A tight pile of nerves walked through the jungle; the monstrous flora would have fascinated Lance, if not by the fact that felt utterly exposed. The agent felt like a garden gnome, walking into a death-trap. No weapons, no armor, not even freaking clothes!
A net covered her body, loin cloth around the waist (following Aliens' fashion choices), hair braided and tied (death by hair incident was not in her plans), meaning her tits were on display.
The only human garment she was wearing were a pair of boots, the same one she was using the day she was shot (because, you know, unlike Yautjas, oomans' feet needed the extra protection).
Boots, loincloth and fishnet. I could be working undercover as a exotic stripper, if I weren't in the middle of a freaking jungle!
"Don't worry, I understand it might feel somewhat overwhelming, but you are safe", Lar'jar tried some comforting words, imagining the giant fauna and flora was the sole reason for the silent freakout. And he was not wrong, only there was no comfort when Lance could feel the cold breeze peaking her nipples.
On top of being rightfully scared, mortification. Color raised on her cheeks involuntarily.
Lar'jar cocked his head.
This damn alien, of course he knows what a red face means , lance grumpy thought pushed her to look down, taking a deep and steading breath.
"Don't mind me".
Lar'jar smiled under his mask, indulgent. He allowed the ooman some space to wrestle with her thoughts, and started to scan the area around, watchful. There were another two Hunters in their group, less than 20 feet right in front of them.
All 3 Yautjas braved that wild environment gracefully like ballerinas on a stage, and perfectly silent.
"Ah'kaedh is coming to meet us", the Medic informed her, and observed as (some) tension left her features and posture.
Less than five minutes later, the two hunters ahead of them halted abruptly. Lance, immediately alert, almost had the scare of her life when another 3 Yautjas popped up around them, as if summoned by some sort of black magic.
Just like that, there they were. Brought into existence out of thin air.
(The Girl knew about the cloaks, but damn! There was no sound, no noticeable disturbance in the tall grass. Lance was a freaking Black Ops Agent, shouldn't she be able to pick up some-fucking-thing?)
Ah'kaedh greeted the others with a nod. The predators (Lar'jar included) were now moving again, and again in complete silence. A second later, none to be seen.
The Enforcer went down on one knee in front of her, signaling for Lance to come near. Once she stepped within his arms' reach, Ah'kaedh pulled her closer, nuzzling at her chest impulsively (he was masked after all), barely able to reining in his purr.
"I've been dreaming about you", the Girl whispered into his hair, resting her arms on his shoulders, pressing his head lightly against her.
Moving his right arm under her thighs, hand firmly holding one leg, Ah'kaedh picked her up, nestling her to his dorso.
Lance could now feel how fluidly his body moved, each footstep landing smoothly. That was when she realized how slow Lar'jar and the other two hunters were due to her presence among the group. Ah'kaedh was definitely not running, but damn, he moved quite fast.
The Girl brain tried to compute how they could move at such a pace as quietly as they were, but once they arrived at the landing site, her musings were instantly laid to rest.
"Wow", she marveled at the wreckage.
Yeah, wow. Rot'gar's ship was as large as Kivar's, in words, massive.
"Now I understand why the explosion didn't send them immediately into a crash course", the Girl whispered, now holding the mask Ah'kaedh just handed her.
The Enforcer adjusted his grip shifting her to his side, accommodating her better against his hip. Lance, on her side, used her legs to achieve a better grip, resting her dorso against his, one arm crossed behind his neck.
Ah'kaedh was still carrying her in the same manner once they stepped into the cargo compartment at the Bad Blood's ship. Those disgraced Yautja still held to their ways, so the place had been organized and well kept; the current state of disarray was due to forced landing (the ship suffered with the impact, since it was impossible fully control the vessel after the explosion) and the ransack that followed the Bad Blood's split.
The cryochamber used to preserve the body was placed there, in the far back, along with alien paraphernalia and some other useful technologies.
The Hunter walked across the large cargo compartment, heading to the corridor that would allow them access to above chambers. He didn't let her go and she surely wouldn't ask him to. From a distance, Velk'n observed them, a little disgusted, but mostly puzzled.
"Has your brother lost his mind?", he directed his query to Lar'jar, who was right beside him, analyzing the cryochamber containing the stillborn.
"You should ask him", he answered in his usual calm tone. And surprisingly there was no snark to be found.
"Are you serious?"
"Deadly serious. I have no idea myself. But look at them", maybe it was the fact he had not been able to talk about this with anybody, maybe he just felt like talking about anything that would take his mind away from the tiny corpse.
