Private Little Farm | Amea

[Kelsie Sylvan]

C O N T R U U M

Tag: Amea Virou ​

---

Menial labor had never entirely been Kelsie's strong suit. Most things these days were built by droids or other machines. Still, there was something innately satisfying about putting something together with her own two hands. She did have help of course -- Amea had arrived that morning and helped her fix up some old worker droids to carry the heavy stuff around for them. With the generator up and running the house was now self sufficient. Kelsie's new home had a sort of rustic charm, the wood floors and finish combined with the old brick pillars holding up the roof made it feel ancient. Still, the large windows and modern amenities made it homey enough.

With the power on she unloaded the food she'd been keeping in an icebox into the fridge. More importantly, she opened up a case of beers and brought two out for Amea and her on the porch. There was a bench attached to the porch railing that faced inward to the house made from wide planks of some local tree. Kelsie thought it might be a fire hazard, but she was about to start a farm, so the porch was probably the least worrying flammable thing.

She walked over and handed Amea a bottle. "Local brand, actually. Thought I'd try it. They make everything here," Kelsie said, slipping her legs over the bench and facing outwards at the empty field that was part of her property. Nearly all of the farm equipment was outdated or broken. Still, she had no plans to produce all that much. Enough to sustain herself and sell at the local farmer's market every once in a while would be enough. The extra space could be used for the other upgrades and amenities she had in mind. Contingencies were always necessary...

The line of trees that separated her property from her neighbours cast long shadows from the evening sun. She struck the top of the bottle against the railing, popping the cap off easily. "Cheers," she said, raising the bottle to tap against Amea's. After that she took a long drink and looked off into the distance.

This was, quite literally, everything she'd ever wanted, even if she'd spent much of her life without realizing it. A quiet, beautiful place to live a simple life with someone who she cared about. But there was still the small issue of Amea's mission. With most of the day's work done, it was about time to have a good conversation. Maybe Kelsie could cook dinner for the both of them after...

"So, when are we heading to Coruscant?" Of course, Amea hadn't yet invited Kelsie so she decided she'd just invite herself. There was that protective instinct but at this point it wasn't going to stop either of them. Still, it was always nice to be cared about...

 

[Amea Virou]

Kelsie Sylvan

The fresh air, sweltering sun, and menial nature of their current surroundings were if anything a fresh break. Between starships on fire, security systems that wanted to kill her, incel terrorists that despised her existence, and a general lack of stability, work on a farm was a walk in the park. It hadn’t taken long for Amea to realize that it was a nice break, but in the end the desire to jump back into that chaotic mess that she called her life was all too appealing. As Kelsie handed Amea a drink she took it and twisted it open. Her hands tensed and closed to relieve the pain before she put the bottle to her lips and took a sip.

With a pleasantly surprised glance down at the drink in her hands she gave it an approving nod. It was smooth, the flavor was there but not enough so to take over the rest of the experience. And was that a hint of muja fruit? It most certainly was. Kelsie raised her bottle towards Amea and she blinked herself out of her absent-minded critique of the beer. They clinked, they drank yet again, and Kelsie asked about Coruscant again.

Amea let in a deep breath.

“I am having someone check the place out.” Amea said and raised her shoulders in a weak shrug. “If this is their main base of operations I’d fully expect it to pack some serious protection, and I’d rather not poke the ‘lawful’ authorities in the Galactic Alliance.” She chuckled. “Could potentially be a rather awkward encounter with an old friend.”

Amea sat up straight and looked over at Kelsie. “I don’t think I told you about that.”

“... Apparently I was a droid maker before the wipe. At least according to someone that used to know me back then.”

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

C O N T R U U M

Tag: Amea Virou ​

---

Kelsie's eyes widened. For the both of them that was certainly a rare occurrence. "You met someone from your past? That's..." She stopped herself from saying great. After all, she didn't know what Amea's past was like or what sort of crowd she'd been with. It wasn't right for Kelsie to assume. There were a lot of dangerous droid makers out there anyways.

She brought her knee up, pressing it against her body and resting her chin on it as she looked at Amea. "Well, how was it?" Did she want to find her past again? Kelsie could only hope that it wouldn't change things too much between them, but she knew how much this all meant to Amea. Then again, avoiding someone she used to know didn't really give off the same desperation or need for the past.

"Meeting someone. Learning about what you were like in the past, I mean," she clarified. If she met someone she knew in her past life... it'd be a bit of a shock, to say the least. In truth she'd thought Voron would've lived forever. He'd been the closest thing to a Jedi she ever knew. Then again, he lived on through her and through the Force. Being the only person to remember all of those little people from a time long past was always odd.

