(This short was written for the Science Fiction smackdown round 6. The theme was Spunk in Space that being Space Western and Spunky Heroine. Pictures were provided for us to choose from.

The picture post numbers are: Spunky Heroine #6, lady with golden left leg and rifle. 

Other pictures: #13 - smoking dude on jet; #14 - saloon; #19 - white ship)

Once Upon a Time in Europa

Elena ran across the barren landscape, holding her hat and checking her rifle. The terraforming of this place was halted part way so as to not disturb the rich mineral deposits that were being mined. She climbed a hill and crouched on the top, inching her way slowly forward to the edge, the loose rocks weren't sharp enough to cut through her bare midriff but it did annoy her. Gunshots and explosions could be heard from below. She cursed softly praying that he wouldn't be hurt or worse. Peering over the edge she saw him crouched behind an old crashed fighter jet, a relic from the days when such jets were imported from Earth. Two men were advancing towards him while a couple of others provided them with covering fire.

“It's too early in the morning for this crap. You're gonna owe me,” she said with a slight smile on her lips.

Placing the hat properly on her head she took careful aim at the two providing cover. She made a practice sweep with her rifle and then came back to bead the first guy. Exhaling slowly, she fired her first shot. Before the man hit the ground, she had already taken out the second man.

The moment of confusion was all that was needed for her to shoot the others while the man behind the jet also got in the action. Within minutes, the valley was echoing deafening silence.

Elena was not a very patient woman but she was sensible enough to know that someone could be hiding and waiting for the moment that she appeared to take her out. But when nothing happened, she finally stood up on the hill top with her gun beside her, the wind blowing her hair under her hat and short cloak, exposing her prosthetic left leg, her knee a pale blue in contrast to the golden leg. Adjusting her hat she waved at the man and turned around to climb down.

When she got to him, he was sat on the downed jet with a cigarette, still holding his gun. She could just about make out his eyes from under his oversized hat, the same thoughtful expression as always. He wasn't smoking so much as he was thinking with with a hand on his upturned pug-like nose.

She stopped for a second to admire his topless body. He wasn't too bad looking for a man with his condition, mutated from the toxic rivers around his birthplace on Earth with elf like ears and the aforementioned nose. He was also hairless save for the thin strands on his head.

“Like what you see?” he asked suddenly.

“Not too bad.”

“Looks like I owe you another one.”

“Niko, you idiot. How many times do I have to tell you to let me know before you land? You do know that there are more bounty hunters after you these days, yeah?”

“I just don't understand how they could know I was headed here, to Europa.”

“Did you talk to anyone?”

“No,” he shook his head, “I used different transports each time. Also, I remember mentioning different locations to different pilots. They should've been looking on the new Mars colony or the lunar station, not this backwards frontier moon.”

He was lost in thought again, Elena was getting restless and annoyed.

“Well, we can sit here and figure that out now or if you like, we could do it in private,” she turned around walking away with an extra swing to her hips slinging the rifle over one shoulder.

Niko took a good look at the retreating Elena's back and smiled, “it's good to be home.”

Crushing the half smoked cigarette under his boot, he ran to catch up with her.

It was noon before anyone saw them again.

The two were sat at the corner in the saloon, called Saloon, enjoying a drink. The town was made to resemble an old Western mining town. It even had a railway that linked the town to the spaceport, though it was only used for material transport and ran on nuclear energy. Horses and wood had been imported from Earth to give it, what the designers called, an earthly feel.

They could hear the footsteps of an approaching horse, Niko tensed assuming it to be a threat. But it turned out to be the mayor. He walked straight to their table and sat without being invited.

“More bounty hunters today?” he asked.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” said Elena.

The mayor chuckled, “just so you know, TechCorp is not happy with your boy here. They know who he is and probably know where he is by now. You need to find a safer place.”

“You scared mayor?” asked Niko.

“A little. I have ears on Earth too. The news is they're sending the big guns after you, could be a bloodbath,” he stood up to leave, “you take that fight out of my town.”

After the mayor left, Niko was thinking again, Elena left him to his thoughts while she cleaned her rifle.

“Brutus had given me a lot to work on. The past week I was on Earth collecting data, I have got almost everything we need to nail that sonofabitch company.”

