A World of Luxury and Confusion

[James Justice]

Location: Chroma Zed
Time: Mid day

To be honest James felt out of place on luxury planets like this one. He was more used to dingy, backwater, disgusting planets like Tatoowine and the Outer Rim. He believed every man was equal and all man was good, however the looks on these rich people's faces as he walked by and the feelings he felt emanating off them, said quite the opposite. James cursed his empathy as he turned down the beach to a small cafe on the corner. It was colorful and well-lit, like a Zeltron downing urqua between two Twe'liks you couldn't miss it. James stopped at the door, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing, "What has I gotten meself into?"

Reed behind him warbled an encouragement.

James nodded, "Ye are right it's about helping people, that's why I gots into this." He patted the faithful astromech's dome, "Ye are always there for me."

The droid gave a spunky reply.

James laughed, "I am not."

He led the way into the shop.

"Ugh, what a repulsive little droid," said a voice behind James.

He whirled around and felt a wave of indignation. An over-dressed, snood of an older woman was looking down her nose at Reed, "For Force's sake you should have this thing scrapped."

James jabbed a finger in her over-priced plastic face, "Look here, schutta, that 'repulsive droid' has lived a few centuries; I am sure ye can relate cause its obvious ye has too," he paused letting the insult set in, the woman gave a howling gasp, "More over, he has seen stars and planets ye could only dream about seeing one day, and done things ye ne'er believed could happen," his voice started raising in pitch and volume. His aura in the Force bleed out righteous indignation, drawing attention and making the woman feel ashamed of what she had done, "He has saved countless lives, mine the most. If it were't for him, hundreds of thousands of the destitute would be dead and a dying, which is more than we can say for ye. He fought against tanks, warships, Sith, better programmed AI, and a world of things even I dun't know about," He gave a broad angry wave to the door, his voice had reached a full-on shout now, and his unstable temperament made the papers around him start to flutter, "So ye can take your little piece of advice and shove it where the stars don't shine."

The woman stammered twice, flabbergasted, then turned and left. Immediately, his anger was gone, replaced with the normal cheerful, charismatic energy around him. The near-human turned to find his master, patting Reed on the head, "Nothing wrong with ye, lad, dun't let her get to ye."

[member="Sophia Walsh"]

 

[Sophia Walsh]

Chroma Zed held a special place in her heart from back when she had been Viceroy over the world. It had been a short stint but her rule has begun to help shape the planet into what it was today. She had never seen it bustling with so many people as she did now. They had come a long way.

She was proud of them but Sophia herself had moved on. It was what she had to do after all that had taken place. Even now in her flowy blue dress she felt out of place. She belonged out there amongst the stars. Still this wasn't a terrible place to get to know [member="James Justice"] .

She knew the quite places they could go to get some training in. It was better than the Jedi temple at least in her eyes. She had never really fit in there and she had a felling he was different too.

This place had really flourished after she left and she could barely recognize it. She still did have her little cottage out in the country.

"Thank you for meeting me out here. Can I get you anything to drink?" Sophia smiled as she reached the cafe and took a seat across from him. Sophia was happy to be here yet a little sad to see that she didn't belong.

 

[James Justice]

James gave her a genuine, full smile. She was pretty, and the blue dress was a nice highlight to her figure and personality. Not to mention her aura in the Force felt very pleasant on his empathy.

The spacer leaned on the table, folding his hands together, "Miss, where I come from the gentleman pays for the drinks on the dates," he chuckled. He couldn't help some light flirting. It was in his nature after all.

Reed gave a reprimanding chirp.

"Oi, I dun't believe ye have meet Reed yet," James said, motioning to his astromech droid, "my friend and my co-pilot. Best droid a man could ask for and a faithful companion. We have been through a lot together, believes me/"

The yellow-painted, battered droid gave a cheerful greeting to Sophia. James had a feeling this was going to be a pretty good friendship, if he could keep himself in check.

He flagged down a waiter and ordered a hot toddy, "And whatever the lady wants, too, that is on me."

[member="Sophia Walsh"]

 

[Sophia Walsh]

She couldn't help but laugh and smile a bit as he called this a date. Date? This wasn't a date, after Turin disappeared for the last time she didn't date. It had been easier for her that way. Besides, the last person she would date would be her Padawan. That was simply not expectable as she had learned the hard way. If he wanted to pay for drinks though she wouldn't object.

