Kerls 3 grows in the viewport, the Hot Needle’s descent undisturbed by any atmosphere. Deg adjusts his course a little as the ship levels out, flying a few hundred meters above the surface.

“Three minutes out cap, ‘ccording to Winston’s coordinates,” says Deg as he fiddles with a few switches, “”Man alive, he wasn’t lying about those energy readings!”

Feet clang on the ground as you haul yourself up, eyes focusing on the computer. You start at the numbers running across the screen. There’s no way that can be right, you think incredulously, that’s almost higher than a planetary fusion reactor!

“What the hell’s down there?” you mumble to yourself, eyes now peering intently out the viewport; the planetscape flows in grey undulations all the way to the dark horizon.

“Hell if I know cap, but I bet it’s worth a hell of a lot more than some second rate pirate bounty!”

Within a few minutes, the ship shudders beneath your feet as it touches down; you and Mara already sealed up in vacuum suits, standing in the loading bay. You idly look over your shotgun until Degivilas joins the two of you in his own suit.

“What are we going to do with the Canid sir,” Mara asks, “is it safe to leave him here?”

“And what about a lookout?” Deg adds, “are we gonna leave someone behind anyways in case something goes wrong?”

>Take the Canid
>Take Mara
>Take Deg
>Combination

>Take Mara
>>43931463

>>43935736
>>Combination
Everyone

>>43935736
>Combination
Take Mara and the Canid.
Mara because we may need an engineer, and to keep an eye on the dog.
Also with Deg staying with the ship, if something happens he can pilot the ship for a rescue.

Writing now.

>>43935736
Take Mara and the Canid.

One needs field experience and the other must be accustomed to the crew and our business.

"Deg," you turn to him, "stay with the ship, and keep your eyes and ears peeled. We don't know what the hell's out here, and I sure as shit don't want to get caught without a quick exit waiting."

You turn around to Mara, "get the Canid, you two are coming with me."

She salutes and shuffles off towards the hallway. Will she ever stop with the military nonsense?

"Two greenhorns on a run like this? Gutsy move cap," Deg says as he shrugs back out of his vacuum suit.

"Mara needs the experience," you reply, "and the Canid looks far from green." You power on the lev-sled, a fridge sized metal container that starts floating a half foot off the ground at your command.

"Your funeral," Deg mutters around a cigarette, already sauntering his way back to the cockpit. You're certain you're making the right choice; if the mutt decides to try something, might as well get it out of the way while you're combat ready.

Mara and the Canid return shortly, weighed down with space suits, assorted equipment, and in the latter case, combat armour worn over top.

"Let's get this show on the road," you shout over the slamming bulkheads as the compartment seals itself. Rushing air whips by you for a moment into the opening void, and you descend the gang plank. Your first step is met by loose greyish dust, only a few centimeters deep before it gives way to hardpack. Within three minutes, the three of you are face to face with the only notable break in the plain, undulating landscape: a low rocky outcropping, with a gap maybe two meters wide descending into the darkness. Your wrist comp scanner assures you, this is it.

"Your courage defies your species, Solomon."

You turn; this is only the second time you've heard the Canid speak.

"To accept an enemy into your ranks on such a mission betrays a level of faith not associated with your kind."

He eyes you through the glass of his helmet,

"Faith, or foolishness."

>Don't make me regret that trust.
>You're part of the crew now, not an enemy.
>I'm already starting to regret it.

>>43936731
>>I'm already starting to regret it.

>>43936731
>You're part of the crew now, not an enemy

>>43936731
>You're part of the crew now, not an enemy.

>>43936731
>You're part of the crew, not an enemy.

>>43936731
>Don't make me regret that trust.
Rest tentacle on stock of weapon

Writing!

"You're not an enemy," you explain while keeping an open stance, "you're part of the crew now. That means we trust each other, even if it's not convenient."

The Canid continues to stare at you, and remains silent. You're turning back to the opening in the rocks. Light leaps from your headlamp as the three of you climb down the narrow gap into the bowels of the planet.

Static comes over your earpiece, followed by the slightly fuzzy voice of Degivilas:

"Everything good down there cap? What's it looking like?"

"Not much yet, just a lot of rock," you grunt as you clamber down a tough stretch of nearly vertical inclination.

"Keep me updated boss, I'll be up here nice and warm with some cocoa and a movie." You hear him laugh a little before he switches off the radio. Knucklehead. Above you, Mara and the Canid struggle to get the lev-sled down the difficult climb, banging it's metal sides loudly on the rock more times than your ears would like. At least it's built for this kind of work.

With a bit of a skid, you come out of the end of the narrow tunnel into a cavern, nearly ten meters wide and as many tall, the far wall still obscured by darkness. You bring up your shotgun and slowly advance into the blackness, Mara and the Canid following shortly behind.

"Man alive," you whisper, lowering your weapon in awe as ou finally get a full view of the wall.

>>43937275
>"Keep me updated boss, I'll be up here nice and warm with some cocoa and a movie." You hear him laugh a little before he switches off the radio.
Joke's on him. He's about to get theobromine poisoning.

You okay, Friendo?

Lit up in the fluorescent glow of your lamp, a perfectly flat, pale metal wall rises up into the ceiling, glinting greyly; straight lines and angles trace across its surface seemingly at random.

"Holy hell!" remarks the Canid, "that's-"

"Human architecture!" Mara exclaims, cutting him off excitedly.

You nod and reopen the radio line to the ship,

"Deg. This is the real deal, crack out the champagne and caviar," a palpable level of excitement in your tone even a non-Ceph could discern.

"Beer and dehydrated mac and cheese, got it."

You cast your light about in search of a doorway of some sort, or a panel.

I'm sorry everyone but I have to leave. My brother's just been in a car accident and I need to get on the next ferry home right away.

I'll post on twitter or here once I'm onboard with an update.

>>43937558
Alright man, best wishes to your brother.

>>43937510
Thar be gold in them hills!

But I also smell booby traps.

>>43937558
Okay, man. Here's to hoping your brother's okay.

Brother is stable, but in very bad shape. Won't be able to continue tonight, sorry guys.

>>43940542
Don't worry, we can take car of ourselves.
Help your brother with the insurance and police paperwork, as well as with the hospital.
You should get in contact with his workplace and tell them his situation.
If he's in the hospital, you should see if you can get to his apartment/house in the morning to make sure that there's nothing that needs immediate attention.

>>43940542
Try to get some sleep. This must be terrible.

>>43940542
Fear not friendo, we shall remain vigilant.

Might even start some conversation to keep the thread going.

Dangit, I missed out.

>>43942188
Anyways - can we expand on the setting? A point that wasn't addressed properly before was the subject of subcultures in each uplift. What possible subcultures could a Canid have? What about the Cetaceans, do they even have a subculture?

>>43942336
I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to marine mammals. I'll try looking over the setting thread to get some ideas.