Stellarforged - Ch6 (Bastion+)

Note: In light of the recent Patreon update and the post-Mob hiatus, I'm posting these at the Bastion level. There won't be any new chapters past these first six for a while with the upcoming hiatus.

“Ooh, will I get a fancy title? Like Warmaster? Or Star Marshal?” Aklati bounced on her heels, and her chest shifted with her thanks to the lack of support behind her tank top.

Sai bared her teeth, while Heafi clicked her tongue.

The unicorn pulled her tablet forward and daintily tapped at it. “Administrator, if you vouch for her, then I will add her to the Association’s records as a Marshal.” She sniffed at Aklati. “Warmaster is a protected position, reserved for the Administrator’s most trusted military aide and general. It can only be granted through a formal process administered by the Association board, which Ethan will need to appoint in full.”

Oh, right. The entire reason he got the job was because the Union blew up the old board. He wondered how the Association had been run for the past fifty cycles. Someone had appointed Heafi as Steward.

Aklati whistled. “Guess I’ll have to take that role, just to make a point.”

“We’re really risking a confrontation with Union security forces for this?” Sai flicked her fingers at the Yinil. “Need I remind you how locked down the station is?”

“Confrontation is unlikely,” Yany interrupted, drawing all eyes to her. “You should know this, Mistress, given you did a stint as a security coordinator on the station long before I was born. The casino is in the inferior strata and has a record of violent confrontations. The security response will be delayed, even if gunfire is detected. Anything short of explosives or the detection of high impact weaponry won’t hurry the Faecrim enforcers.”

“Define high impact?” Ethan asked.

“Anything capable of compromising the integrity of an individual stratum or bay. Typically modified mining tools or anti-tank railguns—Aklati’s is too small. Chemical and biological weapons as well.”

Given they didn’t plan on taking out the casino with the galactic equivalent of the bubonic plague, Ethan figured they’d be fine.

“A small team of Void Hounds will be enough to clear the target and retrieve the goods once we identify where they’re kept,” Yany continued. “Even if the Hounds are identified, the Union won’t investigate our activities against known criminals if we’re not caught in the act.”

“There’ll be paperwork,” Sai groaned. “Forms need to be submitted before we strike and after. Nobody will look at them for a cycle, but if the dates aren’t right, another executor might come looking for me thirty cycles from now.”

“Truly a beacon of efficiency,” Ethan said.

She glared at him for taunting her, given it was his decision to raid the casino.

“I feel this has been assumed, but can we not just acquire a similar set of cybernetic wings?” Heafi asked. “Even if they aren’t military technology from the Yinil Republics, surely a close replacement is available to the Union.”

“No,” Sai said flatly. “The Yinil rarely cooperate militarily with the Union, outside minimum expectations.”

At Ethan’s confused look, Yany added, “Artificial intelligence and precursor technology. They also allowed the Union to handle the uplifting crisis in Sol.”

Sai nodded. “But that means what we have is what they let their… scraps drag in.”

Aklati sneered. “Nice dig. Does it bother you that some of us don’t play along with the Vaelix dream of dominating the galaxy?”

“The Union works toward the common cause.”

“The common cause of the Vaelix, maybe.”

“Enough. We can debate politics later. So we can’t get any decent wings because only the Yinil make them?” Ethan clarified. “What about the Yinil making cybernetics on Dominio?”

“They’re shit.” Aklati shrugged. “I’ve checked them for upgrades before. Been considering trading up my legs, but it’s all civilian tech. The wings sold here are only good for maintenance work. Barely any better than the spacesuits used by everyone else. My wings have enough juice they even work in full gravity environments, if only for leaps.”

When Heafi looked at Ethan, he guessed the words about to leave her mouth.

“We’re not doing the job because I don’t want to,” he said. “It’ll take months, Garima isn’t trustworthy, and there’s no guarantee that whatever took out the courier won’t take us out. It’s a stupid idea.”

