I'm pleased to say that I teamed up with my friend 
Me complace decir que me asocie con mi amigo
A desolate bar in the middle of a village, on a lost moon in the vicinity of Planet "Lodxar", there were only 5 people, including the bartender who is also the owner of the place. A local drunkard, very usual in the bar, a relatively young couple who are clearly passing by and are arguing for some reason, and in the background in the gloom a woman sitting alone and in silence in front of a shot of whiskey, smoking a cigarette, watching attentively without drawing attention, the couple gets more heated in their discussion and out of nowhere a loud "Plass!" sounds. A strong slap that throws the girl's face to the side and she takes her hands to her face and tears come out of her eyes, the woman in the shadows makes a gesture to get up and the guy, already a bully, looks at her as if challenging her and shouts.
She keeps calm and relaxes a little, taking another puff on her cigarette and takes a drag before releasing the smoke through her nostrils, letting out a snarky chuckle of those that are very irritating, the angry bully and woman beater takes steps towards her, baring his teeth in a furious expression, a flash a sound of dull explosion and broken glass of the empty glass where he drank his whiskey, the man did not manage to take another step, rather just staggered backwards falling like a sack of sand leaving a stain of blood that spurted from the hole in his forehead.
This time the woman stood up, brushed her hair away from the right side of her face and let her bionic eye be seen, she recited without showing any kind of emotion, it is almost usual for her this kind of situations.
The old man, mute of words but agile of hands, just took the money that he put away quickly, and nodded without taking his eyes off her.
He turns and stares at the girl who received the slap, he stays for about 5 seconds just looking at her face.
Crystal Everty, for you they pay 2500 credits, dead or alive.
With a slow but very sure movement, his right hand, free from the weight of the corpse, goes behind his back and pulls out his gun, a not very big but very powerful pistol, he points it directly at her face, it doesn't shake at all.
I already killed your companion, you decide either you come with me on your own or I kill you and charge you like this idiot. I'll get paid the same whether you're dead or alive.
And just like that Crystal nods her head without saying a word, and heads for the exit of the bar, just as she was about to leave, the drunk yells!
A smile finally broke out on the gruff bounty hunter's face. There disappeared all that rough look, all that murderous aura.
My name is: Astrid, Astrid Young bounty hunter.
Hahaha, lucky Astrid it was a great change from the routine in this pathetic place.
And so without further ado they went out into the darkness of the night, and he took his captive and her corpse to his ship and then he would head to the nearest central ministry of the empire, a place he knew because that's where he has to take the evidence and where the rewards of the evil living who manage to evade the guard are claimed, the universe is a huge place that's why bounty hunters exist, the empire does not have the resources to hunt them all down.
The nearest ministry headquarters was on the same planet, great not had to spend a lot of fuel, and in the room although in the background you could hear the typical noises of offices, highlighted that squeaky voice almost childish.
He looked closely at his arm and tried to notice what the boss was pointing out. It is a kind of crescent moon with 3 putos that almost filled and completed the oval and imperfect circumference, she always thought it was a scar product of the burns but, it was something deeper in her skin, she didn't know how but she knew it.
Already in his ship he typed in the computer, to see the report of his next target, he did not know why but he felt strangely familiar with the description of that gang, there were no very detailed descriptions and rather all were rumors, they knew they had several members because they had killed many people in different parts of the galaxy and very similar times, It was impossible that it was only one, besides they already had one in custody but the report did not say any detail of what he had said or not, it was the emptiest folder he had had in front of him, he did not know where to start but the place where they caught the custodian, it was a neighboring planet "Verlerda" there were several but only one fell into the hands of the guard.
She saw the photo and felt slight dizziness, and flashes where she had already seen people with those clothes, but it was very strange, she was very sure that she knew nothing about that subject, but at the same time everything seems so close, so familiar, everything was confusing and very strange.
