No-show table

[Varindar Asyt]

After what she lived with [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] and [member="Alyisa Mithel"], maybe she ought to invite these three for dinner and, in the off-chance there would be a no-show or a vacancy in the room sector, perhaps let them sleep in one of the rooms, on the Silvers' tab. But no-shows were typically much more common in a restaurant than in the room sector: at that level of luxury, 10% was common. So she invited them for dinner, realizing that, after two sting operations and a hearing about the first one, they needed something to help with their morale. More than anyone else, she would understand the need to maintain morale for people's effectiveness, and it was the reason why she wanted to take the other two people out to the Crown Nebula Hotel's restaurant. Thus she checked her loyalty card to see how many meals she ate in there, that is, four. Before she was to punch meal in the loyalty card, she met with the other people that took part in this operation as her shift ended, a few days after the hearing, wearing a kneeskin-length strapless, teal dress:

"All right, I'm Varindar; I booked a table for all three of us for tonight. How do you feel?"

 

[Iturizu Yuvie]

Unsurprisingly Yuvie was not really allowed to stay at the Silver Rest, being a Sith an all despite her light side force leaning, not that he mind and after all [member="Varindar Asyt"] had invited him along with [member="Alyisa Mithel"], to a Crown Nebula Hotel. It was rather interesting to know that a Jedi ran a business like this, and he had to admit the hotel was rather nice, still he did not expect to be having a luxury dinner at the 5 star establishment and with two woman at that. 'Seems being a traitor to the Empire was not such a bad choice after wards, I just wish I had a larger range of clothing to wear', the Mirialan only able to produce a robe like outfit with a purple vest, traditional attire for his people. Arriving at the meeting point at the restaurant is seemed Alysia had not yet arrived, just Varindar wearing a light blue dress with now strapping greeting him upon arrival.

"I see, well it is quite nice to spend time together out of combat, and yes we never properly introduced yourself, Iturizu Yuvie as you may know, most people just call be Yuv, and I must say that is quite a good looking dress, matches you eyes".

 

[Alyisa Mithel]

So an invitation to diner, she was still relatively new to the Silvers. To cement a solid ground of friendship with her new possible co-workers, to have no social life beyond work was the worst!

After coming through the front door, Alyisa looked around the room.

Seeing [member="Varindar Asyt"] and [member="Iturizu Yuvie"], Alyisa just walked right past the host whom was about to great her. “I’ve found them thank you”, Aly said to the hostess and continued to walk over.

“So did I miss anything”, Aly said as she came over. Yes and she took a seat, they were sitting already…right?

 

[Varindar Asyt]

"So we have a reservation for three people. Varindar Asyt being the name under which the reservation was made"

"Yes"

Or rather, [member="Alyisa Mithel"] was, in fact, sitting in front of the majordomo's podium, with [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] being led there after Alyisa arrived. Once she arrived, she showed the Pau'an majordomo her loyalty card, punching the fifth hole out of the ten the loyalty card comprised, with the majordomo realizing that she always seemed to prefer to wear wearing open-back dresses when she actually wore dresses. Now that their reservation checked out, the majordomo had a waiter guide them to a table that was the appropriate size to serve four people and they gave them a terrace table, with menus handed outby that same waiter that guided the three of them to the terrace table. I'd rather eat something on the menu I didn't previously eat, she thought, while looking at the menu and realizing that Bumba, because he was, in fact, running the only 5-star restaurant on this planet, filled the menu with a variety of meals from a variety of regions in the galaxy. And yet, the waiter didn't take their orders yet, so she took this opportunity to explain perhaps briefly why she engaged in sting operations against the Ta'jars.

