Ask The Pilot and the Ranger

[Rylee Asuchi]

It was all too easy to fluster Lt. Velt it seemed. No matter what she did there seemed to be an almost constant shade of pink or red on his face. Corran seemed to think things through out loud, advising her that he had pretty much everything required to tutor her on what she would need to know to pass the entrance exam, but there was a strong sense of nervousness and hesitation. It didn't matter to Rylee what his concerns were in that moment however, if the rangers were that desperate to have her in the ranks, it was one of her conditions and in reality, it wasn't all that unreasonable.

"No, I suppose you don't have a choice" she replied, with a wry smile on her face, "and since you have everything we need, there's no way that you're slinking out of it either."

The Pantoran turned her attention to finishing off the last of her meal as they continued talking. She was feeling very content having filled up on a tasty meal and was enjoying spending the day with Lt. Velt so far.

"So, now that's been agreed, why don't you show me around?" said Rylee, daintily dabbing at the corner of her mouth with a napkin having finished her food.

@TerranSteel @Corran Velt

 

[Corran Velt]

A few quick gulps finished off the last of Corran's water and by extension his meal. It was good, but merely a social grace. The real treat had been conversing with the Pantoran military pilot. It had been awhile since he had talked with someone who wasn't a criminal being interrogated, a fellow Ranger about business, or a nurse telling him about his condition. It was... normal, in a way he wasn't use to. At least for quite some time. "Yeah, I'll show you around," the blond ranger replied, "but it'll be a pretty quick tour. The station is only so big." It was pretty likely she shouldn't want to see the engineering guts of the place and certain security or administrative areas were off-limits for non-rangers, so that made the trip even shorter.

Corran scooted his empty fry container and glass to the edge of the table and sat them next to each other in an orderly fashion. It would be easier for the droid to clean up and it made the table look less messy. As promised, he dug some credits out of his pocket and left them on the table. Enough to cover both their meals. The lieutenant rose to his feet and adjusted his jacket. "We'll make a loop around the station and come back to the main hub. Follow me."

Outside the diner, Corran took an immediate left to head down a hallway that peeled off to the right in a giant curve. He made sure to not walk ahead of Rylee, but beside her. It was more respectful. Compared to the busier main hub, the hallway was much more empty. Every so often there would be a transparisteel window but mostly it was metal paneling on either side. Florescent lights lined the walkway and shone from the ceiling above. "This segment of the station is primarily to get to other sub-stations. We are passing by some private quarter sections now. In between them are docking rings, though most of them are used right now." Locked doors to various private rooms were only on the left-hand side. Out towards space. Then the two came to a T-junction where the hallway kept going forward but a right-hand turn was possible. Corran stopped dead in his tracks, not moving past where the protective walls ended into the split hallway. Why could he smell ash? That after-effect of carbon scoring from blaster fire.

The opening of a door to the right made the Sector Ranger visibly start. It was one of the few medics of the station. He cleared his throat, "Down that way is the infirmary. Only meant for a handful of patients at a time. A little crowded right now, so we won't disturb them." He could hear the echoes, the screams, of two of his men taking a red blast to the chest. They had died in there from Darmus Onn letting his guard down for less than a second. The only two men he lost. Maybe it was better for him not to go in there.

"Anyway, moving on," Corran said with an attempt at a friendly, tour-guide-grin. "Let me know if you have any questions or anything."

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

The pair left the diner together. They walked down an empty hallway lined with windows as Corran explained that they were going past some private quarters and the docking rings. It seemed that this setup was designed to enable rangers to stop off and rest between patrols. At the T-junction, Rylee noticed that Corran's demeanor had changed. It looked like something had started to bother him. Shortly after he became startled when another Sector Ranger opened a door. The lieutenant came back to the present to explain to the Pantoran that they were near the medical bay. All he told her was that the place was at capacity, which she took to mean that the rangers were not in a good position at this moment in time. Was this why Corran wanted to recruit her?

