Project - Prometheus Ch. 36

"And you wish to find them, so they would share such knowledge with you? What makes you think they'll even play ball?" Leroy scoffed.

"I'm also sure they'd like a few of their friends back, whom we have as our... 'guests'," Inari smirked.

"You captured a pair of Shadow Dancers? And they haven't torn you apart?!?" one of the young wolves breathed, scarcely believing what he was hearing.

"Nothing really special about the folks who tried to rob us. They were just a grab team, equipped with pistols, nothing more," Priya laughed.

"See?!? I told you that not all of them possessed such abilities!" the young wolf barked, happy that his theory was proven correct.

"Nico, shush," Cara admonished the boy. "You said the Shadow Dancers tried to rob you? As in, they were not successful??"

"Partially successful. They stole a few crates of valuable cargo, which only has use if they plan on building their own ship. Other than that, selling it would likely be something they'd be unable to do, unless they have the correct contacts, offworld."

"Of which we are certain they do not. We are their only real contact with anything outside of their territory. That being said, information on the Shadow Dancers is privileged, and we do not part with it lightly, or cheaply," Leroy told the group, crossing his arms.

"What would you consider something worth parting with?" Kasumi asked, curious about what their price would be.

"Those weapons you're all wearing would be a good first step towards that information. Such fine guns would help us immensely in our struggles with the Death Eagle," Cara stated with a smirk, as she eyed Korsa's Thuun'tara sword.

"Sorry, but the weapons we have aren't for sale. But we do have something that we understand would be equally valuable and likely even more so," Alex told the pair. He looked at Dagan and the smuggler captain gestured to his men, who brought forward the crates of food. They then opened the crates and the full feast of fruit and vegetables was laid bare to the Children of the Wolf.

"Are these seeded?" Leroy asked tentatively.

"They are, and of high-level quality," Luminia confirmed as she smiled at the group.

"No way! There's no way we could afford to pay whatever duties the Farmer's Consortium would level on us if they found out we had such plants," Cara balked.

"These aren't from the Consortium. They are from something entirely separate from that entity. Feel free to try one if you wish," Natalya replied with a gesture.

"If these don't come from the Consortium, then where do they come from?" Leroy asked as he approached one of the crates.

"A place far beyond the Consortium's reach, and we'd like to keep it that way," Alex told the man.

Leroy stood above one crate that was packed with the harder fruit and vegetables and plucked a pomegranate from it. He held it up, inspecting the fruit for any bruising or mold. Finding none, the man produced a knife from his pants and used it to cut open the fruit. Breaking it apart, he sniffed at it for a moment before moaning and tasting the fruit. Pure shock and joy rippled through his face as he chewed.

"Well? How good of a quality are we looking at?" Cara demanded. Leroy just sighed and handed the woman one half of the fruit as he enjoyed the first piece. Cara looked at her husband and admitted that she'd never seen him quite this calm over fruit. Shrugging, she took a sampling of the pom herself, and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

"Oh, my... holy... mmmmm!!!" she moaned, as she smacked her lips in delight.

"Worth trading for the information we require?" Inari questioned with a smirk.

"That would depend on how much of these crates you're willing to part with!" Leroy replied as she spit out the seeds into his hand.

"All of it," Alex told the pair.

"All of it?!?" Cara almost choked as her eyes nearly fell out of her head in shock.

"Yes. All of it. Provided you are willing to part with all the information you have on the Shadow Dancers. Where they are, what they're usually up to, their numbers, weapons, if they have any, and most importantly, how to contact them," Alex said to the group.

Leroy and Cara traded glances, unsure of what to do in that moment. This group was offering them a literal fortune in fresh produce, along with the seeds, in exchange. While what they were asking was steep, the pair got the sense that these were good and honorable people. They weren't looking to hurt their friends in any way, but simply sought answers from them, and likely their stolen goods.

"Very well. We see this as a fair exchange for the information you seek. However, there are two conditions to it," Leroy stated, and the crew waited for him to continue. "First, you must swear that you will do no harm to the Shadow Dancers when you do find them. They may be thieves and scoundrels, but they are also our friends."

"We can promise that. What's the second term?" Alex replied.

