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>>44841740
“Space, huh?” you say, walking alongside your newest crew member towards the stairs that lead to your ship. Nettie looks up to you, but you keep your eyes forward. “Ever been to space?”

“No,” she replies, simply. More Dustkeepers are now roaming the floor, many of them seemingly exhausted. A group of them sit in a corner far to your right, their armour covered in ash.

“Any reason why you've just suddenly decided to join us?” you ask, staring at the Dustkeepers as the spiraling metal stairs approaches on your left.

“Not really.”

“Not really doesn't mean there isn't a reason at all,” you point out, raising an eyebrow while briefly glancing down to her. A tangy smell starts to permeate through the air as a chef has begun preparing tasty meals somewhere.

“Yeah, exactly.” She reaches up and pulls her mask down, letting it hang by its strings to her neck while rubbing an eye with a knuckle. “I just want to see space, is all.”

“I don't think I blame you.” You take in a deep breath, looking up to the base's high ceiling as you walk.
When you get to the stairs, you gesture to Nettie to start climbing up first, which she gingerly accepts. It almost seems like she's hopping up the steps with some hidden vigour.

You remember your first night here on the planet of Faraday. The sky was unspeakably clear, and you remember staring up to the stars while lying on the top of your ship with your crew. Sure, you were drunk, but it was as if you were just floating in space. Maybe that's how Nettie spent her nights here.

>>44841751
“You've seen some of my crew already, but I don't think you've formally met any of them yet,” you say, stepping onto the catwalk after getting to the top of the stairs where Nettie was waiting for you.

“I met Sya'ra already,” she deadpans, rolling her eyes.

“Oh... yeah. You said something about her before, didn't you?” You rub the back of your head. “What's up with that?”

“I did.” She sighs, falling into step beside you as you make your way up the catwalk towards the landing platforms. “I went to the Cerberus base twice, just to sell stuff. That girl kind of took a liking to me.”

“I actually wouldn't put it past her.”

“Tell me about it. Stopped by my shop before the assault after you left.”

“She's a good girl, I think.” You scratch your temple with a finger. “Don't worry, I'm always at the end of her jokes.”

“I can sympathize.”

>Gather your crew and get ready for Faulka's contract.
>Go get some rest. Faulka said to meet her in 7 hours, so now's a good time to recuperate after your last mission.
>Introduce Nettie to the rest of your crew.
>Browse the Dustkeeper Market.

Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/44841740/

This thread will be relatively short. It's also going to be the last thread before I go on hiatus once again, since the semester and my job is starting to pick up.

>>44841751
>Go get some rest. Faulka said to meet her in 7 hours, so now's a good time to recuperate after your last mission.
>Introduce Nettie to the rest of your crew.

>>44841740
Bethany is best girl.

>>44841807
>It's also going to be the last thread before I go on hiatus once again,
We'll miss you.

>>44841765
>>Go get some rest. Faulka said to meet her in 7 hours, so now's a good time to recuperate after your last mission.
>>Introduce Nettie to the rest of your crew.

>>44841765
>Go get some rest. Faulka said to meet her in 7 hours, so now's a good time to recuperate after your last mission.
We've been fighting all day, if we don't sleep we're going to have a bad time.

Also, unrelated to the quest, but hypothetically how many people would a single Hydroponics/Aquaculture Bay feed if it were on a carrier?

>>44841955
yes

>>44841765
>Introduce Nettie to the rest of your crew.

>>44841874
>>44841907
>>44841955
When you turn the corner that leads you to the ramp up to your platform, you see the large figure of Troy at the top, just starting to make his way down. Upon seeing you, he gives you a little wave, but pauses when he sees the little girl.

“Hi Troy. Heading down to Unfound?” you ask, responding with your own wave. He stares at Nettie, and then back to you, coming to a stop.

“Uh, yeah. You want me to go watch Comet, correct?” he asks, his face stoic.

“Yup.” You nod. “Just make sure she's alright.”

“Uhuh.” He looks down to Nettie again, who's pointedly staring at his mechanical arm. “And, who's this?”

>”Our newest crew member, actually. Nettie, our logistics handler.”
>”I decided to sponsor a child.”
>”She says she's related to you. Did you ever have kids, Troy?”

>>44841996
>”I decided to sponsor a child.”
>”She says she's related to you. Did you ever have kids, Troy?”

>>44841974
Okay then.

>>44841996
>”She says she's related to you. Did you ever have kids, Troy?”
but really
>>”Our newest crew member, actually. Nettie, our logistics handler.”

>>44841996
so, we should probably tell everyone we have a job in 7 hours during introductions. just so they're ready.

>>44841996
>>”She says she's related to you. Did you ever have kids, Troy?”
But really
>”Our newest crew member, actually. Nettie, our logistics handler.”

>>44841996
>”Our newest crew member, actually. Nettie, our logistics handler.”

>>44841996
>”I decided to sponsor a child.”
>”She says she's related to you. Did you ever have kids, Troy?”

>>44841996
“I decided to sponsor a child. She says she's related to you,” you say with a grim expression. His face remains unchanged. “Did you ever have kids, Troy?”

“No.” He quirks an eyebrow and looks down at her.

“Father, please,” Nettie says with a hurt tone. She then holds out a small ring made out of dead grass.

“She even has a memento,” you comment painfully, covering your mouth with a fist while closing your eyes solemnly.

“Well, she's got my jaw line,” Troy expresses with a grin.

“Why didn't I get your metal arm instead?” Nettie complains.