"Nice to meet you Reed," she smiled brightly as Sophia reached over to give the droid a little pat on the head. She didn't have a droid as a best friend but rather a wolf whom was a sleep on the ship. Better for him to be there. He could cause nothing but trouble out here amongst the citizens.

"I'll have some Jasmine tea, thank you." She stated as she looked at the waitress. Sophia waited for the waitress to leave before speaking again. "I thought this would be a nice place for some training. The more secluded areas at least. It's better than a stuffy training room. Unless you prefer a training room." She doubted that but it was always nice to ask anyway. She wasn't a drill sergeant.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

[member="Sophia Walsh"]

James shrugged. He genuinely didn't have much of a preference either way. This was all very new to him and he--well he had no problem trusting her. "I dunno miss, really I trust ye either way. I know that ye know a lot more about this sorta thing than me," he paused as the drinks arrived and gave the waitress a flirtatious wink. When she left he resumed, "Though to tell ye the truth I dun't exactly fit in with those kinda places."

James took a sip of his drink and thought for a moment. Her aura felt good, his empathy could feel that. She was open, and not at all dark. He could live with that, but he wanted to know more about her, naturally. He fished a cigarette out of his pocket and lit up, "To tell ye the truth, I am interested in learning about ye too. I want to know who I work with, after all, it be a rule of mine. And I be sure that ye had best know a thing or two about me. So how's bout we start with the basics?"

 

[Sophia Walsh]

Sophia used to fit in places like this but since leaving maybe not so much. It was still a nice place to change and a nice change of scenery. It's different than most places but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Change of scenery is good sometimes." She lightly smiled as she took a sip of her tea as she paused to think of how to answer his next question.

"I grew up a military brat, a daughter of a long line of Navy Vets. My father was an Admiral of the Republic Navy before leaving and becoming Grand Admiral of a private organization. Flying is in my blood, I dare say I learned to fly before walking. Needless to say I followed in his footsteps. I rose to the rank of Captain before the accident." Sophia stopped there with a sigh before taking another sip of her tea. Thinking again on how to phrase things.

"I never came back from medical leave and here I am. I fly as much as I can with the alliance. Enough about me, I want to know more about you." She hated talking about herself. She rather listen to others.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James nursed his drink in his two hands as he leaned on the table, elbows planted on the edge, "Ah, well there is not too much to tell about me," he said in a show, and perhaps a sense of true humility.

He glanced at the people passing by the table. "I were born on me ship, Drunken Angel. Me grand father won it in a game of sabbaac. He were a professional gambler. Dad were raised on it, then I were raised on it. Hyperspace runs in me blood," He looked at her and grinned amused, "We have a lot in common, I'd say. I'd even put the fact ye come from military aside for that. I own a small business," the spacer chuckled at the understatement and grinned slyly. "We move freight for the good guys, and we fight where they can't. All for the common people," He made eye-contact with her for a second. He was a good gauge of women. He had made a lot of cash off gauging character, but most of his free-time had been spent in feminine company. He could see something lurking inside. The rogue in him wanted to poke it out.

"I've traveled from one of the galaxy to the other," he continued, "many a time. I've seen wonders most men only dream of. And I have been in hells that are the things of nightmares. I am sure you can relate." The spacer took a few minutes to savor his cigarette, wreathing them in a cloud of sweet nicotine. It had an intoxicating, relaxing property. He lowered his voice slightly for respect, "What were ye accident?"

[member="Sophia Walsh"]

 

[Sophia Walsh]

Sophia listened as he spoke. They were similar in their love for flying but he had always been free. She had been taught from a very early age to discipline, respect and order. She had almost been sure he had none of it but to own his own company he had to have something. If he had no discipline at all he would never get any business.

"Have something against the military?" She grinned as she took a sip of her drink. It had been a heavy part of her life where she saw many wonders of the galaxy as well as the horrors as well.

She couldn't help but sigh as she bit her lip lightly. How was she to explain all that happened? Did she even want to? Sophia had done her best to put all of that behind her. She was over it, right?

