by G. K. Scott
He grabbed Idosoi pulling him fully on to his feet. He patted the young hunters shoulder he was lucky. He watched as the door was hammered again they didn’t have much time. Soon this whole place would be swarming with hard meat soldiers. The odds where very much against them normally whole clans of Yautja went in to hives not five individuals. He pulled out his long double-edged sword walking up to the dead hard meat. The ooman wasn’t really looking at him she was typing in to the lock. He sliced the head then pulled it free watching as the slime and insides spilled out. He wasn’t sure whom this kill belonged to. Since both hunters had done it. He turned slightly thinking. He turned sharply throwing the head at Jeuki he watched him catch him. His gaze turned as he snapped one of alien’s long fingers off. His ooman had earned this right. He grabbed her armour plating pulling her away from the panel so she was facing him. He watched her try to pull away. The reflex was more confusion than fear.
Emma tried to pull away she watched as Jeuki came forward the head was hanging from his back plating. Jeuki stopped sharply he took a step back. He wasn’t allowed to interfere in the right of passage ritual. He looked at his armour he could see his clan’s symbol burned in to his upper chest plate with hard meat blood. This right was only given to worthy individuals. Only elders wore the clan symbol on their helmets, while lesser carried it on there armour plating. Emma looked up sharply, what was this guy doing! She felt the pull as he moved her closer he pushed the alien finger in to her chest plate. She could hear the hissing of the acid as it started to melt he began to move it drawing in one of the two curves. He pulled it away the pressed in the dot, before making the other curve. He let go of her armour plating tossing the finger aside, before nodding to her. Jeuki moved closer seeing that the elder had finished. He could see Emma’s utter confusion. He took her hand moving her away from the door. He’d have to explain this later to her.
No doubt Erisoki had done this so that she could rank up with him permanently. If she had a rank symbol it would also keep other clans from harming her in anyway. Since to touch someone of high rank was considered a serious offence not only would you be dishonoured, but also the punishment for it was very server. He watched as the others broke in to a run. He narrowed his gaze as Erisoki smashed the double doors on the far side open then went through. His gaze turned as he noticed the door shut behind them. He swung around watching in shock as everyone went through the other doors. Which slammed shut in front of them. What was going on! Emma pulled back watching as the bolt slid across the door behind them. Then the bolt moved across the doors in front of them. She heard the hunters on the other side roar in anger at the situation. This was great just great they were trapped between two doors! She watched Jeuki pull his helmet off. He looked up slowly. “What just happened?” Emma pulled the panel away looking at the controls. “Stupid doors! They’ve got locking problems!” Jeuki walked up to the door. “Can you fix it?” Emma slowly started typing she found herself growling in anger as the mini screen brought up a message. “What the hell? What does it mean I need a key code? This isn’t a key coded door!”
8
Lucy looked at the panel again. “What is going on here? I mean first the lights and now this!” Marcus put a hand on her shoulder. “Calm down, look we can handle this…yes it’s an issue but we can get around it.” He slowly leaned forward taking off the computer panel’s side covering. His gaze wandered over to the docked ships bellow. “All we have to do is reroute the power.” Lucy grabbed her pad typing in to it. “Eddy you had just better be there I or I swear I’ll…!” Eddy’s voice hit the air. “I’m here…there’s no need to get mad.” He laughed slightly. “I was just watching from the main room you’ve lost power in your sector.” He paused. “It’s happening all over the ship, at present. I almost lost power here myself.” Lucy breathed in heavily. “I was just wondering if you knew were the best place is to reroute power is?” Eddy laughed slightly. “Oh I’d just reroute it from Oran’s office.” Lucy pulled back slightly. “Are you serious?” Eddy laughed slightly. “Oh yes I’m serious I mean with all that’s going on. I doubt he’ll notice the drain.”
