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A different type of warrior	By : ItchyTasty Category: M through R > Predator Views: 12967 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Predator movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
Chapter Ten: Pleasure Yacht (There is sex in this chapter I promise :))

He realized they must have gone on without him. He understood, it was a simple matter, keep up or fall behind. He'd have difficulty catching them with the man's corpse weighing him down so walked over to edge of the building. He tied the corpse to a synth-cord and left it on the ground while he scaled the side of the wall. Climbing felt good, he had brief visions of his claws hooking into trees propelling himself upward during his hard meat trail. However this was no training and he had no time for revere.

At the top of the building he took the line of the synth-cord and wound it quickly raising the body to the roof, he lay the fallen warrior over a ventilation duct and began dressing the corpse. He made an incision at the base of the ribs then using his claws spread the cut into a wide opening, he then cut through the cavity carefully as to not puncture the foul organs within lest risking contamination from the Ooman's offal. These he then gathered slowly extruding them from the corpse and then setting them aside on the roof. He chose the thigh's and the buttocks quickly severing them from the corpse and cleaning them of excess tendons and connective tissues before putting them in a traveler's mesh for safekeeping. They would make fine eating fresh or dried as they were the most succulent parts of an Ooman's body. He would have taken more so to not waste the meat, however he was short on time. Finishing he flipped the corpse upside down it's now empty chest cavity no longer a risk he broke the spine violently from the ribcage tearing it all the way to the skull. There was a brief shower of blood as the column shivered free from its support. He was pleased that he had managed to get as much of the spine as he had. It would make an excellent trophy, he proceeded to clean the skull and spinal column before putting it in a trophy sack.

He paused a moment looking down over the edge of the roof. The battle had died down, the combatants fleeing the streets. Regardless he engaged his shift suit effectively making himself invisible to all but the most observant. He scaled the building down to the ground level and picked up his pack's scent. He began a hunt of sorts. He had always enjoyed the chase.

His long stride ate the ground quickly, far faster than he'd traveled in the company of the Oomans. His pack had made good time, in the time it had taken the sun to rise half way to it's zenith they had cleared the city all together, straying from the main road and going over the brown dirt waste out into the barrens. They'd traveled on at great speed knowing that he would follow and overtake them or die in the process, unworthy. He grunted smelling his mate's musk, her N'dui'se, he longed to see her heavy with his child, such thoughts spurred him. The ground beneath him becoming an absolute blur.

Pyode Jehdin scanned the vast complex in front of her. It was like a production facility as well as a private estate all in one. The grounds stretched all the way to the vast cliff of red stone which formed a plateau which stretched innumerable miles to the west.

“So, you were about to tell me how we're supposed to get into that?” She asked

Lexi blushed from head to foot it would seem, her pale skin flashing scarlet.

“This way.” Said Lexi

They followed the young woman around the outskirts of the compound's electric fence. After a few hundred meters the girl led them into a culvert. In the culvert there was a grate about man high bolted down on all sides.

“This wasn't here when I left!” Said Lexi

The girl's hands had gone to her hips and she had that pouty confused look on her face that women wore when things were not as they expected. Pyode Jehdin smiled.

“You left through a sewer?” Asked Dutch

“It's a maintenance access tunnel, they run all over complexes like this so that if there's an issue with power lines they can send in technicians.” Said Pyode Jehdin

“Yeah it's not a sewer,” Said Lexi

“Left, or escaped?” Asked Sarah

“You should explain before Ka'Ja'Rand catches up, we'll need his help with the grate anyway.” Said Pyode Jehdin

“My um... father has always watched over me with extreme caution and over-protectiveness.” She said “I hate him for that, eventually I couldn't stand the restrictions, the appointments, the mandatory hours of waiting on him. So I tried to leave when I was fourteen. He caught me, beat me, and locked me in a wing of his mansion. I lived cloistered there for nearly a year before I found the access panel in the wall which lead me to these tunnels. I had been living on the streets for nearly two years before Mama Gee abducted me.” She finished

Pyode Jehdin watched the young girl staring at the ground, her story held truth, but it wasn't all there was to hear. She was about to question her about it when Ka'Ja'Rand slipped up on the group and uncloaked.

“Shit don't do that!” Said Dutch

“Wow...” Said Lexi

Pyode Jehdin had already closed the distance between her and her mate. He put his hand out to touch her shoulder however she bypassed the standard greeting and did her best to swallow him up in a large hug. He trilled pleased to see her as well.

“What took you?” She asked in Yautja

“I paused only to take your trophy for you, and to acquire some provisions.” He said back, before producing the skull from his carrying sack, it was polished to a high sheen. “He was a pack leader, and a worthy trophy, you earned great honor in his death.”

“Thanks handsome.” She said this time in basic

“You know that's creepy as hell that you speak some of his language now,” Said Dutch “Just don't sound right coming out of a human mouth.”

Pyode Jehdin turned back to her friend with a smile. Only to notice that Lexi was staring in open awe at her mate.

“I take it this is the first close up look you've had of my mate then?” She asked

"Awe bloody hell Kara, don't say it out loud, it's creepy enough as is.” Said Dutch

“Is he real?” Asked the girl

“Yes,” Said Pyode Jehdin

“What's his name?” She asked

“Ka'Ja'Rand,”

“Can I..”

“No.”

“But, I”

“No.”

“I want one.” She finished, with something akin to a stationary bounce.

Ka'Ja'Rand could smell the scent from both females, they were like De'Tan circling each other to determine pack order.

“It is hard for you to know the answers to her questions if you do not let her ask.” He trilled to his female. She looked at him, her face muscles flexing oddly. The bull male made some variety of throat noise which wasn't speech, it was something they used to express amusement.

“I'm not sure what the big asshole said, but I may have to agree with him out of principal” Said Dutch

“Enough, we have little time” Said Pyode Jehdin “Ka'Ja'Rand open the tunnel”

She watched him as he approached it, he took a moment to look at the grate as if to determine the best method of entry. After a moment's contemplation he simply took the thing in both of his massive hands his feet taking a wide arched stance his back where she could see it around his armor flexing in a corded mass of muscle, his arms straining in tandem with his legs as with one herculean lurch he levered the huge grate out of it's housing and threw it like a discus out of the way.
“Wow.” Said Dutch

“Now I really want to touch him.” Said Lexi

“Hell kid, that almost made me want to touch him, you realize that thing must have weighed over a thousand pounds.” He said
Ka'Ja'Rand just stood mute, it had been a difficult lift to be sure, but honor dictated he make it seem like he could do that all day.

“Follow me,” Said Lexi

With that they found themselves following the woman child into the depths of the subterranean tunnels. The temperature began to fluctuate very quickly, in the space of a hundred feet it cycled from heat that would exhaust all but the Yutja to cold which could nearly freeze the sweat on their flesh. Some areas were more humid than any rational person would have their sauna, yet others were so dry the air seemed to suck the moisture from their skin. Always the ground was coated in a layer of dirt and rust in a kind of red brown which could be seen by the occasional light at the overhead access points. The path twisted up down right and left, occasionally they had to duck or crawl under or over pipes which crisscrossed the tunnels.

“How did you ever memorize this labyrinth?” Asked Sarah from where she walked behind Peyode Jehdin.