Taking a big gulp of tea Sophia sighed again before opening her mouth to form a coherent sort of answer.

"I had gone off on a solo mission. I had been instructed to scout a nearby planet. As I went to land I was shot out if the sky." She paused again for another sip. "I was taken prisoner by two Sith. I had been given time by the Navy to adjust. When I did come back everything had changed so I left."

She purposely left out Turin and what happened to him. That was her heart break and she didn't really want to share.
[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

"I has a lot against the military," he said and James took a drink from his cup pensively, "There be too many rules that get in the way of doing the right thing. There be too many things that stop the good guys from hurting the bad. They be used to hurt the good and protect the bad. I seen armies do many a bad thing, and I make a living taking care of where they fail to help the common folk. That is what we do, there be good people there, mind ye but the rules keep them from doing what is right," he paused, "It is protecting the weak that is important. And I respect ye, even if ye has that kinda background."

He felt a glimer of something as she talked about the accident. He felt it and was quite familiar with it. Heartache. Loss. The near-human knew what that felt like more than any other. He reached across the table and softly took her hand in his. His eyes locked into hers, and any sense of charismatic humor and care-freeness dropped. It was replaced with a sad, worn face. A face that had seen better days and worked with better circumstances.

"We ain't never speaking of this again," he said solemnly in a low voice, "But I were married once. Six months Le--" he stopped himself, feeling the lump rise in his throat, "She and I be together. We had a shot at a new life. I hung the freighter up and bought a proper flat to start a family with her. I were going into the merchant business, advising in investments." He swallowed, the spacer willed himself to get through this. He would say it all once, then get it over with, "then an airspeeder crashed in the building. Medics said they were high on glitterstim and drunk. That were when she died. She and my unborn--"

The pain was too much. Wracking in grief, James stood up suddenly and marched away from the table. In the Force, his agony screamed out like a beacon. It was impossible to miss. He stuffed both of his hands into his pockets, fishing for something, anything to take his mind off the pain again.

[member="Sophia Walsh"]

 

[Sophia Walsh]

Sophia had dreamed of marrying Turin and starting a family despite her having been his superior. Even after everything they had tried to patch things up but failed. She still loved him though and always would. He wasn't dead though. His heartbreak was more than anything she had ever faced. It made her torture, her lost look like child's play. What was she even supposed to say?

Sophia stayed silent in her seat for a few minutes wondering what to say to a man clearly wrapped in so much grief and depression. Before even getting up Sophia sent calming waves to him but even she knew even warm fuzzy feelings wouldn't help. She knew that from experience.

Getting up Sophia went around to where he was and without warning wrapped her arms around him a hug. It only lasted a few minutes before letting go and taking a few steps back.

"I'm sorry." She didn't want to compare the lost of her unborn to his. The was only one thing that she could really do was help him try to move forward. She couldn't bring his family back but she could help him find purpose.

"I can feel your grief, your pain. I would like to help you find peace." The bottle was a temporary fix as she well knew. If he was willing Sophia knew where to start.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

The hug genuinely surprised James. He never considered Jedi Masters the "hugging type." He had never really thought of them as blonde women either, he guessed they were full of surprises. He didn't really know how to react so the spacer stood there mutely while she hugged him--completely stunned.

But for now, these things had to go. They had to be suppressed, he couldn't let them decide who he was, he couldn't become so showered in grief he couldn't feel his way out. He had been there, he found his way out. A few--mainly the bottle. Mainly other women. Mainly finding any possible way to forget. He had even considered gliterstim to the point of buying it--and almost using it. Almost. Reed had saved him from that one. James patted the droid's dome, he had always been there when the near-human needed him.

James wiped a tear away on his jacket sleeve, willing himself to not make another, "Ye dun't need to be sorry," his words came out with a soft stream of white smoke, "I know ye can. People always seem to know what I be feeling. And I can tell what they be feeling too." He shrugged and gave an attempt at a humored smile, "A curse of being this good looking I guess?"

He knew the humor was an attempt at deflection. He knew and he was sure she knew too. But that was what he was good at--avoiding hazards, deflecting pain, and finding work arounds. It wasn't just in smuggling, it was in all of life.

[member="Sophia Walsh"]