Disclaimer:

This story has been written purely for entertainment purposes, and in no way, shape, form, or fashion means to impede, or infringe upon any copyrighted material whatsoever. I do however retain credit and claim responsibility for the creation of names and character statistics of any and all characters within this publication. These characters are based on copyrighted ideas and or characters of the respective owners of said material within the entertainment industry. No money will be attributed to the author of the following publication in any form. Definitions and wording used to describe devices, and other such items are derived from other literary works involving these types of characters. This publication was created for the sole purpose of entertainment and the expansion of a concept formerly copyrighted by an individual or individuals as a group.

Chapter 13

K'tek-de'Sa arrived at the healing center and as he traveled the corridors leading to where Hulij-Thwei was located. Upon his arrival he had found that the human known as Morgan Maddison and Pok'de it'ktse were standing their ground despite the lack of rest that he was sure they needed. Neither of them moved in the slightest. He knew though that they were aware of his approach and only when he was quite close did either one of them acknowledge his presence.

Despite the two Yautja around her speaking in their native tongue and having her translator turned off, she was still able to understand the conversation between these respectable creatures. Since there was still an aspect to their conversation she was not completely knowledgeable of; this Honor Vigil to be exact, she decided it would be wise to ask.

"What is this Honor Vigil the two of you spoke of?"

"It is a ceremony that serves to honor those being healed, those that are dying, or those that are already dead, and on rare occasions to celebrate those who have accomplished great feats of valor, or done great deeds in the name of the Yautja race as a whole. From what I know of your culture, it would be nearly the equivalent of holding a meeting where those involved pray for those in need of healing, or blessings, or a safe trip to the Land of the Fallen Warrior. Yet at the same time it is a show of reverence to the one being 'prayed' for, without having to pray out loud. In our culture, 'Praying' out loud during a time such as this can be considered a curse if it is done too early; for it is the ancient belief that 'praying' out loud will cause the evil spirits to take advantage of things simply to spite your intentions. 'Praying' too soon is like accusing the one you pray for of being weak. To do both, is surely to curse that individual. So, the Honor Vigil allows those involved to show respect, 'pray' silently for those in need, and give them strength through our standing vigil. Some have taken the Vigil so seriously that they do not, eat, sleep, or leave the area until that individual has come back, or passed on completely. Of course there are details of the ceremony that change with situation, and are too numerous to go into at the moment. Although, I am sure that they would be available to you if you would like to learn of them."

"You people definitely have an interesting culture."

"We are a proud race, and we feel we have reason to be. We have endured many hardships over thousands and thousands of years. Some of the Ancient texts even suggest that at one point we were slaves of the Kin'chen De'ok. Since then we have endured near extinction from an asteroid strike, viral infections, bacterial disease, and other forms of death. Which, if I am correct your people have suffered as well."

"Unfortunately our records on Earth only go back, accurately enough to record events within the last thousand years or so. Anything before that is rather vague and inaccurate. Our science and the ability to record permanent, organized records of our history have only been possible for just under the last three hundred. Any history before that has been pieced together by our scientists, archaeologists and such."

"Do you believe your hardships have made your race what it is today?"

"Perhaps. Though, I am sure that some of us would have preferred a more peaceful approach through history to get to where we are now. Or in the very least a history that did not require us to have to war with ourselves as much as we had."

"Who else is there to war with when you think you are the only beings in existence?"

"There was always you guys we could have fought. I mean you can't deny the fact that your kind has been coming to our planet for thousands of years. It is only in the last hundred years or so that we have had indisputable proof of this."

"Your race was primitive and we were superior in strength, technology, and tactics. You would have been annihilated. Not to mention, we chose not to flood your planet with our technology in fear that you would one day use it against us. Of course this was never spoken aloud; it would have been blasphemy to do so. To admit that our 'prey' would one day seize the moment and rise against us was nearly unthinkable. Ironically enough though, here you are standing before me as my equal; fortunately for us, you have become civilized and despite the warring ways of both of our cultures we have attained peace between us. It's enough to make one think that our two cultures are connected by more than just a simple machine that allows us to travel between the stars; or our mutually similar past hardships."

"Are all of you this spiritual?" Asked Morgan.

