It was somewhere on the mid-morning the next day when David just woke up from sleep, still in his sleeping garments, heading off to the bathroom, yawning to himself.
"... What to do today...
"Today, I have to unload the bloody Virage... And fix it," he streches as he reaches the bathroom door, "... but first a shower..."
Entering the bathroom he puts on his robes and steps through the shower curtain, "... Gotta get those guns for Jaden... Have to check the pods..." He ponders as the water runs down his back, "... Didn't the ship eject one due to lack of cargo space? Oh well... I'll have to get the ship fixed...
... Wait a minute... I didn't get my cut of the Nomads!"
Finishing, he gets into the day's clothing: a Kusarian sun shirt and shorts; and then heads to the main dining hall, "I wonder what that Jaden did? Didn't hear the ship leave... Once she gets the guns she can go. I don't really care.
"Remember G... Trust no one... Be attached to no one... People are like machines: they're to be used to help you; and if you don't pay the fare they'll screw everything up for ya...
"So be nice... Be professional. If she sticks around, well ok. If not, move on. You’ve never needed a wing man before, you don't need one now... Now for breakfast..."
As he walked through an open corridor that overlooked the forest area, he finds Jaden leaning on the railing; it was evident that she was confused about something, her eyes solemnly looking outwards.
"... What... am I gonna do...?" But she notices David's presence, and turns her head to find him, "... Oh... Freelancer...
"Where are you going? Breakfast?"
"Aye. Then I'll be unloading the ship and installing the two ‘Sair guns I looted off a wreck I found."
Her eyes narrow down in upset suspicion, "... Looted? From a Corsair ship? Where? How?"
"It was one in Delta: I can look it up on the map for you when I get to the ship."
"Now wait just a---" She suddenly stops herself; her face becomes confused, the look close to that of worry; she pauses for a minute, and finally she decides to turn around and pout to herself, "Hmph... What does it matter...?
"Let's just go and have our meals... We'll talk about it when I have my nutrition."
"Righto."
It would be several minutes later that they arrive at the living room dining area, and soon sat down to their meals: a large burger and French fries on the side for each of them. David munches his food without any worry; but Jaden eats it with a little less eagerness, occasionally playing with the food, and coupled with occasional breaks of staring at blank space.
Easily noticing Jaden's odd behavior, David asks, "Alright... What's wrong?"
She seemed to wake up from deep thought, "... huh?
"... oh... uh... nothing..."
"Yea, right." he rolled his eyes with sarcasm.
"No, it's nothing at all, Freelancer... It's not important..." She shakes a hand in the air to brush off the topic, "Just some things that are of... personal nature...
"I'll get through it, you can be sure of it..." She continues eating.
"Eh, ok..." and he continues enjoying his meal.
When they finish and let the robot take the dishes away David pats his stomach from the hearty meal he enjoyed, "Now that's a health breakfast, hahahah."
"Yes... those... french fries? They were... oily... very, VERY oily..."
"Ahhh... that's the good stuff."
"Now that that's been settled... Let's head over to the Virage and see if the frakker's still asleep..."
"Who? Leon?" David scratches his head with a sheepish smile, "... Oh yea... uhhh... about that..."
Jaden gave a narrow look, "... about what...?"
"The pods... Umm... When I got those guns off the ship, I didn't have enough cargo space... So the ship automatically ejected something. I think it was a pod.
"So... either we have Leon or Mila---"
"MILA?!" her eye shot open in utter disbelief.
"---OR Leon! It could be Leon, don't forget that." He quickly pointed out.
"But what if... Meh... It'll still do if we get the sillymouth...
"Alright... You lead the way. Your ship."
"Alright." and they head off to the hanger.
But as David exits the dining room Jaden hesitates on her tracks, and clenches her fist as she looks down at the floor, "... But... Is this... what I really want...?" and then she goes to follow him.
They arrive in the hanger, and to G's Virage, "Ok..." He gets up on the side and clears his throat a bit, "Master on... Open the bay doors..."
The bay doors open with a very excruciating and painful screech...
