"So Chief," I chirp, as I watch the Planeptune girls hustle about, "What's up next on the schedule?"

Man, I've missed chairs. Like, actually comfortable chairs. You never know what you've got till it's gone, and comfortable chairs are one of those things.

The Basilicom, (which is where I currently am) has really, really nice chairs. Solid neck rests, reclining functions, the works.

'Course, I'm only taking a break for a bit: we've only just got in the door, before IF, Compa, and Nepgear are all rushing around, grabbing handfuls of papers, supplies, and tools as they go. I'm just staying out of the way, at least until they're done. After all, this is a government building, despite how cushy it seems to be - and now that I think about it, I did say I represent a different nation.

Or umm, maybe not represent per say, but I did say I'm from Lastation. That'd probably be enough for me to be a possible information leak. I think I'll kick around here till I know the plan, and then wander off to the Guild. After all, I still have those tasks to turn in.

"Uhh…" I hear from Nepgear, as she rushes in from a nearby room, arms full of boxes. "We're headed for Lastation next, but I don't think we'll be able to make it there by tonight. So we're just moving some stuff around for Histoire."

Is she talking to me? Maybe not. She seems the type to think out loud.

I was of course introduced to the fairy already. Or well… Accused, more accurately.

Let's just say that I had to swear on my soul, life, etc, that I have no ill intentions towards the group, and that I will assist them in their task to the best of my ability. All true. There was a little less paperwork involved than I thought there'd be, but I guess I still fall into the 'random party invitation' category.

Would I have had to jump through those hoops if I were female? Probably not, but let's be honest here, if I was half of the mother Histoire is to the Nep girls, then I'd be worried for their safety too. I'm a strange, unknown guy from a different country (oh, I'm pretty sure Histoire would crash altogether if she knew the truth...), so it's only common sense to be uncertain about my intentions.

Still, she's more or less fine with me kicking around. Considering my main intentions right now are pretty much 'Stay alive', and 'Sleep in beds without paying insane, unholy amounts', it's not like I'm that much of a threat to the CPUs.

"Heh." I smirk, although I don't bother to focus my eyes, in case she's not talking to me. "So you said you're planning to head out tomorrow?"

"Right." answers Nepgear, but I can barely hear her. She must be in a different room already. Huh, so she was talking to me. Time to focus a bit more.

"Alright then," I begin, as I rise up from the chair, and shake out my arms. "I've got a bit of business at the Guild, but I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay, Mister Derek." Compa's the one to answer me this time, carrying her own precarious stack of boxes. "We'll see you in an hour or so?"

"Sure." I answer, already halfway towards the door. "I think I might even pick up some more supplies while I'm out."

As I close the door behind me with a quiet click, I can hear the crash, thump, and tumble of someone dropping a box. Hoo boy. Well, it's not my problem. I'm sure the girls can handle it.

I guess it's time to hit the town?

My walk to the Guild is mostly uneventful. I hand in the print-outs and globs of web, get my near-thousand credits, then quickly redeem the chips as I walk out.

Now what?

I mean, I said I'd be out for an hour, but it's barely been twenty minutes. I need to do something, at least. I guess I can just wander around for a bit.

The streets of Planeptune seem a lot more lively, now that I'm not desperately scrabbling for money. Or at least, I'm able to appreciate them a lot more. 'Course, I'm definitely going to be saving up money for when the CPUs eventually tire of me and kick me out, but for now, I'm able to finally enjoy the scenery.

For a city this big, the streets are nearly empty, and no matter how far I walk, it seems cars are entirely absent. I can see a few overhanging transport tubes of some kind, but that's nowhere near enough to allow an entire city to commute.

There must be a below-ground transit system of some kind, like a monorail or something. It's the only option that makes sense to me.

But I guess that's just how this place works. On the plus side, there's a definite lack of pigeons, and thus a definite lack of pigeon crap all over everything.

Taking in a sigh, I shake my head. Time to stop trying to compare this place to Earth. Time to weigh it on its own merits.

This road I'm on doesn't appear to be for housing. There's a grocer over to my left, a few restaurants to my right…

And uhh…

Wait, what? I rub my eyes, stopping and turning towards the distraction.

That's weird, there's a bunch of people gathering by that alley over there… I think I'll check it out.

Yeah, there's definitely a lot of people here. More than there are on the rest of the street, that's for sure. Walking closer towards the end of the line, I can see it continuing deeper into a side alley, extending a length of over.. I'd say fifty people total. Not just that, but people are leaving the alley in droves as well.

