The bar called Tito's was practically empty. Not many folks started their drinking at 8 a.m. on a Tuesday morning. The ork in a dirty jumpsuit was the exception. He sat alone at a table sipping a poor imitation of a poor scotch and an almost as poor lager. His grease stained hands sported several make shift bandages and his buzz cut was flaked with metal shavings. He sipped his drinks mechanically , his eyes tracking the electronic newspaper on the battered table before him.
The door opened admitting another customer and the scent of acidic rain drifted in with the breeze
Foot steps aproached the table and a voice, young and feminine spoke sharply.
“You Jonas?”
Without looking up from his reading, the ork replied “Could be, who's asking?”
He froze as the cold steel of a gun barrel touched his forehead grabbing his attention. He looked up.
The roomsweeper was held by a young elf, She was dressed in flats and wore an oversized jacket with the green and white colors of he Chosen Ones street gang spiraling down the arm holding the pistol. He put her at about 20.,but it was hard to tell with keebs sometimes. Her blond hair was long and pulled to the side into a single braid. Her eyes were red and puffy,crystal blue and angry.
“You killed Makkie.” she said, the short shotgun held firmly against his skull. Her eyes flashed anger and hurt at the name.
“Don't know no Makkie, chica. Maybe you got the wrong guy.” keeping his face blank and his hands on the table,he put on his best innocent face.
“Frag I do!” she practically yelled “ You were with the guys who burned that mob place over by the ACHE. Makkie was one of the security guards there.” Her finger tightened on the trigger. “ He was the only person to ever give a drek about me and you killed him.”
“Oh, in that case, I guess you do have the right guy.” He paused and then added “ I'm sorry.”
The elf's face contracted into an angry sneer”Sorry? Sorry? What kind bulldrek is that? I don't want your pity you fraggin' tusker.I want you to pay for what you did. I want you dead!!” Her eyes welled up with tears.
Smiling the Ork looked into her eyes and said ” No, I'm sorry for this.”
He kicked his chair back ,tipping it over and following it to the floor. Thumping to the faded vinyl he rolled to the left. He tumbled and grinned to himself when he heard the the girl yelp. The girl shook spasmodically and then dropped like a bag of cement. The pistol slipped from her hand and clattered on the table top.
Picking himself up, he gathered the weapon and retreived his glass. Calmly he slid the the Roomsweeper into his belt and walked around the table. A quick command sent the battered Ferret drone and its mounted stunner back to its place by the door. Kneeling next to the elf he pushed her hair back so she could see him.
“ I'm gonna tell you a story and give you some advise,chica. It may keep you alive long enough for you to pass on those pretty genes of yours.”
He ran his fingers along her face until her eyes twitched. she was a pretty one, for a daisy eater.
“Once upon a time,I had a wonderful wife and a batch of kids. I had a job that didn't pay too bad with a good company that didn't mind that I had tusks as long as I did my job.”
He pulled up a chair,sat down and stared into the glass of synthetic scotch. " One day, my youngest daughters birthday to be exact ,I lost it all." His eyes glazed a bit and he continued.
"I had gone to get a present for my daughter. She wanted an Isadora,mistress of the mystic arts doll. The one that came with the cat familiar.” He paused to take a sip of his drink.”I left the family in the parking lot while I went in to pick up her damn toy. I had just come back outside when a bunch of pointy ears like you ran across the parking lot and started shooting at the Corpsec guards who were chasing them. One of bastards threw something under our car as he ran by. “
The elf on the floor twitched and spittle ran from the side of her mouth.
He went on,” I stood there, frozen like you are now. I knew something horrible was about to happen and I couldn't even move. I could only watch. “
He tossed back the rest of the drink. “ An eternity later, the white phosphorus grenade went off..I stood and watched as everything that mattered to me burned. As far as I'm concerned I died then too. “
The ork stood up,”I really am sorry about your friend. But its a tough world and drek happens. He knew the risks when he took the job.”
Retrieving the worn jacket hanging off a nearby chair, the ork stopped at the bar and dumped the shells from the shotgun and lined them up on the bar. He dropped he empty firearm and turned as the young girl started jerkily trying to move her arms and legs.
“My advice to you is to get drunk, get laid and cry your guts out and then let it go. If you hold on to that loss it will take you places you really don't want to go...trust me on that..”
Opening the door The ork spoke to the drone,” C'mon, Spot, time to go.” The drone followed him out into the gathering storm.
Five minutes later the elf had regained her equilibrium enough to drag herself up to the bar. The bartender emerged from the back room and glanced at the AR message blinking in his MCT Daywalker(tm) AR glasses. He poured a double shot of Scotch into the dirty glass that the ork had set down and set it and the bottle on the bar in front of her...
Looking at the girl he told her” This one's on Jonas...”
With that he turned back to cleaning the shelves, Leaving her alone to think...