"That you and your crew stay with us for the night as our guests. It has been too long since we've welcomed anyone to our fires and we would relish the opportunity to have some new company among us," Cara filled in.

The crew looked at each other before accepting the terms. They all figured that one night among the Children of the Wolf couldn't hurt. They seemed a friendly enough bunch, and if Dagan Min trusted this group, then they knew they'd be all right. With the talks concluded, they were all led to the tribe's camp, which was only a few hundred meters away, nestled in a small grove that still had a few trees growing there.

The camp had to have held hundreds of people, all gathered there. There were elders, along with men and women of fighting age. There were children among them as well, but very few. Those that were there stayed close to their parents and elders, preferring to be nearby in case the tribe had to leave. Given the state of the world they lived in and the constant threat of attack, this was a reality they all had to live.

When the crew walked in surrounded by the warriors of the tribe, it drew the eyes of the rest of them. It was curious to see newcomers there, especially ones who were so heavily armed. But the Alphas of the tribe walked with them without fear, so it was clear to the rest of them they could be trusted. Some of the tribe even raised greetings to Dagan and his men, as they were familiar sights to them.

"Seeing the power you five wield, it's understandable that you seek others that can do the same," Cara remarked as they walked into the camp.

"Gloria and Matthias are capable of using it?" Alex questioned, as he kept pace with the pair.

"Yes, but in more... creative ways than what you lot displayed. I will say, I never expected it to take on different colors like that," Leroy commented.

"Why? Is theirs different?" Natalya asked.

"Yes. It's more of a gray, like mist in some ways. Though the way they brought it into being was not as... exciting," Cara smirked.

Alex exchanged glances with the ladies, and they knew what this meant. That Gloria and Matthias were surface users, or Daskein, as the hermit had called them. While they were surface users, that didn't mean they lacked skill or power. Knowing this, only encouraged the group to be careful when the encounter with the Shadow Dancers happened.

"Regardless, they aren't to be trifled with. They have no issue in putting down anyone who makes trouble for them. Several people have done exactly this and were... reeducated to not bother with that line of thinking," Leroy warned them.

"We've heard of such issues among the residents of Tanith's Gully, but lacked any real context about it. Would you mind filling in the blanks?" Alex posed.

"Certainly. Please, sit," Leroy said as they were all brought before a large fire by the Alpha's tent.

As the crew sat down, the crates were brought into the camp by the other tribe members. After selecting the finest pieces for the Alphas, the rest of the fruit and veg were distributed to the rest of the tribe. Everyone knew to bring in whatever seeds came with them, so the gardeners of the tribe could try their hand at growing more. Within the crates was a tablet, which they were poring over, so they could know just how to grow each plant properly.

"Our thanks for bringing the fruit and vegetables. It's been a while since we've had such things here. While we do grow our own, there's barely enough to keep the tribe fed in the best of times. Besides, not everyone is a fan of what we've managed to scrounge out here," Leroy said to the crew.

"It was our pleasure, Alpha. From what Captain Min here has told us, there is much that your tribe needs, which we were happy to provide," Inari stated.

"On top of which, we have heard... other things that spurred us to choose these specific items to trade," Alex mentioned.

"Not so loud," Cara whispered, glancing around covertly.

"Not everyone is onboard with the idea?" Korsa wondered, seeing the hesitation in the woman's eyes.

"While we are a strong tribe and in a position to take the fight to every other one out there, this life cannot continue. Not on a world such as this, with the scant resources it has. Us banding together as we did was simply a method of survival against any who would have hurt us or our families," Cara told them.

"Given what I'd heard happened here, I can't blame you. Hopefully, that will change soon, if we have any say in the matter," Priya put forward.

"With what you've brought to us, it might be enough to tip the scales in our direction. Maybe to convince people that tribal life on the move isn't what we need anymore," Leroy replied.

"Indeed, but some people, especially those who have only lived that life, are reticent to change," Dagan stated.

"Especially people doing things like that," Leroy laughed as he gestured.

The direction the man was indicating was where a pair of warriors from the tribe had squared off in a match. The blows they exchanged were fast, but not lethal, nor were they designed to hurt or maim. From what the crew could tell, it was a sparring match, likely a means for the tribe's warriors to practice their skills.