She released the accumulated air in her lungs in a long and noisy sigh, turned on some music, went to her onboard workshop, adjusted and greased the mechanical muscles of her arm while whistling to the rhythm, finished by opening and closing her metal fingers covered with synthetic leather, reloaded the spent bullet on the bar, and she started with his right leg the same routine, adjusting and greasing, checking the concealed weapons, so that in the moment of need they would not fail. All to distract herself and make time while she was on her way to the point that the folder marked to start her hunt.
She arrived at the place, dressed as she did when she started her work, always in a formal suit, vest and tie, she learned that if you wear that kind of authoritative presentation people were more willing to answer your questions without the need to break their arms for information.
It was not strange to see that it was in the sewers, a kind of subway chamber that once served as a warehouse or something like that, there were many melted candles, some painted on the walls, probably made with blood, and many but many dried blood marks everywhere, it was not a single victim that's for sure, it seemed more like sacrificial acts, rituals. This was not a bunch of imbeciles who wanted to kill people, this was some kind of sect, a sect that is thirsty for blood.
A noise is heard behind her, and a shadow that starts to run just as she turns, the darkness is not alien to her, her eye is perfectly conditioned to see through the shadows, and she ran, suddenly she was semi lost, in a maze of corridors and giggles that bounced off the walls with the echo behind her, she managed to identify the origin of the giggle and ran, ran after that shadow that was watching her.
And without further ado a light hit her face blinding her momentarily, an alternate exit in that labyrinth, she came out to the local market square, about 15 blocks away from the starting point, she looked around looking to identify who might be following her, only normal people, there was no trace of anyone suspicious.
Without further ado, with a slight smile that she tried to hide in case she was still being watched, she headed towards her ship, another thing she had learned over the years is that the sources of information, it is easier to find them at night in somewhat sordid places, but she also smiled because she had inadvertently obtained valuable information, there were members of that sect that were watching the area, they were still operational, and they are 30,000 credits for each corpse she takes to some headquarters of the ministry.
Already in his ship, he immersed himself in the smoke of a cigarette, and a shot of whiskey. Essential provisions that are never missing on his ship, they help him sleep. And so she just waited for the midnight alarm to call, she talked to some locals in the market asking about the bars, she got 3 names, she would visit the one that was closest if they were watching her they would surely go there too, she just had to be on the lookout while she investigated.
Just before midnight, before the alarm went off she woke up, got up, hooked her favorite weapon to the small of her back, put on her jacket and left without apparent direction between alleys and alleys, to the eastern part of the city, she felt the presence of someone following her, She ignored him as best she could and just walked, out of an alley just in front of the bar, "the broken chair" was its name, it was not a seedy place, but it was not a fancy place either, she was informed to look for a man, his name was jack, just jack, as she would recognize him without needing to know much by the way he looked.
Indeed it was not necessary to know what he looked like, for he was a little old man who drank wine on a sort of makeshift stage while telling stories to anyone who would give him payment, and a man who paid for his drunkenness with stories is a man to be listened to. He waited and waited for the crowd to subside, drank and laughed with each story, toasted him several drinks to keep him talking, but before dawn there was very little audience left, he went to the bar, ordered a drink and sighed, it was his cue.
Presta like no other she approached him, and sat down next to him, he ordered her a pint of wine and she ordered his best whiskey.
Hearing that little story of Yang and her kidnapping, an explosion of memories burst in her head, it was blinding and very painful, crying, houses on fire, soldiers shooting at a wall, practicing target practice with their guns on civilians. She was one of so many little girls gathered and mounted on a truck, and there as she drove away she saw her mother crying and running after the truck and a soldier who knocked her down, and unceremoniously hit her in the head with the butt of his gun. She knew everything in a matter of seconds, she lowered her gun as if devastated, sat at the bar and took her drink, she emptied it in her throat in one shot. Her determination changed drastically, she needed to talk to that priestess.
She arrived at a vault where there were 3 guards, she did not see weapons, but it was not the first time she was in that predicament, but before they were not alert and she was not wounded, so she just took the fast way, 3 bullets 3 shots, and three dead, she ran opened the door with her robotic leg with a kick, and there they were, a large group of adepts as praying and at the end of the corridor that opened between the crowd, a throne and the priestess. Everything was very easy.
