TOW37

Chapter 37 - The Other War
Within the Rancor, Kindraa Leader Tomin Mick looked at his arm mounted machine gun then toward one of his subordinates, “Give me your claw.” The Elemental paused for a moment, “Aff, disengaging locks.” Tomin disengaged the waldo locks on his own weapon using his left hand claw to take it off, the machine gun floated in micro-gravity before them. With minor assistance from a CSS suited Technician the battle claw was mounted, secured, and operational. Tomin opened a line to Claude via the transmitted codes at the four minute mark.
“Claude, I will not surrender. If you want my position face me alone in a Circle of Equals. I have removed my machine gun, I expect you to do the same.”
Claude was preparing to breach the door when the transmission came in. He motioned to his fellow Elementals who paused to await new instructions. “I will meet you outside in ten minutes.”
Star Captain Goulet motioned to Evan then to his shoulder turret and its machine gun. “Take it off, Evan. Tomin has challenged me to hand to hand combat. We will fight on the hull.”
“But sir, he is larger and stronger than you.”
“Maybe outside the armor, but we are equal in it.” He clenched one of the razor sharp steel claws, “Particularly with these upgraded myomers.”
Ten minutes later both combatants stood a dozen meters away surrounded by fellow Warriors. Their suit lights blinked green and red against the velvety black of the void. Tomin's wide and tall stance evoked a primal Silverback. Claude's talons wrapped around a transit bar. They stood atop a blood red hull marred with battle damage and faded by a lack of maintenance.
It began with a thruster enhanced slash toward Claude's head, the more agile Armor and Elemental ducked the attack catching Tomin's thruster pack with a talon enhanced tornado kick causing the pack to vent its fuel rapidly and erratically to spin the Elemental like a top. Tomin activated the emergency release, the thruster flew wildly out of the Circle of Equals until its hydrazine was exhausted. Desperate to arrest his spin he reached out with his dual battle claws which sparked as they ripping into warship plate with all the strength their myomer and operator could muster. Ultimately he was able to slow the spin, get upright, and engage the magnets for stability but was now 'ground bound' and dizzy.
Dazed as he was Tomin was not able to defend himself from Claude's next attack. The Salamander suit latched onto the larger Elemental armor and used its own thruster to break the magnetic boot's hold. Adjusting his attitude and facing Claude pushed off with all the force of his suit sending Tomin into the void while accelerating him back to the Warship. He rotated and landed with all four claws to spread out the impact. Without thrusters Tomin floated out of the 'Sphere' and in the process forfeited the Trial.
Claude opened up a radio link to the Elemental slowly floating away from the Warship. “This is Kindraa Leader Claude Goulet to Star Captain Tomin Mick. Do you require assistance; or would you like to let go of all your responsibilities?”
A long silent pause spread throughout the gathered Warriors, they all knew that a slow agonizing death awaited them if they came loose. There were fighters in the area capable of recovering the stricken Elemental if he asked or were commanded to as the Warrior's code demanded. However, Tomin had fought hard to rise to Kindraa Leader and maintain that position since the Invasion of Huntress. He was the mighty Warrior that the Mandrills aspired to and was clever but had overreached lately to much shame. This humiliation might be just what he needed but it was great one, the next moments would cement his legacy if one still could be salvaged.
He twisted to face the Warriors gathered on the hull, “Kindraa Leader Goulet, I seem to have lost my thruster pack and come loose from the Rancor. Would you send a fighter to recover me?”
“One is en route from the Trial by Fire. Hang on tight, Tomin.
You are to report to the med-bay and await further instructions.”
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