The Ripple of a Stone

The Ripple of a Stone

Head to Head

Don’t worry, it’s not Dyne. I just thought you should know that before you find out who it is.


Three and a little hours earlier…

“C’jit!” The only engineer on the standard shuttle Ner’uda, named The Gsa’l, was about to kill all on the ship. They had been on a hunt for only one week and just when they were on route to head back to the Homeworld the shuttle broke down. “I swear to Paya I am going to kill who ever checked this thing for pre-flight damage. The engine is done.” Coxa yells from the engine room.
“Don’t worry.” Rik’et barks. He was the lone pilot on this vessel and when ever something was wrong, he was the one who everyone bitched at. “I contacted the DropShip that Lord Khupiee is on. The…The… Pauk I don’t know the name of the DropShip he took.”
“The Lijl.” A clear voice came from a Yautja tending to the weapons. “It’s the only imperial DropShip Rik’et. How can you not remember its name?” He teases.
“I can barely remember your name…uhh…” He quips.
“Thr’ik!” He barks.
“I was joking! You Young Bloods, so eager to have your names remembered. But you have yet to do anything to earn your name!” In normal circumstances, Thr’ik would have challenged him, but he knew that he was just pulling his mandible. Rik’et was an Honored hunter, and for Thr’ik to attend a hunt along with him was the best thing after mating. But when Rik’et wasn’t hunting or mating, he was messing with the Unbloods and Young Bloods. He took it upon himself to test the limits of every one he saw and he knew quite well that Thr’ik wouldn’t do a dam thing about his words. “As I was saying Coxa, I contacted The Lijl, and Ykas’e approved us docking with them until we get back to the Homeworld.”
“GOOD!” Coxa growls as he sits on a chair in the Bridge. The Gsa’l was a five person shuttle that can travel twice as fast as any DropShip. It has separate rooms for each onboard, a Bridge, a small training room and a galley. But even with all of that, an engine that wasn’t working would do nothing for them. “Maybe we can get some real food! Dried Pakana meat, while delicious, is not something to feed on for weeks on end.” Coxa jokes, making all those on the Bridge laugh. Byht and Rabry, the other attending Yautja, were fast asleep from their hunt. Everyone on ship took no less then three skulls from their pray. A large beast with a head adorned with seven large horns and jaws completely enclosed with razor sharp teeth. The water planet they were on is named the Jewel of Paya because the entire planet, covered in nothing but water, was the color of purl white, the scared color of Paya. “You have a friend on The Lijl, correct Thr’ik?”
“Yes. Dhm'Ni.” He answers.
“You, acquaintances with the son of Lord Khupiee!” Coax trills in laughter.
“Not acquaintances. Friends. He and I were together for our Chiva. I sent him messages over long range COM to tell him that we were docking. I also told him of other things as well.” Thr’ik says smugly. He couldn’t wait to see Dhm’Nis face when he docks, his tales of taking his females were told excellently and Dhm'Ni will be most envious.
“Just thank the Gods that they were in the system. Another day or two and they would have been way out of range for us to call for aid.” Rik’et hisses. He was angrier then Coxa about the ship. While most Honored hunters had their own ship, along with Rik’et, it was not large enough for a five Yautja hunt so they had to acquire this one. “But while I was talking with Ykas’e, he never said why they were in the system. There is one planet there that they could have hunted on but I don’t see why they would need an entire DropShip.”
“It is not our place to question.” Coxa tells.
After hours of trying to wake the two sleeping Yautja, which is very difficult to say the least, they were finally in visual range of The Lijl. It was a sight to see. Larger then all other DropShips and pitch black with only the small red symbol of their clan at the front of the ship.
“It is about time Rik’et.” Ykas’e came over the COM. “If I had to wait any longer I would have simply left your decrepit ship and you behind.”
“It’s nice to hear you too.” Rik’et thrills in laughter. He and Ykas’e go way back, to far back in fact. “Permission to dock?”
“Granted.” Rik’et turns off the engines completely and goes off inertia as he pilots his small craft into one of the many docking bays. As a large door opens, the sighs of those on the bridge could have been heard through the whole DropShip. Even thought they were not home, it was still the same feeling. They were with their clan and that was home. But as their small ship slowly made its way in to the hole, even Rik’et was getting irritated at the speed.
“Hey Thr’ik…” Rik’et began. “Go out and push!” Everyone begin to chuckle when Thr’ik growls. He was the youngest onboard and was always the butt of everyone’s jokes.