And Velk'n looked, fully taking them in.
Lance had just pointed to something; an item grabbed her attention leading Ah'kaedh to stop, indulgent,and they now spoke quietly.
Quite different creatures, even if you took physiology off the table. Lance was constant energy while Ah'kaedh was stillness. She was loud, he was quiet (even for his own people's standards). The Girl marveled at most things, curious as a child. Ah'kaedh had a jaded air, kept to himself, stoic and introverted.
It was easy to determine where one began and the other ended. And yet… They moved in synchrony, almost in a symbiotic manner.
"Curious, hm?", the Medic prompted.
"Curious?", Velk'n repeated with clear disapproval in his voice.
"Velk'n, Ah'kaedh is aware his decisions have a price. As for me, I don't make it my business to interfere or question others' choices, unless said choices become my issues somehow. But yes, I do find it curious".
Which was a truth of sorts. Lar'jar said months ago that he would help his brother. Ah'kaedh's relationship was not his business to meddle with, but the Medic's goal of ensuring his brother would have a real chance to regain his balance had yet to be achieved.
"It's just wrong… unnatural. Oomans are prey", and that last word, the heavy tone imbued in its spelling, carried the full weight of their culture's xenophobia.
Before dragging his attention back to the horrific problem at hand (and its ramifications), Lar'jar took some instants to watch the couple's interactions.
Lance was the only one speaking now, and somehow, their communication flowed, not one-sided at all.
XXX
Lar'jar requested to have words with the present Enforcers.
"We should set up camp, or go back. I will need a couple of days to determine the best course of action around removing the stillborn".
"Days?" Setg'n'kah was not happy.
"We are in the process of retrieving data from the mainframe, which is damaged. The chambers are not damaged, but the safety features were all jammed in the impact, and they are still reactive. If we turn off the vessel's power, we will bypass some of them, but we will also be cutting off the cryochamber supply. Such an abrupt measure will damage any preserved tissue. Might not sound like an issue, but will surely get in the way of determining the cause of death. If our goal is to gather all intel available around the mother, the cause of death of the stillborn might be vital".
"How?", that was a legitimate question.
"We could determine how likely her was survival after the delivery", Lar'jar professional stance was not enough to hide how disturbed he felt.
XXX
Ah'kaedh found Lance in the underbelly of the vessel, inspecting the damage done by the explosion.
The Enforcer noticed how lost in though she seemed to be - Lance had that unfocused air about her, of someone whose thoughts are taking them on a ride somewhere else.
"Appreciating your work?", he asked, running his organic hand on her hair.
(Out of nowhere. For Lance, at least).
Even if alert, the Girl had no chance to hear him approaching anyway, but being surprised like that? She almost jumped out of her skin, screaming.
"Jesus, I'm sorry…", she dropped her voice to a whisper, her heart galloping. "Were… were you cloaked?"
Mandibles clicking in a low chuckle, a sadic glint to his eyes; no, he hadn't been invisible. Nor tried to sneak upon her, for that matter.
"Of course not…", she answered her own question, chuckling alongside, a hand over her chest.
He placed his right hand on her neck, his finger looking for the pulse point, humming his amusement.
"Are we leaving?"
He simply shook his head, dragging his hand up, running his finger along her neck, nape, scalp.
"You brother says you won't take my trophies", she casually brought it up.
"I'm getting soft. You do try my patience with a certain frequency", he was now caressing her nape with his thumb.
"You look adorable when exasperated", Lance had a spark of amusement in her eyes.
His mandibles contracted, and he cocked his head, not sure how to react to that statement.
"Oh, come on. You were enraged most of the time when I first met you".
"And you were afraid", Ah'kaedh frowned. Fear should have prevented her from…
From liking him. Right?
"Of course I was. You are terrifying".
Ah'kaedh had been sure that her duties as his caretaker had forced a bond due to proximity. That the connection between them had grown together, slow paced…
His mandibles kept trembling.
"And adorable", she completed. "Not even three months in, and I was already struggling to reconcile my duties with… well, with you".
(His Lunatic was batshit, why wouldn't she find his scary side attractive? At least a little…)
Silence.
"And oh God, you hated me. Rightfully so, I should add".
Shocked, shocked silence.
"But, yes, you were adorable even when you were watching out for any mistake that would allow you to claw my guts away. And I still would rather spend my days around you than any other human in that place".
The silence carried.
The Girl waited.
"Why?"
Fair question.
"I don't know. I have some guesses, but I really don't know".
"Did you take pity on me?", and that was a deep concern of his.
