Swamp Monsters

[Koda Fett]

​

TWON KETEE​

​

It seemed as if the Sith Emperor had some rather... exotic, if not dangerous tastes. Rathtars were on the agenda this time. A despicably violent and tentacled creature that had a mouth that closely resembled that of a serrated black hole. It was often said that those who hunted Rathtars often became the hunted, thus one could only hope that it wasn't the case this time. Although, capturing three of the beasts? Near unheard of. For that you required a deep pocket, one that seemed nearly never-ending. Fortunately for Darth Carnifex he had exactly that. Fett was an expensive man, and for good reason.

Yet, no matter how famed one may be they always required assistance sooner or later. Now more than ever, might Fett require a helping hand. As a result, he called upon the only man he may be able to trust; that being Ronan Vizsla. The Fett and Vizsla name were direct opponents in the past, but it appeared as if things change through circumstance, and that is exactly how the two met. Though that's a story for another time.

The Bounty Hunter's greed stretched too far, and too wide. Quite the opposite of his ability to trust. None of Clan Fett had been offered an in on this exclusive deal, and whatever it was that Vizsla brought he could pay for with his cut of the job.

Koda had settled himself upon a log that rested high above the toxic swamp of Twon Ketee, his biological life scanners never seeming to stop pinging. It hardly mattered. A Rathtar wasn't exactly the sneaky type. Ronan was nearby, and perhaps all of House Vizsla's assets had been deployed, if any. Maybe cages, bait, and so on. Whatever one may need to capture a carnivorous predator.

They had all the time in the Galaxy, nobody was coming to this inhospitable moon anytime soon.

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Koda Fett"]

Mercenary ventures and bounty hunting enterprises were as much part of the Mandalorian culture as their language, traditions and armor.

But Ronan had not been part of it for years, ever since he returned to find Vizsla slowly decaying and breaking the previous Alor, Grim Vizsla, before taking his position. There had always been greater concerns, bigger problems and more important dealings to be had than wandering the Galaxy and earning a buck. A war to be fought, clan disputes to be settled... thrones to shatter or even the Mandalorian Clans to rescue. But in truth Ronan had missed part of it.

So once Koda asked him for his assistance?

Well, first of all he had been surprised. Few people ask him for help in these matters. They probably assumed he'd say no.

Second of all... he said yes.

"Traps set, bait too, the sensors are picking up motion within 300 meters and closing in." Ronan's calm voice filtered through in Koda's earpiece. "We are a-go."

Simple as that.

 

[Koda Fett]

Mandalorians had fought jungle beasts on Onderon and Dxun in the past as mere trials. Perhaps this was no different.

Fett lowered himself into a squatting position. His left hand became firmly planted upon the trunk of a fallen tree that had created a bridge. One that freely allowed the man to stay well above the flooring in which these creatures roamed. Only one bit of bait, and one trap was within his direct line of sight, and it wasn't all that far away either. He had to be close, after all. The rangefinder atop his helmet was brought down over his visor, activating it's enhanced vision to witness only the outline of a tentacled monster rolling in his direction, but cautiously so. It was difficult to describe.

"Their guard goes down once they eat." Fett noted to Vizsla over the communication link.

You could hunt the most dangerous men in the Galaxy, but they all shared one thing in common: they were predictable, at least to an extent. A Rathtar, however, was nothing short of vicious chaos- and you could never predict chaos.

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Koda Fett"]

"Then its good we made them a feast." Ronan replied dryly from his particular vantage point.

The motion sensors refreshed every three breaths and the large blip got closer each time. Not as far as a vornskr would be, no, but it knew the lay of the land better than anything else and was making good time. Ronan wouldn't want to be stuck out there on the ground with them. That was the one universal truth of battle: never be forced to fight a battle on unfamiliar territory against a native. That was never a good time for anyone involved other than the native.

"Hold on."

Vizsla tapped the scanner to try and clean out the static.

It hissed and then suddenly... two bleeps appeared on the screen. "Got two incoming, v-shape, they will converge on the same bait at the same time."

Could be problematic.

 

[Koda Fett]

Could be? No, it most certainly was problematic.

