Predator: The Blooding

Chapter 1

Tulk'i stood watching the holoscreen. The blooding would start soon and then, when he had killed his first Kainde amedha, or as the Oomans called them a Xenomorph, he would have gained the rite of manhood. With the killing of his first ultimate prey, the galaxy would be his hunting grounds. The thought sent a shiver of excitement down his spine and he clicked his mandibles in anticipation. Tulk'i looked at Mi'angi and Setg'in as they watched the squad of marines move into the tunnels. The marines were totally unaware that they were heading directly into a trap.

Tulk'i looked at the bigger of his hunt partners. Mi'angi stood three meters tall and had very broad shoulders. The Yaujta was big, even by predator standards. His armour was decorated with numerous small skulls, and he carried two trophy poles on his back. One of them was filled entirely with smaller skulls and scalps of various species. The other had an Oswok skull carved with the tribal patterns of death mounted to it. His mask was very ornamental and carved with a different set of tribal patterns, these symbolizing the hunt.

Mi'angi's specialty was the Smart Disc, one of the most advanced pieces of equipment carried by the Yaujta. The Smart Discs were internally powered and could be held in the hand or thrown at an opponent. The device was capable of cutting through most substances with its devastating razor edges, and was powerful enough to cut through multiple targets with one throw. Computer-controlled gyros guaranteed that the disc returned to its wielder, but if it became embedded in a solid material, it could be returned by the push of a control-panel button on the Yajuta's wrist.

The big Yaujta had five plate-sized Smart Discs attached to his belt and a pair of wrist blades built into his wrist gauntlet. The wrist blades were normally a devastating weapon, but put Mi'angi's strength behind them and they became something else entirely. Tulk'i had seen Mi'angi rip through a ship's bulkhead with those claws. Down his legs, he was armed with four Shurikens, another of Mi'angi's favored weapons. These were very similar characteristically to the Smart Disc. The Shuriken looked like flat circular disc, but with a push of its surface, it transformed into a multi-pointed, sharp edged throwing star. Also like the Smart Disc, it was self-charged by an internal power supply. The Shuriken could be thrown at an opponent or used in hand-to-hand combat if necessary, cutting through many substances with its razor-like edges. When thrown, a remote homing device returned the Shuriken to Mi'angi's hand.

Tulk'i's eyes shifted to the smaller predator, Setg'in. This predator's name meant deadly in the Yaujta language, and Setg'in lived up to his name. Setg'in stood about two and a half meters and was quite dark in colour. He wore very little armour--a few plates across his heart, shoulders, thighs and groin were all the Yaujta wore. His style was close combat. Setg'in was equipped with twenty inch long retractable wrist blades and a Combi stick, a self-powered telescoping spear. Combi sticks were a mere one meter at their shortest length, but extended by two meters at each end. Made of a nearly unbreakable alloy, the sharpened tips on either end produced electrical charges as they sliced through any surface

In combat, Setg'in was a whirlwind of blades and death. On a trip to an alien planet on the east fringes, the young Yaujta had become known as "The Blade Demon" for over a month of hunting a village's males. His mask was decorated to look like a Ooman skull, as to strike fear into the hearts of one of the galaxies most challenging prey..

Tulk'i looked back at the holoscreen and clicked his mandibles again in satisfaction. A marine had just unknowingly pressed the concrete slab that activated the queen's chamber. The frozen alien would soon be thawed out and would start to lay eggs. And then the hunt would be on. It was time to get ready.

Tulk'i walked down the ships cold metal hallway and walked into the armoury. His eyes fell on his mask, it was different than most Yaujta's masks for out each side there was a down swept metal horn. Tulk'i took his mask in both hands and looked into its eyes, he muttered a oath of good hunting to the gods and then placed the mask on his face. He connected the air pressure tube that would keep the mask fastened to his face and it have a hiss as the mask powered up. Through the masks visors Tulk'i could see his surroundings in infrared.

The masks the Yaujta wore were used for protection but they had many more functions that a hunter would need hunting dangerous prey such as Xenomorphs on hostile worlds. They also housed a respirator which provided a breathable atmosphere, also capable of being used underwater similar to scuba gear.The mask contained other devices. It could filter through five visual settings: Infrared, Ultraviolet, Thermal Imaging, Low-Light Amplification and Air Density Pressure. The visual setting could also be modified for X-rays and Microwaves, with a built-in Magnetometer and a Geiger Counter.The mask also had a array of surveillance equipment - including a Waveform Analyzer which could imitate previous words spoken to it in an effort to communicate with alien life forms, or to lure them into a trap. Tulk'i adjusted his mask so it fit his face comfortably and flicked the mask to a normal vision mode.

He walked over to a shelf that was dedicated to his wargear. sliding on his bulky armour over his fishnet like jumpsuit he fastened it securely, Tulk'i' had one thing he liked that was quite rare among Yaujta. He liked pelts. Under his shoulder armour he wore the pelt of a Fruxchi, a large furry carnivore from an Ice planet in the south quadrant of the galaxy. The white fur gave a contrast to the dark armour and Tulk'i's reddish mottled skin and gave the young Yaujita a feral look about him.

Getting down on one knee he bowed to the shelf containing his plasma caster. A lightweight shoulder cannon that was mounted to the Yaujtas backpack. Capable of firing multiple long-range energy burst of charged plasma. It was controlled via the targeting system in the helmet, and tracked with the head movement of the firer.It could be used with the helmet mounted Laser Sight to increase targeting capacity, and was fired either by a mandible-controlled trigger in the helmet or by the forearm-mounted control panel found on Tulk'i's left wristblade. Tulk'i bowed to the weapon and said a prayer of hunting, asking the gods to bring him victory and honour for this hunt. After a minute of prayer Tulk'i stood up and fastened the cannon to his backpack. there was a beep and a small icon flashed on his view screen confirming successful attachment. Tulk'i cracked his knuckles and headed to the drop pod bay.

