1000 Years

Chapter 1 – It’s Always a Choice

“Dude, shut up, I don’t care about that bullshit,” Terell Clarke tried to shout through his intoxicated speech. He had been in the bar for some time. Three, maybe four hours, but he did not know…nor did he care. Everything he ever had was gone, his ship, his girlfriend, and his home. It was all gone, thanks to the stupid war.

His friend slammed his beer on the table, “Just get the hell over it. You were relieved four months ago. Most people would get back on their feet after that. You…you just keep coming into bars and lamenting at your shitty past.”

Terell took another sip of his beer and looked at his friend, “Just shut up, ok? Let’s just drink this beer and go home.”

There was a shady looking man by the bar that was eavesdropping. He noticed the medallion on Terell’s coat, the Alliance of Planets, or just AP. The man checked his side and smiled, his blaster was there with him. He took one last sip from his beer, left a tip at the table, got up, and walked over to the slightly more intoxicated Terell. Both Terell and his friend looked up and noticed an ugly face and the smell of beer.

“Well I see you ‘tards are with the Alliance,” he muttered, “how they holdin’ up in this war? Good?”

The two seated men looked at each other and then looked back up at the ugly man. Before they could say something, he continued, “Because you know, I’m with the Burgedeer Forces. And as far as I know, we’re kicking your asses right now, and I also know that you’re in our bar.” As he finished, five men turned and got up from the bar to the man’s side.

Still seated, Terell and his friend looked at each other. Terell looked back at the man and said, “Can I just finish my beer first? Then I promise I’ll dance with you.”

The man took Terell’s beer and threw the glass into a beautiful young waitress standing just a few meters away. Luckily, the glass bounced off her and shattered elsewhere. She jumped in surprise and looked up at the man who was approaching her. He walked into her, forcing her into a corner. “I’m sorry honey,” he said, putting his hands on her waist. She tried to escape his grip but he immediately became violent and grabbed her. He hoisted up her skirt and started to pull down her underwear just to be stopped by a chair breaking over his head. With the man falling to the floor, the young waitress could see the two Alliance men beating down one man after the other.

Terell bashed one man’s face with his elbow and turned quickly enough to block another man’s punch. Grabbing his arm and forcing it further in its own path of rage, Terell snapped the man’s elbow and kneed his stomach, forcing the man to vomit. One man grabbed Terell by his dreadlocks and slammed his drunken head into a table. A little dizzy, Terell managed to witness his attacker’s face slam into the table next to him. Getting up he realized he had his friend to thank for that.

With all the men down, Terell and his friend made their way out of the bar followed by the waitress. The city was full of lights, the streets were full of people, and the air was full of crap. Terell did not realize that the bar they chose was one of the worse ones in the area. He looked up and saw the Air Trolley pass by. His dizziness forced him to look back down, catching a glimpse of the waitress in his peripheral vision.

Terell turned and noticed her, “Excuse me hot girl, but you shouldn’t follow us.” Her uniform’s pretty hot, he thought.

She was wearing a slightly suggestive black halter top, a short white skirt, strappy stilettos, and a black G String as he found out earlier.

The waitress walked up to Terell, whose arm was slung over his friend’s shoulder, “My name’s Alexa Romero. Can you give me a good reason not to follow you?”

Terell’s eyes rolled up involuntarily from her and rolled back down as he faced his friend, “I got nuttin’.”

His friend faced Alexa, “Nice to meet you Alexa, I’m Greg Skiles, I’m a Hawk pilot for the Alliance Navy. My friend and I were just passing through this system.

“You’re Alliance?” she asked, “This system is not fond of them. Though there are a few that differ, like myself.”

Terell looked puzzled, “So why are you following us then, Miss Hottie?”

“Dude, shut the fuck up,” Greg whispered, his head snapped back to Alexa, “Sorry my friend’s had a few.”

“I’m not following you, I’m helping you. My father’s in the Alliance. The police are probably on their way to the bar, they’d never help an Alliance member, and in fact they would most likely arrest you instead.”

The sound of sirens blared in the distance.

“Come with me,” Alexa insisted.

“Now hold on,” Greg stated, “We’re supposed to believe you’re Alliance?”

The sirens blared louder.

“Do you have a choice?” She asked.

Greg stood for a moment, “Dammit.”