A moment for quaint conversation.

[Gabriel Sionoma]

A stale wind crawled through the main thoroughfare of Baron's Hed. The old gypsy had given him a batch of burnt jerky for snacks while at work but in truth, it felt and tasted like leather. Bad leather. But he was one for gifts, even ones that didn't pan out. So he chewed on it, gnawing away, watching as the occasional citizen moved quietly through the street.

This was one of the harsher times of the year. The persistence of the drought was apparent in the way the condenser moaned and whirled. And in the way the deterioration in the duracrete got worse and worse, earth pulling apart as it dried and desiccated. Spall cracks arched out like lightning across the blacktop. He had partitioned auxiliary funds to sort out the issue but the shipment of crete was weeks out. Seems they would have to make do.

Men moved slowly, pouring bags of sand and silica mixture into gaping cracks and pounding them down in turn. He squinted beneath the hot sun, the image of Sullust in the distance and burning molten red. Gnawing on that leather.

"You missed a spot..." He yelled.
"Yeah yeah..." One of the jumpsuits waved, laughing as the wind kicked up some silica and sent a torrent of debris down the road. It was futile and everyone knew it but that was the way things work. One step forward, ten steps back.

A deputy stepped through the swinging doors, fanning himself with a lit datapad. "You get that last report?"

"The one about Higgins?"
"That's the one."
"I wonder how many contraband filings we'll have to go through before she gets pushed off Barons Knoll."
"No way to know..." He pressed the datapad against Gabe's shoulder. "But your up."
Gabe sighed as he took it. "I thought I did the last one."
"Nope. In fact, I've done the last four. Which is good. Because this report is the longest one I've seen."
"You're killing me right now."
"I would do it but the commissioner wants your seal of approval."
"You mean compliance."
"Your words."

Gabe laughed as he patted the deputy on the shoulder. "Yeah, that's the issue." Getting a shrug and the cross of his arms from the deputy, Gabe walked back through the swinging doors, into the office, and plopped down at the front desk. The innards of the station were a motley of technology and old construction style. Creaking loose wooden floorboards, with no subfloor, and large wooden beams across the ceiling that smelled sour. The desk was metal with a dented front panel, but the technology hummed with modernization and shined a brilliant hue of blue from a flat panel. It set a cool tone, offsetting the green lamp shades that littered the corners of the rooms and sung a slightly irritating buzz of antiquity.

Sighing, he took out a notepad, and began scrolling through the report across the computer screen.

[member="Madeline Roux"]​

 

[Madeline Roux]

Baron’s Hed was hot.

This was the first thought Madeline had after she had arrived.

The second was she hadn’t expected the drought to be as bad as it was. She had been warned before she showed up that this time of the year was especially bad so she packed light and kept her wild curls pulled up high on her head to help beat the heat but nothing she did could prepare her for the wall-like heat she walked into.

The air was heavy so Madeline took her time walking through the main thoroughfare, ensuring she stayed out of the way of workers and citizens alike. Madeline strived to learn more of the cities that made up her new home of Sulon and after debating for awhile, Baron’s Hed is where she chose to start.

Madeline was headed to speak to a man named Gabriel Sionoma. A man who she was told was the sheriff of the place, and in Madeline’s opinion a great person to approach about any and all questions she had about Baron’s Hed.

Hopefully.

Pausing, she asked a worker if he could please direct her in the right direction and after a bit of joking asking her how she managed to get herself into trouble so quickly after arriving which she answered with a shrug, wink, and bright smile as she was pointed in the right direction.

A sigh of relief passed her lips as soon as she entered the shade the building provided. Glancing around she found the office quick enough and made her way to it. The floorboards creaked under her steps and Madeline was too focused on the relief of the shade she didn’t quite notice the musty sour smell that littered the air. There was an old charm to the place, one that had Madeline smiling slightly as she arrived at the door leading into the office.

Knocking softly, the man who was sitting at the front desk glanced up and Madeline momentarily felt bad as she saw he was busy working on some sort of report.

“Hi.. I’m sorry to interrupt. I was looking for a Mr. Gabriel Sionoma. Are you him?”