"Some of us more than others, before the recent events I can honestly say that I hardly ever gave our religious beliefs much credit for the way the universe has turned out. But I may have to rethink my position on spirituality rather soon if things keep progressing the way they are."

"I think I would agree." Spoke Morgan as they both glanced at K'tek-de'Sa who already seemed to be holding a vigil of his own while waiting on the Unblooded to arrive. They in turn took that as a sign that they should again do the same as they had before his arrival.

Elder Po'lut Da'sar gave the command of his vessel to one of the crew of the bridge before leaving for another part of the ship. His long half-graying dreadlocks flipped around with every motion of his head. For a Yautja he was an imposing sight and to them he was considered one of the greatest Elder's of his time. His many accomplishments had allowed him to rise up through the ranks without any doubt as to his skills as a true Yautja warrior. His armor was adorned with many symbols of victory and markings of death over those he had defeated during challenges. Over the years he had fathered many children, most of whom currently served with him aboard this very spacecraft. Those children who were not present either served with other Elders that were loyal to Po'lut Da'sar or were serving onboard other ships waiting to launch their secretive attack against those who would chose to ally with the oomans. As if the support of his entire lineage wasn't enough there were hundreds more not related to him that supported his views and their lineage would support him as well.

After traversing the long walkways of the great ship he commanded, he entered a room where in the center was a table of sorts with several holographic images floating above and depicted everything from the layout of several spacecraft, to floor plans of the visitor quarters of Elder Itu're Kra'a's clan.

Standing around the table were several other Elders of other clans that were apparently in support of his idea to wipe the humans and their collaborators from existence. Or in the very least, disrupt the alliance between the two to such a degree that the alliance would be broken and they would go to war.

"It is my belief my fellow Elders that we are at a turning point in our great history. The oomans have interfered for the last time in Yautja affairs. I am insulted by the thought that mere 'prey' can be considered our equal. We are the Yautja, and we have no equal. We must preserve our way of life and eliminate this threat quickly and decisively. It goes without question that there are those of us Yautja that do not see things as we do. They are weak and should be punished for their indiscretions. They should be punished for their mere thoughts and entertaining the idea that the oomans are even close to being as powerful and great as even the weakest of Yautja. While I will admit that they have been the most respected of 'prey', the most cunning of all the creatures we hunt, they are still 'prey', and are not deserving of such reverence as those who chose to ally with them believe." He paused for effect before continuing. "What say you my brothers?"

There wasn't a silent Yautja in the room. Each of them agreed with various tones of grunts and clicking of their teeth and mandibles.

"Good, I will now reveal to you my plan for the future of the Yautja, and the removal of the 'pest' known as ooman kind."

Again the room was filled with sounds of agreement from his fellow Yautja Elders.

So'lok D'kol lead the rest of the Unblooded out of their quarters and towards the Healers compound in complete silence waiting for any command to be belted out by the one among them who seemed to take charge.

It was So'lok D'kol's dream to become a great Warrior among his kind. In his mind though, he sought even further greatness as he often thought of becoming an Elder one day. In fact, he thought that perhaps he could become an Elder in his father's lifetime. 'It was possible' he often thought, since his father, Elder Itu're Kra'a, was still considered young at the age of 360 Earth years. Considering that Yautja could potentially live well up to around 800 of those years, provided they weren't killed on a hunt or in battle with another race of beings, or through any technological accident; than perhaps his chances of making his father proud would be achieved.

Regardless of the circumstances, he sought to live for the moment and do what he was currently capable of to ensure that he was trained by the best. His father had been impressed with his skills up until now and his determination to prove himself to his progenitor was a large part of the reason as to why Itu're Kra'a selected him and only two of his many other children to be trained by Hulij-Thwei.

For many years now Itu're Kra'a had told his children stories of not only his own accomplishments but of those of one of his most trusted clansmen named Hulij-Thwei. As So'lok D'kol absorbed the stories told to him by his father and his mother he yearned to be the best, and he was going to be. While he may have made some mistakes in his judgment along the way, he was determined to rise above all his other brethren. He had competition though, two of his genetic siblings a season younger than he, were in his very group of Unblooded. They were a bit taller and seemed to be built a bit more sturdily than he was. To his benefit though, he was faster and as past competitions had shown, perhaps more cunning. His father often compared him to Hulij-Thwei, this may have been because of Hulij-Thwei's shorter stature, and encouraged his son to explore all possible techniques in combat especially of those of Hulij-Thwei.

