Private Foreign Place, Friendly Face

[Mathieu Brion]

Foreign Place, Friendly Face

Location: Axa, Advena Region, Geminidae​

The small freighter, burning and with more than a few loose parts made its fast decent towards the mountainous planet. Three out of its four engines were dead and the one that still survived only ran on half power with fluctuating bursts instead of running on a constant level. Inside the cockpit, Mathieu Brion frantically tried to salvage the situation but most of the controls were no longer functioning and it was becoming increasingly clear how it would all end. Still, he was paying attention to at least ten different warning signals and keeping his head cool whilst tending to them. At this point, survival was the main objective.

Despite not really knowing what to expect from the locals of the world he was crashing down, Mathieu activated the ship's distress signal and brought up an open comm channel "Mayday, mayday. This is Nubia registered freighter AM-084 Carstou. Running on one eighth of engine power and descending fast. Requesting immediate assistance." What assistance he could possibly get at this point was unknown to him but it was worth a shot.

Soon, the Carstou was relying more on gliding than its remaining engine. But unlike with a normal glider, there was nothing peaceful or majestic about Mathieu's current descent, at least not from his point of view. The landing certainly wouldn't be pretty as all he had seen and could see was mountain ranges and deep valleys. But just as he was about to give up, the ship rounded a larger mountain which brought a vast tundra into view. Although the planet seemed to be rocky in nature this was the most flat surface he had seen so far and if crashing down anywhere would save him, this was it.

With its falling altitude, the vessel floated closer and closer to the ground - almost horizontally. Thankfully, its speed had been decreasing whilst gliding and instead of flipping upon having its lowest part touch the ground, the ship slowed down even further whilst leaving a dramatic mark after it. All was not good, however, as the metallic substance at the bottom of the ship got so hot from the tremendous friction that held it back and momentum that pushed if forth that it it caught fire. While fumbling with the fire suppression system, Mathieu failed to notice a large rock that the Carstou was gliding towards at a tremendous speed still. Before he knew it, his journey came to a sudden halt as the vessel crashed into the rock.

The ship was burning, with a few scorch marks from laser cannons and with many missing parts scattered about in the trail that it had lost. Coughing from the heavy smoke buildup in the cabin, Mathieu looked around, hurting from the impact and thanking the stars that he never managed to take off his gear - for it had saved him from being impaled by a sharp beam that was sticking out from his seat. Instinctively grabbing a bag at his side, the large Morellian then proceeded to press the button to open the cabin windows to allow for a quick get-away. Much to his dismay, however, the controls were malfunctioning. Rising up, he started to push up against it but in his weakened state, it wouldn't budge and the smoke was getting more intrusive by the minute. Eventually, he fell back down on his seat and reached out with his arm for one last desperate attempt. Mathieu barely understood what was happening as the cockpit window blew away as he did - unbeknownst to him, he had used the force for the first time in his life. Desperately crawling away, he managed to get out of the cockpit before loosing consciousness.

***​

Slowly waking up in a hospital bed, Mathieu looked around with foggy eyes. For a moment, he wondered how much time had gone by, for the technology seemed to be on par with that of the core worlds - but the architecture was unlike anything he had seen before. A thought crossed his mind "Nubia?" it was the best guess he could hazard. Letting out a few grunts, he tried to enter a seated position but was struggling to do so and consequently let himself fall back down onto the bed. Looking around with slightly more sharpness to his gaze, the Mercenary soon found a button. Reaching up and clicking it, he hoped that it would be what might summon a nurse or a doctor.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

A distress signal was a rare occurrence in the mountainous planet, which waged no wars and whose pilots were trained since practically as soon as they could walk until they knew the landscape better than the back of their own hands. It was not necessary to say, then, that when the Carstou unexpectedly entered their atmosphere, dropping altitude at an impressive speed and requesting for emergency aid, all alarms went off in the command center. Action was rapidly taken, and both a paramedic and security team were put in motion as the computers calculated the approximate location and time left before the craft crash landed.

In any other planet, that would have probably been the end of it. They would reach the craft, try to assist anyone who survived, ask some standard questions and allow the event to fade, an accident and nothing more. Yet this was not true for Geminidae on a regular day, and certainly not in this current time. This has been the second event in too short a span in which an unauthorized craft entered their atmosphere and plummeted into the ground. They were on high alert, and the previous incident involving a Globex probe had only made them more distrustful. Could the accidents be related? Was there a bigger plot at play that their security forces were unable to identify?

The Relief Corps that arrived at the crash scene were able to find a sole survivor, and managed to stabilize him. After it was deemed safe for the patient, they proceeded to move him to Axa City, were he would remain for further treatment and observation at the Asclepian Medcenter. The existence of a survivor furthered the unease of the command center's administrators once they were informed. It worsened enough for them to make a call, a very peculiar call. A comm-link was picked up, and after a few words and a message being passed between a few people, Ambassador Palm-Imer was summoned to both guard the man and conduct the inquiries once he awoke.

xxx​

"Ambassador, a word please." Palm's attention was placed on the paramedic that approached her, her silence giving the indication for him to go on. "We believe the patient may be a force-user. We found the cockpit's window torn off from the ship, if that had happened during the crash he wouldn't be alive." If he was Palm would know soon enough once she reached his proximity, but the suspicions of the paramedic didn't seem far fetched based on that argument. She nodded in acknowledgement and offered a simple thank you before continuing her way through the hospital halls.

Given the urgency of the matter and the fact she was in her home-world, the gem-mask was deemed unnecessary and therefore it did not cover her face. However, her expression was already sort of cold and indifferent. But what many would assume to be her Ambassador persona, was actually something very different. These last few days had been hard on the woman. She had been sent as representative to sort some issues regarding some trading agreements with foreign enterprises. Complications took place and the negotiations extended over the course of several days. All that time she had spent almost constantly dulling her emotions and forcing her own personality to heel beneath the frigid cover of the Ambassador's facade.

Now she felt alienated. Manipulating her own personality for long periods of time was not achieved without side-effects, and they were expressing themselves as a lack of proper connection to herself. A stranger in a familiar body. The only reason she was allowed to remain in Geminidae for some days before departing again was so that she could rest and recover, a plan which was interrupted by today's events.

