Shadows of Bankor

Astin took a seat at one of the empty tables in the Bistro, waiting for his order to arrive. Lunch wasn't really a big deal to him, so he'd ordered something simple a sandwich with a small salad on the side.

A beer would be nice to go with it, but he decided on tea instead, and he took a sip of his beverage as he made himself comfortable.

Okay, so Elaranu still was not quite used to the whole concept of the base here. And being here still left her a bit... under the weather. But she had promised Zerras she would check things out, so here she was. Finding out there was a bistro just helped to add a bit of normalcy to an otherwise abnormal situation to her.

As she picked up some tea and something called a 'submarine sandwich' with a horrible play on words, she noticed a familiar face that she'd not expected to see here. Walking over to Astin's table, she stood with her tray, "I do not suppose you would care for some company."

"Not at all, Miss." He replied, picking through the list of names he had in his head and coming up blank. "Just having a bit to eat, and company tends to make a meal just that much better."

Taking a sip of tea he looked her over. "Been a while since we met, you ever find any alcohol to your liking?"

She took a seat gracefully, ''Well, not beyond what was recommended to me. I will admit to not being much of a drinker Mister Denive. That citrus thing I had was quite good though; Nice and tart."

"Thought you might like that." Ladies tended to like sweeter drinks, unless they were Dove or Mia. "Dmao how have you been?"

"Staying out of trouble?" His own meal arrived and he placed his cup of tea to the side as he arranged the tray in front of him.

"I am here, am I not the very definition of in trouble?"

She sipped her own tea after blowing on it a little.

"This is more like the prelude to trouble, you're in the pan but haven't quite jumped into the fire." His lips curled into amused smirk. "Being here does mean you haven't been staying out of trouble though."

"Mind if I ask what you did to piss off the Imps, Elaranu?" Yeah that was her name.

A shrug as she blew on her tea some more; It was quite steamy.

"I wish I knew precisely. First I was pulled aside in customs when I arrived her and interrogated. Then I am salvaging scrap and am attacked by a group of storm troopers. And from then on I am on their most wanted list, apparently. By orders of one Captain Hrugos. It baffles my mind, frankly."

"Ah." He nodded thoughtfully at that. "It's probably because you're blue, the Imperials really have a dislike of that color." At least that was Astin's best guess.

"If it's any condolences though, that Hrugos fellow got chopped into pieces."

"That is a weight off my shoulders, but little condolence. As to the color thing... what makes you say that?"

If it was a joke of sorts, she did not get it. Were the Imperials really bamboozling her people in order to get rid of their blue menace?

"Well, most of the Imperials are human, and are pretty xenophobic in general. They think they're superior to the other races and look down on em." Or at least that's what he had seen.

"Course it could also depend on who you are spending time with. Some people hit their wanted list for just having friends in the resistance."

She thought about that quietly, looking down at her uneaten salad. After a moment, she spoke up, "That seems a bit self defeating, but I get the idea behind that. One would think it best practice for a government not to make enemies of a majority of its citizens. And if they merely do not wish for them to be proper citizens, then it would be best practice to not to try to overextend themselves."

"Well, that's the thing, most of it's population is Human. The majority of the population of the galaxy is what? Seventy percent human? Though outside the Core the numbers tend to shift quite a bit." There were quite a few different species on Bankor after all.

"You're right though, that's it's not exactly wise. They are making quite a few enemies with that sort of thinking."

She looked surprised, "It is that much? Perhaps being away from the core worlds has skewed what I have seen, as you said. ...how is it that the people from one planet have spread so far? Or is there something about basic galactic history that simply does not get taught in Ascendancy space?"

"Yeah, just about." Or that was the numbers he had heard. "As for the how, I'm not too sure exactly, maybe humans just like to fornicate more then other species?"

Of course the could just be especially violent. "I mean I know my parents had twelve kids."

"Oh my. Well... I suppose at least that much does seem to fit with what I have seen of human men since I left home."

That got a laugh out of Astin. "I take it men aren't nearly as flirtatious where you're from then?" The ascendancy or some such thing?

"No, they are not. Many marriages are arranged for social good or compatibility. Dating and such is accepted, but to focus on such things is seen as selfish and dealt with accordingly; Usually a loss of position or status."

"Huh, sounds pretty boring if you ask me." Like the whole group of them didn't believe in fun.

"Curious how that affects you way out here though, do you have to worry about it when away from home?" Could be she did could be she didn't.

"Me? Not any more, no. Kind of one of the reasons I left, really. I will not say it was boring, just that it was not for me."

"Ah, they why don't you try the dating thing sometime, ot just a fling if that's to your preference. Coukl be you like it after all." Or not, but you never really knew until you tried.

"That is if ya haven't already. Much like alcohol you won't know if you like it til you try it."

She tiled her head as she set down her tea cup, really just a polysubstural space cup, cheap and easy to make.

"I suppose anything is possible... But I really have no interest in trying; No more so than most people wish to try eating live bugs. Yes, there is the slight possibility I might find things different than expectations, but not to the extent that it feels like it would be worth it. If someone just wishes to do something enjoyable or productive, that could be one thing. But tying it up with expectations beyond that just feels burdensome."

He sat back in his chaor, picking up his cup of tea. "Sounds to me you're not really open for anything long term then, but you might be interested in something where both parties were aware that then were just there to enjoy themselves for the evening, whever that may take them?"

"If that's the case I can understand that way of thinking. I don't believe my current circumstances are one's where I'd pursue a relationship either. Though I am always up for a spot of fun." He let his eyes drift across the Cafeteria, then shook his head. "Not many here share my sentiments."

She pursed her lips, "Define 'long term'; I am not sure you and I would be referring to the same things when we are talking about that.''

The woman seemed a little dense about these things, but that was likely because how she was raised. "Long term? Well to me that means a relationship with any expectations of it lasting. Dating with the idea of marriage in mind or children or something. It involves commitment."

"That make any sense to you?" He asked before picking up his sandwich and taking a bit.