In this chapter, Scar shows Lex that he isn't to be feared, but will Lex learn to trust him?

CHAPTER 2

Lex was waiting for Scar to return. He indicated that she should wait for him in the same room. She worried on whether he was feeling regret in bringing her along. Not that she really wanted to come, but they didn't seem to know she had only wanted a ride. Now she was here, far from Earth, and unsure what to do next. She hated relying on Scar. So for now Lex just sat and waited, feeling the constant thrumming of the ship beneath her. There was little indication of movement at all, but for that proof that the ship's engines were engaged. She should have felt exhilarated to be so far in space, something she never imagined would be in her future. But here she was and with a race of beings unknown to anyone on Earth, now that all her companions had been killed. Only because of Scar was Lex even alive. Just as she began thinking about him, she noticed him striding towards her. She wished she could read the hunter's face, but his features weren't such that she could read anything to indicate his mood. She had no choice but to take a deep breath...and wait.

Scar saw Lex waiting for him. He had to tell her somehow that he was being ordered to go with a hunting party to a planet the ship was fast approaching. He didn't want to leave her alone, but neither could he take her. He grabbed her arm and led her to a large room, where Scar would prepare for the hunt. He sat her on the metal bench, and indicated that she should stay there. He walked away and when he returned, Lex noticed he had various weapons, a couple she recognized, most she did not. He was also dressed in lightweight armor, nothing like what he'd been wearing in Antarctic. He's going on another hunt! And he was leaving her behind, she knew it.

Lex grabbed Scar's arm, saying, "Take me with you". She waved her other hand around. "I have nothing here! I know you're going on a hunt. I won't get in the way."

Scar removed the hand on his arm, and punching his wrist computer, carefully chose his words. "No, ooman...not...trained. Stay." With that, he walked away, leaving Lex to stand there, looking crestfallen. "Next time," she said aloud to no one in particular.

First Night

When Scar returned from the hunt, he found Lex sleeping by the same window she had sat at before, as if she had been reluctant to leave it, and had fallen asleep. Or maybe, he realized, she had no where to go. He decided then he would let her stay with him. He gently scooped her up in his arms, and carried her to his quarters. She felt very light in his arms. On reaching his room, he lay her on his sleep mat. Scar stood watching her for a moment. She shifted in her sleep but didn't awaken. Would she object if she did wake up, to find herself lying next to her once mortal enemy, now cautious ally? What else was he to do? After preparing for sleep, he slowly lay next to her, and settled back, satisfied that he hadn't wakened her. Soon, he, too, drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Scar awoke to find Lex, sitting upright on the floor in the opposite corner, her legs bent, head leaning against her knees. She was asleep. Scar rose and clicked at her. He went to her and pushed her shoulder to awaken her. He saw her eyes take on a startled look as they opened and saw him standing there. She quickly turned her head away. He chuckled, clicking lightly, when he realized he was not dressed and she must have felt that seeing him that way wasn't,... what, suitable? He didn't fully understand ooman ways, but he hoped to learn more, especially from this female. He dressed himself in light-wear, and went back to the still sitting ooman.

Lex had turned back towards Scar, watching him as he dressed. She felt her cheeks warm when she realized that he was unclothed. But her curiosity made her look anyway. Without his battle armour, he wasn't as large as he had seemed. Oh, he was still tall and muscular, just not huge. His skin had a strange mottled pattern, dark on his arms and back, lighter on his chest and belly. Again Lex flushed when she realized what she had been thinking. Trying to think more clinically, she thought he reminded her of a lizard she had once seen while rock climbing in California.

Scar knew the ooman female was looking him over. Was she admiring him, or did she fear him? She should fear him, but he truly did not want to frighten her. He walked over to her and held his hand out. He waited for her to take it, and gently pulled her up off the floor. He indicated the small room to his right and Lex looked, seeing it was a bathroom, maybe not like a human bathroom but the necessary facilities were there. How she wanted a hot shower.

When she had finished, Scar took her arm and led her out of his quarters. Her continuing curiosity got the best of her and she looked around her carefully as they moved down a darkened corridor. These creatures must see better than humans. Scar was moving at a brisk pace while she could barely see past 10 feet in front of her. Lex started to talk nervously. "So where are we going? You don't have to tug at me so hard. Are we anywhere near Earth?" Scar stopped, letting go of her arm. He growled, tilting his head at her. Lex swallowed hard. "Ok, I'll follow you." She indicated for him to continue, "Go on..." and walked quickly, trying to keep up with him.

Scar took her to a room that had no distinguishing features, but Scar went to a wall, pushed something Lex couldn't see, and a panel opened. Scar pulled out a packet, which Lex surmised to be some sort of rations. He handed her the packet, indicating she should eat it. She only hoped it was edible, in human terms. She opened the packet and sniffed its contents. No real odor at all, she thought. She nibbled it and noticed an almost bacony flavour. Meat of some sort. She finished it and turned to Scar, who had been watching her silently. Then he gently took her arm and led her out to the darkened corridor once more.

Lex came up with an idea and asked Scar to show her where the younger hunters trained. She had to pantomime what she wanted. Although she felt ridiculous, Scar seemed to understand her. She was determined to show all of them what she could learn. Scar showed her to the training room, showing her the equipment which looked awfully dangerous for training weapons. Maybe wounds inflicted in practice were just as desired as in actual battle. Lex picked up a combi-stick. She held it, seeking a way to get it to extend. Scar reached out and pressed an unobvious button in the middle of the metal staff. It doubled in size. Lex found a balance point and played with it, twirling it about. Scar chuckled in that way she knew now, but merely frowned at him. "You don't have to laugh at me. I'll learn." He took the combi-stick and showed Lex moves that made the weapon formidable, even in its simplicity. Lex took it back and copied Scar's moves, to his amazement. Against a real enemy, she would not have won, but she showed an aptitude that made him want to show her more. He took the weapon back, retracted it, and looked down at this slight ooman, nodding. Using his wrist computer, "Good," was all he said, but Lex was happy with that.

Later that day, after both had taken nourishment and rested, Scar showed Lex more moves, using both a combi-stick and arm blades. She found the blades heavy and unwieldy, but she continued to attempt co-ordinated use of them. They were just too long for her arms. When she tried to cut a swath in the air at a pretend victim, her arms hovered for a micro-second, then fell under the weight. "Damn! I can't do this!" she uttered. Scar realized the blades were too heavy for Lex.. He would have to find a way to make them easier for her to use. Perhaps he'd see if a pair could be cut down to her size.

Lex followed Scar's instructions, most of which were pantomimed. The arm blades hurt and she was glad to have them removed. They continued sparring until at one point Scar took his practice combi-stick and used it to trip Lex. She went down, hard. "You ugly mother.....," she started to say but stopped as Scar suddenly dropped his weapon, and reaching a hand down, pulled her up. Lex rubbed her hip where she hit the ground. There was sure to be a bruise by morning. She looked over at Scar, asking, "Can we stop now?" He chuckle-clicked and led Lex back to his chamber. He would let her wash up and rest. Tomorrow he would show her a way to utilize weapons without using much energy, thus making it easier to keep up a fight without tiring.