She managed to walk only 3 or 4 steps when without further ado she fell, she felt very weak, and there she took a better look at those around her, they had masks, there was gas in the air, it was a trap.
When she woke up, all disoriented, she did not know the time or the place where she was, she looked around, and there she was, a woman was a little older, but still beautiful, and very similar to her, to her human part, discarding that little stolen eye, her robotic eye! she did not feel it, it had been removed.
( ) hi Mili, calm down, your parts are there, I knew they were experimenting with children but I had not seen positive results, it is incredible that of all the children they take away it is you, exactly you, the one who survived this procedure.
(Astrid) my name is Astrid you crazy bitch, give me back my parts!
( ) sorry my name is Yessing, Yessing Yang, like it or not, I'm your aunt our technicians managed to remove that blockage from your memory, try to remember.
She closed her eyes and began to see everything, her mother in tears, the truck, everything with a clear clarity, everything so real, explosions, flames, and her in tears seeing how she moves away from her relatives. The laboratory where she grew up, the doctors, the exams, the pain when her limbs were amputated. Everything exploded in her head and she could not stand it, she fainted on that bed to which she was tied.
(yessing) hello mili, you must wake up.
(Astrid) my name is Astrid, but I know who I am, aunt, I remember, I remember you bathing my arm in acid, you were part of that medical group.
(yessing) no, I went in to get those I could, but I couldn't get any of them out, they almost caught me and I regret it every day, I've been looking for you, and I found you, even though you worked for the empire, you weren't with them. That's why I left you alone, until now, I don't understand how they were so cruel to send you against us.
(Astrid) They sent all the bounty hunters.
(yessing) And no other has succeeded in finding us as easily as you did? Hehehe, believe it or not, you were just a tool, and here you are. You killed a few but we knew that would happen.
(Astrid) I've only been a tool, a murderer.
Tears streaming down the good side of her face, she was so absorbed in her new thoughts that she didn't even realize that her limbs were back, her new identity clashing with what she thought was her own self.
(yessing) you are free, there are some people you must meet. Come with me.
She got up slowly, she was still dizzy, but she put on a firm step, and followed her new family, her last relative, she followed her down a narrow corridor, and through a door she filled the corridor with light, her first sight was a tree, green like the ones she remembered, she did not know it until now but she remembered them, many other people were there between meditating and sleeping, some looked up to see her, and like a chain they all started to turn around.
With a shout, yessing announced:
(yessing) brothers, sisters. I present to you Mili, the daughter, the direct heir of this group, the daughter of my sister, my niece, my blood, survivor, outraged and changed by the empire, but here she is with us.
Murmurs of surprise could only be heard, it's her, it's the girl of the prophecy, it's the yang daughter, what the old woman said. She is the one who will lead us to victory. A woman rebuked her son for saying he thought the old woman was crazy.
(yessing) is the child of the prophecy, my sister knew she was alive, and here she is, she presents herself as a full-fledged warrior.
He stares at her, and beckoned her to follow, they approached the trunk of the tree and there it was, carved in its bark a girl without a leg and without an arm.
(yessing) your mother carved it, she was mad that you would come back and here you are, she was right all the time, I won't lie to you, I also thought she was crazy.
And there she was surrounded by those people, her people. Her family, she never felt so at home as she did there at that moment.
Un bar desolado en medio de un pueblo, en una luna perdida en las cercanías del Planeta "Lodxar", sólo había 5 personas, incluido el camarero que también es el dueño del local. Un borracho del lugar, muy habitual en el bar, una pareja relativamente joven que claramente está de paso y que discute por algún motivo, y al fondo en la penumbra una mujer sentada sola y en silencio frente a un trago de whisky, fumando un cigarrillo, observando atentamente sin llamar la atención, la pareja se acalora en su discusión y de la nada suena un fuerte "¡Plass!". Una fuerte bofetada que tira la cara de la chica hacia un lado y ella se lleva las manos a la cara y las lágrimas salen de sus ojos, la mujer en las sombras hace ademán de levantarse y el tipo, ya bravucón, la mira como retándola y grita.
