Chapter 11:
Kormet, Yggdrasil
March 28th, 3059
1145 Hours
Raylan smiled broadly as he saw the massive mountain of a man approach arms opened wide. The two embraced, Raylan only slightly pained by the slaps on his back from Cole.
"Raylan of the Wolves! It is good to see you again!" Cole said, turning to Clara and embracing her as well. "Good to see you as well, Mechwarrior Clara!"
"You too, Star Colonel Woods." Clara said before Cole turned to face Jason, who was staring slack jawed at him.
"Who is this? A teammate of yours, Raylan?" Cole asked, towering above Jason with ease.
"Yes, this is Jason Wybjorn. He is a native of Rasalhauge." Raylan said as Cole extended his massive hand which Jason shook with some apprehension.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Jason. Your people are a tough but friendly lot, for the most part. We are happy to be here." Cole said, smiling and Jason just nodded dumbly. "We have the medtechs prepared. And this one?"
Cole looked at the Star Remnant prisoner, shackled as she was and her restraints held by Clara strongly. He approached and the girl shrunk away.
"A prisoner. We are going to make an exchange for amnesty from the group that is hunting Clara and I." Raylan said and Cole snorted derisively, making the girl jump.
"Well, that is your business Raylan. We have taken Mechwarrior Alexa to our facilities and are beginning her treatment. I am told she should make a full recovery in time." Cole said, chuckling slightly. "Apparently, we have treated worse."
"Of that I have no doubt. Are we following you to the Ghost Bears facility or should we take care of some of our business first?" Raylan asked, readjusting his pack on his shoulder.
"Follow me. I am sure more than a few of Mu Galaxy will be happy to see you and Clara." Cole said, motioning for the group to follow him.
The Bears had set up on Yggdrasil in a centralized position in the capitol city of the world. They had taken over for the guard that had been decimated during the Invasion and many viewed their presence on the world as a boon.
"That does not mean they all do of course. More than a few have expressed disgust and, although rarer, some cases of violent uprising. Not that those lasted long once the Elementals showed up." Cole explained as they entered the Great Hall. A lot of the people stirring nodded as Cole entered although they kept going about their business.
"I hope you all are used to sharing still because we don't have a lot of room to spare at the moment. We are still in the transitionary phase of course." Cole said as he led them to their dormitory.
"Well it will be just like old times, then." Clara said, nudging Raylan in the side. His smiled as he tossed his bag onto the first bed. "Raylan, follow me please. I want to discuss things. Like old times, as you say."
"As I recall, the old times where you beating the Kerensky loving hell out of me." Raylan said and Cole clapped him on the shoulder with a wide smile.
"Exactly." Cole said as he headed out. Raylan shrugged to Jason and Clara and followed Cole through the hallways. The facility was massive, making the time he spent on the Ghost Bears ship seem easy in comparison. They came to the physical training area and Cole tossed his shirt aside, his muscles just a massive as Raylan remembered but far more tattooed than he recalled. "Are you ready, Raylan of the Wolves?"
"As always, Star Colonel." Raylan said removing his own shirt and taking up a fighting stance.
The pair closed on each other and clashed. Cole swung his massive fist towards Raylan who ducked under the blow and drove his own fist up into Cole's ribs and swept his legs. Cole moved fast, though, faster than Raylan realized and rolled back to his feet.
"Have you found what you were looking for since the last time we met, Raylan?" Cole asked as they closed again and exchanged a series of blows. "Have your visions stopped?"
"They have, for the most part. I occasionally have seen a wolf but that is probably a side effect of this." Raylan said, taking a moment from the fight to point out the ugly scar on his head.
"You will have to tell me that story at some point." Cole said as they traded punches, each stumbling back a step or two. "And your journey?"
"I am not sure. Clan Wolf is not what I remember. These Exiles, they seem to have lost their teeth." Raylan said as he deflected one of Cole's kicks only to take the second fully in the chest. The breath left his body in an explosive wave and Raylan rolled back, holding his chest as he tried to catch his breath.