Once having reached the room were the injured pilot rested, she entered it and took a sit near the corner next the door. It put a comfortable amount of space between her and the man. He was indeed force-sensitive, like the paramedic had guessed, but his connection seemed unrefined and mostly untapped into. She relaxed, knowing that the chances of him being a proficient user from another Order were low. In time, he would wake up, confused and in pain as was to be expected.

"Welcome back into consciousness," she said, her voice carrying nothing other than blankness. "You are in Geminidae, in a city called Axa. This is the Asclepian Medcenter, you were brought here after your distress call was answered." As she finished speaking, a doctored entered the room having been summoned by the button. Palm remained in silence as he introduced himself and proceeded to check the stranger's vitals and ask questions such as how much pain he was feeling and if he was experiencing any form of severe disorientation or memory loss.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Suddenly, he heard someone who was already in the room. His head shot up whilst the remainder of his body remained still. Seeing the woman by the door made him feel silly as he had failed to notice her upon first waking up. She was not dressed like any nurse or doctor he had ever seen which put him at a loss as the second idea was that she might be a police officer. The theory was supported by her cold and indifferent appearance and tone.

She did not stop at welcoming him back, however, and continued speaking of where they were. Stumbling over the words, Mathieu spoke up in confusion "Ax-.. Asselp-...What?" Taking a few deep breaths, the Morellian tried to comprehend what she had just said and whispered the word he had mispronounced so miserably earlier "Asclepian" and then the one which he had completely missed "Geminidae" His gaze turned back from their blank stare to look upon the woman as the puzzle pieces fell together. But before he got the chance to speak, a doctor entered the room.

Seeing the tall man made Mathieu understand why his bed had been so spacious compared to what he would usually get back on Morellia or even on the core worlds, for he was even taller than Mathieu himself. The Doctor introduced himself as Lent-Oren and seemed to be able to strike the perfect balance between being friendly enough to encourage his patient to speak and professional enough have them speak candidly and openly. Lent-Oren begun making clear that he was going to ask a series of questions, apparently not caring too much for the woman in the room. Mathieu looked over to her - it was almost sad to see how blank and empty she seemed, but it was not something which would bring down the Mercenary. With a smile and slight shrug, he conveyed a sense of carefree innocence - which often meant that someone had nothing to hide, or knew precisely how to act to behave to get off the hook.

Soon, Lent-Oren's questions started coming at a surprisingly comfortable pace and with plenty of patience.
"Yes, my legs hit the control desk pretty hard when I landed... crashed. And my neck and back feel a bit odd, you know?"
"No, but, only when I yawn"
"A little, yeah"
"Uhm, you know, around here?"
"Yeah, exactly"
"No, no, it's not a sharp pain, more like... uh..."
"Yes!"
"No, not as far as I know"
"Yeah, of course, I'll sign off on it"

The examination didn't take long - they probably already had most of the required data and with Mathieu agreeing to sign off on sharing his medical records with them, they had all they needed. The doctor and the Mercenary thanked each other before the tall Lent-Oren took hold of the bed controls to raise the backrest and putting his patient in a seated position before leaving the room.

Silence lingered after the man had left them with only a few small noises coming from the medical equipment. With a smack of his lips, the large mercenary looked over to the woman "How's your day?" he asked, maintaining a cheerful tone as he tried to strike up conversation. But truth to be told, he didn't expect much and would hardly be surprised if she would soon commence some sort of interrogation on reckless piloting or environmental destruction. "Nice place you've got here. Spacious beds and all" he continued, hoping to bring her to a better mood before it all began.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

The Ambassador remained quiet throughout the examination, listening to bits that interested her but mostly keeping her eyes away and allowing the two as much...privacy as she could while still being seated in the room. As often happened in Geminidae thanks to the efficiency of the caste system, individuals tended to have the utmost trust in each other's capacities and so Palm did not feel any need at all to pay much of her attention to the doctor. She knew he would do his work, and that he would do it remarkably. If there was anything he considered she was concerned with knowing, he would express as much. But apparently he had found nothing worth of mention and was satisfied with the current state of his patient, so he bid the Mercenary goodbye and offered the Ambassador a respectful nod which she returned before leaving the room.

The patient seemed like a social and good-tempered guy judging by the tone in his voice and his attempt at initiating idle, friendly conversation. Usually she would have used those two words to describe herself too, and entertained his comment with a reply of her own. It made her feel even stranger that she couldn't, both because she never felt the push to and because the reply didn't seem to be able to form in her mind. She could hear and recognize his intention, but felt nothing other than the anxiety that being devoid of her own reactions provoked. And even it was not strong enough to quite reach her before its flame dimmed and disappeared. A hull of a person, running only on the decision making side of her brain that would work even if not fed the extra information that feelings and other drives besides physical experiences and observation.

"I'm glad you are comfortable," The very same blankness in her voice painted the answer for what it was in that moment: a courtesy she knew needed to be said, but didn't quite mean either. At this point Palm was simply trying to replicate her normal behavior, but it was impossible to play off in a believable way when she was locked down in what she personally referred to as the 'space between personalities'. It was a very particular one, because not even the true Ambassador persona was as devoid of feelings. Palm couldn't willingly choose to go into this state, it came out of its own volition and she had only known it in moments of extreme stress when upon trying to dim her emotions, these absolutely shut off. If it weren't for the beating heart in her chest, she might as well have been a droid.

The Ambassador stood up and silently moved the chair a bit closer to the bed, so she could be seen and heard better. Once she sat back down she adjusted her position out of habit, comfort wasn't something that really bothered her at the moment. She gave herself one more second, thinking that maybe something would change now that she needed to engage in conversation with someone else but there was nothing. "I need to ask some questions now. Although very different to the ones Doctor Lent-Oren made." However, the logical side of her brain realized that getting the answers she needed would be difficult if the man felt uncomfortable or like he was being interrogated with the hopes of accusing him of something, both options seemed like a very real possibility with the cold voice and vacant expression she held. "First, I apologize for my current disposition. Don't take it personally," If she could, Palm would have hoped her admission was enough, that he was an intuitive one and realized that her impassiveness was more nuanced than it seemed.

"I am Ambassador Palm-Imer, and you are Mathieu Brion " She said, after bringing her eyes up to the screen that had just updated his information, probably after the doctors logged in his medical records. "What brings you to this side of the galaxy, Mister Brion? Not many have affairs to attend to so deep into the Wild Space."

