Mr. Slender
[invalid text
Poster of the first Non-Admin Character
Posts: 290
Posts: 290
|
Post by Mr. Slender on Oct 30, 2015 23:15:48 GMT -5
Ryland knew it was way out of line, but he couldn't help but briefly wonder if the captain was coming onto him with the offer of "personal training". The active hand bit didn't help either. The major was 99.99% sure he was misreading signals, yet still dwelt on the idea longer than he should. Just like he'd done with her gender when they'd first met, he'd mostly set aside her appearance on a whole.
On closer inspection, she really was quite lovely.
"Don't mind at all, captain...." The major gingerly fired back after the candid comment and all. He was sure she wasn't really asking if he was cool with proceeding from there, so this was mostly a gesture that he was following her words closely.
That being said, he really didn't like where the conversation was going. It was plain as day that she was fishing for information, but unlike dealing with someone his rank or lower, he was obliged to tell her the truth if she asked. So far she hadn't been that blunt, but he was already starting to feel uncomfortable.
"I'm no war hero...." Ryland replied, slightly averting his eyes from her remaining one. He took a long sip of his coffee to help stall as he weighed his options from here. They weren't many. The major cleared his throat after a second long sip, just to offset the silence.
"They awarded me for blowing up a city of around 4,500 people, mostly civilians. I didn't deserve a medal for it that, but they did it."
|
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Oct 31, 2015 9:06:15 GMT -5
The looks upon the Major's face in response to Seyda's query were interesting to say the least. It was clear she'd touched a nerve immediately, which was something that in and of itself didn't bother her. There were few to no secrets on a starship, and that medal was bound to attract intention. Between the sortie on the bridge, the corridors, and the initial arrival, it was probably already the subject of rumors.
He looked down, as if the caf would provide answers. It didn't, but it gave a little bit of time to collect thoughts. Seyda was no stranger to that phenomenon. Her own caf was practically omnipresent.
Denying it was, in Seyda's experience, a good sign. The type of officer to strut about in vainglorious fashion touting himself as a hero was liable to be adored by higher-ups and the totally unitiated, and despised by everyone else. It also helped to explain precisely why he was here. If he'd accepted that adulation with suitable arrogance he'd probably already be on Coruscant in an important post.
Of course the reason he gave was strongly valid. It was nothing to be proud of. But...
"There's been many a medal issued for much worse things Major, don't be too harsh on yourself."
That was the best advice she could give on the emotional side. It was also a reality she'd been aware of since feeling the fresh pain of a missing eye and watching the Jedi Temple burning from the Republic Medical Center. There were a great many things in the Empire not to be proud of. It just didn't bear to dwell on them.
"But I would recommend not wearing the decoration unless you feel the need to constantly provide explanation. Particularly here. In such a remote posting idle curiosity is a very powerful force."
|
|
Mr. Slender
[invalid text
Poster of the first Non-Admin Character
Posts: 290
Posts: 290
|
Post by Mr. Slender on Oct 31, 2015 21:07:41 GMT -5
Ryland's admission had him sweating bullets almost as soon as he finally let the truth out. He could kick himself right now. The captain had stated moments into his new command that things were lax here, but that didn't exactly translate to shrugging off the Empire's judgement. Every officer worth his rank plaque knew better than to question the proverbial "hand that feeds you."
The sorrow and regret the major just confessed to his CO had basically been bottled up since the moment he took the shot that started all of this. He'd worn a happy mask for the sake of his livelihood since he'd docked his TIE fighter back on The Valiant, up until the faithful misstep on Eriadu that sealed his doom.
Ryland almost felt choked up by the seeming sincerity of the captain's words, yet the only outward sign out this was a grateful smirk of sorts. He was starting to get the impression he and her might be kindred spirits in more than a few ways.
"Thanks....captain. Uh, I agree." Were the only appropriate things he could think to say at that moment, and he immediately went to use his free hand to start fidgeting with his medal. Honestly, if he wouldn't be asked to wear it at formal occasions and the like from time to time, he would've spaced the damn thing a long time ago.
