All three of the young warriors froze for a moment as they saw the Elder battling it out with a Hard Meat drone that had some deadly fighting skills. It was obvious that this was one of the same Hard Meat that had been encountered earlier, because of the net damage to its head that gave it a grid style pattern.
Al-Nihkou'te quickly turned to both of his younger brothers. "Setg'in, you grab the pup! Hulij-bpe-thwei, I want you to cover them; get the pup to the ship, and treat her injuries there! I'll assist the Elder!"
When both of them nodded in acknowledgement of the plan, Al-Nihkou'te turned and ran towards the battle being waged in front of him. As he got closer, he threw his spear in an attempt to distract the Hard Meat, but the drone was having none of it. He watched in disbelief as his spear was grabbed out of the air and flung with unerring precision at the Elder.
Never in all of his training had he heard of a Hard Meat using any type of weapon. He'd been on many hunts after smaller creatures, and had listened to countless tales of the Chiva that various warriors had taken, but this… this was unheard of! He released a breath of relief when he saw the Elder catch his spear in his left hand, which provided the warrior with a second weapon in addition to the deadly claws on the right wrist which were also in play.
Kwei-vor'mekta had never been up against such an adversary as the one he now faced. Each and every attack he'd made was immediately countered by this somehow experienced Hard Meat! If he didn't know better, he might swear that it had been trained as a warrior! Tail, inner jaws, and deadly talons were all in constant motion as the drone either attacked or blocked one of his own attacks. He let out a loud rumbling growl of frustrated rage as the drone slashed again with its tail which feinting with both claw tipped hands. He stepped back to avoid the claws of the drone and saw it snatch a spear in mid cast and hurl it straight at him. His mandibles flexed in a smirk of satisfaction at the sudden acquisition of a second weapon that he hadn't needed to reach for. Suddenly, he received the shock of his life as he watched an unbelievable thing happen.
Al-Nihkou'te skidded to a stop as he instantly recognized the drone that he'd been fighting earlier. He knew that the only reason he was now alive was because of the ooman pup's actions. This was on ordinary drone, because it was either more intelligent or more cunning than any other Hard Meat was known to be. He stared in disbelief for many long moments as the Elder fought a raging though evenly matched battle against the drone. Every move, every strike, and every feint was quickly and immediately blocked by the cunning drone. Neither the drone, nor the Elder were able to gain even the slightest advantage over the other.
Suddenly, he knew that he had to help. Because of the presence of the pup, this was no longer a Chiva, and though he hadn't earned the right to blood himself, he could still retain some measure of honor by assisting his Elder. Al-Nihkou'te sprinted forward with every intention to help in some way. As he darted towards the raging battle, he got the wild idea of duplicating the pup's unorthodox attack… but with one slight modification. He raced forward as fast as he possibly could. Then at the last instant, he hurled himself through the air to collide with the Hard Meat. Making sure that his dive placed him mostly towards the drone's back he reached out with his left hand and grabbed the lower jaw of the beast. He took full advantage of the momentum gained by his seemingly psychotic tackle, and he used his entire body weight the wrench the drone's head around with a loud sickening crack! He lost his grip at that moment as he and the drone toppled to the ground in a twisted heap. Reacting quickly, he shoved the drone off him and leapt to his feet.
Kwei-vor'mekta stared at the young warrior in complete shock, as his mandibles drooped beneath his mask. Never had he witnessed the killing of a Hard Meatwithout the use of any type of weapon! He looked down at the dead drone before looking back up at the warrior now entitled to mark himself as Blooded. He stepped forward, a reached out, grabbing the young Yautja by his shoulder, and gave a firm shake.
"Well done! You will make a fine Elder some day. Never have I seen a Hard Meat killed by nothing more than sheer strength and courage! That is a trophy to truly be proud of!" Kwei-vor'mekta proclaimed seriously before looking around the chamber. "Now, where the pauk did you get the idea to attack like that?" He finished in admiration.
"That is the same attack the ooman pup used against it to save my life. It worked for her, as light as she is, so I figured it would work even better for me." Al-Nihkou'te answered honestly.
Kwei-vor'mekta chuckled for a moment as he thought about what he'd just seen. He couldn't even imagine what it must have been like to see such a small little ooman attack a drone in such a way. Then, thinking of the pup, he looked over at where she was slumped, but saw only an empty space. "By the Gods! Where is the pup now?" He roared in renewed anger.
"I told Setg'in and Hulij-bpe-thwei to get her while I assisted you. They are taking her back to the ship." He answered quickly.
"Good! There are questions that I need to ask that pup. For now, take your trophies quickly, that pup will need medical treatment immediately, or she will die within the hour!" Kwei-vor'mekta replied as he stood guard while the young warrior quickly severed the head and tail of the dead drone.
"Elder? Have you ever heard of a Hard Meat using a weapon as this one did?" Al-Nihkou'te asked curiously.
"No. I haven't, and that only makes your kill more worthy." The Elder replied.
Setg'in slid to a stop in horror as he stared at the ooman pup. The puddle of warm blood flowing from the fresh wounds on the wrists of the little female had notbeen there earlier! Quickly switching through the various visual modes of his mask, he saw that not only had the female's heart rate had dropped, but that it wasn't beating as strongly as it should have been. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he moved quickly and snatched the little pup up in his arms. He had no time to be careful of the other injuries that his mask had shown him, because he needed to get her somewhere that he could give her some emergency treatment and fast! He ran out of the small chamber and hurried down the corridors that led towards the exit. When a drone dropped down in front of him, he saw Hulij-bpe-thwei race forward and hurl his spear catching the drone in the neck.
