KYBER-PUNK 22BBY [Inspired Inventor+]

— David —

"This is impossible! Stay still, David!" Aayla shouted.

David snickered, "And let you hit me with that glowstick of yours? Not a chance, choom!"

"Breathe, Aayla," Quinlan instructed sternly. "He is frustrating, I know. Force knows I know… But you can't let yourself be carried away by that emotion."

"Now, look what you've done," Aayla glared playfully. "Quinlan is lecturing me as if I'm his Padawan once more."

"That seems like a failure on your part, not mine," David shot back.

"So you take no responsibility?"

"None at all."

Aayla snorted a laugh, "How utterly audacious! Then, I suppose I'll just have to teach you a modicum of shame, youngling."

"You'll have to catch me first," David smirked. "I like my odds."

"David. Brother," Atom deadpanned from the side of the training room he'd claimed with Master Fay. "Aayla's going to find a way to punch you right in the nose now."

David tried to laugh off his words but did a doubletake when he felt 'TRUTH' reverberate through the Force, "Haha-… huh…?"

"She is," Quinlan nodded matter-of-factly. "She always does."

A menacing grin grew across Aayla's face, "If I can punch Master Plo-Koon in the mask, I can certainly punch you in the nose… youngling…"

A halfhearted chuckle bubbled in David's chest, "Ahaha… I'm in danger."

"Only of a sore schnozz and a lesson in humility," Aayla — calm and concerningly casual — retorted.

Desperately, David looked around the training room for any form of support. He found very little to set his worries at ease. Even their audience at the edge of the room — Mom, Taati, Becca, Sasha, and Lucy — was… largely unsympathetic.

In fact, Mom just chuckled, "You brought this one on yourself, mijo."

Taati, at least, gave him a shaky smile of encouragement, "G-Ganbatte, baby…"

Sasha shook her head, "David, choom, I love ya, but I would've punched you already if I was in her position."

"This shit's better than any BD~!" Becca laughed and cheered.

And Lucy just smirked, "Best get to running, gonk-boy."

When David turned back to the Jedi Knight he was sparring against, she was already lunging at him. Now, David was faster. Much faster… But that didn't in any way make Aayla slow. He yelped as that lightsaber of hers — set to stun — grazed his side and gave him a good shock.

David spun away in a blur of Force Speed and Sandie chrome. But he only had so much room to work with. And now, Aayla was determined. He zoomed and zipped about, perceiving the world in slow motion. As he did, he ran right into a barrier of Force. Swearing to himself, he changed course. Aayla followed, anticipating his movements with uncanny precision.

Even as supernaturally quick as he was, Aayla was on his ass. She boxed him in. Another invisible Force Barrier tripped him up. Then, as he stumbled, Aayla accelerated herself to match him. Only for a moment, but David could only watch in horror as she came at him. Or more accurately, as her fist made a beeline for his nose…

White stars popped in watering eyes on impact. Fuck! That shit kriffing hurt! And the indignity stung just as much as the physical pain. It knocked him out of his accelerated state, and David clutched his nose. Thankfully, he didn't feel any breaks. Not even a bleed. It was really more of a love-tap than a punch. But David's nose throbbed all the same.

Through the double-layered pain, David heard Aayla speak with surprising compassion, "David… You're good. Very good. Amazing. And with so much potential. But you're not invincible. This cocky streak you've developed… It'll get you killed. You need to temper yourself, temper your confidence. Don't forget it. Never. But keep it in check. Don't let it get you killed."

David glared at her, but it was halfhearted at best. He knew she was right. And honestly, it almost felt good to be hit again after going untouched for so long. Still… "'At 'urt."

"Yes, that's the point," Aayla chuckled. "Best that you learn this lesson in a training room rather than in the field. Think of it as trading momentary embarrassment for your life."

"Anyone you asked would be familiar with that process," Quinlan said. "Ideally, the training room is where mistakes are made and lessons are learned. A safe environment where such things won't cost more than you can afford to give. The Jedi know it as well as any other. We train hard so we can fight harder when the time comes."

