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Chapter 10:

Planet Arc Royal

Clan Wolf in Exile Temporary Base

December 8th, 3057

0645 Hours

Raylan stood in the open hangar door of the quickly constructed base the remains of Clan Wolf had thrown up in order to store the first of their omnimechs to arrive. He had beaten his first opponent in a battlemech brawl in the Clan Kit Fox. He had picked the location that time, having lost the coin toss.

This time, however, he had won and chosen to fight in a Heavy chassis, something closer to his Timber Wolf he had lost on Misery's End. In truth, Raylan had hoped he would be put into another Wolf but the choice wasn't his.

Instead, Raylan looked back at the Ebon Jaguar, or Cauldron Born as the Inner Sphere had come to call it. He had very little time to familiarize himself with its loadout and controls but he had spent the better part of the morning in a SIMpod to prepare himself.

His mech was an Alternate Configuration D, the medium range brawler of the Ebon Jaguar armament. Raylan knew he would have to finish the battle quickly, the configs ammunition bins were woefully inadequate for long term fighting.

Raylan watched as the sun crested over the horizon, its red rays casting shadows long and unnatural and it made Raylan's nerves more frayed. He turned his head to his left as his head tech walked up cautiously.

"It is time, sir." She said calmly and Raylan nodded turning and making his way up into the Cauldron Born's cockpit. The system booted up and LED lights showed him the displays for weapons, armor and systems. The squat form of the 'mech made its way onto the field and he watched as his opponent, another Star Captain named Ross, moved to match him.

"Are you ready to die, coward?" Ross called over the radio and Raylan chuckled as he locked onto the Summoner.

"Only if you are, Ross." He called back and thought about the situation. Ross was in a 'mech 5 tons heavier and with longer reach. He would have to get in close and pound the Summoner into submission.

"I am the Oathmaster. You two are the best of the best and honor those who have come before you. Your deeds and actions have cemented your place within the Clan history forever more. But now, only one may claim the Vickers name. Raylan, you are the Hunter and have been granted choice of means. Ross, as Hunted you have chosen the field of battle. It is yours. You may begin when ready." An elder of the Clan Council said.

Raylan gunned his engine and rushed forward, trying to move in a serpentine motion to avoid giving Ross an easy lock-on with his LRM's the Summoner carried on its shoulder. The heavier mech lanced out with its PPC, the false lightning ionizing the air with burning ozone as it slammed just short of the Cauldron Born. Raylan responded with his twin Ultra Autocannon 10s. The hypervelocity slugs raced forward, blasting dirt as he walked the rounds up onto the Summoner's legs.

Explosions tore armor plating from the Summoner's lower left leg up until it blew armor off around the knee joint. Ross moved forward now to, and Raylan heard the familiar warning siren as a flight of LRM's sailed into the air and raced towards him. The warheads blasted armor off Raylan's chassis but he was closing faster than the Summoner could contend with.

The PPC ripped into the Cauldron Born's side, leaving a burning gash in its side. Raylan blasted into the Ross' chest, the Ultra Autocannon 10 rounds ripping into the armor and the rapid fire follow up salvo ate into the internal structure beneath. Ross counteracted this by twisting away and bringing its LBX-10 to bare. The mech mounted shotgun ripped one of the shoulder weapon pods completely off and Raylan gritted his teeth.

Raylan fired his autocannons again and was about to deliver the rapid fire weapons second salvo but the weapons jammed as they overheated. Raylan cursed and fired the pair of ER Medium Lasers into the exposed structure. The Summoner's internals superheated, melting and collapsing in on itself as the left arm jettisoned away.

The explosion rocked the Ross' mech violently but he stomped on the jump jets in the Summoner's back and leapt backwards. Another flight of LRMs lanced at Raylan's mech and he did his best to avoid their warheads. More than he would have liked found their marks and more armor sailed away from his Cauldron Born in horrific arcs. The weapons loadout still marked the Ultra Autocannons as jammed and he cursed again, slapping the weapons' firing stub until an audible click echoed in his ears.

