Ask There's More than One Way to Skin a Cat

[Kliedden Raxx]

​

To most Dxun was den of terror and despair, a savage world where few dared to tread and fewer were lucky enough to survive. To Kliedden Raxx is was his childhood playground. This had been the first place his uncle had brought him on expedition, not long after he was old enough to hold a blaster. He knew this world inside and out, knew which plants were edible and which weren't, knew all the wildlife and their habits, knew what kind of weather to expect in what regions and the best places to make camp. The only sensation he felt here was warm nostalgia. Of course that didn't mean he didn't take the dangers seriously, it wasn't called the Demon Moon for no reason at all. But where as most civilized species would chafe to be caught in such a wild environment, Klied relished it. This was what he had been raised to do. This was the one place where he always felt he belonged.

But this wasn't just some field trip, he had an important task to accomplish, and one he knew wouldn't be easy. As his profession had shifted from hunting animals to hunting sentients, he had become acutely aware of his new vulnerabilities. With beasts all he had to worry about was teeth and claws, now his prey tended to shoot back at him. It was time to invest in some proper body armor, but Klied wasn't the type to just go out and purchase whatever he needed, he clung to a different philosophy than that. Whatever he needed to survive, he could find it himself. To that end he had decided to hunt a type of quarry that he had always been taught to avoid. The maalraas was one of the most dangerous predators on Dxun. Intelligent pack animals that could use the Force to make themselves nigh invisible. What was more, their skin was extremely tough. Resistant to extreme heat, blasters, and even lightsabers allegedly. And that was exactly why he was hunting them. Armor made from maalraas hide would protect him from just about anything his sentient quarry could throw at him. If he could survive getting it that was.

He had taken just about every precaution he could for the hunt. Making his camp well outside their territory, and stocking up on cannok meat for bait. He had tracked a family of the predators for days while making sure to keep a comfortable distance, and once he was confident he understood their typical cycle of behavior well enough he set his trap. Laying the cannok meat out in a narrow gully along their hunting paths he set up a few traps in the area designed to use blunt force trauma. Mainly falling logs and pit falls. He personally would camouflage himself and hide in one of the tree branches above the gully. His body was so completely covered in moss and brush that he no longer even looked like a person. Beneath the camouflage he wore boma leather, a thick hide that he knew would help lessen the effect of fangs and claws from his prey. When all was set up the hunter would lie in wait, completely still in the tree. His cycler rifle that peeked out from his collection of moss was itself somewhat disguised, covered in such a way to appear as nothing more than a small branch. His trap prepared, the hunter would take a deep breath and relax. He was a patient man, and was well used to how long this could take. He would need to be ready though. If he didn't kill the pack as quickly and efficiently as possible, it would be extremely difficult for him to combat them.

@Catbert

 

[The Storyteller]

Dusk. As the last rays of light touch the lush thickets of Dxun, it becomes a different realm. Our realm. Amidst the bushes we prowl: blending in with the shadows, noticed only by the keenest of eyes. Concealed by darkness and the thick green of the jungle, we seek our prey, avoiding the mighty zakkeg and the dreaded drexl. For such is the way of life in this realm: kill and live, or be killed and feed the others.

The four of us slip through the bushes just as fluidly as the eluding light. Our path trodden regularly—towards the nearby stream. Most beings in our realm seek to quell their thirst before the night settles in. But for us, the hunt is just beginning. Not only does the stream provide us water; occasionally, a stray cannok loses its guard and becomes the first meal. It's a rare occasion; but tonight—just as for most nights in the coming months—every little piece counts. With the changes last month, many of us haven't eaten as much as before.

But this time, something is different. A familiar smell hits my nostrils: wet, with just a slight sweetness that can't be perceived by anyone else. Cannok meat in unmistakable. I shift my gaze towards our alpha, who walks to the left from me and slightly ahead. Can it be? It seems as if the wind has sent the meat's scent towards me, and away from him. Perhaps I can get a piece to myself?

Carefully, I approach the prize. Who would leave a fine peace of cannok meat just lying around like that? It smells fresh. Would they be coming back for it? No, doesn't smell like it; all I can sense are my kin still heading towards the water. Leaning close to the ground, I crawl forward to the coveted meat. It does look different than usual: like a peace torn out of the body, but without the grim massacre or the smell of puddles of blood associated with it. But meat is meat, so I approach it step by step in the cover of the bushes.

A crack of a twig under my foot makes me take a brief stop. If the owners of the meat are nearby, they've undoubtedly heard me. It's now or never! I prepare for a pounce that would allow me to grab the prize and vanish into the bushes...