Knowing that there wasn't anytime to spare, Hulij-bpe-thwei extended his claws twice to get maximum length out of them as he darted ahead of his brother. He severed the head and grabbed it in his left hand while retrieving his spear with his right. Then, he resumed his run just as Setg'in caught up to him. Collapsing his spear on the run, he retracted his caws at the same time. He put his spear back in its sheath, and pulled out a game net to place the head of the drone in, all without breaking his stride. He kept pace beside his younger and much smaller brother while staying prepared to intercept any drone that might attack. He knew that Setg'in though small and quick, was also not in a position to defend himself or the ooman pup he carried; therefore, such fighting would be left for him. That was fine with him! Even though he was in the middle as far as age was concerned, he outweighed both his older and younger siblings easily, plus, he was much stronger as well. Exiting the temple, he stood as a very watchful guard, while Setg'in stopped to treat the pup's injuries.
As he slid to a stop on the floor of the ice cavern, just outside the temple, Setg'in looked around, and saw that there would be plenty of warning should any drones attack. He gently laid the unconscious ooman down and quickly pulled out his trauma kit. He knew that the emergency healing serum in his kit was far too strong for the ooman pup in her severely weakened state, but he had no other alternative. Scanning the pup with his mask, he knew that the blood loss had to be stopped, but the question was how was he to do it? Then he realized that the formula would have to be diluted in some way to make a somewhat weaker serum that wouldn't burn any of the pup's skin away or kill her in the process. Opening the vial of healing serum, he quickly dumped ninety percent of it on the ground. Then he added a fourth of a vial of pain blocking formula, and stopped for a moment while he racked his brain to figure out something else that could be added to help dissipate the overly strong serum.
Hulij-bpe-thwei watched the surroundings, and also kept an eye on his younger brother at the same time. This was one of the few times that he curse the luck or blessing that had given him a size that was a match for many female Yautja, but had also come with the price of not having the same level of intelligence as either of his brothers. Big, strong, powerful, and graced with enough speed and endurance to deal with anything that might pose a threat; he knew that he was completely helpless when it came to matters of the mind. He saw that his brother was diluting the healing serum, but he didn't know why. What he did know was that the tiny little ooman pup was losing far too much blood.
"I wish there was some way that we could put her blood back inside her where it belongs. Then she might last until we get to the ship so she could be treated there." Hulij-bpe-thwei lamented honestly.
Setg'in snapped his head around and looked at his brother oddly. 'Putting the ooman's blood back in? If he only knew what kind of infections that could cause…' Setg'in thought as he stared at the pup. Then he realized that his brother might actually have hit on something.
'By the Gods! That might just work! Even if she gets an infection from this, that can be dealt with later, but for now, it may well save her life.' He thought as he held the partially filled vial against the pup's still bleeding wrist to collect some of the blood to dilute to serum further.
Once the vial was filled, Setg'in quickly loaded it into the injector, and began using the strange mixture to seal the pup's wounds. The result wasn't by any means perfect, nor was the healing complete, but it was enough to allow the ooman pup to survive the remaining journey to the ship. As he treated the most serious wounds, he saw that the pup's arms were literally covered with a couple hundred scars from the same kind of wounds! The first time he'd seem them, he hadn't had a single clue that there might be so many. Now that he knew they were there, he used one of the alternate visual modes of his mask to see those scars in detail. Pure, undiluted rage coursed through him as he realized that the wounds were apparently progressive in nature. Whatever had happened to this pup, it had been happening for a long time. Numerous questions burned through his mind as he gave the odd formula he'd been lucky enough to come up with, time to work a near miracle on the pup. He knew that he couldn't get any answers right now, and that he would be able to get any until after the pup was safely on their ship.
Lifting the pup gently in his arms, he activated the ice spikes on the soles of his boots. Specially developed for running and fighting in icy conditions, the spikes were heated so that they partially melted their way into the ice to provide perfect traction for maneuvering on foot. He moved at an all out dead run as he made his way to the tunnel that had been bored through the incredibly thick sheet of ice that covered the ground on this part of the planet. Reaching the tunnel that was bored at a very steep angle, Setg'in never even bothered to slow or change his rapid pace. He placed complete and firm trust in technology that had been through countless millions of hunts as he actually ran up the tunnel with his brother right beside him!
He didn't know or even need to know that the native ooman's called the powerful gale a 'katabatic wind'. What he did know, was that the blistering cold air was steadily sapping the body heat out of the pup in his arms. While some heat loss was to be expected from the severe cold, and to an extent would even be helpful by causing the pup's metabolism to go lower, this type of cold would be deadly to the pup if she were exposed for too long! In a race against time, while both the young and fading life in his arms, as well as his honor were at stake, Setg'in pelted his way through the old ooman settlement.
He ignored the questioning looks from some of the others when he arrived at the ship with the seemingly lifeless form of the tiny female carried in his arms. He made his way purposefully to the infirmary, where he laid the female on the metal bed that was built with enough size to accommodate even the largest female Yautja who had ever lived.
"Hulij-bpe! Turn up the heat; the pup will need it, if she is to recover." Setg'in instructed his brother as he fumbled with the pup's clothing to remove the thick outer covering which was obviously meant to serve as insulation. It took him a few minutes to figure out how to remove the thing without damaging it. Then, when he saw the second layer beneath the first, he growled in frustration. The second item which completely covered the pup's torso also concealed a third covering which was much tighter on the pup and had none of the strange closing methods. He didn't want to destroy what little clothing the pup had if he didn't have to since he didn't know if there might be any meaning attached to the various articles, so he began to examine the strange covering carefully.
Finally, after several minutes, he discovered that the strange covering would stretch enough to be safely removed without damaging it, although he would have to move the pup's arms while doing so. Now that the pup was bare from the waist up, he could begin to treat her properly. Setg'in placed the unknown covering aside with the other two, and turned back to examine the ooman pup.
What Setg'in saw through his mask made his blood run cold once more. He'd known that the pup had several damaged ribs, but he hadn't known about the massive bruising that was now evident. The more he looked at the small form in front of him, the more he became convinced that the damage was the result of some type of extensive combat. He could think of nothing else that might cause such a massive amount of damage to a still living body.
