Futuristic Burning Sails [OPEN]

[K0mori]

As she expected, Vixaya's input wasn't needed at the meeting and she spent the duration as a wallflower. Still, with so many credits changing hands, it felt prudent to at least be in the room and be seen. It didn't take long, and soon, she said her goodbyes to Caiden and Nil and departed the Quicksilver, free to explore the marketplace again.

Having gone most of her life without having to use money at all, being so suddenly flush with cash presented a number of problems. Just like before, when she had complained about an abundance of choice, she wasn't sure what to make of this windfall. It was one thing to purchase a new jacket, or even an expensive pistol, but this was investment money. Yet even in her general naivety, she knew she wasn't "rich" by galactic standards. Pulling out her tablet, she tried to think of a good question to search, since "[how to spend lots of money]" wouldn't generate any good advice.

Instead, she settled on "[how to not waste money.]"

The results not only explained common mistakes people across the galaxy made every day with their smaller purchases, but also placed her in the mindset of someone with something to lose- a role she wasn't used to playing. She was subjected to an avalanche of advice, both broad and obvious as well as niche and surprising, and felt overwhelmed immediately. She nearly reached for another fireball, but decided against it. [One step at a time,] she assured herself, remembering how reckless she had been when purchasing her VRI. [You don't have to spend it all today. You don't have to spend any of it today.]

She continued to think about these things as she breezed in and out of different stores, taking her time more than she had before, now that she could afford things. At first, she forced herself to make mental notes of what she wanted, promising to return later if it still felt like an intelligent decision, but soon she tired of being patient. At an electronics store, she made her first major purchases: a brand-new VR headset and a high-quality set of wireless earbuds. Having watched these expenses barely make a dent in her bank account, she confidently began to spend as she pleased.

Clothing, home goods, (legitimate) holovid recordings including both Superman and the complete collection of Sakaya and the Wish Planet, all began to pile up into bags that she could barely carry. She eventually rented a self-piloted shopping cart to follow her around, and, having realized that she was becoming more conspicuous, openly carried her pistol as a warning to anyone who might try to take any items from it.

She was about to return to the Mordred to drop off her haul when she stopped in front of a business so unthinkably inaccessible to her before, that the realization she could now shop there caused her to spasm. It was an automotive dealership. Here on the station, space would of course be limited and the inventory would be small, but she couldn't help herself as she stepped through the doors into the showroom. Immediately, she was dazzled by the machines on display; they were far more beautiful, more equipped, and likely much faster than the vehicles she remembered motoring around Spirra before the war.

They were also much more expensive than she was willing to pay. But beyond the gorgeous, new machines were a small collection of lightly-used sportscars, some with wheels and some without. She approached one of the hovercraft, a sleek, red three-seater with a clamshell-style canopy, and read the sticker price: 699K. It was then that a salesperson seemingly appeared out of nowhere behind her.

"Lookin' to get noticed?" he asked.

Vixaya paused a moment, thinking about how to answer in the human language. "I... no can use," she explained nervously, mimicking the movement of a steering wheel. "I just look." The salesman nodded understandingly, but stepped around to the side of the car and popped the canopy open anyway.

"Ah, you've got nothing to worry about. It's easy to learn. Plus, on a lot of planets, you can just upload map data into the system and it'll do all the driving. But... that's not really the point of owning a car like this. This is a Stratos Stiletto. You ever pull Gs?"

"Eh... Jees?" Vixaya repeated when her translator failed to pick up the context.

The salesman did a motion with his hand, like it was a jet, cutting through the air in a sharp curve. "G-forces."

"I pilot mechs," she replied flatly. "I fight in Kosokom war."

The salesperson lit up at the revelation. "Oh, well then this is just child's play for you," he remarked with a chuckle, but reigned himself in when Vixaya's stony expression didn't change.

"Yakka," she replied, her tone implacable.

"Well, look. We're in space, so there's no insurance, no tax beyond what we pay to the station owners, and no title to speak of. You don't even need a license or ID, just the money, if you want to buy this car. And I can get it for you at that price," he added with a sly nod to the sticker on the canopy. "But let's not worry about that. How about I just show you the features, and maybe we'll take a spin around the hangar."

Vixaya hesitated. "Hold on a minute," she said, taking out her tablet. She searched [how to buy a car], which would be embarrassing if not for the fact that the salesman couldn't read kanad and wouldn't quite know what she was doing. "Okay," she said with a nod. "Show me."

 

[Breadman]

'The hell am I going to do with that money exactly?' Amy thought to herself as she saw her account swell. Its not like she was ungrateful, but usually any payment would get offloaded and split into several accounts. Something she couldn't exactly do right now on account of having a bounty on her head. Her needs would barely make a dent in this thing, which isn't bad on itself, but she didn't like the idea of becoming reliant on the money like that or letting it sit around like that. She'll need to figure out what to do with it later.

"We did stop by a place with Vance last time we were here." Amy turned to Olivia "Can show you where it is if you want." She paused for a second to let her respond before an idea came to her "Vance you want to tag along too and go back to that place we were? Can go shopping later."

 

[joshuadim]

Although Shadespear Terminal wasn't what Vance would have considered to be 'homely', he was still nonetheless relieved to be back in mostly one piece and away from the station they had just raided. Thankfully, with this job over they can now focus on going after the Blood Corps... and hopefully never have to deal with these kind of people again. When informed of his payout, Vance wasn't particularly keen on having a payout for killing people no matter how bad they might have been in the first place. Not only that, Vance couldn't help but imagine where Nonara might have gotten that money in the first place in order to be able to deliver such a large payout. Dirty money felt dirty to take in his eyes.

