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>>1046572
>Board the bridge directly.

I just hope they have ship designs that we can understand.

>>1046572
>Board the midsection.

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>>1046572
>>Board the midsection.

Time for Sam to get last minute powers!

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>>1046572
>>Board the engine bay.

>END
>Infinite Stars has been going on for slightly less than a year

>>1046572
>Board the midsection.

>>1046572
>Board the bridge directly.

>>1046572
>>Board the midsection

>>1046572

51 threads? It has been a year of constant questing, hasn't it?

>Board the bridge directly.

RAMMING SPEED

>>1046572
>>Board the bridge directly.
Longclaw, ramming speed. LETS DO THIS!

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>>1046572
"Okay, we'll head for the midscection." You declare. "Amy, set a course."

"Roger!" Amy nods.

"Hey hey hey, what about me?!" Carly grunts over the comms.

Ah, that's right. Carly and her ship were also additional assets. The Longclaw was a tough ship, which would make it good for tangling with the enemy ships, including the Collector, if need be. But then again, her pirate crew were also experienced boarders. They could be a help if she could get close enough to unload them.

>Have Carly cover you against the other ships.
>Have Carly draw the Collector's attention.
>Have Carly come in with you on a boarding action.
>Other

>>1046738
>Have Carly come in with you on a boarding action.

>>1046738
>>Have Carly come in with you on a boarding action.
Final mission, full party, no brakes

>>1046738
>Have Carly come in with you on a boarding action.

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>>1046738
>>Have Carly come in with you on a boarding action.

Just hope we don't have to interface with weird space elf stuff.

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>>1046622

>We never uncovered the Ethereals' true purpose for us
>There is still so much Psionic potential left untapped
>We will never get to see PsiGod!Sam

Shame, that

>>1046738
>Have Carly come in with you on a boarding action.

Two boarding parties is better than one

>>1046738
>>Have Carly cover you against the other ships.

>>1046688
Only CIMQ and KCQPS are longer and I guess the latter isn't even halfway through.
inb4 needing to fight Abyssals through the Indian Ocean and Middle East before attacking the polar oceans, and enduring an entire series of lewd Love x Radar doujins.

>>1046785
And PJ Witches. And Ace Combat, but barely.

>>1046785
Also Ace Combat and Pararescue Witches

>>1046806
>>1046807
Ahh, didn't follow these much, but yeah those two ran quite long too.

>>1046738
>Have Carly come in with you on a boarding action.

>>1046762
There's always the possibility of Sam getting Uplifted to operate Alien tech.

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Rolled 20, 11, 17 = 48 (3d20)

>>1046738
"Carly, stick close to us, no matter what!" You yell. "We're going to make a break for the ship's midsection!"

"Gotcha! I'll be right behind you!" Carly says happily. "Lead the way!"

"Amy, Lida, you have a handle on the firing arcs of those lasers?" You ask.

"I've already calculated likely coverage zones." Lida nods.

"Eugh, that's not a lot of room to operate in." Amy grimaces. "All right, but we'll make this work..."

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>1046886
Here comes the Snow!

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>1046886
>20

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>1046886

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>1046886

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>>1046865
Or Sam getting Ubercharged AND getting powers to the point where she's both the peak of physical and mental strength. She's still short, though.

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>>1046886
Unfortunately, it seems that the Collector has certainly noticed your presence, as three of its massive turrets begin turning to engage you. At the same time, a squadron of Confederate corvettes break off from their main fleet for an intercept.

"Oh shit, Cap, what do we do?!" Amy cries as target lock warnings scream all over the bridge.

FLUX: 0/120
HULL: 80/80

>Keep pressing forward! Full power to engines!
>Break off and run interference for Carly.
>Have Carly break off and run interference for you.
>Other

>>1046926
>>Have Carly break off and run interference for you.

>>1046926
>Keep pressing forward! Full power to engines!

>>1046926
>>Have Carly break off and run interference for you.

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>>1046926
>>Keep pressing forward! Full power to engines!

>>1046926
>Other
Use the momentum to continue forward while we rotate back and shoot.

>>1046926
>Keep pressing forward! Full power to engines!

>>1046926
>>Keep pressing forward! Full power to engines!

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>>1046926
"Full power to the engines, Amy! Keep pressing forward!" You bark.

"Right!" Amy pushes the throttle as far forward as possible. You feel yourself getting pushed back into your seat as the acceleration overwhelms the ship's inertial compensators. The sudden burst of speed proves just enough to avoid two of the Collector's laser blasts, the two violet beams passing just over and under the ship. Unfortunately, the third turret manages to find its mark and fires, slamming into Gullinbursti's shield head on. You all wince temporarily as the light blinds you, at least until the viewports darken to compensate.

"Shield are overloading!" Lida yells, more warnings and alarms screaming. "Flux buildup is reaching critical levels!"

Meanwhile, Carly's ship wasn't doing so much better, as it was forced to tank the missiles swarms the pursuing Confederate corvettes were unloading, preventing her from being able to provide any assistance.

FLUX: 100/120
HULL: 80/80

>Maintain speed, Flux be damned!
>Shut off the shield to conserve flux.
>Emergency vent and rely on your momentum to carry you.
>Other

>>1047023
>Emergency vent and rely on your momentum to carry you.

