The halls of the ship were emptier than usual when Kayla had decided to venture out of her room on her own. Hunger pains had woken her, and soon driven her from the bed she was more than content to stay in. Her hope had been that the cafeteria would be serving something at this time. Even if she had to cook it, it'd be better than nothing.

During the week prior, H'chakde and Kayla had confined themselves to their room for most hours of the day. Initially, she had wished to avoid another encounter like before, with H'chakde getting hurt and her needing to go toe to toe with another female. Eventually however, he had assured her that wouldn't happen. Not only were the other yautja aware of her claim, it would be hard not to catch her scent on him. Or his on her.

She stepped through the open doors of the cafeteria, thankful to find a sizable group in there and food ready for the taking. With her shoulders back, and her head held high she crossed through the room and gathered herself a small tray of food. Pausing only for a moment, before grabbing Skylar's portion too. She was already out and about, what would it hurt if she dropped the food off a little earlier than normal?

"Kayla?"

The woman turned, noticing that it was N'kai who had called to her. "That's me."

He straightened his posture from tense to something more presentable. Bandages covered his arms and shoulder, welts and dark bruises ghosting across his orange skin in bursts of yellow and green. "Have you and Skylar been well? I have not been able to ask since I have been barred from seeing her." His eyes narrowed, angry at whatever thought passed him by before he looked at her again, softer and curious.

"I've been good, as far as i know she has too. The Elder has been keeping an eye on her." Kayla adjusted the trays in her hand so they were better supported by her hands. Her eyes catching again on the bruises and bandages that decorated him. "What happened to you? You get tossed by a female as well?"

N'kai let loose a sound like a laugh, his mandibles clicking rapidly, "No, although I found it very amusing". He offered out his palms, "shall I carry these for you? There are many ears in here that listen when they should be focused on their own affairs". He turned his head sharply behind them, staring straight into the wide eyes of a young warrior. The warrior quickly scrambled for the meat slabs in front of them before trotting off and away.

She passed him one of the trays, nodding as she did so. Kayla might have turned down the offer, but she didn't want to risk spilling anything. "Thank you." She took the lead walking out of the cafeteria, only walking beside N'kai once they were through the doors. "Is the hallway private enough?"

"It will do, the way to the Elder's room is always quiet," he strode in silence for a moment before continuing, "I fought with Lar'ja-thwei, our ship's medic. Do not worry though, he is worse off than I". He puffed up some, head held high.

"Congrats?" Kayla wasn't sure how to take that information. She remembered the yautja in the ring at the start of mating season. However, Lar'ja-Thwei didn't strike her as the type to engage in that part of the season. "What started the fight?"

He looked at her, confusion on his face, "his insults to Skylar of course. The things he said should never be tolerated." He scowled as he walked, "I can only imagine how angry you must have been when you heard".

She blinked at him, pausing in the middle of the hallway. Irritation ignited in her chest as she shook her head. "I didn't hear about any of that. What the hell did he say?"

"You did not?" N'kai huffed, "I am forbidden to speak in too much detail...but if you were to demand it of me then how could I, an honorable warrior of the clan, refuse an honorable female." He wandered slightly closer, "how much detail do you require?" his tone egging her on. His expression was fierce as he stared ahead, whatever rage inside him had boiled up again like a small volcano.

"In that case, I demand you tell me all of the details of what happened." She turned her head so her ear was facing him so he could whisper to her if needed. "If you need a cover story I can punch you."

"A very serious threat then, I have no choice," he paused only a moment before continuing, "Kweide went to the black warrior with honor, I can see no better way for him to have died. When you are bested you must simply accept such fate and go on. And yet Lar'ja-thwei dares to accuse Skylar of being the reason for Kweide's death. It is mere bitterness. Pathetic behavior from a male who does not hunt." His mandibles clicked sharply as he turned the corner to the Elder's hall. There were many rooms but of the two taken, the furthest down the hall was Elder Luarke's. N'kai would one day have a room in this hall too. He was determined.

Kayla could feel her eye twitch, a familiar kind of rage she hadn't felt in months was boiling to the surface. She wouldn't be shocked if Skylar was already blaming herself, the medic's words wouldn't help that any. "He said that?" It was a struggle to not grit her teeth. It was a redundant question, she knew N'kai would have no reason to lie to her. Since if he had she'd find out soon enough. "I hope you gave him the ass kicking of a lifetime."

