Chapter 7:
Planet Banshee
En Route to Contact Point
February 9th, 3058
"By Kerensky this thing is slow…"Clara hissed to herself as she marched the salvaged MAD-5D Marauder up to the area Star Remnant forces had been reported in by the recon flights. "Clara, Jason anything on scope?" She asked, bringing up her rear camera to see Jason's refitted Archer. He had been the least damaged of their lance by pure chance, but it certainly helped them now. Behind him, Alexa followed slowly in the reclaimed Awesome.
"Nothing yet, Clara." Alexa called out and Clara ground her teeth.
"So did we just drop the codenames completely or…?" Jason asked
"After what happened on that drop, I didn't think you needed to ask Jason." Clara said back.
"No lie." Alexa agreed.
"I guess that's fair. We did stand through that storm. Just…not used to the…informality in combat." Jason said.
"I understand. Speaking of, did you hear that Carlo is trying to convince Colonel Kain to rename us to 'Typhoon Lance'? I kind of like it." Clara said, chuckling.
"It is more epic sounding. Not sure what the Captain would say though…" Alexa said and an uncomfortable silence fell across all three.
"I'm sure Raylan will be alright, Clara. He's tough." Jason said as they passed the second NAVpoint on their route.
"I'm sure he'll be fine. Raylan would claw his way out of hell given the chance. Besides, if you would've seen him after our first run in with these assholes, this would look like a bump on the head." Clara said.
"I'm sure." Alexa said and there was silence for a moment again. "Clara, how come you've adapted to Inner Sphere life so easily? Raylan seems to be stuck halfway between Clan and Inner Sphere all the time but you just embraced it like it was nothing."
"Well, I was an outcast in the Clans. I was chalcas from the get go, seeing as I failed my first placement as a Mechwarrior although it was overturned by someone who saw the potential in me and didn't want it wasted in a lower caste."
"You've lost me." Alexa said and Jason made a grunt in agreement.
"I'm actually a year older than Raylan, but we were in the same sibko because I failed what you would call the final exam. Someone higher up pulled some strings and got me a second chance."
"How often does that happen?" Jason asked and Clara shrugged to herself.
"Not often. I couldn't tell you for sure but I honestly never felt comfortable in Clan Wolf, at least not around most other people. They all looked at me like I was some sort of insect. Except for Raylan and a few others, most people tended to keep their distance. Here…well I guess I just looked at it as a fresh start with a group that doesn't put a lot of stock in were you came from or who you were beforehand." Clara explained
"That makes sense, I guess. Oh…" Jason said before pausing for a second. "…got 'em. At our 2 o'clock about 700 meters out."
"Great, let's go introduce ourselves shall we?" Clara said, changing her 'mech's heading as her lance mates did the same.
"Same policy as before?" Alexa asked and Clara sneered
"Of course. Destroy them and salt the earth. Make 'em pay for Raylan." She replied and there was a silent acknowledgement. The three mechwarriors rounded the corner of a desert plateau and immediately opened fire on the supply convoy.
The first APC exploded in a rain of shrapnel as the two escort mechs turned to face the new threat. One was an Enforcer who looked as shocked as a battlemech could and the other was the venerable Battlemaster which turned with purpose as Clara held her ground as Alexa circled around to her side in the massive Awesome and Jason's LRMs began to sail overhead.
"Convoy first, escorts second. No one gets away." Clara said as the vehicles began to move away as fast as possible. The two front line battlemechs unleashed a searing barrage of laser and particle weaponry, decimating the convoy into smoking remains while Jason's missiles finished the job. Clara stared down the Battlemaster with unyielding menace.
Clara felt the ferocious anger boiling in her as she remembered the look on Raylan's face when she dragged him out of his cockpit. The abject fear, something she had never seen on her sibkin's face before mixed with tremendous pain. She wanted to rip every pilot from the Star Remnant forces out of their cockpits and gut them by hand.
"I guess I'll just have to settle for blowing them to kingdom come." She thought as she began strafing her Marauder sideways and opened fire on the Battlemaster. "Alexa, Jason take the Enforcer. I'll handle the Battlemaster."
"Copy, Clara. Let us know if you need a hand." Alexa replied, switching her focus to the Enforcer and opening fire.
The Battlemaster met her pace for pace, but Clara wouldn't give an inch as she turned to face the larger chassis head-on. Pulse lasers streaked out and stitched melting wounds across the humanoid battlemechs arm and chest. The large pulse that had replaced the turret mounted autocannon older models carried punched a glowing wound directly into the center mass of the behemoth.
The Remnant pilot retaliated with a sizzling display of laser fire as well, leaving slashes across the Marauder's body that oozed melted metal like blood. Clara snarled, plowing into the Battlemaster headlong. The impact was bone-jarring and the screech of metal tearing metal deafened Clara but the effect she wanted was achieved.