The unicorn winced and rubbed her arm.

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

“No, I understand.” Heafi shook her head and smiled at him. “I am too used to going through every possible option, whereas if I want to be an effective Steward, I need to understand that some possibilities aren’t worth considering. Learning which is which is vital.”

“The real question is whether this dragon is worth the hassle,” Sai said, sizing up Aklati.

The dragon in question sneered at Sai and got within inches of her. With a good fifteen inches of heigh between them, Aklati grinned down at the much smaller fox. Sai’s tail stood upright.

With a flick of a wrist, the Vaelix summoned a glass of wine from across the room. She ignored Aklati as she brought the glass to her face and took a long sip. Then she lowered the glass and let it rest on the dragon’s breasts. It wobbled, then sat at an awkward angle.

“I suppose you’re good for something,” Sai said. “Perhaps you can keep Ethan entertained at night. Although it would be cheaper to bring several other Yinil on-board.”

“I can break you, little fox,” Aklati growled.

“Please. I can detach your arms with a thought.”

Sai swept her wine glass up and spun. Her tail whacked Aklati in the face, causing the dragon to splutter.

“She should prove herself,” the Vaelix told Ethan, one hand on her hips. “If you want her to be your military right-hand, she can prove she has what it takes.”

“What, helping him fight off the thugs didn’t count?” Aklati sneered. “But sure. I’d prefer to get my wings back myself anyway. Don’t want the puppers scuffing them and pretending they found them that way.”

“You won’t be alone,” Ethan said. “Given the importance, I’ll join in as well.”

Three sets of eyes nearly burst from their skulls, while animal ears and tails shot bolt upright. Aklati merely pressed a finger against her forehead and shook her head in amusement.

“Did seeing her fat tits melt your brain?” Sai hissed. “You’re a human male, and one without any real enhancements. The idea is to sit back and let others do the dirty work, you know?”

“Do you?” he asked.

“That’s different.” She glared at him. “All female Vaelix are required to serve the Protectorate and prove themselves. We’re few enough in number compared to every other species that we can’t afford deadweight. I came of age during the Taer’s crusade, when our dreadnoughts were being destroyed in previously inconceivable numbers. Even then, we didn’t risk our men.”

“And what happened to the men when the Taer showed up on the planets after defeating you?”

None of the women met his eyes.

Men lived what could be described as a charmed life in the galaxy. They couldn’t be cloned and were few in number. Therefore, each race tended to pamper them and allow them to laze about.

But that hadn’t always been the case. The Taer had risen to galactic prominence by starting a crusade, churning out as many wolfgirls and clones as possible, and carving out a massive section of the Milky Way that once belonged to the other powers—particularly the Hotumrun and Vaelix. In doing so, they claimed every man they could and used them to power their expansion.

Only their collapse through overexpansion and a sudden surge of genetic defects caused the Taer to revisit their cultural approach to men. Yet they retained their reputation for being brutal. Ethan remained wary about the Hounds for a reason, as he had no way of knowing if they’d be normal or attempt to turn him into a dried-out husk.

“There are other reasons,” he said.

“Go on,” Sai said.

“One, Garima wants me for the job. Despite the fight, I bet he’ll bite if I show up to talk. If we pretend we’re interested in work, we can save precious minutes by getting inside peacefully. Two, I want to know where this courier is located. We might be able to use it to keep the Union off our backs. Three—”

“That’s reason enough,” the fox interrupted. “You’ve made your point, and you’re right about the courier. It’s still an unreasonable risk, but if I join you, then I can keep you from getting yourself killed. I prefer my partners in one piece, even if I can’t fathom why you’d risk yourself instead of relaxing in luxury.”

Heafi shot up straight, only to be cut off with a glare from Sai.

“You are not joining us,” Sai said to the unicorn. “I can tell you lack combat experience. Ethan can handle a pistol and was a privateer, but you’re a paper-pusher.”