"This is true. The homeworld Clans are none to pleased with your Wolves in Exile. Of course, they are none to pleased with the Ghost Bear either." Cole said as Raylan rushed forward suddenly and drove his shoulder into Cole's stomach, tackling the larger man to the ground. Raylan drove a knee into Cole's ribs, following it with his fist a second later. Cole pushed Raylan off with a dual footed kick and leapt to his feet. "Things are changing rapidly in the Clans, Raylan. To be honest, the Wolves may have had the right idea to leave, despite the hostility."
"What do you mean?" Raylan asked, dropping his guard for a second and had just that second to regret the distraction as Cole's fist connected with his jaw, snapping his head to the right as the second caught his chin and rocked him. Raylan staggered, stars bursting behind his eyes as he stumbled in an attempt to try and right his footing.
Cole took the opportunity and pummeled Raylan until he fell and Cole sat down next to him with a smile.
"Looks like I still have the advantage, Raylan." Cole said, patting Raylan's chest. "Anyhow, all I can say is that there is a reason many Clans are beginning to follow the Wolves lead and move to their invasion corridors. The Jaguars will soon be destroyed in no small part because of aid given to the Inner Sphere by Clan Nova Cat."
"Oh, by Kerensky…" Raylan grimaced rubbing at his chin as he sat up. "…Clan Nova Cat is aiding the Inner Sphere?"
"Aff, Raylan. As I said, things are changing." Cole said as he clapped him on the back. "You are much faster than I remember. Hit harder too."
"I am glad I could impress." Raylan said as the pair stood up.
"Come, we must go see the rest of the star." Cole said as they moved out into the base once more.
The day passed uneventfully and, the next day Clara and Raylan went to look at the area they would set up the exchange. Jason came along as well so that the three could finalize their plan. It was established that Jason and Clara would take up positions at either end of the alley while Raylan made the exchange. They had hoped that Raylan showing up alone would give the others a moments pause if it all went pear shaped.
"Alright, so I want that crossfire set and ready. If and when the gunfire starts, Clara take out as many as you can until you empty the clip and then meet up with me. Jason, we will load you with as much ammunition as you can carry. You will have to keep firing while we make the run to our mechs that we'll hide in these abandoned warehouses." Raylan said, pointing to the map on his PDA he had laying on the table and took another bite of the food Jason had ordered for them. "What is this, it is delicious!"
"Kalops and palt." Jason said as he took a large bite from his own plate. "Stew of meat, onion and spices and dumplings from unboiled potatoes and pork. Traditional Swedish dishes."
Raylan nodded and looked outside at the rain pouring down into the alley with the neon signs tinting the window in brilliant colors. There was a twinge in the back of his mind and he saw the wolf sitting by the door. Something about this felt all to familiar and the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach more or less confirmed his paranoia.
"Hey, Major. Major!" Jason snapped him back and Raylan spun to face him. He turned back to look once more but the wolf was gone. Raylan turned back to Jason. "You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I feel like I have seen this before. Something in a dream." Raylan said as the rain's soft fall echoed across the glass.
"Déjà vu…it happens. Can't say I haven't seen my fair share of that coming back here." Jason said as he finished his drink. "Well, if the briefing is done, I have some personal business to attend to so I will catch you two back at the base."
Raylan nodded and he and Clara sat talking for a little while before deciding it was time to make their way back to the Ghost Bear base. Raylan tossed his jacket on, turning the collar up before they made it to the door as the rain was still pouring.
In the distance, a man sat in the abandoned worksite of a high rise still under construction. He tossed the cigarette aside with a sigh and brought the rifle back up to his eye to begin surveying his kill zone again. He still couldn't believe how boring this operation had been so far.
He breathed in slow and even letting, letting the air enter and leave his body carefully. His eyes were fixed through the scope of the Minolta 9000 Advanced Sniper System. The rain and neon was almost enough to distract him as he scanned the crowd for the target but the water poured away from the barrel of his rifle off the windowsill above him.
His superiors demanded blood from the betrayer and he was more than happy to be the knife to exact the revenge. The crowd far below in the crowded streets thrummed and he scanned again but instead of the routine of finding nothing he locked onto a form as it exited a shop about 300 meters away.