The man appeared to have the upper hand, as he had reach and strength on his side. While such things were all well and good, it didn't guarantee that he'd win. What would determine if he won was how quick and inventive he could be to defeat his opponent. Speed of hand and speed of mind were essential if he was going to walk away as the victor.

The woman he sparred with seemed to understand this principle, and continually slipped his punches. She appeared to be goading the man, as he had a look of frustration on his face. While his blows were well timed and correct in form, he continued to miss, which aggravated the man.

He attacked again, in a combo this time, but the woman kept dodging, almost dancing around the man. The man growled ferally and lunged in, thinking to try a hold to take the woman down. Such recklessness cost him as the woman danced in, grabbed his arm, and flipped him over her shoulder.

The man landed with a resounding thud and he howled as the woman twisted his arm, flipping him over and applying pressure as she did so. The man then tapped the ground three times, and the woman stood up, letting him go to hoots, hollers, and cheers from all the onlookers. The ebon skinned woman raised her arms in triumph, smiling at everyone there.

"Well done, Leandra! You put Jacks down pretty hard!" Leroy said, clapping delightedly.

"Only doing what you taught me, grandfather," Leandra replied.

"Impressive, no?" Dagan asked, as he clapped with the rest of the tribe.

"Not really, no," Natalya commented, drawing some incredulous stares from some members of the tribe.

"What do you mean by, 'Not really?'" Leandra questioned, staring daggers at Natalya.

"Simply put, your opponent's form was sloppy, and he lacked the proper level of patience when he walked into the fight. Sure, they may have looked correct, but he was launching them too fast for anyone to really notice the flaws in his attacks," Natalya said to her.

"That much was obvious. Aside from Jacks being sloppy, what wasn't impressive about the fight?" Leandra demanded.

"The fact that you didn't see this until it was all over. Had you seen it, you would have realized you could have goaded him sooner. Then, put him down at least seven moves earlier," Natalya told her as she crossed her arms.

"How about we change things up, then? You're so smart, missy, so how about you get your ass up here and put your money where your mouth is?" Leandra challenged.

"Thought you'd never ask!" Natalya joyfully agreed.

She stood up and looked over at the Alphas, understanding enough about tribal culture that she knew their blessing was required. With looks of surprise and delight, Leroy and Cara nodded, giving their assent. Natalya then looked over at her crew, most notably Alex, as he was her boyfriend and commanding officer. A smirk played at his lips before he gave his reply.

"If you must, you must."

Grinning and giggling to herself, Natalya hopped over to where the first match had taken place, as she doffed her jacket and started stretching. She bounced on her feet for a moment, getting the blood and adrenaline flowing through her veins. Once she was limbered up and ready, she saw that Jacks was her opponent and smirked. It was evident that the man wanted to match up against someone he believed he could take.

Natalya almost scoffed at the thought, as the tribe likely saw her as a soft city dweller. What they assumed about her would be their downfall in the end, because only an idiot assumed things about their enemy. She stepped into a stance that Korsa had taught her and nodded her head. Seeing this, Jacks nodded his head, and the match began.

While Jacks was fast, it was easy to telegraph his punches, so Natalya slipped the first volley easily. Jacks moved in again with the same combo, and Natalya responded with one of her own. She moved in quickly, grabbing his leading arm, and pulled the man toward her. This motion threw him off balance, which made the heel strike at the back of his knee easy to execute.

From there, Natalya applied pressure to the man's arm, forcing him to both knees. The moment his knees hit the dirt, she used her far arm in a palm heel strike on the underside of his chin. The hit caused the man to yelp in pain before she delivered another palm heel strike on the side of his face. The force of the blow twisted his head violently and Jacks was knocked out cold.

The whole tribe was stunned at how quickly Natalya had knocked Jacks out, as no one had ever done anything like that so fast! They stared at the woman as she stood over the poor man, wondering if anyone else could present a better fight.

"Well played! But do you think you could handle fresh fighters?" Leandra questioned.

"Bring it, honey!"

"As you wish! Dravid!" Leandra called out.