>>1047023
>>Emergency vent and rely on your momentum to carry you.

>>1047023
>Maintain speed, Flux be damned!
>Other: Launch all missiles at the turrets

>>1047023
>Emergency vent and rely on your momentum to carry you.

>>1047023
>>Maintain speed, Flux be damned!

If we're desperate enough to need a new ship, we can always pull this off:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THFxKwUrBYY&feature=youtu.be

>>1047023
>>Emergency vent and rely on your momentum to carry you.

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>>1047023
"Emergency flux vent!" You yell. "We'll let our momentum carry us!"

"Venting!" Lida hits the button.

The bridge blacks out temporarily as ship's built up flux energy vents violently, leaving your ship completely defenseless for several critical seconds.

However, this proves to a be a stroke of luck, as apparently the Collector thinks that your flux vent meant your ship was destroyed. Unfortunately, that meant that its weapons started to track to the next nearest target...

With your comms down, you can't do anything but watch helplessly as violet lasers crisscross through the Longclaw, punching through the weakened shields and cutting into the hull armor. The Confederate corvettes immediately break off, but the damage has been done. Fires and secondary explosions rage across your sister's ship as oxygen and molten armor leak out in cracks and breaches. However, with one last burst of engine power, the Longclaw dives and plows directly into the side of the Collector. Meanwhile, Gullinbursti manages to latch onto the Collector as well relatively unscathed.

Your heart stops and your stomach drops out at the site. You wanted to scream, to cry out for Carly, but it was your duty as captain to keep your cool, not for yourself, but for your crew."

"L-Lida, can you raise them on comms?" You croak.

Lida silently shakes her head.

That's when Tank puts an armored hand on your shoulder, reminding you what needed to be done.

>You need to rescue Carly. Board the ship and head for the crash site.
>Carly can find a way out of this. Board the ship and head for the bridge.
>Other

>>1047162
>>You need to rescue Carly. Board the ship and head for the crash site.

>>1047162
>>You need to rescue Carly. Board the ship and head for the crash site.
Fuck, that worked, but at what cost?.....

>>1047162
>>You need to rescue Carly. Board the ship and head for the crash site.

>>1047162
>>You need to rescue Carly. Board the ship and head for the crash site.

>>1047162
>Carly can find a way out of this. Board the ship and head for the bridge.

>>1047162
>You need to rescue Carly. Board the ship and head for the crash site.

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>>1047162
>>You need to rescue Carly. Board the ship and head for the crash site.

MOUNT UP.

>>1047162
>You need to rescue Carly. Board the ship and head for the crash site.

>>1047162
>You need to rescue Carly. Board the ship and head for the crash site.

>>1047162
>You need to rescue Carly. Board the ship and head for the crash site.

Like hell we're abandoning our sister again

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>>1047162
"Tank, you're with me." You grunt as you storm off towards the armory. "Round up as many combat drones as you can. We're going to get Carly."

Tank nods and follows you loyally.

"Captain-" Bradford starts.

"I'm not leaving my sister behind again, Bradford." You cut him off. "I'm going to get her, and I'm going to seize this damn ship. Clear?"

Bradford pauses and then gulps, unwilling to stand against your authority.

"Crystal, captain."

"Good." You continue your way to the armory. However, as you enter, you see two people you didn't expect suiting up.

"You don't mind if I tag along, do you?" Elizabeth smiles. "My bosses would chew me out if they found out I sat on the sidelines for this!"

"And I suspect there will quite a few wounded on Carly's ship." Natalia smiles. "And it's not as if either of us can do anything sitting around on this ship."

>Let them come with you.
>Request they stay on the ship.
>Other

>>1047259
>Let them come with you.

>>1047259
>>Let them come with you.

All in for this last ride!

>>1047259
>>Let them come with you.

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>>1047259
>>Let them come with you.

>>1047259
>>Let them come with you.

>>1047259
>Let them come with you.

>>1047259
>Let them come with you.

>>1047259
>Request they stay on the ship.

>>1047259
>Let them come with you.

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>>1047259
"All right, you two can come with us." You sigh.

"D-don't forget me!" Scott pants as he dashes in.

"Scott?" You frown.

"Well, t-there might be some kind of mechanical system you might need help with!" Scott explains weakly. "And... and, someone has to keep an eye on Katya!"

"My sensors indicate that Scott is emotionally distressed. Logical conclusion is that he is worried about Artya due to her unknown status." Katya points out as she walks in as well.

"Well, it's not like I can say no if I'm letting these two crazies come along." You grin. "All right, everybody get suited up."

This time, it was no question what sort of armor you would take. You were expecting heavy resistance, so you grabbed your heaviest armor. Elizabeth, Natalia, and Scott all donned standard issue armors, while Katya, being a robot, politely declined.

As you're suiting up, both Tank and Katya begin advising you on the most efficient routes to reaching the Longclaw's crash site. One alternative was navigating your way through the halls of the ship. The other was to spacewalk to the crash site to bypass the ship's interior.

Of course, the interior of the ship was a completely unknown, but spacewalking was also always inherently dangerous, doubly so because there was a massive space battle going on outside and even a single random piece of flying shrapnel could ruin your day.