Ethan’s head cleared at the same time Sai winced. Heafi glowered at the fox, clearly using her nullification abilities. Realizing tensions might boil over, as the women around him argued, he held up a hand.

“Stop,” he said. “Heafi, you’re not a combatant. Plus, a unicorn will stand out too much. Sai can blend in with her psychic abilities, but they won’t work on you. I need you to start making preparations for us to leave once we get Lati’s wings back. We can get the extra resources, handle the paperwork, and then ship off to the Rim. Sai—”

“You’re complaining about me?” the fox asked.

“I was going to ask you to make sure everything is ready for us to leave ASAP. You’re in charge of the Union paperwork, including getting us those destroyers.” He glared at her. “I know you’re prickly because your plans have fallen apart, but if you don’t stop biting everyone’s head off, I won’t need to worry about you stabbing me in the back. Somebody will shoot you for me.”

“With a gun.” Aklati tapped the railgun strapped to her back.

“I can handle somebody trying to shoot me.” Sai huffed, but her tail swung low to the ground and her ears lowered.

“It will be easier to keep you alive if Euressa and I don’t need to assume everyone is trying to kill you, Mistress,” Yany said. “Especially with a nullifier capable of suppressing your psychic abilities.”

Sufficiently chided, Sai kept silent.

“Aklati…” Ethan paused, waiting for an outburst of some kind. It didn’t come. “Once we get your wings back, it’ll be a long time before we return to Dominio. You should probably start settling affairs. Try to be subtle about it, or Garima might realize we’re conning him.”

“I can put off any goodbyes until later.” The dragon shrugged, her wings flexing behind her. “I do want to get a look at whatever ship you’re taking out to the Rim, though.”

Heafi and Aklati left, with the unicorn explaining something about the origins of the cruiser. Ethan would have followed, but Yany signaled to him.

He sipped his coke while she poured a glass of her favorite juice from the fridge. Sai sat by a fake window, which displayed a grassy meadow from a planet with blood-red fields and a purple sky.

“You didn’t tell her everything, despite your supposed trust in her,” Sai said. “Is she really worth this?”

He grimaced. Seconds passed, and neither woman filled the void. Yany had been a surprisingly staunch defender of his position until now, but he needed to handle himself here.

“I trust Lati with my life. She’s taken shots that would have killed me—even at the bar today—risked herself on missions I would otherwise need to hire a small team for, and keeps me company on trips. When I’ve hired others, they make it clear it’s business. Lati wants both,” he said.

“A poor approach to business as a mercenary,” Yany observed. “I imagine she has been ripped off by many privateers.”

“Yeah. I couldn’t believe my luck when a Yinil with her expertise and background accepted my job advertisement a few cycles ago.” He remembered when he first got his own ship and started doing contracts that required a guard. “Couldn’t even be a trap, as what could a human like me offer that was worth screwing me over for? Would she steal my debt?”

Sai laughed beneath her breath. “And yet you didn’t tell her everything.”

“Not because I don’t trust her. Because I know her.” He looked at the closed door. “You heard her, right? She left the military because she disliked how it used her. How do you think she’d feel if she found out your scheme? How you basically boxed me in? I can’t even back out without either dying or being caught up in fifty cycles of Union paperwork.”

“I imagine it would have ended poorly. She already holds a poor view of the Union and the Vaelix.” Yany shot Sai a cryptic look. “Regardless, she can be a boon. We lack the resources we expected to have and trustworthy companions. Her classified records are… impressive.”

“I know. That’s what annoys me. She had a bright future ahead of her and threw it away, just so she could waste away in the wretched pits at the bottom of Dominio.” Sai sneered. “That’s exactly why the Vaelix test all of us. Tell me, Ethan, if she gets cold feet when you offer her more responsibility, what will you do?”

He frowned, unsure what she was getting at. “I’ll work through it with her.”

