Chapter 17: Suiting up
The arbiter's enormous ship slowly cruised towards a giant metallic sphere. It was but a moon to the gaseous giant of a planet that it orbited though. The rays of the small blue sun cut sharply through space, and created a shimmer along the surface of the sphere. "What...is... that?" Vaughn was pressed up against one of the large windows of the ship, staring out at the thing that radiated an eerie beauty. "That is Nar Shad'ah-ha, the city of the games!" Other ships came into view one by one, none quite as large or impressive as the grand arbiters'. "That thing is a city?" The synthetic man was baffled. "Yes! It is one of the biggest Yautja cities there are, that is why it holds the games!" Vaughn wanted to know more about this place, but he held back his questions for some later time.
The ship slid into a port on the city, and Ka'jeal told Vaughn to follow him soon after. They walked down one of the long halls, and through the central area, then to the bridge. The arbiter stood, arms crossed behind his back, and looking out over the dock through the large windows. Vaughn had not seen him much after his first couple of hours here, only now and then when he would check in on his progress. The grand arbiter spun and looked Vaughn up and down with a bit of a frown. "You have improved in your ability ooman, and you shall bring us great honor on this day... but first you must dress as one with great honor would." One of the apprentice predators stepped out from behind two vanguards and handed Vaughn a folded pair of brown hide pants, Yautja sandals, a red headband with a strip of metal across the front, and two leather fingerless gauntlets with studded metal knuckles, along with a number of leather straps and metal buckles. The arbiter walked up to Vaughn and held out a red piece of cloth. Vaughn held out the armful of clothing and the arbiter placed the red cloth on top. "This is the mark of my clan ooman, wear it with pride, and dare not dishonor it" Vaughn simply bowed his head and when the arbiter turned, he walked off of the bridge and to a room that Ka'jeal led him too. "You can change in here." Vaughn stepped into the room after Ka'jeal opened the door and stripped down as it closed behind him. He pulled on the hide pants first. They were stiff and new, they would take some getting used to, and some time to wear in. he slid one of the straps through the loops to hold them up, then cress-crossed two at his waist like Ka'jeal. He pulled on the leather gauntlets; they had a nice heavy feel with their weighted metal knuckles. He slipped on the sandals and tied them tight. He held up the red piece of cloth, an armband. It was a maroon color, with a white symbol of two wrist blades crossing each other in a "x". He slid it up his left arm and onto his bicep, a nice snug fit. He picked up the headband and tied it around his forehead. The door slid open and the new Vaughn stepped out. "Now that is what a blood ooman is expected to look like!" Ka'jeal slapped Vaughn on the shoulder and they laughed. Ka'jeal quickly took a more serious tone. "Vaughn you are about to fight in the games for our clan, I wish you great luck, and more honor" Vaughn nodded. He had come to respect the Yautja code, a code of honor, of true huntsmen and warriors. "Then lets go" Vaughn said walking past Ka'jeal with a determined pace.