HEY YALL

Thank you much for enjoying this story. This story is also on Wattpad in case you wanted to read it there. I update both at the same time. But I'm in the process of adding and revising the chapters on Wattpad then posting chapters 4 and 5 revisions.

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Sirrah! Why does my son have marks all over his neck!" Commander shouted at mother. "Your daughter..."

"My daughter was insulted in front of her entire class. He suggested she wasn't a Yautja." Sirrah interrupted Commander Cota.

I stood behind the doors to his commanding chambers, hair hanging loose over my shoulders, holding my arm in self-comfort.

"Sirrah she is only half..."

"She is much more Yautja than your son will ever be." I could hear the Commander's roar, I winced.

"Your infatuation with the human male has broken your strength! It has made you soft! You will make that mutt of yours soft like the Oomans. How...dare...you refer to my son in that way!?"

"Cuda has been nothing but trouble for her and you dare blame her? I am warning you...if Cuda ever harasses my Atorah again, he will die. And if you call her a mutt again, I'll kill you. Warriors honor." Sirrah hissed at Commander.

I gasped, I don't want anyone to die because of me! Granted it was normal to hear two pissed off Yautja threaten to kill each other, but this...these were promises, not just threats. Finally, I revealed myself, standing at the doors to see my mother and the Commander practically drooling in anger at each other. He was taller than her, but she would be without a doubt stronger and more brutal.

They both saw me at the doors. I probably looked pathetic, but both my mother and the Commander eased out of their threatening poses,

"Please leave my chamber." Commander Cota told us both and calmly took his leave through a door on the opposite end of the room.

"We will go train." My mother stiffly said to me.

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"You're too slow Youngblood!" My mothers wooden staff came down hard onto my shoulder and across my chest. The blow knocked me back, making me land on my butt,

"C'jit!" I cried out!

"What the hell have they been teaching you? Your form is pitiful!" Mother scolded me, "they waste the time and the energy of the daughter of a revered warrior! Get up Atorah, dtai'k-dte!"

With weak knees and a bleeding cut on my shoulder I stood. My staff began shaking in my trembling hands.

"Are you tired Atorah?" My mother asked me. I desperately wanted to say 'yes', to throw down my staff and complain. But the blood coursing through my veins made me burn.

Not with tiredness but with anger.

"No mother...I'm not tired at all." I took a defensive stance.

"Then my daughter...I will make you tired." Mother twirled her staff and stomped towards me, bringing the weapon down. I dodged it quickly and swung my staff towards her midsection. With one hand she stopped the blow, gripping it with her palm. "Look at this my daughter. Your blows are weak. They couldn't hurt a Yautja. We must cultivate your strength." She pushed me away, so I struck again, harder this time and she knocked it away like she were swatting a tiny insect. I came back harder, harder and harder. I began to see red, all the rumors of other Yautja about me, Cuda taunting me, Commander calling me a mutt, I could hear them. My strikes became wild and unfocused, I roared at my mother's face and she instantly recognized what was happening to me.

"ATORAH!" The staff was taken from my hands and I screamed in frustration, mother had locked me in a grip pulling me into her lap as she sat on the training mat, "Atorah! Be still!"

My cheeks were covered in tears, something Yautja were incapable of doing. Mother held me tight,

"Why do they hate me!?" I cried into her arms.

"They do not hate you..." She cooed, rumbling a soft purr in her chest. "They fear and look down upon what they do not understand." She looked down at me, her teal colored eyes softly scanning my features, "they respected your father, he earned his place here. Now it is your turn."

"How?" I sniffled and wiped away a salty tear.

"Number one, we do not fight with our feelings. They cloud our judgement. If I were a Kainde Amedha you'd be dead. No matter what someone says to throw you off, you fight with calm and discernment. Understand?"

"Yes mother."

"How long have we been training? The Suns are too low for it to be morning."

"5 hours since sunrise." I answered. I was so tired I had been keeping track of how much time was going by.

"Then I believe you've earned the rest of the day to yourself." Mother's mandibles scrunched together in what was a Yautjian smile. I smiled back, we are so different, but so the same.

Once I cleaned myself up, I decided upon heading out to the markets, where Yautja sold furs, jewelry and crops. Most of the vendors knew me already, and a couple of Yautja liked gifting me things because of their love of my mother.

"Atorah! Dahdtoudi! Come here girl I have something for you." Jari'Ra called me to his stand. Jari'Ra loved collecting trinkets and valuables from other worlds for Yautja to decorate their homes. He was never the warrior type, more like a hermit that loved exploring space for new treasures. He was also always friendly with me. Never picking on me. Jari'Ra handed me a black box with some sort of soft and fuzzy material on it, "I found this one on your father's home world. Oomans make such interesting things. This was the necklace of a female warrior. I admired her skill and strength, she bested me in a friendly dual, rare, but nonetheless, she gave me this. I want you to have it." I opened the box as he said this, the necklace was made of gold, with a white glowing pearl in the middle of it, "when you wear it, remember your strength." Jari'Ra settled his large hand on my head, his mandibles spread wide in a grin.

"Thank you Jari'Ra."

I suddenly heard a loud commotion behind me. I instantly recognized the voice of Cuda, then Rah. Three other Yautja males were with them, playing roughly as they walked through the market. Deserving the glares of merchants. I turned the other way hoping to get away and avoid them.

"Atorah!"

It was the voice of Rah, the large, handsome,

Black and grey Yautja smoothly approached me with a smile. His silver eyes made me blush, "I admired what little of your fight you had. You're quick on your feet." He beamed.

I blushed at his compliment, my tan cheeks turning rosy, "thank you," I softly accepted his compliment.

I noticed Cuda behind him, glaring at Rah's back with quiet disdain. Finally he approached us, looking me up and down as if he had never seen me before, a scoffing noise came from him,

"Gonna run off like yesterday?"

I looked him in his glowing green eyes,

"I didn't run. My mother corrected you." I growled.

"You think you have a protector in your mother, but she won't interfere in the sparring trials to determine who will go on their Chiva. If I get the chance, you're mine to kill."

"Dishonorable empty threat!" I hissed at Cuda. Rah put his hand on Cuda's shoulder,

"Mei'hswei..."

"What's dishonorable is you believing you are even one of us."

"That's enough son." Commander was behind Cuda in seconds. For being such a large Yautja, I had not noticed him. He held Cuda's shoulder sternly. "It is never honorable to taunt your competition." He looked at me, "Atorah, it is almost time to complete your punishment duties. I expect the ships to be spotless." He said.

"Yes sir..." I ground out. "Thank you again for the necklace eldest Jari'Ra." I nodded to him.

Commander led Rah and Cuda away, I sighed deeply and headed back home to rest before my chores were to begin again.

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Dtai'k-dte - fight

C'jit - shit

Dahdtoudi - little knife (affectionate feminine nickname)

Mei'hswei - brother (Rah says this with familiarity, not as if they are actual brothers."