Warrior Bio: Yautja, the Predator.

Author's Note:  First, I'd like to wish everyone reading this a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  As a sort of Christmas present of my own, here is the bio for the Yautja - or Predators.  It should be noted that there are many blank spots in their history, so I'm going to have to go off of some conjecture and educated guesswork in order to get a complete assessment of them.  Fortunately, I don't think that anything I've said here breaks (or even bends) the canon sources, so it's all good!

Yautja, circa 2011 CE.

An urban hunter overlooks his fresh game preserve.
Image used without permission from http://fc08.deviantart.net/.

-Offensive Assessment

~Close Quarters Combat; Net Launcher, Wrist Blades, Smart Disc, Maul.  A particularly grisly Yautja weapon was the net launcher – operating via compressed-air cannon, it deployed a weighted net made from razor-sharp steel mesh to trap targets.  The key feature of the net, though, was that it shrank down to its original size from before it was deployed – cutting through anything within it.  This often killed enemies outright, and was able to separate nearly any substance regardless of its composition, from organic materials to artificial metals and ceramics.  However, the net launcher did not have very good deployment range, and was only effective at distances up to five yards away.  The traditional Yautja weapons for closer distances were the ki’ct-pa, or wrist blades – made from serrated metal composites of elements not recognized by the current periodic table, they were immune to damage from concussive forces, extreme temperatures at either end of the scale, as well as corrosive acids such as the blood of the Xenomorphs when covered with a special sealant before joining battle with them.  When not deployed, the blades were fourteen inches long and ran along the forearm and ended at the knuckles, making for an effective hand-to-hand combat tool.  Once they were deployed they extended by way of an electronic motor to nearly two feet in length, becoming very effective short swords.  The final melee weapon for the Yautja in this category is the smart disc – a circular, metal weapon thrown like a discus and controlled by micro-gyros controlled by the Yautja’s computing systems to return to the user like a boomerang.  Edged with a very thin, and very sharp border, it lost little to no energy when making contact with other surfaces as it would usually slide directly through them.  The disc could also be used as a very effective melee weapon, as it had finger-spaces cut out into its surface to allow it to be gripped in the palm and used like a short dagger to cut and slash enemies.  The final close quarters weapon in the Yautja arsenal was the maul – a bladed weapon nearly five feet in length, it was held horizontally on the forearm and used to slash, stab, and strike opponents.  Like the other Yautja weapons it was made from a very lightweight yet durable composite metal material that could take and receive devastating punishment.

A Yautja's undeployed wrist blades, along with several trophies from the hunt.
Image used without permission from http://www.filmdogsonline.com/.

~Weapons of Reach; Gauntlet Bolter, Combi-Stick, Plasma Grenades.  The gauntlet bolter was a miniaturized ballistic weapon mounted on the wrist.  It served as a backup to the full-size plasma caster if it was disabled.  It discharged a three-inch long, superheated projectile that was very effective against soft, organic targets but less proficient against hard surfaces like personnel armor.  Unlike the plasma caster, which deployed charges of corrosive energy, it used solid metal bolts moving at great speed to penetrate targets, but could be defeated by substances such as Kevlar padding.  As a backup weapon it only had a finite number of rounds, numbering no more than ten, and was only effective at distances within twenty to thirty yards away.  A more common middling-range weapon was the combi-stick; a telescoping rod eight feet long that could be carried on the belt, freeing the hands.  It was made from the same composite material as the wrist-blades and was balanced for throwing.  It also had a pronged spear-head at both ends so that in the event that it broke, it could still function in a more limited role.  A last weapon for use in this category was the plasma grenade – usually carried in a brace of three or four, strapped to a bandolier across the chest, they discharged an explosion of superheated energy blast that would disintegrate even hard surfaces within the center of its ten-yard detonation zone.  A twenty-yard electromagnetic and concussive zone extended beyond the center of direct detonation and was possible of tearing armored personnel carriers apart at the seams from inside-out. 

An undeployed combi-stick in travel-form.  To see a short clip of a Yautja utilizing some of its weapons, including the combi-stick, click here.  The video was not uploaded by me and is used without permission from the uploader.  This image was also used without permission from http://www.planetkrypton.net/.

