Surviving Against the Odds

4

I turn my head and see the panther, standing tall on all 6 legs, its back right one still wrapped. I here, you safe. I hear in my head, the voice has been the cats. It jumps, taking the Maintoid adult to the ground and in one swift bite ending the threat. The remaining 2 hatchings are frozen in fear, breathing shallow. I'm bleeding badly from my injuries. The panther comes and stands over me, protecting me, I reached a shaky hand up and pet its belly, it takes 3 times but I saw thank-you kitty. The last thing I hear is a panicked NO in my head before sweet oblivion.

Third Person

I have felt un easy since dropping the human female off, she was to calm in containment, none have been that calm, ever. The Maintoids hunts are barbaric and even cruel, they like hunting the human females. Thankfully this is only once a year for high ranking Maintoids. This hunt though has gone the longest, most are completed within 6 hours after they start, this one has been 2 and half days. Maybe this female really will make the 3 days, I didn't tell the female that she would be granted freedom if she survived because they never do.

Suddenly the emergency transponder starts blaring. Moving quickly me and the medical team board the transport and head to the plants surface. The emergency transponder isn't the end of hunt signal its one of the hatchings emergency link. Someone is hurt, hurt badly. we land at the transmission coordinates and step off the shuttle, the sight the greats us is terrifying for so many reasons. Two hatchings are cowering by a tree, Commander Ka'ith is headless on the ground and a Battle Tiger is growling and nudging something under it. Why is a Battle Tiger here on this planet they are only found on the planet closest to the Thrains home world. We would have known if a Thrain was here, since Battle Tigers only bond to Thrains. Battle Tigers are sentient, yes they are animals but sentient. Pulled out of my thoughts by the chattering of the hatchlings I catch a few key things, the 3 others are dead killed by the female, the female is being judged by the Tiger.

I pull out my scanner and point towards the Tiger, after a few moments I get a reading. He is alive, barely, if we want to keep her alive which we have to, to get answers, we need to get to her now. I slowly make my way to the animal, stopping with plenty of space between us. "If you want her to survive we need to treat her now" I say to it.

It nudges her one more time before moving, I click at the team and the move as one, putting her in the stasis pod, we need to get her to a station if she is going to survive. or transport ship is not equipped for this kind of emergency. We also need to get the Thrains since only a bonded Thrains can communicate with the Tigers. "We will send a team back for the dead, get the hatchlings strapped in, we head to Kepliar station" I say as we get everyone in board. The Tiger takes up so much room but won't leave the females side, its fin spikes flaring every few minutes.

What happened on that planet? I can't help but wondering. 20 Minutes later we dock at Kepliar station the med team rushes the female into the trauma bay. I turn to the last 2 hatchlings, "please tell me what happened" I say setting up a recorder, knowing this needed to be documente. What they tell me next will haunt me until my last moment in all the worlds.

My second in command had sent a message to the Thrians well we where still on the transport, hearing a ping I hope its them.

"Sir, she's coming", he says flashing a panicking color sequence of purple and pink. "She as in the Thrian Queen"? I ask my voice raising a few octives. "And she is almost here", "IMPOSSIBLE I shriek, it is at least 2 days from there system here" I say completely freaking out. Thrians are feared their Queen is terrifying. Before I can get a handle on my panic the bay doors swoosh open and the Thrain Gaurd with all bonded Tigers fill the hallway. Seconds later the Queen with her red bonded walk through. "Where is my bondeds daughter?" she asks in a booming growl that only Thrain have male or female. It takes me far to long to put together that the Tiger that was on the planet is her bondeds daughter. "She is in the medical bay with the human female" I say but the Queen is already moving.

We enter the trauma bay to see the Tiger in the corner watching everything that is happening to the human. The human who Is as white as the walls and barely staying alive. The Queen takes in everything as her bonded walks over to her daughter and sits beside her. I watch the Queens face as it darkens, she turns to us and asks in a low calm sounding voice. "You hunted my bonded daughters bonded?" I stopped breathing. The human bonded to a Battle Tiger? No other species has EVER bonded to them besides Thrains and they is because they share a soul connection.

"I.. I.. I" I stammer., clear my through. "The Maintoids hunt, we did not know she bonded" I say.

"That disgusting hunt" the Queen growls. "If the female dies and my bonded loses her daughter I will end them, I may just end them anyway for what they have done" the Queen decrees.

God's have mercy on us all and let this human female survive. I think as I watch with horror as the females vitals crash.