Private Doorway Stall | Mathieu

[Kelsie Sylvan]

Contruum
Prime Day, 1:33 PM local time
Town of Rafton, 60km from Torian City

---

​

The weekly farmer's market was in full swing. Rafton was known for having the best produce on Contruum; given it was an agriworld, that was really saying something. The market was held primarily in an old warehouse, but the market's popularity had since allowed it to expand to a second warehouse and the grassy field behind it.

Anyone who knew the market knew there was a sort of hierarchy. It wasn't unfriendly, but it was resistant to change. The stalls within the warehouses were the senior shops; they had the best and most specialized foodstuffs. Most of their customers had their orders prepared prior. The farmers were all old and friendly, traditional family farm sort of stuff. They were good at what they did. There were parking spaces outside the warehouses for their speeders so they didn't need to go far to move their produce. The warehouse was cool and filled with natural light; a different world from the humid area outside.

The rest was a maze of stalls of varying quality, creating a snaking path to the warehouses towards the center. There they sold quite a variety of fruit, vegetables, and other things; not all of it good, but the chatter gave a certain energy to the place. Children ran through, playing between the folding tables and tents.

There was one more piece of the hierarchy, though -- the doorway stalls. Not as elite as the warehouse people that they guarded the gates to, but not part of the mess that made up the rest of the market. Their produce was varied and their prices competitive. It was the last step towards reaching the warehouse.

These spots were few; only eight, flanking each entrance to the warehouses. These were used most often by the people who went inside the warehouses to pick up their usual orders, then came out to find something extra to spice up dinner or grab something they couldn't find inside for the same price.

Today was the first day things had shifted at the market in a long while. See, Old Kore finally kicked the bucket and his kids had moved to Coruscant a long time ago. With no one to run the farm, there was no one to run the business, and with no one to run the business, there was no one filling the stall in the warehouse. It took a few days for them to find a replacement; Leanna Grinko finally moved in from her doorway stall. She pretended to be sad about Old Kore's death, even put up a little memorial for him to one side, but she was more excited to finally be in the coveted warehouse.

But that left an empty spot at the door. After much deliberation the Rafton Farmer's Market Council (yes, there really was one) decided to put Kelsie Sylvan there. The woman, despite only having lived on Contruum for a few months, had proven herself competitively-priced, friendly, and green-thumbed.

Of course, Kelsie didn't actually have a green thumb. She was just good at searching things up on the Holonet, and she got some help from the droids working her farm.

So there she was, a set of folding tables laid out under the warehouse's awning, covered in all manner of produce, having the best selling day she'd had since she made her own stall in the market. Not that she was doing it for the money. There was a brown-haired boy helping her; mostly moving things and helping out if there were too many customers.

Still, it was her that the blonde padawan met when he approached the stall. She certainly looked the part of a farmer; flannel, jeans, work boots. But there was something curious. Mysterious. Otherworldly. If he focused for a moment he'd be quick to realize he couldn't sense her in the Force.

"Hey there! What can I get you?" She spoke without the local draw; more of a Inner-Rim accent if anything. "Salthia beans, muja fruit -- oh, I think you'd like my personal blend of caf beans. Or maybe a juicemelon?"

Mathieu Brion ​

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Contruum - it was a planet which Mathieu knew of but had never really been to himself. As a lover of food, he had long looked forward to visiting one of the major agricultural worlds - while frozen foods and local produce was available on most planets, he wanted to treat himself to a meal with local products of the best quality.

Having found a free spot in the schedule to make the trip, he happily steered his freighter towards the surface of the planet, descending towards a smaller countryside spaceport. In truth, it was not much more than a collection of landing pads along with a smaller building containing the pay booth, a kiosk with magazines, hot dogs, sodas and the offer to rent a speeder. Before long, the former Mercenary was on his way towards the market in a landspeeder with plenty of storage capacity. With a hot dog in his hand, Mathieu drove along the large rolling fields, high in anticipation for the occasion.

Arriving at the same time as a few of the other guests, he soon hopped off the speeder and quickly finished up the hot dog. It was a beautiful day with blue skies, green fields and a sun shining brightly above. Consequently, not being happy seemed like a rather hard task and the people around the market underlined that fact with their cheery hollers foe people to come buy their wares along with the occasional child running around in the grass as their parents did their shopping.