 

[Mathieu Brion]

In truth, it was disheartening to hear her answer. The words were kind but the way in which she said them made him think that she didn't really care. A meek line of a smile formed on on his lips - friendly but discouraged. It dawned on him that she might be the kind of officer who had already convicted him before even speaking to him. He despised the type - they were always too self-righteous to actually open up and listen to the facts of the case. He was almost tempted at speaking up and trying to get her to take a step back and give him a fair shot but ultimately concluded that it would be of no use.

Mathieu's broad shoulders fell as he let out a silent sigh - hopefully, it was done discretely enough so that she wouldn't notice when moving the chair. Giving her a knowing smile, he leaned his head to the side, almost as if to get closer to her without actually moving his body "Yeah, I get that" he said sympathetically, perhaps, foolishly still trying to make a connection with her. But then, she continued, asking him to to take it personally. The Morellian's gaze fell as her words echoed through his mind before a quiet "Yeah" escaped him. Slowly nodding, his arms rose a bit "Alright, okay, lemme just get into a better position" When he finished the sentence, Mathieu's arms shot down to the bed and were supposed to push his body backwards but the pain that emerged from it stopped him right in his tracks. With his face visibly grimacing in pain, he quickly stopped "Nevermind, let's begin"

Letting out a low and surprised "oh", Mathieu smiled and was about to speak up and tell her about his misconception in regards to who she was. But then - maybe it was something which could wait til later. It not the first time he woke up in a hospital bed where someone would immediately want to interrogate him so the fact that she knew his name was not too surprising. Instead of interrupting her, he simply nodded, confirming that he was indeed Mathieu Brion.

His face told an obvious tale of feeling awkward upon being referred to as 'Mister Brion' but it soon had a concerned streak appear as his hands started patting down his own body. Almost a bit absent-mindedly, he responded "My boss' new businesspartners wanted a contract signed in neutral space. Legal purposes, I think" Probably trusting her a bit too much and sharing what his employer would probably have preferred to keep out of a public official's ear. But then - since none of the businesses were based off of Geminidae, he would more likely be alright.

Finally determining that he could not find what he was searching for, Mathieu looked up at her with round eyes and a creeping sense of urgency "The bag. I had a bag, in the ship. I brought it with me when I, uh, you know, left it." he said, blurting it all out in just a few breaths "Can I see it?" he asked and continued without giving her the chance to respond "It wasn't destroyed or something, right?" Clearly, the Mercenary was quite concerned about the bag, even leaning forth a little and ignoring the pain that it brought.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

Palm watched as he tried to readjust himself on the bed, and although she could not bring herself to empathize with his pain, that did not mean she couldn't offer her help. "I can try to ease the pain, if you allow me to. It is not my area of expertise so I can't promise I will be of much help." She said, her voice still monotone as she lightly raised one of her hands, her fingers pointed at his body. She did not do anything immediately for he had not agreed, but she hoped the gesture was enough to indicate she meant through means of the Force. He was force-sensitive and an adult, so it was safe to assume that he had at least heard of it before. Even devoid of feelings, Palm knew she wanted to feel anxiousness at not being able to react accordingly to his words and actions, Mathieu Brion seemed like a good-natured and likable guy. But she was only met with a deep emptiness.

She nodded as he explained his boss' orders. It seemed reasonable, Palm was no stranger to those practices and had even sought neutral systems for such purposes herself under the orders of her superiors. She was readying another set of questions when the patient was suddenly startled by something. Palm looked at him with careful attention as he went on about some bag. Having not been to the crash site herself, there was not much she could offer him immediately. She could feel a dim spark of something within her, "Relax. I'll call the paramedics and have them bring in your belongings. They should have brought in anything near you that wasn't destroyed." Her tone wasn't exactly soothing and cold was a term that could still be used to describe it, but her first words held some form of emotion before it was lost again towards the end.

Palm took out her commlink and sent a message, knowing it wouldn't be long before an hospital worker or maybe one of the paramedics themselves came into the room. "What is it about the bag that has you all worried?" The question was less inquisitive than her previous one, it was more open for him to refuse answering it although of course that would inspire the distrust of the Ambassador. Whether she was asking out of reflex curiosity or because she suspected something was something Palm herself was unsure about at the moment, but assumed it to be the first.

A few moments after, the door to the room slid open and in came a young man carrying a transparent box filled with half-charred stuff. Palm stood up to take it, thanking him before he left. Then she turned to Mathieu and walked towards the bed. Careful not to place it on him, she put down the box next to him, close enough so that he didn't strain that much to look at its contents. There was something that looked like a bag there, it seemed to have hold up pretty well...hopefully the same could be said for whatever was inside.

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Looking at her with hopeful and enthusiastic eyes that quickly switched between her extended hand and her face, Mathieu couldn't help but to have a slight smile form on his lips. "You could do that?" he asked, more as an impressed statement than an actual question. The large Morellian had always been quite taken by the Jedi and the force in general - in a sense, they could be described as childhood heroes, but then, he was still quite fascinated by them til this day. Having encountered Sith in the past, he knew he was no big fan of them but felt confident that the people he was with now were not of that kind. "Sure" he said enthusiastically, looking attentively at what she would do next.

***​

It did not take long before Palm the Ambassador started to calm him down - or try at least. While her words did help, the monotonous nature of her voice and tone dampened the effect that they would have if they were just a bit less empty. Nodding to her, he let out a "Please" whilst his hands that patted himself down slowed considerably and his eyes became more fixed on her than on the room around them. While still tense, Mathieu visibly let his chest and shoulders fall as she called for his equipment to be retrieved. "It's a datapad. The datapad, you know? For the contract" he said, letting the words blur together as he tried to formulate a cohesive sentence "If it was destroyed during the crash it would all have been for nothing."

As soon as he saw her take the container from the staffer, Mathieu let out an impressed "Will you look at that" as he extended his arms to take it when she arrived with it. "Most people your size would've struggled a bit more carrying this thing around" he said as his hand brushed his heavy repeater away and reached in between the full set of heavy armour which laid inside. It was all a bit worse for wear, but it still looked functional. Letting out a small "Ah", Mathieu made quite a bit of effort in pulling out the bag he had taken on before trying to leave the ship before. He looked up for a moment, and threw a nervous glance at her before returning his attention to the bag. Slowly opening it, he brushed past a pack of stims and a box of sandwiches before pulling out a couple datapads.

