Thirst

Chapter 2

"God damn it!" Machiko shouted as the shuttle lost control and plummeted into the planet's rocky surface. For a few seconds she didn't know if she was going to survive the crash. However, today was her lucky day and without a scratch she made it out of the destroyed space shuttle. As she stepped off the ship, a cold, unpleasant sulfuric air greeted her, making her frown. Looking around in the darkness, the only thing she saw was rocks piled up from the crash around boulders of all shapes and sizes covered with some kind of glowing weed, giving the eerie terrain a certain 'glow.' She had never been on this planet before, but she was glad the air was breathable. Turning back toward the smoldering pile of junk that was once the Yautja's property, Machiko let out a frustrated sigh. Now, she had no choice but to look elsewhere to find another transportation to get off the planet. Through the radio, while she was still on Yautja Prime she heard humans on this planet somewhere, and she wanted to find them. It's been years, she had any type of interaction with her kind, but she was looking forward to meeting them. The Yautja were never her family as she had hoped they would be when she decided to live amongst them. The only thing she received over the years was their hatred and humiliation and she had enough. As she was about to climb back to get a few things out of the cockpit, something caught her attention.

Several rushing footsteps were heard behind the boulders.

At first, she thought the Yautja found her, which gave her a sickly feeling inside her stomach. But as she looked toward the glowing rocks, she saw no Yautja, but a dozen humans heading her way.

"Can you get us out of here?!" One of the men shouted with an anxious voice.

"I'm afraid not." Machiko replied.

"Look at this pile of junk." One of the women said with a bitter tone. "We would never leave now."

"Who are you and where do you come from?" Machiko asked, looking at the newcomers.

"We are fleeing the settlement." The woman said pointing behind her with a distressed expression. "We were attacked and now only us left, everyone else is dead."

"Who attacked you?" Machiko inquired fearing for the worse.

"The Predators." Another man spoke up. His aging face covered with white beard looked scared and confused. "They came in the middle of the night and took over the settlement." He added as he anxiously pulled on his beard.

"How many of them?" Machiko asked while her mind was in great turmoil. She wondered which clan attacked them. Nevertheless, this was not the situation she was looking for, but these people needed help and she might just arrived at the right time. If she can get rid of them, then she'll have a ship and that made her smile.

"Only a few, but they overpowered us." The man replied. "However, we managed to kill one of them."

Machiko was well aware of these kinds of attacks. It meant they were ready to unleash the bugs to begin the hunt. Looking at the people, she quickly scanned them and then she asked.

"Do any of you feel strange or ill?"

They all shook their heads, when the woman replied.

"I don't think so." Then she asked. "Why?"

"We cannot be sure, but one of you might be already infected." Machiko said with a stern voice.

"Infected with what?" A large man asked, stepping closer.

"You don't want to know." Machiko replied gazing into his eyes. Just to think about that one or possibly more of them carried the little bastard made her angry and sad. She didn't want to hurt them, but if this was the case she had no choice.

She was about to tell them of the danger, when from the dark sky another ship descended toward the planet and landed behind hers.

Instantly, she recognized the ship and a loud grunt left her mouth.

"Great." She murmured anxiously. "They found me."

"Who found you?" The woman asked, looking from Machiko to the ship.

"We need to leave now." Machiko growled.

"Leave where?" The older man asked as his eyes traveled back and forth between the ship and Machiko.

"Anywhere but here." Machiko said and then she quickly asked. "How far is your settlement?" "We cannot go back there." The man replied. "We would all die if we do that."

Machiko had to make a quick choice. Either face Shorty and his comrades or get back to the settlement and face the other Yautja. Making up her mind, deftly, she turned away from the shuttle and started to run in the opposite way, followed by the others.

The loud battle roaring of his peers filled up the cold air as Shorty and the other hunters stepped off the ship. Everyone seemed eager for the hunt, except for him. When he saw the crashed shuttle, his heart skipped a beat thinking about Machiko lying dead inside. But when they stepped onto the surface, he saw her and some other humans rushing away in haste. At that moment a rush of excitement swept through him seeing her unharmed. But then the ice-cold realization hit him like a ton of bricks knowing that tonight she might die.

Taking a deep breath, slowly he exhaled and looked at his comrades and then his eyes landed on Freckles's eager face. With an unpleasant growl, Lar'nix'va said.

"Stay close."

"Don't worry, you'll get your chance too." The Yautja replied by clicking his mandibles. "I can't wait to see her skull on my wall."

Not saying anything, Shorty turned his attention toward the fleeing humans. Reluctantly, he followed the others as they rushed after the prey.

Machiko and the others didn't get far when they found themselves face-to-face with the four Predators that attacked the settlement earlier. Right away she was able to tell that they were not from her clan. Instant gunfire broke out as the humans started to fight back with the advancing Yautja. The air suddenly filled with roaring and shouting of everyone lighting up the area with flashes of blue and white lights.