When a sudden jerk of the ship made everyone shake, they knew that they had finally latched onto the docking clamps and that they had finally made it in. Usually at this point all on the ship would catch their belongings and wait the mandatory hour for the ship to warm but since they would still have to use the rooms on this ship, they had no reason to pack. But they would still have to wait. The cold of space would freeze the outer armor of the shuttle and if you left to early, the cold that still remained on the hull would solidify you in seconds. And even if you did leave, the burners that were warming the ship would burn you to a crisp. The soft ‘whooshing’ sound made from the burners perfectly occupied the silence that was now in the Bridge. All they can do is wait.
“First thing I am going to do is feast.” Rabry sighs after too long.
“First thing I am going to do is train. I can’t stand the little square on this ship. It’s smaller then our rooms. And I can’t seem to find any good sparring partners.” He just laughs as three separate hisses flow to his ears. “But at least we are home.” Coxa didn’t give a shit about not being able to spar with him. Rik’et, whose age was closer to that of Lord Khupiee then anyone else on the ship, had become jaded towards the hunt. He had even become so bored that he alone ventured out to look for new pray. And he found plenty. Some he told of to others while he kept some locations of new worlds to himself. ‘Whenever I prepare for a journey I prepare as though for death. Should I never return, all is in order,’ is what he told everyone before he left the Homeworld. And once, a very long time ago, he didn’t return for more then six seasons but when he arrived home, he carried more trophies then anyone had ever seen.
“I wish to see my friends face. He has yet to mate you know.” Thr’ik smirks.
“Ahh yes, Ferca!” Byht barks. “I was there the day she refused him. As she spoke her words, you could see all the lust that Dhm'Ni held for her seep away and become filled with contempt.”
“But she went back to him!” Thr’ik adds. “And then he refused her!” The laugh that came from the Bridge could be herd from those manning the burners.
A little while later and the crew was standing at the back of the ship where the hatch to leave was. As the old ship opened its doors, the creaking and groaning that came from its grinding gears made it sound like an old male trying to stand. But as swiftly as they could all five Yautja stamped down the ramp to those waiting. But to Thr’iks amazement, Dhm'Ni was not there. Only Ykas’e and a few other hunters who were there to meet Rik’et stood before them.
“Old friend.” Rik’et says as he and Ykas’e shake shoulders to one another.
“There is something I feel you should know before you go around the ship.” But prior to Ykas’e even starting to talk, Thr’ik was out of the docking bay on route to his friends’ room to beat him for not welcoming him to the ship. “There is a female.”
“So. There must be plenty of females on board.” Rik’et barks. Why would he care of one female?
“Actually only one.”
Thr’ik couldn’t understand why his friend was not there to meet him. Over the past nineteen seasons, they were always there to meet one another when one came home. Even if this DropShip was not home, it was close enough. But why wasn’t Dhm'Ni there? The question was occupying so much of his thought that Thr’ik wasn’t listening to the conversation that was around him as he waited for the lift to take him to Dhm’Nis deck.
“Do you suppose the female will be as good in battle with us as she was with the Hard Meat?” One of the three around Thr’ik asks.
“I hope so. But watching the video of her fighting Dhm'Ni and Lord Khupiee tells us that she is a great warrior. But she was fighting for her life, great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new challenge.” Someone answers. But Thr’ik wasn’t listening. He was just waiting to get to ‘Residence: deck two.’
But before he even arrived on deck, those who remained door watching kept themselves engaged as they waited for the Ooman to wake. Some were there so they could immediately challenge her, and some where there just to look. The crowd didn’t hold more then fifteen Yautja, but soon the number went down to zero. The entire mass of giants went to an apprehensive silence when they heard the female yell ‘shut up’. They instantly thought it was her yelling at them to quiet down. So they hushed their talk to a manageable pitch but the moment they heard a very angry ‘fuck’, most on deck scurried away. Even if none had experienced an angry female, they knew to stay out of her way. But they had no idea that she was yelling at the COM and not them. But just as the last of them turned the corner, after hearing her yell even more, Thr’ik stepped on the deck.
“That Pauk-de better have a good reason for breaking our tradition.” He hisses to himself. As he reached the door, it indicated that there was someone inside but they did no want to be disturbed. But Thr’ik didn’t care. However, he did not want to be so angry when the door opens, he would simply punch Dhm'Ni in the face. So for a few moments Thr’ik stood there, taking deep breaths trying to calm. Once he thought he was ok, he started to chime the room. Once…he waited. Twice…He waited. But after a few seconds the door opened but something was wrong. He and Dhm'Ni were the same height so he should be looking at his face but, no one is there. Thr’ik starts to roam around the room as he turns his head this way and that. When he looks down and sees a giant lump of fur with an Ooman face sticking out he hisses in surprise.
“Hello…” The Ooman says.
“What the Pauk is an Ooman doing here?” Thr’ik asks no one.
“HEY! Do not call me Ooman. Dhm'Ni does that and the next time he does I am going to hit him!”
“How can I understand you?” Thr’ik takes a giant step in the room, making the Ooman back up.