Clad in jeans and a simple white t-shirt, Mathieu approached the warehouse, still blissfully unaware of the common practice to preorder food rather than to buy it directly like in most markets he had been to so far. Fortunately, the red-head's voice caught his attention and a smile soon grew on his lips "You had me at muja fruit" he said before making a slight course adjustment to arrive by her stall. "But then you mentioned caf beans" he said with rising enthusiasm "I haven't had a truly good cup of coffee since I visited Corsin." With eyes shining brightly - both from the sunshine being shot at them from an uncomfortable angle and sheer excitement, he hoped to be able to taste a cup or at least get to take in her personal blend's aroma.

Looking around the market casually and sticking his hands in his pockets, the Padawan asked "Busy day, eh? I can't imagine you guys being too fond of the heat though. It makes things go bad so much quicker" whilst shifting his focus to what she had to offer.

Kelsie Sylvan

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

"Corsin, huh? You travel much?" She turned to a large brown bag on the ground behind her, opening it up to reveal the caf beans hidden inside. She scooped up a handful of them and spun back around, holding it out to let the blonde man get a whiff. She was no connoisseur of caf beans but she'd perfected the art of adding random descriptors of the smell for people who had no idea what good caf smelled like. It had a smoky yet sweet aroma, thick and strong as an oak. "That's all you get, unless you buy some. I don't have a caf maker here. Myrtle -- she's inside, at the far end -- has one, but she probably won't like it if you bring my beans. Hers are pretty good, though."

She turned back, returning the beans to their bag. "Yeah, heat's always difficult. I used to have to switch out my produce every half hour, keep the rest in my speeder with the AC on. But here, things sell pretty quick, and the warehouses are a lot cooler than the rest of the market. You should go inside, if you need to cool down."

Kelsie was completely genuine; no point in keeping the guy around if he was too hot, or if he wanted a cup of caf. The business wasn't exactly the priority -- she was there to have fun and flex her crop. It was clear to her he wasn't a local, and she didn't want to bore him with talk about the importance of the doorway stalls.

Mathieu Brion ​

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Her question caused him too look up with his forehead furrowing lightly as his eyebrows rose. For a few moments, Mathieu considered his answer - it could be anything from short one-liner to a long winded story. "Yeah" he said, producing a meek smile. Of course, most people expected a little more than that, presumably the merchant was no different "I did Mercenary work. The galaxy is full of people who are eager to pay for a guy with a big gun." As he spoke, a sense of shame felt upon him, causing his gaze to drop again. Thankfully, the woman had turned to bring a few beans. With a new breath, he continued "I've dropped that now. They don't pay for good morals, you know?"

Leaning forth, the Padawan gave it a good whiff, taking in the aroma of her coffee beans. Soon, a smile grew on his lips - while he was no expert, these sure seemed better than the factory refined powder he was used to. "I better buy some then" With that, he pointed at one of the medium sized pouches "How much will it cost me to take a bag of that size?" The question, while somewhat awkward, was necessary. The purpose of the trip was, after all, to buy some fresh ingredients for his next few meals, not to shop for coffee and like many people of his age, budgeting was still necessary.

It was a little odd, seeing a merchant recommend their customer to go someplace else. But then, when said customer had already shown interest in buying something, giving them a recommended spot to go to afterwards might not result in the revenue loss that it otherwise might have. Letting out a simple "I'll be sure to head inside. Just wanna see what's out here before going in." Slowly but surely, a few steps would be taken. His eyes carefully scanned her wares that laid on display. Finally, he picked up a juice melon before setting it back down again in favour of another "This is one hefty melon!" he exclaimed, clearly rather interest in buying it.

Kelsie Sylvan

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

Mercenary. "Really?"

Kelsie looked more closely at the young man. He was clearly strong and fit; no doubt a soldier's physique. But that little grimace and comment about morals... if it was an act, she had her HL-27 stuffed in her jeans. Looking for the best in people was for kind people who died young. She could stay optimistic, but there was no ignoring the potential dangers. Contruum was retirement. Getting mixed up with violent folks wasn't what she wanted. Then again, she was among those violent folks.

"And what do you do now?" Still, if he had truly renounced that sort of thing, she could find a kindred spirit and some good conversation. A life killing wasn't easily escaped. She wondered if he'd come to terms with his actions yet. The moral ones always struggled the most. In the meantime, she could promote her business.

"Prices are there," she said, pointing to a simple printed piece of paper tape to the table that listed the prices for all of the food on sale. While he browsed, she started filling a brown paper bag with caf beans for him.

