Kel had the confidence of a desperate man when the creature moved toward Zara. With the silver splattering his mouth and the red dripping down his chin, he might have looked formidable too. He trusted to adrenaline, all creatures had some kind of aid in these dire moments. Their difference in size was significant, and it spelled out what a physical skirmish might amount to, in the long run. His fists curled and his gnashed teeth showed. He was a warring creature, and this kind of thing was natural to him. He couldn't stop fighting until she was safe. But he found himself hoping it'd be enough, which was unusual. The mission usually ends with your life. Protecting Zara seemed to go beyond that.<br/><br/>Nevertheless he still stood there, eager for another bout of unhinged blunt trauma, with himself ruining the walls of this vessel while keeping the three thing's attention. But the contained barks of her rifle marked a change in the tides. The beast did turn for that, like anyone would when pelted with pebbles. While the monster was moving slower, it was growing increasingly angry. Kel thought it might burn away the medicine they'd fed it, which put Zara in more danger. He followed when she lead it, and managed to catch one of its hind legs. At first it did nothing, he was just a rag doll hanging on, but then he managed to dig his claws into the floor while gripping the long limb, which helped her get away.<br/><br/>With the opening of the cargo door he let go, and Zara was efficient with dealing with the rest. He stood there, watching, as his helmet completely retreated back into the plates of his neck. He was still riding high on the chemicals of war, but recognized the abuse had been significant. The echo of the latching mechanisms were comforting. He sighed as fatigue invaded him, but he stayed standing when Zara came back to him. His feet were planted and a few paces behind the mark of his claws were on the floor. He shook his head at her concern as he hunched and let another helping of silver and crimson roll off his lower teeth. "This is nothing." he assured her. He'd been jostled and shaken by the strength of the creature, but the makers wouldn't have let him be so weak. He'd mostly just been worried about his ability to protect her.<br/><br/>The bullets had been a reason for his lowered battle readiness. They had accumulated in him. The system had evolved to fight species with a tradition of projectile weapons, and utilized the plates of his armor to slow down the advance of the foreign objects when they hit his body, and then a sophisticated map of fine muscles reflexively moved them to be gathered until they could safety be expelled. The goal was to keep the projectiles away from the vital organs as much as possible. Of course, higher calibers and velocities were still an issue. He imagined the now trapped three thing might have something similar, even if the bullets it had taken wouldn't matter too much. He extended his tongue and watched another metal cap roll off its tip. He put his arm around her, for intimacy, but also for support.<br/><br/>"You already did well." he answered and then kissed her temple. The genesis of their boy was inflicting her with building too. She had faster healing than any human, but that effect was boosted absurdly while she was with child. He didn't worry about her. Sans the fight, he was doing better, too. What use would he have been if he couldn't take at least this much? He was made to be a warrior and killer even if he lost limbs. While this was exhausting, it wasn't by any means leathal. Kel listened to the complaints from the creature, and wondered if the softening of its cries behind the door was an affect of realizing its situation, or taking to the drugs.<br/><br/>He put his hand on her stomach and smiled once he was able to catch his breath. She was an impressive creature, baiting the monster and trapping it even without an exoskelleton. She proved herself again and again. "Is he okay?" he asked and felt the reassuring activity thorugh her skin. A bone quaking chill came from the claws of the monster digging against the metal before it finally moaned in defeat and went to explore the rest of the cargo space, which should not be much. It was angry, but it had at least given up on trying to get out. It should be healing, too, and was very likely to be fit for fight whenever they landed at the station. Kel ran his hand over her tousled hair.<br/><br/>He straightened up. A few plates clicked back into him, exposing skin, but the left chest scale and a few other stayed where they were. It looked a little odd, that he'd just be partially retracted from his armor. It was the deformed plates that had taken most damage, and needed to be straightened out before they could return into his body. Specialized muscles were tying to do the job. They were both in their own state of nudity. "You did well." he told her and kissed below her eye. Things hurt, but he was in no danger, and was glad Zara had been able to protect their child throughout the ordeal. He pulled her along by the hand, to watch a big window as they neared the metal structure of the great station. He smiled at the symbols of planets and companies on its starshields.<br/><br/>He turned her toward the glass, putting her back to it, and kissed her deeply. As he did, the last of the scales were able to recede and leaving him completely bare. His mouth would taste of his blood and silver, some of the metallic notes enhanced due to his spitting bullets. The station got larger behind her as he held her up and joined their lips. She would be able to feel the rumble of the docking of their ship against the bridge. He smiled and looked at her as Weyland employees hurried to board. "I think we'll have some good times in place." he said and put her down. He needed food too. As a lifeform shot out into the nothing to populate it, he could stay dormant for long periods of time, but once he moved around this much, his hunger was as volatile as his actions.