Chapter 32: Challenge

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

"This is nuts . . . you know that."

Sa'iye spoke as I stripped off all my armor and weapons I had, giving it to Za'hir and Xen'ork for safekeeping. It was decided that hand-to-hand combat was the best choice for a fight that will determine the entire plans against the Killer Yautja . . . to know who is the strongest. I watched from the corner of my eyes as Lord Ku'roda took longer to take off his armor. I mean . . . he has a bulky type and that doesn't look easy to put on. He gave a dirty look when he saw me.

I huffed as I took the last piece of my armor off, which were my gauntlets, and gave them to Sa'iye. "I know . . . but we have no choice in the matter."

"We understand," Brackett said. "But that deal you made kind of scares us."

"You shouldn't let it be." Rory patted her shoulder. "She's not one to lose a fight, especially in her Yautja form."

"No."

Everyone paused, turning to me as I spoke. "I won't use my Yautja form."

Xen'ork blinked his eyes. "Why? It will be a guarantee that you win."

"That's the reason why I won't." I bit my lip but kept a strong gaze to everyone and they knew right then that I was serious. "If I do that, he and everyone else will only see it as an advantage. Even if I win, they won't see it as a true victory."

I reached down my neck and raised my necklace. I noted every detail of the carving and the metal that was used. For a second, I could see my mother smiling. It was a glimmer of hope that I clung on and more from my friends and loved ones. "But I won't lose."

No one said anything. But what could they say anyway? My mind was already made up and there's nothing they can do to tell me otherwise. Xen'ork, Za'hir, and Sa'iye would not speak against me as their Leader. With Brackett and Rory, they knew too well and didn't need the laws like the Yautja to stop them. I sighed as I finished undressing, having nothing but a loincloth and leather bra.

Lar'ja had been watching from the side, not saying anything. I only needed to see his face to know what he was thinking. The worry in his golden eyes was clear as day.

"Don't look at me like that."

He sighed. "I know but I can't help it. Lord Ku'roda has a reputation for the overkill of his opponents. And now that you gave him a reason to do so if you lose, there won't be mercy." He lowered his gaze to the floor. A soft, sorrowful escaped him.

It broke my heart a little but I had to support him if he was going to support me. I walked to him and held his face in my hands, raising him until we were eye to eye. At least close to it.

"I will win this. I promise, my love."

I let my emotions come forth in my voice in the hope of transferring them to him. Sure enough, Lar'ja pressed his hands on my cheeks and brought our foreheads together. He purred softly, inhaling deeply to catch my scent no less. I did the same and my knees almost buckled when that sweet spring rain came into my nostrils. Not now, Anya.

I pulled away, much to Lar'ja's protest. But I kissed him on the cheek before I turned around with a smile. I could hear Xen'ork teasing him, making a kissing sound to which was a poor attempt. He sounds like a fish. I held a chuckle when Xen'ork grunted and heard him fall to the floor. Serves you right.

I stepped into the arena that was the middle of the meeting room, waiting as Lord Ku'roda finished undressing. He turns around and moves towards me. His chest muscles popping each time he swung his arms. He smirks down at me. Our chests inches away.

"Are you prepared to lose, Hybrid?"

I raised my chin, determination in my eyes. "Funny. I was going to say the same thing to you."

He didn't like it and spat on the ground before me. Disgusting . . . How did he become a Leader showing disrespect? My eyes looked behind him from the side and saw two members of his clan standing on the side. It was a little spark but I could see they were nervous . . . but not for their leader. I imagine that he's not the most merciful one out of the Yautja clans. The way he was treating me . . . the Leader of the Elites . . . it fits.

An arbitrator from the side stood on the side as a referee of some sort in case there was cheating. It was ironic that they would do this. Fights never have such a thing but this isn't in normal times and we're fighting right in front of clan leaders. Still, I rolled my eyes.

"Are we ready?"

Both Lord Ku'roda and I nodded.

"Then take your places."