Discarding one, Mathieu pulled turned on the other, causing it to display a large body of text. Not caring much for it, he quickly scrolled down to the bottom to find the signature of the other party "Still there" he said, leaning back with a satisfied smile "Thanks for, uh, letting me put my mind at ease before continuing, you know, the talk" he said, not keen on calling it an interrogation before it had actually become one. Setting down the container on the floor, Mathieu put the datapads back in the backpack. "I'd offer you a bite" he said, looking down at the box with the sandwiches, not thinking of the fact that she couldn't see what he was referring to "But I don't know for long I've been here. They might've gone bad"

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

Not being able to have a desired effect on others was...strange to her. Palm was not a manipulative being, at least not most of the time, but she had intended to soothe the man's nerves and clearly her words hadn't cut it. She then became all the more aware of the stiffness of her posture, the blankness of her voice and the harsh coldness of her expression. It felt like being restrained and hidden within a cell made of her own flesh and bone, and finally one feeling was strong enough to simmer weakly within her chest: distress. Even if it was not a nice one, she embraced it. Sadly the only way to combat this alienated state was through the aid of dark feelings.

She could understand his nervousness now that it was explained. At first she had suspected he might have been fretting over some personal belonging of sentimental value, but the datapad containing his contract was not an insufficient reason to get tense about. No one would want to risk their lives for, well, nothing. Such would be his case if he had no proof to vouch for his services. That's why her eyes remained docked on the box as he began his search within it. His words caught her attention, and normally she would have chuckled or at least smiled at them, "Racial trait. We are strong people," Her wording was informal, but her tone made it seem as though her phrase belonged in an academical paper meant to be read by serious and probably boring people. "Also, once you are up again I'd suggest not going near any windows if you don't deal well with heights." It was a fair warning, he had no idea they were many, many meters above ground right now. Hell, he probably wouldn't even be able to breathe without a mask if it weren't for the enviro filters inside the buildings.

Although she certainly did take the chance to see and investigate his belongings, she made no comment about them. Finally, he grabbed a datapad that looked like it displayed something akin to a contract in it. After reaching the end of it, relief seemed to flood him. Palm attempted to smile, but nothing except a sad excuse of a diminutive curve moved her lips. "That's the least I could do given I'm such sour company at the moment. I'm glad that your contract is safe," She said, although the dejected melancholy behind her amber eyes contrasted heavily against the message of her words. Her head fell slightly to one side as he offered her a bite of...something. She leaned a bit towards the box so she could see what he was talking about, and her eyes widened slightly as she caught sight of the sandwich box. "I'm good, thanks. I prefer my food fresh and without metal scraps if possible, anyways," An attempt at a joke. A failed one, but an attempt nonetheless. She feared she had sounded rude, but this was well beyond her control.

Once that was settled, Palm exhaled through her nose as she adjusted her position once again and raised her hand towards him again. "As I said, this is not my strong suit but I'll do what I can," Hopefully it'd help with the pain a bit, she doubted the doctors would agree to put him on more medication than he was right now. Palm closed her eyes and allowed the comforting surge of the Force to flow through her, concentrating on its movement and bidding it to take effect over Mathieu's body, to mend what damage it could but primarily to soothe his discomfort. When she was done, she opened her eyes and lowered her hand, setting her gaze on the mercenary.

It was finally time to continue with the questions, so after giving him a moment her voice was heard once more, "What happened that caused your ship to come down, Mathieu?" She asked, remembering not to call him Mister again as it seemed to have disconcerted him the first time around.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Mathieu reflected on what she had said about not looking out the windows. He was not afraid of heights but it did seem like an odd remark regardless. Thinking nothing more of it, he was quickly brought back into the conversation as she expressed how glad she was that the contract was safe. But seeing her weak smile and empty eyes soured the impression her words produced as it seemed like she was only feigning friendship. Mathieu always wanted to be friendly with people, but her blankness did go a fair way to drain him of that energy. Still, for now he would keep it up, smiling and thanking her again.

While the following words coming out of her mouth would have been comical if said with a matching tone, they now just came across as insulting. But with a soft shake of the head and a barely audible chuckle, the large Morellian spoke "I would offer you a sandwich" said, clarifying his words from before when he might have mumbled or not spoken sufficiently clear. Continuing with a jestful smile, he spoke with a sarcastic tone "But if you don't like metal sandwiches, I'm afraid I don't have anything to offer anyways. You know, I'm of a strong species" he joked, referring back to her earlier words. It was clear that he was now back to a much more happy and lighthearted state than when he was worrying about where the contract was.

Calming down and taking a few heavy breaths, he looked at her with a sense of excitement as he had an idea of what would happen next. She would be using the force. "Okay, I'm ready" he said, looking at her with anticipation. While her actions to make the pain go away were subtle and far from flashy, he was still just as impressed "Wow" he said with a low voice "I feel like I just had a good workout" he continued, as the pain was completely gone. "You were being humble before, weren't you? That worked wonders. Thanks."

"Oh boy" he said upon being asked why the ship crashed. He had been shot down by a party whom really did not want to see the deal he was getting the signature for for his boss come to fruition. The Mercenary had recognised the ship that shot him down as one belonging to a powerful business rival of his current employer. Not being clear-minded enough to tell the story from start to finish, he begun "Well, my engine power was out, my stabilisers were on fire, half the controls didn't work and neither did my long-range communications array. The landing gear was stuck - wait, that's not a reason, sorry. But the power coupling to the fluctuator was fried" Rambling on about the malfunctions of the ship, Mathieu only really covered what had happened moments before crashing down on the surface "I was lucky that you guys were around, weren't I? I guess you received my distress signal then?"

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

Even if she could not properly react to it, Palm could still see the effect that her coldness had on him. Objectively she could understand him, had they switched places she would even be angry with him at this point. Mathieu must have had an incredible patience, or maybe his good-nature was even stronger than what she had been able to witness so far. That was lucky for her, but it also increased her distaste at being unable to bring herself to stop being unkind. A small spark of guilt joined her distress, circling like a little candle flame around a big lump of numbness. Once more, she tried to force a smile at his jest, hoping that maybe if she faked enough the dam that was holding away her emotions would break.

She was genuinely surprised to see she had managed to relieve his pain fully. Palm could think of a lot of friends and mentors who would have been able to do a lot more for him in this state, but even then that small victory was very welcome. "I really wasn't being humble, someone more experienced in healing would probably have you walking out of here at a moment's notice." With great effort she got her tone to be a bit softer, not wanting to be dismissive of his praise. "Its good to know it helped, though."

