The next chapter is here! Enjoy :)
Once they landed, Raelyn was already out of her seat.
She couldn't wait to get out there. The last time she was on a world and on solid ground was nearly three weeks ago. And it wasn't an enjoyable time because she was brought down to be used as bait.
So, instead of enjoying the scenery, she was running for her life from a large scary beast that seemed intent on getting her and eating her. Fortunately, her captors were able to gun it down before he could kill her.
But not before she received some nasty scratches on her thigh.
Which they surprisingly tended to her injury rather quickly. But Raelyn knew they obviously didn't tend to her wound out of kindness. They simply wanted their 'bait' to be in top condition for the next time.
This time was different though. She was going to a planet to explore and take in the scenery with a friend and have a good time.
Her train of thought was broken when Bhu'ja stood up and approached her. He also grabbed something on the floor near his seat before he came to her.
Raelyn's gaze shifted from the beautiful view outside to him. And she noticed he was holding out a leather bag with a strap on it to her. She reached up and took it, while giving him a questioning look.
"This bag has food and water in it for you. If you happen to run out of water while we are out there, you can refill the bottle at one of the many streams and lakes." He told her.
She smiled at his thoughtfulness.
"Thanks, Bhu'ja." Raelyn said.
He nodded and placed his mask on his face.
The young Arbitrator then led her out of the control room and down the halls to the exit. He stopped them in front of the doors and tapped a few buttons on a keypad by it.
Not a moment later the doors slid open with a hiss and a small ramp slid out to the ground.
Raelyn was the first one off and once she stepped on solid ground and into the warm sun, she smiled and closed her eyes briefly. Space was neat and all. But it was nice to be on solid ground and taking in natural sunlight again.
The air was warm and humid. If she had to guess, it felt like the temperature was between the mid and high eighties.
Bhu'ja exited the ship. But not before he locked it up and cloaked it. A habit of his, even on worlds that really weren't all that dangerous, like this one.
Planet Sy'tria didn't have very dangerous nor challenging prey. Because of this, not many yautja came here to hunt.
It really was more of a planet one would go sightseeing on. Or what oomans call a vacation. Bhu'ja liked it for its peace and tranquility. It was a go to spot for him when he was off world and between hunts sometimes.
He'd come here to relax and take in the scenery. It was also fun to explore.
"This place looks amazing. Like being in a tropical rainforest in the Amazon." Raelyn said.
"Yes, have been to places like this on Earth. There are many similarities. From its breathable atmosphere to its typography. It has high levels of oxygen, and that's why I brought you here.
Because not all planets I visit have levels of oxygen that are high enough for humans to breathe. There are some that have hardly any oxygen at all. Those are worlds even yautja need to where their mask at all times if they can." He told her.
"Yeah, in our solar system, none of the neighboring planets have oxygen. It's why humans only inhabit Earth. Though I have heard of some scientists say they want to do some terraforming on other worlds, it could take years or decades to do so." She replied.
"Yes, besides Earth there really is no other planets to hunt on in your solar system. The other seven to eight worlds that are currently in your solar system don't support any life due to extreme conditions." Bhu'ja said.
Raelyn looked at him, "Really? How do you know this? Have you been to places like Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn? Or any of the other planets for that matter?"
"Have stopped on the planets you do call Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune. All of which were basically barren wastelands with no life. Jupiter has a lot of strong and dangerous storms. Could barely leave the ship the short time I was there exploring." He said.
"So, no life on any of Earth's neighboring worlds, huh?" She inquired.
Bhu'ja shook his head, "No, at least none that I have seen. The conditions of these worlds do seem unsuitable to support any forms of life."
She was hesitant for a moment before speaking.
"We really are in another universe then. Far from Earth." Raelyn stated.
"Yes, we are a good few light years away from Earth. Much further than any ooman made ships could reach." He told her.
While it did freak her out a little knowing how far they truly are away from her home. It still was pretty exciting to see different galaxies and universes that do have worlds like this.
What can Raelyn say? She was a bit of a closeted Sci-fi freak.
She was always curious as to what lay beyond their Universe. And scientists have always been saying for years that there are many other galaxies and universes besides our own.
"That truly is amazing. And thanks for taking us here. Your ship is awesome and all. But I was also going a little stir crazy not being on solid ground somewhere." Raelyn admitted.
The young Arbitrator knows the feeling. He could never really spend more than a couple months in space on his ship without landing somewhere. So, he too knows the feeling of being restless.