Marcus looked at the controls pulling the wires free. “Fine then we’ll take it from his office.” Lucy raised an eyebrow. “Yeah I mean it’s the least we can do considering the suffering he’s put as through.” Eddy’s voice hit the air. “Yeah I know what you mean by that.” Lucy smiled slightly. “Tell me where is Emma now, is she still alive?” Eddy’s voice hit the air again. “Oh yes she’s very much alive.” Marcus pulled back as a spark flew as he redid the wiring. “Glad to here that.” Lucy narrowed her gaze. “Your quite Eddy you gonna tell me what your up to down there?” Eddy laughed again. “Oh I’m just keeping Lexington from getting up here the main doors can be so annoying.” He laughed again. “You know the bolting ones which for no reason need a code to open.” Lucy found herself sniggering. “Let me guess. Lexington not being that bright its hard work for him.” Eddy grunted aloud. “Yeah he seems to think shooting the door will work.” Lucy grinned widely. “I have to ask what is his IQ rating?”
Eddy laughed slightly. “Oh he’s bellow average it’s a shock he ever made general.” His voice hit the air again. “Still I’ve had to lock two doors just to keep Emma and Jeuki in.” Lucy pulled back. “Why?” Eddy’s voice hit the air again but more serious. “You know as well as I do that they need to work things out. I just wish Emma would stop trying to hack. I hate having to block her hacks.” He grunted aloud. “She’s just being a pain, she very good at hacking things. It’s making it more work to block her.” Marcus laughed slightly. “Why Eddy it sounds more to me like you’ve met your match.” Eddy sniggered aloud. “Oh please she’s good but she can’t get around me. I just see it as a welcome challenge personally.” Marcus pulled another wire grinning. “Tell me Eddy what are you going to do? I mean are you going to catch a ship out of here?” Eddy laughed slightly. “Now you’ll just have to wait and see, although I highly recommend you get off this ship as soon as the clamps are free.” Lucy smiled slightly. “We will I promise you that.” Eddy breathed out heavily. “Sorry about this Lexington just blew up another door, seems I’ll have to hack a few more doors.” Lucy sighed aloud. “We understand.” She listened as the pad shut down. Her gaze drifted to Marcus. “Can I help?” Marcus looked up slightly smiling. “Sure you can, you can help with these wires.”
8
Emma slammed her fist in to the panel. “It’s like someone’s blocking me! I can’t get this stupid door to open! Everything I try I just get blocked.” Jeuki walked forward putting a hand on her shoulder. “Easy now, the others will help they’ll smash this door down if they have to. They won’t leave as behind it would be dishonourable.” Emma moved away from the door she leaned against the wall sliding down. Jeuki slowly sat down next to her watching as she ran a finger over the newly made burnt mark. “It’s a mark of honour.” Emma turned slightly. “Mark of honour?” Jeuki leaned over slightly. “It means you’ve proven yourself to be worthy of rank.” Emma raised an eyebrow. “Rank?” Jeuki put a hand on hers. “It means you’re a worthy hunter, who has privileges.” Emma looked at her hands. “All I did was kill a hard meat.” Jeuki laughed slightly. “Don’t be modest, first you save me and the clan then you help take on the queen.” He raised a clawed finger. “Then you help me slay a hard meat soldier. I think that proves your worthy.”
Emma smiled slightly. “You know I wasn’t going to leave you down there.” She stopped meeting his amber gaze. “I’d never leave you…I’d be lost with out you.” She looked at her spear. “The only reason I’m even alive is because of you…I can’t bear the thought of loosing you.” She closed her eyes feeling tears, which ran down her cheeks. Jeuki pulled back slightly she was crying, he hadn’t expected that at all. He cocked his head to one side. “Well I’d be very lonely without you…” He felt her hold on his hand tighten. He raised his clawed hand slowly running it through her hair. “I care about you.” Emma’s eye
s snapped open. She turned slowly looking at him. “I’m such an idiot.” Jeuki pulled out his lower mandibles in confusion. “What do you mean?” He ran a clawed finger along her cheek. Emma turned slowly meeting her gaze. “I never meant to bring you here, I never wanted to put you through all this.” Jeuki pulled back slightly. “I don’t blame you for what the other oomans did your not like them.”
