Alderaan - Love and Intrigue

Galen walked among the stalls of the fairgrounds munching on a ortolan ear. He wondered if the ortolans were bothered by having a pastry named after one of their body parts. It was good, regardless. He'd try to get one for Jameela.



His focus at the moment, however, were the games found along the midway. Galen loved playing them. It was like indulging in a part of his childhood he had never gotten to experience.

Cynella meandered about, unwilling to go to another one of the stalls. Ever willing to strike up a conversation, she so happened to pick Galen out of the group. "It's rather tragic how duplicitous the game runners are," she said, shaking her head. "This is a time for festivities but yet they're all rigged! The petting zoo is much better though, I assure you."

She smiled, not lingering too long on that subject. "But ah, I believe I've seen you in the company of the royal family and some of the noble families. I'm Cynella Rhiannon Esmetrice Andrim, though Cynella works all the same," she said, bowing soon afterward.

"Galen Sol, but Galen is preferred." he smiled and offered an awkward bow. "I've been fortunate to find myself in good company in recent days."

"You're right about the games, of course." he gestured around them. "It's shameful to swindle the masses hoping for a cheaply made souvenir. But, if you are looking for a challenge, and an opportunity to humble a few carnies, they can still be quite fun."

"Yes, I would say I'm similarly blessed," she said with a warm smile. "I don't recognize your family's name. Are you from Alderaan or are you too visiting?"

Cynella shook her head regarding the games. "Ah but even when you win, they try to find some way to erase said victory. I went to this one where I had to toss balls at these stacks of cans and I managed to do it with great efficacy! But apparently, I crossed a line at some point... shame, really."

"I'm from a lot of places." he said. "Currently, I live on Bankor. We don't have any fairs like this there. I couldn't help but indulge myself. I just need to find a good game with a good prize."

"Bankor? Ah, I've heard of the planet in passing. Some sort of war there, right? Not the most descriptive, I know," she said with an awkward chuckle. "What sort of prize are you looking for though?"

"Something you'd only find at a fair." he said. "Something everyone tries to win. Something cute."

"I live in the Veridian Sea, a vast forest with trees taller than the palace."

Cynella raised a brow. "You could also buy those, you know, unless it's more about the competition than the cuteness."

She glanced over to the palace and then back to the man. "Really now? I feel like you're pulling one over me."

"They are really big trees." he assured her. "And, yes, the challenge of winning such a prize inspite of how the games are rigged is an appealing challenge."

"Must be really hard to get any sort of craft through there beyond, say, a speeder bike. Even then..." Cynella tilted her head, trying to imagine how best she'd reach a market in there.

"Well, what games do you think you'd be best at then?"

"The shooters, or anything else requiring sharp eyes and a steady hand." he said.

"Oh but won't the rifles or the like be rigged to be, well, inaccurate? Or perhaps the targets themselves will be deceptive in their difficulty?"

"Of course, but adjusting for such things is possible." he shrugged. "Sometimes you have to do such with real rifles damaged in combat."

"You've seen a lot of combat then?" Cynella asked, raising a brow. "Are you in the military then? Or perhaps a hunter, much like the others I've met here on Alderaan?" Maybe hunting really was a common sport around these parts.

"I've hunted throughout my life." he nodded. "But, I also worked as a scout during the Liberation of Bankor. What kind of games do you like?"

"Oh yes, that war, yes," she nodded, having heard of it mainly from her online groups chatting about Captain Alderaan's exploits. "I imagine it wasn't easy there."

She looked around the stalls and then shrugged. "I couldn't say. I mostly enjoy competitive sports, but that can be troublesome with strangers. Some people took that Huttball thing very seriously."

"Yes." he chuckled. "Some definitely did. Some things should just be for fun."

"Some of them were quite rough," she said, shaking her head. "But I managed to get by unscathed. One of my dear friends, Ser Keyhote, wasn't so lucky." She raised a brow. "Ah, but I'm sure you've me that Hutt Knight of excellence during your stay here. Or have you somehow managed not to see him? He is quite noticeable."

"We have met." he nodded. "He makes excellent bunky dunko soup."

"Eh? He hasn't made any soup for me yet." Cynella shook her head. "I'm going to have to ask him to do that soon! What was it like, though? I have no idea what in the galaxy bunky dunko even is."