Private Just Traveling

[Alina Tremiru]

Living the kind of life Alina had for her childhood had her cut off from much of the galaxy. She only knew the hate of her family. The fear of her superiors. Lady Tremiru wanted her dead but couldn't openly have her own daughter killed. So she was thrown in the deep end of the Sith to struggle and die. But she had thrived. Under the guidance of her master Taeli Raaf she learned her power and why she couldn't use the Force as her own family did. She'd fought in wars. Seen the truly monstrous of the Sith. Stood against Jedi. For once in her life she could walk with her head held high with a confidence she had earned.

On most worlds.

This wasn't one of those worlds. Mindabaal was a neutral world in the Inner Rim, close to the territory the Galactic Alliance held but still without their presence. That was the point for Alina. She'd only ever heard the tales of how terrible the Jedi were. How weak they were. But they weren't weak. And the Sith had just as much capability to truly be terrible. Maybe even more so. So the acolyte wanted to learn. How the Sith were seen. How the Jedi were. Knowledge was power. And with people like Other Space Kaiden running wars on their own people, she'd need all the power she could get if she was going to truly become the Sith she wanted to be.

The usual Sith robes she had were left at the academy. Anything that might hint at her allegiance was, save for her saber. But even that was tucked away in the over the shoulder purse she had to better blend in with the locals. The planet was warm around this time of the year, so she was in typical summer clothing. Or at least, what she'd wear. Shorts and a tanktop. Cute summer dresses weren't really her thing after all. Under the tank was a Taozin Amulet. Little handy artifact that hid her from the Force. While she wasn't strong, last thing she needed was for a Jedi to come after her because of her dark affinity. And of course, the most important part of her outfit.

Sunglasses.

Try as she might, there was no way for Alina to hide her Sith yellow eyes without spending a lot of cash. Sunglasses were the cheap route, so they'd do just fine. She stood outside the spaceport on Mindabaal, idly rummaging through her purse to try and find her datapad. No, not the saber. No, not the heavy blaster or it's ammunition. She paused for a moment as her hand brushed on something else. A simple coin she had gotten on Korriban. From a deceased Sith Lord with no name. Where the dead rose up to devour her and she faced her death. She shook her head of the negative thoughts and finally pulled out the small pad to check through her messages.

She needed to hire someone who wouldn't exactly mind going into GA space for a tourist. Yeah, tourist was the cover Alina was using. If everything was going well, she should actually be meeting the pilot she'd been in contact with in a couple minutes. One last scan through the messages to make sure there wasn't any alert of something wrong, then she stashed it away to wait. Shouldn't be too hard of a trip, right?

Sylvia Virtos

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

A tourist. Right. As if a tourist needed a spacer to get them past the border of an intergalactic nation.

Sylvia had gotten all kinds of stories from her 'clients', but knew better than to believe a word of it. At the same time, though, she generally wasn't getting paid to ask any questions. Sylvia did her job, they would fork over the sum of credits they had agreed on and once both parties fulfilled their end of the agreement, they parted ways. The spacer didn't even want to know anyone's broader plans or intentions. Sylvia wasn't most experienced, but even she knew that it was risky to know too much and in her line of work, there was more than enough risk involved already.

Thankfully for her client, Sylvia had managed to get people past borders before. They often weren't all too aware of the preparation it took, but being the diligent contractor she was, she had already made the preparations beforehand. A fake ID, its security reinforced through application of mechu deru, which only missed a picture, rested in her back pocket. The average border patrol officer wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Sylvia's client wouldn't have too much trouble finding her. Young adult woman, bright magenta hair, navy blue denim jacket, would be waiting near the border check. She certainly didn't look the part, but she had taken to the spacer trade quite well in the short time since leaving the Sith Empire behind. Besides, looking that part had never been Sylvia's thing, even before taking to the spacer life. All that even as much as hinted at the fact she had grown up in Sith-Imperial space was her unmistakable accent. As much as she had tried to purge it, she hadn't been successful.

At least it hadn't gotten her in trouble yet. Then again, Sylvia was aware she was slightly paranoid in that regard. It surprised her nobody had tracked her down yet for the high crime of leaving. At least Mindabaal was far enough away from Sith territory, so the woman could breathe easily.