"I felt compassion, yes. And that's not something I experience frequently, or towards most people. But pity, as if you were below me? No. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel protective over you. Which is laughable given… my participation in your torture".
"Protective?"
"Yes… have you ever felt something or someone deserved protection? You were so strong, and… caged in such a vulnerable position. You endured so much abuse. I remember…", Lance made a pause.
"I remember holding my breath every day, before stepping inside your enclosure. I never knew what I would encounter, but I hoped you would be as I had left you. Or better. Sometimes I could not understand how you could… you know, endure so much", her voice had gained a pained intonation - and Ah'kaedh rightfully guessed what Lance was recollecting.
Almost 5 months in, at the mark of 142 days, she walked into a nightmare.
His memories were rather clear about that day. Ah'kaedh's mind had been struggling like a savage wounded animal, trying to grasp at anything that gave him a semblance of stability.
He was restrained, robbed of most awareness of his own body, left in the table with his flesh abused, his mind reeling.
His left arm had been butchered open (again) to an extent that he thought beyond salvageable. A whole set of electrodes and other paraphernalia were plugged, sticked and lodged in the tissue mess. The scientists had outdone themselves that time, and the Hunter was sure the damage was more than a simple physical experiment.
Oh no, this is surely meant to also torture my mind, Ah'kaed pondered then, cold hatred coiling in his chest. He could still feel it, even today. For similar procedures it had been common to put him under anesthesia, heavy enough to knock him out for hours.
But not that time, not that time. Ah'kaedh was made to watch. And his mind dissociated when the helplessness became too overwhelming.
Ah'kaedh had lost his sense of time, even after the procedure (torture session) was long over. It was the sound of the familiar steps, her steps, that made his mind crept back, but he still had felt drowsy, not entirely there.
That had been the first day she stayed by his side longer than requested, breaking protocol to not leave him alone.
The Hunter hated the Girl. But her presence grounded him. Relieved him.
With time it became something more. For him. Did she… was she already attached?
Why would any female feel anything but pity towards a subjugated male? Too weak to fight? A body breaking down under constant torture? Moreover, why would anyone want proximity with a being that actively wished to end you (painfully if possible), so much that it would watch every move in the hopes for a chance, just one small chance…
Lance took a deep breath. The sound yanked Ah'kaedh back to the present moment.
"I'm not sure how to explain it, even to myself. I spent so much time trying to shake those feelings off. You know, I had a mission… I could not afford to get attached", another sigh. And now Lance sounded more like herself. Focused.
"Your mission", Ah'kaed made a pause, pondering. "Was my death included in it?"
"Why, yes. Human governments keep your people's existence well hidden, and they go to great lengths to ensure it. Since, you know, you guys do impregnate people with Xenomorphs - you have no idea how much panic it would cause if the public came to know that monsters do exist, and the bogeymen are responsible for putting them inside you. In order to avoid attracting your people, they had to prevent you from escaping. Ordering your death was the way to achieve this goal", Lance saw no reason for not being honest.
More silence. And it carried. Lance tried to wait, but Ah'kaedh had clamped up.
A memory flashed through his eyes: His girl, armored, masked, all dark colors. So different from the white garments she used every day. But there she was.
We will both die. If you stay. I can't let you die. DO. YOU. FUCKING. UNDERSTAND?
Strong feelings were the only doorway to some events of that fateful day. The day he escaped, the day they parted ways.
The onslaught going on his chest and brain made the Enforcer feel lightheaded.
"Don't dwell too much on it, uhn? By the way, I'm sorry… for sending you away the way I did. You really wanted to stay, and I could not allow it".
Another memory:
I will be executed for helping you. Is that what you want? Please, go! Get better. You can become so much stronger…
The Hunter could see it now, as if it was just happening. The crying, the loaded words. Paya, he could even feel water dripping down his skin. There was water that day, falling from the ceiling… and a loud alarm.
And another memory - the skull, the first skull he took after being free, had to be left behind…
"Sending me…", he frowned, trying to rein in his scrambled memories.
"Ah'kaedh?", the Girl frowned. "Are you ok?"
Talking about it was not supposed to be easy. But, something was not right. However, there were no classical overt signs of what was happening to him. The joys of being stoic and introverted…
"I don't… remember", his voice was dropping, acquiring a grave intonation.
And then, it clicked. Suddenly. A shiver went up the Girl's spine.
Ah'kaedh's exhaled cold rage and murderous aggression. His rational side had no control over it (a side which was quite frankly drowning right now).
