Private The Great Hunt - To Slay a Dragon

[Darakses]

One of the scavenged radio hubs, set up just outside one of the many gaping tunnel entrances of the Mithrax hive suddenly flicked with light. Normally a desolate dark barren section of the moon-sized asteroid it received a transmission from a distant galaxy that had somehow found its way to this hidden corner of the Outback.

Once comprehended the guards on duty at the time called for the head of the Pathfinders, the short voice transmission that had come through asking for him by name.
Which foreign creature could possibly know the true name of their Ex Hunter Eldest? Darakses himself was excited at the news, for he knew exactly who it was. There was only one other creature outside the Mithrax that he had ever shared this info with.

The Challenger had reached out.

He spent the better part of the day going over and over the short recording he had received. A location was shared, he was calling upon them. A hunt on a foreign planet, one just close enough for their new build fleet to reach. A world no Cha’ta’ri of their tribe had ever set foot on. A hunt for a creature no Cha’ta’ri of their tribe had ever seen. What a glorious prospect. The longing sensation that the herald Thesiks had described which stemmed from the spirit of collaboration once against visited his thoughts. It was that very same sensation that had led him to form the Pathfinders months ago when he realized the powerful potential of combining the different skills the guilds had to offer. To adapt was to survive, and the tribe had been prospering due to their new technological advances and fresh formats.

After hours of thought he returned deeper into the tunnels, he needed a Flyer to translate the coordinates and prepare the vessel. The Eldest would have to be informed, gear and forces would have to be readied. Darakses was sure this would be an ideal scenario for the newly founded guild to prove their value.

Within hours their halls were filled with crawling and climbing bodies, Farmers, Machinists, Hunters, and others were hurrying around. It would be the furthest distance any Mithrax ship had ever traveled. To the terrestrial sphere Tatooine. Information was already being gathered and a tribal briefing would commence to align and share knowledge. Some of them had already visited hotter environments others could not even visualize the idea of a “sand dune”.

When Darakses entered the gathered circle of insectoids, they fell into silence. Slowly at humming began that quickly intensified into a cascading clicking of mandibles. When his scarred but shining hide stepped into the center he began screeching in Cha’tar.

“WE ARE MITHRAX, WE ARE PATHFINDER, WE SET TRAIL INTO PLACE NO CHATARI KNOW, A TRAIL FOR ALL TO FOLLOW, WE BUILD MITHRAX FUTURE”

The stone halls erupted into a thunderous unified high-pitched shrieking.

“Twin Sisters, Dancer, Silence, Tounge, Askreta, Reader, Butcher, Spear Tip, Bovos, Blader, Lork, Naregen“ words formed of blades rustled along.

Six pathfinder warriors, two farmers, two machinists, two hunters. A strike team composed of different guilds as well as those with and without earned titles. The individuals rose from the horde into the same circle from which the towering Pathfinder Eldest had announced the journey.

The chosen ones.

Within 24 hours the Mithraxian drop-ship departed from their asteroid home into deep space. Onwards into the future.

Bovos Rocho

 

[Rocho]

Ah the Krayt Dragon, a magnificent beast, and an excellent target for the Great Hunt. What else would he choose? Rancors? Too easy to knock over. Though he did consider Sand Demon, they could be a bit more problematic for actually tracking. He was not particularly fond of doing that on Tattoine, the ever shifting sands made locating things incredibly problematic.

However, he wasn't foolish enough to attempt this alone. Though he considered bringing in his crew, they weren't really experienced in hunting beasts. They were out for sentient targets. But he did know of someone who might, Darakses and his people. They were an incredibly unusual race and he remembered them quite well, so well he'd named his modified ship after the name he used with them. The-Challenger, which he had brought. Though right now he was taking a gfv-2-scout-speeder for transportation. He had been scouting out the best of the Krayts for awhile now, one they could take down without killing but that would be worth a challenge. They wanted the creature alive, so it'd be alive. Whether they could keep it fed or not would be their problem. The problem of course, was making sure it was alive. 45 meters long, and 20 thousand kilograms, that was the average. Not enough. He aimed for one just a bit bigger.

Still, how to take it down? Impact? Poison? If he were to kill it, it would be an excellent fight. He had brought some additional equipment on his ship, but would discuss with Darakses when he arrived. He had also purchased a set of six bantha as bait. Some pre-emptive preparation was necessary, he wanted to hasten the process to the real fight. He was curious if they could beat the creature unconscious, it was brutish sure. But it would be a great score, and an excellent story to tell. Risk was involved there though, more than just to the hunters.

Well, he would see, more would be discussed when they arrived

Equipment:
The Beast
PS-1 Particle Shotgun in place of the hekler. (Extra ammunition on belt and legs.)
t-7-vibro-brace (left arm.)
g-11-shield-gauntlet (right arm)
Hekler'Kok LA-2 Light Armor (Isn't wearing shoes, helmet, or gloves.)
chalacta-ii-anti-matériel-rifle (in speeder)

Bovos Darakses

 

[Bovos]

Bovos was tinkering away on some mobile carbon freezers, they were sent to his workshop because of some minor malfunctioning. Working with machines brought him happiness but, the was only so many freezers that he could fix until it got dull.

It had been three years since Bovos went on an expedition outside of his tribes Asteroid field. But, it seemed this dry spell was going to meet an end. Bovos and all others were called to a gathering, rumours quickly spread that a new hunting party was being selected for an expedition on a distant planet. Once everyone gathered the great hunter eldest came through the crowd and all went silent, his dominant presence and intimidating physique trumped over all others making it easy to control the crowd. The gathering went on and on much was said about community and future but this did not entertain Bovos, he was waiting for the election of the hunting party.

