The Lone Hunter Part 1

The Lone Hunter: Part 1

The Frigid Icey wastes of Idion Prime were ripe with the distant sounds of hooves. A large quadruped creature its gray hide thick to keep it from freezing in the snow, stampedes through the snowy ice terrain across the wasteland, its tentacle mouth the perfect cross between a canine and a squid, but its neck that of an equid as like the rest of its body, except for its tail that was long and puffy much like that of a canine. Atop the beasts back a figure in a silver armored jacket rode across the desert,the beings face concealed under a thick scarf and helmet that concealed both its identity and gender from being uncovered by the public eye. The beings eyes concealed under a lair of thick space age glass that the visor of the helmet was made of. The beings hands were gloved and legs also covered in this sleek yet technologically advanced armor as they rode across the frigid wasteland. At the beasts back sat a saddle in which this being sat atop and on its rear end were two large sacks that hung off the saddles side and a sleeping bag that may or may not have been used by the being that was tied to its back. Ahead of them sat a large over bearing metallic village of small rectangular structures, an outpost or spaceport of some kind, at its center a massive tower that seemed to loom over the outpost, seemingly never ending piercing the skies above moving beyond the thick clouds and mists that deemed that a blizzard would soon pass through the streets.

The rider approached a stables at the edge of the village where a hunch backed creature with a long birds face and a long drooping pig like snout was feeding the other creatures in the stables, she was wearing a brown vest and a gray long sleeve shirt made of some sort of striped green fabric and a rougher more brownish blue pants and a brown leather utility belt with thirteen pockets situated around it. Over this she wore a tunic like brown cloak that had a white fur collar hood that seemed to keep her warm, as well as a pair of red mittens. She croaked and spurted at the rider as they arrived. “ i know that there is a blizzard coming, but i got her back alright” states the rider their voice masked by their helmet deepening and distorting it. the stable master then croaked again this time in a relieved possibly joking way. “A late Fee, you told me it would cost me twenty nine dyten, no extra fee’s” states the rider in a hostile tone. The creatures croaks and belches again, this time defensively. “You knew i was a hunter, and you knew my journey would take me a couple days. I recommend you either keep our fair deal or i’ll have to convince you to” states the rider moving their hand to their calf where a piece of the armor opens up revealing a holstered weapon attached to their thigh. The stable master begins to quiver and shake and belches a resounding no longer snide belch. “Thats right its your mistake” responds the rider removing the sacks from the back of the saddle, and tossing the stable master their money before marching into town.

The outpost was a cold and unclean place, the perfect place for scum and those who didn’t want to be found to hide. Cantina’s with neon lit and hologram signs in their windows. The hunter was tired and carrying the sacks that once sat at the saddles back in their hands as they marched through the dark alleys of the frozen village the stables now far behind them as they crept through the shady alleyways and many dens of scum and villainy. The hunter soon came to a stop at bar with a bright neon red star in the window. They approached the door and knocked three times, their fist like hammer on the iron. A shade flew open as a set of glowing eyes peered out through a peep hole. “Password?” asked an almost mechanical voice that was muffled by the sound of a creatures squeals. “ Gem” states the hunter. The creature slides the door’s peephole shut and proceeds to unlock it. The door being of an automatic mechanical nature slides into a panel above the doorway. The hunter marches into a small tavern, past the doorman a pig faced creature with large tusk like jowls and a slender slimy purple skin, a large mechanical collar around her neck. The bar is full of strange alien figures as well as some humans and droids, but none of them the friendly sort. The hunter passes through the tavern to the bar where the bartender, a rather dirty and potbellied apelike creature female approaches them. “ How can I help you, sweetness?” asks the bartender. “ is Kiebin in?”  asks the hunter. “ Is the boss expecting you to be a hunter?” asks the bartender. “ he is, i have done the job he asked” states the hunter. “ Kiebin is in the back third room on the left” states the bartender, pressing a button under the bar a door opening leading to the back room. The hunter marches towards the doors and into the back corridor the door sealing behind them. The hunter slowly maneuvers through the hall to an office three doors down on the left where two puglike reptilian men stand guard at the door,they are wearing not as elaborate or even as protective armor as the hunters and matching white tunics underneath it holding large spear-like ax pike weapons, with tips that appear to spurt electricity. The beasts growl as the hunter approaches crossing their pikes. A man in a long purple fur coat with a musketeers style muschace and goatee combo with a bright yellow shirt and a pair of torn pants with a large oversized belt that sat slanted on his wait, a silver and rusted blaster pistol with a explosive bolt attachment sitting on his upper thigh, stood in the room, a golden cane in his hand. As he looked over it was apparent his right eye was bright green at its center and his left eye was blue, possibly done through cybernetic modification. “ Ari, my favorite hunter, come in come in. boy let this fine individual through” states the man. The reptilian pugs let Ari through the hunter enters and places the sacks on the mans desk. “ in these sacks are the six heads of the Benix Stout Gang, including the head of Benix Stout himself” states Ari. “This is why i like you Ari, straight to the point, without any reservation” states Kiebin pouring a glass of purple liquor into a martini glass from a large glass Fountain at one side of the room, twisting the rusted silver spout shut as it finishes pouring. He sips from the spout slowly, before exhales as if refreshed  before turning back to Ari. “oh my, where are my manners, can i offer you some Vulacian Whiskey,from my private stores or are you one of those species under there that don’t partake in indulgent practices?” asks Kiebin. “ i partake, but i’m not thirsty, where’s my credits” states Ari. Kiebin approaches the other side of the desk and taps a button a large hologram screen opens up at the tables center as the screen lights up. Kiebin removes a ring from one of his fingers and plugs it into the desk. He transfers 50,000 credits on the screen through the desk. Ari proceeds to tap a button on one of the vambraces on their arm and plugs a computer spike link attached to a cord from it. In moments the transfer begins on the screen as the 500,000 are taken and transitioned between the accounts. As the transfer ends Ari removes the plug as it pulls back to the vambrace, Kiebin does the same unplugging his ring and placing it back upon his finger. “You know, if you could take care of Benix Stout and his gang, i may have another job that pays triple this one” states Kiebin. “Depends on what the job is?” states Ari. “You’re a clever one Ari, i’ll give you that, asking what the job is before you take it, you got yourself a sense of honor that most hunters dont, i respect that” states Kiebin. “The job?” asks Ari. “some associates of mine ran into some trouble transporting some spice to Dai’shi, the Empire is cracking down on spice trade say its bad for their economy and their war efforts against the United Systems. My captain is in need of some muscle some hired security”states Kiebin. “ i’m sorry Kiebin, i’m a sworn hunter, i don’t do mercenary work, not even for triple my usual rates” states Ari. “i respect that, Ari. Let me guess your a Pamushian under that helmet?” asks Kiebin. Ari laughs “wouldn’t you like to know, let me know if you need any more bounty hunting work” states Ari exiting the office and leaving the tavern.