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Magenta haired humanoid female certainly wasn't a hard thing to pick out from the crowd. As soon as Alina caught the glimpse of the unique coloring she zeroed right in. Yep. Fit the description, though Sylvia Virtos didn't exactly scream spacer. Though, what exactly was a spacer supposed to look like? Flight suit? The young woman chuckled under her breath at the thought of all spacers wearing the same uniform before she pushed off the wall and waved her arm. "Over here! I certainly couldn't miss that hair of yours!"

Happy go lucky tourist. It didn't matter if her pilot believed it. Only that the Alliance she'd have to interact with did. She'd practically run to the other woman, a bright and happy smile on her face. At least it wasn't a complete lie. Alina truly did want to tour around GA space to learn why there was war and who her enemy was. And she was genuinely happy her pilot this time didn't look like a creep. The last one was left in his ship sans a hand after he thought he earned a bit more than the credits she'd given him.

"I'm Alina. I'm glad to get to meet you!"

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

An enthusiastic one. Sylvia hadn't one of those as a client before, but there had to be a first for everything, she supposed. The woman would receive a much more reserved wave back, confirming that she indeed had found the right person. It was nearly impossible to mistake her for anyone else, but if anything it confirmed that the spacer had indeed seen her client, too. Then again, it was hard to have missed her greeting either. She chalked it up to formalities in the end.

"Name's Sylvia, at your service," the spacer replied with a nod of her head. She considered herself a decent enough judge of character, and even if Alina was more than likely hiding something, she doubted she was about to do anything against her specifically. Even if the name Rat, which she used in correspondence with potential clients, had become a second name to her, she generally felt safe enough to give her first name to people once she came face to face with them.

"Let's get to my ship, we're scheduled to depart in about thirty minutes." Sylvia gestured for Alina to follow as she set off, their destination the hanger where her ship was waiting. She had been on the planet for not even an hour yet, and she was already getting ready to leave again. It had hardly been the first time, though. "Used spacer travel before? You know, spacer with the 'arr' at the end?"

The boarding ramp of Sylvia's ship lowered as the two approached, and if one peered into the Force they would've seen how. A subtle movement of her hand guided her application of mechu deru, triggering the mechanism. With another gesture, she invited Alina inside.

"Welcome aboard. Make yourself at home, and don't worry about the droid's curiosity. It just likes meeting new people. Its name is Spark." The tiny droid hovered over to Alina and bumped against her shoulder.

"Anyway, now that nobody can eavesdrop," Sylvia suddenly remarked, ignoring Spark's actions, "is there any reason why you might need a cover identity? And please be honest, I really don't feel like getting in trouble with border security today."

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Sylvia? A much prettier name than Rat. Thank you for telling me!" Probably being a bit too friendly. Alina was still trying to figure out what it meant to be a friend to the few people she actually did consider a friend. Inwardly she grimaced at the overly nice attitude she adopted, but she made sure to keep from expressing that outwardly. Last thing she wanted to do was make Sylvia Virtos any more suspicious than she likely was. She gave a nod as the spacer motioned for her to follow. Soon they'd be on the ship, and it'd be easier there.

She could just go to her own room and avoid too much interaction.

"A couple times. This has already started out better. Not many are so.. Respectful." She cleared her throat, not entirely wanting to continue that topic. Alina noticed nothing of the Force. She couldn't. Due to the chaotic nature of her connection she couldn't sense or use the force outwardly. She honestly had no idea her pilot could even use the Force to begin with.

Spark was the single most cutest droid Alina had ever seen. As soon as the floating droid came into view her attention was pulled right to it. She reached up to pet it, her smile growing by the second. "Hello Spark. I'm Alina." She froze at the question though. Yeah, it was a pretty suspicious request, but the acolyte had been hoping the 'better off not knowing' belief would of been applied. It hadn't of been.

She took a breath as she turned to face Sylvia again. "You want the whole story or the short one?"

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Alina's subtle jab at her fellow spacers wasn't entirely unfounded, Sylvia supposed. With a bit of bad luck one was quickly stuck on a ship with an unsavory type, but even she herself wasn't safe from creepy advances and disturbing looks at times. Of course, there were many more good ones who helped another spacer out when they needed it, without them Sylvia wouldn't even have made it anywhere, but the less agreeable ones definitely hurt their already frail reputation in the eyes of many.