"Even Atom?" David asked, grumbling.

Quinlan raised a single eyebrow. David glanced over at his choom and Master Fay. Master Fay held out both of her hands. Atom watched them warily. She moved so suddenly, so quickly, that David almost missed it. Her left hand came up toward Atom's face, and he reached for it just as quickly. But it stopped short… Just in time for Master Fay's right hand to land on his cheek with a light, open-palmed slap.

"Even if it is concealed from you," Master Fay lectured. "You must be able to find the truth in the Force. See what will be and what won't be. Peer through the veils and deceptions. Do not discard them out of hand, however. You must know why they are. Why do they seek to deceive you? What are they covering? And how does that reveal the same truth they seek to hide?

Atom, of course, scowled fiercely at his failure, "… Again."

Master Fay set her hands again. There was a tense moment of nothing. Nothing but anticipation. Once more, Master Fay moved. Atom reacted… better…? Without being privy to the precog Force battle between them, David couldn't rightly tell. But Atom leaned back to let a half-hearted slap pass harmlessly in front of his face. Then, he twitched and looked down… to see Master Fay's finger poised right over his heart.

David knew the physical exchange between the two of them would've only been the surface. In the Force, Atom and Master Fay must've been matching wills. A great yet subtle contest of the minds. Pushing and pulling futures, feints, and false seemings. It wasn't flashy — not nearly to the same level as his spar with Aayla — but David supposed he could see the purpose. Force Precog… wasn't David's area of expertise. And against Master Fay's skill and experience, even Atom was struggling.

"Yes," Quinlan continued, bringing David's focus back to him. "Even Atom."

"You and Atom are doing amazing things here," Aayla complimented. "Especially self-taught. But there's always more to learn. Hell, Master Fay could probably teach Master Yoda a good few things, and learn a good few things from him in turn. And of course, learning means failure. It's inevitable. Yet that's what makes it worthwhile."

"Alright, chooms, I get it," David casually rolled his shoulders loose. "You punched me in the nose for my own good. Convenient, but I get it."

Aayla smirked, "It is convenient, isn't it~?"

"Fraggin' Jedi…" David grumbled.

"Oh?" Quinlan lifted a brow, deadpanning. "Aayla, I don't think his nose is quite sore enough yet."

That menacing grin returned to Aayla's face, "Oh, yes, I rather agree, Master~…"

"Wha-?!" David gaped at the pettiness on display. From actual Jedi, at that! "Wait, wait, hold on-AP!"

An undignified yelp was pulled from his throat, and David found himself running again before he knew it. Aayla was, once more, hot on his heels. And as much as he ducked and dodged, David couldn't shake her. She tried to box him in again, but he was wise to the barrier trick now, sensing them in the Force as Aayla placed them.

After just a few tense moments of the chase, David changed up his tactics. Instead of running away, he turned and came straight at her. Aayla's surprise mixed with David's satisfaction in the Force. He grinned as he let loose a fist at her nose. Payback would be…! Sweet…?

Everything came to a sudden standstill. David found himself blinking, his fist firmly caught by Aayla's hand. She glared back at him. He saw danger sparkling in her eyes.

In the background, Quinlan simply sighed, "Oh, Force… You've done it now, David."

"Uh…" David tried for a winning smile. "M-Mercy…?"

Aayla wasn't moved an inch. Then, a moment later, David's world exploded into another round of sharp, eyewatering pain in his 'schnozz', "… I 'robably dese'ved 'at on'."

"For trying to break my beautiful nose? You did. You very much did."

IIIII

Later that day — his nose was still throbbing… — David found himself running with Linth. They were in the Limits, looking to continue Linth's efforts there with 'wooing the Nomads' as he put it. Mom and Taati were riding along with them. Mom to help with negotiations — and probably to keep Linth slightly in check. And Taati simply because David felt like he hadn't given his girl as much time as she deserved lately.

Shit had been… hectic, for sure. But that wasn't an excuse in David's mind. Taati deserved the world for putting up with a gonk like him. She was supportive and passionate, gentle when she needed to be, and of course, very easy on the eyes. David couldn't have asked for a better input.

