All: It's been a while, but I just don't have the time to write and I apologize. I do not know how long the next one will take. I do want to take this story in a different direction. Also, you are welcome to leave me reviews, if you want. Thanks for the messages I received. They are appreciated. It's been so long I forgot how to log in so that delayed this as well. I don't mind the critical reviews either. I will not be offended. I will just sacrifice a chicken to make sure the hex I place on you takes effect. Kidding! If you find something you don't like, I don't mind hearing about it as long as you let me know why (so no telling me this is stupid - I can't fix that :)). I might ponder on it. Please take under consideration that this is fiction so in order to make it as measly believable I have to incorporate some inhuman (and very human) afflictions and reactions. Yet, this is a story that incorporates a human element and already has some chapters so if something is off, I would like to know. I don't want to confuse characters, events or roles I have assigned them, but then again I do not wish for those characters to become stagnant, too-human like or too-yautya like or in any way flawless. It short Bring It on! hehe

Chapter 20: Complications and Homage

Jo was exhausted, ending as a by-product of primal instincts.

"What wi'ld animal has such small four claws?" Kai asked in basic. His talons brushed against three long laceration scars on the inside of her upper arm. Jo shivered at the contact and turned to face him in bed, propping her head on her fist.

'Hmmm?" Still Infused in the experience she didn't process the question immediately. She looked down and examined the long-passed injury. "Oh. Right…um… fork" she finally choked out and received a stare in response. Jo recognized that Kai did not understand her since yautjas didn't use utensils; "My sister jabbed me" she explained further.

"Were you sparing?" Kai asked interested.

"No, we were fighting for the last mango piece" Jo smiled at the memory. Some events are just funny after time has passed and wounds are healed. Then, she sensed a slight pang of sadness, which she promptly pushed from her mind. The simple thought of the family she will most likely never see was always difficult to swallow and brought only headache.

She heard Kai merely grunt as if the scar no longer bore the fascination of a battle wound. "Hardly worthy pray. Has it not been dressed? The scratch looks as if no proper medical application was performed. It should have not left a mark after such small injury."

"Cause we hid it. It actually did get quite bad. The fork went deeper than a fork should have. You know, into something that is not technically meant to be eaten. Actually up until that point, I could not imagine a fork doing that much damage." She surmises and examines the meager scar, that pales in comparison to the one formed by the throwing star, not to mention those Kai displayed on his body. Absent-minded she reached to Kai's stomach and her fingers glide against a vertical scar that distorts the perfectly shaped abdomen. This is one of many and for some reason one of her favorite. She smiled at the thought of having a favorite since she did not value scars as yautja would. Then she thought of the one near his groin. Maybe that should be her favorite since not many get to see it and its location suggests great mercy of fate.

"Yautjas don't use em." Jo spoke up as her eyes watch the fingers that stroked the large yautja's muscles and track the imperfections created through battle. "Mangos are rare on Trun. It could be like another challenge. Imagine yautjas eating completion." Jo contemplates driven back to the present, and then shrugs.

Kai didn't look convinced. In order to sell the idea Jo adds "Hey, if applied properly someone can lose an eye"

"Someone can lose an eye from a talon. Yautjas hardly need assistance in that area."

"Well damage's been done. See…" Jo points to the evidence sported on her arm "I say that's some serious bodily harm. So don't you just yet disregard the fork or the mango as worthy prize. What do you know about mangos?"

"Nothing" Kai answered bored and then continued "Outside of proper challenge your fellow has been dishonorable. You should have allowed your guardian a choice of punishment. Why would you keep it a secret?"

Yautja from childhood followed rules of yautja conduct, whichever they were. One thing was sure; they did not hide battle wounds and did not disguise obstructions of norms.

"Because…" Jo continued "…If I would have told my mother we'd both be grounded"

"Yet, no honor was restored" He continued contemplating.

"Oh we got even" Jo contributed quickly and Kai's vision turned to her face with attention and delight "A spar than?!"

"No…" Jo laughed "frogs" Then; she laughed harder at Kai's change in demeanor to puzzlement.

"The next day I went to the Mill pond and gathered a whole bucket of Frogs. I stuffed them under her covers before bed."

"Is it a proper form of punishment or challenge?" Kai asks in disbelieve.