"Shall we then?" He stated.
Then he gestured for her to follow him.
Bhu'ja been to this world enough times to know a lot of good spots that are out of the way and have nice scenery. What can he say? When he wasn't hunting down criminals, he loved exploring new places.
"Where to first?" Raelyn asked as they walked.
"There is a lake a couple miles from here I will sometimes visit. It has some nice scenery and can be a pretty relaxing place." The pale yautja said.
"Nice. You visit it often?" She asked.
"Somewhat. There are many nice places here to see. I doubt I'd be able to show you all the good places while here though. But I'll show you a couple of my favorites. Hence the lake." Bhu'ja replied.
They trekked through the area. Raelyn stayed pretty close to his side; despite the fact he told her there weren't really any dangerous animals here.
It was probably one of the few worlds that hardly had any very dangerous natural predators.
Raelyn was enamored by the few species of animals she did see during their walk. Most of them weren't very big. And the ones she had seen in passing that were a good size, he told her were grazers, or herbivores.
The animals were very alien yet intriguing at the same time.
There were plenty of times Bhu'ja had to slow down or stop whenever Raelyn decided to stop and look at something interesting to her. He didn't mind. After all, she's never seen a place like this before.
No humans have.
It wasn't like they were in a hurry to get anywhere. This was technically, a vacation for both of them. And he knew this vast world quite well.
Since he started coming here, he has yet to really see any others of his kind here. And that included bad bloods.
This world was quite safe. The only time his ooman companion would be in any kind of danger is if she got lost. After getting to know Raelyn, it was pretty clear she wouldn't know what to do if she were to find herself lost.
She would probably end up starving to death in the vast wilderness.
But none of this will happen as long as he is with her. And Bhu'ja didn't plan on letting her out of his sight while she explored. So, every time she stopped, he would. So as not to walk ahead on the trails and lose her.
He also made sure to point out what type of plants were safe here and what weren't. Because there were some poisonous plants here.
Every time he looked back at her though, she was happy. And that was good enough for him. Bhu'ja keeps reminding himself that after everything she has been through, she deserves this much.
"Does this world go through different seasons? Or is it always hot here?" Raelyn asks in curiosity.
"For the most part, it's always warm here. But there are some mountain ranges here that are pretty high up that can get fairly cool. I've only ever traveled up the mountains maybe twice. But that's about it. Though it is very quiet up there. Some would say, too quiet." He said.
She smirked, "You really aren't a fan of the cold, are you?"
"No, I'm really not. My friend, Ci'tde on the other hand, doesn't mind the cold. He'll happily hunt in below freezing temperatures and think nothing of it. Despite the fact there aren't many creatures that like the cold." Bhu'ja stated.
"He must be a really good friend of yours though. You talk about him enough." Raelyn says.
"Yes, he's a very good friend. He's older than me and even trained me a bit. It's because of him I was considered the status of Arbitrator.
As I mentioned before, I'm still considered quite young. Even younger when I was considered the position decades earlier. An Arbitrator position is usually given out to older and more experienced hunters.
But Ci'tde argued my case and convinced the council I was well suited for the position despite my young age at the time. I was able to earn this title through both hard work and him.
To this day, I am grateful to him for it. And he is still one of my best friends and mentor. Even if he can be a bit of a wise ass and a pain at times." Bhu'ja ended with a joke.
Raelyn chuckled a little at that last remark.
She can't say she ever had a friendship that close. But she understood enough to know that this friend of his was special. And he probably wouldn't be where he was now if it weren't for him.
"Will I ever meet this friend of yours that you speak so highly about?" She asks.
"Perhaps, some day. It may be challenging because we hail from different clans. But I'm sure he wouldn't mind meeting you. I've already told him about you last time I contacted him." Bhu'ja admitted.
"Really? And...what does he think about you having me around? Is he...disappointed or angry?" She asks.
The young Arbitrator shook his head, "No. He's glad I've found you when I did. He doesn't mind that you're a human. If anything, he's pissed about what you went through with those disgusting bad bloods.
He's an Arbitrator like me. And it bothers him when criminals take advantage of those who cannot fight back or defend themselves."
Raelyn listened as Bhu'ja continued talking about dome of his closest friends as they walked to this lake he told her of.
Though she almost tripped over herself when he informed her that one of his friends has a human wife...or mate she should say. It was even more shocking when he told her that this yautja had children with her.
"Wait! So, you're saying that your kind can have kids with humans!? And that one of them is your friend who took a human for his mate!?" She blurted out in surprise.
