MCA #4, Late Wednesday Afternoon
Life was profoundly stupid, sometimes. Here Atton was, running selective missions most days because they didn't have enough people to deal with everything that was coming in. But the one time he showed up to the Temple looking for something to do - anything to do - that didn't require him to pretend to be nurturing... and there was nothing.
He shut the door to his apartment behind him with a little wince. Instead of running missions, he'd spent the past day and a half pursuing a pretty grueling training schedule. At one point, Bastila Shan her Royal Karking Highness Herself had actually shown up for a lightsaber spar.
His every muscle ached. And you know what, he was fine with that. He just wished he'd have been able to get a later portal so he wouldn't have to spend extra time on this island.
At least Skywalker didn't seem to be around. Small favors.
He collapsed on his bed and tugged the sheets over his head. Might as well sleep, since his body was exhausted, even if his mind wasn't. Passing out was easier than he'd thought, even, his face barely hitting the pillow before the blackness swept in and took him.
It didn't stay dark for long. Neon pierced the blackness, the sound of speeders sweeping past in the background.
"Why do you play pazaak in your head?"
"Passes the time. It's better than listing off engine sequencers, memorizing hyperspace routes, or counting ticks in the power couplings."
"But you do all those things."
Cards on the table. Her smiling a little, that tiny frown she sometimes had sneaking onto her forehead without her realizing it as she squinted down at her cards. Her hands were empty. His hands were empty. Even the table was empty. It didn't matter.
Switch the face of the +2/-2 card, the total is eight-eleven. Add the +4, the total is eight-fifteen. Her eyes, locking on his, looking for a weakness. The feel of his mouth quirking up, cocky but genuine, for once.
"And then when they try to use their powers on you, suddenly it's not so easy as they thought. Because you'll be right here with me, playing pazaak, where they can't reach you."
The total is seventeen-twenty-two. She goes bust. They shake the deck again. Another game.
He sucked in a breath and turned over, staring at the chrono. Forty-five minutes. That was all he'd gotten. Forty-five minutes of sleep, and now he felt like crying all over again. Instead, he stumbled out of bed and into the living room, where he found a pack of cigarettes and slid one between his lips.
Lit it, took a breath, tried to make the smoke chase out the tight feeling in his chest.
When that didn't work, he switched on the music player. Turned up the volume and picked something loud.
What is democracy? What is democracy? Got something to do with young men killing each other, I believe. When it comes my turn, will you want me to go? For democracy, any man would give his only begotten son.
He collapsed on the sofa and took another drag of his cigarette. Great. Just great. Now even his own mind was rebelling against his desperate attempts to keep himself together, and he couldn't even play pazaak to distract himself, because he couldn't stop thinking about that stupid frown line and switch the face of the--
[[ open. ]]
He shut the door to his apartment behind him with a little wince. Instead of running missions, he'd spent the past day and a half pursuing a pretty grueling training schedule. At one point, Bastila Shan her Royal Karking Highness Herself had actually shown up for a lightsaber spar.
His every muscle ached. And you know what, he was fine with that. He just wished he'd have been able to get a later portal so he wouldn't have to spend extra time on this island.
At least Skywalker didn't seem to be around. Small favors.
He collapsed on his bed and tugged the sheets over his head. Might as well sleep, since his body was exhausted, even if his mind wasn't. Passing out was easier than he'd thought, even, his face barely hitting the pillow before the blackness swept in and took him.
It didn't stay dark for long. Neon pierced the blackness, the sound of speeders sweeping past in the background.
"Why do you play pazaak in your head?"
"Passes the time. It's better than listing off engine sequencers, memorizing hyperspace routes, or counting ticks in the power couplings."
"But you do all those things."
Cards on the table. Her smiling a little, that tiny frown she sometimes had sneaking onto her forehead without her realizing it as she squinted down at her cards. Her hands were empty. His hands were empty. Even the table was empty. It didn't matter.
Switch the face of the +2/-2 card, the total is eight-eleven. Add the +4, the total is eight-fifteen. Her eyes, locking on his, looking for a weakness. The feel of his mouth quirking up, cocky but genuine, for once.
"And then when they try to use their powers on you, suddenly it's not so easy as they thought. Because you'll be right here with me, playing pazaak, where they can't reach you."
The total is seventeen-twenty-two. She goes bust. They shake the deck again. Another game.
He sucked in a breath and turned over, staring at the chrono. Forty-five minutes. That was all he'd gotten. Forty-five minutes of sleep, and now he felt like crying all over again. Instead, he stumbled out of bed and into the living room, where he found a pack of cigarettes and slid one between his lips.
Lit it, took a breath, tried to make the smoke chase out the tight feeling in his chest.
When that didn't work, he switched on the music player. Turned up the volume and picked something loud.
What is democracy? What is democracy? Got something to do with young men killing each other, I believe. When it comes my turn, will you want me to go? For democracy, any man would give his only begotten son.
He collapsed on the sofa and took another drag of his cigarette. Great. Just great. Now even his own mind was rebelling against his desperate attempts to keep himself together, and he couldn't even play pazaak to distract himself, because he couldn't stop thinking about that stupid frown line and switch the face of the--
[[ open. ]]