We turned our backs to each other and walked until there were a few feet of distance between us. I could see the oomans and my friends on the side looking on nervously except for Dutch. He had a demeanor similar to Yeyinde and Nei'hman-de as they stood still as statues. Daugo was the only one who showed any emotion, mostly worried like Lar'ja but he raised his chest as any Leader would do. He met my eyes and bowed his head with a smile.

I bowed my head back. Thanks, Daugo.

"Both combatants ready."

I focused back on the fight, keeping my eyes on Lord Ku'roda as the Arbitrator checked on us, making sure we were ready. The tension was high and the roars of excitement began to grow when the Arbitrator raised his hand to signal the match to start. I crouched in a fighting stance, raising my fists. Lord Ku'roda mirrored me. My heart raced at the anticipation. Although there were lots of sounds from the bystanders, I could hear my breathing steady and strong. My blood pounding in my veins. I was ready.

"Begin!"

Lord Ku'roda wasted no time and charged right at me with a roar. For his size, he was incredibly fast. I barely dodged his fist when it came straight right at me. I lowered into a crouch and bent my knees under his abdomen. With a kick as hard as I could, I used his momentum to throw him over me. A perfect move that is hard to achieve unless you have the right circumstances.

But Lord Ku'roda is no novice.

Despite my move, he rolled on his back and quickly got to his feet by the time I did. The fury of roars from all around echoed in the room. A few gasps and cheers from the ooman soldiers but they were drowned by the Yautjas.

Stay focused!

"You move well." Lord Ku'roda chuckled. "I must say you're not as useless as I thought you'd be."

I puffed. "You haven't seen anything yet."

He charged again, fists extended to reach for me. I could have waited for him to come right at me but he was a big guy. I would have to be a Yautja to hold my ground. I wasn't going to let it be that easy.

At the last minute, I rolled to the side again but he saw it coming. Somehow, he got a hold of my leg and pulled me. The jerk he had made me feel my leg was going to pop out of my socket. He threw me straight into the air and towards where Daugo and the rest of my ooman friends were.

C'jit!

Remembering my training, I used my momentum and small body to twist in the air, landing right in between the seats. Those around me jumped out of the way but it wasn't necessary. I lunged back to the arena with little effort but I hissed when pain shot up my leg. It wasn't dislocated but it didn't feel right.

"Does it hurt?"

I glared right at Lord Ku'roda, raising his hands as if he already won. The roars grew louder around us.

"You make this too easy. Why don't you show your true self?"

I didn't move nor did I answer him.

"Come on." He stomps one foot down. "Why are you holding back?"

I had enough of this guy.

I charged at him, pumping my legs to the extreme. Lord Ku'roda stood there as if he didn't think anything could happen to him. Too bad. He raised a fist, timing when I would meet him. At the last second, I slid between his legs and kicked him right on his cock.

He roared and dropped to his knees, whining a little. Regardless of your status, males will always feel the pain right there and I made sure Lord Ku'roda knew it. I smiled in satisfaction upon hearing him and much to my surprise, the Yautjas and oomans screamed of cheers.

"Yeah! That's how you do it!"

I giggled hearing Brackett said that. She's one to speak out. I saw Daugo nodding in approval. His training paid off. Yeyinde and Dutch stayed like statues but I could sense they were just as happy. The rest, like Royce, Izzy, and Lex, raised their fists to show their support. I couldn't see Lar'ja since he was behind me but I knew he would approve too.

I smiled. Maybe even like it.

"You pauking lou-dte kale." He struggled a bit to get up. "That was a cheap shot."

"And you should never underestimate your opponent. That is what I've been taught. What's your excuse?"

That set him off a little. He comes at me again and I expected that he would do the same trick as his first. My mistake. Right as I prepared to throw him off course, Lord Ku'roda halted and swiftly moved to my side. I froze for a split second that changed the course of the fight in his favor. I tried to turn to face him but he swung his leg in a roundhouse, kicking me on the side of my upper chest. I've been beaten before but this attack was precise. He got me right between the ribs and managed to hit my lung. The air was knocked out of me in a matter of seconds.

