Mardigan's Challenge
23 Mar 2021Mary Quinn
The mercenary's large hands hit the table as he stood up, nearly knocking over my drink. He looked into my eyes, the scar on his face adding to his almost savage look."And what do you think? That I'm going to let you take any contract you want like it's open bar here? I don't care if you're new, if you don't like it you're going to find another bar and another station that'll let the little girls take the real jobs." The contents of my drink splashed in his face, cutting off his rhetoric. I then stood up to face him, gathering all the confidence I had. I'd been shot at before, so some degenerate in a bar wasn't going to make me bend. Still, I was beginning to have doubts when his comrades grabbed him by the shoulders to prevent him from reaching me, giving me time to answer him.
"Because you think I'm going to watch you pilot and be in awe of your achievements? Prove me already that you have a brain and not just a big mouth!
- You're the one who has to prove everything here, slut," he said, wiping his face.
- I've already proven you don't impress me," I retorted, trying to control the emotion that was beginning to clench my throat."
Mardigan took a few moments to finish wiping his face and calm down, signaling to his comrades that everything was under control. They let go of his shoulders and returned to their seats; I stood on the other side of the table, refusing to surrender in this duel between us.
"Okay, Miss Quinn. Let's do something simple. You've got guts in a bar, you're going to show me what you've got in the cockpit. I've got a special contract, I don't want some pirates on my back while I'm at it. I'm going to give you some coordinates, you're going there, create a diversion, or you're going to shoot them, I don't care. It'll take me ten minutes. If you get killed, it's because you made a bad career choice. If you don't have the guts and pee on yourself, I never want to see you here again. If you can handle it, I'll admit you're someone who belongs in the top tier of the sector."
The mercenary turned to face the customers, giving legitimacy to his challenge. When he returned to me, I placed my hands slowly on the table and dipped my eyes into his, very closely.
"I'll be there, and I'll cover your ass. I hope it's worth it."
I turned to leave the bar, trying to look unruffled and confident. A few blocks away, I knelt against the wall of a building, my legs shaking and my breath short. I had no right to screw up. I was going to end up dead, or with a reputation that I would never get rid of. Fuck it...