"I'll have to get that fixed..."
... then one of the bay door circuits spark and blow up.
"Ahhhh crap..." giving himself a disappointed facepalm he turns to Jaden, "That's Iota for ya."
Jaden only manages to stifle an elated giggle.
Though one of door opens fully the other remained locked shut, "Aright... crowbar." He grabs a nearby crowbar and positions himself, "I'll pop her open." Using the crowbar he forces the broken door open, allowing them to see the contents of the hold.
The inside is filled mostly with the contents of Nomad Missiles and a couple of the Corsair 'Salamanca' guns mentioned earlier; then on the corner was the drab-white escape pod.
"Yep... only 1."
Jaden meditates her next words like a mantra, "Please let it be the frakker, please let it be the frakker, please let it be the frakker, please let it be the frakker..."
"Lets get it out..."
The two eventually manage to drag the heavy thing onto a gravitronic platform. Standing on the sides they inspect the thing with anticipation.
Wiping her hands of dust she said, "... Okay then... now what?"
"We tell it to open..." He approaches a panel on it's side, "Now..." After he presses a few buttons, suddenly the escape gives a hiss.
... but as the hiss prolongues, it pauses... and then... nothing...
"... is that it?" Jaden raises her eyebrow.
He sighs heavily, "Crowbar again." He grabs the metal chunk again and begins to leaver the top; when the lid is pushed some centimeters apart the motors start up again.
He smiles dryly, "These crowbars may be old technology, but they work."
The escape pod hatch quickly pop open; the two look inside with eagerness and crossed fingers...
"Frak..."
... it was Mila...
Her jaw drops open in amazement, "... WHAAAAAAT?!!"
Kicking the side of the pod in a wild tantrum she screamed out, "NO NO NO NO NO!!! WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE HER?! HEEERRRRR?!?!"
David takes a step away from Jaden and prepares for the fury...
"AAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!" Practically foaming in the mouth, she takes out her pistol and does a few angry shots in the air; in consequence, parts of metallic scrap from the ceiling clonk her on the head.
"God damnit... I'll have to fix that too!"
Mila slowly opens her eyes from the noises going on.
Weakly, she asked, "M... Meep?
"... where... where am I...?"
David grins, "By the looks on how Jaden is pissed, your in---"
"YOOOOOUUUUU ARE IN HEEEEEEEEEELLLL!!!" Jaden menacingly roared with angry, murderous eyes.
"MEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPP!!!"
"Uh... Jaden... I think you need to take a break before you break anything more of mine?"
"How about I take a break from YOUR limbs instead?!"
He snarled back, "Just try it..." and he takes out his pistol.
She smiled wryly, "... Pfff... Maybe during that other bet you still owe me..."
Then she turns back to Mila, fury dripping from her mouth, "... as for you..."
"M-Meep! Wha-wha-wha-what're ya gonna d-d-do with me-me-me-meeeep???"
She was about to say something, but her mind goes blank, "... uhm... I don't know..."
"Shoot more holes in my roof?"
"Nah..." Jaden paces around for a bit; then a very, VERY evil grin slowly streaks out of her face, "... oh... I know...
"Freelancer... come here for a second..."
"You know... I have a name."
"... oh fine... G... or should I call you David?" Jaden reddens faintly as she rolls her eyes in disgust
"David... G... Just not Freelancer"
"Anyway. Just come here... I have a plan."
"Fine..."
Mila gets curious as their whispering dragged on, "Uhm... meep? Wha-what're you guys talking abo---"
Quickly, Jaden turns back to Mila, "Girl... you like games... don't you?"
"Uhm... yeah... I do like games..."
"Well..." a spine-chilling grin appears on her face, "... You're gonna LOVE this..."
--- a skip of several minutes ---
"Ooooohhh..." She eyes the new starflier in the hangar with anticipation, "I getz a brand new ship?"
"Yeah... a brand new ship... and you'll be flying it during the game.
"Now then... You're gonna go ahead and fly around the ocean for a bit... We'll catch up later. We'll teach you the game when we get there, okay?"
