Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 78

Thread: Dead Man Walking

  1. #1
    TheHolo.Net Poster

    And so I'm back, from outer space. You just walked in to find me here with that sad look upon my face


    Has been a member for 5 years or longer


    Join Date
    May 2002
    AKA
    James
    Posts
    2,772

    NWS Dead Man Walking

    A few months had passed since Silus' return from captivity on Telos IV. His recovery was moving along at a good pace. He was still pretty scrawny, but he was starting to get the first glimpses of his old look back. He was mostly clean shaven again, though he kept a permanent 5 o'clock shadow due to having to use an electric shaver rather than an actual razor. It wasn't optimal but he did the best he could. He was able to pass most of the physical fitness tests they gave him despite having a decent bit of pain in his right leg when he ran. He always lied about the severity of it. No matter what he did it was going to require surgery, but he would put that off as long as possible.

    As soon as he was cleared for basic service he'd requested a transfer back to the Imperial Navy. At first he was overjoyed to hear that not only had he been accepted back, but he would also be serving on the ISD Admonisher. That cooled when he found out all the details. Due to his service to the Empire, he was told, he would be allowed to retain the rank of Commander that he'd had before transferring to Intel. This was completely ceremonial though. No one reported to him, and he had zero responsibilities. His only duty, apparently, was to do his physical therapy and see his shrink on a regular basis. He even found out later that the only reason he was on the Admonisher was due to Captain Ragnus being literally the only person who would accept responsibility for him.

    Even though he was able to pass all of the physical requirements, he wasn't cleared for starfighter flight. This meant the sims were off limits to him as well. He'd asked Ragnus several times for access to just the sims, but the Captain wouldn't relent. At one point he'd lost his temper and threatened to put Silus on the rotation for shuttle pool and was shocked when Silus accepted the offer. He reneged at first, but after some back and forth he relented and allowed the assignment to go through. There were some conditions though. Supply transits only, no passengers allowed without special permission that was never asked for and wouldn't be granted anyways. Also, the first time Silus skipped a visit to his shrink (which he'd planned to do often) he would be pulled off rotation.

    That was where he found himself now. It was menial duty and he probably should have been ashamed to do it, but it gave him something to do and actually got him flying again. It was early in the day and he was waiting on his first flight to come up. He didn't have any physical or mental therapy that day, so he looked forward to a full day of flying.
    Last edited by Silus Xilarian; Jun 3rd, 2019 at 10:54:24 PM.

  2. #2
    SW-Fans.Net Poster



    Bette Davis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    AKA
    Holly
    Location
    ISD Admonisher
    Posts
    1,004
    It had been a few months since Bette Davis has risked court martial by acting on sketchy intelligence, flying across the “do not fly” zone into Alliance territory with a subordinate, rescued a previously dead man, and blew up an Alliance black site. To say that she had been on shaky ground for a few weeks was an understatement.

    Her status had been ultimately decided by people up the food chain from Captain Ragnus. No discipline was handed down, though the operation had been retroactively classified above Ensign Jak’el’s paygrade. He knew enough to keep his mouth shut, however.

    Silus had even come back to the Admonisher, only he‘d been avoiding her. The only way for them not to accidentally bump into each other at least once on the ship was active avoidance, and to be honest she’d been afraid to confront him. No matter what he’s said right after the rescue, she still felt responsible for his current situation. Surely some part of him must blame her.

    However much she had intended to give him his space to heal, it had all changed when she’d found his name on the shuttle pool. Bette had pulled the last string she’d had with the captain to get Silus assigned to a bullshit flight to take her down to Cloud City.

    She’d still almost missed the flight on purpose. Steeling herself, Bette stalked into the small shuttle in an off duty jumpsuit, and sat in the co-pilot’s chair next to him. He looked thin, but a lot better than he had a few months back.