Setg'in ignored the small but developing breasts of the female while he examined the body of the pup critically. Severely undernourished and underweight as well, it was a wonder that the pup was even alive. He shook his head in irritation as he turned his attention to those wounds that needed urgent attention. The wounds on both of the female pup's wrists were so numerous that he didn't even bother to try counting them. Instead, he turned to the shelf containing the various medical formulas and tried to decide which one would work best on the pup without placing the young life in further jeopardy.
Setg'in stared helplessly at the vials for several seconds before the door to the infirmary shot open with a pneumatic hiss, and the Elder entered, followed by Al-Nihkou'te.
"How is the pup?" Kwei-vor'mekta demanded as soon as he entered.
"She lives Elder, but she holds on to her life by the tip of a claw. I… I don't know what I should do now. She has lost so much blood, and I know that her injuries weren't that serious when I notified you of her presence." Setg'in answered quickly.
"They weren't! That temple is equipped with all manner of sensors, and I saw the pup inflict the most grievous injuries to herself." The Elder replied seriously, as he strode over to the shelf containing the medical supplies.
"What? Why… Why would she… why would a mere pup do such a thing?" Al-Nihkou'te demanded instantly while his two brothers froze in confusion.
"Think about it, Young Warrior. You were given a self destruct unit to preserve your honor if you failed to pass your Chiva, and were at risk of becoming infested by a Hard Meat. What other method does she have to preserve her own honor? None! Knowing that she was in the clutches of the Hard Meat, she obviously used the only means of keeping her honor that she had available to her. It's a good thing she didn't have a self destruct or she would likely have used it. As it is, all of us are lucky that she didn't have a faster method available, or she would now be dead, and our honor would be resting with her corpse! With no weapons in her possession, she's lucky that she wasn't killed long before you three found her." Kwei-vor'mekta said candidly, as set the ship's medical computer to conduct a scan of the pup before he selected several of the available serums and began mixing small amounts of each into a single vial.
As he turned to see the pup's actual condition for the first time, Kwei-vor'mekta froze in disbelief. He'd known that the female had possessed some injuries, and had inflicted a couple more upon herself, but he hadn't dreamed the little thing might have this amount of damage. The normal orange coloring of her bodies heat was altered in many places by numerous bruises that ran along both sides of the pup's ribs, chest, and even her abdomen. A switch in the visual mode of his mask showed that five of the ribs were cracked, and two of them were actually broken. That was in addition to the signs that each of her ribs had been broken at one point or another, some of them had been broken many times in the past. He closed his eyes for a moment to get a grip on his thoughts. When he opened them again, he realized that the little female was naked from the waist up. Although he was pleased by that bit of knowledge, he also knew that there were no other options if the pup's life was to be saved.
Using the injector, Kwei-vor'mekta began applying small amounts of the new serum mixture on the open and partially closed wounds that were now all too visible on the pup's wrists. It took him a while to treat each wound, because he had to hold them shut so that they would seal properly. Once the wounds were closed to prevent any further blood loss, he gave the female a series of injections. The first was to cause her body's metabolism to increase dramatically, so that the second injection would work better as it forced her body to produce new blood cells at a much faster rate. The third injection was a general healing serum that while much weaker than he would have used on a Yautja, was very potent for ooman physiology. The fourth injection was an energy booster to give the pup the energy needed for healing, and the last, though largest injection was to provide the chemical nutrients that the ships medical computer said she was missing. After the injections were administered, he turned to face Setg'in.
"Are there any of her coverings that you didn't damage?" The ship's Elder asked in a displeased tone.
"All of them actually. I managed to avoid damaging any of them. If you are looking for something to cover her with, I would suggest using what she was wearing as an inner layer. It's thin enough that it shouldn't cause her to overheat in our environment, and the arm covering parts of it will still allow her wounds to be examined or treated in the future if needed." Setg'in answered quickly as he retrieved the garment.
Kwei-vor'mekta didn't have the slightest idea what the T-shirt was when he saw it, but he could readily see that it would provide the female pup with proper modesty while future treatment was given. He knew that while adult female Yautja were known to have very few issues regarding nudity, they were also known to be more than zealous in their insistence that female pups be properly covered, and above all, he did not wish to receive the type of beating that any of them wouldhappily give out upon finding this pup uncovered!
As he raised the ooman to a sitting position so that Setg'in could put the covering back on, he froze and very nearly dropped the unconscious female when he saw her back. The numerous scars on the pup's wrists were one thing, but this… this was a sight that left his mind numb and his body frozen in horror. Not just hundreds, but… countless scars were literally covering the small female's back! Kwei-vor'mekta stared in slack faced horror at what had been done to a mere pup! Without realizing what he was doing, he switched the visual modes of his mask to get a better look at the damage. As his mask magnified the view in the ultra violet spectrum, he could see that the scars were long, thin, and straight. The problem was that there were so many of them that it was difficult to see the individual scars, but once he was able to see them clearly, he knew.
Kwei-vor'mekta knew what had caused at least some of the scars on this pup, and the very idea, the mere thought that anyone could do such a thing, that someone, even an ooman could commit such atrocities on a pup infuriated him beyond all reason. He knew that sometimes a pup could be willful, disrespectful, and could even be deliberately disobedient, but there was nothing that could excuse, or explain treating a pup in this manner!
"Quit staring at her and put her covering back on!" Kwei-vor'mekta growled to cover his lapse. One thing he didn't want was for anyone else on board to know what foul treatment this poor soul had been made to endure, until he was able to gain some answers, and more information.
As Lilith woke up, she became aware of a warmth that was not only incredibly and pleasantly welcome, but unfamiliar as well. She had spent years living in a cold damp basement, only to emerge from that den of endless nightmares to face the dead of winter. Then, on the same night that she had finally gotten free, and tried to find someplace new to live, that lucky bastard Weyland, who was now dead, had found her and forced her to come to Antarctica. Sitting up, she realized that she felt really strange. Suddenly, she realized that she wasn't feeling any pain! She quickly looked down at her wrists in disbelief. The wounds were… gone! There was nothing there but nicely healed scars to show that they had ever existed.
