The Galactic Alliance Every Other Month or so Social Thread

[Kaia Starchaser]

Was Kaia a leader? Not quite, but that didn’t stop her from anything. And it wasn’t that this was an event hosted by her. Nope. This was an event put on by the Alliance brass, equal parts military recruitment and social get together. She was a pilot, but she was a transport pilot. She sort of had her fighter wings, but really, her area to shine was the silver wings, flying transports and shuttles, corvettes and if needed, piloting a frakking destroyer.

Don’t tell her father, but Kaia had learned to fly an ImpStar when she was 15.

The girl was a natural, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was when she stepped through the door to the gathering. Galactic Alliance members were around in a dress down manner. Sullust had set up a few gathering halls, and this was one of those giant networking meetings. Booze was being served, hors d'oeuvres were being brought around, and the military had a variety of people here. Army, navy, she was looking to see who else she recognized. Maybe Kira or Nubica were going to be here? And she swore there was a Jedi table.

Light music was playing and it was the perfect place to meet with the people who could get anyone involved in the Galactic Alliance. Rumor was that Nemo Ven was kicking around here too. Maybe even the Chief of State. Running her hand into her dark hair, the black-on-black clad Jedi started to mingle with a few other transport pilots.

Sullustans were the best, after all.

 

[Armand Temi]

Sylvia wasn't a new pilot by any means, but she was a new recruit to the Galactic Alliance. While the red-haired flyer was raised by middle-class Imperial Navy parents, went to the Coruscani Pilot Institute and followed in the footsteps of her father and siblings by joining a TIE squadron, she eventually felt that the lumpenproletariat atmosphere of the lower pilot ranks in the First Order was not for her.

She quietly slipped away one night, hiding in a medical transport and finding safe passage to Sullust. Lt. Nuru would not be followed, nor court martialed. She was a lowly pilot with no unusual plans or secrets of which to hide. She had accompanied a lady executive from the Techno Union once on a business meeting, but barely understand any of what was going on.

Sylvia had signed up with the Alliance to fly a fighter, but when not deployed somewhere, she wanted to keep busy. Perhaps there was other work she could help with that would make a difference - delivering medical supplies or food to wartorn planets. Evacuating citizens from a Sith invasion or even an atmospheric storm.

Holding her solo cup in front of her as though a shield for her minor bout of social anxiety, she approached Kaia Starchaser and asked her, "This is my first time on Sullust. Is there anything to do besides attend these functions? My name is Sylvia, by the way."

[member="Kaia Starchaser"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie was an untraveled, ignorant girl. Ignorant in terms of having no real understanding of how the rest of the galaxy functioned. Her life was spent on Naboo until this point. She'd done a bit of reading, had heard of the troubles between the warring governments here and there, but had never experienced it for herself. She was a curious soul though, if nothing else. She wanted to be that person to make a difference in the lives of others, whatever she could do, and wherever she could do it. It seemed noble enough, but she wasn't entirely certain as to how to go about it.

Rumors and rumblings in her travels made it to her ears and piqued her interest. There was this thing called the Galactic Alliance, and they seemed to be doing some good out there. It sounded like something she could get behind, and offer her support to, whatever that amounted to anyway. She was still more or less a teenager. She'd never fired a blaster, and did not yet have a lightsaber of her own. She'd only recently met her master Keira, and even that was due to a stroke of sheer luck really.

Still, here she was...On Sullust; Confused, and looking about the rather expansive area. There wouldn't be anyone she'd recognize here, and so she wandered to an open seat by the far end of the bar, taking in the sights as others wandered by. Well dressed and with purpose. The gentleman behind the bar asked her what she'd like. She gave him an odd stare for a moment before she realized he meant to drink. She rarely drank anything alcoholic either... "Ummm...Whatever you think is best, I will trust your judgement." She spoke relatively quietly. This place was huge, or it felt it anyway.

What am I doing here?

 

[Kai Xanatos]

This is not my style.