"He said too much more, I made sure he would not so hastily speak out of turn again." N'kai puffed up and stopped in front of the door to the Elder's room. "Only..." he didn't finish his words. Instead he handed her the tray he carried and stood still for a moment, staring at the door. "She is my first friend... I wish he had not hurt her." He straightened himself and dipped his head, "I must be going now. May you both enjoy your meals".

She wished the same, her friend didn't deserve such harsh words. Not after such a heartbreak. Kayla adjusted the trays in her hand, balancing them in a way that kept one hand still free.

"N'kai." She called to him before he could move, her eyes softening a little despite the anger that simmered in her chest. "Thank you, for defending her I mean." Kayla hadn't been able to, so she was glad someone had.

N'kai looked at her, "it was owed to her as her friend. She would do the same." There was hesitance written all over the young Yautja who so often relied on anger as his dominant emotion. He'd been much changed and much more confused since the humans had come into his life.

"She would, she has for me." Even when Kayla didn't deserve it, Skylar was just that kind of friend. Kayla turned her head to the door, knocking on the metallic surface. Once she had been given the okay, she stepped into the room. Shifting one tray to the other hand so she could hand it to Skylar.

"Hi," Skylar said with a soft smile. She slid across the silken sheets easily and gently lowered herself to the ground. "It's good to see you," she stared at Kayla, glancing for any injury before offering her friend a hug. She couldn't move far with her leg, but she waddled slightly closer.

Kayla set the trays down on the bed before giving her friend a careful hug. "Likewise Sky," She gave her one more soft squeeze before moving to lean on the bed. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm in one piece...well, two I suppose" She bent over to massage the part of the leg where her wound was still healing, it was going to leave a large nasty scar but she'd come to appreciate those living amongst the Yautja that treated them like badges of honor. Still, it terrified her that she may never run again. What if she needed to? What then? "How are your injuries doing?"

"Healing, my cuts are doing well, but my leg still aches from time to time. Especially when I'm trying to stretch that particular muscle." She lifted her leg a little, enough to get a look at it but not so much that it hurt. "I uh, heard about what happened with that medic."

Skylar froze, eyeing her with wariness as she straightened herself, "oh...are you alright?" It was a habit to ask and also concern since she didn't know how much was said. Lar'ja-thwei hated them both and although Skylar was his main problem he still had insulted Kayla in a way that wouldn't be easily put from her own mind. She could never stop being concerned for her.

Kayla frowned slightly, she was confused by the response more than anything. It wasn't her that the medic had blamed for Kweide's fate. "I feel like I should be asking you that question. Sounds like he was a real ass."

She held her tongue, Skylar wasn't so sure he was wrong about herself though. Her mind kept screaming. Burning into her, lining the words in her mouth with bitterness, "maybe". She was choking on her own frustration for a moment as she looked at Kayla. Kayla who all she wanted from was to be close again, a kind word, some sort of solace and connection but they'd been parted for so much of their time on this ship and soon they'd be parted forever if Skylar couldn't find a solution. Everyone was slipping through her hands. "Hug me, please".

Kayla obliged, scooting closer and carefully wrapping her arms around Skylar. They could continue the discussion later, for now, if her friend wanted to be held, she would hold her. Sky had lost so much in the last little bit, and the medic certainly didn't help any of the grief she was sure plagued her friend. "It'll be okay Sky, I know it will."

Skylar roped her arms around Kayla, injuries be darned, she held her like a lifeline as comfort rolled into her system. This was like home. All of the times she had suffered in her life were always made easier by Kayla's presence, that assurance that she would always be there rain or shine. Best friends, sisters, they were family and she couldn't let her go anymore than she could her father. She didn't want to be without them. "I don't know if it will Lala, how am I supposed to be without you? I can't think of a way to fix it, I don't know what to do, I don't, I don't know".

"It will be Sky, you may not know what to do right now but you'll figure it out. You always have." Kayla adjusted herself a little, trying to make sure Skylar was as comfortable as possible. "And if not, da- your dad will be there right?" He was as tough as Skylar, at least Kayla thought so.

