This isn't where I should be working, but I doubt if it will hurt to make some notes here on the blog...

This is in my covenant of stars universe, during the 'liberation war'. Humanity went out to kick dragon butt, after the dragons had tried to wipe us out! I'm a little embarrassed, but not much, actually.

This bunch is training habitat rats in dealing with a planet, full stop. This is acclimation.

***

Wendy wasn't completely happy with the straightness of the stick, but she had whittled a fairly sharp point on the business end as they walked the perimeter. She knew better, but she'd been bored and now she had a nice pointy walking stick. She turned to show it off to Jake-
"That snowman moved..."
Last night the younger members of their camp, habitat rats mostly, had played like children in the new fallen snow. One of them had stared for hours, entranced by the novelty of heavy wet flakes of frozen water, falling from the all that open, empty sky! The rest had gotten drunk on ship's lightning and then stolen items to dress the snowmen, including CPO Banks' cap, and Banksie hadn't even gotten mad!
Wendy looked over at the three of them and saw what Jake had seen; the arm moved...
It wasn't an arm.
"What are you up to?" Wendy murmured.
"Wha- who are you talking to?!"
Wendy closed in a lazy saunter and when she saw movement again, she stabbed deep and true with her 'pointy stick'.
The snow eel (which, slinky though it was, Wendy felt was a stupid name), shrieked writhing on the stick, spurting black blood and tearing the snowman it was hiding in apart.
"I hate this planet," Jake muttered.
"So do I."

***

The bunch from yesterday can be presumed to have a portable 3D printer to fabricate incidentals. Less durable and convenient than having brought the right tool.

***

They needed to fab a couple dozen snowshoes and that took time and feedstock. The chief petty organized the latter with enthusiasm, even glee, and the dumb ones grumbled about how Banks hadn't forgotten about his cap. They were soon sorry for that as they were 'volunteered' for extra 'in situ resource gathering '.
Wendy finished bringing in organic matter, mostly what passed for wood here and gathered a little bit more. The materials were unknown to her and their properties suspect, but she stripped a branch and bent it into an oval. Cord was shredded bark and she wove a webbing, made straps and tried it on. It would do, in a pinch, and then she started in on the other one she needed.
She glanced up at Banks quietly watching her work.
"Chief?"
"Looks good, but wear fleet issue. Remind me again where you're from?"
"Montana. Earth."
"Figured."

***

"It's like an owl," Jake said.
Wendy shook her head. "Maybe. Or maybe a snow dragon?"
"I get that, but that face screams owl."
Wendy smiled. "You haven't met any owls, have you?"
"So you're an owl expert, too?!"
"What're you mad about?"
"You come off as this smug expert -"
"Not smug. Just very certain of what I know- oh."