The Battlemaster fell backwards, landing hard on its side and crushing the arm underneath its significant weight. Clara moved forward to deliver a kick to the downed mechs chest but as she did, the enemy grabbed the Marauder's ankle and pulled her to the ground as well.
Clara snarled and kicked out almost blindly, landing two brutal blows to the Battlemaster's knee and hip. It returned the favor with a punch that rattled Clara in her seat but she let the medium pulse lasers stitch a line across the enemy's wrist. A burst of sparks flew from the joint and the hand went limp as both combatants struggled to their feet.
Clara took a few steps back as she heard the cacophonous explosion from the Enforcer as it blew apart from a waterfall of fire. She brought every weapon to bare and let fly with a complete alpha strike, the devastating firepower from the iconic battlemech blowing through the Battlemaster as if it were made of paper.
When the smoke cleared, the Star Remnant stood, tottering but silent as its "chest" cavity lie open and exposed. Clara planted another kick onto the mech and sent it sprawling backwards. Clara panted as if it had been her fighting personally the adrenaline and rage subsiding for the moment.
"Nice work, Clara." Alexa said as she moved to meet her.
"Thanks. You too." Clara responded before opening the force wide comm link. "Command, this is Clara. Contact point made and cleared. Requesting orders, over."
"Clara this is Naomi. We have reports of a decent sized enemy force moving to counterattack at NAVpoint Gamma. Carlo and the Angels are moving to meet them already but are requesting…." She paused and sighed in either frustration or resignation, Clara wasn't sure "…Typhoon move to flank."
"We aren't exactly fast, Command." Clara responded "We'll make best speed to hit them."
"Copy that. Good luck." Naomi said and began planning out the route that would help the heavy slow chassis make the distance as fast as possible.
"Naomi, any news on Raylan?" Clara asked quickly, despite already knowing the answer.
"Not really. He's sleeping comfortably, Clara, which is about all we can ask for right now. Doc says he's recovering well, all things considered." Naomi said calmly.
"Roger that. Thanks, Naomi." Clara said quietly
"Clara, he's gonna be fine. You know him better than everyone. Just, take my advice. When you get back, get some rest. You've been running yourself ragged for four days. Frankly, we're surprised you haven't collapsed but Doc's getting pissed."
"Ok, Naomi. I'll do my best…" Clara muttered and Alexa broke onto the frequency.
"Come on, Clara. When we get home, you and me will go and sit in the shower and then hit the rec room for a movie or something. It'll be nice." Alexa offered and Clara just nodded, despite no one being able to see her besides Naomi.
"She agrees, Alexa. Now, get a move on. Time's burning." Naomi said, closing the link.
The light lance moved out as fast as they could towards the NAVpoint, remaining silent the whole way. Clara was deep within her own thoughts, thinking about all the times Raylan had stepped up to the plate for her and how deeply she cared for her sibkin. She often wondered if anyone in the Inner Sphere could understand. It was love, but more intense than that and despite her best efforts, Clara had never been able to articulate it properly.
Raylan had always been a cool customer, even when they were kids, but that exterior always seemed to melt away whenever the two of them were alone. He seemed more alive. Maybe she was just reading too much into it, but she had always hoped, maybe foolishly…
"Sarge? Hey, Sarge!" Alexa's voice snapped Clara out of her inner monologue and back to reality. "We lost you for a second there. You alright?"
"Just…thinking. I'm fine now. Come on, we've got a rendezvous to make." Clara offered, but even she didn't believe herself.
"Clara, if you're that concerned we can go see him once we're done here." Alexa said and Clara snorted in disgust despite her best effort not too. "Hard as it might be for you to believe, I care for him too."
"Oh? And what possible reason could you have? You think he's ever going to trust you as much as he trusts me?" Clara snapped, her voice surprising her with how harsh it sounded.
"No one said that, Clara. Alexa just wants to make sure he's alright too." Jason said softly and Clara took a few deep breaths
"You're right…I'm sorry, Alexa. I'm just stressed. Raylan's never been hurt like this and then putting me in charge of the lance. It's…a lot to take in." Clara offered and there was a moment of silence.
"I understand Clara. Look, like I said, we'll finish up here and then we can go check on him. And you and I can talk, although you might wanna take a nap first. Getting a little testy." Alexa said, with her normal chuckle. It seemed to diffuse the situation almost instantly.
"Ok, mom. Whatever you say." Clara said, smiling suddenly.
"Didn't think you Clanners even knew what that word meant." Jason said and there was another tense moment before Clara burst out laughing.
"I like this side of you, Jason. You oughta show it to Raylan more. You two might actually get along." Clara said as she recovered.
"Not on your life." Jason said back as the trio crested the last ridge between them and the battle lines.
"Colonel McMillan, this is Sergeant Clara of the Cavalry. We are in position. Awaiting orders." Clara said as she looked on the enemy force defending the structure Carlo and his Angel's were besieging.
