12-30-2019, 03:20 AM
The door kicked open and Phillipe Alberto swaggered in. He glanced quickly around the room, noting several pilots, soldiers and a handful of regular civilians huddled about the cubicles and on scattered bar stools and tables. The light was dim and a pall of smoke hung above head height, noticeably floating around the light globes.
He made his way to an empty barstool and sat down. The seats certainly hadn't changed. Dirty and faded timber that had been lacquered once, scarred by years of scuffing caused by pilot gear and the occasional knife or blaster fight.
"Alberto"? A voice raised above the background din. He turned to face it.
"Phillipe Alberto?" the voice called again. It was the bartender, making his way towards him, a dirty rag in one hand and an empty glass in the other. "Well! I thought you dead! Alberto you old dog!" A wide grin crossed his face.
Alberto stood up and took offered his hand which the bartender, sliding the glass down on the bar quickly took. "Si Senor, rumours of my demise are just that..."
They laughed and Phillipe sat back down in his stool. The Bartender poured him a shot and slid it towards him. He leaned over the bar "Why, what's it been? Six? Seven years?"
Phillipe took a quick swig from the glass; "Si, si, something like that, I've been planeside, outside capital city, you know on the land, trying to farm what I could."
The Bartender chuckled, "Huh, farm eh? Well... I haven't seen you since... when was it since...?" His expression changed suddenly and his joviality suddenly deflated... "Ah, since.. Elder Laowai..."
Alberto nodded, "Si Senor, since he vanished"... He quickly raised the glass: " To past friends" and rapidly downed its contents. A brief moment of silence hung in the air.
The Bartender quickly filled the glass again and asked "well, what brings you back, farming didn't work out?"
Looking around the room Phillipe shook his head, he smiled and lit a cigarette. "No senor" he answered, "I'm back in the sky and looking for muchachos who want to make some money".
"Well Senor, you are in the place for that, the brotherhood is busy, but there are always houseless muchachos here who can do with some work."
The room was quieter than he remembered it, but there were still people here. The ships would need crew, a lot of crew. Phillipe took another swig from the glass, it had been some time and there had been changes. One thing that hadn't changed however was that there were still poor Corsairs who had families to feed.
He made his way to an empty barstool and sat down. The seats certainly hadn't changed. Dirty and faded timber that had been lacquered once, scarred by years of scuffing caused by pilot gear and the occasional knife or blaster fight.
"Alberto"? A voice raised above the background din. He turned to face it.
"Phillipe Alberto?" the voice called again. It was the bartender, making his way towards him, a dirty rag in one hand and an empty glass in the other. "Well! I thought you dead! Alberto you old dog!" A wide grin crossed his face.
Alberto stood up and took offered his hand which the bartender, sliding the glass down on the bar quickly took. "Si Senor, rumours of my demise are just that..."
They laughed and Phillipe sat back down in his stool. The Bartender poured him a shot and slid it towards him. He leaned over the bar "Why, what's it been? Six? Seven years?"
Phillipe took a quick swig from the glass; "Si, si, something like that, I've been planeside, outside capital city, you know on the land, trying to farm what I could."
The Bartender chuckled, "Huh, farm eh? Well... I haven't seen you since... when was it since...?" His expression changed suddenly and his joviality suddenly deflated... "Ah, since.. Elder Laowai..."
Alberto nodded, "Si Senor, since he vanished"... He quickly raised the glass: " To past friends" and rapidly downed its contents. A brief moment of silence hung in the air.
The Bartender quickly filled the glass again and asked "well, what brings you back, farming didn't work out?"
Looking around the room Phillipe shook his head, he smiled and lit a cigarette. "No senor" he answered, "I'm back in the sky and looking for muchachos who want to make some money".
"Well Senor, you are in the place for that, the brotherhood is busy, but there are always houseless muchachos here who can do with some work."
The room was quieter than he remembered it, but there were still people here. The ships would need crew, a lot of crew. Phillipe took another swig from the glass, it had been some time and there had been changes. One thing that hadn't changed however was that there were still poor Corsairs who had families to feed.