The hair was grey…no, white and the body was strong underneath the heavy jacket with the collar turned up to try and shield themselves from the rain. The sniper gasped, blinking rapidly for a moment in surprise but then leaned in to the scope once more and watched carefully. The man turned, his white hair long and tied back with a large beard. The eyes seemed to turn up to meet the sniper, if only for a moment, glowing with an alertness the sniper had only seen in animals before.
The sniper stole a look away from the scope to look at the photo he had been given as part of the intel packet for the hunt and smiled to himself. It was definitely him and he had given the sniper an almost perfect shot. The breath exhaled from the sniper and he felt the trigger press into his finger as the sneer grew across his lips.
This would be how Raylan Vickers dies. The squeeze was easy and the round flew through the air. The sniper watched as the bullet impacted and Raylan spun to the ground, the blood bursting in a cloud. The crowd screamed and began to panic surging away in a stampede.
Clara watched as Raylan's head snapped to the side, a blood red cloud spraying across the ground and window, matching the neon sign above. She ran to him and Raylan snarled as she realized she could see the metal plate under the blood. Their eyes met and Clara nodded in understanding, racing with the fleeing crowd.
Raylan lay motionless on the ground, the sting in his head making him want to scream. He knew whoever had shot him would come to confirm he was dead. Raylan hoped that Clara was in a good position to help when the time came but he trusted she had made the right choice.
The crowd was cleared now, the road silent as the distant sound of sirens from the incoming police force began to make their way to the spot. He heard the footsteps then, coming from behind him and he let out a low growl to himself.
Raylan waited, keeping his head down as he watched the assassin move over to look at his face. The man crouched down, moving Raylan's head up with the barrel of his pistol. Still Raylan waited as the man studied his face carefully. Finally, Raylan saw Clara approaching from behind and he spun himself, forcing the pistol aside before he could fire as Clara shoulder charged into the man's spine.
The two Wolves quickly overpowered the would-be assassin who stared at Raylan, wide-eyed with fear.
"I shot you. I shot you in the head!" He cried as Raylan looked at him with disgust.
"Yes, you did. Congratulations" Raylan said, picking up the pistol from the ground as Clara held the man in a painfully tight hold. "Now you will answer my questions. Who sent you? Was it the Star Remnant?"
"The who?" The man asked and Clara yanked the man's arm up until it snapped. He screamed and Raylan cocked the pistol placing the barrel against the assassin's forehead.
"You can answer us and we will hand you to the police when they arrive. Or we will kill you, search your corpse, find where you are hiding and destroy it until we find what we are looking for." Clara snarled into the man's ear and he tried to get away from her. In his struggle, the collar of his uniform fell and Clara let out a hiss. "By Kerensky, Raylan. He's a Clanner!"
"You are joking." Raylan said, taking his eyes off the man for a second, but keeping the pistol trained on him. "What type of Clanner uses an attempted assassination to kill someone? Have you all lost your honor?"
"You dare to speak of honor, traitor!? You, of the damned Wolves that fled Clan space because your damned Khan doomed entire generations of warriors to inactivity!" The man shouted and Raylan smacked him across the jaw with the pistol, drawing blood.
"You dare sully his name, surrat? You dare even breath such nonsense after trying to gun me down from a hidden position." Raylan snarled.
"Why are you even here? How did you know where we would be?" Clara asked, tightening her grip as the would be assassin squirmed in pain.
"Someone sent the information on what you recovered, Wolf. That lovely little data to take us right to Terra. The Homeworld Clans won't rest until we get our hands on it and if we can destroy your pathetic Wolves in Exile, than all the bet-!" The man was cut off as Clara tossed him aside and Raylan fired, the Clanner's head exploding in a burst of gore that painted the sidewalk in dark red.
"God dammit…" Raylan growled, letting his shoulders sag as Clara looked at him. "…we're under attack on every side. How the hell did the Clan's learn about what we found? Who could have possibly known that!?"
"Who knows. At this point, I'm so used to spies, assassins and saboteurs I don't think anything can surprise me anymore." Clara said, clearly disheartened. "I guess we'll just have to deal with that too."
Raylan's PDA buzzed as they began to walk away, not wishing to be around when whatever authority showed up. He pulled it open and looked over the message he had received from Naomi. It was a simple, short warning that she had detected another piggybacked message coming from the units communications. It also gave them away on Yggdrasil, meaning the whole situation had become twice as complicated.