The door slid open with a hiss and Tulk'i strode out into the bay. Mi'angi and Setg'in were waiting by their pods silently, each mentally preparing himself for the hunt and the tasks ahead. The two teenage Yaujtas looked up as Tulk'i entered the room and they clicked in greeting and bobbed their heads. Clicking back Tulk'i strode over to his pod and started to pray to the gods of the hunt.

After 10 minutes of prayer a door at the far end of the pod bay slid open and out from it strode three impressive looking figures. At the head of the Trio was the ships Elder, Tal'se. Head of Clan Guan-thwei or "Night Blood". The old predator was huge. Only Mi'angi stood taller than him, but pound by pound Mi'angi was a insect. The Elder Yaujta had killed army's of Xenomorphs over his long years of hunting. Each time a Warrior took a Xenomorphs life in close combat he was to mark his forehead with the acidic blood of his foe by taking a claw or similar body piece and dipping it in acid press the claw to his forehead, burning a small dot on the Yaujtas forehead. Tal'sets forehead was covered with these dots, no patch of skin was left un-marked and he had started to move from his face to his shoulders, also on his forehead, was the sign of his blooding, two far larger scars that a young Yaujta had to do to his helmet and forehead to show he was blooded. Tal'set wore a set of armoured gauntlets one with a set of retractable wrist blades. The other was modified. where a blade extension would normally be, there was a Kainde amedha queen's tail. It was carved with many symbols and had been bleached white, it was immune to the Xenomorphs acidic blood and sharp enough to slice through the Xenomorph carapace.He wore armour on his shins, thighs and chest, all of it was highly decorated with runes and trophy's, underneath the armour he wore the fishnet jumpsuit and a kilt, given to him by a Ooman warrior many hundreds of years ago on a distant battlefield. Tal'set also wore a rich red cape and over top of the cape, fastened to both shoulders was predalien skull, each carved with tribal marks of victory. A predalien was the result of a face hugger latching onto a Yaujta and that embryo being allowed to grow. The predalien were massive Xenomorph killers with all the strengths of a Yaujta and a Xenomorph, a blasphemous being, but a great trophy.

Next to him were two Vanguards, Yaujta warriors who were the clans most seasoned close combat veterans. In war the Vanguard had both the honour and the responsibilities of leading the Clans melee assaults. The Vanguards were massively armoured and each carried a weapon of awesome potency: plasma scythes. The scythe's energy blades could not be stopped by any normal matter - a crucial attribute - given that the Vanguards were honour bound to engage the clans most dangerous enemies. Only those who had killed a Xenomorph of the egg laying breed. A queen. could, by law wield one of these eminently dangerous weapons.

Tal'set walked up to the three young Yaujta hunters. He stopped a few meters from them and regarded each with his trained eye. These were his honoured pupils, The three had survived numerous tests that had destroyed the 36 other young Yaujta that had chosen to board the Yeyinde or "Straight Spear" Hunt ship. Not only had they survived, they had excelled. In 100 years the three young Yaujta's skills would be flawless. The Three were ready for the test of manhood. He spoke

"Young warriors. You are here because you, Unlike your brothers have shown skill and intelligence in every aspect of the tests."

Tal'set looked each in the eyes

"This is your last test, The path to Manhood lies before you. If you are worthy, you shall survive and claim a Kainde amedha's skull for your trophy rack. If not, you shall die. If you must die, die with honour."

he could smell the musks of excitement and fear mingling

"This final test is the Kainde Amedha Chiva, You are to hunt the Kaine Amedha and kill one in Jehdin Jehdin to prove yourself worthy of the title of Blooded. none are to survive, there is to be M-di H'chak, No mercy. Kill them all. You are to achieve Nain-desintye-de, all of them must be eliminated, to leave just one Kaine Ameda on the planet when you leave will be unacceptable. And you will have dishonored the clan. Until you have blooded yourself you are not to hunt the Oomans, Despite them looking weak and frail, the species are advanced and clever. Many a warrior has fallen to them. Also, leave the Egg layer, For unblooded such a task is beyond your abilities"

Tal'set walked forward and placed a necklace made of Ooman finger bones over Tulk'i's head

"Tulk'i is hunt leader, If any wish to challenge him, let them do so now"

Setg'in shuffled but did not speak up and Mi'angi stood rock solid. Tal'set smiled, his mandibles clicked in amusement, nobody had challenged Tulk'i since Brebyn, and that ended in Brebyn having his bottom jaw torn off. He placed a hand on Tulk'i's shoulder and said quietly

"If your brothers ask for help, dont give it. They must find their own way"

He moved to Mi'angi and placed a hand on the massive predators shoulder

"Dont forget you need to kill a Kainde Amedha in Jehdin Jehdin, and not from afar. Only when you have met the creature claw to claw can you call yourself blooded"

He then moved to Setg'in and placed a hand on his shoulder, the younger Yaujta looked into Tal'sets eyes

"Dont forget to have a plan for getting out the swarm before charhing into Jehdin Jehdin, I have great confidence in your abilities. but at times you let over confidence cloud your mind. be wary."

The younger yaujta nodded.

Tal'set stood back and said

"Hunt with honour"

with a flick of his cape he turned and walked away, the Vanguards following him. The three young Yaujta turned and opened the door to a drop pod each, Tulk'i looked at his hunt brothers and clicked his mandibles in excitement

"Ill see you down there"

the two nodded and stepped into their pods.