Dead Men Have No Legacies: Stories of a Seasoned Bounty Hunter

Chapter 11

After spending roughly an hour ghosting through congested crowds of filthy pedestrians, I finally managed to slip into a bar. It wasn't any better, to be completely honest: in the low light around me, I spotted people drinking at a large bar that dominated the main wall of the room while an assortment of metal tables were strewn about the rest of the room. The generally-unkempt nature of this establishment was more than a little repulsive: I'd much rather keel over dead than be forced to live in a filthy house...

"Mortie, come back to your senses please," Boreas began, cutting through my thought process, "I was able to get in contact with an informant. Sit at the bar and order a drink."

"I don't take my helmet off in public."

"Just act like you're having a good time. Your informant will slip you a data shiv that can be read through your HUD. All you have to do is not draw attention to yourself. Sound easy to you?"

"A cake walk."

Pushing my way through the crowd of drunken patrons, I settled down on one of the creaky barstools and waited for the barkeep to spot me.

"Y'know, you could wave or somethin," the young woman behind the bar griped as she walked over to me. "What can I get you?"

"Scotch, if you have any."

"Well, it's your lucky day." the barkeep replied as she pulled a large bottle out from underneath the counter. "Got some today from a shipment."

"How much for a glass."

"Twenty creds if you got em."

I tossed a green shiv onto the bar counter and accepted my glass. Deciding it wouldn't be too bad to have a quick drink, the lower part of my facial visor detached. My helmet can be detached into two pieces courtesy of a modification done by my partner. Initially, I questioned Boreas when he showed me the modified version of my headgear, but he assured me it would make my helmet lighter. He wasn't wrong.

I quickly downed my drink and loosed an appreciative sigh as the amber liquid worked its magic. Replacing the lower part of my visor, I watched as my HUD flashed back to life.

"That was some risky shit you just pulled, mate," Boreas snapped at me.

"I needed a drink," I responded, "You told me to order a drink, so I did."

"I didn't expect you to drink it, you asshole."

"I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to drink actual scotch. It's hard to come by nowadays."

Boreas would've snapped back another retort, but a loud screech from the front door signified someone was entering. The bar quickly fell into silence before conversations blossomed again.

I heard someone settle into a seat beside me, and I didn't turn to regard them as they slipped an info shiv under my empty glass.

"Borealis sends his regards," a raspy voice began, "Don't fuck up."

I simply nodded as I retrieved the shiv and inserted it into a slot in my prosthetic arm. A few seconds later, I was staring at a map of Du'Vuna with a red blip indicating where the Arestosos residence was located.

"Hmm," I began. "It's on the other side of the planet."

"Shit." Boreas hissed. "That appears to be the case. After studying this map, it looks like there's  more than just a few patches of decrepit forestland left." the map spun around to where the red blip was staring back at me. "As you can tell, a large amount of vegetation surrounds your target. That makes it exceptionally difficult for you to get in close via starship. My suggestion is that you return to your ship and fly to this marker," a yellow pinpoint appeared east of my target. "from there, you can approach on foot. Just be wary of the abominations that prowl the forests of this planet."