“Sure you will.” The fox stood, shaking her head. “Enough. This is a waste of time. There’s too much work to do and it’s been a long day.”

She brushed past him, her tail rubbing against his front. He swore she must have done it intentionally, but didn’t complain. Her floral perfume wafted past his nostrils once again.

Yany didn’t follow. She looked at him. “You should go shopping while we prepare to raid the casino. Whatever equipment you currently own isn’t up to par. Replacing your prosthetic leg is also wise, as you should have one graded for combat.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Won’t that take time? Weeks, I imagine.”

“Money can make things happen very fast. Our funds aren’t limitless, especially with the Rim in its current state, but your credit limit is effectively infinite when it comes to buying ordinary small arms and armor.” She smiled at him. “Perhaps you can enjoy your newfound position before you needlessly risk your life for a woman.”

That sounded like a great idea. The question was, who could he take with him, other than the Hounds?

Spending more time around Sai sounded like a terrible idea. She’d been in a terrible mood since meeting Heafi and seeing her plans implode. While he planned to talk with her about that, it could wait until she had time to stew and calm down. Somebody as long lived as her might be used to taking days or weeks to sort out their emotions.

He initially wrote off Heafi, as she had a bundle of paperwork to handle, but found her bouncing on her heels outside the room. Aklati stood in the courtyard with several Hounds, including Kiels. The soldiers focused on their guns and the small shield devices attached to their hips.

“Are you going somewhere, Ethan?” Heafi asked, eyes sparkling.

“Shopping.” He hesitated, even as her purple tail swished back and forth excitedly. “You’re not busy?”

“I’ve passed on the most important orders to my assistants on the cruiser. As I lack the necessary modules, I’ll need to return to the ship to conduct the more sensitive work. I’ll do that tonight, so until then…” She pressed her hands together over her stomach and twisted, as if begging him to let her come.

“Do you usually work so late?” he asked.

She blinked at him, then tilted her head to one side. “Being Steward is an appointment that requires complete dedication. My work occurs at all hours, especially when I’ve been called across the galaxy like this. Most of the voyage here was quite dull. I had plentiful free time.”

“Not the most enjoyable free time, though,” he said.

“I will not complain about an opportunity to peruse Dominio Hyrium’s impressive commercial strata. I’ve heard there’s a clothing store here the size of a large town.” Her eyes glittered with almost childish joy.

Ethan never planned to go clothes shopping, but facing Heafi’s innocence, he couldn’t bring himself to say no.

Footsteps interrupted them. He looked up to see Kiels looming over him.

“Heading out already?” she asked.

“There’s something big planned in a few days. It involves shooting, so I need to gear up,” he said. “Armor, gun, ideally a better prosthetic.” He lifted his leg and knocked on his metal leg.

An odd expression crossed the Taer’s face, while the ears of the Hounds near Aklati shot up. A few smirked at each other and laughed.

“You’re going out on a dangerous mission yourself?” Kiels asked with an oddly neutral tone. “Not like the bar, where trouble comes to you, but finding trouble yourself?”

“There’s always going to be trouble, and this is the best way to handle it,” he said, expecting a fight.

The Hounds had been appointed as his bodyguards, and Kiels was taking over as his personal one. Evidently, she had an opinion.

She met his gaze for several long seconds, then grunted. “You’ll definitely need some good shit, then. The idiot crims around here aren’t much, but if they’re packing shields and cybernetics, you’ll be outmatched. We’re not bringing you along if a single stray ricochet takes you out.”

Aklati strode up, arms stretched out and hands behind her head. She chewed on something. “Don’t you have some gear stored here? And what happened to your old ship?”

“Sol has a hard weapons ban,” he said. “So I left it here, but I don’t have anything that can punch through a personal shield. As for the ship, it’ll get liquidated once we actually leave.”

He didn’t want his ship sold until he knew he was heading to the Rim, just in case Sai screwed him or got caught.