But they were with her, and that was what mattered. Even if Amea decided to head out and find her past, the time they spent together wouldn't be lost. That was the truth she'd been reminded of. Kelsie took a long drink from her bottle, smiling lightly to herself for no particular reason.

 

[Amea Virou]

Kelsie Sylvan

How was it to meet a splinter from a past you had no recollection of? A person that despite everything, you were still able to connect with? Amea’s eyes wandered up to meet Kelsie’s with a long stare before they averted again. A sigh burst through Amea’s nose as she slumped down to place her elbows against her knees.

“I was a droid maker.” Amea said and let out an exhaled chuckle before she took another sip and sat up straight again. “I dealt with AI, could weave a persona for them, or in her droid’s case the lack of one. I didn’t want to ask too much, but… I’ve been told that the person I am and who I was back then are two very different people.”

And in a way it broke Amea’s heart each time she noticed that spark in Loske’s eyes when they reflected on the brunette woman’s past. It was clear that they both enjoyed their newfound friendship, but something was always off about it. Loske wasn’t distant, but something within her seemed to be and it hurt.

“I think,” Amea frowned. “It scares me mostly.”

“All of this does.” Her grip around the beer grew firm, her nail scraping away the label from the glass. “Having more than Jerec that I can rely on. Knowing that if I die people will think I’ve just upped and disappeared on them. Or well, everyone except Runi. She would know if I am dead or not. Hell, it would probably even give her some peace of mind.”

And at that Amea chuckled. That was the first time she had ever publicly referred to Runi as a friend. At least it was the first time that she could remember. If Kelsie was familiar with her Kuati Driveyards at all she would know that this was the CEO of KDY, and if she didn’t — well, it was probably just another name. Even then, there were many Runis out there. Could have been anyone.

“At least it all makes sense now, that I can understand mechanical constructs so well.”

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

C O N T R U U M

Tag: Amea Virou ​

---

Now that she thought about it, Amea had been pretty quick at fixing those old droids. Kelsie hadn't even had many spare parts on hand but they'd still ended up fine. Then again, she wasn't a droid expert like Amea was. She couldn't stand the metal things. And when they tried to fight for their own rights? Sometimes Kelsie missed the days of the Empire. Very rarely, but sometimes. "It's a good skill to have," she decided to comment.

Kelsie understood the feeling. When she'd first set out into the galaxy she constantly reminded herself and her companions that caring about or relying on anyone else was tantamount to signing their own death warrants. It'd taken only a few months for that belief to be worn down. All creatures -- humans especially -- couldn't do things on their own. There could be geniuses, prodigies, loners, outcasts. But everyone needed other people. Jerec was alright, even though he was still far from having iron-clad morals. Hopefully he could be relied on to keep Amea safe. Kelsie, of course, would do her best.

She took another sip from her bottle, staring at Amea for a long while before posing her question. "Do you see it as a weakness?" Or rather: did Amea see Kelsie as a weakness? For a moment she was reminded of how her mentor used to talk. He always started with a disarming question, half meant to surprise but equally to give perspective and guide her to her own answer. That was what it meant to be a teacher, she thought. For a brief moment as the warm evening breeze swept past she could see that smile of his.

That damned smile.

It made her smile. Because people needed one another, but they also remembered one another. Even of Amea 'upped and disappeared', Kelsie would still have the memories of the time they spent together, just as she had the memories of the time she'd spent with everyone so long ago. No one was ever truly gone.

She was struck by how little she'd talked about her past to Amea. Now was a good a time as any to get through that sort of stuff. It didn't matter now, but maybe they could relate a little better to one another. She'd wait for her friend's response first.

 

[Amea Virou]

Kelsie Sylvan

Weakness? Amea looked up at Kelsie before she sat up straight again to drink the beer without breaking the eye contact. Something made her ask that question, but the reason wasn’t quite there. With a shrug Amea looked back out towards what would be a field of foodstuffs soon enough.

“I suppose.” She said and went back to scraping off the label on her beer bottle. “These kind of connections can lead others to me. It would mean they have to go through people that aren’t quite so easy to go through, but it means there is a chance. As hostages, as any other kind of bait or bargaining chip.”

“Connections are complicated, and I’ve tried to avoid that.” Amea exhaled with a chuckle and took another sip of her drink. “Bonds are even more complicated.”

“It’s not a weakness, just a… Tie, I suppose. One that can be used to both harm and heal.” Amea turned to look at Kelsie yet again. “You asked that for a very specific reason. Why?”

