Hoth: Blood and Ice

Luth sat in the empty mess hall, at one of the tables that would hold a crowd around lunch or dinner. As it is, she just took a bite out of some... something, she hadn't really been paying attention to what she grabbed. It was something sweet, which was at least a bit comforting, even if it wasn't warm.

What even is life?

Her eyes were fixed at some distant point beyond the walls of the hall.

It was hard to sleep with everything going on in his head. Stressful day today, tomorrow equally as such. Had to go assault a bunch of pirate slavers the next. Stress was there. Planning everything meticulously. First time he had to really do this in awhile. Lots to configure, everything had to be close to perfection.

Who had time to sleep? Well, he'd have to eventually. Otherwise that would be yet another flaw to have to deal with.

The redhead from the meeting was there, eating. Also the trial. Maybe food would be a good idea too. Conversation to help him stay up a little, maybe. He grabbed whatever was serviceable for nourishment and sat himself next to her, giving her a long stare at what she was looking at, trying to see what it was she was looking at. Just looked like a wall, though it could be that she was in some sort of Force trance or something.

Be best not to interrupt.

The subtle noise of him moving about and grabbing food alerted her, and her eyes moved to the Chiss. "Oh, hello. You're Nudimsu, from earlier. Pippa wanted me to meet you."

"Oh, are you the Sith that he wanted me to meet? Luth or something?" He nodded and looked at her instead of the spot she was gazing at. "I was told to expect you in a helmet."

"Luth Khalan," she agreed. She chuckled at that. "I was wearing my helmet when I met him. I can put it back on if it would make you feel better."

He gives a small nod of his head. "No, it is perfectly fine. I can see see your signatures much better this way. You are also another face that does not need to be covered."

He gives a moment pause. "I am sorry about your case today; it does seem you were given an nearly impossible task to resolve with an incredibly short amount of time to do it. Layne, I imagine, was not much help either."

"What kind of face does need to be covered?" she asked, curiosity from earlier welling up again.

"As to situation earlier, it's fine. Layne got what she felt she needed, I got the stupid charge removed," she replied with a shake of her head. "Honestly, if it wasn't for her preference, they had so little hard evidence that she could've made a rude gesture at the judges and only gotten contempt of court."

"None, in my opinion, all the time. Just some humans and other beings feel the need to cover up things they are ashamed of. Scars or burn marks or something along that nature." He stares at her a little more intently for a moment longer. "Cannot tell you have either. There is the nature of keeping anonymity, of course, but then here you are now exposed."

He nods with affirmation. "Must have been for other reasons, then."

He shrugs and moves back. "Yes, I spoke with Layne this morning in hopes to repay a debt, but she seems rather intent on atonement for her preconceived sins. I did what I could to snap her out of such a notion, but I clearly failed to reach her."

"It's because my suit was sealed and has a heating unit. It was much colder in here when we first arrived. I think people kept assuming I was trying to be spooky or intimidating or something."

She shrugged. "Yes, that sounds about right. She'll need to square some things will herself someday to reach that point. I hope she does."

"Of course." He sighs a little. "The obvious. Why didn't I think of the obvious?" Nudimsu slumps ever so slightly into his chair and shakes his head. "Well, to be fair, a Sith's is often empowered with the intimidation they can bring. But something so obvious should have been my first line of thought. Suppose not everyone needs such complex reasons as Songbird did to hide herself."

He scoffs at himself and takes a bite of some food. "Sorry, Senya. Called her that for too long, so it still takes getting used to." He places his food down. As for Layne, well, I was hoping we could use her for what is to come, but if I cannot know for certain she can be, either thru the rules or thru her own will. Like putting one of your more experienced players on the bench for your Huttball round." He stopped himself for a moment and looked at her. "Did that allegory make sense?"

"Others tend to stay off my back more when it's on, it's true," she admitted. "You'd think it wouldn't be that much to ask to just let me do my job in peace."

"Senya? Oh, your reference to 'Songbird'. Yes, the metaphor makes sense. It might also be detrimental to Layne's mental state - she's been very intent on martyrdom of a sort, even before she was caught," she said, caution in her tone. "That said, if you end up having access to her for this and think she'd be a useful player, as it were, it might be worth it anyway."

"I completely understand." He sighed deeply. "I have a rather large cat that keeps doing just that..." He stares in silence for a moment, listening more to her words. "It would make for a good means to get back into it, especially since she would be doing much and not being asked to kill anyone in the process. Unfortunately, she did not ever allow herself to recover from her actions over time, from what I understand. Probably has never taken a spa day. Goat-one of otherwise. Just always working to save someone, never allowing her mind to recover from the stress she brought upon herself." He took another and thought a little more. "Even my own people have sense enough to allow time to recover." He shrugged his sholders.

"Maybe the Force will guide her to some sort of stability for just long enough to fight off Vaylin before we are attacked, but that cannot be relied on."

"Well, she did start with the Sith. Running people ragged raises their emotions," she replied with a shrug. "Could be the leftover effects of that training. That's just hypothesizing, though."

"... Goat-one?"

"I could believe it. How one is taught in their early development years tends to stick with them when they grow, unless they actively choose to go at it another way. It is similar to myself, my people mature quickly, so our childhood is spent on nothing but controlling our emotions and seeking perfection in what we were raised to do." He takes another bite of his food. "Stress on ones self is a good thing when used properly, so I can see the benefits of the Sith doing it. And...whatever Force powers that come with your heightened emotional state from it." It was curious how Lana, a Sith, could have so much control over her emotions when the Dark Side was powered by that. Maybe she found another way...

A small smile picked up on his face as he thought that until the goat question came up. "Pipka mentioned it to me the other day. I just think it's doing some stretches and petting a goat or bathing in goat milk or something, to be honest. You'd have to ask him." He turned to staring at her again for a few moments. "Are you worried about what's coming? Or is it just the obvious again you're just hungry very late at night?"

"Well. It's not like we're short on goats for it," she noted, amused. "Worried, partly. I also had a strange conversation. Made me wonder why people are so wrapped up in the idea of perfection and what their standards are for it."

Nudimsu sighs. "Not be short on them for a long time."

He gives a nod. "I see. Well, the The Ascendancy teaches the Chiss that it is the full achievement of its goals and your role within of the Ascendency, acting as flawless as possible to do it and adapting to the flaws of chance to still pursue the goal of our House, our Family, and the Ascendency as a whole."

Looking down on the plate, he continues. "Seeing as I am no longer a part of it, I've come to view it instead as doing my job while ensuring others are not hurt due to my mistakes. So, I suppose the definition and its importance would vary, depending on the individual. I view it as important to achieve, because people who rely on me need me to achieve it, or at least come close."

She tapped her fingers on the table and took a bite out of what she was eating. "What happens when people fall short? I suppose in your own case, people get hurt, but more in general. Is there social backlash?"

"You mean within the Ascendency? I suppose it depends on the magnitude of the failure. Worst case is exile." He motions to himself. "But there are many other cases where we are allowed to learn from their failures and try again, usually after some form of discipline. Failure is an excellent teacher, after all, should you let it be."

He stared at her for a moment and then continued. 'Though, I cannot say for certain the exact social ramifications, as they would vary by species and by culture, though I imagine no species wishes to have their expectations dashed, depending on how far the perpetrator has fallen short of them. Most others cannot see past it, possibly because it is a reminder of their own inherited flaws and failings. So, yes, there will be a social cost to one's failure at achieving perfection. That, however, can be used as a means of motivation to learn from failure."

Nudimsu took another bite as he would again listen thoughtfully.