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On the Rim, Ch 72: Claw the Stoic

2020 copyright comidacomida

Claw had always found life to be complicated but warfare? That was easy. The assault team approached the small encampment which had been fortified with sandbags. The intel the group had received indicated that there were seven pirates from the "Larry's Men" gang but the initial recon done by Missy had only revealed six. Grizz had been willing to bet that the seventh was hiding around the base somewhere but he didn't want to waste the opportunity to attack, especially since the pirates looked to be equipped with some fairly primitive firearms.

The Bear elected to take a plan out of Captain's playbook which meant that Claw's job was the usual: get in close and personal then neutralize anyone who puts up a fight; the Badger was very good at neutralizing. Moving with due speed and stealth, Claw was almost in position when, sadly, the rest of the team was caught by the sentries; Leo and Wolf were the closest and they were within easy reach of cover, both firing before the two sentries could do more than cry out a warning and then die almost simultaneously.

A third pirate, who had just snapped his hunting rifle to attention was so focused on his scope that he didn't notice the Badger come at him from the side; Claw didn't need to swipe at him, preferring instead to grab the unfortunate Human's head and twist. That pirate died moments before the seventh pirate finally showed himself, emerging from one of the wooden huts with an assault rifle, which he never got a chance to use since Kid leapt down on him from above, slicing him open with the sabre he'd appropriated from the armory before leaving base.

The remaining pirates quickly realized they were outnumbered and outgunned and quickly turned tail to flee, but Missy gave a singular order to her wolf and then gunned one down; Grizz got the second and the Lynx's obedient lupine launched itself at the third, tearing her throat out, leaving no survivors. Combat was over in less than a minute, leaving Claw standing awkwardly in the middle of the empty pirate camp, astounded at just how easy their foes had fallen. He didn't have very long to linger however as Grizz got everyone back to work doing a complete search of the site.

Over the course of a half hour they'd looted everything of value and Grizz had distributed the gear among the party. There were a few pieces of tech worth disassembling for parts; the pirates certainly wouldn't need solar panels and the half-assembled auto-turret would be much more useful back at the group's base. All-in-all it was an effective assault with no casualties on their side. Claw couldn't help but frown though; so much travel time to and from and so little confrontation. Sometimes he felt as though his skills were going to waste.

* * * * *

The trip back to the base took several days and the journey was uneventful. Grizz and Missy talked with one another while Kid bragged about his kill to anyone who would listen, usual Leo, but only when the Human was willing to listen to the Lion's own posturing. Claw, as usual, kept his own council and maintained watch for any possible problems on the road, of which there were none. They'd made camp a few hours from home base to pass the night time hours and made it back mid-morning.

There had been some progress on the launch shuttle project, enough that Claw took note. He wasn't at all skilled with rocket science or advanced engineering concepts but he knew enough about construction to be able to appreciate how far the project had advanced in less than a week. More than that, the research center which had been the clearing house for odd jobs such as the pirate base had sent a gift along: a psychic transmitter! During Claw's time with the pirates who'd put him to work before he joined the Group Under the Mountain he'd seen such a transmitter: it was capable of canceling out the strange psychic droning that caused so much trouble at odd intervals on the planet and he was pleased to see that the base had finally obtained one of its own.

More than that, however, it seemed that Ben and Duct-Tape had been busy perfecting another form of protection for the base: they had completed and provided a test run for a magnetic shield which would hopefully prevent the electronics in the base from shorting out an going offline in the event of a solar flare. It was a pleasant find to return to and Claw was pleased that the rest of the group had managed to make progress in not just one way but THREE during his absence. More than that, he was glad to see that the base had remained safe.

While the rest of the assault team reintegrated into the group and spent time catching up with everyone else the Badger gave the new technology a precursory glance then headed off to his room: he was going to catch up on his sleep then report for his evening patrol. It felt good to feel useful but, at the same time it was reaffirming to see that everyone in the base was also able to carry their own fair share too.