“You trust this guy? You have never even seen him.”

“I dunno. He seems reliable enough,” he shrugged.

“Let's hope it doesn't come back to bite you in the arse.”

“It'll be too late anyway. I have compiled everything. Obliterating a colony on Mars because resettlement was expensive is not going to go down easy at all. All those people killed so that they could save their balance sheet. Besides they made a tidy sum in insurance while most of their rivals lost a large number of assets. Once I get this to my contacts in the media and TechCorp's rivals, the landslide will be unstoppable. Maybe finally, your father's soul will rest in peace.”

Elena placed the rifle under the table and held Niko's hand, “we'll get them. Let's make sure all the pieces are in place first. It would be stupid to present a case with holes.”

Niko nodded. Suddenly they heard a slight commotion outside. Within seconds the saloon doors were thrown open as half a dozen heavily armed men in black bodysuits swarmed into the saloon heading straight for their table. The remaining three patrons were unceremoniously thrown out and the elderly landlord was kept at gun point.

“Don't draw your weapons. Don't make any sudden moves.” The leader shouted, his sound muffled through his helmet.

He then said something softly to the microphone attached in his helmet. A thin man in a black suit and tie strode in with his hands in his pockets. He ran a hand through his greying hair and studied them for a brief moment, he pulled a chair from the adjacent table and sat facing them.

Elena was sure that this man wasn't an idiot. Anyone coming this far to a frontier moon with an armed contingent definitely was not to be trifled with.

“My name is Alexander Shaw,” the man spoke clearly and slowly, “I am assistant to the Vice President of Loss Prevention, Off-world Division at TechCorp.”

He looked at Niko, “Mr. Nikolai Farris, I believe you possess data that might incriminate TechCorp.”

“I don't know what you are talking about and I sure as hell don't know you,” Niko was defiant.

“Ah yes. Let me introduce you in a way that you might understand,” he leaned back with a smug grin, “Brutus, you know me as Brutus.”

Niko looked shocked for a second but caught himself and shrugged, “what? Who?”

The man laughed mockingly, “did you think that the information you received about TechCorp and the other companies were from some information broker? If you want to find all the dirt about yourself, you let your enemy do the digging for you. Then when he has everything, you swoop in and take it. You see Nikolai, I wasn't stabbing TechCorp, you were the Caesar here.”

Niko did not say anything, Elena looked more defiant than him.

“They sent the assistant to a Vice-President for this?” asked Elena.

“Every business has to be given its importance. Nikolai's actions would bring great disrepute to the company. Have you considered the loss of goodwill and plummeting of stocks that may occur if this information goes out?”

“People were killed so that you could save money!” Niko was furious.

“Just business,” he said nonchalantly, “now, the data that you have collected and your sources. That's what I need. I promise you this: cooperate with me and the both of you will be rich beyond your wildest dreams.”

“We don't want your money! Those people deserve justice, their deaths must be avenged.”

Shaw sighed, “very well,” he stood up and turned to the leader of the armed men, “kill the little girl first, let him watch; then kill him, find what we came for.”

“The little girl?” said Elena, “well, mister, none of you are leaving if you think you can kill me and waltz out of here.”

The man turned around amused, “Try and stop us.”

When Elena didn't make a move, he shrugged, the smug grin returning to his face, “all talk.”

Elena leaned back in her chair and smiled at Shaw, “you know Mr. Shaw, you really shouldn't insult a girl. Some of us take such things very seriously. For example-”

Without warning she leaped to her side coming behind the man closest to her and twisted his neck. Using him as a shield, she grabbed his gun before it hit the ground and shot off in all directions hitting the other men. A bullet hit her in the prosthetic leg but was deflected on to Niko who had ducked under the table. After the wild shoot-out only Elena was left standing, Shaw was nowhere to be seen.

Throwing the body aside she knelt beside Niko, “Niko? Are you OK?”

“Just a little wound, I'll live. Get him, don't let him get away,” he said thrusting her rifle at her.

By the time Elena reached outside the saloon, Shaw had disappeared. She headed back inside.

“You alright Marv?” she asked the landlord.

“Yeah. Can't say the same about Betty,” he pointed at his goldfish on the floor.