“Your mother hated cyborgs.”

“Damn,” she says, clenching her fists. You let out a laugh.

“Okay, but seriously, she's our newest crew member. Nettie here's our logistics handler,” you say patting her head. Troy nods approvingly.

“I understand the need for one, since I've pretty much been doing it lately,” he says scratching his chin. “But, a little girl, Gavin?”

“She ran a weapons shop in the middle of a base full of die-hard space explorers and is probably smarter than Sya'ra.”

“Sold,” Troy says, laughing heartily. He steps past you and begins to walk down the rest of the ramp into Unfound, proper. He waves dismissively behind him as he walks. “Lookin' forward to working with you, Nettie.”

“Me too, father,” she says, waving back to him. Rolling your eyes, you give her a nod to head into your ship.

The Feedbacker comes into full view upon emerging from the top of the ramp, and you notice Nettie visibly pause. Her eyes widened slightly, so you take that as a form of amazement. Sure, your ship's not the largest, but you suspect it's the first space-faring one she's ever seen this close.

“Like it?” you ask, causing her to look up to you.

“It's pretty cool,” she says. “I've been in bigger, though.”

>>44842330
“No,” she laughs. “I just wanted to make you feel upset.”

“Cold.”

You start walking towards the base of your ship ramp, but upon getting there, you spot the figure of Pete about to head down from your air lock. As Troy did before him, he throws you a wave which you return. Unlike Troy, he doesn't flinch at the sight of Nettie beside you.

“Hi, Gavin,” he says, switching his glance between the two of you. “And hello, there. Who might you be?”

"The amalgamation of despair and all things, too sugary," she responds.

>”Pete, meet Nettie, our newest crew member. She's got good logistics experience, apparently.”
>”Careful, Pete. She's actually 1,000 years old.”
>”Ley'ra and I are finally coming out with some good news.”

>>44842367
>”Pete, meet Nettie, our newest crew member. She's got good logistics experience, apparently.”
>”Careful, Pete. She's actually 1,000 years old.”

>>44842367
>”Pete, meet Nettie, our newest crew member. She's got good logistics experience, apparently.”
>”Careful, Pete. She's actually 1,000 years old.”
>>44842367

”Ley'ra and I are finally coming out with some good news.”
This just gives me ideas for introducing her to Ley'ra Daughter from the future anyone?

>>44842367
>”Ley'ra and I are finally coming out with some good news.”
We work really fast.

But really
>”Pete, meet Nettie, our newest crew member. She's got good logistics experience, apparently.”

>>44842367
>”Careful, Pete. She's actually 1,000 years old.”
>”Ley'ra and I are finally coming out with some good news.”

>>44842367
> option number 2

>>44842367
>”Ley'ra and I are finally coming out with some good news.”
Time travel was involved, I think.
But actually,
”Pete, meet Nettie, our newest crew member. She's got good logistics experience, apparently.”

>>44842367
>>”Pete, meet Nettie, our newest crew member. She's got good logistics experience, apparently.”
>>”Careful, Pete. She's actually 1,000 years old.

Our faces when Nettie starts unironically calling Gavin "Dad". and then mom hears it overheard in the next phone call.

>>44842367
“Careful, Pete. She's actually 1,000 years old,” you say with a warning tone. Now Pete flinches, if only slightly. “Also, Ley'ra and I are coming out with some good news.”

“Well then,” he says, shaking his head. “I'll have to mark that down as the fourth strangest thing I've encountered so far.”

Now it's time for you to pause. “Uh, what's the first three?” you ask.

“Trust me, you don't want to know, Gavin.” He bows his head in shame.

“I kind of do, but I'll leave you to it.”

“At least satiate my curiosity a little,” he says, glancing back to Nettie.

“Okay, fine. Meet Nettie, our newest crew member,” you introduce, gesturing to her. “She's got good logistics experience, apparently.”

“Ah, you're the infamous underage shopkeeper who sells arms here, right?” he says, his eyebrows raising in realization.

“I am,” Nettie responds. “How did you know?”

“I asked around, of course.” He looks to you. “It's not like I holed myself up in the ship the entire time you guys were down there.”

“Fair enough,” you say, nodding. “You're heading down to meet the Dustkeepers I messaged you about, right?” you ask.

“That I am. I understand you're heading out to your next contract sometime later?”

“Mhm.”

“Good.” He fishes in his pocket to bring out the datachip that's been giving him difficulties lately. “I sure hope they have something to solve this.”

“I do too, Pete.” After a final exchange of nods, he gives a small wave before beginning to head down the ramp.

“See you later, Gavin. And, Nettie.”

“You too, Pete. Tell me all about what you find.”

“'Course.”

>>44843104
Upon entering the ship, you hear the clattering of glasses and dinnerware coming from the direction of your mess hall. Giving Nettie an encouraging smile, you head in that direction, taking her through the twisting (but actually relatively straight) halls of your ship. You can't quite pin the heavy, tasty smell in the air, but you're pretty sure that's steak. When you enter the mess hall, you're surprised to see Ley'ra wearing an apron while grilling steaks on the stove. Her hair is wet, presumably as she had just taken a shower.

“Ley'ra, you cook?” you ask with a surprised expression.

“She does, actually,” Sya'ra says from the table, lazily bouncing a rubber ball. Beside her is Beth, lying her head down on the table while looking up to you two.

“Yup, I used to work in the kitchens before getting into actual military work with the Legion,” Ley'ra says, focused on the steaks. “I'm making enough for everyone, though Troy and Pete already ate.”