Corran attempted to carry on with his tour, clearly trying to keep things light, but Rylee reached up and grabbed his shoulder as he started to walk away, forcefully turning him back to look at her.

"Wait" she commanded, "You need to explain to me what is going on here. In my line of work, I don't need to know or care about what this organisation gets up to, but you can't just take me past an infirmary, tell me that it's full and not explain why. I'm a soldier. A full infirmary means that you've been in a battle - it's the only explanation."

Her golden eyes stared directly into Corran's blue ones. She was deadly serious.

"Is this why you want to recruit me? Because the Sector Rangers are desperate for help? You've picked a fight you can't win against a faction bigger than yours? The last I checked, this organisation was meant to be objective and uphold laws, not fight wars" she snapped.

@TerranSteel @Corran Velt

 

[Corran Velt]

A sudden blue vice gripped Corran's shoulder and forced him to turn right around. What greeted him was nearly as intimidating as the assault-shuttle ride that carried him into this very hallway years ago. Powerful, golden eyes ordered him to remain in her grip. Rylee was also stronger than she looked. Not that it was too surprising. A soldier, even a pilot, would have strength inherent to their warrior status. Although the Pantoran appeared deadly serious, the young man grew visibly confused. His brow dented and he blinked a few times in misunderstanding.

"A... battle?" Lieutenant Velt asked with uncertainty. He swiveled his head to glance down the hallway at the infirmary and then back to Rylee. "Oh! No. It's not the only explanation," the blond man corrected gently, "The infirmary only has 4 beds open normally. This station being the sole home for the Sector Rangers for the time being means it gets a lot of traffic. Hundreds of officers come through this place. Broken bone? Laser burn? Fever? Migraines? All that in an infirmary meant for a station of no more than 25." He didn't move to release her grasp from his shoulder. She had a right to know everything. Instead, blue eyes focused back into her serious, unblinking stare.

Intensity was clearly shown on the ranger's face. "I won't lie to you. We are in a fight against something prepared for. The Sith." That last word carried hurt with it. Despite the lieutenant's attempt to stand firm, Rylee would feel a slackening in his shoulders. Like 'Sith' burdened him. "But if I wanted raw meat for the grinder, I wouldn't go searching for the elite. The capable." Corran's blue eyes finally matched the Pantoran's gold in equal power. "You."

Squadron Leader Asuchi was right about one thing. The Sector Rangers couldn't fight a war. They were ill-equipped, out-numbered, and most importantly - they weren't soldiers. Their training was about protecting and serving, not storming defenses on Sullust. While the rangers were capable of force when necessary, capturing a pirate hideout was not warfare. But the Free Worlds Alliance had continually lumped the responsibility for the shadow conflict against the Sith terrorists on them. At great cost. "I plan to talk to a senate committee in the future; to refocus the Rangers back to real justice. But for now, we have to help people against the Red Sabers. No one else will."

With some discomfort, Corran glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one else was awkwardly watching the conversation. With no one else in sight, he would glance back to Rylee. "If you want to talk more about this, I suggest we find some place less open. Or we can continue with the tour."

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

The Pantoran scowled at Velt. In that moment she didn't much appreciate his explanation about the infirmary. Particularly as her question had in fact proven to be close to the mark. The ranger admitted that his organisation were in fact in a fight but not just against an army, but the Sith. Even if Corran felt that his reasons for wanting to recruit Rylee were above board, the purple haired woman disagreed.

"Cut the crap lieutenant" she snarled, taking her hand off his shoulder and now snatching his forearm before dragging him with her down the corridor. She had no idea where she was taking him and secretly hoped he would cotton on and point out a room where they could talk privately, but if he didn't she was determined to make room.

As she marched, she continued their conversation regardless, but lowered her voice so that it was more of an audible whisper, rather than shouting.

"When exactly did you plan on bringing up the subject of the Sith?" she hissed, "After I'd decided to join up I imagine. Why did it take me interrogating you to find out about this, quite frankly, vital piece of information?"