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

He nearly dozed off, but the glare of the setting sun caught Klied's eye and he blinked awake. Dusk, they should be arriving soon then. Another thirty minutes or so of waiting and his quarry finally appeared, four of them it looked like. That was unfortunate. He had hoped for just three of them, or a pair if he was lucky. But he could handle four, he just needed to stay on top of things, stick to the plan. They appeared to be making their way for the gully's stream to drink. Spotting the alpha was easy enough, he was bigger and older than the others. That was his primary target. The alpha would be the biggest threat to him. If he could down him right off the bat, the others would be more hesitant without a leader to follow. It would give him a much needed edge. With the pace of a snail he gently moved the barrel of his cycler rifle to follow the big guy.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched the younger one walking into the trap as well. What she wouldn't have been able to recognize was the tense tree branch pulled down and tied to a trigger partially hidden beneath the cannok meat. The moment she took a bite out of that bait the trap would be sprung. A snare would go taught around one of her feet or, ideally, her neck. She would be hoisted into the air and be made a non-factor for the rest of the hunt. If the snare did manage to catch around her neck the force of the branch would almost certainly kill her instantly.

Timing was crucial here. Timing and aim. The moment the young one triggered his trap the rest of the pack would be alerted to his presence, so in order to kill two birds with one stone he would need to fire the second she was caught. More than that, he needed to hit the alpha directly in the eye. Slug throwers were great weapons, very reliable in the humid and wet jungles like this. But they just didn't pack the same punch as blasters, and against the toughened hide of the maalraas power was imperative. The eye was the only space weak enough for his bullet to pierce through. He knew he was a good shot, he was about to find out just how good. Klied's eyes bounced between the alpha and the young blood. She was stalking closer to the bait, getting ready to pounce. This was it. Klied took a breath to steady his aim, looked down his scope, and focused right on the alpha's eye. The moment he heard the trap spring he would fire a single shot.

Dice
@Catbert

 

[The Storyteller]

Dxun jungle was quiet. Too quiet even. The maalraas family had been crawling through the bushes without making a sound. The human had taken a vantage point and all but blended in with the jungle. He abided the rules of the world; and now the maalraas, who thought themselves the hunters, were the ones being hunted. It was up to Klied to break the silence with the cycler shot and execute his plan.

The slug-thrower shot amidst the silence roared like thunder, with bullet being the lightning. It hit right where the hunter had intended to, going clean through the predator's eye and gunning the alpha down in a moment. A kill much swifter and more merciful than Dxun usually granted. More importantly, a shot clean through the eye would ensure that the hide remained in pristine conditions.

The hunter had timed his shot perfectly: just as the second maalraas attempted to sneak away with the "prize". The snare wrapped tightly around the predator's front paw and pulled the poor animal into the air. Cannok meat felt on the ground as the captured animal growled in pain and fear. The maalraas were in disarray: the attack had claimed a half of their pack. The leader was dead, and the trapped one swiveled in the air, trying to break free or yell to draw the attention of her pack... Along with all the other fauna of Dxun.

Such a successful attack also bought Klied a moment of distraction. The two remaining predators emerged from the bushes, seeking the one who had dared to attack them. They were hesitant; the sound had given them the approximate direction already; another shout could very well reveal Klied's location to whatever beast in the jungle. He'd have to choose his target carefully, if he were to shoot...

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied exhaled softly as his shot hit home and the alpha went down. Things were off to a good start. One dead, and from the looks of things the other incapacitated. That left just two more. Better yet, they seemed distracted by the wailing of their pack mate. The alpha was probably big enough for him to get all the hide he needed for his little project. But this still wasn't over. The remainder of the pack wasn't about to just wander off and leave him with his spoils. He would need to either scare them away or kill them as well. It would be good to have the extra hide on hand in case there were any difficulties with the skinning, and he could always sell the excess for a tidy profit. He had to be quick though, he'd likely only get one more shot off before they spotted him, and all this noise had the potential to draw more troublesome predators as well.

Slowly, still trying to move as little as possible to not give his position away, he pulled up the bolt on his cycler rifle and dragged it back, making one little jerking movement at the last inch to make the empty shell fall away before slowly pushing it back down. He took another deep breath to steady his aim and focused on the bigger of the two remaining maalraas. He then fired, aiming for the same weak spot in the eye. Ideally he would kill her, but if the shot just managed to land anywhere on the head it would hopefully smart enough to send the beast running with her tail between her legs. But Klied wouldn't bother to wait to see if this shot rang true. He had been lucky enough to get one shot off without being spotted. Unless they were blind, he would have been made this time.

