The Bear's Cave - Sedona Station, Baffin (Formerly Freeport 14, Yukon)

[Blighter]

She just walked in with her head low, looking at the sleeves of her flight-suit. She didn't have anything else to wear here. No casual clothes, no fancy parade uniform. Just that flight-suit of hers, making her stand out from the crowd. That small patch on her shoulder, the four letters, crimson on black, made it clear. SCRA. Sirius Coalition Revolutionary Army. She should be proud. One and a half years of medical leave, marked unfit for duty, and now back in the Fighter Corps. A miracle. Those days should've been good and she should be walking with her head held high, but that wasn't the case. She just stared at her own uniform while walking to the counter, not even noticing comrade Ling nearby.

[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#FFFFFF]"What will it be, dollface?"

The barman's voice silenced her thoughts. The endless wail of questions in the depths of her brain, all the "why"s stopped and got replaced by the desire for a smoke and alcohol.

[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#FF9944]"Vodka. And a smoke if you have one."

He offered her the latter and she took it, reaching for a pack of matches to light it quickly. And then the barman pulled out a bottle from behind the counter. Fine vodka, crystal-clear and ice-cold, pearls of water running down the bottle's side, and the silver and red label in Cyrillic letters. First smile of the day for her.

[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#FFFFFF]"You look like you could use it."

The faint smile was enough an answer for him. He handed her a glass and nodded towards a darker corner of the bar. She got up, glass and bottle in one hand, cigarette between her lips, and made off.

[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#FFFFFF]"Here, catch."

Turning around she saw the man toss her a fresh pack of cigarettes. Catching it she flashed a wry smile once more before turning around again and making for the dark corner. And a moment later, with her drink before her and that familiar smoke filling her lungs, she was torn between getting mindlessly drunk and waiting for a particular man called Rhade.

Lost for a moment and thinking about what the man had told her earlier, when she was about to head to this bar, she muttered to herself.

[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#FF9944]"Wonder if that will turn out to be bad timing again."

The contents of her glass vanished in one go.