Galaxy's Edge Space Bar

[Terenia]

"The rebel filth is certainly not my friend," Zorish says, sighing and rubbing his temples. He can feel the alcohol beginning to manifest itself in a migraine. "And our disagreement is mere politics. Uninteresting and none of your business."

Since it seems as though the offered water has not poisoned him yet, Zorish takes another sip.

<<We should return to the ship,>> Zorish mutters inwardly. <<Sleep off this dapsen alcohol and reassess the situation.>>

<<Why?>> Tamora asks. <<I'm not sleepy.>>

<<No, you're drunk,>> Zorish snaps. <<Or at least inebriated to some extent. And this bar is playing tricks on my judgment. I should not be having idle conversation with strangers. We are here to avenge our deaths, not to strike up small talk.>>


<Yes. I have eaten sufficiently.> Efaen says, turning to follow him.

<That is a lot of trust to place in a Yeerk,> she comments mildly, after a few moments of silence. <However well-earned the reasons.> She hesitates, then presses on. <Sir, if I may inquire. I understand that you are...willing to work alongside the rebellion Yeerks and forge alliances with their kind if you see that it will benefit the overall war against the Empire. But how do you see this ending? If the rebellion does not turn on us, if they are true to their word and we win the war, do you truly think the Electorate and the People will be willing to see them live?>

She shrugs her narrow shoulders. <It is easy enough now for the rebellion to be ignored, forgotten or remain unknown to the Andalite People at large. But once the Empire is defeated they will need a new enemy. Our People are peaceful by nature, but they also hold a deep responsibility and shame for the Yeerk plague. Many will not rest until every single Yeerk is defeated.> She chooses not to mention that she counts herself among that 'many'. She is more interested in Ossanlin's take on the end of the war than another argument over her hatred for the Yeerks.

[Darth Revan]

The pilot nods understandably. Not all disagreeing parties accept or welcome mediators. The woman becomes slightly distractedly quiet. He senses the split in natures once more. One part of her wishes to stay, while the other wishes to go. The pilot looks over her, inspecting her expressions and actions. He senses only one is in control of her overt actions. What could the nature of this phenomenon be? As the controlling nature seems to be set on leaving, as well as staying guarded against conversation, the pilot found no reason to detain her from one of her wishes.

He bows his head slightly and says, "Well, I hope you sleep well." He hopes his assumptions as to her destination are enough to goad her into further conversation. If not, then at least the departing comment was as polite as he could make it.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

~Ossanlin~

Ossanlin sighs a bit as he makes his way back toward the ship-yard.  <Walk with me if you would, I feel I may be ready to begin Terenia's procedure soon.> 

He moves at an unhurried pace, no reason to gallop and waste precious energy.  <Don't center on your anxieties Efaen.  It is good to be mindful of what the future might hold, but not at the expense of the moment.  For now the rebels are friends.  I do hope that more of our peoples' eyes are opened to the fact that not all Yeerks are Imperials, and not all wish to enslave free peoples for their own personal gains.  But that is a bridge we must cross when we come to it. >  He winces to himself as he recalls some of the holos and banners on the Homeworld.  One large banner in particular...depict ing him standing in front of a legion of Warriors at the top of a hill crushing a Yeerk body under his hoof with his fist raised toward the sky in defiance comes to the forefront and he winces again.  Probably little hope that had been taken down.  Verreck had told him that Ossanlin's own name had become a scoop-known standard as the one of the  greatest Yeerk exterminators in the Galaxy.  Propaganda and falsehoods that aren't quite lies.  He grimaces...it was that status that allowed him the freedom to work with the rebellion, but at the same time he despises being at the center of such a twisted circle of almost-lies...indeed being used as a figurehead to inspire the very hatred he's trying to fight.

<You will have to learn to trust again, you know.  Some day you will need to trust again or destroy yourself with your endless suspicion.>  He doesn't elaborate or speak further.  Perhaps he'd said too much.  His thoughts were distracted by his thoughts.  Careless.  He scolds himself and puts his mind back to its proper discipline, still walking toward the shipyard.



___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________

~Rathien~

Rathien ****s his head at Salem as he seems to experience some excruciating noise.  He remains silent as he listens to Salem speak, and says nothing when the being walks off toward the bar at a faster pace, and through the door.  He slows, looking around a moment before effortlessly leaping to the roof of the bar.  He finds a comfortable spot near the top and arms his active camo again, looking around the clearing and watching the patrons come and go.

