Battle Training
An old man sits at his desk, tapping his pen impatiently. His blue suit and white vest signifies he is an important man. The name plate at the fore reads, "Cmdr.Charles F. Goering". His brow furrows as a holographic display scrolls through a series of accident reports, contract terminations, and general complaints from clients. Across from him sits a much younger man dressed in standard orange Hunter garb, his long, brown hair pulled into a taut braid behind his head. He trembles as a man before the gallows, awaiting the executioner's axe.
The tapping stops abruptly as the old man rubs his thick, greying mustache, and lets out a deep, contemplative sigh. "Son, what do you make of this?"
With the press of a button, a screen appears before the young Hunter, summarizing his brief career with the Guild.
Leonard "Lenny" Hughes
Bluefull HUmar
Age 16
180cm
79kg
Shows most proficiency with basic sabers.
Barely qualified for graduation from the academy.
Has yet to complete a single contract.
He begins to explain himself, but is cut off as the commander rises from his seat. "We at the Hunters Guild enrich the lives of many citizens aboard this ship but it seems like yours is not. Though you have been with us mere months, you have failed to complete a single assignment."
With slow, calculated steps, he goes toward the window, staring out at the planet below.
"You understand that this is mercenary work. You are paid according to what you achieve."
Watching his superior's reflection, Lenny once again tries to explain.
"That said, your performance reflects poorly on all of us." Commander Goering continues, adjusting his red tie,"We can not afford to lose the trust of the people of this ship."
He turns toward the young Hunter with a stern expression,"That is why, as of today, your status within the Hunters Guild is terminated."
The news hits the young man hard, he protests but finds himself unable to stand,"Please sir, don't kick me out!"
Returning to his chair, the old man ponders, listening to the younger's excuses. He shifts to the side, resting his head upon his hand,"Son, did you ever recieve proper field training?"
Lenny pauses,"Actually sir, if I remember correctly, it was only me and a squad of other rookies that day. Our senior officer had been implicated in that big abduction case."
After a moment of silence that feels like eternity, the Commander sighs,"Hm. I see."
He then leans back and tents his fingers,"It seems there were come clerical errors. Very well."
Lenny waits with bated breath as the Commander once again rises from his chair,"Mr.Hughes, we at the Guild would like to express our deepest apologies. Due to regrettable errors on our part we have failed to enrich your life. Your termination is hereby reversed."
Lenny jumps from his seat, speechless, as Commander Goering explains further,"You are to report immediately to dispatching, where two Hunters await you. You will accompany them on their mission and recieve basic training."
The old man extends his hand, which Lenny takes enthusiastically, unable to express his gratitude enough.
"There's just one other thing," he says with a stern look,"Your record still stands, should you fail this task I may reconsider keeping you on board."
"Oh, you won't regret this, sir!", the young man declares, making a confident gesture,"I won't let you down!"
Moments later he appears below in the main office, a little slice of a room where Hunters take contracts. The walls are lined with metallic panelling, and blue tiles pattern the floor. In the center of the room, a round display projects an atlas of Ragol, dotted with various points of interest.
Standing to the right is an android of considerable size, his bulky red armor gives him an imposing stature. His head is covered by a smooth, red helmet, and a large grey visor obscures his eyes.
"Hi, my name's Leonard. People call me Lenny." the Hunter says, extending his hand,"Are you one of the Hunters I'm supposed to meet?"
The android remains motionless as he responds in a deep, automated voice,"Affirmative."
Retracting his gesture, Lenny laughs, and runs his hand over his head,"Not much of a talker, eh? I understand."
"Greetings." the RAcast suddenly blurts out,"I am android Ranger "Big Red". Apologies. I do not adjust well to new people."
"Oh yeah? That's kinda weird, never heard of an android with a social disorder before." looking around the Hunter asks,"Commander Goering said there was supposed to be two of you. Where's the other guy?"
He then notices a small woman crouched in the corner, obscured beneath a black cloak. Sandy blonde hair flows from her head in waves, and a band made of rope keeps it from draping over her face while she weaves thread around a trinket of some sort.
"Oh, hi! I didn't see you there!" the young man calls out as he approaches the woman in black,"My name's"
"I heard you. Leonard." her raspy voice interrupts, without looking up from her project.