"My history with the Ta'jar Blood Gang dates way back to the days before I even ran the hotel in the first place. In fact, like Alyisa, I as once a slave"

 

[Iturizu Yuvie]

Yuvie turned a head to [member="Alyisa Mithel"] as she arrived, seems that the two had taken different clothing styles for tonight, Asyt in a dress and Mithel in a business suit like outfit, but to each their own. "No you have not missed anything, I just arrived, but I assume we will be seated shortly"? His question was answered as [member="Varindar Asyt"] presented a loyalty card of sorts, the item being stamped as the trio was promptly lead to a new seating area, each sitting across from one another on a round table. "So, Varindar, what would you suggest from the menu, this if the first time I have really eaten at a place like this", restaurant where usually not on the priority list, but it was nice to be treated to a fancy meal once in a while. 'Half of this stuff sound familiar but at the same time still odd, interesting, but i will wait for a suggestion first'.

For the moment he placed down the menu and turned to the other guess, "So, Alyisa, how has life been no longer as a slave? sorry if that is a poor conversation starter", but still Yuvie was interested in seeing why the woman was so skilled in combat, the move set she employed back on Jakku being familiar. It was different from the Galactic Empire, but shared a similar style, was she from the First Order or Sith Empire.

 

[Alyisa Mithel]

“I’m well, thank you”, Aly peered over the menu to [member="Iturizu Yuvie"]

There was a lot of talk about slavery. It seemed not to bother Aly as she seemed happy being here.

“I’m just pleased we’re both not enslaved anymore, Varindar”, Aly’s playing smile danced across the table over to [member="Varindar Asyt"] .

“Luckily my imprisonment was only for a short while. I could only imagine what it was like for slaves to be shackled for most of their lives. For the short time I was captive was not pleasant. Though there might have been a benefit for those who have lived a slave’s life since birth. They would most certainly be naive to the concept of freedom. Well in theory. If you don’t mind me asking Varindar, how did you become enslaved?”

“It is ok about the topic Iturizu. Sometimes friends talk about difficult things. It is how we get better acquainted with each other”, a smile of understanding, or the understand Aly knew passed by in Iturizu’s direction.

 

[Varindar Asyt]

"Probably suggest Phu pho here: it's a pretty new addition to the menu"

And so it shall be for me, too, she thought, after suggesting [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] an item to eat, that is, the Phu pho, while the waiter poured water in finely cut, locally-produced crystal glasses. It was pretty understandable for Iturizu to be a little uncomfortable around a five-star restaurant, and she had to treat every guest of the restaurant as if it was, in fact, the experience of a lifetime - which is often the case, especially for the locals. Most of the time, they never set foot in a five-star hotel either. And then [member="Alyisa Mithel"] talked about her experience while she was herself enslaved, for a brief period, but so was Varindar's period as a slave. And yet she would let Alyisa and Iturizu decide on the appetizers, since she knew the size of the soup bowl, as is usually the case with most soups served as a main course at that restaurant, was large enough to fill an average human/Near-Human without the need for appetizer, while leaving enough room for the dessert if so somebody chose. Varindar would then proceed to answer the blonde's question about her own life in captivity as a front desk worker and as a swimmer, although describing the school-vs-hotel dynamics is to be kept for later, with the waiter ready to take the orders.

"Let's say that it all began when the Mandos landed on Dathomir, where my witch clan was administered the cure, which, in reality, stripped them of Force-sensitivity, and the Ta'jar Blood Gang, among other slavers exploited the resulting chaos to take away the outcasts of Dathomirian society. And then I was taken to Trandosha, to work in this hotel and also to both train and swim in races like horses in a Galidraani hippodrome, with other entrants being either guests, locals or other hotel slaves, which the slavers referred to as staff back then. And then the Silvers, in an attempt to resolve the conflict between the staff and the management, seized the hotel after they found out the crimes the owners committed, such as drug trafficking and money laundering, the latter made possible with a draconian cancellation policy and taking wagers on swimming races. But because the Order wanted some continuity at the hotel's helm, I ran the hotel on their behalf, and today's hotel actually operates as a five-star hotel"

"What would it be for you?" the waiter asked all three of them.