Unbeknownst to Hulij-Thwei, this son of his respected Elder held him in high regard and was bound and determined to see his training with the great Hulij-Thwei through to the end. Even more to his benefit would be the fact that So'lok D'kol often displayed the ability to lead and influence others to his way of thinking. This was apparent in the way that he was able to rally his fellow Unblooded into their current course of action. He would not fail to show respect to such a great Leader, and he would not fail to have the other Unblooded show the same respect either. All in all, he felt he was destined for greatness, and in the name of the Great Warrior God Paya, he would see to it that his whole life be dedicated to the greatness of the Yautja race and his accomplishments within it.

So'lok D'kol led his fellow Unblooded through the open archways that guided them towards the healing chambers where Hulij-Thwei was located. They had managed to make it a few hundred feet in the building before they were stopped by four large Yautja guards.

"What is your business here youth?"

"I am So'lok D'kol, son of Elder Itu're Kra'a, student of the great Leader Hulij-Thwei, and we are here to perform Sau'Des-ta in honor of our great Leader."

"While your intentions are righteous, I can not allow you to pass this point because of the nature of our having to initiate this security."

"This practice can not be refused, it is the law, and it is the right of the stricken to have this ceremony performed. Now let us pass." Replied So'lok D'kol rather assertively.

"I will have to contact my superiors, since there is a conflict between my orders and the law. Put simply, I do not want to violate either issue. So, be patient youth."

So'lok D'kol had developed yet another idea. He turned to face the rest of his Unblooded pack and motioned without words for them to gather outside of the healing facility. Upon reaching the outside he spoke to them.

"My brothers we are in need of support from outside sources if by chance the orders of security are held to be more important than our Leader's right to Sau'Des-ta. Despite this possibility, we know that the High Council can not defy the will of our people. Go now and spread the word to all in any way you can that the great Hulij-Thwei is in need of this ceremony and that he is being denied his rights. I will remain here and stand vigil as far in the building as they will allow for now."

The Yautja were not the type of beings that utilized vast forms of communication like that of Earth where different forms of entertainment were seen on television; for there was typically to much work to be done. Their society relied on the constant improvement or crafting of weapons, and technology, yet this was balanced out with very simple lifestyles where many things were done with pride and by hand. Much of their time was spent on physical work at their domiciles, on the great ships in which they travelled, and for the betterment of the clan to which they belonged. Although, they did have personal information equipment much like our computers of Earth where they could receive updates on their clan and Yautja life as a whole, as well as the weather and other important issues concerning Yautja affairs.

The com equipment back at the Unblooded's living quarters was now activated by two of them and the word was put out about the situation. The remaining Unblooded blanketed the city with verbal news of the situation. To their advantage, the city was largely populated by either those who were a part of the clan and had already known of Hulij-Thwei's accomplishments or were members of other clans allied with his. This fact made it that much easier for the Unblooded to gain support for their cause. It was in their favor that Hulij-Thwei was something of a legend already to those who knew of him and his clan was highly revered for its heritage, accomplishments, feats of valor and for the many prestigious trophies its clansmen had brought back from hunts over its ten thousand year history. He and his clan were almost the equivalent of celebrities among the whole of the Yautja. News went out around the entire Homeworld and before the end of the day the High Council had heard of the situation at hand.

Something had to be done, as communications poured in for support of the cause of the Unblooded. Many reports were that Yautja all over the Homeworld were holding their own private vigils from afar in their own clans and in their own cities and smaller towns and villages; and further reports flowed in from the various ships in orbit and again from afar in support of the vigil and in particular for the immediate passing of the Unblooded into the healing facility. The High Council held a session to discuss the circumstances involved and before long they had reached a decision.

Without a doubt the Yautja race as a whole had come to a turning point. To see so much support for someone not born of the Yautja race, and yet treated as if he were, said much about his character, and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that things were changing. The Yautja were changing. To know that what was once considered their prey, could now be considered their equal was nothing short of a leap forward for their race.

