Selective Hearing

[Geneviève Lasedri]

While she would like to think of herself as quite an innovative character, the truth was that nothing could be possible without the assistance of the minds of her peers--or as close to peers as she would acknowledge. Geneviève Lasedri was not one to easily admit to inferiority in any area.

Somewhere along the way, her friends of sorts had managed to pick up some doctor by the name of [member="Yetari Sellix"]. One might say he had an essential part in saving a more humbled--or humiliated?--version of the Benefactor, her life literally having been in his hands as she lay near death on an operating table in whatever it was that passed for a doctor's office. That much she owed him, and she endeavored to repay him in kind, or at least as best as she knew how: a small amount of trust and a nice position in her business, medical or otherwise.

Ultimately, she would find it remiss to avoid consulting him in some fashion about the medical equipment ECHO Esprit was intended to produce. And with war on the horizon, he might become indispensable.

With her typically stolid expression plastered all over her face and a datapad tucked in hand, Lasedri 'requested' entry of the doc's ward and strutted in without giving moment for response. All the time was her time. "Doctor, I'm sure you have a moment?" He would.

 

[Yetari Sellix]

Joining up with Geneviève had never been Yetari's original intent, but after saving her life it had become quite obvious that she would probably end up in a near-death state once more with her lifestyle, and it was better that he be nearby for that occasion. What the doctor never told her was that there was another reason as well; it was how he was going to bring meaning to his mostly empty life. Wandering the galaxy was a sad and empty existence that would have driven him to insanity if not for the people he had managed to help in the meantime. Now he had less freedom to do as he pleased, but Yetari welcomed the stability and the work, since there was a decent chance that he might actually make a difference in the galaxy instead of just one or two people.

He was sitting behind a durasteel desk in what served as his new office, a basic setup with few personal touches besides a single small green plant, and was looking through his personal datapad at a picture of his departed family when his new boss decided to make an unannounced entrance. Yetari calmly turned the device off and placed it on the desk as he turned the chair to face her, folding his hands together while wearing a weak smile.

"For our fearless leader? Of course I have a moment to spare Miss Lasedri, although I wonder just how much it would even matter if I said no instead." the healer motioned to one of the two chairs in front of his desk with a wave of his hand, using the other to fix up his new white lab coat, "Have a seat and I'll try to help if I can."

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

Fearless. That was a nice thought, but well-removed from reality, no matter how hard she sold it. And she liked to sell it well. Offering a short smirk, the Benefactor helped herself to the opposing chair and laid her datapad lightly on the desktop. She noted the green plant curiously. It was, quite possibly, the only flora inside the entire base. If they ever were gassed, she supposed Yetari would be the last to die.

Gen interrupted her more-or-less morbid musings and returned her attention to the doctor before her. "I've been thinking on our field medicine, and let's just say there's not much there." She descended into her usual stolid expression, flipping her datapad about in grim, purely businesslike motion for the doctor to see. On the screen was a diagram of a generic humanoid's anatomy, represented in as generally unbiased construct as possible. "I want to develop a small injector pack of bacta that can be concealable. But to which part of the body should it be strapped?"

She gestured towards the upper torso area. Somewhere around there, most humanoids featured a heart muscle. Though, not necessarily all of them. "Essentially, we need to know where an injection of bacta would be most quick to take effect in as many races as possible. I know it's a little complex, even for someone well-versed in cross-species anatomy." Lasedri allowed a smile--rare. Possibly once-a-month rare. "If you were able to keep me from dying, then I'm sure you're capable of such complexities." No pressure at all.

[member="Yetari Sellix"]

 

[Yetari Sellix]

The question laid out before him was an interesting one that Yetari had pondered over a few times when asked the same question by officers in the Republic's military. The doctor picked up the datapad with a glint of curiosity in his usually dull eyes, looking it over as he tried to form an answer to this interesting question. Once he felt ready, he cleared his throat and placed the datapad back down with a little smirk on his face and put his hands together on top of the desk.