He turned slightly. “Those oomans are not warriors! They have no honour! But you, your special.” Emma kept her eyes locked with his as he came closer to her face. “In what way special?” Jeuki didn’t move an inch. “You have a warriors soul.” Emma laughed slightly. “Now your just being…” Jeuki flared his mandibles in annoyance. “I’m serious!” He pulled the alien head of his shoulder dropping it near her feet. “Were I come from you’d be prized for kills like this one.” He turned slightly flaring his mandibles in anger. “Were I come from males would go on thousands of hunts just to be your mate. Even to speak with you as a honored hunter would be enough for them!” He looked at the hard meat head. “Females of my kind especially ones who can hunt are considered very special.” He grunted angrily. “It disgusts me that no male ooman would ever have you.” Emma stood up slightly was he trying to say what she thought he was trying to say? She looked at him keeping her eyes locked with his. “Why does it disgust you?”
Jeuki pulled back roaring in anger. “Because I would!” He stopped pulling back realizing what he was about to say. Emma looked at his flared mandibles. “Because what?” Jeuki turned away. “It doesn’t matter…it would never happen and I’m a fool to believe it would.” He felt Emma put a hand on his face turning his head around. She watched as he started to click his upper left mandible. She put a hand on it running her finger down the tusk. “It does matter tell me.” Jeuki suddenly felt nervous. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this nervous in his whole life. She was just staring at him waiting for his reply. He breathed in deeply moving his mandible so her hand let go. He looked up slowly. “It disgusts me because…I would give anything for you to be my mate.” He closed his mandibles tight not daring to say anything else until he saw her reaction. Emma blinked she could feel her hand twitching which caused her wrist blades to slot back in. She looked down breathing in deeply.
She looked up ignoring the sound of her own wrist blades as they clicked out again. “You want to be my mate?” That almost sounded stupid to ask but she wanted to hear him say it so badly. Jeuki looked down slightly. “Yes.” He moved his hand out putting it on her wrist armour to stop her hand twitching. “I don’t want you for breeding.” He looked up slowly. “I want to be your mate because I love you.” He grunted aloud. “I know oomans say that I don’t know what love is but I do know what it is.” He cocked his head to one side. “I watched you for so long…I wanted you to be my mate.” He raised a clawed hand running it through her hair. “I brought you back to the oomans because I thought you’d be happier with your own kind.” Emma could feel her heart beat quickening. She slowly brought up both hands running them over the mandibles in a slow gentle motion. “Why didn’t you say this before?” Jeuki growled in anger. “Why do you think? Because I’m not one of your species, I never believed you’d want me!” Emma growled in anger. “Jeuki you idiot!”
Jeuki pulled up roaring in anger. “Why am I an idiot? Tell me that!” Emma looked down slowly. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to call you that. I should be calling myself the idiot. I should’ve told how I felt about you before we landed here. God I’m so stupid!” Jeuki pulled back in confusion. “How you felt about me?” He leaned closer. Emma could feel the tears as they started to run down her face freely. “I should’ve told you that I’d fallen for you. That I can’t sleep because all I do is think about you.” She put a hand to her face. “I put you through all this suffering because of my pitiful denial issues the fact that I was afraid to fall in love with you because you’re from another race.” Jeuki slowly leaned forward. “You love me?” He watched her nod. He slowly pulled up both hand wiping her tears away with his claws. “Please don’t cry.” He leaned closer. “It’s only your races way of thinking that made you believe that.” He raised her head with his clawed fingers. He looked at her for a moment before backing off.
He slowly lowered his spear placing it down then lowered his head putting himself into a kneeling position. “I ask with all my heart that you will be my mate.” He picked up the spear clicking it watching the sides fly out. “I will protect you with my life, my honour will be your honour.” He lowered his head further. Jeuki looked up waiting, watching. She could deny his request openly just like any female. He breathed in deeply closing his eyes. He felt like the whole world was about to crash around him. He breathed in it was better to try at least to know he’d tried and had given an honorable request. Even if she didn’t mean what she’d just said. Emma slowly stood up wiping the tears away full. Jeuki hadn’t move a muscle he was stood like a statue waiting. She breathed in again; deep down she knew it was now or never. She turned slightly she wasn’t going to go back on what she’d just said, she wanted him. She’d wanted him for so long the species issue didn’t matter anymore.
