Lex throws down her shovel and peers into the gaping six-foot hole she and Scorvo have dug. Glancing up at Scorvo, she nods her head.


    “Roll him on in there! He won’t mind!” Lex jokes.


    Scorvo uses a clawed foot to nudge the dead would-be assassin into his soil grave. The hooded corpse hits the dirt with a soft thud. Lex immediately sets to work filling in the deep hole. Scorvo watches her briefly, and then picks up his own shovel.


    -


    -


    Back at home, Lex washes the dirt from her hands and arms with warm water from the kitchen sink. She takes special care to get under her fingernails with a metal implement. Scorvo watches Lex from a seat at the kitchen table. It is obvious she is doing everything possible to keep from facing her very real and present danger.


    “You said…You’ve dispatched three other men…In as many days,” Lex begins. “Please tell me, you didn’t bury them all over my yard? Or leave their bodies somewhere for someone to find?”


    “No. I did not.”


    “Good,” Lex sighs, relieved. “So…Where did you bury them?”


    “I did not bury them. I used the dissolving solution I carry with me at all times. It is much more efficient.”


    A glass clinks in the sink as the implement Lex is using to clean under her nails falls from her hand and knocks the glass over. Lex’s brow creases and she turns to Scorvo with a less than pleasant expression.


    “And you are just mentioning this…Now?”


    “Yes,” Scorvo offers nonchalantly.


    Lex leans against the edge of the sink, and crosses both arms over her chest. Scorvo observes the sudden change of color which radiates up Lex’s face—starting with her cheeks.


    “You allowed me to toil for nearly three hours…When you could have said…‘How about we use this dissolving solution I carry on my person at all times?’ Really?”


    “You did not ask. You said…’We should bury him’. I did not question your judgment.”


    Lex covers her face with both hands and releases a frustrated growl.


    “Oh my god! I think I’m stuck with the wrong brother. At least, Scar was useful.”


    As soon as the words are out of Lex’s mouth, she regrets them. She lowers both hands from her face and peers across the room at the seated yautja warrior.


    “Scorvo…I’m sorry. I’m so stressed out right now. I didn’t think about what I was saying. That was a terrible thing for me to say.”


    A shadow crosses Scorvo’s face and he averts his gaze.


    “No need to apologize. You are not the only one who feels this way.”


    “That doesn’t matter. It was rude. I’m sorry.”


    Scorvo stands from his place at the table and crosses to where Lex leans against the counter. He takes her face in both hands, one thumb tracing the acid scar on her left cheek. Lex uneasily meets his gaze.


    “Why do you keep doing that?” Lex questions, her eyes searching Scorvo’s face.


    “You truly do not understand?” Scorvo says, a sad smile drawing up the corner of his mouth, mandibles opening slightly.


    “Understand what?”


    “If you do not know…It is not my place to tell you.”


    Lex’s shoulders droop as Scorvo releases her face but refuses to elaborate. She continues to stare into his round amber eyes.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    “Have you eaten?”


    “What?” Scorvo says, taken aback.


    “Have you…Eaten?” Lex repeats. “You know…Food? I’m afraid I haven’t been a very good host. When was the last time you’ve had something to eat? It’s the least I can do. You did save my life. I don’t know about you…But I’m famished. I’m no chef. But I make a pretty mean omelet.”


    “A mean omelet? What is an omelet? How can an omelet be aggressive? Do you eat it alive?”


    Lex bursts out laughing, covering her mouth with the back of one hand. Human Delicacies 101 must not be required reading where he comes from.


    “Uh…Never mind. You sit down and I’ll bring you…Something to eat. Oh god!”


    Scorvo observes Lex with half-lidded eyes. Her smile, her laugh, they are strangely infectious— growing inside him like the dreaded worm of the keinde amedha. Scar had been correct in choosing this one. The rugged warrior offers Lex a smile of his own before returning to the table. He chooses a chair which will give him the best view of the ooman female as she goes about her savory business.


    -


    -


    “Not very good, huh?” Lex says, scrunching up her face.