He knew she'd been busy as well. All of the old throne room's serving staff had been conscripted to help Sstala with her new system of running things. Taati must've been running back and forth constantly, putting lines of communication in place, securing supply lines, and establishing this bureaucracy or that, all at Sstala's instruction. The non-fighting side of the cartel was probably more consistently busy than the fighting side. Everyone had a role to play. So when the chance presented itself, David leaped to give Taati the break she undoubtedly needed.

The rest of the crew was planning the upcoming Militech raid. Atom wanted that thorn removed before it could dig in even further. David couldn't help but agree. Night City was… their safe haven, in a way. Turf that the Gonk Cartel could confidently call home. A threat from within — a corpo threat, at that — just wouldn't fly.

Still, the cartel's operations couldn't cease for a single raid. Everything else had to keep on chunkin'. The Night City gang leaders got themselves elevated to actual vassalhood under the Gonk Cartel. The pre-existing vassals went about restarting the fiefs they'd lost during the Towerfall. And the Gank Packs were steadily relocating into Night City proper to be 'closer to the hunts to come'.

Thankfully, the scratch was coming in faster than ever. Their turf in Watson and Kabuki and the tithes from the new vassals helped there. But most of it came from Sasha's efforts now that she had a half-decent source of netrunners to recruit from. Based on what David had heard, the Hutt Clans' accounts had to be feelin' it now. Half of Night City's netrunners had been given free rein to jack the Hutts, to the point that they must've been competing amongst themselves as much as they were draining scratch.

Still, something was missing. Something… that felt kinda important for the Gonk Cartel to have after the Towerfall… They needed a fleet. Bigger, better, they needed something to rival and secure themselves against the Hutts. Linth and the Nomad Nations were the key to that.

So far, the negotiations had been somewhat slow-going. Linth made fast friends with the Nomads. Understandable, considering they were essentially cut from the same cloth. But the Nomads had something the rest of Night City lacked. Something the Gonk Cartel needed. And that gave them leverage.

So Linth's talks with the Nomad Nations had dragged on over this benefit and that concession. Really, both sides knew the end result. The Nomad Nations would join the Gonk Cartel, 'cause if they didn't, they'd still be first in line between the Clans and getting into Night City, but they'd be standing alone. They needed the Gonk Cartel just like the Gonk Cartel needed them. Everything else was just wasting time on nitty-gritty shit in David's mind.

Atom seemed to agree because he'd finally sent in the heavy iron: Mom. David still had trouble wrapping his head around the rep his mom had. He hadn't even known she was an edgerunner, let alone one famous for talkin' people down in a city that usually called talk cheap. Shit was tough. And David thought it fit the woman who'd singlehandedly raised him, who'd given him everything, perfectly.

"You, my dear Glori-ous woman, have the stick," Linth said, ceding control of the negotiations to Mom with a flourish. "I have tried, but alas! I have failed. Now, as much as I like my new Nomad friends, I wish for this 'talking' business to be over and done with. As such, I leave it in your very capable hands, dear Gloria."

Mom rolled her eyes, "You just can't help yourself, can you?"

Linth grinned unrepentantly, "Not even a little bit!"

"Well, hopefully, the groundwork you put in will help Good Mother end this quickly," Taati said.

David blinked. He hid a blush by simply focusing on the sky in front of them and on flying his ship. He… didn't hate it. Honestly, it was thrilling to have his input say the quiet part out loud. A statement of intent for their relationship, but then, Taati had never been shy about that shit.

Mom chuckled, "Oh, you wonderful, wonderful girl. Did you hear that, David? Did you hear my Daughter-in-law call me-?"

"I heard it!" David said, perhaps a bit too quickly. "… Trust me, Mom. I heard it. It was… cute…"

'Focused' as he was on the sky ahead, David didn't notice Taati get out of her seat until she was embracing him from behind and resting her head on his shoulder, "I am glad we will eventually join our families, David. One day, you will come with me to Shili and claim my mother just as I've claimed yours."