His thoughts seemed to be a bit scattered as he answered her question. Had it been someone different, Palm maybe would have thought they were trying to lead her astray but she didn't believe this to be the case. He didn't seem like a dishonest person - and he had just woken up from a massive accident. No, she would not make such judgement of Mathieu. Instead, she patiently waited for him to finish his retelling of the many things that had gone wrong with his ship even if he failed to point out the reason why all that had happened. This was one of the very few benefits of this state, tolerance came easy when nothing made you feel much.

Palm offered a single, firm nod at his last statement. He really had no idea how lucky he had been. "Well, if we hadn't received that distress signal and you had entered our orbit in another region, just a few several kilometres to your left, an orbital cannon would have blown you to pieces before you even crash landed so yeah, the Force must really want you alive." Once again, she failed to measure the tone of her cold words which had been meant as a friendly comment. Upon this realization, she averted her eyes for a moment in slight regret adding to the small harrowing bundle of dampened feelings that was slowly building within her. She wanted to apologize, but what good would that do when it would also sound fake and condescending?

Still, she forced herself to do it. Worst case, he would dismiss her apology but at least she'd had the knowledge she had tried when her emotions came back and she was forced to properly sit with the bitterness of coming across as spiteful to a perfectly nice person. "Please ignore my tone, I truly mean no offense. I'm just...not myself today." It was the best she could do, and hopefully it'd be enough. Her regret and her own discomfort and apprehension at her current state reached her eyes for a moment, before disappearing again.

Not wanting to sit on those thoughts any longer, Palm allowed a few moments to pass so that they could both settle their minds before speaking again. "That sounds like too many failures at once to appear out of nowhere. Did you have trouble coming out of hyperspace? Where you attacked?" She asked, that was a very real possibility seeing as how he was a mercenary.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

They finally had something which somewhat resembled a good interaction as she showed a more sincere side upon being praised for her healing touch - even if it consisted of the Ambassador selling herself short. But as quickly as the betterment had appeared, Palm made it disappear again at an extraordinary pace as the next words she uttered were, once again, cold and monotone and this time, regarding how he could have died no less. Letting out a tired sigh, he crossed his arms, let his gaze fall down and shook his head. The woman was being absolutely impossible to deal with. Still, he just let out a low "I suppose"

She asked him to ignore her tone. It was a preposterous ask of her to make seeing as it was a rather central part of communication which anyone he knew would be hard pressed to fully ignored - especially when the tone was cold and empty rather than friendly or even neutral. "That's easier said than done, you know" he replied with a strong voice. It was not confrontative, far from it, but it was blunt and honest. While he tried to stay pleasant, he also did not want to lie to her and when she asked for him to do what he could not, few moments passed before he noted that it would be hard.

Silence ensued for some time. Mathieu felt awkward - her people had just saved him and she had just eased his pain, yet he snapped at her anyways. And the silence only made it worse. It was only a matter of time before he blurted out a quick "I'm sorry if I spoke harshly" whilst letting his arms fall from his chest before she had even managed to ask about the ship. Letting out yet another sigh, he tried to explain himself "It's just that you've been so cold to me and I don't know what I did wrong. I get that you might've had a tough day and all, but man - couldn't they find a substitute?"

If she managed to get a question off, the Mercenary would be happy to respond. Apologising "Oh, I'm sorry" and letting out a lighthearted laugh before explaining "Some guy, he was working for a business rival of my boss, was there to cut the meeting short. Lucky that we had met up early or the contract would never have been signed." He spoke with a sense of excitement and adventure - he was alive after all. "But then, she did get in a few good hits on me, that blasted little thug has a good aim, I'll give her that" he said, speaking to the Ambassador as if they had known each other for years.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

She accepted the harshness of his own reply, not only because there was no way that anything he did could truly offend her at the moment but simply because she knew she deserved it. It wasn't a lie that she was not trying to upset him or treat him unkindly on purpose, but no one could be blamed for not believing her when every tone and expression emanating from her suggested the contrary. A part of her was ready to accept that no friends would be made today; the other, silenced by the wall that had formed within her, refused to allow her problem to burden someone else. She'd had every intention of locking herself in her chambers and not surfacing again until she felt better...or anything at all, but orders had been issued. Palm was nothing if not disciplined and devout to her work.

"Don't apologize, you did nothing wrong." She reassured, her shoulders drooping slightly. That maybe the first change to her stiff posture since they began their conversation, but maybe it had been too slight for Mathieu to notice. "Trust me, if there was anyone else I'd be the first to drag them in here to replace me. I take no enjoyment out of treating you harshly, I just-" She paused, both surprised at her own rambling and unable to find the right words. "I can't control it right now. I can't feel." Her last word was tainted with something akin to anguish, vanishing soon after it was said. She knew her words would probably cause more confusion than clarity, she didn't expect him to know what she was talking about. Very few people were aware of the geminaie's ability to manipulate their own personalities, and even fewer were aware that this was more a curse than a blessing.

She appreciated the silence that followed, even if awkward. She was grinding her thoughts trying to find a better way to express a proper apology, while at the same time keeping her focus on the reason that had put her in this situation in the first place. Her questions. Truth was she didn't really believe there were any ulterior purposes or secrets being kept. An accident in Wild Space, another of the very many that happened. Her report would put the authorities at ease, and Mathieu would no longer have to bare her jarring self. A weak spark of amusement fleeted through her as she observed the way in which he recounted the events. As if he was proud and excited about having another interesting story to tell, no matter he had almost died.

Palm did not mind his informality in the slightest. Protocol was her second skin but her true nature was extremely laid-back, couldn't care less about how people called her so long as they meant well. And if her judgement wasn't wrong, which it rarely was, Mathieu Brion wasn't an ill-willed person at all. If anything, it was her that had come across as that so far. "I see. Well, your story checks out with the surveillance of our satellites. I only have one more question to ask and then I'll stop bothering you," Cold, again, but there was enough of a tone in there for him to realize she did not mean it sarcastically. She recognized she was being difficult and did not want to impose anymore on his own mood. "This contract of yours. Was it anything illegal? Just so you know, you were out of our jurisdiction when it happened so no one can arrest you. We'd just like to know if we need to keep our eyes out for suspicious activity near our system."