In any case, he didn't even know *what* he would do with this money that he now found himself having. He didn't want for much, and he never was one to spend lavishly as he never dealt with large sums of money. However, his mend wandered back to his previous conversation with Vixaya and he immediately knew what he had to do with this wealth. He could at least use this dirty money to spread some good to someone else at the very least. As he went to leave the Quicksilver to do his own business, Amy called out his name with the suggestion to eat and shop together with her and Olivia.

"Yeah, sounds good." he replied cordially, "Meet you outside."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

The others might've been taken aback by the amount of money they were paid for completing this somewhat minor favor, but Typhon stood still silently as he knew he'd have to give a hefty percentage of it to the Lions; the rest would end up being spent on more medical equipment as is usual. He quickly takes out his pad, swipes a finger across it, taps a button, waits for the confirmation that he's sent his share, and puts it back into his coat just as wordlessly as he took it out.

"Vance you want to tag along too and go back to that place we were? Can go shopping later."

"Yeah, sounds good."

From killing federation agents to mundanely discussing where to eat food in such a short timespan; Typhon always had a suspicion it was a strange thing whenever he did it, but it seems like it's not just him that does something like that. Still, if they're going to celebrate over a nice stew or whatever, then maybe he should join them. The performance of these newcomers was better than he thought, and if they truly are going to stick around the Reavers and work together from now on, then he ought to get to know them a bit more. He steps away from Valkyrie and the others, and wanders near Amy and Olivia.

 

[K0mori]

Pressed back into the rear seat and clutching onto the furnishings for dear life, Vixaya could barely follow the salesman as he casually explained the Stiletto's specifications: "The zero to one-hundred time is just under three seconds, and that goes for any grade of road or waterway where you can get ground effect. Top speed is three hundred kilometers per hour. You can adjust the ride height using this lever," he said, gripping a control mounted on the steering column and pushing it upward, causing the vehicle to launch higher into the air, where it safely flew over a number of cargo crates in the hangar area. With another adjustment, they descended swiftly to the concrete floor without striking it, instead bobbing along on a cushion of repulsive power.

As they neared the bow of a large, parked starship, the salesman yanked the wheel hard to the right. Even as the Stiletto automatically banked to compensate, Vixaya still felt as if she were about to be thrown into the canopy, and felt the seatbelt digging into her waist. The car swooped past the starship with a melodious howl, echoing off the cavernous walls and ceiling of the hangar deck.

"The turning radius is automatically adjusted based on your speed. You can't exceed 2.5 lateral Gs; the computer won't allow it, and it delivers force feedback through the steering wheel to tell you when you're close to the limit. In the event the vehicle becomes unstable - let's say you hit something - it has active aerodynamics and will adjust to prevent spins and barrel-rolling in the air, and the canopy is built to survive just about any impact, including rollover..." The salesman continued his lecture as he began to slow the car down, discussing energy efficiency and range. It was only when the vehicle was fully stopped that he turned around to find his kanad passenger, in a trancelike state. "...It's a hell of a machine, don't you think?" he asked, playfully.

Vixaya blinked, noticing how hard her heart was pounding. Being in the back seat had induced her survival instinct and made her sick to her stomach, and since the drive was now just a blur in her memory, she couldn't remember most of what the salesman had shown her. "I... I drive now?"

The man was hesitant, but he nodded as he popped the canopy and unbuckled his seatbelt. "Be very careful, alright? I'll be right here with you to step you through; since we don't want to go anywhere near the redline." Once seated at the controls, Vixaya had to push her seat as far forward as it would go so that she could fully reach all of the controls. With a push of the ignition, it lifted off the ground and held itself still. "Good, now disengage parking mode and it'll idle forward," the salesman instructed.

As soon as the machine began to move, Vixaya stomped on the accelerator, eliciting a shocked yelp from her passenger. Zigzagging back and forth, she took the Stiletto through one banked turn after another, narrowly avoiding support beams and other obstacles as she blindly barreled through the hangar.

"Slow down! You're gonna get us killed!" the salesman yelled from the backseat, swiping fruitlessly at the back of Vixaya's seat, which was just out of his reach now that it was as forward as it could go. "You wreck it, you buy it!"

Despite the danger, Vixaya was actually having quite a bit of fun. "Rakir," she said flatly as she took a turn at the highest speed the Stiletto would allow. Shut up. She then pulled down on the elevation lever and sent the car launching into the air, at which point she deployed the brakes while yanking on the wheel, producing a sort of lazy spin in the air that the car was forced to correct through its electronic driving aids. As it coasted down from 100 kmh to a stop, the salesman cursed at Vixaya and demanded she park the car and get out. She was grinning ecstatically, however.

"I buy," she declared.

The salesman paused a moment in the midst of his furious ranting, but started up again quickly. "Miss, you've got no right to endanger anyone like that. I ought to have security called on you. You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to sell you this-"

"Helluva machine," Vixaya said, locking the canopy closed. "Drive is easy. Child's play," she remarked. "I buy, or go again."

The salesman's mouth hung open for at least three seconds before he finally answered her. "F-fine. But I'm charging you an extra commission fee... f-for driving like a maniac! The price is 720K now."

"680," Vixaya declared.

---
​

Having negotiated down to 680 thousand credits, Vixaya loaded her various purchases into the trunk space of the Stiletto before shutting the canopy. It was then taken by elevator back to the hangar deck so that it could drive itself to the Mordred's landing pad. Vixaya left the dealership with a spring in her step that didn't seem to match her blank expression, a haze of purplish vapor trailing behind her as she sucked on another fireball.