Damn it!

But at least I got him back. I grabbed a hold of his ankle and threw him to the other side of the ring. He crashed into the wall, leaving a noticeable dent in the metal. The roars grew louder, mixed with the scream of oomans. I wished I could show the same energy but I was becoming short of breath. A sharp pain came each time I inhaled deeply. My lung was struggling to get me air.

"Hurt you?" Lord Ku'roda began to mock me, smirking. "Good . . . but not good enough."

I ground my teeth in anger. Easy, Anya. Take it slow. Don't let him get in your head. I made a move first and charged at him. From observing him, he was a big Yautja and fast . . . but not faster than me. A few feet before I reached him, I moved in a zigzag pattern so fast that Lord Ku'roda was having a hard time keeping up. With a quick jab, I got him right under the chin. Some of his lower teeth were knocked out or broken into sharp stubs. He roared in agony before he retaliated.

In close range, we exchanged blows after blows. Our fists slammed on each other, meeting in the middle with such precision. He tried to kick me under my feet to knock me to the ground. I barely managed to avoid it with a jump when he came again with the other foot. It got me off guard and I fell to the ground on my back. I had to admit that he was a skilled Leader and had experienced that may rival even Daugo's in my limited time with the Yautja.

I wish it weren't true.

My ears were deaf from the rising growls and roars of the clan leaders but I heard someone warning me. But it mattered little. Lord Ku'roda pulled me up by the neck, holding me as if I was a trophy. I tried to free my body with everything I learned . . . but my strength as an ooman wasn't enough. Especially A Yautja, however, could . . .

"I don't understand." His face inches to mine, glaring. "Why don't you transform?"

I bit my lip. Asshole . . . I know what you're doing.

He came closer and a smirk grew on his inner mouth. "Are you afraid of showing yourself? Knowing that everyone will finally realize what an abomination you are?" He sighed and shook his head. "You're so pathetic."

He thrust me up and then released my throat. My eyes widened when I saw him pull his fist and aim it at me. The panic inside me rose not from the attack that was coming but where he was aiming at on my body.

He's going for my st—

No!

I curled into a tight ball as Lord Ku'roda connected with my head. I could feel bits of bone cracking and warm liquid drip running down my nose. Despite the pain clawing inside my skull, I kept my knees to my chest as I crashed into the adjacent wall. Pieces of concrete and metal fell around me like rain. My loud gasp at contact made the whole room suddenly quiet.

"Anya!"

I could hear Lar'ja calling, followed by Rory and the others. It hurt me, sensing the distress in my mate and my friends. However, there was nothing they could. They couldn't intervene and all of the Yautjas knew, including my Elites along with Rory and perhaps Brackett. I was on my own and I knew that the moment I declared the fight.

When I heard Lord Ku'roda coming closer and the roars growing, I knew he was going to finish this. I tried to get up my feet but it was a struggle. My head was throbbing hard.

"This is no fun if you don't show us your Yautja side!" He roared to let the crowd hear them. "You're no honorable warrior like us! Pretending to be something you're not!"

A nerve struck in my head. I froze in my spot with my back turned at him. Oh . . . no, you didn't go there. I got to my feet after a few moments and looked at my friends and loved ones only a few feet away. Their stunned expressions said it all. Lar'ja showed it most of all, displaying such worry that I thought he was going to crack at the slightest pressure. I reached for my face and touched the warm liquid, bringing it to see it was green neon blood. My blood . . .

I listened as Lord Ku'roda kept going but with a quieter voice. "Might as well give up. If you can't defeat me, how can you possibly lead clans of Yautjas against the Bad Bloods you couldn't protect your friends from?" When I didn't say anything, he growled. "I'll finish this then."