"Step right up! Only fourteen hundred credits!" shouts a wavering voice from the depths of the crowd, hidden behind the figures coming and going..

Fourteen hundred? That's a lot of cash, at least for a single thing. I wonder what this is about.

Drawing closer, I take a look at the crowd: it's a varied bunch, but there don't appear to be any children in the line. The youngest is a small girl, but judging by the huge hammer on her back, I'm going to go and assume she's a thousand-year-old dragon.

"Come and get it, our stocks are limited! Come and get the latest Arfoire chip!" continues the voice, clearer and crisper than before.

Crap.

Well, I mean it technically counts as surveillance, right? Plus, it's not like they could straight up attack me in a crowd of witnesses this big.

Right?

With utmost stealth (well, actually, I'm just walking normally with my hood flipped up, which is exactly what I need to do to fit into a crowd like this), I slowly make my way into the line-up of people. The chips are never properly described in-game, so I'm slightly curious as to how they compare to the ones I've seen back home.

Plus, sabotage is always fair game, right?

The line's long, but not unmanageable. There's a constant forward march, but from the looks on the faces of the people exiting the line, the product's either too overpriced, or too crappy to be considered worth buying.

It could be either or, honestly. I've used three different generations of R-4 chips back home, and while they do tend to work, you need the right software, or else you've got yourself a useless wad of plastic that crashes at the drop of a hat. And even better, updating old software is a pain in the ass, the chip casing isn't as sturdy as a real cartridge, and decent ROMs are damn impossible to find.

Add in the natural, annoying save data corruption, the constant barrage of viruses from grabbing new games from shady sites, and the hideous start-up lag all of my chips suffered, was it any wonder that I ended up using my R-4i as a glorified mp3 player for a year and a bit, before I replaced mine with an Ipod?

Let's just say, unless these chips are something special, I'm not going to be impressed. I've seen it all before. I've lived it all before.

I get prodded by the person behind me. Right, I gotta move up.

As the next person leaves, I'm finally able to get a glance at the table itself. The chips seem mostly standard - good old generic game chips, the type you'd see slotted into a PSP. They're not pretty nor are they fancy. They're just black plastic, with a sticker marked "Arfoire" placed on them. There's also a long string of letters and numbers, which I can assume are the model details.

Looking up from the goods, I glance at the seller, trying not to be too conspicuous. The girl behind the table's definitely shifty looking, but unlike Underling, she's wearing mostly civilian clothing. Sure, she's got an ASIC pin on her lapel, but her skin's a healthy hue, unlike the unearthly pallor that plagues Nepgear's recurring nuisance. All in all, she looks like anyone else. I doubt I'd be able to point her out in a crowd later.

Okay, I'm almost up. The girl in front of me in the line picked up the chip, turned it over, and then sighed before walking away.

I guess people are interested in them, but just can't afford it? I can understand that.

"Ummm… Sir?" asks the vendor, as I silently walk up to the table, thinking about how to go from here.

I think for a moment more, not looking at her, before slowly, I glance down towards her, doing my best to loom over the seated woman with my extra height. I let a predatory grin cross my lips, as I stare dead at her.

Oh, poor, poor wares saleswoman. You have no idea who I am, do you?

"Hmm…" I begin, as I move to pick up a nearby chip. I slowly examine it, giving it a full once-over. The connecting studs are just like I remember, but its general shape seems slightly different than what I'm used to. "Been a while since I've gotten back into the pirating scene." I rumble, weighing the chip in my fingers. "Tell me, what're the detailed specs on this particular chip?"

The girl obviously doesn't know what the hell I'm talking about, judging by her immediate glance towards a sheet under the table, and then back at me with wide eyes. "Uhh… What do you mean, sir?"

"Look, kiddo." I say, slamming both of my palms on the sides of the table. Taking in a long, frustrated breath, I lean over, moving my face mere centimeters from hers. Gulping, the woman scooches back, flinching. "You might be new to this whole Arfoire chip thing, but I sure as hell am not. What version of the software are these things running, what's the current DRM-cracking capabilities, and what's the current versatility range? I am not spending this week's paycheck on a piece of shit that's worse than my last one."

I can almost begin to see the sweat forming on her brow, as she begins to look around for an escape. "I… I don't know? I… I just sell them, I don't make them!"