Her voice cracked and sounded warped around the words, a dead giveaway to her deafness and was something brought to her attention far too often. She could only hope that it had gotten slightly better over the past couple of months but without something to base it off of Madeline was sure it would never sound just quite right. She was just thankful she wasn’t mute too.

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]​

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

The Baroness Higgins was the worst sort of criminal. The one that couldn't be prosecuted...

Raised with a silver spoon in her mouth, the child was given everything she ever needed. Living in an estate nestled within the heart of Baron's Hed, Baron's Knoll, she had the sort of temperament that reeked of condescension and the implied flavorings of never being wrong. Her upbringing would have served better in the palace rotundas of Naboo or in the upper echelons of Bespin, where her ivory tower could have been as literal as the mentality she carried. But her great grand parents, being Umbaran entrepreneurs and real estate moguls, saw an opportunity in what was presumed to be a dying economy. As they moved in, their impact was apparent and positive, initially.

Their family never integrated properly into the surrounding land. It was presumed to be a cocktail of poor attitude and their aberration to sunlight. Given the location of Sulon to both Sullust and the rotating star, it seemed the most logical answer. But with isolation came resentment, as far as what was seen between the current lineage and the families that live in Baron's Hed proper. Occasionally, while visiting the markets of Baron's Hed, one might even see the parting of traffic flow beneath large white umbrellas. It was fairly easy to spot a Higgin, which as far as Gabe was concerned, wasn't their original surname. But attempts were made to assimilate into the census.

The current Baroness was the poorest iteration of this family by a great deal. Having strong ties to the current commissioner, who has recently been accused of gaming the elections, she is allowed a certain debit towards lewd acts and general poor form. The sort of debit that can be repaid with donations during the election cycle. In that unofficial agreement, she receives certain distinctions in regards to pursuing justice. Parties of sinful nature, often spilling out into the streets, and the import and trade of rare and endangered species. One such case included the import of a trio of Morodin, for the purposes of safari hunts to the far East of Baron's Hed. Gabe had intercepted that particular shipment and gave the Morodins an out, tending to the Ankarres Grove behind his homestead. But for every crime he prevents, another ten pop up. All of which can be tenuously tied back to the Higgins estate. Such as this one he currently worked on - the import of several Arkanian Dragons, all of which involved their death via being chained up in the sun for long periods of time. This particular crime struck closer to home than he cared to admit.

The chirping of the keys was the first thing to indicate presence within the office. Gabe was hardly comfortable with general computer use, foregoing even the slightest training in typing or data work. Instead, he was content to peck away with his index fingers. With a pair of reading glasses falling down the bridge of his nose, he looked up from the panel to spot the woman as she entered.

He was an odd concoction of traits. Broad of body, skin turned to leather from persistent work in the sun, and long braided hair of salt and pepper. The glasses indicated age but beyond that, he looked to land somewhere in the middle. He wore the officers suit; pants of black, grey button up shirt with rolled up sleeves, and a flack vest adorned with a silver badge. Along both arms, extensive tribal tattoos and scars anchored his body to some sense of battle readiness.

Offering a smile as he heard her speak, he pulled the glasses from his face and crossed his arms. "Oh, there's no Mister Gabriel Sionoma here. But you can call me Gabe." Unraveling his hands from his chest, he spoke again. "I understand sign language if that is easier for you?" As he spoke, his hand motioned to the chair in front of the desk.

[member="Madeline Roux"]​

 

[Madeline Roux]

It had taken time for Madeline to become accustomed to the simple action of speaking to someone. Starting out, she was perpetually nervous, worried she would say the wrong thing and anger whomever she was speaking to. Actions that were conditioned into her made her meek and it was a hard habit to break.

Her conversation skills had been blown to bits from abuse she had received and ridicule aimed at her for her inability to pronounce things completely correct. Over time she found her conversational skills came out best around people she thought she could trust, or people who started things off with humor.

Humor was something Madeline thought was a great ice breaker. It was something that could be used to even the playing field and made her feel less inferior.

