#ask thries

[gaddings]

For Thries: 5, 22 For Cate: 31, 38

These were harrrd to answer.

If Thries could choose a different identity, who would she be? Thries would probably never choose to be something other than who she is. It's unlikely enough to be something she's never considered, and close enough to hiding, to deceit, that the idea of it would be enormously repugnant to her.

What is Thries' worst nightmare? Being beaten in a way she can't recover from. Getting killed in combat isn't nearly as ignomious as being beaten and being made to live with that forever. Being forced into slavery by the Empire with no hope of escape is one of the worst things she could imagine.

If Cate had to live in seclusion for six months, what six items would she bring?That's a horrifying thought. I'm going to assume that seclusion forbids anything that would permit contact with other people, so it already rules out almost everything Cate would want to take. If basic needs are also taken care of, she'd likely bring... as many vids as she could fit on one datapad, and a second with music. She'd consider it a good time to take up writing journal entries (something she tries every couple of years and forgets about after week), so a blank pad to write on. She'd want to take a blaster rifle for self-protection, and she rarely goes anywhere dressed in civvies without her favourite jacket. Sixth... could she bring a pet? She wouldn't manage for six months without company of any kind, a dog or a massiff or something could prevent her from going totally stir-crazy.

How would a stranger describe Cate? "Her? Oh, the freckled girl? She seemed all right, I suppose. Nice enough, seemed to know what she was doing. Brave to come all the way out here, too, though she could've been gentler when she threw my bag onto the back of the speeder. Bit of a morbid sense of humour, by the sounds of it. Not surprised, all things considering. Certainly looks like she's been through the wars."

[gaddings]

26, 39, character(s) of your choice!

If s/he had to choose, with whom would this character prefer to live? Cate could rattle off a list of a dozen people she wouldn't mind living with - friends from home, her sister, fellow soldiers, even Elara Dorne - but she'd also admit she has no idea what it's like. There's a difference from living at home with one's family or in a barracks with dozens of others than to sharing a home or apartment, and she's not sure even sharing a ship with the rest of her squad is comparable.

Thries... wouldn't. Out of everyone she knows she would pick Zenith as the least likely to irritate her, to pester her with unwanted conversation, to force her into taking responsibility for another person. Sharing her ship with so many other people has been a difficult trial for her, and she often spends nights alone planetside, away from the ship, finding balance in quiet and solitude.

What does this character resolve to do differently every morning? Thries tells herself to be more patient when dealing with others. While she may have little interest in others' petty problems, that will not stop people from coming to her with issues they expect her to resolve, and it would not be anyone's best interests for her to slap them and tell them to figure it out on their own. The attempt at patience generally wears thin after the first few hours, and she returns to the cold, untalkative person that lies underneath.

Cate thinks she should probably do something with her hair. Maybe a ponytail? But it's getting a bit long, maybe she should get it cut. Oh, hell, what time is it? Shit, there's barely time to eat, stop messing with your hair, grab your kit and let's go.

[gaddings]

15 and 23 for Thries, please!

What is Thries' deepest regret? Thries likes to project an air of unshakable confidence and of absolute conviction that she always knows what she is doing and that any decision she makes is unquestionably the correct one. She would not admit to regrets or the possibility that she has made a mistake. That said, whether she'll admit it or not, she does regret the deaths that are on her hands. She does not regret the choices she made that led them there, but she regrets their necessity. She is not a cruel person. She doesn't take pleasure in killing people, or knowing that she is the cause of so many deaths. But even if she might wish that alternatives were possible - alternatives that would not cost the Republic vital hours or supplies or victories - she stands by every choice she has made.

Whom does Thries most wish to please? Why? 'Please' is probably the wrong word. What she seeks is not approval, but recognition, and that from people she considers her superiors. As Barsen'thor that admittedly doesn't leave many people in official capacities, but recognition from others can come in many forms. A powerful enemy, one who can present a true challenge, can be worthy of respect, and earning their respect in turn is a worthy goal. Of course, an enemy once beaten means nothing at all, and is no longer entitled to mercy, let alone respect.