“Wow, I didn't know that,” you comment. “Smells tasty.”

“She became obsessed with steak after I introduced her to them,” Sya'ra giggles. She looks up to you, her eyes brightening when seeing Nettie. “Oh, shit! Nettie!”

“Damn,” Nettie deadpans. Sya'ra stands up, surprised.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, raising her arms in the air. Beth's face becomes one of curiosity upon seeing Nettie, and Ley'ra turns around to see what the commotion is about. Nettie looks back up to you.

“Is it too late to back out?” she asks, innocently.

“Yes, unfortunately,” you answer with a saddened expression.

“There's a lot of hot chicks in your crew,” she says, looking back to the crew. “Minus Sya'ra.”

“Hey!” Sya'ra whines.

“Circumstances. Coincidence.” Your eyes shift. Footsteps alert you to a new presence to your left as both Ivan and Viktor enter the mess hall, Bethany in Viktor's arms. “Ah, the whole crew's here.”

>>44843121
“Oh, it is the little shopkeeper girl!” Ivan exclaims upon noticing Nettie. He turns to Viktor. “Why is she here?”

“I'll explain,” you say with a raised hand. “I was hoping to get you all together anyways to brief our next mission.”

“How much are we getting paid?” Sya'ra suddenly asks, raising a hand high in the air.

“About eleven,” you respond. Sya'ra remains silent, registering your answer.

“Um, eleven, what?” she asks.

“Just eleven.” You nod. Sya'ra glances over to Ley'ra, who simply nods solemnly before turning back to her steaks.

“I don't get it.” She scratches her head. “Eleven, what?”

“Don't worry about it,” you say, stepping forward to regard everyone in the room. “Anyways, first things first, Nettie here's our newest crew member.”

“Shit, yeah!” Sya'ra fist pumps.

“Apparently she's a damn good shopkeeper, and she's pretty good at math.”

“I can vouch for that,” Sya'ra comments.

“That means she's gonna play our logistics manager from now on.”

“Ahah! This is fantastic!” Ivan says, excitedly. “She also has facemask to blend in with the facemask crew.”

“Remind me to buy one for everyone, Ivan,” you say.

“Yes. Now, everyone will have facemask.” He gestures to the whole room.

“I'll pass,” Beth says, raising a hand.

Clearing your throat, the room goes silent (minus the sizzling of the steak). “Anyways, everyone welcome Nettie to our crew when you can. She'll be a great asset, so hopefully that means less work for Troy when it comes to the logistics stuff.” You bring up your smart-ring and begin to browse to your contracts, finding the ones you have available. You note the three; one for solving this whole Harbinger business, one for Faulka's mission, and the other as the invitation to go back into the Unfound depths from Connell.

>>44841891
Furfag.

>>44843140
“Our next contract is going to take us into the city, as opposed to the Unfound facility. Our contact is Faulka LaCroix, and we're meeting her exactly seven hours and thirty-five minutes from now. We'll apparently be coming up against both mutants and rogue drones, so it's likely going to be a pretty tough mission. I suspect Faulka will play a big role in getting us around, but we're going to be helping her clear the way to some sort of Herald artifact she wants to collect.” You zoom into the contract's credentials. “Apparently, she only wants three of us to attend; we've got to keep versatile and small.”

>Yourself. You're the leader.
>Ley'ra. Her armour will prove invaluable when facing anything tough, and you know how tough those rogue drones can be.
>Sya'ra. It's an urban environment, and her expertise with demolition will surely come in handly. Also disciplined with a gun.
>Ivan. He's got frightening combat skill, even if he can be a little bit radical at times.
>Viktor follows orders to a tee and can definitely hold himself out in a harsh environment.
>Beth is a medic, so it'll always be a good idea to bring her along.
>Nettie. Sure, she's a little girl, but she has the most experience in this city out of all of you.

>>44843161
>Yourself. You're the leader.
>Ley'ra. Her armour will prove invaluable when facing anything tough, and you know how tough those rogue drones can be.
>Nettie. Sure, she's a little girl, but she has the most experience in this city out of all of you.

>>44843161
>Yourself. You're the leader.
>Sya'ra. It's an urban environment, and her expertise with demolition will surely come in handly. Also disciplined with a gun.
>Viktor follows orders to a tee and can definitely hold himself out in a harsh environment.

>>44843161
>Yourself. You're the leader.
>Viktor follows orders to a tee and can definitely hold himself out in a harsh environment.
>Beth is a medic, so it'll always be a good idea to bring her along.
Mostly because Viktor wasn't on the last team, and I can't remember the last time Beth did anything noteworthy.

>>44843161
>Yourself. You're the leader.
>Sya'ra. It's an urban environment, and her expertise with demolition will surely come in handly. Also disciplined with a gun.
>Beth is a medic, so it'll always be a good idea to bring her along.
>Bethany. Her moral support will be invaluable in the field.

>>44843329
and then the cat gets eaten by a mutant, a finer distraction there never was.

>>44843161
>Ask the crews opinion/see who *wants* to go

we also should spend some time with Ley after this before we head out on the mission

>>44843161
>>Yourself. You're the leader.
>>Ley'ra. Her armour will prove invaluable when facing anything tough, and you know how tough those rogue drones can be.
>>Sya'ra. It's an urban environment, and her expertise with demolition will surely come in handly. Also disciplined with a gun.

