Chapter IX
Disclaimer:
This story has been written purely for entertainment purposes, and in no way, shape, form, or fashion means to impede, or infringe upon any copyrighted material whatsoever. I do however retain credit and claim responsibility for the creation of names and character statistics of any and all characters within this publication. These characters are based on copyrighted ideas and or characters of the respective owners of said material within the entertainment industry. No money will be attributed to the author of the following publication in any form. Definitions and wording used to describe devices, and other such items are derived from other literary works involving these types of characters. This publication was created for the sole purpose of entertainment and the expansion of a concept formerly copyrighted by an individual or individuals as a group.
To those of you who have had to wait for so long for this update I do truly apologize for the delay. I hope that the length of this chapter will more than make up for my tardiness in updating. Thanks and praise go out Basilisk9466, mau'indi, Veriea Fornnan, Spacefan, Dachande663, swift hunter, Minkutei, and Hattu for the wonderfully dependable reviews they have left and hopefully not being to upset with me for taking as long as it has to update. Be sure to check out some of the changes I have made to some of the previous chapters, it may clear things up a bit for some of you. And by the way, I have already started work on Chapter Ten as well. So with any luck, I will have it posted within the next week or so, and I promise it has action to it. Enjoy!
Chapter IXBoth ships lifted off for their short journey to the Yautja city of Ro'Nok Deha Ta'as. It would be there that the humans and Yautja both would be further prepared for their alliance against the Kin'chen De'ok.
During their flight Hulij-Thwei stood motionless with a commanding presence behind the piloting consoles as the veteran crew performed their duties flawlessly, assuring the safe return of both he and his Unblooded trainees.
As the ship approached the city with the human's dropship close behind, Hulij-Thwei was stunned to see through the view port that hundreds of Yautja had been assembled in what appeared to be a formal welcoming posture. That type of function was typically only reserved for those returning from a successful hunt or some other important task. A few moments passed when he finally noticed that several high ranking Elders, including his own, and at least two Arbitrators were present for what was obviously to be an official event.
Aboard the dropship, Lt. Maddison made her way to the front where the Colonel happened to be sitting in his command chair.
"Colonel?"
"Lieutenant?"
"Um, I'm sure you've noticed by now, but there are hundreds of Yautja down there where I assume, based on our flight path, that we are to be landing. Aren't you a bit curious about their intentions?"
"No, lieutenant. I'm not concerned in the least. I was already briefed as to the nature of this gathering. It is basically the equivalent of an honor guard in respect to those of us who have been 'Blooded' according to their beliefs."
"What's that supposed to mean, the whole 'Blooded' thing?"
"It means we've killed Xeno's before, and they would like to show us some respect for having done so." Stated the Colonel.
A moment had passed as Maddison peered out the window at the impressive display of organization that these Yautja had shown. She was then startled out of her momentary trance as the Colonel once again spoke.
"If you'll go back to your seat, I'll be there momentarily to brief everyone on the events about to occur."
"Yes, Colonel." Replied Maddison.
Hulij-Thwei took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he pondered the reason as to why he wasn't informed of this event. His Elder, of all Yautja, should have relayed this information to him the moment he knew of it. He had the feeling that the human Colonel knew of it; otherwise he would have already contacted Crazy Blood from his ship inquiring as to why there were so many Yautja present at their landing.
Hulij-Thwei despised unexpected events; and Pok'de it'ktse knew this all too well. It wasn't the first time he'd noticed his Leader and friend become defensive at the moment something would happen from out of the ordinary. There was too much that could go wrong without having a plan. Oddly enough, according to Pok'de it'ktse, unexpected events were what Hulij-Thwei thrived on; it was unplanned scenarios where Hulij-Thwei's skills had shown through the most. As much as he hated to admit it, Hulij-Thwei had saved his life once or twice at the last second. It seemed ironic that as much as Hulij-Thwei apparently enjoyed working under the pressure of the moment, that he would admit to his dislike of the unforeseen.