"Copy, Sergeant. Glad you could make it. Ready to give these bastards something new to think about?" Carlo asked and Clara locked the nearest enemy, a Gunslinger and marked it for her lance.
"Always, Colonel." She responded flatly.
"Good, then let loose and give 'em hell. See you all on the other side." Carlo said. "Naomi, as soon as we hit the pincer have the Flamehearts prepped to jump."
"Copy that, Carlo. Mustang and the Flamehearts are ready to go. Just give the word." Naomi reported.
Clara marched forward and opened fire on the fairly new assault chassis. She was once again surprised by how well equipped the Star Remnant appeared to be, and it once more raised the suspicions on who or what was funding them. She didn't believe for a second they were an independent unit, there was simply no way such a large group could move and buy tech like they seemed to without raising red flags.
Clara ripped into the Gunslinger, the lasers of her Marauder cutting glowing wounds into the metal body. Caught off guard, the Remnant pilot staggered and fell, not incapacitated but surely shocked. Clara shifted her focus to a Vindicator and ripped into it as Alexa and Jason continued to fire upon the Gunslinger.
A number of the Star Remnant forces turned to face their new attackers and Clara was more than happy to accommodate them. The Marauder was quickly replacing her Hellbringer as her preferred chassis, which may be a good thing considering the amount of damage she had soaked up in the drop. Nearly a month later and the damage had barely been touched yet. So many systems were torn up, she wasn't sure it was worth trying to repair it.
"Perhaps something to bring up to Colonel Kain when we return. Might make her job easier, assuming she didn't want to sell this thing." She thought as she turned and opened fire on a Firefly. Once again she felt the anger boiling up in her blood, snarling as she led the charge of the pincer attack.
Carlo wasted no time in pushing the advantage with his Wild Angels, slamming into the front line of Remnant forces. His Warhammer was like a wild, rampaging beast, planting its massive foot into a Commando's chest, caving it in almost completely as it turned both arm cannons in different directions and firing. The PPC's slammed into two different battlemechs, causing armor to evaporate off their chassis. Clara was transfixed watching as Carlo twisted the 'Hammer's torso and brought the arms together in a thunderous clap on an Enforcer's head.
"Sarge! Focus!" Jason shouted, noticing as Clara's mech ceased firing and slowed. Clara shook her head and her eyes focused in on another Remnant chassis. It appeared to be an Axman but with some obvious changes she had never seen before.
She unleashed a deluge into it as Alexa backed her up with the Awesome's PPCs and the Axman practically disintegrated.
"Naomi, send in the Flamehearts! Now!" Carlo shouted and there was a silent acknowledgement. Moments later, Milo and "Warhorse" came racing out of the sky like a bat out of hell, spinning and dodging around enemy fire. Clara remembered her first ride in the VTOL and felt her stomach lurch instinctively. She couldn't imagine how Mustang and the Flamehearts ever got used to that. "Clara, I need you and Typhoon to move in and slam them. Can you do that?"
"Roger that, Colonel. I'm moving in now." Clara said before opening a line to Alexa. "Lex, I want you right next to me when we hit them. Jason, stay a short distance back and give us a barrage while we move forward."
"You got it, Clara." Jason responded as they slammed into the side of the main force. "Any clue what we're here to do exactly?"
"Not a clue. We were just supposed to hit that convoy, Carlo called us in." Clara replied.
"Great. Nothin like fighting for an unknown reason." Alexa muttered
"Could be worse." Clara said back, shrugging to herself and then there was only the roar of battle. Lasers and missiles flew past them in great waves, burning the air and detonating behind them.
Banshee was already a wasteland, but it was quickly becoming more and more similar to the surface of the moon. Clara had seen such destruction before, both during the Invasion and afterwards and although she didn't enjoy the collateral damage, she never paid much mind to it. She was a warrior first, just like Raylan had always told her, and she would complete her task no matter the cost.
The comm. link opened suddenly to the staccato echo of small arms fire. Clara suddenly realized that there was a cave behind the main enemy force, or something that appeared to be a cave, and she was suddenly reminded of her old "star's" first encounter with the Remnant on Misery's End.
"Command, this is Mustang. We are inside and moving, but there is significant resistance. And not just fighters." Her voice trailed off as Mustang shouted orders to her unit and they were followed by another burst of gunfire. "We're pushing through but it might take us a hot minute."
"Copy that, Mustang. Keep it going and we'll do our best to keep your exit clean." Naomi replied and Clara could hear her fingers tapping furiously on her command console in the VTOL. That had been the biggest surprise when they had first joined the Cavalry. Raylan and Clara had assumed a mech commander would remain on the dropship and work from there and, while Naomi did have a full suite of equipment on the Blackstone, she more often than not was onboard the "Warhorse".
Once more, Clara felt her stomach lurch into her throat at the memory of flying with Milo and her respect for the woman grew even more.