Bhu'ja chuckled a little, "Yes, believe me, I was just as surprised when he told me. And this was only a couple days ago. I didn't think it possible that our kind could procreate with humans. Until he told me it's very possible. He himself is the result of a union between a yautja father and human mother. He's one of six children too."
"Holy shit! That's insane! And this guy is an Arbitrator too!?" She exclaimed.
"Yes, Kata'nu is an Arbitrator like Ci'tde and me. He's a little older than us. And he too is from another clan. But you wouldn't believe it if you saw him. He looks like a pure blooded yautja. Even I didn't know he was half human until again he told me a couple days earlier." He told her.
Raelyn couldn't believe it. His kind had actually mated with humans in the past. And had kids with them!
Here she thought, it wasn't a possibility. Sure, their anatomy looked very similar. But in a way, they were still a different species. But what seemed to baffle her most of all was, why would a human choose to mate with a yautja.
Surely, each species thought the other repulsive and their union unnatural.
Yet, Bhu'ja has informed her it has happened. Perhaps, love really doesn't have any known boundaries. and it is that notion that brought them together.
"Have you met Kata'nu's wife? Sorry, I meant mate?" She inquired.
Bhu'ja shook his head.
"No, as I stated, I didn't know Kata'nu was a half breed and had a human mate. Not until a couple days ago. But he did say he and his mate would like to meet you once we return to home world." He mentioned.
The thought of conversing with another human put a smile on her face.
Raelyn did enjoy Bhu'ja's company. But she did miss having human interactions with another human. And it was a relief to know that she wouldn't be the only human on his home world whenever he decided to take her there.
"Would like to definitely meet her someday. Your friend's human mate I mean." She replied.
"And you will. The Night Hunter's Clan in which they reside in is not far from my clan's territory. We're actually neighboring clans. I promise I'll take you to meet them when we do eventually get there." He assured her.
It took them a little while. But they did make it to the lake he was talking about.
Raelyn was in awe of the view. It was quite a large lake. It had a flat, glassy surface surrounded by trees. It almost looked like one of those pics you see on a postcard.
"Wow. Bhu'ja, this place is beautiful." She said, while taking in the sight.
"Yes, it is." He said.
He quickly shook his head when he realized he was looking at her when he said this.
'Ok, seriously. What the fuck is wrong with me?' He thought.
Raelyn of course, didn't notice that Bhu'ja was looking at her when he said this. She was busy looking around at the sight.
Still, he was happy that she was.
Raelyn approached the water's edge of the lake and knelt down before it.
She stuck her hand in and was surprised to notice that the water was cool to the touch. Despite the hot temperatures of the air. It was quite inviting. And she almost found herself wishing she had a bathing suit.
Bhu'ja looked around at the sight. It was just as peaceful as he remembers it.
Raelyn seemed quite happy as she splashed some of the cool water against her face. It certainly felt good against the humid heat they were dealing with. She saw some strange little fish beneath the clear surface of the shallow water.
But didn't think anything of it.
Bhu'ja assured her that this world was quite safe. And that there weren't many dangerous predators around here. Still, she didn't let her guard down completely.
One of the other worlds she was taken to looked quite similar to this one. It seems beautiful and peaceful at first. Then horrible creatures jump out and start chasing you.
Raelyn just had to keep reminding herself that there was no danger here. And that she wasn't alone. Someone was looking out for her.
She stood up after splashing some water on her face and down her neck to cool herself. Then she went and stood by Bhu'ja and continued to admire the scenery.
She fished the water bottle out of the bag he gave her. And drank some water.
"I kind of envy you. You can take a ship and go visit any planet you want. Unfortunately, humans are still not close to interstellar traveling. Just how long were yautja capable of intergalactic travel anyway?" Raelyn inquires.
"We have been capable for a very long time now. Our technology has always been quite advanced and getting more advanced by the day." He replied.
He wouldn't say it out loud to her. But his kinds' tech was still way more superior to any human's tech. Despite the leaps and bounds humans have made throughout the last century.
"Must've seen many different worlds in your lifetime then. And it must've been amazing." She said, never taking her mind off of the view in front of her.
"Yes, and while I ventured to many during hunts in my youth, I still feel I've seen many more worlds while hunting bad bloods. There were quite a few times when I first started out as an Arbitrator, that I found myself hunting them on worlds I've never seen or heard of before. Even now, I can't say I've been to every single world there is.
