"You are being moved from your quarters," Xal'Uate told Spyrro as she and Ito followed her back through the labyrinthine depths of the ship.

Spyrro said nothing, 'My quarters?' She thought 'More like my prison!'

The D'tai N'as pressed a button to open one of the many featureless doors that lined the corridor.

"You will sleep here." She said.

Spyrro dropped her eyes, having to choke back the angry breath, knowing it would only earn her a cuff round the head.

There was silence for a moment. Spyrro looked up; the D'tai N'as was still scrutinising her, a slight frown creasing her brows. Finally, she spoke, "You have been extremely lucky this day."

Spyrro was about to open her mouth, but something about the stern expression in Xala's golden eyes silenced her again.

"The GhaRan-S'i-Ka punishes any who offend her."

She paused, giving this information time to sink in. Spyrro did not speak, she knew she must stay quiet.

"You will remember to speak respectfully to your elders," The combat master continued, "Or I will take steps to make sure you do not forget."

She watched Spyrro for a few more moments, then she sighed.

"This will be your quarters from now on." She said and nodded towards the other juvenile, "You will share with Ito."

Obediently, the girl nodded. Spyrro expected her to look sulky or even argue but Ito did not give so much as a sigh of displeasure. Through the acid churn of her own anger and grief, Spyrro suddenly resented the girl's unbroken calm.

The combat master waited until they were both over the threshold, before she pressed the control, sealing them both inside.

"I suppose you are to watch me?" She demanded, turning on Ito.

The Rough Skull did not answer but headed to one of the low beds and lay down, folding her arms behind her head, as if settling back for a long vigil. Spyrro paced the room for a few minutes, restless and agitated, Ito watching her impassively. Finally, she let out an angry, huffing breath and pitched herself down on the other bed, flopping onto her stomach.

"What is the matter?" She snapped at Ito, "Did a bug rip out your tongue?"

Ito twitched her spiny brows fractionally, the closest she had come to expressing any emotion since the episode in the keh'rite, "I have seen the GhaRan-S'i-Ka order a female's tongue cut out." She said, gazing upwards.

"What?"

Ito seemed to address her words to the ceiling, "She spoke in a way the GhaRan-S'i-Ka… did not like."

Spyrro stared, "What did she say?"

"She disagreed with her, in the hearing of others."

Spyrro wondered if the older girl was teasing her, but Ito's face remained calm.

"One lieutenant who displeased her had the skin whipped from her back. She always punishes those that speak out of turn."

Spyrro felt a little chill in her belly, "But not me."

"Not you." The older girl turned and looked at her, "Not yet."

Spyrro waited for a moment to see if Ito would say more, but when she stayed quiet, she rolled over and thumped down on the mattress, screwing her eyes shut.

"There has to be some way I can get out of here… or some way I can revenge myself on that nasty creature for the things she has done to my family. Somehow…"

Scar stood in the medipod chamber of the hijacked female ship – which the log told him was named the Fury. He was watching Lex where she lay, motionless in the capsule.

Earlier, he had pulled Jah'Di'Tou from the capsule, heaving the unconscious giant onto one shoulder and lugging her down the corridor. He had deposited her in one of the cells, cells he thought must have been used to hold himself and Lex on their journey to be executed. Jah'Di'Tou's injuries looked to have been treated by her clan sisters and he thought she could live without the support of the medipod now. She was still in a drugged stupor but he took no chances, shooting her with another sizeable dose of tranquillisers. Sek'Met he had also dosed up with sedatives and locked in a different cell, still bound by the metal restraints, 'I may have promised Lex I would not kill them but I will not risk them getting loose on this ship.'

Next, he stripped off Lex's armour and laid her insensible body in the capsule, meaning to use the pod's instruments to assess her injuries, just as he'd promised himself he would do. He fitted the oxygen mask – always tricky getting a mask designed for his species onto her face – and programmed the pod to feed her a dilute mix of yautja painkillers that he hoped would not be too strong for a human.

