Bankor

It had taken a while to find the young woman he was looking for, which seemed to be a common occurrence when he wished to see her. Still, Zane figured that today might have been a rough day for the politician, and so he put in the effort to find her, to make sure she was okay.

A search that eventually brought him to a quiet corner of the camp, a rather flat patch of sand, with a few trees obscuring the view of the majority of the base, and a good view across the calm waters of the oasis. "It's a bit chilly for a evening stroll isn't it, Miss Anicapri." He asked quietly as he approached, silently wishing there was a better way to announce himself.

"I must admit, I was hoping to be alone right now." Nytera was bundled up in a fashionable coat and she most certainly had insulated clothing inside. "Did you need something, Mr. Varliss?" she asked as she stared into the expanse of the desert.

"I like to think I never need a reason to see a lovely lady, Miss Anacapri." He offered softly, still lingering in the distance. "But in all honestly I came to see how you were doing, as I thought this might be a difficult day for you." His lips curled into a bemused smile. "I might have made it here earlier, but you aren't easy to find when you don't want to be."

"Still, since it seems you aren't looking for company it's likely best I leave."

The lady shook her head. "You may stay beside me, Mr. Varliss. Solitude has done little to help my mood."

"I find it usually just sets me to brooding." Zane replied, moving forward quietly to join her as she watched the sky above. "Talking helps a bit, though I'm not really know for doing a lot of that."

He smirked. "Well, any talking about me and my worries at least."

"What troubles run through your mind, Mr. Varliss? Thus far, you have been a man of mystery to me." Her eyes still stayed towards the sky, her face still showed little emotion. She was a woman staying afloat only barely for the time being.

"When my thoughts are at their darkest, Miss Anacapri? Quite a few." He itched for a moment to reach for a smoke, but decided against it, instead slipping out a flask and opening it to take a sip. "The people I've lost, the people I've failed. Mistakes I have made. There are more then a few things that come back to haunt me."

"I suppose one of the latest was the loss of a friend, a jedi knight. We didn't know each other too long, but we got along quite well, and when I asked for her help she gave it willingly. She died because of it, to save me, and to complete our mission, though the mistake that killed her was mine. I extended my trust, and it happened to me to the wrong people." There was a small pause. "I wish I could go back and change it, she didn't deserve to die like she did, not in that place."

"People rarely deserve to die, Mr. Varliss. But the people who do, well, they are the truly frightening ones." She lowered her eyes. "I thought I had seen true sadism before but this is something entirely new. Is it pathetic that it makes me fear the galaxy at large?"

"No, not at all." He let his gave drift from the stars to the young woman he stood beside. "Because honestly? It scares me too. The galaxy at large can be a truly frightening place, Miss Anacapri." He shook his head and sighed softly before looking back towards the stars. "I suppose what really matters is what we do with that fear."

"And what do you suggest we do with our fear, Mr. Varliss?" The woman looked over to him with a small smile on her lips.

"I suppose if I was a Jedi I'd have some philosophical thing to say here." He mused turning, her ways once again as he felt her gaze. "But we use it, in a way.... To push ourselves forward, to take the extra step. To try and make the Galaxy a place where out children won't know the same fear. Anything works really, as long as we don't let it dominate us."

His lips spread into a wry smile, as he let his eyes meet hers. "That didn't sound too cheesy, did it?"

She let out a bitter laugh. "I am starting to believe I do not want children in this galaxy. I must admit, I had my doubts before this invasion even began." Nytera's expression turned from one of amused reflection, a smile on her lips, to one of abject grief, with her eyebrows furrowed. "My mother nagged me about having children, Mr. Varliss," she murmured.

It was probably a bit inappropriate, but he couldn't help himself. Turning her way, he a reached out a hand to take one of hers, tugging on it gently in attempt to invite her into his arms. "Hey now, come here." He offered softly, waiting to see in she accepted his offer of comfort before continuing.