“We don’t buy the stuff, but can help you pick it,” Kiels said. “Plus, after earlier, you’re definitely not going anywhere without a full escort. Just let us grab some better guns.”

It took a quarter-hour for the Hounds to return, with Kiels leading three others. Ethan waited with Aklati and Heafi near the complex exit. The dragon had ditched her railgun and passed the time by fiddling with the exposed mechanical part of one arm.

Each Hound carried a much heftier pistol, with a bulky heat capacitor sitting behind the magazine. Pistol-railguns, and the size of the magazines suggested they used smart munitions.

“I take it those can punch through shields like this?” Ethan tapped the pistol Sai had given him.

“Not quite.” Kiels shook her head. “That thing is fancy Vaelix tech. Psionic shit that teleports through the shield, and then splatters the target’s organs once it penetrates. I double-tapped poor mousey, but she was fucking dead the moment the needle round hit her. Any torso hit is fatal with that thing.”

“<Ram an egg inside the Priestess,>” Aklati said, eyes wide as she stared at Ethan’s gun in horror. “Did she just give that? It’s gotta be worth more than my wings.”

“They only work over very short ranges,” Kiels said. “The bullet can’t hold the psychic charge for long, and it’s delivered by the firearm. Lots of stories about Faecrim marines toting needle carbines during the crusade, though. Being metal on the inside makes them less effective.”

“Duly noted. I’ll get the rest of my organs coated with steel like yours.”

Kiels smirked at the dragon, who stared back. They exchanged looks for several long moments, leaving Ethan confused as to what they felt about each other.

“Um, we’re not clothes shopping?” Heafi asked.

“We can do that, too,” he said. “Aklati might need some for the trip. I definitely will.”

The ebony dragon pouted at him while tugging at her hot pants and tank top.

For his part, if he was going to be rich and living the rest of his life in the middle of nowhere, might as well stock up before he left.

Going shopping on Dominio was nothing new. It had been the closest thing to home, aside from his ship, for the past few years. The sheer size of the station meant he bounced across it to find things, especially as a privateer of his means never knew what docking bay he’d get.

But even then, he’d stuck to the cheaper strata. Not always as seedy as the shithole he’d found Aklati in, but he never so much as glanced at the superior strata. Almost every superior stratum charged an entry fee to keep out the riff raff like him, which was waived for a bunch of reasons that didn’t include being a human privateer or male.

Evidently, associating with Sai did get it waived. Heafi suggested several strata Yany recommended to her, and they involved another train ride. Once again, they strode through the security checkpoints without trouble.

Only on the far side of them did Ethan realized they’d skipped the part where they paid.

“Do I want to ask how we have access to the entire station?” he asked Kiels.

“You’ll be registered as a Union collaborator or something similar,” she told him. “The strata still charge entry fees, but they get sent to the executor sponsoring us. Everything we do under an executor is their responsibility. Sai can charge us for it, and I guess the Association, so you can take it up with her later.”

“I guess we’ll see if she a penny-pincher.”

“She might not be, but here unicorns might be. Never underestimate the willingness of a bureaucrat to do insane shit over a few credits. The Union once caused a war to go on for five more cycles because they refused to ratify a peace treaty over a thousand credit debt to a bank that got destroyed in the war.”

Ethan suspected there was a long and horrible story behind that. He genuinely wondered if the Union intentionally inflicted torture on everyone with crippling bureaucracy or if it was merely a function of its size.

The stratum they arrived in looked like a multi-story expo. They exited onto an atrium that glowed with ads for cybernetics, combat drugs, and point defense systems. An ad for some sort of laser system that burned out missiles blazed fifty feet in the air. A cruiser shot through space far too fast while missiles exploded in the hundreds thanks to a magical laser.

“Fucking scam shit,” Aklati muttered.