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Putting a finger on it was impossible - there was no way he could pinpoint what it was that had changed - but for some reason, the Ambassador seemed to soften. There was no radical change and the feeling of finally breaking through a hard shell to find a soft and lovely core was not there. If anything, this was but a crack in the armour - a sliver of a hole which showed that something might be underneath. It was not a moment of redemption for her bud it did provide him with a sense of hope that she might not be as horrible as she seemed.

It was odd - her excuse. The woman, while using all the right words, had managed to convey a cold sense of dry sarcasm and nonchalance towards him so far. What was odd was that, even when her words often seemed right, she now, for a second time, spoke of how she lacked control or not being herself. And this time, he seemed to be able to hear a slight hint of anguish in her voice. With the tender feeling of reconciling after a fight, the large Morellian wanted to bring her in for a hug and even raised his arm a few decimetres before letting it fall down again. This was hardly the setting for any such thing - while he felt pity for her at the moment, she had done a good job in setting a cold, formal and impersonal tone. Instead, he just said "I hope you'll get better" with a meek smile and kind eyes.

And then, she was back to normal. To the young Mercenary, it almost felt as if she had become another person or at least mended the crack in her shell. But now that he had some hope, he was back to where they started. Empathetic, patient and friendly. Looking at her a few moments, he remained silent when she stated that she had one more question. Eventually, a small smile formed and nodded whilst saying "Shoot" as if welcoming the question.

It was a highly uncomfortable question as the contract was a business-related issue between his boss and the business partner. Often times, things in the contracts were meant to be kept secret - especially the ones which had to be conducted outside of any government's territory. Fortunately for Mathieu, he could answer honestly without risking anything "Not as far as I know" It was the truth, but of course, he had not even read the contract more than to skim past a few words and provide a spot for the business partner to sign on and even if he had read it, it was quite likely that he would have failed to spot any illegal paragraphs anyways.

During normal circumstances, the Mercenary would have wanted to help the authorities to at least put their minds at ease if he could. But the Ambassador had not done anything to earn his favour and with that, he shrugged "I never read it. I'm just the courier" And with that, he clasped his hands over his abdomen and playfully allowed his eyebrows to rise "Soooo, how's the hospital food over here?"

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

A though crossed the back of her mind, she really wished he had been awful. It would have been very easy to forgive herself for treating him like some indifferent, condescending, cold and rude jerk if he was an equally insufferable person. But this was not the case, he seemed to have one of the better tempers she had ever come across since leaving Geminidae. Patient, kind. Palm would remember this day, as the day she met a perfectly nice mercenary. The oxymoron of it was not lost on her, but the amusement that the idea would have provoked didn't make it past her inability to react to it and the fact that she was too occupied trying to beat herself down for acting the way she was towards him.

He answered her question, and once again Palm didn't pick up any deception from him. The answer was vague, he wasn't exactly denying that something illegal was contemplated in the contract, but she decided to trust him and would not press him more on the matter. He'd had every right to deny her any answer at all, so Palm would take what was given and work with that. If any shady business was taking place near the Consors system, it wouldn't be long until they discovered it anyways. The few who knew them often regarded the geminaie as too guarded and suspicious, and even then Palm still felt like they underestimated how thorough they were when it came to security and surveillance.

She nodded slightly at his question, the thought of food apparently eliciting some kind of positive reaction in her even if mild. "Food's good, really good." The geminaie couldn't eat the processed, synthetic stuff of dubious origin that most people seemed to devour like starving beasts in other systems. Fresh meat, natural vegetables, good fruit...Yeah, was healthier and, in her opinion, tasted better too. She raised her hand to the screen that had Mathieu's information, and after tapping on it for a bit she looked at Mathieu again, "They'll bring your food here. I'll leave and let you rest now." She said, turning around and walking towards the chair to pick up the jacket that she had discarded there when he was still unconsious. However, before turning towards the door, she settled her eyes once more on him. "Again, I'm sorry." Even if I don't sound like it.

XxXxX
​

A day had gone by since last she had left Mathieu on the hospital and finally retired to the darkness and silence of her chambers. As she had originally intended, Palm didn't surface again and spent many hours in deep meditation. The Force had always been a comfort, and through it she had managed to break free of the clutches of impassivity that had forced her down. She was feeling, which meant she was better. However, this supposed "rest" she had been granted, allowed to remain for a few weeks back home, had not been much of a rest at all. If anything she was insanely tired, emotionally more than physically.

But even tiredness was better than nothing. She had been awake for only an hour or two when her commlink alerted her of an incoming call. Mathieu was being discharged from the hospital, and so it was once again her task to guard the stranger. She grimaced at the thought, the memory of yesterday very fresh and now with the full impact of her regret and shame. Better start thinking up a proper apology now, the guy was stuck with her for as long as he remained in Geminidae, or at least until his visitor permit got approved or another Ambassador was up for the task. Any soldier could act as a guard and guide really, but she had long since accepted that geminian authorities liked to flaunt their Ambassadors whenever they could. Meant more work for her.

Not too long after, she was ready and on her way to the hospital. Upon her arrival one of the nurses showed her to the room were Mathieu waited. She took in a breath and sighed before crossing the door, her eyes quickly searching for him. This time they weren't blank and void, but rather alert, bright and clearly uncomfortable. That is, until she felt herself adjusting to her current reality and her nervousness and lack of words we replaced with clarity and calmness. Yes, this was the emotional control she was thankful for. "Goodmorning, Mathieu." She spoke, her voice softer and warm, a small and friendly but slightly hesitant smile on her lips.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

A good night's sleep, a full belly and whatever treatment they put him through - it all contributed to Mathieu feeling pretty good the following morning. Palm's force trick might also have helped but in that regard, he had no idea of what effect it actually had. For all he knew, it might just have been a placebo effect playing tricks on him. The large Morellian had slipped away from his bed earlier during the morning already - visiting the bathroom and and taking a leisurely stroll to the vending machine at the lobby. He had hoped to get a proper workout going but failed in finding any equipment to help him along with it. Instead, he took a seat by the window frame where he looked down into the depths of the cave whilst eating.

After a while, a very familiar voice could be heard. Something was off about it - something was different. Still, from just hearing two words, it was hard for him to pinpoint. Putting down his food, Mathieu quickly rose from his seat at the windowsill "Palm!" he exclaimed, apparently enthusiastic about seeing her again. In truth, he felt like he was just about to throw himself into a brick wall - but he had met so many nice nurses and doctors since her departure last night that the bad impression she had given him had started to fade. Besides, he was not one to keep a 'grudge' for long anyways.