Raylan felt the rage building in him as the message went on. Naomi had checked and double checked all the communications coming from the Blackstone and could confirm with almost 100 percent certainty that it wasn't anyone onboard.
"Clara, do you know where Jason went?" Raylan asked through gritted teeth.
"No, but I am sure we can meet him back at the Ghost Bear's base, why?" Clara asked a moment before it dawned on her. "No. You don't think…"
"Come on. We have a meeting to make." Raylan said as they made their way back to the base as the rain poured down on them.
When Jason returned later in the evening, he found Raylan and Clara waiting for him as he entered the door. Both Clanners stared at him with malice and contempt.
"What's goin-" He started before Raylan grabbed him by the jacket and slammed him against the wall. "WHAT THE HELL!?"
"We know, Jason. Drop the act." Raylan snarled as he forced the other man up onto his tip toes.
"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!" Jason shot back, struggling against Raylan to no avail as Clara approached.
"Naomi tracked the communications, she knows you've been selling us out!" Clara shouted and Jason looked at her, shocked.
"What?" Jason asked and Raylan shook him so his head hit the wall. "Look, I have no idea what you two are getting at!"
"You've been giving the Star Remnant information were we're going to be every time we've made a drop. You disappear and suddenly Naomi tracks a message from one of our devices giving away our position again!" Raylan said, his eyes blazing with fury. "How much do they know!? Did you give them our plan?"
"I'm not Star Remnant! I'm Mimir!" Jason shouted and Raylan let his grip go. Jason landed on the ground coughing at the sudden ease of breathing.
"What?" Clara asked as Raylan took a step back and fumed.
"I'm part of Mimir, the Rasalhauge secret service. When we heard that there was a pair of Wolves leaving the Pack after having contact with the Ghost Bear, it was determined that we should monitor you. We didn't know what was going on and the last thing we needed was a dual offensive into our space." Jason explained, rising to his feet. "Of course, that was before the merger between the Republic and Clan Ghost Bear. Now, my handlers were just interested in why a pair of Wolves had gone so far off the reservation, so to speak."
There was an uncomfortable silence that fell between all three of them. Raylan said nothing as he paced back and forth.
"So what, there's a mole in the unit?" Jason asked, breaking the silence.
"Two moles…" Raylan growled back and Jason shrugged.
"Big difference between gathering information and trying to destroy us, Major." Jason fired back and Raylan let out a sigh, nodding in resignation.
"That is a fair point. I may not like the fact you deceived us, but if you are being honest, then you haven't done anything to actively harm us." Raylan admitted, still glaring at him. "But that does mean that we still have an unknown threat around us and it gave away that we are here."
"Did Naomi see anything about the operation plan in the leak?" Clara asked as all three sat down on a nearby bench.
"No, at least not that she could see. It does mean any surprise we had with me doing the exchange is out the window." Raylan said, his hands forming tight fists until Clara and Jason could see his arms shaking.
"Well, we'll just have to adapt the plan to it then. I know Clara and I can keep you covered regardless." Jason said with a small chuckle. "Hell, now that you know I'm a field operative there's no need for me to hold back to keep up appearances."
"I suppose that's true." Clara said with a smile. "Regardless, there's nothing we can do about it now. Raylan, we might as well just run with it at this point."
"Fine, but after this is all over you, the Colonel and I are going to have a talk, Jason." Raylan said and Jason nodded in agreement. They separated and Raylan headed to the bunk room, grabbing a fresh uniform and his personal hygiene kit. He headed to the showers and bathed, enjoying the feeling of hot water on his skin even if it stung the freshly stitched wound on his skull.
Raylan took the scissors and razor and began cutting, the long, somewhat unruly hair falling away until he could comb it into an actual form. The beard followed suit, leaving only stubble behind as he stared at his own reflection. He had the almost uncontrollable urge to punch the mirror but brought himself back into a cold fury.
Once again he found himself in the midst of more intrigue than ever before and once more he wanted nothing more than an easy target that he could actually fight without getting involved in three layers of subterfuge. Raylan was exhausted at this point and could only hope that once this exchange was done it would be the last of this bizarre and frustrating chapter in his life.