"Phu pho, please"

 

[Iturizu Yuvie]

Yuvie nodded his head in an understanding tone, "ah yes, I forgot that both of you where slaves, my bad, but I guess each of us have a small past that is not to pleasant". Though talks about slavery was not what he expected the dinner conversation to be, well aside from [member="Varindar Asyt"] suggestion of the Phu Pho, from reading the description seemed to be some sort of beef dish in broth and noddles. 'Hmm, seems like a Atrisian dish of some sort, have not really tried their food before, this should be interesting, certainly makes this place 5 stars if it can serve that range of food'. Mainly due to the fact Atrisian style cooking often came off as a little strange to other people, but being apart of a traveling merchant family before the whole Sith thing Yuvie was accustom to trying out new things.

He would wait to look for the appetizer, but before that he listened in on the current conversation that had moved away from [member="Alyisa Mithel"] and to Asyt, retelling her past which was quite the ordeal. "Wow, the Mandaloirans going that far? that must have left a large dent in the Dathomir population, glad that they have changed things, but still, the whole force 'cure' thing just seems over the top". Where the Mando's always so... hateful of force users? Even with the new ruling party they still ban the use of it on their planet, was it due to honor and a far fight? no Mando's played dirty all the time, just another mystery of a battle hungry culture, perhaps one day he would find out. "Well my story, seeing as we are talking about that, involved becoming a Sith follower, joining the Galactic Empire,then being shot in the back the moment I compromise and help the Silver Jedi out, declared a traitor and now and agent for the Galactic Alliance". Earning a LOT of battle scars along the way, making on the left side of his body.

Now for a appetizer, perhaps there would be something from home, "oh here is something Ham and Sauerkraut Roll-Ups, that will do nicely for me, what did you two want"?

 

[Alyisa Mithel]

Aly’s brow rose looking at the Pho pho on the menu, “I will also like the Pho pho.”

It had been a while since Aly had some. Some people just used food as comfort. Aly felt like she needed some.

A little less depressing topic could help. “So Varindar, how do you like working with the Silvers?”


[member="Iturizu Yuvie"] [member="Varindar Asyt"]

 

[Varindar Asyt]

"So two bowls of Phu pho it shall be for this table and the Ham and Sauerkraut Roll-Ups" the waiter told the table's occupants once the orders were taken.

"Understandably many among the Dathomirian population fled by whatever means they could, when the Mandos came with the administration of the cure. Several joined the ranks of the Confederates, while some of the others joined the Sith, and, of course, the Dathomirian diaspora was fiercely supporting any opposition to the regime that forced the so-called Force-cure on those who wouldn't or couldn't flee. Yes, they did lasting damage to the population but they ultimately were unable to administer everybody the Cure before that regime was toppled"

Now that [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] made an order, she had to answer both questions, first about the Dathomirian cure and the impact this regime had on their view of Mandos, and next about her life among the Silvers, asked by [member="Alyisa Mithel"] as a question about her life as a Jedi beyond simply running the hotel. She heard about how Golden Age-era Jedi were, rather than being permanently in service to the Order, and instead used like army reservists in peace-time, with a set number of mandated service days in a year, assorted with conditions. Like serving for at least two days per standard month plus an extra 14-16 days or so. The only difference between today's Silvers and Jedi of that era was that, while most non-combat duties are still assumed by NFUs, prolonged service requirements are much more common. Just that the wine list is going to be handed out to them after the orders have been taken so that they could choose what to drink if so they wanted. Varindar never had much of a chance to drink wine even when she worked at the Crown Nebula for nearly a year now, so there was more wine she would like to sample, other than the Château Missouri she drank when she last drank wine at that restaurant. Or perhaps other booze.

"As a Silver it was more like being obligated to set aside a certain number of days of service to the Order in a standard year. They give operational freedoms constrained only by your ability to use them, and they seem to respect individual preferences in the matter, more so than the Sith in my opinion"

"Do you want some wine to go with whatever you're eating? Spirits perhaps?"

