A cute story of jungle pred when he was a young boy.
The Yautjian tribe is located deep within Yautja Prime’s jungles, they’re indigenous, their lineage going back thousands of years. They all have their own tasks within the community, some to hunt, others to cook, and some to teach the next generation. The teacher of the young hunters observes the puppies closely during their pre-training, ensuring they are advancing in their techniques. As Jadta goes through each stance, his teacher observes and nods approvingly before moving on to the next student. Jadta delivers a mighty blow to the dummy, sending it toppling to the ground. With a swift jump, he lands on his feet and strikes his bo staff into the fake enemy, taking it down with ease. With a weary expression, he wipes the beads of sweat off his forehead, clearly expressing his dislike for the training. He notices something sparkling in his peripheral vision and turns his head to find a magnificent beetle. He grins to himself.
While the rest of the pups are busy playing with dummies at camp, the little hunter sneaks out to train. He is determined to become stronger and better at his craft, even if it means sacrificing playtime with his siblings. He is not allowed outside of the watchful eye of his parents and guardians, he knows this, and yet he doesn't listen. He travels with his spear, a treasured item his father crafted for him. He is sick of sparing, sick of hitting dummies, it's time for a real hunt. As he treks through the jungle terrain he hears something, a sort of buzzing. The beetle. Thousands of years of hunter DNA are awoken within him as he searches for the sound. He climbs over a fallen log and pounces on the ground, letting out a mighty roar. He looks around but doesn't spot his prey. He kicks the ground out of irritation and growls, he was sure it was right here. The air is hot and humid it's draining his energy just to hike through it. This upsets him, his father and mother have no issue hunting in this climate, so he must get stronger. The little apex predator hears the buzzing again, coming from the left of him this time. His eyes flick in its direction, his pupils dilate with excitement.
His eyes lock in on his prey, and he breathes in deeply, familiarizing himself with its scent. Now that it is in his sights, he will not let it live. He creeps toward the large beetle, its carapace shining in the light of the sun. The sight is truly breathtaking, it will be a perfect trophy. The (description of the beetle). He stalks forward, sweat dripping down his brow. His prey spots him and lifts off into the air. He yells out of frustration. He wildly swings his spear, desperate to hit it. But alas, the beast flies up into the trees. He wipes the sweat from his face and pouts. As he reflects on his decision, he feels a bit defeated, realizing that his hunting skills may not be as advanced as he had hoped. As he clutches his spear tightly, a familiar buzz fills his ears once again. He snarls at the mocking sound. As he gazes upwards towards the canopy, he catches sight of the beetle perched on a branch. In a fit of annoyance, he shouts up at it. But he’s not about to abort his mission, to return empty-handed, and face the shame of his failure would be humiliating, especially since he broke the rules. Suddenly he feels an overwhelming urge to complete the task. He is determined to bring the beautiful bug back as a trophy to show all of his camp, to make a name for himself.
With his renewed vigor he places his spear in between his mandibles and bites down, holding it firmly in place. He grabs onto the tree and does something incredibly risky, he begins to climb it. The unsuspecting beetle munches on leaves, as its doom approaches. The pup slips, his claws losing traction on the tree. He gasps and looks down, the drop is at least two mountains high. He gulps down his fear and steadies himself once more. He will not let his fear rule him. He grabs onto the branch and pulls himself up. With a newfound sense of stealth, he cautiously creeps toward his objective. He leaps at it and grabs the bug! He keeps the beast steady with his hands and stabs the beetle's belly with his spear while keeping it in between his mandibles. His prey’s blood coats his spear and some of his face. Feeling victorious, he lets out a thunderous battle cry. The young hunter climbs down the tree, falling down the last bit of it and landing on his rump, but he’ll leave that part out of the retelling of this story.
As he enters the camp he sees chaos, the adults look to be preparing for war. He turns his head to the side in confusion, were they preparing for a hunt? As he walks towards the group of angry-looking grown-ups, they suddenly turn and spot him. As he approaches the group of battle-ready adults, they suddenly turn and notice him. The tribe was preparing to send a search party to find him. The pup proudly raises his trophy and smiles at his trainer. At first, the trainer looks frustrated and confused, but when he sees the beetle, his expression softens. He pounds his fist to his chest and nods approvingly at the pup, showing respect. Jadta smiles widely and proudly, he had completed his mission.
