A woman ran through thick underbrush and sharp mesquite trees; briars cutting her deep, causing blood to flow freely in thin streams down her legs and arms. She was clad in nothing but a tank top and old jean shorts, her feet covered by worn cowboy boots. Long dark hair hung in tangled strands down her back and shoulders, sticky with blood from a sharp blow to her head.

In her right hand, she clutched a pocketknife; her left hand positioned protectively over her slightly swollen belly. Ava was twenty years old, three months pregnant, dark hair, hazel eyes, 5'10, and running for her life from an abusive, psychotic husband.

The moon shown full over the dry Texas land and Ava stumbled when the voice of said husband rang out in the night. "AVA! COME OUT WOMAN! I just want to talk…" her breath hitched in her throat as she saw several flash lights shining through the brush, her husband wasn't alone; having two or three of his buddies helping aid him in the retrieval of his wife. She held back a cough and kept moving, flinching when he kept on speaking, his voice growing louder. "Honey come on now, I'm not even mad. If you had, just fucking LISTENED TO ME! GET BACK HERE NOW!"

Ava heard cursing about a foot away from her, causing her to turn a sharp right as a light fell flashed near her face, forcing her to break through thick thorns and out into the open. Her boot caught on a root, causing her to fall forward, only just managing not to land flat on her stomach. Ava groaned, stumbling to her feet and running a few steps before the person behind her broke through the mesquite trees and tackled her to the ground.

She cried out in defiance, struggling fiercely, the blade of the pocketknife cutting into her hand from her hold on it, the blade having moved during the fall. Three other men came running towards the two as the man that caught her yanked her up by the hair and twisted an arm behind her back so tight she could feel her shoulder straining in its' socket.

Her husband strolled in front of her, his hair out of the carefully slicked back look that he usually kept it, his face still bleeding from the slash she gave him on his cheek with the pocketknife. "Ava baby," he said in a demeaning voice, "I've been looking everywhere for you. Worried sick. Do you have any idea what happens to women out here? Thankfully Josh here, found you. " He nodded his head to the man who held her and she cried out as his hold on her hair and arm tightened.

"Please," the woman whimpered, tears forming at her eyes.

Her husband jerked his head to the side, swaggering closer to her and leaning in. "What. Was. That?"

Ava blinked her eyes, desperate, "Please don't hurt the baby. Please Dean." Light from the other flashlights shown on her face and she squinted, looking at her husband with a fearful expression.

The man scoffed, "Oh honey, you dumb bitch. What makes you think, that I would give a damn about some kid of yours. In fact, I don't think you would even make a decent mother to any child of mine." He pulled out a long hunting knife, "This whole thing was a mistake, and I think it's time I fix things. After all, how can I work with a kid around?" his voice took on a low growl, "How can I share you with a fucking brat? That's not even mine?" "Dean please!"

Ava's breath caught in her throat and she watched as he made to stab her in the gut, to kill her child. Her blood ran hot and her adrenaline rose, as maternal instinct took over.

Giving a strangled cry, she jerked her head back as hard as she could and hit the man's chin behind her, knocking him back and causing him to loosen his hold on her. She leap forward with her pocket knife and drove it into her husband's throat, shouting as his knife sliced her arm in defense, his aim off in the darkness as his friends dropped their flashlights to help him.

She screamed in fear and anger as she stabbed him repeatedly, his face nothing but blood in the dark beneath her. One man had barely grabbed her shoulders when two long, serrated blades impaled his chest, lifting him off the ground and tossing him aside. The other two dispatched by having their throats grabbed by invisible hands and smashed together with a force so hard, their skulls fractured.

Ava stabbed her husband one last time and looked up to see bodies of the other men around her, her breath caught in her throat and she looked down at her husband, shocked at what she had done. Sitting up, she fell back, sliding off his body from where she had tackled him and sat perfectly still when she heard a string of clicking to the right of her. Her head pounded, and her hands shook.