"Leader, were you not aware of these events beforehand?" Asked, Pok'de it'ktse.
"What would make you ask that?"
"I noticed the nervous movements you made as we approached the landing area."
"You are correct. I did not know. I also don't know why we weren't informed of this either."
"I suppose it doesn't matter considering there's nothing we can do about it. Although I don't feel any better about the fact that even the Elder didn't manage to inform us." Spoke Hulij-Thwei.
The both of them were silent for a few moments as the bridge crew maneuvered the ship towards the landing site with ease. Only as they knew that there were but a few seconds left before touchdown did one of them bother to speak.
"Perhaps there is good reason for this welcoming." Proposed Pok'de it'ktse.
"Let's hope so." Answered Hulij-Thwei.
Lieutenant Morgan Maddison sat back down in her seat and sighed ever so slightly awaiting the Colonel to come back to the holding area for the briefing he said the rest of the group would get. She had no sooner closed her eyes, when Specialist Devi spoke, quickly getting Maddison's attention.
"You been actin' weird all day. You ok?"
"Uh, yeah, sure." Replied Maddison.
"You don't sound like your normal self, I think that human…Yautja…guy, whatever he was got to you. Didn't he?"
"What the hell makes you think that?"
"Oh, just the fact that neither of you took your eyes off one another since your little stand-off, and even earlier you seemed to space out at the oddest moments." Joked Devi. "In fact, I'd almost say it appeared as if you two knew one another."
Maddison leaned back in her seat and gripped the padded roll bar above her in a feeble attempt to displace some of her confusion and hide some of the anger she felt because of it before replying to Devi's comment.
"You've lost your mind Tammy, how could I possibly know him or have known him?" Morgan replied. "And you had the nerve to ask me if I was ok? Please!"
Devi snickered at Maddison's comment knowing that there was more to their conversation than met the eye. They had worked together and gotten along on past missions for some time now. Tammy knew she wasn't getting the whole truth out of Maddison, but it would do for now. She really only bothered to ask out of concern for her friend in the first place. Knowing her the way she did Devi thought it might be best to add some comic relief to the situation and poke a bit of fun at her far too serious friend.
"You know what I think?" Asked Devi.
"No, but I'll bet anything you're about to tell me." Commented Maddison.
"I think he likes you!" Said Devi in the most annoyingly humorous tones she could muster.
"WHAT?"
"Yup! I saw the way he looked at you…he was all about undressing you in his mind…Morgan got herself a boyfriend!"
Morgan stared at her friend for a long few seconds in shock before even trying to speak. Quietly and calmly Morgan addressed her friend like any self-respecting psychologist would approach a troubled patient just before raising her voice in disbelief over the silliness of her last comment.
"Tammy…" Maddison said calmly. "I believe with every fabric of my existence, that you are certifiably insane if you think for one minute that I would have anything to do with that barbaric, overly muscled, undereducated, dreadlock wearing, freakazoid of a…a…whatever he is." Suddenly her voice had raised a pitch or two. "And where the hell did you come up with that kind of high school bullshit in the first place?" Chuckling slightly as she spoke.
"It got you focused on the moment at hand now didn't it?" Replied Devi.
"I suppose." Spoke Maddison as she smiled slightly, letting Devi know that she was right about her former lack of focus.
"Alright then…maybe you shouldn't question my methods?"
"Alright…alright, I'm focused already. Now can we drop it?"
"Sure." Answered Devi, as she paused just long enough to add to the effect of her next comment.
"I still think he likes you." Hissed Devi in a humorously defiant tone.
Maddison didn't even have time to return verbal fire due to the arrival of the Colonel as his booming voice rang loud through the holding area. He addressed the current set of circumstances and the rules to which his troops would have to adhere to in order to appease their Yautja hosts.
The ship touched down with a thud from the landing pads on the solid ground beneath them, as the Colonel directed a comment towards Maddison, although meant for all to hear.
