"Ah! Awakened Sunless. What… wait, give me a second…"
Something crackled violently, and in the next moment, the background noise was gone.
"Much better. So… have you decided?"
Sunny took another sip of coffee and said:
"Yeah."
He hesitated for a bit, then added:
"As far as joining the Legacy clans or the government… I've decided against it. I don't know enough and have no leverage to ensure a good deal. Plus, that option will remain open for me in the future even if I stay independent for now. The reverse, however, won't necessarily be true. In any case, it's a serious matter, one that should not be decided upon in a span of just a few days, while suffering from sleep deprivation and stimulant abuse, to boot."
Master Jet turned on the video function of the call and smiled. The smile was bright and beautiful, but Sunny couldn't help but notice that right behind her, something was currently on fire.
"Makes sense. So then… which Citadel?"
That was the real question. While Sunny decided to remain independent for now, while leaving himself an opportunity to join a powerful faction later, his choice of an anchor was going to limit which factions he would be able to interact with later on.
He was silent for a bit, then said:
"Clan Valor territory."
Master Jet nodded.
"Solid choice. Bastion? Or a smaller Citadel?"
Sunny drank some more coffee, then spoke the name of the Citadel he had chosen into the communicator.
Jet's eyes widened slightly. She didn't say anything for a while, then asked with a bit of surprise in her voice:
"Are you… absolutely sure?"
He nodded.
"Yeah. I thought about it long and hard."
Master Jet stared at him with a slight frown for a few moments, then shrugged.
"Well, okay then. But, uh… that might take a couple of days to arrange. The place is too far north, and there's not a lot of Saints in those parts. But I'll find a way."
Sunny smiled.
"Thanks. I really owe you one."
She smiled in response and then winked at him.
"Be careful with what you say, Sunless. I might just take you up on the offer and come knocking on your door one day, asking for a favor."
He took a sip of coffee and shrugged.
"Sure. No problem. Oh… and call me Sunny, please. Everyone does."
Master Jet blinked a couple of times, then grinned.
"Alright."
Turning away from the camera, she quickly glanced at something beyond the screen, and then added:
"...Chained Isles, huh? Good luck, Sunny. I hear it's a real hell."