“T-translator.” He could smell the fear coming from the Ooman. It permeated his nose as he advanced on it.
“OOMAN! Tell me what you are doing in Dhm’Nis room!” He roars. But that seemed to anger the Ooman because it took a big step towards him.
“Did I not say to stop calling me Ooman?” It yells. Thr’ik roars in its face but it does not move. So he would have to move it! He grabs at the furs and gets a good grip but the Ooman slithers its way out and jumps back. “It’s a female!”
“My, aren’t you brilliant!” Thr’ik slowly looks down its body, all it had on was white Alsn wrapped around its chest and bottom. Her skin was tattered with so many stories that he couldn’t even begin to read…but…why would Dhm'Ni have a half naked Ooman female in his room? “HEY!” He looks back to her face and can see her shaking her head.
“What are you doing in here Ooman?”
“That’s it!” Suddenly the Ooman lunges and punches Thr’ik so hard in the gut that he bends at the waist. With him bent, the Ooman elbows his in the temple and Thr’ik stumbles to the left. It was about to hit again but he grabs its hand and shoves it so hard that it flies onto the bed. With a roar that made the room shake, Thr’ik charges.
Dhm'Ni didn’t understand it but he was continually taking the stairs to get around this ship. He didn’t know why but it made him a little calmer and not a lot of others walked the stairs. And it gave him time to think.
What am I going to say to her now? Even I said to Nder that she and I have a bond like no other but haven’t I severed that bond? She must hate and if she does not hate me she clearly detests me. She can barely speak to me. But it is not like I have given her the best guide lines on how to speak with me. Of course she and Sya can speak like old friends but she and I… That Ooman, C’jit! Why do I keep calling her Ooman? By species she is but not by being. What she is, is Ooman but who she is, is Nala. She said that when she healed me and when I explained to her what I was. I wish to call her Nala but I just can’t. When I see her I see nothing but Ooman. Not a friend or ally. But why don’t I? Had I ever? Even after she healed me I still looked down on her. And I really shouldn’t. What she had done for me, for my father and for my clan is beyond what I ever thought an Ooman can do. And now she is in my clan. In our world but why can I not see her as anything but Ooman? Maybe in time I will see her like Sya does. In time.
Dhm'Ni was relieved when the hall to his door was empty. He guessed they had given up, they do not know of Ooman sleep so they couldn’t have known how long to stay. But as Dhm'Ni walked closer to his door, he felt his stomach drop. It was wide open…Nala could have opened it from inside but why would she have… She was expecting it to be him! With all the speed Dhm'Ni could muster, he dashed to his room. As he skids at the door, a violent and anger filled roar comes from a Yautja that was running at Nala who was lying on the bed. Instantly Dhm'Ni charges the male from behind and plunges them both on the bed. All Nala could do was scoot as far back as possible as Dhm'Ni and this unknown male fall onto the bed. But even as Nalas back in the wall, the head of both males landed at her feet.
Thr’ik was pinned to the bed by an immense weight but he still stirs under him to free himself. Together, both he and Dhm'Ni aggressively growl at one another but once they each heard the other, they stop.
“Thr’ik?”
“Dhm'Ni?”
“WHAT THE PAUK ARE YOU DOING HERE?” Dhm'Ni roars. While he knew those on the ship knew Nala was in here but Thr’ik…He shouldn’t even be onboard. He was on the Homeworld until he left for a hunt. Still wary of what he might do, Dhm'Ni lifts himself up off Thr’ik enough for his friend to turn onto his back.
“What am I doing here? What are you doing with an Ooman in you room?” Dhm'Ni quickly glances at Nala, who was staring at Thr’ik and was still as stone, but as he brought his sight back to his friend, Dhm'Ni notices that the whip scars are in greater numbers on her inner thighs.
“That’s Nala.” He says in a ‘matter of fact’ tone. Thr’ik shifts until his head leans back to look at Nala upside down.
“Hello.” She says again. Thr’ik looks back to his friend and tilts his head in misunderstanding.
“Have you not been told?” Dhm'Ni asks. He jumps off the bed and gives Thr’ik a boost off as well.
“I just arrived. I sent messages telling you I was docking.” Nala hadn’t taken her eyes off Thr’ik. She didn’t want to be caught off guard if he should attack.
“I deleted them all, I knew what was on them.” Dhm'Ni signifies.
“Fine well…Why do you have an Ooman in your room? It is illegal to take them as a slave.”
“She is not my slave.”
“Then why is she here?” Thr’ik growls. He was getting increasingly aggravated at not getting an answer.
“Because I am in the Ehre Clan now.” Nala answers. Thr’ik threateningly hisses but stops when Dhm'Ni growls.
“She did not lie.” Dhm'Ni growls. “Her name is Nalani and she is in our clan now. You really haven’t been told?”
