Skylar

"Skylar!"

Her head snapped up immediately. She barely had time to register Lar'ja-thwei's presence before his clawed hands were digging into her shoulder and yanking her down the hallway. "What's going on? Did I do something? Is someone hurt?" Despite the pain, panic seeped in. Was it Kayla ? Was she hurt?

"Someone will be now, there is no doubt about it." His voice was tense as he continued on. "Elder Luar'ke and Kweide have entered into a... challenge. A fighting match of sorts".

"They what? Why?" Skylar quickened her pace, keeping time with him now.

Lar'ja-thwei looked at her then, "All I know is that they are fighting. I am assuming for one useless reason or another. Not that I ever expected them to fall to such behavior."

To say she was stunned would be an understatement. Both of them were calm, more collected than most of the Yautja on the ship, why would they fight? Her heart rate fluttered with anxiety for a moment. Was it because of her? All those times they had been tense around each other... she never thought it would get this far. But what could be the trigger reason or rather the excuse? Their culture was different but she couldn't figure out how this might have tied in. She sifted through reasons, weighing them all for their worth inside her mind. All she was certain was that the blame was hers.

"We're here." He only gave her that quick warning before the door slid opened and they both walked into the training room.

She nearly gasped at what she saw. The two faced each other in the middle of the indented ring. They both wore blindfolds as they circled one another. Kweide was bleeding but his short sword was surprisingly clean. She looked at Luar'ke, he was calmly parrying each blow with his shepherd's crook despite Kweide's alarmingly fast attacks. "What can we do?"

"Nothing, they've both agreed to this match so we are forbidden from interfering."

Skylar shook her head, "its stupid to let them continue. They're only gonna get hurt for nothing... I can't just stand here." She began to climb the railing from her spectating position but Lar'ja-thwei's grip stopped her.

"They may be foolish for this but you cannot stop them, it would bring you nothing but punishment."

She looked at the room of Yautja and then she looked at him, eyes watering before she flung herself over the railing and charged for them. It didn't matter what obscenities' Lar'ja-thwei was undoubtedly speaking behind her. In front of her she saw the two Yautja she cared about most intently trying to hurt each other. Within seconds she managed to slide her way between them, desperately putting a hand on Luar'ke. "Stop! Stop this right now!"

He pulled her close against his chest suddenly as she felt a sharp pain, a startled twitch of his mandibles gave away his surprise but that didn't stop him from slamming back Kweide's sword. She blinked in shock as she looked down, Kweide hadn't heard her in time. He'd sliced open a large portion of her back. The moment her blood dripped onto the dirt she was jostled as Luar'ke lifted her and simultaneously sent Kweide sprawling onto the floor with a swipe of his weapon.

The three of them froze there for a moment, no one moving until more ripples of blood flowed down onto Kweide's chest. Both Yautja ripped off their blind folds, Luar'ke looked at Kweide with stern eyes, and Kweide looked at Skylar's back with a mix of anger and guilt.

"Skylar I did not mean to hurt you. You were here from nowhere, and I, I-" He met Luar'ke's gaze and settled his eyes to the floor.

Before she could speak Luar'ke responded, "I warned you Kweide, I warned you that you could not handle this. You who is too obsessed with proving yourself. You do not listen." Skylar shook her head but he did not let her defend him. "And you, you threw yourself between us like a fool, injuring yourself. Do you have any idea the disrespect you have shown? The lack of self preservation? How can you expect to survive your Chiva like this? To become Yautja when you think so little on your actions?" He looked truly livid.

She clamped her mouth shut, wide eyed as he stomped his way out of the ring with her still in his arms. The other Yautja remained quiet, whether that was good or bad wasn't evident but a wave of nerves hit her. She watched Kweide remain on the ground, his head hung low, as they left the room. What had she done?

Her emotions stewed despite her silence. She knew the rules of their society fairly well, what it took to even be left alone among them. Yet she fumbled it all in her graceless way. She clenched her fists and looked down. "I'm sor-"

"Skylar," he stopped her immediately, "not here".

She nodded although she hated the thought of not being able to talk right away. If she could just apologize, tell him how sorry she was even though she wasn't really. She wasn't sorry she stopped them, but very sorry that it upset him and broke the rules. That thought surprised her. What was she to do when she burned with both shame and frustration?

When they reached the med bay it was empty, of course it would be considering Lar'ja-thwei was probably busy taking care of Kweide and loathing her actions too. Luar'ke set her down on the metal table, turning his back to scour for supplies. It struck her then that she was hurting. Somewhere between her trying to figure out what to say and the rapid breathing she had forgotten she was sliced open and bleeding.

"This will hurt, but we have to do it quickly." Luar'ke looked at her, a flash of pity in his eyes as he raised an item she had seen used but never felt. Even the Yautja roared when it pulled their flesh together. She nodded for him to do it. She didn't want to but she wasn't going to push for any other options at the moment. Not after the issues she had caused.

It took only a moment for him to align it properly and then she screamed harder than she ever thought she could as he clipped her back together. It was so fast she had barely blinked when it happened. She whimpered for a moment and covered her mouth as he brought up the healing salve to her skin. It didn't hurt like it usually did. She supposed it couldn't compare to the pain she had already felt. Instead the salve felt so soothing she wanted to cry as she leaned forward over her knees.