"Commander, what exactly are we doing here? I know Panther's original goal was just to hit the convoy but…" Alexa asked and there was a moment of silence as Naomi switched to monitoring the lance.
"We're attempting a snatch and grab, Alexa. After surveying the satellite imaging and some…negotiations with our handler, we found out about this underground "vault" supposedly left by the Star League. Fits the Remnants M.O. anyway." Naomi replied as she marked out a path for them to follow and hopefully swing around the enemy.
"No kidding? So we're going for a prisoner extraction?" Alexa asked as the three of them moved to follow the path set for them.
"Something like that. Prisoner, data whatever the Flamehearts can grab should be fine. Although from what Clara and Raylan reported about the last time they took a prisoner, data might be the better option."
"No kidding…" Clara mumbled, the image of Raylan covered in blood clutching the still smoking pistol in his hand swam back to the front of her mind. Then the image of him bleeding, grabbing onto her shoulders when she pulled him from the cockpit three weeks ago and she shook it away, feeling tears well up hot in the corner of her eyes unbidden. "…how long?"
"Five minutes tops, even with the resistance they're reporting Mustang and crew know how to clear a building. Just keep those mechs busy for a little while longer."
"We got a live one!" Mustang shouted as if on cue. "Female, age…13 maybe 14! Fiesty little…"
There was a moment of silence and the sound of a struggle, something hitting the ground hard, a bone cracking and a muffled scream and then nothing for a long, tense minute.
"Phew, secured. Should we move to clear or move to exfil Command?" Mustang asked
"How long would it take to clear the compound?" Naomi asked
"Well, we'd have to leave a few here with our new friend so our force strength would be down. No accurate data on the extent of the complex, or forces. Might be 5 minutes. Might be 45." Mustang reported.
"Copy that, Mustang. Why don't you guys just pull out. We know the location of the compound now, so we can always go back in a different time." Naomi suggested
"Roger that Command. Jonesy, get her up now. And try and be gentle with her, yea?" Mustang said and there was a small grunt.
"So, what's the plan?" Clara asked as she and the other members of Panther Lance opened fire into the beleaguered defenders of the complex. "Like, what are we going to do with our new 'friend'?"
"Well, Mustang and crew are gonna bring her back to the Blackstone, and I figure she and I can have a little chat." Naomi said and Clara felt a smile breaking across her face.
"Mind if I join you?" She asked.
"Can you keep yourself in check? I don't need a dead prisoner on my hands, Sergeant." Naomi said, not accusingly but very pointedly.
"No problem, Commander. I'll admit that I have no interrogation training. As far as I know Clan used chemicals to get what we wanted out of people." Clara said calmly.
"Well, both of you are going to have to wait til Doc Winters takes a look. Did our best to take her peaceful but these damn Remnants are zealots on a-whole-nother level. Had to break her arm to get her to comply."
"You broke a teenager's arm?" Naomi asked, not hiding her shock and horror.
"Wasn't exactly my first choice, Commander, but she came at me with a knife." Mustang said back.
"Copy that, Mustang. Pull out. Should I send out "Honeybee"?" Naomi asked with a sigh. Clara could almost imagine the face she must be making.
"Negative. She's not that bad. Just have Doc Winter's waiting." Mustang said as another burst of small arms fire echoed across the comm. line.
"Will do." Naomi said before switching back to the mech forces main frequency. "Carlo, the Flamehearts have a captive and are pulling out now. Hold the line for a bout two minutes then make your way back to the staging area."
"Roger that, Commander. Typhoon, we've pretty much got this now. Why don't y'all head back home. And Sergeant?" Carlo said, his Warhammer thundering in a mechanical berserker rage once more.
"Yes, Colonel?" Clara asked, maintaining fire on the enemy as she and her lance mates began to move in reverse to get to a safe distance.
"Good work again today. That Marauder works really well for you. And…" There was a pause for a moment. "…I hope the Wolf heals up soon. You tell him that, alright?"
"Will do, Carlo. Thank you." Clara said, stifling a laugh. She kind of like the nickname Carlo had given Raylan.
"'The Wolf'…it suits him." Clara thought as she and the rest of Panther retreated to the Blackstone. She smiled in spite of the stress she felt as they pulled into the dropship and placed their mechs into the proper places. Clara disembarked and immediately headed to the medbay.
Doc Winters sat in her chair, writing things down on her PDA as she looked over the machines connected to Raylan.
"Ah, hello again Clara. Wondered when you would be joining me again." Sara Winters said without looking up.
"How is he, Doc?" Clara asked, the smile fading as she looked at the infirmed body of Raylan Vickers, tubes, sensors and wires connected all across his body. He looked so weak and tired it broke Clara's heart.