"Forgive me for being so bold, but I'm curious what you did to warrant commanding the Empire's undesirables..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Oct 31, 2015 21:43:16 GMT -5
The response was a little flustered. Honestly it wasn't surprising though. It was generally the best policy in the fleet to keep your mouth firmly shut, and here he was being frank with a senior officer he didn't really know. Of course the joke was on him, as she had absolutely no measure of political power in the fleet, only very good job security she planned to use until death or retirement. Not that there was a difference.
Of course in a brilliant tactical riposte, he turned the exact question around on her. It wasn't something people normally did. Far from it, people tended to ask her few questions beyond what to do, and how they should react. Most of the inquiries to her were judgment-based rather than personal.
There was a certain level of propriety dancing about in Seyda's mind. It would be rather uncouth to simply discuss her marital status and divorce, but to entirely dismiss the matter was also rude. That meant a basic half-truth would suffice.
"As you probably noticed, there aren't a great many women in the fleet. Those that are don't ordinarily receive advancement. This will be the furthest my career goes. This my legacy position, where I will continue to serve quietly, and not stir anything up."
There was a dry inflection on that last portion, drier than a summer on Tatooine, but much more amusing. It was something of her own in-joke, a quiet humorous statement that nobody would understand, but which brought a very thin smile to her lips.
The doors hissed open, and Seyda stepped out, not missing one beat.
"This is the Officer's Quarters area, yours will be substantially closer to the hangars, but recreation facilities are mostly here. The wardroom in particular will probably command attention. I try to ensure it has better food options than the standard mess."
|
|
Mr. Slender
[invalid text
Poster of the first Non-Admin Character
Posts: 290
Posts: 290
|
Post by Mr. Slender on Oct 31, 2015 22:25:17 GMT -5
Ryland more than a little like a dick for rewarding the captain's fishing into his past with a fishing trip of his own, especially after her kind words, but it did offer a satisfying catharsis. What goes around comes around. Plus, there were a hundred ways he could've made the inquiry more intrusive or offensive, and he went with one way less hurtful.
Embarassingly, sexism just wasn't one of The Empire's flaws that he thought about on a regular. He silently opposed it on general principle, but it had never crossed his mind to think of the plight his female officers went through. Just like his thoughts about civie deaths, Ryland couldn't help but feel this practice wasted so much potential.
He had seen the in action during combat yet, but had a feeling she could've made admiral easily without insecure officers snubbing her career. The major resisted saying something to the effect of "it's alright, this is a better position than most", to avoid patronize someone her genuinely respected.
Along with the sweet coffee station on the bridge, The Irresistible seemed to flaunt amenities that Ryland and the rest of the crew would've literally murdered. His old captain was definitely a bastard, and these officer's quarters were everything he could ask for. Well, he would've settled with a good table and a deck of sabacc cards to fleece the ensigns, so most of this was overkill basically.
"That shuttle I came in on had less than luxury accommodations, mainly in the food department, so I'm feeling rather ravenous for anything that's not MRE's or emergency rations. Do you mind we hold the tour for a short while, so I can fully explore the ships....culinary options?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Oct 31, 2015 22:43:48 GMT -5
It was almost amusing that he asked. A flat statement wouldn't have been remotely surprising, but he was really quite courteous. That preserved the smile that had appeared before for a few seconds longer. Yes, Captain Seyda was in a distinctly good mood, no way around it.
Her instincts told her this was a good addition to her crew, and she made a point of not questioning her instincts more than she absolutely had to.
"It's hardly a problem. Ship's time is 11-something right now, there will certainly be prepared meals available right now."
