It has been a long time since I felt compelled enough to create a story centered around a character I created in a game. I enjoy Defiance (the game and the show), and the possibility of tie-ins between both is something new and intriguing in this genre, so I hope both succeed so we can see the potential realized. With that being said, I present to you, Part 1 of Exchange of Debts - an original story I just couldn't get out of my head.
UPDATE 6/11/13:I am running a bit behind on writing up Part 4 (Aside from RL - like troubleshooting a laptop, too much actual playing of the game), plus I wanted to see how the Plague story would crossover and the rough timeline in the show. I still plan on getting a page up on my website which will have a PDF copy of the story as I continue to write (once said laptop is working correctly). Stay tuned here for a link once I get everything squared away.
UPDATE 6/24/13:Almost have the 5th and Final Part of Welcome to Defiance ready to post here. Hoping to get it wrapped up by mid-week. The good news is that I finally have gotten my new laptop up and running and have created the fan page on my site where the story will continue: www.realmillenniumgroup.com/Defiance.html
Exchange of Debts
Welcome to Defiance - Part 1
Note - this story takes place between Episodes 6 and 7 of the TV show.
It looked like it would be a fine day on duty for William Cassidy. It was one of those nice sunny days that wouldn’t turn out to be too hot or too cold. No, it would be just right for standing around for half the day watching the valley where the stasis net once stood to protect Defiance. However, it was sabotaged by one of the Votan aliens a few weeks back which almost lead to Defiance being overrun by the Volge. They were able to survive that battle, but there are more than Volge out in the wilds that could threaten the town, so it was decided to maintain the patrols that the old Lawkeeper performed and maintain a watch on the valley. There were a dozen or so people from the town who volunteered their time to be on the watch, and earn at least a bit of scrip on the side thanks to a fund set up by the Mayor. The repairs to the net were going to take a long time – the control room was pretty much blown to pieces and getting all the parts and equipment needed to effect repairs was not the easiest thing to do out in their neck of the Badlands.
The only bad thing that Cassidy had to look forward to was his fellow guardsman today – a Castithan who was one of Tarr’s cronies. Cassidy really wasn’t fond of any Votan, but the Castithans in particular rubbed him the wrong way, especially those who were part of Datak Tarr’s dislikable crew. Today, however, Cassidy wasn’t going to let his disappointment get the better of him. He was simply going to keep as far away from the alien as possible. However, it didn’t look like he was going to be that lucky. Just when we was about to check up on the repair crew, his hailer started beeping. He pulled the device out and saw it was from the current patrol.
“This is Cassidy, go ahead.”
“We got something coming your way and fast,” a voice replied from the other end of the channel. “Blue roller – could be a Duni Shetarru. Guy that’s behind the wheel just took down a pack of Saber Wolves - alone.”
“Roger that,” Cassidy replied. He turned to the Casty. “Hail the Lawkeeper, if this guy can take down a whole pack, he has to be carrying some serious firepower.”
Cassidy released the safety on his rifle and headed towards the checkpoint at the gap between the cliff walls – the gap that the stasis net once protected, followed by a third watchmen. In the distance he could see a cloud of dust being kicked up, and it was getting closer. After a few moments, they could make out the roller moving towards them at top speed. It was covered in grime and looked like it had taken a dive off a cliff, but the vehicle looked to be sturdy enough to withstand more than a few shots and showed no signs of slowing down. Cassidy heard the click of the safety on the other watchmen’s weapon, and heard him mutter a worried comment under his breath.
The Casty ran up to join them just as the roller was about to reach the gap. “The Lawkeeper is on his way,” he said.
All three men raised their weapons, ready to fire upon the oncoming roller when it suddenly skidded to a halt a few dozen meters from where they stood. It sat there for a few moments, the hum of the engine the only sound that could be heard. The third watchmen jumped slightly when the door to the roller cracked open. He had taken part in the Battle of the Volge, but he was by no means a fighter in any sense of the word known to Cassidy.
“Wait here,” Cassidy told his two companions as he slowly approached the roller, rifle at the ready.
The man in the driver seat didn’t move, but simply watched as Cassidy approached. He wore a dark cap and Cassidy could see the letters EREP on a patch on the side. The front of the cap looked like it had a faded yellow silhouette of a hellbug on it. The rest of his attire was a military green, but it didn’t look like a uniform that Cassidy was familiar with, and he didn’t look like any of the Earth Republic goons that had been to Defiance in the recent weeks. He could see a holstered pistol on the side of the man’s leg and what looked to be some kind of hunting rifle in the seat next to him. There was a sheathed dagger on the front of his worn metal chestplate. The man had short brown hair and a short scruff of a moustache and beard, a trimmed 5 o'clock shadow look.
“Keep both hands on the wheel and don’t move unless I tell you,” Cassidy told the man.
The man seemed to relax a bit with that and it almost looked like a small smile – almost a smirk – crossed his face. “That’s not quite the welcome I expected in Saint Louis,” the stranger said.
“This isn’t Saint Louis anymore,” Cassidy told the man. “Who are you and where are you coming from?”
“That all depends on who you ask and when,” the man replied. “For the most part, you can say I am from Paradise … for the time being.”
Cassidy was stunned. “You’re from the West? You crossed the Storm Divide?”
“You could say that. Not the most pleasant of trips that I have had the opportunity of taking, but certainly one of the more interesting.”
“What business brings you out this way?” Cassidy asked, completely forgetting the stranger never told him his name.
“That all depends. If this is Defiance, then that is why I am here.”
“And what do you need to do in Defiance?” Cassidy replied.
“I am told there is someone here that I was hoping to find,” the stranger answered. “You’ve probably heard this before, but I’m not here to cause any problems. I just wanted to catch up with an old friend, you might say.”
Cassidy looked at his two companions. They stood ready in case problems were exactly what they were going to have at any moment. “Well, stranger, our Lawkeeper’s on his way. I’m sure he can help you find whoever you’re looking for. You’ll just need to wait here for him. Should only take a few more minutes.”
The stranger tilted his head slightly, as if listening to something, but Cassidy heard nothing out of the ordinary.
“Ahh, well that’s even better,” the stranger said after a moment. A smile appeared on his face. “That’s exactly who I came to see.”
With that, the stranger vanished from sight. Out of the corner of his eye, Cassidy saw his two companions jump and look at one another in shock. Cassidy himself was trying to decide if he should approach the roller or send a bullet into the driver seat when the door suddenly slammed shut and the engine revved up, spinning the wheels and kicking up a cloud of dirt and rocks. Before they could react, the vehicle peeled out and bounded in the direction of the town. It was gone before Cassidy could even raise his rifle to fire a parting shot.