It was the oddest sound she had ever heard and she shivered when she felt eyes on her. Clouds uncovered the moon as a body formed in front of her eyes… very, very, tall, lean and broad.

Her heart stopped as her eyes went up and up to the creatures' head where she could barely make out a smooth masked face framed by long thick strands of hair. The creature cocked its head at her and Ada's hand tightened briefly on her knife.

"M-di h'dalk, Yeyin Ooman" It said to her in a smooth voice, though the words were made up of clicks and snarls, Ava thought it sounded feminine.

Blood was dripping down her arm from the gash Dean had left there and her vision blurred, Ava swayed on her knees, vision going darker. Her southern voice rang out softly in the night, "Please, don't harm my baby," and she promptly passed out in the dirt and carnage of the men's bodies.

0o0o0o0

Thewi clicked her mandibles in regard to the female ooman at her feet. The female was pregnant, her mask showing her that the fetus flourished still, despite the damage its mother sustained.

The huntress scanned the female and found that she had suffered two freshly cracked ribs, several cuts and abrasions, and a small hairline fracture to her skull. Her scanners also indicated past breaks and wounds. The female was very brave and honorable in the act of protecting her young against her attackers.

Thewi had been watching the whole thing for the past two hours, having seen when the woman had escaped her presumed mate from their vehicle a mile away. Saw her fight him when he tried to subdue her. The female had fought well, while the males were dishonorable, bad bloods; attacking a pregnant female and then attempting to remove her pup.

Thewi was outraged, her hair bristling in anger at the dishonorable act. Coming out of thought, she analyzed the open wound on the females arm and clicked, she could not let a strong female, pregnant at that, die after such bravery.

Retracting her dah'kte, she squatted down from her 7'6" height and carefully lifted the ooman into her arms, holding a hand to her arm to stop the bleeding. She stood up, and turned back to her ships direction, her long dreaded hair swaying down her back, beads and trinkets with symbols of rank and honor engraved in them clinking as they moved.

Thewi would honor the female by helping her survive, taking her on as an apprentice. It was not unheard of; especially if it was one of the Elite who had taken the ooman on. Though uncommon and not always approved of, Thewi knew most of her clan would not challenge her decision.

0o0o0o0

It was hours later before Ava awoke in a tube like capsule. Taking a short breath as her ribs still pained her when she breathed; she immediately checked her stomach, rubbing a hand over it as if to see if it was still intact. She smiled a little, relieved to find that the baby bump was still there.

Glancing around, her brow lowered in a frown as she surveyed her surroundings. She was in a dimly lit room, with fog covering the floor and a metal table sat a few feet in front of her, the room looked almost like a medical room at a hospital, just darker and with a different design. There were machines in the corner that looked to be monitors and cabinet like furnishings.

Ava's biggest confusion was the tube she was in; she touched the glass like barrier in wonder. She felt warm, and tingly, like one would feel after taking a bath in Epsom salt. Leaning forward slightly to look over herself. She gasped at the sight of her cut up body healing in front of her eyes, the smaller cuts sealing faster than the deeper ones, leaving just thin red lines in their wake. The mesquite thorns and wounds from Dean had really torn her up; bruising littered her body from what she could see from under her tattered clothing.

Where was she? What in the hell was going on? The last thing Ava remembered was killing her husband in a blind rage before seeing a creature above her.

Carefully running her cut hand over her face, she tried to push open the glass, but it would not budge. Beginning to panic, she slapped the glass and pushed against it, still, it would not budge.

Pausing, she could hear a beeping from the top of the tube, almost like a heart monitor, the only difference was that there was another smaller beep overlapping hers. She held her breath as she listened…was that…the baby? Her eyes got heavier as sleep overcame her and she let herself drift into peaceful oblivion as the sounds of her heartbeat slowed in time with that of her child's.

0o0o0o0

When Thewi returned to her ships med bay, she was pleased to find that the ooman was healing nicely. Her deeper wounds would scar over and show of her survival and fight. The fetus was thriving still, and Thewi clicked as she watched it move in its dam's womb.