“Uh, no!” Thr’ik barks. Dhm'Ni sighs as he sees that Thr’ik really doesn’t know what was going on. But he would have to tend to Nala first, to see if she was alright.
“Just, wait.” Thr'ik impatiently crosses his arms and growls as Dhm'Ni turns to Nala who was looking rather bored. “Are you alright?”
“Why do you keep asking things like that?” Nala asks unhappily as she looks down to the bed. Dhm'Ni took a deep breath to finally tell her everything but he smelt something not good.
“Why do I smell blood?” He instantly twits to Thr’ik who held his hands up defensively.
“I barely touched her!” He defends himself. With a loud sigh, Dhm'Ni looks back to Nala but instead of her face, he was met with her foot. He saw a thin but red line cut across her toes and it was fresh.
“What happened?” He asks concerned. Nala took her foot back and sat cross legged.
“I met your mask.” Nala says, she picks up Dhm’Nis mask that was beside her and throws it to the end of the bed. “You left it on the floor and I kicked it.” Dhm'Ni quickly picks it up and realizes he had completely forgotten about it. He had thrown it on his bed after he brought Nala to the healers and didn’t think to bring it with him when he went to Kaines. But not a second after he remember it was broken, he growls and looks to Nala.
“You broke it!” He barks. “Those kicks you gave me when he fought shorted it out!”
“Yeah well…YOU BROKE MY FACE!” She yells at him. Dhm'Ni stood tall at her words, he did break her nose. What was a mask compared to a nose? But Dhm'Ni instantly dropped feeling guilty when Nala started to laugh. “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you its just…I am so tired! And I can’t believe I broke your mask!” She laughs even more at the thought.
“You need to put gel on that.” Dhm'Ni gruffly says. He quickly walks to a wall, opens a drawer and begins searching for a small bottle of gel that would heal her foot. Thr’ik makes an inquisitive thrill, making Nala look right at him.
“Sorry I hit you. I don’t like being called Ooman.” For a spilt second Dhm'Ni stops searching as he hears her words but soon starts looking again. “And you haven’t said ‘hello’ back.”
“Excuse me?” Thr’ik said in disbelieve.
“I said ‘hello’ to you twice and you have yet to say it back.” Thr’ik grunts at her and looks at Dhm'Ni then back to her.
“Why should I say that to you?” Thr’ik hisses.
“Because I said it to you, its proper manners to say it back.”
“Manners? Oomans have manners?” He says insultingly. But Nala didn’t care.
“Not a lot of them do. But I believe that manners are always needed.”
“Hello.” He says impolitely.
“You don’t need to be rude!” Nala utters.
“Rude!” Thr’ik barks. Nala stood tall on the bed, walks until she is at the end and crosses her arms like him.
“Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.” At that Thr'ik roars at being called weak. But before he could do anything about it Dhm'Ni steps between the two.
“Enough. Sit.” Instantly Nala drops and Dhm’Ni knells down on the floor. He takes hold of Nalas foot and rests it before him. With the small bottle of gel in hand, he places a small dab on a finger and smoothes it on her toes. Nala seethes from the sudden sting but it swiftly went away. After he closed the bottle, Dhm'Ni looks to Nala to find her looking at the bed and not him. He couldn’t take much more of this. He doesn’t want it to be like this. So Dhm'Ni tries to lift her gaze to him with his hand, gently raising her eyes to him but the moment his hand touched her face, she pulled her head away. In annoyance Dhm'Ni growls and stands. “Fine!” He barks and picks up her cloths that lay beside her then throws it on her lap. “Come.” He swiftly walks to the bathroom and to make sure he doesn’t get mad again, Nala runs after him. Dhm'Ni walks to the wall with the sink and presses a button making a drawer pop out. “Fresh Alsn. You can throw the soiled ones in the incinerator and when you are done come out.” Before Nala could thank him, he was gone and the door closed. Suddenly Nala drops to the ground and covers her mouth. She pinches her eyes closed as she tried not to cry.
“I’m sorry.” She whispers. She shouldn’t have ripped her face from him. What if it was a gesture that meant something like he was sorry and she denied him? Why does she keep making this worse? She felt so bad at that moment but she knew she shouldn’t take too long. Nala swiftly takes off the white Alsn and throws it away. When she approached the drawer, she found black Alsn and a small knife to cut it. Once she was satisfied with her makeshift bra and panty set, she walks to the sink to wash her face. But a small button caught her eye that was right beside the silver buttons and she curiously presses it. The sudden movement made Nala flinch but was really made her cringe was her reflection. “Ewe.” She looked awful! Her face still showed the last remnants of her bruises and her hair looked really bad. Once she washed her face with cold water, Nala smoothed her hair with her hands and pulled it up into a pony tail. But she had one problem, she didn’t have anything to tie it with. But then the idea to use the Alsn came to mind and she quickly cut a very thin strip. Amazingly it held her hair fine and she finished getting dressed.