    ”Hey,” she said, looking sideways at him, a half-smile on her face.

    yo ho yo ho a pilot's life for me

  3. #3
    TheHolo.Net Poster

    And so I'm back, from outer space. You just walked in to find me here with that sad look upon my face


    Has been a member for 5 years or longer


    Join Date
    May 2002
    AKA
    James
    Posts
    2,772
    "...Hey."

    It was a rare event, but contrary to popular belief, Silus was capable of blushing, and he was doing it now. During his time on the Admonisher he'd actively avoided seeing her. Given their history, he hated for her to see him this weak. On top of that he was at the lowest point in his career, while she was kicking ass leading the Shadows. The last thing he wanted was to put any kind of damper on that.

    "Sorry, I didn't expect to be flying anyone today. It's just a surprise. How have you been?"

  4. #4
    SW-Fans.Net Poster



    Bette Davis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    AKA
    Holly
    Location
    ISD Admonisher
    Posts
    1,004
    “Fine.”

    Bette pulled the crashwebbing around her, tightening it for her small frame. “And you?”

    Gods, Bette, what are you doing? You’re blowing it! Just talk to him!

    She shook her head a little and cleared her throat. “Sorry. This isn’t how I wanted this to go.”

  5. #5
    TheHolo.Net Poster

    And so I'm back, from outer space. You just walked in to find me here with that sad look upon my face


    Has been a member for 5 years or longer


    Join Date
    May 2002
    AKA
    James
    Posts
    2,772
    "No it's okay I get it..."

    He looked at the console for a moment. He'd done all the preflight checks, everything was ready to go, nothing would suddenly need his attention.

    "I know Ragnus is still a little iffy on me flying shuttles. I didn't figure this would last, I just wanted to fly something, you know."

    He paused for a moment as if gathering his nerve.

    "I'm glad he sent you though, it's good to see you."

  6. #6
    SW-Fans.Net Poster



    Bette Davis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    AKA
    Holly
    Location
    ISD Admonisher
    Posts
    1,004
    Bette frowned. “He? No one sent me. Are you gonna fly this thing, or what?”

    Silus stared at her for another moment, and she turned toward him, swiveling her seat. “It was going to be a surprise, but whatever. I’m taking you to dinner, dipshit.”

  7. #7
    TheHolo.Net Poster

    And so I'm back, from outer space. You just walked in to find me here with that sad look upon my face


    Has been a member for 5 years or longer


    Join Date
    May 2002
    AKA
    James
    Posts
    2,772
    Silus turned back to the console as if he'd been struck. As he fired the engines and prepared to clear the hangar, he glanced over at Bette, barely hiding a grin.

    "That's Commander Dipshit, thank you."

  8. #8
    SW-Fans.Net Poster



    Bette Davis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    AKA
    Holly
    Location
    ISD Admonisher
    Posts
    1,004
    She almost sighed with relief, having already berated herself for her poor impulse control.

    ”Excuse me, Commander.” Bette returned the grin.

    When he had them off the ISD and Bespin was growing larger in the viewscreen she added, “I haven’t really seen you since... you transferred back.”

  9. #9
    TheHolo.Net Poster

    And so I'm back, from outer space. You just walked in to find me here with that sad look upon my face


    Has been a member for 5 years or longer


    Join Date
    May 2002
    AKA
    James
    Posts
    2,772
    In hindsight it was rude to avoid her, even if his intentions were good. He thought of a million excuses to give her but considering everything she'd done for him he at least owed her honesty.

    "Truth is, I kinda wanted to get back more normal before I saw you again."

    From someone who basically survived his entire life by being way more cocky than he should be, he felt like he'd just admitted that he'd kicked a baby - one who didn't have it coming either. He couldn't abide the look for long though and his face brightened a bit.

    "Lost the beard though, so that's progress!"

  10. #10
    SW-Fans.Net Poster



    Bette Davis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    AKA
    Holly
    Location
    ISD Admonisher
    Posts
    1,004
    “You look good,” she said quietly. “More like I remember you. Normal,” she added.

