She stifled something physical within her as she let Ruce walk away. She wasn’t sure whether it was a laugh of a hastily thrown punch but either way, she buried it. She glanced at Sky – if he was the drunken wanker’s bodyguard then she didn’t fancy getting into something that would compromise her life, her plans, or Mani’s bar. She let the pair walk away but watched them blur into the crowds inside the crowded bar. The Down and Out always seemed to do well [i]“for a shady, back-alley dive of a place”[/i] as Mani used to call it. And she hadn’t lied to the hulking cyclops, she did like it here – the patchwork of skin tones and the symphony of languages and accents that hung all around her brought a smile to her face – despite her dire situation. She sighed.

[color=ed1c24]“Another one, Tes?”[/color] Mani’s voice from the other side of the bar made her turn around.

[color=98AFC7] “No, thanks, Mani.”[/color] She replied, placing the glass down on the bar. [color=98AFC7]“Wouldn’t want me getting to pissed now, would we?”[/color] She winked at him. She had looked at his face a hundred times and it always strangely perked her up. The labyrinth of crags, scars and craters told a tale of a life far more turbulent and complex than she knew. They had spoken at length about this and that but it was only then that she realised Mani had never offered up too much about his past. She wasn’t going to press him either. She owed the big oaf that at least.

[color=ed1c24]“What, you mean like a month or so ago when you downed an entire bottle of Hylurian absinthe and tried to hit that handsy navigator with the jukebox?”
[/color]
She snorted out a blast of laughter. [color=98AFC7] “I’d have managed it too, if you hadn’t have stopped me!”[/color] She exclaimed, smiling broadly. Mani shook his head, his lips parting into a grin as he turned to walk away. “Oh hey, Mani?” She stopped him. [color=98AFC7] “I know you’ve got a humidor behind the bar there…any chance?”[/color] She winked.

[color=ed1c24]“You’re a pain in the arse, De Vries.”[/color] He sighed, discreetly fishing out the glass-topped box from underneath the counter. As he opened the lid, the cigars seemed to exhale, letting their scent wash over the bar and into Tes’ nostrils. [color=ed1c24]“These are not easy to come by, y’know.”[/color]

[color=98AFC7] “You’re the best, Mani.”[/color] She whispered, even more discreetly lifting one of the cigars from its felt resting place and running it under her nose. [color=98AFC7] “When I get out there,”[/color] She began, nodding upwards [color=98AFC7] “I’ll bring you back a box of these.”[/color]

[color=ed1c24]“I know you, Tes’. If you ever get out there,”[/color] He mimicked her nod to the stars. [color=ed1c24]“There ain’t a force in the void that’ll drag you back here.”[/color] He smiled. [color=ed1c24]“And if there was, it damn sure won’t be to bring a bum like me cigars.”[/color] He finally turned away and made his way down the other end of the bar to tend to another patron.

Turning to lean her back against the bar, she pulled a lighter from her pocket and lit the cigar clamped between her teeth. Smoke danced up from the end and the glowing ember crackled and ebbed. She checked her IMP again.

[h3][center][i][color=lightgray]LOCKDOWN STILL IN EFFECT. AWAIT FURTHER BROADCAST[/color][/i][/center][/h3]

[color=98AFC7]“Shit…”[/color]

She reached out and took hold of her IMP. The glowing panels on the orbiting sphere retracted, the tuneful humming ceased and she placed back it in her holdall. She needed a new plan desperately. How the hell was she going to get past the lockdown? Her train of thought drifted back to the drunk pilot. If he was even a pilot. She took a long drag on the cigar and let the smoke roil over her tongue before exhaling slowly. Allowing the smoke to billow out from between her lips, she peered over the crowd to see where to enigmatic duo had gone. It was a long shot, but beggars could not be choosers. She pushed off from the bar and set out across in search of Ruce and Sky.