Sitting on a Pinnacle

[Riamah]

After wandering around for a while Sulen had finally realized she needed work. While she worked at small shop, she spent as much of her free time she could at the library that was on her route between work and home. Having wrapped up her day of work, she picked up a quick bite to eat and took that with her to the library. They knew her well enough by now that they didn't question if she would get the items dirty.

Waving at the familiar faces, she went through to find the area where she always hung out. Having gotten caught up on most of the ancient history she could find, Sulen was now focusing on the more modern history. Knowing now more that planets traded hands almost as fast as cards, she knew history didn't change. So what was already known about the now of the galaxy could change in minutes, she decided to learn more about the recent history.

Picking out a random selection that covered the times from about four hundred years to one hundred years ago, she sat down in her favorite location. It gave her a clear view of the surrounding area, but still provided a sense of privacy. It was a slow time of day for them so for now, she had the place almost to herself.

There were a few others and one might be heading in her direction. He walked like he is or had been military, there was no mistaking the way one carried themselves. Knowing it couldn't be anybody she knew, she went back to looking at her book. However, it wasn't holding her attention and she set it down.

[member="Fidelis"]

 

[Fidelis]

If someone had asked Fidelis if he read for pleasure three years ago, he would have laughed in their face. There was so much other fun to be had; shore leave, the stills, even the brig if the events leading to the arrest were worth it. For FN-9114, reading and the ability to read were little more than tools, a way to pass orders and information from one hand to another. And had he remained in the First Order, he likely would have continued to believe that. But the last two years had shaken the man's belief in a lot of things. In the greater galaxy, where the First Order was not the beginning and ending they pretended to be, reading was so much more than merely "do this, go there, shoot that". Of course, Fidelis had always known that there was more to the galaxy. He had simply never cared to know it. They were either wrong, misguided, misinformed, outright seditious, or some unholy and seemingly impossible combination of them all.

But whether or not he liked it, Fidelis was a part of the greater galaxy now. And it was high time he learned to understand just where these people were coming from.

Striding towards the history section of the small library - itself rather impressive for what he had seen thus far in the Outer Rim, quite possibly up to First Order standards - the soldier passed a bald Human woman with an interesting tattoo on her head.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Fidelis said, offering a polite nod and a small smile as he strode to a section just past her. Military history. If nothing else, it was a good place to start.

[member="Sulen Dewan"]

 

[Riamah]

Even his speech was that of the military. It was very rare to have the combination of strut and formality like he had without some sort of formal training. She stood up as he strode past her and returned his smile with a brief nod.

"Quite alright, sir."

It was as if Sulen didn't know or remember how to smile any more. If he could read body language, he would also see the training she had. Even if it was over eight hundred years old, some things rarely changed. Picking up the book she had been looking at to replace it on the shelf and find another, she noticed he had gone to the military history section.

Actually not really knowing all that much about how the times had changed for the military. She figured technology had, but had that actually changed the tactics used? Something she could learn.

Trying to seem casual, she would walk in the same direction with him.

"Sorry to intrude, but I find history very interesting. What about you?"

If accents in had changed over the years, then hers would probably sound unique or off to him. Nobody had mentioned it before, so she wasn't sure if there was any sort of tell in it to indicate anything of her location.

"I'm Sulen and frequent this library. I've never seen you around before."

[member="Fidelis"]

 

[Fidelis]

"That's only because I've never been here before, ma'am."

In truth, the woman intimidated him slightly. She was definitely military; her posture, form of dress, and self-assurance were as much a giveaway as his own, as was her direct manner of speaking. After two years in the field, it was nice to have a bit of familiarity, and Fidelis almost broke bearing as a result. But there were a few reasons that couldn't happen. Primarily, it was because he was technically a deserter, even if it was the army he served that had deserted him and not the other way around. Secondarily, as eager as he was to talk to others with a similar background, losing his mind in the here and now wasn't going to further that goal. If anything, it would make him look like an absolute creep. Thirdly, the First Order was not nearly as kindly received on this world as he'd been led to believe they might be, and any revelation of such might go awry. But finally - and most importantly - the way this woman spoke and carried herself screamed "officer". And officers were to be avoided wherever possible.

