( video | un: tano )

[unjedi]

So I was thinking for all of us that are new here, maybe we could all share our skills and expertise. Just so we know who to go to and who to ask for help. I imagine asking for help and knowing where to turn is essential on these missions. Or so I've read.

I'll start off. My name is Ahsoka. I . . . was a commander in an army. I've done strategy, tactics, guerilla warfare. I'm also trained in martial arts and swordsmanship.

Also, I'm a decent mechanic. For people who seem to be at odds with the technology here, I can give you a run through. I'm from space, if that helps.

And this is what I really look like. No staring or touching, please.

Comments

[lostdestiny]

But if you haven't even heard of Earth --

[ Look, she could have had a really bad tan and eaten a lot of carrots, then put a really weird hat on top of it all. But! If she talks casually about travelling past lightspeed, she could be from -- what, anywhere? He runs a hand through his hair agitatedly. ]

It was a big deal when we made it to Jupiter, and that took seven years to go two planets over.

[unjedi]

I don't know how things are like in your galaxy.

But in ours, we've been traveling to other planets for centuries.

[lostdestiny]

"Galaxy"!

[ His voice verges ever-so-slightly slightly into a squawk as he repeats the word. Yes, that is a much bigger expansion into space than settling in a planet's Lagrange points! No wonder their tech can go fast, they'd have to just to make travel like that work! If she's in a military group, their wars must be huge.

Actually, he stops walking and frowns. They're so far along, and she still has to be a commander-- ]

People can do all that, and you still have to fight?

[ Everything about his voice and posture reflects that this is a massive bummer. ]

[unjedi]

[ she sighs. ]

People have all kinds of reasons for fighting. This one involved entire planets.

[lostdestiny]

... you have whole planets! Just put all the assholes on one planet and leave them there!

[unjedi]

. . . You get that everyone can travel through space, right? Because that's a stupid plan.

[lostdestiny]

So blow up their ships afterward.

[ He's being snappish because he's bummed. To someone who wants and has done some fucked up things in the name of a world without war, it is pretty depressing to consider a society that advanced still having large-scale conflict. ]

[unjedi]

[ this boy is going to give her a headache. ]

Everything about your plan wouldn't work. And I'm not going to explain why.

[lostdestiny]

[ He can't help it, his secret? obvious? situationally-obvious inner chuuni is emotionally bruised. He exhales, and it's a mix between a huff and a sigh. ]

I get it, it's just normal for you! But to do so much, and still....

[unjedi]

[ she assesses him quietly.

No. It's not normal. This war was . . . massive in scale. Everyone got roped in, whether they wanted to be or not. But that's not how it's supposed to be.

And maybe someday, it won't be.

[lostdestiny]

[ He winces, because one planet and its colonies going at it already dragged in too many people who should have been a long way from a battlefield -- a massive war across a whole galaxy is just brutal. He really wants to ask what her regret is and whether it's related to that war; the only thing that's stopping him is that he wouldn't particularly want to answer in return. ]

... at least it's not normal.

[ And if he's hearing that "was" right-- ]

And that it's over.

[unjedi]

. . . Yeah. It's definitely over.

[lostdestiny]

[ Well that's a dismal reaction -- until told otherwise he will assume that she got her ass handed to her, because that's what happened to him. But she doesn't give wants-a-hug vibes so he is not particularly sure what to do.

Unless she stops him, he will reach out to pat her awkwardly on the shoulder, give a brief squeeze, and drop his hand. ]

[unjedi]

[ she looks perplexed before she softens a little, bemused. ]

You're not used to comforting people, huh.

[lostdestiny]

... well what did you want me to do?

[unjedi]

I wasn't criticizing.

[lostdestiny]

Uh-huh.

[ Well this has killed basically all the appeal of looking at superfast fighters. He crosses his arms and heads back in the direction of the mess hall instead of on to the simulator. ]

Let's go.

[unjedi]

I thought you wanted to see the ship.

[lostdestiny]

I do!

[ Maximum zoomzooms, absolutely beautiful. His biggest smile in fifty episodes is finding out that he's getting a new ride that can match his speed. ]

But you don't have to think about that stuff right now.

[unjedi]

[ brash . . . but caring. familiar even. ]

All right. If you want, I'll show you later. Sounds fair?

[lostdestiny]

[ Thankfully a mentor ending a fight by chopping off multiple limbs in one move is less painful and permanent when the limbs are on a giant robot. ]

Mm. But for now --

[ The station's slow, silly between-mission pace has been throwing him off since he got here; it's just jarring compared to the purposeful workflow in the academy and then on the Minerva. But. Shinn has had enough time -- time with Lunamaria, most importantly -- since Messiah collapsed to get past the initial shock of what he had tried to do and the people they'd lost. He can't figure out if Ahsoka has had the same. Maybe there's something to the downtime. ]

Whatever, it's fine that there's nothing to do for a bit.

[unjedi]

I agree.

It's a good time to mingle and know your team mates. We'll be relying on each other later.

[lostdestiny]

Oh yeah, that's what you wanted to know in the first place.

Any interesting answers?

[unjedi]

A few, but I'm not sure if I'll get anything tangible out of it.

[lostdestiny]

Because they're, what, too weird to be helpful?

[ Applies to himself, sometimes... ]