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Dah'kte - wrist blades

Awu'asa - armor

Kv'var - hunt

dah'Nagara - short sword

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The landing was a bit rougher than Miana expected, but they landed safely nonetheless. She didn't know where Abba headed. It didn't matter. He knew where she landed and could get to her if she needed help. She couldn't do the same for him.

Felt a bit one-sided if anyone wanted her opinion.

Miana headed out, mask on and swords strapped to her back. Beanie followed behind her, keeping his head low and taking in the different smells around him. His ears were pinned back and tail tucked slightly in between his legs.

"Come here, baby." Miana stopped to scratch underneath his chin. She glanced around at the critters in the trees, but nothing looked harmful just yet. "Stick with mama, okay?"

She kept one hand on Beanie as they walked further out into the forest. Her mask picked up on small critters in the trees, but nothing looked worthy of hunting.

Miana hadn't quite picked up on tracking just yet. She could fight well, but there was more than just that to a Yautja-styled hunt.

She settled herself in a low tree, helping Beanie up on the thick branch to rest next to her. Its branches extended over a river where a few animals drank.

Her notebook had a few pages left, so she spent her time studying them.

"What about that one, Beanie?" A large creature sat off to the side, cleaning itself with the river water.

It looked muscular like any predator with feline features and its behavior reminded her greatly of her aunt's cat. A sweet thing that unfortunately her aunt ruined with the endless treats and human food.

Orange-brown fur with a few white stripes by its ribs and short, tan horns. Large paws that could swipe her head from her body and tusks protruding from the mouth.

Miana checked around, categorizing most animals there as prey, compared to this guy. She could easily hop to the next tree across the river, but getting it back to camp would be the biggest challenge.

Abba had shown her how to use the net early on. She could use that and make a system to haul him across the river. Then, sweat her ass off getting them back to the pod.

She tied a rope to a sturdy branch of the next tree over and after making sure Beanie would stay put and stay quiet, she jumped the gap between the two trees. Like she'd seen monkeys across Earth do in her travels.

Miana jumped rather easily to the other side. The other end of the rope held tightly in her hand. She tied it to another sturdy looking branch and read the room of the river.

Many animals had moved after her jump. Startled quiet easily. However, her prey remained right where she first saw it. Unfazed by the noise she made, it returned to its bath.

Miana cloaked herself, looking back across the river to make sure Beanie remained in the tree. He laid there, patiently waiting for her return. His ears remained flat against his head and he sat on his tail.

She should have left him in the pod, but when anxious, Beanie would find something to tear into or bark all day long. He could have attracted predators to the pod or harmed himself and Miana refused to take chances with him.

Letting out a large puff of air, Miana jumped down to the muddy bank. She almost slipped but regained herself quickly. She didn't want to miss this opportunity.

She slid a sword from her back. Approaching with caution, she observed it up close.

The underbelly looked soft and the most obvious weak point. And the hardest one to get as it bellied down to drink some water.

Tusks and horns were the biggest threat to Miana. The paws were more avoidable. It should first try to swing its head, to catch her with the horns or protruding tusks. If her first blow wasn't enough to even stagger it, it would swipe at her.

An injury would attract other predators and she'd be incapable of dragging it back to the ship.

Miana shook her head. She needed to focus.

With her sword, she struck deep into its hind leg. It didn't roar as she expected, but its large head swung around to catch her with its horns.

She kept low, completely dodging its hasty attack. This close she could feel its hot breath across her back.

However, its attack left her an opening to strike under its jaw and she jammed her sword up. It struggled against her. She could see the panic in its green eyes.

With her dah'kte, Miana aimed for where she believed the heart to be only for her blades to be blocked. A thick bone plate blocked her way. Her attack had left an open wound, but not her intended death blow.

It bucked its head, shoving her into the water. Then it staggered off a few steps before collapsing. Its chest heaved.

Miana shook off the attack. Water dripped down her and she combed back her hair. Her prey still lived.

Using her mask, she flipped her vision to the x-ray. Indeed, it had a bone chest plate that blocked her blow before. However, this time, she saw its heart and used her wrist blades to stop its rapid beating.