A loud but somehow soothing rumble caused her to look up to her right. A Predator was standing there. Looking him over, she saw that this was one of the ones in the weird pyramid. In fact, this was the big one! She could easily imagine him with a huge war hammer or a giant battle axe of some kind. He looked like some kind of Viking or maybe a Celtic warrior. That was it! A Celtic warrior! Give him some fur lined boots and things, and he'd really look the part… well except for the whole alien look thing he had going on.
A quick glance around the room showed her that it was just her and 'Celtic' in the weird looking room. She could tell that this wasn't part of the pyramid, because the walls were metal, instead of stone. It was only her and Celtic in the room, and that sound was coming from the Predator. Looking at herself again, she couldn't believe that all of her cuts were healed. Suddenly, she sneezed. Lilith froze in stunned shock after she did that. She'd expected a massive wave of pain from her ribs and stomach to nearly knock her out, but there hadn't been anything. Waves of confusion whirled through her mind as she tried to figure things out and understand what had happened.
Not even thinking about what she was doing, Lilith hopped off the left side of the strange metal bed, and plummeted five feet to the floor where she landed in a heap. Before she could even figure out if she was hurt or not, the huge Predator was there, picking her up, and… well… purring even louder! Being pulled into a hug by such a huge and dangerous alien was definitely not what she was expecting! She tried to resist the embrace, but she couldn't even manage to make the big behemoth budge as much as a single inch!
Lilith huffed in frustrated anger as the door swished open. Both of the other two Predators that she'd seen in the pyramid entered, followed by one that she knew she hadn't seen before. The smallest one, she knew was the one that had spanked her, and she was still ticked about that. Looking him over, she remembered the scar that she'd watched him make on his head. 'That's what I'll call him… Scar.' She thought, before looking over at the other Predator she recognized. There wasn't really all that much about him the seemed unusual, except for that necklace with the skull on it that made him look like he was ready to go to a rave. 'Ha! That would probably tick him off if I call him that!' Lilith thought as she decided to call the third Predator 'Rave'.
Lilith looked over at the last one who came in the room. She quirked her face skeptically when she noticed the cape. What? Does he think he's 'Superman' or something?' She wondered idly as she tried to see any other details about him. He seemed to have longer dreads than the others, but it wasn't until he took off that metal mask, that she realized that he must be a lot older than they were. There were lots of short spines on his face, and many of them had grey on the tips. Suddenly she realized that she had been so busy looking at him, that she didn't realize how close he'd gotten to her. Lilith tried to struggle and get free from the big Predator who was holding her, but it was totally useless. Then, the older Predator put his mask on her head, and everything felt really weird.
First, she wanted to puke, then she wanted to pass out, but she couldn't do either of those things. Instead, she felt very lightheaded for a few moments after the Predator took the mask away from her head. She gasped for breath a few times, because everything felt so… weird!
"You should be able to understand me now. The neural interface technology in our helmets has enabled me to imprint our language into your mind, so that you can understand us, even when we are speaking our own language. I am Kwei-vor'mekta, (Sly Stalker), and this is Al-Nihkou'te, (Long Tusk), he is the eldest of my three sons. The one holding you is Hulij-bpe-thwei, (Crazy Blood) then there is the youngest of the three and his name is Setg'in, (Quick and Deadly). How are you named?"
Lilith glared angrily as she pressed her lips firmly together because she had no intention of speaking to this Predator, or anyone else for that matter, ever again! She watched the old Predator carefully, while refusing to speak. She knew that he was watching her, and that he couldn't be too happy with her right then, because he narrowed his eyes and stared at her for several moments. Lilith stared the old Predator right in his eyes as he stared just as hard at her. She thought that it was going to be some kind of battle of wills, and she was firmly resolved in her determination not to say a single word.
The loud purr from Celtic who was still holding her began to falter a bit as the staring contest continued. But then, the old one surprised her by simply nodding his head in what looked like approval.
"You might not wish to speak now, Little One, and that is understandable. You are in a strange place, among strangers, and you have no idea of what is to become of you. I will tell you now, that you are safe among us, and though you may not wish to speak to us now, that will one day change, and when it does, I will hear your words." Kwei-vor'mekta told her seriously.
He knew that whatever this pup had been through, was something that more than likely caused her to choose to remain silent. He didn't know why the ooman would choose not to speak, but at the same time, he knew that there had to be a good reason for that choice. He could respect that decision for now. He knew that the ooman pup had displayed what appeared to be severe disrespect to him with her staring, and seeming defiance, but in truth, he knew that the pup had been taking his measure, just as he had done to her.
'There is both strength and courage in this little one. Whoever decides to accept her will have much to learn from her, and I will not return her to the oomans! Not after the way she has proven her honor, andcertainlynot after what she has endured! She could have caused those injuries to her arms, and it's also possible that she may not have done such things, but Iknowthat there is no way that she could have caused that… thatabominationon her back!'The Elder thought angrily while at the same time admiring the determination of the ooman pup.
"Bring her to the dinning hall. She'll need something to eat while she recovers." Kwei-vor'mekta instructed as he turned to leave without mentioning the dishonorable injuries found on the pup's body.
Knowing that she'd never be able to pronounce their actual names, Lilith decided to go with the names that she had chosen for them. The only thing she couldn't decide on was whether to name the older one after Superman, or Batman because of the cape. The dinning hall that she was taken to was the kind of thing she could easily recognize. After all, what else were you supposed to do in a room that had long tables with benches? The one she'd named Celtic didn't put her down until they were actually at the table.