"I'm… I'm looking forward to it," David muttered, feeling like his face was burning up. He desperately looked for anything to distract from how flustered he was, "Oh, look! Nomads! Linth, can you open a comm line to those speeders?"

Taati giggled and nipped playfully at his neck with those sharp teeth of hers, sending thrills down David's spine. He knew he wasn't fooling anyone, but he kept looking forward and flying as if his face wasn't red enough to serve as a warning light.

Linth chuckled, "Will do, boyo. I think I recognize 'em anyway. Panam and her boys, they're some of the better ones. None of the runaround that Saul and the other leaders have been giving me."

The ship's comm crackled to life… just in time for a great whoop to come over it, "Oh, Hells yeah~! YT baby~! Who is that? Samat, ya old dog?"

"Nah, just your friendly Gonk Cartel representative with a few friends," Linth called back. "Glad to find ya, Scorpion! Mitch and that pretty woman Panam with ya?"

"If we weren't, Scorpion would just get himself killed," Another male voice — must've been Mitch — came through the comm.

"Guess it's that time of day, eh, Linth?" A woman's voice — David recognized Panam from their first trip into the Limits — asked. "Coming to make absolutely no progress yet again?"

"Oh, no, Panam-love," Linth chuckled. "See, I brought a secret weapon with me this time!"

"Hello," Mom spoke up, sighing. "I'm the 'secret weapon' he's talking about. Really, I'm just here to make sure a decision gets made. Gloria Martinez. Nice to meet you all."

"Shit, Martinez…?" Mitch asked. "Maybe we will get something done today."

"Who's YT is that?" Scorpion asked, sounding excited just to lay eyes on an example of the famous series of ships.

"Mine," David said. "Stole it fair and square. Brought it in for a landing without a single lesson. She ain't much, but I like her."

"Damn straight, you should!" Scorpion let out a whistle. "Stars, choom, I'd kill for a YT!"

"This one's spoken for!" David laughed. "You'll have to find another."

"Fair enough, choom. Fair enough," Scorpion chuckled right back. "So if shit's moving forward today, we might not get another chance, Panny~…"

"Eh? What's all this?" Linth asked.

Panam sighed, "… Well, I know you ain't been happy about how long Saul's been taking to decide anything, Linth. So me, the boys, and a few others thought we might just force his hand. Ya know, join up with you Gonks early, and all. The sitch here in the Limits is getting… complicated. I don't know if we have time for much more negotiating over nothin'."

"Complicated, how?" Mom asked.

"The Hutts have been turning up the pressure something major," Mitch said seriously. "Something real fraggin' major…"

"That's why we're on patrol right now," Panam continued. "It's been nonstop probing and pressure. They're looking for a way in. We've gotta make a decision now, or else we won't get a chance. At least, that's how those of us who've been patrolling feel."

"Shit," Mom muttered. "We knew this was coming. Didn't think it would get so bad, so soon, though…"

"Should we… just skip out on negotiating with Saul and the other leaders altogether…?" Taati half-asked, half-suggested.

"That's what I would do," David nodded. "But it's up to Mom, really."

Mom worried at her lip, "Both approaches have merit. But… I think we're better off showing loyalty to the people actually fighting. The ones Linth has already made inroads with. Bottom out, not top down."

"Spittin' slugs!" Scorpion suddenly swore. "Well, whatever you're choosin', chooms, now's the time! Another patrol just got themselves caught up in a probing attack a few klicks west of here!"

"Sounds more serious than the probes we've been turning back…" Mitch said.

"We're going to support them," Panam declared firmly.

"And we're with you," David didn't hesitate for a moment to throw in with the Nomads. "Linth, get on the guns. Panam, we'll follow you. Let's cook some Hutts from the sky, chooms."

"AVs out the WZ~!" Scorpion laughed eagerly. "We'll see how they like Nomad and Gonk vics comin' down on 'em like space bats!"

During the convo over comms, David had pulled up next to the Nomads' speeder. It was a tough-looking 'vic'. A bulky thing covered in scrappy armor. But David didn't doubt for a second that it'd be effective as all Hell. It turned on a dime, drifting in mid-air for a moment before it peeled off. David followed right on their ass.