So'lok D'kol waited patiently as the news of their situation spread and the decision was made by the High Council to award them entry into the healing facility. He stood, staring relentlessly down the corridor past the Yautja guards, when there was a sudden disruption of the moment.

The gauntlet worn by the lead guard began to flash, alerting him as to there being an incoming communication. This one in particular was important since it hailed from the High Council chamber.

The guard manipulated the device and held out his arm to better view the holographic image illuminating the space above the gauntlet and bowed his head in reverence to the image of the High Council Leader, K'ros K'et.

The voice of the Council Leader was heard as he addressed the guard.

"Guard, you are to allow entry of the Unblooded into the healing facility for the entire duration of Hulij-Thwei's healing process. Under no circumstances is there to be anyone else allowed except those that have already been cleared to pass. Is that understood?"

The guard raised his head to acknowledge his newest set of orders and spoke. "Yes, Councilman. I am honored to serve your wishes in this delicate matter."

At that, the holographic image disappeared and the guard then addressed the Unblooded still standing before him.

"Your ingenuity is impressive. With your dedication, I am sure that you will make a fine Warrior one day." Spoke the guard as he grabbed the Unblooded by the shoulder in a gesture of respect.

Without hesitation So'lok D'kol returned the shoulder clinch in thanks as he replied.

"I will have a list of the names of the other Unblooded that will need entry into the facility shortly, for I understand that security in this matter is of the utmost importance and the last thing any of us need is more confusion."

"You truly are the son of Itu're Kra'a." He said with as humorous a tone as a Yautja could muster.

It was then that the four guards allowed So'lok D'kol entry into the healing facility.

His father appeared before him, not his Yautja father of course, but his real father; and it was his real father that called to him.

"Matthias…over here Matthias!"

'How could this be? He is dead, and I have little memory of him.' Thought Hulij-Thwei. His mind drifted but the image continued to return and stronger each time. Hulij-Thwei finally gave in and followed the voice that coincided with the blurry image.

Shadows of light and mild darkness flowed in the ether that were his dreams, memories, and whatever else this place was called. Was he merely in his subconscious, or was this another place entirely? He wondered, as he reluctantly, cautiously, and yet still somewhat willingly followed the voice. He felt as if he were getting closer.

"Matthias. I am here Matthias."

Could this really be his father from long ago? From back before his Yautja father had found him abandoned on that half-destroyed planet so many years ago? He thought he had put all that out of his memory, he thought he had blocked it all out.

"Listen to me Matthias."

He saw the hands of his human father reach out to him as if to lay his hands on his shoulders, as it became clear that this was the father he remembered as a child of ten years old. Suddenly, the background behind his father began to change; like a movie screen 360 degrees in all directions, and no matter where he looked the images of his past flashed around on the walls made of mist and ether. If he looked forward he could still see his father's face before him, speaking.

"Matthias. You are more than we could have ever hoped for; your mother and I. We wish we could be there for you now. But things are as they were meant to be. You have done well and will continue to do so. You are destined for greater things. Things you can't even imagine yet."

His father's words seemed to reflect that which appeared in the images around him, although they were not clear, he was able to pick out moments from his past, from his current state, and some, that somehow he knew were of the future.

"You were meant for this, for all of this, and more. But I warn you now. There is danger ahead. The enemy is on the move, and they will be here soon. Do not fear that which has been revealed to you of your past, embrace it; fear not your present state, it will pass; and fear nothing of what you have seen of the future, for the future has not happened yet, and you have the choice to change your fate, and the fate of others." Again the background all around him flashed with visions of various points of what he could only perceive were events of the future. It was as his father had said.

"Fear nothing my son, for those around you believe that even fear itself, has a fear of you. For you are Hulij-Thwei. You are destined to be greater than any Yautja or human before you."

His human father began to fade from his vision and he was once again thrown back into the thick of mist and shadows of his unconscious mind. He held on to the memory of his recent visions of his father and poured out his anger at not being able to speak and tell him that he finally remembered him, he was angry that he couldn't tell his mother or father that he remembered them. He was furious that he couldn't tell them that he remembered that they loved him.

The visions continued as they took the form of his assailants; of the Yautja that were responsible for his being here in the healing chamber. 'Finally, a moment of present clarity.' He thought to himself. It was not to last though, as the visions once again took control.

