Amelia turned over what she knew as she played with her puppies. Politics between yautja was not that different. Del'is was like earth of old, pulling strings for power and probably wealth. Now it was corporations on earth, but the principals were similar. Though yautja were individuals and didn't seem to have corporations the same way.
If Del'is was campaigning and drumming up support of the people by gaining endorsements, Amelia hadn't given one. Optics were still important. That was a good sign, in theory. They were unlikely to start massacres, like the ones she heard so much about, if they cared what clan males thought.
But it wasn't the current leadership campaigning. Would the current high priestess do something reckless before being replaced? No former leader survived the regime change before. Everyone knew that.
It was hard to tell from the rumors but no one had seen the high priestess outside her private level in some time and visitors were restricted. Whispers of her demands of food and dismissal of unrest filtered through the ship's ranks.
Rumors and more rumors. There was no proof of wrongdoing that she had herself. For all Amelia could honestly prove was the high priestess was reclusive and nothing more. It was unlikely, but technically possible, that priestesses acted alone in the theft of Amelia's food. No one had been executed but there was lashing daily for minor infractions. They were strict, but not unlawful in theory. While recounting her limited evidence, Amelia could not say she lived among a bad blood clan. She wouldn't be able to convince anyone that it was true.
It was a fork in the road. On one path they had to search for evidence and prove the clan was led by bad bloods. On the other path they continued to pretend like nothing was wrong.
Raz'ha and his hunt brothers entered as she continued to mull the options.
"What are you plotting?" Raz'ha asked as they settled on the bed with their food.
"I'm considering if we should search for proof of bad bloods or continue on our current path." She joined them, settling between Raz'ha and Sain'ja.
"Current path," Mar'cte said. "I have no desire to be shoved out an airlock."
"Neither do any of us, but what happens later? What about when I go home with Val'jek?" Amelia frowned. "When has oppression ever resolved itself?"
That gave them all food for thought more plentiful than their enriched pash. Amelia ate her plain portion slowly, trying to make it last. "What if I got Val'jek to help? Taurens are a big clan, powerful, surely they can-"
"Arbitrators would exterminate us all," Yeyinde said. "Too many unlawful changes in leadership will have us expelled from the empire at best."
"What if we leave then? Everyone who wants to can go-join other clans, yes?"
Guan-thewi rumbled a denial, but it was Mar'cte who spoke. "No clan would accept that many and to be clanless is as bad as expulsion." The warrior chirped and added, "Guan-thewi would never be accepted."
Guan-thewi clicked agreement. "Better to revolt and die than to be alone with no clan."
"But if we stage a revolt with no proof of bad blood, what happens then?" She could barely believe the words were coming out of her mouth.
"Arbitrators would be required to investigate with so many leadership changes. Without proof, all involved could be labeled bad blood. With proof, the whole clan could be labeled bad blood given how many we've given power over the cycles." Raz'ha shook his head.
Sain'ja said, "All except Guan-Thewi have bad blood in their bloodlines. The risk is too great."
"To do nothing," Yeyinde started but then shrugged and resumed eating.
"It's so unfair." She huffed her frustration.
"It's what we allowed to happen," Raz'ha said. "We helped create this conundrum."
"This goes back generations. You were all too young to know better and then it was too late and you were all in too deep." She chuffed. "There must be some way to make arbitrators understand. If Del'is is trying to usurp the high priestess, she must have a plan. So what's her plan and how do we make it benefit the whole clan instead of her?"
The warriors clicked and rumbled. There was wisdom to this reasoning in their opinions, but it didn't answer the question.
"There must be some rumor or whisper of what comes next," Mar'cte pushed, eying Sain'ja.
"Nothing overt, but," he rumbled, "perhaps it is the obvious."
Sain'ja looked to Raz'ha and the green warrior trilled. "Insanity."
"Sei," Sain'ja agreed.
The others rumbled.
"Does the high priestess being considered insane help? Because it's not bad blood then the arbitrators won't come?" she asked.
"Sei, she could be removed with a council vote and submitted evidence to the matriarch." Raz'ha trilled. "But we cannot do this. The council must and they will replace her with a priestess of their choosing."
"Are there any priestesses we trust at this point?" It began to feel like this was a bad blood clan.
The silence was awkward and telling.
"We can do nothing," Guan-thewi said.
She wanted to blurt out a denial but what option was there? She wasn't really equipped to handle this and faking it wouldn't get her by forever.
"We will do what was done for us. We teach the males. They will learn to survive and they will learn what happens here is not normal. They will see for themselves and in time there will be small changes." Raz'ha clicked sadness. "Perhaps in a few generations there will be bigger changes."
The warriors all rumbled sad agreement and her heart ached for them all. She said, "I'll talk to Val'jek in confidence and see if he has any ideas or knows any loop holes."
"Loop holes?" Raz'ha asked.
"They're when laws are made and there is an unintended opening that people use to get around the law legally. That's a loophole." And if anyone knew how to work a loophole she was sure it was her mate.
They clicked polite thanks with zero enthusiasm and she wasn't sure how anyone would resolve these issues either. If nothing else, she'd ask Val'jek to bring Raz'ha and his hunt brothers. If they could all be made Taurens maybe it would save them at least, but she didn't delude herself that it would be simple.
Maybe if more Saracens saw Tauren vessels it would help teach younger generations too.
Yeyinde interrupted her tangent thoughts. "At least there are no more warriors challenging us for resources."