When she said this last sentence, she stopped her path of fury for a split second to turn back and stare at Corran in the face before continuing down the hallway.

@Corran Velt @TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Like kindling to a fire, Corran's answers had only breathed further life into Rylee's powerful temperament. He had hoped to douse it. A stern rejection and a mighty grip on his forearm warded off any hope of that. She yanked so hard that it actually jerked the ranger's neck. He stumbled after her, more being dragged along than following willingly. Only when she stopped to launch a new series of questions at him did he stabilize. An immediate answer wasn't forth coming. The blond man only supplied a soft, dejected frown. When the Pantoran turned her back on him sharply, he reached out after her but didn't make contact. "Rylee, wait." His voice sounded wounded, but serious enough to catch her attention if she desired.

All along the outer wall of the hallway they were in had nearly identical doors that led to private quarters. Except one. It had yellow warning labels attached and the digital sign read OCCUPIED despite the door being ajar. Corran pressed the 'open' command and the door barely slid open, still leaning on a tilt. He motioned for her to follow and he moved into the room. Inside was nothing special. Two sets of bunk-beds on either side and a refresher off to the left. Everything else was plain metal except for the far wall. A durasteel plate had been welded onto it and warning tape applied across in it a giant X.

The ranger took a few steps deeper into the room and stood beside one of the bunk-beds. "I'm sorry, if I upset you," he began carefully, his voice soft and sincere. "I wasn't trying to hide anything. The fight against the Sith is all over the Holonet." Corran glanced to his right at the floor, his jaw shifting as if chewing on a thought. Finally he raised his eyes to face the fighter pilot. "Not everyone investigates the Sith. The only one I ever saw was when they gave me this scar. Before and since... I haven't caught any. Most of the work we do is against organized crime. Taking down drug rings, slavers, and pirates." He out-stretched his arm and pointed to the ad-hoc weld on the far wall. The wall that kept the vacuum of space outside. "When I leapt through this breach, I did so against pirates. Not force-users. I lost two men that day. Others lost dozens. But because of that sacrifice, the Manaan system is no longer occupied by raiders and looters." Pride, courage, and sorrow welled into Corran's face. "If you joined us, you're more likely to take a bolt to the chest from a pirate than murdered by a Sith. And the fight against criminals, especially organized ones, impacts real people." His gaze grew stern. "And I think you know that all too well, don't you?"

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

There was a long and uncomfortable silence after Corran stopped speaking. The Pantoran was clearly still annoyed, it was seen in her frown and golden eyes which continued to stare back at the lieutenant's own stern gaze. His story about how he got that scar was not exactly helping her mood and the comment about the Holonet had in fact caused her to curl her fists into a ball. She was a soldier of Pantora - a planet that was most deeply concerned with keeping control over it's own space. She wasn't supposed to sit around reading the Holonet, she was ordered to protect her planet and fight wars.

The thing that stopped her punching one of the bunk bed mattresses, or Corran, was what he said about the pirates. He had fought and lost colleagues to protect people. This was something that spoke to her and her ideals directly. Chewing it all over in her head, the silence was only broken when she decided to plonk herself down on one of the lower bunks in the room.

"I need time to think about this, like I said" she sighed, "I'm not turning my back on my squad, or Pantora, only to get dragged into an unfamiliar organisation that operates in exactly the same manner as the one I'd be leaving..."

The pilot sat with her back up against the wall just looking at Corran. She wondered what exactly he made of her. How much did he really know about the life of a soldier? How much did he really know about her ideals? One thing was certain; the situation with the sector rangers needed to be clarified if she was going to give his proposal a second more of thought.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

A lot of emotions could have risen from the Pantoran pilot. Empathy. Impatience. Understanding. Anger. He expected another slap the most. Corran stood still, trying to read the features of the fiery woman. When Rylee finally moved, he felt the urge to wince and recoil but his discipline held firm. The blond ranger's eyes followed her until she took a spot on one of the lower beds. Untouched since the second wave assault on Outpost Blue.