Clara came in a moment later and Raylan let out a sigh before splashing water on his face. Clara looked at him for a moment, scowling herself.
"We're almost done Raylan. Just one more step and we can leave these Remnants behind, one way or another." Clara said as she entered one of the showers herself. "Kind of a shame, that beard looked good on you."
"I'd rather look like I'm in uniform since we apparently have to act like dishonorable dogs." Raylan replied briskly.
"Right, well, let's just hope that this whole thing goes smoother than the last few months have been." Clara said as she washed her hair out. "It'll be over soon and we'll be back home in no time."
"I truly hope you are right, Clara. Although, truthfully, do we even have a home anymore?" Raylan asked, spitefully.
"Sure we do. The Cavalry is just waiting for us all to get back one way or another." Clara responded cheerfully.
"Are they? The Colonel might want us back but Mustang has made it very clear she would rather have us gone and who knows how the other mechwarriors feel. Jason is an undercover agent for some clandestine organization, Alexa is incapacitated. And the Wolves…" Raylan slammed his hands down on the edge of the sink in frustration at the thought. "…they're barely a shadow of their former selves. Just defanged hounds!"
"By Kerensky, Raylan! Relax! It's not the end of the world. We're still here. We still have each other and a job to do. I feel like that's all we really need." Clara shouted back.
"What job? Every job we take we get embroiled in some galaxy spanning conspiracy. I miss the days we could just drop onto a planet without getting hunted down." Raylan shot back.
"Like I said it'll be over as soon as we get this over with. Just one more day Raylan." Clara said trying to comfort him. He sighed and grabbed his stuff, waving quickly as he left and headed to his bunk.
The next day, Raylan rose early watching the sun rise before heading to the brig and grabbing the girl and loading her into a secure APC they would have driven in before they set up. Clara and Jason joined him an hour or so later, both of them carrying large sniper rifles, Jason loaded with a number of clips and what appeared to be a submachine gun slung on his back.
"Just in case." Jason said with a shrug after Raylan asked him about it. Raylan didn't bother to question it as he double checked his own equipment and headed to his Cauldron Born as Clara made her way to her Hellbringer.
"You ready for this, Raylan?" Clara asked still smiling.
"Let's just finish this." Raylan replied, obviously still frustrated. Clara sighed but headed up to her cockpit. As Raylan prepared to ascend his own battlemech, Cole approached and he paused.
"So, Raylan of the Wolves, it all leads to this." He said, his face grave. Raylan nodded.
"It seems that way." Raylan responded as calmly as he could.
"I must tell you of the situation with your mechwarrior, Alexa." Cole said and Raylan let out a heavy sigh.
"It will have to wait, Star Colonel. We are running on a tight schedule and are already at a disadvantage from a leak in the unit." Raylan said, perhaps more briskly than he intended. "I appreciate the thought however. I will see you when I return."
"Of course, Raylan. Good luck." Cole said, waving as he walked back to his post.
Raylan climbed into the cockpit and started the machine up, the hum of the engine somewhat comforting despite his irritated state. He knew Clara was right, in the long run, this whole ordeal would be over after today. Whether that meant the trade went perfectly or they killed the Remnant forces here and found the information they needed to track it back to the source, it was the one thing Raylan could be sure of.
The pair of mechs marched into Kormet, preparing themselves in the hidden place they had picked. The two Clanners disembarked, Clara heading to her position of overwatch across from Jason and Raylan heading to grab the girl.
She was shaking as he opened the doors to the APC and he dragged her out. Raylan held her firmly as he marched her into the meeting point.
"Please, it doesn't have to be this way." The girl begged and Raylan gave her a small shove.
"Just keep in line and it will all be over soon." Raylan ordered as he walked into the open and stood in the position he had decided was best.
It was about 15 minutes before the Star Remnants arrived, led by a man in opulent robes and dress. He was flanked by four heavily armed guards and they stood across from Raylan.
"Well, this is a surprise. We never expected you would show up yourself, Raylan." The man called and Raylan felt his grip on the girl's cuffs tighten reflexively.
"Drop the act. We know about the leak and that you knew I would be here. So let us just complete this and be done with it." Raylan fired back.
"As you wish." The man called again "Send me my daughter and you will be free from our hunt."