"Mmkay!" She climbs aboard the cockpit of the starflier and initiates the starting sequence.
"How did you know I had an old one of those?"
Jaden smirked, "I didn't...
"Anyway... You set up your other virage and I'll put up the guns you brought with you on my new ship."
"Alright... It got fixed while I was away, so I won't take long."
... Some time passes...
Mila's currently enjoying herself cruising along near the surface of the water just outside David's estate.
"WEEEEEE!!! This is fun!"
Suddenly, her scanners get a reading that two ships are on approach: they were David's Virage and Jaden's Tiger Shark, embezzled on its sides are the words 'Terminal Velocity'.
Mila becomes excited that the two finally came, "YAAAY! The game's gonna start! The game's gonna start! So how's the game gonna---"
"*BZZZ* Okay David... Let's see who's the faster pilot, eh? *BZZZ*"
"*BZZZ* Well that's a no brainer: your ship is faster, it's an LF, while this is a VHF. You have agility, while I just have awesome power. *BZZZ*"
"*BZZZ* No, what I meant was--- ahhh, what does it matter? ENGAGE!!! *BZZZ*"
"Meep? What's goin---"
All of a sudden, a volley of Iron Hammer projectiles fly in front of Mila.
"*BZZZ* Have to get her a warning, otherwise it wont last long enough. *BZZZ*"
The starflier's shields quickly disappear, and her ship's systems go red, "MEEP! WHA-WHA-WHA---"
"*BZZZ* DIE, DIE, DIIIEEEE!!! *BZZZ*" She launches a chain-fired set of her Salamancas on the starflier.
Mila, now realizing what's happening, manages to evade that last volley, and starts to circle around the two ships in a desperate effort to buy time for her shields to come back online.
"*BZZZ* You keep her spinning round, I'll line up for a razor shot. *BZZZ*"
"*BZZZ* It's a free-for-all, Free--- I mean, David... Whoever deals the killing shot on her ship wins the entire set of drinks for the whole day!
[i]"*BZZZ* ... and I'm not gonna give up on THAT!!! MWAAHAHAHAHAHAH!! *BZZZ*"
"*BZZZ* Oh fine, I'll do it the normal way. *BZZZ*" David flicks his ship into a 90 degree corner, opposite to Mila's turning circle, "... Just time it right..." As the two ships converge, Mila quickly flicks her ship the other way, but David grins with expectation and applies full power, "I've got you now..."
The Virage ends up right behind Mila's, and in an instant the starflier is engulfed in an explosion, "Woooo hoooo! Razor hit!"
As the cloud clears, to his utter amazement the interceptor bursts out of the cloud, still flying, but suffering from severe hull integrity failure and both wings destroyed.
"Damn... The shield must have just restarted... Oh well." He flicks the Ironhammers and Archangels back on
"*BZZZ* HAHAHAH! Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy...
"... MY turn! *BZZZ*"
Jadens ship slip in front of David's and unleashes a volley, but as she does so she notices her shields going down.
"*BZZZ* HEY! No friendly fire! *BZZZ*"
"*BZZZ* "Says who, HAHAHAHAH! *BZZZ*"
She wipes her nose with a smirk, "Heh..."
The starflier quickly employs a new tactic of zig-zagging wildly around, combined with the original circling, but this one was highly erratic and unstable... though coupled with her failing engines she was beginning to slow down.
"Hah! This'll be fun..."
"Mine time..." David ejects 5 mines from his ship, they quickly lock onto Mila's ship.
But she quickly stalls the interceptor, and does a very quick drift-turn to the right, then thrust away, managing to BARELY evade the mines... but her new trajectory was now in a joust with Jaden's ship.
"Those things cost 5k a pop! *BZZZ* All yours, Jaden. *BZZZ*"
The Tiger Shark unleashes a chain-fire of Salamanca-bolts in quick succession: with the engines on the Starflier at critical condition Mila wasn't able to do a barrel-roll: she evades the first couple of shots, but her large cockpit soaks up 3 clean hits: the first two downing her shields, and the last one shutting the ship's systems down.