Using her rifle, Machiko injured one of them right off the bet, hitting him on the shoulder. Then without losing momentum, she tackled him sending the large body of the alien flying through the air. With a few quick strides she reached him. Aiming at his chest, she sent several rounds into his flesh, killing him instantly. Then her attention turned to the one closest to her ready to plunge her knife into his heart.

While the humans were busy fighting against the other Yautja, Shorty and his peers reached them. The smell of shit and blood was thick in the air as he and the others engaged with the rest of the humans that were desperately fighting back. Shorty knew they wouldn't stand a chance. He didn't care for them, their skull would soon be decorating the walls. However, he didn't want to see hers with the rest. His troubled thoughts were disrupted when a large man stepped in front of him. For a human, he was tall, taller than Shorty making him even angrier. He hated his height and wished to be large like the others were, but this he could never change. Feeling frustrated and enraged, he swiftly blocked the man's attack and plunged his weapon into his wide chest, making him howl in pain. Then twisting the knife and pulling it out, Lar'nix'va satisfyingly watched as his blood squirted out of the large hole and landed on his arms and legs.

The smell of his blood suddenly reminded him of his dream. Quickly looking around, he noticed Freckles heading toward Machiko who was fighting with another Yautja from a different clan. As he had expected, she finished him off with ease, and then spinning around, she was ready for her next victim. While she ferociously engaged in a fight with one of his clan members, Shorty anxiously watched as two of them, including Freckles were almost upon her. Stabbing his sword through the belly of an older man with a white beard, Lar'nix'va pushed his corps away like he was a sack of meat and rushed toward her.

Machiko had no idea how long they were fighting, but she knew a lot of her human friends already lay in the dirt, covered with blood and gore. These poor settlers never had a chance, she bitterly thought as she cut off the hand of the Yautja in front of her spraying bright green blood all over her armor and knife.

Then with a precise clean cut, she sent his roaring head flying across the battlefield.

Feeling the adrenaline coursing through her veins, Machiko was ready for the next one. She had no plans of dying tonight. But if it comes to that, and she has to die, she wanted to go out like a champ and not a victim.

Shorty was sure this was it. Surrounded by the Yautja, she was left alone, and there was no one to come to her aid. Although she managed to kill several of them, her moves were getting clumsier and he was able to tell she wasn't going to last long. Her bravery to save these humans would cost her life and he wished she had run away, even if it looked cowardly, she would still have her life.

As Freckles was about to stab her in the back, Shorty made up his mind and made his first move to save the woman he loved.

Without any remorse, he stabbed his knife into Freckles's back, and pushed it through his body until the end of the knife burst out of the astonished Yautja's chest.

"Goodbye brother." Shorty murmured into his ear and then shoving him away, he went for the next one.

Machiko was getting tired. Her arms and legs felt like they were on pure fire, but she couldn't give them the satisfaction to see her getting defeated. She wanted to fight until she could no more. Then something strange happened.

From the corner of her eye, she caught a movement.

Baffled, she watched as Lar'nix'va, her arch enemy stabbed another one of his comrades and then facing away from her, he stood like a bodyguard in front of her ready to kill everyone if they tried to hurt her.

One of the Yautja raised his weapon at Shorty and then roared like a wounded animal letting him know that his betrayal would not go unpunished.

Confused, Machiko stared at Shorty's muscular back as he stood in a fighter stance ready to pounce on the rest of the crew. However, she didn't have much time to dwell on this when from the left one of them attacked her. Swiftly, she sidestepped him and punched him in the gut knocking the air out of him for a second. Then her knee came up and connected with his face, breaking teeth and bone.

Their makeshift little team fought like tigers against the others killing them one-by-one. Just before the last few were disposed of, Machiko felt a sharp pain traveling up her right leg. Looking down, she noticed a knife sticking out of her thigh. Holding onto the knife was a dying Yautja lying on the ground. With his last breath, he stabbed his weapon through her leg and then his grip loosened and he was gone, while Machiko felt like passing out from the pain and exhaustion.

When the last one of his comrades' heads flew off his shoulders, breathing heavy and sweating profusely, Shorty quickly scanned the area making sure none of them got away. Then his attention turned to Machiko kneeling on the ground behind him, slowly bleeding out.

As his eyes met hers, a shaky breath left her mouth.

Lifting up her hand, she said in a weakened, raspy voice.

"Finish me. If this is what you were after, let's finish this once and for all."

Stepping closer, and clicking his mandibles Lar'nix'va said.

"Let me help you."

With an ironic laugh, she shook her head and said.

"Help me? Why would you want to help me?"

When he didn't reply, she asked.

"Was this for your own amusement or did you plan this ahead just to get to me?"

Irritated, Shorty threw down his weapon and said.

"I didn't plan anything and I'm not here to hurt you. I did this all for you."

Coughing, she wiped the sweat off her brow and then through gritted teeth, she said.

"To kill them just to kill me, now that's what I call ambition. After all, you did not disappoint me. I always knew how savage you were."