Mathieu Brion ​

 

[Mathieu Brion]

"Really." a shy smile spread across his lips. While he did not carry many scars to put weight behind his words not the usual equipment common among his former peers, it didn't matter. Mathieu was not interested in taking on another contract and having worked as a mercenary was hardly a point of pride to him anyways.

Thankfully, the conversation carried on. Being set on the path towards becoming a Jedi - now that was something to be proud of. Joining the order of sabre-wielding heroes that did what was good and were both beloved and respected by the people had always been something of a childhood dream. Albeit a somewhat naive one. To Mathieu, humility was a rather important trait. Naturally, presenting himself as a Jedi - the bestest of occupations - would be tricky. The novelty of it all was still there and the many high hopes and idealisations had been allowed to remain intact so far. With some initial hesitation turning into a kind of proud happiness, he said "I am a Jedi Padawan"

An affirmative nod was sent her way as she told him of the prices. The farmer had accurately guessed what he had on his mind. This could hardly be her first time in the market stall, that much was for sure. A few people soon seemed to leave the warehouse with hurried steps as others stood by its entrance with eyes glued to something inside. And then came the raised and aggressive voices. Mathieu's hand hovered towards the bin of Juice melons to put it back "Are rowdy days common here?"

The question would barely have the chance to be asked before three persons rushed out from the building, seemingly intent on escaping by a speeder that stood parked a bit away. Two of them were armed with blasters whilst the third one carried what looked like an axe. His free hand instinctively reached for his blaster but of course, he had decided to come unarmed. Resigning to the idea that they would get away with the credits they had presumably stolen, Mathieu let out a sigh. An older farmer did not appear to have the same idea, however, and reached out to stop the last robber from getting away. The former mercenary promptly let go of the good Juice melon and picked up the worse one he had held before and threw it at the criminal at the back with tremendous force, acting as additional distraction so that he wouldn't be able to harm the elderly farmer. With that, he charged at them and would proceed to tackle them to the ground.

Kelsie Sylvan

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

Jedi. Padawan, huh. She looked him up and down again. He didn't strike her as a Jedi; then again, she didn't actually know that many Jedi. Back then they were all robed and evil; now things were different. Maybe this was better than him being some bounty hunter or mercenary. She poured one more scoop into the bag. "Silver Jedi, then, yeah? Don't padawans need masters?"

Part of her wished she'd stayed attuned to the Force.

Their conversation was interrupted by his comment. No, Rafton didn't have rowdy days. The market was always civil, and quiet, and...

Robbers. Ballsy. Desperate.

There was a small crunch as the bag of beans hit the counter, a shuffle of movement, then the high-pitched spitting of a blaster pistol.

Two shots. Two dropped in the blink of an eye. The third took a bit longer; the blonde guy was in the way. It took a moment longer for her to place it properly. Kelsie leapt over the table and ran to where they'd fallen.

It was apparent that the woman running the booth at the market and the woman with the blaster were not the same. The latter was a professional. Killer. Soldier. Whatever she was, she worked quick -- she kicked away their weapons, patted them down, checked their vitals. When the blazing heat of the blaster bolts died down, two of the robbers laid cold. The other squirmed on the ground, wheezing.

"Sorry," she muttered, glancing at the Jedi.

Mathieu Brion ​

 

[Mathieu Brion]

He gave her a nod. It was a good guess, the Silver Jedi. While many different orders existed, few were as large and prominent as the one he belonged to. "I do" he said, answering her second question verbally with a pleasant smile.

***​

It had been a success. The Juice melon hit the robber straight in the face, causing him to stumble back onto a counter, giving the Padawan a chance to rush into action. Two blaster shots went off, but they came from behind me - the criminals had not even got to the point of attacking. The two robbers that got hit collapsed on the ground and before long, a third blast could be heard as the bolt soon brought down the last criminal.

Mathieu could hardly believe what had just happened and kept running towards the Merchant's victims. It would not require much checking for him to realise that only one of them had survived "Help! We need an ambulance" he hollered, hoping that someone would be able to save the guy. More people started gathering round them until someone claiming to be a veterinary stepped forth. Mathieu backed off, letting the woman do what she could in relative peace as there were more than enough people to help her when necessary.

Walking over to the Merchant, with his face telling the story of how conflicted he was, the new Padawan spoke up "How could you do that? You just killed them. Just like that." he asked, never raising his voice but still speaking in a way which could almost be seen as accusatory.