~Long-Distance Weapons; Plasma Caster.  Mounted on the shoulder or into the helmet of a Yautja, the plasma caster was a lightweight energy weapon that was capable of firing multiple armor-piercing rounds that can each be assigned to targets via a targeting system linked to the nervous system of the Yautja wielding it.  While it was not seen as honorable of a weapon to use as the close-ranged options, the plasma caster was possibly the most efficient weapon in terms of outright killing an opponent.  When using the targeting system and other technologies available for use the plasma caster was effective at a maximum distance of up to 300 yards away, though it would normally be used at ranges less than half of that in more rapid bursts that would be aimed without an infrared targeting sight, but would use a digital lock-on feature located in the mask’s heads-up-display.  When the energy bolts fired by the plasma caster make contact with a surface, they explode in a burst of superheated shrapnel that can greatly damage the surrounding area.  One downside to the plasma caster is that it had a very limited charge; it could only sustain continuous, unaimed fire for sixty seconds with only a half-second’s pause between each blast.  While the firing mechanism is usually contained within the mask of the Yautja, a backup trigger mechanism and secondary caster would be located on the wrist if the first failed or was damaged.  Additionally, the plasma caster was the most vulnerable component of a Yautja’s weapons systems, as it could be easily damaged or even destroyed by well-placed rounds.

A hound on the move.  Image used without permission from http://images.wikia.com/.

~Specialized Weapons; Harpoon Gun, Hounds, Falcon.  A unique handheld weapon of the Yautja was the harpoon gun – lightweight and possessing a small silhouette, it used an electronic battery to discharge bursts of three fine-sharpened darts at targets to wound, disarm, or entrap them by impaling them to a surface.  The harpoon gun usually carried five magazines of the barbed metal darts, which could be discharged as quickly as the Yautja wielding the weapon wished.  However, unloading the spent magazines and switching them out with fresh ones was a laborious and time-consuming process, so a hunter would usually expend its magazines as necessary before switching to a different weapon rather than attempt to reload, or use the gun itself as a concussive instrument to bludgeon enemies if there was not enough time to rotate to a different tool.  In a change of direction, the other two “weapons” in this category were organic in nature – the hounds and falcon.  Controlled by pheromone reservoirs located in the torso mesh-armor and regulated and deployed by the same computer system that integrated into the hunter’s nervous system, the “hounds” were hunting-beasts used to flush out and distract prey, or retrieve targets from a distance.  They were well-equipped to kill in their own right; driven into a mad frenzy by the pheromones, they did not care for their own well-being and only attacked until recalled by a hypersonic signaling whistle located in a hunter’s helmet.  The hounds had the appearance of a boar, tiger, and triceratops crossed together and weighed nearly one hundred pounds, were four feet long and three feet tall – but their real danger was the crown of antlers that projected out from their skull, shoulders, and back, that could slash and stab anything in their path.  Deployed in packs of nearly a dozen, they were capable trackers and essential supporting tools in the hunt.  Another important piece of equipment was the “falcon”; a flying machine equipped with the same visual equipment as a standard Yautja face-mask, it was used to scout out terrain and locate prey from a safe distance.  The Yautja operating the falcon would have a digital screen attached to its wrist with which to view whatever the falcon was observing.  However, it had no weapons systems, and was only useful as an aerial scout.

A variety of bio-masks used by the Yautja; not that each of them has the plasma-caster installed in the helmet, not attached on the shoulder.
Image used without permission from http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/.

-Defensive Assessment

~Head; Bio Mask.  The headgear worn by the Yautja was a mask that covered the entire front of the skull.  Made from a resilient composite material (just like the rest of a hunter’s equipment), it was less suited to protection than it was to helping the hunters operate.  Primarily it had a breathing filter installed over the mouth, allowing the hunter to breathe in environments hostile to its biology.  Working via nerve interface, it could rotate between normal, thermal, infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray, and various filters that accommodate for extreme heat, lighting, and underwater conditions.  Additionally, audio and video feedback was playable back on demand; recorded audio could be played through sound amplifiers held within the hunter’s mane that could be held in place or relocated anywhere in the environment to lure and distract prey.  Video recordings were played back inside the visor and could be examined through any of the available settings.  Also located within the helmet were targeting and tracking systems for various weapons, most notably the plasma caster.  Unfortunately, as a piece of defensive equipment the helmet fell short of expectations; it could be penetrated by blunt-force and thrusting weapons of sufficient speed, but was very effective when deployed against slashing attacks.  As a weapon itself, the helmet could be used to butt opponents, stunning them, and along with the Yautja’s high pain tolerance and dense bone structure this kept them from being concussed in turn.