"I know the types. They're mostly pushovers, though. Just whip out a blaster and they'll play nice." A lightsaber worked even better, Sylvia had learned, but unsurprisingly you didn't really see those much. Perhaps she used hers a little too much herself, but it hadn't made her a target just yet. Still, investing in a blaster in the short term was probably a smart decision.

Alina's reaction to her question told Sylvia enough. She definitely had something to hide, but thankfully her client showed a willingness to be honest about it. "I'm taking that as a yes," the magenta-haired woman stated, ignoring the question she received back for now. She pulled out the fake ID from her back pocket and casually tossed it towards Alina with an underhand throw. "Catch."

Sylvia had clearly done similar jobs before, considering how unsurprised she was.

"No need to tell me chit, miss. I just needed to know what precautions to take," the woman finally replied. "Spark?"

The droid beeped, then began to hover in front of Alina's face. "Just look into Spark's eye for a sec." A blue light would wash over her face for a moment, and when Spark finished, Alina's face was visible on the ID. "I can change the name if you want me to. If not, it's a pleasure to meet you, miss Jude. We'll be leaving for Byss in a few minutes, the flight shouldn't be too long." Sylvia pointed down the hallway as she moved towards the cockpit, "last door down is the passenger's room. You can store your things there. There's a bed too in case you're tired, but we shouldn't take more than a few hours."

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina had the same thought as she glanced to her purse. Pull a saber and just about any creep would rather go the other way and pretend it never happened. Or the pistol she had. That was the better deterrent, at least to keep anyone from guessing who she was. For a moment she seemed confused as she was tossed the fake I.D., then realized, much to her embarrassment, that Sylvia Virtos had asked only if there was a reason, not what exactly it was. She was quick to glance away, trying to hide the heat of her cheeks as she stared at the blank card.

She took a breath as she was told to look to Spark, then looked up at the droid. She wouldn't be able to hide her eyes for the brief moment her face showed up on the card before she stashed it away. If she didn't have to tell the other woman the reason, she'd rather not. Though she did smile as she looked it over. Ironically this could actually get her out of the Sith entirely, if that was the path she wanted to take. To never again deal with her family or the monstrous Graug.

For that moment she actually felt the desire to run.

Not a thought that was entertained for long, however, as she stashed the card in the purse with her weapons. "I don't have much on me, but thank you. Do you have a kitchen? I am feeling kind of hungry. I can make us both something if you'd like?"

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

A ping through the Force caused the door to the cockpit to slide open, but when Alina had another question for her, Sylvia came to a halt and turned around. "I don't, actually. My old scrapheap of a ship had one, but I never used it." She was a terrible cook in every way. At least it was one less thing to keep clean, though perhaps it was time for her to at least practice the skill.

"I got my hands on this girl fairly recently, so I'm still planning some changes. Maybe I'll fit one in somewhere." The woman had recently gotten her hands on the ship they were in now, which had opened up the ability to actually get other people on board. When a spacer had a death wish of a ship, potential clients would still risk cargo sometimes, but nobody would actually come on board. The fact she didn't have to fear a sudden fatal engine failure in the middle of space anymore was also a major relief.

"In any case, I should get ready for takeoff. Make yourself comfortable," Sylvia remarked as she gestured towards spark. The droid quickly flew itself into the cockpit and Sylvia casually followed. "Oh, and the ID is yours to keep," she added as she made her way to the pilot's seat. "Just, uh, don't use it too often. It's essentially held together by the Force, but I haven't been able to make it permanent yet. Maybe at some point."

"And yes, I'm a Force user." Sylvia was rarely bothered enough to hide that fact. She plopped down onto the pilot's seat, flipped a few switches, and the engines roared to life.

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina froze up at the mention of a lack of a kitchen. Even with how much her mother hates her the young woman still had access to the kitchen and could cook her own food. Had to, if she wanted to eat. "Oh." She was almost tempted to lecture Sylvia Virtos about the importance of being able to make fresh and warm meals, but bit her tongue. This was a stranger, on their ship. Not hers. She let out a defeated sigh as she found somewhere to sit down and.. Do something.