Each level of the stratum focused on a different product, turning the place into a city-sized megamall. Bottom level was all about starship weaponry and systems. Massive stores with holographic display booths showcasing railguns, missile systems, lasers, ablative plating, electronic countermeasures, and all the fancy shit Ethan used to window shop for. He’d been in the less fancy versions the various manufacturers maintained near the shipyards and had bought his mining drones from one last year.

Above that came the ship internals. Med bays, bridge consoles, cybernetic upgrade and installation rigs, and even a small cloning bay suitable for heavy cruisers.

One store dedicated itself to Pathbuilder compartments, which were heavily shielded chambers within the ship that the Pathbuilder isolated themselves within inside foldspace. Half the store featured examples of psionic shielding, thick metal and ceramic plating, and displays full of technical specifications to inform buyers what level of psychic could use what product. The other half looked more like a homewares and furniture store, although it included a curtained section with dildos the size of Ethan’s arm.

“Wow. If the fox owns that you might need to get a cybernetic dick,” Aklati said, eyes wide as she stared at the glowing pink dildo big enough to pole dance with.

“Fuck no,” Kiels growled. “Gotta stay natural. Take something to pimp your size, maybe, but the whole point of a man is to feel them.”

“Thanks for the boost of confidence,” Ethan said drily.

He glanced at Heafi, only to realize she’d fled already. They found her outside with a face redder than a cherry. Her tail attempted to take flight.

Finally, above that, they found the cybernetics stores. Fancy ones. When nothing had price tags, Ethan knew he was too poor to afford anything. Normally.

In the past, store clerks approached him out of curiosity or flirtatiousness. Now they flocked to him because he entered the store with a unicorn Faecrim and five bodyguards. A man with five women on his arms didn’t worry about money, even if the clerks assumed the cash wasn’t his.

“Welcome, Mister Coorlim,” a Faecrim clerk welcomed him. She looked like a typical clone, save for the signs of aging. A retired veteran. “Are you upgrading an existing piece, expanding your cybernetics, or perusing for another?” Her blonde horse ears twitched as her eyes audibly whirred while taking in the group.

This store dedicated itself to mechanical limbs. Particularly for combat, unlike another they’d entered that appeared to be about fashion statements. Although he had found the arm with the built-in cocktail maker amusing. Aklati once again stared too long at the one with sex toys.

“Upgrading,” Ethan said. He reached down and tapped his existing prosthetic. “I suspect you can tell, but this is a pretty basic one. I want the best I can get for combat.”

“Durable,” Kiels added. “We don’t want it denting if he kicks something hard with it or breaking if it gets shot.”

The Faecrim’s eyes shot up, but she nodded. Her eyes glazed over for a second, before she led them to a specific section of the store.

“Your current model uses an older standard, popular in the Taer Empire,” she explained. “It’s arguably the most popular standard. The socket fits almost any cybernetic leg made for the past five hundred cycles. I’d need to plug in to the access port to check bandwidth and electronics, as that will limit some accessories.”

“I doubt the Union put anything fancy in, given where I got the replacement,” Ethan said.

She shook her head. “The electronics usually depend on when the socket was manufactured, not where. They do need upgrading or replacement every ten to twenty cycles, depending on usage and maintenance.”

He’d heard that when he got the leg. The mechanical parts of the socket might outlast him, but the electronics slowly burned out. They’d estimated twenty cycles to replace it when installed, and he’d had it for around ten by now.

After the Faecrim ushered him to a nearby seat, he rolled up his pants and let her take a closer look at his leg. At a distance, it looked almost normal. Synth-skin covered it, including fake leg hairs. The alloy steel shell remained hidden completely from view. Only a close inspection would notice the oddly shiny appearance of his skin, or the plasticky stretch marks around his foot. A scar ran around where the socket joined the stub.

“Huh. So you went for the natural look,” Kiels said.

“Should leave it bare,” Aklati muttered. “It looks cooler.”

“You’ll have the option for both,” the salesperson said with a smile. “Although all of these models are significantly more advanced than your current prosthetic. May I?” Her hands tentatively hovered closer to his knee, where his real leg joined with the prosthetic.

