The Rambler
Location: Coruscant, Military Bar
Objective: Catch Up
Equipment: Wearing
Tags:
Aiden Rennek
He'd tried another message to Aiden, this time in bold letters asking him to come. A favored military bar, if only because they gave a discount when you flashed your credentials.
The wait was something that always bugged Zinder. The ticking minutes to drop. The painful breaths between the ramp or door opening. The bits before the adrenaline really ramped up and the suit stuck you with enough to make you feel invincible running through the open space and into cover.
A detail the civilians didn't need to hear about their protectors in the galaxy most likely.
The glass swirled a liquid gold in the light.
Making facets on the counter and his clothes as his eyes followed them. Watched the rainbow of colors splash across the muted tones he wore.
It wasn't the same type of setting as a FOB bar, but the atmosphere was close enough. People having a decent laugh to themselves in the background. Some quietly putting their sorrows deep into the bottom of a glass.
The rim of the glass touched his lips.
The comforting burn of alcohol trailing down until he felt the warmth spread and disappear.
It'd been a similar situation before their final mission. Everyone getting together for a pre-mission celebration. Zin having brought some of the best liquor on the FOB with a knowing look to Aiden about where he'd got it.
Zin's personal rhetoric of 'Results or ideas' ringing through the memory as the glass made a sharp clack against the bar top.
The faint smell of cigara's on the air as he heard the pop of the game behind him with a quickly followed clack as the rest separated and dispersed. The travel of a little grav ball hitting the edges of the table with an unknown pattern.
His eyes misty as the sounds brought him to an old memory. Fingers tightened around the glass to keep him present.
A deep breath and a slight pull completely drawing him back. Until he heard the sharp warning sound from the bartender, and his eyes travelled to his other hand. As if it would find something on his hip before the hand found its way back to the counter and spread itself flat.
"Do I need to cut you off?"
A shake of his head to the man before he waited for the refill.
"Just. Forgot where I was for a second. I'm back." A grunt before the liquid poured out into the glass and he was left alone again.
A leg kicked up, resting on the foot rest while the other still remained flat to the floor. Hunched over and still playing with the glass as he waited.
He'd shared a little about what had happened on his end. How the recon members had called him up, the explosive device they'd found revealed a link to other devices around them, the stint in the field hospital for catching the brunt of the explosion on his right.
His wonder if the effort to shield their recon duo had done any good long gone given what he'd learned about the ambush from the debrief.
But there were details missing from the official brief. And he wasn't sure this was the visit to clear them up.
More importantly, he just wanted to see Aiden with his own two eyes.