The weapons cleared and he lined them over the Summoner's round shoulder mounted launcher. The rapid fire, hypervelocity explosives found their mark and the unfired warheads began to go critical. To Ross' credit, he did manage to jettison a good portion of the ammunition. It didn't prevent the ammo explosion from savaging the majority of the chassis. CASE system or not, the warheads carved armor and internal structure away as the chassis was knocked prone.

Raylan marched forward and placed his 'mech's clawed foot down onto the Summoner's chest before leveling his gunpod at its cockpit. This time there was no hesitation from Raylan as he thumbed the trigger for the autocannons again and the cockpit evaporated under the withering firepower. A siren sounded and the combat was over. Raylan marched his Cauldron Born back to the hangar with a smile and a sigh of relief.

He had won and would now be bloodnamed, earning his place in the Clan breeding program and earned what basically amounted to immortality. Still, Raylan felt uneasy for some reason. His eyes scanned over the logo of Clan Wolf in Exile, as they had begun to call themselves and an involuntary shudder crawled up his spine. The mottled grey wolf seemed to stare at him, its red eyes burning straight through his soul.

The image of the sickly wolf from his dreams crawled back into his mind and Raylan did his best to force it away. Still, the thought persisted and he snarled to himself. It wasn't exact, but Raylan couldn't help but see the resemblance. It didn't help that after the Kell Hounds had brought back Khan Phelan and his Wolves, they had found out that both Khan Natasha Kerensky and Ulric Kerensky had been killed. Raylan felt the grief of the Clan as much as he thought possible.

"Star Captain Raylan, you are victorious. You have shown you possess the will of the Clans and the heart of a warrior. You have earned the bloodname Vickers. Report to the base to be granted this honor." The Oathmaster said over the radio as Raylan enter the hangar and powered down the Cauldron Born.

Raylan left the hangar and made his way slowly to the base after stripping himself out of his cooling vest and gear and pulling on his Clan Wolf dress uniform. He smiled in spite of his growing apprehension and entered the ceremonial hall. The room was practically pitch black besides a spotlight outlining a massive form n the far end of the room. The canine snout of the ceremonial wolf mask created an even more imposing silhouette and Raylan felt a chill he hadn't felt since he first became a warrior.

"Warriors! Near and far, living and dead lend me your ears. Today is a great day for our Clan. We have found a true warrior, one who possesses the heart of the Wolf." The voice boomed in the dark space as Raylan came to a halt in front of him. "I am the Oathmaster and this conclave will bind us all until we are dust."

"Seyla…"A chorus of what seemed to be hundreds of voices echoed all around him.

"Star Captain Raylan, you have shown time and time again that you are a warrior with few equals. You have succeeded in operations many would falter and followed your orders even when the cost was beyond what many would find acceptable. Even now, in the Clan's darkest hour, you have shown that you will do anything to see your mission to the end. Step forward."

Raylan did so and bowed his head to the figure. They pulled a pin from a tray and placed it on Raylan's chest.

"From this day forward, you will be recognized in the halls of Warriors by the bloodname of your ancestors. You are now Raylan Vickers and with accepting this honor, you also take on all the responsibilities of a Bloodnamed warrior. Do you accept these rights and responsibilities?"

"Aff Oathmaster. On my honor." Raylan said, keeping his head bowed.

"Then let all here and beyond recognize you as Star Captain Raylan Vickers! Your knife…" The Oathmaster said, holding his hand out as Raylan handed the man the silver, wolf pommeled blade hilt first. The man in the mask took the blade and drew it across Raylan's palm quickly, the razor-sharp blade leaving a superficial wound in his skin that bled quickly. The blood dripped into a ceremonial chalice and the Oathmaster thrust the bleeding hand into the air. "…with this blood, you are bond to the history of our Clan and hold the future in your own! So it shall be until we all shall fall!"

"Seyla!" The cheer went up around him and Raylan smiled to himself, standing as tall as he could as the lights went out and then all turned on a moment later.

As the crowd cleared out, Cary came up and embraced Raylan tightly. She took a step back and smiled broadly as Clara embraced him as well.

