*Author's note: Many thanks to Sirunus for the name for the bad guys (Remunas). I was in a real jam there and I was a bit worried about putting the story on hold just cause I couldn't come up with a decent name.
The Hunter
By Sammie Spitz
The twins trecked through the swamps and marshes of Tawfret. They left Lupus and Floyd back at the ship to keep an eye on it. As they patrolled, they remembered what that one captian told them about exersicing caution. There were reports of a strange animal running amock in the swamps.
"So, there were three reports and we have to find these people and question them about the incidents." Juno finished his explaination.
"I still think this is a big load of bull!" Vela commented.
"It's pretty beleivable if you ask me. When this first happened to the planet and we got those reports about the Zombie Drones, you said the exact same thing about it. But I got there, and they were right next to the ship when I landed!"
"OK, so, this is the first guy's house?"
"So, you claim to have seen a giant animal of some sort?" Juno asked the man in question. His dirty plaid shirt and the collection of beer cans around his house gave the twins reason to beleive he drank.
"Yeah, this giant moth! Vampire moth no less!" He replied.
"Giant...vampire...moths." Vela said, not beleiving a word of this, "What a load of shit!"
"Vela!"
"Sorry."
"Anyway, what gave you the idea it was a vampire." Juno aksed again.
"It sucked the blood out of a cat! I saw it right out my window!"
"Could you possibley tell us in detail?"
"Well, I looked out my window and saw this cat. Then, out of no where, this giant moth lands on it, bites it in the neck and sucks it's blood. Then it drops it on the ground and leaves just as quick as it appears. I swear it happened! I saw it with my own to eyes!"
"So, this supposed vampire moth just flew off and left the cat behind?"
"Yeah."
"And what happened to the cat's body?"
"It got eaten by an alligator. I went to call the cops and when I looked back, this alligator was dragging it back in the water. It was pink, too."
"Your not seriously gonna beleive that, are you?" Vela asked, "He was drunk when he saw this supposed vampire moth! I mean, come one! The only proof got eaten by a pink alligator?!"
"He didn't have that much. It probabley really was an alligator, but the beer made him think it was that color."
"So who's next?"
"So, what happened, Korban?" Juno asked. Korban, a fellow Jet Force officer, took of his purple helemt and scratched his head.
"Afraid I can't give you much detail." He answered, "Me and Greg were on patrol when this white thing dive-bombed Greg. I kicked it off and shot the hell out of it. Then, when I turned around to see if he was alright, I heard this noise. Turned around and a gator was dragging it off."
"More damn gators?!" Vela muttered.
"What was that, Vel?" Korban asked.
"We were asking this drunkard about this thing. Claimed the only proof was eaten by a pink alligator." She replied.
"Well, this one was that brownish green color. So, don't worry. Besides, it wouldn't have helped much. I mutilated the thing with the Sniper Rifle till the ammo was empty."
"You have to admit, Sis. He was more relyable. He wasn't drunk, he's one of our own..."
"...and I've always known him to be an idiot." Vela finished. Korban was kind of a rival to Vela. He loved to show her up and would do anything to humiliate her.
"Well, one more to go."
The next guy they questioned answered, "My friend and I were riding our horses. Some kind of white flash appeared behind his horse. It was kind of fast, so I couldn't get a good look. Anyway, his horse kicked it and-"
"Let me guess." Vela said, "An alligator ate it?"
"Actually no. It turned around and flew off while I was trying to get the camera out of the saddle bag. It was to fast for me."
It looked around the swamps from it's tree limb. It hadn't eaten since the day it got here. Days and not one feed! It needed something or...Suddenly, something on the ground caight it's eye.
"Alright, everyone's been questioned. Can we leave now? This rain is horrible!" Vela said.
"Now, we look around a little more for proof."
Vela let out a quiet growl. She had had just about enough of this hoax.
It got a closer look. Two humans, both of which looked like they would make appetizing meals.
"Juno! I want you to listen and I want you to listen good! This is a stupid hoax! All this crap about these vampire moths is shit out of the script of some shitty horror movie!"
"Vela, relax! It's perfectly belivable."
It looked hungrily at the female, who seemed to be falling behind.
"BELEIVABLE!?!? In this weather?! If they did try to live here, they'd end up getting water-logged wings and crashing! There isn't anything beleivable about it!"
"Sure there is. People said they saw it. The proof got destroyed. All sorts of weird things live here. Vampire moths could be one of them."
Deciding now was the perfect time to strike, it spread it's wings and glided down to it's victim.
"Yeah, sure. Vampire moths are gonna come gliding down from the sky like-AAAHHHHH!!!!!!!" Juno was startled to hear his sister let out a frightened cry. There was also another scream, one that almost resembled that of a drone.
Juno spun around, but both his twin and this creature were gone. But, some bushes on the side of the path were shaking. He went to them and was shocked with what he saw. This strange moth-like creature, somewhat like a sleeker, light brown and white speckled soldier drone with moth wings, had Vela in his fangs by the arm. She simply lay there, limp and pale.
"Get away from her!" Juno hollared and threw a couple of flares to try and scare it. He didn't bargin for it's response. It released Vela, but then darted for him. It grabbed onto him, causing him to drop his gun, and started biting viciously at his armored arm, searching desperatly for flesh.
Finally, it found the uncovered part of his arm. It bit down on it with it's fangs and held on as Juno let out a scream. Suddenly, a laser arrow came flying from a group of bushes. It went straight through the creatures chest and it fell to the ground dead.
The weilder of the weapon, a laser bow, came out of hiding. He was young man who stood about 6' 1" tall and had brown-blond hair and light brown eyes. His appearence-light but somewhat mucular build, lizard clothes, leather strap across his chest with ammo-made him look like some kind of commando.
Juno tried to thank this stranger for saving him, but he suddenly felt dizzy and started to fall over. The stranger caught him and layed him down. Juno's vision was starting to fade, but he thought he saw their savior going back into the bush. At first, he was worried that he was abandoning them. but, he came back with what appeared to be a backpack. He pulled a blanket out, which he threw on Juno. Before he could thank him, he faded from consiousness.
"Poor guy." The stranger thought, as he put the blanket on Juno. He then looked around. There was this soldier, the dead creature and then a second victim.
