Day 21: Lunch

[totallytheseme]

Hikaru and Kaoru had been so caught up in their little game that they initially hadn't heard the intercom go off. The new "ding" system was far less jarring than the old SCREECH, and as such, wasn't as easily heard, even in a place as quiet as the library. All too soon, the nurses came to separate the twins and take them to the next activity--

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[braidless]

When the Head Doctor announced it was time for lunch, Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel a little relieved to have something more substantial than fictional books to keep him occupied. His conversation with Qui-Gon might have taken an awkward turn, though it was just as well possible the Jedi Master hadn't cared too much about Obi-Wan's recent actions, both on the board and towards him. In fact, there was even the (admittedly slim) chance the man wasn't aware of them at all.

Well, either way, there wasn't much Obi-Wan could do at this point, except be grateful Qui-Gon wasn't in the "living dead" category and move on to more pressing issues. They'd discussed the importance of establishing good relations with other prisoners, something Obi-Wan could see the benefit in. It looked like Qui-Gon already had a meal companion, so the younger Jedi opted to mingle with people he was less familiar with for the time being.

Granted, being chatty and friendly with strangers wasn't exactly Obi-Wan's strong point. He could mediate political disputes and give good, solid reports to people, but he didn't handle purely social situations with quite the same grace and ease Qui-Gon did. Fortunately, he didn't find it as awkward as he had when he was younger, but it still wasn't his favorite thing.

At least he had enough sense to be polite these days, something that could always serve a Jedi well. So, before he set down his tray beside a man he'd seen in passing since his arrival, he asked, "This seat taken?"

[felled_hero]

"hmm?" Hughes glanced up at a man he didn't know and then smiled. "No, not at all. You're welcome to it." He gestured to it with his free hand.

"I'm Maes Hughes, I don't think we've met. I've seen you around, though."

[braidless]

"Likewise," Obi-Wan said, and he sat down with his tray. The Jedi turned to the man, studying him for a brief moment. He seemed to be a little older than himself, though he was definitely younger than Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan had heard about Maes Hughes on his first day here. Haru had mentioned teaming up with him or something of that nature, while Lust had described him as "competent enough." (He supposed any lack of enthusiasm on her part could have been attributed to the fact she and this Hughes didn't get along so well, which was understandable.)

"I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi," he added. "This is my third day here, but I'm under the impression you've been here a lot longer."

[felled_hero]

"Nice to meet you," he said, and offered his hand, as friendly as he always was. There was no reason to make enemies in this place.

"Yeah, I've been here a few weeks. Obviously not by choice." He chuckled some and took a bite of lunch. Not bad. He knew that went without saying but he did tend to joke about things.

"How are you adjusting?"

[braidless]

Obi-Wan shook hands with Hughes with a grip that was solid and firm, but not uncomfortably so. "Nice to meet you, too," he said. "Even if the conditions aren't exactly ideal."

He gave a faint smile at the man's remark. "With all the strings they had to pull to bring everyone here, I doubt getting our consent was at the top of their list."

The Jedi couldn't help but be a little surprised Hughes was asking about his well-being. Not that it was an invalid question, but a many of the people he'd met here tended to be too occupied with the dangers this place presented to give others around them more thought.

"I'm holding up well enough," Obi-Wan replied at length. Despite all their issues, he and Qui-Gon were alive, and that was the most important thing. "Whoever runs this place chose a rather...inconvenient time to hold me captive, I will say that. But I did manage to come across a good friend of mine who had actually died prior to our arrival." Saying something like that would have sounded strange just the other day, but now it seemed natural, normal. Just another testament to how Landel's had a way of turning everything he knew upside down.

"How about yourself?" he asked. "You've been here a bit longer than a lot of the other prisoners here. I imagine it's been difficult."

[felled_hero]

"Too bad we can't take some legal action against them," hughes joked, jovial and unassuming. He listened to Obi-Wan talk and nodded, his grin broadening.

"Good to hear! I know how you feel about the old friend thing, I'm in a similar situation. Only I'm the dead friend in that scenario. I'm doing okay, thanks. I've got some good friends here, I've been in some bad situations before, and... well, I've settled into a routine. And i've got enough good things to go home to, that keeps me going." This guy seemed pretty trustworthy. Hughes considered himself a good judge of character, even within a few minutes of meeting someone.

"Where are you from?"

[braidless]

"Hopefully we can if we manage to get out of here," Obi-Wan replied, and he took a bite of his food. Like everything else they served here, today's menu was foreign and exotic to him, but the taste wasn't so bad. "Then again," his lips quirked into a small smile, "I'd hate to see what kind of lawyers these people would come up with."

After everything that had happened to him since his arrival, Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel surprised to know Hughes had once been dead. As far as he knew, this was the first formerly-dead prisoner he'd met in person, besides Qui-Gon. Very interesting.

"Good things to come home to?" Obi-Wan echoed with mild curiosity. He found he was getting along with this Hughes a bit better than he'd expected. The man seemed genuine and sincere - it was hard not to like him. "That's always nice to hear. Do you have a family?"

Obi-Wan had a feeling Hughes wasn't going to be all that familiar with where he came from, but it wouldn't hurt to tell him anyway. "I'm from Coruscant," he replied. "It's the capital of the Republic, which is basically a large, well-established interplanetary government."

[felled_hero]

"Talk about a case though," Hughes said, laughing. "Makes me wonder about what there is beyond these walls, you know? What's out there?" He hadn't the faintest idea. If there was anything, really.

"I have a wife and a daughter back home," he announced, proudly. And out came the picture. "That's Gracia and our little Elysia. Isn't she an angel? She's seven now." He couldn't resist showing off his girls.