Or maybe she was just awkward? Or maybe he was. Fidelis had recently gotten an object lesson in how completely out of familiar territory he had been, or how out of touch his teachings under the First Order might be.

"I'm Fidelis. And I think it's important to learn new perspectives every now and again. No better place to find out about them than this, I hear."

The Stormtrooper smiled and nodded once again before moving to take a seat beside where Sulen had been sitting. If she minded, she never would have introduced herself.

"I hope you don't mind if I join you here, ma'am."

[member="Sulen Dewan"]

 

[Riamah]

His answer that he had never been at the library before brought a little breath of a sort from her nose, not a snort or anything too obvious.

"Well, welcome to this back water, no name planet."

There was a touch of humor in her voice, almost cynical in nature.

"It is nice to meet you, Fidelis. Yes, perspectives certainly change through the years don't they. Even in ones own lifetime, our own can be altered."

Letting out a sigh, Sulen wondered if maybe she had said too much so soon. It may lead to some pointed questions that could make her come across as a nut job to this military man. Not knowing what role he had played within whatever military he had gotten his training, she didn't know how well he could read messages in words. Picking up one of the works that talked about the aerospace technology of some now dead faction, she went to return to her seat.

Fidelis was seated in the spot next to hers and commented that he hoped she didn't mind. It actually brought a real but small smile to her face. Not quite going to her eyes, they did soften a touch.

"I don't mind at all. It's nice to talk to people. Can learn so much just by conversing. What brought you to this planet?"

[member="Fidelis"]

 

[Fidelis]

It took Fidelis a few seconds of mulling over Sulen's question before realizing that he didn't have much of an answer to give her. The truth was that he had happened upon the library - and the planet it was on - by pure chance. The man didn't have much of a memory as far as how that came about, but he was here. Most of his items were in a storage space across town. And he was still breathing at the end of it all. That was good enough for Fidelis. The how and the why of his presence here never even occurred to him.

"Nothing special," Fidelis admitted with a small shrug of his shoulders, "I suppose I'm just on a bit of a walkabout."

The former Stormtrooper leaned back into his seat slightly, placing the holobook down on the conveniently-placed table in front of the pair.

"You? You have a rack in the back or something?"

 

[Riamah]

There was silence between them for a few moments as Fidelis thought of an answer to her question. This indicated to her that maybe he had something he wanted to hide. Same could be said about her, gave them something in common. It almost brought another cynical smile to her face, but she kept it hidden.

"Always nice to walkabout for a while. Eventually, you'll need to find a job and a way to keep yourself alive. Pretty much what brought me here. Nice place to hide out, lay low and get something to live off of."

Assuming the language hadn't changed much, he asked her if she had a place to stay here and Sulen nodded.

"Yes, sir. This library is between my work and home. Assuming you just got here or at least not very long ago, you don't have a bunk to sleep in."

They had just met, but she got good vibes off him. She could offer him a place to stay if he wanted one. It depended on the answer he gave.

[member="Fidelis"]

 

[Fidelis]

"Perceptive, ma'am. And not at all wrong, either."

Fidelis had purposefully avoided the statement about getting a job, and he couldn't help but notice that Sulen had made a point of mentioning hiding out and laying low. He was a former Stormtrooper after all; by and large, the only former Stormtroopers were dead ones. Even now, desertion was nearly unheard of in the First Order. And while he was a good medic, a Stormtrooper was always a combatant first. FN-9114 had been a particular tool for a particular task, and none of the odd jobs he had taken in the last two years had felt nearly as fulfilling as the task he had been trained from birth to carry out. Bartending sucked. Bouncing had been worse. He had been a hired hand on a ranch, which had been fun when the predators sneaked towards the fence lines, but it still didn't light the fire that being in a firefight or saving a squad mate had brought. Perhaps the First Order had anticipated the possibility, then; making the psychology of their child soldiers hard-wired to love combat. In a way, it was brilliant. Twisted, but brilliant.

