Lex and Scar lie atop the enormous bed she previously shared with Scorvo. However, this time the mood is quite different. A significant amount of time has passed since they first began their energetic tryst. The temperature within the ship, and the frenzied nature of their movements, causes sweat to glisten on Lex’s skin. Scar pauses long enough to kiss the exposed flesh of Lex’s shoulder. He stares down at his lover’s face with a weary expression.
“Where will you go? Surely not back to the place where you are being hunted?”
Lex releases a soft sigh and tousles Scar’s dreads.
“What are you so worried about? I’m tougher than I look.”
“I am being serious.”
“So am I.”
“I do not believe you should return to that place.”
Lex issues an even louder sigh and rolls her eyes. She prepares to stand up. Scar prevents her from leaving by placing a hand against the side of the bed.
“I am worried for your safety. I do not want to lose you again. It is hard enough knowing that I was…Dead to all existence for many cycles of the moon. I should have been there. Or…You should have been with me.”
“Speaking of which—” Lex interjects. “Where will you go, Scar? Back to your home?”
Scar looks askance at Lex and considers his answer very carefully.
“I will go wherever you go. Our world is not like yours. It can be a very harsh and cruel world. For an ooman. It would take some getting used to. The yautja no longer live exclusively on planets…As you oomans do. Many of our kind live on floating habitats—enormous ships converted into self-sustaining organic environments. A consequence of internal wars, distrust, and plagues. In this way, our species can never truly be wiped out. It is in our nature to be suspicious of anyone not of yautja blood. Many will never accept you. It could be dangerous.”
Scar uses a solitary finger to outline the shape of Lex’s face. He trails his finger over her chin and then down past her neck. Lex releases yet another soft sigh as he continues to explore her body with his hand—a shiver coursing the entire length of her spine.
Tears well in Lex’s eyes and she cradles the left side of Scar’s face. With a finger, she mimics redrawing the acid mark which once graced his forehead.
“We’ll have to do something about that?” Lex says.
“About what?” Scar says, confused.
“Your mark. It’s strange…Not seeing the mark on your forehead. Makes my mark seem almost fake. As if we were never in that pyramid at all. We’re going to have to win your mark back. Another trip to Antarctica?” Lex jokes with a cruel smirk.
“I have already done that,” Scar says. “We killed the serpent queen together. I have nothing to prove. In all of our history…No yautja has ever died…Yet lived to do glorious battle again. I am the first. Should I meet another serpent in battle, I will slaughter it. For honor. But now is not that time. And you are trying to change the subject.”
“What do you want me to say, Scar? I’ve already lost everything once before. You want me to give it all up again?”
“If what you’ve told me is true? The other oomans will never allow you to have peace. You must make a decision.”
Lex lies back on the bed, batting her eyelashes seductively.
“There’s only one decision I want to make right now. It’s a really easy one.”
“Which is?” Scar says with a knowing smile.
Lex opens her arms wide and grins. Scar is more than willing to acquiesce.
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When Scar and Lex join Scorvo in the flight cabin, they are all smiles. Scorvo only gives them a passing glance, his gaze fixed on an image displayed on the forward view screen.
“We are nearly to our destination. Have you arrived at a decision?” Scorvo asks in a deep monotone voice.
Scar steps behind Scorvo’s chair and places a hand on his cha’l brother’s shoulder.
“We have. I will remain here…On this planet.”
Scorvo’s brow creases and he peers over at Lex with a hardened expression.
“On what do you base your decision? Why do you not return to our home? There are many who would view your rebirth as a great victory. A triumph over even death. You would become a legend to our kind. Our destiny…As cha’l brothers…Would be fulfilled.”
“As many as would accept me…There are many who would not. In this form, I no longer bear the mark of my great battle on the frozen continent. My flesh is as it was the day I was born.”
“That does not matter. Everyone knows of your battle with the queen serpent. Your memories are intact. A testament to the mental and physical prowess you possess. No one can deny you are Scar…Son of Skas’glds! Cha’l brother to Scorvo. You cannot remain here. It could mean dishonor. Not only for you…But for our family.”
Scar briefly glances over at Lex before addressing his agitated brother again.
