Wrath of Trandosha

Chapter 5 - The Hunt

The bright sun, blinded Leon's eyes, he had woken up to a large Trandoshan male kicking him in the stomach. His muscular leg, driving a three toed foot hard against his rib cage. He heard them crack as the Trandoshans, sharp nails, stabbed him and crushed his bones. All the warrior did was deliver painful kick after painful kick and he laughed as he tormented his victim.

Leon cried in pure agony, waking the wookiees and Rico but they could do nothing. Just watch in horror, at their comrade being beaten into the dust. Leon continued to cry out, his torturer turned his attention onto his Leon's leg wound. Pressing down, with increasingly more pressure that squeezed the blood from the veins and oozed through the gaps between his hard scaly toes. The dying rebels shin bone gave way to his immense weight.

Leon had passed out, the pain too over whelming for his mind to contain.

"Ugh no fun when they do that" the cruel adversary complained. He looked to the wookiees, 

"More fun to be had." He chuckled.

"Tralfuss, back away!" The albino female had entered, she pushed Tralfuss aside.

"We can't damage, such fine and rare game as this" she said pointing to the wookiees.

"We are not for hunting!" Exclaimed Rico.

"Oh but you are" she replied.

One wookiee growled and spoke aggressively waving his strong furry arm at the albino Trandoshan.

"What does the creature say" she demanded.

"He is the chieftains son and he says he wants to know your name before he tears off you skinny arms and crushes your skull with his teeth."

"Ha ha ha unlikely, my name is Suuta" Suuta hissed, she left them.

Rico fought against the iron restraints, they had been placed in, his four wrists bled. The shackles were tight around his grey skin, the more he tried to escape the more pain he experienced. Rico looked over to Leon, who was still unconscious, the once proud soldier lay broken.

A ray of sun light, had squeezed it's way through a small gap in the large gate. Since their imprisonment, it's outstretching reach had grown closer and closer back towards the gate. And now the strong beam of light turned a redish colour, it was sunset.

The Trandoshans prepared for the hunt. Rico crawled as far as the chain would allow him, his big Andrennian eyes peered through the gap, what he saw chilled him to the bone. Over thirty young Trandoshan hunters, armed themselves with blasters, spears and what seemed to be some sort of traditional weapon.

The weapon some hunters carried, was long like a spear but had two scythes either end. The metal glistened in the remaining sunlight, Rico could see the blades were sharp and would have no problem slicing through him.

The hunters themselves were dressed head to toe in tribal clothing unlike their clothing before which had been fairly modern. The clothing was covered with black feathers and the teeth of many different species. Some had skulls suspended from their waists by a thick chain, which swung as they paced up and down the caverns gate.

The gate opened, creaking as if in pain, it was rusty and stained with blood. The wookiees and the two rebels were released from their shackles but had several guards pointing rifles in their direction.

"Today you will become true warriors of Trandosha!" Shouted Suuta, addressing the many young hunters who prepared for the chase.

One wookiee, reached down and put Leon over his shoulder, the wookiee looked starving. They had only been imprisoned on Wasskah for 1 day but before that they had been held by the empire, who had tortured and beat them.

A Trandoshan elder, stood on the balcony of the throne room and placed a large horn to his lips. The noise when he blew, create a low tone that everyone felt in their chest. The hunters began to scream, so the prisoners ran as fast as they could, not looking back at the pack of Trandoshans waiting to kill.

"Keep running!" Rico yelled, struggling to keep up with the wookiees as their large legs bounded across the jungle floor, dried leaves and twigs, snapping under foot. The group was only twenty metres away when the pack descended on them. A once half civilized species now appeared animalistic. Nashing their sharp teeth and running on all fours like wolves.

Their many feet, thundered throughout the jungle, gaining on the scared prey. Blasters fired, lighting up the evening sky, with flashes of crimson. The prisoners were unarmed and the Trandoshan were close on their tail, growing closer with every step. The wookiee children, cried in terror, their smaller legs not coping with the speed of the others. Leon was still passed out, his mane flowing in the breeze as he was carried by one of the wookiees.

One hunter leaped into the air, aiming for one of the small children, it's eyes closed as it whimpered. Then a thud, the child opened her eyes to see the hunter suspended in mid air, it's body flew backwards knocking down three other hunters in its path. She looked up Valon dropped from the trees, lightsaber in hand, he landed behind her. Immediately cutting down the young hunters, they fought with aggression but it was no match for an agile Jedi.

Valon swiped left and right, spinning around, delivering strike after strike. The Trandoshans collapsing around him. The others approached a clearing, which they ran straight towards, the consular class cruiser descended as if from the heavens. It's thrusters pushing, the leaves and branches of trees back. It's side door was open, the others except Valon quickly boarded.

"Valon!" Rico cried,

"Its okay, we've got a plan." Z comforted him.

Valon mounted his speeder after fending off the majority of the hunters but some still pursued. He drove parallel to the ship, attempting to catch up, with his bulky bike. A cliff was in front and he was nearing it with great speed. He pushed the bike to it's limit, but the speeder plummeted, he launched off the saddle. Using the force he flew into the air, grabbing onto the open side door as the ship pulled in front of his fall.

Several angry hunters, shouted insults cursing at the crew but it was too late the ship was already through the thick layer of cloud and into space.

"Get Leon to the medical bay" Rico begged,

"On it" Z replied
Leon rested in the medical bay, his body looked crippled, damaged and he was slipping in and out if consciousness.

The ship shot into hyperspace, a tunnel of swirling blue, surrounded the craft. The consular class cruiser, was a beautiful ship it was crimson in colour, had three large turbines at the rear. On top, was a few dish arrays, for short and long range communication. In the mid-rear was the engine room, towards the center was the state rooms, that were used by Valon.

Leon and Zinia had decided to make the crew rooms at the top of the ship their rooms. Below the state rooms, was the lounge which had been converted into more of a bar which they called the mess hall. In front of the lounge was the captain's quarters, lived in by Rico. They were large, but Rico had a single hammock, surrounded by trinkets and objects that he had collected over the years.

There was a formal dining room, with a big round table but it was rarely used for the crew ate in their rooms.
The hologram pod, was beneath the cockpit at the very front of the ship, it could be used as a separate craft for landing on planets, while the bigger craft orbited.

In the past, the ship had been used by the republic for diplomatic purposes. So it was unarmed when Rico had first stolen it to escape his home planet from imperial occupation. It was almost twenty metres long, it's shield was extremely powerful to compensate with its lack of weapons. Now in rebel control it had been fitted with an overhead cannon, two Taim & Bak H9 dual turbolasers and four single turbolasers.

Valon, Z and Rico sat in the lounge recovering from the past two days, it had been tough, but it was over now.