"But I'm sure there's a place around for a guy like me, if this place is as good a place to hide out as you say."

Fidelis couldn't help but lightly chuckle as he leaned back into his chair.

"And here I thought we were talking history..."

[member="Sulen Dewan"]

 

[Riamah]

She watched him closely with her eyes, looking for any ticks or tells that spoke more than what he said. It wasn't so much body language Sulen caught, but the fact he didn't comment on having work. He did agree she wasn't wrong in her observations. Bringing up the topic of history at the end, it brought a little more of a smile to her smirk.

"Ah yes history. My knowledge field rests with just after the Battle of Endor. This more recent stuff is lost on me."

Lifting up one of the items she had picked up, she waved it slightly before setting it back down.
​
"Any area you're focused on? Also I have an extra bed so until you find a place of your own, if you're going to stay, you can stay with me."

Not thinking logically since they had just met, she gave herself a mental slap​. Already having offered it though, she wasn't going to back out now.

 

[KR-04]

x because I'm a moron

 

[Fidelis]

A look of surprise crossed Fidelis's face before his smirk cracked into a grin. It had been a very forward gesture, inviting a total stranger to bunk up with them. The statement gave way to a realization; Fidelis had been out of service for two years, but he had been around for over thirty. In the last two years, he had been everything from a bartender to a ranch hand to a dock technician to a volunteer emergency medical provider. And in the last two years, he'd found people to be kind, generous, and hopeful, far more so than they were in the First Order. He had also found that they were mind-numbingly indirect most of the time. Sulen's directness had come completely out of nowhere. It was a welcome change. More than that, it was the final piece that proved the validity of his suspicions about his new reading companion.

Anybody could dress and speak like an officer. Anybody could have an affection for near-ancient military history. But only a soldier was direct and bold enough to invite a total stranger to an empty rack.

"Area of study? Area of bunking?"

Fidelis couldn't help but crack another smirk as he continued.

"Or area of operation? Expertise?"

[member="Sulen Dewan"]

 

[Riamah]

He appeared just as surprised as she felt. Evidently both her forwardness and blunt speaking relaxed him enough to give her a real smile.

"Ah you are right, I didn't exactly clarify my question. I had meant in the area of military history. While knowing the answers to the others would be nice to know as well. I've offered a bunk to sleep in, if you want it. Time will be there to talk."

Sulen wasn't sure if he wanted that bunk since he Fidelis hadn't answered her offer, but she had the feeling he would accept.

"It's also about dinner time here if you're hungry and the library will be closing in a few minutes."

[member="Fidelis"]
​

 

[Fidelis]

"Then perhaps we should find the chow hall."

Standing up, Fidelis smiled and strode towards the door of the library feeling better than he had in years. There was a lot to be talked about, and not just in regards to their shared interest in military history. It would be a hell of a jumping off point, but Sulen seemed to know more about the galaxy than he'd have imagined even existed, and that prospect alone felt incredible. The soldier's footsteps seemed lighter, his gait faster, and Fidelis truly felt that - after two years decoupling his repulsorlifts - that he was actually getting somewhere beyond what the First Order had designed for him.

All of that changed in an instant, however, when the security gates by the door detected that an unchecked book had made it past the sensor gate.

[member="Sulen Dewan"]

 

[Riamah]

Joining him when he stood up, she grabbed the items they each had been looking at and shook her head when the alarm went off at the door. Waving him over to her, if he came, Sulen would attempt to take the book from him and check it out with the others.

It was a pretty lax planet and she was a familiar face. He wouldn't get in trouble with her around unless he really tried.