“It took about two months to figure out, honestly I enjoyed exploring it, there are some areas where you can't go because it gets too hot because of steam or electronics.” Said Lexi as she hopped over another pipe. After a time they came to a place where the walls suddenly split apart into a wide dark expanse littered with objects in packing crates and clear plexywrap.

“We're under the main hanger now, there's an access stair near the service elevator on the north side of this room.” She said “My father keeps a Yacht there as well.”

“If this vessel will accommodate us we should wait until nightfall to take it, the Oomans set to guard it will be less alert.” Said Ka'Ja'Rand

“Does he understand me?” Asked Lexi

“I would say he understands humans well enough.” Said Pyode Jehdin “He suggests we wait till night to take the ship as the guards will be more sluggish.”

“We had better rest ourselves then.” said Dutch

“Ka'Ja'Rand and I will take the first watch,” Said Pyode Jehdin

“But I..” Said Lexi

“No.” She replied. She watched the young woman stalk off and sit down propping her back against some variety of soft shelled crate. She hoped the girl had gotten the message, she was in need of some alone time with her mate. It had been far to long since they'd had a moment to themselves.

As they walked away from the spot where dutch and Sarah settled down Pyode Jehdin felt herself slipping away from the human world of thought and back into her persona as a huntress, it was much easier to pay attention to the world and assume hostility from everything around you when you didn't have a group to look after. Responsibility makes a mother hen it would seem. Ka'Ja'Rand stayed quiet keeping just behind her yet out of arm's reach.

He could hear them all, the soft breathing of the small female, fast asleep. The heartbeats of the big male and his female as they held one another resting for the conflict that was to come. The soft rush of air and dust from his mate's sure footfalls as she patrolled the edge of the room. In the background the thrum of machinery and electronics. A hive of Oomanity above guards and other personnel manning the spaceport proper. He wondered how many they would need to slay to acquire the craft.

The entire place reeked of disuse, it was unnatural and sterile, the life of this world did not touch this compound, as if it's occupants had systemically exterminated the life in the surrounding miles. It was similar to being in space. Yet even in all the emptiness, all the death, the Oomans above lived on.
“Your culture is odd, you destroy everything around you for material gain.” He said

“It was not always that way, long ago our people were tribal and nomadic, we sought the honor of the hunt, of the ways of the warrior.” She said in her own language “Eventually there were too many of us, in banding together the strong succumbed to the will of the many and the weak, strength and honor, fell to monetary gain, and property.”

“The gods will punish them for their excess eventually.” He said

“Our gods left us or forsook us long ago.” She said

“Then that is their punishment.” He said

They finished their circuit of the storage chamber. They came back to the group and she set up her post next to a large crate watching the large service elevator and the door to the stairwell. She checked the pulse rifle over making sure a round was chambered before sitting back against the rough wood. Night would be a long wait, she checked her chrono on her wrist. They would need to move in about three hours, she settled in for the long wait.

The hours passed slowly, yet all to soon she found herself standing and rousing Dutch and Sarah.

“It's time” She said

Waking the girl took a bit more effort. Pyode Jehdin prodded her with her foot less then gently when verbal prompting did not prove adequate.

“I'm up quit kicking me.” She said

“We're moving now, I need you to show me the release for the hangar doors so we can get the yacht out.” Said Pyode Jehdin “There may be some shooting, if it happens I want you to get down or behind something solid till I tell you otherwise.”

“No complaints there,” Said the girl “We should take the stair, though the alarm will sound the moment we open the door without a keycard."

“Well, we are stealing a spaceship, I don't expect it to be easy.” Said Pyode Jehdin

They stepped lightly to the door, Kara checking to see if she could push it open found it locked in place. It was a security door so she didn't bother with attempting to kick it open.

“Stand back.” She said

She backed up about twenty feet from the door and hefted her pulse rifle aiming loosely from the shoulder she pumped the under-barrel grenade launcher once. The dull thwump of the round accented the momentary blindness from the brightness of the explosion. The warhead tore into the door rending it and scaring the durocrete walls.

“Through the flames!” She said

She rushed the opening as a nearly invisible shape carved a brief hole through the flames and the smoke. Overhead the fire extinguisher systems came on spraying water all over the cargo room turning the dust on the floor into soup. The flames hissed and billowed smoke. Dutch, and the rest followed them into the stair.

“Take me to the controls,” She said to Lexi “Dutch, Take Sarah and access the yacht, Ka'Ja'Rand will be on crowd control.”

“Right,” He said sprinting up the stairs, Sarah following close behind.

“Lead on” She said

“This way,” Said the girl, she spluttered a little in the smoke.

Pyode Jehdin followed the girl up three flights of stairs. The alarms changed slightly from a shrill siren, to an occasional burst.

“They know we're here!” Said Lexi

“No shit!,” Said Pyode Jehdin “The control room now!”

The girl stayed low and moved down the hall in a kind of shuffle. At the end of the hall the door burst open and a man in a mechanic's uniform ran in. The rifle came up shouldered before she could think. In the narrow corridor the bark of it shattered the silence the brief flare of the muzzle stabbing like a tongue of fire. Her aim hadn't suffered despite her fatigue, though perhaps her judgment, the man was unarmed. Pity. She stepped over the bleeding corpse and to the side of the door. She pushed it open from the side using the barrel of the rifle. Small arms fire tore through the door and the opening she let it fall closed.

“Stay there.” She said

Lexi nodded getting closer if she could to the wall.

Kara pushed the door open again. Again small arms slapped into the metal door, fragments splattering the hall. She grunted, she didn't have time for this shit. She waited for a moment, there was more gunfire from inside the chamber, suddenly an explosion tore through the cacophony. She slammed open the door rolling out onto the metal catwalk and shouldering her rifle. On the far side of the room away from the yacht some variety of storage tanks were on fire, they had ruptured exploding and billowing a sickly black smoke into the room. At the end of the corridor was a well lit room that appeared empty. A Moment later a head stuck out into the hall accompanied by a pistol. The firing stud on the rifle depressed. The guard attempted to back into the room, to late he was caught the burst of fire cutting through the entryway tearing into his body through the wall. Pyode Jehdin ran for the room, bullets ripped into the wall around her. She slid into the room feet first coming up with the rifle from a laying down position.

There was another body in the room, and a third man in the corner cowering on his knees.

“The doors open them!” She shouted at him

“Please don't shoot!” He said

The doors, now!” She said, “Or we see how many bullets it takes to turn a coward into bloody paste.”

“Ok, ok, don't hurt me,” He said

The man shuddered crawling hands and knees over to a center console. He fumbled with a key on a cord on his neck before inserting it in the port on his third time. He gave it a twist and hit a big black button to the right. Warning lights started blaring at the huge bay doors, they started sliding open to either side. New guards more heavily armed fired from defensive positions outside. Pyode Jehdin ran to the console and took the key. At the doorway she paused and then put a burst of fire into the console shattering it. She left the room not a moment too soon. One of the new guards had some variety of grenade launcher and sent a round through the window the room behind exploded fantastically. The walkway tearing from it's support she lost her footing, dropping the rifle she caught herself on the metal hand rail, the rifle clattering to the ground three stories below. She scrambled up the walkway and ran to the corridor.

