project star wardon

A lone figure walks down the Street of the space port. The port was unremarkable nothing to tell it apart from the other hundreds like it thru human occupied space. Most people would not stop here without cause and this man was no exception. Rounding another corner he spotted his goal a small nondescript bar in a out of the way back water. The man finds himself thinking that this seems like the kind of place that would attract disreputable folks this thought makes him chuckle. Reaching the door and stepping inside the first thing an observant person would notice and find peculiar was unlike most other patrons he didn't remove his hood when he walked in and sat down in the corner. It was mid afternoon by the local schedule and the bar was lightly populated with the regulars, a live band was finishing an old Irish shantie. a young attractive in a natural kind of way lady walked over with a old fashioned paper and pen note pad. " what can I get started for you sir?" she asked the hooded man. " a bottle of your best and two glasses, also is it true that the owner of this establishment is also the town sheriff?" the young lady scribbles down a note on the pad " yes he is why?" a little half smile crosses the man's face " tell him an old friend and thief is in town" the girl flinches slightly and then runs to the back the hooded man sits and waits casually listening to the band strike up a tone from a forgotten era. The door behind him opens with more force then one would expect and he hears the shuffling of boots on the sandy hardwood behind him a strong clear old but steele voice rings out from behind him. " nice and slow mister show me your hands i've got three of my best men covering you so don't try anything funny" the bar goes quiet as the sheriff's fletche gun whines to life. " now is that any way to treat an old friend Cheng? Plus I only heard three sets of boots not four."  the sheriff startles at the voice from his past he knows exactly who it is but why is he here? " stand down boys, what the hell are you doing here War-" the hooded man cuts him off before he can say anymore " Captain will do fine Cheng. Just here for drinks with a friend nothing more" the sheriff  dismisses the others calling for the whiskey the hooded man had ordered earlier the hooded man turns slightly to the musician. " tell me do you know a health to the company?" surprise  evident on the musicians face he nods and counts off to band the old tune wafts thru the building all other voices stop but for the voices of four men three off key sing the old song. The musician, the man in the hood, the sheriff, and one of the marshalls sing along soon the whole bar joins " kind friends and companions come join me in rhyme…" they sing the song word for word some smiling with joy some with sad downcast eyes. " marshal" the hooded man says to the now teary eyed man who joined him and the sheriff from the start. " come sit tell me who and where" the man walked over and the sheriff poured him a glass the marshall simply says " my son at the battle of Alfria" the hooded man nods and the three share a glass. Then he stands leaving enough credits to pay for the bottle and a sizeable tip on the table. He also produces a gold bar worth about half a year of the marshals salary and hands it to him with a simple statement well known to all but a few in the bar " for the fallen" those regulars in the bar with the exception of the young waitress and the young marshall still standing by the door echo back " for the fallen". The hooded man stands and all those who responded either bow or placed there right fist to chest in a salute as the man exits as silently as he entered. The bar remained silent for a few more minutes until slowly the conversations started again. The young marshall sits in the empty seat next to his to colleagues " who was that man?" the sheriff's eye's were still locked on the open door. " if you asked him he would say he's a liar, cheater, thief, and robber" the sheriff turns back to young marshall " but I called him Captain" he flipped over the empty glass in front of the marshall and called for another pouring the young man a cup. " now let me tell you a story that started many years ago" and with that the old sheriff began to tell the Tale of Captain Ward.