"Goodbye, brothers. Don't miss me... Your Uncle Pangolin is going solo for a while."
The Heart of Steel hauled in its anchor chains and gradually sailed eastward beneath the midday sun.
The colossal whale floating among the clouds carried countless thoughts far away. Veteran waved his hand, bidding farewell to his triumphant brothers.
Before long, he too would return in triumph.
Only, he was not going to Dawn City, but Triumph City.
Though he had no idea what means Saren, commander of the Eastern Legion, had used, they were returning to Triumph City as victors.
Honestly, Veteran was still confused even now.
The Legion had fought a baffling war and then gone home for equally baffling reasons. Aside from scaring the Enterprise and the Academy, exactly what had these big-nosed fellows won?
Fine, call it a victory.
He did not care about such trivial matters. What truly left him melancholy was something else.
What had begun as a spur-of-the-moment thought, almost a joke, had unexpectedly led him across the entire desert and now even farther west...
Triumph City.
Forget it. He would treat it as getting an early taste of the new version.
Closed beta, closed beta...
Wasn't this exactly what closed beta players did?
"What are you talking about?"
A pleasant voice came from behind him.
Having guessed who it was, Veteran smoothly switched to Human Alliance language and said with a solemn expression.
"That is the curse of my homeland; misfortune will entangle their oars."
Penny froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"...You're really funny."
Seeing the pangolin remain silent, Penny assumed he was still brooding over Vault 0. She softened her voice and comforted him.
"Governor Kahn did not blame you over Wally... That was not your fault. You faithfully fulfilled your mission and brought