"HAHAAAH!!! I---"
But 2 iron hammer projectiles slam into the side of the starflier, and it promptly explodes into a fiery fireball as it heads towards the sea.
"*BZZZ*... And who won? *BZZZ*"
The Tiger Shark stalls, and thinks for a moment, "*BZZZ* ... Those last two shots were uncalled for! I call dibs on making her START to descend into the ocean! *BZZZ*"
"*BZZZ* Please say word for word the rules of the game.
"*BZZZ* Whoever downs her ship wins, and I’d say those 2 hammers helped in that, also being the last shots, I’d say I win this round. *BZZZ*"
David grins to himself, "*BZZZ* Shall we head back? *BZZZ*"
"*BZZZ* Yeah, sure... Ugh... out. *BZZZ*" and she turns the comms channel off.
"Awwww... I don't think she liked my little move..."
As the two ships blast off back to the estate, Jaden grips her controls tightly, "... Ugh... I'm getting rusty... letting a rookie get the better of someone like me..." Then her face flushes a bit, giggling softly to herself, "... But that sure was witty of him, I can give him that..."
Then David flicks his ship upside down and positions it above the cockpit of the Tiger Shark. Looking above she wondered, "... huh? What the..."
He grins and simply waves.
She gives a perplexed look for a moment, then she shakes it off and puts full power on the cruise engines, blasting off ahead.
"Ohh... Good thing my ship has more power."
Upon applying full power and its cruise engines fully charged, the Virage blasts by so fast it broke the sound barrier and went way ahead of the Shark.
Her cockpit shudders from the sonic boom, "... Whoa..." Her face blushes even more as she stared in amazement; but she quickly tries to shake herself, "NO NO NO!!! I CANNOT!!! I WILL NOT!!!"
"Now... All I need now is some music." He takes out a datastick from one of his pockets, inserts it into a nearby port, and the song BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE thrums throughout the interior.
--- several hours pass when they finally get to the Estate ---
... And a very heavy thump is heard on a far-off table.
"HAH! I win this match!"
Rubbing his sore arm from the arm-wrestling match with Jaden's robotic limb David said, "... Yea yea..."
The venue that time was on the roof-pool, somewhere in the late evening, faintly illuminated by lanterns filled with Neon that shone brilliant-red; the tables around were lined with lots of different drinks and shotglasses, some were of average strength, but most were those of the strong variety like spirits and whiskey; Jaden was wearing a white, two-piece bikini with a transparent towel on her lower body, while David was wearing some black swimming shorts; both of their faces were a bit red, but the former's was more pronounced.
"So yeah... my account..." She checks her PDA, and gets a bit depressed upon looking at it, "My precious account... feels oh so lighter..." then grabs a full bottle of whiskey and proceeds to drown it directly from the bottle mouth.
"Oh don't worry bout it. Money here is easy. I can make about 3 million a day just in escort duties, and you rarely strike any decent pirates... Easy money..." He takes a swing of a rum bottle by his side.
Slamming her shotglass on the table so hard it cracks on the bottom portion, her face flushes noticeably, "Mmmm... Whishkey's alwayshhh better than Shake... *HIC*"
"Yea I get the good stuff..." He looks at the pool, "... Care for a dip?"
Her eye glints, "... Sure... Why not?"
While David enters first, Jaden wobbles a bit to the pool stairs and plops in slowly.
She sighs to herself, "Mmmm... What a day... Downing the silly-mouth's ship as a shtart, and coming back to the estate for a day of rest... and relaxation...
"I gueh that by the day after tomorrow... when you get your ship fixed... we'll be shtarting the real work, huh...?"
"Real work? I never work, I have fun.
"But yea... We'll head out of the atmosphere and see if we can't pick up a escort or something, maybe even take some bounties. You stop em from running, I kill em."
"Hmmph... an' get all the glory for gitting them to meet their maker... Not really my style to let someone else do the killing, but hey... whatever gets the dough on the table..." She rolls her eyes.
