So Bug and I have between us and the exit to the bar into the station hanger, and more importantly my ship, are a group of incensed, and possibly unhinged pirates. Bug and I could fight our way through but you know what? Frack that. That kinda fight is a younger man’s game. I’m too old, too tired, and too smart for that. Well, two outta three anyway.

” Hey Bug. Time to exit. Stage left,”

Upon hearing that the pirates let out an incredulous round of laughter as if I’ve told the funniest joke they’ve ever heard. Insults and taunts follow.

” The only way you are leaving old man is in a body bag. And when we’re done with you we’ll gut that little thief and toss it on the grill. I bet it’s tasty,”

“Yeah, you don’t have a chance of getting through this door. We’ll kill you first.

The taunts and laughter continue through the room with the exception of Bug who for the first time throughout this ordeal is completely still, looking wide eyed in my direction.

“Are you sure about that Mister Cash. Stage left?” she asks with a hint of a whine in her voice.

In answer I nod and pull my bandanna over my nose.

At this she sighs.” Ok Mister Cash, stage left. Bug ready.”  She begins adjusting her gems seemingly at random which begins a faints ripple around her body. Not that the pirates notice. They are still much amused with the idea of a decrepit old man and a flying rat getting by them. Well I guess I shouldn’t disappoint them.

I take one last look at my cigar and drop it at my feet snuffing it with a crunch under my boot. I call forth the power that my little cocktail lent me and look out at the assembled scumbags.

” Listen up you dirtbags, You have three seconds to let my friend and I walk out that exit untouched or we all will be leaving out of that one.” as I say this I point my magelock pistol at the portal looking out into deep space.

The laughing stops as the pirates as one get a pained, confused expression on their faces unsure, at first, of my meaning.

“One” I bellow to the now silent room.

The leader of the pirates is the first to understand.

“You think you you are going to put a hole in three feet of reinforced plasteel with that ancient pistol? It would take multiple shots from a plasma cannon just to make a dent. Stupid old fool. Kill him boys, but make it slow”

“Two” I shout back at his words. I begin muttering  under my breath, a purple glow begins to emanate from my eyes as well as along the barrel of my pistol.

“Hey boss, umm.. his eyes are glowing.” says one of the other pirates.

“I don’t care if he grows wings and has rainbows shooting out his ass. Kill them now!”  He screams, spittle flying from his lips.

The pirates charge.

“Three” I say.

I fire.

The gun discharges not in the usual barking sound of a gun but as more of a loud pop followed by an in rush of air. Then the mage round hits the wall and creates a perfect three foot in diameter circle in the hull of the station. I have lived a long life and had to do many things to keep myself that way. Aside from being handy with a gun I also am a technomancer. It helps level the playing field at my age.

With the creation of the hole Bug springs into action. She shoots out of the rafters like a tiny comet, a white corona now completely surrounding her. As she flies past me I grab onto her tail and dive through the hole. Bug’s race inhabits meteors and is at home in deep space. As for me I’ve made a few modifications to myself to be a little hardier than the usual outlaw. Sadly, it does not appear that the pirates can say the same as they tumble out into the blackness of space.

Within about a minute the station’s repair protocol goes into effect and the hole is sealed by an emergency plate. I’m going to owe Miguel big time for this.

I scan for my case and upon locking in on its locator I signal for Bug to fly to it. Upon reaching it I tap a button upon the handle and after a brief wait in the icy depths of space my trusty steed arrives. My onetime horse, and current ship, Shadowfax. I named her after a horse in a book my grandfather read me before we left Earth. She was a beautiful beast who has saved me more times than I can count so when age caught up to her who was I to not return the favor. I installed her as the AI to my ship a beautiful Corsair class which she helped pick out. Its not the biggest ship but it fast and has more than a few surprises. And now she races across the cosmos as she use to race across the plains.

We get on board and Bug immediately begins in on me at a mile a minute.

“Wow Mister Cash! When you said stage left you meant stage left. Bug no think you actually do stage left, but sure enough Mister Cash do stage left…”

I let her go on like that for a few minutes while I took care of checking in with the station and setting the nav coordinates for my next stop. The station is understandably upset but I don’t have time to deal with their bitching. I have Shadowfax jump us out of their and on our way. At that point I needed some peace.

“Now hush you little varmint. Now what in the blue hell were you doing in there. Why aren’t you back on the “She’s One of Ours”?” I asked, cutting her off midstream.

She stopped and looked at me as if I had just asked  the dumbest question she had ever heard.

“Mister Cash you know what Bug was doing there. Bug was following Mister Cash… Mister Cash get in no end of trouble without Bug.” she said in an exaggeratedly slow tone as if talking to a child. She pauses to consider something and then continues. “That and nothing fun ever happens when Mister Cash leaves so Bug figured that Mister Cash could use the company this time. Can Bug come with Mister Cash? Pleeease?” she asks looking up at me fluttering her big eyes at me.

Well what can I say? This trip was going to be nothing but trouble anyway, I might as well enjoy the company.

(Finished, for now)

Nullus Anxietas