“Sorry Marv,” she gave him a sad expression.

“It's OK. She didn't have much time left anyway.”

She headed towards Niko who had managed to sit up leaning on the wall. He had his hand over his abdomen and was bleeding.

“Oh God! Niko! You're bleeding.”

“I'm OK. It's just a little cut. Doc will patch me up. Those guys will be back, we better have something up our sleeve.”

Elena helped him stand up and walk using her rifle as a crutch.

“Let's get you to the doc first, leave the rest to me. I'm gonna wipe that smugness off that Shaw guy's bloody face, no one laughs at me and walks away.”

Niko laughed and then groaned when the laughing hurt his insides.

Elena looked at him smiling, “no one.”

After dropping Niko off at the doctor's house, Elena returned to the saloon. Marv was sat at one of the surviving tables with a drink in hand and another one on the table. He motioned for her to take a seat.

“Now these guys, they'll be back for sure,” Marv said sipping his drink.

“Yeah.”

“And you're gonna have to kill them all. I don't know how, but you're gonna have to.”

Elena nodded, “where are the bodies?” she asked looking around.

“Colin passed by while you were gone, I asked the boy to drop them off at the incinerator. I saved the weapons and stuff though,” he said pointing at the bar counter.

Elena walked with her drink and looked over each item, there were heavy machine guns, sidearms, knives and grenades. Putting her drink on the counter, she picked up a machine gun and examined it carefully.

“Top of the range stuff.”

Marv was liming towards her, his leg had been badly injured in a mining accident.

“Elena, I know you'll have to make your stand here, and there'll be more of them when they come. This little saloon here is all that I have, it's the only thing I can do after the accident.”

Elena nodded without looking at him.

“So, here's the thing. They're gonna have to come in a ship, right? I want the ship. I'm sure the scavengers will pay well for all that tech.”

Elena laughed, “you got a deal, Marv. Take all these weapons as well except for the grenades and one machine gun and get out. Tell everyone else to go home too. They won't care who they kill to get to Niko and me.”

Marv moved behind the counter, “come over here, let me show you a couple of secrets.”

Elena jumped over and smiled at Marv giving him a thumbs up. Packing the remaining guns in a large bag, Marv left the place. Elena ran out just as Marv was walking away.

“Marv!”

He turned around and raised an eyebrow.

“You used to be a mechanic in the mines right?”

“Mechanic, machine fixer, tool fixer, et cetera et cetera. Why?”

“I need a little help. Come back in for a bit.”

He shook his head laughing and followed her. An hour later, Marv exited his establishment still laughing and shaking his head. He stood outside and gave it a longing look, “we had a good run.”

Elena waited for a couple of more hours hoping that the attack would come soon. When nothing happened she started getting antsy, she put her hat on and left the saloon walking towards the edge of town which was a huge canyon. As she got there, she heard the unmistakeable sound of an interplanetary ship. Sticking to the shadows, she crept forward and peeked around a hill. She gasped and smiled in equal measure.

A medium sized white ship built for planetary and interplanetary travel was hovering in the air. Designed to look like an airship from the olden times with a big ball attached to the middle, it wasn't the most comfortable of rides. But that wasn't necessary when it's main mission was transporting soldiers. Apparently corporations were allowed to own these to transport workers between planets.

Elena knew exacty what type of workers this ship was transporting, especially since it had its plasma cannon loaded. The ship landed at the far end of the canyon. She removed a small square device from her belt, turned the viewfinder on and zoomed in on the scene. Armed men in the exact same black bodysuit they had seen earlier poured out, but these men also had body armour. Elena counted fourteen men with Shaw in the rear.

She clicked off a few pictures of the ship and send them to Marv followed by a message : 'Will that do?'

'Hell yeah! Colin and I will get it. You handle the thugs,' he replied.

'Not fair. I'm doing all the hard work,' she countered.

'Fair enough. You get a cut too.'

Satisfied she placed it back in her belt and tiptoed back into town. She knew that they would expect her to be across the saloon waiting to ambush them, so she headed straight to the saloon and poured herself a drink. She toasted to the saloon, “the last drink this place will serve.”