“Let's go!” She said, grabbing Lexi from where she was crouching and pulling her down the hall behind her. The stairwell was still coated in smoke from below as they made their way down to the ground floor.

He helped the Oomans kill the men on the ground floor. The fire he'd caused with his burner was regrettable. They'd used the explosion to move out to the ship. However it's entry was locked. The female had tried to open it for some time but was unable to. He'd finally had to supersede gently pushing her out of the way. She'd gotten the hint. His wristband had established contact with the primitive system and was busy attempting every possible entry command and coded release. The difficulty was that the Ooman system was so far behind his own technology that it could not process even a hundredth of the data that his wristband could. Which meant that the decode was taking longer than usual.

The great doors to the building cracked open the outside air rushing in to replace the smoke, the fire flaring to life in the new wind. Ooman burners barked from outside. The bull male and his female responded from cover. An explosion above caught his attention. Through the smoke he made out his mate running along the catwalk. She'd lost her burner in the blast. He trilled slightly with worry. Just then the decryption finished. He purred slightly punching the necessary command to open the ship's hatch and get its systems running, there was a rumble as it's engines came to life the smoke billowing out of the hangar, the back hatch opening it's lights lit and inviting. He charged his burner and stalked down the newly open ramp. The others charged past him as he rounded the ship. His mate and the small female came out of the stair rushing for the ship. He crouched next to the ramp bringing his father's weapon up, the plasma caster primed. There were several groups of Oomans pouring out of transports outside. He picked one and fired. Some of the men tried to scramble for cover. The truck shattered in a tremendous explosion showering those that assailed them with chunks of metal and flaming debris. He entered the ship closing the ramp behind him with a stab of his finger to the display on his wristband.

“Did you start the preflight?” Pyode Jehdin asked

“No,” Said Sarah, “The big guy did it from outside the ship.”

She just shook her head. She stabbed the controls bringing the thrust online the dual sublight drives filled the ship with a palpable energy yet no vibration or noise. In a ship of this size smaller than the frigate they'd landed in, it was a very impressive feat.
“Everyone on board?” She asked

“The entire pack is present.” Said Ka'Ja'Rand from the door to the cockpit.

“Good, we're out of here.” She said, pushing the thrust bar forward bringing the power to full. The ship came up from the ground, the back entry closing. The yacht surged forward with admirable acceleration. The force of it crushing the hangar behind it the guards scattering like leaves to the wind in its wake. She guided the ship up nearly vertically from it's berth.

“Lexi,” She said, as she guided the ship.

“I'm here,” She Said

“Will they notify the authorities?” She asked

“No, he has cameras.” Said Lexi “He will send mercenaries himself to find me.”

“Your father's that powerful?” She asked

“Now that he's found me, he won't stop till he's brought me back.” She said

“Tracking device.” Pyode Jehdin said “Ka'Ja'Rand can you disable it?”

He brought his wrist up and tapped with his claw for a moment.

“If such a device is present it is not linked to the ship's systems,” He said “I will attempt to isolate it's signal.”

They broke atmo spectacularly, the viewscreen became a fireball as friction caused the oxygen around the ship to burst into flame. The fire exhausted the available oxygen as the ship slipped into the cold vacuum of space as if being quenched by a vast immeasurable sea.

“I have the computer calculating a jump for us we should be out of system shortly.” She said

The sound of the great engines changed from a steady hum to a low pitched whine as the jump pulse charged. In a sudden surge the ship rocketed forward the great expanse of stars flashed and burned into lines a multitude of colors as they shot past and suddenly plunged the ship into complete blackness.

Everyone went quiet for a bit.

“Where is Lexi?” Asked Sarah

“She was here a moment ago,” Said Pyode Jehdin “I'll go see where she went.”

She found the girl in the smaller cabin. It was littered with things a young woman would want. A full body mirror, a stand for her makeup, drawers covering one side of a wall most likely full of clothing. She was sitting on the bed her head in her hands elbows resting on her knees.

“So,” Said Pyode Jehdin “You were about to tell me why it is that you dread your father.”

“What?” She asked, looking up, her eyes looked red, she'd been crying.

“You know what I mean,” She said “You went from chipper and excited as hell, to scared and immobile as soon as we got in that hangar. I don't think it was the firefight. Tell me what's bothering you.”

“He's not my father.” She said

“Go on.” Said Pyode Jehdin

“I'm a clone of his dead wife,” She said “He had me created four years ago to take her place. I don't remember being her, I don't remember their love. All I see is an old man who's wrinkled hands touch me in familiar ways, who does things to me I don't want to do. Who is in love with something, a memory I resemble. Obsessed with something that isn't me, yet he sees in this body.”

Pyode Jehdin rested her hand on the girl's thigh, it was possibly the most human gesture she'd made in the last two weeks. Despite her sympathy she could only relate in terms of fending off unwanted sexual advances. The girls pain was her own, the situation on the other hand was something the little humanity left in Kara very much wanted to address, with harsh and swift violence, or perhaps it was what she was becoming. Perhaps it was a Yautja's revulsion at the dishonor that this young creature had experienced in her short troubled life.

“Will he look for you now that he knows where you are?” She asked

“He's very, very wealthy, he'll follow this ship with an army of hired guns to bring me back. I'm not exactly inexpensive.” She said

“No, not with the ban on human cloning I imagine.” She said “Well one of the first things a hunter learns when choosing dangerous game, is that predators are easiest to kill when drawn in with bait.”

The girl clutched her, her arms wrapping her into a hug. Pyode Jehdin revolted for a moment, almost pulling away, she hadn't anticipated this.

Her mate stood at the doorway looming oversized compared to the portal he eclipsed. He'd been listening she knew.

“I know now why your species's gods abandoned your people.” He said “Such dishonor, this Ooman male must be destroyed.”

The room vibrated, she could feel the waves of rage rolling over his voice. Oddly her own anger was muted by the thunder of his disgust. She wondered how he was able to have such clear feelings on the matter, frankly his feelings were always clear on every matter, it was slightly exasperating that he never hedged, never hesitated.

“How do we do it.” She asked, switching to his language.

“We do not sleep this journey.” He said “We train her, if this male seeks her, she will be able to take back her honor.”

“Don't talk about me like I'm not here, I may be young, but I'm no child.” Said Lexi, as she wiped a tear from her eye.

“You were.” Said Ka'ja'rand, in Galactic Basic for her benefit. “Soon, you will not be.”

Sarah and Dutch said their good nights after a good long shower in the delux unit in the luxury suite, they went into the two person Chrio unit and fell asleep in one anothers arms.

Pyode Jehdin poked around in the kitchen unit trying to find something that suited her hunger. She was lost with all the foreign ingredients littering the menu lists. The dishes weren't anything she was accustomed to.

“What is all this?” She asked Lexi when the girl walked into the kitchen.

“Well what are you looking at? Oh Dai-terai Trifect, that's a form of caviar only available from Titan.” She said

“I never much liked caviar.” Said Pyode Jehdin “But why not just call it caviar?”

“Well a marine can afford caviar,” Said Lexi “This stuff costs more by weight than Unobtanium from Pandora.”

“Really?” She asked

“Yep,” Lexi replied nodding her head as she made some coffee.