Immediately after firing the hunter would leap to his feet, throwing off the cloak of moss and brush. Grabbing hold of a makeshift pulley he had strung up before the ambush, he would quickly descend to the base of the gully about eighty meters ahead of the trap. He had needed to get as close to make such a precise shot. Knowing the maalraas would have spotted him by now, he turned and ran in the opposite direction down the gully, heading right towards a few of the pitfalls he had set up. It was practically a minefield ahead. If he could just draw what was left of the pack there, he'd be able to maintain his advantage and finish this up smoothly. Luck had been on his side this far. It was time to see how far it went.

Dice
@Catbert

 

[The Storyteller]

Whatever sounds Klied made before the shot were eclipsed by the captured maalraas. With the smells covered, the hunter still retained the advantage. And make use of it he did. Another cycler shot thundered across the gulley. And as before, Klied's aim was superb. The third maalraas was struck down the same way as the alpha, leaving only one.

Klied didn't stop at that. He had plans for the entire pack, and proceeded to carry them out. But the maalraas were swift; faster than humans. They would inevitably catch up even with the trained hunter. Except that they didn't chase him. Only two maalraas from the pack remained alive. One kept wailing while suspended in the air; even louder than before. The other was now alone, against the unseen predator who had already defeated most of the pack. It was no wonder that the last remaining maalraas turned tail.

For the moment, Klied would be left to himself, and his assortment of traps remained undisturbed. Even the wailing of the captured maalraas had ceased. All that remained for Klied was to claim the trophies... Suddenly, the wailing of the maalraas renewed, louder and sharper than before; soon turning into a shriek full of fear and pain. And then it stopped again; this time for good.

A winged creature—a strange mix of reptile, bird, and insect—stood on the ground, feasting on the corpse of the ensnared maalraas. Blood dripped onto the ground, and onto the dropped cannok meat. Those well-versed in the aggressive fauna of Dxun would recognize the creature as a drexl

This young specimen didn't yet have a wingspan of 20 meters across, or the teeth as long as a human arm. And yet it alone could prove more dangerous than the four maalraas. Lucky for Klied, the beast was too busy feeding on the once-shrieking bait that the hunter had inadvertently provided. In time, it could decide to snack on Klied's other trophies... Or on the human hunter himself.

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied was all ready to draw the remaining maalraas into his secondary trap. Fortunately he wouldn't need to, with the beast taking the wiser option and turning to flee. The hunter grinned and started walking back towards his kill. He would need to silence the screaming young blood, give her an anesthetic and cut her down. Two was more than he would need anyway. She could be left to find her way back to her pack mate.

Of course this line of thought was unceremoniously brushed away as a young drexl fell upon the gulley and promptly started to feast on the ensnared animal. Klied reflexively fell to his belly the moment he heard the call of the infamous beast, doing his best to stay out of it's sight. As he watched the gargantuan creature tear into the suspended maalraas he scowled. "Perfect..." He muttered in frustration. He knew this was a possibility, but had really been hoping it wouldn't happen. A drexl was more than he could handle. Even his ancient ancestors, the ones who actually had to learn how to survive the wilds of Onderon, never would have dared to approach such a beast without at least three hunters. Skilled as he was, he had no intentions of starting a fight he would almost certainly lose.

For a good minute or so he simply lied there in the gulley and watched the beast eat, trying to think of what to do. He couldn't scare it off, and he couldn't fight it. If he just let it be it would likely carry off what it didn't eat now to save for later. He didn't want to face a drexl, but he didn't want to try his luck with another maalraas pack either. There was nothing for it. He needed that alpha.

Slowly the hunter began moving again, first over to where he had dropped his moss cloak to pull it over himself again. It was a long shot, but in the event he was spotted he could attempt to pass himself off as a drexl larvae. They possessed a general humanoid appearance. Drexl weren't known for cannibalism, and if that was the case he might be able to slip away and try a different tactic. Crouched low and giving the creature a wide berth the hunter would stalk forward, cautiously making his way towards the alpha's carcass. If he could just get a hold of the thing he could slip away and leave the drexl to it's meal. Everyone would be happy with that right?

Dice
@Catbert

 

[The Storyteller]

Few things bother you when you're a drexl. You're among the apex predators of Dxun; only other drexl can post a thread. Even they tend to keep to themselves. And most other, smaller beings are usually wise or scared enough to stay out of your way. That leaves only one concern: food... And capturing that food, if need be.