Her gloved hand gestured to the doorway, with a large Aurebesh sign above it reading 'Wardroom,' as soon as the doors hissed apart, they revealed a room that was actually quite large. There was a substantial view of starfield, some potted plants, a few extremely comfortable-looking leather chairs and sofas (black of course), and an equally large area full of tables and chairs. At the far end was a long counter with windows in it, and a board displaying in Aurebesh various meals available at the moment.
Seyda didn't delay but a moment, plucking up a tray and setting her mug onto it. Only then did she pause before the board. As was usually the case, she had to actually think about it. The stewards always did a fantastic job, in fact they were probably the best crew aboard. It was a debate over which main course to try, the fish or the meat, but in the end it was the Menkooroo-braised Brualki cutlet that won out. With 'fresh' garden salad.
Since they had no garden aboard, there was certainly some questions there about the source of the salad and just how fresh it could be three weeks out from resupply, but somehow they got by.
The Captain loaded the plate onto her tray, and advanced to the nearest source of caf, refilling her customary mug.
|
|
Mr. Slender
[invalid text
Poster of the first Non-Admin Character
Posts: 290
Posts: 290
|
Post by Mr. Slender on Oct 31, 2015 23:21:14 GMT -5
"Thank you, captain~." Ryland chimed in pleased candence he would've never thought he'd ever get to use with a superior officer a few hours back. The only praise he could give to the dry protein bars he'd been choking down during the flight was that they really did fill you up. However, it was like the delicious coffee they shared had reawakened his appetite.
While the doors we're parting the major briefly fantasized about devouring a bantha down to the last steak.
Safely out of the captain's gaze as she lead on, Ryland took a moment to raise an eyebrow and feel completely shocked that this delightfully posh room was sprawled out in front of him. The Valiant had the basic equivalent of a drab prison exercise yard in this particular area. The contrast was before startling, and his former captain dropped a few inches further down his shit list.
Ryland was feeling downright giddy as he received a tray and went over his options. All of it sounded like a pretty reasonable order to him, but his waistline would thank him for a little discretion.
As good as the cutlet the captain went with looked, he decided on some supposedly fresh grilled, Corellian farm raised Arrout fish. For sides he picked both fried tubers and a big slice of Coruscanti creme pie. After quick consideration, he grabbed a small cup of nerf stew as well.
"Any place in particular you want to sit, captain?" The major asked, while desperately trying to balance his tray, and grab a fizz drink from a sliding door refrigeration unit.
|
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Nov 1, 2015 19:04:08 GMT -5
Seyda was already moving towards a corner table. It was one of the smaller ones, with a view of the whole room and the starfield. She slid her tray onto it, and gestured to it in response to the Major's query. Of course there was still that look, the quality of glancing around. It wasn't the first time she'd seen it. No, her wardroom was substantially less spartan than many tended toward in the fleet.
"Captain's prerogative," She explained as the officer joined her. She slid into her chair neatly, and gestured with a free hand to the room. Given the decor, the space, and the general qualities of it, it was something than simply a place to eat.
"You probably haven't met many people from Empress Teta. We tend towards being a little more... Comfortable in our utilities. It improves morale of course, and I'm well within my independent authority here. Besides, after so long in service I'd like to think I'm entitled to a few comforts."
It wasn't precisely true she was entitled, but the majority of her officers hadn't served in the Clone Wars. Many of the crew hadn't even been involved in mopping up Separatist holdouts. Given that, Seyda certainly had a depth of experience that was informing her desire for a few comforts. Supposedly they were at peace now.
If they really were, it made sense to enjoy some of the hard-fought benefits thereof.
"I do realize it's unusual in the fleet," Seyda stated. "But this is an unusual posting. It's important to keep morale up so far from home."
|
|
Mr. Slender
[invalid text
Poster of the first Non-Admin Character
Posts: 290
Posts: 290
|
Post by Mr. Slender on Nov 1, 2015 20:11:37 GMT -5
Her choice of amenities was another pleasant quality that Ryland respected his new CO for. Short of Vader or Tarkin's personal Star Destroyers, he could imagine a vessel having such a nicely over engineered chow hall. Maybe a private dining room for themselves and special guests, but not for the enjoyment of even the best officers.
