That Drunk, Glum, Blind Kid

[Maxx]

The Asteroid Belt Cantina, Gorse

He sat at that same bar stool everyday, and drank the same cheap liquor everyday. All he saw was darkness, and he lived in darkness. Noah Pompero had been robbed of his sight and his spirit at the same time, but it took him a while to realize that that flaming spirit in him had been gone. Now he roamed the stars, avoiding the darkness that had taken his sight and spirit, and threatened to take his mind. It was fitting that he chose to do so by settling down on this mining world enshrouded in darkness, locked in place by the very thing that gave it light.

So there he sat, surrounded by bottles of cheap liquor, criminals both small and large, people just trying to make it another day. The light that had kept him going, given him hope, fueled his ideals... was too small to be seen. But nevertheless, it was still there, even if he couldn't see it within himself, it was there. Why else would he still be roaming the stars? He didn't realize it, but he was looking for something to reignite that flame. Something. Someone. All that's needed to start a fire is a spark.

 

[Mad Dog]

Cade strolled into the cantina, built on an asteroid belt.. strange.. my kinda place.. He'd just "acquired" a batch of thorilide crystals front the planet's moon, and decided to make a stop at the cantina which had been aptly named.

Walking in Cade saw all manner of large aliens and the strange peoples that typically inhabited places like these. The kinds of people he usually felt he fit in with, despite his much smaller size. As Case took his seat at the bar in one of the many empty stools, the bartending droid cracked to life asking what he'd like from the shelves behind the bar, the droid's voice not at all that of a well cared for machine,"Whiskey, double." He'd all but quit drinking in the last five years as his addiction to KIK-Dust and alcohol had become apparent to him a few years ago. Managing to ' Kick ' the KIK-Dust entirely and then becoming able to miderately control his consumption of alcohol, but as he rationalized some social drinking was always acceptable, even if he didn't know anyone he was drinking with.

 

[Andrewza]

Maximus slipped in to the cantina his uniform covered by a brown cloak but the cowl hung loos showing his white hair of Eshan. The war may be over and he should be in despair but Maximus was a fighter and the sith forgotten rule number one of declaring victory. Make sure the other guy gets the memo. Still a good drink was never a bad thing.

Maximus eyes caught some thing different. The Jedi could see many things through the force but a Echani warrior like him could see some things that even the force could not. A man who thought he has given up, but not yet.

Taking a seat next to the blind man Maximus raised his hand signalling two more drinks. "Hope you don't mind I sit here, the rest here seem like rather boring people to talk to and only thing better than a drink to left ones sprites is drink said drink with good company."

 

[Maxx]

Two men walked into the bar about the same time and took up stools on either side of Noah. The Squib took the stool to the left and the Echani sat down on his right. He had of course no way of telling the species of either one of them. He was blind after all, but from their voices he could garner that they were males of whatever their species was. The one to his left ordered some whiskey, and from the clink of glasses to his right, the other man had ordered two drinks. Of what, Noah couldn't tell.

The man to his right then spoke up, asked if it was alright to sit there and something about good company. "If good company is what lifts one's spirit, then I haven't had good company in a long time, but I have downed more than my share of spirits in this bar." Nevertheless, he lifted his class for a toast. "May tonight be the night of good company."

 

[Mad Dog]

"...The rest here seem like rather boring people to talk to..." The Echani on the opposite side of the man Cade had sat next to said, What a jerk.. Cade thought, assuming he was part of ' the rest '

"Company is what makes a hole like this worth sittin' in.." Cade spoke loud enough for the man on the other side to hear. Once the center man lifted his glass Cade moved his for the ceremonial glass tap, only in this moment realizing he was in fact blind,"Oh..." Cade's voice not hiding his surprise a bit.

 

[Andrewza]

Maximus moved the second drink he orderd in front of the blind man as he lifted his own own glass ready to start tge cermony. He watched to see just how impaired the man truely was.


"While then to good company then."

 

[Maxx]

The two men on either side of him joined in the toast, glasses clinking. He downed the drink in one go and set it down on the bar top. His hand moved around the second glass that the man to his right and slid in front of him. He knew where the glass was because of the sound of glass sliding on wood. This glass he only took a sip from, choosing to make this glass last. He motioned the glass toward the man to his right. "Thanks for the drink." He took another sip before resting the glass down on the bar top. He then turned his head to look at the man on the left, who had sounded surprised during the toast. After five years of similar reactions from people, he knew why the man was surprised.

"What's the matter? Never seen a blind man before?"

 

[Mad Dog]

"I reckon you haven't either.." Cade joked light heartily,"What are you doing on this belt?" Cade honestly wondered, finishing his drink quickly.

Taking a moment to observe the man on the other side,"How about you? You here on business?"

 

[Andrewza]

"This war as meant I have seen my share of blind people, most though have some kind of device to aid them. You though have nothing, you must have a sharp ear." Maximus took his time drinking his drink there was no rush. "Me, I am just traveling through. My ship is get stocked up and supplied."

 

[Maxx]

"When you've been blind for five years, you learn to rely more on all of your other senses, not just your ears." He took a sip from his glass. "As for what I'm doing here? The thorillide mining industry here is one of the largest in the galaxy, plenty of work, even for a blind man." He took another sip of the liquor. "However, I could find plenty of work anywhere else in the galaxy. Why I chose to live here specifically? It's Dominion space. No Sith. No Jedi. No fighting, at least for now. When the fighting does come here, I'll just pick myself up and move." He took a final sip, finishing off the glass.