 

[Infab]

As each member of the group departed to do what they wished with the money they had acquired, Valkyrie, Eve, and Katja remained across from Nonara. Valkyrie had questions. Some that had been bugging her since Eve first told her of Nonara and her favor. "...How did you know Uric?" she said abruptly, once everyone had gone. Nonara glanced up to Valkyrie, before looking over at Nil and Caiden. "You two may leave. I'm sure you have other things to do than listen to us talk." she soon said. Nil nodded rapidly, quickly standing and motioning for Caiden to follow. He did, and the pair soon departed, heading down the stairs and out of the bar back into the Market district.

Once they had gone, Nonara looked to Katja. "You may head down to the bar. I'll speak with you shortly about your implants." Katja departed afterwards, heading down to the bar. Leaving just Valk, Eve, and Nonara. Finally, Nonara returned her attention to Valkyrie. "... I met Uric not too long ago at a bar in the undercity beneath Nyxia. He had been sent there by his, and Eve's, employer to get in contact with me and offer a sort of... partnership. Exchanging information among other things. Uric offered to complete some tasks for me, in order for trust to be built between the two of us. I gave him a list, and he completed everything on it quickly and efficiently."

She drank from her glass again. "...I am sorry. I know what Uric meant to you... and I know how much you and your children meant to him. And you'll know it as well, in time, along with why he left you." she stated, her voice softer than before.

--- --- ---
​

It wasn't long before Caiden and Nil found themselves in yet another bar elsewhere in the market district. The Broken Keg, a small run-down joint run by a short Human named Keith. A terrible name, really. Caiden sat hunched over the counter and gazing down into his beer, while Nil wandered over to a nearby jukebox to look at the selection. Working with the Reavers was fun, but Caiden wished that there had been a little more action than what they got. He grunted, before lifting the beer to his lips and taking a drink. But as he gulped down a mouthful of the beer, a voice almost forced him to choke on it. "Keep drinking like you do, and you'll have a dad bod before long."

He coughed a few times, setting the glass back down and looking over his shoulder. And there she was. The white haired, blue eyed bloodhound that always seemed to find him regardless as to wherever he went. "Don't you have better things to do than bother me?" he asked, shifting his attention back around to his drink.

"Well, yeah. But they're not as fun." said the woman, strolling over and sitting down on the stool just next to Caiden. "You have a real weird definition of fun." responded Caiden, without glancing over. She smiled. "So do you. Saw you hanging out with the Reavers."

"That was part of a job. Job's done." he responded, eventually glancing her way. She grinned. "Obviously. Otherwise you'd still be hanging out with them." she said, before noticing Nil by the jukebox. "You're letting him choose the music again?"

Caiden glanced over to Nil, eyeing his short friend. "...He sometimes makes good choices." he said. A moment later, a song came pouring out of the speakers in the corners of the bar.

​

"...Sometimes." muttered Caiden, as he shook his head and looked back to his beer. Nil eventually spun around, singing along with song, before spotting the woman and waving enthusiastically. "Angel!~" he said, with a wide grin. She waved back with a smile. "Hey there, Nil! Been a while."

He rushed over, eventually hopping onto the seat left of Caiden. Caiden, meanwhile, glanced back to Angel and spoke again. "So where's your sister? Figured Flux would be around." he asked. Angel shook her head. "She's doing some job over on Duroma. Something to do with those uh...what are they called. You know, the ones that look like scorpions?"

Caiden shrugged. "Fuck, I dunno. I just call 'em scorpions." he said, before glancing towards Nil for a moment as Nil started back up singing along with the song.

"Well, anyway, she's over there. Meanwhile, I'm here hunting some punk kid that decided skip bail and run for the Renegade Quadrant...Little fucker is making me miss Hunter's Moon." said Angel, ending her statement with a sigh. "Didn't take you for the anime type." responded Caiden, as he took another drink from his beer. "Blame Flux." was her quick response.

She then eventually stood, giving Caiden a pat on the shoulder. "I'll catch you two later. Maybe literally. You still have a bounty on your head after all." she said, with a chuckle. "Fat chance of that, lady." responded Caiden, slightly smirking. She smirked too, and soon she disappeared out the door.

--- --- ---
​

Damien's trip through Shadespear was spent more tailing Nathalie than worrying about what to buy with his share of the money earned. She was former SSOID, and still was in contact with some of her old acquaintances, so she still couldn't trust her fully. So, it was better to keep tabs on her while he could. And lucky for him, it lead him right into a rather dangerous encounter. Nathalie was now being held at gunpoint by someone unfamiliar to him. A bounty hunter? SSOID? He didn't know, but he made sure to stay out of sight.

Sticking to the shadows between a pair of shops, he squatted down and quietly drew his PDW as he watched whomever it was speak to Nathalie. Ready to spring into action if she tried to drag the former spy off somewhere. Of course, she might not be alone either. Damien carefully looked about, checking behind him in the alleyway and looking up and around to see if there were any other vantage points nearby that someone could camp out as overwatch.

 

[SniperComZero]

Olivia's head canted over in the direction of Amy. Hey, she'd be able to get to know the crew more, and she'd get something to eat, too. Good thing. Really feels like she hasn't been able to eat since they landed on Shadespear the first time. That being said, the fact that it's street food could mean it's either super good or super terrible. But, hey, there's always a first time to try anyth-- oh Christ she's totally gonna get food poisoning, isn't she?