Lance's heart somersaulted, breath caught in her throat. The Girl was afraid, yes. An enraged Beast had just been awakened from the depths of Ah'kaedh's soul.
And she could not (and would not) run. That Darkness… it was as much a part of him like the protective male, the practical enforcer, the careful lover.
XXX
That crushing feeling, coiling in his chest, pressing at his hearts, threatening to split his skin in an attempt to get out.
His whole body tense in the effort to lock it out, keep it all away.
But how can you banish a primordial part of your very soul? That was hurting, bleeding, rotting away under the weight of…
Under the weight of…
XXX
Sharp talons pressed against the base of Lance's skull, pressed into the tender scalp, prickling.
In order to not provoke a reaction , she couldn't move: not step away, nor inch near. Choosing stillness, the Girl closed her eyelids, willing her muscles to relax, loosening up her body - adopting a submissive stance.
And she was afraid. Of course she was afraid. But fear and trust could coexist, couldn't they?
"Shh, shh… Ah'kaedh may I come close?"
XXX
The Hunter felt it. Her request. His brain was not in a position to digest such nasty foreign language anymore (truth to be told, not even his own mother tongue).
But he felt it. In her voice, in the soft skin pressed by his fingers. In her submissive stance, relaxed. Trusting. In her scent, soured by fear.
His Girl wanted near.
The Hunter crushed that small frame against his, holding fast, wishing to consume it. Devour its entirety. And by the Gods, he needed it.
Needed the smell of it, the warmth, the taste. He needed to embrace it, secure and tight, never to let go. And Paya, he desired more.
More. More of its tenderness, more of its laughter, of that outrageous curiosity. More of the exasperating obstinacy, those ease smiles.
More, more, more…
XXX
"Shh… it's ok…", the Girl murmured, hostage to strong arms and loud purr.
Ah'kaedh was sitting now, his tiny prisoner well secure and seated astride his lap. Lance felt the rock hard erection grind at her navel, and Gods, that would be so easy.
"You need rest, uhn?", Lance nuzzled his chest, caressing the side of his face, forcing his instinctive side to slow down.
"I miss…I need…inside", he growled in his own language, the meaning lost to his Girl.
"Shh, shh…"
Snarling, equal parts frustration and eagerness to please, the Hunter relaxed his arms, enough to allow the Girl to shift her body. Curling up like a ball on his lap, she found a position that kept the close and intimate contact, without inciting them sexually any further.
XXX
Ah'kaed opened his eyes slowly, frowning in confused grogginess. His right shoulder was pillowing the Girl's head, who had an arm sling across his chest, one leg over his. He tilted his head slightly, scanning his surroundings, his memory fuzzy, his mind foggy.
The Enforcer frown deepened once he noticed his prosthetic still on. His little Lunatic would complain about the metal, cold and uncomfortable, and Ah'kaedh couldn't remember a single time he had not taken it off for her.
Then it hit him; the scent of blood, ooman blood. Lance had yet to wake up, her chest going up and down steadily.
Maybe she is bleeding again, his mind reminded him about her fertile cycle.
But no.
His right hand. The pads of his fingers felt different, and upon close inspection. The enforcer found there blood smeared.
Lance woke up, being turned inside out, by a frantic Enforcer. And he was searching for something.
"Hmmm… ? What are you doing?", groggy and unhappy, the Girl's only desire was to go back to sleep.
"Where does it hurt?"
Lance blinked, uncertain. It didn't take long for her mind to click in place, though.
"I'm alright, hm?", she murmured, stretching her arms and back. Lance knew she would need to prove she was fine in order to put her Hunter's mind to rest.
Ah'kaedh hearts' dropped to his stomach when she escaped his embracr. But Lance seemed fine, standing in front of him, rubbing her eyes with the back of her left hand before spreading all four limbs.
"Come", she invited, offering him a hand. "Let's find a better place to sleep".
XXX
The evacuation pods. Most rooms reeked of the very criminals Ah'kaedh was actively hunting, which led him to refuse even consider the possibility.
The Yautjas had cleaned some places, but Ah'kaedh was not in the mood for people, and Lance was happy to follow his lead.
Evacuation pods were added to different decks and chambers across any Yautja ship, to facilitate an easy escape when and if needed.
Most had space for 3 individuals or less. The pods had an oval shape, resembling eggs. The berths were built in the walls, like sleeping niches. Enough space for a single Yautja to rest comfortably. Once Ah'kaedh lied down, Lance squeezed herself by his side, hiking up his chest.
