Boundless

Failures and Runaways

N'kaay left Adri'ja's quarters shortly after the young mother fell asleep with an unsettling sense of relief.

Nothing about the young mother's situation was ideal; N'kaay knew from day one the young mother would be a challenge.

Not having Ta'sh'ra among them was a relief; with no one to poke at her anxieties, Adri'ja seemed less erratic.

Had I noticed earlier how screwed up the dynamic between those ytwo is...

Adri'ja could be in a better place. If only.

As expected, her sister's absence anguished the young mother to no end. N'kaay guaranteed Ta'sh'ra was alright - the Doula was, indeed, fine (but for a very bruised ego).

And unfortunately, Adri'ja's paranoia regarding the Aliens onboard had not changed one bit. Easier to manage? Yes. But still very much present.

Before drifting into sleep, the young mother finally admitted that both she and the sister had a plan to isolate the aliens further down the ship levels.

(That Medic had been onto something).

Hopefully, N'kaay and the others would be able to diffuse the situation and dissuade Adri'ja of such ideas, since it was pretty clear the males would not be giving an inch on the matter.

(And the only doula crazy enough to cross that enforcer for petty reasons was already detained).

Hammering sense in Adri'ja's skull would come later after the young mother had some rest. Right, the doula had time.

Lar'jar had shared some data with N'kaay after telling her the reason behind his questions about Ta'sh'ra's past.

Doulas also had gauntlets. Those were not weapons - mainly used as medical and support equipment for their duties.

The Doula keyed the gauntlet, projecting the data in front of her. The file contained detailed images of a premature stillborn, data about autopsy. Upon checking parentage, N'kaay choked.

The mother... oh no.

A runaway.

***

[638 years ago]

D'rei was a corpulent young male and would be out of the house for Hunter training in just a couple of months.

A whole group of males were now being prepared to leave their childhood homes, waned of their mother's presence, guidance, and influence.

But not Lar'jar, who still had four years before leaving his childhood behind.

Smart kid, blessed with good genes; strong, well built, already taller than all his male peers. However, His dark complexion sometimes gets him in trouble - mockery and superstition.

As a youngling, it was not rare for Ah'shka (or the eldest sister, a late bloomer still living at home) to treat Lar'jar's ever-growing collection of wounds due to altercations with other kids. His mother would always say that he should never allow others to cross his boundaries, but at the same time, young Lar'jar should choose wisely how to fight his battles.

What a confusing, somewhat paradoxical counsel for a young kid - who would become a vicious unblooded hunter in just a few years.

(But first, Lar'jar had to learn, through harsh lessons, to think before speaking or acting. A trait that would serve him well for the rest of his life).

Now that D'rei was about to leave home, as other siblings did before him, Lar'jar would become the only male in the household.

(After Lar'jar was born, a string of females followed).