Yautja Prime, 2XXX
THWACK! A crackling snap resounded from Guan's skull as a pair of calloused knuckles flung him backwards! The clamor of numerous, rapid clicks filled the vicinity, much like the sound of a hungry swarm of cicadas in the summer. Guan, dazed and sprawled across the floor, feebly glanced about the area. Multiple towering figures surrounded him in a circular formation, roaring with laughter as their mandibles collided together. Within the circle was only a single other being -- a looming entity who stalked over Guan's fragile position, after having just dealt a mighty blow to the weakened yautja.
"I-I'm concedin'!" Guan quietly clicked, before his opponent violently crashed the heel of their foot against his face, forcing him into the soggy soil below! The steady ambient clicks continued, and the victorious opponent roared in celebration.
"Weak, pathetic runt! Grovel like the trash you are! You dare have the audacity to call yourself a hunter along with the rest of us?!" he grunted, as he savagely yanked upon Guan's, rather thin, tendrils of hair. With a sudden tug, the defeated yautja's feet dangled above the earth, having been lifted towards the sky by the victor. Soon, Guan found himself being heaved into the air, and with a valiant thrust, the victor slings the miniature yautja across the area! He twirled through the sky akin to a rag doll, and brutally crashed into a nearby tree with a solid thunk. Shortly after, the gathering of spectators dispersed, trailing behind the departed winner, leaving Guan to dwell in his own defeat; battered, ridiculed and shamed.
"Cjit.. cjit.. CJIT!" he roared, wildly lashing out at the nearby stock of vegetation. He struck the dense wooden trunk several times, and each successive blow only managed to bolster his rage. It wasn't long before Guan limped elsewhere, while a thin trail of emerald sanguine trickled down his mandibles. Another day, another loss, another act of shaming. This was an every day occurrence for Guan Dekna, it was almost a routine. Duels without meaning, only set on making a mockery of the shorter yautja,
"Assholes... I'll show em' all!" Guan clacked, disappearing off into the distance.
Planet Gkei'moun R'ka, 2XXX
The infrared glow of the jungle illuminated Guan Dekna's path as he traversed through the cluttered mass of foliage. With a few well placed acrobatic leaps, the hunter descended upon a darkened patch of flora. A monotone series of clicks beeped from the vox caster he wore, signalling a message from a member of his hunting party,
"Guan, we've already finished claiming trophies for death's shrine. Do not leave this hunt empty-handed, as this planet holds a weaker, less significant r'ka hive. Do not disgrace us again." the caster rumbled, before a lapse of silence followed. Guan grunted, proceeding through the resin-laced jungle region.
"Whatever ya' say, brother. The only times ya' open your mouth is to make a fool of me!" Guan roared, daring not to mention a single word of his contempt through the vox. As he moved, the surrounding shrubbery around him shook and quivered, yet the yautja's bio-mask failed to detect any differing heat signatures. With his suspicions quelled, Guan continued forth -- when suddenly, a blade-tipped tail ripped through his left hamstring, ushering in a new sensation of fiery, pulsing pain. The hunter immediately spun about, flinching as a tiny stream of emerald fluid dripped from the puncture wound. But he saw nothing, and while in the midst of his confusion, a set of dagger-like claws tore a gash across his chest,
"AGH! PAUK!" Guan yelped, frantically tugging upon his equipped combistick. With a hydraulic hiss, the spear immediately elongated itself, and with a twist, it's poised towards the yautja's front. A dim, orange-blue hue still enveloped the hunter's vicinity, indicating that no additional heat signatures had entered the area. And then it hit him, like a light bulb abruptly flashing above his skull. The robotic buzz of his biomask signified a change of vision, an electromagnetic detector. Immediately, a reddish flurry of violent slashes greeted his visage, leaving multiple lacerations across his small frame. Injured and taken by surprise, Guan pivoted around a foot, roaring with pain as he connected a powerful lateral swing against the entity's figure, knocking the assaulter back into the wilderness. The yautja's sights fixated onto the bright, green silhouette of the creature concealed in the bushes,