“We have an Ooman in your clan?” Thr’ik asks as Dhm'Ni walks past him to the COM.
“That we do.” Dhm’Ni wasn’t really paying attention. He was searching for the video file of Nala that he could show Thr’ik. The watchers sent it to every station but because Dhm'Ni deleted all waiting messages, it was also gone. But he easily accessed it from the main computer and opened it. Dhm'Ni moved out of the way and motioned for Thr’ik to watch. “Just watch.”
After a the few minutes of the footage that was there, Thr’ik would have to go to the galley or some where to see the rest, he turned to Dhm'Ni and shook his head in disbelieve.
“No Ooman can do that.”
“I witnessed it with my own eyes.” Dhm'Ni growls. He didn’t like that Thr’ik didn’t believe him.
“Lord Khupiee wouldn’t bring an Ooman into the clan just for that!” Thr’ik trills. But he stops when Dhm'Ni nods in agreement.
“She had done a lot more then that. Would you like to know all the details or just the facts?” When Thr’ik hurriedly waves his hand, Dhm'Ni knew he just wanted him to be quick. “Alright. She saved my life, I saved hers. The other Oomans were going to blow up the island we were on, I will tell you about that later, and Nala warned us. She didn’t have away to save herself so Sya and I asked my father to take her to another island and he said ok. But when we got to the drop ship the queen, don’t ask, got out and Nala killed her, don’t ask why, then she killed a drone that was about to kill my father. He gave her the mark of a Young Blood but after some talk he let her fall to a drone tail. He then took her to the healers and all the sudden said she was in the clan.” Thr’ik hadn’t dared to breath. He didn’t even blink for a minute. But one question, still unanswered, was in his mind.
“But why is she in you room?” Dhm'Ni starts to thrill in laughter. He couldn’t even imagine what Thr’ik might think.
“She has no where else to go. No spare rooms or anything and Sya wholeheartedly suggested that Nala could stay in my room and my father agreed. I was secretly praying to Paya that she would refuse to stay with me but…here she is.”
“Here I am.” Nala repeats as she walks through the door. When Thr’ik twists around, Nala stops in her tracks and takes a defensive stance. Thr'ik and Dhm'Ni start to laugh. “What?”
“I would not fight her right now Thr’ik.” Dhm'Ni warns.
“We have already gone down that path.” Nala laughs and stands comfortable. “But I am really sorry for attacking you.”
“Wait,” Dhm'Ni barks. “You attacked him?”
“Yeah!” Nala scoffs.
“She punched me in the gut and then elbowed my head!” Thr’ik says as he rubs the spot where Nala hit his stomach. “I didn’t think female Oomans were so aggressive.” He says a flattering remark. But Dhm'Ni didn’t like how he said it.
“I wouldn’t have attacked you if I wasn’t woken!” Nala defends her actions. She usually wasn’t so mean towards new people but when she wakes before her due time, she is beyond evil. “And I suggest helping me rid all the anger in me before I meet your cops.”
“Cops?” Dhm'Ni barks, not really understanding what she meant. Nala walks to the end of the bed and slips on her funny metal shoes and hops on the bed.
“Cops, Authorities, Arbitrators.” Dhm'Ni tells her that they are properly named Arbitrators and for her to sit until he and Thr’ik are done talking. She would have protested about being ordered to wait but the sudden softness of the bed was whispering for her to sleep again. Dhm'Ni ushers Thr’ik until they were right by the door. While Dhm'Ni knew that even if they whispered she would hear them, she didn’t know since they meet so long ago, they made their own language. So all Nala got from the conversation was gibberish.
“I do not like what you said about her Thr’ik.”
“What, that she was aggressive? She is in our clan you know.” Thr’ik raises a brow and tilts his head.
“But you have not heard it all!” Dhm'Ni barks. But what neither of them noticed was that Nala had crawled to the top of Dhm’Nis bed and hunkered down with his pillow. “She is to be judged by the seven Elders, to make her place with our clan permanent but until then, my father set rules. One of which is that there will be NO mating!”
“Pity, I was just wondering what she tastes like.” Suddenly Dhm'Ni rushes at Thr’ik until their faces were together.
“And for another thing, Sya is her caretaker and I as well. I will not let any hand touch her.” Dhm'Ni roars. Thr’ik took a giant step back and looks at his friend oddly.
“Do you wish for Nala to be your mate?” Instantly Dhm'Nis mandibles fall and his eyes widen.
“I swore to protect her, I do not wish to mate with her. She and I barely say more then three words to one another!” He hisses.