The huntest eldest halted and within the second high pitch shrieking once again charged the stone halls. EachCha'ta'ri had something to say, Bovos chuckled to himself. Most of these people had no idea about the place they were going or even what they were doing yet they wanted to give their opinions on a matter that they had no information on. Bovos grew tired and was considering going back to his machines when the metallic, commanding clicking of the hunter eldest began spitting out names.

Names of hunters, pathfinders, farmers and the latest, mechanics were chosen. Reader and himself were chosen from the group of mechanics to accompany the hunter eldest on his journey. Another mission, another opportunity to prove his worth to the Mithrax.

Preparations were quickly being made, equipment loaded into ships, rations counted machinery checked, and so utilising the newly made mithraxian drop ships the chosen ones were going to leave the safety of their asteroid home and depart into the void of deep space.

The desert planet of Tatooine was incomparably far away if they would have used the old rust buckets that were available before Bovos and the mechanics designed the technologically advanced drop ships. Using the hyperdrive great distances were being traversed. The sight of the humungous sand planet astonished Bovos, on his travels he had seen a few planets but none as big as this one. This was sure to be a great hunt.

Darakses Rocho

 

[Darakses]

The technological advance and structuring of his people was a wondrous phenomenon to the Pathfinder Eldest. Even just the concept of having evolved their traditional roles into more sophisticated formations of different opinions and talents was an incredible sight to behold. To watch his brethren build complicated machinery, scrap and forge weapons, and even vessels capable to operate in the void of open space filled the matured Cha’ta’ri with endless pride. Under the leadership of the great Thesiks, the Mithrax were thriving into something entirely new.

Nothing to hold them down, nothing that could stop their advance, nothing that felt impossible to do.

Four of the Mithraxina drop ships jumped into hyperspace. There was no need to fall into the motionless stasis for the trip as it would only take a few hours to reach their destination for they were now traveling in hyperspace. Something that stunted Darakses who had first learned and then trained his hunters in this ability for the better part of the century.

So instead the group of insectoids were huddled together within the dark metal walls of the ship. Only the Flyers were moving, looking into blinking lights and levers as they monitored their course.

The Challenger had given them exact coordinates to reach and their journey was plotted to end just above the clouds of the desert planet. Darakses was excited, a rather strange concept for his kind. A mixture of bloodlust and a tingle for the hunt combined with the possibility of achieving yet another milestone for his people.

A few clicks and shrikes were exchanged in Cha’tar during the trip. There was not much to talk about, Cha’ta’ri were creatures of action, not words.

But a general relief could be felt as blue light suddenly flooded the inners of the dropships, having reached the orbit.

The darkness was lifted as the machines activated their external sensors projecting the visual of the world around them into its hull. The creatures inside began to stir, especially the Hunters and Pathfinders. It was in their nature to know their surroundings, understand what it could mean, and consider their actions in an unfamiliar environment.

A few minutes later they were on the ground, Darakses had decided against landing in the populated vicinity that The Challenger had purposed and instead they were now a few clicks south. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, accompanied only by the sand and sky.

A good chance to get to orientate themselves.

Using the same frequency with which they had been contacted under the guidance of a Machinist he sends Rocho their location letting him know they were close and moving towards the designated meeting spot, it was up to him if he wanted to intercept them before.

The Flyers stayed behind, capable of defending themselves and available as a backup if needed. Along with one of the Machinists who would direct the four mobile carbon freezers that were storing live nourishments for them in case they needed it. The rest of the group took up positions in a cone shape formation guns drawn, swords and daggers holstered. Wrapped in cloth hiding their second pair of arms, equipped with breathers they now disguised horde made their way. Eleven tall figures made their way across the dunes.

The intensity of the light quickly became an issue for a few of the more inexperienced Cha’ta’ri who had been used to the eternal darkens off their asteroid home. An easy fix, for now, was to hide their eyes behind ripped strings of cloth and simply hold on to those afflicted as they moved on. The group reached the populace faster than expected, a small outpost settlement of sort with minimal technologies, covered in huts and local forming.

Now, where was The Challenger?

Rocho Bovos

 

[Bovos]

Travel to the desert planet Tatooine did not take long. The flyers of the mithrax clan were adept users of the relatively new dropship. Mental walls that kept the Cha'ta'ri from advancing were being broken down as the ships approached the new lands, Thesiks truly was leading the Cha'ta'ri into an age of revolution and discovery.

Little could stop this brave troop of Hunters, Mechanics, Farmers and Pathfinders they were heading on a road of victory, Bovos could feel it.

The dark halls of the dropships only enlightened by the blue glow of the peering eyes was silent, all were awaiting the desired landing on Tatooine. Bovos had great respect for the flyers of the Mithrax clan, he knew how difficult it is to manage a ship of this calibre managing the oxygen pressure and heat levels of the outside atmosphere during the entrance sequence of the orbit. Little could train one for this kind of moment but the flyers stood their ground and eventually landed the dropship on the desserts of this strange planet.

Now was time for actions for the duo of mechanics.

The four drop ships landed in a squared formation having one ship in each corner, this was done to create a semi-safe area in the middle of the square. The dropship was equipped with standard laser canons that could prove beneficial if danger was detected. Following the landing of the ships all members of the crew exited the crafts.

Bovos, Reader and the two farmers quickly discussed the state of the mobile carbon freezers, these machines where goinging to keep us alive and on our feet during the hunt, Bovos was not planning to have his and the others fates be controlled by luck.

Prior to leaving the home base of the Mthrax clan Bovos crafted a tracking systems for the mobile carbon freezers that would send out a ping to his personal monitor, from wich he could control the movement of the machines.

Next communications had to be established in their small operation center, self made comlinks were handed out between Reader and Bovos. This way Bovos could stay in communication for when the mobile carbon freezers where needed and to keep the rest of the crew informed on the status of the mission.