>>44843161
>Yourself. You're the leader.
>Ley'ra. Her armour will prove invaluable when facing anything tough, and you know how tough those rogue drones can be.
>Sya'ra. It's an urban environment, and her expertise with demolition will surely come in handly. Also disciplined with a gun.

>>44843161

eh, might as well switch this >>44843247
to >Yourself. You're the leader.
>Ley'ra. Her armour will prove invaluable when facing anything tough, and you know how tough those rogue drones can be.
>Sya'ra. It's an urban environment, and her expertise with demolition will surely come in handly. Also disciplined with a gun.

>>44843161
>>Yourself. You're the leader.
>Ley'ra. Her armour will prove invaluable when facing anything tough, and you know how tough those rogue drones can be.
>Sya'ra. It's an urban environment, and her expertise with demolition will surely come in handly. Also disciplined with a gun.
We are all the ground combat specialists.

>>44843161
>>Yourself. You're the leader.
>Ley'ra. Her armour will prove invaluable when facing anything tough, and you know how tough those rogue drones can be.
>Sya'ra. It's an urban environment, and her expertise with demolition will surely come in handly. Also disciplined with a gun.

>>44843161
The room turns silent once again (again, minus the sizzling steaks).

“So, who would like to come along? One of them's going to be me, but I want to know who thinks they're up to this task.” Your words get lost in the air once again, your crew exchanging looks with each other before shrugging simultaneously. Then, they all raise their hands at the same time. “Okay, that doesn't really help.”

“What can I say? I wouldn't mind going into the city,” Sya'ra says. “Never been here yet, anyways.”

“I'm up for some combat, if that's what you're looking for,” Viktor chips in from your left.

“I am always ready!” Ivan exclaims.

Everyone else either nods or shrugs.

“Alright then.” You turn your gaze to Ley'ra, who has a small grin on her face. “Why are you smiling?”

She suddenly stops, blushing. “I dunno, I just thought it was funny.”

“Okay. Well, you're the pointgirl, you're coming.”

“Okay.”

“Fantastic.” Gulping, you look over to Sya'ra, who looks exceptionally giddy for some reason. “S-Sya--”

“I'll come!” she exclaims. “Running through cities shooting aliens and robots are about at the top of my list of things I wanna do before I die.”

“I... don't know what to say about that, Sya'ra. Haven't you been doing this for the Legion already?”

“Yes.” She sits contently, suddenly calm.

“Alright. There we have it; Ley'ra, Sya'ra and I will be going to this next contract.” You look over to Ivan. “The rest of you, rest up. Especially you, we need you rested up for more of your piloting skills.”

“Sleeping is one of my favourite tasks,” Ivan comments.

“Steaks are done,” Ley'ra announces, having poked one of the steaks.

“Finally, I am starving,” Ivan says, walking over to the table followed by Viktor. Ley'ra brings a plate piled with the steak over to the table and sets it down in the centre.

“I have to say, Ley'ra. This looks pretty good,” Viktor compliments.

>>44844045
“Thanks, Viktor.” She smiles as the rest of you converge on the table, sitting down. “It's actually simple to make, something I learned in the limited kitchens back at the Legion. Oh yeah, there's also potato wedges...”

Sya'ra's approval: +1

Half an hour later, you

Eventually, you get to the dorm hallway where the doors to all of your rooms are lined up. Immediately to the right is yours, marked by the dimly lit holo-nametag display at the centre with your name on it. All of the other occupied rooms are marked similarly with your crew's names, so you guide Nettie down the hall until you get to the first empty one, next to Beth's room.

“So, you can stay in this room,” you say, opening the door. Nettie immediately walks into the room while you type her name into the door nametag. You walk into her room to see her sitting on her comfy bed, sprawled out spread-eagled while staring at the ceiling. Apart from a small closet, a small washroom, and a little nightstand, there isn't much else noteworthy in the room. “Like it?”

“This is more luxurious than any room I've ever been in,” she says.

“I don't know if that's supposed to lighten my heart or make me depressed.”

“I'm aiming for the latter.”

“Oh yeah,” you say, turning around and pointing to a dial on the wall to your left. “That's the gravity dial. When we're in space, you can lessen the gravity in the room if you like that sort of thing.”

Immediately, she hops up from the bed and walks over to the dial, inspecting it. After a moment, she raises a hand to turn it down to zero percent.

“You know, we're on a planet right now. That won't really change anything,” you laugh. “Besides, the gravity engine's off.”

“Damn. Oh well.”

Laughing, you turn to leave her room. “Make yourself at home, you're one of us now. I'm gonna go get some rest before the mission.”

>>44844057
“Alright, Gavin.” She hops back onto her bed and returns to sprawling herself out across the mattress.

Upon walking back to your room, you see Ley'ra entering her own room. She gives you a smile as you approach your own.

“How's your shoulder?” you ask, grabbing the handle to your door and pushing it open.

“It stings, but I'm okay.”

“Thankfully,” you say, turning around to face her. “Get some rest, I know we'll need it.”

“Mhm. I'm gonna shower, though.”

“Oh? Didn't you already take one?”

“I did, but I smell like steak now.”

“Not exactly a bad thing.”

“Yes, it is.” She enters her room, turning to you one last time with a smile. “Sweet dreams.” She closes her door before you can respond.

“Hm.”

Seven hours later, you hear a knock on your door that echoes across the metal walls of your room. A second knock soon follows. Groggily, you reach out a hand from the side of your bed and grab one of your boots on the floor, tossing it to the door to hit it with a much louder bang than you intended.