Now, he sat with his head in his hands, waiting while the feathery-thin lines of red light swept over her body; back and forth endlessly. He ran his talons through his braids, ignoring the pain from the burns on his chest and his arms. He knew he should go and find the ship's medikit and treat his wounds but, irrationally, he could not bring himself to leave this room. He was usually good at waiting, sitting still and silent as the moments dripped slowly by. Now, he paced up and down, ranging from one side of the chamber to the other, sitting down and then leaping up again, unable to rest.

He remembered her stillness after Hirai; days coming and going in the blackness of space, stars drifting past unheeded. Selim had been a tiny infant, mewing and grizzling on his shoulder, while he kept vigil over the capsule, 'I must not think of that. I must not allow myself to think of it – I must not. Back then, I did not think she would ever wake, but now there is every reason to hope she will recover…'

When the readouts began to chatter down the screen, he leapt to his feet, lunging forward, eyes scanning down the lines of text without seeing at first. It took a few moments for the writing to make any sense to his tired eyes.

'The pod has found no signs of lasting damage to her brain or muscle tissue… blood oxygen levels; normal… brain function; normal…'

He read through the list of results again and then again to make sure that he had not made a mistake. The air came flooding freely into his lungs at last and exhaustion making him feel dizzy; as if his legs might give way under him, just like hers had done when she collapsed in his arms, and he threw back his head and laughed. Laughed and laughed, until he was breathless. He leaned on the side of the sarcophagus, using both arms to keep himself upright, hanging over her as he swallowed air in great, intoxicating gasps.

She remained utterly still, her sleep unbroken, only his ragged breath stirring the strands of hair around her face.

Spyrro woke up when someone shook her shoulder. Grumbling and rubbing her face, she rolled over onto her side to see Ito standing there, her face still and serious as ever.

"It will soon be time to go to the kehrite. We must leave if we are to have time to eat."

"Go?" Spyrro's face screwed up "Will Xala not come to get us?"

The elder girl's jaws twitched outwards slightly "Why would she? I know the way."

"She did those others times," Spyrro pushed herself into sitting position and the hopped lightly down to the floor

"At the beginning, yes, to make sure you know your duty. After that," Ito shrugged, her thin braids dancing, "It is for you to ensure you are where you should be."

They left the room and began to make their way through the long labyrinth of metal corridors.

"But, am I not a prisoner?" Spyrro persisted "Will Xala not wish to keep watch on me?"

"Where would you go?" Ito waved a hand, taking in the corridor, but Spyrro knew what she meant; where would she go on this huge ship, floating in the middle of an empty, black sky?
'Over-confident,' She remembered the ooman words spoken in her Mother's voice She thought, 'And Mei'Savir managed to break into this ship and escape again!'

"Besides, if you are caught you would be punished." Ito continued, "And, as an unblooded juvenile it is not wise for you to roam the ship alone."

Spyrro was about to ask the older girl what she meant by this but then they entered the dining hall and a cacophony of noise rose up to meet them. The room was full of yautja eating and at the same time talking, laughing, arguing, even fighting with each other. Spyrro walked after Ito with her head high, avoiding some of the livelier looking disputes, but looking all around.

There were many who still watched her with avid interest, breaking off their talk and nudging each other as she passed. She made certain not to hold eye-contact with any of them too long, as she knew now that this was a direct challenge, 'If I was fully grown – or even as big as my brothers – I would make them regret staring and whispering about me.'

Hurriedly, she piled her plate high with the same food as Ito had taken, followed her to an empty bench and began to wolf down her meal, "What did you mean?" She asked between gulps, "About not going off alone."

Ito stopped eating for a moment, "It is not a good idea, unless you are able to defend yourself. There are always opportunists who will prey upon those smaller and weaker than they are," She ignored Spyrro's immediate scowl and went on, "Although you would perhaps have more protection than most…"

"Why – if I am such a weakling?" Spyrro snapped.

"I told you: they know you are the scion of the GhaRan-S'i-Ka." Ito pulled a string of meat between her talons, stripping it from the bone.

"So what?"

"She would give a terrible punishment to the female foolish enough to harm her only living, female descendent."

Spyrro chewed in silence for a few minutes "Worse than having your tongue pulled out?" She hazarded, "Or ripping your skin off?"

"Far worse." Ito stopped eating and turned towards her, "But you must not wander off without me."

