milliways_bar | (no subject)

Cassian keeps finding it surprising to see books and paper used so freely in Milliways.

The man with his neat and precise clothing looks like he could be from a Core world and Cassian nods to him over his own datapad, he's in his black jacket and sipping some caf, "Interesting read?"

"Most interesting. Sir Winston, I do not know when he found the time to write this - though I see that he did not finish it till years after my death - but he does have a grasp of the history." It's clear from his tone that he know this "Sir Winston."

At a glance, Poirot can tell that the man is not from his time or place, and there is something otherworldly about the fabric, but he cannot say what precisely.

Sir is clearly a powerful title, he wonders what it would map onto in his world,

"What kept him busy?"

Poirot raises an eyebrow. "You are not of my time if you need to act. But that should not be the surprise.

"Sir Winston was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the war. And before that a politically active man, though not as busy." What was it the press called it? His "wilderness years?" "At war's end, he was turned out of office, but the flap on the book, it says he was restored again. So still a busy man."

"I'm probably not of your world. Is the United Kingdom a system, continent or country? He must have been powerful and respected to have left office and then returned to it,"

Whatever government they have in the United Kingdom, it must be a peaceful and strong one to have a leader be thrown out, restored and not create a civil war.

"It is a nation on the planet Earth. Many would consider it the premier nation on the planet, though I doubt that was true when I left the world." As an outsider, he never quite saw the UK the same way as those who were born there.

"And he was powerful but controversial. And I do not know the circumstances of his return, only his departure." Socialists, who Poirot also never quite understood.

"Left the world, what do you mean? What made him controversial?"

Leaders with too many of their own ideas tend to be dangerous within the Empire, he's seen them rise to power or be crushed.

"I passed on two years after he lost the election. And his stance at the time, his willingness to take on the position unpopular always made him the figure of controversy.

"Though," he adds in thought, "the notion that the man who won the war would not be trusted to keep the peace made little sense to me."

Cassian stills for a moment then takes a drink, he hasn't met many of the dead here, "Those who are best at war aren't always suited for peace."

Within the Rebellion, he's seen the way the different leaders don't agree on how and where to fight.

"That may be true. I was not paying great attention to what his successor, Mister Atlee, was doing." As his health failed, he looked to the things he could do and should do before dying, and thought little of the future of his adopted home. "But then, I know Sir Winston and not Mister Atlee."

"Were you involved with the government?"

He seems like the kind of man that would do well on the edges, with influence but not an official role.

"I consulted often with men of power and authority in various agencies. But I was never more than a consultant." He keeps to himself the level of consultancy he offered, certainly never mentioning the still-secret rescue of a prime minister from kidnappers. "Sir Winston consulted with me a few times in the war. But before that we traveled in the same circles."

"Was it easy to keep yourself apart?"

The Empire never lets people who are useful far from their grasp and wars tend to make it easier for someone to find themselves doing more than they expected.

"From the government? They did not ask that often, and when they did, it was for good cause. The enemies of the state were many and the situations often dire." The years before the Second World War were fraught indeed. "But if I were to choose not to aid my colleagues, I am sure they would have found someone else." Someone less capable perhaps.

"Why is it that you ask so much, monsieur?

"I'm curious how different worlds work and like understanding what's new to me. I work as a pilot so I'm often visiting new planets and trying to learn as quickly as I can the expectations,"

Also in Milliways, he can ask openly in a way that wouldn't be safe on his side of the door and he doesn't want to waste a chance to learn.

"You are a philosopher of the politics?" He knows there are such people. Some were trying to fix the world after the Great War. And failed.

"Philosopher, no, just an observer and someone trying to get by,"

There's probably someone with a title like that in Coruscant, his work has always dealt with the hard realities of politics.

"And you travel not from country to country, but from world to world.

"That is most amazing." Something that Wells or Verne would have written of.

Cassian's finding that illustration works best for showing the scope of the galaxy and he picks up his datapad and pulls up a map of the galaxy,

"Yes, with spaceships, I have a small one but I earn enough to keep working. We have hyperdrives that help make the distances smaller."

"These are things I do not understand. But it is most marvelous that others do." He gazes at the map. It is his understanding that there are many galaxies, an idea quite new in his day and still hard to conceive of. But clearly, this man is from a time and place where the galaxy is mapped out. "And where would I find Earth on this map?"

"You wouldn't. I don't believe Earth exists in my world. I'd never heard of it until I came here."

That is surprising. And beyond Poirot's ability to understand science.

"I do not know how that can be, but the universe, it is very large and apparently many things are possible.

"I hope that you find a way to visit it, at least. It it a world more intriguing." It was home.

"Yes, that seems to be one of the ideas that appears to be at what makes Milliways. I'd like to, I've met many intriguing people from there."

"Would that I could let you in to see but as I am among the deceased, such things are not allowed.

"What world on this map do you call home?

"And," he finally asks, "what do you call yourself?"

Cassian rests his hand on the datapad for a quiet moment before answering, the place where he was born isn't home,

"I'm a pilot, my ship's my home but I'm currently in the Mid-Rim. My name's Cassian Andor."