Chapter 2 part 1
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvR4SyELSuK
Kebab to the Stars: A Boar-ing Victory
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYk7WzAmv29
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVx0XStBY2
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7v7gfPR0QO
There’s a cantina I frequent—a place I’d almost call my sanctuary. Sure, the Mercenary Guild mess hall on the station is convenient, but it’s overpriced, the synthesized menu is uninspired, and the atmosphere is too sterile, too professional. It’s designed for brief encounters, mission discussions, and occasional deals over sub-par ration packs. They probably keep the credit rates high to prevent the hall from becoming a hangout spot for freeloaders.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0xJtnunMz
So, when I need something real—something with flavor—I head to a smaller establishment nearby. A modest restaurant pod with private booths, no grandiose bar or holo-luxury nonsense. Its name? **"Gift of the Nebula."**
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuDiPD1MAn
Today, the pod is busier than I’ve ever seen it. The usual hum of conversation has grown into a symphony of voices, clinking utensils, and sizzling grills.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ677X0hEXud
"Venusian boar kebabs, fresh off the grill!" The call rings out from the kitchen, and I don’t waste a second.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1X8Pp50S06
"Mm, mmff mmm!"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ432jTYmol9
Ten kebabs are set in front of me, their aroma wafting through the air, and I dive in without hesitation. The meat—juicy, tender, and seasoned with just the right balance of spices—melts in my mouth, the natural oils dripping onto the plate beneath.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcS0wS7czag
**Half price today.** What kind of cosmic alignment is this?
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgZlAFS4eH
The holoboard outside the pod had caught my eye before the station even switched to its artificial night cycle. I’d read the words “Venusian boar—half-off” and practically slid through the doors. Turns out, a guild crew returning from the satellites of gas giants had brought back a haul of the beasts, enough to overflow their cargo holds. The owner of this place, unable to let such a bounty go to waste, had doubled the portions for the same price. **A deal worthy of the stars themselves.** Could I live here?
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLynUfGupER
"Galaxia Narwhal, huh? You’re really going at it."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHUktiM78R
"Mmga?" I pause mid-bite, turning to see who’s addressed me.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡam2sskMYMk
"Swallow first!"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvO9WDuKSWR
I gulp down the mouthful of boar and blink. "Aioi? Oh, hey. Good work out there. These kebabs are half-price today! What a glorious age we live in!"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87EpvYzlAi
"Yeah, I know," she replies with a raised brow, sliding into the seat beside me.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtyQyKEDk1
Aioi: a junior guild member, plasma bow specialist, and a rising star among our ranks. She’s part of the Diana crew now, working alongside a tech wizard and gaining a reputation for her prodigious long-range combat skills.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGV8EOFwoUv
Her suit, though? Utterly plain. No custom decals, no flair—nothing that matches her growing reputation. Still, she’s a decent kid. Polite enough to treat me as a mister, even if she occasionally sasses me.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLjJhetLaa
"That boar meat you’re scarfing down? My crew brought it in," she says, a hint of pride in her voice. "The satellite clusters were crawling with those things. Took forever to hunt them all. My stabilizer joints are practically creaking."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplo1dslUuI
"You’re telling me this meat’s from Diana?"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdH3dcg4FK
"Yup! Heheh. We had so much extra, we wholesaled it to half the station. I’m planning to drink until the next cycle to celebrate."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jBPbp248i
"Aioi... you’ve really grown up. Makes me proud."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGNVFpFX1c
Her expression deadpans. "Galaxia Narwhal, that was the flattest praise I’ve ever heard. You don’t even sound remotely happy."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAthkwoT3w
"C’mon, I’m being sincere!" I protest. "Look a little happier, will you?"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwkKLS7D4u
"No way. Oh, excuse me! One Martian ale, please!"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbPomZe6bh
"Mm. Make that two!"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78j2qJt3CN
"Coming right up!"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkR8PvdAPWg
The drinks arrive quickly, and I raise my glass, alternating between swigs of ale and bites of boar. The spices and the smooth, bitter tang of the drink are a match made in the void. "This," I declare, "is living."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Aa08me7Jj