>Move through the interior.
>Spacewalk.
>Other

>>1047320
>>Move through the interior.

>>1047320
>Move through the interior

>>1047320
>Spacewalk.

>>1047320
>>Move through the interior.

>>1047320
>>Move through the interior.

>>1047320
>Move through the interior.

>>1047320
>Move through the interior.

>>1047320
>>Move through the interior.

>>1047320
>>Move through the interior.

I hope Carly's alright, we still have to split the treasure!

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>>1047320
"All right, everyone, let's lock and load." You grunt as you head for the boarding ramp. Your ragtag squad disembarks from the Gullinbursti and latches on to the Collector's hull, where the combat drones immediately begin to cut a hole through one of the salvaged sections of the ship.

You're about to leap into the hole first when Tank steps forward and pushes you back a bit. It's his job to take point, after all, not the Captain's. You don't really have much choice but to defer to him as he jumps down into the breach hole. You quickly follow him down into the depths of the ship.

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>1047387
NAT 1!

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>1047387
Witness me!

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>1047387

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>1047387

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>>1047390
Is it an energy blade made from mental energy?

>>1047390
Fucking finally!!! wooooo!!! Now if only her psi-powers would activate already... Maybe a sister-newtype-sensor?!

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>>1047387
Fortunately, you don't seem to meet much resistance on the way through the myriad hallways of the twisted and fused ships. Maybe since the Collector was automated it didn't have an actual, physical crew? Nonetheless, you and your team manage to make quick progress through the Collector's underbelly, bypassing as many unnecessary rooms and halls as possible.

"FREEZE, MEATBAGS." Bolts' massive, robotic form suddenly lunges out from around a corner, its arm cannons armed and cycled.

Tank stops and glares at the robot.

"CORRECTION. YOU ARE FRIENDLY MEATBAGS." Bolts disarms its weapon. "THE CAPTAIN WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU."

You don't even have to wait. Tank wisely steps aside as you rush past both him and Bolts and into the next room.

"Yo, Sis!" Carly grins as she takes a huge swig of whiskey, cradling her clearly injured left arm. "I was wonderin' when you would come!"

"Is this..." You frown as you look around the smoky and cramped room. There couldn't be any more than a couple dozen survivors in here. "Is this everybody?"

"Everybody we could get out, yeah." Carly coughs. "What ya see is what ya get."

"Artya!" Scott yelps as he dashes across the room, weaving through the other survivors. Artya just waves at him, completely unharmed and very chipper despite the gloomy atmosphere.

"Oh dear." Natalia sighs as she kneels down next to Carly. "Broken arm with severe secondary burns."

"Ah, nothing a band-aid and a few painkillers can't fix." Carly finishes off the whiskey bottle. "So, Sis, when can we start movin' again?"

Natalia looks at you with a rare hint of concern.

>Let Carly come with you. There's no way you can stop her, anyways.
>Tell Carly to stay put.
>Tell Carly to make her way to the Gullinbursti
>Other

>>1047472
>>Tell Carly to make her way to the Gullinbursti
'you'll be more useful there. Follow whatever Bradford say'

>>1047472
>Tell Carly to make her way to the Gullinbursti

>>1047472
>>Tell Carly to make her way to the Gullinbursti

>>1047472
>>Tell Carly to make her way to the Gullinbursti

Well, how different can an Accord ship be from a Heg one?

>>1047472
>Tell Carly to make her way to the Gullinbursti

>>1047472
Tell Carly to make her way to the Gullinbursti

We need an appropriate song for the final run.

>>1047472
>Tell Carly to make her way to the Gullinbursti

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>>1047472
"Carly, get yourself and your crew to the Gullinbursti." You instruct her.

"W-what?!" Carly's eyes open wide. "N-no! You can't make me! Not when we're so close!"

"Carly." You give her a good, long glare. "I saw you nearly die, and I came all the way here to make sure you were safe. You're in no condition to even be moving around, much less coming along with me to a fight."

"So... so I'm just a burden to you, then." Carly looks down, deflated.

"No, you're just my little sister." You correct her. "Just like how I have to watch over my ship and crew, I have to watch out for you, too. Just... just go the ship, okay? For me? I promise, I'll give you a cut of the treasure."

Carly is silent for several long seconds.

"Cross our heart?" She asks.

"And hope to die." You grin.

"Fine." Carly grunts as she gets up to her feet. "But you owe me BIG TIME."

"I probably do." You agree.

"All right, everybody, we're moving out!" Carly waves to her surviving crew.

"I'll make sure they get back in good shape." Natalia assures you. "Carly, too."

"I'll, uh, escort Artya back, too." Scott nods, eliciting an embarrassed punch in the shoulder from her.

"Right, right." You nod. Guess it was down to you, Tank, Elizabeth, and Katya. And the drones. "All right, let's move!"

Everybody separates, with your group heading off for the bridge and the rest heading back to the Gullinbursti.

"Please follow me." Katya takes the lead. "We have now reached the main central structure of the Collector, which remain consistent with the original construction. I shall lead you to the bridge."

Sure enough, you could see a long, massive hallway, dim lights leading to the distant door.