"Kid." I slam the table with my fist, causing the vendor to jump back in panic. The chips bounce up from the impact as well, adding further to the effect. My voice is monotone, as I make sure to spit out every word as if it was poison. "I. Need. To. Know. What. These. Pieces. Of. Shit. Can. Run. Do you understand me?"

"I… I don't know, honest! Please, calm down, sir!" Poor girl, her eyes are already brimming with panic and tears. I can feel pointed stares behind me, but no one has stopped me nor attacked me yet.

"Fine." I answer, as I slowly raise my fist upwards, where it looms over the table like a primed guillotine. "You got a manager, kid?"

"Ye… Yes?"

"Go. Get. Her." I speak in a vicious, but quiet tone, as I glare directly into the vendor's brown eyes.

"R… Right away, Sir!" stutters the vendor, as she shakily begins to gather up her wares.

Nope. You're not taking those anywhere.

"Did I just goddamn stutter?!" I bellow at the vendor, as I pound the table one final time with all of my might. The table must be really cheap plastic, because I can definitely see an imprint left behind. "Go get your goddamn manager, right this goddamn instant!"

With a shriek of terror, the girl flees the stand. With my focus finally freed up, I'm able to finally hear the sounds of confusion echoing from behind me. Right, other people watched that. Oh well.

Still, it's probably a good idea to break this up… Preferably in a way that doesn't end in a fight.

Turning slowly around, I glare into the line still behind me, causing a few to step back. Alright, play up the menace. "Alright. Everyone who's still here - get the hell out of here, now. The CPU is already on her way, and you don't want to be still here when she arrives."

There's cries of panic and confusion from the line, but most flee immediately. The rest stand still like stunned birds, unsure of what to do. Fine by me. Guess these idiots can deal with the fallout.

If my guess is right, then I've got five minutes at the very least before the girl's able to find her manager. As carefully as I can, I sweep the contents of the table into a little pile, and then the little pile into my jacket pocket. I have no idea how many are still here, and honestly, I don't want to waste time counting, not this close to the site.

I do muse about how much they're apparently worth though. Who the heck would buy one of these things for that price? Idiots? Desperate people? I shake my head and push past the stunned npcs, leaving the back alley behind.

That poor girl's definitely going to be fired for this. I almost feel bad about it.

Nah. Not really.

I should hit the grocer before I head back to the Basilicom.

Stores in Planeptune are really not that different from the ones I'm used to back home.

Only difference is that every line is a self-checkout line, so it only takes a moment to make my purchases. A bottle of lighter fluid, a cigarette lighter, a box of unflavored rice cakes (emergency rations), a nice coffee thermos, and a really, really big box of instant miso soup mix.

All for about four hundred eighty credits. Not bad, if I do say so myself.

I'm probably just going to fill the thermos with miso soup.

Mmm… Warm miso soup, after being tired from killing monsters.

I can hardly wait!

"Oh, hello Mister Derek! Did you get everything done that you were planning on doing?" asks Compa, right as I enter the front door.

"Yup!" I answer, as I untie my shoes, and gently lay them on a shoe rack. "Got all of my groceries, turned in my quests, and even had some fun out on the streets!"

"Oh, that's good." nods Compa. "Oh! And Miss RED left a present for you in your room. You're sleeping in the fourth door on the left, just in that hallway over there."

Nice, a present too? Things are looking up!

With a definite spring in my step, I stride down the hallway, counting the doors as I go.

One… Two… Three… Oh, this one's mine.

I close my eyes as I fling the door open.

Sproing.

And then I open them.

Giant spider head. Right in my face. Its fangs are very, very close

"Auuuuuuuugh!" I scream, as I fall backwards in panic. "Shit shit shit shit shit!"

As I curl up on the floor, bracing for impact and imminent pain, I can begin to hear laughter nearby. High-pitched laughter.

Dammit, RED.

"This… This isn't funny!" I sputter, from my position on the ground. I can definitely remember the feeling of being poisoned - is that what it did to me? - and just how much that hurt.

Said redhead is currently behind me, also on the ground. Unfortunately, she's laughing, and not screaming like I was.

"But… It's perfectly funny!~ You're such a scaredy cat!~" wheezes RED. "And it's already dead!~ It's not like it can hurt you anyway!~"

"I swear to god, RED, if I wake up tomorrow to another prank, I will find a way to murder you in your sleep." I threaten, shakily getting up.

