driftfleet_ooc | SUMMER TEST DRIVE

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SUMMER TEST DRIVE

THE SUMMER TEST DRIVE MEME
(Or Winter Test Drive for you Southern Hemisphere folks!)

Got someone you want to try out before you app? Well this is the post for it! Feel free to use anything that fits in the setting of Drift Fleet! Want to play bumper shuttles? Want to go wild in a med bay? Play around with the current plot? Have at it!

Threads from the Test-Drive may be made game "canon" but DO NOT count toward AC!

FOR NEW PLAYERS: You DO NOT NEED an invite to participate in the TEST DRIVE! If you decide to APP into the game, ONLY THEN will you need an invite from a current player!

Helpful Info for Ideas!:

June/July's Star System

Game Details

Test drives are posted SEASONALLY, so the next one will be in late September!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The Force whispers to Ahsoka-- something's wrong. But she ignores it; her desire to vent is greater than her desire to listen.]

Didn't expect to see me again so soon? [It's a casual enough string of words on their own. But the way Ahsoka says them, it's like they're injected with venom.]

Too bad for you.

[ barriss visibly tenses, all that deep breathing she was practising going to waste as her breath catches in her throat. ]

What? I know it's been a while since Umbara but... [ but they left on good terms, concerned about their men, angry at krell. but they've never had a fight bigger than quibbling over how to spend a precious day of downtime on coruscant. but she thought ahsoka was her best friend, age gap and different approaches to life or not. ] I- I missed you.

[ all the rational things in the world, and that's the only one that comes out. ]

Oh, that's rich. Maybe you should've thought about that before you--

--Wait. ... Umbara?

[Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh no. No no no no no no. No. This cannot be happening. But it is. And she knows it. This has happened before. But not with Barriss.

Of all the-- this would happen. All of Ahsoka's balled up anger seems to suddenly turn into a cold ball of dread in her stomach.]

... Juuuuuust ... to be one hundred percent clear-- when was the last time we saw each other, Barriss? Humour me.

[Please don't be true. Please be a lie. Please be a lie!!]

After we rendez-voused with the ground troops on Umbara. [ there's still confusion, and some hurt, on barriss's face as she moves to stand up, watching ahsoka carefully. she has no idea what's going on, but if ahsoka is sick, if this is like the geonosian brain worms again, somehow, she'll need to be aware of any signs of a fight. ]

Your company seemed rattled. I didn't want to interfere and the Council already had a new assignment in mind for me. [ a pause. ] Ahsoka, what's going on here?

[Ahsoka scrutinizes Barriss similarly carefully-- ready for any hint of a trick, any sign in the Force that she's lying.

But there isn't one. Barriss is telling the truth.

This isn't the Barriss she knows. This is Barriss as she used to be. And Ahsoka isn't quite sure if she can handle that. She feels like she's been hit by a speeder going two hundred miles per hour. Winded. Disoriented. Adrift. Ahsoka doesn't even respond to Barriss's question-- she just stares at her in her shock, like she's having an out-of-body experience.

When her brain finally registers Barriss's words, her response is devoid of any emotion, her voice small and far away. In the midst of shock, Ahsoka's higher functioning does the only thing it can and switches over to autopilot. She gives her report.]

What's... oh. Right. ... We're on a planet named Hea-Guaa. It's not in our galaxy. Local population is friendly, wildlife is edible. Level of local technology available would be classified by our standards as ancient. We've been brought here by people calling themselves the Atroma. They transport people they think are "interesting" from their homes across various different galaxies without their consent to live in their Fleet for a short period of time-- usually months, sometimes longer. I suspect a more nefarious purpose.

I think that's everything.

[ that wasn't what she was asking about, but the mission briefing gives her some information anyway. barriss nods, finding herself clasping her hands low in front of her, resorting to being a proper jedi for lack of anything better to do at the moment. ahsoka doesn't feel right at all, so barriss has no choice but to keep her distance. ]

I had not heard anything of your disappearance when I got back to Coruscant after my mission. The Atroma can also do some sort of time manipulation, I take it? Master Plo Koon would have mentioned if you were in any sort of trouble, I'm sure.