"Very well, all things considered. The seizures are coming less frequently and less violently. Still a long way to go but I must say I'm fascinated at how fast his body is healing. You Clanners really have some of amazing physiology." Sara said, looking at the man Clara had known all her life in something like wonder.
"I suppose there are benefits to being grown in a tube." Clara said with a small chuckle as she walked closer and sat down next to the bed, resting her hand on Raylan's. "Hey, Cap. I'm back and in one piece. Good raid again, really showed the Remnant what they're dealing with. Oh, and Carlo told me to tell you he hopes you get well soon. I like his nickname for you, Wolf."
She chuckled quietly to herself but Doc Winters could see the pain on her face. She could only imagine it was like seeing a sibling laid up and that was something she was, unfortunately, intimately familiar with. Doc Winters also noticed, almost unbelieving, that as Clara spoke Raylan's eyes fluttered and moved rapidly, as if he could hear her clearly. She wondered what Raylan was dreaming about.
Clara stayed for a few moments, talking the whole while until Alexa stepped through the door.
"Sarge, Doc. Captain." She said, smiling at them all earnestly. Clara turned and looked at her, giving Alexa a weak smile. "Don't mean to interrupt, but I believe the Sergeant and I have a date with the showers and a trivid."
"Oh, right…sorry Alexa. I'll be there in a few minutes." Clara said, the exhaustion making an edge in her voice in spite of herself.
"I really must suggest you go now, Clara. Staying with him won't wake him up any sooner and if you keep pushing yourself, I'll pull you off combat duty." Doc Winters said calmly and Clara turned to her, a look of horror on her face. "You already are getting loose. I keep track of the battle on my console too, ya know. Better to understand what I'm looking at for casualties. And I watched you get distracted more than a few times on top of being more than a little on edge. So, go get some rest, relax or I'll take you off active duty until you do. Doctor's orders."
"You can't be serious…" Clara said in utter disbelief. "…you can't take me off duty just because I'm a little distracted."
"A little? Sergeant you ceased fire in the face of an overwhelming enemy force. You snapped at your lance mates over an imagined slight and your emotions are all over the place. Your beyond "a little distracted", girl. You're in full on exhaustion mode to the point its affecting your health and judgement."
Clara opened her mouth to speak but Doc Winters' cut her off with a raised hand. She looked right into Clara's eyes with steely resolve.
"No arguments, Clara. I don't care if you're a Clanner, a free birth or Gods Damned Kerensky coming back from the grave. I will not have you getting yourself hurt or anyone else hurt because you don't want to quit out of some misguided attempt to reap vengeance for Raylan. What the hell would he say if he was awake and saw you acting like this?"
"That I'm behaving foolishly and should act with better judgement to not jeopardize the unit." Clara admitted quietly, doing her best to imitate Raylan's mannerisms.
"Exactly. So you take the night off. Hell, I'd say even take tomorrow off. Alexa, can I trust you to make sure she does exactly that?" Doc Winters asked, turning her gaze to Alexa, who stood next to Clara, a hand on the woman's shoulder.
"Of course, Doc. No problem." Alexa replied and Doc Winters nodded.
"Good. Now get out of my medbay. I have to prepare for our new 'guest'." Sara said and Alexa walked with Clara out into the hall.
"Have I really been that bad?" Clara asked, the fire gone from her once more and Alexa gave her a sad smile.
"Hon, you haven't slept in three days. We've run at least five sorties since then and you've been trying to keep yourself going on nothing but anger and aggression." Alexa said, doing her best to comfort Clara.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you, Alexa. That wasn't fair. I just…well, I…" Clara started but she couldn't get the words out.
"Its alright, Clara. I understand. Come on, I think we both can use a shower." Alexa said and led the woman through the Blackstone. They sat in the shower silently for a while, Alexa washing herself and Clara just allowing the water to cascade over her. "Clara, I asked Raylan but I'm curious to hear your side. What is he to you?"
"What do you mean?" Clara asked, shocked suddenly by Alexa's boldness. "Well, we're sibkin. He's the closest thing I have to family. There was a woman…a warrior that acted almost like a mother to me when I was still a pup but I never discovered why. Like I said earlier, Raylan treated me kindly. Honestly, he was my only friend."
"Sure, that's more or less what he said too, but what do you think? In a perfect world, without all the Clan formality and such, what would you want?" Alexa asked and Clara blushed deeply.
"I don't think it matters, really. I'm sure you have heard something about coupling?" Clara asked, turning and looking the woman over.
"Sure. Raylan mentioned the Clanners view sex as a casual thing, but don't let the emotions we freebirths generally associate with it interfere. Some type of view that its a weakness." Alexa said and Clara nodded.
"More or less, yea. To be blunt, I've coupled a few times in my life and a number of our sibkin, including myself, expressed a desire to do so with Raylan but he was never interested. The only thing that drives Raylan is combat; the thrill, the sound, the feeling." Clara said, turning away in embarrassment.