She already decided she wouldn't tell Abba how this hunt went. It's not like it was hard. Or interesting. Nonetheless, any adrenaline she had left her weak and shaking.

Her sword, her favorite weapon, had cracked. She tried to pull it out only to find one, she didn't have the strength, and two, she would only damage it further. She left it in and did her best to work around it.

Miana dragged the creature into the net and used another rope to attach to the net. Next, she headed back into the tree and used a branch to leverage the creature into the air. This way, she could easily attach it to the rope she had set up to get it across.

Its weight caused the rope to dip, but it still kept a meter or so above the water. Hopefully, nothing would drag it into the depths.

Miana jumped back to the other side, ridding herself of her cloak. Beanie greeted her with a happy bark and a wagging tail.

Hushing him, she began to pull it her prize across the river using the rope she had attached earlier. It took longer than she hoped. And a bit of help from Beanie who liked tug of war.

A little fun game should help him get comfortable in this new environment. Plus, a lot of encouragement from his mom.

"Good boy, Beanie!" They finally got the thing across the river.

Miana let it hang in the air, too tired now to move.

Creatures in the water moved about. One particular pair of eyes coming up to survey the hanging piece of meat in the air.

Not about to let anything touch her trophy, Miana activated her cannon and sent a shot into the water. She was sure she missed, but it worked as a warning shot. The thing swam a distance away.

First, she helped Beanie out of the tree and to the safer ground below. Then, together, they hauled the creature from the bank and to the base of the tree.

Miana didn't want to leave the ropes. She could cut them, but that would be wasteful. Leaving them could lead to more trouble.

Trusting Beanie to guard, she hopped across the river to untie the rope there and then back over again.

A pounding started in her head and her stomach rumbled for food. Beanie panted too. Hungry and in need of water.

Miana trudged on, strapping the ropes to her and Beanie to haul their prize to the pod.

A mile into their walk, they needed to stop for a quick break. The sixth in their journey.

She pulled out her canteen and took a sip. Beanie lapped at the water she poured for him.

Miana just started to pour her baby some water when a flash of reflecting light cut the stream and jammed itself into the tree. She jumped in her seat and stopped.

To her right, another Yautja stood, head cocked as it looked at her. She put the cap on her canteen. However, she didn't stand to greet them. No, she only tugged the shuriken from the trunk, tucking the blades back in and half-heartedly tossed it back to them.

The female clicked. She picked up the weapon and tucked it safely away. As she did, Miana took the time to observe the unkept awu'asa with dirt, cracks, and markings that hadn't been smoothed out.

Abba warned her about Yautja like these. They didn't have the tools or means like the others did to keep up their weapons and armor. They had what they had and needed to make due. Until an Arbitrator arrived.

Miana knew bad bloods often cut through their marks to show their outcast status, but not everyone did. She had to be wary should she come across one.

Her stamina drained, the female could easily overpower her and take her head.

So, she played dumb.

The female had yet to remove her mask, so Miana pretended to not know the typical signs of a bad blood.

"You are a hunt sister?" The female clicked at her, cocking her head at the pair. "And a pet?"

"Sei-i." Miana made no moves to remove her mask. Usually, one would do so to show their mark, but her mark had been placed on her shoulder rather than the face.

The female also noticed that.

"You kv'var?" Mian should have been insulted by the question.

Not quite as tempered as some of the other New Blooded Yautja, Miana held it.

"H'ko." Her blunt, sarcastic answer made the female laugh.

"Sorry." At her apology, Miana nodded her head in acceptance.

She wanted to call for Abba, but the female would obviously see that and attack. Thankfully, she didn't have to. He called her.

The female stiffened as the call popped up on Miana gauntlet. If she had been a regular hunter, she would have been fine with it.

Her reaction only confirmed Miana's theory and her anxiety spiked. Beanie felt it, becoming uneasy himself. Not that he had liked the stranger much to begin with.

The female stepped back, a hand going to a weapon she most likely hid on the back of her belt.

Miana let the call go unanswered. Her eyes never left the female. She let her left arm go kind of limp, falling to the ground where she could easily reach for her extra sword or the dah'Nagara she had strapped just below it.