Private Second Base

[Zoraya Ives-Ayres]

It wasn't like she started a conversation because she enjoyed his company or cared about his personal choices but rather she wanted to try and understand what led people like him to devote their lives to some nonsense faith and he seemed willing enough to surrender the information, even if he did start with a joke which prompted no reaction from the stoic agent. His cheery personality was certainly tiring.

"A mercenary?" She repeated, a little surprised. It wasn't the typical Jedi background that she had come to know. Often they were just taken from their families and given no choice or they were just people who decided they wanted to do good and thought this was the best way to do so. Mathieu's case seemed to be more intriguing than the stories of those Jedi which painted him as a former mercenary with a guilty conscience. It didn't gain him any respect but it did pique her interest.

She could certainly see his enthusiasm towards his choice, even if it was misplaced, in her opinion. She didn't feel any joy in her decision. It was a choice of duty, not one of personal morals. She rarely let personal morals guide her decision-making. Others made orders and she followed them. It was not up to her to question the moral objectivity of her superiors, only their loyalty.

I wonder if it was the right call, he pondered.

It wasn't.

She had expected that he would return the question and she didn't shut it down, though she was slower to respond, considering her words more carefully. She didn't want to get too personal with her answer.

"It's my duty." She replied curtly before elaborating. "I've seen what can happen to weak, indecisive worlds when they get attacked. They need a strong leader and a military to protect them. I have the ability to do something to secure people's right to live in safety so it is my duty to do so." She told him before adding. "Even if it comes at the expense of some individuals for the needs of the greater good."

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Second Base​

Location: A ship
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags: Zoraya Ives-Ayres

She inquired about the mercenary-part of the story. A subtle and glad smile grew on his lips as it finally appeared as if she was finally able to do something other than insult him. It was starting to sound and feel more like a conversation. Glad to have caught her in a talkative mood, he nodded "I was good with a stun baton and I was a decent shot" he smiled again and shook his head with an amused expression "But it wasn't needed. I used to carry around this big chaingun. Eventually, something would hit. I've still got it laying around somewhere. Been a while since I fired it outside of a gun range though. The destructive capacity that thing brings, it's significant"

When the conversation eventually shifted onto what she did, he continued to be happily surprised - for the agent continued speaking to him and while she seemed somewhat reserved, it was still good to talk to her. Of course, their opinions differed, but that was not something which he minded. "Like the Admiral" he said, mumbling for himself moreso than talking to her. In a way, he could see the charm in someone like Chaussidier being in charge. He was experienced, wise, decisive and had good judgement. The large Jedi abruptly shook his head - of course democracy was preferable. Right?

"Sounds like you have to make some hard choices." he said, envious of her confidence. Mathieu looked to her "I've been lucky enough to have been able to avoid making those kind of choices. And on the field of battle, well, everyone who's there knows the risks and what's at stake... but civilians?" he shuddered at the thought of actively sacrificing innocents. Still, he understood that the greater good was an important consideration. "How do you even make those calls? What do you do when you're wrong?" the questions did not come from a place of disagreement - while bizarre, it may have appeared as if the young Morellian was genuinely looking to learn from the agent.

 

[Zoraya Ives-Ayres]

When he started talking about weapons, she maintained eye-contact with him to make it seem like she was paying attention but zoned out of the conversation and provided no reaction to his talk of the chaingun. It wasn't relevant to her so she wasn't interested. She only cared about the questions she wanted answers and she wasn't adverse to talking about herself.

It was hard to deny that he was a surprising character, even if she didn't like him. For someone as soft as he was, she couldn't imagine him in a position as violent as a mercenary. Then again, Jedi weren't exactly the pacifist peacekeepers they made themselves out to be.

She gave a small nod at his observation, almost as an involuntary response, but she wasn't thinking of civilians like he was. Instead, she was thinking of the personal sacrifices she had made which had left her almost totally isolated from people, unable to trust and with a cynical view of those around her.

She cared little for other people, though she did have a soft spot for refugees, owed to her own experiences, so hearing Mathieu's insight into his own beliefs piqued her curiosity once more.

"A lot of the time I don't. I act on orders, whatever they may be." She replied, showing a clear virtue of unwavering loyalty but her following reply came from a place of coldness. "Sometimes, people are just collateral in the name of progress." She replied, referring to people instead of civilians. There were plenty of loyal soldiers and officers who lay down their lives for the Empire and plenty of civilians who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was unfortunate but she didn't feel any empathy towards them.

"Even if you arrested me now. There would be another to replace me." She told him, displaying an inconsistent attitude of both arrogance and lack of self-regard throughout their exchanges, on account of the insecurity she was truly plagued with.

"When I'm wrong... I haven't found out yet." She replied. "I haven't been wrong yet to know."

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Second Base​

Location: A ship
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags: Zoraya Ives-Ayres

A meek smile grew on his lips upon hearing her initial answer. She had the luxury of not really having to make the choices herself. It was a comfort which was often not afforded to Jedi - they were expected to trust in the force or something similarly arbitrary. Of course, there was probably a point to it but the young Morellian knew that his calls were likely not always the best, regardless of how much he centred himself and put his trust in the force. In a way, he envied her - for she could do what she felt was the morally superior action without having to take or feel responsibility regardless of the consequences of those actions.

Then it faded. His smile was quickly replaced by a concerned look in his eyes. Sure, not having to take responsibility sounded great and all, but it was still chilling to hear of how callously she viewed others. He wondered if it was a consequence of her Imperial training or if her conscience was all too jaded after having had to commit Imperial atrocities and convince herself that it was for the greater good. "Still, it's tragic, right?" he asked, trying to meet her eyes to find at least an ounce of compassion or sympathy.

When she spoke of how there would just be another to replace her if she were to be arrested, Mathieu shot her a puzzled look. "Are you saying they wouldn't mind?" he asked, slightly flabbergasted. A playful smirk carefully appeared across his features "If that's the case, I can go ahead and change course right now."

Mathieu stopped himself from chuckling at her comment on never having been wrong. Any operator who was worth anything had to have made some some tough calls. And if the operator never made the wrong call, they may simply have been entrusted with less meaningful work, more suited to grunts and brutes. It lined up with her previous statement on not having to make the calls herself - maybe she was just a very deceptive grunt. It was thoughts that he would keep to himself. Instead, he chose to be happy for her "That's good to hear. I wish I could say the same."

Shooting a quick glance towards a clock, Mathieu followed the statement up with a quick note "We're going to be dropping out from hyperspace soon. We'll probably be intercepted by an Imperial patrol that can pick you up."