Ella mantiene la calma y se relaja un poco, dando otra calada a su cigarrillo y le da una calada antes de soltar el humo por sus fosas nasales, soltando una risita sarcástica de esas que son muy irritantes, el matón furioso y golpeador de mujeres da unos pasos hacia ella, enseñando los dientes con expresión furiosa, un destello un sonido de explosión sordo y los cristales rotos del vaso vacío donde bebía su whisky, el hombre no consiguió dar un paso más, más bien se limitó a tambalearse hacia atrás cayendo como un saco de arena dejando una mancha de sangre que brotaba del agujero de su frente.
Esta vez la mujer se levantó, se apartó el cabello del lado derecho de la cara y dejó ver su ojo biónico, recitó sin mostrar ningún tipo de emoción, es casi habitual en ella este tipo de situaciones.
Y así sin más Crystal asiente con la cabeza sin decir palabra, y se dirige a la salida del bar, justo cuando estaba a punto de salir, ¡el borracho grita!
¡Eh chica! ¿Al menos dinos cómo te llamas?
Por fin una sonrisa se dibujó en el rostro del rudo cazarrecompensas. Desapareció toda aquella mirada ruda, toda aquella aura asesina.
Mi nombre es: Astrid, Astrid Young cazarrecompensas.
Jajaja, que suerte tenía Astrid era un gran cambio de la rutina en este patético lugar.
Y así sin más preámbulos salieron a la oscuridad de la noche, llevó a su cautiva y su cadáver a su nave y luego se dirigiría al ministerio central del imperio más cercano, un lugar que conocía porque ahí es donde tiene que llevar las pruebas y donde se reclaman las recompensas de los malvivientes que logran evadir a la guardia, el universo es un lugar enorme por eso existen los cazarrecompensas, el imperio no tiene los recursos para cazarlos a todos.
La sede del ministerio más cercana estaba en el mismo planeta, genial no había que gastar mucho combustible, y en la sala aunque de fondo se oían los típicos ruidos de oficinas, destacaba esa voz chillona casi infantil.
(Astrid) Vamos hombre, decía 10.000 créditos vivo o muerto, necesito el dinero.
(jefe) si, en la oficina principal de Grecones, aquí te pagaremos 7500 y 2000 por la chica.
¿Qué? También restarás el valor de la chica, qué pasa si la traigo viva.
(jefe) así es, tenemos que trasladarlos y es un trabajo engorroso, lo siento Astrid o lo tomas y lo dejas [coloca 9500 créditos en trozos de 500] aquí están en efectivo.
(Astrid) que sean 10.000, tengo que comprar provisiones y combustible, vamos....
Jejeje siempre haces un gran trabajo, vale 10.000, [coloca un último trozo en la cantidad].
(Astrid) [coge con ambas manos su preciado tesoro], es un robo pero lo acepto, ir a Grecones me hará gastar mucho más en combustible.
(jefe) Astrid, ¿sabes algo de esa nueva banda que está matando gente?
(Astrid) ¿Qué banda? ¿Pagan mucho por ello?
(jefe) ummm. Así que no tienes nada que ver con ellos, vale vale.
(Astrid) que pasa jefe, soy una cazarrecompensas solitaria, y vengo cada 2 o 3 semanas a este tipo de establecimientos.
(jefe) si lo se, tengo tu registro aqui, pero atrapamos a uno de sus miembros, y tiene un tatuaje muy similar al que tienes en tu antebrazo derecho.
(Astrid) Debe ser una coincidencia, porque no es un tatuaje, es una cicatriz, cuando era niña me quemé en un accidente.
(Jefe) Entiendo, pensé que era un tatuaje, lo siento pero aun así. [Levanta la mano y señala la parte interior del brazo de Astrid, cerca de la muñeca, tenía una marca que las quemaduras no pudieron borrar del todo, una marca que sobresalía a través de la piel amoratada.
