Windfall

Chapter 8 "Beachhead"

Flint walks down the stone path to the landing pads of Nerdlu Aram, every step marked by the clink of the spurs on his boots. He walked onto one of the pads, standing at the second to top stair as he watched a ship come down from orbit, landing gear letting out a gust of vapor that nearly blew off his hat, which he grabbed out of instinct. Once the ship had touched down and the ramp lowered, a Qowld walked out pushing a pallet of four humanoid drones. She brought up her communicator on her upper left arm, looking through a list.

Qowld; "... You Flint Westwood?"

Flint went up the last portion of the stairs and tipped his cowboy hat in greeting as she unloaded the other two pallets of drones.

Flint; "Yes, ma'am, that's me."

Qowld; "As ordered, twelve drones with Close Quarters Combat programming."

Flint; "Ahright... But, uh... Where's the guns?"

Qowld; "They don't come with guns. Chi khudaldaj avaagüi. You arm them yourself, bought like this."

Flint; "Eyeh... Ahright. I'll find somethin' to arm'em with. Thank you kindly, partner."

Flint gives the Qowld sign for greeting/farewell; hooking the fingers together with one thumb pointing up and the other pointing down. The Qowld returns the gesture and climbs back into the ship, flying off back into orbit before leaving sight via FTL. Concurrently, a silver ship came in out of orbit down to a neighboring pad, and would've crashed were it not for thrusters blasting down. It hovered in place for half a minute before dropping onto the landing pad with a crash. Lights on the front and sides blinked with slow consistency as the landing gear extended, grinding against the surface of the pad with metal screeching. Flint hopped to the pad and approached with his hand near his revolver as the ramp lowered, revealing Ermak wheeling out a pallet of 8 crates.

Ermak; "Make way for Ermak!"

Flint moved out of the way, removing his hand from his revolver as Ermak moved the pallet onto the landing pad, turning to go back inside the ship, but stopping upon recognizing Flint.

Ermak; "Ah, hello friend!"

Flint; "Howdy, Ermak... Whatcha got there?"

Ermak; "... Pallet?"

Flint; "And what's in that?"

Ermak; "... Crates?"

Flint; "And what's in the crates?"

Ermak; "... Racks?"

Flint; *growing frustrated* "Anythang on the racks?"

Ermak; "Oh! Guns!"

Flint; "... Guns?"

Ermak; "From Aganok Caliphate, yes."

Flint; "... Ya wouldn happen ta have 12 spare, would'ya?"

Ermak; "These are for Alliance, Ermak will share. Caliph wanted to offload surplus, so Ermak offered to take it."

Flint walks up to the pallet and opens one of the crates, examining the weapons within.

Flint; "What all did the Caliph give ya?"

Ermak; "Uh... Ermak does not remember everything, but he knows there are riot guns in there, along with battle rifles."

Flint; "Well, I'mma be armin' the drones while y'all are gone. Keep 'suka safe, y'hear? Best friend I got."

Ermak; "Ermak can do that, yes."

Flint; "Pearl too, I got another date with her tamorrah."

Flint picked up the crate he had previously looked into and began walking it down the stairs, stopping when he heard Ermak singing to himself.