Hunter Eldest Darakses ordered that the chalneger be contacted about their location and were they were going, this was no hard task given that they had previous frequency's with him. Bovos left the Hunter Eldest alone and gathered the rest of his equipment.

The heat was engulfing Bovos never before had he felt such extreme heat and fatigue. Rays of sunlight shining into his eyes giving him severe headaches like never before. The pain of the constant sun was excrusheating for Bovos normally he was used to darkness and cold halls of stone but this environment was new and irritating. His dense pungent sweat was dribbling down his face and arms cousing the occasional brease of sand to cling to his shell plated body. When walking through the sand Bovos felt like stepping on grinded asteoird ash, he would probably never get used to this feeling of a thousand hot marbles under him, even when walking he sometimes stumbled as he could not get a propper grip on this shifting surface.

Bovos was not enjoying this planet one bit.

On the walk towards civilization Bovos observed his soraunding just as all Cha'ta'ri did when coming to new places, Bovos cought the glimpse of a few local fauna like the small Scurrier and even the common Bantha hord.

Darakses Rocho

 

[Rocho]

The trandoshan looked at his communicator as he got an update of the coordinates. He moved into his speeder and took off towards the location. There new choice was not an issue, well, mostly. There was some concern in regards to un-prepped landing sites depending on the size and weight of their ships. This was a world of so much sand afterall, if you chose a spot that was too much of loose sand, you could easily burry some ships during a sandstorm.

He would arrive in the speeder fairly soon, stepping out onto the hot sand to see the considerable number of Cha'ta'ri, and their ships. This definitely gave a great deal more options when it came to taking down the beast. He gave a wave to the group, though he was primarily trying to feel for which one was the one he had spoken with before. Pinpointing a familiar presence through the force was rarely an issue. Still, perhaps best to call them out and introduce himself, should anyone not be aware.

In a fairly loud voice he called out, "I am Challenger. Known otherwise as Rocho Krul. You may want to make sure you've got properly solid ground, on Tattooine, you could just as easily have landed on nothing but loose sand, easily moved aside or covered over. I also wish to speak to the leader or leaders involved in this, or whoever it is we'll be discussing plans with. If we want this beast alive, it'll take some preperation."

Darakses Bovos

 

[Darakses]

Silence a young Pathfinder noticed it first. The slender dark grey Cha'ta'ri emitted a whistle-like sound that quickly caught the attention of his fellow kin.

The two twin sisters the second tallest insectoids in the pact hissed unified in Cha'tar, "Incoming". The majority of the nearly dozen Mithraxians lifted their slugthrowers in the direction of the speeder racing towards them.

That was until Darakses spotted the green hide of his old companion, with all four hands he gestured his people to lower their weapons, which they abided to momentarily.

The Challenger had arrived.

He looked a bit more rugged than how he envisioned him in memory but overall a healthy green coated his scales, his claws were ferociously long and he was armed to teeth. Just the way he liked it.

The group listened to his words before Darakses easily identified as the largest of those present stepped forth ripped his helmet off letting it drop into his lower off-hand and released an incredibly high-pitched shriek. Silence befell the desert before the Eldest continued "Challenger, it has been long time, it is good to see you" His voice was that of knives to a chalkboard, and while nearly incomprehensible he had been practicing his basic in secret for over two years now. He turned to his people, some of whom had been surprised by their leader's sudden actions, and spoke now in Cha'tar.

"This is the Challenger, a guild Hunter of the Mithrax, a great hunter among his own people, and a past warrior of great tribes beyond, your shall treat him as you treat your brothers and sisters, he will lead our hunt to victory"

Coughing loudly from having breathed too much of this irregular air he slipped back into his headpiece. The many red-eye-like lenses flickering to life.

Now the robotic translator voice replaced his own as he guided his people towards the newcomer.

"Challenger, we are happy to receive news from you, we will hunt aside you, we will lend you all our strength. Now tell us, Challenger, there is a hunt that lays before us yes" Rocho would be reminded of the species lack of actually raising questions even when they meant to do exactly that. "Tell us all about it"

At first hesitant, most of the fellow Cha'ta'ri would at this point be gathered around them, while a few went back to check the ships after having received the warning by their newfound brethren. Especially the Flyers were on their toes as well as the Mechanics who would hate to see their creation damaged through a simple mistake.

The others mostly Hunters, Pathfinders were eagerly awaiting to hear about what it was that they would be doing on the planet so full of heat and sand.

 

[Bovos]

A small and speedy vessel approached the expedition group, something they had not expected so soon. It was nearing the landing zone at an incredible rate, at such high speeds Bovos would have expected it to come from space crafts. The Cha'ta'ri machinist was fascinated that such a small machine could operate in this terrain and still move at increasingly fast speeds. The creature commanding the strange machine was a green-scaled reptilian. After arriving the beast stepped out of his elegant craft he introduced himself as the Challenger. Although the newcomer spoke in galactic basic Bovos could understand a bit as he himself has prior knowledge of this language.

It was quickly established that his being was going to accompany us on this great hunt, something Bovos did not mind as more members meant faster hunting. Additionally, the newcomer brought news of imminent danger to the Cha'ta'ri dropships. Sand so loose it would swallow the ship whole was endangering the spacecraft and its crew, Bovos immediately reacting commanded Reader and the Flyers to check the hell sent sand for its stability.

The machinist was shattered, how could he have forgotten such an important factor to this mission. "THE SAND, THIS DAM SAND ALL IT DOES IS ANOY, YES" Bovos was loud when talking to himself. His voice sounding furious and direct yet keeping the menacing screeching sound of Cha'tar language, accompanied by the rapid clicking of his mandibles clearly showed his disposition to his obvious mistake. Soon after Reader came back with a report for Bovos. "Askreta's ship stands on loose sand Bovos, Yes, The ship is slowly sinking and she fears of losing it to the sand, Yes" Reader spoke directly to the mechanist, his voice fitting to the dire situation. An immediate response was now forced of Bovos.