In answer to her call, a hulking warrior stepped out from the crowd and grinned ferally. This man was older and had the look of a seasoned fighter about him. Dravid had a lot of scars on his arms and chest, which told Natalya the man could take a hit. She stepped back into another Kha'varen stance, but one designed to withstand punishment, and waited.

She didn't wait long, as Dravid bull rushed her, thinking to throw the woman off balance, as she'd done with Jacks. Natalya held her ground and at the last second, she went low and struck the man with a double punch in his lower abdomen. Dravid groaned and flinched as he staggered into Natalya, but she was already moving, having rolled out of the way.

Coming to her feet, Natalya stepped into a more neutral stance, waiting to see what the hulking brute would try next. Seeing that charging her was a bad idea, Dravid stepped toward her carefully, gauging what she'd do. Keeping herself centered, Natalya stayed calm and waited for Dravid to make the next move. Seconds later, he swung both his arms in a windmill attack, thinking he'd hit her at least once with this maneuver.

Natalya saw how he moved and knew that the attack would hit her, so she moved into the man, rolling with his attack. By doing this, she stole a lot of the power and momentum of it, making its impact on her negligible. Dravid was shocked at how she was able to steal the thunder of one of his more powerful attacks, but not as shocked as he'd be when he endured what happened next.

As Natalya rolled with the attack, she quickly reversed the momentum, redirecting some of the man's energy back at him with a vicious side kick. He took the hit and groaned slightly, not expecting the woman to have that much power behind one kick! His arms clamped down her leg, trapping it so she couldn't bring it back down. Thinking he'd won, Dravid grinned at Natalya, only to find her smiling right back at him.

Using her back leg, Natalya pushed herself up off the ground and spun in the air, her leg twisting in Dravid's grip. Her rear leg came up off the ground and wrapped itself around the man's head. The momentum of the move threw him off balance, and he fell to the ground, his neck being choked by Natalya's muscular leg.

There was also the fact that his face was being smothered by her ass, which he didn't mind, but Dravid couldn't breathe. With his arms locked up between the woman's legs and his own legs flailing about uselessly, Dravid knew he'd lost. Seeing no other alternative, he tapped the ground, letting her know he had submitted. Grinning, Natalya loosened her grip and stood up, letting the man catch his breath before offering him a hand.

While the crowd expected Jacks to get beaten down, they didn't think that Dravid would go down at all! At least, not without a serious fight, which Natalya made look easy! Even Leandra looked impressed at Natalya's display and couldn't help but stare at the woman! Shaking herself out of her stupor, Leandra spoke up once again, thinking to end this once and for all.

"You have some skill with your hands. How do you feel about facing our best warriors?"

"I'd say let them step up and see if they are any better than the last two I faced," Natalya sassed.

"Oooooohh! Those be fighting words! I certainly hope that Natalya here can fight as well as she talks," Dagan said to the group with a note of trepidation in his voice.

"Nats can hold her own in a fight. I'm not worried," Korsa stated with a smirk.

"How can you be so certain?" Dagan questioned, with his men also looking for an answer.

"Because I'm the one who taught her how to fight," Korsa replied as she folded her arms beneath her breasts and watched the challengers walk forward.

One of them was Leandra, while another, the young man called Nico, stepped up with her. The pair of them limbered up for a moment, before looking to Natalya for her go ahead. It was a two on one fight, but these were odds Natalya was at ease with and she waited. After a few more moments of stretching, the pair came at her full force.

Natalya blocked Nico's initial barrage of punches, but had to take Leandra's roundhouse kick. She slipped the worst of it, but still got nailed in the shoulder pretty good, and she staggered back from the blow. Seeing their advantage, the pair pressed it, thinking to end this fight quickly. Natalya saw the attack coming and knew she had little in the manner of options, so she tucked in and defended.

Stepping into the same defensive stance as she had with Dravid just a few minutes ago, Natalya took another hit from Leandra. While she had a lot of power behind her strikes, it was clear that she weighed less than Nico. This meant that there would be less force behind the blows, making her able to withstand more of them. Natalya slipped more of Nico's punches and a quick sequence of kicks, trying to find the gap in their attack.