As he draws near he notices the odor of wildflowers and cream emanating from the gloomy newman. The Hunter kneels down in front of her, curious to see what she's working on. Her hands nimbly weave a dark blue web between what appear to be chicken bones. At once her hands stop and he looks up to see her pale face staring back, her sullen green eyes pierce him like daggers. Overcome by the fear of imminent death, he stumbles, falling on his back-side,"I'm sorry lady. I didn't mean to invade your privacy!"
"Whatever." she huffs, tucking the talisman away. As she climbs to her feet the young man notices her outfit, a stark contrast to the android, elaborate designs made of black cloth with gold trimming. She then mutters,"If it'll get you to leave me alone, my name is River Song."
Lenny raises an eyebrow,"River Song? That's a pretty stra-"
He coughs as the woman glances in his direction,"A pretty name."
Rolling her eyes in disgust she turns toward the RAcast,"Looks like we're all here. Fill him in, Big Red."
"Affirmative." the Ranger nods and explains how a government contracted wildlife research team came under attack by a strange beast. It inflicted damage to the survey station and even took the lives of crew members. The problem being that they have no records of such a creature. They are to investigate the area, and if possible, confirm the existence of the armored beast responsible.
With introductions and briefing finished, the team proceeds to Ragol. When they arrive, Big Red instructs Lenny on the basic information every Hunter should know about traversing areas formerly colonized by the lost people of Pioneer 1.
Despite a number of clashes with the local fauna, the young Hunter never got a single chance to swing his blade. Every time a Booma or Wolf appeared, River Song would raze the surroundings with her magic, scaring them away.
After walking for hours, the team arrives at the survey station. A metal pathway that ramps up the side of a hill. At the top lies a small platform overlooking a marsh. Three tanks line the area left of the entry point with pipes running to and from both ends, pumping water from the marsh below. A nearby terminal displays the data drawn from it.
Lenny points out how one of the tanks had been knocked off center, disconnecting the supply pipe, which continues to bubble with muddy water. Secondly, an awning had been ripped clear out by its support post and thrown below. Big Red then calls attention to the guard rail to the right had been smashed flat as if something powerful stepped on it.
Beyond the railing lies a grove of trees, they appear as if something large shoved them to the side, and right at the mouth of the grove stands River Song. The gloomy woman is bent over, examining something curiously. Lenny jumps down to see what has caught her attention. As he draws near, he finds a man's skeleton covered in a purple substance. He then notices the pungent odor, far stronger than his Force companions, and infinitely less pleasant. The Hunter gags and covers his nose, cursing,"By the Light, that's disgusting!"
As he reaches down, River slaps his hand, hissing,"Don't touch that, you idiot!"
He draws his hand back in surprise and asks,"What is this stuff, anyway?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?", the newman asks with a sinister grin,"Maybe I'll show you some time."
Averting his eyes, Lenny turns toward the grove. Seeing what appears to be a trail leading deeper into the forest, he calls out to Big Red, and the three enter.
Sheltered by a thick canopy, the interior is much darker than its surroundings. With the sun setting it will only get darker, but finding evidence that something had been through here recently, they press onward.
The young Hunter leads the way, pushing deeper into the forest, when they begin hear what sounds like the hum of machinery.
"What do you guys figure that is?" he wonders, scratching his head.
"Warning." Big Red declares, reaching out toward his team mate. "Lenny. Do not move."
Heeding the warning, the Hunter remains still. There is a sickening, squishing sound, and the young Hunter spins around in a panic. In the android's hands he sees what appears to be the remains of a monstrous blue mosquito.
"Explanation. This insect had landed on your back."
Shivering at the thought of what that thing's dagger-like rostrum would have done to him, Lenny covers the back of his neck. Comments from River Song do not help ease his mind at all, but the worst has yet to come as the droning grows in intensity. As they scan their surroundings, Big Red draws his pistol, causing Lenny to stop briefly to marvel the size of its barrel.
"Warning. Swarm of Mothverts detected west of our location. Incoming."
River follows suit, producing a long, red staff. At its tip appears to be the severed head of a toy rabbit. As she enchants the trio with supporting spells, Lenny looks at the handle of his weapon, a simple metal construction that produces a blue photon blade, and wishes he could have something fancy. With his body pulsing with red and blue photons, he activates his blade, and assumes a battle-ready stance.
The trio soon finds themselves in the eye of the storm. Countless bugs swarm around them, their bright pink eyes seemingly blending in with each other. Big Red fires several shots but seems to put no dent in their numbers. Their newman comrade waves her staff, loosing a bolt of lightning. As it wreaks havok, one of the mosquitos breaks through, only to be batted out of the air by Lenny.