Unfortunately, I don't have any time to threaten the girl any further, because I'm cut off by Nepgear, IF, and Compa rushing in, weapons at the ready.

"Is everyone alright?" asks Nepgear, as she gazes around the room, searching for the supposed attacker.

"I'm… fine." I spit, still glaring daggers at RED. "Just fell for a prank, that's all."

RED just tilts her head at me, confused.

The prank, of course, being a spring-loaded giant spider head. Primed to go off when I opened the door.

I didn't know that RED even had the mechanical know-how to get that thing to work in the first place, but either way, I'm not happy about it.

"Oh. I heard screaming, and was worried someone was hurt." states Nepgear, as she banishes her saber in a burst of light. "Huh. Where'd she get the spider head from, anyway?"

I don't even bother answering, nor listen to the answer, before I step through my door, disconnect the spring mechanism, and remove the head.

I'm getting rid of this thing. Right now.

"Wait, why is he so angry?~" I hear RED ask, but I don't hear the answer, since I slam the door behind myself. I take a few breaths in and out to try to calm down. Focus on the present… Not the past…

Right… Where was I?

My new, temporary sleeping quarters are pretty cushy, with a modest double bed, an individual closet, and a chest of drawers entirely devoid of clothing. I temporarily consider placing my 'extra' clothes into the drawers, but since they're my only other set, I'm not willing to risk leaving them behind.

I glance back down at the giant spider head. The fangs are still goddamn massive. I'm not scared of it, I'm scared of-

Wait.

Well, I technically am due for an equipment upgrade by now, right?

Grinning to myself, I draw my knife.

It makes a little bit of a mess on the carpet, but cutting one of the fangs loose of its flesh is only a few quick slices. Fully extracted, it's even got an extra couple of inches of length over my previous set of knives.

Heck, if I carve this into a dagger, it'll be extra awesome! Nothing screams badass quite like "knife made from the fang of your enemy".

I extract the other fang, so I have a backup in case I break the first one. The depleted head, now 'extracted' of loot, disappears into data. Huh, that's handy.

I guess I could start carving it now, but I don't have any fabric to make the hilts out of. And while it'd be cool to just attack with shards of carved, sharpened chitin, I get a feeling it'll be really really awkward to use, let alone throw. I guess I'll just get started on the blade part, then work on the handle afterwards…

No. I need to be able to hold onto something when I do the handle, and I sure as hell am not holding onto a razor-sharp knife when doing that.

I mean… I guess I can start marking out where I'm going to be cutting, at least. And maybe even start shaving off some of the extra bits, leaving the fine work for later.

Hrrrm. It's a good-sized fang, so I'd assume…

Extra inch of hand-space… Gonna make a notch right there…

Okay, so if that's there, then I need to take some off of the sides…

Am I keeping the curve? Yeah… Probably. It's not very noticable, but it definitely adds a bit of depth to the knife. I'll just take off some of the inside to smooth it out a bit…

Take off a little bit of the base section, so it's got an actual grip...

Eugh. Dulled a carving knife. Unsummoning it, then resummoning it. There we go.

Slide-on shaft, or anchored carved wrap shaft? Probably anchor carved, I don't have enough spider ivory to make a real intricate handle. That means I'll keep a bit on the end, so it's got a pommel.

Hmm. Spider Ivory. Not a bad name. Wouldn't be a bad name for a band, either. Okay, let's taper down this side here… Then the other side...

Okay, so what pattern am I going for… Flat is boring and has no texture, but I don't have enough skill to pull anything else off. Maybe… Flat, then deep spiral carve, with a fabric over top of it?

Eugh, dulled another one. Next.

Yeah, that'd be nice. Could even run cord overtop the carving, so that it has extra grip!

Okay, so now the angle of the blade itself… Tapered hexagon? I like the look of the tapered triangle, but since I'm using these knives mostly to pry, hexagon makes a lot of sense. Sooo... Flat edge, with two tapered points? Let's just mark where the taper begins...

Oooh! That looks nice. Going to have to double-check where I'm holding my hand when doing the markings though… Nearly cut myself there. The fang itself isn't sharp yet, but the other knife I'm holding certainly is.

I'm only roused from what I'm doing by a call from somewhere nearby. "Mister Derek! I'm done cooking dinner!"

Needless to say, I'm a little bit dazed. Below me, is a big pile of shaved spider chitin, and in my hand is the beginnings of a rough knife. Was I really that out of it?

