A man in a military uniform sits at a bar, the gentle hum of the neon sign soothing to his nerves. He was known here, left alone by the regulars. The door opened and a large vesk warrior stepped in. He made his way to the bar and spoke with the barkeep. He couldn’t make out what was being said, but caught enough that he was a bounty hunter looking for a lead that the keep couldn’t produce. Disgruntled, the vesk sat beside the military man and got his own drink.
“Hey, I know you,” the vesk said.
“No you don’t,” the man said.
“Yeah,” the vesk hissed, “You’re Captain Blu Maria.”
“Please, just leave me alone,” Cpt. Maria said.
“Let me buy you a beer, it’s the least I could do for the slayer of the black stars.”
“He said leave him alone,” the barkeep interrupted.
“And I said I’m going to buy him a beer,” growled the vesk. Cpt. Maria waved his hand, gesturing to the barkeep that it was fine. The vesk was unlikely to take no for an answer and he did not seem like the kind to anger. With their drinks refilled, the vesk was back in a happier mood.
“The stories you must have to tell of your earlier days with the Exo-Guardians. Especially the six who took on the three black stars. How you avenged your friends that they killed to end their rule over the weak.”
Cpt. Maria’s eyes tightened shut. The battle against the black stars was nothing like the stories told. He and the other starfinders were in way over their heads. The stories were true, all who saw the black stars died. One by one they were picked off. Maria was lucky, his ship was agile and he was regarded as an ace pilot, and he was able to flee. Yet just like the starfinders confidence lead to their downfall, so did the black stars. That and dumb luck. Unknowing to any of them, Maria fled through an oma nest where the black stars followed. It was the omas defending their calves that took down the black stars and it was them that damaged Maria’s ship as he fled.
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Captain Maria said and pushed himself away from the bar. He took the beer bought by the vesk and drank half of it. “Thanks for the drink.” he said and patted the vesk’s broad shoulders as he left. The truth couldn’t be known, the five starfinders that died died as heroes, they died bringing down the black stars. He was famous now, protector of the pact worlds. As he walked back towards his apartment, he wished he had never left for that mission.
