When in Doubt, Paint it Red

[Armand Temi]

Location: Alliance Fitness Center on Sullust, Time: 6:30am

Entering the GA gym before seven a.m. on a Saturday was nearly unheard of for most of the Alliance military personnel – soldiers, pilots, special agents and the like – but for Sylvia Nuru, it was just another day at the office.

As she entered the state-of-the art facility, climbing aboard her favorite treadmill, she synched up her chrono to the machine in order to give her the vital stats and keep a record of how far she’d run today and over the past week. Of course, the Red Devil hadn’t missed one day and by the looks of it on the chrono, she was not even a minute late to each workout session. 6:30am on the dot. Normally a source of pride, that type of dedication… well, it just seems a little OCD doesn’t it, Sylvia? Am I really challenging myself with this punishing schedule, or just going through the motions, she thought?

A vast array of machines – real and virtual - that could be used to train, along with good old fashioned weights, punching bags and medicine balls, were situated around the Fitness Center, but the redheaded pilot preferred the simplicity of running. If she was feeling dangerous, she’d set the incline button to “Ryloth Range.”

Unsurprisingly, no one was at the gym – not a soul. There’d been a party in one of the barracks the night before and again, Sylvia missed it because she either wasn’t paying attention, wasn’t invited or a little bit of both. Probably both, she thought. But aside from stragglers like herself that would amble in around seven am, most of the Alliance personnel were sleeping off hangovers and hookups.

But there was no better way to get rid of that “odd woman out” feeling than to work up a generous sweat. Wearing a black and white striped tank top, a bare midriff and capri leggings, her flame-red hair pulled up just so:

Spoiler

Sylvia began pounding the treadmill surface, starting out at a light jog and working up to a full run.

[member="Sasha Starkos"]

 

[Alleycat]

Location: Alliance Fitness Center on Sullust,
Time: 0635
---

Sasha had been a good girl last night, staying in and reading through the GA Marine Corps manual given to her after being accepted into their Spec Ops division, but still it took dedication to roll out of bed at sunrise and head to the gym when everyone else was sleeping in. Course Sullust didn't really have a sunrise to gander at as everything was underground on this volcanic hostile planet the Galactic Alliance called home. The former CorSec agent didn't really mind getting up early though. She enjoyed not having to fight over the equipment and just do her own thing being it was a weekend and all.

Having forgotten her water bottle sitting on the desk in her new quarters in the barracks, Sasha was now running late, but not by much; five minutes, though she'd have to be more mindful of stupid stuff like that when training for DART. The Corellia-born knew that this was going to be ten times harder than going through the CorSec Academy, and it should be given the advanced nature of their mission parameters. Mentally and physically not to mention spiritually Sasha would be pushed to her limits and more… Why she was at the gym at this ungodly hour working out.

Walking into the seemingly empty fitness center except for one other person, the redhead set her gym bag down, took a sip of water, then made her way over to where another red-haired female was running on a treadmill; personal music player in hand and ear buds going in. The young woman looked as if this was a regular thing for her. Good… another dedicated fitness soul. I'm not so crazy after all.

After a few good stretches, the toned Corellisi dressed in a red sports bra and black spandex workout shorts stepped onto the sides of the nearby treadmill. "Mornin'," Sash offered with a friendly nod, then chose the running program she desired on the control panel and started the belt going. It seemed to be the same one as her neighbors while the treadmill began to raise it's incline.

"Are you doing Ryloth Range too?" she inquired curiously, spying the readout on the data screen.


[member="Sylvia Nuru"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Listening to a rapid, electronic beat in her earbuds, Sylvia was entranced in the music until she caught a flash of red – both hair and on clothing – in the mirror before her. And luckily the mirror made it easy for her to hide the fact that she was staring, as she didn’t need to whip her head and look at the newcomer; her head stayed stationary as her gaze followed the woman around.
Punching up the settings for a stronger incline, she slowed her pace as her muscles burned in adjustment to the new challenge. The fellow redhead chose a treadmill next to her and while Sylvia wasn’t super chatty when she was working out, she couldn’t help but think a little conversation might help pass the time better.

But she didn’t need to break the ice. The newcomer did with a nonchalant greeting.

“Morning,” she said back. “Yes I am, but I only have it on 5 right now.” She turned down her music so she could hear a little better. “I haven’t seen you around here before. And believe me, I’m always here,” she laughed, blushing a little at the admission that she was addicted to her early morning workouts.

“Are you new to the Alliance?"

Sylvia noted in the mirror that with the similar red hair and facial structures, they could almost be sisters, though the Rogue pilot was a little shorter and not quite as lean. Hours sitting in the X-wing cockpit is a little murderous on the figure, she thought, resolving to remedy this with weights later.

[member="Sasha Starkos"]

 

[Alleycat]

A pair of green eyes met another as the two redheads looked forward into the horizontally-long wall mirror in front of the treadmills they each were running on. It was ironic how closely the women who were complete strangers resembled the other.

"Five's not too shabby… I'll soon be there as well," the long-legged Corellisi grinned, extending her stride out at a good pace so she'd match her workout partner soon enough.

"Yep.. I just arrived at the base two days ago. Been busy filling out paper work and the like," she nodded. then flashed a smile. "I'm Sasha Starkos by the way… Marine Corps Spec Ops. For now, I'll be spending most of my time here too as DART training hasn't started yet, and I don't want to lose my edge."

A long reddish-brown braid was thrown over the former CorSec agent's broad shoulder, then Sasha inquired what the young woman was doing there.