 

[Mad Dog]

"What a coincidence.. Thorillide is why I'm here as well.." that's odd... Cade thought. "Should a time like that ever come, I'm a collaborative member of an organization dedicated to protecting a vast amount of space from the petty wars of the core, down in the Galactic South.. Maybe look us up some day?" Cade making an offer, before ordering a full round for the three.

After the drinks were poured Cade quickly snatched his glass and rose it,"To freedom eh?"

 

[Andrewza]

"The core world wars are not so petty. Not every one can leave like we did. Is it not better to try and liberate them, liberate the galaxy before darkness consums it." taking his drink again "to freedom"

 

[Maxx]

"To freedom." He raised his glass, but there was no emotion in his voice. Freedom was certainly a good thing to have, but was it really all that important? After all he had the freedom to make whatever choices he wanted, but he always chose the same thing. He chose to get drunk every night in some cantina on whatever world he was on, and whenever the Sith Empire was getting to close for comfort, he just picked up and ran in the opposite direction. Was that really freedom?

"Why would I want to join some two-bit faction in the Outer Rim set on making war with the galactic superpowers? War is why I'm sitting in this cantina right now, unable to see anything. That "petty war" going on right now between the Sith and the Jedi? It took my friends' lives. It took my sight." He let out a deep sigh. "An it took away the confidence I had in the beliefs that I had been raised with since I was a youngling."

 

[Mad Dog]

"It's the reasons behind the war that make it petty, the Jedi, the Republic, and especially the Sith they just fight so they can own things, and people. Exert their power over everything they can get their hands on, collecting their taxes for their own use, it's that unreasonable thirst for ' power '(making finger quotes and saying it slowly for the benefit of the blind) that makes the entire war ridiculous, and petty..." Cade said,"It's the men like you that pay for it. Front lines fighting so some government high up can continue to Lord over everything they want, sacrificing good lives for the continued ownership of property.. and people... And that ' Two-bit ' faction, they fight to protect the people of the outer rim, the people the core often forgets exist, they live out there, usually oppressed, overworked, underpaid, and overtaxed. Yea the organization fights to control parts of space, but they don't do it to own it, they do it to free those within the jurisdiction. It's an organization where taxes are used for the betterment of those who pay them, and not to line the pockets of any official. They're not there to start a war with the Galactic superpowers, just to protect." Cade finished, taking a deep breath after his long speal.

Usually the more quiet type Cade was realizing he had become quite passionate about the group he'd helped build, and been a part of since its conception more than five years ago.

Cade let out a small laugh,"Well, to each their own, right?" He added taking another drink from his glass.

 

[Andrewza]

"No matter how petty a war is, how stupid the reasons are. There is one fact and that is where the sith go death and oppression follow follow. And sith, they want it all, every last drop and they will fight for it and they very good at it, hell they may win and we may die. But i refuse to die in a gutter begging for mercy from a slave driver. If i am to die i will die a free man. They say you cant choose your death only how you meet it. While then i will meet death a free man, a proud man. Not some one who gave up because of a few set backs no matter how large." Maximums breathed deep "you need to fight to keep your own yours"

 

[Maxx]

Noah took a swig from the glass that the man to his left had ordered from him. After he brought it away from his lips, he rotated his wrist, swirling the liquor around. There were some moments of silence as he thought to himself. It had been five years since the explosion. Five years since his master had died and he, Noah, was cast into the sea. He could have drowned that day, could have been swallowed up by the waves, and fated to rest on the seafloor for eternity. Yet, he hadn't. He had washed up on shore, blind and broken. He had been so distraught he gave up on the beliefs the Jedi had instilled in him. For the weeks that he sat healing, he had reflected on the state of the Jedi Order and come to realize that it was not the same one he had grown up a part of.

Now he realized. Just because the Order was no longer the one that it was when he was a kid, that didn't mean he should give up on its teachings. What he had learned from the Jedi, it was still all true. It was simply that in his eyes, the Order was no longer true to its teachings. When he had sat questioning the Order, he should have been meditating on the Force. He didn't drown that day, because it was the Will of the Force.

"Fight to keep what's mine. Hmm," he scratched his chin as a thought came to him. "Would one of you two gentlemen be willing to spar with me? I haven't fought in five years, perhaps it's just what I need."

 

[Andrewza]

Maximums bowed his head "My people say that you learn and gain insight on some one through combat. The same is true for one self. If you do not fight you dont know who you are, you dont know what you hold true and what you love with out fighting for it. So yes i will spar with you though my age is catching up with me and my one leg i left with a Sith. I think it makes up for bindness and rusty bones"

 

[Mad Dog]

"And I'd be happy to sit and watch." Cade said with a small laugh, distance was what he preferred when fighting.

 

[Maxx]

He nodded his head. "Alright then, let's move to a more suitable location. Don't want to mess up the bar." Noah finished off his glass and stood up from the bar stool. He turned and moved towards the cantina's back door, maneuvering his way around tables that he couldn't see. He pushed open the door and proceeded into the alley behind the bar. Once the two men had come out, he turned and faced the man who had volunteered to spar with him, and stood in a position ready to fight. "Don't led my blindness keep you from holding anything back!"

 

[Darasuum]

[beebox2=90%]

____________

The man nodded his head as his commlink played music from the built in speakers as he urinated on the street. He had only one drink earlier so he wasn't inebriated but he had also been drinking large quantities of exsquisite tea as well. He bletched just as the door opened and turned to see three individuals walk out into the area he was residing, giving them a cocked eye under the helm of his jet black vagabond armor set.

A skuffle? looks entertaining he thought to himself and zipped up his trousers. The music continued to play and he simply turned to wait and see what happened. his normal trappings & attire on him along with a malicious green painted F105 Hound drone that bobbed idly waiting for its master to command it to do something.

[/beebox2]