Elena was twitching with anticipation as she waited. The hours that had gone by did not feel like anything compared to the minutes at the moment. Placing the machine gun on the bar counter, she walked towards a window and carefully peeped outside. In the late afternoon sun she could make out the men cautiously approaching her position; they weren't sure where she would be so they were fanning out making it difficult for her to pick out more than one person at a time. She could almost make out Shaw a few meters behind the men, the weasel was keeping himself at a safe distance.

The men suddenly started firing at all the buildings near the saloon. Elena ducked instinctively as a few shots hit the side of the saloon as well. They stopped firing.

“You should have taken my offer. Now I am going to take what I came for and kill you as well. I know you are here somewhere. Stop playing games and come out,” Shaw shouted, still hidden.

Elena stood up and took a few steps back, the men wouldn't be able to see her inside the building. Taking careful aim with her rifle, she shot the farthest man through the head. Before the others recovered from the shock and started firing at the saloon, she had ran and slid over the counter, grabbing the machine gun, taking cover behind the reinforced counter wall.

Shots rang inside the building breaking furniture and lights and bottles. When it settled she heard Shaw's voice again, this time it was from outside the saloon. They had not yet entered the building.

“Very foolish of you, giving away your position to kill just one man. Now, you can shoot yourself and save us the trouble.”

Elena removed a small round piece from the counter wall, one of Marv's secrets, and peered through. One of the men had entered and was drawing wide arcs with his gun. Using the machine gun she shot him thrice in quick three-round bursts.

“Get them!” Shaw shouted.

As the men entered shooting wildly, Elena managed to get rid of two more before they discovered her position and started converging with very effective covering fire. Elena squeezed of shots till the machine gun was out of bullets. She grabbed her rifle and crouched backwards towards Marv's second secret, a secret trapdoor in the floor that led to the abandoned stable opposite the saloon. She slipped through, chucking a stun grenade over the counter.

After climbing down the small steps she ran through the short tunnel and emerged in the stable. Through the window she could see the men slowly and carefully approaching the bar counter firing at the wall and above it.

She smiled as she slowly walked towards the entrance and squatted just inside the building. Shaw was stood in the middle of the street intensely looking at the saloon.

Elena pulled her trusty rifle and took careful aim at the grenade taped to the chandelier in the middle of the saloon, the entire roof had been wired to explode with grenades, Marv's handiwork meaning that setting off one would cause a chain reaction. She squeezed the trigger and ducked inside. A second later the entire roof caved in over the men destroying the saloon completely. Nothing stirred from under the fallen roof.

Shaw was thrown off his feet and he landed flat on his back. Getting up groggily he tried to make a run for it. Elena shot him through the right shoulder knocking him to the ground again. He caught his shoulder groaning and tried to run again, he was shot in his left knee making him fall flat on his face.

“Argh! Stop! Stop! Don't shoot!” he was almost crying.

“Aww. Are you begging a little girl to not hurt you?” Elena adjusted her hat with one hand keeping Shaw under her rifle point.

“You?” he said turning around, gritting his teeth and trying to get up, “you can't get away with this. I have already called my ship for back up. If I die, I am taking you with me.”

Elena kicked him back down and looked up, “what ship? I don't see anything.”

Shaw held his hand up to his mouth, “Carver! Converge on my position. Destroy everything.” There was no response. “Carver!”

He removed a thin tube like device from his belt and repeated his instruction loudly. It crackled to life.

“Eh... Carver isn't available at the moment. Can I take a message?” Marv's voice came through.

“Looks like Carver isn't converging on your position,” Elena laughed, “here's the deal. You get lost and don't send anyone else after us. Tell the company that you killed us or we got away to the Andromeda galaxy or something. I'll let you live.”

“They will know anyway. They always do.”

“There really is no point in letting you live then, is there?”

“You must understand, this was all business. I do not have anything against you or Nikolai or those people that died on the Mars colony.”

Elena went silent for a full minute reminiscing about her father and friends who had perished in the brutal destruction of the Mars colony.

“Believe me, I do,” she said softly.

“Things would have been so very different in another situation,” he tried to match his tone with hers.

She took a good look at him, “nah, you're a weasel. I'd probably still kill you.”

A final gunshot echoed through the town.