Ari starts away as soon as they exited the tavern and approaches the large tower at the outpost center, passing by beggars freezing in the streets not even looking their way, ignoring them completely. The hunter soon reaches the terminal bustling spaceport full of docking bays and where the wealthier civilians can leave aboard Starliners, a form of Luxury Cruise set aboard an Omega class Star-Cruiser, that normally orbited the planet. Ari headed for docking level C two stories above the average terminal, the private bays were located here and majority of individuals with private starships landed their ships in these bays. These individuals included: Smugglers, Pirates, Merchants, Military personal for either sides, Diplomats and dignitaries, Assassins, Mercenaries and of course Bounty Hunters or anyone else who could afford a starship. Ari’s ship was docked in bay U-10,as the hunter approached the bay doors they input the code and plugged the same chip that was used to pay them into the terminal to pay off any docking fees ranging from .01 to .05 credits per day plus .5 for refueling and anywhere from 1 credit to 1,000,000 or more credits for repairs if needed. Ari’s total sum for parking was .65 credits which were deducted from their credit account for fuel and the amount of time they spent on this bounty. The doors soon opened unlocking to the silver crescent shaped starship that was docked in the bay, four mechanic droids and a woman in a olive green jumpsuit approach the hunter. “Works all done, Hunter, fuelings done and fees have been paid, i would recommend letting me give the ship a diagnostic check but other than that its all prepped” states dock hand. Ari nods and approaches the ship walking up its large and extremely long boarding ramp that leads into the U shaped starship. The interior of the ship is brightly lit and white as Ari enters and closes the exit ramp and approaches the cockpit taking a tunnel through the ship and cutting through the large cargo bay area to the ships cock pit which was a small single person chair that was surrounded by monitors. Ari took a seat in the cock pit’s seat and activated the many panels that ignited around the chair as a control panel extended from the ground and lifted up to Ari’s chest locking them in like a seat belt but also providing them with the necessary control sticks as well as the steering wheel. Ari pressed a button and the cockpit lifted to the ceiling where a hatch opened revealing the outside of the ship. Ari flipped some switches at the top of the cockpit above the seat as a voice came over the comms device. “ W Class I17 Light Cruiser serial number: 01292381 , this is Idion Hexscreen tower, you may proceed to take off at mark 17 and proceed onto path with minimal air traffic” states the voice. “Received Hexscreen Tower, proceeding into line” states Ari, tapping a button as the ship hovers out of the docking bay and into the air way above it before flashing its blue ionic engines and speeding through the tunnel. The ship speeds through the tunnel and then out into the planets atmosphere just under the planets tower and then towards the top of the tower. The tower which appears to be never ending is topped off by a large control tower where three large orbs containing hundreds of control tower operators stand at alert. Ari speeds past the tower and proceeds at mark 17 through the atmosphere and then finally into space. 

The silence was peaceful in space, and Ari enjoyed the silence. The Hunter watched on from the cockpit the hundreds of trade vehicles approaching the planet as well as the Starliner that hovered in orbit as docking pods launched from their terminal on the surface to meet with it and transport ships left it for those guests making an excursion down to Idion Prime. Ari flew the starship through the space traffic towards the edge of the system and began programming the ships hyperdrive. The ship fired a small blue beam ahead of the ship, creating a small individually sized wormhole and blasted off into space at lightspeed.