The Valiant's philosophy was that grunts and officers ate in similar sorroundings, just with the latter getting marginally better food. In his head he couldn't decide if this was some stupid cost saving measure, or was it an underhanded way to show that junior officers really weren't of higher importance than the grunts.
Either way, sent her to rot until he retired or not, he already loved The Irresistible a great deal already.
"You're actually the first person I've ever met from the Empress Teta. Most of the officers I've served with were either from the deep core, or from some backwater little planets. You can probably guess which ones are the senior officers and who're the juniors." The major mentioned, as he turned in his seat to take in the scenery once again, following the motion of her hand.
"I'm from Anaxes myself. It's a beautiful place, but so militarized and utilitarian in places I feel almost out of place in fine surroundings like this." He admitted, before unscrewing the cap to his fizz. While his CO spoke about the crew once more, Ryland cut into the fish filet and found it cooked to perfection. Not to dry, not too gooey.
"If you don't mind me asking, captain, how long have you been in service to The Empire?" He asked gingerly, before taking the first exquisite bite from his meal. Ryland paused in the middle to bring up something else that had been bugging him a little. "You've mentioned morale a few times, besides being pushed aside by the higher ups, do must of the crew have reasons for things to seem so bleak?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Nov 1, 2015 23:01:26 GMT -5
As Ryland talked, Seyda cut into her brualki, which was cooked slightly more medium than she cared for. It was, however, perfectly flavorful, and bites worked very well when paired with a forkful of salad. Of course the way she prepared was slow, polite, and deliberate. She had the table manners of an aristocrat, and between cutting neat pieces of the meat and careful chewing, she found time to nod in response at the proper times.
It was a little surprising he'd never met a Tetan before, after all the Deep Core and the Core were close. Maybe it meant her own home territory was being more or less stifled by the Empire. It was sadly not surprising. Seyda had been raised on multiculturalism, on the presence of multiple species, languages, foods, and cultural gains. The humanocentrism of the Empire had been highly tedious to her.
In fact it was probably the greatest root in her divorce.
Of course Pike's two excellent questions veered away from that.
"Since the formation," Seyda replied. "I attended the Anaxes War College during the Separatist Crisis, I served through the Clone Wars before there was an Empire."
It was a politically sensitive issue. However she'd really stopped caring by now. Either they purged or they didn't purge, and somehow she doubted her ex-husband's political career would take kindly to high profile difficulties with her. Morale was by far the more pressing concern.
"The Irresistible is a Victory II, these are configured for deep space long-duration missions. Currently we've been a year on tour. We won't be returning for three years more. No families are allowed on-ship by higher orders. You can see what this means."
|
|
Mr. Slender
[invalid text
Poster of the first Non-Admin Character
Posts: 290
Posts: 290
|
Post by Mr. Slender on Nov 2, 2015 22:47:39 GMT -5
Ryland's attention briefly turned to amusement at the generous size of the ingredients floating in his stew, yet hearing of his CO's earlier service set his mind back on her. He couldn't decide which was more interesting; the fact she studied on his home planet or that she was way older than he first guaged her to be. When he thought of clone wars veterans he pictured gray maned old warriors, it seemed paradoxical that she was there....
"You fought in the clone wars...." The major stated with a skeptical tone and a raised eyebrow, in a brief moment of lasped judgement. He'd originally thought the captain was maybe a year or two above him, but now really couldn't be sure. In the end it didn't matter though, she was lovely regardless.
"You must have been an exceptional student to go to the Anaxes War College. Always a pleasure to meet an alumna of the place, I haven't ran into many who have attended as well. We didn't have many arrive when with us after our regular fighter training. AWC helped sharpen us into ace material." Ryland rambled on, take brief breaks to blow on his first spoonful of stew between sentences.