~Torso; Half-Cuirass, Xenomorph Chitin.  Similar to ceramic plating, but composed of foreign compounds, the plate armor worn over the torso and shoulders of the Yautja varied greatly in appearance between individuals.  There did not appear to be any set guidelines for how it was to be worn, as beyond the obligatory chest-plate many different elements, such as gorgets, have been witnessed.  The material it was composed of was highly defensible against kinetic attacks such as blunt-force concussions and solid projectiles like low-caliber bullets.  However, it was not a perfect defense, and could be penetrated by dedicated assaults from weapons like swords, spears, or the “stinger” of a Xenomorph tail.  Like the melee weapons, it could be covered with a special fluid sealant before battle to protect against corrosive acids.  The negative feature to the plate armor was that it was only used where it was needed most – the front and back of chest, not the abdomen, for honor reasons.  Depending on how strong a hunter’s sense of honor was, they could equip themselves will more armor pieces (such as those listed above) but this half-cuirass was the only necessity.  An interesting second armor type was made from scavenged Xenomorph chitin.  Fashioned from their non-corrosive exoskeletons, it had similar protective qualities to the plate armor but was often more used for reinforcing existing armor elements than contributing those of its own.  This armor was very rare, and typically only used by the most seasoned and high-ranking of the Yautja clans.

The Yautja cloaking device in a jungle environment.  The counter-measure
against blindness is visible.  Image used without permission from http://starsmedia.ign.com/.

~Limbs; Gauntlets, Pauldrons, Tassets, Greaves. Made from the same ceramic-like material as the half-cuirass, other armor elements were worn on the arms and legs of the Yautja for protection and utility. Gauntlets kept on the wrist contained secondary controls for the plasma caster, wrist blades on either or both arms, the net cannon, gauntlet bolter, and occasionally a viewing-screen and controls for the “falcon”. While the gauntlets were protective to a degree, like the bio-mask they were used more to house technology and tools for aiding in the hunt than anything else. The other armor elements listed above were optional, and often depended on the hunter’s operating style for their use; for example, those that controlled the “hounds” in a hunt would have greaves on the lower leg and tassets over the groin and thighs to protect themselves from the many horns that protruded from the beasts’ bodies. That is the failing in the Yautja defensive equipment: not that it could not protect its wearer, but that it was not used often enough or in great enough quantities to fully cover them.

~Mobile; Cloaking Device.  Also known as “active camouflage”, this technology was a key tool in the hunt.  Used universally by all Yautja to stalk and hide from prey in plain sight, the cloaking device would warp light around the user and project a hologram of the terrain behind them to render them nearly invisible when standing still.  Operating by a grid-like network of wires that encompassed the body of the wearer and integrated into the bio-mask and gauntlets, the cloaking device could be deployed and turned off by the nerve-link in the helmet or controls on either of the gauntlets.  To avoid the problem other cloaking devices have had of blinding the user when active (as they cannot see when light is not applied to the eyes) a subtle in-helmet overhead light would be turned on.  However, the device was not without its faults – most notably, it malfunctioned when exposed to large quantities of fluids such as bodies of water, torrents of rain, or bursts of blood or acid.  The device would struggle to cloak the user when in motion due to the quickly-changing surrounding area, so it was most effective when standing still.  Additionally, laser sights would refract on its surface, exposing the user.  Weapons that were extended past a certain distance from the body could not be cloaked, including extended wrist-blades, hand-held weapons, and the combi-stick.  

An experienced Yautja's trophy room; seen are multiple Xenomorph skulls, including a Queen's, as well skulls previously owned by a Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus. Image used without permission from http://www.thehunterslair.com/.

-Variables Assessment

~Tactics; the Yautje were generally patient hunters, spending much time stalking their prey from a distance before closing to take them down in a flurry of violence. They were experts in scouting out terrain and using their tools to their greatest potential, whether flushing out prey with their hounds, using captured party members for bait to trap the others, or luring prey towards them with voice samples of their companions while remaining cloaked in invisibility. However, they could be fooled – young, inexperienced hunters could be tricked into relying too heavily on their technology, or could be led into a surprise attack that would often prove fatal.

~Training; the females of the Yautja were great blade-fighters, often teaching the young warriors in the techniques of the combi-stick and other bladed weapons like the wrist-knives and maul. Before they were given a cloaking device, plasma caster, and other pieces of “high technology” the adolescent Yautja would have to spend several years training in the use of their combi-stick and prove themselves proficient in the other bladed weapons. Once they had attained skill with these tools they were allowed to train in the use of more effective ones. The male instructors of the species would take over training here, teaching the younglings how to combine their different weapons into more effective combat techniques. Once the Yautja, now young adults, had shown themselves to be skillful in the use of all of their weapons they were divided into groups of three and sent onto reservations to hunt the deadly Xenomorph. These were truly dangerous opponents, and typically only one out of every three Yautja returned from this rite of passage – this was to ensure that only the most skilled of hunters survived, and to teach them to never underestimate their prey. After a hunter had killed his first Xenomorph and made his clan-symbol on his head in its acidic “blood”, he would be accepted back into the clan as a full-fledged hunter, his training over.

Inter-clan conflict was a frequent activity among the Yautja; though certain clans would align with one another for large hunts or outright military activities, others had blood-feuds that ran back for generations.  Image used without permission from http://collider.com/.

~Motivation; the Yautja were motivated to hunt in pursuit of glory – they wished to find the most dangerous game, wherever they might be in the galaxy, to kill them in battle, and to take their head as a trophy. When on hunts to Earth this often brought them into conflict with local law enforcement and armed forces; often to the detriment of the humans, though this did lead to the defeat of the hunters on at least two occasions at the hands of exceptional fighters. However, the Yautja’s true strength over its prey was its technological superiority – without it, they would be on much more even footing against them, and so took serious measures to prevent it from falling into the hands of their prey and spoiling the hunt. Yautja would very rarely hunt on their own, usually traveling in parties of three to twenty individuals, with each member being responsible for recovering the remains of their fellow hunters if they were slain. Additionally, each Yautja had a self-destruct device, essentially a miniaturized nuclear warhead, attached to the forearm that they would detonate before death as a method of last resort.

~Innovation; the Yautja exhibited innovation in that they took previously existing technology and made it their own – the cloaking devices, various bio-mask sensors, and targeting system for the plasma caster were all adopted from an earlier, more advanced species known as the “Space Jockeys”. However, once they had gotten familiar with the new technology the Yautja did not further develop it; records indicate that they used the same tools over nearly one thousand years or more. While this would ensure mastery of their equipment, in the long run it would mean that they would be woefully underequipped against opponents with similar capabilities.

There is much speculation as to the creatures known as the "Space Jockeys";
it is believed by some that much of the technology used used by the Yautja
was inherited from them.  Image used without permission from http://images.wikia.com/.

~Experience; with the technology of inter-space travel available to them, the Yautja were exceptionally well-traveled in their ventures throughout the galaxy. They searched far and wide for the most dangerous prey to hunt, often stopping at Earth to examine the advancement of the humans that inhabited it. While it would be impossible to single out the combat experience of any specific hunter, it is safe to assume that on average they would have seen – and fought – against many different varieties of game, sentient and not. However, since the fall of the Space Jockeys they have not encountered any other races on par with their technology, so prey on equal ground may get the jump on them – no tthat they would deny the challenge.

~Health; on average, the Yautja were a very powerful species. Standing nearly seven feet tall and weighing in excess of three hundred pounds, they were faster, stronger, and more graceful than most humans. They could jump across the gaps between buildings and climb vertical surfaces with just the power of their hands. They had a chitinous growth over their hands, face, and other body parts that allowed them to take a beating without suffering too much pain from it, and were also immune to many types of poisons thanks to regular immunizations. However, they were not invincible, and after significant blood loss could be slowed and killed without swift medical attention. Interestingly, they had a bright green blood that shown vividly in dark places.