Having her weight over his dorso brought Ah'kaedh some comfort. The fogginess from before had dissipated, but he could not remember how Lance ended up hurting herself on his talons.
XXX
Lar'jar spend most of the night hours meditating. Not thinking, not planning, not hypothesizing.
Meditating.
What had started as a assignment to care for a young-blood who was taking part in a search for Bad Bloods ended up… in chaos.
His time as a Hunter, as an Elite, had been fun, yes, but the chaos of it was left behind so he could become something else.
The Medic was almost 700 years old. Politics abhorred him, even if his wits made him fit for it. Lar'jar interest were somewhere else, and being a Medic allowed him time, resources and plenty opportunities to life the last third of his life the way he enjoyed better.
And now, he had a dead stillborn in his hands. Light ears away from Yautja Prime. Worse yet: he would need to defile that body in order to maybe help it's mother. To, maybe, caught the responsibles. That is, if they were not already dead.
And if they were, what an easy death was awarded to them.
XXX
The Enforcer woke up to the sweet, sweet scent of his Girl skin, his face buried in the curve of her neck.
At some point, they shifted in their sleep, and Ah'kaedh was now somewhat curled around her tiny frame, his head resting in her chest. Kinda.
"Morning", the Girl whispered, caressing his head and tressers.
"Already awake?"
"Not really", she sounded amused. Ah'kaedh was the first to wake up most of the time.
"I can go back to sleep and pretend this conversation never happened, if you prefer", the Girl giggled.
The Hunter snorted, rolling off her.
"Where are you going?", came the unhappy protest.
"You need to eat", Ah'kaedh informed.
Hunters could easily go 5 to 7 days without food. Hunger was never a pleasant sensation, but it would not affect their ability to function. Humans, on another hand, had different necessities.
And he would happily inform her, if needed. She was no Yautja, still under recovery. Eating was not optional.
But looking at him, the Girl just knew. Unconsciously, he was putting distance between them; he had never left her bed so hastily before.
"Do you want company in your quest for food?", there was light, playful tone to her query.
"No. You should stay. Rest", he concluded.
"I should… rest", she said, watching him.
"Yes. I won't be long", his deep whisper had a hard edge to it.
At least that was his plan - not take long. But Ah'kaedh ended up being intercepted by 3 Hunters and his brother.
Part of him had been relieved for being detained - the same part that felt almost fearful, pushing Ah'kaed away from his Girl that morning, while another part was anxious to go back to her side.
There was something lurking under his skin, fighting its way out. A starving beast who had forgot how delicious blood tasted, and after an savoring it, was desperate for more.
But independent of whatever he felt, Ah'kaedh had duties. And carrying them out meant more than simply being competent at his job; if Ah'kaedh planned to keep his Lunatic, he would need to demonstrate that her presence had little to no influence in his ability to perform.
When the Enforcer came back to the pod, she was already gone.
XXX
Setg'n'kah found the ooman wandering. She was walking around the vessel, distracted with her surroundings.
(Like a person would walk in a museum or art gallery)
After Kivar's and Ah'kaedh's altercation, most Hunters were aware that ooman was Ah'kaedh's. In some fashion.
She smells like him , he thought. But that was the extent of it. Kivar had accused the other enforcer of fucking prey, but he could find no traces of any intimacy of that nature on her scent.
Setg'n'kah decided to follow her (stalking was, indeed, a second nature).
XXX
"Lar'jar", Ah'kaedh approached his brother.
"Good morning", and by the sound of Lar'jar's voice, there was nothing good about his own morning.
"Have you seen Ho'kan?"
The Medic looked over, staring at his brother.
"Outside. Why?", Lar'jar sounded remote, not entirely there.
"Is Lance with him?"
"Shouldn't she be with you?", the Medic chided.
"Yes or no will suffice", the younger brother got instantly irritated.
"I'm not her keeper. Ho'kan is not her keeper. You are", the Medic doubled down, reapproaching his sibling.
Any other day, Ah'kaedh would have checked on his brother. That attitude was not normal. Lar'jar was disturbed, but the enforcer had no time.
He spun on his heels, leaving the older Yautja alone.
XXX
Lance found herself in a large chamber. It looked different from the rest. Spacious. Furnished with some human items, but mostly… just arranged differently.
The berths here were spacious, they could feet 4 or five hunters. There were at least a dozen. A communal room. There were 3 pits in the ground of the room, arranged as resting places. There were large pelts on the walls, and furs covering almost all corners of that place.
The Yautjas had lit every single chamber and deck when they started their survey efforts, but that room was dim-lighted.