Luckily, this time the food had been suspended in the air for the drexl to feed on. It had been squirming and screaming, literally inviting the giant reptavian for a meal. Alas, a single maalraas, as big as it was, couldn't sate the giant's appetite. So when the winged hunter noticed a movement to the side, its attention was immediately drawn to another potential meal. The half-eaten maalraas suspended in the air wouldn't run anywhere, after all.

With a guttural grunt, the predator turned towards the commotion. Its source was a seemingly harmless mossy being. Its edibility was uncertain, but it didn't stop the carnivore from investigating further. This could very well be the end of Kliedden Raxx, if it weren't for one thing. The corpse of the dead alpha lying nearby.

The edibility and taste of raw maalraas meat had already been proven, so the drexl quickly lost interest in the noisy mossy being. Instead, the predator's pincer went straight for the dead alpha to hold it to the ground. Very soon the drexl would lean close to the ground, to nibble on the bigger alpha, oblivious to the "mossy being" unless attacked or distracted from its meal.

To the drexl, it made sense to "claim" the trophy and first feast on the maalraas that the "mossy being" could reach. To Klied, it meant that the alpha's pristine hide would probably be ruined. With 2 of the 4 maalraas hides debased that way, the hunter was steadily running out of trophies.

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied went still as the grave the moment the drexl turned to face him, a bead of sweat slipping down the side of his head as the deadly predator loomed over him. This just kept getting better didn't it? Thankfully his peculiar appearance seemed to work in his favor, as the drexl regarded him only for a moment before turning it's attention to the dead alpha. Good, but that didn't solve his problems. Immediately the hunter would begin to back off slowly, bowing down in a submissive manner so as not to draw the drexl's ire. And hopefully to convince it there was no need to snack on his prize either.

His eyes remained fixed on the alpha's carcass even as he continued backing away. He was very short on time now. If he didn't solve this problem quickly he'd have no choice but to go looking for another maalraas pack. And that would mean putting himself at risk all over again. And perhaps next time he wouldn't be so lucky as to take them down so cleanly. He couldn't attack the beast directly. His cycler rifle wouldn't pack enough punch for such a monster. His Westar might, but he would need to get mighty close. Too close. He needed to spook it.

The hunter glanced over his shoulder once he had gotten a comfortable distance away from the drexl. He was near the gulley's edge now. The roots of trees were sprouting out from the sloped earth before burrowing into the sandy ground below. Moving quickly the hunter maneuvered himself beneath them. He would be out of sight from the predator there, and the makeshift cage of timber would afford him some defense it the creature came after him. And it would come after him if this didn't work. He just had to pray for some of that luck that had followed him at the beginning of the hunt.

It had been a while since he'd done this, but he still remembered how it was done. Or at least he thought he did. After pausing to think the hunter licked his lips and cupped his hands to his mouth. Making a low guttural noise in the back of his throat that bubbled up into an incessant screech, he mimicked the challenging call of an adult drexl. He would wait and glance through the roots to try and see the real deal, then make the call again. If he could just make it believe there was another, possibly larger beast in the area, it would flee and he could claim his prize. That or it would see through his ruse and come charging over to tear him limb from limb. Only time would tell.

Dice
@Catbert

 

[The Storyteller]

Even when you are a drexl, you do need to worry sometimes. For example, about food. And about other drexl, who are also worried about food. After all, Dxun is the last place to foster the "sharing is caring" approach.

So it's no wonder that Klied's challenging call didn't go unnoticed. The reptavian ceased its gurgling and raised its scary neb towards the sky. For a moment, the predator became akin to a motionless statue, as it listened for the "challenger". And then... the challenger responded. Another guttural roar—but deeper and much louder, despite the distance—broke the silence. Without Klied's input this time.

The drexl who made that call was definitely an adult. And it clearly didn't like intruders on its turf. The once-feasting youngling figured as much. For a few moments it remained in the same position... But then leaned close to the ground again and made a high-pitched squeak that ended with a low hum. Casting one last glance at the dead alpha and the trapped gnawed corpse, the young "bane of Onderon" flapped its giant wings and took off to leave the dangerous area. Maalraas meat was delicious, but it wasn't worth the consequences that could follow.

And just like that, the immediate obstacle in the hunter's way was gone. The drexl's presence had scared off the smaller critters; so the path to the trophies was clear for the moment. Alas, the trapped maalraas was reduced to a heap of torn meat, suspended in the air and dripping blood onto the ground. The maalraas alpha, probably the cleanest kill ever, now had its pristine hide torn. Kliedden could've used explosive rounds, and the result would look the same.