"So, how do you feel Star Captain Vickers?" Cary asked, beaming with pride. Raylan smiled back.

"Probably as good as you do, Star Colonel? That promotion must feel nice." Raylan shot back jokingly.

"Well, I can not say how I feel about it in truth, given the current state of affairs." She responded. "The Council meeting to determine our fate is scheduled to take place in the next few days. Clara has been summoned to testify on our behalf."

"I am honored to provide such a service." Clara said, also smiling but obviously uncomfortable.

"Anyway, I am needed elsewhere. Try and relax some, Star Captain. You will certainly need it." Star Colonel Cary Vickers said, waving as she wandered away.

Clara took a step closer to Raylan and put her hand on his shoulder. She smiled warmly at him and motioned for him to follow, which he did happily.

"I am happy for you, Raylan. You have earned an honor many only dream of." She said, not looking at him.

"It is an honor I hope I am worthy of." Raylan responded. "But I get the feeling that is not why you wish to speak to me, Clara."

"True…" Clara let out a sigh. "I am thankful that the Clan has been so welcoming to us for the moment. The "gift" of a new battlemechs was also a welcome surprise, but I can not help but feel this was meant to placate us while they determine our fate."

"I agree with you. The generosity does seem out of place if they plan on exiling us in a few days regardless." Raylan said as they moved towards the barracks.

"That too bothers me. This…"Clara said, motioning around her with wide arms. "…does not feel like the Clan Wolf we left. More like a shell of itself."

"Or a sick animal…" Raylan said as they entered his bunk room. "…I am honored by their generosity but I do not know if I am completely comfortable with the way Khan Phelan plans to move this…Clan Wolf in Exile."

"I still cannot believe both Khan Natasha and Ulric Kerensky were struck down. It feels like a bad dream." Clara said shaking her head while Raylan changed out of his dress uniform and into more comfortable clothing. She couldn't help but look at Raylan's muscled body and form in admiration but averted her eyes quickly. "I do not think anything will ever be the same for us…"

"Aff, Clara…but we will survive. You and I are Wolves. Nothing can stop our hunt until we meet our end." Raylan said, giving her a small smile.

"And what if our hunt is already over? I have heard rumors that the Sphereoids will be practically holding us prisoner here. We will not be allowed to move without supervision."

"I highly doubt Khan Phelan will let that sit. Besides, the Inner Sphere will need us." Raylan said back, turning to face her completely. She stepped forward and he rested his hand on her shoulder now, smiling softly to try and comfort her. "You and I are stronger than anything this universe can throw at us, Clara, and I am with you to the stars end."

"I am glad, Raylan. I…I really would be lost without you here." Clara said, smiling back at him and Raylan felt a warmth in his chest he wasn't used to. "Anyway, come on. Wouldn't want to miss our run, now would we?"

"I suppose not. After you." Raylan said, closing the door to his bunk room behind them. They headed outside and stretched out. Raylan was still surprised by Arc Royal IV, although it wasn't in the way he expected. The continent Clan Wolf in Exile had been allowed to settle on was barren for the most part, but still beautiful. Even now, in early December, the temperature was bearable if more than a little brisk. Raylan could imagine what the world must be like in spring or summer, although he didn't know if her would be here to find out.

The pair jogged around the bases exterior twice, making idle chit chat about their previous few months and adventures before that as well. It was a nice break from the break-neck speed they had been running at for months. Raylan was undoubtedly nervous about what the council would decide. Even if he felt like this wasn't the same Clan he had left behind, it was still his.

The offer from Colonel Cassie Kain also still held a place in his mind and he mentioned it in passing to Clara who simply shrugged at the idea. She gave him a similar answer to the one he had given her on the Cavalry's dropship; that she would follow him regardless of what happened.

Perhaps the time away from the Clan and the act they had been performing to reach Arc Royal, Raylan relished the thought of the freedom joining Kain's Cavalry would give him. This desire grew as he thought about the thought Clara had placed in his mind that their new Inner Sphere hosts would hold them on this continent indefinitely.