"But if what you say is true, then why – "

"I said the GhaRan-S'i-Ka would punish those responsible for your death. I did not say she would stop it from happening. Coming of age is an ordeal that all must face, even if not all survive."

Spyrro gaped, not knowing what to say

"Besides, whatever the GhaRan-S'i-Ka would do to any Rough Skull foolish enough to attack you, she would also do to those careless enough to let it happen. I would like to keep my head."

Ito's jaws spread slightly in one of the few smiles Spyrro had seen on her face since they had met. It was so unexpected, that she found herself smiling in answer, despite the horrifying words that were coming out of the girl's mouth.

As Ito finished speaking, another juvenile approached them. It was Ti'Maat, the girl Spyrro had managed to beat the day the clan leader had watched her fight. She recognised the orange eyes and thick, twisted braids. The newcomer exchanged a nod with Ito. Then, she turned to Spyrro, scowling, and nodded again. It was only a very tiny movement of her head, a fractional dip forward, but it was there. Slowly, Spyrro did likewise, her eyes meeting those of Ti'Maat.

"You may have put me on the ground, Hellspawn." Ti'Maat said stiffly, "But I will not let you surprise me a second time."

Spyrro stood up, her eyes snapping black, and stood toe to toe with Ti'Maat, glaring up into her face, though the girl was a head taller than she was, "You did not let me the first time."

Ti'Maat held her gaze, scaley brows raised, jaws curling slightly. Spyrro sensed again the decibel level in the hall dropping slightly as conversations quieted and eyes turned towards them. Rage was burning inside her; "Go on." She said "Try it and see what I do; the Hellspawn – the child of the Abomination."

Then, Ito dropped the yellowing bone she had been stripping and stood up, "Spyrro, we must go or we will be late," She said, "Ti'Maat are you coming?"

Still glaring at Spyrro, the juvenile opened her mouth, about to frame some kind of angry retort when Xal'Uate walked through the door of the dining hall. All three of them saw her look from side to side, then her gaze fixed on them and she headed straight over.

"Spyrro, I have been searching for you." The D'Tai N'as cast a quick glance at the two older girls, "You are summoned."

"What for?" Spyrro looked up, wiping food from her mouth.

"What do you think, girl?" The combat master's jaws half uncurled in something that was half a smile, "The GhaRan-S'i-Ka wishes to speak with you."

"I have cut down our choices to just a… handful of worlds," Isaac pressed a button and a three-dimensional map sprang up in the darkened cockpit, the tiny, glowing shapes, planets and stars floating in the air around Selim and the three Rough Skulls.

"According to the Chameleon's operations record, the… Vortex was here, just over 200 units ago when… we rescued Spyrro," He reached out with one talon and touched a point in space.

"I looked at… the planets in the nearby vicinity of the Vortex," Isaac went on, "According to the Chameleon's database only… thirty have the hard meat living there."

"Thirty planets?!" Varrik snarled "Do you realise how long it would take us to check so many, boy?"

Isaac bristled, his short spikey plaits lifting, his hands balling into fists. Selim took a step towards his brother when Halkrath spoke, shooting a look at Varrik, "We could use the average velocity of the Vortex to eliminate more possibilities…"

Before Isaac could object, the scientist was at the console, squinting at the luminous, three-dimensional display, "I know the cruising speed of a dreadnaught such as the Vortex. We can use that to calculate the outer limit of the distances the ship could have reached in that time…"

He tapped his talons on the console, figures appearing in the jagged yautja characters at the top of the screen. A golden sphere sprang up around the green spark that represented the Vortex and grew, consuming the planets within its circumference; swelling greedily until it stopped; hanging in the air like a transparent, glowing bubble around the ship.

"This contains all the systems the Vortex is likely to have reached by now." Halkrath stepped towards it and stretched out his talons to point out the specks on the display, "But see, only a few worlds within the field have the hard meat."

Varrik snorted "As far as we or S'Kia knew – who is to say the females do not have a secret location they use for their executions? If such rumours can even be believed."

Rika, who had been standing with his arms folded, now came to life, "I know that one." He indicated one of the planets, "It is To'Phet; the site of the Great Pyramid. That would be swarming with the hard meat, and it is the closest system to the Vortex's starting co-ordinates."

