[MN10 - The Storm Cellar] Uniform Code

[Lt. Tyber Rook]

This is not a date. She's your superior officer. This is not a date. Just drinks between officers. Yes. You're on leave. You're on her homeworld. This is not a date.

Tyber was nervous. Knuckles tapping on the bartop. He had read that the bar was upscale, without being pretentious. Small shareable bites. Cocktails and wine offerings.

The decor was dark, dimly lit. Music just a little too loud to prevent people from overhearing conversations at other tables, and having to lean in to hear their own.

He had dressed up. Not in uniform; he was on leave. But the one formal-but-not-so-formal suit made him seem like he may have overdressed for casual drinks.

Not a date, Tyber. It's not a date.

[Col. Hala Moraal]

Hala walked into the bar a few minutes later. Dressed modestly in slacks with a jacket in black with a white top, the only thing that betrayed her day job was the posture and cadence with which she walked. That, and a non-civilian issue commlink slipped into a cylindrical pouch on her belt with a receiver affixed to one lapel.

"Hey, thanks for agreeing to meet a bit after the transport touched down. I needed to run home really quickly. What looks good?" she asked, tone slightly more animated since it wasn't attempting to convey calm and order like normal.

[Lt. Tyber Rook]

Oh. Wow.

"Not a problem, Colonel. I've never been to Dromund Kaas before. I was glad you asked me to tag along for leave." He had stood as she approached, hoping his gaze hadn't belied his thoughts. Smiling, he extended a hand to offer her the barstool next to his.

"They've got a decent selection of wines. Or cocktails. I hadn't ordered yet, didn't know what you liked, or would like tonight." He seemed a little stiff, before grabbing a drinks menu.

She seems relaxed. That's good. It's been a long week and a half.

"Maybe we split a bottle of something? I thought I saw a Concordian wine on the list." He tried to relax, scanning the menu.

[Col. Hala Moraal]

Her eyes turned to him before her lips twisted into a slight smile.

"Concordian wine, huh? Sure," she nodded before waving to catch the attention of the bartender.

"A bottle of Concordant Red and two glasses," she said, lifting two fingers as she spoke.

"Not normally one for wine, but I usually wind up drinking whatever someone else is.... worst case scenario you get to finish the bottle Rook," she grinned, producing a credit chit and sliding it across the bar.

[Lt. Tyber Rook]

"I mean, a piece of my home, while relaxing on yours? Sounds nice, I think." He tilted his head slightly with a bright smile, chuckling a little. His hand moved to the chit, pushing it back. "I got it, Colonel. I wouldn't be a good guest if I let you pick it up."

His eyes moved to catch hers, eyebrows slightly raised. "I don't know if I can finish off a bottle on my own. It's a rare sight when I'm drinking."

[Col. Hala Moraal]

She rolled her eyes and laughed, "If you're the guest, I'd be a poor host to not provide. Besides, I don't know how much your hazard pay bonus stacks up but it probably doesn't compare to a year's worth of pay sitting in a bank account. For some reason, Corellia seemed more interested in Republic script rather than Imperial."

She put her fingers back on the chit and gently applied pressure.

"You don't want to get stuck with a whole bottle? Then this had better be a good vintage I'm buying," she added with a chuckle.

[Lt. Tyber Rook]

"Well. I'm all for making the Republic pay for things." He continued their laughter, relinquishing the chit. Leaning back, he let his arm relax on the bartop, as the tender began the wine service. His eyes fell to the vintage.

"That was a pretty good year. I was... twelve?" He did the mental math for a moment.

It was the year I first saw you in a holo on the infonet. You, standing front and center on a recruitment ad talking about Heroes of the Empire.

"It was the year I knew I was gonna join up as soon as I could."

[Col. Hala Moraal]

"In that case, it must be a good year," she affirmed, handing the first glass to Tyber before taking her own.

"Did you see the main spaceport, outside of the military base where we touched down? My mother used to be the operational director. I grew up around spacers, always wanted to be a pilot. Wasn't ever good enough to fly a stick, but the Army took me anyway."

[Lt. Tyber Rook]

"And look what's happened. You're commanding thousands of troops. You're delegating resources and materiel. Your mother must be proud." He beamed as he spoke, the hero worship peeking through. Tyber idly took the glassn swirling the wine, letting it breathe.

"What was it like, growing up here for you? I imagine it is very different than growing up in a proud line of Crusaders."

[Col. Hala Moraal]

"I can imagine worse childhoods," she said with a thoughtful smile.

"Generally stayed out of trouble, and with the port there was always something interesting if I wanted to take a break from, or avoid, my studies. Never touched a blaster until I was 13... Or maybe 12? There was a military prep course offered as an elective. Not sure how that compares to being a Crusader Scion."

[Lt. Tyber Rook]

"A little different." He grinned, drinking in the details of her story as if they were the waters of life. "Learned how to keep the edge of a Beskad sharp when I was four. Armor design when I was eight." He sipped from the wine, yet his features never turned away from the Colonel.

"Even with my folks in the Imperial Army, they kept my upbringing pretty conservatively Mandalorian. Scoffed at the Neo-Crusader ideals. The Armor is our face. Our bonds of brotherhood sacred, that whole belief." He didn't seem flippant when he spoke, more a certain sense of longing. "It chafes with regulations. A lot. But I wouldn't give them up for anything."