"Yeah, sure. Maybe we can actually figure out the fuck we're gonna do with all our money, eh?" She was trying to keep the mood light, though, from out of the corner of her eye she could see Typhon slinking towards the two of 'em, since Vance already seems to've left the building. "...You uh, comin' along too?" Olivia asked, after looking towards Amy, and with one brow quirked upward. She, presently, didn't have an awful lot of a problem with Typhon, but she could smell the shit-flinging between him and Vance already.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"...You uh, comin' along too?"

“I am.” Typhon replies quite simply.

 

[Viper Actual]

Rolling her eyes underneath her mask Nathalie sighed. "Duchess," she said dryly.
Giggling, Duchess leaned in further. "It's dangerous to be here alone, Walker. You should be more careful around these parts- we wouldn't want you to run into someone shady, would we?"

"You can skip the pleasantries," Nathalie replied. "What's your next move? Cuff me?"

In response to the question the pressure on Nat's head was lifted completely. "Unfortunately for you Thighs I actually just want to talk. Boring? I know, I'd much rather prefer fighting for our lives." Duchess said with a semi-sarcastic tone.

Nat glanced over her shoulder and true enough Duchess had taken a small step back and crossed her arms. Like with their previous encounter she was wearing a hood and cloak, no doubt to mask the skintight suit of infintration armor she always wore.
Standing up from her seat Nat turned around and tilted her head slightly. "Talk? That's a new one. Surprising considering, well, how your talks usually end."

Smirking, Duchess raised an eyebrow. "I sincerely doubt I'd be able to seduce the great Nathalie Walker, dishonored and rogue super-agent of the SSOID."
Her smirk vanished before she continued; "No, I am in need of information. Information you're going to give me- lest I turn you in to either the SSOID or any number of organizations you've infiltrated and disrupted over the years."

"Go on," said Nathalie, only now noticing the two pairs of hooded figures posted outside. That and a lone figure moving on its own at the edge of her periphery. Best guess? Damien.

At least I have some backup.

Duchess grinned briefly. "No need to sound so defeated, Walker. Help me and you'll help yourself."

Nathalie raised her chin. "What's the catch?"

"That would be the part where I throw you to the wolves for not helping me. As you see it's all quite simple really," replied Duchess.

Nodding, Nat narrowed her eyes. "Alright. I'll play ball."

"Starkov," said Duchess.
"You're better off not knowing," said Nathalie. "Next question."

"VOC-1."

Nat shook her head. "Innocent. I was there to finish a freelance contract." She narrowed her eyes. "But you already know that."

"Terrorism was never a look on you. Neither on Vance, had you been guilty he would've turned you into mush."

"That he would," said Nathalie.

"Blackwell's Reavers."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Need I say more?"

Duchess shook her head. "No, though I do admire your ability of repeatedly teaming up with handsome dark and mysterious men."

Underneath her mask Nat raised an eyebrow. "So you did recognize me the other day?"

Nodding, Duchess continued; "I did. I also recognized the man with you. Bringing both of you in would've propelled my career quite a bit..."

"So why didn't you?"

"For one I'm very curious to see what you and the Reavers are up to. Secondly not everyone in the organization believed what the brass told us."

Duchess paused briefly before continuing;
"Sure, you might have gone rogue and killed a bunch of high-rollers as part of some shady conspiracy but Vance?"
She clicked her tongue twice. "Very unlikely, though he would absolutely help you root out something poisonous or downright evil. Or am I wrong?"

Nathalie shook her head. "No, no you're not." She looked directly at Duchess and crossed her arms. "Not that any of this helps my situation."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," said Duchess. "While I'm not much for handing out favors I technically owe both you and Vance. Wraith has been drilling all that karma-stuff into my head so, with that said, I hope to pay off my debt."

She placed her hands on her hips. "I might be in touch, I might not. We'll just how to see how events unfold."

"Watch your six, Walker. Tell Vance I said 'hi'," and with that she tightened up her hoodie and backed out of the terminal locale and vanished into the crowds outside alongside her armed escort.

Nathalie stood silently watching the people outside move about their business. After a while she sighed. "How much did you hear?" She asked aloud, directing the question towards Damien.

 

[Breadman]

Yeah, sure. Maybe we can actually figure out the fuck we're gonna do with all our money, eh?

"Fastest way to use it all would be gambling." Amy joked but the thought did cross her mind for a serious investment in gambling. But where would the fun in that be when its not going to be a bet among themselves and with money this size. "Or maybe we should go crazy with the spending?" She thought about her dormant wishlist and the assortment of items on it "Yeah...I'm thinking we earned some vanity items." Her attention shifted over to Typhon, who had quietly joined them and was unnoticed until Olivia pointed him out. "Oh hey, doc." She said a bit nervously. The doctor hadn't done anything wrong, but he still reminded her of him too much for her liking. Still, she should give him a chance.

 

[Infab]

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough." said Damien, as soon as he made sure things were clear. He stood, slipping his PDW back into the small of his back and walking quietly towards where Nathalie was standing. Watching the entrance where the other woman had gone. "So how many organizations have you infiltrated over the years?" he asked finally, looking back to Nathalie with a serious expression. "Too many, I'm guessing."

He looked back to the entrance. "That 'Duchess' woman again. I'm sure they're using your informant Barker here on the station just like you are, and are also getting the same information he's giving you." he commented, before glancing back to Nathalie. "...Honestly surprised she didn't just drag you off like black ops usually does."

Eventually, he shifted back towards the terminal that Nathalie had been using. "Best not to use the terminals here in the market district. They're either busted, nasty, or bugged. Try one of the ones down in the hangars or the lower levels. There's a terminal near Bay 5 that I use often. Used to be an old security terminal. Username is Rÿter, password is G736317."