Honestly she wasn't sure what to do now. Food was the go to. As was exercising, but that seemed weird to do with company around. Her gaze shifted to Spark. At least he was an adorable thing to watch float around. Almost like those old Jedi training orbs, but with an eye. And a different shape. Wait, the I.D. was kept together with the Force? Alina blinked in surprise and stared after the pilot before quickly digging through her bag to pull the card out once more. She couldn't feel the Force, so it made her even more fascinated by the implication.

"Mechu Deru?" It was a handy enough power. And her master had given some information of the skill to another friend of hers. Alina couldn't use it herself, but she still found the idea of technology and the Force being used alongside each other absolutely fascinating. "That's pretty cool.."

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Sylvia had taken to being a pilot quite quickly. When she sat in the pilot's seat it felt like she was one with the ship. She could feel the engines burning and the systems working, and flying it felt like yet another instinct she was born with. The planet was slowly becoming smaller and smaller as they shot upward towards the stars above.

Mechu deru had been her passion for as long as she could remember, and it still managed to surprise her when she least expected it. The fact Alina knew of it was an even greater surprise, though. Sylvia couldn't feel the Force on her, yet she knew of what was, by all accounts, a niche Force power.

"It's not everyday that a client knows of it. Yeah, it's mechu deru," the spacer replied in a surprised, yet amused tone. When one combined being Force sensitive and a tech nerd, the only logical conclusion was that they would learn of mechu deru sooner or later. "Not gonna lie, I'm surprised you were able to guess. You know someone who uses it or something?"

The coordinates were quickly punched in and like clockwork, Sylvia flipped another couple of switches to get ready to enter hyperspace. "Hold on to something, we're making the jump in three, two, one..."

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"I have a-" Alina paused, though not because she was about to say something she didn't want to. She just wasn't entirely sure what it was between her and Darth Daiara . Friends? Maybe, but she didn't know for sure. "Someone I know was looking into learning it. It was something I certainly wished I could do." At least she wasn't lying. Being able to meld tech and the Force was a power she certainly wanted to learn. At Sylvia Virtos 's warning she took hold of a strap close by to her seat.

Was the jump really going to be that hard that she'd need to hold something? She stayed quiet until the jump went through and the tell tale sign of hyperspace was around them. "Kinda personal, I guess, but where'd you learn Mechu Deru? It's pretty rare to know about it, even more so for someone to be able to use it."

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Not feeling the entire ship shudder and shake as it entered hyperspace was something Sylvia still had to get used to. Alina would find herself experiencing a transition to hyperspace like any other, smooth and uneventful. "Probably made you worry for no reason, my bad," the spacer remarked as she got out of the pilot's seat and returned to the main area. "I used to fly something more akin to a deathtrap. You should've felt it protesting against hyperspace jumps, it was an experience." She thanked the Force that it rested in some scrapheap now, rather than somewhere in space with her still inside it.

Sylvia sat down on the opposite end of the couch Alina was sitting at and promptly threw her feet up onto the table they were sitting at. "Where did I learn it?" Sylvia repeated, using the time it bought her to keep herself from mentioning the Sith. That was probably a bad idea; they generally weren't all too liked on this side of the galaxy.

"It's just something I always kind of had, if that makes sense. I could feel the machines around me somehow." While her overseer saw no merit in mechu deru, it never kept Sylvia from embracing it. "I never had a long-term teacher, so most of what I know comes from simply experimenting. Lots of trial and error." There was a small blip in time where she was under the tutelage of Allyson, but she had vanished after the New Imperials razed Bastion. Sometimes, Sylvia wondered if she was still out there somewhere.

"It's always cool to see others are interested in it, too. If your friend ever needs any pointers, they're welcome to toss me a message. I'd be happy to share what I know."

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Oh. Well. At least it wasn't the deathtrap ship this time. Alina let out a sigh of relief when there wasn't any sort of rattling or other, terrible noise. She relaxed in her seat, glancing to Sylvia Virtos as she made her way back in. With that worry of death gone she could at least focus on the pilots answer. A natural born talent? The young Sith bit the inside of her cheek to try and keep herself from feeling too jealous. It's like everywhere she went there was always someone who could easily use and live with the Force.

