Grace of An Elder

Chapter 26

It was the day of the chiva, and the three young bloods were climbing into a small cruiser inside the mothership. T'ahrou performed routine departure scans on the cruiser: engines, boosters, cloaking, and shield were all functioning at full capacity. Ne'dtei opened a communication line between the cruiser and the mothership, running through their intended flight path and landing zone. Dahdtoudi sat crosslegged on the floor near the back of the cruiser as she dismantled, cleaned, and reassembled their plasma burners.

"T'ahrou," Ne'dtei called to his lifelong friend, "do you think it wise to bring a pyode-amedha on a chiva?"

T'ahrou shook his head, his tresses swinging gently with the movement. "No, she will die quickly which will complicate the rest of the hunt for us." Ne'dtei nodded, and T'ahrou turned to glance back at the small human. "I suppose we could use her as bait if we need to."
————————————————————————
Dahdtoudi's grey eyes snapped open and she looked around her surroundings. She was in her quarters. The room was still brightly lit, and the music still rang out from her gauntlet. The fever still burned inside her, but it was not as intense as it usually was. The painful throbbing sensation was easing as well, and she pushed herself from the bed.

Stumbling slightly, she made her way to the bathing area and stripped down before catching a glimpse of herself in the reflective surface on the wall. The darkness beneath her eyes was terrible; she looked sickly. She needed rest, she admitted that much, but she had to hold out a little longer.

She eased herself into the pool and lay her head back on the edge. She heard footsteps a few moments later, too heavy to be her mother's but too light to be her father's. She sat up to send a communication to Zaiyu, to inform him that she was in the bathing area but then she saw it. I am being sent out. Will return before your chiva. Do not do anything stupid while I am gone.

Dahdtoudi's darkened eyes widened in slight panic as she turned to face the open doorway, but was met by a masked face. Before she could cry out in surprise, the being grabbed her shoulders and shoved her backward into the water. Her head slammed against the metallic bottom of the pool and she felt a strange warmth at the point of contact. She struggled against the being, kicking at their body and clawing at their bio-mask. If she could only remove the protective layer, she could go for their eyes.

The girl struggled to hold her breath as she was held in place below the water, and her chest burned with the surge of adrenaline as well as the need for oxygen. Her brown locks floated freely around her, and she gripped at her attacker's throat. It was no use, she didn't have enough power to choke a Yautja, but she tried anyway. Again she was slammed down, and she could hear a faint beeping sound through the water. The beeping quickened, and Dahdtoudi struggled harder against the assailant.

After what felt like an eternity, the edges of her vision began to fade away into darkness and her muscles grew weak. Her body betrayed her and she gasped involuntary, trying desperately to suck in the oxygen that she knew she would not receive. Another gasp, and the human's small, tired body began to convulse beneath the surface of the disturbed water. Her eyes rolled back and her arms and legs went limp. Another moment later, the pressure left from her shoulders and she felt her body relax against the cold metal of the pool.

I will return before your chiva. Do not do anything stupid while I am gone. She could hear Zaiyu's voice, but it was distant. It was fading. Don't go to sleep, she thought to herself. Don't go to sleep.