driftfleet | Out in the Snow

Who: Ulaz and you!
Broadcast: yes
Action: Blameless and planetside
When: throughout December

Action - Planet side exploration, various options
[What did a certain Galra do when faced with a wide open expanse of snow? Go exploring of course. There was a lot to see in this place apparently. When he wasn't spending time around the fleet or the rather friendly locals, he was out in the wilderness, enjoying the silence of it all. He was still far to used to spending time in space ships that being on planet was different for him.

Of course it was different. The rivers of this place seemed to be glowing blue. Quite remarkable. He did of course have wonder why they were like this.

Not only was he out in the fields of snow, but he eventually discovered the ice caves. He wandered quietly through them, looking with interest at the formation created by the ice, but also the distorted images that they created]

Action - Hot Spring
[It was probably safe to say that Ulaz was adventurous and curious enough to investigate many parts of this planet. When he had heard about the hot springs, he decided to at least go up and look at them...

Not that he had actually decided if he was going to try them out or not. But he could at least say that he had been there.

Maybe someone could convince him?]

Open Broadcast / Closed Action on Blameless - sometime near the end of the month

[Ulaz is very quiet for a moment when he starts this then speaks]

I find myself constantly confused by what these worlds are able to accomplish. I got this from that tree on the planet.

[He holds it so it can be seen. It's an image of two female Galran, one probably slightly younger than Ulaz's age and a younger one, still bright purple in color. Both have completely solid yellow eyes like Ulaz and the background looks very... desert like.

He moves the picture back so he can look at it again before speaking]

My mother and my sister from more years back than I can count. I don't know how this could have been obtained.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It is. I hadn't even thought about it in a while... Maybe because I was thinking of my sister.

[He'd mentioned her to at least a few people recently]

Is it Daizabaal? Or... some time later.

[After, you know, the emperor crazy and the Galra lost their planet.]

They look happy, at least. [So he bets on Daizabaal tbh.]

It is not Daibazaal. My sister never breathed the air around Daibazaal. Though it was not far. It was one of the planets that Galra not in the military lived on after the destruction of the planet. It was very organized, most Galra living in specific areas. Of course they wanted to know where their future "recruits" were.

We were happy. Most of the time. The three of us at least.

[Stuff like "specific areas" and "their future recruits" doesn't paint a nice picture in Shiro's eyes - it sounds almost like a military camp, even if it was a place for civilians. Very controlled.

But Ulaz says they were happy, and Shiro trusts his word. Besides, "most of the time" confirms not everything was like smelling flowers.]

I feel like there's a big "but" left hanging at the end of that sentence.

[Ulaz had memories stretching back a long ways. He had them back far enough to when Daibazaal was still around, before it was destroyed. He knew enough that life had changed after that. The militaristic side had won over the culture. They wanted to further military growth rather than anything else]

You are perceptive.

WE were happy. My father had always been with the military, even before. He was one of those who can't think for themselves. If the Emperor had told him to jump off a cliff, he probably would have without asking why. When the military shifted occurred, he embraced it. Wanted the three of us to be willing soldiers, myself, my sister, and my brother.

When they came to find out if those in my age would make good soldiers, I was found to be more intellectual. And they wanted technicians so I was encouraged to not enlist, to study something useful so I could be of use later.

[There was a pause]

My father found no value in technicians because they didn't fight. And my brother would rather get on his good side than remember that it wasn't his father who helped him most of the time, but his older brother.

[They went went to pick up the "children" of age. Shiro has heard a lot about the terrors of the empire, he's lived through its hell himself, but he's never heard much about the Galra side of it. It was just as bad for them...]

I'm sorry about your father, Ulaz. [He puts a hand on Ulaz's forearm and gives it a squeeze. As an pseudo-older brother, he feels this.] I take it your brother joined the military with him?

[What Shiro had seen of the empire was that of an established ship. Everyone in Sendak's fleet knew their place and followed it. It was not a place those without some experience generally ended up, partially because Sendak didn't want to deal with them. Once on his ships, not doing your job was potentially lethal. There were other places that took others starting out and even with drones, they still needed new blood]

It was the way he was. [Ulaz moved his free hand to put it over Shiro's] My mother believed he was only really happy fighting or trying to teach others to fight. Evolution and assimilation of culture had passed him by.

[Can you tell Ulaz has no respect for his father?]

He did, as soon as possible. Practically demanded it. Tried to rub it in my face before he left, not that I had wanted that position.

[He was silent for another moment]

I suppose its ironic... his boast that he was better than I was last thing he said to me. He never had the chance come home after that.

[Oh yes, he can tell. And Shiro is hearing enough not to have a good image of him either. The brother? Also losing all the points. The last part only confirms his suspicions.]

Neither of them are still alive, are they? [He thinks about the mother and sister - he feels bad for them, having been abandoned by their family members like that. But also--] I'm sorry you had to go through all that. I know how important family is. And even through all that, you came through - you didn't let the Empire get you like it did with them. You're strong, Ulaz. I'm sure your mother and sister would be proud.

[Because he gets the feeling they aren't alive either.]

[Ulaz had better memories of his brother, but unknowingly as his last days approached, those had started to be clouded]

No, neither of them are. My brother was killed in a pointless fight not long after joining. He died fighting a fight that didn't need to happen. At least his record in the system in the Empire's database is more favorable than my father's. There's so little information about it I can only assume it is probably to hide something. Given his known despise of technicians, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a low priority for them to assist after a fight.

[In fact he really suspects it was that and given how his father acted just hearing he was being selected as a technician, he can't say that he would blame any of them who actually had to deal with him on a daily basis]

It was the life I knew. It made me who I am, what I have done. If my father had have been more understanding despite his own feelings, we might not be here. I used that experience to do something better with my life.

[The last part did bring a faint smile to his face]

I'm sure they would be too.

[His mother wouldn't be alive anymore. His sister might, but he didn't know for sure]

[Low priority... geez. Shiro pulls a face. It says a lot about the Empire that this is the attitude of their doctors, who should be blind when it comes to the identity of their patients.]

That's a good way of seeing things and taking what life gave you for something bigger. Every day I respect you more, Ulaz. You truly are very strong. [Not that he ever doubted that, but the more he hears, the more impressed he is.] I'm glad the tree rewarded you with the right picture.

[Aka just mother and sister and not the other two bastards.]

Are you going to hang it on your room?

[Ulaz saw that look, but chose to say nothing. Ideally, yes, they should have ignored his comments, but Shiro had also never seen his father and Ulaz had never seen his father on a ship except for a few times. Ulaz already knew enough that his father probably hadn’t been well liked. Even for as crazy with power and brutal as he was, even Sendak understood the technician was there to potentially save his life.

His smile broadens hearing Shiro’s comment to him]

Thank you. That means a lot coming from you. This is the right picture and yes, I think I am going to hang it up.

I'm only saying the truth. [Although Ulaz saying that it means more because it comes from Shiro means a lot to him too.] We should find it a nice frame in town, then, keep it protected.

[Especially from dog hair...]

[Truth or not, Ulaz didn't here himself being praised too often. He didn't need it. He was well-aware that what he did were good things and he shouldn't need to hear it. Still... there was something nice about being acknowledged]

I think that would be nice. So it does not become damaged.

Out in the Snow

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