Bankor

"Well ah give ya m' word that if he asks me, ah won't refuse." Garth commits with a genuine smile.

"Although ah've nowt t' wear fer such an...event. Ah didn't exactly pack much leisure wear."

"Heh, I think mr. Varliss will be able to accomodate there. He had Captain Organa commit to it yesterday and try on some swimwear he'd brought along," aaand I probably said too much now. Lyseil pressed her lips together before she said anything more silly.

"Ah'm sure that the poster boy fer the Republic will sell enough calendars by his self. Just so long as the suit ain't yellow." He offers a good natured wink, politely ignoring any self incrimination.

"Really don't go well with mah complexion."

"Blue would probably be a better fit," she agreed with a light-hearted chuckle. "Or maybe white?"

"Heh, ah'll leave that t' the experts t' decide." Garth laughed as an idea occured to him.

"Mebbe even got a pose in mind. This'll be a right hoot. Does Sarge got an outfit picked out yet?"

"Ah... no, I don't." She flushed a little. But it could be from the excersise?

"I hope it's not something too revealing, to be honest..."

"Ah don't know Zane well, but he d'na seem the type t' make ye uncomfortable. Ye'll get final say on th' outfit ah almost guarantee."

Garth noticed the reddening and offered a water bottle to aid her recovery.

"Oh, thanks..." she grinned as she accepted the water. "... Guess I'm in pretty poor shape, huh?"

Slowing down so she could drink, Lyseil felt a bit embarrassed at how soft and incapable she was when surrounded by all these manly soldiers with rippling muscles. Even Niall had muscles!

Garth just raised an eyebrow in shock.

"Yer kiddin' right? At th' risk o' repeatin' mahself, there ain't nothin wrong with ye shape, and any who says otherwise ain't got two brain cells t' bang t'gether. Women're s'posed to be softer, more feminine, ah'd advise against askin too many fer a second opinion. Ye might get some answers more crude than me own."

"Is that so?" she smiled wryly at his opinion that women were supposed to be 'softer'. "I don't know... those Mandalorian women look pretty impressive with their very toned bodies. Guess I'm a little jealous."

"Human nature, an' I use the term loosely. 'S always easier t' find fault in ourselves than others and we's always our own harshest critics." Garth opines honestly.

"Theres a demand fer every supply, Sarge. Don't think ah should say much more though, HR ofgicer swore t' boot me if I had t' see her again on this campaign."

"Uhhh... who threatened to boot you and why?" Lyseil blinked, as Garth's thick accent finally was too much for her.

"Long story, big misunderstanding." Garth answers, trying hard to improve his pronunciation and elocution, given the confused look on Lyseil's face.

"Apparently the teasing banter us pilot's tend t'share ain't appreciated by all."

"Ah! I see," she nodded with understanding. "You pilots do have a reputation for rather interesting banter. Like..." Lyseil cleared her throat as she recalled the most colorful banter she had heard from some Alderaanian pilots during her service. So she of course had to follow up with a proper Alderaanian-pilot banter: "Bally Jerry pranged his kite right in the how's your father. Hairy blighter, dicky-birdied, feathered back on his Sammy, took a waspy, flipped over on his Betty Harper's and caught his can in the Bertie."

"That....sounds painful." Garth guessed as he realized the pain others had when they talked with him.

Lyseil laughed. "I honestly have little idea what it means myself... I mean, I just remember it so vividly because I spent weeks trying to decipher and make sense of it! Maybe they were just pulling my leg!"

"Yeah, ah doubt ye'll find a holodisc with translations fer that. Ah imagine all sorts o' diff'rent groups have their own verbal codes an' references. Even the 'Alderaanian princess collective' would've had phrases ah've never heard of ah'm sure." Garth probed as he leaned against one of the arms of the treadmill.

"Maaaybe, but that would be confidential, ensign," she teased with a coy chuckle.

Garth laughed loudly, in contrast to Lyseil's chuckle.

"Ah wouldn't trust me either," He advised the sergeant. He may officially outrank her, but the way she carried herself, made Garth feel she had earned her rank far more than he had.

"Not yet anyway. We may both serve, but we dunna know much about each other sides from that."

"Oh" she gave him a slightly puzzled blink. "That's a bit silly, no? I trust everyone in the Republic Military!"

"Ain't ya heard? We got spies and saboteurs runnin' round here, Sarge. Ah'd be careful who ya trust, although ah've been servin' since th' Outer Rim Massacre, so it's unlikely t' be me." Garth grins cheekily.

"But... the suspcions have been directed at the external assets, no? The ones who aren't part of the jedi or military?" she retorted. The military weren't being questioned, after all, but the ones not affiliated strongly with the Republic were being eyed suspiciously.

"Besides! We need to trust eachother out here - sure, there might be some bad apples in the cart, but distrust and suspicion will just make things worse, I think."

"Sure, but someone had t' hire those assets right? Yer right though, distrust and fear is a deep rabbit hole t' fall down." Garth conceded the point with a nod.

"What 'bout you, you look like an Academy grad, in the service fer life?"

"What, me? Hardly!" she laughed softly with a shake of her head.

"I mean, like, I got the rank of sergeant in Panteer House Force, because of my family and the prestige there, but I'm not career-military. But Alderaan is giving support to Bankor, so I'm one of our representatives here! When I'm done here, I'll be back to finishing my thesis - earn that PhD!"

"Ah sorry, fer the misunderstandin' ye just seem, like off'cer material. Much more'n me, ah mean ah can fly and drive wi' the best of 'em, but ah ain't leadership material. You are though, if y' wanted that life."