Startled, you sit up on your bed, grabbing your smart-ring from your nightstand to see that it's less than an hour before meeting time with Faulka.

“Wakey wakey, Gavin,” Nettie's voice says from the other side of the door.

>>44844077
“Urgh.” You rub your face. “What are you now, my secretary?”

“Technically, yes. Someone's gotta keep on your ass.”

“Alright, then. I'll get ready.” You toss the blankets off of you and stand up, turning to your washroom.

“Also, you got a call from your mom, but I told her you'd call her back later.”

“Wait, damn. Really?” you say, rubbing your head.

“Mhmm. Hurry up, the girls are already getting ready.”

“Fine, fine.”

>Call mom now, you still have some time.
>Call her later, you need to get ready.

Time for a dinner break. I'll be back in an hour at the most.

>>44844095
>Call her later, you need to get ready.
After the mission I swear.

>>44844095
>Call mom now, you still have some time.

>>44844057
>Half an hour later, you
accidentally a line?

>>44844095
>Call her later, you need to get ready.
after the mission.

turning to you one last time with a smile. “Sweet dreams.”
Well, that was cute

>>44844095
>Call mom now, you still have some time.

>>44844095
>Call mom now, you still have some time.

Bump

>>44844095
>Call mom now, you still have some time.

I'm back, and I'm writing now.

>>44844132
I forgot to complete that sentence. Basically, 30 minutes just passed. Nothing important.

>>44844095
>call mum, ask for way better family cooking secret recipe food better than borscht

>>44845354
I fully support asking for a recipe better than Ivan's

>>44845410
poor Ivan

>>44844095
“Fine, fine. I'll call her,” you say, bringing up your wrist. Leaning against the wall next to your door, you browse through your contacts until you find 'Mom'. Steeling yourself, you touch the holo-button to initiate the call.

Your comms begin to ring in your ear as the call goes through, but as you'd suspect, there's no immediate response. Apparently your door had opened, and Nettie is now looking up at you curiously. You give her a raised eyebrow, but she doesn't budge. Shrugging it off, you start to tap your foot while you wait for the call. Only a few seconds later, the ringing stops, but it's replaced by loud noises. Booming music.

“Gavin?! Honey?” your mom's voice calls loudly.

“Mom?! Are you in a club, or something?” you ask, throwing a hand up to massage your eyebrows.

“Gavin! Why, yes, I am. Hold on Tilly, I'm talking to my son. Yeah. Gavin, give me one second.” The comms become muted as if she's holding a hand over the microphone. Rolling your eyes, you give Nettie one more glance before walking into your room, pacing in a circle before the line comes alive again. The background noise is significantly more silent. “Gavin? You there?”

“Yeah. What's up?” you ask, stopping in the middle of your room. Nettie has welcomed herself in and is now sitting on your bed, patiently.

“You didn't call me for awhile, so I was getting worried,” your mom says.

“I was... kind of busy. But yeah, I'm alright.”

“Did you meet him?”

“Him? Who?”

“David.”

“Oh, the Talon?” you say, rolling your eyes again. “Yeah. By the way, how the heck did you get him to be my babysitter?”

“Mm, your mom has connections, you know.”

“I don't even want to imagine why you're at a club.”

“I'm polishing my connections, honey.”

“Ff... what?!” you cough.

“Kh-hahahah! No! Not like that!”

“Don't even say that!”

“Have more faith in your mom, honey.”

“I don't even want to know.”

>>44845902
“But seriously, I'm just getting to know some friends of mine.” She lets out an exhausted sigh. “How about you?”

“I'm fine,” you state, grunting. “Just jumped into an unexplored abandoned facility and fought some mutants. Now I'm going to go into an abandoned city and fight some more mutants who are in a death battle with killer robots.”

“Hmph, you're sounding more like your uncle.”

Your memory about your last conversation catches up with you. “By the way, have you learned anything more about him?”

“I have, but I can't really tell you right now.”

“Why?”

“Just trust me on this, Gavin.” The comms go silent for several moments while you contemplatee on the whole situation. “I know what region you're in. I know you won't listen to me, but please, consider getting away from there as soon as possible.”

“How do you know where I am?”

“David.” She pauses for another few moments. “What do you think? Cute, right?”

“Ugh.”

“I'm joking. Please, stay safe, Gavin.”

“I'm actually pretty safe, I'd like to think. Would you believe me if I made friends with Blackhawks and some Luos soldiers?”

“Oh, I know. Aren't you dating one?”

“W-what?!”

“That nice girl, Nettie, told me.”

“Wait-no! That's not...” You shoot her a glare, which she simply grins back at. “I'm--”

“Dad? Who are you talking to?” Nettie speaks loudly, cutting you off guard.

“H--”

“Gavin!” your mom exclaims. You think you can imagine her shocked expression. “I'm a grandma now?!”

“Hey! You know she's lying!” you yell.

“I can't believe my son is in forbidden love with the enemy,” she swoons.

“You're all insane.” You sigh. “I swear.”

“I'm sorry, Gavin. I thought it was funny.”

“Me, too,” Nettie admits.

“Okay, fine. So, there. I'm doing fine, mom. What have you been up to?”

“Nothing. Like I said, I just wanted to check up on you.”

>>44845922
“There. That wasn't so bad, right?”

“No, mom.” An idea pops into your head. “By the way, do you know of any good borscht recipes?”

“Nope.”

“Shit. There goes that plan.”

“Language! Your daughter's in the room!”

“She's not my daughter.”

