Star Wars: Immortal Devotion - Short Stories (Character Intros/One Shots)

"The Hunt" (Part 3)

'Lee burst into his brother's room, waking 'Kroe from a deep slumber. "Let's go, everyone's waiting for you at the north edge of the village."

'Kroe further squinted his already small eyes and opened his gaping mouth with a yawn before shooting straight up in realization. How had he let himself fall asleep.

As he gathered his things, he noticed something draped over the end of his bed. It was an overcoat made out of the hide of the Howlrunner pack leader he had slain yesterday. His mother and some of the other village women must have stayed up all night making it. They probably thought this would help him become one with the forest. He thought it would be fitting to wear the hide of yesterday's kill, so he secured it over his back and head as he grabbed his things.

'Kroe dashed out of the yurt and through the empty village, rotating his bandaged arm and trying to get sense of functional it will be. He was sure it didn't look pretty underneath all of the dressing, but it definitely felt good as new. 'Lee wanted to become a medicine man when he got older, and 'Kroe knew it would be incredibly handy to have his own personal doctor on call around the clock if they could do perform miraculous feats like this.

As he neared the edge of the village, he saw everyone was already gathered. His father was dressed in ornate robes, and the medicine man was wearing some sort of skull and holding a chain necklace made of bones.

There were also six other members of his party, who appeared packed and ready to begin their journey towards the mountains. Of the group, he saw the elder hunter 'Obo, as well as 'Kanto, 'Gree the Strong, and 'Lee, alongside two other hunters he did not know incredibly well.

When he approached the group, everyone began to cheer. "Your future chieftain has arrived," his father said in a very formal tone. "He will honor us today, proving his worth by slaying the great and mighty Gundark."

The village started singing chants as 'Ktum, the medicine man, draped the bone necklace around 'Kroe's neck. "Go, and lead in violence today, so that you may lead in peace tomorrow."

'Tetch pulled 'Kroe aside as the ceremonial hunting party began to head into the forest, "make us proud. I await your return, my chief."

The young Drabatan smiled at his father as he ran to catch up with the others. It would take three long hours to reach the northern mountainside, however, he was sure it would feel much quicker on the way back home as he reveled in his success. He would leave the village a son of Pipada, and return the most powerful man in the region.

The journey did indeed last for quite some time, and most of it was filled with incessant chatter from 'Lee. 'Kroe half heartedly listened to 'Obo and 'Kanto as they discussed galatic politics, military tactics, and brought up all of the Drabatans who had left Pipida to join the rebellion uprising in their war effort. 'Obo called them fools, but 'Kroe seemed to envy their freedom to kill as many Imperials as they wanted.

The Empire had come and taken over most of 'Kroe's homeworld, a galactic hunting preserve, years ago, pushing his people back onto the newly formed reservations and banning them from accessing areas on their own planet for fear of being arrested or even shot.

While they didn't govern the world too incredibly harshly, and usually just left the citizens to their own devices, they had insured that the general population's culture would advance much slower than the rest of the galaxy.

Of course, they had offered the Drabatan people a few new technologies, and most importantly a plethora hunting weapons, as a sign of good will. So 'Kroe supposed they weren't the worst people in the galaxy.

Still, 'Kroe would have no qualms shooting one of the white clad bucketheads if the opportunity ever presented itself.

At this point, he could no longer take 'Lee's constant ramblings, and sprinted forward to catch up with 'Obo. "We're really going a ways out from the village, aren't we?"