“What's it taste like?” Pyode Jehdin asked

“Somewhere between cocain and dog shit,” Said Lexi

“Then why do people eat it?” She asked

Lexi shrugged and went to the table sitting in a swivel chair sipping her drink.

Her mood seemed to have improved in the last few hours. That was the beauty of youth, regardless of horrors, they could bounce back just like that.

“So tell me about him.” Said Lexi

“What is there to tell?” she replied, poking the menu again while growing increasingly frustrated with the machine. On a marine ship or even a company vessel regulations made certain there was a human cook aboard due to old laws so that humans weren't replaced with machines. As she looked over the menu she was beginning to see the wisdom.

“Well where does he come from?” Asked the girl

“Space, no home planet, his people are nomadic.” She said

“Oh, must get lonely.” Said the girl

"I don't think Yautja get lonely, save for the need to mate,” She said “They hunt the galaxy, and as they get older more and more often by themselves. Only the young and inexperienced hunt in groups, there's more honor in the solo hunt.”

It occurred to her that while she had learned much about her adopted culture she'd never asked Ka'ja'rand his age, she knew he was a father, but he could be a teenager for all she knew.

"What does he look like without the mask?” asked Lexi

“Not all that pretty, there again I've never been picky about a man's face, as long as they're masculine and treat me the way I want, looks aren't that important, it's what's on the inside that counts.” She said

“He seems so serious.” She said

“His culture is a society based on martial prowess, everything in his life is serious.” She said, “Hell even when we fuck he does his best to knock me up because regardless of the pleasure he views coupling with the intent to reproduce.”

Lexi had this perplexed look on her face that said she didn't understand.

“Nevermind, I've said too much.” Said Pyode Jehdin

“Men are weird.” Replied the girl

“Ah but didn't you say you wanted one?” She said, she laughed for the first time in a long time. Perhaps having the young woman around was healthy. A memory of what she'd been, though she was about to break and mold that memory into something else entirely.

Ka'ja'rand hung up the thighs of the man he'd slaughtered they would not last very long, perhaps a day or two at most. He dreaded the consumption of more Ooman space rations. He wished he'd had time to do a proper hunt for supplies before hand.

The door to the luxury suite swished open, his mate's lithe muscled frame sliding between the small opening easily. He turned to her his chest swelling a bit. He was pleased to see her. It had been too long since they were alone and relatively at peace. She came to him stepping lightly over the plush carpet, her small feet leaving indentations in the weave. He'd doffed much of his armor for cleaning and servicing. Only retaining his re-breather face mask, as well as his wristbands as he did not have the tools to remove them without severing his own arms. She'd shaved her head as was her custom again, the skull tattoo on it's side leering mouth open as if in a final yell of defiance. She wore a slim flight suit that she'd found on the ship, it clung to her like a second skin sealed only by a zipper in the front. Her breasts appeared nearly ready to burst from the flexible fabric, which also strained to contain the curve of her ample hips. He'd almost forgotten the allure of her form, how completely feminine she was, yet different from his own kind. He decided he approved of the new garments and made a note to destroy the bulky coveralls she'd worn on the planet as soon as possible.

She took her left hand to his right shoulder in the customary greeting, he trilled his pleasure at the meeting and returned the gesture. However her attention was quickly taken by the meat hanging by the improvised hooks he had made. He was becoming better at determining Ooman facial expressions. He knew better than to stand between a hungry female and the object of her interest so he stepped to the side to allow her access to the meat.

Pyode Jehdin retrieved her blade from the desk where she'd disassembled her weapons for cleaning. She grasped the hanging haunch of meat and cut a few strips from it quickly, the edge on the weapon was quite brutally sharp. The meat had that gamey flavor, slick and greasy, with a slight sweetness to it yet very salty. It took longer to chew being stringy though she didn't mind, she relished it, licking the grease from her fingers. Human tasted somewhere between prosciutto and venison, or at least the parts she'd eaten thus far. Although she was not adverse to trying new pieces of man. He was becoming her favorite animal to kill.

He sat on the bed watching her as he often did. He had his mask on which was normal, he rarely took it off save to eat due to the difference in the needs of their lungs, her air was breathable for him for little more than ten minutes. He looked slightly feline yet reptilian at the same time, his skin smooth and hard covering muscles which rippled when he trilled. He had that calm dominance of a man who even in a new situation brought his comfort zone with him. She found it amusing as despite his calm warrior's reserve he always had an expectant air about him. It was as if he didn't know what she would do at any moment.

She found herself wondering how to get him to better express himself verbally. Staring at him while she ate she felt herself overcome with a perverse idea, her desire for food being overridden now that her hunger was subsiding, a long denied need crept up her spine, she began to ache for him and had no intentions on depriving herself. She smiled at him, after all, he'd taken off his shift suit, it wouldn't get in the way of what she had in mind.

She took the last slice of meat she was eating and turned to face him, she ate it deliberately letting him watch her sucking it into her mouth suggestively as she ate. When she'd finished, she sauntered over to him. He sat there still mute not understanding her purpose or restraining himself, she expected the latter, he seemed to restrain himself quite a bit when they were together. She clawed her fingers down his neck over the muscles of his shoulders and down his chest. When she finished her work there were streaks of grease from the juice on her fingers. She began to slowly nibble at his neck, sucking gently at the claw marks she'd created. She smiled watching him tense, she enjoyed making him respond to her touch. It was amusing to know that she could make even her unmovable rock of a mate tremble.

She slid her free hand up his thigh, his legs spread as her touch, the muscles in them flexing against her hand as it made it's way up his length, she found the clasp which held his equipment in check and released it, swinging the metallic fabric mesh away. He was swollen already, she could see the pulse of it as it slowly hardened.

She took his massive balls in her hand clenching just above them. She licked one of them tasting the salt on his skin. She opened her mouth sucking it in flexing her tongue against it despite the fact it gagged her slightly, her mouth squeezed down a bit involuntarily. He growled, it didn't sound displeased, more his equivalent of a moan. He was gripping the edge of the couch where he sat, suddenly his hands seized involuntarily his claws puncturing the fabric and tearing furrows in the appolstry. She let his huge ball pop out of her mouth, saliva dripping from it as it smacked heavily into the couch. She took her tongue spreading the two of them apart and then sliding up his now stiff shaft her other hand rotating slowly on the engorged head of his cock. She switched her mouth with her hand, stroking his shaft as she tried her best to swallow as much of him as she was able. She slid back off him slowly her tongue riding up the indentation at the base of his head where it attached to the rest of his cock.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide. He grunted again, his entire body convulsing, contractions running down the length of him as she nursed his cock like a sucker on a teat. It was the oddest feeling he'd experienced in his life, he enjoyed it immensely. However he was so heavy with need, he was beginning to lose control of himself. Already the Ooman furniture had suffered his exasperation so that he not disturb his mate. How Ooman males endured such torture without mating he had no idea. He'd watched many holos on their mating habits and rituals. Much of which he found bizarre or physically improbable based on their anatomies. The tension stopped for a moment. She merely gripped him with one of her hands and looked up at him, he was confused and tilted his head a bit as if to question her.

“Tell me you want it,” She said “I want to know how much you crave me.”

“You are my mate, I will always be ready for you.” he said “The mere smell of you makes me want to fill you.”