"How do I know that is true? What guarantee do I have that you will not continue to try and kill me after this." Raylan demanded and the man laughed.
"You don't. You'll just have to trust our honor and word that this is the end of it. Now, my daughter please." The man said, extending his hand.
"Fine." Raylan said as he undid the girl's cuffs. "Just know that if you go back on your word, I will personally kill you and ensure every atom of your existence is wiped from the universe."
"Very threatening." The man said and then frowned as he saw the girl. "What is this? A trick?"
"What on Terra are you talking about?" Raylan asked, feeling a tightness in his gut.
"I asked for my daughter, Raylan. Not some failure who couldn't even complete her task." The man called again and Raylan could see the girl tense up.
"This is the only person we took prisoner." Raylan said, trying to put as much emphasis on it as he could to show he was being truthful.
"Well, that can't possibly be correct because this woman…well, she means nothing to me." The man pulled a pistol from the folds of his robe and fired. The girl was struck center mass and collapsed in a heap to the ground.
Raylan jumped reflexively, moving into a low fighting stance in preparation as the man leveled the gun at him.
"Now, where. Is. My. Daughter." The man commanded.
"Right here." A voice called as someone strode up and stood next to him. "Apologies, father. It took me slightly longer to get out of the Ghost Bear's base."
"Alexa? You!?" Raylan asked incredulously. She smiled at him weakly, still in scrubs underneath the hastily thrown on civilian clothes. "By Kerensky, was this what Cole wanted to tell me about? That you were awake and moving?"
"Probably something like that, Major." Alexa called back with a smile. "Anyway, I guess I technically freed myself. Is there really any need for this posturing anymore?"
"I suppose not, dear. Let's just dispose of this trash and be done with it once and for all." The man said with a wicked smile.
"I couldn't agree more." Alexa said as she, too, pulled a pistol and, to everyone's surprise, blew her father's head wide open. She spun and opened fire on the others as she began to move and the whole area erupted in a hail of bullets with Jason and Clara firing from their hidden positions, the Star Remnant forces emerging from their hidden positions as well.
Raylan dove for cover, still in a state of shock from everything that had just happened. He gave himself a minute and recovered, steeling himself for the run back to his battlemech. He had no idea whose side Alexa was on but she wasn't shooting at him for the moment so he decided he would deal with that problem when it came up. One thing was for sure, Raylan would make her pay for all the pain she had inflicted on the Cavalry. He pushed the thought aside and began to run for the warehouse and his Cauldron Born so he could really make these bastards pay.
Clara aimed and fired once more, watching as the spray went up from the man's body and he collapsed to the ground. She turned and was ready once more, counting the rounds as she fired them. As the last one went flying and killed her last target, she tossed the rifle aside and began to make her way out of the building.
"Jason, I'm moving out. You have this covered?" Clara called over the earpiece she was wearing.
"No problem, Clara. You and Raylan just get to where you need to be." He replied and she gave a thumbs up as she ran through the area he would be watching.
She ran to the place she was supposed to meet up with Raylan and found it completely deserted. Clara looked around but couldn't find any sign of him. The sound of gunfire from the original meeting spot suddenly intensified, drawing Clara's attention towards the cacophony for an instant.
"Lookin' for something Sarge?" Alexa called as she emerged from an alleyway, point the pistol at her. "You've got a helluva price on your head, you and Raylan both."
"So it all comes down to money for you?" Clara asked, taking a step backwards to try and get into a better position to take cover if need be.
"My father might've been a religious man, but I am a material girl Clara. And the amount of money you and Raylan are worth, well, that could set me up for the rest of my natural life." Alexa said, continuing to approach, her pistol still leveled at Clara.
"You know if you kill me, Raylan will rip your head from your neck with his bare hands." Clara said, her glare as icy as imaginable.
"I don't want to kill you, Sarge. You are worth way more ali-" Alexa started as, suddenly, Raylan came flying from the shadows and speared Alexa in the spine with a shoulder tackle. The two rolled to the ground, the gun clattering across the pavement.
The two wrestled with Raylan landing a number of brutal body blows and one to Alexa's jaw but she retaliated twice as hard, nearly flipping Raylan onto his back. They rolled for a moment of two more as Clara scrambled for the gun but ended up with a fist to the eye for her trouble as Alexa spun around, wrapping Raylan in a submission hold.