[Terenia]

Zorish's eyes narrow slightly and he pauses in sliding out of the booth.

"How do you know I'm going to sleep?" he demands, wondering if perhaps it is best to end this conversation before it begins. "That would be a relatively stupid thing to do in a place such as this, with enemies all around."


<I will be cautious, sir,> Efaen says mildly. <Trust can be earned, even if it is difficult to do so. I will not withhold trust merely for the sake of withholding it. I recognize the futility of such an act.>

She continues to follow him, both eager and reluctant to take part in the process that will make Terenia human again. <As far as focusing on the present is concerned, I feel as if that is the logic that led to the Yeerk disaster in the first place. Seerow focused only on the benefits of our initial alliance with the Yeerks. He did not stop to consider the consequences of arming a parasitic species with spaceflight and weaponry. Maybe I should not dwell on the future, but it is certainly something to be considered.>

[Darth Revan]

The pilot smiles to himself, glad his ploy had worked. He replies, "You're drunk, to such an extent that sleep, or unconsciousness, is inevitable. There's naught to do out there but return to your ship; else walk amongst the foliage where you could be ambushed easily in your current state. To properly recover, it would only make sense to return to your vessel, and sleep off your inebriation." He shifts his position into a more excitedly anticipating stance asking, "Why, what were you going to do? Jump in the lake?" His smile widens to one side after making his light-hearted joke.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

~Ossanlin~

Ossanlin nods as he listens to Efaen and allows her to finish before speaking up.  <Perhaps, but can the same argument not be made for the opposite point of view, Efaen?  I believe that Prince Seerow was too fixated on the future that he believed would come to pass.  He was blinded to the events in his present that foretold the coming disaster by his comparatively bright view of the future.  So certain was he that our relationship with the Yeerks would be beneficial, that his actions regarding them would lead both of our species into a golden age...so focused upon and blinded by that future that he did not see the obvious seeds of dissent and betrayal taking root right in front of him.>

[Terenia]

"Perhaps," Zorish says sourly, sinking back into the booth and folding his arms. Despite the fact that his host is more than twenty years old the display comes off as a bit childish - something that Zorish either doesn't notice or doesn't care about.

"I am not as drunk as you may think," he adds, pleased to note that he is only slurring his words slightly - a major improvement over his conversation with Mike. "The alcohol affects my host more thoroughly than it does me. If I were not connected to her I would be perfectly fine."


<Yes, I suppose that could be true,> Efaen allows hesitantly. <Regardless, Prince Seerow's actions were unacceptable and their consequences have shamed our people. He should have exercised more caution with a people that were not his own.>

She stretches her tail as she walks, marveling once again in the freedom of her own autonomy. She has grown almost used to it now, but every few hours it seems to strike her again that she truly is no longer a slave in her own body. The thought encourages her and she picks up her pace slightly. <I thank you, Prince Ossanlin,> she says, <for the role that you have played in my time here. I was under the assumption that I would be the vessel of that child forever. I had all but given up hope.>

[Aluminator (Kit)]

Salem looked around at the bar. He winced and glanced towards the bar as the beeps in his head suddenly jumped slightly in frequency, and frowned when he didn't see Rathien coming through the door. The hunter was quick, and, as he'd proven multiple times now, often invisible. It might be wise to find some equipment capable of seeing beyond the standard visual range.

"Y'know what'd be nice?" he whispered to Al. "A personal hologram generator."

Al laughed. He seemed to be loosening up, now that they were no longer in Rathien's immediate vicinity, "Hey, aren't you the one who always says that the trade comes first? It looks to me like Jasper's going to be able to do some pretty cool things with it, given time."

"Yeah, but... I'm so visible."

"So grab that cloak I gave you. It'll work just as well as a generator in most cases."

Salem sighed, "I feel so silly trying to use Furka crap for real purposes."

Al shrugged, "Hey, it works, doesn't it?"

Salem didn't respond. Instead, he pulled out his persona scanner and began pointing it at each of the bar patrons he didn't recognize. With each, he'd stop, and click the button on top of the device, causing it to emit a small trill. When he was done, he began clicking it at the patrons he'd already scanned, as well.

"So where're these people who need my help?" he asked, continuing to scan.

Al looked around, "Um... not seeing 'em here. They were in a hurry, I think. Maybe they left without us."

"Mmm... what'd they look like?"

"Quadruped and a green chick. Said their friend had been pulled into some kind of portal."

Salem nodded, "That's what you said. I can't exactly do anything if they're not here."

Al nodded, "Just keep an eye open. They seemed alright."

