by Tao Wong
“You tricked me,” Bolo says.
“Yup. Sorry about that, but actually beating you would be a chore.” Bolo growls at my answer, and I dismiss it by shifting topics. “By the way, how’d you do that?”
“What?”
“The bone-breaking thing,” I say, eyeing my health gauge. It’s still at two-thirds full, so there’s no reason for my body to be as broken as it is.
“Dragon Knight secret,” Bolo says, the flames across his body flickering lower.
“Fine. Bloody inhuman monster,” I mutter as I push myself to my feet.
“You know, he really isn’t human. Also, neither really are you. Most people would be curled up screaming with that many broken bits.”
“Oh, come on, this is nothing. Not like the Dugar Worm eating and digesting me. Or the Kodiak Bear sitting on me.”
“And there’s my point.”
“So are you going to keep hitting me or are we done?” I say, cocking my head.
All around us, the various pirates, members of Oi’s gang, and the residents of station 4.82 are looking at us, ready to move aside if things grow more heated. It was somewhat surprising—even if I had been informed that it would happen—the way everyone got on with their lives, fixing the damage and getting healed once the station was taken. It seems that these kinds of takeovers are routine enough no one gets too worked up about it. Win or lose, the people who reside in Spaks move on.
“We are done,” Bolo says, extinguishing the flames around his body. He straightens up, the anger disappearing and an almost beseeching look appearing on his face as he runs a hand through his hair and along his horns. “Now what am I’m supposed to do?”
For a second, an image rises up in my eyes. Bolo, with much bigger eyes, looking at me and saying, “Senpai! You must take responsibility!” I choke, the mental image utterly ridiculous. But on closer look, I can almost see it. Now that we’re not fighting, Bolo looks young. Not physically, but in the way he holds himself, the sudden shift in his temperament.
“Well, since you’re no longer obligated, why not chill for a bit?” I wave. “Or, you know, you could help fix some of the damage you caused.”
“I caused?” Bolo’s eyes narrow. “I wasn’t the aggressor here.”
“But that hammer of yours tore up most of the floors.”
“Only because you kept running.”
“That’s called strategy.”
“If we were on dry land—”
“I’d change tactics,” I reply, sniffing.
Bolo growls, getting right into my face. “Let’s find the arena and we’ll try that again.”
“Oooh. Let me think about that. No.”
“Coward.”
“Hot-head.”
“Oy! You two. Stop flirting and get over here,” Ali calls.
The look we send to Ali just slides off him, but I do stomp over to the Spirit.
“What is it?” I say.
The dark-skinned Spirit chuckles and jumps up, shrinking down as he points in the direction of the station core. “We’re wanted, boy-o.”
I grunt in acknowledgement and fall in. Harry rejoins us, moving alongside the group while training his hands to the side to record the reconstruction. Bolo comes stomping along too, a little off-side to Mikito, who continues to watch our former enemies vigilantly.
“Harry Prince. War Correspondent,” Harry says, showing both hands palm up then turning them around.
After making his hammer disappear, Bolo copies the motion, his motions a lot smoother. The moment Harry gets the return motion, he begins recording again.
“Bolo Dumas of the Windward South. Dragon Lord,” Bolo says. “You were watching the fight.”
“I was. I’ll probably get good ratings for this.”
“Reporters.” Bolo sniffs, but when Harry asks to interview him, I note that Bolo doesn’t reject the request.
I tune out the pair as we walk, eyeing the Galactics around us. Ever since we finished the Quest, the sideways looks of hostility and the angry sneers have reduced. I even get a few nods of acknowledgement from the station residents. I can’t help but wonder if it’s the higher Reputation numbers or just the fact that we have Bolo with us.
“Ah, Paladin. About time,” Kros, the martial artist, says as we arrive in front of the same door that Bolo once guarded, the one that leads to the station core. Kros isn’t the only one here, the rest of Oi’s first party and some additional security standing guard. His gaze shifts, locking on the figure being pestered by our reporter. “What is he doing here?”