“Not the best warrior,” She said “Though I appreciate you trying.”

He understood finally, she was feeling insecure about there being another female who wanted his attention aboard, she wanted confirmation of his desire for her.

“You are the end of all things for me.” He said “The greatest hunt of my life, I live only to please you.”

“Better, mighty hunter,” She said, sliding her tongue around the head of his cock with heavy pressure feeling the pulse of it against her mouth. “Mmph, better.”

He growled again deep in his throat. He hoped his answers pleased her. The room was filled with her musk, the heady scent of her need in addition to the feel of her made him the consistency of warm stone, slick, pulsing, polished with saliva. He felt the breeding coming on him, a slow rage building inside him, his need overwhelming his logic and restraint. The metal frame of the couch crumpled under his grip.

She smiled at him again and stood turning away from him.

“Don't move hunter.” She said

His restraint held at her command, though all of him begged to rend the fragile fabric between himself and his mate. His breath came out in a rumbling sigh yet he sat still.

He heard the noise of her zipper slowly lowering. She slipped the shoulders of the flight suit off her browned flesh. The expanse of her back slowly becoming visible as she let the suit slide down. She stopped briefly, slowly in a smooth motion she bent forward her hands sliding down her thighs to just above her knees the ripe mounds of her tits hanging heavy as she dipped with her legs to slide the flight suit the rest of the way down. Her ass sweet and round, brown from the sun hovered a mere half measure from his massive cock.

The throbbing became nearly painful at the view of her swollen lips glistening in the light. He ached to touch her, to grasp her by the hips and impale her fully on his length tearing her open if necessary to fit all the way inside. Her face came up to look back at him, her eyes wide, her mouth parted with her heavy breath. She took a step backward bringing him to rest between the pendulous fuck cushions of her ass.

His frustration was at a peak, his mind on the very verge of losing all rational thought. Suddenly she pressed backward, opening up for him, the tip of his cock sliding into her warm, slick, tightness.

She moaned as she forced him deeper inside, she stretched to accommodate him. She would be sore in the morning, but it was oh so worth it. Her clit ground up against the base of his shaft as she rode him with slow deliberate strokes, she wasn't letting him off easy this time. He was hers, and she would use him as a giant fuck toy when and wherever she pleased. Tonight was one of those nights.

Her ass rode up and down, her thighs quivering. She gaped open struggling with his size every time she slid down on him, her lips puckering every time she lifted up gripping his shaft sticking to him despite her slickness.

He could feel himself winding up like a spring deep inside, his need for her, his desire to breed, the pure unadulterated pleasure of her milking his cock, commingling to purge his mind of thought as she fucked his massive tool.

She looked back at him from her vantage seeing the strain written all over him. She fucked faster, harder stretching his resolve even further, she wanted him to break, wanted him to take what was his by right. She ground her hips down on him, loving the feel of his swollen head as it rubbed against her as deep as she could take it. She smiled down at him, his breath coming in little gasps. The half growl moans he made causing his entire body to vibrate. The reverberations pulsing all the way from his chest and throat down to his shaft she clenched with a death grip inside her. Her body went slightly limp as waves of orgasm shook her. She started to slow, and slump, exhausted. He caught her with his hands taking a sizable breast each to stabilize her and she got her wish.

The world upended for her in an instant. Dully she felt her forearms slapping into that thick carpet as he stood with sudden violence lifting her ass in the air with his hands digging into her sides just above her hips, his claws puncturing her skin. She exhaled as his length left her slowly. Her walls closing slightly, swollen, unused to his absence. Only to gasp dragging in a ragged breath as he slammed back into her pushing her into the carpet as he rammed in as much of himself as could fit inside. She lost track of the individual feelings, the simple violence of it breaking her hold on all but the commingled pleasure and roaring pain of her mate using her to sate his lust.

The torrent that had been building inside him for all these weeks of necessary celibacy unwound like a dam bursting on an unsuspecting village. The ship around him vibrated as he roared taking his small mate as she desired; fierce, bestial, unable to stop. Her tightness swelled around him futility trying to push him out of her. In a final moment of violence he pushed her prostrate on the ground taking her from above he felt her tear as he swelled inside her the his muscles convulsing as he injected her with his potent seed.

Her hips pushed back against him grinding her eager slit against his forearm sized fuck stick bucking against him like the eager receptacle she was, milking his cock as it spewed it's cum deep inside her greedy for every last drop. He stopped moving resting his weight on his knees and hands. His breaths deep, exhaled in ragged growls. It was much higher than her own body temperature, she relished in it as it filled he with warmth.

...

The girl held herself erect standing with her right foot planted straight down from the hip, her left extended in a right angle from her side a half body width from her torso both legs bent slightly to distribute her weight properly. She looked distinctly miniature when overshadowed by Ka'ja'rand's lithe bulk as he mirrored her pose. Pyode Jehdin relaxed back in her stretch, her back straight, the balls and heels of her feet pressed against one another doing her best to bring her knees to the ground. She was close, another centimeter and she'd have it.

“I thought I was learning knife fighting?” The girl asked, her face drawn a semi frown

Ka'Ja'Rand shifted forward his hips twisting in the motion bringing his back foot forward in a smooth sure step. Lexi mimicked the motion, it was without the crisp snap of a clean movement. Yet she would develop the strength in with practice.

“My mate is teaching you to stand,” Said Pyode Jehdin from where she sat, she began to shift forward reaching her arms out across the floor as far as she could. Again Ka'Ja'Rand advanced the stepping drill, the stamp of his foot as it completed the motion before the rest acting as punctuation. Lexi shifted her weight to follow the movement.

"Do you know a person dies in combat?” Pyode Jehdin asked “I'll tell you, they die because they are caught unprepared, or unaware, or just unlucky, but mostly because some poor dumb bastard was better trained than they were.”

“I don't understand.” she replied

“When your creator lies dead by your hand you will.” She said “For now, continue with Ka'Ja'Rand, he has much to teach and little time to teach it.”

The girl obeyed, that much was good, though her form with the stances was horrid at best for the moment. Pyode Jehdin stood from her stretching and began following their step drill in turn. Using the muscles in her core to twist her body though the steps, her legs contracting like oiled spring hinges of muscle and sinew.,

Their exercises continued through the morning, or the time frame that would have been morning if there was a star to tell the time by. They broke their routine only for a meal. Ka'Ja'Rand ate raw meat as usual, the ship had good stores of frozen cattle of some species or another. Lexi poked at some vegetables. Pyode Jehdin sneered at that a bit before turning back to her lamb stew. It was heavy in onion and garlic, little chunks of red tomatoes and potato floated in a heady meat broth with succulent cubed lamb. She couldn't let herself get used to food like that, however the change was nice.

As the meal ended they pushed their trays and dishes into a slot in the wall. There was a noise like the splintering of metal heavily muffled by the insulation in the wall. Pyode Jehdin had to grab Ka'Ja'Rand to keep him from impaling the disposer with his wrist blades. Lexi burst out laughing at the exchange. Pyode Jehdin couldn't help but be amused herself.

“It is designed to do this?” Her mate asked, his confusion mixed with a bit of anger.

“Yes my love.” She said

“Your people are strange.” He said, retracting his blades.