"By the way Maddison, behave out there please, and don't piss off your new boyfriend, he happens to be one of their high ranking Leaders." He smiled at the last segment of his comment knowing full well it would get under her skin. It was something he liked to do to his troops to keep them on their toes, and share in the camaraderie they all felt as a unit.
Her face became twisted with that, 'thanks a lot' sort of look on her face as the Colonel finished his comment. She knew from this moment on that no one in her unit would let her live this down, simply based on the extreme conditions of her situation earlier with Crazy Blood. If only she could make them forget. 'That's not gonna happen anytime soon.' She said to herself.
The Colonel was no sooner out of earshot of the holding area, when Devi started to giggle and was quickly joined by the rest of the troops in seeing the humor in the situation.
"You gotta admit Lieutenant, that whole stand-off thing sure did freak everyone out, and our laughing about it is just our way of winding down about the whole thing." Said Devi, as she slapped Maddison on the shoulder.
"If anybody needed to wind down from it, it should've been me. I was the one with my neck on the line!"
"Yeah. True. But you could've killed him too, hence the term, 'stand-off.'" Retorted Devi.
Major Williams voice then quickly cut into their conversation as he commanded the unit to move out. His sudden appearance in the holding area sped them up even more as they gathered their gear and headed out of the now opening exit hatch in the side of the hull.
As the humans filed out of the dropship they formed a neatly organized double line down the ramp. Their weapons were worn and displayed as the Colonel had instructed them to during the short briefing before landing. This new practice was coupled with their own unique brand of military discipline and culture.
Despite having to maintain the orderly fashion in which they postured, the humans were astounded with the size and complexity of the city before them. It appeared as if the entirety of the city was one large piece of artwork. Statues and gigantic carvings were seen everywhere obviously depicting the greatness of their culture. It was now apparent to the humans that this was a culture filled with pride and self respect.
Some of the Yautja Elders took note of the humans and their attempt to emulate their hosts out of due respect.
All continued to go well with the welcoming of the 'Blooded' humans as the ceremony sustained its current level of cultural presence.
Hulij-Thwei stepped out from the hatchway of his ship followed by his next in command, Pok'de it'ktse, K'tek-de'Sa, and the 'Unblooded' trainees under his charge.
Both the human troops, and Hulij-Thwei's forces came together next to one another on the field just beyond the landing ramps of the ships from which they exited. The Colonel, stood with all the respect and dignity he could gather, in front of his troops with his second in command at his side. While only twenty feet from him to his left stood Hulij-Thwei and his followers. There was sort of a silent battle going on as both sides postured with as much impressiveness as they were capable of. It would be this display of discipline amongst them that would gain the favor of the Elders and other high-ranking Yautja present.
There was a deafening silence that hung in the air just waiting to be broken by even the slightest of sounds.
Only when the Elders were satisfied with the display of discipline would they give the signal to their minions to release what would be an overwhelming roar of pride. As the highest ranking Elder among them raised his spear, those Yautja that were previously gathered on the ground had bellowed at the top of their lungs signifying their religious gratuity for the safe return of their comrades.
When the air was again filled with stillness, both the Colonel and Hulij-Thwei raised their weapons high in the air and those under their respective commands released into the air a synchronized din of voices not soon to be forgotten by anyone present. Their volley of verbal recognition towards those who had welcomed them here was the human equivalent to saying 'thank you' for the recognition of my achievements, and for wanting us to be here with the rest of you.
Both Hulij-Thwei and the Colonel were given the sign to approach the highest of the Elders among them. Hulij-Thwei was welcomed back in the traditional way that most Leaders are afforded by those that outranked him. It wasn't much different than what he was used to, only this time there seemed to be a bit more respect involved on behalf of the Elders. Additionally, he was pulled slightly aside by his Elder from the rest of those gathered, and given instructions as to where the humans would be staying as well as the accommodations they were to be supplied with. It was then that the Colonel was greeted and introduced to all that were present in the most formal of ways that Yautja culture had to offer. He was treated much in the same manner, as was Hulij-Thwei with only a few human customs thrown in as a sign of good faith on behalf of the Yautja.