"...But Mister," Aioi interrupts, "I heard about your little scuffle at the guild yesterday. What’s that about?"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrjAMsZa4z
"Huh? Oh, that? Just some punk newcomers. They tried to rush me with thrust-packs like amateurs. I coolly evaded and took them down with unmatched elegance."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6o4sRXIyZh
"That is *not* what I heard," she retorts, smirking. "The story is that it was a chaotic brawl."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9uN3536UH
"You heard, huh? Tch."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxUTsMw4aa
"But still, taking on four opponents in suits? That’s impressive."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIAQw53iB9
"Right? Well, they were half-competent small fry. Got lucky with the match-up."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdO5eaeTJ0e
Fights like that aren’t uncommon. Stations like this attract all sorts—ex-military types, drifters from the outer systems—most trying to establish themselves by picking fights with the wrong people. Yesterday, I was the unlucky target. They must’ve thought I was easy prey, sitting alone with a protein shake. Too bad for them—I’m a special ability enhanced mercenary.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtPEUVYbvo
**A boring win, but a win nonetheless.**
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPG8PlywQy
If I’d fought seriously, I could’ve wiped the floor with them faster. Not that I’d ever openly reveal just how many abilities I’m packing.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdSoadqwGf
...No, really. I’ve got plenty of tricks I haven’t shown anyone! Really!
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSt53nn9GB
"You should join a crew, mister," Aioi says suddenly. "mister Burger’s invited you more than once, hasn’t he?"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToHdgfOc4M
"Nah," I reply, shaking my head. "Not my style. I can’t stand the sound of other people’s suit fans or life support systems. Too distracting."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWImQD67t9
"Not like you’re some Starborn elite..."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NLUqearxw
There’s more to it than that. I don’t like relying on others in an emergency. If some unexpected threat appeared, allies would only slow me down. For now, soloing suits me just fine.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8X9TgdYTcn
"What about you, Aioi? Diana treating you well?"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UbuoQODWt
"Yup! They’re great—no hazing or anything. They’ve taught me a ton about targeting techniques, and they split credits fairly too."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FylJUqxts
"Good. Glad you found a decent crew."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRE4KFXtQBY
"Yes!"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7f1zSw730
When Aioi first left her colony, she’d stuck with childhood friends from her habitat. That crew fell apart after a few months, and her next attempts at finding a team didn’t go much better. But now, with Diana, she seems to have found her place.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkV2DEbXRc
Work environment matters. In space, it’s everything.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwybJJcuUpO
"Here you go!"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrciWzQ2BrC
"Ooh, sho delishush!" Aioi mumbles through a mouthful of kebab.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeTCy4Nej3
"Hm? What’s that seasoning?"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ495dRKkJUl
"You don’t know?" she asks, swallowing. "They’re using Europan crystal enzyme on the seared surface. Fancy stuff. Sheena from my crew says it’s all the rage with Starborn Elites."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcROdul0a4f
"Oh, right. That stuff."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPMMvCNYmj
"...Whassat face for?"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wYYqTfKR8
"I’ve got no idea what that is. Salt’s the foundation of flavor, Aioi. Let the ingredients speak for themselves."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCXUo338aj
"Mr Narwhal, you’re such a rim dweller. No wonder you’ll never blend in with the Starborn."
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGPcaLpD3Q
"Shaddup! I’ve got the most refined palate in the entire Lunatran Empire!"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaI1nw21u9
"Pfft! Pfft!"
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvK00581rW
And so, while celebrating my junior’s growth (even if she’s getting sassier by the year), I spent the rest of the cycle gorging on kebabs, drinking Martian ale, and basking in the simple pleasures of station life.
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AVroX0Ze1
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxCQaZzkdC
493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgabYUviJMJ
Author's note : wanna read future chapters earlier? visit :493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVqdBQEUYE
galaxianarwhal.blogspot.com493Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84twXhA2Dz
→ Request update
and then Add to home screen.