"For a ten year old?! Hell Yeah! I would let her slash the other side of my arm if only I can do that again. The look on her face – priceless, as was the squeal and the panic attack that followed. And she couldn't tell mom"

"Froogs are small and harmless are they not?" One can always count on a yautja to point out the obvious.

"… but Sarah was really squeamish."

"That explains the poorly chosen challenge…" He wanted to continue, but Jo interrupted

"…hey …you do not judge my sister" She sat up and looked down at Kai "She is a proper lady. Actually she is a model citizen of Trun, mother, daughter, wife…and all that…proper things…" Joanna dawdled. "Anyway…" Jo swung her legs of the bed and reached for her clothes "…I gotta go"

"You should stop the deceptions then." Kai stated.

Jo knew exactly what he meant. She looked at Kai with longing and envy. Longing, because she wished she could stay. It was a bit frightening how attached she was becoming. Their private meetings were supposed to be casual and disentangled. When chance presented itself they trained for half the time they should and spend the rest in Kai's quarters doing much different type of exercise. Kai was still resolute about her learning the bow. The fact that finishing quickly allowed her to spend some intimate time with Kai was incredibly motivating. Apparently, carrot is better than a stick. It was harder each time to leave and wait until an opportunity presented itself. Sometimes when training with Yin or Seth, Jo would glance at the door hoping that Kai had time today to come. It was absurd and she needed to stop being so needy. The idea that Kai was the one that didn't want her to hide about their activities made her often question her own stubborn resolution to do so. It was only that quite sullen feeling that awareness of others might not get the desired result of spending more time with Kai, but less. Strangely, as much she enjoyed Kai, she also enjoyed the fact of not living with him and then hearing him reprimand her for her ooman ways, especially with his talent for mockery. She had no idea if that might actually happen, Kai was not Seth, but she just didn't want to risk it. Jo enjoyed Kai not only in bed, but also his dry humor and controlled intensity. She didn't want that to turn into something she might not enjoy as much.

Living with Seth was crushing and tiring. Jo knew that the revelation of another male being with her would earn her a one way trip to a new sleeping arrangement. Jo didn't believe that Seth would want her around if he found out, after all the failed attempts he had made to have sex. He would probably consider it a grave injury. He might have been tiring and suffocating, but he was familiar and reasonably tolerable. He would also allow more liberty than some yautjas would be willing to tolerate, as long as not angry. In general Seth was often big and mean, but also could be fun. There was the small prospect of her feelings being hurt. Yautjas had their ways and relationship was not in their vocabulary. They did not form them nor understood the concept. Males as well as females did what they wanted and who they wanted, with all parties' agreement. Jo could not allow herself to get involved. So as long as no one knew, she could pretend it didn't happen if she ever got hurt. And, the way things went she was getting an uneasy feeling she just might. While she fumbled with the last binding, which should have taken no time, if she was paying attention, Kai said:

"You still need to wash the scent of our rut" Jo groaned, frustrated

"You could have reminded me before I put my clothes on" she accused; working to undo the knot which she tightened a bit too snug in her thought of Kai's mating future.

"I could have not told you at all" Kai stated placing his hands under his head and smirking at her frustrated battle with clothes. That was where her envy came from. It seemed that they both would have had to do some lying to keep their involvement a secret, but the lying was only required of her. She woven so many lies she was starting to have a hard time keeping track. She would tell Seth she was with Doc and Doc she was with Adi. Sometimes told either she was gone talking to Yin. Lies were required when Seth or Yin noticed she was not in training if they stopped by. Sometimes the private time with Kai would end up longer than originally planned. Kai on the other hand didn't have to lie to no one; because nobody ever questioned him. He was an honored warrior and apparently it was disrespectful to question ones whereabouts without a good reason.

Jo washed up, dressed and ran up to Kai hovering "Do you smell me?"

"Yes, It is most delightful" He answered feigning ignorance.

"You know what I mean. Do you small you on me?" Jo asked anxious.

"H'ko"

Satisfied with Kai's answer she rushed out. There were things that she needed to know and perhaps it was time to get some answers.