As soon as he finished listing off the information for the terminal, his holoband chimed and started blinking. He tapped it, and noticed it was a message from Eve. She had decrypted the data from Kalien Station. "Eve finished decrypting the data we recovered from Kalien Station. We should check it out... unless you're planning to go shopping like the others."

--- --- ---
​

"How much?"

"For the statues? A thousand credits. Each."

"You serious?" responded Lauren, cocking an eyebrow as she stared at the shop owner. An El'uthian woman, her odd colored eyes bouncing between Aesha and Lauren as they stood at the counter. "Those are double the shop prices back in the Federation." stated Aesha, glancing to Lauren. "I fuckin' know that." responded Lauren, returning the glance.

"One thousand each, take it or leave it." said the El'uthian, folding her arms. Lauren groaned. "Fine. I'll take the Season One Sazak, Warlord Riberta, and Demon King Adriel." she muttered, pointing at each of the statues. Aesha picked out her three next. "Season One Mariette, Season One Cassandra, and that premium Rosanna one."

"The premium ones are two thousand." responded the El'uthian, as she gathered the boxes that they had picked out. "Fine with me. Always liked the neat little details on the premium ones." said Aesha in response as she dug out her holotablet. Lauren did the same, and it wasn't long before the pair strolled out of the shop with their purchases. Each had gone on a bit of a spending spree, wanting to spruce up their rooms on the Guillotine as well as their beach houses at the colony back on Sielia. Movies, music, games, a guitar and amp, posters, statues, clothes, hair dye, booze, a variety of things. Lauren had also bought a jet bike, after witnessing Vixaya apparently purchase a car. A really nice looking car at that.

With most of their items in tow in shopping carts, they paused just long enough to get something to eat from a neat little noodle shop. "So what do you think we'll end up finding once we get to the FOB?" said Lauren, glancing over to Aesha before slurping down some of the spicy noodles she had ordered. Aesha shrugged. "A bunch of angry Naval Troopers, some mechs. Probably some classified ONI data nobody was supposed to see." she responded, cutting Lauren a glance. "Forward operations bases are staging areas for launching operations into other areas. That particular one is used to launch strikes at smaller pirate targets in the Renegade Quadrant, among other things. Dazik probably stops there stock up on supplies before vanishing off to who knows where. I've been there a few times. Its... nothing special, honestly."

 

[Breadman]

They waited to see if anybody else would be following along with them, but it looked like it was just the four of them. Amy thought it should be well enough. The group started walking past the crowds towards the place her and Vance had their lunch last time. Things were calm between them which allowed Amy to look around the shops they were passing by. Pretty normal ones you'd see everywhere just about anywhere. Except for one specialized shop that took her attention.

"Eh...Vance, you lead them to the place, I'll join you in a few." The bounty hunter separated from the group and walked inside the shop. Her eyes fixated on what she wanted. All in a line as if trying to get noticed. As soon as the shop owner, a skinny bald human man with a bushy moustache, approached her and tried to say anything only for her to beat him to the punch "How much do you want for those?" That stopped them man in his tracks. Usually he'd have to warm up the clients for the more expensive items.

"Straight to the point, are we?"

"Considering those are discontinued." Amy pointed to one of the boxes "Unless you know where else I will find the metal Eye of Horus model along with the complimenting Columbian company men, Fontaine and Karam commanders...you get the idea."

"I have the specialized artillery units and the officer corps in the back."

"Man after my own heart." She grinned "That's Franz's ship too isn't it?"

"Yes. Also full kit. Demonic servants included." The merchant eagerly rubbed his hands together. "Could I interest you in the Raum set?" He paused for dramatic effect "2nd edition"

"Where exactly did you get those?" Amy squinted

"Used to work for the Workshop, madam." The merchant said as he went to the back of his shop, emerging a few seconds later to show the stock was legit "As a parting gift, I had some of the discontinued stock for myself...but as you can guess, I lied for the purpose." He smiled as he tallied the items she asked for so far "The airships plus crew and commanders...." He lifted his head up to and pointed towards the other stock she showed interest in. The bounty hunter simply nodded and he gleefully tallied up the rest. "....it will come out to about...10 thousand."

"Deal." She already transferred the cash to him "Didn't expect you to sell it for that."

"Could have easily gone for triple the price, but I'm also trying to get rid off the stuff for years now."

"Yeah sure." Amy looked at the amount of stock she had bought "This doesn't come with paint, does it?"

"That's separate and costs extra."

"Clever bastard."

"I try." He shrugged and gave a satisfied smile "But you did go past a certain threshold...and seeing that you are armed, you get a rent-a-cart for your purchases, on me."

Amy transferred additional funds to pay for the hidden extras and loaded them up on the cart. Its been a while since she indulged in one of her fixations. The wargaming aspect didn't interest her as much as the crafting, but it was infectious enough that the twins picked up on it and started their own mini armies as offshoots of her own. As much as she wanted handle the building and painting on her own, she knew it would be better to wait and sit on them for a while. She already missed too many birthdays. She snapped out of her thought as she made it back to the others at the eatery.

"Sorry for dipping like that, but already took care of my holiday shopping." She waved as she approached them "So what are we eating?"

 

[Viper Actual]

Nathalie looked at Damien, removing a part of her visor to reveal her icy blue eyes by collapsing it upwards. "I could say that I lost count but we both know that'd be a lie," she responded with a tone that matched Damien's serious one.

"Trust me- or don't- I'm as surprised as you are. Duchess' words might carry some truth but I doubt that she's somehow reformed since we last worked together."