"Cjit! I was a dumbass, r'kas don't appear on the thermal visor!" he clicked, firmly pressing the palm of a hand against an open slit along his arm. The serpent, having recovered from its momentary daze, swiftly darted across the jungle at speeds comparable to that of a bullet. Guan glanced left and right, struggling to keep track of the elusive maroon xenomorph, until an unexpected tackle dashed him into the ground! The combistick swiveled away from the yautja's grip, and a physical contest of strength ensued between him and the serpent. The xenomorph quite literally outsized the hunter slightly, and it proved to be hellbent on using this advantage. Its claws seized hold of Guan's arms, and a momentary struggle followed, until the nimble hunter planted a strong kick against the creature's mid-section. The xenomorph tumbled across the field, instinctively righting itself as it did so. Its exoskeleton appeared flaky and rough, as opposed to the ordinary smooth carapace of xenomorphs,
".. It's an old one." Guan remarked, retrieving the combistick. The two briefly circled each other in a suspenseful stand off, and the quadruped xenomorph unexpectedly closed the distance. It bolted towards the yautja in a blurry zig-zag, which led to an extremely quick charge! Although wounded and fatigued, Guan anticipated the xeno's movements, and immediately moved to capitalize on the serpent's telegraphed movements. The creature's barreling dash met the pronged tip of his combistick, resulting in the slender spear being thrust into the xenomorph's chest! It whaled and screeched, and ultimately flopped into the ground as a shower of acidic liquid coated the terrain, leaving scarred patches,
"Eat this, damn r'ka!" he roared, discarding the combistick in favor a small, sharp dagger. The serpent was wounded, and the thought of a ceremonious kill fueled the yautja's adrenaline. He sprinted towards the writhing xenomorph, and unleashed an overhead swipe of the knife, intent on separating its head from the rest of its body. But a blindingly fast whip-like appendage crashed into Guan's face before he could land the decisive blow! The vicious flog from the xeno's tail proved to be capable of forcefully stripping off the yautja's bio-mask. Stunned and taken aback, panic gradually flooded the young yautja as natural thermal vision took over. Once again, the xenomorph appeared practically invisible, as it blended in extremely well with the vicinity's temperature. He was unmasked, and vulnerable, and the creature wasted no time in seizing this newfound opportunity.
Although still sluggish from the gaping hole in its chest, the xeno barreled into the yautja, effectively pinning him against the floor. Guan's mandibles flared in shock, and the creature's jaw snapped open as it struggled to immobilize the small hunter. Its parted jaws revealed an inner proboscis tipped with a deadly row of teeth, which instantly extended forth at outstanding speed! Albeit a cunning stroke of Guan's ceromonious dagger split the inner jaw in two. The xenomorph recoiled backwards upon receiving the injury, and the yautja pursued the serpent. Bright green blood bubbled from the creature's maw, and extremely close up, the hunter could easily discern the xenomorph's figure from the environment's temperature.
"Die, you lil' cjit!" he bellowed, plunging the dagger through the serpent's neck with a ferocious jab! The xenomorph's head partially seperated itself from the rest of its body, and it fell limp in a pool of acidic fluid. Guan collapsed to the floor, relieved and exhausted from his near-death experience. He promptly reclaimed the fallen bio-mask, and began the gruesome work of dissecting the serpent's corpse. The exoskeleton was flayed, and the skull removed from the head. The hunter remained vigilant in butchering the corpse, until he entrenched the skull into the ground. Guan recited a spiritual incantation while pieces of green flesh, strips of the maroon exoskeleton, and jagged teeth decorated the skull, "Guide this r'ka to the pit of the Black One, Cetanu." After claiming the serpent's tail as his prized trophy, the small hunter staggered away.
Eventually, Guan Dekna came upon the scout ship, limping, bloodied, and burned. Two other massive yautja stood waiting, and when they spotted the returning hunter, the duo disappeared into the starcraft. Guan followed, placing the serrated tail into his chamber. He was expecting praise for his accomplishments, but only received the pitiful look from his fellow clansmen.
"Guan.. you've managed to slay an r'ka of the scout caste, and return this injured? Pathetic," one of the yautja roared. The ship's engines blared, and the spacecraft soon ascended into the sky. "Shut up!" Guan responded, in which the larger yautja menacingly approached him. He placed a hand on Guan's shoulder, before giving a shove hard enough to knock the smaller hunter flat on his back!
"Come then, little runt," the huge yautja stated, preluding another series of hazing for Guan while the scout ship returned to their home planet.
Location XXXX, 2XXX
Another chance to improve his reputation had come. A recent xenomorph outbreak on a nearby planet also contained a human ship orbiting its atmosphere. The scout ship hovered just out of view from any other entities in space, and the hunting ground would soon becom ripe for engaging, thus starting the beginning of another eventful hunt for the short yautja.