Chapter 6:
Planet Banshee
NAVpoint Alpha
February 5th, 3058
1035 Hours
"GET THAT JAGERMECH OFF MY RADAR NOW, COPPERHEAD!" Raylan screamed as the autocannons slammed into his mech's chassis. "COMMAND, WE REALLY KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST DOWN HERE! I NEED AN ETA ON THE MAIN FORCES ARRIVAL NOW!"
"We're still over an hour out Raylan. You need to hold on!" Naomi shouted back as he watched her fingers flying over her keyboard. "I'm doing what I can to get you out of immediate danger but our intel was seriously FUBAR."
"YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TELL ME THAT! SUNNUVA…!" Raylan shouted as he was hit by a salvo of LRM's from a distant Catapult. " ADDER, MATCH FIRE WITH THAT CATAPULT! AND WERE IN THE NAME OF KERENSKY ARE THE RECON!?"
"Think they scattered, Viper!" Jason called back as Alexa sent a full salvo of LRM's into her mirror's chassis.
"Fabulous. If any of them manage to find their way back here remind me to thank them." Raylan said through gritted teeth, finding it was the only thing he could do to keep from shouting. "Light mech activity at the drop point my ass…Naomi some of these mechs look awful familiar in color scheme."
"I know Raylan, I'm cross checking now. I think the Remnant was waiting, something important is on planet. Colonel Kain and Colonel McMIllan are having a pretty furious discussion with the good MI4 agent to see if anything was left off the table." Naomi said as Raylan turned to see Clara and Alexa moving forward.
"COPPERHEARD, ADDER FALL BACK AND FORM UP! WE CAN NOT SEPARATE!" Raylan shouted as the two pilots began backing their battlemechs back into formation. "Last time we found these bastards there was a lost SLDF cache. No offense, but I would not doubt the intelligence officers from one of the Successor States would want to claim it for their own."
"Couldn't agree more, Captain. Like I said, I'm cross checking but it's going to take time. In the meantime, they haven't completely cut you off. Start falling back, there's large canyon system you can use."
"Roger that! Thanks, Commander!" Raylan said before opening full comms to his lance. "Alright Panther, we're moving back. Bounding retreat. Clara, move to me. Lex and Jason, fall back about 350 meters, turn and fire. We need a wall of fire to get out of this."
"Copy, Lead." Alexa said as she and Jason turned, racing back to their position as Clara and Raylan unleashed a maelstrom of fire at the enemy forces. A PPC raced out and slammed into the Cauldron Born's shoulder mounted Ultra Autocannon. Raylan's computer whistled a warning that the loading mechanic was damaged, almost rendering the weapon useless.
Raylan returned the favor with twin PPCs of his own at the Awesome as the first salvo of 70 LRM's came rushing overhead and peppered the enemy with massive explosions as armor blew off chassis like tissue paper. Raylan and Clara turned their BattleMechs away and raced back as more and more LRM's flew over them. This pattern continued until they reached the canyon's mouth, were Raylan and Clara took positions on either side and opened fire. Alexa and Jason began the slow process of reversing into the canyon so they could continue firing.
"Naomi, we are at the canyon and entering now. Clara will be the main blockade. My mech is badly damaged and Jason and Alexa will continue fire support as long as they can. We have no contact with Brian's Recon."
"Copy, Panther Lance. As soon as we make planetfall the rest of the Cavalry as well as the Wild Angels are going to move to hit the force attacking you from behind. Just hold out until then." Naomi said "Just 45 minutes, Raylan. That's all you need to do."
"I'll do my best, Commander. See you all soon." Raylan said closing the link as he moved his mech into the canyon and Clara filed in afterwards so she could provide more direct fire.
"Cap, path opens up back here. What do you want us to do?" Jason called out as Raylan continued to back up.
"Spread out and make room. We'll try and hold them here. Clara, how are you holding up?" Raylan asked as Clara fired her weapons again.
"Just fine, Raylan. Nothing to worry about yet." Clara said as Raylan entered the open area of the canyon, turning and moving out of the way so Clara could clear the entrance as well. He quickly checked the read-outs for his lance.