Sighing, Nat continued; "Most likely she's biding her time, waiting to see how things will play out. That and she might be waiting for reinforcements. Being this far away from Sol territory comes with the distinct disadvantage of having to wait for proper backup in the event that you're planning something big."

"You can't exactly bring in a battlecruiser or assault barge donning Sol or Federation colors without anyone spotting it. If I was in charge I'd ask for some stealth corvettes and frigates, still, that could take a good couple of days to prepare."

Nathalie's visor deployed once again to cover her face in its entirety. "As far as Barkov or any of the other informants go I wouldn't be surprised if they sold us out cheap- just that they didn't do it sooner."

When Damien mentioned Eve, the terminals and shopping Nathalie shook her head. "I'm done getting ambushed out in the open and I always travel lightly- if I need something I'll order it back at the ship."

"Let's go see Eve. Maybe we could catch up and actually anticipate Anora's next move rather than play a guessing game."

 

[K0mori]

Meandering her way back to the Mordred and stopping into one shop after another, Vixaya continued to add to her growing assortment of personal belongings. It was at the tail end of this shopping experience that she found a curious little storefront tucked away in an anonymous corner, run by a pair of kanads like herself. Inside, from wall to wall, were second-hand knick knacks and memorabilia dedicated to notable Kosok offworlders. Most were pirates, but some were mercenaries or successful entrepreneurs, and their adventurous lifestyles were depicted through photographs, personal artifacts, and even a few memoires written on paper, for true collectors.

As Vixaya browsed the collection, the shop's owners were busy dealing with another customer. This didn't bother her at all, as it gave her a moment to soak it all in at her own pace. There was no way of knowing, either, whether they had a strong opinion about the civil war, and she didn't really want to find out. Then again, it was beginning to dawn on her that she didn't need to tell anyone that she was a Spirran rebel. While it still encompassed most of her history, she didn't have to let it define her.

Among the many displays, there was one dedicated to Yanim Terrika, an outlaw once known as the Bloody Fox. An old photo showed her in a ragged coat and a reddish cap, together with the crew of a ship called the Muramasa. In her hand was a VRI-74/GK, nearly identical to the one in Vixaya's holster. Next to this was a fragment of Starvis, identified by a small card that also explained that, in 2385, Yanim became one of several individuals transformed by the entity into artificial lifeforms, rumored to be fully immortal. The Muramasa crew was also credited with resolving the Starvis Crisis, something the great empires of the galaxy were unable to accomplish on their own.

Vixaya was vaguely aware of a great aunt through her mother's side who was also named Yanim. Most of her extended family only existed to her in this way- as names, and nothing more. She had never even seen a photograph of most of her relatives or heard their voices. Those whom she knew how to reach wanted nothing to do with her, but this was mainly due to her past. She wondered, if she could make a different name for herself out here with the Reavers, would she be honored in display like this? Would her family finally acknowledge her?

She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to imagine herself returning to Spirra, rich, famous, and respected. She tried to picture her lost family, finally eager to embrace her, but their faces, in her mind's eye, were nothing but blurs. She bypassed them. Her old friends from the war were the only ones she would really want to see. Among them: Zarakaya, smiling just like she did in the holovids Vixaya kept of her. If anyone had ever been family, it was Zara, and now she was gone. Vixaya kept her memory alive by means of the C-355. Its silvery, unpainted hull and red star were a copy of Zara's T-188.

She felt an emptiness at the thought, a vacancy where sadness should reside. Money could buy her many things, but it couldn't buy her closure, and so there was nothing here that she felt like buying. As she opened her eyes, however, she noticed something about the photograph on the shelf that surprised her.

Standing among the Muramasa crew, unmistakably, was a young Valkyrie Blackwell.

 

[Infab]

Nathalie and Damien didn't have to travel very far to locate Eve, whom simply waited for them at the top of the staircase leading down to the Quicksilver Bar. As soon as they walked up, Eve began. "Our mother is spending a few moments at the Quicksilver's bar. I did not wish to bother her with this at the moment." she stated. She then held out a thumb-drive. "The data recovered has been fully decrypted, and I've picked out some rather peculiar pieces of information from it. As we guessed previously, it is composed entirely of shipping data. Who was sending, who was receiving, where the cargo was coming from, where the cargo was going, and so on."

As Damien took the thumb-drive, Eve continued. "ONI has done a lot of work through Kalien Station, it seems, using Kreisel Industries transports. Kreisel Industries itself, and its owner Ivo Kreisel, have been targets of interest for my organization for some time now, but we'll speak on that another time. For now, we're sticking to ONI related information and data." She motioned to the thumb-drive. "That drive quite literally contains the origin data for most of ONI's activity in the East. The most recent data being related to Nil's vessel being brought onboard the station. Before that, two large shipments of explosives were shipped out. However, the data on where they were shipped to was damaged. Likely thanks in part to ONI's attempts to scrub everything."

Damien cocked an eyebrow, glancing to Nathalie. "Wonder where all of it is going?" he soon said. Eve shrugged. "I'll check with my other sources to see if anything turns up regarding that. For now, we'll need to focus on retrieving any data we can from the forward operations base that Dazik visited. Most of our activity is based in the Renegade Quadrant, so we need to know his activity out here instead of what might be transpiring in the East. I'm sure some of what he's doing directly relates to Anora, her plans, and her other allies."