Approaching her with a smile, the large Mercenary once again had his arms starting to rise for a hug but similarly to the previous time the thought had entered his mind, they quickly fell down again. Clasping his hands behind his back, Mathieu approached her and begun with a friendly "Good morning" He was going to continue but something about her seemed off. The blank look she had yesterday was no longer there and for some reason, she just seemed a bit more alive. "I didn't expect to see you here again" he said before pointing at the chair she used yesterday, inviting her to take a seat.

Walking back to the window, Mathieu grabbed the food he had bought from the vending machine earlier. Already having eaten one, it still contained three wraps. A number which would be reduced to two as he grabbed another one. Walking over to her, the Morellian held out the container "Want one? Never had this kind of high quality food from a vending machine before" he said cheerfully before taking a bite from his wrap.

With a smile, he looked down at her "They're letting me leave the hospital today, even helped me get my hands on a breath mask" he said before looking at her with a hint of carefulness "So, are you here to make sure that I don't destroy more stuff on your planet?"

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

Surprise didn't quite cut it to describe how she felt when the mercenary greeted her so warmly. A slight frown crossed her features as she did a double-take, fearing she might be going crazy and had mistaken his tone and words. But no, he was indeed being as warm and welcoming as ever, many would even say he seemed exited about seeing her again. For a moment she though he was going to hug her, but the initiating gesture disappeared as fast as it had formed. She would have had no objections against it, although it would have been quite out of the ordinary. The geminaie were very open people, with little to hold them back in the form of shame, modesty or ingrained social protocols. They did what felt right as long as they didn't impose on others, it was an easier way to live.

"I'm in charge of keeping an eye on you until the authorities feel comfortable enough to leave you be," She said, her tone neutral but friendly, well-humored. A stark contrast to yesterday. "My report last night said surveillance wasn't required but they chose not to listen. They are even more pesky than the Doctors in that regard." She jested, knowing that if Mathieu was going to be discharged today it probably meant he could have left the hospital the night before. Geminian doctors had a habit of keeping you in for a few more hours just for good measure. "So I'm afraid you are still stuck with me." Her last words did carry on a bit of her apprehension, still not truly believing that he didn't hold any form of resentment against her for the previous day.

The small smile that had been on her lips stretched out into a wider one when he offered to share his food. "Thanks, I've already had breakfast." She said, politely declining the offer. Plus, with his build he definitely needed to get his fill in food. Any geminaie could relate to that struggle, maybe they didn't have the tone or definition to show for it but their bodies were picky and demanding machines when it came to nourishment. His last comment earned him a chuckle from the Ambassador, her honeyed eyes setting on his with an amused spark. "Exactly, that's pretty much it. Adult babysitting, if you may." She crossed her arms in front of her chest as she finished her joke. Palm's whole posture was different, relaxed and laid-back instead of straight and too perfect to be natural.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

By the stars, what was going on? Mathieu was completely taken by surprise as the familiar voice from yesterday sounded friendly and pleasant. He was visibly confused with his jaw falling a few centimetres to open his mouth slightly. "Yeah" he mumbled absent-mindedly as she told him that she was going to keep an eye on him for some time. Blinking hard, he took another look at her, wondering if it could really be the same person who he had been interacting with yesterday. Giving her nods and quiet mhms, he barely paid any attention to what she said, saving it for his mind to process at some other point.

For a moment, the large Morellian glanced over to his blaster pistol - it was out of reach - but he could reach it quick enough if he needed to. Something wasn't right about this all, for the current person he was speaking to could hardly be the same 'Palm' whom he had met the day before. Still, he managed to return to what was somewhat normal at least, and still asked if she wanted a sandwich. Whoever this person was, she had been allowed to enter the hospital and enter his room which indicated that he would be wise to not make any aggressive moves against her. And then of course, it might still be Palm - but how could it be? They seemed like two diametrically different people, especially now that she was joking too.

Mathieu did not laugh at her joke for he had finally mustered the courage to confront her on the matter. The Morellian held up both hands at the same level as his stomach with his palms facing downwards to slow down for a second. Looking at her intently, he waited until she got the signal and gave him room to speak. He had no idea of how strong the Geminaie were, so he still carried much confidence in his capacity to disarm her and hold her down if something were to happen - no blasters were needed. And with that, his question came with a blunt yet honest delivery "Who are you?" he asked, looking at her for a few moments. Looking down at her with apprehensive eyes, he continued "Because, last time 'we' spoke, which was yesterday, you were more cold to me than a harsh gust on Hoth."

The Mercenary knew how to make himself more intimidating and how to press someone for an answer - he had done it many times at work before. But that was not his goal now. Instead, he looked at her with a frowned belonging to someone who had been wronged and insulted. "'You' may have had a bad day yesterday, but nobody changes that much" he said, finally stopping to see what she had to say about the matter. Naturally keeping a steady tone, remaining as civil as he could. The situation was ironic - he had been patient and nice when she only treated her with coldness yesterday, and now when she was soft and mellow, he was suspicious and upset.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

She just couldn't get this one right, could she? This was definitely outside of her field. Palm had never in her life, been unable to handle a social situation, and certainly never as poorly as this one. Judging from the day before, she thought that his laid-back and gentle nature would lead him to let her change in behavior slip, or at least seek an explanation in a friendly, maybe even curious manner. Totally wrong of course, the distrust she saw in his eyes was something she had only ever seen in one place: Nar Shaddaa, where everyone went about their daily lives knowing that anyone, for whatever reason, could jump them any second. And in this scenario, she was the one suspected of being an assailant.

His distrust was not unwarranted, Palm understood this and therefore could hold nothing against Mathieu. 'People don't change' seemed to be a popular belief in the galaxy after all. They had definitely never visited her homeworld. A sigh escaped her, and her eyes fell to the floor as she searched for the right words. There was no easy way to put it, she had already failed to explain this correctly to someone in the past. It had led to quite an uncomfortable situation. It was something Palm would rather avoid, but then again she didn't know if she could. After a moment of silence her gaze returned to the meet the mercenary's, an explanation was owed now. She had treated him badly, and although he seemed to have forgiven her for it, she was not so easy on herself.