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

C O N T R U U M

Tag: Amea Virou ​

---

Kelsie stared at Amea as the other woman spoke, only moving to look away when she was addressed. "Honestly? I don't really know. I think... I wanted to know what you thought of it, I guess. If everyone you knew just thought you disappeared..." Her gaze returned to the horizon, before becoming blurry with tears. She didn't sob. She just wiped them away, then laughed at herself for a moment. "Sorry. I keep crying around you." No, she wasn't really all that sorry. It felt good to talk about her emotions. It felt good to express herself. For so long she'd repressed it all and told herself it wasn't right, that she just needed to keep going and move on with her life.

It just struck her how similar they were. What Amea was describing, Kelsie had gone through -- and of course there was that feeling of having lost a past life. Part of her felt like she was here to help the other young woman in her journey. She laughed again and smiled to Amea. "I know what you're talking about, Amea. I went through the same thing. When I first, really, came out into the world, I felt like I couldn't trust anyone outside of a select few. Like friendships, relationships, were dangerous liabilities. And in my old line of work it wouldn't do to get distracted.

"But I got worn down, I guess. And eventually I realized that living alone wasn't the way to go. That there were people worth trusting out there in the galaxy, that there were little kindnesses and little moments worth seeing, and people worth loving." She reached over and placed a hand on Amea's back, her eyes returning again to the horizon as the sun just reached it. "And... I left it behind. And it hurt, and it was hard to admit that it hurt. But I... I never really feared it. I never thought it was a bad thing. I just came to understand that people come and go, and when that happens you just have to accept it. Because you're still there. That's what really matters."

It struck her that her story had long ended. Her struggle in this time was to find purpose when really she should've accepted the loss and the aimlessness of her life. Everything that had happened in the past...

Kelsie sighed. "I really need to tell you about my past, don't I?" She'd told a man on the first day she met him. That was... weird. She'd been vulnerable. Desperate, even, for someone to talk to, particularly in that dreary city. Amea really should've been a similar situation. Kelsie took a deep breath. "It's gonna be weird, so, can you promise me you won't freak out?" She was pretty sure Amea would freak out. But maybe not.

 

[Amea Virou]

Kelsie Sylvan

It was a good message, to let others in, but that didn’t mean that Amea would see the hypocrisy of her own words and actions. Of course she thought it was good for Kelsie to have let others in, and of course she was happy that Kelsie seemed to be on a better road than the one they had met on, but Amea was too far-gone down that road already. At this point it was already too late for her, but not too late for Kelsie.

“Well, you don’t have to.” Amea smiled at the woman’s remark and shrugged. “But, you seem like you really want to.”

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

They hadn't known each other that long, but Amea read her like a book. Kelsie found it easier to live when she wasn't hiding things. She smiled and nodded, taking another sip of her beer before setting the bottle down on the railing. She swung her leg over the bench to straddle it and face Amea.

Honestly, the more she thought about it, the less freak-out-inducing it sounded. It was a bigger deal in her head than it probably was. Hopefully. Ugh, out with it already...

"I... uh... how do I put it," she said, scratching the back of her neck. Words were hard. "I was born a long time ago. Like, 13 BBY, long time ago." She looked away. For all the confidence she flouted, Kelsie sure spooked easily when it came to talking about herself. Still, avoiding eye contact seemed to help her get it out of her system. She didn't give Amea time to respond just yet.

"I didn't, like, live that long. It was... just after Thrawn did his thing. I was on an assignment on Jaemus, with my team. And we got out, but our ship was damaged, and we entered the jump..." She cleared her throat and looked at Amea. "And I landed on Binaros, just over a year and a half ago, in a ship full of skeletons. And then..." And then what? Life hadn't exactly gotten better.

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

It wasn’t so much an ability to read people, at least not that Amea would ever admit to herself. It would always be easy to make observations at a distance, and in many cases Kelsie wasn’t much different. In many ways Amea most likely also exuded some form of tell on who she was and what her mind was, even if she really tried not to. As Kelsie got comfortable Amea let herself have another sip of her drink and did much the same. She pushed back into the bench to place her foot on her seat to allow her head the chance to rest on it while she listened.

Kelsie spoke and Amea would in turn listen, her mouth opening in surprise at the mention of 13 BBY. A couple of blinks, too. And some uncertain head twists to truly show that she had to run the numbers on that revelation. It all stopped, of course, when the conversation moved on.

“You found yourself in a new place, far different from the one you thought you’d know.” Amea said in an attempt to finish Kelsie’s sentence. “Not quite sure who you could trust, or when, or why. Stuck between wondering if every person you met held some sort of tie to you that you weren’t aware of, or…”

Amea gave it a weak smile. “No, that might just be me.”

“What happened?”