"Uh-oh. She doesn't look to good." He muttered. He went over to Vela, who was pale, lifeless and a bit battered, just a foot or two away. Fearing that he didn't come in time to save her, he went over and checked her neck for a pulse. He was much more releived to find that it was there. It was kind of weak, but it was there. She was still breathing, too, though it was a tad shallow.
He got a blanket onto her and started to think. Two victims and the creature's body needed to be taken back to the base. But how? He knew he didn't have much time to think. Not only would both of these soldiers become hypothermic in this rain, one of them was barely even alive. He whistled and a big white and black spotted horse came running over. He took a com-link out of one saddle bag and flicked it on.
"Lucas! Lucas, we have a problem!" He yelled into it. He waited, then growled and continued, "Damn it, Lucas, where are you?!"
"Sorry, Colt, what's wrong?" A voice answered.
"An emergency! I got one, but it already got two people! One of them's critical. I need to get them back to base for medical help, but I need someone else to handle the thing's body."
"Say no more. Radar says your close. I'll be there any second."
Colt didn't realize how close Lucas really was. Just seconds later, he arrived, on horseback and with a second horse.
It took them almost no time to figure out how to do this. They made a streatcher that went between two of the horses, one of which was Colt's, and tied them so they could hold the soldiers' weight. After loading them in, Colt mounted his horse and said, "You can handle it alone? I only took one shot and i wasn't sure how dead it is."
"I'll be fine, you just handle those two."
Colt rushed the two soldiers to the base. After steering the horses in, someone helped him unfasten the streatcher from them and carry the soldiers in while someone else handled the horses.
The base's doctor, Isaiah, was waiting for them. He asked, "These the two you were telling me about?"
"Yeah, and the girl's not doing too good. It might have had a hold of her for a while."
They laid each of them in a bed and on a moniter. The male soldier looked like he was doing fine and probably only needed a little rest. But his friend was in rough shape. Isaiah decided that she may need some help if she was going to pull out of this.
He went into a medicine drawer nearby and pulled out a syringe with a clear liquid in it. He went over to her and carefully injected it into her arm. Everyone then looked up at the moniter for any reaction. It got a smile out of everyone when her vital signs were back up to speed.
"Well, I'll give a little to the boy, just to help him along a bit faster and, from there, they should be fine. Just let them have some rest."
"That's good." Colt sighed, "I was wondering if they'd be alright."
"Well, you shouldn't have to worry."
Juno started to open his eyes. He was finally starting to get some strengh back. He then realized he wasn't in armor. Just his blue, sleevless shirt and jeans he wore under it. When his vision cleared, he looked around. Looked kind of like a hospital. When he started to sit up, he heard footsteps coming towards him. He looked up and his eyes met the same man that saved them except he was now in a white t-shirt and jeans. He smiled down and said, "Hi there, you feeling OK?"
"I think so." Juno moaned and sat up. He looked around. He was about to ask where he was, until he noticed his sister in the bed next to him. He went over to a chair next to her bed and at down. From what he could tell, she, too, was just in the shirt she wore under her armor. He wasn't sure if she had jeans or anything.
"Vela?" He asked, Shaking her lightly, "Sis? You alright?"
"She should be fine." Colt replied, "She was in rough shape though. You both were pretty weak, so we let you two rest. so, she's your sister?"
"Yeah, we're twins. Oh, by the way," Juno said, "Thanks, for saving us."
"Don't worry about it." Colt said. He was about to say something else when Vela emitted a little groan. She looked up tiredly.
"Where am I?" She groaned.
"Fort Hackney." Colt answered, "You two were in rough shape, so we brought you here."
"Who the heck is this guy?"
"Sis, he saved our lives." Juno said, "Though, what is your name? I didn't get a chance to ask."
"Colter Morgan" He answered, shaking his hand, "But everyoen just calls me Colt. And you guys?"
"Juno Gemini. And this is my sister, Vela."
"Nice to meet you, miss." Colt extended his hand. Vela looked a bit apprehencive at first. She didn't really like guys outsid eher own flesh and blood. But, she shook his hand and then he helped her sit up right.
"So, thanks for the help." She said, "And that thing."
"Don't worry about it. I wasn't about to let that Remuna get you two."
The twins looked a bit puzzled. Then, Juno asked, "Remunas?"
"That thing that got you. Wanna have a look?"
After giving Vela a pair of jeans to wear, Colt lead the twins to a lab. Before knocking on the door, he said, "Now, just to warn you, the thing's kind of creepy."
He knocked and they were let in. On a table was the creature that attacked them. It looked like a white and light brown speckled soldier drone with moth wings, only a bit sleeker.
"So," Vela said, "These are those 'vampire moths' that the locals were reporting."
"They're kind of like that, except they don't drink blood. They grab onto a victim and drain it's life energy. They never really drink it's blood. Nonetheless, these things are pretty dangerous. From what we know, this tyrany, Mizar, smuggled five of them and they ended up here."
"And they survive in this damp enviroment?"
"Sure, they love swamps!"
"There goes that threory that they can't live here cause they'll get water logged." Juno said. Vela just ribbed him.
Then, Vela thought of something. She asked, "Juno, Lupus and Floyd are still back at the ship, right?"
Juno got a scared look on his face and added, "With those things out there?!"
"Do you want someone here to get them?" Colt asked, "You can just tell me where the ship is and who exactly I'm looking for and Lucas and I can go get them for you."
Vela passed around in the stable, worrying about Lupus, Floyd and the two men that went to save them. At first, she thought of Colt as she did any other non-related man. But, she realized how brave he really was to go out there just to save a dog and a little robot. Suddenly, there was a neigh. In rode the two men, Lupus on Colt's lap and Floyd following behind them. Lucas was carrying a bag of some sort.
The twins were releived to see them again. Lupus, nervous about getting grabbed by these strangers, had snapped at them at one point. So, they muzzled him for the ride over. He was still very antsy. He leaped off the horse and ran for his masters. Vela took of the muzzle and hugged him as she told Colt, "I'm sorry he snapped. But, he's a trained guard and he gets upset over strangers barging in like that."
"You've got one heck of a guard!" Was all Colt could say. They got into the base. Lucas carried the bag into the lab. When everyone saw it, it looked just like the Remuna they saw before, except it was primerily dark brown with light spots.
The Gemini squadron, now whole, were up in a second floor room when Colt came in. He said, "Good news and bad. Good news is three down, two to go."
"And what is the bad news?" Floyd asked.
"You see, that was a juvenile. Apparently, it was just learning to hunt when we shot it."
