"Atorah!" Cuda could hear Rah call after the half breed.

In the distance Cuda heard the boom of the drums that signaled the main event of the night. His fight against Maut. Cuda approached a small well on the wall and splashed his face.

If he lost. Atorah was gone forever.

Rah caught up to Atorah near the entrance of the weapons room that connected to the arena.

"Atorah please wait..." Atorah heatedly turned around to him and seethed,

"Who the pauk does he think he is!?"

"He is stressed. He did not mean it. Give him some credit for fighting." Rah tried to persuade her.

But nothing Rah could say would buff out the dent that Cuda created in her emotions. It's not like she expected Cuda to suddenly like her. But the way he had been acting these past few days, made her believe that the standoffish Yautja was changing his ways. That he was finally growing up from being a bullying child to a mature adult.

Oh he was a mature adult all right. Honor, honor, honor. Thats what this was all about. Right? What did that lowlife know about honor? Did he know honor when he rigged her weapons so they wouldn't work during sparring? Or when he tripped her into a melon stand at the marketplace for laughs? What about the time he dropped water bags, filled with Gu'vectpa blood (which is a neon green color) on her head, soaking her completely, as she was minding her on business.

Cuda knew NOTHING about honor. All he knew was his incredible ego!

"He's protecting you." Rah reasoned.

"He's protecting his ego!" Atorah hissed, "he's protecting his fathers reputation." Rah did not argue. He sighed, looking down at the fuming half breed. She still smelled sweet with hormones. He began to purr, an action that calmed her down just a little bit.

"The tournament is starting soon." He clicked his mandibles softly. Atorah looked up at Rah. Suddenly noticing how close he was standing next to her. A year ago she only dreamed that he would show her this kind of attention. But to her dismay, Cuda remained on her mind.

"Yes. You're right. Let's go." She agreed.

Commander was not in his seat when she sat down in between her mother and Rah. He was coaching his son from the sidelines while Maut received the same treatment from his sire. When the drums started up again the two left their sires to meet in the middle of the arena.

Cuda looked Maut in the eye. He assessed his rival with harsh judgement. Unnaturally tall and over muscled. Cuda criticized him in his assessment. Maut could beat him with brute force if he wasnt careful.

"You are both aware of the rules. If you disarm your enemy, you must even the odds and disarm yourself. Conceding defeat stops the fight immediately and the one who concedes loses. The winner of the fight earns the right to court the half breed, Atorah." Commander explained. "Otherwise..." he paused, "this is a fight to the death."

Cuda looked up at the stands. Atorah was watching him. She was still angry, but she was watching.

"When the drums stop. Combat may begin." Commander barely acknowledged his son in a display respect to Maut. Favoritism would only look bad upon the clan.

"I will win, cub." Maut growled. Cuda's mandibles tightened. His eyes narrowed. He was definitely, NOT, a cub. "The half breed will look nice laying in my bed."

"Is it not obvious that she is uninterested in you?" Cuda ground out.

"I am not interested in my desires being reciprocated. I am interested in her being the greatest trophy one can attain." Maut boasted. Cuda's fist tightened around his ki'cti-pa (combi-stick)

"She is not a trophy."

"Not yet she isn't." Maut countered quickly.

"You would take advantage of her while unwilling?" Cuda admonished in shock.

Maut chuffed in amusement, "Willing or unwilling, I care not. If I could, I would take her body right in front of you, her mother and this whole clan. She is a half breed. Weak. She couldn't stop me. And once I win. Neither. Can. You."

Cuda has to stop himself inwardly from jumping the Yautja and not running him with his blade right there. How could he speak about rape so casually? How could his clan allow such behavior? "Ic'jit." (Bad blood) He growled lowly. Maut heard him and smirked, he was trying to drag anger out of the younger Yautja.

Cuda turned away from Maut and walked to his side of the arena. He closed his eyes for a moment, calming himself and preparing his mind for what would be the greatest fight of his life.

The drums were steadying their beat.

Then they all stopped in unison.

Cuda could hear Maut running towards him. He kept his back to him. Knowing it would only piss off the giant bad blood behind him. Once he came close enough, Cuda pressed the small button on his ki'cti-pa to extend it. He met Maut's attack flawlessly. Blow after blow from Maut's spear was met with a graceful dodge or rebuking from Cuda's weapon.

Maut, frustratingly threw down his ki'cti-pa and grabbed Cuda's, catching him off guard. The tall, black colored Yautja kicked him squarely in the chest. Cuda fell back a few feet. His weapon now discarded they both unsheathed their dah'kte (wrist-blades).

Atorah gasped lightly. As much anger as she held for Cuda, she tensed up at any notion that he was going to get hurt. But she was astonished to see him move in the ring. He was fast. She had never seen anyone move as quickly as Cuda could. Well, except her mother. But for Cuda's 8 feet tall size, he moved faster than anyone would consider normal.

Maut only tired himself by trying to match his speed. Cuda took full advantage of that. He landed slashing blows to the taller Yautja over and over. In a fit of rage Maut disarmed Cuda and landed a punch directly into his midsection. He pounced on Cuda almost immediately, knocking him to the ground and throwing off his wrist blades to match his foe. He landed punch after punch after punch into Cuda's face and chest.