There was a silver lining though: the alpha's skin wasn't destroyed completely. And there was an entire untouched maalraas body lying not so far from it. The smaller beast that Kliedden had killed in the same clean manner as the alpha. All that remained was grab the trophies... and hope that the actual ruler of the turf wouldn't show up until Klied would be far away from there.

@Reyn

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied grinned to himself as he saw the young drexl's reaction, and was about to make the call again. That was when the real deal made itself heard, and the hunter's heart sank. This day just kept getting better didn't it? At least it was enough to scare off the young blood, but he was still in danger of losing his prize if the adult came sniffing around.

The hunter slowly crept out from beneath the roots as the young drexl took off, eyes fixed on the sky watching it go. Once the creature was out of sight he immediately scrabbled out from his hiding spot, jumping to his feet and dashing back towards his kills. He slung his cycler rifle over his shoulder as he went, and slid down on his knees as he reached the maalraas carcasses. Obviously the young blood caught in the snare was useless to him, and sadly his alpha had been torn up a good bit as well. That was a damn shame, he was a beautiful specimen and would have looked wonderful on his wall. Not to mention his hide likely would have made for better armor as opposed to the other pack mate he would now need to use instead. He couldn't waste time though. He would only be able to move one carcass at a time and there was a drexl about. It was smarter to take the animal he could actually use and leave the alpha to be claimed by the wildlife.

Klied sighed as he picked up the other dead maalraas, still in good condition, and slung it's body over his shoulders. With a grunt he rose back to his feet, pausing to take one last look at the alpha. "My apologies." He said somberly. "But I am grateful." He would glance at what remained of the young blood as well before turning and making his way back up the gulley in the direction of his camp. He would be safer there, and could begin the work of skinning his prize. Despite a few hiccups it had been a successful and bountiful hunt. He'd come back later to recover what more he could, if there was anything to recover. But first things first. He just hoped the adult drexl would go after the younger one instead of him...

Dice
@Catbert

 

[The Storyteller]

The pursuit never came. Another distant challenging call followed, but this time it was cut short by the sight of the fleeing youngling. The "real deal" had no reason to believe that someone was still encroaching on its territory. All the drexl roaring in the sky made other Dxun's fauna run for cover. Therefore, Klied had a surprisingly safe way back to camp.

Since the corpse of the alpha was left behind, it was unlikely that Klied would find anything but gnashed bones on site... along with traces of more blood, hinting at a brutal fight over a meal. Even the corpse of the maalraas trapped and suspended in the air would be picked almost clean by then.

The family of maalraas, once numerous, would never fully recover from the devastation inflicted by Klied. The alpha and two hunters were gone. Sll that remained was the last hunter. The one that didn't even have a chance to make use of its impervious hide, sharp fangs, or the ability to blend in with the environment. The one that was now supposed to take care of the pack's offspring.

The young hungry drexl whom Klied inadvertently fed would grow to become one of the biggest of its species. If left unchecked, it would soon gow to challenge the adult that lived in the area. The few survivors from the ships that had the misfortune to crash-land on Dxun would mention a hellish being: big, swift, and deadly. Eventually, it would have a shot at migrating to Onderon and wreaking havoc outside the city.

But for the Demon Moon, nothing that day was out of the ordinary.

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied's luck held, and he and his prize made it back to camp unharmed. There the hunter would quickly begin the messy work of skinning the carcass, as well as cutting up the body and preserving the meat. His uncle had taught him to let nothing go to waste in a slain quarry, and he intended to keep to those teachings. The hide, of course, would be used in the making of his new armor. The meat would be cooked and eaten, the head would go on his wall back on Onderon. It would be his first maalraas trophy. It might not have been as large as the alpha, but it was still something to be proud of considering all the work he'd put into it. He also made sure to take a picture of himself beside the dead beast before eviscerating it, forcing himself to smile for the camera. Poffo had asked for a picture after all.

Later he would return to the gulley to comb over what was left. The loss of the alpha was disappointing, but that was just how things went sometimes. Nature didn't pick favorites, he was simply grateful it chose to let him live this time. He still recovered a few of the alpha's teeth as trophies as well, perhaps they'd make good gifts for his friends.

He wouldn't remain on Dxun much longer. He wanted to get home and complete the task he had come here to start. As he boarded the shuttle back to Onderon he would watch the Demon Moon shrink away with satisfaction. It was always nice to come back here, despite what the sane people might think. Maybe he'd come back again before long. There were still greater predators on the wild moon he'd had yet to hunt...

/End Thread
@Catbert