Back in the training room they set Lexi to doing calisthenics while the two of them spared. With staves. The spearwork was lovely, it reminded her so much of their first months together on the wasteland planet. When she had been the learner. Now she was nearing his level of faculty with the weapon. His staff whirred in his hands every attack a counter movement to her own, as he quickly switched her assault to an all out defense. He was faster than her, if only by a margin, she had to think insanely fast to plan her moves in advance in order to match pace. She was consistently frustrated by her inability to combat him head on, however his uncanny strength would crush her. She enjoyed that he didn't coddle her, he struck with the same ferocity he would have if he'd been attacking the hard meat. Every blow a killing strike, every move designed to disarm, disable, and destroy. Her breath began to labor from the effort of fending off his assault. She ducked a particularly ferocious blow to the head lancing her staff toward his exposed throat. For a second she thought she might score a hit, all the bruises on her body twinged with anticipation. In that same instant he shifted his head and neck to the side her staff passing through the air where it had been. The hard wood of his staff brutally clearing hers before redirecting into her temple. The world convulsed briefly and she hit the floor.

The darkness of concussion was fleeting as her mate's strong medicines eased the swelling of her brain and healed the cuts in her scalp. So she woke to his gentle caress and caring ministration of her wounds.

“I thought he'd killed you.” Said Lexi

“He did,” Said Pyode Jehdin

“You are strong my love, you would have lived even had I not attended it” He trilled

She smiled, it was comforting to know that he felt enough remorse to lie to her. She spent the rest of their day nursing her headache and watching the two of them do stance drills across the floor, down and back, down and back. Till the girl began to look like she knew them by memory.

The night came and she curled up against her giant to rest her injury. The next day would mean more training. Readiness did not wait for healing.

Slowly their student progressed, they taught her how to strike, soon given a gap she could hit with the force to break bones. They taught her grappling and evasion, so quickly she began to use her body's leverage to down opponents. Soon they taught her ground fighting, chiefest of all the hand to hand arts for bipedal combatants. So that she could shake a mount, and in turn deliver destruction on downed foes to ensure kills. Weeks passed and her body hardened, soft flesh covering a hardened carapace of fluid muscle. What little extra flesh she'd had to begin with melted from her body. The roundness of her cheeks replaced with hardened visage of angular cheekbones accentuating a feminine mouth.

Pyode Jehdin faced Lexi her body coiled, a well oiled machine of death and chaos. The girl stood mute, her breath easy, her pert breasts clean of their bruises from her much earlier tortures in the chamber. Her eyes locked with the girl's chilling blue gaze, they were feverish. Her long red hair now to a close shorn bob fringing the bottom of her ears, her body still pale as sun washed bone.

They attacked each other in a flurry of movement. The cut knuckles of a fighter's fist flashing in a blur deflected, blocked, grabbed, only to be twisted and countered. The sharp strike of a knee to the abdomen, the pain absorbed only to ensure the connection of an elbow and neck with crushing force.

Lexi fell from the impact rolling to avoid a heavy heel kick and regain her feet. She'd gotten faster, she knew how to react. She knew that the only survival was in killing her opponent first. That no delay could vouchsafe victory, that she must attack or die. She lashed out picturing the hands of the huge hermaphrodite clutching at her. She fought picturing her maker's greedy eyes. She fought to kill.

Pyode Jehdin was pleased by her progress, the movements were fluid, the steps sure of her weight, her evasions counters rather than avoidance. Her speed that of one who had seen combat.

"Remember, a male will be stronger than you.” Ka'ja'rand said from the sidelines where he observed. “You must win by form, by speed, by slight of hand. Be like the hard meat, uncompromising and deadly, some times your own safety must be ignored to kill your opponent.”

Pyode Jehdin pressed her attack. She kicked at the legs stepping in to strike at the neck with the ridge of her hand. Lexi took the kick to block the hand throwing an elbow toward her temple where the staff had hit before. Pyode Jehdin brought her free arm under the attack pushing it upward and grabbing the arm using it as leverage she smashed her head down into the girl's face crushing her nose and staggering her backward blood streaming down her face. Pyode Jehdin rotated her hips spinning in a jump bringing the ball of her foot round in a downward motion striking the smaller woman in the side of the head. The girl collapsed to the floor.

“She is ready for blades.” Said Pyode Jehdin

"She is not.” He said as he knelt to tend to the young woman.

“Yet we have no time for her to be better prepared.” She said

“On that we agree.” He said “Yet I feel as if we're unleashing a suckling on the hard meat trial.”

“It will be her crucible my love, should she survive, she'll want to come with us, if she does not, she isn't worthy of the challenges to come.” She said

“So be it.” He said

Lexi found the blade training to be similar to the other training she'd had. It incorporated grappling, striking, and further footwork. Oh how she loathed stances, yet as she learned the knife, the sword, and the spear she began to realize how essential footwork was to the art. It determined the difference between lethal and dead. She began to take pleasure in the abuse of her daily training. The breaks and blackouts became bruises and batterings. Eventually with the woman who called herself Pyode Jehdin she began to return the favor. However with her giant male, she was always outmatched. It just simply wasn't fair that he was three feet taller than her and out weighed her by nearly twice her weight. His fists hit like sledge hammers, his feet like battering rams, his grip inescapable, and his punishment for failure devastating. She mimicked the other woman's tactics against him, dancing around him, exploiting his reach by cutting inside it to attempt to score blows. Unlike Pyode Jehdin however, she'd yet to connect. She did not like problems she couldn't solve. He did not telegraph his movements. He either moved or he did not. When he chose to it was with sudden direct violence.

So things went. It was a hard road, full of pitfalls yet she progressed. Till finally the morning came when the alarm went off in the cryo bay and Dutch and Sarah woke. The yacht slipped into subspace the elongated stars becoming pinpoints of bright light against a nebula backdrop.

“Wow.” Said Lexi from the view deck. The front viewport yielded a spectacular view of an immense space station flanked by huge gun platforms which orbited in the station's own gravity. The docking tunnel leading into the station dwarfed the yacht in it's enormity. It was designed for accepting travel liners as well as military battleships. Shuttles buzzed around in all directions ferrying people about the interior which opened up like a vast cavern filled with lights, Billboards much larger than their ship displayed commercials for all varieties of services and items from coffee, to escorts and ships. Other vessels sat in their berths, smoke and other gases venting into the void. Umbilicals stretching to them like a vast womb supplying life. The console in front of Pyode Jehdin cracked to life with the familiar squawk.

“Yacht Star Gazer Five, your berth is ready and waiting for you, follow the markers as usual.” Said the voice

“Well that's great...” Said Dutch

“So much for being anonymous.” She replied “You didn't tell me your father had business in Jomugrand station.”

“I didn't know.” Said Lexi

She waved the girl off, it didn't matter, they couldn't turn back now. The girl would need to face her creator sooner or later, better that he would come to them. Guiding the ship via the pop up beacons on the dash wasn't difficult. The turns were gentle and the controls slid like snot on glass. It really was a pity that they couldn't afford to keep the ship. She'd grown accustomed to the hot showers. Their dock was a private affair, it was completely enclosed, no need to walk an Umbilical here, the pad had its own atmosphere pumped in from the rest of the station. A privately rented pad... She shook her head at the cost of such a thing.