The eventual bite was so tender and delectable to his flavor palate that the major inadvertantly brushed aside any feeling of pity towards his fellow crew members. That being said, he was never really the empathic type when it came to family and romantic connections. He'd been alone since before he was an adult, so being alone in the depths of space didn't seem like anything to him.
"7,000 collectively relieve stress and longing in their bunks each sleep cycle?" He fired back, almost under his breath, then busied himself cutting another slice of the Arout filet. "Doesn't the battle group have any set schedule of shore leave on a subjugated world, or a dry dock planet for resupply and the like?"
"Between battles it seems like the latter would be a necessity."
|
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Nov 3, 2015 10:26:34 GMT -5
Ah, there it was. The look of surprise, eyebrows rising, eyes a little wider, the probe to see if it was a joke. Somehow they never quite seemed to accept she'd been through the war, the length of it at that, simply because she wasn't yet old and grey. Of course if she knew anything about her own genetics, it'd be a while before either truly sank in. If anything, she'd probably look more gaunt and have a white streak or two. He could always inquire about the war if he wanted. Instead he commented on the College, and correctly divined she'd been a very good student. If an unexpected one.
"Shore leave is on a case by case basis, many of the planets are too volatile, unstable, or unwilling to play host. We don't even have a guarantee of finding habitable ones in our search radius. As to resupply, we're serviced by fleet tenders that arrive on a yearly basis. My statement of three years is our estimated drydock date. It will only come earlier if we achieve our mission requirements."
The if showed she wasn't excessively optimistic about the prospect. Best not to count the chickens before they hatch.
Seyda returned to her meal, cutting up the remaining half of the seared meat into neat bites.
"Additionally Major, yes, I did serve in the Clone Wars. One of my first large duties was coordinating the landing zone in the Battle of Brentaal IV."
Depending on how much history the Major knew, he might have been aware of the extreme difficulty of that particular engagement, and the high casualties of the landing force she'd coordinated. Vaguely she wondered what precisely they taught about the war these days, after all as an eye witness she'd confidently have said the Jedi Generals had saved the whole endeavor. The Empire was likely nowhere near so respectful of the actual facts. It was probably some human man in orbit who received the praise. That tended to be the way the Empire did things now. Worse than before if anything else.
"I'm not the kind of veteran inclined to stay quiet about the experiences, if you ever have questions, ask them. I'd rather you be able to learn something from my experience."
|
|
Mr. Slender
[invalid text
Poster of the first Non-Admin Character
Posts: 290
Posts: 290
|
Post by Mr. Slender on Nov 3, 2015 22:28:06 GMT -5
The captain was unlike any Imperial he'd ever met before, in a very good way, yet her response to shore live sounded a bit off to him. Not the part about it being an a case by case basis, but that last bit about planets being unwilling to host them. Standard imperial doctrine was to MAKE people more hospitable if they wouldn't do so on their own.
The very presence of a Star Destroyer in orbit would be reason enough for a society to roll out the red carpet. If they didn't, a few volleys of turbolaser fire seemed pretty effective for freeing up accommodations. Ryland had never condoned such horrible actions before, but The Valiant had gained a many a port's cooperation that way. It wasn't right, but strong arming did get results.
"Ah, Brentaal IV is a battle I'm only somewhat versed. We studied it even before I got a transferred to the AWC, but I only remember bits and pieces. I recall that the Seppies fed the republic false information, and that a much larger force was laying in wait when you arrived. The majority of the engagement was fought on the ground, with the aid of prisoners from the surface, with the navy providing air support." The major recited, finishing his fish within a few big bites, inbetween the bullet points.
"According to some of the older files I found, from the academy during the actual war, Jedi actually provided the edge to pull off victory." He continued softly under his breath. Even on a lax ship, he couldn't afford to risk getting ISB hearing about his passing interest in the Jedi. That was a headache he really didn't need.
"Thank you, Captain. I would like to pick your brain at a convenient time about tactics used during the period. 'The best prophet of the future is the past' after all."