He nodded.

The Faecrim sprayed something on his leg. After a minute, she slowly peeled away a little bit of the synthetic skin to reveal the metal beneath. It felt like a tickling sensation, even as she opened up the access port. A cable ran between his leg and the side of her chest.

“I’ve never asked if anyone else has ports,” he said, unsure what else to say.

“Every full cybernetic prosthetic needs at least one,” Aklati said. “Biological enhancements usually rely on a module in the brain, but those often come with an access port, too. If you get one installed, you get better control over your cybernetics, too. She wouldn’t be able to do anything with your leg unless you gave her permission.”

“Hardware access is always dangerous,” Kiels said. “It’s why nobody else likes hanging wires like you Yinil.”

The dragon stuck her tongue out. The saleswoman ignored them while nodding to herself.

“I believe everything except the most demanding models are available,” the Faecrim said with the sort of smile that said she expected a big commission. “How soon do you need your upgrade, sir?”

“As soon as possible,” he said.

She glanced at the mannequins on display, with their many cybernetic limbs. A long pause resulted.

“Most models can be acquired within two days, but they may require an emergency restocking fee. Especially for a male build,” she said, biting her lip. “Most models we have in stock are… defensive nature.”

“Money is no object,” Heafi said.

The Faecrim glanced between the unicorn and Ethan, who nodded.

“If she says that, it’s true,” he said. “Show me whatever I can get within a few days. Don’t worry about price.”

Holy shit, that felt good to say.

The models varied a lot less than he’d like. Almost everything used the same alloys, build, and structure. The displays tailored everything to him, too.

When he checked with Aklati, he quickly discovered why. She gave him an odd look.

“Ethan, you could probably rebuild your entire damn body for the price they’ll charge you for your leg,” the dragon said. “The legs have the same specs because they’re built to survive space combat. Their customers are Vaelix officers who will come back a hundred cycles later and claim it’s garbage because some precursor bullshit scratched the paint.”

“So… I’m basically looking at the extras,” he said.

“And how good you think it’ll look planted in the fox’s ass, I guess.” She shrugged. “This shit is almost too fancy for me. My opinion? Buy the one that offers what you think you’re lacking. You want to jump like a video game character? Get some overpowered motors in it.”

Next, he checked with Kiels.

“I’d say durability, but it’s just a leg.” She gave him an odd look again. “Sometimes simple is good. You want a leg that can withstand a railgun round and let you kick someone’s head in? Get one with a spring-motor function. Prosthetics are fancy like that. Toys, almost.”

Toys, huh. From her perspective, it certainly looked that way. Elite soldiers possessed enhanced bodies, but they did everything their old body did, just far better.

Fashion didn’t matter much. He planned to use synth-skin again. Even so, he sprung for the fancy leg with angular shins. If he got a second prosthetic, he could run several times faster than an ordinary human and it could unleash its energy in a burst, allowing him to shoot forward or kick hard enough to punch a hole in softer steel.

“We’ll contact you as soon as it’s ready,” the salesperson said, smiling broadly. “The fitting process should be straightforward. We promise exact tolerances, especially as it’s a direct upgrade for an existing socket. No surgery is required.”

That told him the store might offer surgery should he desire to chop off a limb for a new prosthetic. Hardly a surprising thing in the galaxy.

Next, they went upstairs to find body armor and weapons. This included acquiring personal shields for him and Aklati. His armor turned out to be a fancy body suit with gel plates that hardened into ceramic when something struck them. He ignored the leers of Aklati and the Hounds, as the body suit hugged his crotch closely.

Although he did buy a new crotch guard. If he needed armor beneath the body suit, might as well ensure it was good stuff.

