Wolf Pelts and Raven Feathers

Wolf Pelts and Raven Feathers
Short story by Lance Scarinci
First Publication
Published	15 September 2022
Published in	Shrapnel Issue 10
Publisher	Catalyst Game Labs
Illustrator(s)	Natán Meléndez
Pages	24
Chronology
Era	ilClan era
Timeline	12 October 3151 — 7 December 3151
Series
Black Marauder series
Ghost Hunting   —

Wolf Pelts and Raven Feathers is a short story by Lance Scarinci that was published in the tenth issue of Shrapnel.

It continues the Black Marauder series which has been previously published via BattleCorps and later the BattleTech print anthology Marauder.

Plot Summary

Clan Wolf Star Colonel Taran Sender is confronted by Clan Snow Raven Watch officer Lydia Spaatz after he was forcibly evacuated from Sullivan. While he digs for why the Snow Ravens chose to save him, Lydia reveals she knows he is searching for the Star League Uma-class JumpShip, SLS Crow's Eye , and the trail of the lead scientist behind Project Butterfly but does not know why. Put on the defensive Sender provides little detail on his quest until Lydia admits that the Snow Ravens know about the Crow's Eye after the Outworlds Alliance long ago recovered an encrypted data core from its wrecked DropShip on Praxton. Realizing that the Snow Ravens don't have the means to open the files but they correctly suspected the Wolves as the chosen Clan of Kerensky did, he agrees to allow Lydia to assist him in his investigation.

Even with the files unlocked, age and damage has rendered much of them useless, offering up tauntingly incomplete information on Project Butterfly and the seemingly related Project Bee, of dead test pilots and "volunteers" rendered insane or worse by dark Star League science. Following a session coupling, Lydia presses the Wolf warrior again on the reasons for his quest. Sender admits he underwent the Enhanced Imaging surgery to reach the pinnacle of the integration of Man and 'Mech, but he recognizes it will kill him, the search for Butterfly is to uncover a possibly non-lethal Star League counterpart. Increasingly despondent that all they've found is long dead ghosts, Lydia reveals that is not strictly true and that a mythical super 'Mech is actually active in the Periphery, Taran Sender demanding she show him.

Traveling to Onverwacht in the Outworlds Alliance, Taran Sender expresses increasing disbelief at her claims and changing story, that it was here where the wreckage of the Confederate-class 'Mech carrier DropShip, Joseph LeDoux, was found. Unable to convince him to stay with them, Lydia can only watch with dismay when the monstrous black Marauder emerges without warning. As the Black Marauder savagely slaughters a Star of top of the line Snow Raven 'Mechs and also shoots down Lydia's aerospace fighter before Taran Sender can reach them, once he overcomes it's apparent ECM shielding it dawns on Taran that the Marauder moves with a smoothness and grace that matches his own Direct Interface enhanced Skinwalker, realizing that Lydia Spaatz was right after all. Unfortunately his DI only closes the gap, the pair inflicting increasing damage on each other until the Black Marauder finally gains the upper hand after feigning an injury, Taran Sendar's knowledge of its secret dying with him.

Badly wounded but alive, Lydia Spaatz can only watch as the almost offended Marauder savagely dismembers and obliterates the Skinwalker. Saddened they got so close only to fail at the final hurdle and wrestling with guilt over the information she kept from Taran Sender, including his Clan's rise to the ilClan, Lydia waits for rescue and resolves to reach out to the other survivor of Dark One to chart a plan to ultimately defeat it.

Featured Characters

• Star Colonel Taran Sender
• Lydia Spaatz
• Durbin
• Nathan Heisler
• Vik
• P-Zero-Five (P-05)
• ilKhan Alaric Ward (mentioned)
• Star Commander Lucien "Red Raven" Clearwater (mentioned)
• Knight-Errant Perseus Schell (mentioned)
• McCadie (mentioned)
• Dr. Morrison (mentioned)
• Murchison (mentioned)

Featured Units

• Genyosha (mentioned)

Featured Places

• Baliggora
• Onverwacht
• Praxton
• Sullivan (mentioned)

Featured BattleTech

BattleMechs

• Marauder
• Skinwalker
• Carrion Crow
• War Crow
• Stormcrow
• Dark Crow

Aerospace Fighters

• Corax

DropShips

• Confederate-class 'Mech carrier DropShip, Joseph LeDoux (mentioned)

JumpShips

• Comitatus-class fighter carrier JumpShip, Marcia McKenna
• Uma-class JumpShip, SLS Crow's Eye (mentioned)