"So, what, he's like the ultimate warrior or something? He also mentioned never feeling a desire to 'couple' when I asked him about this stuff but I guess part of me just didn't believe him." Alexa asked and Clara shook her head.
"Raylan is by no means anything so superficial as the 'ultimate warrior'. Raylan lives for the pack. He has no desire for position, title, reward or pleasure. He only wants to see the unit, the collective bettered through his actions. I suppose that's what made him so appealing to commanders and individuals. He offered unwavering security. I guess that's why I always wanted him nearby."
"So, he's a protector? Like a guardian?" Alexa asked and Clara nodded with a smile.
"Raylan would stand up to any challenge or opponent for what he believed in or his compatriots. I've seen him throw himself into unwinnable situations just to buy time for an injured teammate to get out."
"Some would call that foolish heroism." Alexa said but smiled "But, I've seen him do it and I can see why it would inspire anyone else around."
"Pretty much. In all honesty, it always made me feel kinda guilty. I had quite the temper when I was younger. It flares up every now and again but its more or less gone away in recent years. I could get very violent and brutal during combat and Trials. In all honesty, I still don't really think about the amount of damage I inflict." Clara chuckled "They used to call me 'Ravager', though rarely to my face."
"Do you ever regret it? Heaven knows I've done some pretty nasty shit in my time but I never earned a nickname from it." Alexa asked, looking at Clara carefully.
"Not really. Like I said earlier, I was kind of a rare case in Clan society and a lot of people in my second sibkin weren't pleased about it. It kind of paid to have the reputation at points." Clara said and Alexa nodded.
"Makes sense to me. Look, I won't pretend I understand, but maybe once he wakes up, you should tell him all this yourself. Getting it off your chest could only do you some good. I mean, its your choice but just a suggestion." Alexa said with a shrug.
"I don't know if that would be a great idea. It could make things awkward between he and I." Clara said, sighing in resignation.
"Its only awkward if you make it awkward, Clara. The man's damn near a machine, I feel like you put it all out there in a calm, matter of fact way and he'll, at worst, listen and not react." Alexa said with a laugh. "Honestly, I don't think anything gets a rise out of Raylan except piloting."
"Well, if that isn't the truest statement I've ever heard…" Clara said, laughing now. Alexa laughed too and the pair toweled off, slipping into comfortable casual wear before heading to the lounge and commandeering the large viewing screen.
The pair sat watching a number of shows, mostly old action shows about buddy cops. Alexa made conversation for a bit but when she didn't get a response, she turned and found Clara slumped over against the arm of the lounge seat, deep asleep. With a smile, Alexa retrieved a blanket and pillow, slipping the pillow underneath Clara's head without waking her and covering her with the blanket. She sat for awhile longer, watching the trids herself before she to fell asleep, leaving the lights to dim when Colonel Kain stumbled upon the scene with a chuckle.
Clara woke up with a start late the next morning finding Alexa still passed out on the opposite side of the couch. She rolled to her feet as quietly as she could and stretched out before heading back to her own room and getting dressed in her Cavalry BDU's. She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment and put her face into a grim façade, knowing she was going to stare at one of the Remnants in the flesh today.
It didn't take long for her to run into Naomi who greeted her with a small smile and a sigh.
"So, you ready for this Clara? You look better today." She asked and Clara nodded.
"Just tell me what you need me to do." Clara said and Naomi held out a pistol to her.
"This is loaded with blanks. We don't really have the time to try and ease info out of her, so we'll do it the quick and dirty way if need be." Naomi said coldly and Clara simply nodded, cocking the action back and placing the weapon in her holster.
Clara followed Naomi to the Blackstone's holding cell. Naomi motioned for Clara to grab the girl. Clara did so roughly without hesitation. The Star Remnant prisoner let out a little cry as Clara grabbed the broken arm and pushed her to her feet.
"Morning. My associate and I have a few questions for you and we're short on time. Now I'm going to give you an opportunity to do this with as little pain as possible." Naomi said as Clara shoved the girl into a chair in the stark white interrogation chamber. "So, where does your unit get its funding from? You can't tell me your independents. Some of the chassis you pilot are top of the line, brand new."
The girl was silent and Naomi shot Clara a look. Clara nodded slightly, and pulled the handgun, setting it on the table in front of the girl. Clara remained the silent predator and the girl glared at her.
"Like I said, we don't have much time. Now, my associates that extracted you from that lovely hole in the ground already lessened your numbers significantly. We could just as easily kill you and use your corpse for any fingerprint locks you might have in there." Naomi said, her manner coldly matter of fact.
"If that's what you think…" said the teenager finally "…then you don't know anything, scum."
"Oh?" Naomi asked in feigned surprise. "Last I checked we killed a number of your guards and other personnel. You clearly are funded for such a large operation. By who?'
"You didn't even manage to hit the main complex, fool. Just an outlier." The girl said with a derisive laugh.
