[Day 2 - LE] The Money Shot

[Elaranu]

Ela shook her head, "Not yet. I had stuff to arrange, them a harvest festival to attend. I'll be heading back out that way tomorrow morning to check things out and move my stuff from the rental. I did check out where I was staying, and I'll admit it is not exactly to my tastes. But it will not drain my resources as much as staying here in Rygor certainly."

[Djanik]

He raised an eyebrow.

"You'll be living in the camp? I mean, you could live in the ship itself, I suppose, if it's in decent shape."

Taking another sip, he added, "I hope it is. As genial as he was, I wouldn't trust the scrap king further than his current mood swing."

[Elaranu]

"Frankly, the only thing I trust is authority. And only so much then. Especially lately... Still, he is enough of authority for me to at least extend a sliver that way. When someone is in charge of many other people, certain things tend to fall into place."

[Djanik]

Djanik contemplated that answer quietly for a moment, and then he asked, "And what if the authority is abused?"

He rubbed, absent-mindedly, at some of the bruises he had gotten earlier that day.

"Does there come a time when authority has to change?"

[Elaranu]

"That is a complex question, and one I feel many are too quick to answer. That said... I do get your point, yes; No authority should be followed unquestioningly, and responsibility is a two sided hyper-lane. Order comes first, above personal desire; Such is the way of my people. Not that I am the one who should be vocalizing, seeing as I left that behind."

She pursed her lips after taking another drink.

[Djanik]

Djanik nodded.

"It isn't a simple question, and there are no simple answers."

He gazed thoughtfully at his reflection in his drink.

"Today the Empire went from pushing me out for simply being non-human to crackdown raids that burned anyone, regardless of age, sex, or species."

Raising his glass, he gazed through it, at the distorted, hellish reflection of the bar.

"My relationship to that authority is now... unclear."

[Elaranu]

"And it may continue to be unclear. What needs to be clear is one's response."

She stared at him curiously with her red eyes, as if weighing everything he said.

[Djanik]

"Yes, and I'm still deciding what my response will be."

Setting his drink back down, the ripples scattering the reflections into a jumble of color. Looking back to Elaranu, he offered a smile.

"You have been exceedingly generous in listening to my grim thoughts. I do not wish to cast a pall over your evening, nor burden you with my troubles. If this talk grows tiresome for you, you need only say - I have been told I overthink things."

[Elaranu]

"If I had grown weary of your talling, I would have told you. What is the point of keeping things inside, after all? If anyone looks tired, that would be you. Worse for wear, I believe is the saying."

[Djanik]

"Ah, but some are too worried over politeness to speak, even when doing so would benefit all parties. I'm glad you have no such false courtesy." And that was a very sincere statement, strangely enough.

"I suppose I am tired. I tried to help keep some people from being gunned down in cold blood, and I had a house dropped on me. I'm a bit sore." That was an understatement.

With a small shrug, he added, "And now I'm pensive - pensive about a nation I once fought for, and no longer recognize."

[Elaranu]

"Politeness is weakness. Questioning... questioning is not weakness though. Give yourself time, I suppose, yes."

She leaned onto the table with her forearms, though that kind of made her skin crawl with what she'd heard, "Time and sleep can answer many questions, alongside evidence."

[Djanik]

"Evidence?"

He raised an eyebrow, and took a sip of his drink, which was fortunately strong enough to dull the worst of the pain.

"Is there any you are seeking, in particular."

[Elaranu]

She waved a hand dismissively, "Perhaps I use wrong word. I just mean keeping the eyes and ears to the open setting. As things happen, we learn more, yes? Seeking particular things... it means we have aleady made up our minds."

[Djanik]

"Very true."

He chuckled.

"If you want evidence of my tale, I can show you where the house hit me. I didn't get it's registration number though."

It was an old joke, and after making it, he wondered if it would make any sense to someone from outside the galactic core.

[Elaranu]

That got a shake of her head, "I will take your word on that. It is consistent with everything has been happening. ...I could offer to treat it, but I suspect if it was that bad you wouldn't be here this evening."

[Djanik]

He chuckled.

"I've had a fighter shot out from under me, so no, it isn't the worst I've experienced."

Another sip of his drink.

"I'll be feeling it for a while though."

Raising an eyebrow he added, "You are trained in first aid, then?"

[Elaranu]

"Of course," she said thickly with almost a scoff, "If you fly in fighter and get shot down, who else you have to rely on?"

[Djanik]

"Back then? The Fleet medical corps."

He shook his head. "In a TIE fighter? You probably didn't survive getting hit, much less the landing."

Rubbing the back of his neck, he added, "It's a good point though. I should brush up on my training - I've not done that in years."

[Elaranu]

She sat up more straight, "Is not Tie Fighter, mister hot shot. Chiss design has shields, hyperdrive. Not some disposable swarm fighter, despite collaborative design."

[Djanik]

"Ah, I meant when I was flying a TIE fighter. They started transitioning navy to them not long after the clone wars ended."

He gestured at his face.

"When I crashed mine on purpose, I got all these. Darn fighters are twice as fragile as I expected. Handled like a dream though."

[Elaranu]

"They have their purposes, yes. They could be improved though. Not without cost though. Either way, you could have gotten off much worse. Glad you were not as fragile as your ship."

[Djanik]

Yes, he was lucky.

"I appreciate the sentiment. The tundra was a different issue, but Pantorans don't mind the cold."

Taking another sip of his drink, he wondered why he had told her all of that. He didn't think he was drunk, but maybe the day had just made him reckless.

"So your... claw craft, I think it was... have shields and a hyperdrive? That must be a challenge to fit to the original TIE power supply. I assume there were upgrades?"

[Elaranu]

"Yes. Is top secret, though I did get chance to tinker with mine. Not too much of course; They did not need student wrecking experimental craft, no?"

[Djanik]

"I imagine so."

Finishing his drink, he leaned back in his chair, listening to the music.

"I wish I could get my hands on an old BTL Y-Wing. Those beasts were beautiful, unstoppable workhorses."

[Elaranu]

"Dependable is nice. I just wish they were more... elegant. I think a really great designer could come up with a better balance of dependability, speed, toughness, and firepower with the actual design. It is an inspiration to improve upon. to me."