more. Other than worrying looks and nonchalant expression from Royce, everyone else was on the same page. I nodded firmly.

"Then let us do this."

With that, I walked through the group and headed towards the ramp. Lar'ja stayed on my side and the rest began to follow except Rory, Royce, and McKenna that would stay behind. I was worried deep down that something bad might happen but I remained strong. I prayed that everyone would be alright and hoped that we'd get Daugo and Arkarb out of that Hellhole.

Once we reached the entrance to the ramp, we got to work. Brackett and Lex began to strip themselves of weapons, wearing only leggings and shirts. I already prepared prior so all I had was a loincloth and a leather top that I usually wore underneath my armor. We lined up together as Olgoth and T'uark rummaged into a box, hearing metal banging inside. I took slow breaths in anticipation, feeling nervous.

"Hey . . ." I looked up to Lar'ja. "Stay alive."

I smiled. "Of course I will."

He purrs, grabbing one of my dreadlocks and twirling it between his fingers. A grunt of sadness came when he saw T'uark coming towards us, holding long, metal chains. "My Leader."

I nodded, signaling him to approach. Lar'ja steps back as Olgoth places the chains on my wrists, locking them in place with a click. They were much heavier than expected so when he lets go, I almost dropped to the ground. Olgoth goes for Brackett and does the same while Yeyinde goes for Lex. Nei-hman-de looks over the chains to make sure everything was in place. The chains were designed by Arbitrators to keep prisoners in line so they were connected. I hope it's not too heavy for them.

"Thank you, T'uark."

He nods with a smile. "Of course."

He moves away and stands in position when the ramp is ready to open. I glanced at Lar'ja once more, smiling for reassurance before I walked over to stand next to Brackett and Lex. I leaned over to see the both of them.

"You ready, girls?"

Lex grinned. "As ready as we'll ever be."

"Let's kick some ass."

I laughed at Brackett's remark. She's always eager to get in some action. "Not just yet . . . until we make it inside."

She chuffs in disappointment before facing forward. I rolled my eyes before I heard the ship began to slow down even more. We're close now. I straightened myself but stiffened when Lar'ja's mouth reached to my ear. His hot breath looming across my bare skin.

"If anything should happen to you, I won't hesitate to find you."

For some reason or another, it sent a jolt down my spine, made worse when his tongue latched over the crook of my neck. A wave of pleasure ran through my body and it took every bit of willpower not to jump on him. My breath quivered as I answered.

"I know . . ."

Before I can reciprocate, he lets go. I could hear him place his mask on with a hiss followed by a click as it secures on his face. The other Yautjas get their own on, just in time as the ship comes to a complete stop.

We had finally arrived.

Alright . . . into the lion's den.

Hello Everyone!

Phew . . . more tension in this chapter but with McKenna this time.

He had a lot to say and revealed many more connections with well-known people in many of the comics and movies. I wanted to write more into this chapter but felt best to hold off for the next one to make the story flow. I know it can get boring but I hope all of you understand (sorry . . . having a bit of writer's block at the moment).

But as Anya said, they are going into the lion's den and there's no guarantee that they'll make it out alive. We need to hope that she'll get Daugo and Arkarb out of there before it's too late.

But what is in store for them? Are their secrets inside that she won't be prepared for?

What evil lurks in the shadows?

Find out when Chapter 24 is posted next week (Friday the latest) unless changes are posted on Instagram.

Thank you for Mariah, Anonymous-E, NeverNeverLady, and Nightroad816 for the reviews on Chapter 22. I know you'll want to get some blood and gore but don't worry . . . there will be in the next few chapters. This is only the calm before the storm and I hope you can wait for it! ;)

And I can't wait until my commencement this Saturday, finally getting my Master's degree! It's virtual and won't be the same but I'm so proud to share this milestone with all of you! :D

Thank you and Good Hunting! Stay safe and healthy! :)))

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