"Hmph." A breath-y grunt escaped Fett in that very moment. Multiple baits for multiple Rathtars. Even though they were pack hunters, not many were often too keen on sharing. Perhaps not everyone was as greedy as Fett, or everything that matter. His brow was furrowed with the scowl that instinctively formed across his face. Fett certainly wasn't pleased, but his expectations for such a job were never exactly high to begin with. It was the more the merrier, but perhaps Carnifex would have to do if they could only snag one. So be it.

His gaze was originally on the Rathtar that was closest to the feast, but then shifted to the two that made more noise- far more. Their movements were quick, quicker than the other one. Perhaps from a different pack. Competition? Koda knew all about that, and that only meant one thing: teaching a lesson. Whether it be life or death, he didn't know. Have to wait and see.

The Bounty Hunter was on the move. He traversed the thick trunk, speaking through their comms as he did, "Plan stays the same." A few short steps later, "We move above the bait, and prepare the Coma Gas." It may cause some damage in the long run, but Carnifex only wanted them alive, after all.

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Koda Fett"]

"Go-"

Bleep.

A third blip appeared on the screen. Bleep. Now there were four.

"Uh." Ronan was at loss for words. That wasn't special, because he had never been much of a talker to begin with but right now the Mandalorian was staring at that screen. Like it had spawned two heads. In a way it had spawned four at once. "Four now." A decision was made internally once that fourth bleep blinked into existence. The plan had already been run over, but now it was simply demolished as well. Might as well get creative and do something new.

"New plan."

He rose up, feeling the weight against the branch making the tree shudder just a bit.

"The coma gas isn't effective spread across four of 'em at once." Not when the initial plan had been to spread out and capture a handful of them across all the baits with their own payloads. "We kill two-" Like that was going to be an easy plan.

But. Well.

This was Ronan they were talking about.

Pretty sure this entire initial plan had been confusing and complicated to him compared to 'just kill them'. "Then the coma gas."

 

[Koda Fett]

It wasn't exactly favourable, but Ronan was right. The Coma Gas was only able to spread so far, and with four of these beasts it wasn't going to do the trick. Fett knew it, but it didn't stop him from taking a moment to calculate whether or not the Vizsla simply needed his murder lust sated.

"Fine."

The Bounty Hunter continued to rise upwards, needing the advantageous position directly above the Rathtars as they began feasting, but it looking more akin to a massacre upon a series of meats. They were flinging their saliva, colliding with one another, even slapping about here and there as the toxicity of the swamp was prevalent in the colouring of the liquid that flew around their area. That scowl of his persisted.

"Draw them out..." Koda announced (almost thinking outloud) over the commlink as he stood at the lip of a ledge, looking down at the Rathtars directly below him as they fed. Disgusting. For a brief moment the thought of 'how' crossed his mind, but it was as clear as day. He had to fly out there and take their attention himself. If things went south? He could fly with that Jetpack.

Flames began to spit furiously out of the exhaust points, propelling him into the air with a roar. The Rathtars couldn't even hear it over themselves almost gnawing on one another. Fett came to land a considerable distance behind them, his armour protecting him from the water itself. His Carbine was raised as if it were a pistol, taken aim at one of the four, the trigger squeezed. The crimson bolt soared across the area, colliding with one that had it's attention taken away.

Metal-Man? Fresh dinner. Over it came.

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Koda Fett"]

Ronan wouldn't even have been insulted if Koda had questioned him out loud.

He had a reputation, after all.

In truth it was more complicated than the black and white image of a mad dog hungering for blood. It always was. Anyone who had actually seen him fight (and lived afterwards) would know the truth- Vizsla fought without passion and meticulously. Every step calculated, impassive and made to break down his opponent from one moment to the next. It wasn't like Vilaz... young, hot-headed and prone to brash decisions. When Ronan Vizsla went to kill, he killed because it was necessary.

Nothing else.

While Koda landed behind them Ronan approached from tree branch to tree branch, until he got into view of the gorey scene.