“My mind is becoming poisoned,” Nettie drones from your right. “And I'm spiraling down into a confusing, chronic disorder with which I can't fathom.”

“How adorable, she might as well be. She already sounds like you,” your mom giggles. “Remember when you were fourteen?”

“Nope!” you say, throwing your head up. “Okay, now that's out of the way, we're good, right?!”

“Fine.” Your mom sighs. “Call me again, okay?”

“I will, mom.”

“Take care of Nettie.”

You hesitate. “...I will.”

“Good. Love you.”

“...Love you too.” The line closes, but Nettie bursts into laughter beside you. “What?”

Another person behind you lets out loud laughter as well. Turning around, you're horrified to see Sya'ra standing there in her armour.

“Dude!” she exclaims through her breaths. “That was adorable!”

“Hey! Don't you tell your mom you love her?” you seethe. Sya'ra's expression softens and she stands up straight.

“Nah. I never knew my mom, she left us when I was young.”

“Sorry,” you apologize. “I never knew my dad, either.”

>>44845934
“No worries. My dad's with his company who were taken in by Pulsar Inc. after the war.” She lets out a loud sigh. “Last I heard, my mom went to the Federation, but that's about all I know.”

“Ah, well.” You pause, realizing you're just in your boxers and shirt. You glance to both Sya'ra and Nettie. “Uh, mind giving me a bit? I'll head to the armoury once I'm out.”

Sya'ra merely gives you a smile before leaving your room with Nettie, closing your door.

New companion quest:
>”Well, then.”
For: Sya'ra Degala
Location: Unknown
“I never knew my mom, she left us when I was young. My dad's with his company who were taken in by Pulsar Inc. after the war. Last I heard, my mom went to the Federation, but that's about all I know.”

>Change your loadout.
>Keep your loadouts; your crew's still fine after the last mission.

Remember, you get to carry 5 grenades per person.

>>44845954
Current loadouts:

>Arsenal:
1x C 2911 (handgun, kinetic)
1x Bandit-12 (revolver, kinetic)
2x Burial M55 (scoped rifle, kinetic)
1x The Ivan (rifle, kinetic)
1x Devil's Kiss (PDW, plasma)

3x Flash-bangs
4x Hi-ex Grenades
11x EMP Grenades
13x Breacher Grenades
8x Frag Grandes

5x Bulletproof Vest
1x Full-body Tactical
1x Infantry Armour

>You
Armour: Infantry
Weapons: Espingarda Model 80 (shotgun, kinetic), .362 Deputy (revolver, kinetic)
Grenades: 2 Frag, 1 Flash-bang

>Name: Ley'ra Laur
Armour: Erinyes
Weapons: EVI AR (rifle, kinetic), FD17 Daybreak (pistol, kinetic), Hail-92 (light machine gun, kinetic), Combat Knife
Grenades: 3 Frags, 2 Flash-bang, 1 Hi-ex
Inventory: Infantry Armour

>Name: Sya'ra Degala
Armour: Infantry
Weapons: H23 (rifle, kinetic), Bandit-12 (revolver, kinetic), Explody Thing (rocket launcher, explosive), Combat Knife
Grenades: 1 Frag, 2 Hi-ex, 2 Breacher

>>44845954
>Keep your loadouts; your crew's still fine after the last mission.

>>44845954
>Keep your loadouts; your crew's still fine after the last mission.

But get some EMP grenades in circulation for those killer robots.

>>44845972
>Change your loadout.
for Gavin change the flashbang for an incendiary grenade. keep the others as they are

>>44845972
>you
1x The Ivan (rifle, kinetic)
1x Devil's Kiss (PDW, plasma)
take 2 EMP grenades, just in case.

>>44845954
>Remember, you get to carry 5 grenades per person.
Buuuuut mommm

>>44845954
Guys.

Sya'ra is our sister.

File: 1452747162119.jpg (3 KB, 250x184)

3 KB JPG

>>44846054

>>44846054
I was just thinking that

>>44845972
Proposed loadouts:

>Arsenal:
1x C 2911 (handgun, kinetic)
1x Bandit-12 (revolver, kinetic)
2x Burial M55 (scoped rifle, kinetic)
1x Devil's Kiss (PDW, plasma)
1x Espingarda Model 80 (shotgun, kinetic)

3x Flash-bangs
4x Hi-ex Grenades
9x EMP Grenades
13x Breacher Grenades
8x Frag Grandes

5x Bulletproof Vest
1x Full-body Tactical
1x Infantry Armour

>You
Armour: Infantry
Weapons: The Ivan (rifle, kinetic), .362 Deputy (revolver, kinetic)
Grenades: 2 Frag, 1 Flash-bang, 2 EMP

>Name: Ley'ra Laur
Armour: Erinyes
Weapons: EVI AR (rifle, kinetic), FD17 Daybreak (pistol, kinetic), Hail-92 (light machine gun, kinetic), Combat Knife
Grenades: 3 Frags, 2 Flash-bang, 1 Hi-ex
Inventory: Infantry Armour

>Name: Sya'ra Degala
Armour: Infantry
Weapons: H23 (rifle, kinetic), Bandit-12 (revolver, kinetic), Explody Thing (rocket launcher, explosive), Combat Knife
Grenades: 1 Frag, 2 Hi-ex, 2 Breacher

Name: Faulka LaCroix
Armour: Wastelander
Weapons: Burial M55 (scoped rifle, kinetic), Sabre 6 (pistol, plasma)
Grenades: 2 Frags, 2 Plasma Stickies, 1 Flash-bang

>>44846054
>Sya'ra is our sister
Gott in himmel

>>44846075
>>44846087
We don't know our dad, she doesn't know her dad, our mom is shady as fuck who has unknown origins and ties to the Talons.