They had all taken a significant amount of damage and the missile boats had expended more ammo than he cared for but they could possibly hold out if they played their cards right. Raylan surveyed the area carefully for a moment and began forming an idea just as his radar displayed a low sensor trace alert.
All four of the mechwarriors turned and found themselves trained on two of the members of Brian's Mechanized Recon.
"Sound off, now." Raylan growled over his comm. link and there was a pause.
"Inferno." One responded "In the Firestarter, I know, unoriginal."
"Mandrake…Panther." The other said. Both mechs were severely torn up, missing immense chunks of armor and horrific burn marks across their chassis.
"Where is the rest of your unit?" Raylan asked, trying to calm himself down even as he felt the pressure drawing nearer.
"Gone. Brian went down in the first salvo…the others…well, they panicked. Dunno what happened after that…" Mandrake reported, his voice shaky and distant. Raylan recognized it as shell shock almost immediately.
"Well this changes thing, huh Viper?" Jason asked and Raylan nodded to himself.
"Naomi, Viper. We have two members of Brian's Mechanized Recon here. They are torn up bad and reporting the rest of their unit lost, presumed destroyed. Please advise."
"Roger that Viper. Unfortunately, it doesn't change your situation much. We're still a decent way out. You're going to have to hold them. Lieutenant Colonel Ramsey is requesting you do everything you can to keep the two Recon members alive. He wants the battleROM recording from their mechs."
"Roger, we'll do what we can." Raylan said before switching to the battlefield link. "Alright Panther lance, here's the plan. We gotta keep these two up and fighting 'til our back-up gets here. Alexa, Jason take up position in corners besides them. Clara, with me. Alright, you all ready?"
There was a pause between all of them as they silently confirmed their orders. An autocannon shell blew past them, shattering part of the cliff wall behind Jason.
"Alright, that's the plan. Clara, let's go." Raylan shouted. The two ex-Clanners pushed forward, rounding the corner and blocking the path for the incoming forces from continuing their hunt. Raylan locked in on the closest, a Centurion and waited.
The moment seemed to go on forever as both the forces of the Star Remnant bolstered planetary defenses and the blocking line of the two Clanners and their allies behind them.
"Lex…" Raylan muttered as the lock held on the Centurion as the wall of enemies began moving forward.
"I've got it. Rain's comin' Captain." Alexa called back and a moment later, the entire flight of her and Jason's missiles came sailing over the canyon walls and detonated against the mechs as well as the canyon itself.
There was a tremendous roar as Raylan and Clara began backing their mechs up and firing as they did so. Raylan felt the heat kicking up in Ghira's cockpit, the desert climate wreaking havoc on his already taxed cooling systems. Sweat popped on his brow and he did his best to ignore it as the wall began to collapse inwards.
Boulders of colossal size begin to pelt the enemy combatants, crushing weapon pods and armor in the deluge while the missiles detonated in a cacophony of shredded metal. The Centurion let loose one more shot of autocannon fire that slammed into the Ultra Autocannon mounted on the Cauldron Born's shoulder, sheering the weapon clean off as he slammed the button to jettison the weapons ammunition. Even with the Clan implemented CASE system, he had seen enough internal ammo explosions to not want to even give it half a chance.
"Clara, the path is sealing, hold here and keep anyone trying to come over the top from getting to curious. I'm gonna circle around and hit them from behind." Raylan called out as he turned and began moving.
"Alright, just be careful Raylan. You're going to be alone over there." Clara said, concern clear in her voice.
"Don't worry. I was made for this." Raylan muttered and caught the slight nod from Clara's vidscreen. "Naomi, I'm moving around the back of the main enemy force to try and give us more time. Figured I'd give you the heads up."
"Thanks for that, Captain." Naomi said, twisting her face into a grimace as she checked her readouts. "That landslide certainly helped, but there is a lot of movement down there. I can't guarantee you'll get out of that hornets' nest."
"I understand. I'll see you when you get down here. Raylan out." He said as he brought his mech to full speed and raced to cut the enemy off at the knees. Raylan made his way up the side of the plateau, radar almost off to hide his signature before he was ready.