Even just following the Nomad speeder, David was impressed. Its speed could've matched just about any starfighter he'd seen. And as they flew, the speeder shifted. Transformed. A heavy repeating blaster popped out the top, manned by a pretty motherfucker with a grin that told David exactly who he was. Scorpion waved from his new mounted gunner position. On the front of the speeder, a pair of panels retracted, revealing two small laser cannons as well.

David's ship was better armed — double laser cannons and a medium laser turret — but the speeder was impressive for what it was. He knew the Nomads lived for their vics. He imagined their three new allies had souped up the speeder with their own hands. And this was just one example of the Nomads' ingenuity and tenacity… The Gonk Cartel really needed to get those fleets onside.

The dash to reinforce the threatened Nomad patrol passed quickly. In barely a few minutes, they were where they needed to be. Just in time, too. Another Nomad speeder was flying for its life when they got there. Its scrappy armor was already smoking and it seemed to be chugging along on wounded repulsorlifts.

A more standard-looking speeder chased it through the twists and turns of the abandoned Limits. On the ground below, a small army was sending up volleys of blaster fire. As David and Panam pushed their vics to close the distance, the chasing speeder landed a killing shot.

David's Sandie activated on instinct, and he watched the whole thing in slow motion. A bolt of superheated plasma cored the other Nomad speeder. It pierced through the speeder's rear. For the briefest of instants, the speeder glowed from within. Then, the back half of it just about popped. Smoke and shrapnel, a chain reaction reduced the whole thing to scrap.

Quick as a twitch, David dropped the nose of his ship. Linth showed he was no slacker on the guns. The moment they lined up, he pulled the trigger. A double-scoop blast from the YT's cannons scored a deep mark on the chasing speeder's front half. It shook and 'stumbled' in mid-air, but didn't fall. Not yet.

"SPITTIN' SLUGS!" Scorpion's warcry came over the still-open comm line.

Immediately, the previous situation reversed. The formerly-chasing speeder became the one being chased. Panam zipped in and dogged onto their ass. They tried futilely to shake her. Scorpion was already lighting his prey up to Hell and back. Rapidfire bolts — more of a beam than a barrage — cut through the speeder's wings.

The speeder quickly became a smoking, stalling mess. Still, it flew on. The loss of wings made it sluggish and poor in the turn, though. It was only a matter of time before Panam got it into her laser cannon sights.

As much as David loved his old YT girl, he knew she wasn't nimble enough to keep up in a speeder dogfight. He didn't bother trying. A second Hutt speeder rose from the ground below, seeking Panam's ass. David, circling around for a second pass, zeroed in on it. For that one, he didn't have to twitch the stick, just lining the second speeder up in his sights steadily. Once more, Linth pulled the trigger. This time, all of the ship's weapons sounded off.

Hit, hit, hit. One. Big. Boom. The medium laser turret quite literally split the second speeder in half. A fireball consumed the Hutt vic in an instant. When it faded… there was absolutely nothing left. No third speeder rose to join the fight in the air. And so, David turned his attention to the ground forces.

A strafing run broke their formation and sent them scattering. Half a dozen Hutt war droids were reduced to molten slag. A fair few meat mercs were shredded by the close air strike. With a grim expression, David felt them all pass into the Force. He didn't let the feeling linger over him. Already, he was swooping and turning for another pass.

David focused with an intensity that could've killed just as easily as his ship's laser cannons did. He was one with his ship and his ship was one with him. Honestly, it felt like if he could just… reach out in the right way… he'd be able to extend his feats of Force Speed to the 'mount' he rode…

More preem gunning from Linth carved a second line through the ground, parallel to the first. Concrete burned. Hutt soldiers died in pairs and triples. Once more, David brought his ship up and back around… But as he did, warning systems went wild on the dashboard in front of him.

David didn't have time to check them. He didn't have to, either. For his third strafing run, the mercs below had gathered themselves well enough to respond. The Force yelped a warning as well. David's head snapped onto the source. In the cover of a half-broken doorway, a merc knelt… with a man-portable launcher on his shoulder.