After all of the official proceedings and introductions were out of the way for both Hulij-Thwei and the Colonel, they returned to their respective positions and faced their subordinates issuing the command to disperse in an orderly fashion behind them until arriving at a predetermined point where they would be allowed to relax and await further orders.
It was when they reached a great gathering hall that the humans were ordered to be 'at ease' by the Colonel, until receiving the location of their quarters.
Hulij-Thwei approached the Colonel as the Yautja were escorted away by K'tek-de'Sa to the pre-arranged living spaces at the clan's visitor residence for 'Blooded Warriors'. Morgan again noticed that Hulij-Thwei had attempted to steal a glance in her direction before quickly turning his attention towards the Colonel.
"Colonel. I hope you enjoyed the ceremony."
"I did, I am honored that your people would go to such lengths, considering the past that exists between our people."
"We are not barbarians Colonel."
"I see that. I can only hope that we have performed our part of the ceremony in a satisfactory way."
"I think the Elders were pleased."
"You sound as if you weren't." Replied the Colonel.
"It was only a ceremony. Honor of a people is seen in battle. Words say little about them."
"Perhaps you are right. But I feel as if you will change your mind about us in the future."
"For the sake of your people, I hope so." He paused for a moment before motioning towards Pok'de it'ktse to come forward. "This is my second in command, Pok'de it'ktse."
From behind him the clicking of a set of aged mandibles was heard and Hulij-Thwei turned around to greet his Elder, Itu're Kra'a. A few seconds passed as the two exchanged gestures of reverence for one another when Hulij-Thwei translated the words of his Elder to the Colonel.
"My Elder would like to show his respect in taking you to your quarters along with Pok'de it'ktse and myself."
The colonel replied and as postured accordingly with respect as a sign that he would be honored. The Elder then reached for the shoulder of the Colonel and gripped it as he spoke. The Colonel returned the gesture and the group began to move in the direction in which they were led.
Along the way the Colonel and Itu're Kra'a shared information via Hulij-Thwei's translations and seemed to be getting along well when Pok'de it'ktse stopped the group in front of a large set of elaborately carved doors which then seemed to open automatically without hardly a sound. They were bronze and black in color and the carvings depicted the features of Yautja males who obviously held some kind of importance to their race.
Once through the vast opening the human troops were astounded by the cultural beauty and artwork lining the walls. The surroundings were grand in scale and characterized the Yautja culture and in particular this clans achievements; in a way none of the humans had ever expected. As they traveled throughout the halls Hulij-Thwei kept his Elder informed as to how the humans were reacting to what they saw.
The Colonel was especially taken by the whole scene and made several comments as to the effect it was having on him. Hulij-Thwei's translation of the Colonel's statements must have carried with them his feelings as well simply based on the eagerness of the Elder to continue describing the events depicted in the figures and images seen everywhere. To the Colonel this was like walking into a giant life-like history lesson reminiscent of the hieroglyphs found on Earth. It was quite unlike the Elder to speak this much and was beginning to make Hulij-Thwei a bit edgy. To his consolation though they had arrived at the rooms in which the humans would be staying bringing to an end the Elder's ranting of Yautja history.
For safety reasons two humans were assigned to each room, with the exception of the Colonel and Major Williams, their rooms were a bit more elaborate out of respect for their ranking privileges. These rooms were down the hall and around the corner, where the more exquisite of domiciles were located, and in order to provide safety for them guards would be posted constantly.
Yautja servants were seen coming and going between the rooms bringing food and drink to the human occupants. In the meantime, the Colonel had called the Major to his quarters to discuss the events of tonight's gathering that the Yautja Elder, Itu're Kra'a, had arranged for them in honor of their newfound alliance. It would be a celebratory event where information concerning the future of their two races would be announced. Hours had passed and some of the humans rested while others drank the alcohol-like liquid being brought to them.