The first target arrived on his scope and he brought his Cauldron Born into a firing position. The PPCs cut the air and slammed into the Bushwhacker, nearly toppling it over as the pilot wasn't expecting to be sideswiped. The force turned to face him and Raylan braced his mech as he continued to fire relentlessly, the heat building to an unbearable level.
Raylan destroyed an enemy Panther and Raven before having to pause to let his heat sinks kick in and, in the moment he stopped firing, the entire enemy force returned fire. Lasers and autocannon fire whipped past him as he slowly strafed to the side in an attempt to dodge as much of the fire as possible.
Some of the rounds did find their marks however, as a PPC from one of the Star Remnants Awesome ripped through Raylan's right torso, the armor melting away so quickly it practically evaporated. A Centurion's autocannon found its way into his leg, crushing the structure underneath as armor exploded from the wound.
His heat levels lowered to safer levels, Raylan opened fire again, blowing the Centurion apart with concentrated fire. Raylan turned his attention on to the Awesome and began firing at the dreadnought, knowing the things front armor was built to withstand far worse punishment than his Cauldron Born could dish out.
"Clara, is that side clear?" Raylan asked, as calmly as he could in the situation. There was a pause before she responded.
"For the most part. A few enterprising souls wanting to try and climb over." Clara said as he could hear the Loki's massive LBX autocannon reporting as Clara fired on something.
"Think you could join me on the other side?" Raylan asked, firing another salvo into the Awesome. "Sure would appreciate the help."
"On it, Raylan." She said as Raylan brought up Alexa and Jason onto his screen.
"Could really use some missile support you two." He called out as the Awesome's PPCs ripped into his mech again, stripping the armor completely on the Cauldron Born's right side.
"We're trying, Raylan but there is some heavy electromagnetic interference. Either a storm is coming or they have some really advanced ECM. We're only getting locks for seconds." Alexa reported. "Also, there's an enemy or two coming in from our flank. Nothing we can't handle but with trying to keep the Recon alive it's a helluva distraction."
"Copy that, Clara and I will try and get the enemy in check here. Just, give us a few salvos when you can. Even if its only on one of those partial locks." Raylan said.
"Will do. I'll let you know if anything bad comes this way." Alexa said and Raylan fired on the Awesome again. It walked forward, seemingly oblivious to the firepower being leveled into its body.
Raylan saw Clara step over the rubble pile and began to open fire on the Awesome as well. Finally, the beast seemed to take notice, spinning to face Clara and opening fire. This at least bought Raylan a few seconds of respite and he took the opportunity to level all his weapons into the Awesome's back.
Clara also fired into the Awesome, removing the last of its armor and collapsing the internal structure beneath as the Awesome's torso as the mech fell forward onto its face. Raylan turned and targeted the next heaviest unit, a Grand Dragon. Raylan watched as Clara followed his target lock and her weapon pods locked onto the classically Kuritan design.
Both fired in tandem, practically dissolving the mech's left side in a hellish display of firepower. The Grand Dragon stumbled, falling over into an Enforcer, the pair going down in a twist of limbs and destroyed armor.
"Ray…thi..Naomi. We ar….10 min….Colonel….inbound…copy?" The transmission came in garbled and distorted and Raylan flipped a few switched to up the gain on the receiver.
"Say again, Commander. You're breaking up." He called out as he and Clara continued to pour firepower into the encroaching force.
"Raylan, I'm hitting critical heat levels here!" Clara shouted and Raylan noted his own mech's heat readout was redlining.
"Same here. Stagger fire, I'll go first, you cool down." Raylan said.
"I got you, Raylan!" Clara said, taking a few steps back to give herself more cover as Raylan maintained fire, drawing the enemy's focus to himself.
"This is Naomi! We are delayed 10 minutes plus. Colonel Kain wants you to fall back, you have a storm inbound! Do you copy!?" Naomi shouted, the static still heavy in the comms link.
"I copy, Naomi! We can't fall back! I repeat, we CAN NOT fall back! They have us pinned and the only way out is into the storm!" Raylan called out. Alerts began blaring as his heat level hit critical. "CLARA, YOU'RE UP!"