Kelsie Sylvan

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

"No, that... about sums things up. Almost, anyways." Kelsie took a deep breath. "Being someplace different wasn't bad, I guess. I got to... see the galaxy again. There was nothing holding me back. I had no duties, no connections, no debts. But there was nothing holding me down, either.

"I was alone. And I just kept searching, tricking myself into thinking that I'd found a purpose again when really I didn't have one. Didn't need one, either." Her gaze wandered out to the fields. There was nothing here. And that was fine. "It took me time, a lot of time, to really accept what had happened. But I still need space. So I'm here. Gonna farm my own food." Some things never changed.

She looked back to Amea. "Thank you, for helping me. I mean... I've had trouble, finding people around me to trust. But I trust you.

"When it comes to connections, to the people around you, you don't want to regret anything. If you end up dead, there shouldn't be anything you should've said." She raised her bottle back to her lips, before chuckling. "Or, you know. Don't die."

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Kelsie Sylvan

Alone. Part of Amea felt like it should have resonated with her, but that part of her didn’t quite let her buy into it. There was an almost indignant feeling to it, like if the supposed loneliness wasn’t an all that bad thing, at least not for Amea herself. Still, in that regard it was fairly evident that Amea and Kelsie were of two different minds. To Amea it was a beneficial form of isolation and a way to ensure her own safety, to Kelsie it seemed more like a means to an end.

“Hey, don’t mention it.” Amea said and clinked the neck of her bottle against Kelsie’s bottleneck. “Dying ain’t in the plans, but I am certainly aware that it is a risk when you do what I do.”

With a sizable chug from her drink Amea looked out at the fields again, seemingly stuck in contemplation as she surveyed the field. It wasn’t exactly the residence of choice that she would have made, but then she also didn’t quite have any real idea of what she would call her favored residence either. Drifting worked pretty well for the moment, even if it was admittedly a bit rough at times.

“I think,” Amea started and slowly began to shake her head. “At the end of this I’ll try to find something else to do. Part of me considered chasing down my old self, but at the same time I might just let that part die out. Can’t get my memories back, can’t become who I was.”

“Letting go is the only choice I have, but…”

“Part of me is morbidly curious for it, I suppose.”

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

So there was a little thought to it. Kelsie stared at Amea for a moment before smiling and letting out a sigh of relief. "Honestly, I'd been kind of worried. I've seen revenge quests before and it's... difficult to see past it at times." Being so driven by a purpose was enough to consume someone. Kelsie had thought seeing the revenge quest through would let her finally change Amea's mind when everything died down, but it seemed that that was unnecessary. "It's good that you can think ahead, think past it. I don't know why I was worried," she said with a small laugh. Amea was so much stronger than Kelsie, in so many ways. Worried, yet relieved.

"Find something that makes you happy, I guess. Chase a goal, but know just as well that it might not work out." She looked back out at the fields again, then smirked and punched Amea lightly on the arm. "Then when you're done, you come back here and work for me. I'll definitely need more help with those droids. You're way better with them than I am."

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Kelsie Sylvan

“Oh, I am still murdering each and every drekker that stands between me and Oliveira, but after that…” Amea shrugged. “Yeah.”

And as much as the idea of living a semi-rural life with a focus on agriculture, it was definitely something she saw as something she could do later. Say, maybe in a hundred years or so when her bones were brittle and weak. But hey, with that said,

“IT Support duty, huh?” She asked and raised her brows with a playful grin. “Does it come with a four-oh-one-kay and spare vacation days?”

She exhaled with a chuckle before she shook her head.

“I… Enjoy space too much.” She whispered under her breath and shrugged yet again. “Or just, moving around a lot. Never being in one place for too long, helping random schmucks out of painful mud baths, you know, usual me-stuff.”

“One more try. Give me the short version of your best sales pitch.”

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

"It comes with free food, reliable income and housing, you can come and go as you please, and you get the actual best boss you could ever ask for. Oh, and I'll pay for the booze," she said with a grin. In all honesty, Kelsie had no idea how to actually employ people or manage money. Most of the time any funds she needed would just be provided by the Imperials. Money was never really a problem for the military. "What, you scared of a little menial labor and farm life? Harvesting crops is gonna be pretty damn difficult, y'know."

But Amea wouldn't really be working for her. It was just a safe house, a retirement plan of sorts, if she needed it. As she'd already said, wandering the stars was her calling. Kelsie could relate. Still, just like Kelsie had, Amea would slow down someday. It was just a matter of time. So if she ever needed it, Kelsie would be there for her. When there was no more work for her to do, Kelsie would be there for her.

