The Matriarch of The Broken Knife Clan fixed all three of her guests with an appraising look. The ooman was obviously not some type of slave or pet. In fact, if she were to judge by behavior alone, she would have to say that the sometimes ooman controlled the other two. It was very strange because sometimes Kwei-Kv'var-de seemed to be in control, while at other times, it was the Black Yautja. Through it all, there was a relationship between all three of them that defied belief. Respect was shown, but it wasn't the formal type of respect that she was accustomed to seeing. She had once seen something very similar shared by two siblings who had been born together. They had been identical in every way. It was even believed by some that a single soul was shared by the two brothers. Whether or not that was true would never be known since both had died on their Chiva.

Once the meal was served, Than Guan watched in awe as Jen actually ate more than the Black Yautja female! She knew that large amounts of food would provide the fuel for a high metabolism or prolonged and strenuous efforts. From Jen's comment earlier, she was certain that it would be the latter of the two.

Than Guan had asked a few questions in clarification while they ate. She learned that the ooman Jen had become many things to the other two, friend, sibling, mentor, surrogate Bearer, and mate. She found that the relationship between the trio was not only interesting, but complex and nearly impossible to figure out. Jen refused to even consider trying to figure things out.

"The thing is, to me, it doesn't matter. Whether they owe me, or I owe them, won't change anything. These two are the ones that I will spend the rest of my life with. They're mine, and I am theirs." Jen stated candidly.

Than Guan looked over at the Black Yautja who, while quite large, was also very young. "I have heard some of how you came to be on the Game World, but I wish to hear the details, if possible."

"When I turned thirty years of age, my Bearer made an agreement to have me transported to another world so I could take my Chiva. She was to pay for the cost of my transport, but she was murdered by a Bad Blood while I was off planet. That Bad Blood was never found, and the transportation cost never paid. The Roaring Sky Clan who had taken me insisted on immediate punishment or payment. Since I was unable to pay for being transported, the trophies from my Chiva were smashed, and I was exiled to the Game World. It was decreed by the Council of Arbitrators that I was to have four days in which to avoid pursuit. That didn't happen. Males from the Roaring Sky Clan began to hunt me immediately so they could capture me and make me into their pauk slave. They didn't even try to conceal their plans from me, so I knew what they intended. That knowledge was the only thing that allowed me to avoid them for as long as I did." R'ka replied as calmly as she could.

"I must add that I suspect the Bad Blood who murdered R'ka's Bearer was a member of the Roaring Sky Clan, but I have no proof of that. I do know that those who captured us were of the Roaring Sky Clan and bragged about how their elder brother had long planned for R'ka's capture." Kwei said sourly.

"Why did your Clan not assist you"" Than Guan asked R'ka curiously.

"Unless one's Bearer is a prominent member of a Clan, any place within a Clan must be earned. That is why my Bearer was not member of any Clan, and for the past five generations, none of my ancestors have been a member of a Clan." R'ka replied factually.

"That is not the way we operate. If you are a member of this or any other Clan, then your offspring will also be members." Than Guan said firmly.

"I know. Kwei has told me." R'ka said tonelessly.

Than Guan, Matriarch of the Broken Knife Clan, observed the Black Yautja in silence for several moments. She knew that the female was very young and would therefore rely on a Bearer who had been murdered. That the Black Yautja had turned to the ooman to fill some of that role said much about the young female. She realized then, that being in a position of authority, that she could become someone important to the Black Yautja female as well.

Being on the Game World had forced a strange alliance between the trio, and Than Guan knew that. She knew that the strange alliance had somehow become much more, and she strongly suspected that Jen was the cause of that. Kwei Kv'var-de was a Clan member and thus a known factor. The ooman and Black Yautja female were the unknowns here; therefore, one of them must have been responsible for the radical thinking involved. It was certainly a strange situation, but not one that couldn't be managed.

Than Guan could easily see that the Black Yautja still mourned her Bearer's loss, and while that could not be remedied, the young female could become a member of her Clan.

"He might have told you of the differences between our two cultures, but you are the one who will have to live those differences. The first difference that you will have to live with, is a Chiva. It has been arranged so that you and the ooman Jen will take your Chiva together. Once complete… I will be happy to add the two of you as members of my Clan. This is no jest R'ka Thwei. The two of you will leave in the morning and I fully expect the both of you to return as Blooded members of this Clan!" Than Guan stated.

"Looks like all those worries of yours were for nothing, doesn't it?" Jen asked R'ka as she leaned over against the much larger female.

"Yes it does. You and Kwei were right. There is much more honor here than I expected." R'ka said as she looked down at Jen. "I just wish that my Bearer could some how be here as well."

