Return to Earth

Weapons fire on a space station was normally cause for concern in more ways than one. One shot in the right spot and the area opened to space. Then this was station six. The lowest of the low and every manner of criminal element came here. There were still laws, but on station six, many things were legal that were not on other stations. One of them was the sale of old style weapons. They didn’t pose much threat to the station. However, without the proper protection they could still kill a person.

Daniel Miller shook his head as he ran for cover and barely missed having a round hit him. It was his first day on the station and trouble already found him. He dodged another round and jumped behind a planter for cover. He watched as the round impacted on the far wall shattering a control panel. He lifted his own weapon and checked the charge. It was near full and even with the backup he had he was sure he couldn’t hold them off alone. There had to be at least fifteen of them. The fact that they were also jamming the communications told him they were not just rowdy locals drunk and losing their minds. He only needed to keep them at bay until the station security got the reports or noticed the area jamming. Being on the Emporium ring normally had some advantage. With all the shops and eateries, someone somewhere had to be able to get a call in. The council wouldn’t risk losing commerce and had a great deal of redundancies in place. However, it also meant more could be harmed.

Daniel listened as the men approached more shots in other direction and screams patrons ran from them. He had to bring their attention back to him. Not that he was in any hurry to let them kill him. As a Security Marshal it was part of his job to protect what little innocence there was here. A deep breath and he rolled to the left jumped up toward the right and fired. Locking his weapon on multi fire he managed to get several round out before crashing to the floor again. He hit one maybe more but it wasn’t his intention. He wanted their attention on him and a moment later it was. There was laughter and then a dull thud as something hit the floor nearby. A few clicking and beeping sounds got his attention and his eyes went wide. He scrambled to his feet seemingly running in midair cursing the men as the explosion came and threw him into a shop window, the perma glass shattering from the shockwave and his body hitting it. He blacked out a moment coming to his eyes blinking pain in his legs and shoulder he tried standing, leaning on the wall. Small fires were all around now. Stumbling he found his weapon and searched the areas. He found six men down a dozen scared patrons shaking under tables and benches. They started crawling out when they saw his badge and Daniel fell to his knees. The large shards of glass in his body where slicing more into him as he moved. One of the women started for him but screamed as one of the men reached and grabbed her. He pulled her to him as Daniel lifted his weapon.

“Alright lawman you’re going to let me go or this pretty lady will be sorry she got up this morning,” he yelled out reaching and grabbing another woman by the hair and making her stand by the first. “This one will be next. So put that weapon down. We know you won’t harm an innocent. Always been that way hey lawman. Play by the rules and they burn you.”

Men came over and helped Daniel stand as he struggled to keep awake. The man was effectively hidden himself behind the women as he pulled them with him as he backed away. He couldn’t shoot without hitting them. He tried switching the rounds to non-lethal but the controls were damaged.

Laughing the man stood up a little more. “ That’s right lawman you’re not that hot. You can’t take me out without them to. Maybe I should shoot you where…” a rapid popping a whirl and a hiss and stopped him mid-sentence.

Even in his stupor Daniel hear the sound and groaned. “ Stop, don’t move another muscle.” Daniel screamed. That froze both women in mid step and the man with his left heel coming up. “Tell me you idiots didn’t have a flash mine,” he said straining to see who it was that had stepped on it.

The man was shaking as he held his hands up and the weapon he carried. He knew what it was and the fear struck him dropping the weapon to the floor. Only one of the women ran from him and behind Daniel. “What part of don’t move don’t you understand,” he asked as he turned towards her.

“I saw a path and took it. I’m not sure what’s going on but I know enough that it got me here now didn’t it“ she retorted.

Daniel conceded that luck had been with her. “Are you ok,” he asked seeing it was the first woman that had started to come to him.

“I’m fine, but you look like shit.” She started looking over the wounds he had and hissed at each one.