No one can live by an idea of honor alone. It's an ancient concept that humans have at one time or another lived by design of interpretation. Honor means honesty, fairness, or reliability in one's principles and engagements. The problem is that in order to be fair, honest and reliable one is obliged to know what that means. There has to be a construct of far greater depth, a set of principles by which honor will abide. Honor is a secondary concept. Not a priory. If the original premise is wrong, you cannot expect a rational conclusion no matter how noble it appears in design. A sense of honor was the means of that conclusion. Honor is a term often used as passing the salt at the table. Many take its integral definition as a source of credit, respect, worth or rank. All that is given in recognition to principles set in much deeper. Life is dynamic. It changes and it's not perfect. Nothing is ever perfect and sometimes no matter how nice and clean it sounds, it's either wrong in one form or another or even as a whole. Honor serves a subsidiary role. For Spartans honor was to fight or dye. It was dishonorable to run. Except that for Spartans, it was also dishonorable to allow a week, disabled or deformed child to live. For Greeks honor was external and never associated with one's ethical norms but rather a purpose it served to others. Aristotle argued that honor is superficial, because it was always set upon the giver rather than receiver.

If humans have or had so many different views of what honor implies one can only wonder what a species from somewhere beyond borders of human realm encompasses in the design. Not to mentioned a species that for thousands of years traveled in clans and often separated from the reference group. Every clan might find nuisances in an honor system if not the entire design. Learning such a complicated structure could last a lifetime. Although, the yautjas viewed everything that surrounded them through a prism of honor, Jo needed to understand the basics in the minimum; If not for the sake of her survival, at least for the sake of using the rules to her advantage.

Honor was a word she has heard many times. Actually, so many times she knew the yautja equivalent of it. They tossed the word honor around like confetti.

Speaking off confetti, Jo was really the type of person that preferred to party than study. Because once you started thinking, it just added new information and questions, and issues. For Jo often knowing the facts did not mean she would follow or reacted as expected; Mostly, because she was always a bit impulsive and outgoing. However, ignorance is what got her almost killed. It turned out that instead of what you don't know that can't hurt you. It was actually the very reverse; it will get you skinned alive. She will never solve the minefield of a yautjas' culture and mind, but she could at least know the tripwires. Not to mention doing the nasty with a member of the species should also be a solid motivator.

She sat at a terminal reading over some cultural information. It was all possible, because she had it in basic. Here came the kicker. Yautja as it turned out were really smart, like mega minds. Those large heads were not large for nothing. When she asked Seth about it, he just led her to - wait for it - library, and set the stupid comp. panel thing for translation. The machines themselves were not in basic, but the language was incorporated in their translation channels, along with at the very least 200 others. The database was then used to convert all information on display. Well, it's better late than never. Right?

After reviewing the overwhelming, and in her humble opinion, confusing and often inconsistent information she decided that yautjas need group therapy and some double-dosed valium pills. Yautjas apparently hunted. It was their way of life and developed into a complex system with an inherited need to kill. It was just as part of their nature as migration for birds. They needed to collect heads like zombies needed brains. If a male did not have the drive or ability to hunt, he was classified as damaged goods. If a female was sterile, ill or disfigured then she was screwed too. Those that did not fit the perfect bill of the society could still contribute, some were even valued and respected, but law was ruled by a fist or shoulder cannon if anyone preferred that analogy. Those however that fit the yautjan citizen model were mostly total adrenalin junkies. In one sentence they were set on creating a super race. So in order not to go full Nazi the yautjan civilization created a very complex honor system. So elaborate in fact that Jo decided to limit the data to need to know basis.

Jo concentrated on the relations yatutja's shared with humans. Most significantly human's existence was there to be hunted, like Bambi. For all yautjas it was a privilege to be had. It was also a sport. The only problem, that unlike any other sport, humans had no idea they were the opposite team, unaware usually until it was too late that they were supposed to get ready to rumble. The information kept on coming. A yautja that hunted a human called such hunt a challenge. You could not "challenge" a human that had no weapon so the distinction between an armed pirate and security guard at Sears might have been quite blurred. It was of course beneficial to choose a harder target, one that provided more glory, but the security guard was not off the table. That explained why Seth killed a convict and the swamp thing went for the soldier. Humans were not the only species in the metaphorical boat. Any living, breathing organism that was capable of defending itself was on it; The more the merrier.