[Col. Hala Moraal]

"Maybe I'm missing something, it seems like that might translate well enough as long as those bonds could be created within the Empire as well. As for the 'Armor being your face'.... I'm certainly not going to complain about troopers keeping their helmets on more of the time. I always worried that taking off my helmet was almost as bad as sniper checking my CO," she said with a shrug and a chuckle.

"Brotherhood though? Absolutely. That sort of camaraderie is extremely essential among a unit. What doesn't translate with that between the two?"

[Lt. Tyber Rook]

"How many COs do you know sought promotion through degradation of their fellows? Look at what was happening with Bex Company." His demeanor turned slightly, conflict at his upbringing apparent.

"Hard to have across the board brotherhood when so many ate climbing ranks by making sure others fall. That's non existent in Crusader culture. Anyone tries that, the challenge is thrown, and knives are used in the duel." He sighed, shaking his head.

"The enlisted get it. It's the officer corps that poisons it, Colonel."

[Col. Hala Moraal]

She shrugged.

"There are problems among the enlisted too, but there are several dozen of them in a unit. A bad officer? That only takes one, because there is seldom much more than that. I don't think the concept of challenges works in the military because it allows for the opportunity for dissension if a hard order is given and prioritizes pure martial ability over skill in role. I'm sure that most of Bex company, even in the sorry slack state they currently reside, could defeat me in a duel if they wished. But they do not have the training and knowledge to fill the role I serve. I'm not sure brotherhood in a military unit will include the CO, but there should still be empathy."

Her jaw tightened, "Captain Thurzia is a stain, and I'm glad that stain is in the process of being expunged."

[Lt. Tyber Rook]

"That's the thing, though. These duels aren't thrown out on whims. Command ability is still valued. The skills needed necessary." The glass set down, watching Hala closely.

"There is a difference between a hard order, and someone gaming the system. And that bond with the CO is just as necessary. Look at us. If it came down to it, I would defend you like I would my siblings or clanspeople. And not just because of the armor you earned, or our shared uniform."

And not just because I've been smittten with you since that recruitment ad...

"There has to be a way to marry the two concepts. Don't get me wrong, the Crusader military doctrine had issues. We could never hold any territory we took, because we would just move right on to the next fight. For all it's issues, the Neo-Crusader movement has some very good points on doctrine in combat."

[Col. Hala Moraal]

"Oh, it's totally necessary," she conceded, draining the dregs of her glass before refilling each, "But it's different. Easier to relax around those who are relative peers. That's why I tend to address officers rather than the enlisted, and..."

She sighed a bit, shoulders dropping to a slightly more relaxed angle before she leaned in with a conspiratorial grin.

"And yet another reason why I tend to avoid the company of Sith. It's somewhat analogous, even though most Sith don't have direct sway over the military."

[Lt. Tyber Rook]

"I get it. I'm with you." He leaned closer, as if their conversation needed that tone even more, to match hers. "After what happened the other day... I didn't tell you what jappened." He seemed to sadden, or was it disappointment.

"I felt it, that power. It consumed my mind, the thought to destroy all traitors. It was a haze, but, I dunno, I was able to hold off. Maybe it was just not wanting to disappoint your example, or risk jeopardizing our mission. But that feeling, even when defending the embassy. I didn't like it." His lips pursed.

"To lose oneself because of a mystic temper tantrum? And how many people have that kind of power? Could have that kind of ability?" He shook his head. "For where stand for Order? That was absolute chaos. And I hated it."

[Col. Hala Moraal]

The colonel's grin faded slowly as she caught the conversation shift, then froze for a beat. And a second. Then something inside her rebooted and her features took on a more conciliatory demeanor.

"I'm not sure, Rook," she said softly, "It could be many of them have the capability to do something like that, even if they do not know how.... Even as a defense mechanism, it was..... crude. Undirected. Like glassing a city to put down a local rebellion. I don't know why they fight, or why so many seem so selfish. I wonder if it is as simple as viewing power as an end, rather than as a means to an end. In which case the simple act of conflict should, in theory, create a stronger individual at its conclusion. But if all one cares about is power, then governance is a vanity project."

She spun the wine in her glass thoughtfully, and when she spoke she continued to stare at the swirling fluids.

"I don't know what the solve is. And if I did, I don't think I'd know how to put it in place. Successfully anyway, even if my survival is not a mission objective. So I continue to act as dutifully as I can, addressing internal and external problems so that we are not in a position of weakness when the truce ends or that we do not shatter from within."

[Lt. Tyber Rook]

"I don't pretend to comprehend. But that some were willing to use a terrorist plot to increase their own standing. That it devolved to fighting in the streets?" He looked away, jaw clenched. His profile was sharp, deep in thought.

"If I were an enemy agent, what just happened, I'd be using it to begin to test the cracks in the system. And working to turn those in power against each other again." He sighed, taking another deep drink.

"I'm sorry. We're supposed to be having a good time, and I'm just bringing up problems."

[Col. Hala Moraal]

"Three factions. Those who followed Malgus, and then try and create conflict between those who support the Emperor and functionaries who seem more loyal to the Regency. Four, if you wanted to count the ever present malcontents who don't fit into the above categories. Though I'm not convinced that we may ever be immune to such subversions. Rival factions will always exist, if not flourish, as long as the Sith caste feel that their internal strife is correct."

She shrugs.

"We're two professionals. We're talking shop. It's natural. We can stop if you like though?"