Lilith shot a glare of pure death at Celtic, which only made that purring noise he'd never stopped making get louder. Then her attention was drawn to a plate of food that was put in front of her. Lilith's mouth fell open as she stared at more food than she'd been given in a whole week while she had been in the basement. The plate of food was quickly followed by a bowl of brown stuff, and a large cup of water.
"We have already eaten, so this is yours. You need to eat to regain your strength. Healing, and recovering takes energy, and you can only get that from eating." The old Predator that she decided to call 'Old Bruce' told her.
Lilith didn't need to be told twice on something like that. The meager amounts of food that her parents had occasionally given her had always been tossed on the filthy floor of the basement, and sometimes were intentionally thrown in the piles of waste by her father. Without even thinking twice, she tore into the food in front of her like a starving animal. Whatever table manners she had previously known, used, or been taught, were nonexistent as she strove to put away as much food as she possibly could before it was taken away from her.
As he watched the little female eat like a starving Yaut hound, Setg'in began to purr lightly and placed his right hand on the pup's back to offer some reassurance to her. Immediately the pup flinched away from the contact, and presented him with an expression that he knew was meant to contain pure death. Suddenly he remembered what he'd been told earlier in this very room.
"I don't know who did it or why, but I think that pup has been tortured." The Elder said seriously.
"What do you mean… tortured?" Al-Nihkou'te demanded in confusion.
"There are far too many scars on each of her arms from having them cut open… and I doubt that a mere pup would do such things without someone trying to stop it, unless they were the one doing it." The Elder replied.
"But no one would treat a pup in such a way… they… they would be executed as a Bad Blood the moment anyone found out about it!" Setg'in interrupted quickly.
"That is true… but somehow… I think this ooman has been through far more than a simple Chiva, and I want to know more, so I can deal with those responsible. For now, I do not want her spanked for any reason! Scold her, and correct her, but do not spank her, I am beginning to think she has been through far too much already." The Elder said firmly.
"Elder… you should know that I did just that in the temple, after she showed much disrespect, and even disobedience to me." Setg'in admitted heavily.
"You will not do so again! First, you are not ooman, so she has no reason to obey you. Second, I can't imagine how many times she has been made to suffer, but I doubt that she will trust anyone who is able to do such things to her. Third, if you want respect from her, then I think you will need toearnthat respect! It is likely thatIwill even have to earn respect from her, because I seriously doubt that she will just give it to us, regardless of our rank and honor." The Elder snapped angrily.
That memory flashed through Setg'in's mind in an instant as he withdrew his hand. He noticed that the ooman watched him and especially his hand warily until it was out of reach, before she returned to… devouring the food in front of her. It was not a pleasant thing to see a mere pup hunched protectively over a plate of food while eating as if she had been starved for ages.
Lilith pushed the plate away from her when she knew that she couldn't eat any more. Then she climbed off the bench and did the 'pee-pee dance' to show that she needed to go to the bathroom. Scar suddenly stood up and strode over to the door that led to the hall, while pointing at another weird looking door and growling softly.
"That is the waste closet, and there are no other exits to it. This is our ship, and not the Temple of Passage, so the walls and rooms will not change around you." Scar said in a scolding tone that contained a hint of smugness at the same time.
Lilith glared at the Predator before she hurried into the bathroom. The toilets were weird looking things, and it was pretty obvious that they were toilets because of how they were lined up on one wall, while what looked like weird sinks, were on another. She relieved herself in silence while looking around at the weird place. She was just finishing her business when she spotted the ventilation shaft.
A satisfied smirk crossed her face, as she cast a glance at the still closed door of the waste closet. Straightening her clothes, she ran to the vent and pulled on the grill. A smile crossed her lips when it pulled open easily and silently. Almost grinning in delight, she quickly crawled in, and hurriedly made her way along the shaft.
Kwei-vor'mekta flexed his mandibles and tilted his head in curiosity as the 'occupied' light above the door of the waste closet suddenly went out. His gaze shifted back and forth between the light and the door while he tried to see if there was something wrong with the sensor system.
"Pauk!" Setg'in yelled angrily when he finally noticed what the Elder was looking at. Running to the door of the waste closet, he opened it to find the small room completely empty. The only sign that the ooman pup had been there was the un-disposed of waste in one of the toilets, and the open vent on the opposite side of the room.
"Pauk!" He repeated angrily. "She's gone into the ventilation shafts!"
Kwei-vor'mekta roared with laughter when he heard that. "That should teach you to never underestimate an ooman! I'll wager you never tell her that she can't leave again!" He added chortling.
"Elder… how can you think this is funny? The last time she escaped like this we found her wounded, and she was captured by drones!" Setg'in exclaimed irritably.
"Come now, Setg'in… do you honestly think that this is the first time that something has escaped into the vents when it was wanted alive and unharmed?" Kwei-vor'mekta asked with a snicker. "Of course it isn't. This type of thing has happened before, and it will likely happen again. That is why we have a system that will force her out of the vents without harming her at all." The Elder added as he punched a few commands into his wrist computer. "She'll be out soon enough, and she'll have no choice but to come out the same way she went in."
Setg'in gaped at the Elder in surprise. Never would he have guessed that such a system had been installed on a ship, but then, he never would have thought that someone would enter the vents either. He shot a glare at his older and much larger brother who was laughing even harder than the Elder had. "Shut up, Hulij-bpe! This is not funny! She could have put herself in grave danger!"
"Yes it is! You're just mad, because she proved you wrong!" Hulij-bpe-thwei said before laughing even harder.
Lilith stopped crawling forward as she stared at whatever that was coming towards her. She didn't know what it was, except that it blocked the whole vent so she couldn't get past it. Because of the darkness in the shaft, she had to wait until it got closer before she saw that it was some kind of thick screen being moved along a track in the ceiling of the vent. Lilith's eyes went wide in frustration as she realized why it was coming towards her. Suddenly, her stubborn streak got a grip on her and she quickly turned around so that her feet were in front of her. Then, she simply sat still and held her ground with a smug expression on her face.
