Planet Cambridge, Cambridge System
Grantchester City
Neon Lights Lounge
Music blasted around the bar as he sipped quietly on his beverage. His face was cold and expressionless as his eyes held the view of the holo-vision before him. The feed was thankfully drowned out as he idly stared at the flashes of images, a news report showing the statistics of the war with the Gauls, and the newest theater that had opened up recently in the Omega systems. The last thing he would have expected - corporate and neutral entities declaring war on the House that's in a desperate position, though the moves to annex specific systems and stations made sense in the grand scheme of things. In a way it reminded him of his service, the thought of which forced him to take another sip of his bland tasting ale, forcing the thought once more to the back of his mind.
His gaze eventually shifted from the futile news reports, and slowly began wandering across the bar filled with people wanting to escape from the normalcy of what was essentially the beginning of the end. The universe, in his opinion, was growing more and more desperate for a means to an end. He's seen protests and riots in the streets in the past few weeks, all from desperate people trying to grasp for the life that once was. The constant state of war, the constant threat of suddenly finding hostile troops landing in the streets. Cambridge wasn't as safe as it use to be, enemies were closing in from all sides, and if he ever had any intention of packing what little he owned, where would he go? Transport ships leaving for Rheinland were most likely being stopped by Rheinland authorities and turned away, or shot down by IMG and Corsairs, and getting to Liberty? Out of the question.
Besides the meager funds he had left wouldn't allow him to leave Cambridge anyways, and it forced him to get a part time job just to keep up with the rent on the apartment he was staying at. He brought the mug up to his lips and tried to take another sip, but much to his dismay, it was empty. A sigh followed as he sat the mug down, pushing it slightly away from him. "Jim," He called out over the music, raising his hand in the air. "Can I get another refill? The same thing would be fine." The Barkeep gave a curt nod before disappearing into the back.
As he waited, he slumped back into his chair and drew in a deep breath. His attention turned to focus on the people in the bar, many were young - full of life, a couple were around his age who seemed to be drowning their worries out just like he was, and others were wearing partial uniforms of the Police Authority and Armed Forces alike. Eventually his surveying of the room ended on a small group of hooligans who were being rather rambunctious, they were properly either Privateers or Buccaneers. That was kind of the beauty about how the war was going, different ways of life mixing together with barely any issues between the others. A small sense of unity in the dire times. Normally there would have been a bar fight or two while the various parties butted heads.
Eventually Jim approached the table and sat down another full mug of ale. "Keep this up, Austin, and I'm going t' have t' charge ye rent."
Austin shrugged it off and hoisted the new mug up. "That's why I'm sticking with the cheap stuff. To be able to pay you for whenever you decide to charge me. Besides, it's not like you owe me anything either."
"Yer right. It's not like ye saved my life and that of plenty more folks or anythin' all those years ago durin' that terrorist attack that practically made ye the face of the House." Jim shook his head disapprovingly and promptly left the table that Austin was seated at. "I... told you to never bring that up, I was just doing my bloody job." Austin mumbled against the mug as he watched Jim once again disappear into the back of the bar, he took a deep swig and slammed the mug down onto the table, pushing it away he laid his head down against his outstretched arm, staring down at the table.