Blink, blink. "Seems they need a napkin." Vizsla said dryly as he waited for the moment to come. Then the blaster bolt rang through the open yard, catching one of the beasts in the hide. It burned and made it angry, as it roared in pain, immediately twisting about to get its assailant in view.

This served to coax the attention of the other two too, who seemed to forget the meal and fixated on the new threat.

Ronan made use of that, dropping down to the ground and aiming his gauntlets at the beasts slithering towards Koda. Hard-sound wrist blasters launched their projections against the hinds of the left one, causing them to stumble into one another.

Kark their balance up.

Then go for the kill.

 

[Koda Fett]

This may not of been the greatest of ideas in hindsight. Perhaps shooting from an area they cannot access could of done it, but then, they may have just fled. It hardly mattered right now, though. The Bounty Hunter wielded his Carbine in his right hand, and a Blaster Pistol in his left. Both fired rapidly at the approaching Rathtar with cut throat precision, aiming for it's tentacle legs that kept it mobile. Without them? They were nothing more than a ball. Yet, it had already felt the sting of a blaster bolt and it wanted no more. It weaved left, and it weaved right. The hide of the beast was going to take more time to whittle down, and these legs were difficult to strike. Even for someone such as Fett.

In the background of his focused vision two more blobs made their way in his direction, only to be cutdown by Ronan. If Koda was on good terms with the force he may of just said 'thank the force'. Wasn't the case, though.

This thing was gaining, and it was gaining fast. There wasn't much time left. Fett then made an assumption, a risky one, but a logical one.

He had a plan.

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Koda Fett"]

Honestly Koda would have to handle that one himself, because right about then Ronan realized he had his hands full in the moment.

The two that had crashed into one another already picked themselves up again.

Shook their... tentacles? Then its head and roared with renewed vigor. They made the executive decision to go after the hidden surprise behind their meal. Maybe they assumed that Ronan was interested in the gorey fest they had left behind in the wake of Koda's attack. That made Vizsla double the threat- someone who made them hurt, but was also aiming to eat their food. That was not something they could allow to pass and so they started to rush the Vizsla Alor.

The visage of two tentacled beasts rushing towards him was enough to even give Ronan some pause.

Then he let his heart slowdown and with it the situation. Adrenaline rushing in, breath relaxing, eyes squinting as Vizsla crouched through his knees. Then as Koda handled his business... Ronan got down to his, launching himself in the air through the jetpack and flying right over the head of one of the beasts.

His beskad lashed out, cutting straight through the lip and causing blood to burst.

Ronan landed on the other side and got himself ready for the next round.

 

[Koda Fett]

This one? Might just a be a little territorial. You never could be too happy when someone shoots you in the middle of a free feast anyways. Koda knew just what he was getting into. Mostly.

Fett's legs spread themselves the tiniest bit apart, assuming a wider stance. His booted foot and armoured ankles causing a ripple and splash within the water that rest at his ankles. The rest of his body bowed, and both guns went to the side as his arms did too. His head pointed in the direction of the Rathrar, and specifically it's wide-open mouth. Additionally? As did the missile mounted on the top of his Jetpack. It was safe to assume as to what came next. The missile soared, leaving a smokey trail behind it as the Rathtar devoured the missile, causing an explosion to ripple the inside of it's mouth. It didn't die, however- or it's process was just slow.

Koda didn't have the patience to wait. He holstered both guns as they remained on the outside of his person, then bringing both arms atop his helmeted head as if he was shielding himself from something, but as to what was unknown. Flames. They began to sound off once more, and show beneath the exhaust. He happened to launch himself directly into the mouth of the Rathtar.

The Mandalorian emerged upon the other side, crafting a relatively human sized hole in it's rear, albeit not exactly perfect. He happened to be far... less clean than he was once he entered. Saliva, blood, even a chunk of flush stuck to him like glue for the time-being. Due to the angle he took flight at, he found himself upwards. Casting a glance down at Ronan from his elevated position to just to see the blood of another creature spray profusely.

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Koda Fett"]

Koda's attention on what Ronan was doing proved to be a costly investment.