"I would say it depends on whether you're looking to equip a covert agent or a front-line soldier. Since our little family of misfits here seems more suited to guerrilla-style fighting a more covert style would be best. In that scenario I would focus our development and production more on bacta-patches instead, with maybe a single injector in their kits to be used wherever they please."

Yetari stood up from his chair and began pacing about, containing a chuckle as he realized just how much this reminded him of his years as a beginner. There was a lot of fighting and a lot of doctors were needed to fix it all up, which was of course tragic, but remembering those nights of desperate and rewarding work alongside his longtime colleagues was making him feel nostalgic. The good doctor continued to look a bit more cheerful than usual as he sat leaned against the corner of his desk near [member="Geneviève Lasedri"] while returning her rare smile with his own.

"If that isn't what you were hoping to hear, then I can begin sketching out some possible plans for a few old imagined designs of mine for something along the lines of an auto-injector while also trying to make our field kits a little more efficient in what they contain. And for the record I'm hoping that saving your life was the best thing I've done for this galaxy so far in these recent years, but if you let me down I might have to consider putting you back on that table to undo it."

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

The dark visitor nodded with a grim frown as she followed along, heeding the doctor's advice but not too happy about the options presented. Maybe she had been expecting something mythical and unreasonable, but it was disappointing to hear that there was not some all-encompassing solution. Gen pursed her lips and stared intently at the imagined concept that had been sketched out on the datapad. "I'm going to trust your opinion. Though, you're right about me not wanting to hear that. I'd like to think I use good judgment." She raised her eyes and looked into his, implying that her last statement was quite possibly about him.

Lasedri did not allow her gaze to linger, however, and noted his trailing comment with a hint of curiosity. "That's pretty flattering to say about me." Yetari had never seemed too shy about speaking his thoughts, whether to her or an irritating patient. She kind of liked that about him, finding a little commonality between them as far as tact--or lack thereof--was concerned. "But I wouldn't say it's merited. I'm a bit of a banshee, I know. I'm not sure it's wise to place so much faith in me." Sincerely, she did not think of herself as the best of role models, no matter what the ends to her means were. What did he believe so deeply about her?

[member="Yetari Sellix"]

 

[Yetari Sellix]

"It might sound a bit cliche at this point, but the fact that you aren't sure of it is a pretty decent indicator that you're worthy to lead, besides your other attributes of course."

Yetari stood up from the corner of the desk and got back into his chair, his hand brought up to stroke his chin and feel the familiar scar while the other went about putting his pads and such away into their proper drawers. He had become quite a bit busy now that he was actually working for someone, compared to the previous luxury he had of choosing his clients, and moments of even simple conversation like this were ones where he could relax. The doctor could only assume [member="Geneviève Lasedri"] was in a very similar situation, and was glad that they finally had this chance to talk more openly than usual when the others were around.

"To be honest boss, I find it very difficult to trust the ones that say they have it all planned out or are totally sure of what was going to happen. There the ones that usually crumble when the first thing goes against their determined outcome, and in many cases they're the ones that care little for their underlings as long as things go 'according to plan'. At the very least you're not arrogant about it.

"Are you going to make mistakes? Yes, because we all do. Will people probably die during your time in command? Sadly yes, since that's just how things are in a galaxy plagued by war as ours is. Do I think those things will break you? No, or at least not yet. Now don't get me wrong...I'm glad you're not running around inflating your ego, but let's see a little more confidence, alright? We're all a bit rough around the edges when we're thrown into ridiculous situations like ours, but keep doing what you're doing and you'll get smoothed out."

He smirked, then pulled out a new medical prescription datapad and held it up, "Or you could just ask me for some decent meds to knock you out for a while."

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

"Oh, I don't think you'd like to see me with any more confidence," Lasedri remarked, noting that the doctor had never truly seen her when she was pushing to get her way. In fact, he had only had the opportunity to see her at her most vulnerable. Sure, there was much truth to what he spoke of her from observation, perhaps. But Geneviève wondered if Yetari would have seen her in a different light if she had been giving the chance to make her usual, cold first impressions.