Less than two hours had passed and the synchronized watches each of them carried alerted them as to the time. Each of them filed out of their temporary domiciles and as a group left their quarters for the celebratory grounds where the tonight's events were to take place. Once they had arrived they had all been seated in orderly fashion at the center table, which according to Yautja customs was a sign of honor. Seated with them was Hulij-Thwei, his Elder Itu're Kra'a, along with Pok'de it'ktse. The Unblooded trainees were still as of yet not honored enough to sit with them and were seated elsewhere. It was an outdoor event with only sparse areas of cover serving only to further display religious artifacts and cultural depictions of their history. The lighting chosen for the occasion was elegantly done in red and yellow hues. Live music was the highlight of the affair at some point during the evening, and even without the lyrics that the humans were accustomed to the sounds were absolutely captivating.
The Yautja had vocal cords far different than ours and their singing was more of a collaboration of humming combined with the occasional clicking of mandibles in a synchronized fashion. All in all it reminded one of the unified vocals associated with the monks of Earth, only with more of a variety to the tempo and overall beat. No two songs sounded the same despite the limits of their vocalizations, at least comparatively speaking of course.
It wasn't long before the Colonel and his soldiers were beginning to fit in and let their guard down enough to truly enjoy the festivities in their honor. The Yautja as well were adjusting nicely and before long laughter had broken out amongst the crowd after a few key phrases and stories had been translated. It was fortunate that Hulij-Thwei had worked with Captain Aaron Thatcher earlier that day in order to provide small translator devices, similar to the transmitters in the facemasks of the Yautja, to several of the key Yautja figures that the humans would be in contact with. The devices worked flawlessly, despite the lag in translation time. It was well worth it though, nothing could have brought together both of these cultures with such ease as the convenience of sharing a common language, short of having this device on hand.
Before the night was over the humans had been introduced to several of the highest ranking Yautja on the Homeworld, enjoyed the singing and music they never knew the Yautja were capable of and were entertained by the ritualistic dances quite reminiscent of tribal dances of the American Indians, and other well known tribal cultures of Earth. The food and drink was also exquisite in nature and served to help with the ease at which these two races were now getting along.
Hulij-Thwei continued to watch somewhat detached from the crowd, as he was pleased at the harmony that now existed between his people, and well, his other people, so to speak. It was unlike any other time in his life. Before today he never saw himself accepting the fact that he may one day have to associate with other humans in this way. He was happy with the Yautja lifestyle, and any deviation from his plans would most certainly be upsetting for him. Or so he thought. He watched as humans and Yautja shared stories and traded information regarding cultural differences, and similarities. He watched, as they laughed together, and boasted of victories from their individual pasts. Something still bothered him though. It was Morgan that bothered him and it didn't dawn on him until he had glanced around the table and saw that she too was ingesting all that was going on around her. Quickly he shook off his trance-like stare as she caught him glaring at her.
He quickly stood and left the table making his way over to where some of his Yautja friends were gathered discussing the success of the evening and how oddly at ease they felt at having former prey in their midst being treated as equals. Most of them were surprised at how appreciative the humans were of their cultural presentations.
As Hulij-Thwei approached, one of them was compelled to ask how he perceived the whole occasion. He stopped for a moment, with drink in hand, and swiftly took a shot of it before answering.
"It's going well, I suppose."
"You suppose? I can honestly say that I never would have expected them to accept us they way they seem to have done so tonight." Replied Krok'no-De'es, one of Hulij-Thwei's friends from years ago.
"Perhaps it's the alcohol making them so friendly." Offered Hulij-Thwei in a somewhat doubtful manner.
"And perhaps you need more of it yourself in order to enjoy the evenings festivities." He paused before continuing. "The Hulij-Thwei I knew once would never have let this wonderful of a drink or occasion go to waste."