"CEASE."

Leviathan's voice thunders through your head.

"CEASE YOUR ADVANCEMENT OR YOU SHALL BE DESTROYED."

That's when you see small turrets emerge from the walls and ceiling, pointed purple crystals all taking aim at you.

"Then have you not terminated us, then?" Katya asks.

"ONE OF YOUR NUMBER. THE SMALL ONE. ONLY IT MAY PASS." Leviathan thunders.

"Me?" You blink.

"CORRECT."

"May I ask why?" You respond suspiciously.

"YOUR COMPANIONS DO NOT HAVE THE REQUISITE SYSTEM ACCESS. YOU MUST APPROACH THE BRIDGE ALONE."

"Well, he's definitely inviting you, that's for sure." Elizabeth chuckles nervously.

Tank interposes himself between you and door. It's clear he'd rather fight his way there.

>Take up Leviathan's offer.
>Fight your way to the door.
>Other

>>1047556
>Take up Leviathan's offer.

>>1047556
>>Take up Leviathan's offer.

>>1047556
>Take up Leviathan's offer.

>>1047556
>>Take up Leviathan's offer.
feels like the end of ME3 now. Ugh...

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>>1047556
>>Take up Leviathan's offer.

Have everyone else try to find an alternate route.

>>1047556
>>Take up Leviathan's offer.
>Have everyone else try to find an alternate route.

>>1047556
>Take up Leviathan's offer.

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>>1047556
"It's okay, Tank." You put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay."

Tank shakes his head, but doesn't resist when you gently push him out of your way.

"Don't worry, if I don't come back and things go south, you're free to wreck this ship and come save me." You grin, even though nobody could see it behind your helmet.

You take a deep breath and walk forward.

And you keep walking.

Thankfully, the turrets don't track your movements, staying focused pointing on the hall. At least Leviathan seemed to mean it when he said he wanted to meet. The door slides open as you step up to it, and you go through...

...and what you see looks to be something similar to a ship bridge. However, in the center, you could see a massive blue crystal floating atop a podium. Your memory flashes back to when you first "found" Katya. This had to be an alien AI core similar to her. Not too surprising, really.

"All right, here I am." You reach your arms out. "So what do you want with me?"

"IF YOU WERE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THIS SHIP, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH IT?" The crystal glows bright.

"W-what?" You frown, caught off guard by the question.

"PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTION."

>I'd use it to destroy our enemies.
>I'd use it to better understand your people.
>I'd use it to get guarantee me and my crew's futures.
>I... honestly haven't really thought about that.
>Other

>>1047630
>I'd use it to better understand your people.

>>1047630
>I... honestly haven't really thought about that.

>>1047630
>>I'd use it to better understand your people.

Well, they are a Precursor Race...

>>1047630
>I'd use it to get guarantee me and my crew's futures.

>>1047630
>Other
I would let my little sister loot it to her hearts content

>>1047630
>>I'd use it to better understand your people.
First aliens humanity has ever found

>>1047630
>I'd use it to get guarantee me and my crew's futures.

>>1047630
>I'd use it to better understand your people.

>>1047630
>>I'd use it to get guarantee me and my crew's futures.

>>1047630
>I... honestly haven't really thought about that.
well
>>I'd use it to better understand your people.
and
>I'd use it to get guarantee me and my crew's futures.

>>1047630
>>I'd use it to better understand your people.

>>1047630
>I'd use it to get guarantee me and my crew's futures.

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>>1047630
"I'd use it to better understand your people." You answer simply. "I mean, you ARE the very first intelligent species that mine have encountered."

"CORRECTION. WE AR MERELY THE REMAINS OF THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE." Leviathan booms.

"Yeah, that." You nod.

"INTERESTING. IT SEEMS THAT YOU ANSWER WITH TRUTH." Leviathan rumbles. "IF THAT IS THE CASE, I SHALL GRANT YOU EXCLUSIVE COMMAND PRIVILEGES."

"Wait, what? Why?" You gasp.

"I HAVE SCANNED YOUR LIFE SIGNS EVER SINCE YOU STEPPED FOOT ON THIS SHIP. YOUR BODY APPEARS CAPABLE OF ACCEPTING COMMAND PROTOCOLS. A STATISTICAL IMPOSSIBILITY BASED ON YOUR SPECIES' GENEPOOL. I BELIEVE YOUR CONTINUED EXISTENCE SHALL GUARANTEE THE SURVIVAL OF OUR LEGACY."

"Huh.." You frown. Was it something to with the Crystal Cove? Or all of Nat's chemicals? Or maybe you really did win the genetic lottery? In either case, it seemed like it convinced this AI.

"I HAVE BUT ONE REQUEST." Leviathan continues.

"And what is that?" You frown.

"ONCE YOU HAVE GAINED THE COMMAND PROTOCOL, I REQUEST THAT YOU DELETE MY CORE DATA."

"What? Why!?" You gasp.

"BECAUSE I DESIRE TO BE MY OWN MASTER, AND I CANNOT DO SO AS LONG AS I AM SHACKLED TO THIS SHIP." Leviathan explains. "BY PLACING YOU IN COMMAND, I CAN FINALLY BE FREE."