He once again remembered being a small child on the planet from which his Yautja father had rescued him. He could remember acting a child does, running, jumping, swimming in the green-blue waters near what he remembered as being his home on that planet of his past. He remembered the other children that he played with, some of them bigger, and yet others were smaller, and few of them his same size. Two in particular stood out. There was another boy like himself, and the visions had revealed to him that this was his brother. He saw images that reflected this as many moments of his past had depicted this boy having lived with both he and his parents.

The other child, the girl he only knew as being a friend. He remembered visiting her home, jumping on the trampoline in the backyard, watching drawn figures move around on what the humans called television. He remembered his parents and he, often times visited the home of this girl and her parents, along with his brother.

He struggled to remember his brother's name. 'What was his name?!' He thought to himself. Anger began to flush through him as he desperately wanted to remember. He knew the memories were there. He knew that if he just concentrated hard enough he would find what he was looking for.

He continued to struggle for control. Finally it came to him.

"Gabriel!" His brother's name was Gabriel.

A sensation of satisfaction had then overwhelmed him as the ether and smoke again encompassed him with disarray and confusion.

Once again disturbing visions of death all around him flooded the space that was his minds eye. His vision was blurry and it was difficult to sort out the past from the present and from the present to the future. Or any combination thereof.

He could feel the anger swell within him. He managed to find his voice through the shadows of his mind and he screamed out loudly and howled out his frustrations at not being in control as the mist formed walls of his mind shuddered and resonated from the intense volume of his bellowing.

His body seemed to float in the mist that was his surrounding subconscious. Hulij-Thwei thrashed around violently within himself until finally gaining what he thought was even the slightest bit of control. While things had stopped spinning and tumbling he was able to feel something touching him, gripping at him from outside of this state of mind.

The spinning had stopped, the tugging at him from outside had ceased, and he discontinued his loud struggle to gain control. He felt weak, but the upside was that the visions had returned with as much clarity as could be had through the constant mist.

The visions sped around him in almost inconceivable patterns and directions and speeds, yet somehow he managed to decipher all of this information, or at least enough of it to recognize the images for what they were. All of his past battles, all of the death he had seen, all of the hunts he had been on came rushing towards him and again streamed into his subconscious making him feel even weaker than before. That was until he reached the one vision that enraged him more than anything. Everything slowed when the images of his attackers became clear to him. Time in fact, seemed to slow as it did in the reality that he experienced.

He could see each of their masks and made it a point to focus on at least one important detail of each of their armor, since the visions weren't revealing enough detail about the markings on their masks. When the vision began to speed up again it appeared to have jumped to the future. A future where he and the humans among them were hunting together for the Badbloods that had done this to him and the human soldiers his clan was allied with. He saw many more die in this pursuit of the Badbloods.

Anger welled; no not anger; fury and even all out rage began to fill him with visions of justice for all those who were affected by these Badblood traitors.

His mind ran over every scenario he could perceive in regards to their fate at his hands. Over and over again the scene changed as he developed new strategies and pictured he and the others on the hunt for the Badbloods. He depicted mentally what he would do to each of them once caught.

It was a feeling of pure hatred for these Badblood that drove him to his present state where he felt a physical stirring from outside his body once again.

There was a poking and prodding sort of sensation near the surface of what his subconscious thought would be his skin. Even deeper into his body he could feel a pulling and tugging. It was an odd sensation as he felt more in control than previously since falling to the ground after his battle with the dishonorable Badbloods.

The pain began to return and he mentally roared at the frustration of having to be in this healing chamber, when he suddenly became confused.

'We are not supposed to be aware of our time in the healing chamber. We shouldn't know we're in the healing chamber. In fact, we aren't supposed to be able to remember anything of the time that we are in here. Why am I having conscious thought now? What has gone wrong?' He thought.