The safest solution would be to reposition the whole camp closer to a civilized area with more solid sand but this would take too much time and resources from the Cha'ta'ri. Bovos had neither time nor resources to act upon his first idea and so he orders Askreta's ship to be moved a few meters back where the sand was denser. This was not the safest action but only time would tell if Bovos choice was the correct one.

Crisis overrated and the tech fanatic could go back to inspecting the newcomer's marvellous craft of extreme speed. It was hovering over the scorching sand that had caused Bovos and the others numerous problems. This vehicle was incredibly advanced compared to the Cha'ta'ri fleet, its hovering technology allowed for it to nullify any terrain difficulties. Its incredible speed and manoeuvrability allowed for fast scouting and movement of troops Bovos was overflowing with intrigue, if it was up to him he would take apart this masterpiece to learn all the secrets that the outside frame hides from gawking eyes.

Darakses Rocho

 

[Rocho]

Rocho nodded his head in agreement as he met with Darakses, this species was very odd but he found their culture and species intriguing, but more importantly it was their skill that could not be denied. They were reliable enough for such a task he believed fully. Admittedly, the sound of the Cha'ta'ri speaking was not remotely pleasant...but he wasn't unfamiliar with dealing with strange languages. At least this one even spoke basic. However odd of a way it was.

And there it was, after he had addressed his people, not that Rocho knew what he said, they came to the matter at hand. The Hunt. "We have one alright. I'm not sure if you're familiar, but." He brought out a holo-projector that would bring up a reading of an estimation of the Krayt Dragon's size he was pursuing, with what details he could gather such as how tough its hide should be, it's relative speed, its venom, estimations on its senses, and more information on its location and movement patterns. "This is the target, a Krayt Dragon. They're massive, and taking one in alive is a bit of a shot in the dark. They'll shred land speeders easily and right now I can't think of any space-bound sentient that could stand up to them unarmed. Even Rancor's are arguably easier to deal with. Most blaster fire won't do anything without eye shots, their hide is just too tough. Could possibly get to it with some heavy snipers, and explosives are feasible ways of killing it. But we want it alive. Hence the need of a team. We're going to need to knock it out, somehow. But we'll need something powerful to deliver it unconscious. Standard stunning weapons just won't cut it. This isn't going to be a fast set up, we may need to bring in what we'll use. Sonic cannons, or powerful electric nets, alternatively we could attempt heavy sedation. But given how powerful its venom is if you try orally, that's risky too. I have considered that we could try and brute force it into unconsciousness, beating its head. That's plausible, if somewhat risky in regards to keeping it alive." He laid it all out, it wasn't a simple one choice plan. There were a lot of variables. He knew he couldn't do it alone and he knew that Darakses was quite competent. Rocho was so much more used to taking down his prey when it came to beasts, getting one alive was rough.

He did tilt his head to the side as he noticed Bovos looking at the speeder, he wasn't sure if he'd understand him but he called out anyway, "If you're interested, we can see about finding you something similar. Can't have mine, but it's an open market model. Feasible we could get you one pretty easily. After this job is done that is."

Bovos Darakses

 

[Rul Tondar]

Sorry wrong account

 

[Bovos]

The newcomer spoke directly towards Bovos, he could understand some of the things he was saying but the machinist was mostly confused as to why he approaches Bovos.

The idea of buying something did not exist in Cha'ta'ri culture the most that they did was trading, but even this was rare as all things were shared amongst their tribe members. Bovos was pondering about what the Challenger spoke but no amount of thinking made the spoken words make sense to him. The confused Cha'ta'ri understood that the green lizard spoke of his speeder and giving him a speeder as well, but he also understood that the newcomer was not willing of sharing his speeder with Bovos. This was not the way of the Cha'ta'ri, this was not the way he would expect newcomers to behave.

Bovos thought to himself that he did not need to rely on outsiders he was going to make his own speeder, make it even better and faster than the one used by Challenger.

Nevertheless, the rude nature of the latest hunter Bovos held back as there were more pressing matters to attend to. The lizard spoke of the target for their hunt and he gave ideas of how to hunt it. Additionally, strengths and weaknesses were shared with the group of Cha'ta'ri. Strong scales, large body, and the power to destroy any unarmed creature, however explosives and electricity would work against this beast according to Rocho.

It was a rare occasion that a large collection of Cha'ta'ri worked together with an outsider who did not talk their language and there was a reason for this. Communication is a substantial component of a hunt. The Mithrax members who were huddled around Rocho were clicking and throwing confused looks at each other whilst the lizard spoke and, a long time after. The hologram was a scary picture, never before have they seen this three-dimensional technology. Understanding that the hologram was no threat but only an image of the monster they were hunting took some time but Bovos tried his best not to lash out in frustration.

Many of the other Cha'ta'ri were puzzled as to what was conversed because of the language barrier, Bovos tried his best to translate but he himself was not always sure of what was being said. The translator in his helmet was of great use yet, because of the limited Cha'tar vocabulary the translator was unable to give an accurate reading. Words and objects such as speeders, sentient, rancors, blasters, sonic cannons and sedation were not part of Cha'tar vocabulary as such Bovos could not translate or understand them, this barrier between the newcomer and the Cha'ta'ri would make for a difficult time but with clear explanations, the machinist was sure things would work out.

Out of the three ideas given to take out the beast Bovos most understood the concept of using an electric net of sorts to blow high amounts of voltage through the dragon's body. The difficulty was that such technology was not available for the group, however, what they did have where the electro vibroblades. These weapons were able to dish out large volumes of electric power maybe even enough to incapacitate the Krayt Dragon.