"But I've never done it alone, it's always been us, our family. What are me and Dad going to do without you? How do I tell him you're not coming home?" Her voice cracked, confusion swarming through her, the urge to correct Kayla fought with the urge to let her decide. She couldn't make Kayla think of them the same way they saw her. But could she sit by when those words did more harm than good? "He's our dad, what do we say?How do I explain that we've been gone for two years and now you'll be gone forever?"

Kayla couldn't help but look away for a moment. Since the conversation when she was 'ill', what Kayla thought was the truth had slowly been breaking. Seeing Skylar now, made it crumble in her hands. There was one solace though, "We tell him the truth, that I'll be gone, but I can always come back to visit. We can treat it like that time I went away for basic training."

"How? They won't let you come back after this so how are we going to see each other again?" she wiped at her eyes, trying to slow her sharp gasps into steady breaths.

Kayla blinked, pulling away from Skylar. "I-" She took a deep breath, already making a plan on how to confront H'chakde about this. Since it certainly wasn't something he had told her. Not before the hunt, or even afterward. "I wasn't aware that was the case."

Skylar's eyebrows furrowed as anger rose in her like a wave, "they didn't tell you? All this time and no one told you?"

"In all fairness." Kayla mumbled, her mind scrambling to reevaluate the plan she had made out. She wanted to stay on the ship, but she didn't want this to be the end of her and Skylar's friendship. "I've only told you and H'chakde. I wanted to tell the elder after the hunt but, I- I haven't."

"But why didn't H'chakde say anything? Kweide told me-" she paused, shock pulsed through her system in a nauseating wave. She hadn't said his name in such a long time. "-he told me a very long time ago; I should have said something just to confirm you knew but I was in so much shock and we never got to see each other and I just assumed H'chakde would have since Kweide had told me but I guess that's a whole problem in and of itself". Skylar took a deep breath, a small moment of reprieve in the tide of her emotions, Kayla hadn't known. She hadn't chosen to leave Skylar behind forever. That had to mean something right?

"That's something I have to ask him." Kayla muttered, frustration edged her tone as she turned to look at the door. This would be a conversation for when she got back to the room. Since he'd most likely still be there given mating season. "I don't fault you for not saying anything. there's been a lot of assumptions, on both of our ends."

Skylar nodded, "yeah, yeah there has..." neither had communicated the way they should have and she blamed herself more for not stepping forward to fix things when that had been her way of things all her life. "The whole "not a part of the family" thing for instance. Where did all that come from Lala? I never knew you felt that way and it wasn't the way we felt about you. You've always been family to us but, did we not communicate that clearly enough? Is there something we did?" Was there something she could fix?

"Honestly? I'm not even sure. One stray comment from a teacher here, and another from someone else there and I just got it in my head that I was more of a thorn then anything." Kayla muttered, giving a shrug of her shoulders. "I never thought it important to talk about, so I didn't and just kept on believing that's how you guys felt about me."

Skylar paused, mulling it over before she spoke. "But that's not fair to you or dad, I'm not mad at you don't get me wrong, people must have pushed it a lot for it to change your mind. You've always been made of steel and if they got under your skin it must have been tough on you. I'm just saying that you should talk to us about things that hurt you, help us fix it so we can assure you how much you mean to us. We love you Lala." Skylar burned inside quietly, a river of anger and guilt guided through her. Anger at those people, anger at herself and if she was honest a little anger with Kayla too. It was hard to process that mixture but she tried. Secrets, lies, a boil of emotions. But she could let it go, push working through it all the way to another day if only they could settle the tension between them.

Truthfully, she couldn't remember how bad their comments were. Perhaps they just made them at the wrong time. A time where Kayla's steel exterior had been damaged so badly that even the smallest thing could seep in. "I love you guys too, I- I'm sorry I never said anything." It wasn't much of an apology but it was the best she had.

They would need work, she knew, but this was the beginning. A fresh start to grow from. "I'm sorry I never dug deep enough, truly," Skylar reached out, opting to let her decide if she wanted to hug again or not.

Kayla wrapped her arms around Skylar, taking care of her injuries as she held her close. "That's all water under the bridge Sky, don't hold onto it. All we can do is move forward." The question Kayla couldn't seem to wrap around her head though, was how to move forward now.