She made sensible points. Lieutenant Velt listened, unmoving, as the Pantoran expressed her thoughts and concerns. Nothingness filled the air. Only quiet between them. Movement began subtly at first. Sky-blue eyes cast down to the metal floor in acceptance. Without a word, Corran sat down on the lower bunk opposite Rylee. He interwove his fingers and rested his hands on his knees. If she hadn't been leaning against the wall, their knees likely would have bumped against one another due to the size of the room.

His eyes rose to meet her gold ones but stopped at her choker before they got there. Heart-shaped. He had heard about wearing your heart on your sleeve. What about wearing it at your neck? Rylee needed to have her heart in something to fight for it. Corran admired that about her. The blond ranger's gaze finally rose to meet the Pantoran's powerful amber eyes. "You could always try it out. Come with me on missions of your choosing. No commitment. We met on one of your personal free-rangings, if I recall." He tilted his head and looked at her as if analyzing a work of art. "What drives you to do the things you do? Those far-off patrols? What's your story there, Squadron Leader Asuchi?" His tone was one of soothing, psychological musings. A quiet ask of a friend wanting to know her better. To grasp her world just a little bit more.

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

Rylee chewed the idea over in her mind for a few moments before responding.

"I don't choose the patrols. We're assigned them by HQ. Pantora likes to know what goes on, on it's doorstep, so pilots like myself do patrol runs when we're not on a tour of duty or doing training" she explained, "As far as what drives me to do the things I do? Ha... you couldn't even begin to understand me and the things I do, lieutenant."

The Pantoran was aware that the comment may come across as self-involved and cryptic, but it was not intended to be. Corran hardly knew Rylee and what she and her squadron did when they came into contact with a foe. Her ideals were extreme and her methods had become ruthless, if Corran, the Sector Rangers or even her own superiors in the military caught wind of what she had been up to, she would most likely be detained as opposed to recruited as law enforcement.

"I'll speak to my superior officer. They may approve of me assisting you on missions from time to time to help relations between Pantora and your organisation, you never know..." she said. It wasn't a wholly convincing response, but it was the best she could do. It was outside of her control.

"So what missions do you do exactly?" she asked, starting to play with the ends of her ponytail again.

@TerranSteel

 

[Corran Velt]

Sky-blue eyes scanned the Pantoran; to parse any subtle meaning from her expression. Rules, regulations, following the chain of command - these things he knew well. Holding to them as a ranger and her a pilot meant he shared a lot of respect for the Squadron Leader. But the second response... Vague didn't even begin to describe it. A little rude too. The Lieutenant's face remained placid. Musing on how much had been told even if unsaid. Corran was certain he would understand the things she did. Ideals, orders, or delusions were motives for lots of the things he'd witnessed. Understanding Rylee herself, well, that was something else altogether. Knowing and understanding people could take a lifetime. She seemed no exception to that. Instead of following the desires of his natural curiosity, the blond ranger let sleeping kath hounds lie and decided not to press the matter. It'll come when the time is right.

At least the Pantoran military officer would speak to her commanders. That was progress. It was Rylee's turn to ask questions now. Corran glanced at the purple hair being toyed with between blue fingers for a moment. Fascinating to look at, given the colors and the graceful movements. His gaze shifted back to the pilot and sat upright from his leaning position. "What missions haven't I done?" The man exhaled slowly with puffed cheeks as he tried to organize all the years in recent memory. "I've gone deep undercover to arrest a black market dealer and his top lieutenant. Apprehended spice smugglers. Protected witnesses in a corporate espionage case." With each named operation, a finger rose on one of his hands to keep count. "Ending pirate threats via stun-cuffs or blasters. Investigating politicians for corruption. Freed slaves aboard Zygerrian transports after dog-fighting their escorts." A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Though I was a pretty bad fighter pilot. You would have been embarrassed to see it."