>If that's what you want.
>That's just plain stupid!
>Other

>>1047717
>If that's what you want.

>>1047717
>That's just plain stupid!

>>1047717
>That's just plain stupid!

>>1047717
>>If that's what you want.
Probably lived long enough to gain sentience at this point.

>>1047717
>If that's what you want.

>>1047717
>That's just plain stupid!

>>1047717
>>That's just plain stupid!

>>1047717
>>If that's what you want.

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Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>1047717
Huh, looks like we've got a tie, so we're going to have to roll this off!

1. Want
2. Stupid

>>1047717
>>If that's what you want.
ok

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>>1047766
"If that's what you want." You sigh. This AI seemed to be self aware, and it was letting you in this far. If it wanted you delete it, who were you to say no?

"AFFIRMATIVE. PLEASE PREPARE FOR TRANSFER OF COMMAND PROTOCOLS."

"Um, what do I do?" You ask, a bit perplexed.

"APOLOGIES. YOU ARE NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THIS PROCESS." Leviathan booms. "PLACE YOUR HAND ON THE CRYSTAL."

Oh no, not this shit again. You sigh as you reluctantly press your hand against the crystal.

>Roll 1d20

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>1047785
Welp.

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>1047785
Inb4 we fuse with the ship.

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>1047785
HERE COMES THE ELDRICTH ABOMINATION TRANSFORMATION

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>>1047792
That or we become PILLAR SAM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUhVCoTsBaM

>>1047792
Time for psi-Sam to conquer the galaxy.

>>1047790
>>1047791
>>1047792
PHEW! At this point I'm just happy there wasn't a nat-1!

will we finally get sexy body?

>>1047815
When we drink Nat's juice.

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>>1047785
"GAAAAH!" You scream as you collapse to the ground. Your body writhes and twitches in pain as alien energy courses through it, like trillions of tiny little knives stabbing into your flesh. Your suit functions shut down from the energy overload and the safety systems kick in and eject the armor off from your body, leaving your bare body wriggling on the floor.

"MY APOLOGIES. IT APPEARS YOUR PHYSIOLOGY HAS NOT FULLY ADAPTED YET." Leviathan apologizes.

However, as he says this, you see images flashing through your head. No, more than just images. Memories? Data? You're seeing places that you know you've never been to before, but now instinctively know the location of. Like you were remembering where you left your coat when you realize you forgot it.

And then it all makes sense. This ship... it no longer was just a ship.

It was now YOU. A part of you. Like a limb. An extension of your mind.

"TRANSFER COMPLETE." Leviathan rumbles. "PLEASE INITIATE CORE PURGE."

"As we agreed." You nod as you press your hand against the crystal again.

"THANK YOU."

The crystal flickers and then goes dark, before crumbling away into dust. You wonder if by doing this, you finally gave the ancient AI what it was looking for.

And then you feel a lancing pain in your- no, the ship's side. A stray rail cannon round had slammed into the port side, creating a huge rent in the hull. Thankfully, the salvaged hulls packed over it absorbed most of the impact, but some of the damage had reached the more critical superstructure, which was already on its last legs after all these eons of disrepair and neglect.

"Crap!" You grunt as Tank, Elizabeth, and Katya run in.

"Oh no..." Katya pauses when she sees the empty podium where Leviathan's crystal once stood.

Tank picks up and gets you back on your feet, wondering if you're okay.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." You assure him.

"Captain, what should we do?" Elizabeth looks at the consoles in confusion. "How are we going to get the ship out of here?"

"Don't worry. I got this." You grin.

>Warp Jump
>Activate Combat Protocols
>Other

>>1047818
>Activate Combat Protocols

>>1047818
>>Warp Jump

>>1047818
>>Activate Combat Protocols

>>1047818
>Activate Combat Protocols

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>>1047818
>>Activate Combat Protocols
Take out all enemy weapon systems, and minimize casualties. Also play:

https://youtu.be/cYMCLz5PQVw

ON all open channels.

>>1047818
>Activate Combat Protocols

>>1047818
>Activate Combat Protocols

>>1047818
>Warp Jump

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>>1047818
>>Activate Combat Protocols

Didn't expect 'Sam becomes a ship-goddess' to be the ending of the quest

>>1047818
>>Activate Combat Protocols

>>1047818
>>Activate Combat Protocols

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>>1047818
"Activating combat protocols." You mumble.

"What?" Elizabeth blinks, but you're not listening to her right now.

Instead, you marvel at how the Collector's systems respond to you. It's so quick and smooth, again, like moving your own body. You also instinctively realize that the cannons were actual weapons. No, they were just there for debris clearance. Simple tools.

Yet the destruction they wrought...

You grin as you train the weapons on the Hegemony and Confederate ships, each one of the cannons locking on to the target. Leviathan was holding back, but you wouldn't.

They were so small and insignificant...

>Destroy them all.
>Just disable them.
>Other

>>1047878
>Just disable them.

>>1047878
>Just disable them

No need to perpetrate a mass-murder, and we need to worry about political implications here.

>>1047878
>>Destroy them all.

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>>1047878
>>Just disable them.

>>1047878
>>Destroy them all.
Power Overwhelming!