“Yeah I noticed. You two don’t seem to be the right match to be put in a room together.” A hard sigh escapes Dhm'Ni as he heard the same basic words from Thr’ik as he did from Nder.
“I do not know what to do Thr’ik. You may not understand now but when I tell you every thing you may. But she and I used to be better. We even held a civil conversation...kind of. But after I did something she became so distant to me. I did not want to have her in here when the idea first came out of Syas mouth and even now, things are so bad between us I don’t think it can last.” Dhm'Ni slowly looks to Nala and barks when he sees her sleeping.
“She is a sleepy one isn’t she?” Thr'ik laughs. Dhm'Ni practically ran to the side of the bed Nala was on and leans down to her. At first, he was nudging her with his hand to wake her but all that did was make her turn her face to him and moan. With a grunt and a rougher shake, Dhm'Ni tries again. And slowly Nalas eyes open.
“DAHH!” Nala yelps at seeing Dhm’Nis face so close. She quickly turns over to her back and covers her face with her hands. “Your face is not something I would like to wake up to, Dhm'Ni!”
“Excuse me!” Dhm'Ni says, a little insulted by her words. But Thr’ik thought it was hilarious.
“Right, and a flathead like you is something we really want to look at!” He jokes. Nala swiftly sits up and looks crossly at Thr'ik.
“Go look in a mirror and twitch!” She yells. Now both Thr’ik and Dhm'Ni did the laughing, soon followed by Nala. “Nah, you’re alright Thr’ik.”
“What were you saying about working out your anger?” Dhm'Ni gets in.
“I am afraid that I am going to do something bad, like attacking one of them like I did Thr'ik, if I don’t get a release.” Nala hops off the bottom of the bed and stretches. “I’m not used to lying around like this. I train everyday and haven’t gone more then one week with doing something. And I am getting restless.” Dhm'Ni had walked back to the side of Thr’ik, taking in what Nala was saying. He didn’t want to bring her to the Arbitrators angry. She could do something stupid.
“Do you suppose we could take her to the Kehrite deck?” Thr’ik whispers but Nala heard him.
“What’s that?” She blurts and steps up to the two.
“It’s the training deck.” Dhm'Ni answers. When Nala gave him the biggest smile he had ever seen, he actually felt the knots in his stomach go away.
“PLEEEEEEASE!” Nala begs. The two Yautja in the room didn’t know what to make of a female begging. “Only ten minutes!” Nala had stared to jump up and down. Dhm'Ni actually thought it amusing to see her like this.
“Ten minutes.” Dhm'Ni barks. Nala suddenly squeals in happiness and claps her hands together many times.
“So is it like weight training or what?” She asks but when they just laugh at her, she gets even more frustrated. “Either you answer here and we go or you don’t and we fight here!”
“We will fight there.” Dhm’Ni answers her. “We spar there. You and I will…”
“Why do you get too have her?” Thr’ik asks, a little mad that his friend would have Nala all to himself.
“There is plenty of me to go around Thr’ik.” Nala says with a smile. “And I will kick your ass again.” When all she got from them were blank stairs, Nala laughs. “Can we go now?” She asks full with enthusiasm. Dhm’Ni grunts and turns to the door with Nala close behind him and Thr’ik behind her.
“So what’s it like being so short?” Thr’ik asks once they got into the lift. Nala twists around to him, having her back to the door.
“I donno. What’s it like being so tall?”
“Give me the advantage.” He laughs.
“I think being my height gives me the advantage. I am small to you but on the Ooman world I was very tall.”
“Why would being so itty-bitty give you the advantage?” Nala couldn’t help but let a laugh go. Hearing ‘itty-bitty’ from a Yautja is a funny thing to hear. But Dhm'Ni wasn’t thinking of what we being said. He was amazed that Nala was even talking. It just proves his point that Nala really doesn’t like him. She warmed up to Thr’ik in one minute and here he is, standing at the front of the lift while his best friend and Nala talk.
“Because I am swift and agile, while sometimes a large size can mean you are too bulky and stiff. But I know from experience that isn’t true with you guys.” Dhm'Ni grunts at the memory.
When the lift door open and they all file out, Nala was walking backwards as she and Thr’ik kept talking about size and height. But slowly, Thr’ik would position Nala until she was walking the right way to the wall of weapons but she still had to back to them. As Dhm'Ni stood at the wall, he was searching for a weapon that Nala could use. Her hands couldn’t handle such large weapons. But what the three didn’t really notice was a group of Yautja that were already in here. They had stopped their own sparring and were staring at Nala.
“I can think of one major disadvantage…” Thr’ik insinuated about the cache behind her.
“Oh? And just what would that be?” Nala crosses her arms in anticipation of his answer.