"Your right, I will make it a point to enjoy myself after I attend to some other priorities first. Perhaps we can visit again before you leave on your next hunt and catch up a bit."
"Only if you guarantee me that you will be your old self again when next time we speak."
"Of course old friend."
Hulij-Thwei returned to his former mood rather quickly as he slid past another table near the edge of the clearing in which the celebration was taking place. He glanced back to the table from which he came and noticed that Morgan was no longer sitting there. When suddenly a shiver shot up his spine, and a sensation much like the one he had when he and Morgan were locked in the stalemate, had stricken him into a frozen state.
He turned quickly around in a somewhat panicked state and headed for his home as he rounded a corner covered with thick plant life when suddenly both he and Morgan collided almost violently. The two of them quickly picked themselves up off the ground and simultaneously noticed each other. They were practically stunned into frozen positions, each afraid to move or speak.
They stared at one another for a moment in what may have been a weak attempt on both their part to figure each other out. They both made the attempt to speak at the same time and ended up interrupting the other. After a few awkward moments of this they again remained quiet until Morgan spoke.
"Are you gonna tell me why you keep looking at me the way you do?"
"What way?" Hulij-Thwei was almost defensive in posture, not wanting her to know of his attraction to her.
"Like…I don't know exactly, that's why I'm asking." She was assertive in the way that demanded information.
"You really must be more specific, otherwise I can't answer your question."
"Nice answer slick. I'm not buying it though, I continually catch you staring at me or in the very least stealing a glance from time to time, and then you act as if you didn't want to make it obvious." She paused for a moment as Hulij-Thwei grunted in Yautja tongue what would normally be perceived as annoyance.
"So, what is it, are you attracted to me, or is it that you want to kill me, maybe your just curious about human women…maybe you've never been with one in bed before is that it, cuz then the whole staring thing would make you a perv." As assertive as she felt she was being there was still cautiousness to her voice. Truthfully she couldn't be sure what his intentions were but she sure wasn't going to let him know any of her weaknesses, she only hoped that she wasn't overstepping her bounds either.
Hulij-Thwei's eyes widened at the mere mention of his attraction to her, but felt as if he had quickly covered with a look of curiosity as to how she could rattle off such an extensive list of possibilities. He was at a loss for words, and didn't know quite how to answer. No one had ever spoken like this to him before. He wasn't sure as to whether or not he should be offended or take the opportunity to get to know about her and maybe figure out the mystery as to why she seemed so familiar to him.
Instinctively his senses took over and he could read her nervousness through scent alone.
"Who are you?" He said, shifting his eyes to the side in an effort to ask himself where he came up with a question like that. He was now mentally kicking himself for even opening his mouth.
"What kind of an answer is that? Didn't you read the briefing files our government gave you before this mission?"
"Yes, quite thoroughly in fact."
"Then you should know who I am."
"And you should know that knowing someone is not as simple as reading a file."
"Ok, so your not gonna kill me."
"No."
"Well that only leaves the attraction thing, or the perv thing, which is it?"
"I don't have time for this…you are annoying me." Hulij-Thwei walked away from her with nervousness to his tone. He made it as far as a few steps away before stopping and turning around to speak with her.
"I am curious as to why I feel like I know you, and yes, I have been with human women so my curiosity is not dishonorable, and are you aware that you make it quite difficult for any one to talk to you when you act like such a l'ulij ooman lou-dte."
"What did you just call me?"
"Crazy human female."
"That does it…" She didn't even finish her sentence when she reached up and out with her hand and like lightening attempted to smack him across the face.
Unfortunately for her he was somewhat faster and managed to catch her hand in his, desperate to make him pay for his insult she attempted to swing on him again. With her speed and strength she was able to knock him across the face with a firmly planted right hook. To her dismay though, he took advantage of her concentrated effort of swinging wildly and now held her wrist taught in his grasp. Upon realizing this, she became momentarily stunned and he again took advantage of his strength and speed by pulling her closer so as to grab hold of her other wrist. He now held her tightly and gripped both of her wrists close together in front of him and nearly against her own chest.
