Private Young and Proud

[Xian Xiao]

Xian was far from feral, but she didn't think she was high society, not after spending so many years on Coruscant and then on her own on Castell. Then she had met Diarch Rellik, and he had brought her to Bastion. Here she had been given her own space and a place to call her own. She had also started rubbing shoulders with some of the Diarchy's workers and found she liked them a lot. What she still hadn't figured out was where she belonged in this mix of things.

So she decided to go for a bit of a walkabout. Where she walked about, she wasn't sure. No matter where it was, it wasn't on Bastion and maybe not even Diarchy territory. As Rellik had said, though, she was free to come and go as she wanted. Xian had every intention of returning, but she also had some thinking to do.

Public transport took her and she sat alone. Staring at the other passengers, she silently wondered where their lives were going. Had they found their place? What would it take for her to find hers? Resting her chin on her hands, she felt a person find a spot next to her, and she turned to face whoever it was.

Kyric

 

[Kyric]

Hushed conversations were shared quietly throughout the civilian transport ship as it passed through unknown skies. Kyric peered down at the planet below to see the vast ocean and lush green earth. Other ships flew alongside them in a wide sky lane. An explosion of color covered each of the ships alongside broad advertisements for different resorts once visited by famous dignitaries, celebrities, and even Jedi. Few planets far north of the Core boasted such things, which led the kiffar to suspect he was on Ord Cantrell.

“What the feth am I doin’ here?” Kyric mumbled. He shifted his attention from the sky lanes to the other passengers.

Many of them carried suitcases and other paraphernalia that at least confirmed Kyric’s theory of a vacation planet. He sighed inwardly, dropping his head to thunk weakly against the vertical bar he gripped to keep his footing.

You’d think these bastards could afford a little more seating.

Whether by luck or by the good graces of the Force, Kyric noticed one of the passengers nearby get up and move for the exit in preparation to depart. The kiffar did a quick scan of his surroundings to ensure a senior citizen or something didn’t need the seat. Confident he was in the clear, Kyric slid into the seat on Xian’s left.

“Pardon me, ma’am,” Kyric dipped his head in greeting. “I was figurin’ you wouldn’t mind if I snagged this here seat.” He wore an easy smile.

If not for the brutal scar running through where Kyric’s right eye should’ve been, the young man may have appeared quite cheerful. Instead, the gnarly wound, when combined with his unkempt hair, bruised arms, and tattered clothes gave off the impression of someone who’d definitely seen better days.

Probably back when he had two eyes.

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Tags: Xian Xiao

 

[Xian Xiao]

"I don't mind at all. A bit of company and conversation woul..."

Turning to look at him, his scar stopped whatever she was going to say. Any troubles she thought she was having paled in comparison to what this young man had been through.

"What happened? I'm Xian."

Recovering as quickly as she could, her eyes kept staring at the scar.

"I'm sorry."

She hadn't even noticed his arms or clothes.