"Yah 'Ai' do be harin 'hic',... yar foul wods", the drunk replied.
The barkeep watched as the man stumbled over to one of the tables and proceeded to crash into a chair. Barkeep gave a slight chuckle, then continued to scrub the pint-sized glass's that decked the bar, currently crying out for a good cleaning.
The bar itself was in a complete disarray, with tables mis-aligned and splinters of glass all over the deck, clearly a party of some sort took place here.
"Yar know whAT...", the man mumbled, slouched in his chair... "Dis be.. dis be, dis be foul beer!", with that, he tossed the glass towards the barkeep, who quite rightly, ducked. The glass soared about a few inch's from the thrower, and landed on what seemed to be.. his foot, "ahh blasted stupid fu...", "Well, that got you awake, teach you not to shoot when your aim's off, ha", the barkeep managed to include a faint laugh. He was tired and wanted to finish up, except this fool was keeping him here.
"Mr.Savage, I think its about high time you scaled on out of here and hit the deck", the barkeep stated.
"I ain't movin an I ain't drifting an I ain't singin for you or for him!",... "For who?", the barkeep enquired. Savage pointed towards the monitor display that adorned the bar's top left corner, on its display was a Navy captain who seemed to be discussing something, but the volume was turned to its minimum.
"Ahh, right... I see", the monitor made a static noise, then, blinked into nothingness. "I was watching that you fat fool!", Savage shouted across the room at the barman.
"My my, you do get aggressive don't you when you've had a few... think your more dangerous with a few drinks on you than when your sober."
The barkeep had enough, he went over and closed the shutters on the drink cabinet, then pulled down the cage over the Tv. He then turned on the automatic defenses that was behind the bar counter, just in-case anyone decided to have ago at the shutters. He tossed the piggish and dirty cloth that he was using to clean the mugs over his shoulder, wiped his hands and walked towards the exit.
"Savage! Don't mess about will you, be a good lad and be gone before I open up again tomorrow... Take care!", barkeep shouted across at a slumped figure. "Silly ol'd drunken git", the barkeep mumbled under his breath.
Few hours past... The badlands was starting to take on a faint florescent light blue, not uncommon around the early hours, and not easily noticeable. It had that relaxing touch to it, that faint aurora that seeped through the minds of those that glared at its hidden beauty. Only a few know how too look past its negative look and tap into the true essence of what the badlands was about.
It was peaceful to look at, a blessing to ponder and contemplate at, and then.. "WHAT THE... Who, I'll kill you all! Call me a drunken git, who the... Where,... am I... Whats that smell?", and then, all that comes crashing down.
"That smell is you, Savvy boy, and good to see your awake at last, didn't want to do the honours myself, too risky", an unfamiliar voice that had spoken seeped through his eardrums, passed the nerve endings, slipped by the massive headache he was now experiencing and dove into his nerve centre, the bio-electronic marvel that is, the brain. It made him twitch slightly.
"O,.. ugh, is the Navy rocking Buffalo or am I taking a trip somewhere?", Savage asked.
"Hahahah,.. no my friend, Buffalo is quite stable, can't say the same for you though, how's the noggin, hey?", the stranger replied, with a cocky tone.
"Feels like someones done me in good", Savage said in a faint voice.
"Keep probably put you on some strong stuff, hey."
"Don't remember much, I can still hear voice's ringing in my god damn ears!", Savage was clearly frustrated, he was more or less frustrated at being left alone on Buffalo and losing himself. A dangerous situation to get into on Buffalo, specially when you got thieves, murderer's and other scum that wouldn't think twice about putting that dagger in your back for a wallet.
"Well, your awake now and...", the stranger got cut off in mid-sentence as Savage gave a rather disturbing look towards him.
"Exactly who are you? Clearly someone who Fancy's himself, your a brave man yar know, sitting right across from me, both arms under the table...", Savage eyed up his surroundings. He was starting to get his senses back.
John Savage had his weakness's. He wasn't the best pilot around, he certainly wasn't a womaniser. He's not what you would call, handsome, made clear by some of the close encounters he has had over the years. He wasn't what you would call 'Physical', as his structure was that of a common man... But what he made up for in weakness, it got him through nearly every situation he's been in... Guile. He had Guile. He had bucket loads off the stuff. He knew when to fight, when not too fight and how to go about it. Guile, intelligence, he had it, drunk or sober, it wouldn't seep away from him.
And now, he was listening to his senses more than ever. Waking up in an empty bar on Buffalo, a strange man in a rogues uniform sitting opposite him with both hands under the table, sitting in a slanted position and broadcasting the most outlandish smile that would even cause the Nomads to shriek.
John Savage's alert system was hitting the roof.
The rogue raised both hands, slowly, "You see, happy now?", the rogue said, with a hint of sarcasm... or was he being brash.
"I'm never happy, certainly ain't happy now... So who are you then? Don't make me ask again, my head feels like its been exposed to space", Savage asked, readjusting his position in the chair, slightly uncomfortable from the chair snooze.
"Ophu Thompson, and don't mind me, I heard about you from some of the other rogues, you seem to be talk of the station right now... I like to keep myself updated on whats going down", Ophu said.
"Interesting, I take it your referring to the Ambassador's ship, and its ill fate..ha", Savage gave out a slight giggle, he was starting to become at ease now, but he kept himself aware.