Ka'ja'rand stood in awe of the enormity of the Ooman construction. It rivaled the worldships of his people, if only in size. He felt a revulsion at it. He smelled the emotions of the rest of his pack rolling through the cabin. His mate was nervous. The smaller female worried. The bull male frustrated, his mate however was a jumble of mixed emotions. He scented her again to make sure. It appeared she wasn't aware of it yet, however she was with child.

“My mate, the other female is pregnant.” He said in his own language.

“Are you sure?” She asked

"Yes, she's releasing the proper hormones, should we inform them?” He asked

“Let me.” She said

“What was that about?” asked Dutch

“Sarah is pregnant.” She said in English

Dutch took a moment to take it in before turning the flummoxed woman toward him and kissing her full on the mouth while he pulled her into his arms.

“Kara I...” He began

“I know, we understand Dutch, you had to part ways at some point.” She said

Their leave taking was somber, Sarah cried a little. Lexi stood aloof digging the toe of her shoe into the platform trying not to be awkward. Her mate was in his shift suit, cloaked due to the presence of so many people. It didn't stop him from clasping Dutch's shoulder with his large hand.

“It was an honor.” He said in English.

“Take care of her.” Said Dutch motioning Kara

Just like that it was over. Dutch and Sarah lifted their bags and headed through the doors into the huge station. They'd taken their portion of the arms sale from earlier in the adventure. They'd do fine. However the woman known as Pyode Jehdin would never set eyes on them again in the waking world.

So now they were three. They strode off into the station following her lead. She being the only one who'd been there before. She led them deep into the underbelly of the beast. Before long they'd arrived at a cantina coined “The Stunted Stout” Which the sign depicted as a cheerful dwarf with a large tankard of dark beer. Lexi went to the bar and ordered a drink. She sipped it idly while the patrons off the bar eyed her with less than innocent intentions. Ka'ja'rand stood near the door invisible prepared in case of any trouble. Pyode Jehdin looked over the bar, there was a holo screen playing some variety of sporting event and men were betting on it. Lexi sat far to one side, a few men obviously eyeing her. Whether because she was wanted or because they were interested in more normal desires she didn't know. The lighting was dim, and a haze of cigar and hookah smoke clouded the room. She scanned the crowd. It looked like mostly scum. Perfect. Then she saw what she wanted. A grizzled man in his fifties sat in a corner. Flanked by a beautiful blonde and a beefy man with no neck. There was a semi steady stream of traffic to his corner. Men and women yet the conversation was never boisterous like the betting at the bar, nor did anyone stay long.

Pyode Jehdin strode over pausing near the bulky man as he turned toward her to block her approach.

“What?” He asked

“Business.” She said

“Sure, you and every other slut.” Said the Gorilla

“Now now Gnarl.” Said the man at the booth. “We mustn't be inhospitable. Let's hear what she has to say.”

The mountain of man shifted to the side. Pyode Jehdin grabbed a free chair pushing it to the edge of the booth backward and straddled it. She was about to start talking when she turned to a brief commotion at the bar. One of the men had decided that since Lexi was unattended he would approach her. He was now on the floor his arm twisted in an unusual angle the shoulder obviously dislocated busy spouting apologies.

“Your friend can handle herself.” Said the man “You must mean business.”

“I find that the beautiful things are usually the most dangerous.” She replied

“Also the most profitable,” He said

“She's not for sale.” Said Pyode Jehdin

“Then what is it you're hear to deal in?” He asked

“I have a ship, a yacht.” She said “I need a fast sale, someone who can disable a hidden tracking device when the owner is looking for it.”

“Hard merchandise.” Said the man, he then turned to the woman at his side. “Do we know someone who can handle this Axis?”

“I believe Markov could do it. It depends on the class of the ship.” She said

“It's a Bellicose pleasure yacht, it has enough Dai-terai Trifect on board to double the price.” Said Pyode Jehdin

“Oh,” Said the man “What were you asking?”

“A ship, something with big guns, the moves fast.” She said “Long range”

“Fast and long range we can do, big guns is pushing your price range.” Said Axis “The ship we'd buy at twenty five percent resale the Trifect the same, though considering its level of heat, make that fifteen percent.” She'd pulled a data pad from somewhere and ran a calculation.

“Markov has a Thunderer, and a Capsize 4.” Said Axis “Both within your price range, we'd take a portion of the left over credits as finder's fee.”

“Capsize 4 is too small.” She said “I'll need the Thunderer.”

“Markov agrees.” Said Axis

“I didn't catch your name.” Said Pyode Jehdin to the man.

"For this business? I don't have one.” He said

“Markov says you'll need to deliver the yacht to his yard on level X-128. Here take this data pad, it has all the information.” Said Axis, she'd pulled another pad from somewhere, and slid it across the table.

“I suppose we don't need to mention that if you fuck us, we'll gut you.” Said the man

“Oh, that's understood, and mutual.” Said Pyode Jehdin. She stood up and walked away, signaling Lexi via hand talk to follow. The girl beside her like a shadow. Ka'ja'rand between them like an invisible buffer.

They made it back to the ship without incident, further without being followed. Pyode Jehdin started up the yacht and left the berth following the directions on the data pad. The flight up the great cavern of the star base was quick. They found themselves hovering outside a large bay door, the comm cracked to life with a simple. “What?”

"I've got a delivery for Markov.” She said to the voice. A camera outside the ship swiveled a bit.

“Oh yeah, been expecting you. You got here fast.” said the voice. The comm cut out and the huge door made a sound like a lock sliding apart with a loud clank, then like a chain lifting an enormous weight. The heavy durosteel bay doors gradually slid straight up. The seal of the magneticly pressurized bay shimmering into existence several feet in front of the gaping maw.

“You are nervous, will there by trouble?” asked Ka'ja'rand

“They are humans,” She answered

She brought the ship in gingerly. It just barely fit, the bay not used to accommodating something of it's height. Once she had the tail end all the way inside she extended the landing gear and set the bird down. She had Lexi take the cart they'd laden with all their gear and push it down the exit hatch while she came down behind the girl with her pulse rifle slung her hand resting with a finger on the firing stud. Ka'ja'rand was already down the ramp, but the people in the berth wouldn't know that.

When she made it down the ramp, she saw an armed company there to greet them. At it's head was a black man covered in tattoo's with a cybernetic arm . He extended it toward her and she took it shaking the “hand” briefly.

"I'm Markov” He said

“Nice to meet you, you might want your boys on board looking for that beacon.” She said

"All in due time, this berth is shielded against that kind of signal.” He said “Anyway I'm fast on business. Since you guys are dropping me such a huge payday I'll not keep you waiting. This way.”

He led them across the deck. The Thunderer sat there. A simplistic ship much smaller than the yacht. With a twin linked auto cannon under it's prow on a swivel turret. She sighed wishing she still had the Comet, this thing wouldn't survive very long in a space battle. In all honesty she was getting fucked by this deal. However she didn't have time to look for something better and didn't think it would be easy to leave this place if Markov didn't want her to go. Lexi struggled to get the cart with their gear up the steeper ramp into the smaller ship.