"On it Raylan!" Clara shouted as she moved up and began to fire as Raylan fell back to cool down.
"Raylan, Cassie is coming on the line. She wants you to give her an immediate situation report." Naomi said as the link crackled once more.
"Captain, sounds like you're really in the shit right now. You lance's video feeds are distorted to uselessness, probably due to that storm you have coming. I want your no bullshit assessment."
"Copy, Colonel. We are pinned down by the ears and facing an overwhelming enemy force. My mech is damaged badly, Clara is holding, Alexa and Jason are standing back to provide support but the storm as well as enemy ECMs are jamming their systems. We also have two of the Recon unit with us but they're badly damaged. The only way out is directly into the storm and, although that would give us visual cover, the strong electromagnetism could wreck any number of systems in or mechs."
"Can you reasonably hold out were you are?" Cassie asked and Raylan watched as a pair of Panther's and a Commando laid into Clara's mech with everything they had.
"No, we can't. Hold one." Raylan said, moving his now cooled mech forward. "Clara fall back, I'm up!"
Clara stepped back as Raylan began to open fire, shifting their focus to him once more. The first Panther fell quickly, having been damaged already. The second fell a moment later, collapsing into a fireball as the Remnants began to pound his damaged Cauldron Born relentlessly.
"Colonel, if we move back there is a good chance they will overwhelm us. At least here we have them mostly funneled into one area. Once the storm rolls in the extra cover will put us both at a disadvantage but I have faith Clara and I will be able to compensate."
"And you understand that it is going to take us longer to reach you because of that storm? I just want you to be completely aware what you are getting into here." Cassie said as Raylan fell a Crab.
"I understand the risk we're taking down here, Colonel. Don't worry."
"Once that storm hits, you won't be able to eject. It's do or die, Raylan." Cassie said and Raylan snarled as a medium laser polarized his cockpit, rocking him in his seat.
"I would not have ejected regardless…" Raylan snarled and Cassie sighed.
"I know the Clan way is to die honorably in your mech, Raylan, but you're in my unit now and I hate when my men die. So keep this in mind, any other situation, if it gets dire you punch out. Get me?"
"I get you, sir." Raylan said bitterly as he fired upon an approaching Enfield, blowing a decent amount of its protective armor off of its torso.
"Sorry Raylan, but I'd rather pay your ridiculous salary than have you dead." Cassie said with a laugh.
"How long until the storm hits us?" Raylan said, still bitter.
"About 5 minutes. We're going to take a bit more time but we are coming. Just hold out, Raylan." Cassie said
"I'll do my best, Colonel. Raylan out." He said, switching the link back to his lance. "Clara, five minutes until stormfall. Once it hits, I'll come to you and we'll fall back to the main defensive position. Lex, Jason your missiles are going to be completely worthless in there so lasers and…melee only."
"Copy, Cap." Jason called out and Raylan watched as the storm loomed behind the canyon.
"This is going to get hairy you guys. Once we're in the storm, we're on our own until the rest of the company arrives." Raylan said as he blew a Griffin into oblivion.
"We're ready, Raylan. Don't worry." Clara said as the lance went back to doing what they had been for nearly an hour already. "And, just between us, I'd rather have you alive and making more than me too."
"Roger that, Clara." Raylan said with a small smile. An autocannon slammed into Ghira's right side again with a rending screech as a hole opened in his cockpit, sending sparks flying as the computer systems failed. "Well, guess we're finding out first hand if those storms can tear flesh from bone. I got a hole in my cockpit."
"You alright, Ray?" Alexa called out and Raylan looked himself over, finding blood trickling down his arm and neck.
"Minor cut, nothing to worry about." Raylan called back as the winds howled around him, obscuring the opposite side of the canyon. "Its time! Clara, I'm coming to you!"
"Roger that, Raylan! I've got their attention!" Clara shouted back as Raylan strafed his way towards Clara across the plateau. He maintained fire as the storm engulfed him and he felt his entire chassis rock with the impact of the winds. The sand poured into the hole in his cockpit and he felt the abrasive sting as it whipped against him.