Imagine her surprise when the man she had - presumably jokingly warned - about being gruff and mean did just that.

A smile had broken out on her face when he responded with the comment of her use of mister, and she found that grin staying as he offered her a spot to sit down.

Apart from his broad shoulders, skin like leather, and peppered hair he looked kind - his eyes especially. Madeline believed he could be tough if and when times called for it but to meet a stranger? His first impression was anything but rude.

It seemed Madeline’s smile was endless especially when Gabe offered sign language. Most were content to make it easier for her to lip-read but no one had ever offered the kindness of sign language. She hadn’t learnt it right away, but instead had just really began teaching herself a month or so ago, but she nodded her head at Gabe as she took a seat.

Lithe fingers moved fluently, words created both by hand gestures and her voice, mind ensuring herself to go slow enough so Gabe could understand though her excitement was palpable in that moment.

“You know sign language?! This is amazing.” A chuckle, followed by a shake of her head.

“Sorry - it’s just that no one I have met thus far knows sign. It’s great to meet someone who does.”

“My name is Madeline Roux. You can call me Madeline or Maddie. I was told you would be the man who I could ask to tell me a bit more in detail of Baron’s Hed.”

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]​

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

He smirked as he scooted the keyboard away, plastic legs hopping across the scraped grey metal of the disheveled desk. He'd have to thank this woman at a later date for interrupting him, he was at the point of going cross eyed in regards to this particular report. The matter of Baroness Higgins was one that ran deep and for longer than he cared to admit. And it stung to be so powerless.

Cupping his hands together, they twitched as she motioned with her hands and spoke at the same time. Tilting his head, he lifted his own hands and signed in turn.

[You don't have to go slow, Maddie. I'm well practiced. But do take your time.]

Dropping his hands to the desk, he smiled as he opened the first drawer. It squealed as the metal trays, pocked and dinged, rumbled with the slide. Pulling out a notepad, separate from the one he had used for the report, he began to jot down some notes. Namely, her name. He had eidetic memory, the same that gave him a measured form of proficiency in sign language. Visualizing helped. It helped with recalling names with faces, it helped with alchemy and techniques, and it helped with watching hands move in patterns.

"Someone very important to me cannot speak, either. Faced with a circumstance where we couldn't talk with one another, I got my droid to teach me..." He smiled as he looked up and muttered. "Much to his chagrin..." That droid was a mean soul, one that used all of his powers for evil to simply focus and frustrate Gabe. D-3P0. Though Gabe took to simply calling him Dick...because that was his name.

Hitting the end of the pen against the desk, pools of hazel looked up towards the young woman. She was right in everything she might assume from him. Because until proven otherwise, it was all true. "Well whomever informed you that I was the one with information might have been pulling your leg. Though I will try my best."

He tapped the pen against the desk. "This is the Sheriffs department. We're nestled within the outskirts of Baron's Hed. The city is largely rural and underdeveloped, a bit different from what you might find on planets like Nar Shaddaa or Coruscant. That doesn't change as you move out into the countryside---" He stopped, narrowing his eyes as he looked towards Maddie. "Wait. Before I go off on a tangent...was there anything specific you wanted to know about?"

[member="Madeline Roux"]​

 

[Madeline Roux]

In all honesty, Maddie wasn’t sure what to expect from Gabriel Sionoma. If she were to base what she thought this was going to be like going in off of previous encounters with other important people of the different cities she has visited thus far she would say she was nervous.

While she wasn’t treated too harshly, many people she had met with seemed bothered by her presence, as though she was wasting their time by being there. They made the meetings short, simple, quick - gave her enough information they thought she would need to know so she was on her way and out of their hair. Madeline understood it of course, these people she had dropped in on were very busy and she had not called to make prior arrangements but she didn’t see the big deal in doing so.

It wasn’t as though she was someone of high importance.

This wasn’t the case with Gabe. He so far had been welcoming and friendly to her and this made her all the more relieved. She felt she could stay here a bit longer - distract the man from his work that he looked all too relieved to take a break from when she had entered.