Hanging out with other people was not my strong suit. It was a social gathering, and I came because I might be able to do something other than maintaining and cleaning my weapons and gear for the seventh time today. Sometimes people were nice to me, unlike some. I stood at the entrance into one of the various rooms that this gathering was being held in. This was foreign to me. Considering only two months ago I had been patrolling the rafters above a volcano on Mustafar, this was a different place in every way. The only thing that remained the same is that I happened to be in the company of Galactic alliance members.... and I wasn't armed, or geared up.

I held a plastic bottle of water in my hand. I never drank. During training I had relapses from not having the addicting sting of the many beverages that were not available to me. I couldn't drink the stuff. And eventually I just stopped all together. Cold Turkey is not a good idea. I don't regret it, but it's still not good. Now I only drink water, a few juices, and maybe something else if it was the only thing there. Here, I could have water. I know. I am so bland, but you have to understand. I liked having control of my senses. I liked being able to control my motor functions. So I will just stand here and sip on my water that tasted a bit like fruit.

My eyes played over those in the tables playing games or just talking. My vision changed almost constantly to see when someone moved closer to me. However, they didn't notice me and just continued on their way to... wherever it was. Standing next to the entrance of the room, I had my back leaning against the wall. My right leg crossed in front of the other with only my toe touching the floor. My "street" boots had a little wear and tear on them. A few wet stains from water or muck had I stepped in, but they were otherwise clean. I made sure of that so I wouldn't track whatever I had last stepped in, in here. Good thinking right? I mean, would you like it if I were to just have dirt all over your floor and not care while you had to pick it up? I don't think so.

Anyways, its not like I was new to this kind of thing. More so I just didn't like these social gatherings. I went because it was something to do. Not because it was fun. However, I wouldn't mind if someone changed my mind, or did something with me other than stare at me and whisper about my heritage. Goddamn for that Sith Lord. I hated [member="Darth Vornskr"] with a passion. He made a bad name for me and my people. He was practically enslaving them on Pantha. My Home. My birthplace. As a Sith with a sheet more than a mile long of crimes against the Republic, Galactic Alliance, and other like minded factions, it was hard to walk around with his blood in my veins. No readers, I am not related to the idiot. We share the heritage of species. Oh how I hated him for it. Just one good shoot to the head, and I wouldn't have to worry about him any more.

That's not possible though. I started fuming where I was. I had a few people look at me like I was growing claws and fur with a second head and a tail. I calmed myself and decided that it was better for me to move somewhere else. Walking to an open spot in the bar, I asked for a glass of fresh water and sat waiting for... something.

 

[Cuan Kunn]

Kunn was a bit different. He was a pilot, because he needed to be. Sure, he loved the feeling of flying, but it was to prove to himself, and his father, that he could do what it took to be the very best. Straight scores through the Sullustan Military Academy, the mousy pilot entered the shindig. It was a weird gathering, but sometimes, especially after a few conflicts with the Sith, it was just what was needed. A way to unwind, a way to network, and a way to find your next mission.

Some units in the Alliance were more strict that others. He knew for a fact that the Tiburons’ commander was a hard ass, and expected results and the mission to take the first step. He didn’t sign on with them. Instead, he flew with a few different groups that were strictly star pilots. Red Group, was one of his main pilot locations. Still, he was hoping to fly with the likes of [member="Dex Bastion"] and [member="Dax Ragnar"] shortly.

Adjusting his leather jacket, the pilot stepped up to the bar to grab a drink, seeing the ginger-mane talking to the wrong Starchaser. He figured that he could fix that. Drink in hand, he made his way over. “Wrong Starchaser, that one’s not the Commander, just a shuttle pilot.” Was there a bit of superiority in Kunn’s voice? Definitely.

If you couldn’t fly a fighter, what was the point?

[member="Kai Xanatos"]
[member="Jamie Pyne"]
[member="Sylvia Nuru"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

Darius didn't do the drinking thing. He was a good little Jedi: chaste, sober, and morally superior to the point that it bordered on arrogance. Of course, the latter was something he kept well enough to himself. It was alright to judge here and there; to have something to compare yourself to, but never to voice it. It was usually taken as an insult rather than constructive criticism, as he had learned in his earlier years under Master Sedaire.