Not an extensive list but it covered the gauntlet of assignments a ranger might expect. Excluding the Anti-Sith operations. It had been made readily apparent she was not interested in hearing about those. Corran looked at his six fingers standing up and nodded at them before balling his hands once again. "Rangers get a lot of freedom in the types of assignments they look into. Some don't even report to command and remain in the Outer Rim or Wild Space entirely. But I pretty much raise my for anything." Rylee was free to ask as many questions as she liked and he would do his best to answer them. Besides a professional courtesy, the young man did like the Pantoran woman. Different from the people he usually spent time with. Namely other Sector Rangers.

But a thought did come up. "Do you have a time you need to be back? We've got dock space for you, but I wasn't sure if you have a timetable to your superiors or something." Regulations and protocols were important to the lieutenant and he didn't want to besmirch the Squadron Leader's record on his account, if he could help it.

@Bex

 

[Rylee Asuchi]

Corran reeled off a list of all the missions he was involved with. Rylee found all of them equally interesting but the one that caught her attention most was of course the dog-fighting. So Lt. Velt didn't fancy himself behind the controls of a starfighter? This had the Pantoran very interested indeed. She would have to see this for herself before making a proper judgement, after all, the man could just be being modest.

The next thing he said also caught her attention. Freedom to decide which investigations they could look into AND a long leash when it came to reporting to their superiors. These were two massive plus points as far as enticing her towards the Sector Rangers was concerned. At present, the Pantoran military assigned all her missions. The only reason she was able to even be at the outpost today was because she was on authorised leave and taking time out of her rest in order to meet with Corran. Rylee and her like-minded followers in the military had therefore had to carry out their vendetta against injustice as and when they came across it, but having autonomy and the authority to crack down on crime using a Sector Rangers' badge was increasingly seeming like the best career option for her.

It was only a matter of time before her superiors caught wind of what she and her squadron had been doing. Even if it was for noble reasons, the ill-gotten gains they handed out as aid to those who needed it were still stolen. That also didn't take into account the ruthlessness of the way they dealt with their foes. Eventually they would be outed as pirates, court marshaled and locked away. Perhaps this was the best way out.

"I need to be back for my next patrol tomorrow" she said, answering the lieutenant's question, "but now you've got me curious. We should fly together sometime. I wanna see how bad you think you are."

 

[Corran Velt]

Considering the type of resistance Rylee had been putting up, she wasn't coming across as totally casting the possibility out of hand. Her curiosity about the missions Corran undertook was a promising sign. No malice, suspicion, or distrust lingered in her ask. In fact, she didn't interrupt him once and seemed to take it all in. It was hard to tell what a woman like Rylee Asuchi was thinking but this was better than another slap by parsecs. Maybe they had come to an understanding after all.

Lieutenant Velt chuckled, lowering his head for a moment and shaking it. "I've only flown something smaller than a light freighter twice and the last time I ended up flying half a Y-wing home." The whole affair was funny only in retrospect. Dodging laser fire and clipping a Zygerrian fighter nearly got him killed. He raised his head tilted it to look at Rylee, "If anything, I could use some training from an expert like you." Learning from a professional was plenty tantalizing. The Sector Rangers didn't provide any fighter craft training. Why would they? You're supposed to be cops, not fighter aces.

With a sociable sigh, Corran pushed off his knees to stand up from the bunk. His arms rose over his head for a quick stretch before placing his hands on his hips. "Well, we can finish the tour on our route back to the landing pads. Come on, I'll lead the way, Squadron Leader Asuchi." He exited the under-repair and unoccupied bunk room and waited for the Pantoran to join him before sliding the door to as closed as it could go. The rest of the visit would be standard stuff. Detention block. Communications hub. The few stores in the central hub area. And the Outpost Blue Memorial. A black slab of stone with names of all the Sector Rangers that fell in taking this place. Too many. Corran would wave off the military pilot happily as she departed back to her home space. Long after Rylee had gone, he pondered on much of what she'd said and hoped they crossed paths again.

//END THREAD

@Bex