The vibroblades could be utilised as an electric output on the Krayt Dragon additionally because each member of the group had at least two of the blades the electric output would surely be enough to fry the dragon into a state of unconsciousness. The problem now was wherever on the body would the beast have to be stuck in order for the blades to do their work and would the output be enough.

Rocho Darakses

 

[Darakses]

His people were in awe at the sight of the holo projected creature, the Pathfinder Eldest believed to be looking at the image of some sort of serpent reptilian. He had only heard the word "Dragon" once before describing ancient creatures of fiction, in a book he had picked up during the raid on a mining vessel.

Back then it seemed like something quite legendary to him, and Rocho introducing them to one now seemed like the start to a legendary hunt that would soon be underway.

His kin was confused and astounded at the prospect but Darakses brought order into their ranks addressing them all in Cha'tar "Hunters, Machinists, Pathfinders, Flyers, Farmer our brother the Challenger has called us on to this place of hot sand to hunt a mighty creature. He believes only us capable enough to hunt this dragon, we will prove him right"

Similar to Bovos, the experienced Cha'ta'ri quickly came to the conclusion that their electric weapons would play a key role in subduing their prey.

As the rest of the dozen insectoids rallied Darakses explained to his Trandoshan friend "We wield blades infused with great electric currents, strong... very strong, flesh to ash, enough attacks will break this dragon will"

He drew one of his own from its buckle at his side and unsheathed the long sword. Handing it to his fellow Hunter he quickly showed him its functionalities, and just how far up he could turn the output.

"Battery can drain quickly if high voltage, we only have one.... maybe two tries" the robotic sound blurting out of the little voice box in his helmet seemed neither happy nor sad instead it delivered his words in a very neutral tone.

The gigantic creature gave off a set of clicks and the two Machnisits knew his next words would be directed at them "Brothers, we will use the blades to paralyze the prey, they must all function, check them" an order they would follow promptly.

His attention returned to rest upon his old friend, "Challenger, let us make camp here tonight, we will set up guards and plan out the attack and then ride out in the morning"

As much as it was an invitation it was also an order and the rest of the group which understood quickly turned to make preparations.

Those that had knowledge of the sand begun sharing it with those that did not, the Flyers helped unpack the necessary equipment and Hunters drew lines and decided on guard duties. Pathfinders and unnamed began digging a huge hole into the side of a dune. The Farmers prepared their meal. Rocho would be reminded about the Cha'ta'ris terrific act of nourishment when from one of the large refrigerator-like walkers a carbonite encased humanoid was thawed and then thrown into the bottom of the now over seven-meter deep hole. This continued until three sedated beings laid in the pit. One by one a member of the hunting party would descend and take a bite out of one of them, and Rocho too would be motioned to take a turn if he so desired.

The victims shook and twitched at times but non ever woke as their natural poisonous sedative kept them calm and in a deep trance despite being ripped apart bit by bit.

As the temperature would fall and night would settle Rocho was invited to sit inside the feeding pit near the bottom alongside Darakses the Twin Sisters which he might remember as the two that flagged their leader last time they met and another large specimen.

Together they would discuss the hunt ahead, Darakses thought him about the Cha'ta'ri tactics, how they moved and when they struck. And in return expected knowledge on what to expect from the behavior of their prey.

At some point when all was clear and a plan had been formed they would take some time to rest.

When the sun rose at the horizon it would be greeted by a sight of thirteen hunters casting their shadows farther and farther as they began the first phase of their plan.

Rocho Bovos

 

[Rocho]

Rocho watched. He was a little disappointed in that he saw their lack of understanding. He didn't hold it against him, but it definitely had its dangers in a situation like this. Rocho was used to basic, Huttese, and Dosh. But just as he lacked their language, they lacked his. And that posed a threat in a fight. It meant it was all the more vital they prepare this plan properly, and hopefully the issues that could arise would be dealt with appropriately as they came. There was only so much one could prepare for.

He listened, they wanted to use their blades. That had potential, he hadn't used a method like that before. Electricity was definitely an option. Once the creature was unconscious, it wouldn't be too hard to ensure it stayed that way with oral or injected sedatives until they could get in a pickup. He looked at the blade as Darakses explained nodding in agreement, "Agreed. I believe that could potentially work. Naturally the best place is the head and spine. But it may be easier for the current to flow at its belly where there's less armor." he added.

He again nodded at the talk to stay for the night, "I will likely retrieve equipment from my ship first but I will return."

That would not be a long process thanks to the speeder. His return would remind him of not only their animalistic nature, but the requirement of that nature. Some sentients in the galaxy did not feed for the same purposes. Naturally, Rocho himself was far more prone to meat. Even fresh meat. He was a hunter after-all. Sentients however, those were rarely on that menu. He wandered how the galaxy would react, if ever they attempted a treaty. Not that such a thing was an option.

When prompted to eat, her raised a hand and shook his head, "Not my hunt, prey, or meal." he said simply. That was perhaps just a justification for not partaking. However little he wanted to judge them, there was still something in him that cried in disgust at the thought of eating sentients he wasn't an enemy with.

He would get more into his element however upon the talk with the twins and Darakses. He listened intently on their own tactics and shared all he knew about how most of these dragons acted, and what he had observed from this particular dragon. While hardly differing, knowing its particular routes and aggression or attention rates could help discern their next courses of action. He also warned them of the Tusken Raiders, while inferior in technology, they could be aggressive and dangerous at times. And that sandstorms could cause a serious disruption in plans.

A plan was made. And it was time to rest.

He did not rest deeply, his sleep was light. His senses on alert. Even were he not on a hunt, and not on Tatooine of all places, he was in the presence of beings that ate sentients. And Challenger or not. There would likely always be some semblance of concern in him in their presence.

