Byproduct

[Etilus]

(Please, if anyone is interested in some rp, feel free to join.)

Shallow breathing comes forth. Spreading the fog of warm air outwards before it dissipates against the helmet resting on the metallic box before the man. His blue eyes staring into the visor as thoughts of previous firefights race through his cerebrum. The screams and cries of both sides as they lose close friends and, perhaps, family to the conflicting tenets of both parties.

Within moments, his mind goes to the stinging of the cold environment clinging to his flesh. Clutching the icy white skin of his face. They never tell you how cold it is in space. In the books and heroic adventures of past Legends, there's only the warm tales of their happy life as a soldier. It's not until you move to become like your childhood hero that you feel the cold. It comes at you like a heap of rakghoul. The claws of death attempting over and over to drag you into the depths of its realm. It's not until you seen the terrors of war, do you truly understand; those stories from your childhood all come with a price. A byproduct of heroic deeds during war.

The stretching of leather surpasses the cold silence. Etilus fist balling up before releasing the tension brought forth by delicate memories of battle. Inhaling a deep breath before exhaling the built up anxiety. In a soft tone, his voice creeps through his soft lips.

"Graveyard shift always seems the longest..."

Rolling his neck slightly, Etilus leans forward onto his hands that clasp together, interlocking the fingers just beneath his chin. With a heavy sigh, he sits in deep thought that occurs behind the harden gaze of his blue eyes.

[Neves Eanur]

(I'll bite. Though my posting won't be consistent so feel free to skip me)

Neves walks unto the nearly lifeless deck. His hair is still damp from his routine in the company exercise room. He sees a lone trooper sitting and staring off into nothing. With a playful sigh Neves raises his towel to wipe his forehead and shakes his hair like a wet dog. He checks the time before approaching. "Graveyard shift, good times." He kids himself.

Neves breaks the quiet night with the soft pitter patter of his bear feet on the cold and hard metal deck. He is dressed in only a pair of black workout shorts and an old company shirt of his. The shirt was also black with a white Alpha Company logo covering his heart, and the words "Got Violence?" adorning an image on his back. Below the words was an image of a Republic trooper impaling an Imperial soldier with a perfectly executed bayonet thrust. A favorite shirt of Neves'. Dotting the shirt were a series of holes in it that revealed glimpses of scars from prior encounters with Imperial forces and even Sith.

He walks up to the lone trooper on watch who was still in his own world. Neves opens his mouth and clears his throat. "I know you're likely not thinking it now. But this is the best time to pull watch." He finishes with one of his iconic smiles. Usually indicative of either pure joy or chaos about to ensue. Broad with defiant eyes squinting.

[Etilus]

Etilus quickly stands up. Immediately going to attention at the off chance it was an officer entering the room. His feet flush and parallel to each other creating an audible heel click to echo through the empty halls. His hands quickly breaking into fists that pin against his legs. Standing up straight, he looks straight ahead. Knowing full well he could be in the turn of some good ole fashion PT for not only sitting on guard duty, but also not wearing the alpha company issued specialist helmet.

As his eyes move onto the stranger, he relaxes slightly. Leaning back onto the box still warm from his presence. His arms crossing beneath his breastplate of the armor donning his muscular built. The lighting of the hall shinning against the white particles of his freshly cleaned armor. Besides a few scratches and heavily washed burn marks of close calls that are scattered about his gear, it remains in perfect condition.

"How'd you figure?" He sighs out before cracking his neck with a slight churn of the vertebrae. Shaking is head freely with a small mischievous smirk, he adds, "Always seems the longest shift as you have nothing but the solace thoughts running through your head. Not many people roaming about due to curfew." He shrugs slightly before reaching his hand out in gesture. "Specialist Etilus Hakkar. But people have started calling me Eddie two lips because my name is difficult to pronounce when being read."

[Neves Eanur]

The smile on the veteran's face widens even further. Choking back a chuckle, Neves goes on to reassure the Specialist. "No not an officer. Well not anymore at least." He kids. "You can relax shiny." Neves looks down at the outstretched and armor clad hand. He always appreciated troopers with good manners, a fighting spirit, and a great attitude. Much easier to train and more importantly... to keep alive.