My watch says I spent a good hour just working on this knife. Wow.

"Coming!" I answer, as I pocket my rough knife, and begin to sweep up the shavings on the floor into my hands. "I just need to clean up a bit!"

I take a pit stop into the washroom, just long enough to wash my hands, and dump the shavings into the toilet (I flush, of course). They're biodegradable. Probably, at least. Whatever, if the bathrooms in the Basilicom seriously clog from just that, then they really need to fire whoever is responsible for the piping.

Finding the dining room is a lot simpler. After all, all I need to do is to follow the smell of food.

The dining room is reasonably normal, with a large, spacious table surrounded by more comfortable chairs. I hastily take a seat in one of them, in front of a steaming plate of food.

"Oh hey, I was just about to come wake you up." speaks IF, glancing up from beside me. "We all thought you had fallen asleep somehow."

"Nah, I was just doing some work." I answer, as I lift a fork. Not bad, it seems like it's steamed white fish on rice. It's got some sort of creamy sauce over it, which not only smells amazing, but will probably taste delicious, too...

And then I blink.

Eugh. Right, the worlds might've changed, but I'm still me.

"Hey, Compa?" I ask, as I resist the urge to facepalm, "This wouldn't happen to have any dairy in it, would it?"

"Uhh… Yes?" answers Compa, in between mouthfuls of food. "Is something the matter?"

I groan. Lactose intolerance is a bitch.

"Yeah. I've got food allergies. Lots of them." I answer. My tone is getting too bitter, so I pause for a moment to regain my composure. "Like, pretty much half of the food possible in the world, I have allergies to. I probably should have told you earlier."

"Oh… are the allergies serious?" asks Nepgear, face shifting into concern.

"Not that I'm aware of…" I answer. "It's always been more that my body just can't digest certain things. It's been a pain, but that's my life. I've sorta just gotten used to it."

"Would you like me to make you something else?" offers Compa, as she pushes back from the table, "If you can't eat this, then it's only fair that I make you something that you can eat…"

"No…" I reply, annoyed that I killed the mood so suddenly. She really doesn't need to do that. "You obviously worked really hard on this, there's no reason for you to have to go back and cook me something. How about I head into the kitchen, and whip myself up something? It should only take a few minutes."

I didn't expect flat out refusal. "No, I'm cooking, and that's final. You're able to eat the fish though, right?"

"Yeah. If you just season it with salt, it should be fine." I submit. If she really wants to do this, then I won't stop her.

Compa raises herself to her feet, and begins to walk back to the kitchen.

"Oh and Compa?" I begin, causing the girl to turn around, "Thank you. It really means a lot."

"It's no problem, Mister Derek. After all, you helped us, so it's only fair that friends help each other, right?"

"Right."

Friends. Am I really a friend?

"So what exactly are you allergic to?" asks IF, as she continues to eat her meal. "It'd be good for us to know, so we don't run into this issue again later."

"Well…" I pause, as I mentally run down my prepared list, "Wheat, eggs, dairy, salmon, and rye. And pretty much anything made from those things, which is nearly everything."

IF gulps down a bit more air than she probably should've. "Wow, what exactly do you end up eating, then?"

I shrug. "Potatoes, mostly. Also the ramen over rice noodles around here is delicious. Do you folks have a favorite food?"

IF and Nepgear exchange looks. RED, on the other hand, has a different thing going through her mind.

"Hey…~ If you're not going to eat that, then can I have it?~"

With a shrug, I slide the plate over to the redhead, who tears into her second helping with glee. Just because she pulled a prank on me, doesn't mean I'll waste food just to spite her.

"Well…" begins Nepgear, "No, I don't think either of us has a favorite food. We just love whatever Compa cooks for us."

IF continues where Nepgear left off. "But we do know who has an unfavorite food, don't we?"

"Hehe, yeah, Big Sis never did like eggplants, did she? Though she always did love Compa's custard pudding. We've still got a couple still left in the fridge..." answers Nepgear, a smile wide on her face.

And then it fades, ever so slowly. I can't help but be taken aback as Nepgear begins to break into tears.

IF is up beside Nepgear in an instant. "Hey… It's alright. We're going to rescue her, and the other CPUs, don't worry."

Part of me wants to ask about her sister. But I know it's not the right time. I can only glance towards RED, who shrugs back at me.