She remembered her previous pregnancies well, how marvelous it felt to give new life. After whelping fifty pups, she should have been retired to motherhood, but Thewi chose to hunt still, and lead her clan alongside her hunt brothers, whilst raising her young.

Though now, all of her offspring were weaned and either blooded, or preparing for their chiva, leaving her free to go on longer and bigger hunts like that of the back water planet. She came to Earth to hunt Oomans, as they were a prey that tested many skilled Yautja, the first few weeks had been fruitful. Thewi having killed several fine and honorable specimens, but these last three she didn't even bother collecting a trophy from. Other than taking the females' mates' head to honor the female; she got rid of the others. They were not worth polishing.

Checking the oomans vitals one last time, she left the med bay for the control room. Setting the route for the Clanship and silently making her way to her kehrite to train.

O0o0o0O

Thewi having stripped down from her general hunting awu'asa and was now only in a loincloth, breast covering, thermal netting, and wrist blades. She went through the motions of meditation, by way of Aikido, a martial art she had learned years ago on a previous visit to the backwater planet. As way of achieving a harmony with one's spirit, meditation through slow motion initial attacks are done first, so that a warrior can become one with their body and spirit, to be more aware.

She started with a chest thrust to an invisible foe, following up with a front of the head strike, and a kick to a torso; all in slow motion. She allowed her body to move fluidly throughout the motions, moving into her attacks, and then backing out as if someone else was fighting her. She did a slow backflip, before side kicking forward. She had been doing this for a few hours now, her body barely shining with perspiration.

When her wrist computer beeped, telling her of the Ooman's completed healing, she stopped, walking with ease to the med bay, her hair swaying behind her, the ends touching below her thighs.

When she walked into the room, she saw the female pressing against the glass of the healing tube and clicked. Having already installed a breathing filter and translator while the ooman was unconscious, she knew the air would be suitable for the ooman to breathe, and expected very little communication barriers.

Pressing a panel beside the tube, it slid open and her mandibles clicked together as she watched the ooman watch her. Its heartrate had increased, and its body got colder, but Thewi put that off as fear. Especially since, she could smell it in the air. It was not a heavy scent like some secrete at the site of a Yautja, but it was there none the less; which caused Thewi to mutter to herself. The female had good instincts.

Thewi waited for the female to move before she began to speak, "Yeyin Ooman, m-di h'dalk. I will not harm you, nor the pup you carry." The female watched her with big doe like eyes, blinking twice when the translator kicked in.

Thewi took one-step back, to give the ooman space, gesturing with her hand that she could leave the pod. The female put one hand to her stomach and the other on the edge of the pod, lifting herself up so she could step out. Thewi watched with calculating eyes as the woman pushed her hair back and straightened her shoulders. The ooman looked young, but she held herself well. The two lifeforms stared at each other for a moment before the human cast her eyes to the side, in oblivious submission.

0o0o0o0

In a southern drawl, "What are you?" Ava asked feeling almost light headed as she looked at the creature in front of her. Judging by the build, and breasts, she presumed the creature to be female.

"I am Yautja, my name is Thewi."

Ava looked her up and down, Thewi was brightly colored, with a dark red body mottled in black and pale white spots, her chest and inside her thighs were pale as well. She was built almost like a body builder, broad shoulders with ripped muscles from her neck down to her toned calves. Her exposed stomach sported an impressive eight pack. Her long hair was inky black at the ends and a steel grey at the roots, the dreads smooth and tube like, instead of braided like she first thought, Thewi's face sported a good amount of fine spikes around the crown of her high forehead and the edges of what Ava would call her cheeks. Her eyes were a bright yellow, set under a heavy brow, they shown brightly with high intelligence and calculation…and what Ava presumed to be deep thought. What astonished Ava most though was her mouth, framed by four mandible appendages, each one sporting a sharp, gleaming tusk, framing smaller fangs that sat deeper in her face. She had never seen anything like Thewi, she was lean and mean, and looked like she could crush Ava with her pinky finger.