    ”But you didn’t have to hide anything from me, Silus. It’s me.” Bette sighed. “I already saw you on your worst day. And I’m sure you’ve seen me on mine. I’m your friend. I’m worried about you...and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you’re weak if you lean on your friends.”

  11. #11
    TheHolo.Net Poster

    And so I'm back, from outer space. You just walked in to find me here with that sad look upon my face


    Has been a member for 5 years or longer


    Join Date
    May 2002
    AKA
    James
    Posts
    2,772
    "I...Thank you. For that and for everything else. I owe you everything."

    He was truly touched by what she'd said, and he really did owe is life to her. At the same time he wasn't really equipped to process an emotion that wasn't cocky.

    "I guess I need to learn to lean on my friends more. You know I don't make that big Shadow Squadron check now... What are you buying me for dinner."

    He smiled and winked.

  12. #12
    SW-Fans.Net Poster



    Bette Davis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    AKA
    Holly
    Location
    ISD Admonisher
    Posts
    1,004
    Bette laughed. “There’s a couple places - Cloud 9 Bar & Grill is one option. Not too fancy. Used to have a great nerf steak. Some ritzy casinos, not really our style but if you want I am buying.”

    They entered the atmosphere of the gas giant and were soon surrounded by pink and orange clouds. It felt like perpetual sunset in Bespin, and soon the spires of Cloud City were peeking up in the distance. A cloudcar buzzed past, but not too closely. The Empire practically had free rein on Cloud City, the Baron Administrator being extremely close with the Empress and a loyal subject.

    ”Maybe visit a club after? There’s one called Elysium I’ve been wanting to check out. Just for a drink - if you want.” Oh gods this is sounding like a date. Does this sound like a date? Is it a date?! No. No, just friends having dinner.

  13. #13
    TheHolo.Net Poster

    And so I'm back, from outer space. You just walked in to find me here with that sad look upon my face


    Has been a member for 5 years or longer


    Join Date
    May 2002
    AKA
    James
    Posts
    2,772
    "I don't need anything fancy, I'm happy with anything that isn't cafeteria food."

    He looked over with almost a conspiratorial look on his face.

    "A drink sounds good too."

    Coordinates for the nearest shuttleport pings on his nav console and he brought them in with a smoothness that he was secretly very proud of. Before his recent stint, it had been well over a decade since he'd flown a shuttle and parking the clunky things wasn't really all that fun.

  14. #14
    SW-Fans.Net Poster



    Bette Davis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    AKA
    Holly
    Location
    ISD Admonisher
    Posts
    1,004
    Bette slipped out of the crashwebbing with a grin, stretching a little. "Nice landing, Commander. I see you haven't lost your touch. You always used to make me fly the shuttles, wasn't sure you knew how."

    She winked and preceded him out of the ship, breathing in the clean air of Bespin. "So good to be off the Admonisher. Recycled air starts to get a taste after a few months." Bette turned to Silus. "Cloud 9 then?"

    He nodded, "Lead the way, Commander."

    Bette laughed, and they made their way through the city toward the restaurant. As they walked she tried to surreptitiously keep an eye on him, see how he was reacting to the crowds of randoms that populated the mining town. Here on the top levels everything was clean and well maintained, and the civilians were either obviously moneyed or well-dressed workers. The men seemed to wear a lot of capes, which wasn't a usual fashion choice for just a night about town. In Cloud City, however, it seemed to be a common fashion statement.

  15. #15
    TheHolo.Net Poster

    And so I'm back, from outer space. You just walked in to find me here with that sad look upon my face


    Has been a member for 5 years or longer


    Join Date
    May 2002
    AKA
    James
    Posts
    2,772
    Silus shouldered his way through the crowd without much issue, but he did find himself turning and dipping his shoulder for people a little more often than he was used to. As they walked into the Cloud 9 Bar and Grill he started to approach the hostess himself, but then remembered that Bette was taking him to dinner, and not the other way around. Of course, did that even really matter? This wasn't a date or anything, there was no reason to even think that, right? So did it really matter who approached the hostess? Ultimately it didn't matter, as Bette strode right up and held up two fingers.