"How many slaves were kept here?", Lance murmured, speaking to herself (or maybe the dead).
The Girl walked around the room timidly at first. It brought her some sorrow to be standing there.
At least, those fuckers won't abuse anyone anymore , Lance sighed. She took a minute, closed eyes, head down, hands joined.
After that minute passed, she straightened her back. Time to move forward.
XXX
Ah'kaedh found the heat signature of Setg'n'kah standing in a corredor, looking inside one of the vessel's communal rooms.
His Girl was here, somewhere. The scent was faint, but present.
The cloaked enforcer noticed Ah'kaedh's approach, and gestured for him to halt.
And was utterly ignored. The Girl's Dragon knew now, for sure, where she was, and he marched inside, fast paced, despite Setg'n'kah's irritated hiss.
"What are you doing here?", the Enforcer thundered in English, removing his mask while doing so.
Fer-de-Lance sprang, distress souring her scent. She now faced him alert, body recolied, and her stance showed she was ready to react (if needed).
"Gosh", the Girl took a deep breath, falling back to a relaxed posture. "I need to find you a bell", Lance mumbled, ignoring the question.
"Come", he ordered dryly, gesturing for her to follow him.
Lance could not know there was a third person in the premises. Ah'kaedh's rigid posture and behavior could have been an indication, if he had not behaved strangely upon waking up that very morning.
He must be hungover on yesterday's episode…
"Ah'kaedh, look, should I stay out of your way today? Maybe it is for the better, you are rather busy", she suggested, and sounded focused. No emotions in her statement, just a matter-of-factly tone.
The Hunter wished to ask why she had left the pod. But wouldn't do so with Setg'n'kah around.
"I should be keeping an eye on you. Come", urged the Enforcer.
Lance pondered, as if deciding how to respond, and nodded.
"Alright, lead the way".
Something in her posture had changed, Ah'kaedh observed. Lance didn't start in his direction, nor invited him to approach her, as she would always do.
There was no hurt in her voice, nor her eyes. Her body seemed relaxed, her tone flat. Not an emotional response…
Distance. Lance was keeping distance. And Ah'kaedh had no idea about the reason why she was even doing it, to begin with.
XXX
Lar'jar found a cup with water and some ration pellets, over a container, close to that damned cryochamber.
Hours later, his brother's ooman approached him with some questions - mainly if the supplies she found at the ship med-bay were safe for use, since she would prefer to keep the med-kit for emergencies, if possible.
The Medic noticed when she placed a second filled cup over the storage box, and picked up the empty one before leaving.
XXX
Staying out of Ah'kaedh's way was not difficult; he had duties after all. But the act of actively avoiding him was strenuous enough to dampen Lance's usual light mood.
But she had years of military discipline to tap on. Soldier on came like breathing.
Caring for the wounded Yautja present was now her responsibility. Lar'jar had more pressing issues to solve, and everyone present just needed support to speed up their recoveries.
Setg'n'kah has the most grievous injury among the Yautja on site.
"Sir, if you don't mind, I would like to check your sensibility. It will be quite uncomfortable, though", she warned.
Lar'jar showed her how to better treat skinning on Yautjas, and which tests she would need to take in order to verify Setg'n'kah skin sensibility. The goal was to fully rehabilitate him; losing sensorial awareness was not critical, but not desirable for any Hunter.
"Proceed", the enforcer instructed.
Painful was an understatement. Lance's inspected minutely the whole extended of the injury. Once it was over, she went ahead and applied salve, and that was a long process.
The ooman spent some time massaging it into the skin, ensuring penetration. But since the enforcer's regrowing scaly skin posed an extra challenge, Lance worked slowly and carefully.
Setg'n'kah woke up lying on his belly in a cot at the med-bay in the Bad Blood's crashed vessel. Lance was doing inventory. The enforcer stayed quiet and silent, observing.
XXX
Once his older brother finished with his report, Ah'kaedh asked what would be his next steps.
"We start the removal process the day after tomorrow", the Medic informed.
"We should send the Hunter's back", Ah'kaedh opined.
"It's for the best, some of them are getting agitated".
(Ho'kan among them).
"I will take them back", Setg'n'kah volunteered.
"We will send a message to Kivar's ship and request support to transfer everything to his vessel, once we are ready to depart", Ah'kaedh nodded to both, ready to leave the cargo compartment.
"Tell the ooman to be ready before dawn".
Ah'kaedh paused, and did his best to hold back the tidal wave of cold aggressiveness that was now threatening his reason.
"She is my responsibility".
