Author's Note: This is the last chapter/filler before the big hunt, and since I promised that the chapter for the hunt will be longer, it might be a little longer before I update again. No promises, no bets, just keep in mind.

Warning: Scar's POV, Creature description, mission warning, launch and arrival.
Disclaimer: My sister and I claim only rights to the creatures that are unrecognized, anything else…you get the drill.

Haven

Crusade called Lex and Scar to the launch area. They'd arrived at the planetV'mali-on, named since it was the only planet with life in the system, the planet shared the name. Lex and Scar were not scheduled for departure until the next day, but Scar knew his father wanted to give them a 'heads up' as Lex had referred to it.

Scar stood at Lex's side waiting for his father's warnings. They were both dressed in full armour and helmet as tradition called the day before the hunt. So far Crusade was just going through the basic plan for their mating ritual again. He was still young, and boredom wasn't beyond his capabilities if he kept hearing the same thing over and over. While his father spoke, Scar's eyes drifted to the left, and he was startled slightly by what he thought was movement. Subtly, so not to alarm his father or Lex, Scar pushed a few buttons to change his vision mode.

Flipping through the manners of sight, Scar kept his eyes on the area he thought he'd seen movement at, but no mode indicated anything was there, but Scar couldn't shake the feeling that this private meeting had been infiltrated, and bristled out of reflex.

"Now," Crusade growled "As for the Navt'ghil, that you are hunting." Scar looked back to his father, forgetting about the presence he thought was there and gave the elder his undivided attention as he spoke of the creature.

Crusade held out a hologram projector which glowed brightly for a moment before shimmering down to a simple light based projection of a feline-like creature with a large wing span and two tails. The image was clean enough to make out stripes along the creatures fur, and patterns across its wings.

Crusade continued with his description, "The Navt'ghil are pack creatures, female dominated, each pack led by her, with a few weaker females, but made up mostly of a male harem. They live in the high mountains, and are deceptively smart, lie-and-wait hunter, be aware, our kind has been outwitted and killed by them before. Do. Not. Get. Cocky." He emphasized shaking a finger at his son, which Scar took a little offense to. "For your hunt, find a pack and bring back the skull of the alpha female."

Lex raised an eyebrow, "You want us to take three moon changes to track and kill the leading lady?"

Crusade snorted, "True enough, but the three moon changes are meant to be filled with more than just the hunt." Lex stared at him confused, Scar purred reassuringly as Crusade continued "There are other life forms on this planet of interest to the clan." He switched the image on the hologram so it now displayed a new creature which he then described. "This creature is called 'Tattu'k'. The science division wants you to capture and send back one adult male."

Scar inspected the creature, recognizing it. For humans, it would be said to look like a kangaroo, with large jaws filled with sharp teeth. He remembered well that its dark fur and lighter stripes which were in a crazy pattern across its back, as well as two tails that were ring like a creature Lex called a raccoon, was used as camouflage, which made it difficult to see in its native plains.

Once sure the two knew what the creature looked like, Crusade switched the image again to a an aquatic creature "The Whahali are found in the rain forests in the rivers. We know little about these creatures except that they are carnivores, and sometimes cannibalistic. We've determined that the planet is in a time of year where pups are hidden in bank-dens to keep them from being eaten by older males, science wants two pups, one male and one female for further study. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Understood." They confirmed.

Crusade took two steps closer to them and put and hand on each one's shoulder, "Rest well," He growled, "The hunt begins tomorrow, Hunter's Blessings to you both."

Lex and Scar bowed their heads and exited. As soon as they were gone Crusade whirled around, "Who's there!" He snarled.

As Scar had earlier, Crusade had noticed an unwelcome presence in the room, and also like Scar, he had not wanted to alarm anyone. Crusade stalked the room, searching for the perpetrator, but his vision modes showed nothing as well. He scented the air. The room was filled with the scent of many Yautja who came and went, launching or just passing through, and it was hard to tell if what he smelled was a remnant of an earlier occurrence or a current intruder.

Crusade snorted, when he received no answer. Clearly whoever was here thought that if he just stayed quiet Crusade would suppose he was just imagining things. "I bet you think you're clever." He snorted, "But if I ever find out who you are I will be sure to wring you neck with your own innards for this trespass and insubordination." With that Crusade turn around and exited himself, not worrying too much over it. He was sure it was another Yautja, maybe just Dodge and/or Burn sneaking in harmlessly to see what their friend would be doing.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Dart de-cloaked with a sinister growl, and opened the pod which Lex and Scar would be using the next day to jump to the planet. The navigations where pre-set to land them in the mountains where the Navit-ghil awaited, but Dart wasn't about to let them get there, and went right to work, quickly and quietly doing what he came to do and sneaking back out before anyone else came in.

