Stories Sown Along the Way

tales of loss and fire and faith

It was an odd feeling, to finally be stretching his legs, instead of stuck on some station. Ever since he'd been thawed out from the Carbonite, he'd been stuck on said space station, before being briefed on helping a Commander Janice Shepard with the Collectors abducting human colonists. The name Shepard was familiar to him, somewhat. Top secret or not, occasionally some people would slip out the name without meaning to, though he'd never really understood the full extent of it. This Normandy was nice, too, nothing like the clunky heaps back in his galaxy. Sleek, with modern amenities, it was clear that Cerberus spared no expense whether it be for technological superiority or simple comfort and quality of life. Though, if Alex had to be honest, he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss his home. That... was still a shock. Waking up, surrounded by guns, only to be eventually taken to a room while you were recovering, and after some questions, being told your galaxy was simply... gone.

He was still processing it. Not that there was much he could do about it. He'd been stuck for that whole affair, moved around as cargo.

For now, while the Captain, Commander officially, he supposed, had been out on some mission while he'd been hurried on board. He took the time to meet with crew members, get a general feel for what they were. The most entertaining were the pilot and the engineers down below. There was plenty of interest in well, not so much him, but the lightsabers, definitely. As for Alex, he'd found a quiet room off to the side, ignited his lightsaber, the black cored green shooting from the top and sides of his weapon, and began a kata that was all too familiar to him. A waste of time, practicing the familiar, the pragmatist in him said. Better to be learning to use their weaponry. That had thrown him for a loop. Slugthrowers. That was the best way he could make sense of how it'd been described. Slugthrowers, primitive but... not. Far, far more dangerous, something most Jedi would have difficulty deflecting. He'd have to find some way around it, and honestly, if they were that useful, learn to use them himself. He would learn them, it wasn't a lack of interest. Perhaps if Cerberus was truly as keen on tech as they claimed, he could get a good one.

Nevertheless, he continued. It was a taste of comfort, he countered the pragmatist. An opening of Shii-cho that progressed into Makashi into Soresu into Djem So into Ataru into Juyo, before relaxing into Niman, and de-escalating back into Soresu into Makashi into Shii-cho. And then it cycled through. While he imagined he was being watched on camera, he could at least get a general sense of the myriad presences aboard the frigate, and when one was beginning to approach his door, he felt out for a moment; he did not recognize this one, and this one... not Force Sensitive, no. But it followed their steps all the same. This must have been Shepard, the one who Cerberus had dedicated so much to recruit. With a quick flick of his thumb, the lightsaber hissed as it deactivated, being quickly attached to his belt in a fluid, practiced motion that betrayed a casual familiarity.

The Jedi Master stood at attention right before the doors opened. "Commander." He greeted, as if he had been like that the entire time.

Stories Sown Along the Way

tales of loss and fire and faith

At ease, the order was given. His legs widened as his arms slipped behind his back, one hand gripping his wrist. He had to admit, it felt a bit strange to not be the one giving orders on a ship. He'd gotten too used to being the Captain. Perhaps a lesson in humility and deference was indeed in order. No real thought was given to Shepard's purpose; a standard task, one that he himself had done, and that any attentive captain would take. After all, if one were be going into danger with these people, it'd help, to, you know, at least have some basic information. Still, the way she was looking at him, he couldn't help but wonder if she was sizing him up. To compare it to a predator would be off at best, more a sense of curiosity. Something that stood out amongst the standard of Cerberus. No, that was inaccurate as well, he quickly walked back in his mind. Cerberus, or at least the Normandy, had quite the colorful cast.

At the very least, Alex had to agree with the pilot; the leather seats were nice.

Nevertheless, Alex fought back a small smile at her purpose. One couldn't blame her, in truth. "In your defense, Commander, you've had a fairly eventful couple days." He knew enough. Being thawed out and surrounded by a wall of guns and metal didn't quite compare to being resurrected and immediately kicked from the proverbial nest to go save the day. Taking his left hand, he brushed his fingers against his chest. "I suppose to help start with something simple; I'm Alexander Sorel, I'm not from this galaxy. Mine is one far far away, one that no longer exists. You could say I'm a refugee." Irrelevant details to Cerberus, he guessed. If she had a dossier on him, he doubted that such information would be there. He was still pretty sure that Cerberus would try to axe him at some point.

Alex wasn't withholding information to be cagey. He just figured that coming out of the floodgates with information; technological, cultural, spiritual, and so on, about another galaxy could very easily become overwhelming. He was speaking from personal experience on that front, especially when combined with the one two punch of what had happened to yours. "I must confess, it's still a struggle to wrap my head around, but I'm managing well enough." Well, as well as anyone could. There is no death, there is only the Force, he told himself. It helped, but the sobering realization he'd likely never see any of his old connections again brought a sense of loneliness he tried not to think about.

Stories Sown Along the Way

tales of loss and fire and faith

Shepard expressed surprise at humans having spread across the various galaxies. "Is it?" He wondered aloud. In truth, it never seemed that odd to him. As long as he'd known, humans had always been spread across his galaxy, so the idea that they could have gotten to other galaxies as well just didn't seem that odd to him. "Still, I do appreciate your respect for privacy." If nothing else, she at least took other peoples' feelings into consideration. "But, unfortunately, I'm not privy to all the details myself. I had been frozen in carbonite during the event. Cerberus found a way to thaw me out." Even if he felt talkative about it, there simply wasn't anything that he could give her that Cerberus hadn't already given him.

Just as well, too. If Valkorion was anything to go by, he'd been improperly frozen, and was dangerously close to having his ticket punched because of it. He wasn't sure if Arcann was just really that incompetent, or if there had been some plan to maliciously kill him off slowly, in a way that in truth, he probably would have never even noticed. He wondered what became of the Eternal Empire, if they were even still active, or if they had been wiped out completely. Good riddance, one more blow to Valkorion's power base, he wagered. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. The fact that Valkorion wasn't biting at any of this didn't bother him either. He could stay nice and quiet for all Alex cared.

Though, maybe he could press a little. "Which, I suppose I should ask; what's your experience with Cerberus?" He tried to keep the question itself neutral. Naturally, Cerberus was as biased as they came. And part of him was expecting the same from Shepard, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Either he would hear the same song and dance he had been getting while he'd been stuck on that station, or he'd get something new. He already knew he wasn't getting the full story, it was just a matter of finding out what bits and pieces of that full story he wasn't getting.