Atorah heard a sickening crack. Cuda roared out in pain as Maut's fist cracked a mandible. Maut laughed maniacally. He dug his claws into Cuda's collarbone and lifted him off the ground, completely. Green blood coated Cuda's shoulders.

"Is this your son Commander!?" Maut laughed at him. "Such weak blood must be purged!"

Atorah stood. "No, no, no, no!" She sobbed. "Let him go!" Maut turned towards her,

"When you get into my ship I'll sow your mouth shut!" He threatened. "Sit down and shut up!"

"Atorah! Sit down immediately!" Her mother scolded her, grabbing her hand, "you're interfering with the tournament. Let Cuda find his way out of this!" Atorah looked on, helpless.

"He's going to kill him mother!" She cried out. "Get up Cuda!"

Cuda tried to control the pain coursing through him. He could hear Atorah crying for him. He tried wriggling out of Maut's heavy grip. Maut turned to him and just laughed more. His shoulders shaking with pure joy at Cuda's situation. Cuda looked up into the rows as Yautja cheered or looked on in fear at Cuda's fate. But Atorah stood out.

He wasn't going to fail this.

Cuda took his chance. He was tired of being laughed at. It was time to end this whole thing. He pulled his legs up to his chest and thrust them out into Maut's chest. The talons on his collarbone were ripped away and Maut dropped Cuda. Cuda breathed in as much as he could before quickly getting up and spinning into another powerful kick. Maut doubled over, opening space for Cuda to land a punch into his temple. It didn't knock him out, but it did blur the offensive Yautja's vision.

Again, Cuda's speed and strength overpowered the other Yautja. And this time there was no getting up from him. Cuda landed blows to his legs, his midsection, face and even abused the dreads lining Maut's head. Green ooze fell from Maut's mouth. Cuda landed a second blow to his temple on the other side. The blow made the Yautja's knees buckle. He kneeled.

"Yield." Cuda grunted as he stood over Maut.

"Mo. Never." (No) Maut breathed heavily. Cuda snarled and wrapped his bicep around the Yautja's neck in a crushing chokehold.

"Yield!" He demanded.

Maut began choking. Whether on his own blood or because of the hold didn't matter. The stadium had become quiet. When bones began to crack, Cuda could hear the faintest of sounds from Maut's mouth,

"I...yield..."

Cuda let him go immediately. "Say it louder."

"I-,"

"Louder!"

"I YIELD!!" Maut roared with a screeching behind it.

The Yautja began to cheer again. "Cuda! Cuda! Cuda!"

"Excellent fight my son." Commander approached him, congratulating him. Cuda stood tall. He showed no exhaustion or pain. Even though both were felt deep into his bones. Commander inspecting his broken mandible. "Head to the infirmary."

Atorah watched the broken and bloody Maut stand. He was limping, his face and chest distorted from Cuda's powerful blows. He lifted his eyes to gaze angrily at her.

"Come, Atorah." Her mother, Sirrah, gently gripped her shoulders to lead her away from his hateful stare. Her uncle Tu'puk and Rah walked behind them or added safety.

Once they reached the infirmary Commander and Tu'puk began their usual chatting.

"He fought well." Rah said quietly to Atorah.

"I didn't know he was that fast."

"Well...now you know why your mother did not want you to spar with him." Atorah knew the comment was not meant to hurt, but it did. She was a decent fighter. But the idea that her mother kept her from certain challenges only made her feel inferior.

Cuda emerged from the private room only seconds later. His mandible wrapped in white gauze and his collarbone area cleaned up. His eyes fell on Atorah instantly. The males all approached him with joy. Shaking his shoulder and congratulating him on his win.

Sirrah touched Atorah's shoulder, "you should speak to him. Praise him for this honorable deed." She encouraged. She looked to the group of males, "come now. Cuda fought for his right to court Atorah," a blush touched Atorah's cheeks, "we should give them some privacy to speak."

"Thank you mother."

"Thank you Sirrah." They both muttered their Thank you's at the same time.

Rah, Commander, Tu'puk and Sirrah left the room quickly.

The two stared at each other for what seemed like a long time. Finally Atorah spoke,

"Thank you. What you did was...honorable." She managed to say. "It still doesn't change anything. What you said...I know why you did it. Honor."

Cuda sniffed the air once. Her dai- shui (musk) was gone. She was regular ole, halfbreed Atorah again. Or so he wanted to believe. Standing there with her arms crossed and looking none too pleased, she was still the most beautiful creature in the galaxy.

"I..." his voice was caught in his throat, "Your acknowledgement is appreciated." Cuda sighed. He approached her, slowly, as not to scare her. "It was about honor. But it was about you, too."

Atorah looked up at him questioningly. "What?"

"You have always been here. Since I was born. You may grow slower. You are smaller. You may not be exactly Yautja. And you may be nothing but trouble...But you're worth fighting for as if you are one of the Yautja."

Atorah didn't know what to say.

"Please don't make me say any more than I need to." Cuda pleaded. Fearing that he was going to end up telling her outright that he was falling in love with her.

"Well...thank you. Cuda." She said.