As for weapons, he didn’t end up buying anything. The needle pistol would outperform them in close quarters. The various tasers, railguns, shotguns, caseless assault rifles, and myriad other weaponry didn’t attract him. He expected the Association possessed plenty of weapons. Although he did buy Aklati a new pistol, and Kiels kept eying off a specific railgun, so he asked Heafi to buy it secretly.

Once finished, it was time for clothes shopping. He expected to lose the rest of the day. Or night. Tracking time was difficult on a space station, as Dominio only simulated night and day in specific areas. Most people were expected to determine their own cycles. Ethan estimated he’d been active for over twelve hours by now. He didn’t feel tired, so let Heafi lead them to a different stratum to gush over clothing. Hordes of people joined them. The store truly was city sized.

At some point, he found himself separated from the others, with just Kiels keeping him company. She’d grabbed a couple cans of soda and pressed one against his cheek.

“Stay hydrated,” she said.

He cracked the can open and took a swig. After a few moments, he said, “You’re acting differently after the bar.”

No response. He looked up at the towering wolfgirl, and saw her grimacing.

“Gonna be honest, I figured you’d turn into some soft male the moment you found out your were rich,” she said. “I asked you what you’d do if you got the Rim, right? Back when we first met. To me, the answer is obvious. Become a rich, lazy fuck. You’ve got a dick and a lot of willing women who wouldn’t hesitate to bend over, even before you got cash.”

“There’s a lot of problems there,” he said. “For one, if I didn’t have cash, I wonder how long I’d last before someone realizes they don’t have to pay.”

She snorted. “Probably. But that’s the thing. You got the money. Protection.” She jabbed a thumb against her chest. “So why the fuck are you throwing yourself into danger? You nearly got yourself killed in the bar, and you brushed yourself off without even noticing. Almost every clone I’ve fought with freaks out after their first near-death experience.”

“That wasn’t my first near-death experience,” he said.

“I figured.” Kiels finally turned and faced him, and the height difference became extremely apparent as she stared down at him with her cybernetic red eyes. “You’re making something of yourself that I don’t understand. But I like it.”

“Really?” he asked, skeptical.

Her hand pressed against the wall and she leaned over him, as if trying to intimidate him. Her eyes stared into his. A deep fire lingered within them, but so did a barely contained violence.

“People with power and wealth like to imagine they’re safe,” Kiels growled. “That they can hunker down and make plebs like us fight for them. The Taer were like that ages ago. Then it all went to shit, and the rich assholes burned for it. Good thing, too. Need them to understand fear every so often. The Empress could probably join the Hounds tomorrow and nobody would notice, and that’s why we respect her.”

Ethan frowned, unsure if Kiels was threatening him or what. “Are you implying something?”

“I’m saying that you’re doing the right thing. Fighting. Gearing up.” She grinned at him wolfishly, teeth shining in the light from the nearby vending machine. “Even if you hang out on the bridge all day, with me by your side, somebody will strike at your heart. Maybe it will be assassins at night. Or a boarding team. Maybe the fox will try to get rid of you. But if you can’t fight, you’ll become dead weight eventually. A male is just a dick. But a dick that can fight? Well… that’s different.”

She pulled backed and took a long slug from her can as if she hadn’t tried to intimidate him. Or whatever had been her intention.

Heafi found him, holding up a dainty white dress that sparkled and looked like it might not even reach her thighs. “Ethan, how do you think this will look on me?”

Shopping turned out to be his best distraction of the week. Paperwork arrived thick and fast, keeping him contained to the apartment complex. Yany, Aklati, and Sai wanted his involvement in the casino raid plans. He needed to get his new leg fitted.

Too soon, the day of the casino raid arrived.

Ethan, six Void Hounds, Aklati, and Sai lurked outside the towering glowing skyscraper that dominated an entire inferior stratum. It intruded into the stratum’s ceiling as it rose into the heights of the space station. Lines formed out the front, while private security kept close watch.

“Remember, don’t shoot anyone until we have to,” Ethan said. “Let’s get the wings back, plus the coordinates of the courier.”