Looking for work

The Slums, north of the city proper...

Jan took a deep breath and grabbed pitiful man who'd been scavenging nearby. "Hey you!"

"Don't hurt me!" he screamed, "I don't have anything to steal!"

"I don't want to rob you, fool, I want what I know you have... information. Give me the lowdown on this area... what a person can do to make some credits, whose in charge, everything a newcomer would need to know."

The man spilled his guts with the limited information he had but it was far more than Jan and Tars had being new. She tossed him aside and headed right for the bar the man had mentioned where they might be able to start.

Once they were 50 yards away from the man, Tars ran to catch up with Jan. "Why you do that? He wasn't bad."

Jan spun on her heels and caught Tars by the shirt. She wanted to hit him and immediately saw the terror in his eyes she let him go. She smoothed his shirt and softened her tone. "I'm sorry Tar-Tar (her 'cuddly' name for him), but this is going to be a much harsher place than back home and if we're going to make it, we'll have to be tough. But like always, I won't let anything happen to you."

She gave him a smile and turned, seeing the bar in the distance. A man as big as Tars was just stepping out and tossing another into the street. She grinned. It looked like her kind of place. She turned back to Tars. "Listen, just like back home... I'll do the talking and you just look tough behind me. You know me, unless I ask, don't get involved."

"I remember Jan-jan," Tars replied.

They walked the rest of the way trying to look as tough as they could. The bouncer was eying them both up, Jantar for her looks and Tars since he was as big as himself and could likely be a problem. Jan scanned the room, saw a booth near the back which looked like someone important might be sitting there, and went to the bar like she was going to order a drink. Tars stayed close.

The spot Jan chose was crowded and she did that on purpose. There were three or four guys, she hoped it was no more than four, who looked rowdy and to be together. She stepped up, very close to them and started to wave over the bartender when she yelled and pushed hard off of one of the men.

"You a**hole! I'm no whore you can grope as you please. Keep your hands to yourself!"

The man was confused. "Horny and dumb?! That's even worse." And she slapped him, softly like a pissed off woman would.

At this, the man was no longer silent. "You b*tch!" and he hauled back to hit her from his stool. She ducked it easily and struck out at the stool, braking a stool leg, causing him to fall into one of his friends, who spilled whatever rotgut crap he was drinking.

Pushing his friend to the floor to avoid falling himself, he growled and tried to swing the mug at her. He'd taken a swing too far back for his own good and it left him open for a split second, just long enough for Jan to give him a swift punch to the nose, breaking it. As blood gushed, he hit the ground, falling on top of the other man. Three guys around them stood and now brandished a mix of items; one broke his bottle on the counter, another pulled a knife and a third just had some menacingly large, clenched fists.

She gave Tars a glance to the one with fists. Tars grabbed him by the throat with one hand, lifted him, and choke slammed him to the ground. "Three on one not fair! Two is!" The other two were stunned at the impressive feat of strength they'd seen, enough time for Jan to act. She was no martial arts master, but knew how to deliver a kick or two which made up for her small stature. She delivered a roundhouse to the hand that held the broken bottle which by chance flung it into the face of the one holding the knife. She had to grin, unintended but very beneficial. The bottle smashed, sending shards into the man's eyes and he began to wail.

Bottle man froze. Jan stepped up to him slowly. "Boo!" she said, toyingly and the man took off running. "Bartender!" she called and reached down, removing the wallet from the hunched over man's back pocket, still wailing about the glass in his eyes, and said, "These fellas offered to buy me and my brother a drink!"

She stood still, listening, ready for anything but not turning around. If she turned, it might show she was gloating or afraid another hit might be coming. She knew Tars had her back if someone tried anything and she waited for a response of any kind from anyone.