She could literally hear his thoughts, and the expression on his face proved she was correct. These weren't the eyes of someone who wanted to kill her. He merely wanted answers. She relaxed and stopped struggling to get free. His grip lessened slightly as he leaned closer to her face reading the minute changes in her expression. It was now obvious that each of them had something to share with the other.
Simultaneously they asked each other the same question, and in nearly matching tones as well.
"Who are you?"
Just then they heard a voice from close by. As the two let go of one another, Specialist Devi appeared from around the corner. The two of them were still in rather close proximity as Devi saw them. For a moment it was as if Devi didn't even exist.
Devi was stunned as she witnessed the two of them standing there staring at one another. There was nothing but silence and to Devi, it was as if the two of them were communicating mentally, each of them staring the other down until satisfied with an answer that was never verbally spoken. It was unnerving to Devi that these two could have some kind of unspoken or undiscovered connection. Her eyes shifted uncomfortably when she realized that what was needed here was some form of intervention.
"Excuse me…"
Morgan and Hulij-Thwei were startled out of their respective positions and peered at Devi with a rather disappointed look. It wasn't difficult to see for Devi that perhaps she had interrupted something of some importance.
"Sorry, I'll leave you two alone…" She spoke rather apologetically.
Before anyone else could speak Hulij-Thwei took the reigns of the conversation and saw this moment as his cue to leave Morgan to her friend. He would find out more about her later.
"No need to apologize. I was leaving." Said Hulij-Thwei as he stared at Morgan but for another second before turning to walk away.
Morgan turned to Devi with an exasperated look and hissed at her with a volume she hoped only Devi would hear.
"Thanks a lot!" She spoke as she once again turned in Crazy Blood's direction.
He was no more than a few steps away, when he heard Morgan's voice call from behind him.
"I want answers you know. And soon!"
Hulij-Thwei stopped dead in his tracks as he turned his upper body enough to see them from his peripheral vision and spoke.
"As do I." He said with enough volume and assertiveness to let her know that he was serious. He turned to continue on his path home and took no more than a step or two before he became engrossed in his own thoughts and spoke to himself, 'As do I.'
It was after returning to her quarters with Devi, her bunkmate, that Maddison was lying on the bed positioned in the room opposite from the one on which her roommate at the moment was resting. As much as she wanted to sleep she couldn't close her eyes without thinking of the day's events, especially those involving Crazy Blood. The more she thought of him the more she thought she knew him from somewhere, as ridiculous as she told herself that was. Again and again she stared at the ceiling and tried to force herself to sleep but thought of Crazy Blood continued to plague her. Without realizing it she muttered the words, 'Who are you?' with a half-perturbed, and curious tone.
"Thinking about him again, aren't you?" Asked Devi from under the covers she had pulled up to her neck.
"What? I thought you were asleep."
"I was…well, almost. Until you said something."
"I didn't say anything." Replied Maddison as she sat up to look at her friend across the room.
Devi lifted her head to look back and smiled somewhat with a mischievous grin.
"Well you sure weren't talkin' to me when you said 'Who are you?'"
"You heard that huh?"
"Yeah, I did. Now quit thinking about it all and get some sleep. We've got to be up in a few hours. And by the way, if you snore, I'm gonna throw my combat boot at you!"
"Wouldn't be the first time." Replied Maddison with a slight chuckle.
A minute had not even passed before Devi turned over to face Maddison in the bunk a few feet away and spoke yet again.
"Hey, what do you think Crazy Blood means? Ya think he's nuts, psycho maybe? Maybe it's how he is in battle?"
"I don't really know. But, something tells me we'll find out eventually." After pausing for a moment in thought about what Devi had mentioned, she again found herself thinking about it and when she realized that she had paused for what might have been a sign to her friend that she was thinking about it far too much, she again spoke. "Now get some sleep. That's an order."