He was still waiting for the man to show. He never would have agreed to attend if he knew he was coming all on his own. He could have stayed at home and enjoyed a quiet evening, and more importantly, made sure the two witches he was responsible for weren't getting into trouble. They'd already been assaulted within the short time they had been on Sullust. Only the force knew what they could be up to now with no supervision.

Sacrificing babies, maybe.

Seemed accurate enough.

He was clad in a cloth hoodie, black pants, and leather gloves. He would have opted for the traditional Jedi robes he'd come to love, but his time on Hapes had shown that doing so usually intimidated rather than opened doors. Still, the lightsaber at his belt would give away what he was well enough.

Blue eyes drifted to [member="Sylvia Nuru"] and [member="Kaia Starchaser"]. Two ladies conversing. Terrifying. Then there was a Sullustan coming in to give his input. Darius watched with poorly hidden amusement.

"They all do the same thing. One liners and a generally shared starship obsession." The padawan piped up from the table he was hovering over. There were a few Starchasers in the alliance - just not the one that mattered. She would be though, very soon. He was sure of it. "Can't get a wrong one."

There were others he didn't know here too. A man who looked about as happy as Darius was anxious sitting at the bar. A confused looking lady too. Bar? Why not. Whistlin a merry tune under his breath, Darius made his way to a seat between the two. When the bartender asked for his order, the padawan just waved a hand - something the bartender was non-too-pleased about.

He spoke loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. "Any drunks arrested yet? I know the night is young, but the boys can be a little overeager. I'd hate to have missed one of the shows already."

[member="Reef"], [member="Kai Xanatos"], [member="Jamie Pyne"], [member="Sylvia Nuru"], [member="Kaia Starchaser"]

 

[Nubica Felidae]

Kaia she knew.

A cursory glance was followed by a slower scan of the room. Of those present…Kaia she knew. She was a Jedi and so not always comfortable in social surroundings, but she was no wallflower either.

A relatively short while ago she would have numbered only Jedi as people she knew. Being in the Alliance had broadened that. Sure, she still knew a fair few that waved a saber around for a living, but she’d spent a lot of time with pilots lately and ground troops too.

So she headed to the group that included Kaia. Her brown Jedi robes so dark they appeared black in broad daylight, let alone in this facility and she grabbed a wasaka berry soda from the bar and taking a long sip, headed over.

She nodded as she approached. “I’m Nubica…hi.”

[member="Darius"] - [member="Kai Xanatos"] - [member="Reef"] - [member="Jamie Pyne"] - [member="Sylvia Nuru"] - [member="Kaia Starchaser"]

 

[Farryn Loragwyn]

Sofia was not a social person. Perhaps she would be had things happened differently, but they didn't. Unlike other soldiers in her squad, she did not drink. It wasn't because she wanted to be a 'good little girl' or anything. She simply hated the taste and the burning sensation stronger alcohol had when it went down her throat. Sofia remember the first time she tasted whiskey, the other soldiers teased her about whisky being 'a man's drink' so what did she do? She ordered a whisky on the rocks and tried to down it in one gulp. She spat out the liquid once it hit her throat and caused to descend into a coughing fit.

Sofia mainly kept to herself so she did not know anyone and decided to sit alone. "One grape juice," she stopped and told a passing waitress. Wine was just fermented grape juice after all, just inferior.

Perhaps it was because of her job as a sniper, perhaps she was just shy, Sofia watched the social gathering from afar at her booth.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

Marshal Voidstalker was normally a fairly social creature. Brought through the republic’s military academy on coruscant, followed by over a decade of soldiering certainly hadn't left him shy. That said, even a group of officers were often considered quite boorish by civilian standards once they'd started drinking.

Today he simply wasn't feeling in the mood. At the culmination of the campaign on Ord Vaug he'd taken a blaster bolt to the back. Despite leaving him in absolute agony at the time - with a mouthful of dirt in his mouth and the acrid stench of his own burning flesh in his nose - it wasn't going to be a long recovery. Still, days spent in painful physio tended to keep him down and he simply felt a little ‘hollow’ today.