Bovos Darakses

 

[Bovos]

Dawn broke over the Cha'ta'ri camp as the last preparations were being completed. Last night was information-packed as Rocho further shared his knowledge about the prey, news such as the location and points of interest were shared. The time for talking was over and the group Cha'ta'ri made their move on the dragon. As the dropships were loaded up with carbon freezers and other tools Bovos and Reader took one last look at the electro vibroblades, these weapons would have to be at their best when the action began and the Machinists would do their best to contribute to this. The two workers were efficient in their examination and worked quickly as to not slow down the departure time. All preparations were now complete, the Cha'ta'ri had boarded their vessels and the Challenger was on his speeder waiting for flight as one last gaze upon their campsite confirmed the completion of their departure

The clicking and buzzing of mandibles once again filled the fully packed hulls of the ships. Rocho advised the Cha'ta'ri dropships as to the whereabouts of the Krayt Dragon making it possible for the Challenger and the hunters to travel independently to the target location. The flight would take a while and the vessels would have to be aware of their distance to the ground in order to not alert the beast to their approach. With only a few hours left until they would be set off against a monstrosity of immense power. The Cha'ta'ri kept their cool and went through the plan in their heads. These insectoids might not be the most intelligent but if there's one thing that they can do with incredible finesse it is hunting, their bodies were designed for it and their minds required it to stay satisfied. In a rare moment of silence, all members of the hunting party were motionless with their eyes closed. One could think the ship was empty and deserted as it cruised over the harsh desert of Tatooine.

The flight was coming to a close and the clicking began again, last conversations were held and luck was wished amongst the crew. These creatures were not the kind to grief but they cared for each other. Cha'ta'ri held each other as family and treated each other as such. Bovos and the rest knew that not all would return from this battle there rarely was an occasion where this could be said.

Bovos was warry of this mission, having to fight in an unknown territory against a hairless beast that could topple the whole spacecraft was a tricky situation. However, he did not dread the battle as no Cha'ta'ri feals fear towards a hunt of any kind. The group would have to be on high alert as they fought their number were limited and so was their equipment on this burning desert planet. The drop zone was now near and the insectoids readied their blades as war cries continued roaring, fueling the hearts of the troops with dignity and hope for the upcoming battle.

The dropships opened their hatches and one by one the Cha'ta'ri descended gracefully onto the soft but burning sand ground. A once empty area was now bustling with fiercely armed Cha'ta'ri ready to topple a Krayt Dragon.

Rocho Darakses

 

[Rocho]

They had a plan, and it wasn't a bad one. Their electrical blades would do most of the work. Rocho would try and keep everything on track. He doubted he needed to worry too much about injuring the creature, even if his weapons drew blood it was allowed to be injured. Course he wouldn't want to maim it, but it'd take a rather sizable amount of effort to accomplish that. He'd travel off ahead of the Cha'ta'ri on his speeder. Keeping distance but surveying the area and ensuring that they did have the dragon at its location. It was hold up in its lair, he could tell it was awake. Though it looked to be resting.

While he doubted the krayt had much to fear, he still presumed it'd wake up and move into action once it sensed the presence of others. Whether as prey or trouble. He went to the landing zone and watched as the Cha'Ta'Ri came in on their ships. This was going to be interesting at the least. And most importantly, it had the chance for him to die. It provided a legitimate threat, and a legitimate challenge. This was what he was here for, not just rewards or reputation. Challenge was most important.


(OOC: Really sorry how short this is, could not figure out anything more to add really)
Bovos Darakses

 

[Darakses]

Nothing but sand, a whole world of it. Darakses had seen lush forests, and industrial super cities but even for him this was a first. It was comparable with the empty landscapes of the moons and asteroids he had grown up on but there was more life to it. One had to fight here, it was a place of survival. What lived here would not go down easy.

He watched the dunes race across the horizon as the scow ships beamed across the desert. But soon enough the Flyers screeched for their attention. They had arrived at the drop site. From here their hunt would continue afoot.

The Pathfinder eldest raised his four arms and gestured his brothers and sister to jump. And so they did, plunged themselves from the hovering vessels.

He watched carefully as this kin reassembled in a formation below. He was the last to leap. For a few seconds, the insectoid remembered the sensation of weightlessness, of floating, just him at the endless void, the silence... He hit the ground and sprung up, his massive body hurling itself through the air with tremendous strength.

A horde of almost half a dozen hulking monsters charged forward following their Eldest as he ascended the massive wall of sand before them.

On the other side was a hole, a tremours hole. A hole seemingly so deep yet so wide that even in this searing sunlight its entrance was entirely hidden by darkness.

This was the home of their prey, and it was here they would trap it. Apparently, this creature had incredible senses able to detect even the slightest of vibrations from movement in the sand. For now, it should sleep but if they were to surprise it they would have to wake it. The bigger half of the group circled around the entrance drawing their blades, they would be its downfall. The group consisting mostly of Pathfinders would just have to get a good vantage point from which they could flank the beast. It was almost like hunting Purrgil.

Meanwhile, The Challenger, Darakses, and the Machinists as well as some Hunters stayed behind, they were busy assisting one of the massive walkers to climb the sand dune from which they looked upon the cave. Once it made the journey more hand sings were exchanged between the two groups before toppling the large machine down the other side directing it right into the mouth of the deep dark pit.

At first nothing, no sound, just sand. Then the earth erupted. The ground under their feet gave way promptly vanishing into the same hole. The dune seemed to collapse as from its depth accompanied by a terrible quake a massive worm ripped forth. At least that's the closest he could compare it to. The experienced hunter made sure to focus all four of his arachnid-like eyes on the shape of the behemoth before him.