"Well now, good info but not what I asked. Clara." Naomi said, motioning for Clara to begin.
Clara didn't grab the firearm, instead delivering a massive kick to the teenagers arm, caving the plaster cast in and snapping the bones once more. The girl went to cry but Clara grabbed her by the hair and slammed her face into the metal desk in front of her before yanking her back into a sitting position. Blood bubbled from the teenager broken nose and shattered teeth. Clara had decided, given her role as "bad cop" to release all her pent up anger and resentment about what these people had done to Raylan. Now, the "Ravager" persona was resurfacing and even Naomi looked shocked for a moment.
Clara slammed her open palms into the table, making the teenager jump in expectation for another attack.
"We want who's funding you, girl. We want it now. I can make you suffer beyond anything you could possibly imagine. I am Clara of Clan Wolf and I will tear the flesh from your bones if that is what it takes. Do you understand me?"
The girl nodded meekly, suddenly compliant under the very real threat Clara presented. Naomi took a moment and composed herself, hiding it behind the appearance of letting the girl take a breather from Clara's withering onslaught.
"So, are you ready to explain yourself?" Naomi asked, leaning forward. "The money. Where. Does. It. Come. From."
"We sell the tech in those old bases to the houses. We strip the main components out and sell the shell and they pay top dollar for it. Some of it comes from another source but I don't know what that is." She looked up at Clara, terrified. "I swear. Its way above my position."
"Hmmm, Interesting. We had assumed you were hoarding the technology for yourselves. So, what are you, some type of religious order? An offshoot from a different organization?" Naomi asked and the girl tried to put on a brave face, maintaining her silence even through the obvious pain. Naomi hesitated, but gave Clara the signal again.
Clara grabbed the girl's chair and slammed it backwards, letting her head snap against the steel floor. She positioned herself so her knee rested on the girl's windpipe and Clara pressed with her full weight. The girl struggled, slapping her good hand against the limb ineffectually as her mind began to go blank.
Clara held until the girl had passed out then stood and brought her heel down into her ribs followed by a short, sharp kick to the same area. The prisoner wheezed and shot up into a sitting position as the pain overwhelmed her. Clara pushed the chair back up with ease and the girl slumped forward before Clara caught her under the chin and forced her back up.
"We believe we are the last true protectors of the Star League. We alone should hold their holy relics and tech. You heathens would only defile it by trying to incorporate it into your damned battlemechs. And you clans are nothing but bloodthirsty barbarians with unfiltered blood lust."
She spit a wad of bloody phlegm at Clara who dodged it easily before snapping the girl's head back with a swift punch to the nose.
"Sounds like ComStar then. Not that I would be surprised, with everything they pulled during the Invasion." Naomi said but the girl laughed derisively once more.
"ComStar are nothing more than illegitimate pretenders grasping like children at something they can't possibly understand."
"Well, that is interesting information. We had assumed you were just ComStar nuts. Thanks for telling us otherwise." Naomi said, smiling cruelly as she noted it in her PDA. "Well, one last question, and this one's important."
The girl had clammed up once more after realizing her mistake in going on a self-righteous sermon about ComStar. Clara didn't wait for a signal this time, bringing her boot crashing into the girl's knee cap, snapping the joint at an unnatural angle. She began to cry out but found Clara's finger wrapped around her jaw inside her mouth over her shattered teeth. Clara began to pull downwards, the pressure increasing until it became unbearable and the girl gave a signal to stop.
"Anything…anything you need…just keep your attack dog at bay…" The girl stammered, looking at Clara in terror.
"Good. Now, if that wasn't your main base, were is it?" Clara asked.
"The mountains, hidden within the largest. An ancient volcanic caldera." She smiled, as menacingly as she could, at them. "You'll never make it. Our main force is there and they'll tear you apart."
"Good to know…" Clara muttered, snatching the pistol, sliding the magazine of blanks out and replacing a live magazine in a fluid motion before turning the weapon and firing. Blood and gore erupted across the stark white walls as the girl's body went limp and fell backwards. Naomi let out a sharp gasp before grabbing Clara's arm and yanking her attention back.
"What the hell was that!?" Naomi shouted as Clara placed the pistol back into its holster. Clara looked at her commanders face flatly, the lack of emotion almost more terrifying than if she had been furious.
"She was a liability. We have no idea what type of training these people go through. If she had broken out we could have had a full on crisis on our hands. Do you want to try and explain to Colonel Kain why a saboteur got free and wreaked havoc on her ship?" Clara stated matter of factly.
"There are laws against this, Clara. We can't just summarily execute prisoners like this!" Naomi shouted, actually pushing Clara back a few steps.
"I do not care about the laws you have against it. She was a threat, even with her broken bones." Clara shot back before taking a breath. "Besides, the kick I gave her broke a number of ribs. Doc Winters would've had her work cut out for her. I do not really feel the expenditure of our medical supplies on these bastards is necessary."