"I am Ava," the tall woman said politely, "It's nice to meet you The-w-i."

Thewi clicked in contempt, "Av-a," she tested the name.

Ava nodded, "If I may ask, why am I here?"

The female Yautja squared her shoulders, "Yin'tekai, you fought well, honorably. I am giving you a new life, as your species will likely side with your dishonorable mate. You cannot go back. I am taking you as my apprentice."

Ava paused her breathing, eyes wide, and mouth slightly agape. This was all so surreal, like a dream, the woman had to pinch herself. "All right, if I may ask, what do you mean by apprentice…and does this mean we're leaving Texas?"

Thewi trilled a little, "Ooman, you will be taught by me, the way of my people. You and your pup will be a part of the clan. However, your status depends on how far you are willing to rise in rank. Many clans do not approve of Oomans learning our ways. Mine is not one of them. We have already left your planet."

At this Ava gaped, "We…what?"

Thewi turned her back on her, as the woman had not earned her full respect, and walked out of the med bay. "Come," she commanded over her shoulder.

Frowning, at the dominant tone, and in confusion, Ava kept a hand to her swollen belly and followed. The two went down a dim hallway with engravings covering the walls on either side, depicting some of Thewi's greatest hunts and battles. At the end of the long corridor, right before it turned, was a large window that Thewi opened by pressing a panel.

Ava cautiously stepped forward and couldn't believe what she was seeing; in front of her were billions, and billions of stars. In addition, about three football fields away from her was her planet. Earth. Beautiful and graceful just like the movies and books always depicted; maybe even better. She was in space, with an alien, pregnant, looking at her own planet. "If mama and daddy could see me now." She whispered to herself, absolutely besotted with the view in front of her.

Thewi watched the ooman in front of her; she was not surprised by her reaction. Oomans hardly made it this far outside of their own atmosphere, unlike Yautja who were sometimes born and raised on the Clan ships. Thewi herself raised five of her pups on the ship, while still maintaining order and trade with other clans. Her hunt brothers/ fellow Clan Leaders Bhu'ja and Than-Guan knew better than to question her decision not to retire from running the clan like most females do to whelp and raise pups. Thewi was a dominant female with lots of ambition and strong will; she had a wise, fair way of running things, and could rule with an iron fist.

"You must be hungry, come, your pup needs nourishment."

Ava followed the red female quietly, looking at the intricate walls and several doors that they passed, "Is this your ship? I've never been on a ship of any kind, not even a plane."

Thewi held her posture proudly, "It is mine."

Ada trotted a bit to keep up with her, "What does your name mean? I'm a waitress…or I was… Will I ever see home again—"

"You are very loose with your words."

They turned into a galley of sorts, where a large black table sat in the middle of a room, with an odd sort of kitchen counter space and what looked like dried meat and vegetables hanging from the ceiling. A large bowl of alien fruit sat on the table. Ava, satisfied with her inspection of the room, climbed onto a stool like seat and placed her elbows on the table, "When I get nervous or excited sometimes I talk too much. Dean hated that. My mama always said I had the tendency to ramble at the most inconvenient situations. How can we communicate so well?"

Thewi sat a plate with a large chunk of red meat and purple fruit in front of her, "I installed a translator into your brain and I learned your language many years ago. You will still learn to speak mine properly. Eat."

Ava sat back from her plate, ridged, "You installed something in my brain?"

Thewi ate a chunk of meat idly, her eyes unwavering from Ava's who stared at her in outrage. Giving a growl, "It was necessary. I installed a breathing filter as well; otherwise you would suffocate and die. My name means Blood." She could tell the woman was upset as she saw her body temperature heated, but was unfazed, the procedure was necessary.

Ava was very disturbed that this being had already probed and prodded her without her knowing, but she could see Thewi's point, and feeling on the losing side of this potentially dangerous stare down, she looked away and began to eat quietly.