After that Ryland decided to let the conversation stagnate a little, just so they could finish their meal while it was still hot. The nerf stew didn't last much longer, and the major still marveled how thick the meat and vegetables were in that small cup. It almost would've been better to pour it between bread and make a sandwich. The tubers unfortunately had gone a bit too cold for his taste, so his next dish to slay was the Coruscanti Creme pie.
The desert's composition felt so oddly light and airy, that the extremely rich flavor that bit possessed definitely seemed out of place. Ryland didn't even have pie this good at the gala dinner for the award ceremony. The caterer on Eriadu must seem like a novice compared to whatever god or goddess that governed The Irresistible's kitchens.
"This way the best meal I've had in ages, it seems."
|
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Poobah I on Nov 4, 2015 11:29:35 GMT -5
Seyda listened and waited while Pike talked, eating the rest of her meal quietly. She didn't feel the need to respond with more than nods. After all his knowledge was accurate enough, particularly his commentary delivered so quiet it was scarcely audible at all. He was quite right there, and what was more, the statement was true of a great many battles in the war. Much more than the Empire would even deign to admit. No, mythology trumped history.
The myth of the Empire was the dominant narrative now. The completely incorrect story of how only Palpatine saved the crumbling Republic through humanocentrism, and now the natural order of things was. Never mind the fact it was absolute swill.
Arguably that was the worst to be said about living through all this. She could remember everything and identify just how bad of a lie it was. It grated on her internal honesty, her ethical rigidity. Those were qualities she considered essential for an officer.
Pike switched to his pie, and Seyda devoted her full attention to caf. She sipped on it silently until her counterpart finally spoke up, pronouncing the meal as the best he'd had. That prompted a fuller than normal smile from her. It was the kind of praise she'd gladly accept for her ship, because it did tie into her personal decisions.
"Thank you, the chef was a personal hire. I took a leave during the construction of the Irresistible and spent a little time with my family. While I was there I stumbled across the chef, he was in a certain amount of Imperial difficulty, and glad to receive a graceful way out."
Seyda returned to sipping coffee. The truth of the matter was that the Chef was, in all honesty, the chef was a somewhat temperamental Arkanian, a food mad scientist as it were. The reason that Pike hadn't ever had so well in the Empire was probably excluding the majority of chefs in the galaxy.
Another win for her Tetan values.
|
|
Mr. Slender
[invalid text
Poster of the first Non-Admin Character
Posts: 290
Posts: 290
|
Post by Mr. Slender on Nov 14, 2015 15:13:49 GMT -5
The captain’s tale about her meeting the architect of their exquisite meal was enlightening, yet raised a few questions. Chief among them was if she was paying this person out of her personal salary, and if not, were they working for free or on a trade system? Another was what was the nature of their trouble with The Empire that is was light enough for a seasoned officer to let slide?
Pike still felt now wouldn’t be a good time to press the issue, so he kept quiet and held on to his amused grin. Honestly, it figured it was either a family friend or an alien. The latter would explain a lot. Back on Anaxes he noticeably remembered a lack of nonhuman staff working the restaurants he used to frequent often, as if their very presence ruined the dining experience.
While his CO finished off her coffee, the major busied himself cleaning his teeth with a toothpick. The stew was fantastic, but nerf always seemed to get lodged in his teeth. Suddenly, the carbonation from the fizz resurfaced, and Ryland quickly had to cover his mouth with a sleeve. “Excuse me.” He fired off quickly, embarrassment blatant on his face.
Even in an informal environment he drew the line at letting loose bodily functions without some apology.
“*Ahem* So…captain, I guess I’ve taken up enough of your time. I’m ready to be shone to my quarters, if there are no further areas you wish to show me at this time.” Ryland stated after composing himself. He rose from his seat after that and neatly gathered up his loose dishes. The major glanced at the captain’s dishes as well and motioned towards them with his right hand before speaking.
“May I take those for you?”
|
|