--- --- ---
​

The contents in the glass swirled about in the small glass, as Valk moved her hand in a circular motion. Eyes peering down into mixture of alcohol. "...My mind keeps going back to VOC-1. Every time I slow down...mind goes right back to when Uric was shot." she whispered, her voice barely audible. Still. It was loud enough to Slade to catch it, listening to her through a holoscreen back on the Alexandria.

He watched, as Valk continued to swirl the liquids in her glass. "...He was coming back to me. Back to us. And then...poof...he's gone. Forever." continued Valk. She went quiet afterwards, eventually taking a drink from the glass. Once she set the glass back down, she glanced to Slade. "And now...every time I turn around, I find out something new about him...and what he was doing while he was gone. Black Masks, White Roses Syndicate...hell, at this point, I'm wondering who he hasn't been associated with. And I'm wondering...why? Why do these things? Why associate yourself with these people?...Why not just come home?"

Slade shook his head. "...He had his reasons. What those reasons were, who knows. But I'm sure you'll figure them out. As for aligning himself with people like the Masks and Roses...we do what we can to survive, and achieve our goals. Uric was no different, it seems."

Valk surprisingly smirked at the last part of his statement. "Yeah...Did I ever tell you how Uric and I met? It was right here at the Quicksilver." she said, swirling the contents of the glass yet again. Slade shook his head as she glanced up to him. "Well, back when the Reavers were first starting out...after I tossed Jester to Sol...there was this job we did. Raided two Federation cargo ships. Big ones, carrying supplies that were heading to some FOB that's gone now. Robbed 'em blind, no casualties on either side. Job well done. Well, we decided to celebrate by heading here to Shadespear."

She took a drink from the glass, before continuing. "I decided to do it up right, so we came down to the Quicksilver instead of our usual hangout over at Morgan's Chalice. There was another group already here. Uric's old one. Well, we decided to rope them in to our celebration. The more the merrier. Booze, shit-talking, games, and so on. The night went on, and finally Uric and I ran into each other. Both of us drunk off our asses."

"He made a bet with me that he could beat me in an arm wrestling match. His normal one versus my cybernetic one. I accept, thinking it'd be piss easy. Well, we find a table, get set up, and go at it. And he beats me. Three times. I call bullshit, and he points out that he could spot the flaws in my arm's joints from a mile off. I get mad, because the man's insulting my work, and we get verbal...then physical. I kick his ass, but feel sorry for him afterwards because he was actually pretty cute. Got him up, bought him some drinks, and we talked for hours."

"...One thing eventually lead to another, and I woke up the next morning in bed with him." she said, smiling. "...And Damien was born nine months later."

 

[K0mori]

Heading out of the market at last, Vixaya clutched the photograph purchased from the kanad-owned shop as she wondered whether Valkyrie had returned to the Mordred already. Figuring that she would have received a message calling her and the others back to the ship if that were the case, Vixaya decided that her employer was probably still at the Quicksilver, and headed in that direction instead. A short time later, she arrived, and found Valkyrie sitting at the bar. She looked at the photo again, to make doubly sure that she hadn't been mistaken, before approaching and setting it on the bar top next to Valk.

Hopping up onto a barstool and awkwardly squirming for balance, Vixaya soon got comfortable and ordered a soda, then watched her boss study the photo. "I find this. This is you?" she asked.

 

[Infab]

Valk had finished her conversation with Slade and switched off her holotablet by the time that Vixaya had arrived, and was on her third glass of alcohol when Vixaya set the photo before her on the counter. She set her drink down, picking the photo up and looking it over as Vixaya got comfortable and got her soda.

"I find this. This is you?"

Valk eyed the photo for a moment. Before realizing just what it was. It was a group photo of the Muramasa crew, taken a long time ago. Yanim, Taylor, Alex, Amy, herself...the whole bunch. She hadn't realized just how much time had flown. At least for most of them.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's me. Helluva job, at a helluva point in time." she said, holding it so she and Vix could both look at it. "Hair was a bit different, as you can tell. I uh...I had the bright idea to sling an armed RPG onto my back and some jackass managed to get a lucky shot on it. Blew a hole in my skull, scorched my brain a little. Our doc at the time managed to fix me up with a steel plate, some cybernetics, and some synthetic skin over the hole."

She reached up and tapped her head where the plate was with her knuckles, before lifting her hair out of the way to show the blue streaks running across part of her scalp. "Was comatose for two weeks, but eventually woke up. Found out I could control drones and such wirelessly too, which was cool and a little useful for a while."

Valkyrie then pointed to the redhead in the picture. "That's Amy, the very same one that went off with Vance, Typhon, and Olivia. We've known each other since our time together on the Muramasa." she said with a grin.

 

[joshuadim]

The smells coming from the eatery he had eaten at last time were welcoming and would have been some reprieve from the events of the last few hours as it would have been the chance to get some good food in his belly not only to satiate his appetite but also to make up for the massive drain it's been on his body to heal the arm he had severed back there. Getting shot with a railgun wasn't something he dealt with every day after all and he found himself ordering three portions of pork dumplings and two full bowls of chow mein noodles. He didn't even care that the artisynth doctor had joined them at this point as he focused on his food and watched it being cooked right in front of him.

He stared longingly at the massive meal as if he hadn't eaten a week and didn't even notice Amy's return until she spoke up which brought his attention back to reality and shrugged: "Same as last time for me. Dumplings and noodles but a lot more." he said with a chuckle, "I worked up a big appetite after getting my arm shot off, y'know?" He tapped his still recovering arm in a confident manner and shrugged with it shortly after to demonstrate how well it was coming along so far. "Still feels quite sore."

He then turned his attention to Olivia: "What about you? What are you having to eat?"