Both of them had forgotten about the fourth beast in the cacophony of chaos and murder. So, the moment that the Bounty Hunter erupted from the body of the third animal, tentacles suddenly lashed out into the air to grab hold of him. Ronan would have helped, but he was currently a bit occupied with his own problem here. Rather than immediately charge him again the two in front of him went smart.

Spreading out to either side and slithering slowly towards him, cautious now.

It seemed they had some insidious intelligence behind them. Even if it wasn't good enough to make them write poetry or whatever. Ronan gritted his teeth and took a step back, just one while his hand curled around the casing of a grenade.

Sonic.

Then the purchase of his heel allowed him to push himself off the floor and launching himself against the left beast. (They needed two alive here). The sudden movement caused confusion in the beasts, causing tentacles to twist around and trying to grab at the speeding Mandalorian. It lashed against him, scraping against his plating, but Ronan remained steady throughout it all.

While the 'nade ticked ticked ticked in his grasp.

Then he threw it, before making a quick and sharp turn away from both, while it swallowed the sonic grenade.

It went boom.

 

[Koda Fett]

Tentacles? Fett never really could say he was a fan of them. They had an odd texture, vile appearance, and vice-like suction grip. As they latched around him he felt as if he should've invited Entye too. Perhaps a woman's touch is exactly what this plan needed, if you could even call it that. Although, Shysa wasn't exactly a fan of Fett or Vizsla as of now. Suppose she didn't understand that it wasn't as cut and dry as abandoning her on the Wheel.

The Rathtar quite literally wrapped Fett up, he was rather immobilised as of now. Held before the mouth of the creature as if it was taunting him. Such a thing wouldn't last for long, though. The blades on either side of his gauntlet were activated, protruding outwards and cutting at the tentacles. It emitted a roar, and dropped Fett into the water. He lay on his back, a vicious beast over him ready to feast yet recoiling from the pain.

The Gas.

Fett rushed his his hand towards his belt, tearing the Coma Gas grenade from his waist. A singular button was pressed that caused it to flash red. A hurried lob later and it found itself inside the mouth of the Rathtar, venting it's gas that began to take it's toll rather quickly. It stumbled left, right, forwards and backwards. Koda began to shuffle backwards, clambering for his feet- hoping that this beast didn't land on top of him. It slumped forwards, crashing into the water inches away from the Bounty Hunter's feet.

Close call.

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

[member="Koda Fett"]

A few moments later Koda would overhear steps splashing against the puddle of water.

Shadow looming over him.

Then the scarred face of Ronan looking down at the crumbled bounty hunter. "Didn't realize you did beauty sleeps, Fett." Behind the visor Ronan had a shite-eating grin and then some. His hand extended for Koda to grab and pull himself up if he wanted to, otherwise he'd take it right back again. He stretched a bit and that would give Koda a view of the second downed beast.

Its tentacles were still twitching a bit as the coma gas worked its magic.

"Well, that is the first two." A break. "Round two? I am finally warm now."

It had been a good warming-up as far as Ronan was concerned.

 

[Koda Fett]

Fett seemed to take his moment of reprieve, laying within the swamp water, propped up by an arm and an elbow. Not entirely relaxed, of course. The previous situation was... tense. His armoured figure was still covered in the blood and guts of the Rathtar with a Fett sized hole in it's rear, or it's insides- depends on which way you look at it really. If Koda's armour wasn't as squeaky clean as it could be before, then any chance at reverting it to such a thing was lost with this.

His head rotated over his shoulder as the sound of encroaching footsteps drew near. From behind the T-Visor, his brown eyes shifted from the legs and up to the helmet, meeting his gaze as he spoke. The Bounty Hunter rotated within the shallow waters, reaching out for Vizsla's hand to hoist himself upwards.

"Don't push your luck." Koda responded to the second response. Wasn't a threat obviously, just as 'playful' as Fett got. Which, granted, wasn't much. If you could even call it that.

The Mandalorian cast one final glance over at this shoulder, identifying that comatose beast one final time, then off into the distance. A thumb went over his shoulder initially, pointing towards the one behind him, "Load'em up and we'll get our pay." He ventured in the direction of the one Ronan ensnared, "I'm sick of these swamps."

[member="Ronan Vizsla"]