Gen raised an eyebrow as he referenced his ability to essentially dispense drugs on demand, if he were so inclined to go beyond his medical duties. There were times about the day when she might wish she could relent and escape everything by such means, but it was just not something she was willing to follow through with. It just sounded like a gateway to more nightmares, anyway. "I think that's a little extraneous, don't you?" She smirked and sat back in her chair. Was she actually enjoying this conversation? "I find sleep to be frightening."

The Benefactor folded her arms and completely relaxed her posture. There was something non-stressing about this room. Perhaps it was the plant sitting there, all green and happy. "You're the first person to say something nice about me in a long time." How childish that sounded to her as the words left her mouth! She wished desperately that she could take them back. Clearly, she was still human. Her eyes wandered off to the corner of the room and then flitted back to the plant, unsure of what to expect in response. Just ignore it, Doc.

[member="Yetari Sellix"]

 

[Yetari Sellix]

For some reason Yetari was not too surprised at that last comment since most people only gave compliments when they wanted something or were very friendly towards the other person. He complimented his wife's beauty when they were younger to get her love, and received compliments usually after saving someone's life. Compliments were little gifts to the soul of the person it was being said to, and while the people under [member="Geneviève Lasedri"]'s command may appreciate her, it was probably tough for them to approach someone so intimidating and seemingly focused on nothing but the mission.

"If that's true then it's a damn shame, and maybe you should simply give an order for everyone to give you a compliment at least once a day. Or maybe more depending on just how insecure you think you are."

The doctor watched her eyes focus on the plant in his office, the little thing meant to give his office at least some signs of life and to make it a nicer atmosphere when delivering bad news, and smiled at the thought of his mighty commander being so struck by her own words. Her shell was definitely cracking somewhat, and it wasn't surprising that she struggled at times to keep up the appearance of an iron-made woman. He leaned back in his chair, the same smile still on his face, and let his hands rest on his lap.

"And you won't find sleeping to be so terrible once you become annoyed at the constant barrage of people being so social with you." It had been a long time since he had been his old sarcastic and witty self, and it was a relief to be the man he used to be, "Two problems being solved at once is a rare thing, so don't mind if I let my ego inflate a bit at my own ingenuity. Any other problems I can help with dear leader?"

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

Geneviève continued to carry the slightest of smiles until the doctor mentioned insecurity. A sullen frown replaced the upturned lips, the Rebel leader unappreciative of such a conclusion. Maybe she was just too prideful to admit it, but she was fairly certain that insecurity was not an issue with her. She had never worried much over vanities, quite accepting of her mediocre figure and face. Though, it was true: she had received her share of compliments, people having told her she was pretty throughout her entire childhood. But they had only said so because of Daddy. "I've got enough trophies to last me a lifetime. Trust me."

She shook her head in annoyance, not liking this assessment Yetari was making, accurate or not. But she noticed his gaze match hers as she looked at the plant, and she reflexively removed her eyes from it and pushed the conversation in its current progression. "It's not the sleep that's bothersome. It's the dreaming." A brief sniff and subtle simper acknowledged his bit of sarcasm. He seemed to be quite comfortable around her for the shrew that she was--an observation that brought about some consolation, surprisingly.

"Dear doctor, would you be so kind to share what other enlightenment you may have attained, perhaps?" she shot back. Yes, she actually was beginning to enjoy this conversation. Something about him...

[member="Yetari Sellix"]

 

[Yetari Sellix]

Yetari grew silent for a few moments after she finished speaking, leaving the room in an awkward silence as he let his mind wander to where it always did. His eyes were not truly staring at anything, but they were left to stare pointlessly at the plant and mutter something under his breath before snapping back into the present and moving his gaze back onto [member="Geneviève Lasedri"]. The doctor cleared his throat and felt a flush of embarrassment for losing himself like that, but brought back his smile to try and catch himself.

"Dreams." He repeated the word loud enough to be heard now, then gave a quick sigh, "I'm sure you've probably seen things that you would prefer to forget as well, so I'm not surprised that you find it tough to sleep. We all have our little horrors, some more terrifying than others, and mine made it just about impossible to get any real sleep for a while, but eventually time and new experiences helped me along."