"One glass of red Howling Crag wine, 842 vintage" she answered the drinks waiter, while realizing that red Howling Crag wine was more expensive than the last wine she drank, and also a Dathomir-produced wine.

 

[Iturizu Yuvie]

"The silvers allow for operational freedom, that is rather interesting, would explain why so many of them have businesses and other jobs", Sasori and the Ike family being the most prominent. From princess and princes, company CEO's to just general business men and woman many silver had their own life outside of the order, probably how they got a lot of new members, the freedom involved allowed for a relatively peaceful existence compared to others. "No, you assumption of the Sith are correct, among them your life is closely watched and controlled unless you are among the elite, one wrong step and your in trouble along with the constant threat of infighting among other acolytes, far from a normal life".

A normal life, perhaps it would be possible for himself to experience that again, but a traveling trader like the rest of his family did not seem like a very viable option these day... perhaps a simple store of some sort, but where? and what good could be provided? His thoughts where interrupted as the waiter asked fro drinks, [member="Varindar Asyt"] going for quite the expensive sounding beverage... beverage, wait could that be it? perhaps a bar of some sort could be arranged. With his knowledge of trade and supplies getting said drinks would not be to hard, and unlike other merchandise it was always in demand, but still where to set up a bar, not in GA space, that would cause to many problems, but wild space did not seem ideal either.

"I will have the same, tis had been a while since I've had something to drink, you getting anything [member="Alyisa Mithel"]".

 

[Alyisa Mithel]

[member="Iturizu Yuvie"] [member="Varindar Asyt"]

“Yes I shall get something to drink”, Aly touched her index finder to her lips once, as if she had come to some brilliant conclusion.


“I will have whole bottle of Corelllain whiskey and a single drinking glass. Yes some ice in the glass please”, Aly smiled sheepishly to the waiter who was rather surprised.


Yes the conversation, Aly was going to try the depressing part…slavery!


“Do the rangers and pilots get operational freedom like the Jedi”, Aly was interested in that. She was thinking about taking a pilots position for the Silver Jedi.

 

[Varindar Asyt]

"I'm afraid there is only one glass left of the Corellian whisky" the server told [member="Alyisa Mithel"] before leaving the table.

"Volunteering for missions carries priority in who is deployed for which mission, so that's the main expression of operational freedom as applicable to rangers or pilots, and elites usually have more freedoms than non-elites at the same rank. That said, often individual rangers or pilots know their limitations and, for this reason, take the mission volunteering process seriously, and the sort of stuff that happened on Jakku, while unfortunate, is in fact uncommon. In fact many prefer to enlist in the reserves over the regular forces because of the greater freedoms in their personal lives. Also most Jedi seem to operate outside of any regular chain of command, reporting only to the SJ Assembly and, if padawan, their master"

That, even though there ought to be a case of it arriving tomorrow morning, she thought, while realizing how popular Corellian whisky really was. But then her thoughts shifted to the mention of just how lacking in operational freedoms Sith factions tended to be, with [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] saying pretty much the same things the Howling Crag clan told her about Sith back on Dathomir. Which she knew would render them vulnerable to morale problems or mutinies even. And yet, one of the most bizarre expressions of Jedi operational freedoms was that padawan who somehow made it to flag rank, a rather junior one with the Republic Remnant perhaps, before her Trials were over. To the extent I knew command was an uncommon skill among today's FUs, and the Jedi's operational freedoms made many light-siders who were attracted by them seek as much operational independence as they can handle, while Sith's rigid doctrine tended to value obedience... she thought, before the waiter was back with a cart, bringing three cloches in tow, with the cloche containing ham and sauerkraut roll-ups being opened in front of the Mirialan first, and then the other two cloches with Alyisa's and Varindar's bowls of Phu pho respectively.

"Bon appétit" the waiter told the three of them at the table.