"Lar'jar says, and I agree, the ooman is competent enough to treat the injured. The Hunters back at Kivar's ship could use her".
Ah'kaedh's immediate response ('The Hunters? not you?') was wisely bitten back.
"Still my responsibility. She stays".
"For the time being, I can take responsibility for it".
It, Ah'kaedh felt something crawling under his scales.
"That's not good enough", Lar'jar was quick to answer.
"What?", Setg'n'kah bristled, flaring his mandibles.
"Not. Good. Enough.", the Medic answered. Lar'jar had been a respected elite among his own clan before deciding to pursue other endeavors. "You will either swear over your life you will care for my ooman assistant, or wait until we are back".
"What does that thing mean to you?"
"Responsibility. If you don't understand the meaning of the word, you won't be taking her anywhere".
"What do you take me for, medic?", fangs were now showing and he was growing irritated by the second.
Ah'kaedh's stepped in front of his brother, snarling, slightly curved forward and ready to vent all his pent up anger in Setg'n'kah's body.
"Enough. The. Two. Of. You", Lar'jar was pissed out of his mind. He had no time for their nonsense.
Even Ah'kaedh hesitated. The joys of being laid back and getting angry once every blue-moon: people actually got surprised (and concerned) when it happened.
"You will fucking take full responsabily for her, enforcer, or take care of your injuries yourself . I don't know you, I don't care about your reputation. You want something from me?, I will have your full commitment or you can piss off already"
"She is not going", Ah'kaedh growled, looking over his shoulder.
"Lance is here as my assistant. You want to be the one responsible for her, enforcer, you may lead the hunters back", and with that Lar'jar spun on his heels, and left the cargo compartment.
XXX
"What the fuck was that?", Ah'kaedh's found his brother two hours later, skinning an animal. It had been beheaded already.
"I was hungry. Meet my dinner", Lar'jar said, gesturing over the carcass, feeling more like himself.
"Don't play games with me, Lar'jar", Ah'kaedh growled a warning.
"No games, you say? Very well", he said, in his usual tone, still working on his prey.
"Get a fucking grip, Ah'kaedh. Do you want a future with the ooman? You better show them you have not lost your mind. Right now, thanks to me, no Yautja in this hunt can deny her value", he chided.
Ah'kaedh reacted physically, as if he had been slapped.
"Oh, yes, brother. I told you I would help you and I have been doing that. Even if you don't make it easy".
The enforcer lowered his head, shame and anger making him cringe.
Good. Now he will listen, the Medic though.
"Those hunters won't be back home for the mating season because of the latest developments. If you decide to lead the hunters back, be mindful of that. And if you decide to stay…", Lar'jar made a pause, considering his next words. "Think about her safety", he completed.
"What do you mean?", Ah'kaedh bristled.
The Medic took a deep breath, not quite believing he would need to spell it - but since his younger brother was not his most reasonable self when it came to his ooman…
"Whatever you do tonight, don't seed her", Lar'jar said, without an ounce of sarcasm in his voice.
XXX
Second guessing your own actions sure was one of the easiest and fastest ways to get killed while hunting.
The Blooding Chivas were meant to weed out the unfit, because life as a Bloodied Yautja would not get any easier or safer.
Intensive training would give them the basic tools to kickstart their adult lives, and any hunter worth their salt would never cease to study or hone their skills, but experience, maturity and confidence were invaluable.
Being flustered in a critical situation, freezing in the middle of action, having your spirit falter… that had been the death of many - fair to assume, was also the doom of some hunting packs.
Ah'kaedh was never plagued by such troubles. His mother had battered any trace of self-doubt out of his system. She was old upon his birth - Ah'kaedh was her last suckling. And after losing one too many children to their chivas, the female was not willing to suffer the early demise of her very last pup.
(Raising kids with a soft hand only served to appease the selfishness of amother's heart).
Suffice to say, spending a whole day drowning in self doubt was worse than death for Ah'kaedh.
Unsure of last night's events didn't even begin to cover it; the Enforcer had holes in his memory, and this was quite worrisome. And worse, he woke up quite on edge due to his emotional hangover.
Ah'kaedh was painfully aware of his mood swings, but he never blacked out like that before.
Being around his Girl had brought him so much peace that he thought his temper would never put her in any risk or danger.
Only to discover that he could, accidentally, be the very reason for her demise.
Tiny, frail, ooman. She didn't stand a chance against him normally. And Lance's lack of self-preservation instincts probably meant she wouldn't even try to react.
The energy he spent trying to banish self-doubt had frankly made him mentally exhausted. Just to be faced with the fact that his mind was still so clouded that he couldn't think clearly about his Girl safety. Lar'jar had to do it for him.