Miró detenidamente su brazo y trató de notar lo que el jefe le señalaba. Es una especie de luna creciente con 3 putos que casi llenaban y completaban el óvalo y la circunferencia imperfecta, siempre pensó que era una cicatriz producto de las quemaduras pero, era algo más profundo en su piel, no sabía cómo pero lo sabía.
(Astrid) es una cicatriz jefe, no es un tatuaje.
(jefe) esta bien, pero el hombre que atrapamos tenia una marca tatuada en el mismo lugar que tu tienes esa "cicatriz" y era muy parecida a ella. Por ahora entre nosotros todo bien, pero si entras en la investigación, te cazaré como tú cazas a los mestizos que me traes, sabes que será así.
(Astrid) es muy serio entonces, ¿cuanto pagas por tus miembros?
(jefe) 30.000 créditos, muertos y sí es muy grave.
(Astrid) ¡Vaya! Voy a por ellos, ¿me pasas la carpeta?
(jefe) está abierta, quien quiera ir a por ellos puede hacerlo, así de serio quiere el imperio que mueran.
(Astrid) Ahora mismo salgo jefe, jejeje después de todo soy tu mejor cazadora.
Y sonriendo se marchó sin más con su botín en las manos, despidiéndose de todos los que se cruzaron en su camino, conocidos y desconocidos.
Ya en su nave tecleó en el ordenador, para ver el informe de su próximo objetivo, no sabía por qué pero le resultaba extrañamente familiar la descripción de aquella banda, no había descripciones muy detalladas y más bien todo eran rumores, sabían que tenían varios miembros porque habían matado a mucha gente en diferentes partes de la galaxia y épocas muy similares, Era imposible que solo fuera uno, además ya tenían a uno detenido pero el informe no decía ningún detalle de lo que había dicho o no, era la carpeta más vacía que había tenido delante, no sabía por donde empezar pero el lugar donde cogieron al custodio, era un planeta vecino "Verlerda" había varios pero solo uno cayó en manos del guardia.
Vio la foto y sintió un ligero mareo, y flashes donde ya había visto gente con esas ropas, pero era muy extraño, estaba muy segura que no sabía nada de ese tema, pero a la vez todo le parecía tan cercano, tan familiar, todo era confuso y muy extraño.
Soltó el aire acumulado en sus pulmones en un largo y ruidoso suspiro, puso algo de música, se dirigió a su taller de a bordo, ajustó y engrasó los músculos mecánicos de su brazo mientras silbaba al ritmo, terminó abriendo y cerrando sus dedos metálicos cubiertos de piel sintética, recargó la bala gastada en la barra, y empezó con la pierna derecha la misma rutina, ajustando y engrasando, comprobando las armas ocultas, para que en el momento de necesidad no fallaran. Todo para distraerse y hacer tiempo mientras se dirigía al punto que marcaba la carpeta para iniciar su cacería.
Llegó al lugar, vestida como cuando empezaba su trabajo, siempre con traje formal, chaleco y corbata, aprendió que si llevabas ese tipo de presentación autoritaria la gente estaba más dispuesta a responder a tus preguntas sin necesidad de romperse el brazo para obtener información.
No era extraño ver que estaba en las alcantarillas, una especie de cámara subterránea que alguna vez sirvió como almacén o algo así, había muchas velas derretidas, algunas pintadas en las paredes, probablemente hechas con sangre, y muchas pero muchas marcas de sangre seca por todos lados, no era una sola víctima eso seguro, parecían más bien actos de sacrificio, rituales. No se trataba de un grupo de imbéciles que querían matar gente, se trataba de algún tipo de secta, una secta sedienta de sangre.
Un ruido se escucha detrás de ella, y una sombra que comienza a correr justo cuando ella voltea, la oscuridad no le es ajena, su ojo está perfectamente acondicionado para ver a través de las sombras, y corrió, de pronto se encontraba semi perdida, en un laberinto de pasillos y risitas que rebotaban en las paredes con el eco detrás de ella, logró identificar el origen de la risita y corrió, corrió tras esa sombra que la observaba.