“You cannot handle those.” Thr'ik points behind her and Nala quickly twists to look. With an enormous gasp, Nala was met with the wall. She drops her arms and looks through the assortment of amazing weapons, staffs, blades, large knives, small knives, shurikens… Suddenly Nala shivers. She walks right up to a long blade and gingerly, and gently, traces the sharp edge with her fingers.
“Oh…I think I just got a hard on…” Nala closes her eyes and takes her hand back. But at her words, both Dhm'Ni and Thr’ik look at her in shock of her words.
“What?” They ask in unison. “I thought you were female?” Thr’ik barks.
“I am!” Nala laughs. “It’s just a figure of speech. Don’t worry.” She opens her eyes and touches another blade. “But how can you not find these arousing?” Dhm'Ni stood there silent, but Thr'ik was intrigued.
“Weapons arouse you?” He asks in a labored breath.
“Um-hmm.” Nala moans. “There is nothing better then something lethal. Ok Thr’ik, you choose.” She turns on her heal on looks up to Thr’ik with a smug smile.
“Choose? Choose what?” he asks.
“Choose which weapon you think I can handle and then we spar. I would think it funny that I would beat you with a weapon you chose.” Nala looks to the ground and sees many squares, some small and some really big. She walks to the closest one and slides out of she metal shoes but doesn’t know where she was supposed to go. “Corners or sides?” She asks.
“Corners or sides?” Dhm'Ni repeats the question. Nala turns full on to him and motions to the square below her.
“Do we start with an opponent at each corner on in the middle of a side line?” Dhm'Ni didn’t know what to make of he question.
“You have spared before?” Nala softly closes her eyes and lowers her head, how could he think she had never spared before? But Dhm'Ni quickly found his error. “Never mind. Sides.” Thr’ik was franticly searching for a particular staff section. He had walked all the way to the far end of the case just to find it and his time was not wasted.
“Catch!” Thr’ik chucks the staff towards Nala and she easily grabs it at the middle handle. It was very small compared to other staffs she had seen. But the same design, just in a smaller form. She didn’t quite know what to make of it and when she heard many different thrills of laugher, she finally looks around. There must have been at least 10 other Yautja, not including Dhm'Ni and Thr’ik. They were ALL laughing her as she held the staff, even Dhm'Ni couldn’t hold back a chuckle. But what really made her confused was Thr’ik. He was walking back with a strange stride, like he had done something that he was so proud of. But she didn’t have a clue as to what it was.
“And the reason everyone is laughing is because…” Nala sings.
“Because,” Dhm'Ni gets out between laughs. “The staff you are holding is for a pup.” But when Nala tilts her head and has a puzzled look on her face, he knew she didn’t understand. “For a child.”
“Something you can handle.” Thr’ik laughs. As he walks back, he grabs a similar staff but one he could handle.
“Aww…Thanks for the thought. And I don’t give a shit who it was meant for.” Nala smiles back.
“You don’t seem so angry…why do you wish to fight?” Thr’ik questions as both he and Nala step to a square. He had to go back to the edge of the square to take off his shoes, Nala gave him a swift warning about ‘accidentally’ using the metal. They both position themselves opposite to one another but neither of them really noticed that the Yautja in the room had started to circle around them. But Dhm'Ni was keeping it in control. A soft but harsh growl would keep them from interfering.
“Just because you don’t show how you feel, doesn’t mean you don’t feel.” Nala extended the staff, to the bewilderment of all around her and she smiles at the odd look on Thr’iks face. She watched Sya extend his own staff and guessed right that it was done the same way. “And you should never show your enemy how you really feel. Pain, pleasure, hate, love, pride, humility. When standing with a person, they do not care of how you feel. Only that you will put up a challenge.” With the staff in her right hand, Nala begins to twirl it like a baton and slowly moves it so it was behind her. Thr’ik looks at the looping staff wondering why she would be doing that…But it was the distraction that she was aiming for.
Nala charges and delivers a swift kick to Thr’iks side. He stumbles, unsure of what to do. He was shocked that Nala had hit him with such force and that he allowed himself to become unfocused. But to his surprise, Nala backs away, laughing at him playfully but still twirling the staff behind her. Thr'ik drops into a fighting stance and give her an aggressive roar. Nala too got into a stance, she bends her knees and extends her left foot until only her tipy-toes are touching the ground. But never once did she lose eye contact or that evil smirk.