Whether she did or not, after a few moments he spoke. "Mine does the same, Miss Anacapri. I think it's a prerogative of mother's everywhere. She likely just wanted you to share a bit in the joy she had in raising you. Of watching you grow...." There was a small pause. "If you like, you could tell me a bit about her. The good things."

Nytera came in and rested her head on him. "Is that so? My mother was not... present often, Mr. Varliss." She mewled at her own words and then lowered her gaze. "I would imagine that she would feel terribly guilty that that is my first thought of her even now."

His arms gently wrapped around her, he really shouldn't be doing this, but good intentions and his instincts often didn't go hand in hand. "You don't need to be present to care for someone, Miss Anacapri. Though distance certainly makes such feelings harder to notice." There was a small pause, as he struggled for a moment with what to say. He wasn't on the best of terms with his parents, to say the least. "I can't say exactly what she would think, or feel... I never knew her. but looking at you, I think she would be more proud then anything."

"Most of the time, I was under the watchful eye of a nanny. Mother had more important matters to attend to, so I was told. It was not until I was a teenager that she allowed me to attend events with her. I think I otherwise embarrassed her."

She let out a sigh. "I think my mother would expect me to be president already."

"She reminds me of my mother a little bit. The part about expectations at least." He smiled down at her, and offered a gentle squeeze. "I think she would be happy you survived this long, you're path can't of been easy... As for being president, who knows? You're on your way though, and I think she should be proud of that... You should be proud of that."

She separated from his arms, gently enough, but still to get away. "Oh, let us be honest with each other, Mr. Varliss. I am mainly a pretty face. My familiarity with politics is persuading people to give me what I want at galas and such. But if a debate were to happen, I would likely look like a fool conjuring up answers that i think sound good."

She was a pretty face, there was no lie to that. As to the rest, he probably couldn't say. "You would know yourself better then I miss Anacapri. Though I think you sell yourself short. I believe your heart is in the right place, and that mean a lot, at least to me."

He smiled slightly, his eyes searching for hers. "And if you think there are places you are lacking... Improve on them. It's not easy, but you have some time. Study, practice, use that fear you feel to drive yourself harder." He looked down at the ground. "And if you'll forgive for using your own words against you. You mother might expect you to be president by now, but that's because she knew you could do it. You just need to believe in yourself."

"My heart is in the right place? I happened upon a power vacuum and scrambled for it by instinct, Mr. Varliss." She turned away in her shame, her eyes never turning to him. "The presidency is a comfortable position."

"In my experience, positions of power are never comfortable, Miss Anacapri. They are a battle to get to, and a battle to hold." He replied, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Being President? That is even less so. Your every move will be watched, your movements documented. Peace and privacy will be a very finite rescource."

"Perhaps, you did act out of instinct, but that doesn't mean you don't do your utmost to help your people, like I believe you will."

"We have had plenty of ineffective presidents, Mr. Varliss. Some who only profited from their positions."

She looked over to him with a bitter smile. "Is your faith there only because of my appearance, my demeanor? If I had been a plainer woman, would you place so much trust in me?"

"Yes." He offered simply, his eyes seeking hers. "It goes back to our first conversation, Miss Anacapri. When you shared with me some of your thoughts."

"The galaxy is a garden place, and full of cruel people, and many are affected by them: just like you. Many would seek vengeance, by being just as cruel. But you? Such thoughts can't even enter your head without you being ashamed of them. That's a rare quality, at least to me. A good one too."

The lady met his gaze and her eyes went back down. "I see. My self-judgment is a virtue in your eyes." She looked to the desert with a couple tears streaming down her face. "And what do you do with your urge for vengeance, Mr. Varliss? If you were to have Eralynn or Varo or whomever else at your mercy, what would you do?"

"Self control is a difficult thing. I find how hard you are on yourself an admirable trait, especially when mixed with compassion. Which I think you have as well."

"When I was at my worst..." There was a small pause. "All kinds of things, most of which I would prefer not to admit, though if the were guilty of the same tragressions to me as they are to you. It wouldn't be pretty." He looked up towards the stars. "Now though, I'd simply kill them, quickly and cleanly, but with no remorse."