Hulij-Thwei sat in the gathering room of his home in front of the trophy displays as he pondered the events of the day wondering why he had been so bothered by everything that had occurred. There truly wasn't anything to be embarrassed about. The humans are known to be resourceful, and the most cunning of all creatures ever hunted by the Yautja. This alone has earned them the respect they had received today, and in recent years. Add in the technological advances they've made and you've got one hell of a fight on your hands. Physically they still seemed weak, but with their brains and ever increasing ability to overcome odds, well they might just make good allies.
Nonetheless, his life would be simpler without them, and without this recent attraction to the female known as Morgan. She was primarily his main distraction at the moment, and had been for the last several days. Why could he not be rid of her in his mind, and most importantly, where did he know her from.
He was then in deep meditation when the buzzer from his door communicator went off alerting him to the presence of someone waiting outside. He gave the verbal command for the door to slide open and allow entry to whom it was that wanted to speak with him.
Pok'de it'ktse then strode through the door with his usual demeanor and addressed Hulij-Thwei.
"I see you've been in zazin."
"Yes. Analyzing the events of the day and formulating my plans for tomorrow."
"I know you have the habit of over thinking things, but even this is a bit 'out-of-the-airlock' for you." Replied Pok'de it'ktse with a slightly amused tone.
"Nonsense."
"You're thinking about her. It's just as well that you should be, she is human after all, and you haven't really enjoyed yourself lately."
"It's not a matter as to whether or not I am attracted to her, it's the strange feeling of familiarity I have for her, but where could I know her from?"
"I couldn't say my friend, but I do know that you'll never know at all how it might be possible until you approach her about the situation."
"I suppose you're right. Since you're here though, I could use your help in formulating tomorrows activities."
"Of course, I'll have to get something to drink first; I have the feeling that I'm going to need it."
"Since when do you need a reason to drink?" Asked Hulij-Thwei.
"I don't, but it sounded good didn't it."
It had been over an hour since her last conversation with Specialist Devi, her current roommate, and she herself was almost completely asleep when there was a sudden commotion heard from not to far away, and from somewhere close by in the building.
She leaped out of bed and launched herself across the room to wake up Devi before venturing out into the expanse of the hallway out side her room. Fortunately the noise had awakened Devi as well and the both of them reached for their weapons.
Ready for anything, the both of them had stood on either side of the door and activated the control mechanism to open it. The two of them stepped into the hallway and saw other in their group gathering together in the attempt to figure out what the noise could have been about.
Suddenly there was gunfire and the small group of combatants rushed to the source of the noise only to be surprised by the damaged door of one of the rooms that their fellow soldiers had been occupying.
Upon entering the room Morgan took note of the glass window shattered towards the outside and saw three Yautja silhouettes several stories below in the courtyard round a corner before she could get off a shot.
The picture of horror that lie on the floor before them was a ghastly one even for her. She was used to seeing blood and guts, being in the medical profession of course, not to mention being a military combatant made it that much more common. This though, this was different, it was as if this was done on purpose. The bodies were decapitated and the spines ripped out. There was blood everywhere. They had no time to react when both the Colonel and the Major arrived on the scene along with their respective Yautja guards in tow.
The Colonel was the first to speak.
"Devi…Maddison what happened here?"
"We…"
Glossary:
Arbitrators- Elder's of the High Council that specializes in Yautja law and enforces those laws. Their rank is just below that of an Elder seated on the Council but only equal to a standard Elder of a clan. An Arbitrator may have at one point had a clan of their own but has given it up in order to serve the High Council.
Xeno- Xenomorph, or (Alien from the movie), the Yautja refer to them as Kainde Amedha or translated to English as Hard Meat.
Blooded- Traditionally the Yautja only considered themselves worthy of being Blooded, but recently the humans have earned the honor of being referred to in this way. Being Blooded is to have proven the kill of a xeno.