☶ thirteenth choice ☶

[failedhorribly]

Maker, if I hadn't already decided it was a bad idea, this definitely would have made my mind up.

[Hawke is looking extremely put out; off screen, you can hear Anders laughing at her. She reaches over and hits him, and the laughter stops with a muffled curse]This a public service announcement from your friendly neighbourhood Hawke, directed mostly

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[sand_wormie]

[Despite being a thirteen-year-old boy, Luke doesn't get it. In his defense, he's not a fan of dirty jokes and every girl around his age thinks he's a loser.]

It gets rid of scars?

L M A O

[failedhorribly]

[Hawke looks for a moment like a deer caught in the headlights before an easy smile crosses her face]

That's exactly what I meant, yes. [an easy shrug] Some people get rather attached to theirs, after thirty years or so.

[sand_wormie]

[He is suspicious of that expression, but shrugs it off.]

I can imagine. I know there are people who get scarred or inject things into their skin to show that they're adults, or to commemorate something. If it's a new clone - [Ah right he's not talking to himself. Luke reddens a little.] Oh, sorry.

[failedhorribly]

Well, there's that. In my world, it's more that we have healing - if you've a mage at hand, the only injuries that leave scars tend to be the big ones. It's a tad disconcerting to have something like that taken from you.

[She tilts her head] Clone? [it's not a word she's heard before]

[sand_wormie]

Back home we have a medicine called bacta. It can heal most wounds, so usually scarred people and cyborgs - people with machines replacing parts of their bodies - are seen as horribly unlucky, at best.

[He's surprised.] Oh, you don't - sorry. Um... it's kind of complicated, hang on... [Luke doesn't want to get technical.]

Okay. Identical twins are what happens when an unborn baby splits into two early on. Each part becomes a child, and both kids are almost exactly alike, because they were the same thing.

Clones are like that, except the part is taken from someone who's not an embryo, so the clone decants- the clone is born long after the other one. But the way they're grown, they can be born as adults, with the other one's memories and skills and everything.

[failedhorribly]

People with machines replacing parts of their bodies? You mean like Malak's [she gestures at her jaw]

Sounds...blasphemous. But never let it be said that I shied away from blasphemy! Is that common, in your world?

I'm Hawke, by the way. I realise I said that in my initial post, but consider this a personal introduction.

[sand_wormie]

That guy. Yeah. But they can replace arms, legs, lungs, eyes... All kinds of things.

It's not really rare. Before I was born there was a huge war where almost all of the soldiers on one side were clones of a mercenary. The Empire still uses clone soldiers, though I've heard lately people are trying to change it so there are more enlisted men out there. I've never talked to one before coming here, though.

Hello. I'm Luke.

[failedhorribly]

Oh, huge wars. Because that's particularly uncommon in Outworlder backgrounds. [a sigh]

Nice to meet you, Luke! Been here long?

[sand_wormie]

I haven't seen any wars myself. There have been some rough times, but...

A few weeks. I'm from the future of this - galaxy, and this is a world I've always wanted to see.

[failedhorribly]

[She smiles, a genuine expression that softens her face] That's something, at least.

Well! I'm glad some more good has managed to come from this messed. You're being looked after well, I hope?

[sand_wormie]

I can take care of myself as long as I stay out of trouble, and I've managed to do that pretty well so far. Once I've got a good weapon I should be set - the open places in the daylight, here, seem safer than back home, but I'll be happier when I'm armed again.

[failedhorribly]

What sort of weapon are we talking here, Luke? [hey, she was running around armed at his age]

[sand_wormie]

A rifle. Laser or slugthrower; I'm good with both.

If I do turn out to be Jedi material... well, it would be nice to have a lightsaber. But I've never trained with one of those.