Sapient dire beets

Bete dirus sapiens; discovered and first battled by Alpha One during Agent Omega's training flight aboard the D1 Trojan Horse. They are native to the Betanin system, planet Borscht, in the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex.

• Description

Description

Behind Alpha One, several of the red rock outcrops began to stir. One rolled over and into a more upright position. Something approximating eyes rose up on short blue-purple stems and popped open.
Abruptly what had appeared to be limp, blue-green seaweed strands draped across the boulder rose up and began waving in the air. A creaking, clacking sound came from the top of the creature. Within seconds the rest of the ‘boulders’ had moved into the same vertical position, multiple eye-stalks swiveling to look after the humans moving down the beach. As they grew more active, their color intensified and deepened, becoming more plum-hued than the brick red they had appeared only moments before.
More clacking was followed by soft ripping sounds, as thick root-like appendages were pulled from the firm-packed sand. Minutes later, at least a dozen of the creatures crept down the beach in Alpha One’s wake...
...Stalking.

~Stephanie Osborn, Division One book 5, Trojan Horse