That lifted the group's spirit with rumbled amusement.
"The hunting planet is near and the competition to join will be fierce," Raz'ha said.
She'd been hearing that they approached the planet for a while, but she'd started to assume it was rumors or disinformation to settle unrest. It seemed that it was actually close now. Though, yautja's idea of soon and hers were likely different regardless.
"To eat a few cycles sooner I'm tempted to join," Sain'ja said.
"With your young blood students? They'd all be trampled," Yeyinde rumbled.
Sain'ja trilled his agreement without taking offense. "At least one cuts himself every session. Yesterday one tried to assist another retrieving his smart disc and cut off both their fingers."
"My students are little better though they've hunted before at least twice. Three died on the last hunt and not one requested for me to try to join this one." Mar'cte rumbled. "They are fearful."
"So some students go on the hunts then?" Amelia asked.
"Sei," Raz'ha said. "A few unbloods, three young blood classes, and ten warriors will hunt."
"Does that mean teachers challenge each other for the right of the class to go?" She was sitting beside most of the teachers right now.
"Sei," Raz'ha said.
"Are you going?" She wasn't sure how safe she'd feel with him off the ship while she was hiding in his quarters. Raz'ha could win a slot easily she was sure though.
"I remain to care for you and my students have been on many hunts," he said. "The new ones less, but there will be future hunts for them."
"You normally win slots," she said with a nod. That made sense.
"Sei, and I rotate students when there are many. It's important they all gain planet experience."
"Who's going on this hunt then? You guys could probably make the decision right now," she prompted.
"The ooman would like us to talk instead of challenge." Guan-thewi snorted but didn't offer any disagreement.
"Mar'cte should take his fearful students," Raz'ha said, nodding to the warrior. "They will do better if you let them assist first and see how it's done properly."
Mar'cte chirped surprise but clicked agreement.
"Sain'ja's students need a safety and basics review. It's best if they not attend or they may endanger other students."
Sain'ja nodded. "I have no desire to see them fumbling to hunt without safeties. They will likely kill me along with themselves."
The males trilled their amusement. To them, it'd be a terribly embarrassing way for an honored warrior to die.
"Yeyinde's young bloods would benefit from the experience but remember they require demonstration and supervision. Many forget the basics in the excitement which leads to unnecessary deaths in a hunt this size."
Raz'ha turned his attention to Guan-thewi next. "There will be some time between hunting and camp you can use to show your students terrain and practice survival skills. You should take your young bloods for this."
"And the unbloods?" Yeyinde asked. "We take none of them?"
Raz'ha clicked a negative. "Mak'o's students attend their chiva within cycles of the hunt. Let them go and gain experience and eat sooner. They need to regain their strength if they are to survive."
Guan-thewi grumbled. "Trink'o is more likely to win against Mak'o."
Raz'ha hesitated but said, "I will challenge for the position and allow Mak'o to take it after then."
Raz'ha would lose the fight on purpose to let Mah'sic and the others have better odds of surviving. Such a sacrifice was significant in a society where reputation and fighting skills secured your resources.
"Are any of your students taking their chiva?" she asked.
Their response was a round of chuffs and offended clicks.
"They are half starved," Mar'cte said, "and still stupid."
"We will not give approval until the next opportunity," Raz'ha said. "The ones that are ready need more time to recover strength and the rest need more time to practice their skills."
"But Mak'o has approved a chiva," she murmured. Mah'sic was one of the students going on the dangerous hunt.
"It is irresponsible even for Mak'o, but the seeded planet is near and the ship will not return for some time. The other seeded planet will take many ooman months to reach." Raz'ha shook his head. "It is believed to be a bad omen to have no chiva."
"It would be strange to have no chiva in a full cycle," Sain'ja agreed. "But wiser to skip it, I believe."
Amelia swallowed her frustration. It felt like yautja, Saracen leadership in particular, were hell-bent on finding ways to get killed. The more ridiculous the reason the more eager they seemed to be about it. Half-starved and impoverished teenagers were being sent on a deadly hunt that less than half survived in optimal conditions. It was beyond frustrating. It was heartbreaking. And Mah'sic wouldn't change his mind about going.
So what did that leave them for options?
"Is it possible to mentor the ones going? You know, give them tips and some training before they go?" Amelia asked. "It seems so unfair to send them off like that."
There was some hesitation in the group and she sensed her question was inappropriate.
Raz'ha clicked agreement though the others did not. "We will."
Yeyinde chirped first of his hunt brothers. "When we are on the hunt we will observe and help when possible."
"Do not confront Mak'o or interfere in his teachings directly," Raz'ha warned.
Yeyinde rumbled. "That would be half the fun."
Raz'ha chuffed. "Until he interferes with your teachings. Your own students are your highest priority now. They are ill-trained and need guidance before their worthiness is determined."
Once they were trained then their lives were their own and an early death was their own lack of skill. Smart warriors continued to learn and hone their skills once they outgrew young blood status.
"Of course, brother." Yeyinde bowed his head in a rare show of seriousness. "I will protect them as you expect."
If only Razha wanted to understand politics, Amelia thought dismally. He was a natural leader and so damn reasonable about everything. Almost everything. She still smarted from their conflict over birth control. If the clan wasn't full of bad bloods, Raz'ha would make a great elder one day. For now, he taught future generations and shaped his clan that way.
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Author's note: Short one this time because my chapter breaks got all mixed up after an earlier oops. Anyway, don't think about it too hard pls lol.