"Never heard of it. But you've probably never heard of where I'm from either, so that's okay. Interplanetary, huh? Wow. I never even knew there was more than one world before I ended up here."

[braidless]

"Yes, there'd probably be so much red tape that they'd hardly get anything done," Obi-Wan said, and though it was partly to match the man's good humor, he knew it was also true. Especially considering this planet had no official relations with the Republic, as far as he knew.

Taking another bite of his meal, Obi-Wan leaned forward and got a better look at the picture. While he himself never had much of a family, Obi-Wan understood how much Hughes' wife and daughter meant to him. The pride and joy Hughes exhibited while talking about them was a welcomed contrast to such a dismal place. "I can see the resemblance," Obi-Wan said, giving a small smile. "I'm sure she and your wife will be happy to see you again."

Considering how big the Republic supposedly was, Obi-Wan was a little surprised that there weren't more people here who were familiar with it. Proof that there was a lot of uncharted space to explore, he supposed.

"I'd never even heard of any worlds without space travel until I arrived here," Obi-Wan admitted. "Your world must be a nice one if no one has tried traveling to other planets."

[felled_hero]

"I can't even imagine what it's gonna be like going home. My wife thinks I'm dead." Hughes pocketed the photo. He really didn't know how he was going to handle that. Or how she would. Or how they'd explain anything....

"Oh yeah, nice place. Corrupt government, constant wars, more intrigue than any care for the well being of the people...." He shook his head. Amestris had a lot of problems that needed to be worked out. Or... not, from what Roy had told him. He kept forgetting about that. "As for travel to other planets... why would we even try?"

[braidless]

"Oh." Obi-Wan watched Hughes put the photo away, his eyebrows faintly furrowing. "I'm sure you're anxious to get back to her, then."

Hearing Hughes describe the world he came from helped change Obi-Wan's initial view of isolated planets. For some reason, he'd been assuming planets without space travel were much, much simpler than the political, bureaucratic entanglements that made up the Republic. In some ways, it was still true, but, sadly, Hughes' world sounded similar to a lot of the places Obi-Wan had visited in his lifetime.

Some things just never changed, it seemed.

"It's unfortunate when a government places its own interests above the citizens its supposed to protect," Obi-Wan said, suppressing a sigh. "I'm sorry to say similar problems exist in other worlds, too."

He shrugged a little at the man's question regarding the reason behind space travel. "Some beings are quick to explore beyond what they know if it means finding more resources or better places to live. Others are simply curious, I suppose."

[felled_hero]

"I am. I really am." Hughes shook his head, thinking on going home. To his house, his wife, his life. It was all he wanted.

"It's the only government I've ever known. And it's not a great one, but it will be. Just needs some time and some tweaking. I think it's the same everywhere really."

He still was puzzled over the idea of trying to go to another planet.

"Well, as far as I know, they're just... far away blobs in the sky. I mean, a lot of people say they control all kinds of things, but I dunno."

[braidless]

"Well," Obi-Wan said, trying to be encouraging, "with people like you trying to fix it up, maybe things will eventually work out." There were too many beings in the galaxy who were quick to give in to their own despair and turn away from the problems that plagued their world. But Hughes seemed to be have a stronger will than that, something Obi-Wan figured had helped the man adapt throughout his captivity.

"Yes, I suppose if the technology isn't sufficient, there's little anyone can do in the way of space travel," Obi-Wan admitted. He couldn't imagine living in such a primitive, isolated place. The Jedi didn't want to think about what would happen if he and Qui-Gon were stranded here.

"The place you're from...is it called Amestris, or Earth?" He briefly paused. "And what was your occupation before you came here, if you don't mind my asking?" Obi-Wan added, wanting to get a better feel for this man's background.

[felled_hero]

"Thanks." Hughes nodded, showing he did appreciate the words. He knew Roy had done a lot, but there was still so much to do.

"We're not exactly that advanced from what I can tell. I always thought we were, but after talking to so many people from so many different places... well, our science is top notch but not our machines." He shrugged.

"I guess Earth is the world. Amestris is the country I'm from. I was a soldier, actually. Head of Investigations and Internal Affairs. I dealt with serial criminals and conspiracies. You?"

[braidless]

So Hughes was another Earthian after all. Well, at least he wasn't too far from his home, hopefully. Taking a landspeeder or a watercraft to another country was nothing compared to trying to find a spacecraft in a place where that sort of technology simply didn't exist.

It was a sobering thought, and he sincerely hoped they'd have the means to get back to the Republic.

"A solider," Obi-Wan repeated with a small nod. "I take it you're experienced in combat as well?"

Hughes' job didn't sound like the most uplifting one, but it would explain his ability to cope with captivity as well as he did. Military men were trained for that sort of thing, after all. It already sounded like this Earthian could be a reliable ally in the future.

"As for myself, I'm what's called a Jedi," Obi-Wan explained. "We act as peacekeepers who help maintain smooth interplanetary relations. The Republic has no military because most people are content to let the Jedi handle any political disputes that come up." That is...the Republic had no military until this supposed Clone War came up, but Obi-Wan wasn't going to delve into that, seeing that it was part of an uncertain future.

"We're observant of the ways of the Force," he added. "In other words, we're in tune with the energy found in all living things, and we use our abilities for the benefit of others."

[felled_hero]

"Yeah, since I was a teenager," he elaborated. "I never saw the battlefield, but I know how to handle myself. I'm better at hand to hand than anything else, but I'm well equipped to handle the stuff that's around here. I've come up against a lot and made it out okay." He was well armed with his weapon of choice, that was all he needed.

"Living energy, huh? Is that uh.. a religious calling?" It sounded like one. He wasn't a religious man himself, but there were some guys who had been. It just hadn't really interested him much.