JOIN MY READER LIST FOR SPACE OPERA ADVENTURE

Known only by his fearsome moniker, “The Hunter,” BiiJun D’Kolor is a figure shrouded in both mystery and dread. As a formidable bounty hunter clad in impenetrable armor, he suppresses his innate empathy to efficiently dispatch criminals across the galaxy. His latest mission leads him to a bleak asteroid, his target a notorious criminal. However, the assignment takes an unexpected turn when an enchanting distraction allows a vicious fanged bear to ambush him, thrusting BiiJun into the unfamiliar role of prey.

Injured and vulnerable, BiiJun is rescued by the same mysterious woman who inadvertently caused his predicament. As he trails blood across the desolate landscape, a pack of ferocious wild dogs marks him as their next target. Forced into a desperate alliance with his enigmatic savior, BiiJun confronts not only the physical dangers of his environment but also an emotional awakening he has long denied. The isolation of the asteroid and their shared struggle for survival kindles a burgeoning affection and the stirrings of love—emotions BiiJun had forsaken in his solitary life as a hunter.

As they stand together against the relentless threat of their pursuers, BiiJun is compelled to reconsider his path. His brush with death ignites a conflict between his lifelong commitments and the pull of a destiny he never imagined. Could this near-fatal encounter lead him to embrace a life he had always rejected?

"The Bounty Hunter" is a gripping tale of science fiction romance that weaves intense action with deep emotional currents. P.R. Garcia crafts a world where rugged landscapes and raw, savage dangers mirror the tumultuous journey of its characters. Fans of intricate storytelling, compelling character dynamics, and the eternal battle between duty and personal desire will find this novel an enthralling experience.  

Exactly who are the Huntsmen, and what is their history? Although they are similar to other races of Bounty Hunters who wear armor, such as the Mandalorians, there is no evidence that one emerged from the other. However, some similarities between the two races have some historians believing the two races at least encountered and perhaps fought each other at one time.

Huntsmen folklore goes back about five hundred thousand years. Before that, there is little information. For some reason, those early years of existence have been removed from the Huntsmen’s oral histories.

The first verbal rendering of their past takes place on an unknown planet on the far side of the Andromeda Quadrant. Back then, the Huntsmen were not Hunters, but mostly farmers and gatherers known as the Veerrucca. They lived simple lives tending fields and fishing. Blacksmithing and metal urging were extremely limited, primarily to items needed for farming. They were an isolated species on a Class M planet that no one paid much attention to. Their society was broken into various clans, each one ruled by a member of a specific family. This leader, referred to as a Hittott, was usually male. If females did rule, there is no mention in the oral history, and from the few stories that survived, it appears the Hittott’s wife had little say in governing the people. The “ruling family” was the one with the largest farm or possessed the most belongings or wealth. As land holdings and wealth changed over the centuries so did the ruling family. Even after the Veerruccaclans were ruled over by one dominant leader, that person was chosen each time from the individual clan leaders.   

It is during this time that the legend of an adolescent male, named Onnog, appears. While checking his clan’s rabbit snares on day, Onnog found a wild female canine pup caught in one. The pup had tried to break free, and, in the process, broke its front right paw. Onnog knew the young canine could not survive with the injury, yet he did not have the heart to kill the animal. Instead, he set the broken leg and hid the pup in a small cave near to his home. He knew neither his father nor the elders would allow him to keep the beast, for canines were the farmers’ enemy. His plan was to nurse it back to health, then release it back into the wild. No one would ever know. But, like most plans, things don’t always go as planned. The pup and Onnog developed a deep friendship and, when it came time to go, the pup refused to leave. Fearing the villagers would kill the pup, Ong spent as much time as possible in the fields with the pup checking his snares and chasing hoppers. To thank the Veerrucca boy for saving his life, the pup taught the boy how to hunt more efficiently, how to silently sneak up on one’s prey, and how to swiftly end their life before it could alert the others. Before long, Onnogwas bringing in so many hoppers and other edible animals that he was able to sell them to other farmers. Curious as to how his son had become such a superb hunter, Onnog’s father followed him one day and discovered his secret. Onnogbegged his father to let him keep Channell, the name he had given the female, and his father agreed on one condition. The canine had already demonstrated she was a good provider; he wanted to know if she was an excellent protector. If she could keep the hogs out of the corn field, she could stay. That night Onnog explained to Channell what she needed to do and left her alone in the field. The next morning, when he and his father went to check on her, not only had not one kernel of corn been eaten, but two small pigs laid at the edge of the field for their dinner table. Channell’s admission to being a member of the clan was sealed. As the story of Onnogand Channell spread amongst the tribes, the fate of caught canines changed. Instead of killing the dogs, the farmers cared for them, nursing injured canines back to health, allowing them to run across their fields, even taking orphaned pups into their clans. When Channell gave birth to six pups, renown clan leaders from across the region came to barter for one. Thus, began the age of the Veerrucca and wild canines working side-by-side; not as master and companion, but as equals. Years later, a group called the Canine Hunters, was formed. They hunted exclusively with canines and were able to communicate with the animals. It is believed that from this group came the warriors who fought with canines in the wars that tried to destroy the Veerrucca.

Around three hundred thousand years ago, galactic war broke out in the Andromeda Quadrant. A warring race, called the Zada, sped through the planets, killing the indigenous life forms, stripping the worlds of their natural resources, and leaving behind dead planets. To stop their advancement, numerous worlds united and fought against the Zada. As the Zadawere defeated, they were pushed further and further back into the Quadrant until they arrived on Vera, the name now given to the Veerrucca’s home. Historians believe the arrival of the Zada was the first time the Veerruccawere introduced to alien life forms and to the ability of space flight. Imagine their astonishment and fright when hundreds of metal ships landed on their world.