"I dunno if she's you're type of people.." That type being Sith, though Alina wasn't too willing to give that sort of info out just yet. Especially in the middle of hyperspace. "Depends on what you see yourself doing in life, I guess. This seems to be going well though. Having your own ship, seeing the galaxy. It's.. Nice." Was it a life she could have, if it was what she truly wanted? It was an interesting thought, but truthfully not the life she'd ever want. She had a purpose, even if her mother would try to disagree.

"How long you been doing this kind of thing?"

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Sylvia couldn't suppress a chuckle at Alina's comment. "I got friends in very strange places," she explained, "nobody's automatically not my type of person." One needed only look at this one particular echani she was particularly close to in order to understand just how unorthodox her circle truly was. "I can see how some would rather not deal with a spacer, though. No hard feelings there," the magenta-haired girl did add. Spacers didn't have the best of reputations.

From an outsider's perspective, the spacer life seemed better than it was. One often didn't get further than a planet's spaceport. Getting your hands on a job could be a lottery at times. Though Sylvia had gotten lucky as of late and landed a few well-paying jobs, her early days were primarily spent working for her next meal. "I've been at it for a little over a year, now. Things recently turned around for me, but it was rough for a while. It's a cutthroat world."

Sylvia slid her feet off the table and let them land on the floor again. "Connections are everything. You're not getting any jobs unless your name is known by the ones the clients seek out. Newbies either don't last very long, or get lucky and break through. I was part of the latter group, thankfully."

The spacer got to her feet and walked over to the small fridge the ship did come with. "I don't have a kitchen, but I do have drinks. Care for one?"

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

There was a pretty understanding nod from Alina. Her own mind traveled to a various sort of acolytes she'd gotten to know since publicly joining the Sith. In all her time stuck in her families estate she didn't think she'd ever find people she could consider friends, let alone within an order that was known for it's backstabbing politics. The new generation seemed to be changing those ways. Hopefully they actually could.

"That's a lot more than I expected." Truthfully the only issues Alina thought spacer's had was the occasional pirate and needing to make sure their ship wasn't going to fall apart. Handling a reputation and making contacts in an almost blood thirsty environment eerily reminded the young woman about how she sometimes felt in the Sith. Who you knew and who you made enemies with determined just how long you'd survive until you hit big. Or, for the Sith, amassed enough power to stand on your own.

She pulled out of her own head just in time to hear the question about drinks. "Yeah, that'd be good. What kind do you have?"

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Sylvia took a step to the side to allow Alina to peer inside the fridge after taking out some kind of fruit juice. "Take your pick. I got a decent bit, from blue milk to strong drink. I wouldn't recommend the latter, though." She didn't know how much of a drinker Alina was, but she'd had experienced lightweights before who claimed to be able to handle a drink. "Not if you want to get past the border easily, at least. They always pick out the tipsy ones to double check."

After hip-bumping the fridge door closed and bringing the glasses and drinks to the table, Sylvia set them down and quickly got herself seated again. "For you," she stated as she gave one of the glasses a shove in Alina's direction As expected from a good host she was the one to pour the drinks, after which she set the bottles away. She'd put them back in the fridge in a moment.

"There are worse jobs out there, though," Sylvia then remarked, pulling them back into the conversation they were having. "The galaxy's just kind of awful all-around nowadays. I'd hate to be a soldier right now, with all these wars going on." The spacer was glad she defected from the Sith Empire before she was ever deployed to war. She wasn't looking to die for a cause she didn't believe in. "At least when I get caught doing something illegal, I just face jail time. Unless I flash some credits in someone's face, of course."

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

A strong drink honestly sounded great. Sylvia Virtos 's warning was the only reason she didn't ask for it. "Juice will work." Yeah. Juice would be better. No reason to get tipsy or drunk. Sides, as nice as Sylvia was, she was still a stranger. Better to have her wits about her as much as she could. Alina lifted up the drink once it was given, sipping at it slowly. She grimaced lightly at the mention of the wars. Alina would fight, as that was her belief to, but the horrors she experienced left their own scars.

"Yeah." It was all she could say as she glanced to her cup. She couldn't say too much, or she'd give away her allegiance. And given where they were going, she really didn't want to say she was a Sith. Alina took a breath, closing her eyes. That proved a bit foolish, though. The topic mixed with the worry of being found out and likely ending up in a fight was making her panic. Another breath to still her mind. Another. She sunk farther into her seat, pulling her knees up to her chin as she hugged her legs tightly.