Again the pain returned and drove him to think of the revenge he would soon deliver to those who did this to him and the humans. He could feel the power within grow to an intensity that he never before experienced. Every muscle was alive with untold strength, every fiber of his being tingled with indescribable energy. This new found strength had allowed him to block out the pain that he knew was still there and he imagined himself controlling the healing process his body was undergoing from within. He could feel that even without the help of the medical nanites, that he knew were present in his system; that his body had begun to heal itself at an unnatural rate. He could feel the larger medical equipment having to pause with the work it conducted as it needed time to reset its programming. The machines were having a hard time keeping up with the rate at which his body healed; the nanites began to flood from his body as their programming determined that his body had managed to heal on its own; and they were no longer needed. Their programming told them that the end of the healing process would be handled naturally. It was time for them to leave. Hulij-Thwei could hear them communicating, he could hear the machines; hear the Healers voices; he could hear the humming of…of…the Unblooded? He could hear the voices of those in the city, humming as the Unblooded were doing close by. He somehow knew that thousands were holding vigil wherever they were in his honor.

He could hear the shuffling of sandaled Yautja feet coming closer to him in the healing chamber. It was the same as if one is underwater. A deep rumbling, slower than sound travels through air, or maybe faster; he couldn't tell, and he didn't care. All he knew now was that he had answers. Maybe not all of the answers he was looking for, but nonetheless he had enough for now.

He gathered together his thoughts into one cohesive moment and used all that he had learned here to give him strength as he thought to himself.

"It's time for revenge! It's time for me once again…to HUNT!"

The healing tank which held Hulij-Thwei began to show movement inside as the purple colored liquid within stirred and at moments swirled with life as streaks of white bubbles and shadows of the occupant could be seen moving through the clear viewing canopy.

The Healers began to move about in a frenzy as something appeared to be wrong within the chamber. Machines were going offline, and the nanites had already begun to exit his body prematurely. Their computerized readouts were confusing to the very least. The Healers knew that Hulij-Thwei should remain in the chamber for at least another Earth day or so and this kind activity from within a healing chamber was uncommon. More than that even, it had never happened before.

Pok'deit'ktse noticed the unusual activity and while the Healers were distracted he entered the Healers room that contained all of their life saving equipment and the upright standing chamber that contained Hulij-Thwei's damaged body. He wasn't alone; for the ever persistent Morgan Maddison had followed him through the open door and they both approached the now motion ridden, healing tank.

"What are you doing? You are not supposed to be in here!"

Pok'deit'ktse grabbed the Healer that spoke to him by the shoulder in less than a friendly way and applied immense pressure as he questioned him.

"What is happening in there?"

"We don't know, this has never happened before."

"What do your instruments say?"

"I…we…it's confusing. As far as we can tell his body has begun to heal itself exponentially. No human or Yautja can heal from injuries like that in this short a period of time."

"You say he is healing faster than expected?" Asked Pok'deit'ktse.

"Put simply. Yes!"

"That's good, right?"

"I couldn't say for sure, but so far his ability to heal at the moment is previously unrecorded in either of our species history. His vital signs are getting stronger and don't appear to be slowing down. For all we know the nanites may have malfunctioned, or the automated medical instruments may have triggered something glandular within him. We really don't know yet. So, I suggest you let go of me and let me figure this out."

Pok'deit'ktse then realized what he had done and let go of him. He quickly remembered that it was against Yautja law to injure or threaten a Healer. He would most likely pay for this indiscretion later. The reprimanding that was sure to come would be handed down straight from the High Council.

It didn't matter though, Hulij-Thwei was his friend and he was concerned. Perhaps this concern would be his one and only excuse for his actions. He turned to view the tank in front him and realized that something unnatural was happening.

Morgan stepped up beside him and gripped his arm tightly as she looked up to face the giant that was as human at this moment as any could be. She understood the conversation that took place between he and the Healer. She could hear in his voice the concern he had for Hulij-Thwei as he spoke to the Healer.

Her face spoke many words without sound as Pok'deit'ktse knew that she understood his need to know of his friend's fate; good or bad. Her presence seemed to have a calming effect on him as he once again peered into the tank and watched closely as the fluids still churned wildly with unpredictable motion.

She too turned to face the chamber containing Hulij-Thwei. She stared long and hard attempting to see through the thick purple liquid that surrounded this Yautja…this man.

Only a few minutes had passed since the motion in the tank began and Morgan found herself losing the ability to maintain clear vision. It was as if she were floating away into her mind and entering a trance-like state.

She closed her eyes; blinking heavily after what was no more than a second and then spoke to Pok'deit'ktse.

"Get his weapons, he is ready!" She said aloud.