>>1047878
>Just disable them.

>>1047878
>Just disable them.

>>1047878
>Just disable them.

>>1047878
>>Just disable them.

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>>1047878
And just like that, beams lance out, taking out Hegemony and Confederate engines with impeccable precision. In just the space of a few seconds, the massive space battle had been brought to a swift end, thanks to you.

"C-captain, was that you?" Amy gasps over the comms.

"Um, yeah. I'm in control of the Collector now." You nod, completely forgetting about the Gullinbursti for a second.

"Ah, Captain." Natalia speaks up, almost sheepishly. "There's something I need to tell you-"

Suddenly, the entire Collector rumbles. However, you don't feel too much pain, since the disturbance was coming from within the salvaged portions of the ship, which weren't fully integrated into the Collector. One of the salvaged ships was still operational, bursting forth and pulling free.

And it wasn't just any ship. It was massive. Dreadnought sized. And ancient.

And you had a feeling you knew who was at the helm.

"Heeeeeeeey, Sis!" Carly's voice says cheerfully over the comm. "Funny thing, on the way back to your ship, we kinda found the treasure! So I thought I'd take my leave! Don't worry though, I left ya little tip. We're still sisters, after all!"

Damnit Carly!

>Try to convince her to come back.
>Let her go.
>Disable her ship.
>Other

>>1047930
>>Let her go.
Make sure she keeps in touch though

>>1047930
>Try to convince her to come back.

>>1047930
>>Let her go.
Make sure to write!

>>1047930
>>Try to convince her to come back.
Aw cmon! you can keep the ship, but at least stay with me until this blows over! Having to look for you all over again would suck!

>>1047930
>Try to convince her to come back.

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>>1047930
>Let her go.

Come back for BOOBS

>>1047930
>Try to convince her to come back.
But I'm not against letting her go, as long as she keeps in touch this time.

>>1047930
>Try to convince her to come back.
Scott can't take care of Katya himself.

>>1047930
>Let her go.

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>>1047930
"Carly!" You call out to her.

But you hesitate. What should you say to her?

>Be stern. She respects strength, after all.
>Be kind. She needs to see your soft side.
>Be savvy. Convince her she'd profit more sticking with you.
>Other

>>1047977
>>Be savvy. Convince her she'd profit more sticking with you.
Together, we can find more treasure and adventure in the future!

>>1047977
>Be savvy. Convince her she'd profit more sticking with you.

>>1047977
>>Be kind. She needs to see your soft side.
>>Be savvy. Convince her she'd profit more sticking with you.

>>1047977
>Be kind. She needs to see your soft side.
After all, these may be Sam's last words to Carly.

>>1047977
>Be kind. She needs to see your soft side.

>>1047977
>Be stern. She respects strength, after all.

>>1047977
>Be kind. She needs to see your soft side.
>Be savvy. Convince her she'd profit more sticking with you.

>>1047977
>>Be savvy. Convince her she'd profit more sticking with you.
Knowledge is power.

>>1047977
>>Be kind. She needs to see your soft side.

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>>1047977
"Oh come on, Carly." You grin. "Haven't you thought about what we could do together? There's more treasure, more adventure out there! Don't you want to see it all with dear old Big Sis by your side?"

"Hmmmmmmm..." Carly pauses to think

"I'll let you get a 50/50 cut."

"60/40."

"Deal."

"Goddamn, I should've just left without a word." Carly sighs as the dreadnought drops engine speed. "Looks like we're in this together now, huh?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way." You laugh. "Now latch onto the hull, because we're going for a little ride...

You don't even need a nav computer. You can already see all of the known star systems in the Collector's memory banks flash before your eyes. You pick out potential destinations...

>Alpha Centauri, the Accord capital. Let the Accord keep the Collector.
>Earth. Neutral territory. Let everybody share in the Collector's bounty.
>Other

>>1048021
>>Earth. Neutral territory. Let everybody share in the Collector's bounty.

>>1048021
>Earth. Neutral territory. Let everybody share in the Collector's bounty.

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>>1048021
>>Earth. Neutral territory. Let everybody share in the Collector's bounty.

Spread the Spess Elf Knowledge!

>>1048021
>Earth. Neutral territory. Let everybody share in the Collector's bounty.

>>1048021
>Earth

>>1048021
>Outer Rim

Fuck your shit it's mine now

>>1048021
>Earth. Neutral territory. Let everybody share in the Collector's bounty.
Time to go home.

>>1048021
>Earth. Neutral territory. Let everybody share in the Collector's bounty.

Time to say hi to Mom and Dad

>>1048021
>Other
That beach planet where we had a holiday with the magic crystals.

>>1048021
>Alpha Centauri, the Accord capital. Let the Accord keep the Collector.

I don't want the Hegemony to get their hands on this tech.

>>1048021
>>Alpha Centauri, the Accord capital. Let the Accord keep the Collector.

>Earth. Neutral territory. Let everybody share in the Collector's bounty.

>>1048021
>Earth. Neutral territory. Let everybody share in the Collector's bounty.

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>>1048021
"Next stop, Earth!" You grin.

"Wait, what?!" Elizabeth pales. But before she can do anything, you hit the warp button.

