Title: To Fallen Wingmen
Author: DevBinks (CPO3)
Timeframe: A few years before the NJO
Characters: Luke Skywalker and Garik 'Face' Loran
Summary: On and unpleasant anniversary Face meets Luke in a small cantina; TFN Quotation Roulette response.
Quote: Quote #21, "Go to heaven for the climate, hell for the company." Samuel Clemens AKA Mark Twain

Face sunk his head into his hands, resting his hands in turn on the glass of Lomin Ale. A man slipped into the seat next to him.

"Be careful, those glasses aren't the cleanest things in the world." The blue eyed man said.

"And neither are my thoughts." The fighter pilot-turned-spy said looked over at him, he did a slight double take upon recognizing the man as Luke Skywalker. "Kriffing Imps." Face said noticing a man in an Imperial TIE pilot's uniform. If his eyes had been blasters the man would have fallen dead.

"Smuggler?" Luke asked as he gestured for the bartender.

"No, fighter pilot." Face corrected the Jedi.

"You don't look the type."

"Looks can be deceiving." Face said twirling his fake mustache.

"That is the truth." Luke looked over at Face. "You lost somebody to the Imps, didn't you?"

"Yes, a few years ago." Face said taking a gulp of his ale. "Died in my arms." He slammed the glass down harder than was necessary, attracting the glare of the bartender who was filling a Dug's sifter on the other end of the bar.

"I've known the feeling." Luke said finally getting his drink, it was a glass of Tatooine Yaqbitter, Face had heard it was an acquired taste that few not born on Tatooine ever got used to. "I can't help get the feeling I should know you from somewhere."

"No, we've never met," Face said immediately using the normal response while on a mission, "at least not that I can remember."

"Must be my imagination." The two men were silent for a few minutes, Luke enjoying his drink, while Face mulled over his thoughts. "I'm sure he's in a better place."

"No, probably not, wasn't the type. He once said he quite being a doctor because he had more fun killing people than healing them." Face smiled wryly at the memory of the Wraiths, discussing their pasts.

"Well, he sounds like the man that would have enjoyed the saying, 'go to heaven for the climate, hell for the company." Luke said with a grin.

"I've never heard that before," Face said laughing slightly, "where did you hear it?"

"Some old author on Tatooine, had a strange name, something to do with twine and markings, apparently he was from a river world and ended up settling on Tatooine, strange man." Luke said shaking his head slightly.

"I think Ton would have enjoyed his company."

"I'm sure he would have." Luke raised his glass. "To good sayings and dead wingmen." Face raised his own snifter and knocked it against Luke's.

"To dead wingmen." With that Face downed the rest of his ale, rose, and tossed a few credits onto the bar. "Until later times, Master Skywalker." The NRI Captain left the Jedi Master in confusion, as Luke had thought dying his hair and adding a fake scar would help him hide.