She listened to his story about his droid and it brought a smile to her face, followed by a laugh that sounded in contrast to her voice. Her laugh was as light as air, sounding more so like a bell whereas her voice was a bit more scratchy, tone and pitch all over the place. Her laugh was something she got complimented on a lot and though she could not hear it she had a specific idea in mind of what it sounded like and she liked it.

[ “You should have a talk with the construction men outside then. They are the one’s who so politely directed me your way.” ]

Madeline decided she liked the way he smiled and that it suit him well. He didn’t seem the type to overly smile but that made it all the more befitting. A treasure of sorts hidden under rougher exteriors.

Straightening her posture, back straight and form correct, leg lightly crossed over the other as she was taught growing up. It was something so engraved in her brain that it at this point in her life felt weird when she did anything but. Madeline paid careful attention to the words Gabe said until he stopped suddenly, a valid question about the specifics of what she wanted to know. For that her answer was easy.

[ “Anything of interest you can tell me would be great. Even the bare basics will get me by. I used to, up until recently not really have a home and am now considering Sulon my home when I’m not travelling. I was hoping to learn as much as I could about the cities that made up this planet. Though I will be honest… you’re the first to ask.” ]

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]​

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"Well, you are just a sponge then, are you?" The sort of smile that moved over him was shallow, barely pulling at the sides of his lips, but enough to indicate warmth. He may have been teasing her slightly, but only because it was a veiled compliment. He leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms as he clicked the pen. In and out, in and out. "Sulon didn't really fall into my radar until the Galactic Alliance set up home base in the planet nearby. If you look up towards the sky on a clear night...or really even a hazy one, it is as clear as day. As clear as you or me. A molten planet of glass and fire. A very beautiful planet."

He leaned forward, lifting his hands. [Very beautiful]

"But, the impact here is pronounced. The environment is particularly dry, only seeing the touch of rain with substantial and unpredictable weather events - which is caused by the heat of the molten planet which we revolve. So we have methods of dealing with this issue." He clicked away at the computer screen, minimizing the report for the time being. He would much prefer to have this conversation, as matters revolving around the Higgins family only seemed to bring him down. Pressing a pen against the screen, it swiveled on the stand to reveal three separate images. One was a cargo container. Another was a large spiral column with a spear jutting up towards the sky. And the last was a large tree, encircling the moon of Sulon. Not only were these important for information, they also indicated different governance corps that had separate duties within the Sulon government. "We have import and our least preferred method of obtaining water. We have condensers, which pull ambient moisture from the air - this system takes advantage of residual moisture held in the aquaducts, otherwise lost to out-filtration from failed duracrete. And the final is the tap tree, one of the more unique features of this moon. No one truly understands the biological or physical processes, but these large trees often sit cramped between canyons and store water beneath pools of exposed woody root systems. It is the freshest water you will ever taste."

He pressed the end of the pen into the tree. "Some distance from here, my home resides in a relatively open swath of wheat and hay. But in the back of the property, a tap tree sits with a devoted protector." Relit Vandal, retired Jedi Master and avid tree enthusiast - it probably helped that the dark skin man was a tree himself. "Buffered between my home and this canyon, a beautiful forest of introduced species thrive as a fire and sight buffer." Species he had introduced with the Morodin, ever mindful of preventing outbreaks of invasive species. "After obtaining the property, payment for serving as Marshall and Sheriff, the government put in a substantial amount of work to repair the failing aquaduct systems that run from this tap tree to Baron's Hed and Knoll. It doesn't overcome all the problems, but it does help I think."

He stopped, retracting the pen from the screen to take in a pensive breath of air. If she was going to be considering residence on the moon, it might be good for her to understand the systems of currencies that are in place. "Sulon doesn't function like most economies. Because of the difficulty in shipments and the reduced population, goods and services are just as, if not more, valuable as currency. So being marketable or having skills or products helps with acquiring land or housing." Pressing the pen against the notepad, just underneath her name and a doodle of a comically burning sun, he looked up. "Did you have any idea of where you were going to stay, here on Sulon, if you decide to stick around?"