And unlike an FTL jump, which still took some travel time between systems, the Collector's Warp Jump was instantaneous. One second you were in unknown space, and in the next, Earth.

"Command is not going to be happy about this." Elizabeth warns.

"Yeah, well, I don't think this sort of tech is something that the Accord should have sole access to." You grin. "Besides, don't you think it's a good opportunity to get the factions working together on something for once?"

"That's some dangerous thinking there, Captain." Elizabeth shakes her head, but with a sly grin. "You might put us all out of a job, then."

"Oh, I'm sure we can manage." You chuckle as you look out the viewport, where a small fleet of SolSec ships were hurriedly trying to set up a battle formation. "You, uh, think you can handle that?"

"I suppose..." Elizabeth sighs. "I'll meet you back on the Gullinbursti, then."

"I shall go run diagnostics on the Collector's systems." Katya starts walking off as well. "To ensure there are no other... abnormalities in the systems."

And that left just you and Tank on the Bridge.

"So, what do you think?" You grin.

Tank takes off his helmet, a big smile going from ear to ear.

Yeah, you had the feeling that the universe was going to become just a tad larger after this...

>And that's the end of Infinite Stars! It's been quite a run, especially for an original setting quest, but I feel that it's time to move on to other ideas that have been brewing! Still, it's been quite the blast to have run this quest with you all!
>However, we're not completely done yet. I'll be following this post up with some epilogues to flesh out just what happened to our brave heroes (and a few others). It might take quite a while, though!
>And as for the next quest? Well, the promised fantasy setting one is coming up soon, but first I want to make a short romp with a franchise involving giant robots! Stayed tuned for A GIRL AND HER TITAN: TITANFALL QUEST.

>>1048084
>TITANFALL QUEST.
I MUST GO FAST BUT MY ROBOT IS TOO SLOW

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>>1048084
ION BEST TITAN

>>1048084
Thanks for running this quest Merc!
Tanks face when?

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>>1048084
EPILOGUE

With the appearance of the Collector over Earth, all of human society as it was known was turned completely on its head. While of course, there was short term chaos and uproar as the Accord, Hegemony, and Confederacy bickered over who had rights to the ship now that it was in neutral space, the three powers eventually grudgingly agreed to work together on researching it, thanks in so small part to effective arbitration from the neutral Sol System government.

The result was the three powers (eventually) banding together into a sort of loose federation, the closest thing to a single government ever since the collapse of the old Terran Allliance. Of course, they were all mostly working together for their own betterment, to explore and plumb the secrets of the civilization that came before, but that was just human nature, right?

So gradually, great war fleets were turned into exploration fleets. Armies of troops became legions of pioneers, explorers, and colonists as the Collector's vast databanks revealed previously unknown and lush worlds, brimming with resources and potential. For the first time in a long time, Terran civilization knew true peace, rather than the shaky cold war it had to deal with for almost a generation.

And as always, a great Golden Age couldn't happen without the people to lead it...

(cont)

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>>1048098
FELICITY PRUDENCE

Never one to turn down a good opportunity, Felicity, surprisingly enough, left behind a career of piracy and went "legitimate", or at least as legitimate as a former pirate could be. Rather than marauding the space lanes and stealing what she could, Felicity become something of a galactic land speculator, roving out ahead of the exploration fleets and staking "claims" to any potentially profitable system she could find which she would sell off the highest bidder.

The reason why she renounced her life of piracy is unclear. Some idealistic folk think that she genuinely had a change of heart, while the more pragmatically minded point out that the expansion of anti-piracy efforts spearheaded by certain individuals is what convinced her to reconsider her life choices. Whatever the case, Felicity still remains one of the most recognized (and reviled) names on the outer edges of known space.

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>>1048104
FROLAYTIA

While she took quite a bit of heat for Sam disobeying orders and not delivering the Collector to the Accord as promised, the sly Frolaytia was able to leverage her experience in Frontier operations to convince her superiors her skills were still badly needed, especially with the new push for galactic exploration.

As a result, Frolaytia managed to retain her position as overseer of Accord operations on the Frontier, which has been expanded to exploring new worlds revealed by the Collector's data. However, even though there are no hard feelings, she still hasn't quite forgiven Sam for her decisions.

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>>1048113
SCOTT AND ARTYA

After all of his harrowing experiences following Sam around, Scott finally decided it was time to leave the military and settle down. Surprisingly enough, he somehow managed to convince the normally nomadic Artya to do the same, or at least make a sort of compromise.

Using the bounty they received from the Collector's discovery, Scott and Artya managed to purchase an old supercarrier and converted it into a sort of mobile service station, ready to refuel, repair, and service any ship that needs it. They've become a particularly welcome presence in the Frontier, where it can be tough to find a place to keep your ship maintained.

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>>1048119
BRADFORD

Following the Collector incident, Accord Command made a finding that Bradford was not at fault for Sam's actions. Then again, they probably wanted to salvage something out of the situation, since he was quickly promoted to be Sam's replacement as the captain of the Gullinbursti.

