"He's late," Tannis muttered, frowning as she adjusted her glasses. "I'm dying of boredom, and soon also of hunger. Frankly, I must admit he's one of the least worst bosses I've ever had."
"Mr. Maxwell is precise. He must have had a good reason to be away for so long," Spyglass replied in a tone designed to calm her. "They're already nearby. Tracking confirmed."
Cutting through the clouds, the Odyssey appeared above Outer Heaven. The ship slowed, hovering over the ocean before gently landing on the water's surface. Its characteristic ramp extended to the island.
At the top of the ramp, two figures emerged. They were closely followed by a dozen Spectres escorting a line of chained Psychos.
The Psychos, known for their uncontrollable savagery, were surprisingly quiet, walking in an orderly rhythm. Each had their arms bound by shackles, with chains around their necks connecting them to the group, an effective measure against any escape attempts.
"Welcome, Sir Maxwell. It's good to see you in fine condition," Spyglass greeted his superior with a swift military salute. "If I may say so, the new uniform suits you perfectly."
"I can say the same, Outer Heaven looks well-maintained," Maxwell replied briefly. "I had to get a larger size and decided to go with an Apex Predators uniform while I was at it. I haven't had much downtime lately, but I plan on squeezing in a few more chess matches soon."
"Certainly, sir, it would be a pleasure."
Turning to Moxxi, Spyglass immediately assessed her status, noting the pheromones of his superior mingling with hers.
"This is Moxxi, a genius mechanic," Maxwell gestured to Moxxi, introducing her to the others. "Moxxi, these are Spyglass, my all-purpose butler, if you need something, just ask him. And Tannis, my scientist who volunteered to work here on Outer Heaven."
Moxxi snapped out of her awe and waved at the pair. She had been marveling at the tropical scenery of the island, almost forgetting she was still on Pandora. It felt like a slice of heaven in the deepest pits of hell.
"Volunteered, you say," Tannis huffed before turning her attention to the Psychos. "Oh, dear God, this might be my first experiment with human subjects. I believe I'm finally venturing into the less ethical areas of science."
"Second thoughts already? Look, we're about to become a corporation. Human testing won't be the last sin we commit before we kick the bucket. Besides, I don't recall you being religious."
"I'm an atheist, thank God."
"I didn't know you could tell jokes, Tannis."
"This place is stunning," Moxxi interjected, interrupting their banter. "Will you show me around Outer Heaven?" Her excitement about exploring the island took precedence over socializing. She grabbed Maxwell by the arm and pulled him away.
"Take the prisoners to the cells, and don't let Tannis move without a squad of Spectres escorting her. Also, make sure the Marvins store the food properly, some of it's perishable, so keep it well preserved."
Maxwell gave his final orders to Spyglass before joining Moxxi for a tour of the island. They strolled along the beach before venturing deeper into the island, passing by some of its older structures, including the general hospital and the treehouse where Ned had been killed. Maxwell made a stop at the graves of his former squadmates, adding more rocks to their graves as it seemed some wild animals had tried to dig them up.
After showing her most of the island, Maxwell and Moxxi decided to have a picnic on the beach, relaxing on lounge chairs, drinking coconut water, and enjoying the cool shade of an umbrella. The occasional salty breeze and the sound of crashing waves created a peaceful ambiance, perfect for a nap if the couple hadn't been so excited and ended up in a sweaty and sticky session of physical exercise.
...
"Hey, Max... Max?"
"Just five more minutes," Maxwell groaned, feeling the afternoon sun against his eyelids as he tightened his embrace around the naked body on top of him.
"The Hyperion satellites detected General Knoxx's warship entering the atmosphere, and I lost the signal of the Vault Hunters after they entered the cavern The Descent," Angel's voice echoed in Maxwell's foggy consciousness. "I've powered down most of Odyssey's systems to conserve energy, and our little Marvin friends finished unloading everything. Speaking of which, I'd like a Marvin chassis for a Claptrap that I really like. You wouldn't mind, would you?"
"Sure, sure, do whatever you want," Maxwell muttered, his focus more on Moxxi, who was waking up and slowly pulling herself off him. His member slipped out of her with a sensual sound, and the sight of the white liquid trailing after reminded him of a pressing question.
"Do you think it's safe for me to finish inside you?"
"I stopped menstruating two years ago, so I can't get pregnant," Moxxi yawned, stretching out her arms and giving Maxwell an unobstructed view of her ample chest. He felt a pang of loss at the sight of those breasts being hidden under her bra.
"Huh. That's a shame," Maxwell muttered, feeling a mix of emotions about the revelation. Some things were better left unknown.
"Angel was talking to you, right? That telepathy thing is so handy. Sirens are really strange; I wonder what it must feel like."
"Has she used telepathy on you? What were you two talking about?" Perhaps it was the clarity of post-nut thoughts, but Maxwell's mind raced with ideas, some involving twins. Moxxi was like a succubus, and Phaseleech fit perfectly for one.