“Tricky Ooman.” Instantly Thr’ik regretted calling her Ooman. Nalas face went from happy, to fury in a split second. Before Nala could attack him, Thr’ik went for her. He dashes at her, swinging his staff at her lift side, forcing her to pivot to the right. But he already had himself ready. Thr’ik pounds Nala right in the shoulder and she yelps from the sudden impact. And to retaliate, she finally takes up her own staff and aims it at his feet. Thr’ik jumps from the strange move, and looks down to keep his feet safe, so he didn’t expect it what Nala kneed his right in the gut. Hugging his trembling stomach, Thr’ik retreats until he is back at the line. But Nala wouldn’t let him get back up. Using the staff as a pole, Nala charges Thr’ik and slams the end of the spear into the ground, pole vaulting herself and her left knee, right into Thr’iks face. He flies back, not knowing just what happened and lands a good 10 feet from the square. But she wouldn’t go after him any more. He was out of the square and looks like he won’t be getting up for a little while.
“C’jit.” One watching finally gets out. But Nala wasn’t listening, all she could hear was her heart beating and her labored breathing. Taking a deep breath, Nala retracts the spear and walks over to Thr'ik. He still couldn’t understand what happened, he was standing and then a knee was in his face. He was only brought back to reality when Nala sat to his left, but never once did she look at him. But he wouldn’t move, he just looked up into her face, not knowing what was going on.
“What’s my name?” Nala asks in a hushed tone. Thr'ik just stares at her, not answering her question. “What is my name?” She asks harder and this time she slowly moves her head and looks into his eyes. Just now, as she looked into his eyes, did Nala think of honey. It was the same color, yellow here and brown there, they were quite sweet.
“Nala…” He finally barks.
“Actually it’s Nalani. But that’s ok. Are you alright?” She asks with a smile.
“Yeah, my head hurts.” Thr’ik answers with a laugh.
“Oh, your head hurts does it? Have you looked at me knee?” With that Nala lifts her leg up and shows that the small spikes on Thr’iks head indented themselves in her skin, leaving bloody holes the size of tiny stones.
“That’s what you get!”
“Alright.” Nala swiftly stands and walks back to the square. “Help your own dam self up then.” Everyone around began to laugh as Thr’ik groans in an attempt to stand. “Who’s next?” She asks out of the blue.
“Next? Would you not fight Dhm'Ni now?” A very tall Yautja asks.
“Why would I?” Nala barks, almost sounding angry. “I have fought him before!” Dhm'Ni didn’t know what to make of her words. “We have the scars to prove it. Wait…” Suddenly Nala stops still and looks up into the air. “You have never given me a scar.” She says as she finally looks at Dhm'Ni. “Not purposely.” She adds. Dhm'Ni instantly stiffs as he remember the only time he ever gave her a scar was by accident, hitting her with his shuriken. And even when he hit her nose it didn’t leave a scar. But he was glad Nala didn’t go any further into her ‘purposely’ statement. It would be so demoralizing for fellow Yautja to know that. But it was true…he never marked her.
“Than I shall try.” The same tall Yautja steps forward.
“And you are?” Nala smiles at him.
“Gik’ha.” They both nod to one another and step into the closest square. But what they didn’t seem to notice was that Dhm'Ni was practically vibrating in bad temper. How dare Gik’ha come in and offer to mark her when he had yet to do it. He and Nala have fought on many occasions and he wants to mark her now, to even the score for what she had done to him. They should be fighting, not some Yautja she just met.
“Shall we say to first blood?” Nala jokes. She knew she was annoying Dhm'Ni, some how she just knew. And at her words, Dhm'Ni speedily took up a staff from the wall and extended it.
“YOU WILL FIGHT ME!” Dhm'Ni roars. Nala jolts from the sudden sound and didn’t know what to make of Dhm'Ni as he walks right through the square and growls and Gik’ha, who simply walks away. But Dhm'Ni didn’t take his place, he walks to a different, larger square.
“Where are you going?” Nala asks, a little fearful of Dhm’Nis outburst.
“My guess is we will need a large area to spar.” Nala knew exactly what he was saying. They were going to fight and not spar. In sparing and fighting, there is one clear difference…feeling and passion. When you spar, whether it is with your best friend or worst enemy, when the fight is done, it is no different then when you started. But in a fight, even if one yields, or dies, the feeling and passions can stay, but they change. That’s what Nala knew. That’s what Dhm’Ni knew. They knew that what ever was between them was going to be done here. Nala quickly follows him, silent as can be. The others, after one helped Thr’ik up, also walk to the square. This one, however, was the same size as the one on the upper deck. A colossal square about thirty feet by thirty feet. Only those who were very serious about sparring would fight here. And those watching knew that right now was a time just to watch. Not to talk. Not to spur on. Not to listen to the words said. Just watch.
“First blood or until it’s done?” Nala asks seriously as she walks to one side of the square and faces Dhm'Ni as he does the same.
“Until it’s done.”

Pronunciations (Previous on chapters 3, 4, 6, 9 to 13 & 15.)
Ner’uda Yeah, no clue
Gsa’l Gas Al
Coxa Cocks A
Lijl Lidg Ill
Pakana Pak a Ana
Byht By It
Rabry Rah Bery