A dragon...what was it they used? Legendary...

A truly massive set of fangs lined the creature's jaws, a thick hide of reptilian cartilage shielded it from harm. The Challenged had warned them about this, it was at the belly they would have to strike. Darakses focused back on the battle, "GET UP THE HILL" he screamed through a sequence of booming clicks off his mandibles and so they did each of the Cha'ta'ri fleeing the flood of rolling earth trying to pull them down. The hide of the serpent was pointed at the group, he could make out its split eyes, trembling in anger at its disturbance. When it opened its mouth it roared in a fearsome manner, as if to remind these mortals of the sin they had committed waking it. In response, it would only receive pain, as the Hunters on the other side of the slope had quickly changed plans and drawn their heated slugthrowers. Darkses hissed under his breath, yes it looked terrifying and adaption was important but they had better stick to the plan. Instead, the group of six opened fire at the back of the dragon, bombarding it with boiling shards of metal splinters. Quickly the sound of burning flesh was in the air as the warriors emptied their mags one shot at the time.

The Pathfinder eldest spun around and signaled his men to move, he drew two large vibroblades from the sheath at his side, and with a fast-paced clicking sound charged down into the pit attempting to circle the over 20meter tall beast before him.


Rocho Bovos

 

[Bovos]

Ancient, majestic, fierce and large all words which could describe the beast that emerged from the dark hole. Bovos could not believe his eyes once he caught a glimpse of his prey the creature was more than he could have ever envisioned. The Krayt dragon looked to be at a toppling 20 meters of length and the beast had yet to reveal its entire body. Dragons were not recognised beings in the Cha'ta'ri world but the sound itself seemed like a representation of what Bovos was staring at. A scale blanketed body protecting its vulnerable and soft skin a mouth crowned with blades that were the size of growing Cha'ta'ri, looking sharp enough to cut through planets. Unlike most creatures the insectoids have battled, the Krayt dragon had insignificantly small eyes to the side of his skull however small for this reptile was nevertheless larger than most things. The absence of any sort of hair surely was indicating the royal power this creature was holing over the scorching wasteland planet and its weak incumbents.

Although the dragon was of extensive power and size the insectoids did not fear their prey, they acknowledged that this was not their regular hunt and that the beast was a predator on this planet. This however would not stop the eager hunters in their path to victory. Everything that the Cha'ta'ri did was for the good of the tribe, their lives were only of importance if they could support their brothers and sisters, as such all tribe members knew that even if a battle is won it does not matter if some died on the path. Onse life was only in existence to further the hive.

As the scorching sun rained down on the hardened body of the Cha'ta'ri time seemed to stand still as all gazed upon the Krayt dragon as it emerged from its dark sand layer. Bovos and a small number of insectoids stood upon the sandhill allowing them to overlook the soon to be battlefield, gazing far and wide all Bovos could see was the endless seas of burning sand. He was once again distracted for a bit as he gazed off into the distance missing a crucial first attack from the mythic dragon. Its enormous maw unfolded once again displaying its ravenous fangs. After roaring at the Cha'ta'ri positioned close to its position the serpent ejected out a high share of its corrosive saliva, an attack that the hunters were not prepared for, as the acidic liquid touched their unyielding shells they dissolved with unimaginable velocity. The attack claimed the lives of two Cha'ta'ri who acted sluggish enough for the attack to transform their bodies. The pain was immense but the fallen did not scream in order to gout with honour.

Snapping out of his gaze into the distance Bovos quickly acted, he could not stand and watch as his brothers and sisters fought the beast without him he needed this battle to once again prove his might to the tribe. He suggested a few troops relocate in order to keep them from being in the range of the acid attack. He drew his weapons, four vibroblades as instructed were resting in his hands ready to unleash their elective voltage straight into the Krayt dragon when the time came.

Rocho Darakses

 

[Rocho]

The process had started well, but they hadn't even gotten yet to the fighting. Though it didn't take long before the creature loomed before them, its body making the sands shake and Rocho feel that feeling somewhere between excitement and fear. But the idea of running, freezing, those were feelings not felt here. No this was what he was here for. The fact it could threaten his life and so many others was exactly the reason it was so important to do this. It had proven itself a worthy target in its years in this sand world. It had probably taken plenty of lives before them, they were renowned and feared for a reason. And here they were to take it. To prove that not only were they quite able to kill it, but that they could capture it. Something ever so much harder for a beast like this.

And the engagement began, the creature roared, and Darakses and his people began the assault. However, Rocho did not have the same set of vibro-blades. His presence could however serve other purposes, aside from the aid in preparation. He leapt to get himself clearly in view of the creature and drew in a deep breath, his voice massively empowered by the force, though less than possible as he wasn't keen on damaging his allies, just drawing the creatures attention by the sound of it as it echoed across the dunes. It did seem to set its eyes on him, and he moved. He had to keep its attention away from those that would end up doing the genuinely useful attack with the vibroblades. And give them as many chances as possible for that.

He leapt forwards through the air towards it landing nearby it. He tried to keep it as steady as possible but it already again released that acid towards him as it had done to the others. He could only evade, leaping upwards to avoid it and to land on the creatures head, for a moment he considered staying there. But only a moment. He could feel in that first second the strength of it, how its head moved, what little effort it would be for it to kill him if he were not extremely careful. He was off its face again, trying to not move to far away or too close. Trying also not to go to far to either said that he could off-set any of the movements of the Cha'ta'ri. It was not exactly the safest plan, but it wasn't supposed to be. The safest plan would have been the construction of a massive contraption. But such a feat was one of builders and money, not something that proved ones worth like he wanted to.

Naturally the creature would move as it snapped or swiped at him, meters at a time. But it was nothing compared to the speed it could get to if it really wanted to. He could feel his own fear, and feel his own determination to see this through. Fear is not something to obey, it is something to prove wrong.