With the Council meeting looming ahead of them and the battles he left behind, Raylan once again found himself using Star Colonel Woods' meditation technique to re-center himself. He asked the voice that had guided his dreams to come back to him, to guide him to what he should do moving forward. Only silence answered him and Raylan knew he would have to make this choice on his own.

Raylan swam in the darkness, feeling the ebbs and flows of the cosmos around him as time once again lost all meaning. He opened his eyes hours later and made his way to the hangar. If the Cauldron Born was to be his, he would be sure to make it his own.

Raylan gave the tech his orders for modifications and cosmetics before climbing back into the cockpit. He pulled his PDA out and looked over the files they had taken from the Star Remnants once again. He still wasn't sure what to do with the information, but knew he needed a copy if and when the Remnants came for him again. Raylan was sure the mysterious force would hunt him down which gave him another thought on the future that awaited him.

Days passed and Raylan fell into a routine of his own as the Clan began to start building its home on Arc Royal. Raylan did what he could to help with the process, although many seemed to give him a wider berth than he was used to. Meanwhile, he and Clara became even more inseparable than they had been previously. The warmth in his chest grew and he swore that he saw more than a few odd glances from Clara in his direction but he decided that it wasn't something to bring up now.

His Cauldron Born, now nicknamed "Ghira", was coming along and its weapons loadout was a confusing mix of brawling and range. Raylan missed Tala horribly, and wanted nothing more than to gather a team and return to Misery's End in order to retrieve the "corpse" of his fallen mech but let the thought go with a sigh of resignation.

As the time passed, Raylan also came to a decision on what he would do and was prepared when the Council finally called the meeting to determine Vickers' Vipers fate. The hall filled with members and Raylan took his seat next to Cary as Clara took the witness stand. Clara gave her testimony as honestly as she could and ignored the gasps and sneers from many of the council as she continued.

"In your opinion, Mechwarrior Clara, do you find your actions to be within standards of the Clan?" The council member who was more or less interrogating Clara asked.

"I believe we were under orders from our superiors, sir. It would have been dezgra to ignore such a request from a superior even if it meant walking a fine line between the Clan way and…other means."

"And if we told you that your unit would be removed from the Clan because we find your actions to be dezgra regardless?"

"Then I will respect that decision and walk my path separately. I honor my Clan and will follow its will regardless of personal loss or gain, sir. I must say, however, it seems like a grave waste of time and resources to grant us new battlemechs, ranks and promotions only to kick us out afterwards."

"We shall see, Mechwarrior." The interrogator said as he provided closing arguments. The issue was then put to a vote and the tally was soon concluded. It was close, but the other members determined Vickers' Vipers had operated within the Clan way and would be allowed to remain members of it. As the chamber began to filter out and Raylan felt the tension in his chest grow, he approached the senior members of the council before they exited.

"Begging your pardons, I have an issue I must discuss with you." He said, waiting for them to acknowledge him.

"And what would that be, Star Captain Vickers?" One of the seniors asked, somewhat annoyed at the delay.

"During our time on Misery's End, we stumbled upon an ancient armory from the Great Exodus. It contained incredible information that could be an incredible boon to our cause." He paused. "It also had a route straight to Terra. I am sure I do not need to explain the threat this would be if it ever fell into the hands of our opponents."

"Neg, you do not. I still fail to see why you are bringing this up again, Star Captain. Mechwarrior Clara already explained all of this."

"Aff, sir, except for the part a bondsman I had taken had betrayed his bond. He compromised my name and what I possess. I fear that the others of his kind will be hunting me and I have no desire to bring a war to our Clan's door while we are in the process of rebuilding."

"What are you saying, Star Captain?"

"I am saying, sir, that with your permission, I would like to leave Clan Wolf in Exile in order to prevent harm from coming to it. I will leave a copy of the information I have, if you wish of course, but with the original files on my PDA I will remove myself from the Clan and move as far away as possible."

"You would willingly leave the Clan behind?"