Neves quickly wipes the sweat from his palms onto his hole ridden shirt, then firmly grasps Etilus' hand and shakes it. "Neves Eanur. I've only been called Sgt., elltee by my troopers when I was a Lieutenant, and my favorite... craphat from our previous X.O. Viozaer and 1st Sgt. Ranque." Neves looks around breifly, then continues. "Okay Eddie. Pleasure to meet ya. And the way I figure is: 'This is the one time in the day outside of the hustle and bustle of military life that you can really sit down and think. About anything you want." Neves nods with a satisfied smile. "And thinking my friend, is our only source of sanity."

[Etilus]

The specialist nods once or twice to the words that echo through his conscious. Smirking silently as a hand moves to rub the back of his head. The leather covered fingers passing between the black strands in slight embarrassment. Believing neves is speaking about exactly what he was doing moments earlier. His lips part to allow the thoughts to breeze through into words. "Yes. Sometimes thoughts are all we have to keep us company. Least, in my experience, it can be a curse or blessing. In some cases, our thoughts are both." The young Hakkar thinks for a moment before explaining the word choice.

"It's a curse in the manner that it can bring forth the dark memories and sights we have seen. Has the prowess to bend and destroy even the most confident of individuals. Breaking down every piece of fabric that holds their high self esteem above the standard of others." His blue eyes look down for a moment. Thinking silently before moving to the next subject; exhaling swiftly to continue.

"Then their is the blessing our thoughts contain. As you said, it can be used to reassure ourselves when we feel at our lowest. Allow us to keep our sanity after losing someone close to us. Perhaps even after a long firefight, it can provide an tranquil break from the commotion. As well, just like it does as a curse, it can bring the most precious of our memories forth. Providing a brightening to the dark life of warfare."

After a few moments, he looks back up to the man. His blue eyes calculating him for a moment before he queries. "You used to be an lieutenant? May I ask what happened?" As if not knowing if his question would offend or not, he quickly adds, "Just curious as I know a few who requested to return as a nco believing they were not fit for the job and/or did not wish for the higher duties."

[Zidd]

Zidd stands around the near by corner listening as both Specialists talk. Zidd had just came from the showers after an intense work out and heading to his quaters. He thinks to himself "This beats paperwork" and continues to listen.

As he listens he starts to remember some of his battles he had been in and the friends he had made from joining the company. One of the closest friends he had made is one he had risen through the ranks with from Corporal was Riike. We have had each others back from the time on Nar Shaddaa when a few gang members surrounded us with the intent to kill. the gang members got the beating of a lifetime. There had the be around 15 of them but Riike and I managed to walk away with nothing more than a few scratches.

Zidd zones back into reality turning the corner with his white eyes piercing through the darkness of an unlit corner. "They need to fix that light."

(Do this after Neves's post)

[Neves Eanur]

(Sorry for hold up, busy busy .)

Neves nods slowly as he allows the Specialist to finish his explanation. "All good points my friend." He says admirably. He pauses and drops his gaze for a slight moment. His green eyes scan the floor, looking for the words he was looking for to appear on the metal deck. He then meets Eddie's calculating stare, obviously expecting some kind of answer.

The worn out trooper looks back up, his iconic smile back again. "No, no it's fine bud. To be honest it was a mixture of things. At the time I had a good number of personal matters all piling on top of my shoulders. Combined with the fact of my most recent injury... it was time for me to step out of the spotlight and allow someone else to step into my boots... for the better of the company." Neves shakes his right leg around a little, and points down to a cybernetic implant on the side of his knee. He had done well with hiding it beneath his black work out shorts before.

"This was a little present delivered to me a few months ago, courtesy of some crack accurate Imperial artillery fire." He sits down to rest his aching knee, his previous run had taken its toll on his new body addition.

"It worked out fine, I needed time off and to step back as I organized my personal life. Now I'm on light duty until I heal up. Once that happens, I'll be back full time. Hell, maybe even I'll get Sgt. or Lt. some day." He jokes with a mocking smile, followed by a quick burst of coughing. Neves needed to find some more water if he was to stay and socialize.

(Soooo, Eddie's turn now yes?)