The Delvis sun was setting and dusk had arrived.  A large stack of wood in the clearing behind the combat arena was now a strong bonfire.  Torches ringed the area adding more light.  An animal about the size of an Earth bison was cooking on a spit over another flame.  Nick never had real meat, and though the odor was tempting, he wondered if he would be able to eat some.

There were normally about five hundred people living full time on the planet, but with the dawning of the tournament, that number easily doubled.  It surprised Nick such a place attracted even that many to come and test themselves.

Looking at the people there, Nick saw a diverse mix of races represented.  He expected to see Humans and Klingons, but there were Cardassians, a few Andorians, Bolians, Romulans, and even a Nausican.  A well-rounded group.  What surprised him most was the number of women in something that was more geared towards men, maybe a quarter of the total.

Though Nick didn’t like the living conditions, he had to admit he was eager to see how things would play out in the days ahead.

Keeping an eye on Izi, he saw her talking with two Andorian men.  It was good she was connecting with her own people, but from what Nick could see, things appeared to be more flirtatious than anything else.  Izi could take care of herself, but the situation warranted more attention.

“Hello there, newcomer.  What brings you to Delvis?”

“Huh?”  Nick was so focused on Izi, he didn’t see the woman that was now standing next to him.  She was Human, maybe in her mid twenties.  In the light of the fires, he could see long, brown hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a gorgeous face lit by a smile that made Nick flutter.  “I’m on vacation.”  Nick didn’t know why he was feeling nervous.

The woman giggled.  It was musical!

“Now why would anyone want to take a vacation here?”

Working to compose himself, Nick motioned to Izi.  “I’m here with that pretty Andorian over there.”

“Ah.  I see,” said the woman.

Sensing disappointment in her voice, Nick quickly moved to the cover story he and Izi were using.  “Oh, it isn’t anything like that.  We work together.  A private security company.  Izi there is one of our best agents.  She’s here for the tournament.  I’m here to keep her out of trouble.  I’m the guy that keeps the equipment running and in top shape.  I’m Nick, by the way.”

“Mara.”  She offered her hand.

“Are you on vacation, too?” said Nick after the introductions.

“As strange as it sounds, I live here full time,” said Mara.

Nick was surprised.  “Why would you do that, if I’m not prying?”

Mara took a few seconds to reply.  “It’s a long story.”

Sensing that was as far as that would go, Nick went in another direction.  “Do you participate in the tournament?”

“I do, though I’ve never won my division, but I keep trying.”

Nick wasn’t sure what to say next, so he focused on the raucous bravado around them.  “This is quite an enthusiastic crowd.  With all the drinking and bragging, how do you keep the fighting from starting now?”

“There are strict rules against that.  Tournament officials enforce the rules.  Breaking them could lead to disqualification or even being banned from this place.  Things happen, but not often.”

Nick was impressed.  What seemed like chaos was actually quite an ordered society.  That lifestyle wasn’t for him, but he could see the attraction.  Before saying anything else, he could see Mara looking at someone approaching.  Her shoulders slumped and she was shifting her weight from foot to foot.

“What’s going on, Mara?  Who’s your new friend?”

“Please don’t do this, Trevor,” said Mara.

Trevor was a Human man, several inches taller than the six-foot Nick.  He was younger, muscular, and looked like he could bring down a grax beast himself.  His hard glare told Nick this wasn’t a man to be messed with.

“How many times have I told you to stay away from other men?”  Trevor spoke to Mara, but he continued his stare at Nick.

“You don’t own me,” said Mara.

“There’s nothing happening here, Trevor,” said Nick.  “This is my first time here and Mara was welcoming me.  Once the tournament ends, I’m gone.”  Nick knew diffusing a potentially bad situation was the best thing to do.

It seemed Trevor didn’t like being countered, as he moved closer to Nick. 

“Trevor please,” pleaded Mara.

“I see you haven’t changed.  You’re still a buffoon.  A Cardassian man had joined the group.  Things were getting tense.

“Back off, Ekem.  This isn’t your concern.”  Trevor snarled.

“Though I would like nothing more than to see you thrown off Delvis, I respect the honor and integrity of the tournament.  You shame this place,” said Ekem.

Trevor growled and grabbed the Cardassian around the collar.  The two men struggled while Mara yelled for them to stop.

Nick stepped back, not wanting to get in the middle.

“Stop this foolishness or you’re both disqualified!”

It was the large Klingon from the registration table.  Clearly he was to be feared and respected, as the tussle ended as quickly as it began.

“If I see you anywhere near each other tonight, you’ll be grax beast prey by tomorrow.”

Trevor scowled, but said nothing.  Ekem made a curt bow and walked away.

“Thank you, Kurtox,” said Mara.

The Klingon nodded, harrumphed at Nick, and disappeared into the crowd of revelers.

“You need to pick better friends,” said Nick.

Mara chuckled.

“What’s Trevor’s problem?”

At first, Mara didn’t want to say, but seemed to reconsider.  “We had a short affair earlier this year.  I broke it off, but he couldn’t handle that.  He still thinks I belong to him.”

“He needs to grow up,” said Nick.

“If he thinks you and I are together, there’s no telling what he’ll do.  He’s dangerous, so watch your back,” said Mara.

Nick frowned.  That was all he needed.

“I should go be with my friends.  Be careful, Nick.”

As Mara faded into the group, Nick knew things just got more interesting.