"If it meant ensuring its safety, I would jump into a black hole, sir. The Clan will always be my home but its safety means more to me than my comfort." Raylan said, trying to convince himself as much as his superiors. The other council members discussed for a moment and then turned back to Raylan.

"Very well, Star Captain. You will remain a member of the Clan as well as the Council, but you will be given leave to pursue these Star Remnants and expected to avoid contact with Clan Wolf in Exile until such time as these 'Star Remnants' are destroyed or you can otherwise ensure they will no longer hunt you down and bring harm to the Clan."

"Thank you." Raylan said, bowing slightly. "I would also like Mechwarrior Clara to accompany me. She has been a partner since the beginning of my career and I can not think of anyone else I would rather have at my side to confront these enemies."

"She will need to make that decision herself, but we give you our blessing." They paused. "We would like a copy of this information you have, however."

"Of course. I will copy the files and hand them to you before I leave." Raylan said and saluted before striding off to finalize his preparations. An hour later, Raylan returned and handed over the copied data to the Council Elders. He then returned to his bunk room and waited.

Some time later, Clara entered the room in a rush.

"Is what the council told me true? Are you really leaving?" She asked, the pain obvious in her voice.

"Aff, I am. The Star Remnants know who I am, what I am capable of and what intel I stole. They will hunt me down and bring war to anyone in their way to get to me. I cannot bring that to the Clan while we are trying to rebuild."

"Then I am absolutely coming with you, Raylan. The Council said they had given me permission to do so at your request." She put her hands on her hips and cocked them slightly. "Besides, we both know you would get your butt shot off without me there to watch it."

"No one I would rather have as back-up, Clara. There is just one thing left to do. And I suggest you have your gear packed and 'mech ready." He pulled up the offer from Colonel Kain and hit the contact link.

A moment later, Cassie's face appeared on the screen.

"Ah, if it isn't my favorite runaways. How are you doing, Raylan?" She asked, smiling widely.

"Very well, thank you Colonel. I have decided to take you up on your contract offer with a slight alteration if you will permit me?" The shock was clear on the Colonel's face as Raylan said this.

"Oh, by all means. I'm very interested in this." She said back.

"I have a 'mech of my own now but I would like to bring Mechwarrior Clara on with me, if that is acceptable."

"Does she have a 'mech as well?" Cassie asked, a smile growing on her lips.

"Aff, ma'am. A brand new, shiny Hellbringer." Clara said and Cassie nodded.

"Wow, two Clanners and Clan tech in the same day? What kind of fool would I be to not accept that. I'll write up a contract for Clara as well. You do realize, however, that if you lose any weapons or systems on those fancy omnimechs we will have to patch them with Inner Sphere tech, right?"

"Aff, ma'am, we are aware." Raylan said not thrilled about the thought of Frankenstein-ing his Cauldron Born but understanding the necessity of it.

"Well alright then. Like I said, I'll write up a contract for Clara and send it her way as soon as possible. I can set the Blackstone on Arc Royal in a week and we'll get you two on board and set up. We'll have to register you with the Dragoon's Mercenary Board but that shouldn't be a problem, all things considered."

"Sounds good, Colonel. I look forward to working with you." Raylan said with a sincere smile.

"Seconded, Star Captain. See you soon." Cassie said before closing the link. Raylan let out a sigh.

"So, we are going to be mercenaries for real now?" Clara asked, looking to Raylan.

"Seems that way. If there is anyway to get as far away from the Clan, I figure doing the most un-Clanlike thing is a good start."

"Well, I cannot argue with that. I suppose we should work on our Sphereoid speech then…" Clara said, obviously uncertain about the development.

"I suppose so." An uncomfortable silence fell between them and after a moment, Clara stood up, slapping her hands on her thighs.

"Well, I guess I need to go pack my things. Again. Meet up later for a run?" She asked and Raylan nodded but then grabbed her wrist before she left.

"I am very happy that you are coming with me, Clara. It would not feel the same without you there." Clara smiled at Raylan earnestly.

"I could not imagine being anywhere other than in your unit, Raylan. I would not have it any other way." Clara responded before leaving.

