Raven Tide

No wonder the Graven minions chased her.

Though... my mother slayed an identical grub while she was trapped in Thorngate and the minions never treated her differently than prey to be devoured but that may have been due to her role in the Graven procreation ritual.

Still, it was strange, my mother gained the involuntary ability to understand and communicate the Graven language, along with any other language or writing she encountered. It’s what allowed her to read their relics and find a path to break free of their prison.

But Chyani appeared to be unchanged.

She relied heavily on the translator while engaging with the Iddril and she only understood me when I spoke in the common human tongue. I doubt she would have been smiling had she understood the graphic lyrics woven into the song I sang in the med bay.

“You look comfy,” Chyani slid into my lap as I prepared Venom Heart’s defenses before making the jump.

“Mmm..” I pulled her close and helped her settle in comfortably into my chair. Then I activated the force harness around us. “I hope I didn’t frighten you by telling you about Thorngate.”

“If I’d slept through the attack of that giant moth or been left in the dark about the victims of Phirsa 3 I could probably compartmentalize the problem and write it off as something distant and not aware that I existed.”

“And now that you are aware of the danger and that it’s very conscious of your presence?”

Chyani leaned her head on my chest, “It makes me sick to my stomach.”

I squeezed her partially formed new shoulder, “I’m sorry that I can only provide you with more questions. Hopefully, Clan Asepa’s scientists will do better.”

“Do you think those things are still hunting me?”

“I don’t know...” I touched her forehead with my mandibles. “The Graven presence is scattered throughout the universe. Their behavior on Phirsa 3 suggests they can sense you. It may be why they attacked the colony in the first place.”

“All those people..” Chyani’s gaze wandered off.

“That tragedy isn’t your fault,” I pulled her chin up. “You did not seek the Graven. They are the ones who chose to invade a peaceful colony.”

Chyani’s big brown eyes stared up at me intently.

“They invaded Sahei, my homeworld, once.”

Chyani widened her eyes and stirred in my arms.

“My brother and I were unborn, still attached to our mother in her pouch,” I explained. “They came for her as well and failed.”

“You’re a twin?”

“Hmm..” I nodded. “My brother’s name is Crazy Wolf, perhaps one day you can meet him.”

The expression on her face made me smile as it was evident she was imagining two of me.

Growing up, he and I shared nearly everything but I would sooner duel him into submission than ever share Chyani.

“But all the same,” I returned to my story. “My mother was not to blame. We cannot control the choices of others, nor are we accountable for their actions. We can only stand up for ourselves and pursue justice.”

Chyani nodded with a faint smile. “It still feels surreal. All I did was squash a bug.”

“Perhaps coming in contact with it was the only trigger necessary,” I continued typing into my navigation comm. “But it’s odd that they left you alone. They never shied from attacking my mother, but she was also a critical component in one of their rituals.”

“For the life of me,” Chyani shook her head. “I can’t claim that I gained any superhuman or even a super-razkur power. I’m just me, mostly.” She glanced down at her missing arm. “Just plain ol’Chyani. I can’t even claim my drawing capability is that extraordinary. I’m skilled but no more than anyone else who trained in the profession from adolescence.”

“There is nothing plain about Chyani,” I caressed her cheek and leaned in to kiss her.

How does this human always feel soo good?

She was dressed partially in the Iddril technician’s clothing. A sleeveless black shirt and white slacks with clean white boots.

“I would very much like to be inside you,” I slid my claws down her chest and under her shirt to cup one of her supple tan breasts. “But we are approaching the jump. We will not know what threats await us on the other side.”

Chyani’s scent shifted into that intoxicating medley of cherry blossoms and longing.

My loins unfurled and I growled.

On my blood...

Chyani nibbled my lip and pulled away with a giggle.

If we hadn’t just rutted thoroughly in the shower thirty minutes ago I would have brought the ship to a complete stop and fucked her for several more hours.

“This station we’re going to,” Chyani straightened up and took a long exhale. “You said it’s run by an ally clan. What are the yautja of Clan Asepa like?”

“Powerful,” I thrummed. “They yield to no one. They’re also all female.”