"So I take it you've been stationed on Sullust for a while… being you're always here?"

[member="Sylvia Nuru"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Sylvia smiled warmly at the fellow red head, slowing her pace a smidgen, so she didn’t talk and seem incredibly out of breath.

“I knew you weren't familiar. Figured you were new. My name is Sylvia Nuru, pilot. Rogue Fifteen.” This was said a little sheepishly, though she supposed finally making it into the elite Rogue Squadron was something to be proud of, it always made her feel a little embarrassed at the “special snowflake” status. The pilot was something of an egalitarian, her firm belief system rooted in the contrast of right and wrong. Though quite a few Rogues she encountered were interested in the morally grey, at times drinking too much or using illegal spice on the base, or even, heaven forbid, one of them working as a spy for the First Order or worse The Sith (who Sylvia had no interaction whatsoever but to her they were on the spectrum of pure evil. The First Order was mostly a military dictatorship as she’d come to find out within their ranks out of pilot school).

“I’ve been stationed on Sullust for a few months. Haven’t really seen much action except chasing away some pirates outside of Omwat. This sounds awful dense of me, but what exactly is DART training?”

Whatever it was, just the thought of it brought out the over-achiever in the flame-haired pilot. Perhaps this DART training was something she should also look into. Not like I’m out there socializing with the other pilots, she thought grimly, but smiling through the entire interaction. She clutched at a small white towel which hung off of the front of the treadmill and wiped the sweat from her brow, turning her head slightly to hear Sasha's response.

[member="Sasha Starkos"]

 

[Alleycat]

"It's nice to meet you, Sylvia," the darker red-haired runner smiled via their reflections in the mirror, not wanting to lose her balanced stride on the belt by looking to the side.

Sasha was impressed. She'd heard about the Galactic Alliance's elite squadron and their heroics as well as their antics. The Corellisi felt honored to be working out alongside the Rogue. It was good to make friends with someone as dedicated to their craft as she was.

"Not dense at all… It's kind of a silly acronym, if you ask me really," Sash chuckled lightly, then continued after wiping off the light sweat starting to bead on her brow with the cotton band around her right wrist.

"It stands for direct action reconnaissance training regiment. My background is CorSec tactical response so I think I'll fit in pretty well, though I guess we'll have to see how the Spec Ops unit truly shapes up after we get going," she nodded.

The treadmill's incline raised up just a bit as the next part of the running program kicked in. Sasha check her time… not bad, but not her best.

"So… Is Rogue Squadron mainly based out of Sullust or do you move around your base of ops? Being new here, it would be nice to have a friendly face to hang around with?"

[member="Sylvia Nuru"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Good, Sylvia thought with relief. DART did seem like a silly acronym, she silently agreed.

“Ah, so you’re Corellian,” said Rogue Fifteen. “I’m Coruscanti myself. As if you can’t tell by the accent.”

Sasha appeared to be rocking the Ryloth Range, which left the pilot equally impressed. That was one of the hardest and most unforgiving series of inclines, indicating that the agent was in fantastic shape. Even the way she sweat seemed attractive and graceful. Sylvia glanced at herself in the mirror. Meanwhile I’m over here looking like a drowned womp rat, she thought of her limp, wet hair and dark blotches on her workout clothing.

It’s not a completion, Fifteen, she scolded herself, but both women would not have gotten to where they were without a little ambition, even if it crept in subconsciously during these types of ordinary moments.

“The Rogue Squadron is definitely based here,” said Sylvia with a slight roll of the eyes over the harsh location of Sullust. “Too bad we’re not based out of Naboo or Maramere. But this Spec Ops thing sounds interesting. Where does your unit train for the most part? And what does training consist of?"

[member="Sasha Starkos"]

 

[Alleycat]

"Yep, full-blooded Corellian. Born and raised there until… Well until it was gone," Sasha replied starting to feel the burn a bit in her calves as the incline went up another notch.

"Well your clipped accent did give it away, but its nicely conveyed," she smiled at the other redhead in the mirror as they worked out side by side on dueling treadmills. "I'm not sure I could live on a planet-wide city like Coruscant. I like the great outdoors too much… And yes, Naboo or Maramere would be great places to be stationed at."

The fiery Corellisi wiped her brow again before continuing.

"To be honest, I'm not sure where we will be training at. The commanding officer hasn't told us yet. There's a whole slew of advanced training courses that we go through. If you're interested in actually seeing it in detail, you can stop by my quarters. I'm in C-block, room 312. So what do you normally do around here for fun… other than work out?" Sash smirked.

[member="Sylvia Nuru"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Corellia made sense as it seemed to be a planet which bred daredevils, hot shots and like Sasha, women of quiet determination with no need to prove anything. Why should they? Corellian said it all. Sylvia had no doubt this fellow redhead could take out a phalanx of Stormtroopers singlehandedly and possibly ruin a Sith Lord's day.

"Maybe that's why I took the skies," remarked Rogue Fifteen. "I love the outdoors, and as a kid when I vacationed with my parents in the Naboo Lake District, I always remember not wanting to go back to Coruscant at the end of it."

She listened to Sasha describe the haphazard nature of the training so far and nodded knowingly as she'd experienced the same thing in the Alliance Navy.

"I have an idea. Since you and I like the outdoors perhaps we should take a field trip off of Sullust. Maybe even today?" Sylvia offered. "There has to be a planet with a beach on it in this sector. What do you say?"

After showers of course, she thought using her white towel on her brow again.

[member="Sasha Starkos"]