Thinslayer

Star Trader

"Don't try to help, Edward. We are not deserving of it."

That was all she said.

Ed stared at the ceiling.

"Yeah."

He could think of no justification for helping people. They certainly didn't deserve his help in any sense of the word; if they did, any assistance rendered would merely be their due wages. By that measure, nobody deserved help. Even the poor beggar thrown to the street by bad luck didn't deserve help. He could not accept that. Perhaps the profit came on the giver's end, not the receiver's; after all, do not people feel better after having given generously? Does not a well-spent gift earn allies in the battle for life? But then, what does it profit a man to give in secret, so that the recipient knows not the giver? There was no answer to that.

"I guess you're right."

He turned under the covers.

Ed still couldn't accept that answer, though. The truth seemed so obvious, just on the tip of his tongue, yet so distant, that when it finally came to him, he felt a genuine sense of relief.

"It's their life," he concluded. "Their circumstances are their responsibility. And my circumstances are my responsibility. This is my life, and I have the freedom to choose how I shall spend it. I choose to help. That is all."

He closed his eyes and smiled.

"You spoke my name for the first time. I'm glad."

Sleep well, Sofie.

Star Trader

Dang, Sofie made a good point. The longer I think about it, the less justification I can find for Ed's actions beyond "I just feel like it." And if I have to think about it, so does Ed. I'll try to post soon. ^_^

EDIT: I think I figured out what his response should be.

Spoiler! Don't look if you want to keep it a surprise.

"It's my life. I am free to live it however I want, and this is how I choose to use it."

Fate/Kali Yuga

I still can't decide whether I want to play George Washington (wields an axe for chopping cherry trees), Wyatt Earp (wields a Colt revolver), Jacques de Molay (Templar swordsman), or a female character of some sort. Or genderbent variant of the aforementioned three. Got any preferences?

Star Trader

Professor Gregory Bahnsen explained the fundamentals of starship operation, couching his explanations of the controls in pictures of what they do. The class spent hours playing with buttons and switches on the simulators to see how they affected a ship. Then, after lunch, they shuffled off to a math class where they were introduced to differential calculus. They would come to use this material in their subsequent class, physics, where they learned how to calculate basic starship trajectories.

That evening, they returned to the dorms exhausted. Ed did his nightly routine - remove the outer layers of clothing (leaving behind his T-shirt and pants), take care of oral hygiene, do his daily devotions, and get to bed. Ed let Sofie take the bottom bunk, since it required less effort to get into and offered more security. As he lay in bed looking up at the ceiling, his thoughts drifted to Sofie again. He wanted to talk to her, get to know her better. But what to say? She was a tight-lipped individual, the kind of person who doubtless saw interpersonal interaction as tedious. Truth be told, he didn't blame her. Interaction was exhausting. But at the same time, it was pivotal to becoming a good trader, and it was an area she was weak in. This brief window of time when they were alone was a rare opportunity to engage her.

"Hey, Sofie..." he began quietly, "I've been meaning to talk with you about something. During that 'Two Truths and a Lie' game, I implied that my becoming Emperor was a lie and my being wealthy was the truth. Actually, the reverse is true. Everything I possess was given to me by my parents. I have nothing to call my own, not a penny to my name that I earned with my own two hands. Part of the reason I joined this course was so I could learn how to support myself. But it's not the only, or even primary, reason for my being here. The primary reason is because I aim to become Emperor of the galaxy someday. I need to go out there and see my future subjects, and learn who they are, what pleases them, what they struggle with, what challenges they face. I need to see the galaxy. Being a star trader lets me do that at my own pace."

He clenched his fist. "When I was younger, as part of my history lessons, I learned a little about the other people we share this galaxy with. The Terran people suffer under the thumb of tyrannical overlords, with no freedoms, little food, and no future. The Zeranian people live in decadence, suffering in their own way under the weight of their own cultural corruption. The Confederates have to deal every day with rampant lawlessness and piracy. But here? We Crescents enjoy a prosperity not seen in centuries. Our justice system is solid. Our military is strong. Our moral compass is calibrated. The people of the galaxy are crying out in pain, and we have the means to help them. That's why I want to become Emperor."

"What I'm getting at is, I'm serious about becoming a star trader. If I want to rise to the top of the galaxy, I have to first show that I can rise to the top of my class. What I'd like to know is how serious you are about being a star trader. A big part of being a trader is connecting with people, and it looks like you're having a lot of trouble with that. I was thinking maybe you could...you know...practice with me. If you're serious about this path."

Star Trader

Hey, I understand. I'll try to have that new post up by then. Get yourself some rest, okay?

Star Trader

The ideal timeskip would be to "That evening, they returned to the dorm exhausted." After their midnight heart-to-heart talk, we'll timeskip again with "The day came for them to start their externships as crew aboard starships."

Will that work?

Star Trader

You know, I've got half a mind to skip the school stuff altogether. Most of the adventures I'm concocting take place after Ed and Sofie acquire a ship.

Star Trader

"Those are so lame. You're obviously not a ninja," the tall girl chided.
Ed guffawed. "I don't know about obviously. If she were a ninja, you'd never know. That's kind of the point, isn't it?" He winked at Sofie, remembering that only an hour ago, she'd tried to kill him with a knife. For all he knew, she was a ninja. But if so, then what was the lie? It couldn't have been the bakery - she'd confessed to him earlier that they owned one.

While he mulled over it, the instructor clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Okay, class! Fun game, fun game. So, normally we'd spend our time in the classroom, but for this semester, I made a strategic acquisition - we'll be studying aboard a starship! Follow me to the launchpad."

Ed took this opportunity to get closer to Sofie again. As the students filed out of the classroom behind the professor, Ed grinned at Sofie and remarked, "Best morning ever, am I right?"

Star Trader

Ooh, I just had a thought. Since Ed has had an opportunity to show off his character to Sofie, why not give Sofie a chance to show off her character to Ed? Maybe we can have Ed fall sick or something, or maybe when we get on the ship, he gets totally lost and has a lot of difficulty learning the subject matter. Then Sofie can come to his rescue and help him get back on his feet.

What do you think?

Star Trader

You and I are thinking alike, then! Their midnight discussions will be crucial to their development, IMO.

Any other NPCs you want to introduce before we move the story along?