Private Fire and Rain

[Calyx Sundrift]

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SESWENNA SECTOR
ANDRAS SYSTEM

The storm that raged overhead illuminated the forest in brief flashes, revealing shaking treetops at the mercy of the howling winds. Rain came down in sheets, turning the ground into a slick, muddy trap.

Calyx kept a fist on his rain poncho's hood, a desperate attempt to shield himself from the worst of it. The poncho was already soaked through, to the point that the clothes underneath had gone damp and heavy. There seemed to be no end to the torrent, and no limit to how far his boots could sink as he slogged through the mud.

His relief was palpable when he finally set foot on the boardwalks of the frontier village.

Well- village.

The sad collection of huts had little to offer in terms of actual civilisation. They belonged to people who'd settled near the Republic's military outposts, in hopes that soldiers stationed there, desperate for drink and company, would spend their credits at the nearest locale. The unfortunate reality was that off-world delivery services were more popular than anything the locals had to offer.

Calyx stepped through the long hanging beads and was greeted by the warmth of heaters and the smell of meat fried in month-old fat.

His gaze swept the room. The round hut held few tables, and even fewer patrons. By the time the barkeep - a spider-like Harch - scuffled his way over, a pool of water had already formed at Calyx's feet, dripping steadily from his cloak.

He threw his hood back, readjusted his eyepatch and spoke. "Whisky. Corellian, if you have it. But I'll settle for a local brew."

Katsumi Royal

 

[Katsumi Royal]

Tag: Calyx Sundrift

Being deployed here didn't feel all too different from home, the jungles of new cov were always soggy like this... And humid... And filled with bugs.

But at least this place held the one thing that the captain couldn't help but get her nose stuck into. A pub.

Seeing as it wasn't very professional to go drinking in her captain's attire, she wore a simple but loose shirt along with basic fatigue pants. Was it hard to tell she was military? No, on the surface her tags and pants gave that away easy. On a deeper level? There was something more than a grunt coming to drink, her movement and expressions carried a grander refinery with them.

But so long as the majority considered her just a boot looking for a drink, then she couldn't care less.

Taking the open seat next to Calyx she would gives the barkeep a nod.

"What he's having, but on the rocks if you will."

Kat was one of the handful that did like to spend credits at local spots, it both supported the locals as well as let her step away for a while.

The music in the air was nice, and hopefully this whiskey will go down like a fine wine.
​

 

[Calyx Sundrift]

Katsumi Royal​

Calyx peeled off his gloves, wringing the rainwater from them as the bartender turned away. He'd just started shrugging out of his sodden cloak when movement caught the edge of his vision.

A human woman had taken the stool beside him.

He met her with a sidelong glance. The pub, if it could even be called that, was all but empty. Plenty of seats along the bar sat at a respectable distance, and yet she'd chosen the one right next to his. The audacity deepened when she echoed his order with only a slight addition.

"You reckon they've got Corellian back there?" He glanced past the counter, taking in the dusty bottles. "Doesn't strike me as that kind of establishment."

Small talk, then. He'd humor her for a minute, find himself a table on his own, and disappear into a corner where no one would think to look twice. He'd come here to go unnoticed. Not to leave a trail behind him. But ignoring her outright would draw more attention than a few idle words would.

He let his gaze drift over her, slow and assessing. "You with the military, by chance? You don't strike me as a local."

 

[Katsumi Royal]

Tag: Calyx Sundrift

"Hmm... Truthfully? I don't care, so long as it hits the spot and tastes sort of correct."

The woman smirks.

"I get moved around so much that I might as well try local spots, besides... Not like mess just hands out drinks on the regular. Better to see the sights, when there are some."

She catches herself at the end, correcting that there weren't in-fact many sights to be seen around here.

"Funny part is that this place sort of reminds me of home, only slightly though. The rain, lush vegetation, and mud really do it for me. If it was too much one to one we'd be stuck in a dome."

It was rare that Katsumi missed home, but she did think about New Cov often these days. ​

"You with the military, by chance? You don't strike me as a local."

"Perhaps, why? Did you need something?"

The woman raises a brow, curious.

​

 

[Calyx Sundrift]

Katsumi Royal​

"Hmm... Truthfully? I don't care, so long as it hits the spot and tastes sort of correct."

Calyx laughed, then leaned in. "That's my standard for more than just whisky." He listened as she continued, nodding along, and interjecting only once to ask if she was with the military. Of course, that prodding immediately produced questions of its own.

He waved them away with a dismissive gesture. "No, nothing. You seem a bit out of place, is all." The jet-black hair and pale complexion made her almost as odd a presence as himself, with his golden-blond hair and eyepatch. The locals were all grizzled folk who'd clearly never enjoyed the luxuries closer to the Core. It made it easy enough to pick the military personnel out from them. Which, by his count, was just her and two others.

"Since there's a Republic base here, I just assumed." He shrugged. There wasn't anything else noteworthy that he knew of. Which brought him right to his next dilemma. "Say, do you know if there's any decent lodgings around here?" He grinned. "Or maybe a spare toothbrush in your barracks?"