Looking around he saw no other Jedi present yet. He'd come in simple civilian clothes instead of robes. He got the attention of one of the men at the bar with the hand that wasn't wrapped in a sling. As the cool glass touched his lips he spotted Nubica arrive on the far side of a group chatting further down the bar. Ah well, He thought to himself. It wasn't like she was the Grand Marshall anyway. He took a long swig from the bottle.

 

[Kai Xanatos]

A Jedi here. A pilot there. Soldiers everywhere. The party continued without a glance or an okay from me. I didn't mind it though. Off to the side two ladies started laughing. They were dressed in actual dressed. Very likely civies who were the +1. I shook my head. Knowing they were mooching or something like that. I just smiled as they were having a good time. Despite my hatred to those who disliked me, I smiled knowing that they were happy. In my line of work, You didn't see smiles all that often. We may have fought side my side, but you weren't smiling at each other. You were yelling, screaming, cussing, and even hitting them to get moving. Here, is where it paid off.

Seeing the smiles of children who are safe from the war. Seeing the people who don't have to fight or die for their country. They weren't forced to, and that is what makes it beautiful. I volunteered, and sacrificed my time, and even my life, for them to have the freedoms that every creature has. To live the life they choose, to deal with the consequences of their actions in a safe environment. And even allow them to cuss at me, yell at me. Spit at me. I may not like it, but I fight for their freedoms. So they won't have to. So they won't have to deal, or know the pain of losing a loved one from someone making a mistake, or getting killed. Seeing the smiles on the two civies faces made my day.

I smiled and looked away as I took another drink. Seeing that a Jedi had walked up to me. Well, next to me anyways. Asking if he saw any drunkards. The bartender shook his head and was going to answer when I spoke up.

"Take my words worth a grain of salt, but let the people get drunk tonight. They came, and use their freedom of choice to eat, drink, and be marry. Take a load off and let your sacrifice to the Order be recognized and used for the freedom of others. We don't want a party pooper."

I took a swig of my water again as I turned away from him. I was likely to get a retort back, but I wouldn't care. Hell, I fought for his rights too. He had the right to call me a P-O-S, or a bastard. Because I gave him that right the moment I signed that datapad almost three years ago.

[member="Darius"], [member="Reef"], [member="Nubica Felidae"], [member="Jacen Voidstalker"], [member="Sofia Annesley"], [member="Jamie Pyne"], [member="Sylvia Nuru"], [member="Kaia Starchaser"],

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Kaia was talking with a Sullustan who had run afoul of a First Order, or Imperium patrol, and she was a bit interested in how the pilot got away. People always looked down on shuttle and transport pilots, but moving half a million ton of starship was no easy task. And the goods inside? Typically they were mission critical. You had to push yourself just hard enough. But when an attack came? That got to be the tricky part. The pilot got away with some fancy flying, a bit of old smuggler tricks, and that made her happy.

Alliance found the best pilots the galaxy over. It was a refreshing and happy thought for the daughter of a smuggler. Or former smuggler. As she turned away from that conversation, she was approached by a ginger-pilot. She had that feeling, the type who knew what she was doing with a stick in her hand. “On Sullust? Ha, no…” She heard the Sullustan come over and call her the wrong Starchaser.

Rude.

“Don’t mind him. But yeah, there is a reason I’m on transport jobs most of the year. Sullust is good for the capital, but nothing in the way of recreation. I’m Kaia, Kaia Starchaser.” Not the same as being a Skywalker, but close enough.

“Nubica!” Kaia wanted to hug the other girl, was that what people did? She smiled wide and kind of… bounced awkwardly on the balls of her feet.

[member="Nubica Felidae"]
[member="Sylvia Nuru"]

 

[Light Rises]

Beyond the main heroes that littered the room, there were quite a few others around. That included some of the brass, and most importantly, unit commanders and recruitment officers. All around the location were different people mingling, and as a way to retcon what everyone was seeing, as this was a networking deal, there were civilians as well as military, and booths were set up. Many had holographic displays. “Join the Army,” “Fly with the Starfighter Corps,” “Games and Theory,” “Are you a Forcer?” There was something for everyone, really.