"Well," Floyd continued, "I understand it is distressing that you had to shoot a juvenile animal. However, it it did become agressive and obviously threatened you, you had little other choice but to kill it."
"That's not the bad part. You see, Remuna mothers are feircly protective of their children. They usually aren't very far and, at that age, they still guard them. Now, there's a good chance she saw us shoot her baby and might have followed us."
Before he could continue, Floyd started beeping and said, "There is a unidentified flying object, about the size of a soldier drone, flying towards us at-"
Suddenly, something crashed into the window. They turned to see a Remuna. It didn't break through but it was clearly in a rage. It glared at them and let out an angry cry.
"Looks like mother found us." Colt muttered
"No shit, Sherlock." Vela replied.
The creature let out a high-pitched roar, simialr to a drone. Lucas ran in and asked, "What the hell is going on up here!?"
"Mother found us, and she isn't too thrilled." Colt replied.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry. I don't think she can get through the window." Just after he said that, the Remuna started beating one claw against the window, which began to crack.
"OK, so she can get through the window." Upon discovering the crack, the Remuna became even more ravinous. First, she glared at the humans inside. Then she continued to work at the window. Bit by bit, glass started breaking from the crack.
"We better think of something fast! She's getting in here!" Vela shouted.
"Does anyone have a weapon on them." Juno asked. In response, it seemed the only one with guns on them was Floyd.
"OK, buddy, here's the plan. When she gets through the window, shot the hell out of her." Floyd positioned himself for the attack. The Remuna, by now, had made a small hole, which she tried to get in. She stuck her heard through it and Floyd opened fire. But, things went wrong fast. Floyd only landed a few hits before she threw herself through the window, hitting Floyd on the way. It scanned the room, and then fixed it's gaze on Colt.
There was only one thought on her mind. One she had from the time she first saw this thing to the time she spotted him again: 'My baby! This creature caught my baby!'
She stalked towards him, growling and drool dripping from it's mandibles.
'That thing's gonna kill him if nobody does anything!' Vela thought. She looked around for a weapon, any weapon. Spotting a lamp on a nearby table she grabbed it.
"Vela, what are you-?!" Juno stated. But, before he could finish, she threw it at the Remuna. It went stiff for a minute. Vela was thanking God she had one of the best arms back in school. Unfortunetly, the Remuna turned around and looked at her, obvious rage in her eyes.
Vela immedietly went rushing out the door, the Remuna in hot persuit. As the Remuna chased her target through the halls, she kept thinking, 'I'm gonna get her! and then, I'll find...MY BABY!!!'
The creature came to a screeching landing. She then rushed into the lab she happened to look into as it flew by. There, on a metal lab table, was the juvenile Remuna. She went over, shocked and horrified, and nudged it. Realizing it was dead, she let out a long, high-pitched cry. She then took one look at Vela and lunged for her. Vela did her best the hold the creature back with a chair.
'You killed my baby, you terrible creature!' The Remuna thought, 'And now, I'm gonna kill you!' She'd almost gotten her when suddenly, the creature went limp. When Vela looked over her chair, it had a hole in it, made by Colt's laser bow.
Colt kicked the Remuna to make sure he really killed it. He then turned his attention and helped her onto her feet, asking, "You OK?"
"Sure, got the crap scared out of me. But, otherwise, I'm fine." she answered, shaking. Then, her emotions got the best of her. She wrapped her arms around Colt and cried a little.
"What's wrong, Vela? What is it?" Colt asked, returning the gesture.
"You saved me! Thank you so much!" Everyone came rushing in at that time, including Floyd, who was unscathed from the attack. Colt picked up Vela and handed her to Juno.
"It's getting late. You get her up to bed, I'll take care of this mess." Colt told him.
That night, the Gemini squadron stayed in the base. Vela had trouble getting to sleep that night. She layed in bed and tossed and turned for over an hour. When Colt came in to check on her, he was surprised to see her like this.
"It's 12:30 AM." Colt told her, "Why are you still up?"
He sat down in a chair next to her bed. She looked up at him, and she could only utter, "Well...uh..that thing going after me..."
"She really gave you a scare, didn't she?"
"Yeah, I really thought I was done for."
"Well, don't worry. She's long gone and there's only one more to worry about. You just relax and try to get some sleep."
Vela wrapped herself up in the blanket and tried to sleep. But, her eyes refused to close. At least, that's what it seemed like.
"You need a little help?" Colt asked, smiling a bit to comfort her. Vela nodded and Colt got up and said he was going to get something and promised to be right back. He left and returned with a sleeping pill and a glass of water.
Vela looked up and asked, "Are you sure about that? I mean, if we have to be moving out in the morning, I don't want to be too groggy."
He gave the sleeping pill to her and told her, "It's better than just rolling around in bed all night and getting no sleep at all. Besides, it's really mild. It wears off quick. But, by then, you'll be sound asleep."
She figured he was right. She needed to get sleep somehow. She put the pill in her mouth and used the water to swallow it. She then finished of the water. She was thirsty anyway. After putting the glass on the table, it started taking affect. She settled herself into bed.
As she was starting to drift off, Colt gently storked her back to help her along. She'd been pretty tense after that Remuna went after her. She didn't know they could be that dangerous. She looked up at him as he smiled to her. She uttered a quiet "thank you". Then, he eyelids grew heavy and she nestled down to sleep.
Colt decided to stay nearby incase she needed her. There was another bed in the room. He layed down in it, but didn't go to sleep right away. He rolled over in bed and looked at Vela. He couldn't quite explain it, but he had some feeling about her. He pushed it out of his mind and went to sleep.
The next day, everyone woke early. A scout ship's radar had picked up something on a distant part of Tawfret, Lake Sorrel. Lake Sorrel was a very large, very deep lake that, in the past, provided a lot of fish for the Tribals when they lived there. They could only imagine what the lake was like after Tawfret's transformation.
It took several hours for Colt, Lucas and the Gemini squadron to reach Lake Sorrel. However, when they got there, it was pretty hard to miss. The Lake had flooded it's banks and was even bigger than before. But, they also noticed something else.
"Where this thing supposed to be?" Vela asked.
"According to the scout, radar showed it right in the middle of the lake." Colt said, he then borrowed a flare from Juno and muttered, "This is kind of risky, but there's no other way to find it."