Thewi watched her for a moment more, "Tomorrow you will learn my language and writing, since you are pregnant and ooman, you will only learn light sparing techniques. New life is precious to my people, to give life is just as important as taking it. Until your child is born, which will be by the time we reach the Clan ship, you will learn to write, speak, as well as how to act in society. You will learn religion, weaponry, geography, trade, and battle strategy. A sharp mind is just as powerful as any blade."

That being said, Thewi would then be silent for the rest of the evening, except for taking Ava to a shower room of sorts and showing her how to bathe there. After the female was clean, Thewi continued out into the hall, directing Ava to where she would be sleeping and wishing her a fitful sleep.

As Ava laid on various furs belonging to who knows what kind of creatures, she recalled the past days previous events, how she had come from being beaten by her husband, running for her life, killing her husband, to now being under the care and tutelage of an alien warrior woman. God must have big plans for her. Feeling the weight of everything crush down on her, Ava rolled over and suddenly began to cry.

O0o0o0O

"Thar'n-dha" Thewi sat cross-legged in front of her in the training room, her dreads lightly sweeping across the floor with every tilt of her head or movement of her shoulders. Ava sat cross-legged as well, one hand on her belly; she was clean now, relieved to have the dry blood and dirt off. For the fifth time she tried to pronounce "strength" with clicks and rolls of her tongue. It had been an hour and a half and they have only went over three words.

Ava was getting frustrated, Thewi was stoic, any irritation or impatience she felt didn't show, her eyes sharp and mandibles closed together. "Tharrda….Tha…I can't get this," Ava huffed a little, moving a couple strands of hair out of her face. "You must. Again. Thar'n-dha."

Biting her lip, Ava looked into the Yaut'ja's eyes and let out a breath, "Thar'n-dha, oh gosh I said it!" she smiled and repeated it once, twice, and three times perfectly.

Thewi nodded once, "Good, now we eat," gracefully getting back on her feet, she watched as Ava struggled slightly to follow, then turned and went to the small kitchen like area. Ava sat at the tall table and ate the strange meat and purple fruit that was again given to her, Thewi sat a large goblet of water in front of her and ate as well. "I will teach you our writings and history next, it is important if you are to function in our society." Ava nodded, chewing the meat in her mouth, she noticed Thewi ate her meat raw and was thankful she was thoughtful enough to cook the meat for her. "What is your society like?" she asked curiously and the female swallowed her food before speaking. "Our society is perhaps considered barbaric to some of your worlds standards. Our society has a structure of status and clans. There are several clans throughout our galaxy, with a few traversing constantly across the stars. Many small clans are developing but the main ones are the Moon Blood, Jungle Hunters, Dark Blade, and the Ravager Clans. The Council of Ancients govern all Yautja clans. We hunt, we fight, and many of us strive to have the highest of honors and become an Elite or an Ancient. "

Ava watched her again with an awe that only an extraterrestrial being could invoke, "How far is your planet from here?" at that Thewi chuffed, "Three galaxies from here." Ava nodded and began to eat again, processing the knowledge, still trying to come to terms with her situation.

As Thewi ate another chunk of meat, Ava's eyes fixed on the strange metal/slate tabletop and flashbacks of the previous days came to mind.

Running in the dark, terrified for her life and the life of her baby, being helpless when those men grabbed her.

Ava recalled how she'd felt the past two years of her life; worthless, weak, hopeless, like everything was her fault. She could never make Dean happy, he cut her away from her family, friends, and eventually, even her job. She had spiraled into dark depression after the belittling started, discreetly at first but soon it was full on abuse; physically and mentally. She was stuck, she was drowning…then she got pregnant, Dean was far from thrilled, never believed it was actually his. But it awoke something in Ava that she hadn't felt in a very long time; a purpose, and something to wake up and fight for. When she found out the type of job Dean worked on the side, she got the gumption to tell him she was leaving. She had already made contact with her father to arrange for a trip home to her parents. Dean threatened to kill her, enraged that she would ever think of leaving him.