There were Sullustans and Mon Cala and Humans wandering the area. A Twi’lek was looking at [member="Jacen Voidstalker"] with a bit of a strange look. Mentally reaching out to the other man. Was it really a Jedi Marshal? The Twi’lek had no display of being a Jedi, nor really anything, maybe just a man who was loud in the Force? Maybe something more.

One of the men, a human, or near human, his skin a little light green, Mirialan, looked over at [member="Sofia Annesley"]. “Just grape juice? How old are you, kid?” Because people who didn’t at least have wine during a networking event had him concerned on age. Not that it was that kind of concern. “What unit you in?” It was clear the Mirialan was a little more rough and tumble, but he wasn’t being threatening, just curious.

The bartender that [member="Jamie Pyne"] was speaking to nodded. He took a rocks glass, a few cubes of ice, and then a more bland drink, if slightly fruity, red in color. "So, first time on Sullust?" He slid the drink over to the blonde.

[member="Kai Xanatos"]
[member="Darius"]
[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Farryn Loragwyn]

“Just grape juice? How old are you?” A voice questioned as her drink arrived.

“I’m 19 and grape juice is just unfermented wine." Sofia bluntly replied, she was not the best at conversation.

Before she could take a sip of her drink, the green man asked her a second question. “What unit are you in?”

“Echo but hopefully not for too long.” Sofia had a tendency to give short answers to questions rather than rambling on and telling people everything about herself. Although it did not seem like it, Sofia liked to dream, she just never said more than what was necessary.

Whenever something got too hard, she would dream of the brighter future that awaited her. Her dreams were not of getting married and settling down, rather she dreamt of becoming a high ranking officer in the military or taking revenge on those responsible for destroying her hometown. She was a soldier first and a woman third? Fourth? Fifth? It did not matter; her femininity was not important to her and if she had to bury it in order to show strength? Oh well.

[member="NPCs by Corey"]

 

[Nubica Felidae]

Nubica didn't recognise the face but the voice was familiar. [member="Sylvia Nuru"] she knew. "Gold 2? Or 3...or 4?" She laughed at her own ineptitude. "We flew together once. I was never any good at call-signs like that. Give me names any day. Easier to remember. At least for me."

"And Kaia. How's things?" Shaking hands was out of the question. Jedi bowed as a rule, but they were at a party for goodness sakes. A kiss could be misinterpreted - but she didn't want to appear cool. So she accepted the fact she would probably blush and she reached out and gave her a quick hug. "Glad to see we're both in one piece still."

"Looks like it's getting busier."

[member="Kaia Starchaser"]

 

[Justinian Atreides]

He'd been off visiting his sister, his nieces. Tried convincing her to bring the kids and live nearer him, but the Sliver Sanctum was closer to... home. Home, which had been subjugated by the very evils he fought against for those that needed his protection. He didn't know if any of the others were alright, his ma, his pa, but they were resourceful folk. Lorrdians were survivors. This wasn't the first time his people were under the thumb of another. That piece of history defined the people of Lorrd, changed them forever, and it was the skills developed and ingrained in the culture that were a part of his identity not only as a man, but as a pilot, a squadmate.

Speaking of squadmates, where was that wingman of his? You'd think finding a Sullustan on Sullust would be easy.

"First thing's first, where's the..." and then he spotted it, "...ah, beer."

He made his way over to the nearest bar, calling up a bottle of something standard from the 'tender, and waited while the guy took requests from a few others that were at the bar. Doc looked around again, drumming his fingers idly on the temporary bartop, until a cold one bumped against the edge of his hand. He looked back to the bar, intending to thank the 'tender, but he'd already wandered off, so he lifted the bottle in a salute, and wandered away with it in hand.

"Okay, where..." and then one pilot, two, pilot, three pilot, and "...there you are, you runt."

The rest was simple. He ambled right on over to [member="Cuan Kunn"], tipping back the bottle to take in its liquid a couple times on the way over, and tapped Cuan on the shoulder with two fingers when he got there, hoping the Sullustan wouldn't jump.

"Hey, short stack. Not terrorizing the slowboaters too much, are you?"