"Girl stuff..."
"Okay, keep your girl secrets then," Maxwell shrugged, brushing the sand off himself before getting dressed.
"Looks like Knoxx has arrived on the planet. I wanted to spend more time here, but we'll need to fetch Jess soon," Maxwell said as he and Moxxi began heading back to Odyssey, leaving the mess for the Marvins to clean up.
"Is this girl that important?"
"Individually, no, she's not that important. But her sister is, and it's not just me who thinks so." Maxwell explained as they stepped into Odyssey, taking an elevator to the flight deck above. "Athena's going to want out of Atlas, but the Atlas higher-ups will send her on one last mission, involving the destruction of a small town, a town where her sister lives."
"I get that a Lance Assassin is important, but all this for one?"
"She's the leader of the Lance Assassins. If I have their leader, I have all of them, with the right contract. Can you imagine those women piloting Ronins and Northstars?"
*Ding*
The elevator doors opened, strong winds whipping their clothes around.
"Ready for a ride on the Goblin?" Maxwell asked casually, pointing to the smaller ship already prepped on Odyssey's launch platform.
The small craft had cost him a combined total of 185[C], including the new uniform, leaving him with 584[C]. The Goblin's original paint was in black and white tones, with a reinforced glass dome offering wide visibility for the pilot. Its cockpit window had a faint bluish tint from the anti-glare coating. Two main engines sat at the rear, with smaller maneuvering thrusters on either side for tight environments or zero-gravity control.
Moxxi gave a broad smile. "With you piloting, always."
"I'm not piloting. You are," Maxwell replied, leaving Moxxi with a look of amused surprise as he walked toward the smaller craft.
"Okay~ But no guarantees," she teased.
The Goblin's rear door opened, allowing them to enter the transport space, which could carry up to six people or an equivalent amount of cargo. Moxxi inspected the interior in awe, making her way to the cockpit.
Seated in the pilot's chair, Moxxi leaned forward, squinting as her fingers danced over the controls. "Okay, seriously, Max... Are you sure this didn't come with a manual? Because I swear half these buttons look like they'll launch a missile or eject us."
Maxwell, seated beside her, looked utterly relaxed, as if on a casual Sunday drive. "I have no idea. Good luck."
Moxxi arched an eyebrow, a provocative smile forming on her lips. "So you let me fly because… you're scared?"
"I can't feel fear, so not exactly," Maxwell replied, giving her an indifferent look. "You've flown something before, right? I just figured you'd enjoy it. Plus, if you crash, I can blame you. On the bright side, if we fall, our Jumpkits will act as parachutes, so relax."
Moxxi rolled her eyes. "Thanks for calming my nerves, you're really helping."
"You're welcome."
Moxxi started rummaging through the cockpit, eventually finding a manual in a compartment overhead. They spent a few quiet minutes with the occasional cough and the rustling of pages.
"Do you still smoke?"
"My stress has been way down, so I quit smoking recently," Moxxi replied without taking her eyes off the manual.
"Huh. I used to smoke a bit, but I got kicked out of school for it. My dad beat me so bad back then that every time I tried smoking again, I'd feel a phantom pain."
"Funny, I never got beaten by my parents."
"Good for you. Were you the typical good girl?"
"No, it's because I don't have parents."
"Oouh, that makes sense."
"…"
"Now… where's this Jess you mentioned?" Moxxi asked as she stashed the manual away.
Maxwell reached over to one of the panels with a map. Zooming out, he pointed to a town in the middle of the desert. "Four hundred kilometers south of T-Bone Junction. We'll fly low to avoid Atlas drones."
"T-Bone Junction? That's where my son's garage is. I need to call him to get his sister there."
"Couldn't you call Ellie yourself?"
"She hasn't spoken to me since she left."
Maxwell noticed Moxxi's shoulders visibly slump, her mood turning somber at the mention of her daughter. He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"It's just a phase."
"It's been five years, Max."
"She's just stubborn, but if she's your daughter, she has a good heart. Maybe she's just ashamed and doesn't know how to express herself."
Maxwell was about to continue, but a red light began blinking on the Goblin's dashboard, signaling the ship was ready for launch. Spyglass's voice echoed through the internal speakers.
"Launch sequence prepared. Countdown starting in ten seconds."
"… Three. Two. One."
With a thunderous roar, the slingshot mechanism engaged, propelling the Goblin forward with impressive force. The pressure slammed Moxxi and Maxwell into their seats as the ship accelerated rapidly, gliding along the rails before shooting into the air.
Moxxi gripped the controls tightly, guiding the ship as it disengaged from the rails and its main engines roared to life. The turbines thundered, spitting fire as the Goblin gained altitude. Moxxi carefully adjusted the controls, retracting the landing gear as the Goblin stabilized in the air.
"I think I could get used to this," she admitted, her voice tinged with exhilaration as she watched the ocean grow smaller below them. "I just hope she's there."