"Look, I know you and Raylan are kind of the experts against the Star Remnants but I'm still going to have to report this to Colonel Kain and I doubt she's going to be happy." Naomi stated, a look caught between fear and resignation on her face.
Colonel Kain wasn't happy. She was damn near irate as Clara stood rigidly at parade rest in front of her.
"You had no authority to act as executioner, Sergeant. You may well have jeopardized the unit's position in this operation. Lieutenant Colonel Ramsey wanted that girl transferred to his custody. Davion might have its problems, but they could've gotten a helluva lot more out of her than we could." Cassie said, sitting forward in her desk.
"Colonel, when Raylan and I captured a Remnant individual on Misery's End, they escaped custody and managed to place a Sphere wide bounty on Raylan's head, not to mention killing and injuring a number of support personnel. Had this woman gotten free on the Blackstone, she could've sabotaged any number of systems and hurt numerous people." Clara reported, still cold.
"So, you're claiming this was for the unit's benefit then?" Cassie asked and Clara nodded. Cassie sighed and looked at Naomi. "Leave us, and shut the door on your way out."
"Yes ma'am." Naomi said, shooting a knowing, worried look at Clara who remained unmoved. The door hissed open and shut with a click. Cassie stood up and circled around the desk, sitting on its edge with her arms folded across her chest.
"Look, Clara, you put me in a real bind here. We can cover up the death, shit happens in captivity but I can't let this keep going." Cassie said calmly.
"What?" Clara asked, tightening her gaze in cautious alert.
"Your behavior. Ever since Raylan got hurt, you've been damn near out of control. I put you on raiding duty not only because your lance was a man down but because I knew you'd need an outlet. Unfortunately for all of us you seem to a well untapped." Cassie said, glaring her employee down.
"I don't understand what you mean." Clara said, although she had something of a clue.
"I've red Doc Winters' reports, Clara. Your stress levels are so high you should be in cardiac arrest. Your performance in field is sporadic, at best, and teamwork is on the verge of leaving your vocabulary. To be blunt, Clara, you've become a liability." Cassie state, ticking off the points on her fingers. "Now, before you start, I understand your connection with Raylan. I understand the feelings you get watching a sibling lay in intensive care and not knowing if they're going to live or die. The difference being, this is my company. My unit. If I want to act like a mental case, I have the luxury of doing that."
"And I don't?" Clara asked, probably harsher than she should have. Cassie seemed to ignore it however.
"No, you don't. Not when you're in a mech. Not when you're representing this unit in interrogation, public appearances or anything else that I command you to do. If you need to grieve, that's your business and you're free to do so in private. And that's good, because as of now you're off active duty. You're unfit for duty and until I say otherwise, your mech is on lockdown. Is that clear, Clara?"
"Yes ma'am." Clara said quietly, staring straight ahead.
"Furthermore, in spite of the incident that happened this morning, you won't be placed on trial. That's my prerogative but I can't let that behavior go unpunished. However, given your performance during the first mission here on Banshee, I've decided to place you under probation. Step out of line once more and I will demote you, for starters. Is that clear?" The Colonel continued. Clara felt her eye twitch and felt rage welling up.
"Yes ma'am…" Clara hissed through gritted teeth. Cassie nodded, heedless of Clara's growing fury.
"Good. Then get out of my sight. I expect better from my men and I expect even more from you and Raylan, given your pedigree. Don't let this shit happen again." Cassie said, spinning back behind her desk. Clara gave a brisk salute and exited the office, white knuckled and indignant.
She stalked back to her bunk room, letting the door slide closed behind her before swirling around and slammed her fist into the steel bulkhead with a furious scream.
Clara couldn't explain why she was so angry in the moment, her mind white hot and blank from rage. She had felt this only once before, during her first trial when it became clear her proctors had no intention of fighting fair. She slammed herself onto the edge of her bed, holding her face in her hands as hot, angry tears rolled from her eyes.
"Pull yourself together. What the hell would Raylan think if he saw you like this?" Clara thought, looking up at her own reflection in the small mirror above the sink. "He'd probably tell me I was acting foolish and that I needed to hold myself to a higher standard. Damned ice cube that he is."
This train of thought continued and Clara kept beating herself up over the mistakes she had made. She had hoped that this unit would be a new start for her. In the Clan, Clara had been the outsider even so much as most of her codex remained hidden to her. She knew one of her ancestors had been a Connors, one of the Widowmaker bloodnames, but who held it and when was a mystery.
Clara let out a sigh of resignation and decided she would dedicate some of her time while she was grounded to learning just where she came from even if it meant contacting the Wolves-in-Exile. She flopped backwards into the bed and stared at the ceiling as the thought passed through her mind. Maybe discovering just where she came from would give her some peace of mind she clearly and desperately needed.