Thanks to their centuries of hunting with their canines, the Veerruccaheld their own against the Zada, but they took heavy losses. The Zadafared no better. Although technically superior, the Veerrucca’s method of silently stalking and attacking left many soldiers dead. Finally, after years of fighting, both sides called a truce and divided Vera into two distinct countries—Verasera for the Veerrucca and Tiqui for the Zada. The Veerrucca lost over half of its populace during the war; the Zadalost two-thirds.

Peace brought with it a chance to rebuild all they had lost. Realizing that if they wanted to survive, they needed to change and think as one people. For the first time, one clan leader was selected to rule over all. Each clan leader maintained rule over their individual clans. The Huntsmen nation was born. Rodish Hellie, a Canine Hunter, was chosen as the first overseer of Verasera.

Rodish Hellie ruled with both empathy and an iron fist. He realized other alien races might one day try to take over his planet, so he brought with his rule a code of ethics, military training, and expanded the Canine Hunters to encompass all the various clans. While many Veerrucca remained farmers, a third became expert Hunters. And always at their side were their faithful canine companions. It was during Rodish Hellie’s two-hundred-year rule that the first Hunter placed armor on his body. There is no mention of why or how the idea came about, just that it happened. It may be that this one act accounts for the Veerrucca’s’ survival.

With their hostilities on hold, both races spent the next few millennia replenishing their general population. Since the Zada had little knowledge of farming and the gathering of food, they traded with the Veerruccafor everyday needs. In return, the Zada provided technical advancements in medicine, metal urging, weapon construction, and space flight. As with most cultures no longer at odds with each other, the two races slowly merged. Their DNAs were compatible, and children of both bloodlines were born. Within two thousand years, the two species became one. The two countries joined and were ruled equally by a delegate from each race. A male descendant of Rodish Hellie, named Rodish F’Rey, joined with a high ranking Zada female named Till Mae. Together, the two governed Vera. Thus, began the era of the Vera Huntsmen.

During Rodish and Till’s rule, war broke out in the quadrant again, threatening to end Vera’s peaceful existence. No longer content to wait for their world’s destruction, Rodish and Till built a vast army of elite Hunters. By this time, most Hunters wore armor for protection. But Rodish feared the armor was inferior to what other alien races possessed. He wanted an armor that made his Hunters indestructible. He scoured the planet for a new metal to build their armor. A new ore was discovered on a small island in the northern hemisphere—kolomite. Combined with another common mineral found only on Vera, this unique metal could repel the strongest blaster shot. It was also extremely light in weight, making it an excellent building material for spaceships. To take the war away from the people and into space, Rodish and Till ordered the manufacturing of the first Huntsmen fleet. They were now ready to defend Vera.

The construction of kolorite is credited with both saving the Huntsmen and almost destroying them. As wars continued, the knowledge of the Huntsmen’s armor and ships became known amongst the planets. And many rulers wanted the metal for their own. Wave after wave of attackers assaulted Vera in an attempt to conquer the planet and take the precious metal. With their world in ruins and their population again depleted, the Vera Huntsmen were forced to abandon their beloved planet. Before leaving, they destroyed the island that possessed the precious metal and made sure not one piece of kolorite remained for others to take.

Just under ten million inhabitants remained, the rest annihilated during the many sieges. To ensure their species continued, the Vera Huntsmen broke into various groups and resettled on different planets around the quadrant. Each brought with them the gift of kolorite armor and vessels. Over the millennia, some were hunted down and killed for the metal. Others died out because of illness or an inability to thrive. And some flourished, finding unknown worlds to hide on while they rebuilt their civilization. Over the next one hundred and thousand years, the various groups branched further and further out into the galaxy, desperately trying to escape those who sought their metal. Since it was impossible to obtain any new kolomite, any armor not needed was melted down and forged into new armor for the next Huntsmen.

The next two hundred thousand years are a blur. Little to nothing is known of what happened to the various groups that resettled. The first written history occurred around fifty thousand years ago. A plague ravished a group of Huntsmen living on the distant planet of Gillamean in the Orion Nebula. Once more, the Huntsmen were forced to abandon their world and resettle, except this time, not every clan was treated equally. Those deemed insignificant by the current administration were left behind or forced to survive on their own. Three such clans were the TriiBone, the Wolfen, and the Hataat. Combining their resources, these three acquired four starships to transport their people. Feeling they had no future with the current Huntsmen populace, they traveled further out in the quadrant and settled on an unnamed planet. Naming their world after their precious metal, Kolora became the home of the modern-day Kolorian Huntsmen.

Because most males were wiped out in the plague, each male needed to take four to six wives to help rebuild the clans. Determining it was more important to breed rather than to rule, a female was chosen as the new leader. From the three clans, three women were chosen and voted on.  Trained in hunting and the military arts, Anndew from the TriiBone clan was selected as the first “Dominee”. She reigned for a hundred and ninety years, bringing peace and prosperity to her people. At the end of her reign, the Dominee had quadrupled the population and established Kolora as a force to be reckoned with. She built upon the military practices that Rodish Hellie had begun centuries before, establishing a strict training ritual and a code of ethics. She established a school to train new Hunters. To prevent the problems of the past and to hide their numbers and identity, she ordered that all Hunters cover their faces. When off world, there was to be no gathering of more than two. When sworn into the Hunters’ guild, each warrior was given a new name. Nothing would tie them to their homeworld. To help supplement their economy, she allowed certain Huntsmen to enter the profitable profession of pursuing criminals as Bounty Hunters. This began the existence of the Kolorian Huntsmen we are familiar with today.  

It is from Anndew’s lineage that BiiJun arises.