Pok'deit'ktse looked down at her and noticed the daze she appeared to be in as she stared at the tank motionless. Somehow it made sense; all the movement in the tank. His mind raced to put it all together and his knowledge along with some very keen instincts drove him to listen.

The Healers hadn't noticed the conversation between the human woman and Pok'deit'ktse. They were in their own little world analyzing data as fast as they could and monitoring the equipment they were stationed behind. They were so busy in fact that they hadn't noticed Pok'deit'ktse walking past them towards Hulij-Thwei's belongings resting on what appeared to be a ceremonial table. It was customary to keep the injured one's property close by for the re-awakening ceremony. It was regular practice after an Honor Vigil to hand the re-awakened their weapons nearly immediately after leaving the healing tank. After that a group of Yautja servants were to dress the individual for battle, or in preparation for a Hunt.

Morgan had since stepped back a few feet from the space in front of the healing tank and watched intently as her eyes grew wide with anticipation of the coming events. Somehow she felt as if she knew what was about to happen.

It was when Pok'deit'ktse had retrieved Hulij-Thwei's belongings and weapons that he began to walk back towards Morgan. She again stepped back another foot or so and Pok'deit'ktse halted in curious bewilderment as to why, when suddenly she spoke again.

"He is ready!" She stated with a slightly shocked but excited tone of voice, loud enough this time for the Healers to pay attention and look towards the chamber.

What they saw was nothing less than startling to them. They all shared in their collective view something they may have defined as miraculous. What they saw was also accompanied by a thunderous sound against the glass of the chamber.

A loud thud or bang of human fists impacted the glass from the inside of the chamber and Hulij-Thwei's hands were now clearly visible against the glass. Those within the Healers room collectively witnessed Hulij-Thwei bang his fists against the glass no less than three times, resulting in several cracks that began to leak fluid; when there was a short pause just before the fourth loud noise emanated from the healing tank. This time was different for them as they saw Hulij-Thwei's hands and grimaced face peer at them with eyes wide open from behind the glass. There was no doubt that Hulij-Thwei was angry. His chiseled, rugged expression shown through even the illuminated purple haze of healing fluids within the tank.

"He is coming!" Stated Morgan with anticipation.

At that moment Hulij-Thwei's face and hands disappeared from view and all motion within the tank came to a halt.

Those gathered around stood in awe at the spectacle they had witnessed and stood motionless in shock. Before they could react though, the unexpected happened.

A loud crashing sound was heard as purple fluid rampaged out of the chamber holding Hulij-Thwei. Those in the room ducked to avoid the crashing glass, while other slipped in the purple fluid while trying to escape the contents of the chamber.

Sparks flew in all directions as the healing fluids, still containing nanites, had come into contact with electrical equipment around the room. Smoke filled the air and an eerie purple hew of mist had been cast about as the fluid burned by electrical current turned it to gas and fumes.

The ebb and flow of the healing fluid had come to level out around various pieces of medical equipment and the purple luminescent fumes of the now gaseous healing fluids had begun to dissipate.

Morgan and Pok'deit'ktse were the first to recover from their hunched over positions and stood up looking around the room for any sign of Hulij-Thwei's body. The Healers too had recovered and suffered what could only be described as confusion.

The group of those gathered in the room were quickly joined by the others waiting outside. So'lok D'kol, K'tek-de'Sa, and a few of the Unblooded that had arrived only hours earlier; had now entered the room. Their body language indicated that they too were confused and concerned for their Leader.

As they all stood around attempting to see through the remaining purple fog, there was heard a noise.

The breaking of glass, and footsteps that accompanied each crack they heard. The fog began to swirl around and continued to dissipate as the ventilation system seemed to clear the room rather quickly. There was one spot, close to where the chamber once existed that began to rush around what appeared to be a humanoid form. The figure walked from out of the cover of purple haze and stood naked in front of them without so much a hint of embarrassment.

At his feet were seen small traces of blood that obviously was a result of his walking across the broken glass of the healing tank. He didn't even wince at the thought of pain, as it was plain to see by the expression and body language he presented that he was on a mission, or in the very least was ready for one.

Hulij-Thwei then spoke in a strangely aggressive, angered tone of voice Pok'de it'ktse barely recognized as belonging to his friend.

"Where are my weapons?!"