"C'mon lets get some nice local chow."

Tossing the items into her bag, they could separate them at her place.

"What do you like to eat for food?"

[member="Fidelis"]

 

[Fidelis]

"Oh, I'll eat anything you put in front of me. You know the place better than I do."

A hyperbolic statement, but only just. For Fidelis, food still came in tightly-packed, nutrient-dense bricks, or in paste that oozed out of a machine like pus from a wound. Various stops of shore leave and two years of complete freedom had done nothing to dispel such ideas from the soldier's mind. Besides, what if he found a place that enticed the senses, but completely put off Sulen? It wasn't an especially good way to endear himself to his hostess, especially if he wound up staying with her for the evening. The way Fidelis saw it, energy was energy, no matter where it came from or how it tasted. But the bald woman with the neat tattoo might have a different idea. And when push came to shove, Fidelis wasn't a leader. He never had been. Taking charge was something he would leave to people that knew the lay of the land, had the experience behind their orders, and could inspire confidence.

Fortunately, Fidelis was with someone that had all three of those critical traits.

 

[Riamah]

The ancient military woman shook her head, but still wore a somehow knowing and understanding smile.

"Aye, I know exactly what you mean. I think that vile slime has been around since the dawn of time."

Again it might be a hint to something more to her, but only if Fidelis already suspected something. Sulen dropped these small hints without even knowing it. ​He might be a former soldier, but with enough hints, he should be able to start putting things together soon.

"If you're not that picky, I'll take you to place that's near to mine. Little small, not chain joint that's got a bunch of local flavor. Trust me way better than that paste."

Taking the lead, but keeping her pace casual, he would keep up easily.
​
[member="Fidelis"]

 

[Fidelis]

"Heh. Knew we couldn't have been the only ones to suffer."

Trailing behind her, Fidelis's gait relaxed somewhat. His steps were still crisp and even. His arms swung naturally, his pointed thumbs brushing the seam of his pants with every pass. Only those trained to walk in such a fashion would have truly noticed the ease with which it came to the former Stormtrooper, but it was the most at ease that the man had felt in a good, long while. It might have even relaxed him enough to open him to the idea that people did, in fact, eat more than slime.

"What branch?"

 

[Riamah]

Though Sulen walked first, she didn't act like he was anything but an equal to her. She knew the planet and what it offered so it made sense she was in the lead for the walk. The town was small so it didn't take very long before they were walking in the door.

The Dell, smelled like a cantina mixed in with peppered fish. The river nearby provided the fish for the establishment and that was the local flavor this place provided. She took a seat at one of the tables, menus were pulled out and set in front of them and drinks provided.

"That's a bit of a tricky question and my answer will probably come across like I've lost my marbles. I'd rather wait to answer it until there aren't any other ears that might hear the answer."

Sulen already knew what she wanted to eat, so once Fidelis made up his mind, their order would be taken.

"To address your first comment though. I think all branches suffered that except the brass."

[member="Fidelis"]

 

[Fidelis]

"And to their continued good health," Fidelis replied, raising the glass of water that their waiter had set down just before the Stormtrooper began speaking, his tone one of barely-restrained contempt. Taking a sip from the glass - grateful that this one was devoid of any dark sludge that had become eerily commonplace in the Outer Rim - the soldier set it down with a loud clank.

"So, we've got...durni? What the hell is durni?"

[member="Sulen Dewan"]

 

[Riamah]

Chuckling a little, but sharing in his sentiment, Sulen tapped her glass to his and took that first drink.

"I think a durni is kind of a like a Kushibah, but not sentient or as big. Can be kept as pets. The Kushibah can't."

It was a rabbit like creature that would probably taste a little gamey and be less meaty than a steak.
​
"They are quite chewy. I like this one better."

Pointing to her favorite​ dish, it would be something like a porkchop. A basic meal of meat and potatoes.

[member="Fidelis"]