Lilith's smirk quickly turned into a snarling visage as she was slowly pushed against her will right back the way she'd come. It was a maddening experience, and the longer it lasted the angrier she got. Then, without any type of fanfare or any thing, she was push right out the vent she had crawled into! As she looked around, Lilith was more than mad enough to take a few swings at someone or some thing, and in her opinion, there was a something nearby that really deserved it!
When Setg'in saw the ooman pup come storming out of the waste closet with pure death in her eyes, he couldn't help the smug set to his mandibles. Then, unable to resist getting in a decent word when he knew the pup could understand him, he walked over to stand in front of her. "It doesn't seem like you got very far in our ventilation system. Were you trying to get somewhere in particular?" He asked teasingly.
Lilith's teeth bared in a silent snarl of pure rage as she hauled off and sucker punched the large Predator right in that part of his anatomy that was at chest level for her. She put every thing she had into that punch, including her whole body weight, and she was hoping that she could do some decent damage, or at least make the thing mad enough to end her quickly.
Setg'in's eyes flew wide open, and his mandibles flared in silent agony from the pup's strike. Never would he have believed that a mere pup would do such a thing, but this one had! A hissing groan of sheer pain left his mouth as he grabbed his crotch and sank to his knees in agony from the powerful blow to his genitals.
"Nice shot!" Hulij-bpe-thwei called out to the pup as he leapt to his feet and quickly headed towards her. "That should teach him not to underestimate you again!" He added as he roared in laughter while snatching the tiny ooman off her feet and hugging her tightly.
Lilith glared at the one she called Celtic in confusion. 'Is he… congratulating me?' She thought as he the very large Predator held her tightly.
"I may be considered one of the dumbest warriors alive, but even I wouldn't be stupid enough to tease her about being forced out of the vents like that! You better be glad that was all she did to you!" Hulij-bpe-thwei said as he began cackling even louder while he walked back to the table with the ooman pup in his arms.
"Elder… can we keep this one… please? I… I give you my solemn word of honor that I will protect her." Hulij-bpe-thwei said as he sat down while gently stroking the oomans shoulders in what he hoped was a soothing manner, and trying in vain to stop laughing at his still groaning brother who was now lying on the floor in misery.
"You give your solemn word? That doesn't sound very convincing when you're so busy laughing that you can barely speak." Al-Nihkou'te said snickering.
"Your brother has a point, Hulij-bpe. But it isn't my decision on whether or not I take the pup as my own. That will be left up to my lifemate, and your Bearer to decide. She is a reasonable Yautja at most times, and she often listens to much of what I say, although she has always made her choice her own way! I will say that I too would not mind having this ooman live with us as a member of our family. That can not be decided until we return to our world though. So for now, she is the responsibility of all of us." Kwei-vor'mekta said sternly.
"Really?" Hulij-bpe demanded in wide eyed surprise as he looked at the Elder before turning his attention back to the ooman in his arms. "Do you hear that Little One? I might get to have you as a sibling! That would be so much fun! Setg'in and Al-Nihkou'te don't ever start any fights anymore, so I have no one to look out for, but if you become my little sister, then I would be able to look out for you and make sure that no one does anything to you!"
Lilith looked up at the Predator holding her in shock. This thing wanted her as a sister? No way! She had wanted to get away from the house where she'd lived in the basement for so long, because she figured that living anywhere else would be better than there. But living with these huge monster looking Predators was notwhat she'd had in mind! She knew that if they ever found out how worthless she really was, there would be no limit to the pain they would make her feel! For the first time since she'd left that basement two short days ago, Lilith felt terror flood through her like a storm. Then, just as suddenly as she felt terrified of what she was sure would happen, she felt the chest and stomach of the Predator holding her start to vibrate as he made that weird purring noise again. She had no idea how he was doing it, or why, but she did know that it made her feel safe for some reason.
Hulij-bpe felt the ooman pup in his arms go stiff, and he couldn't help but pick up on the acrid scent of fear that suddenly started coming from her. Her scent this time was much stronger than it had been while she had slept in his brother's arms. He didn't know why she was suddenly afraid, but he did know that he planned to protect her even if she wasn't his sibling yet! He quickly started purring to see if that would help calm her down and dispel some of her fear.
Al-Nihkou'te looked over at the ooman female when he too caught the scent of her fear. He had no idea what she might be thinking, but he knew that he had to tell her something that might help. "Hulij-bpe-thwei is large, strong, and very deadly in a fight. But you should know that even though he doesn't have the highest intelligence you'll ever find, he does have strong convictions! When he chooses to protect someone, he does so without any hesitation, or regret. He does not second guess himself when it comes to something like that. He is a fierce warrior, and a stalwart companion who will never abandon you. So I will tell you now, do not get my brother killed for no good reason, because he will defend you with his life!" He said firmly.
Lilith gaped at the one she called Rave in renewed fear. She knew that she was worthless, because her parents had made that so clear every time she'd seen them for the last few years. She knew that she'd die soon enough, but if Celtic somehow got killed first, then she knew that as worthless as she was, Rave wouldreally make her suffer like her parents never had! Now she knew that she had to get away from these Predators, and fast, or they would somehow find out, and then she'd really be in for it! She knew then, that she'd have to somehow get away from these Predators before they took the ship away from Earth.
Hulij-bpe-thwei held onto the ooman for a while as he continued to stroke her arms and purring soothingly. He was sure that what he was doing was helping, but whatever had this little female frightened was something that she wouldn't speak of. He didn't like for her to be afraid when he couldn't see any reason for it, so he intensified the strength of his purr, hoping that it would help. Then, everyone's attention was drawn to Setg'in who sat down at the table slowly with a loud painful groan.
"You need to stay out of the vents! That is not a safe place for you to be. What if you had gotten hurt in there? Those vents are too small for us to enter, and we wouldn't have been able to get you out, if you had gotten hurt. There aren't any Hard Meat here so you don't have to worry about them. There is no reason to go back in the vents, so stay out of them! Understand?" Setg'in said scathingly.