A rocket roared out of the launcher. Time slowed in David's mind. His initial panic faded until only resolve remained. With his Sandie and the Force on his side, David knew he had all the time in the world.

To the others in the cockpit with him, it must've happened in an instant. To David, the rocket's flight took a small eternity. Before it could hope to connect, David calmly twisted his control stick.

The rocket came at an angle, half from the side. David's old YT girl rolled. She rolled right up and over the incoming rocket, twisting around its path as if it were nothing. Yet, even having dodged the ambush, David was feeling a bit… vengeful. The world was still moving in slow motion as he reached for the ambusher in the Force, lifted, and pushed. The merc responsible had just enough time to see his attack fail before he was smacked upside the head and brained by his own launcher.

The impossible dodge was devastating for the small army's morale. Almost as one, they turned and fled right back the way they came. David gave one last pass at the fleeing gonks' backs. Double laser cannons ensured a few more mercs wouldn't be making it back to their masters.

David brought his ship down to a menacing hover in case any of the kriffheads thought to turn back. None did, however, and Linth just harried their retreat with sporadic bolts from the ship's medium laser turret. More for the warning than to do any real damage.

"Stars-damn, boyo," Linth said with a grin that was shakier than his voice. "Good flying. Thought we were gonna eat that rocket for a moment there."

David smirked, "Not while I'm holding the stick."

As they waited for Panam to rejoin them, undoubtedly victorious over the speeder she'd been chasing, Mom clicked her tongue, "Tsk. They're getting bold. That was a rather large force for a 'probing attack'. It should shift things in our favor, though."

"We're still going to negotiate, Good Mother?" Taati asked.

"No," Mom shook her head. "No more wasting time. We're gonna go bully them into submission. And if the Nomad leaders still want to be difficult, Panam and the support she has will help us force their hands. One way or another, the Nomad Nations join the Gonk Cartel today."

IIIII

— Atom —

"Where the Hell is it coming from?" I scowled at the report Suunri had given me. "The supply should've long dried up by now, especially here in Night City."

I didn't have time for this. Not now, not with our raid on Militech's mil-base on the horizon. But I couldn't ignore it, either. Kyber-spice was a fucking thorn in my ass. Still… No, it was more like roaches. Stomp on one, two more came back.

I thought I'd destroyed the only source. But… it fucking followed me, springing up in Night City now. I despised the stuff. It was a persistent, festering wound. Dangerous. Abominable. And seemingly? Infectious. That was the only explanation I could think of for why Zorba's crowning idiocy outlived him and continued to spread.

"Some of it must be pre-existing," Suunri said. "Leftovers from what was given to Zorba's old distributors. But some, I fear, must be new as well."

I gave a curt nod of agreement, "The recipe for disaster must've been shared with other Hutts before Zorba croaked. 'Cause only Hutts would be suicidally bold enough to mess with it, especially now that actual fucking Jedi are on Nar Shaddaa."

"Let us handle this, Atom," Fay proposed, speaking for Quinlan and Aayla as well. "The pestilence is, after all, a large part of why we were called to your side. And personally, I would feel much more effectively utilized serving the Force than merely fighting with you against a simple hostile corporation."

"We're uniquely suited to the task," Quinlan added. "More so than anyone else in your organization, except perhaps yourself and David."

"You won't need our lightsabers for your raid, anyway," Aayla said. "Our participation would just be overkill."

"Never say no to overkill," I shot back. "But fine. I see your points. I'll let you deal with this resurging kyber-spice bullshit so long as you cut me back into the investigation when the Militech raid is over. I wanna see every gram of that shit burned. Personally."

"My sources of information are at your disposal, Master Jedi~," Suunri hissed melodically. Her smile was one of venom and ambition… but thankfully, it was directed more inward than out.

"We shall use them," Fay nodded. "And likely help you expand your reach through them, Lady Suunri."

Suunri's smile widened to show glinting fangs, "Now, that~… is just what I do so love to hear~…"

"I… feel slightly worried all of the sudden," Aayla muttered honestly.