Luar'ke's hand rested on her shoulder for a moment before he spoke, "I need you to understand, no you must understand this. You know our ways are not your own, but you have to do more than know, you have to respect it. Let us make our choices for ourselves, your protection is not needed Skylar. Kweide is a warrior and he can handle himself."

Her gut clenched but she nodded. It didn't matter how much she didn't believe him, how much what he was saying was different than everything she had followed her whole life. It was his logic and their choices, she had to respect that. Respect everyone's choice. Even if it killed her to do so. Even when her soul was screaming that she was supposed to take care of them all, sacrifice everything for them, bleed for them. This was her way and she hated that it was yet again not good enough. In her desperation to protect she only came out feeling selfish.

"I... I will have to punish you Skylar. You broke clan laws in front of other Yautja." He placed a clawed hand over his face as she looked up at him.

Her mouth opened and then closed repeatedly as she tried to formulate words. What was she supposed to say? Eventually she just said, "how badly?"

He folded his arms and straightened, "your Chiva is upcoming, in it you will be denied access to a plasma caster even after your group finds them in the center. You must complete the hunt without one." When she tilted her head he continued, "it's an advantage taken from you that should appease the clan due to its gravity. The only other option is to be severely beaten."

Her arms went around her waist as she processed the information. An already difficult hunt made harder and she had no choice but to accept it. Tears flowed down her cheeks but she made no sounds as she nodded. "Okay." Luar'ke stared at her before he came closer and clasped both her shoulders, softly resting his forehead near her neck. She softened and held him close for a moment. Neither said a thing but she could feel well enough that he worried for her as much as she was worried about herself. "Really I'll be okay."

He gripped her closer for a second before stepping back and nodding. "I know. We have not all believed in you this whole time for you to die so easily." Gentle and slow, he pushed the hair from her face and gave her a nod of his own. "You will be strong. I can feel it."

She smiled, "I escaped death once, I can do it again". Skylar straightened her posture as the boiling pot of her emotions settled back to a simmer. The urge to overflow was lessening.

Luar'ke clicked a short laugh, "I have no doubts, but I must go now, there is much to settle over your actions. Lay low for a while, look less cheerful. That combined with your punishment should smooth things over."

"I can do that," Being less happy and moping in the room more sounded like a plan her feelings would agree with. "Thank you," she added as he opened the door.

He stopped for a moment, speaking to someone in front of him, then he gave her one more nod before he stepped around the other and disappeared.

The Yautja in the doorway dared not look her in the eyes.

"Kweide?" She slid off the table and walked towards him. "Come here, are you okay?" She held out her hand towards him but he made no moves to accept it. "Please."

Kweide stepped into the room silently and circled behind her, clawed digits ghosting over the wound. "I only wanted to help you, protect you, and yet I wounded you instead. Fitting of me." He pulled his hand back as she turned around. His eyes were hollow.

"What do you mean? Protect me from what?"

He seemed to hesitate before he pressed his palm on the door scanner and sealed it shut. "From your people, I wanted to offer you a place where neither of our worlds could hurt you. But it was selfish, I cannot protect you."

"I don't understand Kweide, just, just sit a moment and tell me." Skylar gestured to the table and lifted the salve jar. An unease settled into her skin as she began cleaning his wounds. Something was off about him. He was speaking too cryptically and even though he was there in the room she knew his mind was whirling miles away.

"You do not wish to stay with us without your father and if you go home we will never be able to see you again. These outcomes overwhelm me."

She leaned against the table for support, "what?"

Kweide's stare slowly focused on her as he took the jar from her hands and set it down, "humans would do anything to you to get knowledge on us. If we were ever to return, your father's life and your life would be likely forfeit."

She clenched her hand on the metal table, nearly knocked over by the force of the revelation. How could she never see them again? How could she do that? To part permanently from Kayla or their father? What kind of choice was that? Though they were her main concern, the thoughts of her friends, Luar'ke, Kweide, N'kai, crept into her mind. Ferdinand too. They'd all be gone forever. Her gut screamed that she had to pick them, she had to stay because they made up her life. They were all pieces of her day and her every breath. All the important beings in her life were on board... all but one.

She could not leave her father. He had given everything up just for her, to raise her and love her. He had done it again for Kayla. Allowed them to be sisters in the way most childhood friends could only dream of. It made her feel sick to even think of leaving him. She would be miserable no matter her choice wouldn't she?

Skylar took a shaky breath as she sat down on the medical room floor, she had to pick her father. He needed her. Kayla had made it clear she would be fine, Luar'ke said it himself that Kweide would too. She wasn't needed here. They cared for her, she was aware and had felt too much love to ever doubt that. But they didn't need her. She knew that her father needed his children and to lose them both forever would kill him. She could hate the rest of her life if it meant the rest of his was even half better. "I-"

"I know." Kweide cut her off, she looked up and felt her heart crack. The defeat was plain as day in his eyes. "You'll get to go home Skylar."