The one positive, if you were a glass half full kind of person, was that a human didn't get offed by an amateur. Only pros were allowed to hunt. On the downside it meant that your chances of survival just dropped by a few percentages. But, you can't have everything.

What Jo got worried the most was yautja's version of favors system. They had a structure designed to compensate for good deeds. Not every effort was considered in this system, only the great ones. Like saving another's life made the savee indebted to the savior. That debt would be recovered upon calling. The one that wanted to recover the debt could not of course ask the indebted to kill him or herself, but might ask for pretty much anything and refusal would mean to be dishonorable. It could then end in a challenge and death. Yin once saved Jo's life and she had a sickened feeling it counted. She pondered if anything she did could have wiped the slate clean, but nothing came to mind. In other words, Jo owned Yin one. Big one.

Looking at the watch on the screen she got up to leave. There was no reason to wonder about it anyway. She was only happy Yin was not Seth, because she already knew what Seth would have wanted in return.

For the next few days she did more library reading and training. She did not see any more of Kai. He was busy and it would have been too soon. She didn't want to seem clingy. Today Seth was bringing her to the surface of a nearby world.

Seth decided that a field trip would do them both a world of good. Well, Seth did not actually call the planetside drop a field trip. He called it a planet guide orientation. But, to Jo that sounded like a field trip with too many syllables. The planet was surprisingly earth-like. Green trees, lots of dirt, mud and she's seen nothing out of the ordinary. Jo would not describe it as alien. They dropped with a bunch of adolescent yautjas. Those that were preparing for the tour of the underworld or as yautjas called it the cheetah. There was some logic in that name: It did make you want to run like the wind. Yautjas strategy for rearing their young involved 4Ds: Danger, Darkness, Demons and Doom. No wonder they had trust issues, detachment issues and aggression issues. Jo still had occasional flashbacks and looked over her shoulder a few too many times. But, that might have been also because she lived among creatures that did not know how to chill out and sometimes looked at her the way a wolf looks at a rabbit. Yautja's were like humans with PTSD, without the depression. For some unexplained reason they did not get miserable or they did not display such symptoms. Come to think of it, Jo also had not heard of any suicides or perhaps it was a taboo subject.

What was the same, however, was puberty. Young yatujas were equally juvenile as human teenagers. While surveying the jungle with a guide Jo experience the three typical types of immature behavior. First was the bully. Some large spotted frab pushed her into the underbrush. Actually he shoved her hard enough passing by, that before she got to finish the mumbling her surprised "Sunavabit…" she was already part of the local scenery. After she crawled out onto the path she gave the offender a very harsh pinched stare. He profusely apologized and promised it will never happen again. OK, he did nothing of the sort, but he should have, damn it. Seth gave the pusher a harsh warning. Later she experienced the flirter behavior. He kept on looming over Jo, standing way to close, watching too intently, locking eyes; Downright creepy stuff. Finally she encountered - The Joker. The brightly colored class clown kept on throwing twigs in her hair and giggled with his posy every time she gave him the look; the narrow-your-eyes-don't-do-that-look. It had an opposite effect. After about half an hour she started throwing things back. He changed strategy and started making fun of her appearance. He grabbed leaves and pretended to have lips. In retaliation she spread her palms, pretending to have mandibles. He found that part funny until they both got scolded like children for not listening.

Later Jo found out that the one that pushed her was flirting and the stalker was the bully. Who knew? The joker she guest correctly. At dinner when Yin, Kai and a few others joined, Yin explained that physical contact such as the exhibited by the male earlier was not a challenge push, because a challenge would have been direct and often accompanied with a grunt or roar, spread mandible and scent of aggression. Yin continued by explaining that the male was young, and was leaving for his cheetah soon. Since he cannot mate yet, he was announcing his interest and declaring his intent for after his return. Jo could not believe you can get all that from a single push and came to terms that Yin just likes to sound enlightening. Then he added off hand that he does not know why a male would want to mate a creature that cannot provide offspring, especially on the first mating. For that added offhand comment Jo got an unexplained urge to punch Yin in the non-existing nose. Meanwhile another honored yautja at the table decided to break the tension with a joke about how the young one has no chance with the little ooman that was already aiming her delusional interest at an honored worrier. It got a few laughs. Kai burst out laughing, shook his head and left the table; Confusing everyone except Jo.