The again, her dad could be the uncle who gave us the ship.

Shall we romance her before we find out?

>>44846088
>Change your loadout.
change the flashbang for an incendiary grenade

>>44846132
I mean, she didn't know her mom. My mistake.

>>44846132
Ley'ra for life bro

>>44846167
>Ley'ra's face as she finds out Sya'ra is now her sister-in-law
oh god I can't wait.

>>44846132
While that would be potentiall hilarious, Sya'ra seems more like a bro instead of a romance.

Ley'ra best qt merc lover

>>44846140
You don't have any incendiaries.

>>44846088
Forgot to ask.

We're going with this loadout, or are you guys going to change it?

>>44846132
No, we're committed to lay ley

>>44846228
acceptable

>>44846117
quick, fuck her before we find out

File: question_marks.jpg (130 KB, 894x894)

130 KB JPG

How does Sya'ra feel about being the third wheel on Ley'ra and Gavin's date?

Should we bring our tank?

>>44846337
My best guess would be, she wouldnt be invited to the date, but she'd go with anyways.

>>44846368
Nah she'd watch from afar

Just a heads up, I'm going to be ending the thread soon. As in, sometime in the next hour or two.

>>44846337
How often do you think Sya'ra tries to get Lay'ra layed?

>>44846350
When in doubt bring a tank.

>>44846368
I mean the date we're going on right now. To the city. These are Cerberus Legion girls. What could be more romantic than killing mutants and killer robots together?

>>44846408
Sya'ra Degala Grand Master of the Knights of Voyeurism in the service of Lady Ley'ra Laur and Her Captain.

sad part is I can see Sya'ra actually calling herself this.

>>44846462
It was good while it lasted.

>>44846469
oh, in that case, prepare for love jokes and half serious come-ons to make Ley'ra and/or Gavin jealous.

>>44846492
Also got a hiatus coming up.

>>44846528
Yeah thats what I meant.

>>44846545
I'll try to run it every other weekend if life permits me to.

Once summer comes around, I'll be working full time 9-5, but I've got weekends free.

>>44846524
I was thinking more along the lines of Sya'ra referencing this outing as a date to the other two and Lay'ra getting embarrassed but not denying it.

>>44846591
I lumped that in with love jokes, I should have been more specific.

>>44846568
That's good to gear

>>44846088
You finish strapping the last knee-guard to your leg and proceed to pick up the two EMP grenades on the table, slotting them into your grenade bandolier.

“Gavin,” Sya'ra says, coming into the arsenal. Her helmet's on, lopsided. “Did Faulka say where we were gonna meet her?”

“Oh, same place I saw her last time,” you say, slinging your Ivan rifle over your shoulder. “Where Nettie's shop used to be.”

“Alright,” she says, fixing her helmet. “Ley'ra's waiting for us at the air lock.”

“Right.”

You take one last look at your loadout before deciding you're ready to go. Giving Sya'ra a smile, she leads you out of the room and towards the air lock. However, you're startled by the almost-naked form of Ivan walking past a corner you're turning... who's surprisingly very toned. Sya'ra doesn't flinch, despite the fact that he's in nothing but boxers and his facemask.

“You're never going to remove the mask?” you gawk. “Do you sleep with it on?”

“Heh... don't be silly, comrade,” he says, scratching his six pack. “Of course I do.”

“I don't understand,” you say.

Out of the left corner of your eye, you see Beth turn the corner into yours, and she yelps upon seeing Ivan, hopping back to where she came. Loud, frequent footsteps indicate that she decided to run away.

“What's up with her?” Sya'ra asks, oblivious.

“Nevermind her. Let's go, Faulka's probably waiting for us,” you say, walking past Ivan after giving him a nod. Wordlessly, Sya'ra falls into step behind you. You turn another few corners before you realize that she's walking normally. “No roller blades?”

“Nah. I only wear those when I'm bored.”

>>44846747
“So, you're not bored now.”

“We're about to fight aliens and robots. I'm excited.”

“Mutants.”

“Fine.”

When you make it to the airlock, you catch Ley'ra staring out to the platform your ship's on. The sun had already set, but eerily, there's a thin, cold fog in the air. It sends chills through you.

“Brr, how can you stand out here?” Sya'ra asks as you approach Ley'ra.

“My armour, remember?” Ley'ra says, turning to you two. Her face mask is down, but she's all geared up in her scary black armour.

>Go to meet Faulka.
>Bring your two personal defence drones with you.
>Change your loadouts.
>Browse the Dustkeeper Market.

>>44846776
>Bring your two personal defence drones with you.

>Go to meet Faulka.

>>44846776
>Go to meet Faulka.

>>44846469
>Lay'ra layed
Was this an intentional mispelling?

>>44846776
>Bring your two personal defense drones with you.

>>44846776
>>Go to meet Faulka.
>Bring your two personal defence drones with you.

>>44846862
Was it~?

>>44846862
/tg/ has always been quite good with sex puns.

>>44846776
>Go to meet Faulka.
>Bring your two personal defence drones with you.

>>44846862
You didn't answer the question.

>>44846776
“Okay, let's go. Let's cover as much ground as we can this night,” you say, stepping forward and down the ramp.