 

[Iturizu Yuvie]

A whole bottle of Corellian whisky? such was still rather expensive to get these days even with all the reconstruction effort to the planet, but it also made Yuvie quirk an eye brow. "So you like to start electrical fire and drink a lot, that is a rather dangerous combination if I do say so myself", for [member="Alyisa Mithel"] and others around her, but it was more a jesting joke the an actual concern. Sitting back he listened to [member="Varindar Asyt"] explain how the Silver Jedi military worked, actually intrigued by the whole governmental system and how things worked. From the outside and from what many people rumored, basically the Jedi's enemies, many stated that the Silvers where an Authoritative regime with the Jedi having all the power and say over the places that came under their command. Such was no true though just from the way they operated, it actually seemed that the common people chose to follow the Silver Jedi and that they acted more as a police force then governmental military.

Eventually the waiter returned passing around the entries, the seeming sauerkraut roll-ups along with the main cores being the Phu pho, and just ask he had expected Atrisian style food. "Well I guess we should dig in, though please continue the conversation, the way your order works Varindar is quite interesting", he replied, taking the first roll into his mouth, the rich flavor quickly spreading though the Mirialan's mouth. Yes indeed this place was worthy of the 5 star rating it had obtained.

 

[Alyisa Mithel]

[member="Iturizu Yuvie"] [member="Varindar Asyt"]


Just a glass…

Aly looked very surprised with her mouth opened and the confusion in her eyes. The native born Corellain and pilot were like most of her brethren. They drank too much and they were very carefree.

“Thank you”, Aly mentioned to the server finding her smile again.


“I am a very dangerous combination”, she was laughing after commenting to Iturizu.

Food was there now. Aly had no issue in digging in while keeping the conversation going.

“I’ll admit. I’m used to a strict military structure being a former Imperial Naval officer. This lose military structure sounds vastly different. Where I’m at in life, it kind of might suit me well.”

 

[Varindar Asyt]

"And your drinks" the drinks waiter told the three, with all three drinks in the same cloche.

"It's really only in major engagements and, to a lesser extent, in the regular navy, that there wasn't as much freedom. However, depictions of us as a military junta with Jedi at the top are really more about propaganda dark-sider factions produce, and Jedi, in fact, intervene little in planets' internal affairs except in escalated issues, and even then Jedi tended to intervene mostly when public security is at stake, such as an epidemic, a refugee crisis and, of course, warfare"

Imperial factions, heck, factions in general, often seemed to be short-lived these days, with the two still-extant Imperial factions having committed atrocities by the truckload, Skor for the First Order, Hapes and Charros for today's Empire. Hopefully Alyisa served a now-destroyed faction: less hazards to her and to us if such was the case, she thought, while realizing that most Jedi skillsets were security-oriented, and it would not make any sense whatsoever for Jedi to meddle in affairs they did not have the ability to handle, so they would not directly govern planets. Meanwhile, [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] and her got their glasses of Howling Crag wine and [member="Alyisa Mithel"] received the last glass of Corellian whisky in stock, with ice. Now she realized that often the difference between a three-star and a five-star restaurant was not so much the food but the service and the décor, assuming both were clean and had timely service. Yes, it was time for her to dig into that soup, about which she knew that the cost of preparing it was, in fact, a small amount of the price charged by the restaurant, and that she could bill the Order for the tab of the threesome eating at that table tonight.

"So you used to be an Imp pilot? Which Imperial faction did you serve and were you serving in an elite unit or a regular unit?" she asked Alyisa, curious about her past in Imperial factions.

 

[Iturizu Yuvie]

At then mention of being a former imperial naval officer Yuvie peaked his head up, that would definitely explain her combat ability, maybe even the whole setting stuff on fire as well. It actually was kind of nice her too as not the only former imperial personal now among enemies turned friends, but he could not help but concluded the twos experience was much different. While [member="Alyisa Mithel"] had been a slave captive, Yuive was more or less wounded to the point of death and had to rely on the Silver Jedi's mercy to stay alive. "From what I have seen and heard many imperial governments use propaganda to discredit the Silver Jedi, calling its tyrannical and totalitarian, and that the places they 'liberate' are only scared because of what the Jedi did, when in truth it is the other way around".