As the two ex-Clanners came together, they fell back cautiously. Raylan switched his display to thermal and, although it was blurry and distorted because of the cockpit damage, it did help in the unbelievable darkness of the storm
Lightning cracked above them as the pair fired into the still encroaching hoard, felling a number of light mechs as they did so. Lasers stabbed past them as they came into range of their teammates, forming a rough semi-circle around the members of the doomed recon unit with the canyon wall serving as the stalwart protector of their rear.
"How long do we have!?" Jason shouted over the roaring winds of the storm on the lance's short-range communicators.
"No idea! Assume the worst, Jason!" Raylan shouted back as he checked the long-range communication frequencies only to find nothing but static. "We are on our own, people! And here they come! Get ready!"
The storm cleared an hour later, the sand shifted in unbelievable ways. Around Panther Lance lay the destroyed corpses of numerous Star Remnant battlemechs, partially buried and lost to the sands. Still, more stood vigil over the canyon pass, mounting the plateau walls like vultures as Raylan and his units mechs smoked and smoldered below.
Nearly all of them had holes through their armor, smoke pouring off of them like clouds. Raylan's right arm hung limp, its shoulder blown apart and the hole in his cockpit smoldering from the abrasive touch of the sand. Clara's leg was half crumpled, the hip sparking ominously as still glowing laser wounds blazed on her chest. Alexa was missing her left missile rack and her cockpit was splintered as well. Jason stood tall, but had a massive hole just below the Archer's missile rack and a wicked burning scar lashed completely across its front side.
"Well…fuck…." Alexa muttered quietly as the Remnant forces trained their weapon pods onto the beleaguered unit like a firing squad.
"Couldn't have said it better myself…" Raylan replied, grimacing at the pain in his right side. The entire side of his body felt torn raw but he focused on the mechs in front of him. A Marauder moved forward leveling its massive weapon pods on Raylan directly.
"You fight as well as they claim, Clanner, but this were it ends. The Remnants will not suffer your existence any longer." The voice called over their mechs speakers.
"Clanner!? Who the hell are they talking about!?" Inferno shouted over the closed comms and Raylan tightened his eyes into a glare as he brought his one functioning weapon pod to bare.
"Me." Raylan said before opening his own speaker. "Than come and take it surat! You freebirths are not even worthy of facing a solahma unit let alone carrying The Great Father's name!"
"Defiant to the very end…how very noble of you…" The Marauder pilot called out, seeming more amused by Raylan's outburst than anything. Raylan responded by firing his PPC, slamming into the Marauder's right side, twisting the mech away for a moment.
"You're damn right! And you best destroy me utterly or the next PPC will be placed directly into your cockpit, scum!" Raylan was practically screaming now, his rage boiling over the speakers and echoing through the now quiet canyon.
"As you wish…" The enemy leader said through considerable effort to keep their voice even. Just as the execution was about to begin, a weapon slammed into the Marauder's rear.
Suddenly, Cassie's Axman crested the rise and shoulder checked the enemy into the hole below.
"Hey, Captain! Did you miss us!?" She jeered over the units frequency and Raylan laughed as he heard Clara and Jason cheering.
"More than you could possibly imagine, Colonel! Excuse me a moment." Raylan said as he moved forward and put a vicious kick into the downed Marauder before leveling the PPC at the mechs cockpit and flipping off the safeties for the minimum range. "Warned you."
Before the Star Remnant leader could speak, Raylan poured super charged plasma directly into the mech's face, dissolving the interior in hellish fire.
"Seemed personal. You guys capable of helping out at all?" Cassie asked, barely batting an eye at the brutality.
"Neg, we are too badly damaged. More harm than good." Raylan reported, only briefly realizing he was responding mechanically; automatically. It didn't bother him, but was surprising to a certain extent.
"Copy that. Hold position while we mop this up." Cassie said, ignoring the slip into Clan speech. "Carlo, the Angel's in position?"
"Of course, Cass. Targeting now." Carlo called out as his Warhammer marched forward and delivered a deluge of fire into a Remnant Vindicator. The other Angel's, split into two lances as well, swarmed in and blew apart the remaining forces that didn't flee out right. "Well, I'll be damned. Good to see you again, Wolf."
