Page 51 of Maar's Girl

"Sorry about the mess," I mutter, grabbing a bottle of top-shelf liquor.

The Marines are regrouping, drawing their weapons. I smash the bottle against the edge of the bar, creating a makeshift shield of alcohol and glass shards. It won't stop a direct hit, but it might buy me a precious second.

"Stand down!" the veteran roars, his eyes still watering. "This is your last warning!"

I bare my teeth in a feral grin. "Come and get me."

The makeshift shield shatters under a barrage of stunner fire. I dive behind an overturned table, my ears ringing from the chaos. Glass crunches beneath my boots as I scramble for cover.

"Give it up, Vakutan!" the veteran Marine bellows. "You're outgunned and outnumbered!"

I chuckle, tasting blood. "Never been much for math, friend."

The redhead inches closer, weapon trained on my position. "Last chance. Come out with your hands up!"

"Now where's the fun in that?" I taunt, scanning the room for an escape route.

The stocky female Marine flanks me from the left. I feint right, then roll left, catching her off-guard. My fist connects with her jaw, sending her sprawling. But the moment of triumph is short-lived as a stunner bolt catches me in the shoulder.

Pain explodes through my body, my muscles seizing. I grit my teeth, fighting to stay conscious. "That the best you got?"

The veteran closes in, a grim smile on his scarred face. "Oh, we're just getting started."

I lunge at him, ignoring the burning in my limbs. We grapple, crashing into tables and chairs. His fist finds my ribs, and I hear something crack. I retaliate with a headbutt that leaves us both seeing stars.

"Stubborn bastard," he grunts, blood streaming from his nose.

"You have no idea," I wheeze, driving my knee into his gut.

But even as I gain the upper hand, I feel another stunner bolt hit me from behind. My vision blurs, the world tilting sideways. I stumble, my legs giving out beneath me.

The last thing I see before darkness claims me is the veteran's face, a mix of grudging respect and annoyance in his eyes.

I come to in a sterile holding cell, my body aching in places I didn't know existed. The harsh fluorescent lights make me squint as I take in my surroundings.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," a familiar voice says.

The veteran Marine stands on the other side of the energy barrier, arms crossed. His nose is bandaged, a testament to our earlier scuffle.

"Cozy place you've got here," I croak, sitting up with a groan. "Though the hospitality leaves something to be desired."

He snorts. "You're lucky to be alive after that stunt you pulled."

"What can I say? I like to make an impression."

I lean against the cold wall of my cell, the energy barrier humming softly. Time crawls by, each minute an eternity. The veteran Marine, who I've started calling "Scarface" in my head, paces outside.

"You know, this silent treatment isn't very becoming," I quip, breaking the monotony.

Scarface grunts. "Didn't realize I was here for your entertainment."

"Come on, we bonded back there. Shared some quality violence."

He stops pacing, fixing me with a hard stare. "You think this is a game?"

I shrug, wincing at the pain in my ribs. "Life's a game, friend. Some of us just play for higher stakes."

"Like endangering civilians in a bar fight?"

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