“Because I want to. Do you have a problem with that?” Bolo says with a low growl.
Kros freezes, crystal seeming to thrum with increased illumination. “Paladin…”
“Don’t look at me,” I say.
So long as Bolo isn’t causing trouble, I’m not going to bother him. Or try to dissuade the Dragon Lord from following us. Having three Master Classes wandering around together will be more than sufficient to keep even the most antagonistic…
Oh, thousand hells.
“One second,” I say to Kros then turn toward Bolo. He tilts his head, and I step closer, lowering my voice. “All right, spit it out. Who did you piss off?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Bolo meets my eyes confidently, instead of down and to the side as he’s done before.
He overplays his hand, and I know my hunch was right. It doesn’t help his case that when I view him through Society’s Web, dark strings lead from his form, threads that I’ve seen before in disastrous circumstances. Rather than reply, I return Bolo’s stare while ignoring the mutters from Kros and his people.
Eventually the Dragon Lord crumbles. “Was it a Skill that gave it away?”
“Nope. Also, don’t bother, I saw you activate that Deceit Skill,” I say, blinking away the notification that Ali pushed to me. “It won’t work. Not very honorable for a Dragon Lord, no?”
“It’s just a title,” Bolo says, but he shifts his weight needlessly while he speaks.
I almost smile but manage to keep my face still.
Eventually, Bolo sighs, realizing that his delaying tactics won’t work either. “I have a few enemies in the deeper rings. When I was working for the station, I was protected, but now…”
“Now you’re not. And you’re using us as cover,” I say.
“Yes.”
“Okay.” I turn back to Kros.
“Okay? What do you mean okay?” Bolo’s voice rises at the end.
I go over the word I used in Galactic. Yup. Used the right term. It wasn’t the same of course, but the general slang and intent transferred over. “Okay means okay. It’s all good.”
“Why?”
I ignore Bolo, smirking as I walk into the anteroom right before the actual command room that hosts the station core. There’s little sign of the desperate life-and-death battle that played out here a few hours ago. A few slow-repairing dents, a set of mismatched chairs, and the lingering smell of blood and burnt flesh are all the clues available. Inside, Oi and I Shao wait for us.
It takes me a moment to realize what’s different about the pair. They’re dressed up, changed from the simple combat jumpsuits that most Adventurers wear—with some degree of styling obviously—to significantly more stylish and less practical wear. What they’re wearing is viable for combat in a pinch, but it’s significantly more expensive. Button down coats, flared sleeves, ruffles around the hips and visible jewelry in a variety of colors are all part of the new dress code. I recall seeing similar clothing worn by civilians in Irvina and other, more peaceful cities.
For an Adventurer, for a combat Classer, there’s a balance in clothing and armor. Buy too cheap and the armor is mass produced, offering little protection. Pay too much and you bankrupt yourself because most clothing—and armor—doesn’t last more than a fight or two. Even micro-woven, self-repairing armor can only do so much. The Master Class created armor I wear is an obvious exception—but the level of defens
e could have been achieved cheaper. What I’m paying for is the ability for my armor to be fixed. Unless you’re facing combat situations extremely regularly, it’s more financially viable to pick up a high defense, low durability, low repairability piece of armor. So expensive, styled clothing indicates an expectation of few, if no, violent encounters in the near future.
“You called?” I ask as I grab a seat.
Bolo sprawls in a seat he conjures himself, the giant chair shaped to take in his contours. His presence gets a little side-eye but no protest.
“Yes,” Oi says. “We wanted to know your intentions.”
“I didn’t think we were that close yet,” I say, batting my eyes at Oi. The joke falls flat for everyone but Ali, garnering me a bunch of crazy stares. I get that human humor is probably lost on the Galactics, but not even a smile from Harry and Mikito? I’m hurt.
“Your intentions?” Oi repeats.
“Not much of one,” I say. “There’s a Questor’s library in the third ring that I’m aiming to visit. Maybe pick up a few Quests if there’s something less criminal. Wait for our ship to get fixed.”
“Do research on your next target?” I Shao asks, her eyes fixed on me. I can tell she’s got her Skill up, the way the Mana fluctuates around her body and the pointed questioning she’s using.
“Maybe,” I say. Not an untruth, but it might not matter with her Skill. While some Skills function on the basis of your spoken word, checking against the unvarnished “truth,” others verify against your body language, your vitals. Even minute differences, like the fact that I really mean no can be picked up—or at least, the uncertainty of my own intentions. How much she learns depends on her Skill level and her ability to read the information given to her.
“You’re a Questor?” Bolo says, cutting in with a derisive tone.
“Oh yeah, boy-o over here is a real big one. Probably the biggest on Earth. He’s spent more Credits buying those stupid books of his than on his equipment,” Ali replies for me.
“I have not. You’re exaggerating.”
Ali chuckles while Bolo rolls his eyes.
I ignore the pair of comedians while focusing on Oi. “I’m assuming you called me here for more than a basic checkup.”
“While it might seem as though the transition has gone off without a hitch, violent takeovers are not as organized and structured as you would think,” I Shao says. “In fact, there are often individuals who harbor some resentment.” A glance at Bolo who offers her a toss of his head, making his horns catch the light and glimmer. “During this initial period, it would be useful if we had a little… help.”
“You want us to be your bodyguards.” Mikito says, speaking up for the first time.
“Is that an issue? We could have you work as on-call support,” Oi says. “If we upgrade the dimensional blockers, we could create exceptions in the blocks, allowing you to Portal in. Though the very fact that you are working for us should quell any major issues.”
Being a bodyguard is going to tie us down. That’s not a great option when I’ve got a bounty on my head. I can see the way being at their beck-and-call could bite us in the ass. On the other hand, official standing in Spaks will be useful if, or when, we have to fight the bounty hunters. Not to mention that the fame and reputation points would be useful. In fact…
“How’d that affect our Reputation scores?”
“Regular increases. Longer you stay, higher it goes. Same with any on-going contract that you fulfill.”
“Assuming we agree, I’d still like to increase our reputation to enter the third ring faster,” I say.
Oi and I Shao exchange looks before they smile.
I Shao leans forward. “I can help with that. We have contacts in this and the previous ring who could use further help. Individuals who can increase your Reputation much quicker.”
I snort. Of course they only mention it now. For the moment at least, this works.
After that, it just became a matter of bargaining. I mostly sit back, letting Ali take over the negotiation. Harry keeps quiet, occasionally updating us on what’s Galactic standard via the party chat but staying out of the conversation since he’s not technically included. The entire bargaining session takes over an hour before everyone seems happy and a negotiated contract floats before us.
“Then that is agreed on?” I Shao says, double-confirming with the pair of us.
“Add me too. At the same rate,” Bolo says.
The Dragon Lord has been ignored by us all through the entire discussion, chewing on some weird nut that looks like an over-sized sunflower seed. Every time he cracks one open, he makes the outer covering disappear into his inventory.
“Lord Bolo—” I Shao starts then stops as Bolo meets her gaze flatly.
I Shao shivers as Bolo lets his Dragon Fear Aura extend, wrapping us in its pants-wetting embrace. The Negotiator manages to look at Oi, who nods. A moment later, I see Bolo’s eyes move as he reads a notification.
“Details of our contacts will be sent to you later,” Oi says. “We will need to inform them beforehand.”
We take the dismissal with aplomb, especially since Oi indicates that our services are not required right this moment. They intend to get the upgrades to the Dimensional Locks immediately, then whitelist us. In the meantime, they will be well secure in the control room. As we’re dismissed, I walk toward where our ship is meant to dock.
“Harry, things are going to be a bit boring for a bit. Mind taking Dornalor with you on a fact-finding mission? I want to make sure we set up a warning system for any potential bounty hunters who might be coming for us. And get an idea of who’s already here,” I send over the party chat as we walk.
“On it.”
“What about us?” Mikito says.
“I don’t know about you, but I need a drink,” I reply.
There’s little we can do till we get the contacts from Oi. Not to mention just an hour ago, we were in a rather nasty battle with a Dragon Lord. The status effects from having half a dozen bones shattered might be gone, but I could still use a break.
***
“Mining?” I say slowly and disbelievingly at the first of Oi’s contacts. “Really?”
“You requested quests that would increase your reputation with the station as quickly as possible, yes?” the robed attendant says. Thus far, I’ve yet to get a glimpse of whatever is beneath the robes, the woman having her appendages crossed in front of her and the hood down. “Spaks station is in constant need of additional ore. Or did you think we came to this asteroid belt for no reason?”
“I thought it was for security.”
“Bah! The asteroid field provides only a modicum of additional security. Any good navigator could act as a spy, guiding in an invading fleet. They might lose a few, from contingencies, but not enough to really matter. A foolish myth,” the contact says.
I open my mouth then shut it. Well, it does make sense. And they do need ore. Even with mass teleportation and large cargo ships, mining ore in the asteroid belt is probably the easiest way to replace anything they use. With the volume of ships docking everyday—and the production of even more vessels—the demand must be intense. But… “Is there nothing else?”
“Your friend is browsing through the rest of the list,” the robed speaker says, inclining her head toward Ali. “But you provided me the parameters of short term, high reputation, high return. Mining is the answer.”
Ali speaks up, fingers twitching as he browses. “Lots of bounties. Mostly privateers and bounty hunters who have been taking out pirate ships.”
“Pass,” Mikito says.
“Figured. No joining pirate crews either, right? Though they do serve the best rum,” Ali mutters. “Ooooh. Fetch and deliver requests. If we knew of these, we could have brought some loot from Earth.”
“Not helpful,” I say, crossing my arms.
While Ali continues to mutter to himself, I turn my attention to the mining quests. Technically, they’re not a
ll direct mining quests, but they’re all related to it. Three catch my attention.
Collection Quest: Gather 1000 SGUs of Iron (Repeatable quest)
Ore must be delivered to station 4.82 for Quest to be completed.
Reward: +1 Reputation, +7,389 Credits
“SGU?”
“Standard Galactic Units.”
“Oh.” I shrug and notice the Credit amount flicker on the notification, adjusting its payout in real time.
After a moment, I dismiss the notification. Even if we could modify the ship to mine, I have no idea how long it’d take to mine a 1000 SGUs. If it takes too long, the rental cost would eat up any potential profits. And even if reputation is what we’re grinding, I’m not looking to lose Credits either.
Escort Quest: Bountiful Eyes requires additional security
Due to potential difficulties in their latest expedition, the Bountiful Eyes requires additional security. Inquire at the Eyes for more information.
Reward: +20 Station Reputation, +14,500 Credits
“That’s a lot of reputation for guarding something,” I say with a frown. “For that matter, how can a ship offer that much?”
“It’s owned by the Corellis of course.” At my blank look, she continues. “The Corellis own a majority share of the businesses in the second and first ring. Because of that, any action that safeguards their interest will provide reputation bonuses. If executed properly.”
“Right…” I eye the quest again then shake my head. I’ll put a pin in this one, but there are no details about how long this might take or what kind of trouble to expect. Also, I don’t know enough about the Corellis to choose to tie myself to them yet. Even this distantly.
Ship Recovery: My Second Mortgage
The ore freighter My Second Mortgage has suffered an unknown catastrophic failure of its primary engine. Attempts at communication with the ship have resulted in no response. Your job is to ascertain the cause of the engine failure and lack of communication and then recover the ship and all its ore.
Reward: +12 Station Reputation, 5,000 Credits + 3% of value of recovered ship and ore