"You too, Carlo." Raylan called back, smiling in spite of himself.
"You guys really did a helluva number to these guys. I'm impressed. Very impressed. Nice work." Carlo said, surveying the corpses claimed by Raylan's lance. "Can't wait to hear the numbers on this one. You guys do that, right Cass?"
"Not usually, but in this case I'll make an exception. I'm curious too. And you all deserve a damn raise. Those two Recon members still with us?"
"Of course, Colonel." Clara said, stepping aside to show the badly damaged Firestarter and Panther.
"Excellent work! I think we're almost done here. Is your lance at least mobile, Captain?" Cassie asked, surveying the smoking remains of Panther Lance once more.
"For the most part, Colonel. We will make do." Raylan responded, still just as mechanically.
"Alright, follow us out then. You'll be boarding back on the Blackstone. The two Recon members will be debriefed by Lieutenant Colonel Ramsey. Raylan, once you get checked out by Doc meet me in my office. Something we need to talk about."
"Of course, Colonel." Raylan said as he led his brutalized lance away from the battlefield. It took a lot longer than they expected to move back to the home of Kain's Cavalry. Almost all of his lance dismounted immediately, making their way to the medbay as quickly as they could. Raylan, however, remained seated in his cockpit taking deep breath's as he looked at his hands.
Both were shaking uncontrollably and even the breath he was trying to take to calm himself was shaky at best. He grasped hand in hand and leaned his head back in the seat, staring at the ceiling before turning his gaze to the hole in his cockpit.
As he stared out the hole he swore he heard movement behind him, and turning quickly found himself staring at the white wolf from his dreams what seemed like eons ago, It stared him down with unflinching eyes, seeming to pierce his very being.
"What do you want?" Raylan asked in nothing more than a whisper. The wolf's eyes met his and at once, Raylan felt himself dissolving away into the void.
At once Raylan felt the thrum of the universal current, the motion that some would say had led him to this point. He watched as his memories replayed one after another and, for whatever reason, his mind focused in on when he was first given Tala as he battlemech and the joy he felt seeing the Totem mech of Clan Wolf. He remembered the first time he took her into battle and the rush he had felt then. How much he felt at home and how different everything felt now.
"Raylan….RAYLAN!" A voice called to him as his vision began to clear, the visions leaving his mind. Unfocused, his vision showed him the wolf once more, staring down at him and a blurry face beyond. "Come on, Captain. FOCUS!"
Raylan shut his eyes tight once more and opened them to blinding light with four figures around him.
"Wh-what's happening…" He muttered as Clara turned and looked at him, her face showing deep concern.
"Doc, he's awake!" She called out as she leaned in close. "Raylan, you're hurt. Bad. Doc's taking you in but you can't move alright?"
"I don't understand…"Raylan said, his voice hoarse and painfully dry.
"That hit you took to your cockpit knocked you around something fierce. You need surgery, Cap." Alexa explained. "Your brain is swelling."
"Couldn't have been that bad…" Raylan muttered, feeling something warm draining from his nose. Alexa reached down and wiped it away carefully with a tissue. Raylan could see when she pulled it away it was blood.
"I assure you it was, Captain. Now please, relax. I can't have you moving around. The rest of you, report to Colonel Kain. Raylan won't be available for quite awhile." Doc Winters said as she took over the complete movement of the gurney he was on. She pushed him through a door and the last thing Raylan remembered was seeing his lance standing outside the door as it slid closed.
When he woke again, the feeling of disorientation washed over him in a crushing wave and he instinctively leaned over the bed to vomit. Doc Winters was ready, holding a bucket to his mouth.
"Apologies, Doc…" He managed, the taste of bile bitter in his mouth. She placed the bucket aside without a second thought.
"As if you're the first patient I've had attempt to puke on my floor." Sara gave him a smile. "How do you feel?"
"Like I was hit by a tank and then stepped on by an Atlas." Raylan said, feeling another wave hit him. Doc Winters held up the bucket again but he waved it away. "Was it that bad?"
