"I owe you my life, and that of Henric's." my mother says.

                   I momentarily shift my eyes onto my mother. And in that quick moment, I sense movement from Malum. My training kicks in and I duck and move to the left, but not before the tip of his Raptor cuts across my left eye. "Aaaahhh!" I scream in pain. I lash out with my Raptor and open a deep gash in his upper right arm. I knew better than to take my eyes off him. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I'm pretty sure he missed my eyeball. So, I rip a large section off the bottom of my shirt and hold it to my left eye. There's no way I can fight him and hold the cloth to my eye. When I move the cloth, blood pours into my eye, blinding me. I've foolishly let myself get injured, and now I am unable to fight him. I'm in a mess, at his mercy, and he knows it.

               He moves toward me, and I hold my Raptor up, with the intent of fighting him off, even though I can't see very well. But Amancia jumps up, pulls her own Raptor, and swings at Malum. Her Raptor clangs as it makes contact with his. They each pull back their raptors and continue to circle each other, the blades clanging together as they make contact. This time when she makes contact with his, she pushes him away with her foot. She rushes in and rams the raptor into his chest, and for a moment, everything is still. Amancia let's go of her raptor, and then falls backwards.

              I don't understand, why is she falling? "Amancia?" When she hits the ground, I am able to make sense of what I'm seeing. As she was ramming her raptor into his chest, he was doing the same to her. Malum falls to the ground and doesn't move. I drop my Raptor, run to her side, and fall to my knees. No! No! No! This was not supposed to happen! I put pressure on her wound, trying to stop the bleeding, but the wound is so deep, and the blood keeps flowing. I tear another piece of cloth from my shirt and use it to tie the bandage I've been holding to my head. Now that my other hand is free, I use it to apply pressure to Amancia's wound. "Get some Instaclot from the bag!" I order, my mother.

                I hear the contents of the bag being dumped on the ground. "There is no more!" she shouts.

             "It's Okay. I know who you are." Amancia whispers.

              "No! It is not okay. You are not supposed to die!" I shout, tears streaming down my face, from my good eye.

           "Listen." she says, grabbing my arm. "Don't go back for me. Don't try and save me. I know you are my daughter. I did a.....test. That's why you are..." she says struggling to talk. "The baby. I brought the baby. I know it was stupid, but she is back on the ship. You are back on the ship. Give the baby. Give the baby to whoever is supposed to raise you. It already happened. This is supposed to happen. Just don't forget me. I. I." Her hand releases its grip as she takes one final breath and then it falls to her side.

           She's right. If I really am the baby, then I must put the baby somewhere my mother will find her\me. But with Henric injured, all her focus will be on him. A noise in front of me, snaps me out of my thoughts. I look up and see Malum starting to get up. Amancia's weapon seems to have done some damage, but not enough to kill him. I jump to my feet, reach down for my Raptor, and walk to Malum.

          "Are you going to finish me off?" he whispers, one hand pressed against his gaping wound.

           "Yes, I am. You showed no mercy to my people when you signed our death warrant. You even put a price on my head. What was it you said? We were a danger to your precious baby? Thankfully, that hasn't happened yet, and I intend to make sure that it never does." I say, angrily.

             I drive my Raptor slightly to the right of where Amancia stabbed him. Malum falls to his knees, I let go of my blade, and then he falls on his stomach. I wait a while, then lean down and check for a heartbeat, but find none. The deed is done. He is dead, my mother and Henric are safe. The Copaie will not be exterminated. So why don't I want to celebrate? Why do I feel numb? Empty? Hallow? Is this the price you pay for killing someone? I don't like it. I will never take another life, that isn't food.

              I leave my Raptor inside Malum and reach down to pick up Amancia's. It's covered in Malum's blood, so I wipe it clean on the back of his shirt. Her Raptor is beautiful, and probably extremely expensive. Same long thin blade as mine, but a slight hook on the tip. The beauty lies in the hilt. It seems to be made from the tusk of a Lupadon and has a large A engraved in it, and a small shiny green stone on the very end of it. I'm sure she would want me to have it. Especially since she is my birth mother. Alpha is waiting below for some sign of Malum's death. I grab Malum, under his arms, and drag him to the edge of the roof. I heave him over the side before hollering down, "It's done. Are deal is complete." I look down, quickly, and see Alpha walk over to the body and then drag it away. I don't know what he plans on doing to it and I don't really care.

              I walk past mother and Henric and head for the door of the roof. I walk past it as well and push the call button for the elevator. The doors are just sliding shut when I see two more Talfarians burst through the roof access door. It's only a quick glimpse but I swear one of them is holding a baby. That's it! That's what I have to do. I must get to the baby and jump back, again. I need to leave her/me where mother can find us.