"Don't just stand here, idiot!" River commands as she grabs Lenny's shoulder and points him toward an opening in the brush,"Get after the source, or it'll never end!"
The Hunter squints, barely able to make out anything in the waning light. He then spies a sickly purple sack hanging between two trees. Steeling himself, Lenny breaks from the group, and leaps into the brush. The menacing insects try to impede him but are easily struck down. With Big Red providing cover fire he reaches the nest and drives his sword deep, slicing the writhing sack wide open. A disgusting green goop pours out at his feet, along with what appear to be larva.
Before he can celebrate, his android companion calls out that there are still two more. Finding one, mere steps from the first, he repeats what he had done before. As he proceeds to the final nest, Lenny is caught off-guard by an ear-splitting screech. A different bug, green and larger in stature leaps out, knocking the Hunter on his back.
As he turns his head from its sickle-like jaws, a shot cracks the beast in the side of his head, sending it toppling to the ground. Lenny scrambles to his feet and retreats toward his allies. The beast screeches again, crawling along the ground in pursuit of the Hunter.
River laughs malevolently as she waves her staff, firing a small purple orb. Lenny stares in horror as the monstrous insect is consumed instantly. It gasps its last breath as its hard carapace slowly is eaten away by the purple goo, and its soft innards bubble out through every orifice. He then turns to his team mate, wide-eyed with shock, and asks"You mean to tell me that's what happened to that poor man back there?"
The newman looks at him through her sandy bangs. Wearing her twisted smile she asks,"Do you like darkness?"
"What was that thing? I've never seen anything that around here before!"
"Apologies. Due to the number of Mothverts my sensors did not detect the Tollaw seeking to feed on them."
The trio continue along their way but their respite is short lived. A Hildebear, attracted by the commotion of their previous battle, emerges on the trail ahead of them. Feeling cocksure of himself, Lenny charges in, ignoring River's protests. As he prepares to strike, he is met with the ape's fist, and is floored instantly.
The reckless Hunter fades in and out of consciousness, catching brief glimpses of his surroundings. He sees River hovering over him, her figure engulfed by a bright light. For a moment he almost believes he sees a genuine smile.
"This is it." he thinks,"I must be dead. That woman would never smile like that."
He then feels movement. The world around him is cast in darkness, the metal visage of Big Red looms above him, lit by an orb of fire that flickers in and out. There is a sound of metal screeching, and he can feel hard ground beneath him, though his head is placed on something soft.
Some time later Lenny regains consciousness. Looking at his immediate surroundings he finds himself in some kind of substation, though the machinery has long ceased functioning. He then notices River kneeling beside him, her hands glowing with a green light, but a nearby fire makes it difficult to make out her features. Foolishly, he attempts to sit up, only to be stopped by the newman.
"Don't move." she orders, placing her hand upon the Hunter's chest. Her raspy voice almost sounds soothing to his ears.
"Where are we?"
"The android and I found this old substation while looking for a place to set camp. We're pretty well protected from ambushes by a fence, so don't worry about dying in your sleep."
"What happened?", he asks, as if he didn't already know.
"The ape crushed your ribcage. Your armor absorbed most of the blow but it was still a mess. You nearly died."
"You saved me, huh?" Lenny smiles.
"I got to work immediately while the android dealt with the beast."
He reaches under his head to see what exactly he's resting on. As he pulls out a fold of black cloth he realizes that River is not wearing her cloak.
"Wow." he says in amazement.
While the newman slaps his hand and replaces the cloth, the young man asks,"Where is that big lug, anyway? I want to thank him for carrying my dumb ass to safety."
Right on cue, there is a loud crash as Big Red returns, and dumps a load of tinder. The newman barks at him to be more considerate and the android hangs his head in shame.
"The truth is, you're perfectly healthy. There may still be a little soreness, but the worst is over."
"From almost dead to good as new just like that, huh? Techniques are pretty amazing."
"We didn't know how long it would take for you to regain consciousness so we set up camp for the night. Whenever you're ready, we can take a Telepipe back to the ship and have a closer examination done."
"What about the quest? Were any of those things back there the monster we were looking for?"
"Negative. None match the description given by the research team."
"So that means..." Lenny begins to sob,"That means we failed the quest!"