* * * * *

The following morning saw the Group Under the Mountain at the dining table as a whole. The Overseer elaborated on earlier made plans and discussed minor changes to them that'd been decided while the away-team was out. The launch shuttle was proceeding at a good pace but it was resource heavy and some new drilling sites would have to be picked out for mining. Claw volunteered to help set them up and his offer was quickly accepted by the labor team; he spent the rest of the day helping Duct-Tape and Cole get everything put in place.

Toward evening a minor thunder storm struck the area and, as Claw was finishing running the last of the cable to a drill site he heard a particularly close strike, followed by a cry of alarm. Leaving the wires where they were, the Badger ran to the site of a lighting strike only to see that Missy was cradling a still smoldering Ben in her arms. Looking up at him, Missy shouted "He was near the impact point. Help me get him to the med bay!"

Rather than help, Claw just took the initiative and picked the little Wolf up and carried him over his shoulder, racing off to the medical center. Missy ran ahead so Doc was ready when they arrived. An hour later the prognosis was good: Ben had been close enough to the strike to be dazed and his clothing was shredded by flying debris but there was no permanent damage. It was particularly lucky too since, as Claw knew, the lightning storms had the capacity to be much MUCH worse-- he'd seen a fully grown female Cytkus blasted apart by a direct strike.

Since it was close to dinner time, Claw concluded his work by finishing off the wire before returning to the main cave of the facility; the Overseer was on the comm station and she seemed frustrated. "Are you sure you have no options to help?"

The Badger recognized the voice of the freighter communications officer who had been contacting them periodically. Although Claw didn't recognize the corporation he worked for, the trips seemed consistent enough that, were the transport be willing to help, it could provide a way off the planet. Was there a problem, he wondered? The response confirmed it. "Sorry, Overseer Simpson. Increased pirate activity in the area means it's too difficult to risk a landing. Are you any closer on getting into orbit?"

Letting out a long sigh, the Overseer flipped the transmission switch. "We're working on it, Xander... next visit, maybe? When are you due back in the system?"

"Half a week most likely. We're heading out a little further with a shipment and we can swing by on the way back. Do you figure you'll be ready by then, ma'am?"

Claw watched as the Overseer chewed her lip in thought; based on how far the group had come, the Badger was willing to bet that they would make far more progress in another four days but he also didn't know enough about rockets to know for sure. Then again, what he thought didn't matter since it was her call and she finally answered after a long pause. "Doubtful. We have too much to accomplish but... check back in anyway if you could, Xander? People down here are counting on you."

The jovial response was almost uncharacteristic for a corporate employee. "You got it, Overseer Simpson. If not then, it'll be another week and a half til we're back in the system but I'll make all due attempts to try and help you guys out."

The conversation continued until the ship passed beyond the relay and the communications came to a close but it was just in time since the comm station received a fresh call: it was the Cytkus research station, and they had another task in exchange for some supplies. Claw didn't relish combat, but he enjoyed feeling useful. Cracking his knuckles, he waited to find out what his next mission would entail.

* * * * *

The following morning Claw was getting ready to leave yet again. Cap'n would be leading again, which was a good thing in the Badger's mind; it wasn't that he doubted Grizz's skills but there was something comforting about a solid chain of command with multiple officers. Also joining them were Leo and Kid again, but Jackal, Wolf, and Duct-Tape were also coming along.

Duct-Tape seemed like an odd choice but, then again, Claw hadn't been part of the full briefing and he didn't doubt Capn's tactical assessment. It was a good sized team, easily enough to take on what had been describe as 'a tribal cannibal settlement'. The Badger was more than willing to fight whomever needed to be fought if it meant that The Group Under the Mountain could get what it needed to leave; he'd been on the planet long enough that he wasn't sure what he would do once they were rescued but, at the same time, Claw realized that there was still a lot to be done before he'd have to worry about it.