Then, they left to visit the local ruins and pay tribute to the yautjan gods. Jo wasn't very close with her own so there was no need to make any other etheric friends. She pretended to listen and fainted interest when circumstances took a curious turn.

Seth plastered himself to Jo's back and smoothed his palms lazily down her arms, then back up. He settled his right grip on her hip. Jo startled, gasped. His heat was at her back and his mandibles were lazily brushing through the hair on the top of her head. If his other arm draped around her torso or waist they would have look like lovers. Until now Seth's technic to swoon her was one that he would have incorporated to persuade a yautjan female. He was obviously mixing it up. Jo truly believed he has given up, but apparently Seth was not ready to renounce so easily. Her gaze turned to the side where Kai was squatted leaning on his calves, forearms resting over his kneecaps, eyes fixated on the palm Seth held on her hip. It was hard to determine if he was irate, relived, or surprised. Beyond Seth's awkward and unexpected gesture, Kai's intense glare made Jo's mouth dry, heart quicken in nervous tension. He then met her eyes briefly and refocused on Seth as he was stoking the top of her head. Jo noticed a slight, almost imperceptible twitch in Kai's top right mandible. Yin was babbling something about yautjan pride in the background.

"Well, this is an interesting turn of events" Jo stated out loud, before she could bite her tong.

"You like?" Seth asked in basic. It was official he was not giving up. Do I like? Hell's yeah she liked. It was sizzling and very pleasant. However, she was unsure of the source of the caress. She glanced again at Kai. He was now staring at her, clenching his jaw as if waiting for her response.

"um… …am.a…um" Jo sounded like an incoherent idiot. She wasn't often lost for words, but she really did not know how to answer. Why is Kai so pissed off? She questioned internally. From the knowledge she possessed yautjas had multiple partners and did not form long term relationships. Most definitely they were not exclusive; so what was Kai's damn problem? In accordance to those traditions she could doink Seth, and Kai should have been unmoved. The focused gazed he locked on her, told a different tail. He was most assuredly not unaffected.

There was also the subtle problem of her own principles. She didn't intend to run around the ship humping anything that moved. She always held her libido in check, no reason to let it on the loose now. Even if Seth was …tempting, she had a feeling it was ill advised. A snort almost escaped when she thought of Kai and how well advised that decision was. Seth was actually even more complicated. If sex intermingled in their already strained relationship it might just make everything more stressed. They lived together and if something went wrong, there was no hiding from Seth.

His bloodied deed returned imprinted in memory as a solid image and she also became aware of the fact she could not trust him. If her recent decision to the secret sessions with Kai was any indication, and the fact she was even debating this suggested she could not trust herself either.

"aaaa…am" no coherent words however were coming out. Seth's distracting touch and Kai's obsessive stare overwrote all ability to form speech.

"Stop your nonsense. This is no place for courting. This is a place of homage and awe to Paya."

Right, right homage. For the first time Yin's babble came at the right time. Seth straitened his posture, his arms returned to his side. Jo exhaled silently. Kai was still looking at her with the same concentration. Then looked away and gazed up at the statue.

After homage they decided it was time to go back. On the way in the shuttle Seth made sure to sit undeniably closer than usual.

"I think It is a good time to stop at De'ga'rak" Kai broke the silence "I shall suggested it to Dtai'moun. We are only a jump away from their system"

"I must agree. The chiva will take some of us far from the next female-occupied settlement." Yin concurred and clarified.

Seth perked up, his head lifted. Kai just suggested that the males needed female companionship. Jo could not believe her own ears. She stared at Kai with a look that could kill, if only. Jo debated internally over morale and he openly stated their barrier. Didn't he? She stared at him some more. He decided to ignore her. He needed female companionship? As if he wasn't getting enough of that. Jo could not stuff the rearing head of hurt. She then wished she could play whack a mole with it. Or whack something else, preferably with mandibles. He could use female companionship than she could use male companionship as well. Or was he giving her go-ahead to whatever Seth had in mind? No. Jo decided Seth was out of question. She however did not doubt that she could find another.