The First Hunter

The First Hunt

Bet-karh pushed the dead body of the last Xenomorph off him. He slowly removed his bio-helmet and took a deep breath, savoring the moment. He began to mark himself with the blood of his kill, carefully tracing the symbol of his clan with pride. He celebrated his victory with a loud roar so all could hear.

The rite of passage Bet-karh just experienced is conducted every 100 years on Earth. Each Young Blood taking part would be expected to return with the head of a Xenomorph killed in hand-to-hand combat. The task is not an easy one, but Bet-karh possessed strength and a level of technological advancement far in excess of anything available to any other species.

His brothers have been hunting for centuries, collecting trophies and a wide range of items across the galaxy. Bet-karh, however, was the youngest of the five elite hunters, and finally given the honor to experience the rite of passage alone. His father is the strongest ruler the clan has ever had, and expected Bet-karh to follow his footsteps and honor the family with many trophies.

Bet-karh's intelligence and technological skills gave him far advantage over any species. He created and perfected many of the gadgets used in his home world, which made him one of the most valuable hunters of his clan, aside from his older brother, Zahraun, who many believed was far more dangerous than Cetanu.

The five brothers were very different from one another, Zahraun being the one with the strongest traits. His determination and ability to plan accurately, filtering and blocking out personal matters allowed him to strive for the best solutions and guaranteed him success time and time again. Being trained since young age by Zahraun was an honor Bet-karh didn't take lightly. And he made a trilling sound at the thought of returning to his home-world to be reunited with his family.

Bet-karh began to load his pod with furs, skulls, some weird looking plant he found along the way, and weaponry. His bio-helmet scanned the area one more time, making sure no creature lived. He made a series of clicking noises, pleased with the strategic location he chose to place the detonators.

All hunters were expected to plant destruct devices to eliminate any trace of the Xenomorph or the hunt. In a matter of minutes, the whole perimeter would simply turn into ashes. There would be no traces of him ever visiting the backwater planet.

A muffled sound caught his attention - something he never heard before. An animal, perhaps? Filled with curiosity, the hunter strapped back his weapon and stalked towards the sound. Switching his bio-helmet through a variety of different views: infra-red, ultra-violet, enhanced motion-tracking... within seconds, he spotted a tiny creature viciously attacking some invisible force. It swung a... ahh... cloth? He was confused. The hunter watched as the small creature swung a piece of fabric left and right, aiming to kill what exactly? He couldn't tell. He made several adjustments to his bio-helmet vision and still, nothing! He then moved closer to the little creature to get a better view.

The creature suddenly stopped fighting and dropped to its knees, its tinny body trembling with exhaustion and defeat. He noticed tiny red bumps on its skin, and microscopic Zabins flying around it.

The creature was defeated by... insects? It took a moment for the disgust to sink in. This excuse of a creature was not worth living, Bet-karh thought. He considered doing it a favor and end its miserable existence for good. He would make it quick and painless. Either that or the small creature would be burned alive, along with the forest.

As if sensing the danger, the creature slowly stood up to its "full" 5'3" ft height and turned. He then saw its face for the first time, the unmistakable delicate features - a young human female. The first he has ever seen.

Bet-karh quickly understood why the creature was so frightened. She was not equipped for survival. Although the animals of this forest were no match for him, they could easily kill her.

Was she abandoned by her clan? Perhaps she was lost? The young hunter had so many questions. He loathed the weaker species, alright. But by yautia standards, it was considered dishonorable to leave a young behind, specially one who could no protect herself.

Bet-karh snarled in disgust. This was the puniest living creature he has even encountered, and she was completely oblivious of what is soon to take place. His moral compass kicked in. Soon, the whole perimeter would be up in flames, and he too would be considered dishonorable for letting the poor creature perish. After-all, this was his doing.

A decision was made! Bet-karh disarmed his invisible cloak and marched towards the human creature.