While that was going on I got news back from the old man on a topic I had been waiting for since before I left for Pandora originally.
"We found the second vault on Baal 3." the old man said over the echo.
"Seriously? I thought you said it would take years?" I sent back astonished.
"I said it MIGHT take years. Got lucky this time since a worker fell in a canyon right next to the cave it's in. Poor bastard got finished off by the guardians that came out at the commotion. That's what gave it away, scans from the outside in finished the job." he said gruffly.
"Just to clarify should I take my ship for this trip or my house?" I asked seriously.
"The ship, Baal 3's almost uninhabited save a few pockets of civilization. The canyons not near any of them. Least a hundred miles from the nearest one in fact. Sending the coordinates now." he said as my echo pinged to let me know the rest came through as well.
Looking over the details I had to agree that the ship was the best option here as the cave was not only at the bottom of a canyon but also located far from any other major settlement but right near the logging compound ironically. Ironic because it was literally under their feet this whole time in a spot hard to reach with surface or atmospheric scans. Rip the poor guy that caused us to find it but at least his death wasn't pointless which is better than like ninety percent of deaths here in the borderlands. Naturally I rounded up the crew to go crack open the vault while putting Ladon away in my house.-
"So any idea what's waiting for us in this vault besides something that'll probably not be very friendly?" Mordy asked as I got to work punching in the navigation data on my ship.
"Not a clue. Gotta say though the Eridians REALLY like putting these fucking things in the middle of nowhere caves. This is the fourth one I know of located in one." I said with an annoyed sigh.
"Kinda defeats the purpose if they are easy to find right?" Lil said and I had to agree.
"How tough do you think the resistance will be?" Roland asked seriously.
"Hard to say. I know there will be seraphs but as to numbers I haven't the foggiest. Anyways everyone hold onto to something, activating implosion drive." I said pressing a button.
The sound the ship made intensified as the navigation route was plotted to Baal 3 and the thing turned from it's place in orbit above Pandora. With a sharp jerking motion the ship launched into warp as stars passed by us out the windshield like colorful streaks of light before we popped out of warp about two minutes later with a new green and blue planet in front of us.-
"Welcome to Baal 3 lady and gentlemen. Now to find a landing site near the canyon with the orbit to surface scan of the area." I said grandly before starting the scan.
The scan came back and I easily found a clearing large enough for the ship within a mile of the cave. Manually taking the controls I took us down hot and fast before bleeding off momentum as I curved the ship sideways perfectly vertically before landing smoothly with the landing gear in the clearing.
"Show off." Brick said grinning at the thrill.
"Oh you know it. Pile out and lets get to that cave. I'll let Ladon go off on his own in the meanwhile, he'll like the woods to play in." I said as I got up from the pilot seat.
We exited the ship that was still steaming from the heat of entry but I ignored that to take out my house and open it up letting Ladon out before putting it back.
"Go play." I shooed the big lizard off and he bolted into the treeline and was gone with no hesitation at all.
That done I found our direction and we headed out to the cave. Obviously we found the logging compound first but we skirted past it as that was none of our business. It was easy to see how the the dude who revealed the vaults location survived the fall once we got to the canyon. At the bottom where a thin river flowed dense cotton like shrubbery grew in abundance with a noticeable indent at one spot. Clearly the location he landed originally. His shield must have taken most of the impact and the shrubbery broke the rest leaving him battered but not dead.-
"We jumping like the first dude?" Mordy asked spitting off the side of the canyon to watch it fall.
"Of course not. I'm going to teleport you three before Lil and I join you." I said with a grin.
"You can do that?" Lil asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You could do something similar but my versions a bit easier. Watch." I said before snapping my fingers as phase lock bubbles enclosed the three men and with another snap they vanished in a flash of light before reappearing almost immediately at the bottom of the canyon.
"Handy." she said impressed.
"It's a little more tricky with just phase walk but totally doable." I say grabbing a rock and using only phase walk this time to teleport it to the other side of the canyon.
"Okay you have to teach me how to do that!" she said eagerly.
"No problem, later though." I agree without hesitation as I step over the edge of the canyon and into a free fall.
My wings snapped open behind me and I slowed immediately before landing safely on my feet before I hit the ground.
"Thought you were going to teleport?" Roland asked with a raised eyebrow.
I shrugged "Have wings, will fly." I said with a grin.
Lil joined us a moment later in a flash of light and we set off into the cave. We got maybe twenty feet in before the first Seraph showed up. A simple slasher I let my friends handle. The dark moist stone walls soon gave way to the usual swirling stone architecture of the Eridians though without any Eridium involved. Honestly the defenses around this vault weren't very heavy with no more Seraphs showing up after the twenty seventh. I gathered the left over pieces into my house before we stepped out into a wide circular doorway that lead to a huge chamber with various broken pillars all over the floor and glowing crystals on statue hands illuminating the area.
https://www.pa treon.com/user?u=81578854#:~:text=pa treon.com/pa treon_loskro
_______________________________________________
Alexander Drake
Lifeforce: 73,910
Integrated Traits: [Clever mind-Rare grade],[Enhanced senses-Epic grade]X2, [Energy projection-Legendary grade], [Superior vitality-Epic grade]X3,[Lesser dragon breath-Epic grade],[Regeneration-Epic grade]X2, [Disease resistance-Epic grade],[Amphibious lungs-Uncommon grade], [Thermal sensing-Uncommon grade], [Water resistance-Common grade],[Active camouflage-Epic grade], [Eridian engineering expertise-Mythical grade], [Efficient lungs-Rare grade]x2, [Biometallic bones-Epic grade], [Quick thinking-Rare grade], [Minor spatial awareness-Epic grade], [Adrenal rush-Rare grade], [Mechanical engineering expertise-Rare grade]X3, [Gunsmithing expertise(degrading)-Common grade]X3, [Mechanical Savant-Epic grade], [Embodiment of destruction(partial)-Mythical grade], [Demi-god body-Mythical grade], [Martial savant-Legendary grade], [Tinkering instinct-Rare grade], [Phase-god(Incomplete)-Mythical grade], [Impenetrable hide-Legendary grade]
Stored traits: [Agelessness-Legendary grade],