Jack Payton

[Jack Payton]

Epilogue

Noah was young IMG escort pilot, recently transferred from a mining wing to Java quick reaction forces. He was not really fond of his new assignment. Upper Taus were never a safe region, but ever since Gallia invaded Bretonia, Upper Taus turned into a full time death circus in which he could hope to be nothing more than a clown. IMG, while being arguably the most powerful company in the border worlds, had never grown their own class of elite pilots, relying mostly on the Colonial Republic, bounty hunters and mercenaries for protection in this rough region. Noah knew very well that his training and experience was not nearly sufficient for the job. He knew that the best he could do in a real fight was to buy his comrades several seconds, possibly enough for reinforcements to arrive. Possibly. Noah's chain of grim thoughts has been suddenly interrupted by the sound of broken glass. He glanced over the bar seeing a drunken pilot in his late forties trying to regain balance after falling onto the table full of glasses and bottles.

- At least I should do better than him... - said Noah laughing and pointing the drunkard who just fell on the floor. Joe, his squad leader, was not laughing.
- Do you know who that was? - he asked instead.
- No, should I?
- His name is Payton. Ex-bounty hunter. He killed more people than you have ever met - explained Joe to his younger friend.
- Really? What has happened to him? He's a total wreck... - Noah glanced over his shoulder just to notice that the old bounty hunter was being lugged out of the bar by a bouncer. Noah noticed also that the bouncer was not really brutal. It almost looked like he was doing a daily routine.
- Who knows? You don't live that long in this line of business and remain completely normal.
- Sometimes I think that these bounty hunters, these hired serial killers are no better than Outcasts or other scum that flock Taus. Don't understand me wrong, Joe. I know that without them we would already be out of here, in metal boxes, but...
- There's no but, Noah. They are who they are. Very few bounty hunters live long enough to retire. And if they do, they usually end up like this. Whatever they do, in the end they always loose.
- To loosers then - Noah raised his glass.
- To loosers - Joe joined his comrade - Aren't we all? - he wanted to add, but remained silent.

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This character is retired. Associated forum account is disabled.