Chapter 1: Preview

A stray bullet ricoucheted off of the concrete tiling as the boy narrowly dodged the projectile.
The guard was in pursuit and gaining speed by the second. The boy turned into an alleyway, knocking over dustbins to try hinder his pursuer.
He had done this hundreds of times without a problem but today he felt that it would be his last. The boy climbed onto the roof of a small building, the guard followed.
The roofing was what it had always been. Gray, damaged and flat.
He had grown up in this city and this loathsome sight was normal and even relieving to him.
The guard lifted himself onto the roof. Before he could grab the boy, he leapt across a small opening to another roof.
The boy needed to get to the poor district to have even a chance of escape.
He had thought that stealing an X51 Battery to sell on the black market would be easy but it looks as if he had been wrong, and he was now regretting it.
The victim of his crime was a rich merchant that had special connections to get him new technology.
The X51 Battery had enough energy to power a house for three months and was only the size of a car battery. He had heard rumours of the battery and decided it would be a profitable trinket to steal. He had overestimated his skill and here he was now, a fourteen year old boy from the poor district of Galis City, against a fully armed City Guard.
The boy had the advantage of speed but the guard had a gun so that made little difference.
The boy was gaining a little bit of speed across the rooftops.
The combined feeling of danger and the wind buffeting against him while he ran was thrilling and terrifying at the same time. He jumped up to catch another ledge. Too late! The guard caught hold of his ankle and was about to pull him down.
The boy kicked the guard in the jaw then realised he was wearing a mask like most guards who worked for the corporations in Galis. He struggled to squirm free.
The grip on the ledge was all that was between a robber’s execution and freedom. He lowered himself an inch feeling the guard relax, thinking that the boy was giving up. Then the boy flipped his foot under the bottom of the guard’s mask and flipped it up. Before he could react, the boy kicked him in the jaw.
The boy climbed onto the ledge while the guard recovered and the chase resumed. Roof top by roof top, the boy leapt and neither of them had gained anything but a few bruises and a lot of fatigue. Then the boy noticed that he had crossed the invisible border between the Poor District and Corporate District. This border had nothing to signify it and only reputation allowed people to know where it was.
The boy turned quickly to notice that the guard had lost sight of him; he wouldn’t miss this chance. He quickly jumped through a sky light into what he knew was a local saloon. The saloon was called the Rusty Trooper, a popular hangout for gangsters and ruffians. The owner was a friend of his and, secretly, a fence for the Galis Black Market.
Years ago, there was no organised black market and people would have to sell their stolen goods on the streets which was pretty hard because the victim of the crime could see it and report you.
Black market fences would purchase your stolen goods and make sure that no one knew who stole them; they also put bounties on certain items like the battery that the boy had stolen.
He sneaked down to the first floor without attracting too much attention.
He could hear the guard run right past the sky light. He had escaped and got his prize.
The boy walked up to the owner of the saloon, Billy Roman.
"James, I didn't see you come in," exclaimed Billy.
"I used the scenic entrance" James replied mildly.
Billy was a middle aged man, mostly bald and looked rather jolly. "You know that X51 Battery you told me about?"
"Yeah, what about it?”
James took the battery out of his jacket, "That will be 500 Credits." he said proudly.
Billy gawked at the battery and said "By the Imperial Council, you’re the best damn thief in Galis!"
"At one time, I thought that this would be my last theft".
Billy took out his wallet and handed the boy 500 Credits.
“Here’s a drink on the house,” he raised his mug in a toast.
“To the best thief in Galis," some people cheered quietly while the others raised their mugs in toast. As James sat down, the door opened and two strange figures entered.
At closer inspection the figures revealed themselves to be aliens – a short Exanoid and a Gray.
There was no law segregating different races,but normally, this saloon was only used by humans.
A brutish looking man, whose name James did not know but had seen in a lot of gang fights, stood up and advanced towards the aliens.
"This bar’s for humans only, alien," said the man spitting on the pair at the same time.
"There is no sign stating we can’t drink here" said the Exanoid calmly.
"Leave them alone, Ryan" shouted Billy.
The man shouted back, “This pig face and Gray Skin don’t deserve your hospitality, Billy.”
The Exanoid stated, “We have money, no need for trouble.” Ryan spat on the alien again and said, “I don’t bloody care if you have money, you aliens are always trouble and I’ve had enough of it.”
He launched his fist at the Exanoid but just before impact the Gray took his arm and twisted it.
"Now can we have a drink?" asked the Gray.
"Ok, ok just please stop," the man pleaded, sobbing from the pain.
Bar fights happened often but a strong Gray was a rare sight and James could see a lot of people were as startled as he was. The Exanoid and Gray walked up to Billy and asked for two beers. James drank his beverage in silence.