Asteroid Blues

Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It was one of those times a small misunderstanding escalated to a full firefight. I can’t say it’s the first time it has happened, because it’s not. Bipandra says I’m a magnet for trouble.

Anyways.

Command gave me some sensitive data to deliver personally. The kind of info I can’t talk about. So sensitive that not even I knew what I was carrying.

I was on my way and one thing led to another and I found myself in a disagreement with a huge fat Yuan Yuan. As a rule, Yuan Yuan are well known for their lack of personal hygiene and poor manners. This fat, huge beast of a man took offense to something I said and I found myself backed up in a corner with nowhere to escape to.

Push went to shove, weapons were drawn and in a blur, a tall armored man in red armor pulled the brute away.

It was a Mobile Brigada and with him some nasty Djabazan Haqqislamites. The Djabazan took care of the Fat Yuan Yuan and the Mobile Brigada hauled me away as we climbed the stairs to a rooftop.

An Aguacil and a Ghulam medic followed us up.

“We’re extracting your ass,” the Mobile Brigada barked. “So keep your head down, keep your mouth shut and try not to get killed.”

The Nomad didn’t speak to me which was a bit rude of him. He kept pushing my head down and he looked nervously around as if he expected something to happen.

The Ghulam medic was named Nula. She also ignored me, but I heard the Mobile Brigada call her by that name.

The first wave of assailants rushed our position and it was a true firefight. Guns were blazing and from the darkness, our position was attacked.

The Mobile Brigada and the Aguacil were seriously wounded but the enemy withdrew.

I took the Aguacil’s combi rifle. That was standard issue like the PanO rifles we get. So I thought I’d help.

“Get down!” Nula shouted in my face. “Shoot only if you have to. Your life is more valuable than any of ours. I cannot see why, but we are keeping you alive even if that is the last thing we do. Now shut up and stay down.”

She rushed over to the Mobile Brigada and pulled out a medi-kit to patch him up. She worked on him for a few minutes. He slowly began to come around and she slapped him hard on the side of his face.

“Get up!” she commanded. “Get up and do what you’ve been paid to do!”

The Mobile Brigada got up, shook his head and then checked his gear.

A JSA Shikami crashed on to the roof. His eyes glowed and the focused on me. I fumbled for the combi rifle and closed my eyes as he began to pull the trigger on his.

Rounds were fired but not on me. Nula and the Mobile Brigada opened fire on the Shikami. He was gunned down and I remained unscathed.

A transport arrived and we all climbed on board.

“Well, all’s well that end’s well!” I said with a smile.

Nula scowled as she worked to patch up the Aguacil. The Mobile Brigada looked ashen and shell-shocked.

Tough audience I thought.

I later learned that I had been a red herring. A decoy! I didn’t even have any sensitive data all along. Another agent was sent and delivered the data in person without a hitch.

Talk about luck.

I wanted to tell Nula and the rest, but by then I had been rudely released and left on the curb outside a busy bar on another part of town.

Oh well, I thought. I guess no harm can come from getting a drink before heading back to base.

I dusted off my Fuslier uniform, straightened my beret and I headed into the bar.

What could possibly go wrong?