He threw it into the air and it landed on the bank, or what was left of it, just a few feet away. Everyone was tense. Minutes ticked by and nothing happened.
"You don't think it's in the lake, do you?" Lucas asked.
Colt looked around and found an abandoned row boat. The two took it out to the middle of the lake and used a portable radar to search. Then, they came back with their findings.
"It's in the lake alright." Colt told them, "It's alive, too. The blip was moving around."
"You mean to tell me they really can live in the water?" Vela asked in shock.
"Sure can. In fact, they dehydrate easily, for some reason, so they usually live close to water. No one knows why. That's why they love the swamps so much. Also, it may be onto us. If they think their in danger, they hide in deep bodies of water like this"
"So, what are we gonna do about this?" Juno asked.
"We could wait for it to come up. Sooner or later, it has to. He won't be able to feed of the life force of the fish and , if the information's correct, they hadn't eaten in almost a week."
That was when Vela thought of something else. She asked, "Is the direct approach a good idea?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean going in after it."
"A little risky, don't you think?"
"Well, I don't know how long we're gonna last just sitting here, waiting for the thing to go hungry. Keep in mind, we also have the Zombie Drones to worry about."
Nobody, except her, had thought of that. Not all of the zombies had been dealt with and there was a chance they were here.
"I guess you're right. But, we still need equipment for that." Colt said. This new idea would work, possibley better than the original plan. However, he didn't know anybody who could hold their breath long enough to stand a chance in underwater combat.
"Leave that to us." Was Vela's response. She took off for their ship and came back, several hours later with a pair of scuba tanks, wet suits, and other equipment.
Soon, they'd worked out their plan. Colt and Vela would go down and get it. If not kill it, then at least flush it out. At first, though, they were concerned that Colt may not even fit into the equipment. Originally, they were ment for someone smaller. Luckily, when they got the pair suited up, it fit him fine.
Just before the two went in, and as they were getting their goggles down, Vela explained the equipment to him.
"There's a comlink in the air mask, so you don't have to worry about communicating under there. If we're close and don't want it listening, then we may need hand signals. And, I checked the equipment before I brought it back with me, so that's in order. Does that settle everything?"
"Just about. So you ready?" Colt asked.
Vela took in a deep breath, without the mask on and said, "Now or never." The pair treaded into the lake, Vela carrying a light, as they tried to keep their balance with the flippers. They got their air masks on and decended into the water.
They made their way through the murky water. It was so hard to see, that sometimes they needed to feel their way around the plants, branches and debris on the lake bottom. As Vela shined the light around, looking for their query, she suddenly noticed something silver shine out of the corner of her eye, in reaction to the light. She quickly tugged Colt behind a nearby fallen tree.
When she told him what it was, he replied, "That may be it. Let me have the light for a second."
He had his laser bow in one hand and the light in the other as he shined it in the direction Vela pointed. Sure enough, there was a silver gleam. Also, he saw a shadowy shape in the light, one with wings and antenee. They'd found it.
Thinking he saw it's head turn, he quickly turned the light off and looked at Vela as he said, "It's there, alirght. All I need is one good shot and our problems may be solved. If things get ugly, just get out."
Colt, handing her the turned-off light, took careful aim at the Remuna. At first, it seemed the creature was too preoccupied with what was above him. Then, Vela realized it wasn't. In fact, it was coming at Colt at full speed.
"Colt, look out! It's coming straight for us!" She yelled. Colt saw it and tried to move, but it was too quick for them. It rammed Colt hard, causing him to drop the laser bow. Vela watched in horror as the two tussled and fought. The Remuna wasn't consierned with food. It just wanted to kill this human. Realizing how defencless he was, Vela realized she needed to intervene. She noticed a glow underneath her. The laser bow! It was caught between two branches!
She quickly went down and snatched it. She came back up to where they were fighting. Suddenly, she got the shock of her life. The thing gave Colt a hard blow, knocking him in some distant direction. The Remuna then turned it's attention towards her. As it came, it failed to realize that this foe was better equipped. Vela fired a shot, which it the creature in the arm. It let out a screech and shot up to the surface.
As Vela watched it, she realized that Colt may be hurt. She looked around and he was nowhere in site.
"Oh my god! Where is he?!" She paniced. She then shouted into the comlink, "Colt, can you here me?!"
Her panic grew even worse when she didn't get a reply. She flicked the light on and searched around for Colt. It only took a few minutes to find him. He was unconsiouss and laying on a fallen tree limb, straps on his oxygen tank stuck to it.
She quickly got him out of the mangled oxygen tank and started to rush him to the surface. She then realized how far out they swam when they reached the surface. No one was in sight. However, there was shore nearby. She got into the shallow water and dragged Colt onto the muddy bank with her.
She got off her equipment except for her wet suit and sat down beside him tired. She tried to rouse him, but he still wouldn't respond to her. Suddenly, she realized that something was very wrong. She watched him for a second and noticed that there wasn't any chest movement. She wassted no time getting up onto her knees and putting an ear to his chest, only to discover that his heart wasn't beating either.
"Oh my god! He can't be dead! I can't let him die!" She immedietly tried to revive him. She wasn't sure how long he'd been like this or if it would even work. All she knew was that she needed to do something. she continued pressing down on him and breathing into him for a minute or two till a sudden cough caught her attention. Much to her releif, Colt started to groan and open his eyes.
By now, Vela was so tired, she just had to lay down and rest. Colt tried to sit up, but instead rolled over to face Vela.
"You feeling alright?" Vela asked.
"Yeah. A bit sore, but I'm OK otherwise. What happened? The last I remember, I was fish food."
Vela hesitated, but she told him about what had happened just minutes ago. The two sat up and looked at each other.
"You really did that for me?" He asked, gratefully.
"What was I supposed to do, leave you for dead? I had to do something."
"Well, I've had something that I've wanted to tell you. But, we've been pretty busy and I never got the chance."
"What is it?" Vela looked him straight in the eye, "You can tell me."
"Well, I can't really put it into words. But.."
At a loss of words, he gave her a gentle little kiss. They were both pretty shocked by it. They barely knew each other. However, much to his releif, Vela wasn't angry. Rather, she came closer and snuggled herself against him.
"Um...I think I see that brother of yours over there in the distance. We better flag him down." Colt said to her. He looked down and smiled. From her steady breathing pattern, he could tell she was asleep.