Varrik turned to him, eyes golden slits in the dark, "You are not suggesting the females would sully a temple of the chiva by using it for such purposes?"

"Why not?" Rika said, "From what I hear, their leader respects nothing and no-one. She is a tyrant and a despoiler."

"But to desecrate a place of chiva? Surely – "

Selim's voice was quiet, but it cut through the rest of the talk, "The gestation period of the hard meat is units rather than days," He said, "If our parents and our sister have been sent there, then every moment we waste is a moment they are closer to death. We could already be too late."

Isaac noticed the other males fell silent at his brother's words, "You think it is already too late… right?"

Though his yautja was stilted, he had intercepted the brief exchanged glance between Varrik and Rika that told him they had understood.

"It is the most probable outcome." Said the youngblood captain, "If they have been sent to die. Yautja justice does not wait."

Selim blanched white, his leopard markings dark in contrast to his skin that went pale as Earth moonlight, eyes glowing a toxic yellow. Isaac knew his own face was the mirror of his twin's. The moment he realised what the others were thinking, a bubble of cold fear burst in his stomach, spreading through his body until he was chilled all over. He thought of those long fingers closing around his Mother's throat and a dreadful panic rose in him.

He turned, expecting to see the same dawning dread on Selim's face but instead, his brother's mouth pressed into a grim line and his lips drew back, baring his fangs.

"No." He growled "I believe they are alive."

"Your belief is of no matter," Varrik tossed his braids, "You must learn to accept –"

"No." Selim's voice was flat, allowing no contradiction, "My Father cannot be dead. My Mother and Sister are alive. I would know if they were not. And all three of you owe my parents your allegiance. Are you going to renege on that?"

Isaac opened his mouth to back up his twin – just like he always did – until he looked around at the three adult Rough Skulls. All of them were staring at his brother. Varrik's jaws opened but he closed them again, settling back into place. Silence reigned in the cockpit of the Chameleon.

Finally, Isaac broke it, "So, we are… agreed." He said, "We go to To'Phet."

Scar sat in the crepuscular silence of the Fury's cockpit, claws curled around his chin. They were on silent running, the vessel's stealth tech cloaking them from enemy eyes and he had set the autopilot for Rough Skull space, plotting a course for the Vortex. That was easy enough to track, as the drive signature of his mother's command ship was already programmed into the Fury's navigation centre. From there, he hoped they could also locate the Cutter and Nar'Jat, whose whereabouts he did not know. So far, it was the only logical plan he could think of to retrieve his offspring. He had also set the ship's sensors to scan periodically for the Chameleon's drive signature, hoping against hope that Isaac and Selim had somehow managed to escape Varrik and the other Rough Skulls. In reality, he was as much on autopilot as the ship; too drained and too distracted to take any decisive course of action.

He did what he could with his own injuries, mechanically smearing on the healing resin to sterilise and seal the burns. The pain of the sticky gum touching his raw flesh barely registered. All the time his mind was elsewhere, darting down the corridor to where Lex lay, asleep. According to the medipod, she was suffering from exhaustion. Having scanned her injuries and oxygenated her lungs, he lifted her carefully from the sarcophagus, moving her to one of sleeping pods. He knew he should be monitoring the controls, but even though the console would have alerted him to any change in her condition, he wanted to be in the room with her. He wanted to listen to her breathing, to be sure her lungs did not falter.

Finally, unable to stop himself, he rose and padded down the corridor to the chamber. On the threshold he stopped and pushed the control. The door slid open. The room was in the same blue midnight as the rest of the ship. The ever-present sound of a ship's engine making a soothing wall of white noise, but his mind translated it into the deceptively peaceful sound of lapping water. In this light, she looked as if she were still drowning.

He lost track of how long he stood there before she moaned and shifted in her sleep, turning onto her side. The way her hip curved outwards from her waist sent a ripple of lust through him, but he made himself stand, still and quiet in the doorway, a safe distance away from her. At last, her eyelids flickered and she lifted a groggy hand, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and the first thing she said was his name, "Scar?"

"You are awake?"

"I think so." She coughed, "Damn, I feel like shit."

He stayed where he was, "That is… to be expected."