Kelsie Sylvan

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

Even over the murmur of the onlookers it felt like some sanctity had been broken at market. People had just died. Shots had been fired. Around the woman who'd fired, there was only ominous silence and wary stares.

She seemed unfettered in her work; the robbers were disarmed. When she was done she'd stepped back. There was a pause as she stared at the lifeless bodies, her eyes just as empty as theirs until the young man approached her again. She frowned. The slight accusatory tone wasn't lost on Kelsie.

"Are you going to arrest me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think you can even do that."

Kelsie shook her head. After a moment of consideration she slipped her blaster back into its concealed holster under her shirt. "Look, they did something stupid. And with how they were armed, somebody was going to get hurt. I'd think a Jedi would understand that kind of stuff."

Then again, maybe not. Jedi were weird these days.

Mathieu Brion ​

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Visible confusion spread across Mathieu's face. Arresting her did seem like a rather good idea - but then, it had not really crossed his mind until she mentioned it. A low "Well," managed to slip out but before he could continue, the woman mentioned how he probably wasn't capable. The Padawan shrugged "I suppose I can't" Both eyes shot up to right as he tried to figure our if it was indeed the case or not. Without any real conclusions, all that would be added was a brief "I think"

Visible surprise marked his face. Mathieu's eyebrows shot up before quickly falling down in a squint "But they weren't even attacking anyone. They were running away. And what if you missed and hit me or a bystander?" he asked with a voice bordering on being upset "I understand that force has to be used sometimes - but you killed them, just like that."

Kelsie Sylvan

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

Whatever 'confrontational' feelings she might've had seemed to dissipate. Her expression softened; she looked down, clasping her hands together in front of her. Those hands that felt better gripping a blaster than each other. She shook her head. "Guess I don't know any other ways."

She did, and yet, she'd pulled the trigger. Kelsie sobered and looked to the padawan. The uncertainty in him was clear to her; she might've thought naivety but in truth maturity was a subjective thing. This boy, like any other, had the potential to do anything he wanted. He just needed to find himself.

"I don't know what would've happened if I missed. Don't know what would've happened if I'd let them live. But if I regretted every time I hurt someone I wouldn't be able to sleep." Not that she slept particularly well. "In your line of work, someday, there's gonna be someone coming at you with a vibro or a saber or a blaster and you're gonna need to gut them because if you don't they're going to hurt you or someone else. And when you do, you're gonna have to live with it. Don't get hung up on the little ones."

Her eyes wandered down to the fresh corpses. She could hear the sirens in the distance, the bustling as people made way for whatever authorities were surely on their way. "It's up to you, though, I guess."

Mathieu Brion ​

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Was that doubt? Was it regret? Regardless, her answer was not quite as callous and cold as she had appeared just moments earlier. His lips formed a thin line as he shrugged before letting his gaze wander over to the bodies. It was too bad for her victims. It really was. Still, if she did regret her actions, he saw no value in weighing down on her conscience even more. And with that he produced a slight nod, recognising that she had spoken but not much more.

Then she proved him wrong. She did not regret what she had done - in fact, she seemed to believe that regret in itself may have been a flawed concept. It was hard not to let the thoughts drift. It as a mystery - what had she been up to til now that had killed one of the most human emotions there was? What did a fruit vendor have to go through in order to get such a callous view on life? The questions would remain unanswered, for he would not ask them. Instead, the Padawan continued listening.

His gaze fell as his head tilted down. He was well aware of the need to kill, at times. It was one of the reasons that he had left the life of a mercenary behind. But then, maybe it was silly to join the Jedi. Maybe they weren't capable of avoiding taking life like they were in the holovids. Looking back up at her, Mathieu nodded "Yes, sometimes, killing might be necessary." it was a grim thing to admit - but there it was. She was right. He sighed before letting out a last line "But I will still avoid it the best I can. We need to avoid it the best we can. It's just.. wrong, you know?"

The Morellian's blue eyes scanned hers for a while - he was starting to notice how weathered she appeared. Not necessarily something which showed physically, but it was as if she had lived a full life, even though she looked to be rather young to have lived a full life already. Ultimately, it did not matter - soon enough, local law enforcement would arrive and it was natural for them to be split up. After sharing his view on the events to an officer and leaving his contact details, Mathieu left the market.

/Exit/End Thread

Kelsie Sylvan