(Shame and self-doubt was a poisonous combination).
And of course, the cherry on top of this shitty cake; the Enforcer could not forgive out what was driving Lance's distance.
Maybe it's for the best…
Send her back with the rest, so he would have time to get his fucking shit together. Yeah, not a bad idea. At all.
XXX
Lance finished up the tasks assigned by Lar'jar, found herself dinner, and went to look for a working bathroom - some of them were still functioning.
Once she found herself a empty bathroom, the Girl executed a full routine of stretches, feeling her body complain some (weeks of inactivity, the Girl knew the first days would be a a pain, figuratively and literally speaking), happy that her ribcage's pain had subsided and was mostly gone.
Then, the Girl took her time to scrub off the day out of her skin, whispering her songs absentmindedly, trying to distract herself from her more distressing thoughts.
And took the opportunity to wash her garments (net and loincloth), clean her boots, leaving them all out to dry.
Lance had found clean clothes that had surely belonged to the ooman slaves. Wearing those for the night should not be a problem, and they covered more skin than the Yautja fashion choices anyway.
Was she being watched? The Girl would never be able to say. Sure enough, she didn't notice a thing. But it didn't take long for a cloaked Hunter to inspect her freshly washed things, after Lance had left.
XXX
Ah'kaedh made his way to the pod, uncertain of what he would find. His Girl made good on her word, staying out of his way and sight.
And while his rational side assured him that avoiding his tiny Girl would be best for now, his other side, that piece of himself that was the very cause of Ah'kaedh's concern, craved her like a starving animal.
The beast that lived inside him. It had always been there. Tamed by education, discipline and maturity. Ah'kaedh, like many, was born with an aggressive disposition, but unlike many he was given to cold rages. His beast was not only violent, it was also calculating, sadic.
It had found its place once Ah'kaedh was made enforcer; killing wild creatures had been a nice outlet for his nature, but now his new duties allowed him to hunt for some of the most dangerous creatures in the universe. And his bestial side felt content. More than content. It felt almost completed.
Being captured battered his inner beast into a rabid state. Being cared for in such a humiliating situation only served to keep eating at the monster's pride.
But it had been that same beast that warmed up to her, while his rational side struggled to keep his Girl out. It would instinctively purr for her, eager to please, often pushing Ah'kaedh to behave like a fool.
And the beast was bleeding now. Maybe a new injury? Or maybe the old wounds had simply opened, not having healed completely in the first place.
The Enforcer could feel its pain, the agitation, the attempts it made to claw its way out. Ah'kaedh kept it caged, but the thing would peak out every opportunity it got; anger and hunt excitement were well known doorways for it, but any intense untamed feeling now seemed to give the monster the same liberty. Oh, and his Girl.
Not Ah'kaedh's tiny Pest. No. The Beast's Girl.
XXX
Lance woke up to the pleasant touch of her Dragon scales, rubbing against her arm. She hummed happily, shifting in the berth's mattress.
"Where are your things?"
Lance blinked, confused.
"Hmm?"
"Why are you wearing that?"
Wow, what the fuck did I do now? , Lance reacted by physically recoiling; Ah'kaedh's tone had been heavy with disgust.
"Drying", she mumbled, shaking her head, trying to beat the sleep out of her system.
"Take off", he ordered dryly.
Not asked, not suggested. Ordered. Dryly.
"Ah'kaedh, it's just clothes".
"Take. Them. Off.", he growled, his tone dropping an octave.
Lance could not know what seeing her in those clothes did to him. Had she know, had she just had an inkling, wearing them would never even have crossed her mind.
But the Gir was practical, and quite frankly, still not over the mortification of being half naked in front of a bunch of strangers.
She huffed, swallowing her most of the frustration over being scolded in such a manner, slipped out of the berth, out of the pod and went to discard the garments.
(Military training also gave her enough control and coldness to take some shit and fly with it. But boy, she was not happy about it).
The Hunter had followed right behind.
"Do you want me to take another shower?"she asked, stopping by the door.
Ah'kaedh tilted his head, unsure.
(Self doubt was poison for sure).
"Wait here, I won't be long", she whispered, and started for the corridor on her left.
Ah'kaedh held her arm swiftly.
Lance almost jumped. It was not fear, just reflex.
"I told you, I won't take long", calm, controlled, neutral tone. Yep, she was not being herself.
Should he let her go?
Ah'kaedh's reason said yes, but the Beast…
The Beast…
…
It said no.