"She's harmless. And really rather helpful," I shot down Aayla's worries. "To us, at least."

"Now, you've all got something to be handling," I continued. "And I've got the rest of a raid to plan. So frankly? Scram. And if you see Maine, Shaitan, and Coyate on your way out, send 'em in."

"Charming as ever," Aayla chuckled.

I glared, but admitted something, "… I just don't want kyber-spice to exist any longer than it has to."

"Likewise," Quinlan nodded firmly. "We agree. We understand. Likely better than anyone else here does."

"We shall do everything we can to excise the pestilence," Fay assured. "The Force is with you, Atom. It wishes your will to be done as well. For what will the pestilence become other than another chain that the Hutts might hold?"

My earlier scowl returned to my face with a vengeance, "... Don't remind me."

They left not long after that, leaving me alone in my replacement throne room. It was certainly an improvement over the first in many ways. First among them was that there wasn't a throne in sight. Really, it was just one of the nicer apartments in the Watson megabuildings we'd taken over. But I felt much more comfortable on a simple couch than on that monster of a throne.

I simply laid myself out on the couch as I thought. A few minutes later, Sasha joined me. As she usually did. But instead of talking, she left me to my thoughts. I appreciated the gesture in that moment and doubly appreciated how she lifted my head and slid her thighs beneath it. Was there a better position for planning death and destruction than your yandere girlfriend's lap pillow?

Most of the Militech raid was already in place, already in position. Especially now that David had sent me a text to tell me the Gonk Cartel would have the Nomad fleets by tonight no matter what. It seemed Gloria was… determined. And she was making that determination into the Nomad leaders' problem.

So we'd have air support for the raid. That was good news. Against a foe like Militech, it could very well serve to turn the tides for our grunts on the ground.

Ganks and gangs… Most of them would be running a half-diversionary, half-earnest, full-frontal assault on the mil-base. Then, more elite teams — me and the crew, other solos Maine and Shaitan vouched for, and a few of the 'better hunting' Gank packs — would be infiltrating and striking deep all over the mil-base. We'd likely be facing off against Militech's real samurai, not just the grunts they would throw at our grunts.

Sasha ran her fingers through my hair, humming as she did. It was a mournful, thought-provoking song. One that invoked somber introspection and a hint of life's hilarity. A call to push on, for the day had just begun. An… instrument of surrender, not for, but against.

I simply listened to her for a long, peaceful, fortifying while before I spoke, "… Are your netrunners ready?"

Sasha craned her head to smile down at me, soft and fond, "Ready as we can be, Atom-baby."

"Good," I turned my head further into her lap and simply… breathed in her scent. "Good… The last thing we need is to raid a corp in Night City without netrunning support."

"You've got it, babes," Sasha cooed. "Everything's in place. Everything's in order. In just a few hours, we'll put a threat to rest before it can get worse. Until then, we're just enjoying the moment we have."

"We sure haven't been getting moments like this often recently…" I mumbled.

And that, of course, was when my comm rang and Sasha's cyber eyes lit up with an incoming message. I knew what it was before even checking. Sighing, I pulled myself up. Sasha accepted the sudden change much less gracefully.

"Kriffing, fraggin' gonk-fucks!" She swore, a rather drastic departure from her previous peace. "Can't have shit in this city!"

"One of the gangs assigned to scouting got sloppy and tripped a few Militech alarms," She explained, grumbling. "Fraggin' Voodoo Boys… They should've left the netrunning to my professionals but they can never help themselves… 'Course, they did it in person, too, so now Militech has a few more Black ICE brain-melted chromeheads just outside their walls to let them know something's up. Fraggin', frellin' Voodoo Boys…"

"Seems like our moment has passed," I said, standing and stretching. "And seems like we'll be moving a bit early. Can't let Militech put themselves on high alert right before we hit 'em, after all.

"Put out the call, Sasha. The Gonk Cartel is comin' a'knocking. Militech best be ready to answer the door…"

"Eviction notice?"

"Damn. Fucking. Straight. Operation Eviction Notice is a go."