I let the two girls hug it out, instead removing my rough knife from my pocket, and glancing towards it.

"What'dya got there?~" asks RED, having long since devoured her second plate of food. She sounds honestly curious… Did she really not think that the prank was… a big deal?

"Oh, this? This is the 'present' you gave me. I took out the fangs, and I'm thinking of making them into knives." I answer, turning the carved fang over. I think it should be done with about another two hours worth of effort.

"Oh, cool!~" chirps RED, as she pushes her plate forward. "Well, I'm done, so I'm going to go back home tonight. See you tomorrow, Wifeys!~"

And with that, she gets up from the table, and walks to the exit. I slide the fang back into my pocket, making sure not to prick myself in the process.

"Here you go, Mister Derek." speaks Compa from behind me.

It looks pretty much identical to the food that was in front of me before, but this time, rather than a white sauce, I can see the light speckling of salt.

Well, I'm hungry, so I lift my knife (the table one, although my carving knives could probably also work), and cut loose a piece of the fish.

It's really quite good.

"This is really good!" I say, as I raise my second forkful to my mouth. "Wow, this is actually even better than I expected!"

"Well I'm glad I exceeded your expectations!" smiles Compa, but then she glances towards the still-sobbing Nepgear. "Oh dear… I need to go help Ge-Ge."

I'm left to eat, as the nurse joins her friend at comforting the sobbing CPU Candidate.

I eat the rest of my meal in silence, before grabbing my plate, and taking it into the kitchens. Partly due to an ingrained habit, and partly due to my second task. After all, I had plenty of time to plan it while I was working on the fangs.

In the kitchens, I grab myself a large, extremely sturdy glass.

I'd even call it Nep-Proof, if that wasn't a hideously out-of-character thing to say. After all, I still haven't been told who Neptune even is. All that I 'know' right now is that Nepgear has a sister, and she's either dead or in a hospital or somewhere. And it's bad enough to make her burst into tears about thinking about it.

With the glass jug in hand, I make my way out to the deck. It's for the best to do this outside. After all, I wouldn't want to make too much of a mess.

I find a seat on the edge of the balcony, just beyond the pool. Ahead of me, I can see the lights of the city below, shining bright under the darkness above. The sun has long since set - it is only the light pollution around me that is allowing me to see my hands in front of me.

Setting the jug down in front of me, I extract my bag of repossessed Arfoire chips. It's time to destroy them, I guess.

Snap. I crack the flimsy chip in half, before dropping it into the jug in front of me. It's a rhythmic, mindless task that lets me think.

Snap. Am I really going to be able to make a difference here? I'm swimming with Goddesses here… and I'm just... me. Mortal. Weak. Fragile.

Snap. Will I ever tell anyone the truth? If I do, will anyone believe me? Or will they just laugh it off… No one ever believed me before, what would be different here?

Snap. Snap. Snap.

Snap. Do they even care? I mean, they say I'm a friend, but I'm nobody. I don't have connections to anyone's past, I don't even have a citizenship in Lastation, despite what I said to them at first. I'm a liar, afraid to tell the truth.

Chip by chip, I make my way through the bag, as my worries bang around in my head like little men with hammers. Eventually, I reach the final chip, snapping it in twain and dropping its remains into the jug. The jug is barely a third filled with broken scrap. I can see bits of copper and loose bits of steel rattling around at the bottom, having sunk below the plastic wreckage.

I sigh, shoving the jug forwards a few more centimeters.

It doesn't matter. I'm here, and as long as I am, I'll do everything I can. Even if it's not much, I'll still try.

With a small smile, I retrieve my bottle of lighter fluid from my inventory. I dump the whole thing into the jug, completely submerging the destroyed chips.

"It's good to be a member of the team." I say, as I remove my brand new cigarette lighter and a scrap of used napkin. "Even if I can't tell them everything... They care. I don't know why they care, but I'm thankful. Even if it's just temporary, I will enjoy it."

With a quick click of the lighter, the napkin, and then soon the remains of the contraband chips are ablaze. I lean back, watching the fire slowly melt what might be seventy thousand credits into slag. The brilliant crimson light within the glass contrasts the night behind it, as the shadows dance about the balcony.

I don't know if what I'm doing is making a difference.

I don't know if I'm ever going to be accepted.

But what I do know, is that I have made my allegiance clear.

I have made my decision,

There's no going back,

And I do not regret it.