The night she met Thewi was a terrible, scary experience…but as her eyes fixed on a small indention on the alien table in front of her, Ava blinked, it was as if someone had lit a flame inside her soul, she was determined to never let anyone treat her that way again. She was done feeling sorry for herself, besides…she had many more important things to worry with.

Thewi silently watched the human female with calculation, seeing her heat signature rise as she stared at a spot on the eating table. Thewi had been watching the female closely ever since she came out of her sleeping quarters that morning, assessing her body language and scents. The human gave off a lot of fear at first, which was unsurprising— what did surprise the huntress was the fact that the female had calmed significantly during the speech sessions.

She was curious now, as to why she smelt something akin to fear. "What troubles you?" She clicked, her mandibles closing as she watched Ava flinch before she lifted her eyes to meet hers.

Ava blinked twice, her eyes turning to steel in a newfound determination, "Teach me to be a warrior like you. I do not just want to survive, I want to thrive, I want to be strong… I never want to be weak again."

"Yeyin ooman," Thewi clicked, "Very well, If you are strong enough to rise up, follow the path, and become an unblooded, then we will see how far you will go in this new life. Now eat."

O0o0O

Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months. Time was different in space, before Ava knew it, three months had passed; or at least that is what her record keeping told her. A few days after her training started, Thewi had shown her their version of paper, a material made of a tough wood from another backwater planet, this paper, Ava used to keep track of her days and pregnancy. Ava had started to learn how to write and read both on paper and by electronic devices. She was always good a composition and writing, as well as calligraphy, which seemed to help her catch on quicker to the Yautja Language. Thewi was pleased at her improvement, but thought her speech and body stances during conversation needed work. Many Yautja would take the way she spoke and held herself as an insult or challenge, especially since she was an Ooman.

Being six months pregnant, and Ooman, Thewi began monitoring Ava's health and the progress of her baby. The woman should not have been surprised at the huntress' advanced technology but still she was shocked when Thewi performed the first ultrasound, far more advanced and detailed than Earths. Under different red scans, Ava could see her babies face, skeleton, and organs; it was perfection. The scan provided mountains of information on her and her baby's health, which resulted in a great relief for Ava that they were healthy and the pregnancy so far was a normal one. She learned that her baby was to be a girl, something that made her both happy and fearful, since she was going into a new world.

Thewi was firm and solid in her teachings though, and that made Ava more confident in herself and her journey. She knew it would be hard, that she would be challenged, singled out, but this time she planned to be ready for anything that awaits her.

Sitting in the middle of the Kehrite, Ava meditated across from Thewi and centered herself, today they trained in Aikido, afterwards just straight meditation. Something that truly seemed to help Ava starve off her memories and anxiety while also making her aware of herself and her surroundings.

They had been sitting for nearly half an hour, when lights began to flash from a corner of the room and an alarm sounded. Ava jumped, startled, while Thewi smoothly got to her feet and left the room, heading towards the control room. The human grumbled, struggling to get to her feet, her balance wasn't as sharp as it used to be, making getting up from floors much more difficult. As soon as she stood, she went to follow Thewi to the control room.

The red female stood leaning over the control panel, clicking in contempt at the small diagram of a ship in front of her. "Who comes?" Ava clicked, flipping her hair that she kept in a simple braid back over her shoulder.

Thewi did not answer for a moment, clicking and scrolling through different readings. "A Ravenger hunting party, they need to trade for supplies."

Thewi's mandibles closed as she thought…"Ravengers are the least tolerable of Oomans out of all the clans. I will make the trade with them, but you will not speak, will not look these warriors in the eyes, and do not draw unneeded attention to yourself."

The human swallowed, "Should I stay hidden?"

"No need, they will be able to smell you as soon as they board. Besides, this is a good learning exercise."

Nodding, Ava touched her belly, "Alright, let's do this." The females watched as the two ships connected before making their way to receive the Ravenger clan.