He roared into the air, spurring the other Yautjas for blood. Although this fight is only hand-to-hand combat, the promise I made wasn't going to be forgotten. If he was going to kill me, now would be the perfect time to display my failure to everyone. The final insult to a warrior.

I stood there as I heard him coming like a stampede of elephants, strong and loud. Lar'ja and my friends widened their eyes at what was coming and it wasn't good. That's for sure. But for some strange reason, I felt calm . . . but also angry. A strange mix of opposite emotions swirling together rather than fighting. It could be that I knew what I had to do combined with the insulting words Lord Ku'roda spoke about me in front of all the clan leaders. Whatever the reason, it gave me the fuel I needed.

You're no honorable warrior like us! Pretending to be something you're not!

I closed my eyes as time slowed down around me. My memories came as I recalled those who have died because they believed in me. Of those who came from the ends of the universe to answer my call. I could see Olgoth and T'uark smiling at me, nodding in approval. My mother looked at me with pride with Daugo. And Lar'ja, Rory and my friends bow to me.

Honor.

My eyes shot open as I felt air rushing to the back of my head. He's coming!

At that moment, I tilted my head a little to the right, barely missing Lord Ku'roda's punch. As if time was slow, I put all my strength into my next attack. My elbow connected to the area just above his stomach and below his chest. It was a small trick I learned a long time ago that if used properly could end a match in the blink of an eye, forcing your opponent to double over. I'm glad I read those anatomy books.

Lord Ku'roda barely made a sound as he went down to his knees, holding his stomach but to no avail. He threw up bile and leftover scraps for the last meal he ate. But I wasn't about to show mercy now . . . not after what he said. I swung my leg in a roundhouse and kicked him on his left mandibles. Both were broken upon impact. He yelps like a kicked puppy as he rolled across the floor until he stopped on his stomach. The room became eerily quiet.

I looked at his fallen body, seeing him struggle to get on his knees even. His mandibles hanging like dead branches barely holding on to the tree. Slowly, I walked to where he was, timing my steps perfectly so he knew I was serious. He gave a warning hiss but halted when I was standing right in front of him, stomping my foot as a warning.

"I have come too far to lose to you now. I sacrificed so much that I won't let everyone who died be in vain." I lowered my head closer as he looked at me with a glare.

"I'm more honorable than you."

It was dead quiet that you could hear a needle drop. The wait and tension were high as everyone waited to what Lord Ku'roda's response would be. His right mandibles twitched along with his eyes. But then he looks around to his peers and other clan leaders. They mirrored him all too well.

He was defeated.

Knowing if he tried anything else, I would have the obligation to bring death to him. And I would so gladly execute it without hesitation. Honor demands it . . . as he preached a few moments ago. I waited as he got to his knees at last and for the final confirmation of my victory, he lowered his head in submission.

A burst of howls and roars filled the room once more, cheering for the pure win that they witnessed. With that, I could hear ooman cries as well from behind. I turned my head to the side to confirm it. I suppressed a giggle at how wild Brackett was, almost reminding me of a crazy fan with Rory trying to calm her down. Rory, Dutch, and McKenna all smiled in praise. As for my Elites, Daugo, and my Yautja friends, they roared as well. It was a sound that I would never forget.

Lar'ja merely smiled with pride but it was enough. His golden eyes were so bright, reminding me of the twin suns of Yautja Prime for a moment. I smiled for a second before I turned to Lord Ku'roda and then to the clan leaders around us. My voice loud but steady

"As promised, I will have the support of the Dalk'out Clan! I know many of you still don't trust me . . . but I can assure you that I will fight to take our home back! Our honor demands what has been ours since the beginning of time and wipe out the Bad Bloods that dare to toy with us!"

I waited for a moment, listening to the roars grow in strength. It fueled me with fire, scorching my veins as if I was made of lava of an erupting volcano.

"Will you help me?!"

The clan leaders began to stand up from their seats with their fists raised to the sky.

"And give these Bad Bloods that call themselves Killer Yautja a fearful, bloody lesson in slaughter!?"

