EPILOGUE

Burt was a man who didn't like to part with money that he didn't need to. He learned that lesson from his momma Patience. It's how she found herself in charge of Whitefall. And it was how Burt was going to make his mark on the 'Verse.

His first action was to recruit some reliable muscle. Eddie was smart enough to know how to shoot, but dumb enough to follow his orders explicitly. Plus, he was large and intimidating, which made up for Burt's rather scrawny stature.

After that, he just needed a gullible mark to swindle, well rob really, out of their merchandise to give him the seed money he needed. He waited along with Eddie at the rendezvous for their shipment to arrive, a crate of highly profitable medicines that would fetch a fortune once they returned out to the Rim.

Burt heard the quiet shuffling sound of approaching footsteps and loosened the pistol in his holster. "Now 'member, Eddie, you don' go makin' any moves 'less I tell ya to, ya got me?"

"Sure thing, boss," Eddie replied. He carried a shotgun cradled in his large paws eagerly, but held it pointed off to the side.

Into the clearing came a pair of young women. The one lugging the crate was muscular with blond spiky hair, bright blue eyes, and a cheerful face. She wore tan cargoes, a tight white tank top, and boots. The other was a short brunette with her hair tied back in a ponytail that hung past her shoulders. She wore dark blue coveralls and spacer shoes, while her face had a slight trace of Asian ancestry evident by the almost negligible slant to her dark brown eyes.

Both were armed, the blonde with a low-slung revolver at her side and the brunette with a tiny little automatic secured in a delicate-looking combat holster. Burt snorted to himself in derision. What's the point in carryin' a toy like that? This's gonna be easier than I thought.

The taller girl set the crate down with a huff and then stood up, dusting off her hands. "So, y'all gots the payment?" she asked brightly.

"Well now, here's the thing, darlin'," Burt drawled. "I don' like partin' with money I don' need ta." He turned towards Eddie and gave him a nod. The large man grinned and worked the action on his shotgun, chambering a round.

As soon as he did so, however, a shot rang out. Eddie yelped in both pain and surprise as the receiver of the shotgun shattered in his grip. He dropped the gun and cradled his wounded hand, blood beginning to seep out.

Burt turned, wide-eyed, to see the petite brunette calmly aiming her little automatic, which looked rather deadly now that it was pointed at his forehead, with a steady hand.

The blonde chuckled huskily as she rested her hand on her own gun. "Now, y'all shouldn'ta gone an' done that. My girlfriend here, she don' like bein' threatened none. An' she's a right smart shot with 'er gun."

"I never miss," the brunette said calmly, her velvety voice promising Burt's death if he so much as twitched towards his gun.

"Now then, why don' we try this again," the muscular woman began as she walked forward. She kept out of her partner's field of fire, reaching over to pull Burt's gun out of his holster and then flinging it far into the woods. "Our payment?"

Burt nodded rapidly, unable to take his eyes off of the dangerous brunette. He slowly eased his hand into his jacket pocket and withdrew his wallet. All of his funds were in there, ready to purchase passage for the two of them out to the Rim where they would amass their fortune. Or at least, that had been the plan.

The blonde riffled through the wallet and nodded, pulling all of his money out. "That's more'n the shipment's worth!" he protested.

"Consider it a bonus fer puttin' up with yer stupidity," the woman snorted.

"And perhaps a lesson for you to consider," the brunette added, her hand not wavering a millimeter.

Tossing the billfold at Burt's feet, the muscular woman turned and headed back the way they'd come. "Let's go, babe. We gots 'nother meetin' ta make."

The brunette finally lowered her gun and slipped it into her holster, giving Burt a cheeky wink. She turned as well and linked her arm through the other woman's as they walked off together.

The blonde leaned her head down and planted a kiss on top of the brunette's head. "Yer so sexy when yer defendin' me. Mebbe we c'n stop by the ship first..."

Burt and Eddie stayed where they were, frozen in place, as they listened to the two women walk off.

"You just get horny when I get violent, wo de ai."

"Ain't arguin' with ya none. Now let's get back home so's I c'n rip yer clothes off."

The brunette giggled. "How can I refuse an offer like that?"

NOTES: Okay, so I lied. NOW it's done.