"War isn't fun."

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Until the moment where she noticed Alina's change in demeanor Sylvia had been mostly laid back, but now she felt like she had said or done something she shouldn't have. She nervously picked up her glass and took a good sip as an excuse to not say anything for a moment. After a short moment of silence, though, Alina's behavior made more sense. War isn't fun. She had seen it first hand, no doubt. No matter who you were, soldier or civilian, the one thing they all seemed to have in common were the emotional scars. Alina hadn't been her first passenger who had experienced the horrors of war. She set the glass back down, a much more serious look painted on her face.

"I'm sorry." Sylvia didn't know what to say and concluded that it was perhaps better to not say anything more about it than she already did. She felt bad for bringing it up like it was yet another topic now.

"If... If you need to be alone, I understand." The spacer grasped her glass again, expecting Alina to want privacy. "I mean, if you need an ear, my lips are sealed, and it's not like I have anything to worry about until we get to Byss." That, or she could just sit here with Alina in silence. As awkward as it was for her.

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

There was a brief smile at the apology. While it didn't mend any of the wounds, it wasn't hard to tell Sylvia Virtos had her own experiences with it. The awkward silence lingered for a moment longer before Alina shook her head. No, being alone was her norm. She was tired of being alone. "I won't make you leave your own.." She glanced around the room, motioning to it but finding no word for what to actually call it. "Sides, I like your company." But would she if she learned who Alina was?

"I am a Sith, if that wasn't clear with my eyes. But I don't believe in how the order is run. I want to change it. I.." Alina trailed off for a moment, closing her eyes. She hugged her knees tighter to her chest. "There are true monsters who call themselves Sith. And I want to stop them. But I'm too weak. They kill us, the acolytes. We're just expendable. Everyone in the Empire is just expendable, and that's not right." This was the first time she actually told someone about this. She couldn't be too honest with her fellows. The Sith was still a dog eat dog world. And this was weakness, pure and simple. The frustration bubbled over as her eyes started to water, but she blinked those back before they could fall.

".. Sorry." Alina fell quiet, instead pressing her face into her knees as she awaited the inevitable horror at the fact she was Sith. So far that's what she learned. People were scared of them.

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

The confession, perhaps surprisingly, didn't trigger any real outward reaction. Despite the fact she had missed the signs until now, she wasn't too shocked to hear it. The spacer would've been much more afraid had Alina's behavior until now been different, but she clearly wasn't looking to end the life of a defector for some master's favor. Sylvia knew as well as any Sith what it was like to be raised by Sith-imperial ideals and how easy it was for them to become entrenched into one's very thinking. At one point, she was being prepared to fight and die in the name of the Sith herself.

The magenta-haired girl put the glass back down and listened patiently, letting Alina get it out of her system. Even if none of it was new to her, it was rude not to. It was the apology afterwards that struck Sylvia, though, even if she didn't know how to react to it. This wasn't the average Sith she knew from her academy days. Alina had a heart, still. Maybe she was looking for a way out, somehow. The Sith had said she wanted to change the system rather than abandon it, but Sylvia was a hopeful thinker sometimes.

"I'm just going to be honest, Alina. The Sith are right bastards. I'm not gonna pull a blaster on you, though." As much as she had come to despise the system, she still sympathized with some of the people within it. Many others weren't deserving of any sympathy. "I got nothing against you, personally. I'd be a hypocrite if I did."

Sylvia sighed, straightening her posture as her head turned to look at Alina. "Secret for a secret. I'm a defector," she admitted. If this came back to haunt her later, it was her own fault. "I was a student at the Bastion academy once. Got out right before what I guess would've been graduation, but I won't settle you up with all the banthachit I went through." They had taken her closest friend, the one she had feelings for, from her, convinced her she was worthless, and so much more. And yet, Alina more than likely experienced much worse than she did herself. At least Sylvia never had to go to war.

"If you ask me, the entire empire could collapse tomorrow and I'd celebrate." Not only because it meant there'd be one less evil and destructive nation in the galaxy, either. "But I guess we'll disagree on that. I'm not particularly convincing."

Alina Tremiru ​