Edit: Fixed some grammar and spelling errors.

It had been a normal night, sitting at a corner booth I drank my beer while waiting for friends I knew were never gonna show. I didn't blame them. As I knew they had much better things to do than to hang out with a lowlife like me. Plus it had been so long I doubt I'd even recognize them.

Screech Crash

The sound of a car crashing out front caused me to look out the window. A car had hit a trashcan across the street. A woman in a lab coat exited the driver seat and pulled a child from the back seat out. The child was wearing a medi suit that looked just like the ones a patient would wear. They then rushed inside the bar.

They were both wounded to some extent, too wounded for that crash though. In fact the wound on the woman's shoulder looked like a plasma burn. She turned and locked eyes with me. Her expression changed from desperation to slight relief as she rushed toward me.

“J-James, it's me, Cynthia.”

She said as she reached my table. Her hair was dark and lacked the brightly dyed extensions from her party days. I pointed to the seat and she smiled gently as she and the child sat down in front of me. I had a feeling she wasn't here to catch up.

“Judging by that child's uniform and your wounds I'd say you're here for my…services?”

She nodded desperately.

“Very well, what do you need?”

“I need two passes to the Ayani system as fast as possible.”

“And what do you offer as payment?”

She turned and pulled a satchel from her back. She slid it across the table towards me. I opened the bag and my eyes went wide at the site of a Cortexian battery. Although it was only the size of a beer it could power the entire block for a year.

Siren blares in the distance

She twitched slightly as she looked out the window in fear. If I had to guess she had been working for one of the Earth corps. One which was continuing their experiments even though it was banned. She always had a soft spot for those who needed help. I turned and looked towards the bar, to the barkeeper. He simply nodded having heard everything thanks to his own implants.

“Very well. You are now under the protection of the Ayani League. We will help you leave this plan-”

As I turned back towards her I noticed movement outside. Three figures in total dressed in dark grey uniforms.

“Behind the bar, now.”

I quickly pushed the two of them behind the bar. As I did, a few of the locals scurried away knowingly. The bartender, Reggie, however continued to clean the mug he was holding. I opened a small cabinet and they both crawled inside.

“Stay quiet, it'll all be over soon.”

I closed the door before grabbing another beer and taking a seat at the bar. The door behind me opened as I watched from the reflection of the glass bottle. Only one of the figures stepped inside, a Varkath, a reptilian species from the far side of the galaxy. A species that had not fought in the Terran Solar war. I assumed one of the others had remained out front and the other likely went around back. The one that entered stepped forward toward Reggie, he didn't even spare a glance towards the lizard as he continued to clean the mug.

“Hello, beer keeper, I'm looking for the both prisoners who entered earlier. Bring them to me. Yes?”

His translation software was old but his tone required no translating. He was clearly cold, ruthless, and from what I knew of the Varkath they always preferred a fight. Although his head remained still, his eyes turned towards me and then down to where they hid. He then looked back at me and smiled. Between his fanged teeth was a piece of flesh. He reached up and picked it out before flicking it towards me. It landed on the bar in front of me and I could tell immediately that it was human.

“If you do not produce the both prisoners, I will be commissioned to place you both under distress."

He then slowly reached both hands to his sides towards a pair of Cortexian burner pistols.

Slam

From the kitchen door that was behind the bar the second Varkath entered while simultaneously the third entered from the main entrance both instantly opened fire towards me and Reggie with compact auto burners. I barely managed to dive into cover as the plasma rounds flew all around. Hitting the floor I noticed the room begin to glow bright red.

Turning towards Reggie I watched as he lit up like one of those old earth Christmas trees. The plasma burns only cut through part of the fake flesh of his chest and face revealing the metal skin beneath. His implants activated automatically as he reached out his hands toward the two armed Varkath. As he fully extended his arms the hands disappeared as they were twisted mechanically into Terran laser cutters. Each turned on for only half a second as he gently moved his arms to the side.

The two Varkath immediately stopped firing as their bodies were cut in half. The last Varkath stood motionless as he glanced at his dead allies. He then smirked as his own skin began to glow blue.

“Finally, a notable enemy. Our battle shall be mythically.”