Kira

Chapter 8. Interlude

Kira woke with a groan of contentment. She snuggled beneath the heavy fur pelts, stretching her limbs before curling back in a ball. The yautja-made bed was fantastically comfortable. Rather than falling asleep quickly, Kira had spent the late-night hours inspecting every item in her tiny studio room.

Her 'dwelling', as Rhi'ja called it, was small and made of solid dark walls. It lacked decoration but made up for it with a big rectangular bed against the back wall, a small bathroom on the right, and a kitchenette on the left. In the center of that open space was a square table and two sturdy dark metal chairs with an animal pelt on the seat. Warm yellow lights lit up the space just right. There were no windows to see the stars, but for what the room lacked in scenic views of space, it made up for that with the comfort provided by furniture that was made for Kira's body.

The bathroom was what blew her mind, though! The tub was the size of a small pool! And the shower! It was the perfect height and had the water pressure she desired to beat out the knots in her sore body.

Beyond that, she took the time to learn the food processor built into the wall above the shiny metal counters. Rhi'ja had given her a tutorial on how to work the thing, but exploring it on her own was more satisfying in the long run.

The machine had instantly created yautja cuisine out of nothing like magic. Kira pondered for a moment if she had walked onto the set of Star Trek instead of on a ship built by her species. After pounding down three dishes consisting of strange but delicious veggies and savory meats, she eventually grew tired. Her body was finally at its breaking point after a few long days. When she finally snuggled beneath the exotic fur blankets, sleep wasn't hard to find.

And now, it was the day of the 'Enclave'.

Kira dragged herself out of bed reluctantly with a heavy sigh. She ignored the anxiety creeping through her nerves as she picked a meal for breakfast.

Rhi'ja hadn't bothered to alter the language on the food processor, so she relied on pure luck in picking something to eat. Thankfully, the machine spit out something that vaguely reminded her of a human breakfast: two blue sunny-side eggs, a few thinly sliced meat strips, and toasted bread that carried the faint scent of cinnamon. The drink it gave her smelled like a stout beer. Kira gagged just by smelling it. That was quickly set aside for just a glass of water from the only familiar item in the kitchenette—a sink.

With breakfast out of the way, Kira dug through her bag for something to wear. She picked out a sports bra halter top and bike shorts, both orange in color. It would set her apart in a fight, plus they were her least favorite articles of clothing. Having them ruined in the coming fight wouldn't be much of a loss. She had more activewear buried in her bag as back-ups.

While she dug through her bag for her combat gloves, there was a knock at the door. Apprehension tickled her senses as she tapped the access panel with her palm.

Standing on the other side was Rhi'ja. "Young Kira, I am to escort you to the arena."

"Good morning, Rhi'ja," Greeted Kira with a small wave. She turned to let Rhi'ja in, but the woman stood there rigidly. "Uh...would you like to come in?"

Did her people not even greet one another in the morning? How bizarre...

Kira noted that Rhi'ja wore an ornate bandeau and loincloth outfit decorated with thousands of fangs and claws. Beads had been sewn into the fabric, creating beautiful zigzagging patterns around the waist and edges of the bandeau. She wore more beads in her locs, choosing to braid some of the smaller tendrils together down the side of her face. Her stoic gray eyes gave away no hint of emotion towards the coming event.

Rhi'ja declined. "No time. Gather things. Must arrive early for proceedings." The older woman gestured to the bag Kira had left on the bed. "Make haste," She waved again, taking on the tone of a mother losing patience.