"Enough lou-dte kale." He growled. Then he picked up his weapon and then grabbing her arm, he pulled her up. "You talk too much." He added as he threw her on his wide shoulders.

Machiko wanted to protest, but she had no strength. Feeling lightheaded, and as she dangled from his shoulders, she said in a cynical tone.

"I am not...your woman." She also wanted to say and I will never be, but her eyelids felt heavy, and she had a hard time staying conscious. She was losing blood and within seconds she was out cold. Cutting into his palm, he pressed his bleeding hand onto her wound. Within seconds, the skin around her wound started to close up.

Lar'nix'va knew what he did here was an ultimate betrayal of his kind. As of now, he became a Bad Blood Yautja and there was no forgiveness for this kind of behavior. Holding his hand over her wound, he stepped over the many corps of Yautja and humans and approached their ship. He had no idea where the other clan's ship was, but he was confident he'll find it. However, he had no choice but to destroy this one to cover up his tracks. This way it would look like the ship had crashed killing everyone on board. Perhaps this way the others would never find out what went down here. He just has to make sure no one ever finds him or Machiko. They could take the other's ship and be gone, never to be found. From this moment on, their lives are going to change whether she likes it or not, he thought as he set up the destruction device.

Swiftly, with her in his arms, he left the ship and headed toward the direction from where the others came from. An immense explosion was heard behind them as the ship detonated, brightening up the dark sky. The aftermath of the destruction almost knocked him off his feet, but Lar'nix'va quickly took refuge behind a large boulder avoiding some of the impact of the explosion. When the commotion died down, he noticed his hand was firmly planted on Machiko's behind. Reluctantly he moved his hand lower where her wound was almost healed now.

When she came to her senses she felt cold. Shuddering, she opened her eyes only to see Shorty sitting on a rock next to her cleaning his weapon. With a low grunt he looked her way and then he went back to cleaning.

Lying on the cold, hard ground, she slowly reached up and touched her forehead.

The clammy skin felt hot to the touch like she was running a fever. Then she looked around and saw that they were in a cave. The walls here were also covered with the glowing moss she had seen on the boulders outside. Machiko wanted to open her mouth to say something but her throat felt extremely dry and she dierly needed a drink of water. Then she touched her leg feeling the raw edges of her now closed up wound. Suddenly, a cold draft entered the cave making her shiver. She wanted to ask him if he could make some fire, but she just felt so tired, she didn't have the strength to say anything.

Putting down his weapon, Lar'nix'va stood up and then lay down beside her.

He was also cold and wished to make fire, but in the darkness he didn't dare to go and look for some wood. He had never been here before and he didn't know the terrain. He had no choice but to endure the cold climate.

With a low grunt, he embraced her. He hoped she would not protest.

To his surprise, she didn't recoil, but leaned against him.

Machiko was not fond of this type of physical interaction especially with him. She was sure he had an agenda, otherwise he wouldn't have done what he did. Eventually she'll find out what was his motivation to keep her alive. However the comforting warmth of his body felt good and she was grateful for not just saving her life but to take care of her as well. Pressing her face against his chest, she listened to his steady heartbeats. She still didn't understand why he saved her, but she had no energy to contemplate on this matter now. She needed her strength and to get back to her feet she needed more sleep. Closing her eyes, she let out a few shaky breaths and then wrapping her arms around him, she drifted back to sleep.

While she slept in his arms, Lar'nix'va had a hard time controlling his excitement.

At that moment everything that happened that night was forgotten. The only thing that mattered was her and nothing else. Gently, he ran his fingers through her hair feeling the coarseness of her locks. He couldn't believe she was here in his arms. This felt like a dream, which he never wanted to awaken from. Then a huge lightning strike lit up the entrance of the cave and then the rain started to pour down outside. A low clicking sound followed by soft purring escaped his throat looking at her. Lightly, he touched her eyebrows then her eyelids. Then his fingers traveled further down until he reached her lips. The soft texture of her lips felt wonderful. He had never touched her like this intimate before and this amused him. He wondered what she would say if she saw him doing this to her.

She'd probably kick my ass, he thought amusingly.

Then his thoughts went to the ship. He was certain where the settlement was there he would find the ship. By now the humans were most likely gone, butchered and killed by the other clan, which was good news. At least he doesn't have to put up with them. Although he disliked humans and hunted them for fun, the ironic thing was that he was in love with one and this made him want to laugh. But to think that he could have lost her tonight made him anxious. Despite their differences, she was everything he had hoped in a mate. Strong, smart and hard headed, she stole his heart a few weeks after her arrival to his clan. From that day on, he couldn't stop thinking about her. Even though he treated her badly, deep inside he wished to do the opposite, but he was never capable. The way he grew up, the daily humiliation and despicable treatment from the others left a scar inside him that never truly healed, making him bitter and cruel. The only thing he knew and enjoyed was to hurt others and never considered doing it otherwise, until recently.

Closing his eyes he inhaled her scent, the amazing scent that he came to love. While the fierce storm raged outside, he cuddled with her until he fell asleep.

To be continued...