[member="Madeline Roux"]​

 

[Madeline Roux]

A noncommittal shrug with a lazy smile followed his comment about her being a sponge. It was true - Madeline found herself always looking to soak up any and all knowledge she could, and if she found someone who was willing to sit down and talk over things with her? Even better.

Madeline found herself enchanted by the words Gabe was saying, weaved so eloquently about the planet and Baron’s Hed as a whole. She was certainly not expecting to learn so much about the inner workings of the town, but it was a pleasant surprise and something she welcomed with open arms.

The enchanting feeling that seemed to envelop her every being increased tenfold when Gabe turned the screen so she could see. It was embarrassing in a sense to her that something that most would think simple - like the display in front of her - would pull her attention so drastically but until she had been taken from the Slave trade, she had never had access to such technology and was only starting to get comfortable with data pads as it were.

At some point during his speech Madeline had leant forward, forearms resting on her thighs - a sign that she was feeling more comfortable in the presence of the man in front of her, though only slightly. If one were to look close enough they would see that her muscles still stayed taught, pulling seamlessly over bone exposing cartilage over knuckles and melting into toned structures of muscle through her arms.

[ “I was hoping for more of a town over a larger city as I’m not all that comfortable being surrounded by so many people.” ]

Madeline’s answer to Gabe’s question was only slightly cryptic though it was in fact true. Being in large crowds made her feeling entirely too claustrophobic and made her skin crawl after a while, though she could manage should she have to. It was one of the many reasons she was glad her Master had chosen Sulon as a main base of sorts.

[ “I am open to any and all suggestions though. I’m currently in training to become a Healer. So it would be beneficial to have an ease of access of sorts to supplies." ]

She felt the information opened her up enough to not make the man all that suspicious of her because she truly had nothing to hide, but her past was something that made her all too uncomfortable speaking about. Especially if the person she was talking to had ulterior motives in that particular business. Madeline had no reason to believe Gabe did, but you could never be too safe.

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]​

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"Training to become a healer, huh?" He nodded, smirking if only slightly, as he leaned back in his chair. He was well acquainted with a number of healers. It helped to have people around so when he went and got himself broken, he knew where to turn to put himself back together again. [member="Avalore Eden"] had been the first one to really take on that responsibility with any form of zeal, piecing him together after his battle on Taloraan. She helped in the same fashion after Lujo, where he slipped down a cavern and managed to get himself crucified.

He had a long history of missteps following his revival on Selvaris, though they had taken a back seat in his recent history for the more important things in life. Helping to raise a family, train those who needed it, and flourish beneath the guise of a working trademan and crafter. Two of those hobbies had put him in direct line with other healers. [member="Taheera Sollo"], another aspiring healer, was taking to his form of training quite well. Training in that he found the moments of time between her eating sandwiches to try and inject a bit of wisdom and know-how.

Crafting, particularly with the Ankarres trees and formed crystals, was a lightning rod for the circle of healers. Precipitating advanced meditation and healing, there could be no greater or more fertile place for mental and physical health than the Katarn Apiary.

"Well if you came looking for small town and healers, you probably landed in an appropriate place. You could do better but...you could do way worse." He clicked on the computer, getting various doodles out of the way of the keyboard, as he looked on and squinted. Eyes darted to the reading glasses but he had a certain disdain for the tell-tale signs of his aging. "Property tends to run heavily through family lineage on Sulon..."He raised an eyebrow as he clicked away. "A lot of old blood around here." He had some disdain for the older families as well. They were often given special treatment, immunity, or any other preferences they might need.

"Maddie, besides your truly...do you know anyone else that lives on Sulon?" He looked towards her, her hands, and canted subtly. Sulon was a safe place but for a young person, still finding her way through the universe, it could be a difficult area to live in. Friends helped to buffer against that. Though if his quick search was any indication, there were plenty of lofts and households that held partial or full leases.