"Yeah!"

More rose and cried out for blood and honor.

"Join me . . . and we will win!"

That is all I had to say . . . and it was enough.

The clan leaders were all standing, raising their fists and even some with their spears, blades, knives, and anything else to show their eagerness in battle. The oomans soldiers mirrored the same with their fists as well, given that they weren't permitted to bring their weapons. I heard Lar'ja's cries for me . . . my Elites' . . . and much more. I had the support of hundreds of clans now.

One step closer . . . Hak'rouh.

My attention turns to Lord Ku'roda who was starting to stand up. I still have one lesson left to give. Before he could get up, I grabbed a fistful of dreadlocks and pulled his head back so that his neck was on the verge of snapping. He growled but froze when I decided to do something.

"You're lucky that I held me back. Because if I didn't . . ."

I let my body change right in front of him, feeling my body extend and retract. My head barely throbs now as I stretched my neck, letting my mandibles reach towards him. Lord Ku'roda's eyes were wide, full of fear. The complete opposite of what I had seen. I leaned my face closer and growled. My dreadlocks standing up from the fury I was holding back.

"You would be dead before the fight even began."

I let him go and stood up, changing back to my ooman form slowly. He was frozen like a statue by the time I turned around and headed for everyone waiting for me, bowing and smiling. Lar'ja came running towards me as usual, wrapping his arms in a tight embrace as I welcomed him.

"You did well . . ." I felt him smile in the crook of my neck. I did the same and smelled the spring rain on him. This was nice . . .

"I can't believe you won!" Brackett came as I let Lar'ja go. "That was badass!"

I giggled. "I'm surprised that you're still liking this stuff."

"Are you kidding me?" She smirked, placing her hands on each side of her hips. "Never."

"I agree with the female ooman." Xen'ork butted in. "That's one of the best fights I've ever seen."

"Yes . . . but it's not over yet."

I didn't want to jump into that so quickly but it was necessary. It darkened the mood a bit but it still was nice.

Za'hir comes to my side with Sa'iye following. "We understand, my Leader. We will get on it immediately but you need to rest."

"He's right." Sa'iye crossed her arms. "We need to treat your wounds too." She pointed to the small drip of blood running down my face.

"I know . . ." I spoke.

I didn't waste time and began to walk with everyone out of the room, heading for the healers to get treated. I motioned to Za'hir to come to my side and he did so without hesitation. "I need you to set up a meeting with the clan leaders for our next step. We can't waste any more time."

He nodded. "When?"

I raised my chest and walked faster in determination. "We leave in a week. Make sure everyone knows."

With that, all of us were out of there. But a small tension of worry followed closely behind. I looked for a split second and saw Rory at the corner of my eye. He didn't say anything, even when I came back to them. There was no guessing what was going on. Regardless, I'll have to get his problem resolve before we leave.

There was no other option. War waited for no one.

Hello Everyone!

Badass Anya/Ta'kasa strikes again. She beat the c'jit out of Lord Ku'roda and finally got the clans to accept her as their regent. But her work is never done with the war coming and she's right when it waits for no one.

She's got some business to take care of in a week before they leave with a plan to retake Yautja Prime and kick Hakr'ouh's and his followers' asses once and for all.

But what business does she have that involves Rory? I'm sure we all know the answers to that but will it go alright? Or will she have more drama coming?

Will they be able to patch themselves together and tie loose ends before the fires of war caught up to them? What will they do?

Find out when Chapter 33 is posted next week (Friday the latest) unless changes are posted on Instagram.

Thank you for Mariah, Anonymous-E, NeverNeverLady, Nightroad816, IanAlphaAxel, HuntressQueen22, and Guest for the reviews on Chapter 29. Your opinions matter to me. And I hope I hear from more readers.

(And yeah . . . I like the samurai concept but wanted to show a different light. Honor can go both ways in different perspectives. And I'm glad that the writer's block is gone, Anonymous-E :)))

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