"Then again," He whispered, picking her up, "maybe I should get him." He then carried her to their waiting commrades, who had the body of the final Remuna and proof they didn't need to worry anymore.
The Hunter
By Sammie Spitz
The twins trecked through the swamps and marshes of Tawfret. They left Lupus and Floyd back at the ship to keep an eye on it. As they patrolled, they remembered what that one captian told them about exersicing caution. There were reports of a strange animal running amock in the swamps.
"So, there were three reports and we have to find these people and question them about the incidents." Juno finished his explaination.
"I still think this is a big load of bull!" Vela commented.
"It's pretty beleivable if you ask me. When this first happened to the planet and we got those reports about the Zombie Drones, you said the exact same thing about it. But I got there, and they were right next to the ship when I landed!"
"OK, so, this is the first guy's house?"
"So, you claim to have seen a giant animal of some sort?" Juno asked the man in question. His dirty plaid shirt and the collection of beer cans around his house gave the twins reason to beleive he drank.
"Yeah, this giant moth! Vampire moth no less!" He replied.
"Giant...vampire...moths." Vela said, not beleiving a word of this, "What a load of shit!"
"Vela!"
"Sorry."
"Anyway, what gave you the idea it was a vampire." Juno aksed again.
"It sucked the blood out of a cat! I saw it right out my window!"
"Could you possibley tell us in detail?"
"Well, I looked out my window and saw this cat. Then, out of no where, this giant moth lands on it, bites it in the neck and sucks it's blood. Then it drops it on the ground and leaves just as quick as it appears. I swear it happened! I saw it with my own to eyes!"
"So, this supposed vampire moth just flew off and left the cat behind?"
"Yeah."
"And what happened to the cat's body?"
"It got eaten by an alligator. I went to call the cops and when I looked back, this alligator was dragging it back in the water. It was pink, too."
"Your not seriously gonna beleive that, are you?" Vela asked, "He was drunk when he saw this supposed vampire moth! I mean, come one! The only proof got eaten by a pink alligator?!"
"He didn't have that much. It probabley really was an alligator, but the beer made him think it was that color."
"So who's next?"
"So, what happened, Korban?" Juno asked. Korban, a fellow Jet Force officer, took of his purple helemt and scratched his head.
"Afraid I can't give you much detail." He answered, "Me and Greg were on patrol when this white thing dive-bombed Greg. I kicked it off and shot the hell out of it. Then, when I turned around to see if he was alright, I heard this noise. Turned around and a gator was dragging it off."
"More damn gators?!" Vela muttered.
"What was that, Vel?" Korban asked.
"We were asking this drunkard about this thing. Claimed the only proof was eaten by a pink alligator." She replied.
"Well, this one was that brownish green color. So, don't worry. Besides, it wouldn't have helped much. I mutilated the thing with the Sniper Rifle till the ammo was empty."
"You have to admit, Sis. He was more relyable. He wasn't drunk, he's one of our own..."
"...and I've always known him to be an idiot." Vela finished. Korban was kind of a rival to Vela. He loved to show her up and would do anything to humiliate her.
"Well, one more to go."
The next guy they questioned answered, "My friend and I were riding our horses. Some kind of white flash appeared behind his horse. It was kind of fast, so I couldn't get a good look. Anyway, his horse kicked it and-"
"Let me guess." Vela said, "An alligator ate it?"
"Actually no. It turned around and flew off while I was trying to get the camera out of the saddle bag. It was to fast for me."
It looked around the swamps from it's tree limb. It hadn't eaten since the day it got here. Days and not one feed! It needed something or...Suddenly, something on the ground caight it's eye.
"Alright, everyone's been questioned. Can we leave now? This rain is horrible!" Vela said.
"Now, we look around a little more for proof."
Vela let out a quiet growl. She had had just about enough of this hoax.
It got a closer look. Two humans, both of which looked like they would make appetizing meals.
"Juno! I want you to listen and I want you to listen good! This is a stupid hoax! All this crap about these vampire moths is shit out of the script of some shitty horror movie!"
"Vela, relax! It's perfectly belivable."
It looked hungrily at the female, who seemed to be falling behind.
"BELEIVABLE!?!? In this weather?! If they did try to live here, they'd end up getting water-logged wings and crashing! There isn't anything beleivable about it!"
"Sure there is. People said they saw it. The proof got destroyed. All sorts of weird things live here. Vampire moths could be one of them."
Deciding now was the perfect time to strike, it spread it's wings and glided down to it's victim.
"Yeah, sure. Vampire moths are gonna come gliding down from the sky like-AAAHHHHH!!!!!!!" Juno was startled to hear his sister let out a frightened cry. There was also another scream, one that almost resembled that of a drone.
Juno spun around, but both his twin and this creature were gone. But, some bushes on the side of the path were shaking. He went to them and was shocked with what he saw. This strange moth-like creature, somewhat like a sleeker, light brown and white speckled soldier drone with moth wings, had Vela in his fangs by the arm. She simply lay there, limp and pale.
"Get away from her!" Juno hollared and threw a couple of flares to try and scare it. He didn't bargin for it's response. It released Vela, but then darted for him. It grabbed onto him, causing him to drop his gun, and started biting viciously at his armored arm, searching desperatly for flesh.
Finally, it found the uncovered part of his arm. It bit down on it with it's fangs and held on as Juno let out a scream. Suddenly, a laser arrow came flying from a group of bushes. It went straight through the creatures chest and it fell to the ground dead.
The weilder of the weapon, a laser bow, came out of hiding. He was young man who stood about 6' 1" tall and had brown-blond hair and light brown eyes. His appearence-light but somewhat mucular build, lizard clothes, leather strap across his chest with ammo-made him look like some kind of commando.
Juno tried to thank this stranger for saving him, but he suddenly felt dizzy and started to fall over. The stranger caught him and layed him down. Juno's vision was starting to fade, but he thought he saw their savior going back into the bush. At first, he was worried that he was abandoning them. but, he came back with what appeared to be a backpack. He pulled a blanket out, which he threw on Juno. Before he could thank him, he faded from consiousness.
"Poor guy." The stranger thought, as he put the blanket on Juno. He then looked around. There was this soldier, the dead creature and then a second victim.
"Uh-oh. She doesn't look to good." He muttered. He went over to Vela, who was pale, lifeless and a bit battered, just a foot or two away. Fearing that he didn't come in time to save her, he went over and checked her neck for a pulse. He was much more releived to find that it was there. It was kind of weak, but it was there. She was still breathing, too, though it was a tad shallow.