"Not really... They could just run off on me, and I can't shut down their cruise. But you can, anyway... The fella who put the bounty up would want to know why there were 2 ships, though."
"Pfff... his problem, not ours.
"So long as we do the job right... He shouldn't complain."
"Yep...
"But that's only if we do bounties; escorts are easier."
"Say... I don't suppose you're more of the... opportunistic type?
"Like... When the trader offers 400K for escort services... but a pirate comes along and offers 800K for blowin' him up... You up for that?"
"What? Nawww, I'm more lawful, and I try to not turn my back on deals."
Jaden raises her eyebrows in surprise, "Huh... You really are something, Free... uh... David. You have ideals... Normally rare in a universe like thish..."
"Well just remember, I was an LSF-agent."
"... and also remember... an ex-LSF agent." She pointed out.
"Eh... I had it coming. Too many stupid things, stepped on too many toes... shot the wrong LABC..."
"... oh? You had the balls to stand up against a Battlecruiser?" She scoots slightly closer.
"Yea... The captain tried to pin the damage of his vessel on me, so I damaged it a bit more."
"There's gotta be a deeper reason than that."
"The head of R&D was on the comm channel at the time... He heard everything."
She smirks at him, "... and were you guilty?"
"Of the heavy damage done to his ship? Nope... to the 23% drop in their fully charges shields that recharged within 10 seconds? Yes..." David pointed his bottle at the sky.
"Pfff... what an arsehole of a captain...
"... And what happened after that?"
"I had to stay on the Kodiak, a LSF research station in Zone 21... But they were lax, and I escaped in my Virage before my court marshal."
She paused for a moment before continueing, "... oh... So that... was the story of how you left the LSF... isn't that right?"
"Yep..." he flatly replied.
"Well now... so that's what happened...
"Just one thing: how safe are you that the LSF won't just drop in on your doorstep and come barging through the door? The LSF has ties in many places and backgrounds... shouldn't be surprising that Kusari would be one of them."
"That's worried me for a while, but the fact that they haven’t got me already... If the LSF wants something done, they do it."
"You think you're not worth their time?"
"Well, it's not like they haven’t tried to catch me. They did... but a mate busted me out of the transport shuttle.
"After that... nothing.
"And it's not like I'm a threat. Maybe they see that too now."
Jaden snickers to herself, "... yeah... I guess not."
Seemingly finding nothing else to talk about for the moment, a long pause descends on the night...
Eventually, David broke the ice and placed his arms behind his head to cushion it as he lied on the pool edge, "Ahhh... It's good to have a friend here, I'm used to myself but... always something nice about company."
Then Jaden slowly closes her eyes as she whispered, "... Brrr... Is it just me, or is the pool colder than usual?
"... Maybe if I just..."
And she begins to lean herself on David, her soft, smooth skin touching his chest.
"Mmmmm... You're warm... and you're strong..."
... Several seconds more pass before all of a sudden, Jaden gasps to herself and quickly dashes away, "ACK! N-NO! Wha-what am I thinking?!"
She uses her hand to feel her pulsating head, "Ugh... I'm friggin' drunk... mmm...
"P... please don't mind what I just... did... that was... unprofessional..."
David shrugged his shoulders, "Ehh... It happens
"... But the fact is... We're now living together. So how can we stay professional if we're going to be so close all the time?"
Those words seemingly shocked her, and her pupils dilated as her face shot up flushing scarlet-red, "... wha... d... Did you just...?"
"Did I just what? I'm just stating the facts." He produces a perplexed look at her.
But soon she hesitates for a moment, pauses, and finally she laughs sheepishly to herself, "... ooohhhhhh... Yeah, you've got a point."
He raised an eyebrow in suspicion of her strange behavior before eventually brushing it off, "... Anyway..." and he sinks his neck down the water.
"Y... yeah... Maybe I should just... head off for bed before... anything else happens..."
"Okay then. Goodnight. I'll stay here and continue relaxing..."
When Jaden finally exits the platform and heads off downstairs David ponders to himself, "... What was it that I said that made her look at me like that...?" and he fully submerges himself.
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