 

[K0mori]

Vixaya blinked in disbelief, amazed that she had overlooked Amy being in the photograph. "How..." she began to ask, squinting and gesticulating before pausing with a sigh and continuing in Kanad. "[All these years later, and she looks exactly the same... Did Starvis turn her into a machine, like it did to Yanim Terrika?]"

Valkyrie shook her head, explaining that Amy's apparent youth was literally only skin-deep. She then pointed out Taylor and Alex, and told Vixaya about how their cognition was captured using nanite technology at the verge of death, transporting their minds into cyberspace. They, along with Yanim, returned in freshly-crafted bodies just before the AI allowed itself to be totally obliterated by the assembled fleets of the galaxy.

It was a fascinating story, even in summary, and Vixaya had plenty of questions. "[So... what happened to them afterwards? Where are they now?]" she asked, before adding a bit more cautiously, "[...do you ever wish you went with them?]"

 

[Infab]

"[So... what happened to them afterwards? Where are they now?]" she asked, before adding a bit more cautiously, "[...do you ever wish you went with them?]"

"Well, they eventually all went their own ways." started Valkyrie. "Taylor continued being a mercenary for a while, and eventually had kids thanks to a program she joined back when she was a soldier in the SDF. When they grew up, she eventually settled down and founded a private military company of her own on Duroma alongside her daughter. I still keep in touch with her, and I'll introduce you all to her one day."

"Alex, he founded a brewery on Duroma, and got back into pit fighting. Now he runs one of the largest fighting groups in the East. Amy likely could tell you more about what happened to him. As for Yanim, she founded Terrika Systems, and established its headquarters on Duroma. She...she became a recluse after everything that happened. Keeps in touch with Taylor and Alex, but not many others."

Valk smiled a bit. "It's kinda funny. We all end up back together eventually." she added, before eventually looking back to Vixaya. "...I admit, I do wish I went with them sometimes. But... my destiny took me in a different direction. Plus I don't...I don't really know how I would have handled being immortal, or my time inside Starvis."

 

[K0mori]

"[All three live on Duroma? ...Must be one amazing planet, then,]" Vixaya remarked. Knowing nothing of what the planet was actually like, she took a long drink of her soda as she pictured an impossibly beautiful, idyllic landscape populated by beautiful, wealthy people, all living their glamorous lives in glimmering crystal towers. It had to be a perfect place, a heaven made manifest, to make those immortals wish to spend their eternity there. "[I don't even know what to do with the time I have, except try not to get shot. I wouldn't know what to do with immortality, either,]" she confided.

 

[Infab]

Valkyrie chuckled lightly. "Don't get your hopes too high. Duroma is mostly desert, but it's surprisingly becoming something better as time goes on." she replied. Then, as Vixaya spoke of immortality, Valkyrie nodded along in agreement. "We just make the best of things with the time we have. And since we're leaving soon, I'm going to finish this drink."

She did just that, gulping down the remaining alcohol in the glass before standing. "Let's get going. We've got an FOB to get to, and an agent to kill." she said, setting the glass back on the bar counter. "Bring your soda with you, if you want."

 

[Viper Actual]

Nathalie's eyes glanced between the thumb-drive in Damien's hands and Eve, locking onto the latter as the android finished speaking. "Anything else we should know about, Eve? Was it possibly to retrieve parts of the data already scrubbed?"
She looked at Damien, nodding. "If not then I suggest we get something to eat and head back to the ship. Preferably cheap take-away."

"No disrespect to you or your abilities but I've learned the hard way to always go over intel with my own eyes," said Nathalie looking back at Eve. Sometimes I wish someone had told me that all those years ago.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

While Vance might've worked himself a massive appetite, Typhon instead settles for something much smaller and less high in calories. A small bowl of Szechuan tofu and peppers covered in chili sauce and sesame seeds steams under his face as he stirs it with a pair of chopsticks. While he stirs his food, he glances over at the three seated by him before clearing his throat.

"Seems I was wrong." he muses. "You novices did well; better than I expected. Left plenty of bodies." He eats up a piece of tofu. "And since it seems you are staying with us for as long as it takes to catch that Nazi bitch, I hope to encourage closer bonds with you all. I would like to know your fears, your worries, your hopes, your goals..."

He pauses for a moment to take another bite of tofu.

"Oh, wow..." he says, taking it in as the familiar flavor manifested centuries old memories. "This really brings me back..."

 

[SniperComZero]

Olivia didn't really know what she was gonna get. She never really chose this kinda stuff-- at least, whenever she was out and trying to look for something to eat. Something that caught her attention, though, was the small packages of dried noodles that were around the side and for sale. If they're making their own, then how come they're selling the prepackaged shit, too?

. . .

"Oh, shit. Is that Anzita-style fried pork flavor? Fuck, I didn't think they ever brought this stuff outta the border regions." Wasting no time, Olivia rapped her hand against the counter, holding up the packet she'd picked up. "Hey-- how many boxes'a this stuff you got?" To which, she got the silent response of two fingers being held up.

She dumped her two newly acquired boxes of noodles onto the table, along with a bowl of what she's pretty sure is some sort of spicy noodle soup with beef in it. Or, at least, she's pretty sure that the synthetic shit floating around inside the soup is supposed to be beef, anyways. "Yeah, well." She's talking between taking very audible, and somewhat obnoxious slurps out of the soup with her spoon. "I'm just fuckin' glad we didn't have to body any civvies. Went in, blasted some spook fuckers and came out. Still dunno why we couldn't'a just fuckin' blasted the thing with the battleship, but, y'know. That's just fuckin' mafias for you."