“Ooh, Mr. Leader taking the reigns,” Sya'ra coos, following you. Ley'ra merely sighs.

“Oh yeah, I'm gonna bring our drones with us. They've got infrared and nightvision to help us see in this dark,” you say, bringing up your smart-ring. You order them to boot on, and to follow you. “We don't have Pete to relay us the recon, but we can look at their video feed ourselves.”

“Good thinking,” Sya'ra says.

As you step onto the ramp, you find yourself in a weird state of anxiety. You're now an experienced mercenary. Maybe you're not as refined as the two soldiers at your back, but you're about to walk into a city of death to retrieve an unspeakable and possibly priceless Herald artifact. For a Dustkeeper. You wouldn't believe yourself if you asked if you'd be here, five years ago.

Upon going down the ramps and into the Unfound base, you're surprised to see the place bustling with Dustkeepers now. If you're not mistaken, it seems like they're more lively than ever before. Perhaps it's because of their victory in the assault. You suspect there's a good amount of nocturnal Dustkeepers, as well.

“We ever gonna go back down into the depths, cap-cap?” Sya'ra asks, looking down the catwalks as you approach the stairs.

”We could. Free loot and all that, plus cool stuff to explore.” You begin to step down the ladder. “Who knows. Maybe we'll find more armour like Ley'ra's.”

“I'd like that,” Sya'ra says.

When you're nearing the bottom of the stairs, a hushed conversation off to the side catches your attention. You couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but it had something to do with angels. In particular, you swear you heard one of them say 'locust'.

>>44847296
When all three of you reach floor A, you immediately start walking towards where Nettie's shop used to be. Sure enough, Faulka's still there, still in the same getup as when you last saw her.

“Uh, did you move at all?” you ask, walking up to her in the exact same spot she was in before.

“I did,” Faulka says, insulted. She pulls her silvery bangs aside. “Why?”

“I mean, it doesn't look like you did.”

“I went to my room to sleep.”

“You have rooms, here?”

“Where do you think we sleep? The ground?”

“Kind of, yeah.”

“Ouch,” Sya'ra whispers from behind.

“Sorry!” you exclaim. “I'm just curious.”

“Yeah, fine.” Faulka sighs, bending down to pick up a bag and slinging it over her shoulder. She picks up a rather large rifle leaning against the wall and slings that over her other shoulder. “Come on, let's get going.”

“Wow,” Sya'ra gawks. “That's a big rifle.”

“Mhmm,” Faulka beams, “made it myself. Kind of.”

“Modified Burial M55?”

“Most of everything's custom parts, yeah.”

“Nice.”

From the ceiling, your two personal defence drones fly down and join you on each of your sides, startling Sya'ra suddenly.

“Ay! They came out of nowhere,” she comments.

“Drones?” Faulka asks.

“Yup, I thought they'd come in handy,” you say, looking at the one to your right before inspecting the left. They both seem in good shape. “Or, would you rather we not bring them?”

“Actually, they'd be good to have. But, keep them high. You don't want them to attract attention, or they'll be sniped out of the air fast.”

“Fair enough. I can feed their video to us for us to see,” you say, tapping your smart-ring.

“I like you already,” Faulka says. Sya'ra lets out a small whistle, but it's shut up quickly by Ley'ra. You shoot her a glare as well.

“How do we even leave the base?” you ask Faulka, who begins to wave through the crowds.

>>44847316
“It's through a rather small door on the far end of this floor, actually. Guarded 24/7 with seventeen turrets and several guardsmen.”

You follow Faulka through the surprisingly crowded floor A. The circle of Dustkeepers around the fire are much more lively now, the guitarist joined by another who's playing small steel bongos. Kind of cute, to be honest. After losing Sya'ra for a few minutes, she rejoins your group with a skewer of squid balls in her mouth. Gingerly, she offers a skewer to you, Ley'ra, and Faulka. You decide to munch on yours while you continue to make your way to the exit, the path suddenly much less crowded with less Dustkeepers around you. However, another conversation catches your interest.

“Bliyat... you hear?” a woman asks, hushed. You can't tell where she is, but she's not doing a good job of hiding her voice.

“What?” a man's voice responds.

“Sightings of Fire Legion in the city this evening, apparently. We're going to go on high alert very soon.”

“Ah... shit.”

---

And that's the thread, guys.

I'll see you on the other side, sometime. Keep an eye on my Titter in the next few months.

Archive is here >>44841807

>>44847330
Thanks for running, Glorious QM

>Sya'ra lets out a small whistle, but it's shut up quickly by Ley'ra. You shoot her a glare as well.

I'm confused? what did sya'ra do wrong?

>>44847330
Fuck. Fire Legion is here? Did they follow us for Comet, or come here for the Herald artifacts?

>>44847384
Best to not get your employer involved with your romance shenanigans. Especially with a crew like ours.

>>44847466
I had no idea that that's what was meant by the whistle, but it makes sense, not exactly professional.
but now I have to ask what you mean by "a crew like ours"?
I apologize for being a bit dense at the moment.

>>44847555
I shouldn't have to explain this.

Faulka said “I like you already,”
Sya'ra whistled, jokingly implying Faulka was coming onto Gavin.
Ley'ra ain't having that and glared at her.

>>44847602
We have to be careful not to cuck Ley'ra.

Pretty sure she can kick our ass.

>>44847602
That was covered by the previous answer. which was quite obvious now that I think about it. I am vaguely embarassed.
Still doesn't answer what the meaning of "a crew like ours" is

>>44847651
Some girl are into sharing