He got a blanket onto her and started to think. Two victims and the creature's body needed to be taken back to the base. But how? He knew he didn't have much time to think. Not only would both of these soldiers become hypothermic in this rain, one of them was barely even alive. He whistled and a big white and black spotted horse came running over. He took a com-link out of one saddle bag and flicked it on.
"Lucas! Lucas, we have a problem!" He yelled into it. He waited, then growled and continued, "Damn it, Lucas, where are you?!"
"Sorry, Colt, what's wrong?" A voice answered.
"An emergency! I got one, but it already got two people! One of them's critical. I need to get them back to base for medical help, but I need someone else to handle the thing's body."
"Say no more. Radar says your close. I'll be there any second."
Colt didn't realize how close Lucas really was. Just seconds later, he arrived, on horseback and with a second horse.
It took them almost no time to figure out how to do this. They made a streatcher that went between two of the horses, one of which was Colt's, and tied them so they could hold the soldiers' weight. After loading them in, Colt mounted his horse and said, "You can handle it alone? I only took one shot and i wasn't sure how dead it is."
"I'll be fine, you just handle those two."
Colt rushed the two soldiers to the base. After steering the horses in, someone helped him unfasten the streatcher from them and carry the soldiers in while someone else handled the horses.
The base's doctor, Isaiah, was waiting for them. He asked, "These the two you were telling me about?"
"Yeah, and the girl's not doing too good. It might have had a hold of her for a while."
They laid each of them in a bed and on a moniter. The male soldier looked like he was doing fine and probably only needed a little rest. But his friend was in rough shape. Isaiah decided that she may need some help if she was going to pull out of this.
He went into a medicine drawer nearby and pulled out a syringe with a clear liquid in it. He went over to her and carefully injected it into her arm. Everyone then looked up at the moniter for any reaction. It got a smile out of everyone when her vital signs were back up to speed.
"Well, I'll give a little to the boy, just to help him along a bit faster and, from there, they should be fine. Just let them have some rest."
"That's good." Colt sighed, "I was wondering if they'd be alright."
"Well, you shouldn't have to worry."
Juno started to open his eyes. He was finally starting to get some strengh back. He then realized he wasn't in armor. Just his blue, sleevless shirt and jeans he wore under it. When his vision cleared, he looked around. Looked kind of like a hospital. When he started to sit up, he heard footsteps coming towards him. He looked up and his eyes met the same man that saved them except he was now in a white t-shirt and jeans. He smiled down and said, "Hi there, you feeling OK?"
"I think so." Juno moaned and sat up. He looked around. He was about to ask where he was, until he noticed his sister in the bed next to him. He went over to a chair next to her bed and at down. From what he could tell, she, too, was just in the shirt she wore under her armor. He wasn't sure if she had jeans or anything.
"Vela?" He asked, Shaking her lightly, "Sis? You alright?"
"She should be fine." Colt replied, "She was in rough shape though. You both were pretty weak, so we let you two rest. so, she's your sister?"
"Yeah, we're twins. Oh, by the way," Juno said, "Thanks, for saving us."
"Don't worry about it." Colt said. He was about to say something else when Vela emitted a little groan. She looked up tiredly.
"Where am I?" She groaned.
"Fort Hackney." Colt answered, "You two were in rough shape, so we brought you here."
"Who the heck is this guy?"
"Sis, he saved our lives." Juno said, "Though, what is your name? I didn't get a chance to ask."
"Colter Morgan" He answered, shaking his hand, "But everyoen just calls me Colt. And you guys?"
"Juno Gemini. And this is my sister, Vela."
"Nice to meet you, miss." Colt extended his hand. Vela looked a bit apprehencive at first. She didn't really like guys outsid eher own flesh and blood. But, she shook his hand and then he helped her sit up right.
"So, thanks for the help." She said, "And that thing."
"Don't worry about it. I wasn't about to let that Remuna get you two."
The twins looked a bit puzzled. Then, Juno asked, "Remunas?"
"That thing that got you. Wanna have a look?"
After giving Vela a pair of jeans to wear, Colt lead the twins to a lab. Before knocking on the door, he said, "Now, just to warn you, the thing's kind of creepy."
He knocked and they were let in. On a table was the creature that attacked them. It looked like a white and light brown speckled soldier drone with moth wings, only a bit sleeker.
"So," Vela said, "These are those 'vampire moths' that the locals were reporting."
"They're kind of like that, except they don't drink blood. They grab onto a victim and drain it's life energy. They never really drink it's blood. Nonetheless, these things are pretty dangerous. From what we know, this tyrany, Mizar, smuggled five of them and they ended up here."
"And they survive in this damp enviroment?"
"Sure, they love swamps!"
"There goes that threory that they can't live here cause they'll get water logged." Juno said. Vela just ribbed him.
Then, Vela thought of something. She asked, "Juno, Lupus and Floyd are still back at the ship, right?"
Juno got a scared look on his face and added, "With those things out there?!"
"Do you want someone here to get them?" Colt asked, "You can just tell me where the ship is and who exactly I'm looking for and Lucas and I can go get them for you."
Vela passed around in the stable, worrying about Lupus, Floyd and the two men that went to save them. At first, she thought of Colt as she did any other non-related man. But, she realized how brave he really was to go out there just to save a dog and a little robot. Suddenly, there was a neigh. In rode the two men, Lupus on Colt's lap and Floyd following behind them. Lucas was carrying a bag of some sort.
The twins were releived to see them again. Lupus, nervous about getting grabbed by these strangers, had snapped at them at one point. So, they muzzled him for the ride over. He was still very antsy. He leaped off the horse and ran for his masters. Vela took of the muzzle and hugged him as she told Colt, "I'm sorry he snapped. But, he's a trained guard and he gets upset over strangers barging in like that."
"You've got one heck of a guard!" Was all Colt could say. They got into the base. Lucas carried the bag into the lab. When everyone saw it, it looked just like the Remuna they saw before, except it was primerily dark brown with light spots.
The Gemini squadron, now whole, were up in a second floor room when Colt came in. He said, "Good news and bad. Good news is three down, two to go."
"And what is the bad news?" Floyd asked.
"You see, that was a juvenile. Apparently, it was just learning to hunt when we shot it."