The next few days went by without incident and Raylan kept in his routine. He and Clara prepared to depart, taking their 'mechs out on short patrols. Their nerves were growing but neither was sure if it was uncertainty or excitement. As the time came closer, Star Colonel Cary Vickers approached them with a sad smile.

"So, I hear you two will be leaving us soon?" She asked, although fully knowing the answer.

"Aff, Star Colonel. I decided that in order to keep the Star Remnants off the Clan's trail, it would be better to take the intel we found on Misery's End and walk a different path."

"You can just admit the idea of being stuck on Arc Royal for an indeterminate amount of time sounds terribly boring." Cary said, laughing slightly before becoming more serious. "It is a damn shame to lose you two. You both are some of the finest mechwarriors I have ever had the honor of serving with."

"Likewise, Star Colonel. It was a pleasure." Raylan said, shaking Cary's hand with a smile.

"I am sure we will meet again on the path." Clara said, taking Cary's hand as well.

"I certainly hope so. Good luck out there." Cary said, giving a salute and wave before walking away and leaving Raylan and Cary to finalize their preparations.

The following morning, the dropship Blackstone touched down and both Clan mechwarriors piloted their Omnimechs into the waiting mechbays. The pair grabbed their packs and climbed down to the floor and met Colonel Cassie Kain. They shook hands and smiled.

"Welcome back, Vipers. So are we still using false names or…?" The Colonel asked, only half joking.

"I am Raylan Vickers now, Colonel." Raylan responded, chuckling slightly.

"And I am just Clara, ma'am." Clara said quickly.

"Fair enough. Well, we are ready to take off if you two are ready to leave. We can get you set up in your bunk rooms and you can get settled in. Follow me."

The Colonel led them to bunk rooms that were practically next door to each other, much to both former Clanner's pleasure. Raylan tossed his pack onto the bed and looked around at the familiar spartan quarters with a smile. It wasn't much, but it was what he was used to and this was truly his.

"Star Captain, a word?" The Colonel's voice almost made him jump as he turned to face her.

"Of course, ma'am, you are my superior officer now." Raylan said smiling. Cassie shrugged.

"Fair enough. Anyhow, I have a full lance already, which would normally cause a problem but if I understand Clan Military Structure at all, you have experience in leading a unit. As such, I want you to completely understand that you are going to be in a command position. In Inner Sphere terms, you will be ranked as a Captain and have a full lance at your command. Of course, Mechwarrior Clara will be a member but the other two will be up to your selection."

"And were will I find the other two members, ma'am?" Raylan asked trying to hide his joy at being given a command immediately.

"Well, Captain Vickers, it just so happens that in order to finalize you and Clara's registration, the Cavalry just happens to be heading to the largest meeting place of mercs, soldiers and otherwise in the galaxy. Outreach. Don't worry, I'll be there to help you through the process. I'm sure it's much different then how the Clan operates."

"I am sure of that as well, Colonel. Thank you." Raylan said as he shook the woman's hand again. She nodded and left, closing the door behind her with a hiss as Raylan turned to look out the window in his room. It had been almost 8 hours since they had taken off now and the planet of Arc Royal was becoming smaller and smaller below them.

Part of him was uncertain if he had made the right choice but as the planet grew smaller behind him, Raylan's confidence grew and grew. He had made the right decision, both for the safety of the Clan and also, on a personal level, this allowed Raylan the freedom to do what he loved most; fight. Raylan stood and opened the door to his room, pausing for just a moment to view Arc Royal a moment longer then, with a smile, headed off to walk this new path he had set for himself.

A/N: Holy crap, it's done! i never thought id finish this! but here it is, 10 chapters later. ANyway, I hope you all enjoyed this and I know I learned a lot from posting and updating. Raylan, Clara and Cassie will return soon I'm sure. I've got a few ideas on where I want to take this story. Also a side story about Kain's Cavalry. But until then, thank you all for reading and bearing with me when i missed updates and being so kind. I know this isn't the best story in the fandom but Im so happy to just be a small part of it now.