"Given the type of individual that you are, I think your Bearer would have been welcome. Since this will be the second time for you to take a Chiva, you know what to expect. Because of her smaller size and lesser strength, Jen may find a Chiva to be extremely difficult. I know that it isn't usual, but I want you to assist her when you can. Make sure that she survives and is successful." Than Guan instructed.

"It can not be argued that Jen isn't small, and while she doesn't have our strength, she does have the advantage of exceptional combat skills and experience! Where R'ka and I were captured by the Black Yautja males, Jen killed them. She is certainly small, but her cunning and intelligence should not be underestimated because she can be exceedingly dangerous when she chooses. Among the oomans, Jen is an Elite Arbitrator who was in command of other Elite Arbitrators, so her combat experience is extensive." Kwei stipulated.

"Being small and therefore underestimated will count for nothing against the Hard Meat because they do not possess the sapience to estimate a level of danger to begin with. Against someone who can and will use his or her intelligence, yes, being underestimated will be a distinct advantage that she can put to excellent use. That is one of the many reasons that I look forward to having her as a member of my Clan. Having an ooman as a Clan member is rare, but not unheard of. Having a Black Yautja become a Clan member has never happened before. R'ka's presence will make things very interesting in the future, and I am looking forward to it." Than Guan said as she flexed her mandibles in a smile.

Break

R'ka was excited. She was nervous, because she knew that this would be an important event in her life, but she was also very excited. She looked down at Jen to see that she was being watched with an amused expression.

"Relax R'ka! You've done this before. All we have to do is get in, make one kill each, collect the skull, and get out. We do it quick and easy. You have plenty of weapons that will kill these things, so it isn't like a Double Tough." Jen said easily.

"I know. This will be a second Chiva for me, so I know what to expect." R'ka replied as she knelt down. "This hunt will change my life in so many ways. I owe all of that to you, Jen!"

Jen reached up to caress the side of R'ka's face. "Like I've said before… you don't owe me anything! For you to be here with me, where I can hold you and love you is all I ask."

R'ka knew that Jen truly meant what she'd just said. The little ooman had pleasured her in so many ways that she couldn't really believe it. Jen had even arranged for Kwei to give her pleasure by using his tongue, so that she could enjoy both of her Lifemates!

R'ka was still thinking about everything Jen's presence in her life had made possible when she felt the thump of the ship landing. Once inside the caverns of the Hard Meat lair, they split up with Jen going one direction and R'ka going another.

R'ka moved in utter silence as headed towards the center of the hive. Spotting a drone just beyond a junction in the tunnels. Pulling out her Chakt-ra, she hurled the blade disc with deadly accuracy. Her weapon severed the neck and decapitated the drone in a single strike. Just as her weapon was starting to return to her, a second drone emerged from an adjacent tunnel in to the junction.

R'ka gaped in astonishment as her returning Chakt-ra cleaved through the second drone's neck leaving it just as headless as the first. She flexed her mandibles in a smile while she gathered the heads, claws, and tail blades from the two drones. She knew that the requirements of this Chiva had been met. The only thing she needed to do now was safely get back to the ship with her trophies in her possession.

As she turned to head to the exit, R'ka couldn't help it as her thoughts turned to Jen. She wondered how the ooman was doing, and if she too had already met the requirements. She had come to understand that Jen was a very passionate individual. The ooman poured everything she was into everything she did. There was a fiery strength to the tiny female that belonged in a body at least ten times larger.

R'ka was halfway back to the entrance of the caverns when she came upon a solitary drone also heading out. As silent as possible, she exchanged her Chakt-ra for her spear. She cocked her arm back, before she extended her spear and threw it in a single move. The drone turned to face her and screeched in rage as it collapsed. She moved quickly as she collected trophies from the corpse of the drone and put them in her game bag with the others.

R'ka knew that now would be the most dangerous time! Now was the time when many candidates were killed. Many died after they had collected trophies and were returning to their vessel. They died simply because they relaxed their guard after the requirements of the Chive had been met. It was not a mistake that she would make. She became even more cautious as she made her way through the hive, back to the entrance of the caverns.

It was a good thing that R'ka was being as cautious as she was. The opening of the cave was in sight when a pair of drones entered as they returned from somewhere, and spotted her instantly. Both of the drones bared their teeth and hissed at her in a rage. They were not happy about having their hive invaded. The drone on her left charged forward and was met by a crashing blow of her left fist. She drew forth a sword just as the drone on her right came at her. She plunged the sword into the chest of the beast and stepped aside to avoid both the caustic blood and any retaliation that might occur.

R'ka dropped the hilt of the sword since the blade had dissolved and extended her wrist blade to decapitate the still staggering drone she'd backhanded. She watched the drone fall, but her world went dark before it hit the ground.