"I am the same person as yesterday, as difficult as that is to believe," She began, taking the sit he had offered moments before. From this position, she was less of a threat. Her deciding to sit down was just a subconsuois way of showing she meant no harm. "Yesterday I was...out of touch. I meant it when I said I couldn't feel. I couldn't feel a thing at all, coldness is the only thing that's left when everything is numb." And then it was time to explain the difficult part. The one that seemed to scare all who weren't geminaie. "My people, we can change a lot. Our behavior, our personality...we have a say in it. But it doesn't come without its drawbacks. What happened yesterday was that. I had to numb myself for a long time, prior to our meeting. I could not take it and so everything shut down, I was...cut off." She was really going to avoid having to have this talk ever again. Palm chose her words carefully, and hoped they would be enough but there was no certainty. People shunned that which they did not understand too easily, she was guilty of this herself.

Before he replied Palm's voice filled the silence once more, "I did not mean to be unkind or insensitive towards you. And I tried to correct it, but I couldn't." She wasn't prideful or egocentric and yet admitting failure was always something difficult for her to do. However, her genuine regret made it a bit easier. Her cards were now on the table, and there was nothing left for her to do but wait to see how the mercenary reacted to them. Palm would accept it one way or the other, but she wished this time around her words sufficed and were well received. It was a long day the one they had ahead of themselves, it would be better to spend it in the company of someone who did not hold a completely ruined opinion of her.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

When she said that she was the same person as yesterday, Mathieu started to feel pretty silly. Of course she was the same person as yesterday. Whatever 'sturdy' species she belonged too, nothing he had seen on the hospital indicated that it was also a species with identical copies of the same person. Biting his lower lip awkwardly, he said "Yeah, right" as she moved to sit down but while he was starting to fill with awkwardness, he was still worked up over how different she was.

While he had tried to not make his readiness to wrestle her down show, Mathieu let out of relieved breath as she took a seat, quickly making her much less of a threat than when she stood up. While he wouldn't sit down himself, he did stay at a respectable distance, making sure that he wouldn't be hovering above her and making her neck bend too much because of the height difference.

Listening to her carefully, he tried to judge whether the words she said were true or not. Naturally, everyone had their bad days from time to time but thinking back to how she behaved yesterday he thought that a rock would have treated him better than she did. Still, the large Morellian remained quiet, listening to what she had to say, patiently and with an open mind. It was weird, listening to her story and explanation of how she and her species worked. Being able to change one's own personality sounded amazing - something he wished that he could do from time to time. Especially for the recent days before he found himself on Geminidae. Whether it was a strength or weakness, his trusting nature slowly but surely caused him to believe in her.

He remained quiet for a while, letting her slip in a last comment before he managed to say something. Slowly but surely, his large figure would come closer to hers with his lips forming a thin line as he sucked them in. Giving her what he would have wanted himself, he let out a low "It's alright, you tried" in the hopes of consoling her. Once near enough, he poked at her shoulder softly, using the box containing the wraps "Come on, have a warp, it'll make you feel better" he said, sending her a friendly smile. Standing there and looking down at her, he would hold the position for a while, inviting her to grab the wrap, even if her initial reaction was a no.

Taking a few steps back, the Mercenary sat down on the hospital bed he had spent so much time on. "So, the doctors, all the nurses and that guy at the reception, they're all like you?" he asked curiously, both indicating that he was over the recent-most dispute and curious to learn more about them. "You'd think we would've learned about you at school, but I had no idea" he added but let out a chuckle before continuing "Maybe we did. I didn't pay all too much attention" The admittance came with an awkward scratch of the back of his head.

Palm-Imer

 

[Palm-Imer]

He had remained silent as she explained, that meant he was listening to her but whether that was because he accepted her words or because he was seething in resentment, Palm would not know until he responded. She craned her neck so that she could look at him while waiting on his reaction, he was tall but then again that was something very common in her planet and so the position was not uncomfortable to her, she was used to it. Outside of Geminidae, Palm was considered to be a bit tall for a near-human woman. In her homeworld, however, she was average at best if not even a little on the shorter side. She really hoped he chose to trust her, but didn't allow this hope to grow because if it had been her in his shoes, she knew she would call bantha chit on her little speech.

Curisoity surfaced in her eyes as she watched Mathieu approach her. Not sensing any aggression from him, she stayed put in her place, trying to decipher what his intentions were. A small smile stretched her lips at his words, surprised but welcoming the comfort of his words. This guy really was something else, apparently. She admired his trusting nature and willingness to forgive, though at the same time the thought that these traits must make his job as a mercenary a living hell couldn't be avoided. Palm chuckled as the edge of the wrap box tapped her shoulder, and finally caved in. "Fine, comfort food sounds good right now." She said, her fingers fishing for one of the wraps. She took the first bite as he walked away again to sit on the hospital bed.

Her smile widened at his questions, both happy to answer them and enjoying the food. She was only 'human' after all, food had a way of helping anyone out of a bad or bitter moods. "Yeah, they are. But I wouldn't worry about it much if I were you. We can change, yes, but we don't do it unless we have a really good reason. At most, we use it to control our temper and avoid confrontations, so more often than not it makes us more harmless" Their ability to manipulate behavior was the sole reason why almost no wars ever took place in her system. People wanted to get over their differences, and they did. The only exception to this rule was the ever gaping and widening rip between the pro and anti-isolationists. "Well, we keep to ourselves a lot so I wouldn't be surprised that you never heard about us. Its an isolationist planet, very few people get in, even fewer want to get out." Or they wanted to, but couldn't.

A few moments later she finished her wrap, and then decided to get back to the original reason why she was here today. "So, we understand you may not be able to leave Geminidae for some time, given your ship is now more of a ball of weirdly bent metal than a ship. That's why last night I took the liberty of getting your application for a visitor's permit started. Once that's approved you'll be a legal visitor, no more guards breathing down your neck." That would take at least a few weeks, the Visitors' Office at the High Embassy ran thorough background checks on the applicants before granting permits. "In the meantime, I had to find a place for you to stay. Its easy enough to get a hotel room here so if that's what you want we'll get it done soon enough but I had something else in mind, if you are open to it..." She wouldn't be surprised if he refused, but maybe now that yesterday's incident was explained maybe he would feel more prone to trusting her.

"I know you are force-sensitive. There are places here in Geminidae, academies, where you could stay for free and learn, if you want to." Palm had never invited anyone into the premises of her Order before, so this was a bit out of her comfort zone. Yet something about him made the Force call out to her, something told her he had a journey to begin and maybe this was his starting point.

Mathieu Brion