He continued to partake of the appetizer while [member="Varindar Asyt"] kept one explaining how the Silver Jedi operated, which was honestly less then he expected. They seemed more like the Jedi of old, leaving government to run themselves and only intervening when needed. but also acting a a system wide defense force, it seemed he had much to learn. "Yes, I too am interested about which faction held you allegiance, ore so how you wound up as a slave for sale, quite a drastic change if I do say so myself".

 

[Alyisa Mithel]

[member="Iturizu Yuvie"] [member="Varindar Asyt"]

The flow of conversation over food and drinks moved to Aly and her past. She seemed complex relaxed about this.

“I once served the Atrisian Empire”, she said and there was still pride within her voice. “I served during the time when the Atrisian Empire was friends and allies with the Republic and The Lords of The Fringe. I was there when the One Sith attacked. We lost but many of the core worlds did under the advance of The One Sith. I was an elite, I was handpicked by Emperor Akio Kahoshi. I served as the Wing Commander of the TIE Fighter Squadron assigned to the protection of the Emperor. I do have Imperial Commando training and could have served in an Inferno Squad.”


“In my personal experience even a loosely organized group should have a clear chain of command. Even if they do not act like or conduct them under a military doctrine. Otherwise when placed in chaotic situations the group could fall into confusion not knowing who to take orders from or to work cohesively as a group.”

 

[Varindar Asyt]

"Propaganda based only on the presence of a clear chain of command. Yes, there were some Jedi at various levels of the chain, most of them ranging from low-to-mid-level officers, with a handful of them being at the higher echelons, but Jedi are, in fact, a minority in the chain. Jedi tended to be part of the chain of command only if they can productively contribute to it, but those that do, understand the responsibilities attached to it"

So who were those Jedi in the chain of command? I am rather green as a starfighter reserve pilot, Cassius was at the head of a squadron, with Allyson somewhere else in the chain of command, Yuroic was a grounder, Dusaro as well, and of course Kei, Catherine with two stars each as generals, plus a handful of others at lower levels whose names escape me, and of course Jyoti and Jessica, she thought, while realizing that it was still mostly NFU: the actual military knew better than to put too much trust in the Jedi. The Republic paid the price for that back in the Clone Wars, and [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] knew the Sith approach would lead to morale problems, especially if the elites of the social totem pole proved incompetent one way or another. Now that Varindar was finished eating her bowl of pho, the waiter came around to hand them menus pertaining to the dessert, she took a while to sink in the answer [member="Alyisa Mithel"] gave as to her past: she was an elite pilot of the Atrisian Empire, and that was a sign of relief since there was no AE left to hound them.

"What would it be for your dessert?"

"Dessert cubes, one cherry, one orange, one green apple and one lemon please"

 

[Iturizu Yuvie]

"The Atrisian empire? I heard they claimed to be the legitimate successor to the galactic empire, the one that now is based off of Kamino,, if such is the case I can relate to your experience some what as I served as an inquisitor for the Galactic Empire, all but short". "I even flew a very combat storie's but I am sure it does not stack up to your piloting skills, though I assume you would have gotten better hacking training then lighting stuff on fire, or are you just a pyromaniac"? He put money on the latter, after all [member="Alyisa Mithel"] seemed to be the kind of carefree and wild type.

He quickly turned attention back to [member="Varindar Asyt"] as she added onto how the Jedi chain of command worked, the fact they combined Jedi with general military positions and so fourth being a rather good idea. In such a case the personal would have the training of a force user but also be specialized for that task, probably help a lot out with the classic 'there just a Jedi, what do they know about such and such'. Not exactly a problem that was in the Empire, but people rarely voiced their concerns when a tight force choke was around their throat.

"Oh desert already, umm I am unsure, I will have that Varindar is having, it sounds rather interesting", he replied with hate, not really having much time to partake in confectionery goods as of late.