Carth scanned the faces in the crowd, each one brimming with quiet excitement as the loud and obnoxious fell silent in anticipation, zeroing in on the holo-screen above the bar where a blaster duel was being live streamed. Each one willing to bet their lives on which duelist would keep theirs. It made him sick, would've been enough to drive the cool and collected Republic pilot to drink if he hadn't already ordered his preferred poison.
He felt a gentle tap on his shoulder and turned around to face the bartender. He pulled some credits out of his pocket, the exact amount needed for a bottle of whiskey, a can of something non-alcoholic to dilute it with, and two glasses filled with ice cubes. Carth waved off an apology from the Selkath barkeep who was obviously overwhelmed before collecting his drinks and taking them to an empty table that he frequented, placed in the far corner between two windows, both boasting a pleasent view of Manaan's worldwide ocean.
The sound of ice clanking against glass as he poured himself a double whiskey soothed his soul's disquiet, a coping mechanism he'd adopted in the last few months with all the time he had to himself, without duty or responsibility, alone with his thoughts. He cracked open the can and started pouring until fizz reached the brim of the glass.
Carth looked up, taking in the beauty of the ocean as gentle waves lapped at the trunks of colossal pillars that shouldered the weight of Ahto City. Some form of meditation I've stumbled upon, he thought as he absentmindedly stirred his drink with an index finger, assuring the alcoholic beverage was thoroughly mixed before taking a sip.
"Mind if I join you?"
The question brought Carth out of his short lived bliss, asked by a man of his twenties with an excess of hair, both facial and otherwise. He gave the room a look over, still hectic, and understood the man's request. Carth simply gestured toward the chair across from him. Before he could bring the sweaty rim of his glass to his parched lips, the man pulled out a cigarillo and struck a match against the edge of the table.
"Want a smoke?" he offered, smothering the cigarillo's tip with the flame until gray smoke poured out from a corner of his mouth. Carth shook his head, a nasty habit he'd always despised, even now, before finally taking a sip of his whiskey.
Carth gestured toward the other glass.
"Want a drink?"
The man shrugged, nodded.
"You want the ice?" Carth held up his glass as the man emptied the ice from his into Carth's. He poured twice the whiskey Carth allowed himself.
"Bad day?"
"Bad year more like," the man replied, taking a long winded drag off his cigarillo.
Then Carth noticed the dark places under the man's eyes, the way he slumped down in his seat and even the sloppiness of his dress, from the undone buttons of his off white, long sleeved shirt to the carelessness with which his pants were shoved down into his boots.
"I hear ya," Carth sighed. He reached across the table. "Name's Onasi. Carth Onasi."
The man took Carth's hand, shaking it as a cloud of smoke escaped his mouth.
"Call me Reno. Reno Sakaar."
Holding Carth's hand, Reno glanced down and zeroed in on his holstered blaster, captivated by the quality of it, it's metal polished to a high gloss with combat grips carved from a dark striated wood.
"You Republic?"
"Yeah," Carth confirmed. He took another sip from his glass. "You?"
Reno leaned back in his chair, emptying his own glass before slamming it down on the table.
"Right now? I'm probably the Republic's bitch."
Before Carth could react to Reno's statement, an even more youthful looking man clad in Republic colors approached the table.
"Ensign Trask Ulgo." He saluted Carth before turning his attention to Reno. "I believe you're meant to join us on the Endar Spire, Mr. Sakaar."
Carth could read Reno's annoyance in his face and in his actions. He repositioned the half smoked cigarillo to the other side of his mouth, forced another cloud of thick gray smoke to come pouring down through his nostrils, and began to utter through clenched teeth, his voice so low it was hard to hear above the crowd.
"I just sat down, Ensign. Can't I have a few minutes to myself before I'm shipped off to who-knows-where to do who-knows-what?"
Trask, unfazed, straightened his impeccable posture even further, hands held behind his back.
"I'm sorry, sir. Orders came down from the top. The Spire is about to depart for Taris."
"Taris? Hm..." Again, Carth could read the younger man, could see the wheels turning in his mind. Reno wouldn't get far in Taris' Upper City looking the way he did, along with his apparent disposition, but the Lower City? Carth would bet his pension he'd fit right in, if not thrive. Reno shoved his chair back and threw his bag over his shoulder. "What are we waiting for? Let's get then."