Y sin más preámbulos una luz golpeó su rostro cegándola momentáneamente, una salida alterna en aquel laberinto, salió a la plaza del mercado local, a unas 15 cuadras del punto de partida, miró a su alrededor buscando identificar quien podría estar siguiéndola, solo gente normal, no había rastro de nadie sospechoso.
Sin más, con una leve sonrisa que trató de ocultar por si la seguían vigilando, se dirigió hacia su nave, otra cosa que había aprendido con los años es que las fuentes de información, es más fácil encontrarlas de noche en lugares un tanto sórdidos, pero también sonrió porque sin querer había obtenido información valiosa, había miembros de esa secta que vigilaban la zona, seguían operativos, y son 30.000 créditos por cada cadáver que lleve a alguna sede del ministerio.
Ya en su nave, se sumergió en el humo de un cigarrillo, y un trago de whisky. Provisiones esenciales que nunca faltan en su nave, le ayudan a dormir. Y así solo esperó a que sonara la alarma de medianoche, habló con algunos lugareños en el mercado preguntando por los bares, le dieron 3 nombres, visitaría el que estuviera más cerca si la estaban vigilando seguramente irían allí también, solo tenía que estar atenta mientras investigaba.
Poco antes de medianoche, antes de que sonara el despertador se despertó, se levantó, se enganchó su arma favorita a la parte baja de la espalda, se puso la chaqueta y salió sin rumbo aparente entre callejones y callejuelas, hacia la parte este de la ciudad, sintió la presencia de alguien que la seguía, Ella lo ignoro lo mejor que pudo y solo camino, salio de un callejon justo enfrente del bar, "la silla rota" era su nombre, no era un lugar sórdido, pero tampoco era un lugar lujoso, fue informada para buscar a un hombre, su nombre era jack, solo jack, ya que ella lo reconoceria sin necesidad de saber mucho por su aspecto.
De hecho no era necesario saber como era, pues era un ancianito que bebía vino en una especie de escenario improvisado mientras contaba historias a cualquiera que le pagara, y un hombre que paga su borrachera con historias es un hombre al que hay que escuchar. Esperó y esperó a que la multitud se calmara, bebió y rió con cada historia, le brindaron varias copas para que siguiera hablando, pero antes del amanecer quedaba muy poco público, se acercó a la barra, pidió una copa y suspiró, era su señal.
Presta como nadie se acercó a él, y se sentó a su lado, él le pidió una pinta de vino y ella su mejor whisky.
Llegó a una cámara acorazada donde había 3 guardias, no vio armas, pero no era la primera vez que estaba en ese aprieto, pero antes no estaban alerta y ella no estaba herida, así que simplemente tomó el camino rápido, 3 balas 3 disparos, y tres muertos, corrió abrió la puerta con su pierna robótica de una patada, y allí estaban, un grupo grande de adeptos como rezando y al final del pasillo que se abría entre la multitud, un trono y la sacerdotisa. Todo fue muy fácil.
Consiguió andar sólo 3 o 4 pasos cuando sin más se cayó, se sentía muy débil, y allí se fijó mejor en los que la rodeaban, tenían máscaras, había gas en el aire, era una trampa.
Cuando despertó, toda desorientada, no sabía la hora ni el lugar donde estaba, miró a su alrededor, y allí estaba, una mujer era un poco mayor, pero aún hermosa, y muy parecida a ella, a su parte humana, descartando ese ojito robado, ¡su ojo robótico! no lo sentía, se lo habían quitado.
Writing | Escritura:
Art | Arte: My person - Mi persona
Huion H1060P Graphics Tablet | Tableta Gráfica Huion H1060P
Translated in Deelp
App used | App utilizadas:
Illustration made in Clip Studio Paint - Ilustración elaborada en Clip Studio Paint
All images are my own - Todas las imágenes son de mi autoría