Lilith glared at the Predator who had just scolded her for the second time. He wasn't one of her teachers, and he certainly wasn't one of her parents, so what gave him the right to say anything to her? She hadn't wanted to come to Antarctica in the first place, and she certainly hadn't wanted to come to this ship, so what made him think that she had to listen to him? Deciding that she was going to show him how it was, she stuck out her tongue at him and raised her right hand to flip him off before finishing with a beautiful smile.
Setg'in was angry enough to kill the pup for such blatant disrespect, when he knew that she had understood him. But the order from his father the Elder was clear, he was allowed to correct the female, but he could not spank her, even though she obviously deserved a good one for that. He struggled to keep his anger under control, when he got an idea of how to correct this pup. He snapped both hands across the table and grabbed her hand before she could realize what was happening.
"That is not proper behavior for a pup. It is rude and disrespectful, and you know it, because you obviously know what it means!" Setg'in growled as he carefully folded the female's middle finger back down into her hand without hurting her.
Lilith gaped at the Predator in pure rage as he forced her finger back down. When she heard what he told her she snapped her other hand up flipped him off with that one and taking a deep breath, gave him the loudest, longest, and wettest raspberry she possibly could!
Lilith just finished giving Scar the biggest raspberry of her life when she nearly jumped out of her skin because of a loud roar right over her head. Tilting her head back, she looked up to see Celtic making the noise.
Hulij-bpe-thwei was positively roaring in laughter! As far as he was concerned, this whole situation was hilarious! Setg'in was trying so hard to be serious, and the pup wasn't having any of it! There hadn't been anything in the vents that could hurt her, and they had made her get out of them without getting her hurt. So there really wasn't a reason for her to be getting scolded as far as he could tell. He knew that Setg'in been a little too smug when he'd told the pup that she couldn't get out of the waste closet, and she'd proved him wrong. Then Setg'in had teased her about the way her plan had failed; now he was trying to scold her, when nothing had happened. He knew that Setg'in had almost asked to get hit like he had, and by scolding the little pup now; he was just begging to be further disrespected!
Laughing so hard that his stomach started to hurt, Hulij-bpe-thwei pulled the pup back into another hug. He'd barely met the tiny female who was barely half his height, and already she was making things interesting. He couldn't to introduce her to his Bearer, he was positive that she would like the pup as much as he did.
Even before Setg'in had gotten off the floor, Kwei-vor'mekta watched in silence. He knew from many long years of experience that oomans thought differently than Yautja did, so he was using his vast experience to try to understand this situation from the pup's point of view. It was true that she had been somewhat disrespectful to Setg'in, but then, when he thought about it, Setg'in had pretty much challenged the pup to find another exit to the waste closet. From that perspective the pup had won that challenge, but then Setg'in chose to be a little too smug about the pup's defeat when she was forced out of the vents. So the pup had retaliated by finding another way to satisfy her pride and achieve a worthy victory. The fact that the unarmed pup had put a fully armed and now Blooded Warrior on the floor writhing in pain with a single strike was not something to be dismissed lightly or easily. The courage of the ooman pup was plainly obvious, because even those few adult oomans who had earned respect always possessed some fear of them, but this pup? This pup held no such reservations. The pup could be frightened, but it was apparently not a wise thing to incite her anger. The little female that he was observing, was obviously intelligent and resourceful, not to mention courageous and honorable. The various actions of the pup in the Temple of Passage had proved that beyond any doubts. Though she had teased and even antagonized each of his three sons, while in the Temple, it was also true that she had allowed them to recover one of their weapons which the adult oomans had taken. Then there was the unbelievably brave and incredibly bold attack that the essentially unarmed pup had made against a drone more than twice her size and five times her weight. That attack had saved the life of his eldest son while placing her life in serious jeopardy.
Kwei-vor'mekta held his right hand to his face, and absently rubbed the tusk of his top left mandible while deep in thought, as he studied the ooman pup. After what he and his sons had seen, he knew there was no way that the ooman's bravery or honor could be questioned. He couldn't help but wonder though, just how much courage it would take to wound oneself the way the pup had once she had to opportunity to use death as a way to escape the Hard Meat. The self destruct detonators all warriors carried were instant, and completely painless. The method the pup had used… was not! He was certain that those wounds had been painful, and it was also a little frightening to know just how slow the resulting death would have been. True, the ooman female would have been successful in avoiding being used as a host for the Hard Meat. But to know and feel the slow steady approach of The Dark Hunter was something that sent chills down his spine! That had been an act by the pup that truly earned his respect, because he wasn't certain that he would have been able to try such a thing.
The sudden loud noise made by the pup caught Kwei-vor'mekta's attention, and he looked up at her only to choke on a bark of laughter at the sight before him! Setg'in was literally quivering with rage, while the ooman pup was baring her teeth in what he knew was an ooman expression of very pleased satisfaction! It was easy to see that Setg'in was clearly becoming angry at the pup, but he could also see how the pup might feel justified in her actions. It was clear that he needed to do something before things escalated beyond control.
"Setg'in… you need to stop harassing the pup." Kwei-vor'mekta spoke up.
"What? But Elder, she…" Setg'in protested quickly.
"She what? You all but challenged her to find another exit to the waste closet, so she did, and by doing so won that challenge! You even admitted that she had managed to evade your watchful eyes! Yes, I used the containment screen to make her leave the vents, but she still accepted your challenge and bested you at it. You did not have or even earn the right to boast of a triumph that you did not achieve, when she came out of the closet! You disrespected her first! She responded with a courageous attack that was highly effective, and was pure female in nature! For you to scold her after she clearly understood that her attempt to avoid you had failed was unnecessary. Even without speaking, she is showing you that it was uncalled for. Yes, she had disrespected you, but you have earned that disrespect by giving it to her first!" He lectured before turning his attention to the ooman pup.
