I boarded the ship, soon after my trained boarded the ship with me, along with the box of gear.
We took off and went to a jungle planet, UGH, I hated jungle planets, but if I was going to prove my worth, I would do it.
My trainer approached me and opened my box, he then said something that almost knocked me off my teeny little feet.
"Pick 5, basics are not included in addition with your 5, choose wisely"
I was taken aback and looked at him kind of with a "wtf!?!?!" face.
"You heard me, choose quick, your pod is almost ready"
I stood there, dazed by what my trainer just said, I picked the bio-mask of course, but the rest ... I didn't know what NOT to bring, there was so MUCH I relied on. I picked up medi-comp, wristblades, and combi-stick next. I had one selection left.
I debated between cloak and sonic mines. I ended up choosing sonic mines, hoping I wouldn't regret it later.
The Drone:
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I got into my pod, and my trainer wished me luck, I responded "I hope I don't need any".
I went down to the surface and hopped out, instantly regretting my decision to not bring a cloak, or armor for that matter, I felt exposed ... and alone.
I started head from tree to tree in the jungle, heading towards the temple. I then spotted a drone, the weakest one of the hive, I didn't like these drones, they were too ... easy, I jumped in front of it, and somehow ... didn't surprise it.
It hissed at me and lashed it's tail at me. I dodged and took out my wrist-blades and slashed it across it's sleek head, it roared and scrambled away, but I let it go, hoping it would return with friends.
Unfortunately, little did I know, it came back with a lot more than I expected.
The waiting part of hunting prey:
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I sat in wait, waiting for the "reinforcements" to come back, as I knew they would. It was then that something hit me in the back of the head, furious, I spun around and came face to face ... with a monkey. I sighed and retracted my wristblades as the monkey laughed, then scampered away for some reason.
"Ugh" I thought, I never liked waiting, hunting, more like waiting to be honest, it was the most ... interesting experience. Little did I know, that about 8 xenos were coming over the hill.
About 10 seconds later I brushed myself off, still annoyed at the stupid monkey that made me panic, and turned on my EM vision, and to my horror I saw at least 8 xenos were over the hill. I knew I had to run, but where? the xenos will just follow me.
I had to make a decision, FAST.
I had heard from my trainer that xenos draw off of the acid in their blood. It was what basically powered them. I made the decision to fight. Though reckless, I didn't really have a choice in the matter, since they were determined on killing me, and they could run forever, and I could not.
The little ones:
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I dropped down and took out my combi-stick, I had spent some time making sharp edges on the forward 1/3 length of the stick out of rock from the jungle while I waited, so that I could slice when in combat, unfortunately I knew that they would be short lasted, since they lacked the semi-acid resistance of the spear and wrist-blades.
The first xeno came up to me, and pounced, a simple mistake for a young runner like itself. I impaled it with my combi-stick as it came near me, acid sizzling as it cried out ... dying. The same with 2 other runners happened, though a a black one sprinted behind me as it tried to slash me with it's tail as it sprinted past me, I dodged easily.
I looked up and saw 4 hunters surrounding me, thinking to myself "cjit" as 2 from opposite sides converged, I ducked, but left my combi-stick there, as both the hunters crashed into one another, spilling acid all over my UNARMORED body, AND the bladed combi-stick. They bled acid, sizzling away the edges I had quickly. I turned and extended my wristblades, just in time to stab the hunter there right in the ... neck? I didn't have time to debate, It died, and I turned to the recovering 2 as the 4th on the other side pushed the middle.
I charged and slashed the two hunters on either side, killing them, and I let the 4th one pounce me. I immediately struggled to get it off, but without success, panicking, I kicked with all my strength in my legs, and to my surprise, made the hunter practically fly off of me.
I got up quickly and slashed the hunter twice, killing it. Little to my knowledge, slowly dissolving my wristblades.
The Duel of Lives:
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I turned to the remaining 2 xenos, and I was horror-struck. One was a crusher, and one was a fucking ravager. I immediately started running in fear, but quickly began to realize ... it was no use. I silently dropped a sonic mine set for 2 seconds, the lowest detonation timer, and closed my eyes and turned the bio-mask to anti-sonic mode. I heard a slight bang, and turned around, the xenos were stunned!
I wasted no time, and charged the ravager first, as he was the most agile and quick to change directions, I impaled it and almost cut it's neck, but it's chitin armor saved it, enraged, it swung it's tail and claws wildly. I then slashed at it's legs, making it bleed out to death as it screamed. I turned, but not in time as the crusher had already recovered, backed up, and charged me.
I dashed out of the way, but not in time. It hit my lower left torso and I felt something utterly SHATTER in my leg. Screaming in pain as I crumpled to the ground, face first, I hate crushers. I got up and faced the crusher, left leg crumpling under the weight as I fell again to the ground and the crusher charged. I got up and jumped up and extended my wristblades to slash it.
Nothing came out of the wristblade sockets except for a bunch of sizzling hot metal as the blades themselves, detached from my wrists. I was once again, horror struck as the crusher charged me again, this time, I made a dash for my combi-stick.
Grabbing it as the crusher narrowly misses me, I crumple to the ground in pain, just inches from my combi-stick.
"No" I thought "No, this is NOT HOW I WILL END!!!" I crawled to the combi-stick, and grabbed it. The crusher then ran me over, breaking my left arm.
"CJIT" I screamed. It hurt ... so much. The acid, the broken bones, the pain. Then something inside me started filling me up with hate ... something I had never felt.
I crawled to a futile position as I braced for the next charge, holding my combi-stick clumsily. Something broke free inside as pure rage engulfed me, pain almost completely gone ... though unable to get out of the way, I held the combi-stick with my right hand, it being the only one not broken, and braced it not against me, but a rock that was firmly in the ground.
The crusher ran straight into the combi-stick as I rolled clumsily to one side. The crusher then broke my right leg, sending searing pain once again through my already pain-stricken body. The crusher stopped dead in it's tracks, I heard no more stomping or running. I rolled over, only to see the dead crusher's side right up against my face. I crawled about 5 feet away before I stopped and took a breath. I needed one.
I pulled out my medi-comp, so glad to have brought it, and administered sedative to my body, it never felt so good. I had to work quickly, as it would wear off expediently. I noticed that my left arm and leg had open wounds leading directly to my bone, I started on them first. Healing, mending, and repairing bones, scars, and acid burns. Then turned to my right leg, and healed it, quite painfully.
I got up, and took my time with each of my trophies. I turned to the crusher last, I had a time with this one ... I slowly removed his skeleton and chitin, working carefully, more so than the others. Unfortunately the only remains of my combi-stick was a hilt. I took it as a token of rememberance.
I then went back to my pod, ready to go home.
When I got back to the ship, my trainer said he saw everything, and that it pleased him well. Then the other un-blooded, now young-bloods, congratulated me. Then an elder walked into the room. We all immediately went to our knees in respect and lowered our heads. He then spoke.
"Many of you today have become young-bloods, though some more reckless than others, you all have achieved the rank and deserve it."
We waited as he exited the room, before he went out of sight, he said.
"Oh and well done with the group of serpents ... kha'bj-te jehdin ... but do better next time, because next time you won't have the luxury of young crushers and ravagers."
I froze and thought "Those ... were YOUNG?!? I almost died!" and nodded as he turned and exited the room.