She put her hand his spear watching as he looked up slowly his amber eye fixing with hers. She loved him and he just stated that he loved her. So nothing else mattered anymore. Being together was all that did matter. She smiled slightly. “I would love to be your mate.” Jeuki looked up sharply. He slowly lowered the spear watching her let go off it. He wrapped his arms around her waist not wanting to let go. He felt her hands as she ran them over his lower mandibles. He pulled her down slowly maybe this wasn’t real. Maybe he was dreaming and was going to wake up. He slowly moved his mandibles moving them gently across her face. He couldn’t kiss like an ooman. This was the first thing that sprang to mind, and it felt right. Emma breathed in this was almost an odd feeling she couldn’t really describe it. She could feel the lower and upper mandibles moving against her face in gentle motions. The tusks where barely touching her skin He moved the lower ones down moving them across her neck slowly and gently.
She closed her eyes for a moment before feeling Jeuki stop slightly. She leaned forward gently kissing his lower mandibles. Jeuki found himself staring that was an odd sensation. He felt it again as she planted gentle kisses on his mandibles. He blinked it was really nice but strange all the same. He tapped his mandibles slightly. Emma pulled away slightly. “I’m sorry I wasn’t sure what to do.” Jeuki laughed a little. “No I do like it..” Emma ran her hand over his mandibles. “So were you come from is that how you kiss?” Jeuki nodded slightly. “I know its odd for you.” Emma raised an eyebrow. “No it’s not odd it feels nice.” Jeuki pulled her closer running his clawed hand through her hair. “You know we are both foolish for not admitting this sooner.” Emma nodded.
“It seems all very foolish to me now.” She ran her hand over his arm. He eased up a clawed hand. “Even the best warriors can make fools of themselves. Believe me it’s not uncommon.” He looked at her neck again noticing that his skull necklace was missing. It was the first time he’d noticed this. “What happened to the necklace I gave you?” Emma put a hand on her chest before lowering her gaze.” Lexington took it of me the son of a bitch!” Jeuki snarled aloud. “I should’ve killed that ooman warrior when I had the chance!” Emma looked down slightly. “I’ll get it back mark my words.” Jeuki slowly pulled her in to a hug. “I know you will.” Emma looked at her chest plate. “You gave it to me as a gift. Once I get it back it won’t ever leave my neck again.” Jeuki laughed again. “Now there’s my beautiful mate talking.” Emma smiled slightly hugging him harder.
CHAPTER 19
YOUR FLOWING BLOOD WILL BE MY GLORY YOUR SKULL WILL BECOME MY HONOUR
Location somewhere in the galaxy, stuck between to two locked doors on the Iron Year science vessel.
God I’ve never felt so happy in the whole of my life. I never thought I’d be sitting here right now in Jeuki’s arms. I never thought what I wanted
and dreamed would come to pass. May be I was looking too much at the negative side of things its one of those things that happens when everything goes so terribly wrong. When the world around you comes crashing down. You tend to forget that good things can come of it. You loose sight on what’s really important and get too messed up in those foolish notions, because your brains trying to cope with what’s going on. When I think about it, it’s so stupid and foolish but I guess everyone does it from time to time. I have to say a Yautja kiss is really a different experience. I had no idea the mandibles could be used in that way. I mean I’ve seen them rip out corks, bend spoons. Hack in to food making it easier for the inner mouth to eat it. Yet I never realized they could be used in such a gentle manner. The touch was so soft.
I guess it just proves that even the sharpest of teeth can be used in a way that shows deep affection. I mean we forget sometimes that even the most vicious looking canines can be used in the softest way. Mother crocodiles at least the ones I’ve seen on film. Carry there young to the water edge via putting them in her mouth so gently that there’s not a scratch. Personally I don’t find Jeuki’s tusks in anyway frightening I just used to think that they were razor sharp. I never knew they could be used in such a beautiful manner. I don’t really want to leave these doors in all honesty. I could sit here forever and watch the world blow apart around me. I know it wouldn’t be right though. There are so many people who are dieing and so many more who will die. The hunt isn’t over ether it won’t be over until all the hunters are board our vessel and are free from this rust buckets iron cage. This place won’t be a colony anymore if something’s not done it’ll be a graveyard a cold graveyard floating in space.