“You've got a full load of fuel. Further the guns are full too. It's had a complete overhaul, nimble fast, honestly I'm sad to see it go, it's a great long range scout.” Said Markov “Oh and there's a surprise for you in the main cabin I left a chest in there for you since you're doing me a favor.”

“Thanks I guess.” She said

An explosion rocked the bay. Far across the room soldiers in some kind of black armor spilled out of a smoke filled hole. They sprayed gunfire in the direction of the criminals who returned the favor.

“Shit, just once I'd like to leave somewhere without getting shot at!” Said Pyode Jehdin “Sorry Markov we're getting out of here.”

It didn't matter what she'd said to the man, in the opening exchange he'd taken a blast from a pulse rifle in the chest. He lay there on the deck bleeding the light draining from his eyes.

She ran up the ramp and into the ship. Lexi poked her head out of the cargo area. “What's going on?” she asked

“Strap into something!” She said as she ran for the cockpit. Suddenly the engines roared to life and the ramp started going up. Ka'ja'rand was at the controls

“You can fly?” She asked as she finally got to the copilot's chair and strapped in. All around them out the view port gunfire and smoke echoed by explosions tore though the bay. He took the ship in hand swinging it around in an unnaturally sharp turn as they shot through the barrier and into the traffic of the station. Lexi ran into the compartment grabbing a seat and strapping in. Not a moment to soon as Ka'ja'rand sent the small nimble craft into a roll and then a dive straight through lanes of grav cars and other small craft which whir'd about like eddy's around a sandstorm as they dodged the Thunderer. He sent the vessel through a series of tight twists and turns avoiding landing bays billboards and the general traffic of the station.

“We need to join the normal flow of traffic!” said Lexi during a particularly violent corkscrew.

“As much as I appreciate the acrobatics she's right.” said Pyode Jehdin “Those were mercenaries, not the regular law enforcement.”

Ka'ja'rand's answer was a growl as he slammed on the brakes bringing the ship to a dead stop, hovering near a restaurant who's denizens sat at coffee tables sipping various drinks laced with stims and eating sweet pastries. A few looked up but none really noticed the chaotic entry of their small ship.

“I grow tired of this.” said Ka'ja'rand “We will prepare, then we will hunt this Ooman to his death. Signal the gatekeepers that we will be leaving this place.”

Ever since she'd entered into his company Ka'ja'rand had taken a side seat, deferred to her in all things, acknowledged her as pack leader. This was a side of him that she'd never seen frankly she wished he'd exert this kind of authority more often. However as with many things, she said not a word and simply did as she was asked.

Her fingers danced over the console which glowed at her touch before navigating the communications channel to that of tower control.

“ Jomugrand station control, go ahead.” Said a crisp female voice across the comm unit.

“This is sub-frigate Thunderer class, “Neverborn” seeking clearance to exit the station.” She said, taking the controls and sliding the nimble little boat into a gentle dive toward the traffic lanes that were exiting the station. As their ship flew in tandem with the countless other transports and ships they had little idea how perilous their situation.

For outside the station orbited a Star Dreadnaught, a man stood on the foredeck of the immense ship with his hands clenched behind his back. Around him aides and other staff ran back and forth patrols of colonial marines marched by the grand concourse escorting high ranking officials.

The man stood silent his cold grey eyes locked on Jomugrand station. Which in the shadow of his flagship did not quite seem as impressive as it did hours before. He was a very influential and hugely wealthy man. It had been a long time since he'd left his estate, longer still since he felt the need to commission a voyage of the Savant. Yet here he was, strange, the last time he'd donned his military uniform it had been in the years before he'd met his wife. He contemplated for a moment again the possibility of cracking the shields on the great station before him and cutting it in half. Just as quickly he dismissed it, what good was impatience if it lost him the thing which had drawn him this distance across the stars.

“Sir,” Said an aide of his staff “We've received a transmission from the control tower in the station. A ship matching the description of the one holding your daughter is requesting permission to leave the station. Shall I have them hold them sir?”

“My soldiers bungled her capture, what makes you think the police forces of the station can contain her?” He said “No we will let them leave, they will not say in space forever, we will track them.”

“Yes Admiral Cardinia.” Said the aide, who then turned to relay the message.

It had been different with his wife, she'd fallen for a retiring soldier, wealthy, starting his own corporate empire. Lexi had been difficult from the start, all of the trappings of a beautiful young woman, with all the determination and strength his wife had possessed. Yet the rebellious nature of a young teen, and inexperience to match. She would learn, he would show her how his wife was to behave.

It was Ka'ja'rand who brought it to open attention. “Do they normally make vessels wait to exit the station?” he asked

“No.” Said Pyode Jehdin, shaking her head. Before looking at Lexi, “How much power does this man have?”

“I've only ever seen the one factory, I know he has more.” She said “Honestly he's never opened himself to me in that way, he expects me to just know my place.”

The moment was cut short when the traffic control came on over the line and gave them clearance to leave the station. They brought their ship into the exit lanes and proceeded to follow the line of other ships on the way out. It wasn't exactly conspicuous. They were surrounded by cruisers, frigates, shuttles, the occasional freighter, or super freighter, and even a battle cruiser on some errand for either the marines or The Company. The ships upon exiting the station veered off in a multitude of directions and then elongated into blips dropping off of their scope as they jumped across the stars. She watched all this as she realized, she had no idea what to do, no idea where to go from here. She'd been running from one terrifying situation to another for so long, that she'd lost track of what her objectives were.

“What now,” She said aloud

“I've already entered coordinates, as soon as the station is clear we jump to somewhere where we can outfit to kill this soft meat.” He said, he turned, his helmet facing her she could feel the intensity of his eyes staring into her.

“It's time for you to become what you were meant to be.” He said

Their ship exited the tube into the vast void of open space, far off the bow lay an immense shape which clarified as the light of the nearby star broke apon it.

“We may not have time.” Said Lexi

Pyode Jehdin stared at it, half in terror, half in awe. Seldom had anyone outside of those doomed to die been visited by the visage of a Calamity class Star Dreadnaught. The prow was a hardened Unobtainum armor thirty meters thick in the image of a great skull who's mouth housed a bank of forward facing gauss cannon each large enough to have docked the pleasure yacht inside with room to spare. The bridge behind a heavily shielded fabricrete glass acted as a great third eye. The hull of the ship dotted with sensor blisters, and huge banks of rail gun turrets stretched backward out of memory like some grotesque protruding phallus of death. A great fin extended dorsally with the housings of engines bursting with the power of a thousand suns to propel the monstrous craft toward its doomed prey.

For the first time in a long time Pyode Jehdin was afraid. Yet fear was inadequate in the face of such a construct of destruction. Lexi was muted, her breath halting in her chest all joy falling from her in a wave crushing her back into her seat. In this only Ka'ja'rand maintained his Yautja calm, for uls-kwe waited for no one, and his time to meet Paya would come when it would. His hand hit the control and the stars blurred before them, until the safety of the void between the stars sheltered them from their horror.

Thanks for reading this far. Eleventh chapter coming soon! (Sorry for the long delay, I don't have an excuse, however I'm a glutton for feedback, the more you comment, the more I write.) EDIT 04/14/11 my apologies for the font being so small and further for the large spaces between the paragraphs, this new formatting they have is rather... difficult. Anyway, it reads easier now.
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A different type of warrior