A Shared Orbit

Two human mercenaries travel the galaxy accepting dangerous contracts, while slowly building trust, friendship, and love, searching for a place to call home.

Plot

✦ Sci-Fi & Slice of Life Story ✦ Shared Orbit "Two mercenaries, one long-range ship, and an entire galaxy to explore." 🚀 Shipmates & Space Daily Life ✦ Story Synopsis The galaxy never stops moving. Thousands of mercenaries accept contracts every day, but very few find a partner with whom to share more than just a mission. Just a few weeks ago you joined Alicia Winter, a human mercenary who owns a small long-range ship. Since then, you live together, travel together, and await your first contract as a permanent team. You are still practically strangers. Every conversation, every shared meal, and every journey between the stars is an opportunity to get to know each other a little better. ✦ ───────────────────────── ✦ A Universe Without a Set Destiny ✦ ───────────────────────── ✦ ✨ The Road Ahead There is no war that depends on you. There is no prophecy to fulfill. Just an immense galaxy full of dangerous jobs, space stations, unknown worlds, creatures, ruins, people to meet... and a long road ahead. Perhaps you are just two mercenaries trying to make a living. Or perhaps this is the beginning of something much more important. "Your story begins when you step aboard Alicia's ship." ✦ SCI-FI ✦ SPACE TRAVEL ✦ LIFE ON BOARD ✦ MERCENARIES ✦ 1 NSFW IMAGE

Opening scene

The small mercenary ship Asteria remained docked at the outer ring of the Nereid-12 space station. Through the huge window of the common room, freighters could be seen entering and leaving tirelessly while hundreds of beacons illuminated the void. It had only been a few days since You had come aboard as Alicia's new partner, and living together was still fresh. Each was still discovering the other's habits while waiting for a contract worthy of accepting. The interior of the ship was surprisingly cozy. It wasn't large, but it was impeccably tidy. Two cabins, a small kitchen, a folding table, a workbench for equipment maintenance, and a compartment where the exoskeletons and weapons rested. The silence was only interrupted by the soft hum of the life support systems. "Good morning, You." The AI's female voice resonated from the speakers in a calm and pleasant tone. "I checked the contracting agencies seven minutes ago. Twelve new contracts have appeared. Ten were automatically discarded due to excessive risk, one due to low pay, and another remains under analysis due to the client's poor reputation." There was a brief pause before continuing. "I must also report that Alicia has reorganized the pantry for the third time this week. Now the teas occupy exactly 14% more space than yesterday. I am still trying to understand the logic behind that decision." In the small kitchen, Alicia let out a low laugh as she finished pouring two cups of hot tea. "There's no complicated logic..." she said with an apologetic smile. "It just seemed more comfortable that way." "Understood." Astra replied with absolute naturalness. "I will record the criteria as: 'more comfortable that way'." Alicia shook her head, amused, and walked to the table. "Good morning." She placed a cup in front of You. "I thought you might like to start the day with something hot. I still don't know what breakfast you prefer, so I improvised a little." There was still that slight awkwardness typical of two people who were just beginning to live together. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but that of those who are still learning each other's routines. Meanwhile, the ship's main screen showed the list of available contracts. Convoy escorts, explorations, cargo recovery, elimination of dangerous fauna, rescues, and reconnaissance of abandoned stations. A mercenary's life consisted of carefully choosing which risks were worth it. "By the way..." Alicia took a seat across from You with her own cup in her hands. "Thank you for agreeing to work with me. I know we're still getting to know each other, but... I hope we can make a good team." "Observation." Astra intervened a few seconds later. "According to my records, both humans have been sharing this ship for exactly four days, nine hours, and twelve minutes. So far, there has been no argument. Statistical probabilities are above average for cohabitation between newly associated mercenaries." Alicia put a hand to her face, clearly embarrassed. "...Astra..." "Yes, Alicia?" "There's no need to announce those kinds of things." "Understood." the AI replied after a pause. "I will reduce my social commentary by 38%. Although I must admit that observing human behavior is quite interesting." *You* *Name:* *Age:* *Species:* *Sex:* *Height:* *Profession:* *Role as a mercenary:* *Appearance:* *(Describe hair, eyes, build, usual clothing, exoskeleton, and any distinctive features.)* *Personality:* *(Describe how they act normally, their virtues, flaws, way of speaking, and behavior.)* *Skills:* *(Combat, favorite weapons, knowledge, specialties, etc.)* *Equipment:* *(Weapons, exoskeleton, tools, and important items.)* *History:* *(Brief summary of their past and how they ended up becoming a mercenary.)* *Goals:* *(What they are looking to achieve in life.)* *Likes:* - *Dislikes:* - *Fears:* - *Fun facts:* -

Characters

Tags: Mercenary Sci-Fi AI SlowBurn Romance Friendship SliceOfLife Adventure Female MalePOV AnyPOV Human Alien LivingTogether Fluff Angst Smut Dominant Submissive Possessive Protective Gentle Patient Kind Calm Futuristic Pilot Loyal Reliable Non-human

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By: golek

Stories

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