But then nobody has. There are countless galaxies and worlds out there. And it's impossible for a single being to hit them all. There are still many unexplored worlds out there. Many civilizations we have yet to discover or learn about.
My kind is still discovering different worlds and species to this day. But then, I hear it's the same for humans too. They are still discovering new species of animals on Earth, correct?" He inquired.
"Yeah, that's about right. It's strange. Humans have existed now for a couple million years. Yet, we still seem to know only a fraction about the world we inhabit. Especially, our oceans." She replied.
Bhu'ja found that a bit odd. Yautja already know just about all the ins and outs of their world. Yet, as pretty advanced as humans were, they still know very little about their own world?
"I'm sure your kind will figure out most of the mysteries surrounding your world eventually. They do seem to be advancing quite rapidly as far as tech goes since I've been visiting there." He stated.
"When was the last time you were on Earth?" Raelyn asks.
"I want to say around two decades ago. I tailed a bad blood there. Luckily, I caught him before he could do any real damage. But I did note that humans then came pretty far in advancements. And I'm sure they have come ever further since then." Bhu'ja said.
"Yes, it seems like each year they come out with something more advanced then the last. Whether it has to do with phones, cars, or any other type of electronics. More advanced and more expensive. That's for sure." Raelyn told him.
Bhu'ja smirks, "You humans definitely like your toys. That's for sure. It seems like you make more advancement in those rather than your weapons."
"No, they still making advancement in those too. If you went ot Earth now, you would see it." She stated.
"If you say so." He says.
"I know so. Because I've actually been there within the last couple decades. Unlike you. And I must say, it seems pretty sad that more and more people are relying on simple electronics to live. I couldn't even begin to grasp the concept of Alexa or Siri. To me, shit like that is for lazy people." She joked.
"Well, humans have gotten pretty lazy these last few decades. I'll give you that. Just look at how much you sleep." He jokes.
Though he knows it has less to do with laziness and more to do with her kinds' biology. But he just likes to screw with her anyway.
Raelyn snorted, "Sorry, I can't help that my kind doesn't eat and sleep every couple days like you do. Not my fault we evolved to require more rest and sustenance."
"Excuses, excuses." He teased.
"Not an excuse if it's true...Casper." She said with a smirk, knowing he hated that name.
Bhu'ja looked down at her, "Rae, don't you start. I told you I hate being called that."
Her smirk widened, "Oh, and what are you going to do about it? Casper."
"..."
Raelyn knew at this point; she was probably playing with fire. But he was always knocking on her with his jokes and teasing. She figured it was time for a little payback.
"Casper, the friendly ghost the friendliest ghost you...AAAGGGHHHH!" Her singing ended in a scream as he scooped her up.
Next thing the young woman knew, she was airborne and sailing through the air. Before she landed in the water.
She kicked and flailed beneath the surface before she was able to breach it and take a few deep breaths. Then she looked on wide eyed at the large pale yautja that was doubled over, gripping his stomach as he laughed his ass off.
"BOO! YOU DICK! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR!?" She yelled.
"Wow...you flew...a lot farther than...I thought you would!" He blurted between laughs.
And she did too. Raelyn was pretty far out.
She grumbled in annoyance as she swam back to shore. Then as she got out, he was still laughing at her. Her clothes were drenched, and her dark hair clung to the sides of her face, neck, and shoulders.
"I don't even have a dry pair of clothes to change into." She snapped.
He just shrugged, "What's the point? It's so warm and humid here, they will probably be dry within the next hour or two."
Raelyn could still tell even after he finished laughing, he was still trying to contain as he looked at her soaked form.
"You really are unbelievable. You know that?" She pointed out as she wrung out her wet hair, while glaring at him.
"Yes, females back home tell me that all the time during mating season." He teased.
She rolled her eyes.
"Very cute, Wise Ass. Though I guess I should thank you. At least now I won't be hot for a while as we walk through the woods." Raelyn quipped.
"You're welcome." He replied, with a wide smirk.
Eventually, the glare left her face, and she couldn't help but chuckle at his playfulness, just like she always has.
They chatted a little longer and stuck around enjoying the scenery. Until they eventually moved on to another location. Either way, Raelyn was definitely enjoying this trip much more than the previous ones.
And she can't help but feel that Bhu'ja was thoroughly enjoying himself too.
Though she doesn't think it was the scenery he was so much enjoying. But more or less her company. And she'd be lying if she didn't say she wasn't enjoying his as well.
Until Next Time ;)