“Oh...” Chyani lit up. “How do they...uh, sustain their numbers?”

“That is what The Joust is for,” I clicked to myself.

Chyani raised her left eyebrow. “Do I even want to know what that is?”

I released a hearty chitter. “My people have a mating season. We can procreate at any time but the urge bears down on all yautja during this sacred time.”

“So... you get even more worked up than you are now?”

“Yes!” I clawed Chyani’s round buttocks. “Every yautja of the Nexus returns home to contribute to the Eternal Bloodline. The Joust is the pre-eminent competition to determine the most potent pairings. All are welcome from any clan.”

“Have you...” Chyani angled her head inquisitively. “Contributed?”

“No, not yet,” I patted her rear. “I am only recently Blooded. My trophy collection is limited and I would rank poorly against the Elites and Elders.”

Chyani chuckled at me and leaned into my chest.

“But I have enjoyed the celebrations,” I swaggered my head up. “Numerous females have requested my brother and I give them notice when we are prepared to make our debut.”

“Anyone I’ll be meeting here?”

“I don’t think so,” I tried to picture the female’s faces. “I didn’t recognize anyone when I crossed into this sector and stopped at the station to learn if any of them had any intel on my original destination.”

“Oh, your mission,” Chyani perked up. “The one for you Dad. What was that? Or is it top secret?”

“No, nothing like that,” I wagged my ears. “Do you remember when I told you about the Abura?”

“Kinda,” Chyani scrunched her lips. “You said your brother hunts with one and their best friends with razkurs... right?”

“Yes,” I bobbed my chin. “But more than friends. Razkurs and Abura share a symbiotic relationship, even my brother and I are connected. It’s difficult to explain. They... we...the sensation of being near one another is pure harmony. Sorry, I don’t know the words to explain it properly.”

“Why don’t you hunt with one too?”

“I wanted to when I was young but I never acclimated to hunting as a pair. Crazy Wolf, on the other hand, took to it like he was born for it.”

“So not exactly identical,” Chyani grinned.

“No,” I poked her nose with one of my lower tusks. “Aside from our appearance he and I are very different.”

“Awe,” Chyani squinted mischievously. “And here I was hoping you were the cute one.”

“Have you ever heard the term kiande amedha?”

“No.”

“It is our name for the great hive serpents. They are sacred prey to the Nexus. Typically, a yautja takes their blood rite by participating in the Chiva where they fight the serpents and claim a place within their clan. I am told humans refer to them as xenomorphs.”

“Oh!” Chyani reared back in alarm. “I’ve heard about those! They destroy worlds in a matter of days.”

I nodded in confirmation.

The Abura are a specific strain of kiande amedha.”

Chyani froze.

“The Abura are only born on Menthla and are distinctly different from the average kiande amedha. It’s also against Nexus law to harm one,” I clarified. “However, all kiande amedha feel a profound connection to razkurs as well as toward anyone carrying their lineage. The sensation is mutual for razkurs, and by extension, my brother and I cannot partake in the traditional Chiva.”

“But you said you were Blooded.”

“We hunted something else, arguably on more challenging terrain,” I bobbed my head while running a final diagnostic on the Venom Hearts defense systems. “But my younger father along with many others are concerned that this alternate rite of passage might diminish our standing in the Clans or lead to the ostracization of anyone carrying razkur DNA in their bloodline. It’s also why my parents have delayed producing more children.”

Chyani touched my chest in a gesture of sympathy.

“As you know,” I refreshed my lungs. “The kiande amedha adapts to whatever creature they gestate within. My father believes that if the Abura are the strain of kiande amedha that are most in tune with razkurs then, statistically, there must be a strain in existence that is the furthest. Occasionally, he sends my brother or I to a distant hive planet to determine if they will respond to us with violence.”

“Any luck this time?”

“This one had promise,” I smiled. “Many of their drones were deaf and my singing had no effect on them. Well... almost. They got affectionate once they were near enough to smell me.”

Chyani tilted her head and sniffed my abdomen. “You do smell pleasant.”

My chest rumbled and my hard-on made itself known again.