    Scorvo peers up at Lex before looking down at his plate. He tries to appear grateful. In truth, the ooman food—Lex calls an omelet—has caused a strange sensation in his gut. Too many flavors competing for the attention of his taste buds and assaulting his olfactory senses. Not to mention, the strange texture—coupled with the greasy liquid Lex used to cook the spongy substance. The oil coats Scorvo’s tongue and makes his mouth feel thick with saliva.


    “I am not used to ooman food. It is not your fault.”


    “Oh yeah. Right.”


    A moment of silence ensues. Lex glances up at the clock, watching the second hand tick away.


    “There’s one thing I don’t understand. You claim that they’ve cloned your brother—Scar. How? I mean…We all grow up hearing stories about Area 51, UFO’s, and secret military bases in Cheyenne Mountain. If you really want to go down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories…There are shadowy government organizations with cloak and dagger assassins…Men in black. But that’s all they are—stories. Nothing has ever been proven. How do you know that what you’ve heard is even true? It could be some cooked up urban legend from a bored, disgruntled intern. Humanity is nowhere near the level of advancement needed to clone an individual…independent thinking…living being. At least, I don’t think so. I mean, that would be pretty ground-breaking and hard to keep a secret. I don’t think even Weyland Industries has that capability. Where did you get your information?”


    “We have our sources,” Scorvo offers cryptically.


    Lex sighs in annoyance.


    “Even if our earthly government…Or governments…Are hiding the true level of their scientific knowledge—Why Scar? What could they hope to learn from him?”


    “Everything they can. It would not matter. The location of our home world. The inner workings of our weapons and technology. Especially our shielding and cloaking methods. You cannot imagine what evils might be unleashed on the cosmos with the knowledge contained within my brother’s head.”


    “If what you’ve been told is correct, and they’ve already succeeded in cloning him—we can only assume they have that information already.”


    “Not so. But even if that were true, I will not leave what little remains of my brother in ooman hands. I will free him. I ask for your help because I am certain that if it were you in that facility—Scar would do everything he could to get you out. Such was his loyalty.”


    Lex’s face contorts as she struggles to hold back tears which threaten to spill from her eyes. Did he really need to twist the knife in any deeper?


    Lex pushes her chair away from the table and stands up. She looks everywhere but at Scorvo’s face.


    “I’m going to catch a few Z’s. You’re welcome to stay in the living room. There’s a mattress I use for guests in the hallway closet. I don’t have very many guests these days. So it’s basically brand new. I’ll see you in the morning.”


    “Lex?” Scorvo says in his usual deep voice.


    Lex slowly turns to face him. An eerie feeling comes over Lex as she locks eyes with the being staring across the room at her. So much like the other, in nearly every detail. The only key differences are the armor he wears and the mask strapped to his back. His amber eyes burn with the same hunter’s fire, ready to do violence at a moment’s notice. Yet, also calm and calculating.


    “Yes?”


    “Thank you!”


    “For what? I haven’t done anything. And you barely touched your food.”


    Scorvo cocks his head to the side and Lex feels a strange flutter in her chest. This is already becoming too much.


    “For helping me to restore my cha’l brother’s honor. The honor of my family—and of my clan. If the oomans should learn of our home world…It could mean intergalactic war. Many lives would be lost. Scar’s name would be forever tarnished—because it would be Scar’s blood, and his knowledge, which allowed the oomans to glean such information. Our family would be exiled.”


    Lex shifts her weight from one foot to the other. She counts to three and breathes out slowly, damming the tears threatening to pour from her eyes.


    “You’re welcome. But I still don’t understand what you expect me to do. I’m not a scientist…Or a mercenary.”


    Scorvo intertwines the fingers of both hands and places them on the table in front of him. He offers Lex a knowing smile.


    “I will tell you once you are rested. Good night, Alexa.”


    “Good night, Scorvo.”


    Final goodnights spoken, Lex makes her way upstairs, heading for her bedroom. She pauses at the top of the stairs and glances back over her left shoulder. Scorvo stands silently at the entrance to the kitchen, watching her with unblinking amber eyes.