Saga A Friendly Hunt- GWG " Shipwrecked" Challenge- OC

Title: A Friendly Hunt
Author: ZEGO
Timeframe: The Saga
Character: Mathis Whitfall & Jorry Kenmock
Genre: Drama, Adventure
Summary: Two scout pilots/best friends crash land on an unknown planet and must stick together to survive the physical and mental pitfalls.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.

Pt. 1

The ship Allister 5 glided slowly through the endless quiet of space, as its thrusters hummed a low roar of burning, guiding it to a grand overview of an unknown planet deep in the Outer Rim. Inside the cockpit, sat the pilot Mathis Whitfall, and his trusted co-pilot, Jorry Kenmock, each deep in thought as they attempted to complete all system checks on the hyperspace drive before departure. Mathis and Jorry were scouts for the Galactic Empire and had been for going on five years now. Their job was relatively simple. Stealthily explore the Outer Rim, searching for worlds to examine for the excavation of resources, or anything that could propose a threat to the hierarchy back on Coruscant.

Mathis was the ranking superior of the two, but Jorry didn?t ever seem to mind. They had become the closest of friends in their long time together, each knowing the other like the bottom of their own foot. Often times the two of them would crack jokes on the others faults when they were supposed to be entrenched in their duties. Mathis? favorite target always being the large bridge on Jorry?s nose, though, his flaw was much easier to spot. Despite how often he tried to hide it, Mathis had the most horrible memory of anyone Jorry had ever known. One time in specific, they were scouting an inhabitable moon, and when attacked by some of the local wildlife, Mathis forgot to load a power-cell into his blaster rifle. To this day, that incident continues to be the running joke of the ship. However, now they were upon another planet. Another assignment. There was work to be done.

?Thruster power is optimum. How?s the shield generator?s energy level holding up?? Mathis called from his seat while running down a list of system diagnostics, all of which falling into the green.

?Pristine.? Jorry answered with a proud smirk, slightly pleased with himself for doing his job so well. ?Say, Math, how much longer do we have to be out here before we get to head back home??

Mathis rolled his eyes, sporting a sigh soon after. ?One more month that I know of. Then again, you know how uptight our pencil-pushing bosses are. They may just add half a year for the hell of it.?

Jorry?s expression soured to the point of frustration. ?You really think so??

?I wouldn?t put it past them.? Mathis nodded back, his gaze focused on another screen.

?Man, that would suuuck.? Jorry chuckled, not completely deterred by such a possibility. If nothing else, he?d be spending that intense stretch of time with his best friend. Not everyone is so lucky.

?You ready to get this started, big nose?? Mathis asked mockingly, turning to look at Jorry with a smile as his hands gripped the steering controls.

?We?ll, that depends. Does your gun have a power-cell in it this time?? Jorry, too, was a skilled mocker.

Mathis simply chuckled off the remark as he always did and pressed into the controls, tilting them down for a slow descent through the planet?s atmosphere.

?So do you think HQ will let us name this one?? Jorry asked aloud, feeling the atmospheric pressure course miniature, shifting tremors through the bearings of the ship.

?Doubtful.? Mathis replied bluntly. ?But for kicks, what title do you think would be suitable for this place after the Empire?s got its hands on it??

Jorry only needed a second to think over his response. ?Uh, how about parking lot??

The two pilots wheezed in unison before bursting out in full on laughter. This single act was one of many reasons neither man appeared weary of their occupation. Fun was almost always abundant when Mathis and Jorry were together. Almost always?


*****


A gust of breezing wind whipped through a bu

 

Pt. 2

?You?re crazy.? Mathis stated as he turned his heel in place to head back to their hut. ?Somebody doesn?t kill Scar. He kills somebody.?

?But that?s just it!? Jorry reached out and grabbed his friend?s arm, effectively stopping him. ?He?s keeping us from doing everything. Aren?t you tired of coming back from a hunt with next to nothing to show for it because that thing eats everything? It?s probably only a matter of time before he gets us, anyway. We might as well strike while we have the strength.?

Mathis didn?t appear the slightest bit interested in the given proposal. For the most part, Scar kept to his side of the massive jungle and rarely ventured any further. Though, the fact that he did sometimes go further was enough to conclude he could someday catch them with their proverbial pants down. Still, Mathis felt the risk was just too great for now. ?Jorry, no.?

?Fine.? Jorry submitted, the disappointment evident in his features. ?Then I guess I?m going at this alone.? He ended, spinning his shoulders around and treading off through a hidden path between the leagues of bushing plant life.

?Hey! Jorry, don?t! You can?t do this by yourself.? Mathis protested, hearing the anxiety in his own speech.

?Got no choice, Math.? Jorry called back, his voice fading into the swaying brush. ?If only I had a friend to come and help me.?

Mathis? expression began to grim with angered reluctance. That was Jorry for you. If only they were still on the ship, Mathis could?ve pulled rank and attempted to halt him under threat of court-martial. Though, even that wasn?t a hundred percent guaranteed to work, and Mathis even doubted he?d proceed with filing the complaint. In the end, a guy had to do what a guy had to do. Spewing his frustration from his mouth with a furious spit, Mathis hoisted the strap of his rifle closer to his neck and followed quickly from behind.

He trekked fast through the thick wilderness, trying his best to catch up to his friend, but also not alert other planetary predators to his presence. Jorry oddly laid nowhere in sight despite the short lead he had on Mathis, which in turn prompted him to question if his cohort had started running ahead and not walked. It?d be a foolish move to do, something certainly not out of Jorry?s character to pull. Mathis quickened his pace a bit, but now made sure to lower his head beneath the cover of the spanning leaves that helped blanket the ground level. He?d continue on for about another half mile until falling to a rest against the trunk of one of the many enormous trees.