"And you Little One… you should not be so quick to use those fingers like that. Not only is it very disrespectful, but it is also unbecoming of a female. The strike that you landed against Setg'in is another matter. That is something I must congratulate you for. For an unarmed pup to force a warrior to the floor with a single blow is commendable. It shows that you have strength, and courage! However, I must ask that you do not enter the vents again. There are many fan blades in there that can cause severe and crippling injury. I doubt they would be able to kill you even if you were caught in the head, but you would be hurt bad enough that you couldn't get back out again and we would not be able to reach you. It is clear that you choose not to speak for some reason, and that you have many ways of giving your opinion on things you don't like. That is fine, you may use them, just… please avoid the use of those fingers from now on." Kwei-vor'mekta said as he tried to reason with the little pup.
Lilith snickered as she listened to the scolding Scar was getting from Old Bruce. She figured that he was right in a way because Scar had dared her when she was headed to the bathroom, so he did deserve it. But then she heard the part about getting hurt in the vents, and she had to admit, that she didn't like the idea of getting hurt bad enough that she couldn't move. Then she heard Old Bruce tell her that she had permission to stillgive Scar a piece of her mind when she felt like it, she burst out laughing.
Lilith couldn't believe that she was actually laughing. She hadn't had anything to laugh about since the day she'd been thrown down in the basement! Now, was different somehow. She knew that these Predators were dangerous, and that she should be afraid of them, but strangely, she wasn't really afraid of them, and felt that she wouldn't need to be, until they discovered her secret, and decided to make her suffer because of it. But that would happen in the future, and only if she couldn't avoid it, for now, she felt happy for the first time in years, and she positively reveled in that now unfamiliar sensation!
Hulij-bpe-thwei heard and felt the tiny ooman he was holding start to laugh, and he thought it was one of the most wonderful sounds he'd ever heard. Soft rolling and hearty, with a strange musical quality to it, the little ooman was clearly pleased by something that the Elder had said. He resumed his soft purring as he stroked the pup's arms and sincerely hoped that he could convince his Bearer to accept this pup as his sibling.
For the first time in several years, Lilith had a full stomach, wasn't in pain, and wasn't losing blood from one injury or another, and all of those factors combined to make her drowsy. It wasn't long before the gentle purr that Celtic was making, actually put her to sleep. The dreams that she had, while not the nightmares that she usually had, were not something that she would remember either. Instead, they were the plain, ordinary dreams that most people had and forgot the moment they woke up.
Hulij-bpe-thwei could not have been any more pleased than he was the moment he realized that the ooman pup had fallen asleep while sitting in his lap. He couldn't resist the smug set to his mandibles as he realized that the little ooman hadn't struggled or even tried to get away from him this time! To him, it was a sign that he actually had a chance at gaining the pup's trust and friendship. He carefully shifted her in his massive arms, and moved as stealthily as he could while taking her back to the infirmary so she could sleep undisturbed.
Lilith had no idea how much time had passed when she woke up, but she looked around quickly, and saw that the room was empty. Remembering the long drop the first time she'd tried to jump off the bed, she was a little more careful about it this time. She looked around the room and spotted the zippered sweat shirt that she'd taken from her mother's closet, along with the coat that Weyland had given her for this trip. She quickly snatched them up and searched the pockets… nothing! Her pocket knife was gone! She felt violated, angry, and betrayed as she stared at the empty coat. Then, she put the sweat shirt and coat on, before trying the door that she'd seen earlier. To her vast relief, it slid open immediately.
Lilith knew that she was lost. She had wandered back and forth through this ship who knew how many times. She'd found herself back at the room she had woke up in twice, but she still hadn't found a way out yet. She knew that she hadn't been able to be very thorough in looking through the ship, because she was also hiding from the Predators at the same time. She suppressed a giggle of amusement as she thought about sneaking up behind them and posting 'kick me' signs on their armor. She pushed that idea aside, because she knew that there was something much more important to do than have a bit of fun, and kept searching. She never would have discovered what she was looking for if the door hadn't slid open as she passed. A quick furtive look inside showed her that the room was empty, but the noise made by the howling wind outside, told her that she had finally found what she was looking for… a way out!
As she stepped out of the sheltered room of the ship, the blistering cold wind began biting at her immediately. It didn't seem to matter how well she bundled up, the cold still pierced right through her clothes to her skin. Lilith didn't let something like that stop her though. She knew what she had to do, and this time, nothing… not even the Predators were going to stop her! She didn't even give the ice encrusted buildings of the old whaling station a single glance as she passed them. Instead, she concentrated on putting one foot solidly in front of the other in dogged determination as she made her way throw the ice, snow, and howling wind.
There it was! Just up ahead, the cliffs that edged the sea. That was exactly what she needed, and she turned slightly to her right to head straight towards it. She knew that her goal was now very close, and getting closer with each step she took. That knowledge seemed to make each step lighter, every stride that much easier, and an oppressive weight seemed to lift from her shoulders. A deep sense of relief and even a light feeling of joy flooded her mind as she stepped up to the edge of the cliff and gazed down at the freezing waters seven hundred feet below. She remembered the warnings that she'd been given on the way down here, and she knew that a plunge like that would most likely kill her. The thing was, even if hitting surface of the water from this height didn't kill her instantly, then the subzero temperature of the ice water would finish her off within seconds.
Lilith took a deep breath, and felt the longed for presence of oblivion hovering about her. That presence, and the knowledge that it would all be over, that she wouldn't have to hurt anymore, and that she wouldn't be a worthless waste to anyone ever again brought her a sense of peace and serenity that she'd never known before. Then for the first time since her living nightmare had begun, Lilith truly smiled. It was beautiful smile, filled with peace of mind and a tranquility that could only come from knowing that her final destiny was now at hand. Closing her eyes, she took one last deep breath, and stepped off the edge of the cliff.