"Indeed, yes, quite a stunt you pulled hey? I mean, to get passed Manhattans security grid, then to hack the trade lanes, and not only that... but my sources tell me there was a mutiny taking place on one of the Navy's foremost capital ships, just as you guys came swooping in", Ophu seemed genuinely impressed.
"Yeahhh...." Savage was hesitant to reply... Either his memory was trying to piece the events back together or he was still trying to work out what was sitting in front of him.
"Hmm, I seem to recall someone mentioning a mutiny on the public com system, nothing to do with us though. And it wasn't my stunt, well... I was the one that suggested to get an op going against that tea drinking weasel", Savage adjusted himself again in the chair.. he wanted to get up, but something kept him glued to the chair...
"So, so we just got a group together and pulled of a major operation. Good teamwork prevailed", Savage finished his recap, and as he did, he let out a sigh and gave a quick look outside into the badlands, he wanted to move.
"You don't feel bad about the ship crashing onto the planet? From what I hear, it crash landed in a heavy residential area...", the rogues tone changed.
"Feel bad? Me, ha, gotta be kiddin boyo, that's war for you.. that's the endless war we have to endure and sometimes, unfortunate events take place. After all, if anything the liberty navy will be held responsible, I mean, if they where there to protect the Britannia on time, none of this would've happened...", the rogues smile disappeared for the first time.
Savage took note.
"Your freelance, aren't you?".. the rogue enquired.
"Excuse me?", Savage understood the question. Just wanted to be sure he heard right.
"Freelance, you work for yourself, am I right?"...
"Aye, you be right. Although I've done a lot of work, rogues tolerate my presence to a high degree, and the outcasts, well, I haven't been there for sometime now but I'm allowed to come and go... your point being?", Savage's tone was lowered slightly. The rogue could detect a spot that might be touchy.
"That no one would care if you would go.. I don't know, say, missing?"...
Savage sprang up and turned over the table with haste-full force. He saw the weapon in the rogues hand, ready to fire and pointing right at him in a upward direction. With one swift movement Savage side kicked the rogues wrist containing the offensive weapon. The rogue screamed in pain as the weapon was forced from his hand but not before discharging it. The heatwave singed past Savage's knee, smashing a chair behind him into oblivion. Savage looked down at the rogue who was holding his wrist in agony, the rogue looked up... No, he wasn't smiling anymore. He was seriously pissed off, Savage thought.
"Wha... you sly basta..", Savage was distracted, he discovered that his side-arm was taken from him, and that he just kicked it out of the rogues hand. It was all that Ophu needed, he got up and charged at Savage, tackling him onto a table with such force it caused the table beneath them to collapse.
John wasn't used to this kind of thing. He always liked being afar, pointing his side-arm at someone and laughing at them as they tried to talk their way out off it. Savage was a good shot, but he lacked the skill when it came to physical confrontation... But, he had Guile, and he wasn't afraid to use it.
"Ph.. ph... phe...", gargled sounds came from Savage, as the rogue was closing the gap in his opponents airway. He had a tight grip on Savage's throat, and he wasn't letting go. "PHe.. I'.. kill..", Savage was spurting out spit along with his gargled attempts of speech.
"Sorry! Didn't hear you!", the rogue taunted.
"Killll you!"... Savage, with as must energy as he could muster, rose his head as fast as he could against the strain and force coming down on him, and loafed and repeatedly head-butted Ophu.
Ophu leaped off Savage, blood was dripping from his nose. Ophu tried to stand up but he stumbled in a panic.
Savage got up, breathing heavily, he went over to the keeps bar and took a quick look behind the counter... He smiled.
Rogue was standing, and only because John Savage was his crutch. "Right, no one likes to be sober, do they? Especially rogues, so lets visit the bar...", Savage mocked and taunted his adversary.
"What you doing, just finish me off you coward!", the rogue shouted.
"Ha, I am, in my own style", with that, Savage threw the rogue over the bar counter. Ophu fell flat on his face, not helping his cause.
Ophu got up on one knee, trying to find his balance, he then heard a slight noise coming from behind. He looked behind him and saw what it was...
"O mother of go..", Ophu was shot to pieces as the barkeeps automatic defense's kicked in by a small turret.
The turret stopped... it gave off a hissing sound as it seemed to begin its cool down period.
Savage took a look over, "Now that's nasty, that's a closed coffin",...
The far side door to the bar opened, and in came the barkeep along with two of Buffalo's station security officers.
"SAVAGE! This.. this is the second bloody time you have caused a mess, your barred! End of story, and don't give me no cock an bull story this time about infection's or mutation or whatever, your barreD!..
Savage took a look, pulled on his best innocent expression, "But gov, he was trying to nick yar drinks", Savage waited...
The keep took a look around. Tables where smashed. Chairs where missing legs. A black singe was present on the far end of the bar.
"So you took him on a tour of the bar, did yar? Get out!"
"Right, I'm leaving, do me one favour will you, find out who this rogue works for", Savage said.
The barkeep and the two security officers went over for a closer look. Barkeep picked up the mans bloodstained ID, it read, 'Ophu Thompson'.
"Rogue, hmm, no, this is no rogue, this here fella is a bounty hunter," barkeep gave a sly grin towards Savage's surprised expression.
"You best be leaving now Sav, that stunt you pulled, it hasn't gone unnoticed."
"Do I care? No, bounty hunters gotta make a living somehow, don't be so full off it Gov."
"Get out of my bar before I have you reefed by the scruff of your nostrils and shoved into a Junkers pit compressor!"...