?Jorry!? Mathis muttered a yell. ?Where are you??

It was the same scenario repeating itself. He?d again lost his friend. Mathis considered it a blessing his fragile mind didn?t jump to so many dire possibilities this time around, even if not seeing Jorry didn?t exactly help matters any. A fast crack of breaking twigs and crushed soil then whiffed through the air, springing Mathis? weapon into life. Part of him wanted to believe it was Jorry, but the other half seemed to know better. Keeping his back sealed to the dry, wooden skin of the trunk, Mathis carefully circled slowly around to the other side of the tree. His gaze froze.

A large reptilian humanoid stood before him, maybe twenty feet away, his attention thankfully focused in a different direction. The creature stood at a heaping stature of fifteen feet or more, even with its hunched posture. A robust build conformed over its pure scaly, brown muscle, and a sharp strip of spines that extended all the way down his back, featuring a portrait of multiple scarring, no doubt from previous battles. The beast?s oversized head held an elongated snout of bladed teeth that easily stretched three rows deep into its dripping mouth. As horrid of a sight as this animal may?ve been, it was anything but unfamiliar to Mathis. This was Scar.

Mathis shot his back around the side of the tree, his breathing suddenly heavy and painful, as if someone had smacked the air right out of his lungs. ?Oh, lord.? He whispered to him

 

Pt. 3

?That?s what I want to hear, Math.? Jorry praised as quietly as he could, lastly checking to see if he alerted the large creature. ?Okay, here?s what we do. You make your way over to that clearing in front of Scar and jump around to try and get his attention. When he?s got his sights set on you, I?ll peg him in the eyes with a few blaster shots, blinding him. From there we pelt the hell outta big ole lizard-lips until he drops, and ta-dah, we?ve got ourselves some new pairs of boots.?

?Okay?? Mathis nodded accordingly. ?Just one problem.?

?What?s that?? Jorry?s brows furrowed.

?Why am I the bait?!? Mathis yelled a little louder than he should have.

Scar flinched where he stood, his head batting to the tree from which Mathis and Jorry hid behind. The beast took a cautionary sniff of the air, hoping to catch the scent of his next prey, but only drew in the breezing smell of the flowers and pollen crushed beneath his monstrous feet. His hungry gaze held on the tree for another long moment, and then turned away. Mathis and Jorry had already clung to the rumpled bark like they were hugging a family member, trying to stay as still as possible. Only when they were certain Scar was no longer watching for them did they dare to speak in murmur.

?You wanna get us killed!? Jorry growled lowly. ?Look. Just trust me here and we?ll get through this, all right??

Mathis could see the strong sense of importance in Jorry?s face. He didn?t want to let his friend down, but he also didn?t want to rush in and get massacred, either. Though, if a choice between the two came, he already knew which one to go with. ?Fine. Let?s do this.? Mathis agreed, silently moving around on his knee to crawl in stealth through the grassy brush.

?Hey, Math.? Jorry whispered out once more.

?Yeah?? Mathis whispered back.

Jorry simply smiled. ?Good luck, buddy.?

?You, too.? Mathis grinned. ?Lord knows we?ll need it.? With nothing left to add, Mathis ducked down and continued on, his arms and elbows dragging him forward on his belly from under the cover of the surrounding greenery. The process of making it from virtually next to Scar, to a few feet in front of him, was an incredibly dangerous one. The slightest hint of movement could alert the beast and things would only get worse from then on. Little by little, Mathis gained ground as careful as he could, always making note of where Scar was by gradually peeking through the shrubs.

Once achieving a distance of about twenty feet between him and his target, Mathis cautiously began to maneuver his body in a circular pattern; changing positions so that this way he?d be facing Scar when he plucked up to reveal himself. Fearful thoughts now started to flood Mathis? mind with doubt. He began to re-rationalize why this was a horrible idea, and why he shouldn?t do it. This must?ve been what normal soldiers faced before romping into battle. Mathis didn?t envy them in the least, except for the fact that their enemies probably weren?t giant carnivores. That fact aside, he still had a job to do, and a plan to follow. Drawing on his remaining reserves of courage, Mathis let out a series of hard breaths, ending with a vicious grind of his teeth. Taking his blaster in his hand, Mathis burst up from the grassy cover and let out a rebellious cry.

?Agrrrrr! Over here, you big gecko!? Mathis screamed at the top of his lungs. It was only an instant before the imposing creature keened in on his next meal?s presence. Hastily, Scar turned his strange, emotionless gaze toward him, then dropped its wide-hinged jaw to deliver a tremendous, high-pitched roar that filled Mathis will pure mortal terror. ?NOW, JORRY!? Mathis yelled, expecting his friend to appear from somewhere and barrage the large beast with a hail of blaster fire?but he didn?t. ?JORRY!? He yelled again, his nerves set to overdrive as Scar lowered his heavy head in a crouch. Mathis had seen this move before.

Without delay, Mathis spun his body around and sprinted into the nearest path.

 

Great story!
I'm ratehr speecless. Once I find my voice again, I'll be back with a comment that's making more sense.

 

This was a very well written, and superbly delivered story. It reminds me of those old Twilight Zone flicks I used to watch all the time as a kid. My heart went out to Mathis. I read the story thinking that perhaps Jorry was a figment of Mathis imagination, but alas, he was very real...at one time. Two thumbs up!

 

Excellenté!


This is exactly the type of story I had in mind when I suggested the theme. Great job ZEGO!!!

 

ZEGO - that was totally awesome. The characterization was marvelous, the interaction well written.

Mostly I must say that you really got me with the fantastic twist at the end.

Skalen is right - very Twilight Zone-like.

Great job. I really enjoyed reading it.