She paused for a moment as she thought over Amea's words one more time. Finally Kelsie spoke up.

"Do you want my ship?"

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Kelsie Sylvan

It was hard not to grin at the pitch. While free food and booze were certainly tempting offers, Amea already got by on account of them both. Arguably one could have said the ‘best boss ever’ part was a bit of an oversell, but you could also argue that overconfidence was just as much simply Kelsie’s style.

Amea exhaled with a laugh before she shook her head.

“Yeah, sure. It is reeeeal scary plocking those yams and goji berries.” She grinned and downed the last of her drink. Or at least that was what she had planned on doing. The bottle found her lips, her head arched back, her tongue tasted the liquid before,

“Do you want my ship?”

Amea’s eyes opened wide in surprise. Something clogged up against the back of her throat and a split second she felt the strangest burning sensation from her nose as she arched forward to cough out what had remained of her beer and let in a deep breath.

“What?!” She hissed under her breath. “You can’t just— say that!”

With a gentle brush against her mouth she wiped away the last few reminders of her drink that still lingered under her nose.

“Are you serious? You don’t just… Give away a damn ship, Kelsie!”

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

"What are you talking about?" Kelsie raised an eyebrow. "I can do whatever I want. I mean, I'm basically retired, so I don't need it." That was how it worked, right? If she didn't need to travel much, she didn't need it.

Maybe Amea was just feeling bad about accepting such a big gift from Kelsie. She'd seen people like that before. Honestly, it was better to accept gifts. Resist a little, but in the end accept it. Maybe that was what Amea was going for; Kelsie would just have to 'convince' her. "Come on, you were just talking about how much you love space. Shouldn't you be able to explore it however you want? You've spent so much time working for folks like Jerec, but you don't have to. Just take it, I want you to have it."

Kelsie shook her head. "It was a steal, too. Pulled it for 18k, first ship I bought. Plus it's modded. Super comfortable, got everything you need. Just take it, Amea."

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Kelsie Sylvan

“Well yeah, but holy feth, Kelsie. This isn’t just some small tool we’re talking about, this is a piece of extremely heavy machinery that could be your ticket out of here as well. Even if you are retired.” Amea said, her jaw still reaching for the floor in surprise. “I want to work ships, yes, but—”

Her eyes closed shut firmly with a quick headshake.

“How do I even say no to this? I mean… Feth. Kelsie...”

“Thank you, I… Suppose?”

 

[Kelsie Sylvan]

There it was. Easy peasy.

"You're welcome, I suppose," she replied. Kelsie leaned on the railing, eyes on the other woman. In the back of her mind she had a sense that Amea would use the ship in a way she hadn't intended...

But whatever.

"If I need to get out, well, I'll just steal a ship or something." She shrugged. She had no plans to leave. "I've got a bike. Half hour to a spaceport, then I'll rig something, if the Silvers ever collapse. You should know better than to worry about me."

She tilted her bottle back, finishing the last dregs of it.

"Hmm... though, if you want to help keep things interesting for me, I wouldn't mind playing safe-house for any of your buddies." Amea had to have more friends than she was letting on. Definitely more friends than Kelsie.

"In the meantime, though," she said, getting to her feet, "I'll practice my cooking on you. Someday it'll all be produce from right here. Tonight is stuff from the market. Come on, you can cut some of the vegetables."

Amea Virou ​

 

[Amea Virou]

Funny how things could escalate over the passage of time. One evening you’re chopping up vegetables against a wooden cutting board, a few hours later you had snuck out of the house to steal a ship that you technically already owned. Was it wrong of Amea to not bring along Kelsie despite her promise to do so? Not to Amea, no. And did she do it anyway? Absolutely. It was something Amea had needed to do alone, a task that required her full attention and no-one elses even if it had meant the end of her.

Well, it hadn’t, and now here she was once again. The loading ramp lowered to the ground with a hiss and out stepped a very clearly hurt Amea. Her jacket was torn to expose most of her skin. A knife cut into her hand exposed the metallic surface of her prosthetic wrist with what had been a hauntingly chilling sight. The others had fallen right in line for her once she’d bent the blade within the palm of her hand and thrown it back at its owner. At the edges of Amea’s now bandage wrapped arm one could make out a thin layer of bacta as it glistened against the lights of the rising sun.

She groaned with her hand against her stomach to inspect the bruises.

“Yep,” She hissed with the sting. “That one will definitely take longer than I had hoped for.”

Before her approached one very familiar woman. Amea raised her hand towards the sun to keep it from blinding her.

Now, was Kelsie mad, or… ?

She was probably mad, wasn’t she? Something told Amea that Kelsie was mad.

Kelsie Sylvan