[member="Madeline Roux"]​

 

[Madeline Roux]

Making and keeping friends had never been a strong point of Madelines, not for a lack of trying. She was friendly, open to meeting and speaking with new people which could easily land her in horrible situations, but so far hadn’t done too much damage but she was terribly introverted. She had outgrown it a bit, but she had trouble keeping in contact with new friends which often led to them eventually disappearing out of her life. Madeline was used to that. It was what she was comfortable with, though she couldn’t truly say she was happy with it.

Madeline couldn’t understand however, the bubble of nerves that grew in her stomach at Gabe’s innocent question. Perhaps it was that she didn’t want him to think of her as odd, or feel pity for her, but she had to do her best to bite back the nerves that ate away at her under her skin, a feeling akin to a buzz stirring just under the surface making her want to scratch at it until it went away. She didn’t however, instead she offered a smile with a slight chuckle as she raised her hands to sign at the same pace her voice came out.

[ “I’ll be honest with you Gabe, out of the few people I do know only one calls Sulon home. Her name is [member="Kana Truden"]. She is actually the one training me.” ]

Her fingers moved slower over Kana’s name, careful to spell it out clearly and concisely. Madeline was unsure if the man sitting before her knew of Kana, and she had been hesitant at first letting out too much knowledge - it could be a very dangerous game. But Gabe seemingly had no ulterior motives and she chose to place some trust in him. If things happened to make her regret that later on it would be her fault.

[ “I was, until Kana found me - a slave. I owe her a lot for what she has done for me so far.” ]

She truly hoped this information didn’t mess up her chances at finding herself a homestead on Sulon, she found herself really enjoying the planet and would hate to have to start the process all over again.

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]​

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

He paused, watching her answer as her hands moved about pensively. He could have appeared perturbed but it wasn't intentional. He was simply surprised by how small the universe was.

His and Kanas relationship was more complex than most. Having first met on the battle of Kashyyyk, Gabes doppelganger - with whom he shared a body at the time - killed a young Jedi Knight in front of Kana before taking the battle to her. Gabe later did a substantial amount of research to find out that man's name, killed by Reverance. Flint Dexen was his name and eventually, Gabe would go on to produce a certain type of material, born from the wroshyr tree, in honor of the sacrifices made against the One Sith.

“Kana Truden…” He stated it with a subtle smile. Kana came to the homestead on behalf of the Alliance, perhaps at the idea of living with Avalore Eden and benefitting from her training and knowledge. She arrived, suspicious of Gabe, and he suspected that she held on to some of that. “Kana and I go way back.” He admitted as he sat back in his chair.

“She stays at my homestead when she opts to live on Sulon, though I wouldn't call it often…” He switched gears, though he would be happy to continue down that time frame more if Maddie so desired. “I'm sorry to hear that you were a slave. While I've never been one in a traditional sense, I have experienced something close to it…” Like being a slave to his own body, taken over by his parasitic twin. He regretted the fact that it didn't surprise him - Slavery was one of those prolific systems in the universe that was impossible to root out completely.

Pulling at the starched black collar of his uniform, he tucked a hand into the top of his officers vest. He hated these dark colors, they were far too efficient at pulling in the heat of Sulon. “Well until you get on your feet, you are welcome to stay at my homestead. You wouldn’t be the first…the farm tends to collect wanderers.”

[member="Madeline Roux"]​

 

[Madeline Roux]

An invitation to stay.

It was unexpected and Madeline was sure the shock she was feeling was expressed on her face. It was an odd feeling - people being open and kind towards her. It would take time for her to get used to the fact that while there were terrible people out there, there was just as many good people.

To her, Gabe was one of them. Her look of shock soon changed to that of disbelief, and then happiness. If she were more forward she would have hugged the man then and there. To take in strangers - allowing them the comfort of home, a comfort she had never experienced warmed her heart.

From his statement, Madeline knew better than to pry where it was unwanted but she knew Gabe had dealt with something that haunted him to this day. Something that - if she could, would offer any assistance she could to the man.

“I would love that Gabe… thank you. I know Kana plans on having us travelling a lot, but a place to call home would be incredible.”

Her smile was genuine, and she was already thinking of ways to pay her respects and pay her way around the Homestead.

“What can I do to help around here?”

[member="Gabriel Sionoma"]​