IMPORTANT NOTICE PLEASE READ: This chapter is going to be disappointingly short, I know, I probably should have had this scene at the end of the last chapter, but I wasn't thinking. To make up for it you will get two updates, this one, and I'll have the final chapter posted in a few days. Deal?

Note: Disclaimer: Warning: You know the drill. Don't own, never have, never will, character death, Short.

Haven

Scar raced through the ship following the trail of blood left behind by Dart. It was harder to track now, as the smell of battle was so heavy in the air, but something pulled Scar along, leading him in the direction he knew in his heart led to Dart.

Rage quickened his steps, narrowed his vision. He could almost see Dart's path like a shining neon trail through the ship. Up, up he rose, up stairs, down halls, through countless rooms, and old passages. Scar's heart beat with every fall of his feet, faster, faster, faster!

He knew the moment he caught up with the Yautja that had murdered his father. Dart yelped in surprise when Scar busted down the door. Scar's vision swam, at first all he could see was Dart, nothing else was important enough to take note. But he was a hunter, he blinked a few times and his vision cleared. They were back in the launch bay, Dart was heading toward one of the small ships. Trying to escape.

Anger temporarily blurred Scar's vision again, but he managed to stay aware of his surroundings. He could see everything, almost as if he were floating above the scene, watching instead of actively being part of it. Dart rushed him, though Scar almost felt he was moving in slow motion. Scar raised an arm to catch Dart as he tried to punch him. He caught him by the wrist with both hands, and threw him aside. Dart flew several meters before he landed on the floor with a thud. He got back to his feet, shaking his head, and reaching into his belt for a weapon. The only one he had was a shuriken.

Dart threw it. Though his heart was pounding, Scar felt remarkably calm as he dropped to the ground, avoiding the deadly weapon, not once, but twice as it circled back towards Dart, who caught it, and approached him again, waving the weapon madly in front of him. Threateningly.

Scar's heartbeat became his timer. One beat, two beats, three, four. Dart was just in front of him when he launched off the floor, pouncing on Dart, knocking him to the floor. Scar pinned him, and despite his struggles, remained on top. The Shuriken was dropped in the struggle, and Dart had somehow knocked his shoulder cannon off.

Scar punched Dart with his bare fists, the murderer hacked bright green blood, and his eyes started to swell, forcing him to close one entirely. He thrust upward, using his hips, to knock Scar off balance, and even dislodge him. Scar landed painfully on his back, and he heard the telltale sound of metal on the floor, Dart picking his shuriken back up. Scar tried to reach for one of his daggers, but he didn't have time. Dart threw the shuriken, Scar managed to roll enough that the blades didn't catch him in any fatal spot, but his arm was pinned to the floor with the blades at the shoulder, the pain was almost too much, things went black for a moment.

The next thing Scar was aware of was more pain, the shuriken ripped from his shoulder. He roared in pain and fury, striking Dart with his good arm and forcing the other Yautja back a step. There was no time to think, and even if he did, it was a blur of uncompressible thoughts, Scar acted on pure instinct, and it wasn't until Dart sank to the floor gurgling his own blood that Scar became fully aware of what had happened.

At some point Scar had gotten to his feet. Dart rushed at him with the shuriken in hand, aiming for his belly. He'd launched out with his still functioning arm, the claws extended to their full length, catching Dart in the throat. In surprise Dart had stepped back, the barbs tore his flesh further, leaving a horrible, bloody mess. Gore dripped over his chest, and Dart struggled to breath, clasping a hand onto his throat as if trying to hold it together, his wide eyes dimmed, and he spat out one last gargle of blood before falling face forward onto the floor.

Dead.

Scar didn't dare breath for a long time.

At last he stepped away from the body, weary that it could possibly be a trap. No movement. Dart was dead. Dart was dead. Scar looked at his hands. He'd killed him. Killed another Yautja. It was out of revenge for his murdered father, the lead Elder, but his hands had still claimed the life of another of his own species. Something in him died, some innocence he still had, a naïve belief that Yautja were above killing their own people, their own clan. Scar trilled, a sad, horrified laugh.

Nothing would ever be the same now. His father was dead and avenged, and Scar would carry this wound until he died. But life had to go on. He had a family of his own to be thinking of now. His thoughts turned to Lex and the pup she carried. Last he had seen Lex they were still fighting the escaped queen. He listened for the sounds of battle, but couldn't hear over the pounding of his heart. Or was that because the battle was already over?

Scar started his way back. His knees wobbled under him at first making it almost impossible to walk, but soon the shock of everything started to numb out, and he continued on, an emotionless machine, back down stairs, up halls, through countless rooms, and old passages until at last he came back to the site of the battle he'd watched his father murdered. The escaped queen was dead. Xeira, the old queen that Javelin befriended lay on the floor, her tail swaying, still alive. Near by he saw a group of Yautja bent over Javelin, tending to wounds he had received. A few Yautja still battled small masses of Facehuggers, which fought on still, though they would last very little longer.

But amongst all of them, warriors and wounded, one form stood out. Lex. She was on her knees, bent over his father's body, face over his chest. Scar felt hollowed out, like he would never feel anything again as he climbed down a final flight of stairs, and approached her silently. As he got closer he saw he shoulders trembling and heard her soft sobs. He wanted to call out to her, but didn't know what to say. She looked up, she'd taken off her mask and he face was streaked with tears, but her eyes lit up when she saw him.

And Scar felt as if a weight had been lifted off him to see it.

"Dart…?" She choked out, unable to voice a full question.

"He is dead." Scar replied. Lex stood, and rushed to his arms, her quiet sobs from a moment ago burst out loudly. A few looked their way, warriors didn't cry in front of each other, but the grim looks in their eyes indicated they understood. Scar wrapped his arms around his mate and patted her back as she sobbed.

"It's over…It's all over…"

Author's end note: I know, short, short, but I promise I'll have the epilogue up soon to make up for how short this was.