Darakses Bovos

 

[Darakses]

The sharpened blade of his electricity-charged sword ripped into the thick protective cartilage covering the worm-like monstrosity. Argh, not deep enough...

Darakses quickly lunged himself away from the center of the pit from which the gigantic dragon had emerged. He needed a better opening. Before he could react, the preditor retaliated, proving to them once and for all why it was the apex predator of the desert. He watched in frustration as Lork and Naregen two titleless Pathfinder initiates fell apart, melted by the acid attack. They simply hadn't been fast enough, now they were but a puddle of gore in the sand.

The Pathfinder Eldest didn't have the time to mourn, instead, the Challenger now pushed into his line of sight, meters above the ground the reptilian released a tremendous roar which abruptly captured the attention of the enormous hide of their prey. The Cha'ta'ri alpha knew he needed to make most of this opportunity.

"Pathfinders on me" he shrieked in Cha'tar. Silence and Blader two ex-hunters and experienced warriros were quickly by his side. The trio of hulking insectoids once again readied their blades, and the crackling bursts of electricity running from hilt to tip sprung to life. The synergy between the three became apparent once they charged, these were hunters that had fought together, killed together, learned together.

Darakses took the lead, pacing ahead of the others that were just shortly behind him, they raced along the walls of the pit seemingly chasing the same side of the beast on which the others had fired the superheated bullets previously. Darakses had a hunch. Which in the case of a predator such as himself translated into cold, sharp instinct. The blue fire-like glow in his otherwise black eyes jotted hence and forth until they locked onto the wounds afflicted by their prior attacks. The near liquid bullets had carved barely visible lines into the thick hide of the Krayit Dragon. He propelled his massive body into the air with inhuman strength, directly towards the hulking beast. His two offhands grabbed onto its back and with incredible reflex and precision, he slid the notorious hunter blades deep into the creature. Only to once again lunge himself away and onto the top of the sandbanks. Silence was next mimicking his eldest as his arachnid-like body latched onto their prey and sunk his swords into the already weakened cartilage armor. Blader, known for incredible swordsmanship even among the hunters, launched across the serpents back and without the need to hold on he spun around and used the momentum to drive the swords as deep as he could into the monster, soaring past it into safety moments later.

With all three of them successfully making it out of the pit they made it just in time to witness the dragons suffering. The high ampere voltage of electricity now being inflicted onto its inners must have been incredibly painful. it roared in a terrifying manner, as it thrashed about and wiggled its massive body causing a second collapse of the dunes around them as well as releasing another spray of acidic liquid into the sky letting it rain down on its attackers.

They needed to get out of the blast zone before reforming for a second attack.

Bovos Rocho

 

[Bovos]

The battle was ongoing and Bovos was in the middle of it. A hunt that would separate the weak from the strong the hunted from hunters and the scared from the brave.

The Pathfinders and their eldest were already leading a counter-attack to the gruesome Krayt dragon and its scaled body. Those Cha'ta'ri were the perfect warriors, a collection of the best and brightest Cha'ta'ri have to offer. To kill is their instinct and their lifetimes have been formed by doing exactly that, a quote the eldest often use when talking about this troop of killers. They truly inspired the machinist and the other Cha'ta'ri as they lead the first assault on the beast. Moreover, they proved that this was our prey and not the opposite as they struck it deeply with their electric blades causing it to cry in agony.

The insectoids were observing carefully as the pathfinders struck at the thick hide of the dragon, the plan was in action and know they had a target area to focus on. Because of the combined forces of the fallen Cha'ta'ri and the recent assault on the dragon an opening was created in the nearly indestructible armour of the lizard-like monster. Bovos and a few others around him prepared for the second wave of assault but the Krayt dragon had other plans, its recent suffering caused it to rearrange its body. Its massive body moved mostly down below but its movements caused sand dunes to collapse around them, adding to the already moving terrain it began raining acid as the dragon ejected the substance from its maw. The insectoids all had to relocate and re-evaluate their environment as it was constantly changing due to the dragon. Being the experienced hunters allowed the majority to come out without getting hurt. Reader was an ill-fated casual to the shower and acid splattered all over his right arm almost immediately burning the flesh and bones from his body, his arm was gone in an instant and his body filled with pain as he collapsed to the ground gripping his stump of an arm. The suffering machinist was not the best hunter but he was a friend to Bovos he was a person worth saving because of his mind. He quickly leapt forwards grabbing his friend and dragging him into a safe zone where he would be out of danger. Readers mind was strong but his body was weak as he fell unconscious due to the extensive suffering.

Bovos rallied some surrounding Cha'ta'ri who were lost in their actions they needed someone to follow and for the moment he could be that person. He promptly informed them that they were to do exactly the same as the pathfinders and only act if they were certain to strike the beast. Once again they were preparing their blades and one after another they raced towards the colossal sand lizard. Bovos was at the front he moved swiftly on the scorching sand and propelled himself forwards using his ridiculous strength that all Cha'ta'ri possessed. Almost flying through the air Bovos seemed weightless for a small moment in time. His blades struck the weakening hide of the dragon and burst out its electric energy hoping to have created some pain the insectoid then, rapidly let go and propelled himself back to the ground awaiting the results. Moments after the next Cha'ta'ri went atop the dragon mimicking the movements of the previously victories Pathfinder eldest. Two more followed both thrusting their vibroblades at the dragon's weak spot and realising the electric current. All the attackers were swift and precise in their movements allowing them to survive for just a few more hours.

The dragon was now seriously hurt and nearing its demise. But so were some of the Cha'ta'ri, this was a battle of endurance and only the strong would come out of this untouched. The weak are now being severed and only the powerful will remain.

Rocho Darakses