Yetari pointed at his own scar before pulling out a bottle and two glasses from a small container behind him, placing one of them in front of himself and another in front of Gen before twisting the bottle cap off.

"I used to drink quite a bit...thinking it easier to get some sleep that way..." He poured the bottle's contents into the two glasses, revealing it to be nothing but plain chilled water, "But in the end it just made things worse. It will take time, but each little adjustment you make towards improving your life will add up into some closure...hopefully. And that is enlightenment I gained from both reaching the bottom of the self-pity well and gaining an understanding friend, who you remind me of in some ways. Hopefully you'll only need the second one to help you get that sleep, but you'll find something eventually."

He smile a bit after finishing, and raised his glass in a quick toast before taking the first sip.

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

Of course, it was only natural to be curious about the scars of others. They were stories in and of themselves, and to have one prominently displayed on the face in this age indicated significance to the bearer. It was so with Geneviève and her own gashed eye. It often felt like a secret to Lasedri--a truth that one dies to tell but may never be able to. What had he seen that correlated with the mark? Perhaps they would both have to share their tales with each other when the opportunity presented itself. She was human, after all, no matter how hard she may try to defy this fact.

The woman blinked as she watched the doctor retrieve a liquor bottle, but her surprise quickly was dispelled as soon as he poured the crystal-clear liquid into the duo of glasses. He just compared her to a friend? She laughed on the inside, certain that he must have only meant in the physical sense. She raised her glass in suit, but stared at the cup a moment in thought before actually bringing it to her mouth. "Friendship is a bit of a fallacy, in my experience." She had had many compatriots; many followers and 'mutually invested' persons in her lifetime. Companions were not to be found, however. "It's fleeting. People make what they want out of a relationship, and then it's little more than a memory."

[member="Yetari Sellix"]

 

[Yetari Sellix]

The doctor took a few moments to think on her words as he enjoyed his water, then simply shrugged as he looked back up into her eyes.

"To be honest, that's a pretty fair assessment. Most people are your friend for as long as they get something out of it, whether it's actual benefit or just a way for them to not be lonely anymore. Sometimes you'll find one or two people who you form an actual bond with and they with you, but those seem to be the people that the galaxy sees fit to rob you of first."

Yetari finished off his water and placed the glass on the desk before filling it to the brim once again, thinking about those very people as he sighed.

"I'm old enough to be this pessimistic sometimes, but what's your story? I can't help but be curious as to how a young woman such as yourself ended up in this predicament, fighting the evil conquerors of the galaxy on behalf of the downtrodden people."

He locked his eyes onto hers and continued to stare, looking for subtle motions and other signs of what kind of person his new leader was. If he was going to follow and possibly die on this person's orders, Yetari needed to feel secure in [member="Geneviève Lasedri"] and her personality. So far he was content, but there was always something wrong with everything no matter how good it seemed.

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

"I don't know how much you know," she began, bringing the glass to her lips once more before continuing in response. It was almost exciting to be able to tell her story to someone, although there was still that bit of characteristic hesitancy. She trusted this man--but why tell? Maybe because at least one person should know, in case something unfortunate should befall her. There was a bounty out for her head, after all. "I used to be a 'someone'. In fact, I suppose I would be a 'someone' again if I ever returned home.

"But I'm too rebellious. I hate people watching me." Gen stopped talking for a moment, breaking her eyes away from Yetari's and returning them to the plant once again. Maybe she should get one of her own. "So I ran away and did things that people wouldn't want to watch me do. I got this little gift for my trouble." She tapped a finger against her right brow and traced down and over her gashed eye, all the way to her cheek. By this time, the scar had been healed, but the discoloration to her eye was only eliminated by artificial means.

"And you'd be aware of my work with abolitionists, I'd assume--given our first meeting." She was not sure whether to be proud or embarrassed as she uttered that, recalling the circumstances and the state her body had been in by the time the doctor had her in his care. Sometimes, she still dreamed of it, even though a recent reconstructive operation had removed the physical reminders. Vengeance--it sounded nice...

"I guess I've just come to realize throughout what happens when people are able to completely control someone else. They just destroy them."

[member="Yetari Sellix"]