"Well," Floyd continued, "I understand it is distressing that you had to shoot a juvenile animal. However, it it did become agressive and obviously threatened you, you had little other choice but to kill it."
"That's not the bad part. You see, Remuna mothers are feircly protective of their children. They usually aren't very far and, at that age, they still guard them. Now, there's a good chance she saw us shoot her baby and might have followed us."
Before he could continue, Floyd started beeping and said, "There is a unidentified flying object, about the size of a soldier drone, flying towards us at-"
Suddenly, something crashed into the window. They turned to see a Remuna. It didn't break through but it was clearly in a rage. It glared at them and let out an angry cry.
"Looks like mother found us." Colt muttered
"No shit, Sherlock." Vela replied.
The creature let out a high-pitched roar, simialr to a drone. Lucas ran in and asked, "What the hell is going on up here!?"
"Mother found us, and she isn't too thrilled." Colt replied.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry. I don't think she can get through the window." Just after he said that, the Remuna started beating one claw against the window, which began to crack.
"OK, so she can get through the window." Upon discovering the crack, the Remuna became even more ravinous. First, she glared at the humans inside. Then she continued to work at the window. Bit by bit, glass started breaking from the crack.
"We better think of something fast! She's getting in here!" Vela shouted.
"Does anyone have a weapon on them." Juno asked. In response, it seemed the only one with guns on them was Floyd.
"OK, buddy, here's the plan. When she gets through the window, shot the hell out of her." Floyd positioned himself for the attack. The Remuna, by now, had made a small hole, which she tried to get in. She stuck her heard through it and Floyd opened fire. But, things went wrong fast. Floyd only landed a few hits before she threw herself through the window, hitting Floyd on the way. It scanned the room, and then fixed it's gaze on Colt.
There was only one thought on her mind. One she had from the time she first saw this thing to the time she spotted him again: 'My baby! This creature caught my baby!'
She stalked towards him, growling and drool dripping from it's mandibles.
'That thing's gonna kill him if nobody does anything!' Vela thought. She looked around for a weapon, any weapon. Spotting a lamp on a nearby table she grabbed it.
"Vela, what are you-?!" Juno stated. But, before he could finish, she threw it at the Remuna. It went stiff for a minute. Vela was thanking God she had one of the best arms back in school. Unfortunetly, the Remuna turned around and looked at her, obvious rage in her eyes.
Vela immedietly went rushing out the door, the Remuna in hot persuit. As the Remuna chased her target through the halls, she kept thinking, 'I'm gonna get her! and then, I'll find...MY BABY!!!'
The creature came to a screeching landing. She then rushed into the lab she happened to look into as it flew by. There, on a metal lab table, was the juvenile Remuna. She went over, shocked and horrified, and nudged it. Realizing it was dead, she let out a long, high-pitched cry. She then took one look at Vela and lunged for her. Vela did her best the hold the creature back with a chair.
'You killed my baby, you terrible creature!' The Remuna thought, 'And now, I'm gonna kill you!' She'd almost gotten her when suddenly, the creature went limp. When Vela looked over her chair, it had a hole in it, made by Colt's laser bow.
Colt kicked the Remuna to make sure he really killed it. He then turned his attention and helped her onto her feet, asking, "You OK?"
"Sure, got the crap scared out of me. But, otherwise, I'm fine." she answered, shaking. Then, her emotions got the best of her. She wrapped her arms around Colt and cried a little.
"What's wrong, Vela? What is it?" Colt asked, returning the gesture.
"You saved me! Thank you so much!" Everyone came rushing in at that time, including Floyd, who was unscathed from the attack. Colt picked up Vela and handed her to Juno.
"It's getting late. You get her up to bed, I'll take care of this mess." Colt told him.
That night, the Gemini squadron stayed in the base. Vela had trouble getting to sleep that night. She layed in bed and tossed and turned for over an hour. When Colt came in to check on her, he was surprised to see her like this.
"It's 12:30 AM." Colt told her, "Why are you still up?"
He sat down in a chair next to her bed. She looked up at him, and she could only utter, "Well...uh..that thing going after me..."
"She really gave you a scare, didn't she?"
"Yeah, I really thought I was done for."
"Well, don't worry. She's long gone and there's only one more to worry about. You just relax and try to get some sleep."
Vela wrapped herself up in the blanket and tried to sleep. But, her eyes refused to close. At least, that's what it seemed like.
"You need a little help?" Colt asked, smiling a bit to comfort her. Vela nodded and Colt got up and said he was going to get something and promised to be right back. He left and returned with a sleeping pill and a glass of water.
Vela looked up and asked, "Are you sure about that? I mean, if we have to be moving out in the morning, I don't want to be too groggy."
He gave the sleeping pill to her and told her, "It's better than just rolling around in bed all night and getting no sleep at all. Besides, it's really mild. It wears off quick. But, by then, you'll be sound asleep."
She figured he was right. She needed to get sleep somehow. She put the pill in her mouth and used the water to swallow it. She then finished of the water. She was thirsty anyway. After putting the glass on the table, it started taking affect. She settled herself into bed.
As she was starting to drift off, Colt gently storked her back to help her along. She'd been pretty tense after that Remuna went after her. She didn't know they could be that dangerous. She looked up at him as he smiled to her. She uttered a quiet "thank you". Then, he eyelids grew heavy and she nestled down to sleep.
Colt decided to stay nearby incase she needed her. There was another bed in the room. He layed down in it, but didn't go to sleep right away. He rolled over in bed and looked at Vela. He couldn't quite explain it, but he had some feeling about her. He pushed it out of his mind and went to sleep.
The next day, everyone woke early. A scout ship's radar had picked up something on a distant part of Tawfret, Lake Sorrel. Lake Sorrel was a very large, very deep lake that, in the past, provided a lot of fish for the Tribals when they lived there. They could only imagine what the lake was like after Tawfret's transformation.
It took several hours for Colt, Lucas and the Gemini squadron to reach Lake Sorrel. However, when they got there, it was pretty hard to miss. The Lake had flooded it's banks and was even bigger than before. But, they also noticed something else.
"Where this thing supposed to be?" Vela asked.
"According to the scout, radar showed it right in the middle of the lake." Colt said, he then borrowed a flare from Juno and muttered, "This is kind of risky, but there's no other way to find it."
He threw it into the air and it landed on the bank, or what was left of it, just a few feet away. Everyone was tense. Minutes ticked by and nothing happened.