R'ka awoke to realize that she'd been stripped of her weapons and armor. Her blood ran cold when she saw that even her mesh and loincloth had been removed. Looking around, she spotted a male Great Yautja standing some distance away, while watching her with arrogance in his stance.

"Who are you and what do you want with me?" R'ka demanded angrily.

"Why R'ka… I'm quite surprised that you don't recognize me. I am Hult'ah, the Arbitrator who investigated your Bearer's death." The male said suavely.

"You are a failure then, because the bad blood who killed her was never found." R'ka retorted in mounting rage.

"I know exactly who killed her!" Hult'ah chuckled. "I knew who had killed her even before I requested the case. However, I certainly wouldn't implicate myself… or anyone else in the Roaring Sky Clan… now would I?"

"You killed my Bearer?" R'ka hissed out.

"Yes, I did." Hult'ah admitted smoothly. "But then you killed my brothers and even escaped the Game World. You will not escape me!"

"Why?" R'ka wanted to know.

"The answer is simple." Hult'ah sneered. "When I learned that you were going to Chiva, I spoke with my brothers, and we came up with a plan. Our Clan agreed to provide transport, so that when your Bearer was killed while you were gone, my Clan could demand payment from you! My brothers and I knew that you couldn't pay, so they made the suggestion to have you exiled to the Game World. There, they could track you down and capture you so that you could be turned into our pauk slave!"

"Why me?" R'ka asked in confusion.

"You just happened to be in the proper situation. We saw an opportunity and we took advantage of it." Hult'ah declared smugly.

"You have no honor!" R'ka snarled as she trembled in a mix of rage and fresh grief.

"We are the Roaring Sky Clan! We don't need something as pathetic as honor when we are strong enough to take what we want!" Hult'ah shot back in contempt. "With my brothers dead, you'll only need to satisfy me." He added with a laugh.

R'ka trembled in helpless rage as the male stepped towards her. Then, she was gaping at the male in shocked surprise as his stomach and chest exploded in a gory shower that coated the ground in front of him!

"R'ka is mine!"

R'ka turned her head to where that voice had come from, to see Jen standing there. A slight shift in the wind brought Jen's scent to her, and R'ka was stunned to detect that much rage coming from the ooman female.

"Did that worthless piece of shit touch you?" Jen demanded.

"Apparently, he was only able to remove my weapons and armor." R'ka replied softly.

R'ka knew that Jen was irate. That was evident in the female's stance and in her scent, but all of it was out of a concern for her. She found it a bit hard to understand how she could be worth so much to someone else, but that's how it was. Jen placed her life above Jen's own. It was both disturbing and comforting to know that Jen valued her so much.

Jen stepped over to R'ka and examined her in every spectrum available to her helmet. She saw no injuries to be seriously concerned about, though there was a large bruise on the back of the large female's head.

"Get dressed and put your armor back on. I'll keep watch while you do." Jen ordered as her head swiveled back and forth.

As she donned her mesh and armor, R'ka was quick to note that Jen was ready for an attack to come from any direction! The tiny female kept a thorough watch on all directions including behind her when she had her back to the wall of the cave. She knew that Jen was taking no chances with her safety.

Once she was properly dressed with armor included, R'ka placed her weapons back where they belonged. The hilt of her sword was intact, but the blade had been destroyed by the acidic blood of the drone. Still, R'ka was not one to waste anything if she didn't have to, so she tucked that hilt into her belt. She had not yet donned her mask when she turned to look at the ooman.

"Why are you here? Did you not claim any trophies?" R'ka asked.

"I got a few. That's all I needed, so I came looking for you. It's a good thing I did. Are you okay?" Jen answered as she looked R'ka over again.

"Now that you are here, I am more than okay!" R'ka answered as she flexed her mandibles in a smile.

"I am very glad to hear that, My Dear!" Jen replied with a smile as she took off her helmet.

R'ka lifted the tiny ooman female up, spread her mandibles and kissed Jen thoroughly. This was twice that Jen had acted to preserve her mind and save her from a fate that was so dishonorable; death was actually preferable.

Jen was very happy to return the tongue-tangling kiss! She had witnessed R'ka wake up and knew that her helmet had recorded the entire conversation. Granted, she had no idea what she should do with the information, but Kwei would know. She intended to give him a copy of the recording as soon as she could.

Author's notes: Let me quote Glen Campbell from the ORIGINAL 'True Grit' movie… "I ain't dead yet, you Bushwacker!" We ARE more than half way to the end though! What can I say? I happen to LIKE long stories! If you like Transformers, then I recommend "A Single Change" by Kae88! Different from what you might expect, but VERY good! Vader's Bane… my Beta Reader for ROH, recommended that to me IN PERSON! I have copied it onto my computer… yes I have the WHOLE THING!

Does anyone besides me even read these things? I you do please leave a review and tell me what you think. Reviews are inspiration.