I rolled my neck and readjusted my lower half beneath the human. Chyani knew she was the culprit but the little vixen only pursed her lips and stared at me.

“Regardless...” I cleared my throat. “I did manage to parlay with their queen and procured several samples. With luck, my father will be able to generate a strain on a reserve planet that all razkurs can hunt.”

Chyani’s impish smile vanished. “What do you mean by samples?”

“Two sentinels and a queen egg,” I stated proudly. “They are secured and safe in long-term stasis.”

“On board!” Chyani’s heart fluttered like a hummingbird. “Right now?!”

“Yes, but do not worry,” I rubbed my hand along her back. “I can communicate with them, well one of them. The other is deaf but it is the beta of the pair. They entered stasis voluntarily as they agreed it wasn’t safe for you to mingle amongst them openly.”

Chyani wrapped her one arm around her waist to negate a shiver. “On that, we are all in agreement.”

“I did it again,” my ears dipped. “Telling you things you could have otherwise gone your entire life without knowing.”

“It’s alright,” Chyani laid her head against me and let her warm breath roll across my chest. “I’d rather you be honest than keep me clueless in the dark.”

“Very well,” I expanded the navigation viewscreen. It felt pointless to keep the location hidden from her. She’d probably figure it out anyway. “Then you should also know that Nexus jump points are cloaked and unguarded. Venom Heart will be cloaked but not entirely. There are protocols I must follow once we crossover.”

Chyani sat up and nodded.

“We are here,” I put Venom Heart on high alert and the bridge lights shifted to red then I initiated the hyper-gate matrix and keyed in my authorization code.

My hand paused before activating the jump sequence.

“I hope you don’t view my delivering you to Clan Asepa’s scientists as an ulterior motive.”

“No,” Chyani turned to me. “I know why we’re headed there and besides, I want answers too.”

I nodded and tapped the holo screen to launch the countdown.

A few seconds later, the space around us fizzled and spun in a painful smear of light. I had to rub my ears from the residual pressure.

“Did we make it?” Chyani winced and wiggled her jaw to make her eardrums pop.

“One moment,” I reset the cloaking system and activated the long-range scanners. No threats were visible. “All clear. Silosa Outpost is twenty minutes away.”

“How far did we travel?”

I zoomed out the star map to show her the vast distance between the two locations.

“Man!” Chyani’s eyes blinked in astonishment. “Where has this instant mode of transport been all my life?”

“It has always existed,” I set Venom Heart back on course. “Humans simply haven’t discovered how to utilize it.”

“Humans,” Chyani rolled her eyes. “We sure do like to take our sweet time with things.”

I squeezed Chyani close and kissed her, “This is not always a bad thing.”

“Is that it?” Chyani scampered back into the bridge after eating her mid-day meal.

“Silosa Outpost,” I clicked, pointing to the black elongated bipyramid floating in space. “In all her glory.”

A formal transmission came in over the comm system. I responded in Clan Asepa’s traditional encryption and then received the all-clear to dock at an empty port.

“You’re not going to hide your ears?” Chyani walked with me to the side hatch.

“This is Nexus territory, no outsiders,” I flapped my ears at her nose. “I am free to display who and what I am.”

I let Chyani hold my hand when her heart rate accelerated as we approached the door.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention one thing,” my ears flicked up as I glanced down at her. “Female yautja are much larger than males.”

“Seriously?” Chyani’s eyes bulged a little. “You’re already gigantic!”

“Don’t worry,” I snickered and unlatched the door. “You are under my protection and by proxy Clan Jahaa’s. You have nothing to fear.”

The air pressure shifted and my ears sliced up sharp.

The sounds were all wrong!

“Move!” I stepped in front of Chyani and shoved her back.

A gangly metal net sprang out and tangled around me followed by a hot surge crippling my entire body. I dropped to the ground from the sudden pulse of electricity.

Chyani screamed and giant clawed hands reached out and grabbed her.

“Raven Tide!”

Then the world went black after a swift kick to the face.

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TRANSLATIONS:

Abura/kiande amedha= xenomorph