Unexpected Kindness
By Raven Pan
I guess that's it. One final shot, and I blew it. The Firrerreo, sighed as she set down her empty mug. A waiter droid soon appeared, refilling it with a blue-tinted liquid high in its alcohol content. She set down some credits in payment, and the droid disappeared.
"Hi there, care for some company? Looks like you could use some."
She looked up to see a young man about her age, probably younger, with dark hair looking at her intently through eyes that seemed much older than they should. "What makes you think it's your job?"
"I didn't say it was, but you look like you could use a friend." He smiled, his face brightening somewhat as he did so. "I'm Gavin, by the way. What's your name?"
She raised an eyebrow. "'Reo'," she lifted her glass and drained half its contents.
"Alright," he nodded, lifting his lum for a sip. "Pleased to meet you, Reo. What's the trouble?"
"Why do you care?"
He shrugged, "I know what it's like to feel alone. Out of place."
She scowled, "Do you know what it's like to be a has-been at twenty?"
He blushed a bit, moving uncomfortably in his chair, "Uhm... no...."
"Then go lend your ear to someone else." She finished her drink, and stood from the bar. "Have a nice life, Gavin. You probably deserve it."
Ignoring his look of confusion mixed with concern, she stood and left the bar.
There were plenty of bars on Coruscant, surely she could find another - one with less accomodating patrons. She shoved her hands in her pockets and wandered along as she thought. I did so much, and now... there's nothing. Have I been used up? And now... now her final dream had been dashed. What was it she'd done wrong?
She had joined the military back when they'd let pretty much anyone in. She'd been tossed from squadron to squadron. Once she'd been a good pilot. What happened? One day she woke up, and she was discharged. No explanation, just... get your things and leave.
And then the notice came from Antilles. All the wash-outs, sentients like her, were to go be tested and interviewed for one final chance. And to be in a squadron led by Wedge Antilles himself!
Somehow, she blew that too. What was wrong with her? She didn't really know HOW to do anything else but fight, and fly. She'd been one of a handful of refugees, somehow overlooked by the evil Hethrir and Darth Vader so many years ago. They'd dyed their hair singular colours, and wore solar-glasses to hide their strange eyes. And they lived as humans, moving place to place often, as to keep hidden.
She didn't want to hide any longer, when she was fourteen, and she'd stolen away on a freighter to find her way to the Rebel Alliance, where she'd learned to fly, and fight for the freedom of all sentients everywhere.
And now... they didn't want her anymore, either.
Now, she had only her name. And even that, was worth nothing. Something nobody knows isn't worth anything... is it?
Funny thing, she still wore her tags, and hidden beneath her tunic they clinked against each other. The only time anyone would know her real name, would be at her death.
She wondered just how far away it was.
Maybe she could decide for herself. A tear fell from her eyes, batted away by the nictating membrane residing there, before it fell unnoticed down her cheek. Drunken sentients, and those intent on getting themselves in such a state, passed her by without a glance as she moved up to the railing at the edge of the walkway.
She leaned against it, peering over into the abyss. She wondered if she stood atop the railing, walking as though it were a tightrope of carnivalites, would anyone notice? Would someone push her over into the abyss, or would someone pull her back to safety?
Did she care?
If she fell, it would be fitting. If she didn't, at least she could get something right.
"Let Fate choose," she muttered to herself as she climbed up on the wide railing. It wasn't much of a challenge, she could stand with her feet together and just barely have any hanging over the edges.
Then again, she'd had quite a bit to drink.
She brushed her blue and green hair, long and unbound, back over her shoulders, and straightened them, bringing her hands out to either side. I'll just walk to that junction down there... she told herself. That is, if I make it that far, another thought replied grimly. Back straight, chin haughtily in the air, she began her ponderous trek forward.
Literally, she walked the line between life and death.
She hadn't gone far when she felt a pair of hands pull her down, back to the walkway. She struggled against them, just wishing to be left alone.
"Sith, Reo, what the Hoth do you think you're doing!"
She looked up to see the young man from the bar. What was his name? Oh yes, Gavin. "Leave me alone Gavin!" she struggled against his amazingly strong grip.
"Not if you're going to start walking rails again. You could get killed!"
He looked honestly worried for her safety, he didn't even know her. She struggled again to break away.
"Reo, calm down, come away from the rail."
"Talienna," she said suddenly. She didn't want to be a nobody any longer. "My name's Talienna."
"Talienna..." he repeated softly. "Don't do this to yourself. Don't...." He brought his hands up to either side of her face, causing her to look at him as his calloused thumbs brushed away the forgotten tears. "Nothing can be so bad that you'd throw away your life."
"I don't have a life to throw away." There, she'd said it. She finally admitted aloud what had been plaguing her all this time. "I don't have anything."
The admission brought on a wave of tears, and her shoulders shook as she tried to hold back her silent sobs. Unexpectedly the young man wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back.
That act of unexpected kindness destroyed the wall she'd been building, and she wept bitterly into his shoulder.
He didn't know what else to do, he didn't even know the girl, but he did what any kindhearted young man from Tatooine would do. He let her cry, rubbing her back and whispering words of comfourt into her ear.
Please Review! I have thoughts for more, but nothing written, so no promises... :D