He pounds his fist on the ground, cursing his luck. The Hunter begins to relate his sorry tale to his partners, how every assignment he went on ended up the same way. He tries to cover his face as his gentle sobbing turns to full-blown bawling. He would always end up getting bailed out by a more experienced Hunter that just happened to be in the area.
"On two seperate occasions I was even saved by the same woman," he chokes out, despite his partner's best attempts to shush him,"some red-haired newman in a skimpy outfit. What does she have that I don't?"
As he relates his encounter with the Commander, River looks back at Big Red, and neither say a word.
"Hmm. Actually, I'm not so sure you're ready for teleportation." the newman ponders, gently moving the Hunter's arms out of the way. She then opens one of his eyes and shines a light on it,"There's a possibility your concussion could flare up during transit."
She turns once again toward the android,"We'll be staying the night after all."
"Understood. Inspecting perimeter for unseen entry points."
Lenny's tears subside to soft whimpering as River places her finger against his lips.
"Shhh." she whispers. Humming a soft tune as the young Hunter drifts back to sleep.
Later, the young man reawakens, and sits up with a jolt, causing a little pain in his tender chest. As he scans the camp he finds his Ranger partner tending to the camp fire. A realization then dawns on him.
"Where's River?"
"Briefing. Force River Song departed from camp forty-five minutes ago."
"What the hell" Lenny shouts as he jumps to his feet, ignoring the soreness,"And you just let her go?"
Big Red says nothing as he prods at the hot coals with a stick.
"Come on, man! I know she can be scary but there are even worse things out there!"
"Admission. I fear what Force River Song would do if I made an attempt to stop her."
Groaning in frustration, Lenny grabs his sword, and walks off. The darkness beyond the reach of the fire's light is like a impassable wall. The young man activates his sword and uses the photons to light his way. He finds the gate ajar, with River's footprints leading down the forest trail. Cautious of attracting the attention of Ragol's nocturnal wildlife he forgoes calling for his partner.
Every rustling leaf and snapping twig sends a chill up the young man's spine. He keeps his wits about him by reassuing himself that he is at least hearing activity. Surely, if he were in any real danger, he wouldn't hear a peep.
As he wanders along, he becomes more comfortable, and picks up his pace. Before long the young man realizes he has lost sight of River's tracks. Waving his saber around in a panic, in hopes of finding his bearings again, he catches a glint of light just off the side of the trail. Deducing it's not the eyeshine of a wolf, ready to pounce, he draws closer. There, beneath a giant mossy tree he finds the source of the reflection, the screen of a BEE system. Upon further inspection, he finds that it's much more than that. It's a whole pile of neatly folded clothes.
"Why would someone leave all of this here?" Lenny whispers, staring dumbfounded at the garments in his hands. The scent of wildflowers and cream wafts under his nose and he remembers why he came out here. As he stands back up, he fumbles with his saber, leaving him in pitch darkness. He drops again to the ground, groping around for his weapon, and once again he begins to panic as he finds nothing but roots and River's clothes.
His eyes slowly adjust, taking in the faint light creeping through the tree tops. The Hunter finally spots his saber resting on what appears to be a path, branching off of the main trail. Following this path, the dense forest opens up into a grassy clearing, illuminated by the light of the full moon. It is there that Lenny finally finds River, her small frame exposed to the world around her.
The newman's pale skin almost appears to glow beneath the moonlight as she dances gracefully around a small shrine made of stones with her staff placed in the center. Lenny's face burns with embarrassment, but at the same time he feels a sense of dread, knowing she would skin him alive if she found him peeping like this. Fearing his knees will give out, the Hunter rests against a small beech tree.
Soon, River's prancing comes to an end, and she kneels before her hastily made shrine. She places something on the altar between two candles, but her figure obscures it from Lenny's view. As she clasps her hands in prayer, the young man fears his heart may actually leap out of his mouth and try to escape.
As if she could hear it, River turns with a surprised gasp. The careless Hunter, overwhelmed with shame, emerges from the shadows to apologize, only to trip on an exposed root. As he hits the ground there is an ear-splitting crack. He looks up to his parter, and screams for forgiveness as she removes her staff from the shrine.
"Get up, you moron!" the newman cries, throwing a ball of fire that flies clear over the Hunter's head.
Scrambling to his feet, the first thing he notices is that the tree he had been leaning against moments ago has been reduced to splinters. Secondly, he becomes aware of the hulking, grey beast that nearly killed him. The giant ape whoops as it pounds its chest, as if it is unaware of the burning embers where River's magic hit.