"You don't think it's in the lake, do you?" Lucas asked.
Colt looked around and found an abandoned row boat. The two took it out to the middle of the lake and used a portable radar to search. Then, they came back with their findings.
"It's in the lake alright." Colt told them, "It's alive, too. The blip was moving around."
"You mean to tell me they really can live in the water?" Vela asked in shock.
"Sure can. In fact, they dehydrate easily, for some reason, so they usually live close to water. No one knows why. That's why they love the swamps so much. Also, it may be onto us. If they think their in danger, they hide in deep bodies of water like this"
"So, what are we gonna do about this?" Juno asked.
"We could wait for it to come up. Sooner or later, it has to. He won't be able to feed of the life force of the fish and , if the information's correct, they hadn't eaten in almost a week."
That was when Vela thought of something else. She asked, "Is the direct approach a good idea?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean going in after it."
"A little risky, don't you think?"
"Well, I don't know how long we're gonna last just sitting here, waiting for the thing to go hungry. Keep in mind, we also have the Zombie Drones to worry about."
Nobody, except her, had thought of that. Not all of the zombies had been dealt with and there was a chance they were here.
"I guess you're right. But, we still need equipment for that." Colt said. This new idea would work, possibley better than the original plan. However, he didn't know anybody who could hold their breath long enough to stand a chance in underwater combat.
"Leave that to us." Was Vela's response. She took off for their ship and came back, several hours later with a pair of scuba tanks, wet suits, and other equipment.
Soon, they'd worked out their plan. Colt and Vela would go down and get it. If not kill it, then at least flush it out. At first, though, they were concerned that Colt may not even fit into the equipment. Originally, they were ment for someone smaller. Luckily, when they got the pair suited up, it fit him fine.
Just before the two went in, and as they were getting their goggles down, Vela explained the equipment to him.
"There's a comlink in the air mask, so you don't have to worry about communicating under there. If we're close and don't want it listening, then we may need hand signals. And, I checked the equipment before I brought it back with me, so that's in order. Does that settle everything?"
"Just about. So you ready?" Colt asked.
Vela took in a deep breath, without the mask on and said, "Now or never." The pair treaded into the lake, Vela carrying a light, as they tried to keep their balance with the flippers. They got their air masks on and decended into the water.
They made their way through the murky water. It was so hard to see, that sometimes they needed to feel their way around the plants, branches and debris on the lake bottom. As Vela shined the light around, looking for their query, she suddenly noticed something silver shine out of the corner of her eye, in reaction to the light. She quickly tugged Colt behind a nearby fallen tree.
When she told him what it was, he replied, "That may be it. Let me have the light for a second."
He had his laser bow in one hand and the light in the other as he shined it in the direction Vela pointed. Sure enough, there was a silver gleam. Also, he saw a shadowy shape in the light, one with wings and antenee. They'd found it.
Thinking he saw it's head turn, he quickly turned the light off and looked at Vela as he said, "It's there, alirght. All I need is one good shot and our problems may be solved. If things get ugly, just get out."
Colt, handing her the turned-off light, took careful aim at the Remuna. At first, it seemed the creature was too preoccupied with what was above him. Then, Vela realized it wasn't. In fact, it was coming at Colt at full speed.
"Colt, look out! It's coming straight for us!" She yelled. Colt saw it and tried to move, but it was too quick for them. It rammed Colt hard, causing him to drop the laser bow. Vela watched in horror as the two tussled and fought. The Remuna wasn't consierned with food. It just wanted to kill this human. Realizing how defencless he was, Vela realized she needed to intervene. She noticed a glow underneath her. The laser bow! It was caught between two branches!
She quickly went down and snatched it. She came back up to where they were fighting. Suddenly, she got the shock of her life. The thing gave Colt a hard blow, knocking him in some distant direction. The Remuna then turned it's attention towards her. As it came, it failed to realize that this foe was better equipped. Vela fired a shot, which it the creature in the arm. It let out a screech and shot up to the surface.
As Vela watched it, she realized that Colt may be hurt. She looked around and he was nowhere in site.
"Oh my god! Where is he?!" She paniced. She then shouted into the comlink, "Colt, can you here me?!"
Her panic grew even worse when she didn't get a reply. She flicked the light on and searched around for Colt. It only took a few minutes to find him. He was unconsiouss and laying on a fallen tree limb, straps on his oxygen tank stuck to it.
She quickly got him out of the mangled oxygen tank and started to rush him to the surface. She then realized how far out they swam when they reached the surface. No one was in sight. However, there was shore nearby. She got into the shallow water and dragged Colt onto the muddy bank with her.
She got off her equipment except for her wet suit and sat down beside him tired. She tried to rouse him, but he still wouldn't respond to her. Suddenly, she realized that something was very wrong. She watched him for a second and noticed that there wasn't any chest movement. She wassted no time getting up onto her knees and putting an ear to his chest, only to discover that his heart wasn't beating either.
"Oh my god! He can't be dead! I can't let him die!" She immedietly tried to revive him. She wasn't sure how long he'd been like this or if it would even work. All she knew was that she needed to do something. she continued pressing down on him and breathing into him for a minute or two till a sudden cough caught her attention. Much to her releif, Colt started to groan and open his eyes.
By now, Vela was so tired, she just had to lay down and rest. Colt tried to sit up, but instead rolled over to face Vela.
"You feeling alright?" Vela asked.
"Yeah. A bit sore, but I'm OK otherwise. What happened? The last I remember, I was fish food."
Vela hesitated, but she told him about what had happened just minutes ago. The two sat up and looked at each other.
"You really did that for me?" He asked, gratefully.
"What was I supposed to do, leave you for dead? I had to do something."
"Well, I've had something that I've wanted to tell you. But, we've been pretty busy and I never got the chance."
"What is it?" Vela looked him straight in the eye, "You can tell me."
"Well, I can't really put it into words. But.."
At a loss of words, he gave her a gentle little kiss. They were both pretty shocked by it. They barely knew each other. However, much to his releif, Vela wasn't angry. Rather, she came closer and snuggled herself against him.
"Um...I think I see that brother of yours over there in the distance. We better flag him down." Colt said to her. He looked down and smiled. From her steady breathing pattern, he could tell she was asleep.
"Then again," He whispered, picking her up, "maybe I should get him." He then carried her to their waiting commrades, who had the body of the final Remuna and proof they didn't need to worry anymore.