Clara watched as she got back to her feet while Alexa held Raylan down on his knees and pulled a secondary pistol from her belt, placing it against his head.
"Well, I suppose I can make a good living of your sorry carcass, Raylan." Alexa said with a sneer and a shrug.
"Clara, RU-!" Raylan shouted but was cut off by the pistol's report. Everything seemed to freeze as Clara looked on in horror. Raylan went rigid for an instant and then completely limp as Alexa tossed him to the ground.
Her legs started moving in accordance to Raylan's last order and she took of sprinting towards the battlemechs they had stashed. Clara wanted to scream and cry but forced it all down for the moment, deciding there would be plenty of time after she made sure Alexa paid ten times over for what she had done.
As Clara rounded the corner and the warehouse came in sight, she felt the pressure change suddenly and all the air was forced out of her. The building erupted in a terrific fireball, throwing Clara aside and to the ground. Her head smacked against the pavement and stars danced in her mind as warm blood began to run across her forehead.
She felt hands on her shoulders and began to fight back but turned and saw Jason helping her onto her feet.
"Come on, Clara we gotta go!" He shouted over the ringing in Clara's ears. She nodded dumbly and half stumbled, half ran after him as he led her through the city. "Something big is happening here, Clara. I don't know what it is but we have got to get back to base before-"
His words where cut off as they rounded a corner and a massive blast echoed across the walls. Jason went flying backwards, blood spinning out of a massive hole as Clara watched in horror. She turned back as the person leveled the shotgun at her and fired.
She felt searing pain for an instant as she hit the ground hard, a scream escaping her lips. Her assailant moved up, standing over Clara as her vision began to fade in and out. Clara couldn't focus herself, the pain so immense that it felt like a hundred sun was lancing through her torso.
Clara heard the shotgun's action report as her vision focused long enough to see the barrel pointed at her face. She snarled through bloody teeth, wishing she could curse the shadow assassin or spit but having the strength for neither. Then, there was the rapid report of gunfire, the muzzle flash illuminating the alleyway for an instant as Clara's would-be killer fell away. The strength was fleeing Clara rapidly, her vision fading in and out completely by this point.
She barely made out the silhouette of a woman above her, strawberry blonde hair streaked with grey. She reached out weakly, but only for an instant as she felt a wave of fresh blood rush out of her. The person knelt down, placing a finger on her throat to feel a pulse as everything for Clara went black.
The darkness was deeper than she had ever experienced, all encompassing and perhaps even stranger, freezing cold. Clara felt lost in it, her body feeling light as air and heavy as lead at once. There was a burst of light suddenly, blinding and painful like a shock and Clara swore she saw something in the distance.
The woman stood up as she watched a group of medtechs rush past her and into the ex-Clanner's room. She followed, her long coat billowing behind her as she did so. As she entered she locked eyes with Clara who was sitting up in bed now, still connected to the machines that had been monitoring and keeping her alive.
"Well, glad you decided to join us mechwarrior." The woman said, her voice harsh but genuinely pleasant.
Clara looked at the woman that had entered her room, recognizing vaguely but not able to completely place it. She wore a beautifully maintained dress uniform, the collar covered in thick fur that looked like wolf. Her eyes where fierce, and despite apparent age, looked as fit as someone younger than Clara.
"Who…who are you?" Clara asked weakly, her vision becoming unfocused again as she was forced to lean back into the pillows. The woman placed a chair next to Clara's bed and smiled at her even as consciousness began to fade out completely.
"You can call me Salem. And we've got a lot to talk about." The woman said, patting Clara lightly on the shoulder just as she slipped back into the inky blackness that had consumed her for so long.
A/N: Holy wow, we've reached the end of the second story! This has been a hell of a journey and all of you readings, visiting, reviewing and everything else has been an incredible boost to me and given me a ton of reason to keep it going! And don't worry, this will be back in the next one but im going to take a break and work on a couple of ideas i've been kicking around and give the tales of Clara and Raylan a bit of time to go through the planning and drafts because i want to make sure to give you all the best stories i can!
Thanks again and see you in the next one,
War Raptor
