Soldier's Life

[Poludnica]

Theme

Those damn nuts were making him sick.

Yu knew he wasn't exactly human and many of his mother's regular dishes would make him vomit but never the nuts! The shooting range was mostly free today so at least in peace the young man could throw up his latest meal. Wiping his mouth, the young Corellian stepped out from the cabin. Leaves were the worst to survive through nowadays, too much time for thinking. And reminiscing. Especially on his Naima's homeworld. Yu felt strong kinship to Corellian humans even if his heritage was...a bit disputable. Maybe too much Corellian ale last night then?

Hungovered and sleepy, he returned to his station, taking a simple pistol into his hands. Yu liked the way this small thing would fit in his hand. Despite its size, the pistol had nice recoil that forced the half-Firerreo to feel its punch. Make him feel alive. Guns were the love of his life that hadn't diminished with his fondness of military. The more potatoes he had peeled, the less future years in service felt like something he wanted. At twenty four Yu already felt old. And he had few more centuries to live through...

Not with this attitude you don’t.

He told himself and fired another round. It hit the mark with the same precision as the rest. Sad it didn't give him the same pleasure as the years ago. With deep sigh the Petty Officer began to gather his things. Still couple of days o sit through till the duty starts. And there would be potatoes to peeled. Yep. From the special operations to kicthen service. What a fall.

But as his ancient father would say 'time is on your side'. It was a bit depressing all his friends and lovers would be dead by the time of middle age crisis. Then again...He would get to see all soap opera's seasons with follow ops. A fair exchange.

”Huh?” His attention snapped to the doors that opened swiftly. What lonely soul would haunt this place at this hour?

[Moonfire]

Lila wasn't really the thinking sort. This isn't to say she wasn't intelligent, no. She was of average intelligence, able to think critically, get out of tough situations. But pondering life's meanings and structure of the galaxy? No, leave those questions for the Jedi. Lila was, and probably always will be rather content with her station. The military life and career she had carved haphazardly for herself was juuuust right, the perfect balance of adventure, companionship, and structure.

But such a life isn't for everyone, Lila had over her fourteen year long career met many people, young and old who didn't settle in right, who didn't make the cut, others wanted more than they could handle driven by talent or ambition. She didn't pass judgement here, they weren't weak or unfortunate or overzealous. Just not right for the job.

The night was quiet, the air still as Lila stalked through the encampment, clad in her most basic of outfits. Loose cargo shorts, a form fitting tank, the leaves beneath her boots crackling with a satisfying crunch as she headed towards the firing range, a blaster pistol at her hip.

Someone in her unit had made a dig at her fine shooting abilities, tossing a card up the air and daring to strike it in the air. The Zeltron missed much to her chagrin, she was heavy assault, her weapons designed to simply destroy whatever was put in front of it, she had grow lazy and out of practice with a simple pistol.

And so here she was, tromping through the camp and entering the shooting range, a wolfish grin across her face as she met another. Someone she had met before, not just on base but in other military operations. The name sounded in her mind almost immediately.

"Yu!" She said loudly, her raspy voice filling the room. "That's your name right, Yu? We've met before, haven't we? At the Republic Military Ball a few years back? How ya been?"

[Poludnica]

The doors opened as if a bantha kicked, at least this was the image that appeared in Yu's head once a tall, muscled woman strolled in. ”Lila?!” The young soldier asked, surprise ringing in his voice. She knew the crimson skinned woman of course. They met few years back when he had been accepted to special operations. How long that had been? Three? Fours years ago? Since then they had exchanged few messages, met on shore leaves but before his recent...problems. Yu immediately wondered if Lila knew about those...”That is a surprise...A shooting range of all places.” The half-Firrerreo smiled and shook his head. Everyone who knew Lila had to be aware of her undying love for heavy weapons, something Yu stayed away from. The recoil alone would most likely break his arm in few places.

”I wasn't aware you were stationed here.” He asked and placed the bag back on a table. ”I've been...ok. I guess. “ The young soldier said after a while, wondering how this lie suddenly came up. He was less than ok, hell, he had been less than bad. Almost killed by Sith, blown up and depressed. But it wouldn't be the first thing Yu wanted to share with a lady. Not that Lila was really one but...Yeah, not the best way to start the conversation with an army buddy.

He leaned against the table, folding his arms. ”So what you've been up to lately?”” Yu asked casually. The Corellian made a point not to keep in touch with most his old buddies. Mostly because it was really embarrassing what he had been doing last few weeks. There had been time Yu proud himself to be one of the best snipers on a team. A gunslinger. Who was he now? A chef. And a lousy one at that.

”Listen...I don't want to keep you waiting if you came here to train actually.” The soldier said awkwardly, not really sure how to behave. It struck him how much of a loner he became recently. It was not Yu who Lila knew anymore, but rather an empty husk of one. Detached, broken, bitter and sarcastic. He'd rather stay as a pleasant memory of mischievous trickster rather than admit to being a potato peeler on some Force forsaken ship.