    The hostess smiled "Right this way!"

    Their table was in a more dimly lit part of the establishment, and without thinking, Silus found himself pulling a chair back for Bette before taking a seat for himself. Though after thinking about it he didn't know why.

    Just friends having dinner...

  16. #16
    SW-Fans.Net Poster



    Bette Davis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    AKA
    Holly
    Location
    ISD Admonisher
    Posts
    1,004
    Bette examined the menu for a moment, before closing it and giving the server her drink order. “Chandrilan red ale, and a water.”

    She looked around the room as Silus spoke to the server, and raised an eyebrow when he was done. “I think they’ve upgraded since I was here last. Looks good.

    ”I...I have something to tell you. Dragging it out isn’t going to make it any easier.” Bette fumbled in one of her pockets, pulling out a piece of flimsi. “I just... you were gone so long. And, we, you know.” She raised her eyebrows suggestively, but seemed at a loss for words.

    After a moment that seemed longer than it was she pushed the flimsi toward Silus. It was a hard copy picture of a happy, blond haired toddler sitting in a grassy field. “He’s got blue eyes. Like his father.”

  17. #17
    TheHolo.Net Poster

    And so I'm back, from outer space. You just walked in to find me here with that sad look upon my face


    Has been a member for 5 years or longer


    Join Date
    May 2002
    AKA
    James
    Posts
    2,772
    Bette seemed a little distracted as he ordered his drink.

    "I'll have the same, actually." Silus wasn't much for ale or beer or anything like that. It all tasted the same to him. He was a bourbon guy, but this wasn't really the setting. He stayed silent as Bette took in the place. It wasn't until she slid the photo over to him that he kind of broke out of his haze. Most of what she said didn't really register at first. He listened and heard the words, and but his mind was still in the process of catching up when what she was saying clicked.

    "Like his father..."

    His mind went to a different world, so much rushing at him and once that literally nothing got through. He stared at the picture, completely dumbstruck. He looked up at Bette. Don't say the wrong thing, don't say the wrong thing....Okay don't just stare, say something...

    "I...you?...and..." He pointed at himself then looked back down at the picture. He felt his face turning red.

    Okay, talking's out, just reach for her hand...

    He reached for her hand...

  18. #18
    SW-Fans.Net Poster



    Bette Davis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    AKA
    Holly
    Location
    ISD Admonisher
    Posts
    1,004
    Bette took his hand, giving it a squeeze.

    ”Don’t worry, I don’t expect anything from you. ...I mean, this kid isn’t even mine.” She couldn’t help the devilish grin that crept over her face. “She’s my second cousin’s, twice-removed or something.”

    Bette tightened her grip on his hand. “I just want you to think of this as payback for that first mission we went on.”

  19. #19
    TheHolo.Net Poster

    And so I'm back, from outer space. You just walked in to find me here with that sad look upon my face


    Has been a member for 5 years or longer


    Join Date
    May 2002
    AKA
    James
    Posts
    2,772
    He continued to stare at her blankly. The look on her face registered before her words did as he realized he'd been tricked.

    "You have got t...." He was interrupted as the waitress brought their drinks. She was barely turned away from the table before Silus grabbed his and knocked half of it away in one go.

    "That's way worse that what we did. Plus you shot me... I owe you now..."

    He was holding back laughter at this point, trying to figure out if he should be indignant about the joke or the fact that she pulled it off.

    "I seriously owe you now..."

  20. #20
    SW-Fans.Net Poster



    Bette Davis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    AKA
    Holly
    Location
    ISD Admonisher
    Posts
    1,004
    Bette dissolved into laughter, secretly relieved he’d taken it so well. For a moment there she’d been afraid she’d gone too far.

    She lifted her glass of ale and toasted him. “To you owing me one.” She tipped it back, drinking a good amount before putting it down.

    ”Did I really get you? I mean, she’s a three year old. I thought maybe you’d have questions first.” Bette grinned.

Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •