Discovery Gaming Community

Freeport 11, Omicron Delta

Freeport 11 has always been a busy place. Not only the Zoners called it home, but other unlikely faces as well. Its bar was no different. Almost every group had their own corner they would sit in. Those who were affiliated with neither The Order or The Core had to sometimes occupy the middle or the area that was most distant from the exit door. Such was Caliban's case.

A couch spreading from one side to the other of a round table with its legs barely raised to knee height. The mercenary was laid back on the couch, teal fumes escaping through his helmet and the right side of the trenchcoat occasionally due to the mechanism strapped on his right cybernetic arm, injecting a viscous concoction through transparent tubes which lead up to his chest and neck. Some of these tubes even dug out of the coat itself, glowing with the same color as the fumes that followed after every hiss. He kept mumbling to himself while keeping tabs on anything and anyone entering the bar. Hand on the holster of his Revolver at all times.

Come on...I should've said the hangar...

His words were muffled and wheezed out. His eyes were laid on a group of Order Agents discussing something he couldn't understand from such a distance. They didn't notice the odd figure eyeing them down with pure hatred, topped only by an unending anger towards all Nomads.

Freeport Eleven was a far cry from the Freeports that lay between the borders of the houses. The attitude of the locals was something that came as quite a surprise to Ridgenose, who was more used to the relatively welcoming attitude of the Zoners of Kepler and Pennslyvania.

Because of this, the now former Xeno's arrival was delayed as he found his way to the bar. When he finally arrived, Ridgenose didn't bother going to the bar to order anything and instead focused on gazing over the room in search of someone wearing the face of his "deceased" friend. As he looked over the many uniforms of the bar patrons, most of which he didn't recognise aside from the uniform of the Order personnel, Ridgenose saw Caliban at his table, still wearing the helmet he had in Hudson and his gaze locked onto the Order agents.

As he made his way to Caliban's table, Ridgenose realised how much of his friend had been replaced with machinery. He didn't say anything when he reached the table, instead taking up a seat on the opposite side of the table to Caliban and kicked his feet up on the table and laid his head on the back of the couch, his gaze now pointed up at the roof.

Ridgenose wouldn't look much different from the last time Vincent saw him, only now his messy short brown hair would be accompanied by unshaved stubble and instead of the attire he'd wore at Noshima, Ridgenose hadn't bothered changing out of his grey flight suit this time, which was now bare of any of the patches he wore during his time with the Alliance and was accompanied by a black vest with webbing for various items to be attached to it however, at the moment the only thing attached to the vest was a simple black holster, inside the holster sat an Ageira produced handgun.

You look like shit. Would be the only thing he'd say to Caliban, his tone implying that the comment was a direct statement as opposed to one of his usual jokes.

Half missing body. Severe radiation poisoning to the point this corpse of mine melts if I don't drug myself sky high and-- well, you know the rest. It's amazing how one really bad day can change a man. he paused, leaving out a light chuckle. You're experiencing this yourself now. Stripped of everything but your ship and name, a handful of credits and a piece of chewed gum lost in your pocket or something.

Caliban abandoned his relaxed position for a more serious one. Leaned forward, laying his hands on his knees while sitting on the couch.

"But we both know Cobra has it much worse now, do we?" he took a closer look at Ridgenose. The left side of the helmet lighted up as a hologram resembling a reticle zoomed in and out. "It's a bit awkward to ask this, but I think we can both agree on something. You need help that I can potentially provide. Of course I could also use some sort of help myself."

Ridgenose hadn't moved a muscle until Caliban mentioned he would need help with something himself. This was enough for Ridgenose to raise his head and actually look at Caliban. Seeing the helmet across from him light up was enough to make him think that anyone who saw this could be forgiven for thinking he was talking to a robot.

We can, though it would mean you'd have to go into actual specifics.

Ridgenose's attitude was still devoid of any trace of his usual jokester personality. It was rather obvious that at this point in time he still viewed Caliban as an entirely different person then the friend he used to know, and was being treated accordingly.

I'll help you in any way I can throughout Sirius. As much as I hate this place I have a few deeds to finish. One of them is Section 8. I vaguely remember them being our common friend's boogeymen. he shrugged, knowing full well he might as well be denied aid the second he had mentioned Section 8, yet he continued with a half smile behind the helmet. It wasn't like Ridgenose could have seen it regardless. The other is destroying that stupid Sentinel Vault once and for all. I won't ask you to help me with the latter. That is a battle I need to finish on my own since Raven is too far gone and I've made my intentions quite clear to her ever since she tried to use me as a tool. Of course, I can't remember the other faces your friend would have gone kamikaze with towards the Vault, either. Not like it'd matter, they probably sided with Raven. She knows how to manipulate people. I lack that gift. My only purpose is to <Bring the House Down>, so to speak. What happens after is beyond me. Maybe the next me will be a better me. Or maybe nothing will happen at all and you won't have to look at a corpse talking.

A long pause followed. The tubes digging out of Caliban's right hand filled once more with the viscous liquid, now leading up to his chest area through the clothing. He left out a relieved sigh, tilting his head to the side slightly and then lowering it briefly before turning his gaze back at former Xeno.

"You have all the reasons to deny going after Section 8. Doesn't mean I'll stop looking to cripple that particular Order division, though."

Much like Vincent before him Caliban seemed to have more in common with Raven than he did difference, Ridgenose thought to himself. Though he wouldn't deny that he'd be one of the last people to get in-between anyone wanting to take out Hawkins' band of merry spooks.

Yeah, because I don't have enough problems with keeping four ships running as is, let's go ahead and go to war with Hawkins and the rest of those damn clowns. He laughed for a second before continuing to speak.

Despite your differences with Raven, you certainly both like to fixate on the same damn things. Look, I'm going to be honest with you here for a second you're not going to be able to dismantle Section Eight, not by yourself, even if you knew there command structure and where they were basing out of. And you can't handle the Sentinels by yourself either, you're out gunned, and you've got no one on your side.

Ridgenose swung his feet off the table and back onto the floor before standing up, he was about to walk away, but before he did, he looked at Caliban and couldn't help laughing once more. It's funny you know, despite it all, you've still got his major flaws, just without the naivety he had. You want to help me and mine, fine, if not, then good luck with trying to repeat history, but I can't afford revenge, not in the name of a dead man who was inevitably going to wind up that way because he couldn't sit damn still.

He didn't flinch in the slightest. Caliban expected such an answer, yet still made an attempt at Ridgenose's morals in hopes of having at least an extra pair of hands in this. Although the former xeno was not completely wrong.

He watched as Ridgenose stood up, then followed suit soon after. He spoke with a rather sincere tone, more lighthearted than usual.

"You're right. Whether I like it or not I still have some things in common with him. And with her, too. Save for the fact that I admit when I'm out of my league. Sometimes someone else has to tell me that, but I still acknowledge their words."

He paused, placing his right hand in his coat's waist pocket to hide the rugged metal it was made of.

"Maybe I will just try abandon my grudges towards Section 8 for a while. I doubt I truly will, but it's worth a shot. Now with all said and done... when are we leaving? I'm still set on help you, you know. At least for the time being."

The honesty wasn't something Ridgenose was expecting, it made him slightly uncomfortable with the fact he turned him down, but it wasn't enough for Ridgenose to abandon his current focus.

As soon as everyone's ready, I'll let you know when.

Good luck, Caliban. Was the last thing Ridgenose would say to him before making his way to the exit, more uncertain about the man, the easy assumption that his friend was dead and gone was becoming less and less certain.

Discovery Gaming Community

Caliban

Darkstar_Spectre

Caliban

Darkstar_Spectre

Caliban

Darkstar_Spectre

Caliban

Darkstar_Spectre