 

[Cuan Kunn]

He felt the finger on his back and turned away. Jedi weren’t that fun anyway. And ones that were flying transports? Well, they’d just need him to burst them from the riffraff that the galaxy could throw at them. Turning a bit slowly, he wasn’t sure just who would be behind him. Ah, Doc! Great.
“Doc! Didn’t know you were gonna be on the world long enough to be here. When do you ship out next?” For the moment, the Jedi were being ignored as Kunn was shooting the breeze with another pilot, an Igneous Slide, a dark slush with red liquid, drink in his hand. Yeah, not fruit, definitely tasted like burning.

Christmas and vomit, one of those drinks.

[member="Justinian Atreides"]

 

[Light Rises]

Echo Squad, the Arkanian nodded. “Not a bad group. What’s wrong with them?” He was going to forget he was calling her ‘kid,’ especially since there was sass there. Luke here, he didn’t know how to really deal with people. He was a soldier, he made it so people didn’t have to deal with certain groups ever again.

And he was damned good at his job. The trooper shook his head. “What brings you to the Alliance?” See? It was these types of questions that needed answering, so a person could figure out what they were fighting for, and why they were even here in the first place. Still, he took a glass, rocks glass, whiskey and tonic, on the rocks, and sipped it, giving the girl the once over.

Sniper?

[member="Sofia Annesley"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Julius had slipped in quietly, dressed unassumingly in spacers clothes and for once, his usual wit and demeanor subdued. This was not caused by some lurking depression or sadness, or anti-social bend. Instead he sat back in a corner booth, feet propped on the table leaning back with the grace and swagger that only a Corellian could manage when completely silent the only bit of his personality shining through. The dark ale, the make unknown, sat at the edge, next to a set of shots. The drink had not yet been made, but on earth it would be known as a sort of beverage similar to a boilermaker or car bomb.

But his purpose here tonight was to watch his Apprentice, @Darius. The lad had grown up in the Republic space, under a different man entirely than Julius was now. Some parts of him were still that idealistic man he had been before, when he had known the younger lad. But to be truthful, much of him had changed on the Outer Rim in his time away from the Jedi Order. Even his return to the New Jedi Order in the Alliance was uneasy. The rules, the robes, the regulations. And the obsessive, militant hate towards those even a fraction of a degree off from the Light rubbed him the wrong way.

Such radicalism, in either direction, was unhealthy and dangerous. The moral superiority, the elitism and such... They were not things he would pass on to the one he regarded as close to a son as he would ever likely have. So he had decided to see how the boy functioned on his own, and have a few drinks while the time passed. If someone joined him, that was all well and good, he wouldn't mind a chat. But he was not there, for once, to find a date or some work. Just to watch what happened really, and see who showed. If any searched the room, while his presence was not cloaked, it was definitely muddied, to the point one could not immediately identify who he was, even knowing him to the point Darius did.

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

She stood in the doorway drawing in a single deep breath. Some might ask what was she doing, bothered would think her odd and shy away, and then there were the few who would be buying her a drink.

Emerald green eyes looked around. Ok. A few familiar faces, so it was time to have a drink. She wandered over standing patiently smiling in confidence as she ordered an ale.

Ale in hand she began her favourite pastime, people watching.

Let the games begin!

 

[Farryn Loragwyn]

"I just don't care much for the squad or our sergeant, that is all," Sofia replied. It was no secret that she did not like her squad and vice versa. Her speciality was sniping but she yearned to improve on her other gun skills however, her sergeant never allowed her the opportunity.

Sofia took a sip of her drink. "Why did I join the Galactic Alliance... I joined in order to protect the innocent from the Sith is what I would like to tell people but that is only my secondary objective. I joined to find and kill the Sith or Siths involved in the destruction of my hometown and the slaughter of its residents." Her green eyes flashed with anger as she told the older soldier of her motives.

Everything she had and everything she cared about was gone and left in ruins when after she returned from her training from training with her father's friend, a highly skilled gunslinger. What she lost was something that could not be recovered but at least she was able to take revenge on the person or people responsible.

[member="NPCs by Corey"]