Starfield:Companion - Sam Coe/Story SG06

Quest:	COM_Companion_SamCoe
Scene:	COM_SamCoe_Story_SG06

Sam Coe:

"I'd appreciate your advice."

--

• [Q+505?]

"After our last talk... Well, I just feel a little more at peace. A little more whole."

• [Q+510?]

"After our last talk, even though you called me out on being a fool."

"I still feel better for opening up. And worse, too."

• [or]

"After our last talk, I was really worried what you'd say. But I always feel better. Thank you."

--

"Cora's grandpa, good old Jacob, well he just will not stop pestering me to see Cora."

"And that's complicated."

...	Player	Response
	You don't talk much about your father.	He's not my favorite topic of conversation.
	Cora's got a lot of people that care for her.	Can you blame them? She's something else. But things with my Dad...
▲	Jacob's a real ass.	Good to know I'm not alone thinking that.
X	We can talk about this later. For now, I'm busy.	Right you are.

"My early years... They weren't good."

"My mother died when I was 7. Some people have such strong memories from their early life."

"Me, I mean I remember her. I have some pictures, I remember the feelings. But just a few clear memories."

...	Player	Response
	[+Starborn?] There may be a version of us out there somewhere where she lived. I wonder what that's like.	Odd thought. I just... can't imagine what that would've been like.
	I'm sorry to hear about your mom.	Oh, it's all right. Ancient history.
	I bet that changed things at home.	You better believe it.
🗣︎	What do you remember?	She had these truly ancient cameras. Like caveman type of things. Had a room with a red light, she'd develop pictures she took in this chemical bath. I remember sitting on a stool, looking up at them slowly fade in, and it was like alchemy to me, then. That's all I have. Just glimpses like that.
🗣︎	What happened to her?	She banged up her knee real good in an accident. So she went in for knee replacement. Supposed to be routine, but that damned anesthesiologist dropped the ball. One day, Mom's fine and then after the damned doctors take her away... *sigh*

"So Jacob raised me on his own. And... shit, maybe I don't give him enough credit."

"I mean, I know how tough it is. But he was strict, hard."

"Dad was a long time civil servant, a big man in government. And he had a future all laid out for me. Man could he get his hooks into you... he was scary good at that."

...	Player	Response
▲	[+Freestar Collective Settler?] Most people in the Freestar Collective would hate working in government, too.	Exactly. If we wanted big, bloated government we'd head over to the UC. He was my Dad, though, and I was a young pup...
	And let me guess, that future wasn't for you.	You know me too well.
	He probably did it out of love.	Maybe. But, it was tough to live up to his exacting expectations.
🗣︎	What exactly did your Dad do?	At his height he was some sort of trade minister. A very prominent man in Akila City. After I came along, he stepped down to a lower posting - but still had a finger in trade all over the Collective. I can't deny, he sacrificed a lot to be closer to Mom and me.

"But I tried. I felt the weight of legacy, I wanted to do him proud."

"He said I had to learn the business. Run some freight, see how the credits flow, speak the language."

"Meanwhile he was working some angle for a government job for me after. And that sounded even more miserable than what I was doing."

...	Player	Response
▲	He should've asked what you wanted.	I know, right?
	If you were somebody else, it may not have been that bad a deal.	Probably. Credits, power, prestige... I mean, you're right.
	[Flirt] I wish we'd met a long time ago. We have to seriously make up for lost time.	Imagining you around back then... Let's just say you would have been... distracting. But I had a point... If I could remember it.
🗣︎	Did you ever tell him you didn't want it?	I started to many, many times. He'd always steer the conversation away, or just use logic to dissect every little point. Once I held my ground and he said I was an ungrateful child, not worthy of what he was doing.

"Even after I joined the Rangers, Dad just always was needling - angling for me to join the government."

"By then I knew myself more. And I could stand up to him. Lillian, well, she helped."

"If I let Jacob into Cora's life, he'll dream up some big future for her and tie her into knots like he did with me. That man could teach a master class in manipulation."

...	Player	Response
	Jacob might surprise you. He seems to really love Cora.	[Q+305?] You are just dead set on all of us being one big happy family, aren't you? Well, maybe it's worth trying. For Cora's sake. [Q+310?] So set up some ground rules, like you said I should do with Lillian? I don't think it would work. But... It might be worth trying. [or] Hmmm. I suppose. Stranger things have happened. [QE605]
	If he does anything like that, I'm sure you'd shut it down fast.	[Q+505?] Like you said, I've taken a lot of hard knocks - learned a thing or two. Yeah, I might be able to make sure Jacob stays a good doting grandad. Or else. [Q+510?] I don't know. Sometimes I still feel like that stupid kid - like you said. I'm not sure I'm up for tussling with Dad. [or] I would try, that's for damned sure. No guaranteeing I'd succeed. [QE610]
	It should be up to Cora, otherwise you're making her choices for her.	But she's only twelve and... Hell, I see what you did there. If I just flat out say no, I'm a hypocrite, right? *sigh* [QE615]
	Jacob's bad news. I think you're right to keep Cora away from him.	Cora's too young to understand just how twisted up things could get. I wish I could just snap my fingers and make things better for her. [QE620]
🗣︎	Have you seen any evidence of that?	Well, no. But he hasn't had much opportunity. And he's a sly one, I'm not sure I'd be able to spot anything.
🗣︎	Is your father really that much of a problem?	I mean, I can't prove it, but I'm pretty sure that freight company was silently partnered with good old dad. And the smuggling? I wouldn't put it past him to be involved. Very involved. But he always did a good job of keeping that side of the business hidden from everyone. Especially me.

"I guess I got more to think about."