The next day Lex and Scar met again at the pod, a group of Youngbloods, Dodge and Burn among them, as well as Strike, but mostly the group of survivors from the Deathworm trial had gathered to see them off. With her little stunt at the trial, the Youngbloods, as well as some of the more experienced warriors had gained more interest in the Ooman warrior, and now that Dart and Scar had fought for the right to mate her, she had become even more interesting.

Lex nodded in appreciation, she understood the barks and growls of encouragement but her human vocals could not mimic them, so Scar had to tell them for her "Thanks."

At last Javelin arrived, he shook their shoulder's,wishing them Hunter's Blessing on there trip, and shooing away the group so they could leave. Lex and Scar got in the pod and strapped in. Lex remember the last time she had been in one of these things without much enthusiasm of going down again and was personally glad she and Scar had decided not to eat anything until they landed, otherwise she was sure she'd throw up again.

Nobody noticed Dart standing at the entrance to the launch back, leaned against the wall, arms cross, and mandibles flaring smugly.

They launched.

The pod plummeted toward the planet at a speed that Lex was sure would make her sick even if she didn't have anything to eject from her stomach. The automatic pilot guided them through the atmosphere, between the clouds and across the sky. There was a large mountain range, their destination, coming into view, but as they got closer and closer, both Lex and Scar realized that something was horribly wrong.

They were headed on a crash course into the peaks.

Scar roared and tried to change the piloting into manual mode, but to no avail, it was password encrypted, and hacking was a strong point neither of them possessed. The elders would never do such a thing to them, and there was no way this was just a miscalculation, which meant only one thing: Sabotage. Scar was pretty sure he knew who to blame.

Running out of time and ideas, Lex looked at Scar and though their eyes were covered, they each knew they were thinking the same thing; it was the only option they had left. Scar pressed the controls to open the pod door. Wind gushed in at them making their hair ply everywhere. Lex was closer to the pod door, and gave Scar one final look back before jumping out, Scar followed mere seconds later.

They were still over the jungle when they jumped, but also quite high, it was entirely possible that they could be killed in the landing. They fell away from each other, Scar called to Lex as they drifted further and further apart, Lex cried back, but momentarily they were lost from each other's vision as they reached the trees.

Scar landed hard against a tree branch which slowed his descent, and he was able to get hold of another one stopping himself from certain death on the forest floor. For a few minutes he dangled from the branch like a fool before he started to swing and jumped, landing gracefully on another thicker one nearby. First thing first, he checked himself for wounds that would need immediate attention, and finding none he turned the direction he'd seen his hunting partner land, "LEEEEEEEEEEKZZZ!"

A few miles away, Lex crashed into another tree, and while she tried to catch a branch as Scar had done, she couldn't manage it. She landed against another, and onto a third which broke under her weight and landed in the river. The water wasn't too deep, nor was there a strong current, but as soon as Lex came out of her daze she scrambled to the bank, remembering the river dwelling creature Crusade had shown them the day before. Safely out of the water with her gear soaked and, for the time, useless, Lex stretched painfully, and glanced around, "Scar?" She called, "Scar!"

In the distance she heard him roar her name, but her voice was too quiet for him to hear from the expanse between them. Limping painfully, Lex approached one of the trees, and though she hated the thought of it, she was hurt, tired and vulnerable, if she stayed on the ground she'd make and easy target for any other meat eating creatures on the ground, and so she climbed the tree painfully. With any luck Scar would stay in the trees too and head this way. Safe in a branch, Lex got out her medicomp and began applying a little bit of gel to her cuts and scrapes, and another medicine that Dodge had shown her to that worked like morphine to numb the pain.

It was getting dark; Lex wondered how Scar would ever find her. Suddenly she brushed her cheek and remembered the first time they'd hunted together in the pyramid. Scar had found her then; he'd be able to find her now. Reassured, Lex leaned against the back of the tree, listening to Scar's call for her waiting for him to get close enough that he might be able to hear her response.

Author's end note: Just like old times indeed.

Editor's note: Sorry for the cliff hanger, this chapter sort of got away from Zae. We hope you enjoyed this chapter and will see you next time.