She raised her head, propping it on one hand, opening her eyes, "What happened, Scar?" She said slowly, "You said before that I was dead in your arms, what did you mean?"

Scar froze. Even hearing her ask the question sent a chill through him as the memory replayed in his head; he saw her skin turning waxen grey, her head lolling and broken.

"How much do you… remember?"He asked, carefully.

"Waking up on this ship, and that female Rough Skull being here. You were going to throw her out of the airlock."

"And … before that?"

"You said your mother… took Spyrro."

"But you do not… remember this? Nor why we are …. here?"

"I don't even know where we are."

"We were on To'Fet. We were sent there… to die."

She put a hand to her head, eyes screwed shut, "I keep getting… flashes. It's like… like a weird, horrible dream. Did I get hit on the head?"

"No. You were… drowned."

"Drowned?" She stared at him.

"Some foul beast pulled me under the water." He said, unable to keep the growl from his throat as he slipped into his own tongue, "You came to save me but you… drowned in my place."

"And you got me out?"

"Yes… but you were down there too long. When I pulled you out you did not breathe. You had no pulse. I thought you were gone from me. Gone into the next world!"

He stopped, hearing the pitch of his voice rising, and made himself be calm, taking a deep breath himself, "I used the bug thumper to make your heart beat again, but when you awoke you were confused and weak. And you did not seem to remember what was happening, as now."

"I'll be fine. It's not like it's the first time you've made my heart beat faster." She coughed again, trying to turn it into a laugh, trying to shrug off her own death, "I'm just glad you were there when I needed you."

She looked at him and her soft human lips stretched wide, showing her white teeth. The smile went through him like a dart.

"You are wrong, Lex." He said in human language, honesty forcing the words from him, "I was not there… when you needed me."

"What are you talking about?

"You do not remember the … rupture between us?"

"You're not making sense." She shook her head, "If you're saying we had a fight, then – "

"It was more than that."

"Scar, I can't handle this." She cradled her face in her hands, "All I know is, I watched you almost die tonight. Whatever you're talking about… whatever happened between us before, I can't remember. I don't want to remember! Can't we just leave it in the past?"

Her words roused an urge in him so strong that he swayed forward, wanting to touch her, to agree that it could all be forgotten 'This is what I wished; for her to forget how I wronged her. For all of it to be wiped away. I could step into her arms now and we would be together again…"

Then another thought came, shattering the seductive picture, '…and know I was taking her by deception.'

"No, we cannot." He said, heavily, "At least… I cannot."

"Why not?" She shook her head, "Why do you have to be so goddamned stubborn? Whatever I did – "

"It was not… you!" Again, he fought the urge to go to her and snatch her up, claws tightening on the doorframe, making grooves where they clutched the metal as he forced himself not to move from the threshold, "I am to blame, Lex! I am the one who has been a fool – and a coward."

Her smooth black brows shot upwards, "You're many things Scar, but you're not a coward."

"Yes, I am." He shook his plaits, trying to find the ooman words strong enough to say what he wanted, "I am a coward a hundred – no – a thousand times over. I let fear goad me… into betraying you."

"Betraying me?" Her face blanched as if he had struck her, all colour draining, her lips pale, her eyes huge and black.

"Yes."

She gazed at him with eyes that were fathomless, dark mirrors, reflecting back his own treachery, "How did you betray me, Scar?"

Happy Sunday everyone. Posting this chapter a few days late as I have been out celebrating a friend's birthday and then I wasn't happy with this chapter and decided to do a rewrite. Hope everyone had a good weekend.

Tenjp: Yeah, Scar wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of putting her in the medipod. He might not be killing the other Rough Skulls onboard but that's the limit of his compassion for them right now. Also, the boys are on their way.

LovyDovy7: Always nice to get your reviews and well wishes. I'm feeling much better now thanks.

lexia the beautiful wolf: So glad to be your favourite. Hope it's worth the wait despite the delay.

Miko. : Sí, Scar y Lex son difíciles de matar, pero no imposibles, pero al menos no están tratando de matarse entre ellos en este momento. ¡Siempre espero que mis historias perturben un poco la estabilidad emocional de las personas! Hope this translation makes sense!