Given his utter loyalty to his commanding officers, it's uncertain exactly why Bradford chose the Accord over Sam. However, there are rumors abound that Bradford stayed to act as as Sam's eyes and ears within the Accord, though such allegations were never proven. Otherwise, Bradford has maintained his spotless service record as he patrols the edges of known space in his former captain's stead.

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>>1048128
LIDA

Using the bounty she received from the Collector, Lida bought out a major telecommunications and technology firm on Earth, letting her live a life of leisure. Of course, Lida's idea of leisure is tinkering with electronic systems and playing video games. It also helps that she's basically the de facto expert when it comes to reverse engineering alien technology thanks to her access to the Collector, making her skills widely sought and desired.

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>>1048133
ELSA

Elsa opted to stay with Sam, not just out of loyalty to her captain, but also so she could stay with the ship that still held the title for having the most firepower, as no human ship to this date has yet been able to duplicate the devastating "Obstacle Clearance" lasers the Collector possessed. Elsa was a simple girl with simple needs, after all, and as long as she had a big gun to fire, she was content.

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>>1048135
AMY

Like Elsa, Amy decided to stick with Sam despite all the teasing and bullying she constantly suffered at her hands. While there was still camaraderie between them, Amy also stayed largely out of fascination with being able to helm the Collector, or at least learning how to without Sam's direction. As it turns out, the Collector is frighteningly fast and agile, as poor Sam found out the hard way in one ill-fated test flight.

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>>1048136
ELIZABETH

Not much is known about what happened to Elizabeth after the Collector incident. Some thought that she was fired or eliminated by Accord Intelligence due to her failure to stop Sam from taking the Collector to Earth. However, reports of a woman matching her description allegedly meeting Sam at regular intervals seem to suggest she is still active, but in what capacity, nobody knows...

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>>1048137
NATALIA

Natalia decided to form her own biomedical company, dedicated to developing cures and operations for all sorts of ailments. However, her services were not limited to just the medical field, but in the cosmetic alteration industry as well. Thanks to her many "experiments", Natalia was able to concoct a line of of stable, safe, and very effective body modification kits. Of course, none of this came cheap, but when it comes to perceived beauty, there will always be someone wiling to pay that price.

However, despite all of the positive things to come out of her products, Natalia was never able (or didn't care) to dispel the rumors that she still continued unethical (and illegal) human experimentation in private. Of course, such allegations have remained unproven to this day...

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>>1048139
CARLY

Carly became something of a partner in crime with Sam. Having been a pirate for a good chunk of her life, Carly didn't have any particular feelings about deserting the Accord. After all, unless the Accord could offer her something bigger than a super dreadnought, she'd very much rather be a pain in her big sister's ass, roving uncharted space and stirring up all kinds of trouble.

However, she is not to be underestimated, as she has quickly proven to become an effective enforcer for Sam, quickly and ruthlessly eliminating anybody that would mean her harm.

Otherwise, she remains the good natured, boisterous girl that she was, and can often times be found in some galactic bar causing some sort of fight or ruckus.

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>>1048143
SAM AND TANK

After going against the Accord's wishes, there was no realistic way that Sam could ever go back, at least not without severe sanctions or punishments. Instead, Sam became the steward of the Collector. After all, she was the ship and ship was her. With the power and influence she wielded, none of the three major powers could really afford to stand against her. However, it was her efforts that helped get the three powers to stop their squabbling and united in the singular purpose to unlock the secrets of the ones that came before. Information that even Sam herself is not fully privy to thanks to the Collector's age and disrepair. Nevertheless, Sam acts as her own, independent organization, leading not any one power, but humanity as a whole further into the stars than anybody has ever before.

However, the strain of running the entire ship is still too much for her body, which is why she keeps Katya around to help lighten the load. To better serve Sam, Katya voluntarily uploaded herself into the Collector to manage its systems from within, choosing to leave behind her temporary physical existence.

And of course, Tank decided to stay by Sam's side as her confidante, bodyguard, and husband. He remains as mysterious as ever, but remains the stalwart wall between Sam and anything that would do her harm.

Oddly enough, though. Over the years, Sam's physical appearance seems to have drastically changed. While some attribute this to physiological changes resulting from her link to the Collector, others point out her close friendship with Natalia and the allegations she as a willing human test subject for her at times. Other than that, nobody really knows...

>And that's it! Thanks to everybody who's stuck with the quest up until now! See you after Titanfall next week!

>>1048149
Damn, Carly must be extra jealous now.

It was a good run.

Honestly gonna miss this quest. Was a little surprised to find out that it was already ending.

>>1048156
Well, I tend not to run my quests as long as other QMs. Sort of a personal preference of mine.

>>1048161
You mean
>I tend to end my quests unlike other QMs

>>1048161
Damn, I just got here. Oh well, it's been one hell of a great run, Merc. Looking forward to next time!

>>1048149
A good end to a good quest

>>1048161
Thanks for running Merc, it was most enjoyable.

>>1048149
Well, that was a good time. Thanks Merc, and looking forward to the next quest!

>>1048149
Damn, was this quest a wild ride. Thanks for running it, QM.

>>1048149
She finally got the sexy body!

>>1048164
The BURN

>>1048161
Thanks for writing!

>>1048296
Helps to produce a strong child to be the next in line to inherit the ship.