Overview

The Ursa is a genetic creation of the Skrel, bred specifically for killing humans. Just as humanity does not know what the Skrel call themselves, they do not know what their word for the Ursa. The creature was named by a member of the Savant’s team during their first incursion. The creatures reminded him of Ursus arctos horribilis, the grizzly bear, and the shortened form of the Latin name stuck.

Cultural Impact

The Ursa have had a dramatic impact upon Human culture on Nova Prime, the Ursa led to the creation of the iconic weapon of the Rangers, the Cutlass, and have killed countless people since they first were introduced to the world.

Combating

Experience shows that it takes eight dedicated, motivated, and highly trained Rangers to kill one Ursa. The method was based on the ancient Roman fighting style to attack and withdraw in formation, constantly barraging the beast with weaponry and keeping it from successfully lashing out in any direction.

This battle tactic is the one requiring the most hours of practice because the formation must be flawless. As a result, when an Ursa is sighted, predetermined squads of eight are assembled for actions. Rangers will move together-if not, they will die together. Each one is responsible for the other seven members of their team.