"Pretty much. To give you the rundown, the hit slammed your head against your neurohelmet and console so hard it actually shattered your skull. Your brain swelled up and the skull fragments certainly didn't help." Sara paused to let it sink in. "We managed to cut away the damaged portion of your skull and removed the skull fragments. Drained the excess fluid and did what we could for the bruising. Luckily, medical technology and procedures have come a long way so everything seemed to turn out alright. Unfortunately, that portion of your skull is know a myomer and titanium plate."
"What am I looking at in terms long term effects…" Raylan said, the true extent of his damage setting in uncomfortably.
"Long term? Not much, honestly. Maybe occasional disorientation or nausea but you Clanners are built of some tough shit. Short-term is more…complicated. You can expect splitting migraines, shakes, nausea, disorientation, confusion, blackouts…"
"Hallucinations?" Raylan asked, spying the white wolf sitting next to the doctor.
"Possibly. Why do you ask?" Sara asked, following Raylan's gaze but seeing nothing.
"There is a wolf next to you." Raylan said and Sara nodded.
"I wouldn't doubt it. In any case, expect to be sidelined for at least another 3 weeks. Maybe longer." Sara said and Raylan almost sat straight up.
"What do you mean 'another' 3 weeks?" He asked, not bothering to hide the shock in his voice.
"You've been in a coma for 3 weeks already, Raylan. I wasn't sure if the swelling was gone for good and I didn't want to risk it. Clara gave me written permission, seeing as she's the closest thing to "next of kin" you have." She explained and Raylan felt like disappearing into the sheets and pillows of the medbay bed.
"What has been going on with the operation? Are we still on Banshee?" Raylan asked and Sara nodded.
"Sure are, Carlo and his Angels have been running raids against the Star Remnants with Cassie. Clara has been taking Panther out for patrols and….well, I guess I'd call them punitive raids. She's like a woman possessed, Raylan, and the higher ups are more than happy to let her off leash." Sara said, a hint of concern in her voice. "I'm sure it'll do her good to see you awake."
"Can I walk?" Raylan asked and Sara shook her head.
"I doubt you're that impaired, but you've been asleep for 3 weeks. I want you to at least take one day awake and I'll be monitoring you afterwards." She said and Raylan opened his mouth to argue but Sara cut him off with a raised hand. "No arguments, Captain. Believe me, I know you want to get right back in the thick of things but pushing yourself like that will only exacerbate your condition. Especially if you're hallucinating."
"I understand." Raylan mumbled, laying back into the bed.
"Good. On the bright side, the kill tallies from the drop are nothing short of extraordinary. You and Panther are up for commendations. And the Colonel has something special for you in particular, Raylan."
"What was the count?" He asked, trying to subdue a smile.
"Well, you tallied 14 kills, Clara claimed 13, Jason took 12 and Alexa also claimed 13. 52 kills all told. A square battalion plus one lance, Captain. And your lance managed to decimate them alone and pinned down. By all accounts, that should've been impossible."
"How bad was the damage?" Raylan asked, hiding his shock at how many enemies they had faced, realizing the only reason they managed to survive was the position Naomi had guided them to. "And remind me to thank Commander Sasaki."
"Will do. And the damage was…cataclysmic, to be blunt. Panther lance's original mechs are still being repaired now. We've been waiting to fix your Cauldron Born until you woke up because…well, they're going to have to change things around. You lost a lot of that Clan tech and we can't replace it."
"I understand. I knew it would happen eventually." Raylan said, grimacing as he felt the headache coming on. Sara nodded and made a note in her PDA to up his dosage of pain killers.
"Alright, that's enough talking for now. Try and relax, Raylan. I'm gonna clean this out…" Sara said, holding up the bucket "…and then I'll be back. You need anything, don't hesitate to call for one of the medtechs, alright?"
"Sure. And Doc…" He said, as she turned to look at him. "…thank you."
"Anytime, Raylan. Just try not to make a habit of it." She said with a smile before walking away.
Raylan looked at the wolf that sat motionless, staring at him with its piercing green eyes. He managed a weak smile as the migraine fully set in.
"Well…looks like its just you and me, friend. Where to this time?" He whispered as darkness engulfed his vision once more and sleep took him once more.