Salem laughed, "Dude, to you, everyone seems alright." He sighed again and stuck the persona scanner back in his pocket, "Well, if they're already gone, maybe they'll still be open to trading, if they ever come back alive. This seems like a silly way to lose potential custo..." he smirked at Al, "I mean friends."

[Darth Revan]

The pilot smiles at her mention that she isn't as drunk as he thought. He was about to give a retort until she mentioned a host and being connected. His eyes widened slightly at this revelation. That's what I was sensing. It really is two beings within one body.

At the moment of clarity, two new faces enter the bar, one of which begins to scan some of the patrons, including himself. He senses life only flowing from one of the beings. That can only mean that the other is some sort of mechanical being. More than likely an android with a hologram projector. It very well may be a simulacrum, however the droid is the more likely of scenarios.

He returned his full attention to the woman before him and asked excitedly, "Your host; you mean you're controlling this being's body? I've never met a parasite that had reached sentience, let alone sapience."

[KitsuneMarie]

<<Alright,>> Illim says. <<I know you're new to this whole space war thing, but just remember it's a dangerous galaxy, and you haven't landed yourself with the most powerful side. Granted, I think it's very noble of you, but for a guy who's looking for self-preservation, you might wanna play it a bit safer. Most've these folks have got guns, you know.>>


Serid shakes his head, his dark eyes narrowing behind curly hair. "What do you have to gain at all, I ask? What is the purpose of this extension of goodwill?" He folds his arms across his chest and gives Simon a level stare. "I shall desist in giving you any further information until I understand your true purpose."

[Terenia]

"Clearly I am both," he says dryly. "As is my host. My species has the ability to infest and control other beings, yes. We are fairly well-known throughout this galaxy." He takes a sip of water and considers the stranger. "Which indicates that you are not from this galaxy." The potential strikes him as intriguing.

"So tell me, then. Who are you? Where are you from?" he is beginning to see the seeds of success in his failed bar trip. A small smile of cautious optimism settles over his features.

[Chad32]

<<Sometimes I do put my foot in my mouth. <<Derrel said. He hoped this woman didn't think he was trying to be aggressive when he asked who she was. Maybe she'd just blow him off. Though she was taking her sweet time responding.


"You seem to think he-I have an ulterior motive. You think of me as an enemy because you're still at war with us. We're not your enemy. There isn't really much difference in our ideals, and the ideals of the rebels. We just happen to work within the Empire to improve it instead of working outside of it. We don't hide our intentions, even though it does make some unhappy. We don't want the Empire you're familiar with to get what they want, but we don't want the Andalites to get what they want either. Your kind would eradicate the Yeerk species for what the Council is doing. The rebels have the right idea, and deserve support."

"Maybe I'm talking to the wrong person, though. I'm sure I'll come across an actual rebel, and talk to them."

[Shenmue654]

Keshin grins wryly at Corliss. "Can't complain, can't complain. Being chased out of a Bar and nearly killed by a bunch of unrelated patrons is just Tuesday for us. Or at least it is at this Bar. How're the rebellion arrangements going? I still think you'd have to be crazy to get involved with that human-Andalite freak Terenia. How exactly did all those arrangements even happen?"

<Oh come on, Kess. Now isn' the time to vent your frustration.>

<It is too. Nothing has been going right for us and it started with this guy.>

<Didn' it start with that weird time chick Elayne?>

<Oh, don't ruin my fun.>

Keshin then raises an eyebrow at the unfamiliar patron who spoke up before Corliss. "And just what's your problem?"
***************************************************************************************************
Mar wanders toward the front door of the Bar and pushes it open, stepping inside. It looks like the bounty hunter intended to avoid him. Oh well, that would have been nice. The establishment was getting to be full again---various groups of jaded malcontents with something to prove. His presence here seemed more ridiculous with each passing moment, yet he was loathe to leave. He wondered why the Bar entity would draw another immortal to itself.

Mar sits down at one of the tables, almost slumping into position. It had been a very long, strange several weeks.

[Chad32]

"I was kind of having a conversation here, but it's ok. Go ahead." Derrel said.

[Darth Revan]

The pilot smiled and answered, "My name is Garreth Rob. I was born in the Raioballo sector, on the planet Dantooine. I was on my way from there when I was accidentally detoured to this planetoid. I suspect an interdiction field set up by the Mandalorians is what caused the anomaly that sent me here. So what exactly are you? Your host is human, that much is clear. You're a parasite, but what is your species called?"