As Tatehan watched her near him, his mind raced and his heart beat faster. It had been doing so before, pounding with loud thuds due to the intensity of the battle he had just survived.

And now, with the commander flying down in his direction, he felt his heartbeat spiking again.

Finally, she was face to face with him.

Tatehan tensed slightly, uncertain of her intentions, but the commander's expression remained neutral.

She didn't look like someone who had descended to do anything harmful to him.

She wasn't here to speak bitterly about him killing their number one fighter, or to suddenly execute him for it. Instead...

"That punch," she said quietly, for his ears only. "I've never seen anything like it. What kind of ability allows for that much force?"

The members of the clan had dispersed and were now returning to where they had been before the announcement of the duel that had gathered them here.

The guards had returned to their positions, some shaking their heads as they mourned the death of Mub. Others exchanged talk about how powerful Tatehan was, constantly eyeing him from their duty posts at the gate.

The warriors went to... wherever it was they went. Tatehan didn't know much about how the clan functioned internally.

The commander must have requested that no guard follow her closely, because even though two were with her, they stood at a considerable distance so they wouldn't overhear the commander's conversation.

But it was close enough to be called 'protective' if trouble brewed, they could rush to where the commander was and do their job of protecting her.

Tatehan met her eyes steadily. "Gravity manipulation," he replied, which was partially true. "When you understand how to apply it properly, it can amplify force significantly."

There was no point hiding his ability from the commander. He had to at least say something so they would understand how he'd killed Mub, since everyone on Mars had an ability.

Though he wondered what the commander's own would be. What ability would someone as stern and imposing as she possess?

And what he had told her wasn't exactly the complete truth. He hadn't killed Mub with gravity manipulation solely, the kinetic absorption had been a massive help, and so had his partial regeneration ability.

The commander studied him for another long moment, then nodded slowly. "You're more dangerous than even I realized."

Tatehan said nothing.

"That's good," she said, surprising him. "Mars needs strong people who know how to survive. You've proven you're one of them."

She gestured toward the exit with one large hand. "You're free to go anytime you wish. Your debt to us is paid. Lyra lives because of you, and that matters more to me than Mub's pride."

Tatehan bowed his head slightly in respect, but as he turned to leave, the commander spoke again, making him halt mid-step:

"Would you like to have dinner with us before going your way?"

Tatehan stood rooted to the spot, then slowly turned his head back in her direction, genuinely surprised by the offer. He had just killed their number one fighter with a fatal punch, and they wanted him to have dinner with them?

Tatehan suddenly felt like he was missing something...

'Wait... dinner?'

He looked up at the sky and was genuinely surprised at what he saw.

It was slowly starting to get dark, the Martian sun beginning its descent toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the compound. Surely Tatehan couldn't return to the spaceship at this point. It was far too late to make the journey safely. He looked back at the commander, suddenly aware of the hunger in his stomach. When was the last time he'd eaten? Before leaving the spaceship?

"It would be an insult," Tatehan said carefully, "to reject such a gracious offer from the commander herself."

The commander nodded approvingly, seeming pleased with his response.

"Good. It'll be ready in approximately an hour," she said, her tone businesslike once more. "Before then, you and your female companion should make yourselves at home. Rest, clean up if you wish. Inside this compound is like a mini city, we have quarters for guests, bathing facilities, even a small medical station if you need treatment for those injuries."

She paused, studying him with those sharp, calculating eyes.

"I'll have someone show you to your rooms. Bring your friend and meet back here. Dinner will be served in the main hall."

With that, she gestured broadly to the area around them, then signaled with her hand toward a group of warriors standing near one of the compound's interior buildings.

A female warrior in sleek, futuristic-looking armor immediately broke away from the group and jogged over. Her armor was different from the guards'—more refined, with intricate plating that seemed to shift slightly in the fading light. She had short-cropped dark hair and a professional demeanor.

She stopped a respectful distance from the commander and bowed her head. "Commander?"

"Kessa," the commander said, "this is Tatehan, the Mauler Slayer. He and his companion will be our guests for dinner tonight. Wait here for him to retrieve his friend, then show them both to the guest quarters in the East Wing. Make sure they have everything they need, water, medical supplies if necessary, clean clothing if they want it."

"Yes, Commander," Kessa replied with another bow.

The commander looked back at Tatehan who was starting to wonder on how unheard of the name 'Kessa' was.

Mars sure had tons of unique names he had never heard before.

Tatehan...Riven...Mub... and now Kessa.

He wouldn't add 'Lyra' to his list of 'unheard' names since he knew people with the name back on earth.

"Take your time. Kessa will wait for you."

"Thank you," Tatehan said, bowing his head once more.

The commander controlled her hovering chair to lift up slightly, the mechanism humming softly. The two guards who had been waiting at a distance immediately moved forward to flank her on both sides, falling into perfect formation. Without another word, she guided the chair toward a large building at the far end of the compound, presumably her personal chambers.

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