Hunting The Hunters (Imakandi SJ/Yautja Predators -Short story
(The Imakandi are a race of lion-like hunters from Samurai Jack, The Yautja is the name for the species of the Predator(s)).
There are many worlds, countless stars, a myriad of solar systems, countless galaxies, endless galactic super-structures, more dimensions than can be conceived, an infinity of universes and untold multiverses.
This is a tale of two of those.
BAM! – A galaxy, glistening with light.
BADAM! – A planet, green with life, containing an atmosphere rich with oxygen, oceans of clear blue water, and soil full of the nutrients necessary for carbon based life.
BUDADAM! – A plain, full of tall brown plants. And eating those plants grazing beasts over 8 meters tall, with 3 stalk eye, multiple hooved legs and a blotchy hide.
Babum… - Slowly Creeping towards the beasts from downwind – A group of beings, shaped like the terran creature known as the lion but standing upright, clothed and wielding ropes, spears and blow darts in their hands.
Ba-FZASH: A bolt of shimmering blue-white plasma, bursting forth from a patch of (Seemingly) empty air, slams into one of the beasts, leaving a gaping charred hole in its side.
The beast collapses, and the hazy patch of air coalesces from its downwind point in the air to the depressed patch of dirt under it.
A pair of Beings appears, each standing over 2 meters tall, clad with a fully covered helm, carrying weapons in their arms and in pouches (As well as a still smoking cannon on the taller of the pair's shoulder) , and wearing scant clothing (Primarily a Fishnet, arm based armour and controls and a loincloth, as well as the plain helmet).
The taller and more grizzled of the pair removed his helmet, revealing a nightmarish yellowish face with large out jutting fangs (One of which was broken), and let loose a roar of triumph.
His shorter, greener companion followed suit though with his helmet still raised. Following this, they proceeded to skin the (now dead) dead beast, though not before retrieving the beast's head (Complete with dangling eyestalks and most of its spine).
These actions did not go unnoticed by the lion-like scantily equipped hunters, all of whom remained perfectly motionless for a considerable amount of time, even after the alien Predators had left.
BADA-DA-DA-DOOM! - The Lion Hunters (Known as the Imakandi) convened at their village –
Primitive. Huts. A tribal fire contained by rocks. A dancing shaman reeking of herbs and rare weeds. Trophies from beasts of all sizes (Including a head larger than the huts). A set of tribal masks large enough to conceal the body. Drummers. And The Tribe itself-
"Brothers, you have all seen the Desecration committed today" Shouted the tallest of the Imakandi to the gathering, "One of the sacred plain beasts preserved for ritual hunts has been slain by weapons, not by tooth and claw nor captured by the tools of the hunt. And it was slain for sport, not for the challenge, and by powerful hunters. And these so called "Hunters", these amateur predators of plainbeasts did this without call nor grant on our planet, our plain, Our Domain!"
The tribe Roared in reply.
"Let us hunt down these beings and show them their error, should they show themselves to be but misguided, unknowing fools and skillful they shall be released to winnow out the lesser prey of the universe, and if not – Their pelts shall line my tomb, This I vow by my pack blood and lineage from Skarj Olfag, and by my name of Mazaj Olfag!"
The Tribe roared even harder in reply, and began to dance over and through the fire heating the passions of the blood and preparing for The Hunt.
Broken Fang was Seething behind his helmet.
The grizzled old Yautja had been expecting a truly worthy foe on this planet, known even in the legends of the Yautja people as the source of truly fearsome hunters, yet all he had found were these docile herd beasts (Even if Resistant to enough firepower to reduce a soft skin to a melted waxy lump) and a few mud villages containing child-bearers and sleeping mammals (Which were fat and lazy, moving only to remain in the sun).
True, he had come prepared for the truth to be rather anti-climactic, Since he was supposed to help find blood-worthy prey that Yeokorj could kill, and a being capable of the level of threat a grown Hardskin posed, but was not the traditional hard-skin in it's hive.
This was all due to the elders wish to reduce the dependency of blooding rituals on the hard-skins by finding additional prey of the same level of proficiency & Danger, and that were so potent as a species (Unlike the variably skilled soft-skins).
So it was that The "Honored", "Blooded", "Masterful", "He of the 400 kills", "Broken fang" was sent out to scout out the planet with the un-blooded whelp, rather than a merely blooded hunter of less kill and "dignitas" as would be usual.
All of which was producing exactly naught so far, as far as he was concerned.
Still he continued the long arcing sweep on their way back to the ship (To deposit their tri-stalked trophy) rather than calling it to him, as he still hoped to find something capable of threatening him without him having to fight it with his bare hands.
All the while unnoticing the small group of 4 thin and hardly muscled mammals stalking them, unseen by his heat based vision due to the mud packed to their bodies, unheard by his sound based sensors due to their irregular 2 then 4 legged padding, un-noticed by his young companion. And getting slowly closer inch by padding inch.