(This Flash Fiction marks the end of three years without missing a single Friday. I hope you enjoy this one and the others!)
Shane and Cara stood across from the Far Stars Saloon and
watched the steady stream of traffic through the doors. The building was one of the oldest on Flame
and boasted being the oldest tavern in this sector, the stone exterior
contrasting with the modern city around it.
Old-fashioned and well-known.
The place thrived on trouble.
Four ships had ported
today and Shane suspected everyone had headed to the saloon. The place was a problem on days with just
locals; the influx of outsiders had gotten rowdy enough that someone called in
the Port Guard. It wasn't even sunset
yet.
Cara shifted from one foot to another, still not used to the
gravity. She barely reached his
shoulders and he wasn't a particularly large man. Shane hadn't taken her seriously until he saw
her in the practice field. He'd requested her for a partner. The others thought he was crazy. They weren't paying attention.
"What are we supposed to do?" she asked and shifted
again.
"We're supposed to look scary." Shane lifted his head
as another group of spacers came down the street.
"Scarier than them? Not going to happen, Shane."
He grunted agreement.
This group must have been hired by size and weirdness rather than
ability. Oh, he'd seen weird ones before
-- spiked purple hair and tattoos really didn't count for much. However, the sheer mass of this entire group
of ten put them off the scale.
One gave a friendly nod as they went inside. They all had their hands on their laser
pistols. Oh yeah, that looked like
trouble.
Cara looked at him, her eyebrow raised.
"We can't do anything until there's a problem. Those are the Port Guard rules, Cara."
"But that last group -- why do we have to wait until they
start shooting? That's going to get us
killed."
"They didn't look any crazier than everyone else who went
inside, just a little more colorful."
"And that makes it better?"
"This is an open port.
They're allowed to carry weapons because there are dangerous creatures
on Flame. You're new here but you've
seen the files and the vids."
"Glad they don't get into the city much any more. But
these guys --"
"We can't tell the ones looking for trouble from those
looking for fun, Cara. If we go in and start demanding weapons, we'll start the
trouble. We have to wait. I don't like it much either."
"There's another group.
How many can they pack in there?"
The trouble started soon after with one huge shout that shook
the windows. A heartbeat later they
heard the sound of laser fire and an explosion.
"Well damn," Cara said. She didn't slow as they headed straight into
trouble.
Smoke billowed from the door.
Good. They'd be less likely to be
seen and the smoke could disrupt lasers, though not much in such a small
area. First job was to find the trouble
though from the shouts and grunts it was pretty much everywhere. That put them
at a disadvantage --
Someone huge plowed into both of them and sent the two
sprawling off to the right behind an overturned table. Shane started to grab the guy, but the man
with tattoos, spiked hair and metal in his nose rested on his knees with both
hands held out. "Needed out of the
door," he explained. "Fool is
shooting at anyone who tries to leave without buying him a drink."
Shane noted a couple people down by the door but no one looked
dead. "Thanks."
Purple Hair nodded. Then
he winced when his comm went off but he flipped it on with a sigh, holding it
to his ear. "Ma'am? No Ma'am, I haven't gotten your wine
yet. Yes ma'am. No ma'am.
Of course we didn't start the fight, ma'am -- no ma'am." He stopped and sighed, then turned an
interesting shade of pink. "No,
ma'am, I wasn't making a bored sound.
Yes, ma'am." He lowered the comm.
"Honest to god, if she wasn't my own sister, I'd mutiny -- but dad
would hang me up by my ears."
The comm was still on and the woman on the other end laughed
brightly. How much was a game? Shane
wasn't sure, but while he'd listened, he and Cara had been scoping out the
trouble. Cara pointed -- with her pistol
-- towards the far corner of the bar.
"Little pudgy guy in a dark suit," she said. "You're right. You can't tell the crazy ones from the sane
ones. I wouldn't have tagged him as the
troublemaker."
"I didn't even notice him go in," Shane
admitted. The guy shot a game board and
it exploded while he gave a weird, high-pitched laugh. Several people yelled in game-ruined
frustration and someone fired hitting him in the shoulder. The fool laughed louder.
"Damn! He's wearing a shock suit under his clothing! He
planned this!" Cara snarled.
"We'll have to tackle him."
Maybe not such a good plan to make her his partner.
"He's going to kill someone," Purple Hair
agreed. "My crew will distract him.
That's the best we can do."
Shane gave a nod. He and
Cara crawled away to the right. This was going to go bad if they didn't get the
guy down. They had to move fast.
A roar like wild beasts let loose filled the building as Purple
Hair and his people stood and fired. The
little guy ducked out of habit at facing something so fierce. They tackled him, Cara a bit more viciously
than needed. Shane grabbed the weapon
and Cara powered down his suit. Wasn't
long before someone came and picked him up.
So they went back outside and stood watching the door. Purple Hair and his crew left not much
later. He had a bottle of wine nestled
in his arm and gave them a wave.
"Sorry to see them go," Cara admitted. "This is going to be a long night."
"Welcome to the life of a Port Guard," he replied.
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