[Barriss's matter-of-fact acceptance of events seems to bring her back to herself, a little.]

... That's right. Though-- you wouldn't have heard of it anyway. Even before I came here, it's been... a while. Since Umbara. ... Uh, for me.

[It's probably best not to get too specific, she thinks.]

I see. [ in theory, at least. she wants to understand how these things are possible, but suspects she won't get answers any time soon. barriss focuses instead on things she might actually find answers to, replaying the short conversation, ahsoka's confusing, smouldering bundle of feelings, in light of this new information. ]

Considering you're further from the Battle of Umbara than I am, something terrible must happen in what I consider the future for you to not want to see me here. Yes?

[It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together like that, but Ahsoka still wishes she hadn't.

She doesn't want to answer this question. Still, she owes it to the Barriss that was once her friend to try.]

... Yes. [She won't lie. It would only be insulting.] It does.

[Ahsoka hesitates visibly, trying to sort out what she's feeling, weighing her options, trying to decide what to say and how to say it. And how much.]

You-- you do something incredibly dangerous. And reckless. And stupid. [And kill a lot of people, she thinks, but decides against adding. Ahsoka has been burned here by terrible knowledge of the future that she still struggles with, even months later. She's furious with Barriss, but this person standing in front of her right now hasn't done anything to deserve such a punishment. No matter how much she might want to pettily mete it out.]

... And I'm still really mad at you about it. I mean-- not you you. Future you. So-- this is a little... complicated for me.

[ dangerous and reckless and stupid doesn't sound much like her, but barriss has far too much respect for ahsoka to call her a liar. so she's quiet for a long moment, looking away, down the shoreline, wishing she could see into the future. the talk of umbara as a reference point has her thinking of krell again, of his beliefs. there's nothing in barriss that would make her want to see the republic fall, or to align herself with the separatists, but... but if the opportunity came to highlight the corruption all around her, would she take it? would ahsoka hate her for it?

ahsoka's like her master, as unorthodox as loyal jedi can be. surely if anyone would understand taking a stand against a corrupt senate and a jedi council fully willing to coat the hands of their healers in blood, it would be her.

is that the dangerous thing she does? speak her mind? give up on patience and shout her concerns at halls full of warmongers who have no intention of listening, calling out hypocrisy and corruption until she's hoarse? she's thought about it, but she knows how little good it would do, so she can't see it happening.

eventually she lets out a breath and turns her gaze back to ahsoka's, the picture of jedi calm. ]

In that case, I'm sorry for how I'll hurt you. [ she can't change ahsoka's past, after all. it's still going to happen. she's helpless. she always is. ] I'll be sure not to impose my friendship on you as long as I'm stuck here.

[ and barriss turns to go, headed away from the landing site, but she's more than calm now. she's just... nothing, in the force. a living being, but that's the best reading ahsoka would be able to get from barriss's self-imposed void. ]

[It should be a relief, really. To hear that. "Sorry" and "I'll stay out of your way." She should be pleased.

But she's not. Barriss's words are cold comfort when Barriss doesn't even know what she did, and they settle at the bottom of her heart like lead.

She calls out.]

Barriss-- wait--!

It sounds as though you're better off without whatever I am to you.

[ she doesn't turn, just raises her voice enough that it's still clear. ]

You must take care of yourself, Ahsoka.

Barriss! [Screw it. She runs after her, until she catches up and puts herself in Barriss's path. Her anger is gone, and now it's just replaced by old fashioned exasperation.]

I said wait. I-- look. I said that it was complicated. Not that I want you to-- to go off on your own on some kind of crazy self-imposed exile and punish yourself for something you haven't even done yet. That isn't going to help anyone or solve anything.

[ she'll stop, not rude enough to just step around ahsoka, but she's still that eerie nothing in the force. her expression is not so carefully schooled though- barriss almost looks like she's in pain. ]

It's not for me, it's for you. You're angry at me, at whatever I've done, and that's not something I want to be part of any more than you do. [ she shakes her head, wishing for better words, on the verge of asking what she could possibly have done to make ahsoka hate her, but knowing she'll despise the answer no matter what it is. ] This is a sort of complicated that I can't help you with. If I am the cause, I cannot be part of the solution.