"Why are you just standing there?" River shouts, deftly enchanting the two with magic,"Do something or you're dead!"
Drawing on lessons learned earlier, Lenny rolls to the beast's side, narrowly avoiding its massive fist. He slashes at the back of its leg but finds his weapon ineffective against its natural armor plating. As the behemoth turns, Lenny uses the opening to fall back into the clearing. He apologizes profusely but River wants nothing of it and tells him once to shut up.
Raising her rabbit-tipped staff above her head, the stark newman conjures an orb of darkness, and with a sinister chuckle, hurls it at the beast. To their horror it appears to absorb the spell, pausing briefly as it rears back, and vomits it back toward them. Thinking quickly, Lenny grabs her by the arm, and pulls her out of the way, allowing the Megid ball to pass by safely.
Pushing her savior away, River prepares another spell, this time to rob the grey behemoth of its strength. Red and blue photons fall from the beast as Lenny rushes in, ducking another one of its punches, and drives his saber into its side.
The ape howls in agony and thrashes its massive arms around, sending poor Lenny hurdling into nearby shrubs. Before River can act, it leaps into the air, and lands mere feet in front of her. The thunderous impact causes the newman to fall on her pasty rear-end and disrupts her concentration. As she stares up at the beast, its monstrous size eclipsing the moon, she futily holds out her staff for protection.
Suddenly, a blast of photon energy hits the behemoth from behind, causing it to visibly recoil in pain. It turns around to see what else would challenge it, only to eat several more volleys, one even nailing it square in the face. Finding itself in real danger, the beast retreats, disappearing into the thick of the forest.
With it's booming footfalls fading into the distance, River climbs to her feet, though still shaken from her near miss with death, to see Big Red emerging from the tree line with a big, red photon cannon raised to his shoulder.
"Finally decided to join us, eh?"
"Affirmative."
"Hey big guy." a third voice calls as Lenny stumbles out from his shrubbery.
"Inquiry. Is everyone all right?"
"Yeah," the Hunter replies, grabbing his chest,"I was seeing stars for a minute there. If River didn't sap that thing, I'd have been a goner for sure."
The newman clings tight to her rabbit-tipped staff and huffs,"Well, maybe I should have let it finish you. Reckless fool."
"I'm reckless?!" Lenny shouts as he walks toward the crude shrine,"And what were you doing out here all alone with this..."
His voice trails off as he crouches down to investigate what the Force had placed on the altar.
"Don't touch that!" River hisses as she runs over and slaps Lenny's hand.
"Is this hair?" he asks, eyeing the small braid. He then reaches behind his head and finds his ponytail to be signifigantly shorter,"Is this my hair?!"
He turns toward the sandy-haired newman, who, seemingly remembering her state of undress, hugs her legs tight against her chest. Avoiding eye contact with the Hunter she mumbles,"I was performing a ritual."
"You were doing what?!"
"I was perf..." River pauses as her face becomes flush,"I was performing a ritual to bring good fortune and happiness to you. You know, so you could continue working in the Guild."
Then, without warning, she grabs the Hunter by his collar and pulls him closer,"But if you tell anyone about this, I will kill you. Slowly."
At a loss for words, Lenny bites his lip and embraces the small newman.
"Please get off of me." she sighs.
"Quest update. Examination. That Hildebear was unlike anything we have ever seen. It matches the description given by the research team. Its power is congruent with the damage seen at the survey station."
"So what does that mean?"
"Conclusion. The creature does exist. The quest is complete."
"I completed a quest..?" The words rang in Lenny's ears like music. He cries out in joy as he jumps up, holding River by the hands, and dances gleefully. With her face red as a beet the newman pushes the fool away from her and retreats into the woods. Not skipping a beat, the Hunter leaps into Big Red's arms and plants kisses on his face plate.
He skips out into the middle of the clearing, crying out for all of Ragol to hear,"I completed a quest!"
The next morning, the trio return to Pioneer 2 to report on their findings. Lenny, still brimming with energy, skips ahead and swiftly vanishes into the crowded streets. River smiles at his monkey-like antics before turning to Big Red.
"Do you think we should tell him this quest didn't actually have a "fail" state?"
"Negative."
Battle Training
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Originally Posted by yoshiblue
I do. Get that weak crap outta here, n00bmar! *boot from party* Ha. Poor Lenny.
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