“That is why…What I must ask you to do…Is so very important.”
Scorvo cuts his eyes in Lex’s direction but she quickly looks away. Seeing the fury etched into Scorvo’s features causes her great discomfort. He has never looked at her quite that way before.
“What is it you wish me to do?”
Scar removes his shoulder cannon and kneels on the floor before Scorvo—so that his back faces his brother. Scorvo stiffens, unsure of where this conversation is leading.
“When you return to our clan…You will tell them that I no longer live.”
Scorvo’s mandibles rapidly flare open and shut, his tusks brushing and generating a soft ticking sound.
“No.”
“You must! This is the way I wish it to be.”
“The council may not believe me. They may think I am covering for you. And they would be right. They would send rogue hunters to verify my story. If they find you…Or the ooman female…There will be no trial. They will kill you both. It would mean dishonor for us all.”
“That is why you will have proof that they cannot refute.”
“You talk as if everything is set in stone. What kind of proof…Besides my word…Or your corpse…Could I hope to bring before the council?”
“You are looking at it,” Scar says in a level tone.
“Scar?” Lex interjects. “What are you talking about?”
Scar simply rotates his left shoulder causing the old scar on his shoulder to become more visible. The uncanny likeness to his clan’s symbol is striking and undeniable.
“You will take a piece of me back.”
Scorvo’s eyes widen impossibly further and he contemplates jumping from his flight chair and beating his cha’l brother about the head with his own combistick.
“You will take two locks of my hair…And the flesh of my shoulder. The portion which carries the mark of our clan. No other yautja bears the mark as I do. They will recognize that your h’yrr belongs to me.”
“You are not a common rogue, Scar. You are my cha’l brother. A fearsome hunter. I will not collect tribute of your flesh for the council.”
Scar becomes angry, easily switching his speech to the language of their forefathers.
“It will not be an h’yrr in the truest sense. You will present my hair and my flesh to the council as explanation for my death. You will tell them I was killed when the ooman research facility was destroyed. That is the way it will be. You gave me this scar. It is time you took it back.”
Scorvo’s head snaps back with surprise, as he processes the impact of Scar’s words.
“You don’t know what you are saying,” Scorvo laments. “That mark…Is your bond to our clan.”
“Scorvo…You speak like a true yautja. However, you and I both know that I am only a shadow of the yautja I once was. As my f’tyhu….My cha’l brother…I ask you to do this.”
Scorvo takes a moment to consider his options. With a swift motion, he reaches to his thigh and removes a large blade. Lex moves as if to intercept him, her eyes wide.
“What are you doing?” Lex cries.
Scar’s fierce stare is enough to make her stop in her tracks.
“He will do what must be done.”
Inhaling deeply, Scar prepares himself for the metal of Scorvo’s blade to pierce his flesh. Scorvo stabs downward, slicing into Scar’s shoulder. Scar roars loudly and clamps his teeth together in agonized fury. Scorvo draws the blade downward, cutting into Scar’s flesh only as deep as is necessary.
The entire procedure takes less than two minutes. Blood runs down Scar’s shoulder and back in green rivulets. Lex watches as Scorvo lifts out the section of flesh. Had Scar been wearing his mesh suit, the operation might have proven more difficult.
When Scorvo is done, he places his blade back in its leg-sheath and retrieves an aerosol spray from his belt. He sprays the piece of Scar’s flesh with pressurized gas from the aerosol canister, drying it, and blowing away any remnants of blood. Lex moves to Scar’s side. The brave warrior climbs to his feet. He clenches his jaw to push back the pain. The ooman pellet piercing his arm hadn’t hurt this much.
“Why did you have him do that?”
“So that there will be no question…When Scorvo speaks before the council…That he is now lead cha’l. You are a true yautja, Scorvo. From the bloodline of Skas’glds. A bloodline which reaches back many millennia. I am honored to have been joined with you…My f’tyhu. The honor of our family…Now rests on your shoulders.”
Scar nods respectfully to his cha’l brother, a wide smile on his face. Scorvo returns the gesture, sadness in his heart.
“Where is it you wish to go?” Scorvo asks.
Lex steps forward and grips Scar’s elbow.
“Somewhere really hot!”