[ and isn't that a nice summary for how she feels about the war. ]

What? That's-- easily the stupidest saying I've ever heard! People solve problems they created all the time! Anyway, that's not even the point!

The point is--

[But she cuts herself off, because Ahsoka isn't actually sure what the point is herself. She doesn't know. She doesn't know why she's saying all this, why she's pleading with Barriss not to go. Five minutes ago, she wanted Barriss to be anywhere but here. An awkward silence fills the air as it becomes evident that Ahsoka really has no idea what she was going to say next. But then, all of a sudden, words come tumbling out of her mouth again before she can stop them, before she can register what they are or what she's saying.]

--I missed you, too. This you. That's... what the point is.

[Her surprise at herself registers clearly in the Force and on her slightly stunned face. She never realised that, until just now. But it's true. How many times had she wished she could go back in time to when Barriss was still sane and talk her out of her madness and things could go back to the way they were? Countless. Countless times.

Ahsoka can never undo Barriss's betrayal in her heart. It's done. But maybe she can still save Barriss from an awful fate.]

[ barriss can't keep up her emptiness in the face of that. she knows how often ahsoka's mouth just says whatever comes to mind, but she also knows when it's genuine, even if it's still obviously complicated. some part of barriss is still incredibly wary, not knowing her own future or just where her and ahsoka go wrong, but... this is her best friend. she hasn't denied that in a long time. she's not sure there will ever come a point where she will, even if she unwittingly hurts ahsoka somewhere down the line. ]

Well, I'm here. I'm this me.

[ and that's all she can figure out how to say. now isn't the time for questions or philosophy or anything they could possibly disagree on. she just wants her friend. ]

But if you do need space, all you have to do is ask.

... Okay. Good. ... Okay.

[She can do this. Deep breaths. She can do this!]

Actually, more than all the "space" stuff... I need you to make me a promise.

[ anything, she nearly responds, but she catches herself. she has a great deal of respect for ahsoka and probably more affection than she should, but she still doesn't know what she's done to hurt ahsoka. if it was one of her beliefs, something she's not about to budge on, at some point they'll have to agree to disagree. or agree to part. ]

What is it?

If you're ever feeling like... I don't know. Depressed, maybe, or hopeless, or like... [she tries to think of Barriss's exact words in that corridor-- the first sign she'd had that something was really wrong with Barriss, and that she'd ignored] ... like nothing will ever change.

I want you to promise me that you'll tell me.

[ that's not exactly what she's expecting to hear. it's sweet, almost, but not particularly pragmatic. in fact, it's almost kind of silly, because those are all words barriss would use to describe herself right now if honesty like that had any place in jedi discourse, but it doesn't, so she won't, and ahsoka knows that full well so asking for a promise like that is just absurd and barriss can already feel the slightly hysterical sound crawling out of her chest—

until she covers it with a cough. until she just gives ahsoka a patient, placating smile.

now is not a time for laughing. ]

Things will always change, I'm well aware of that. So you don't have to worry, Ahsoka.

[Ahsoka doesn't look at all placated. If anything, she looks annoyed. Her arms fold over her chest-- she's well aware of just how good Barriss is at lying, now. And even though she can't tell if Barriss is lying now or not, she isn't willing to take the risk.]

I'm serious.

Promise. Promise me, Barriss, or I'll never be able to trust another word you say ever again.

Based on your greeting a few minutes ago, maybe that's for the best.

[ ahsoka didn't want her here, after all, and barriss only has a vague idea as to why. that frustrated hopelessness inside of her that simmers hotter after every mission she sees through, every council member she talks to, that could very well be the cause of their rift. ahsoka's plenty loyal to the convoluted mess that the jedi are, not the things their doctrine means them to be. and it's that same doctrine that has barriss mangling her own words, censoring them as they come out. ]

A Jedi can and should deal with emotions like that on her own. What good are we if we can't even keep the peace within ourselves?

Yeah? Well, I'm not a Jedi anymore.

So tough.

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