It was a beautiful day on Ralltiir. The sun dominated a brilliant, blue sky where puffy white clouds dotted the view as picturesque accents. Flocks of birds soared to and fro, chirping out the songs of their kind. And despite the presence of an Imperial Star Destroyer visible in high orbit, the locals moved with a spring in their step. If anything, the Emperor's fall at Endor had shifted the cloud of gloom from the average citizen to the Imperial troops still scattered among the populace.

Even Pierce had to admit that his current frustrated aimlessness had a certain freedom to it. Maybe Karin- 'No. Not down that road. No.'

Turning his attention from past back to present, Pierce scanned the commercial plaza again, though not entirely sure why he was making the effort. He'd continuously monitored the area for three days, picking out various vantages and occasionally playing the role of a businessman making deals whenever he felt eyes on him. Unfortunately, the ship technician he'd been seeking hadn't made an appearance. It was anyone's guess whether they were even still on the planet.

His stomach rumbled, alerting him to just how far past breakfast the time had gotten. With an inner sigh and a shrug, Pierce picked up his datapad from its place on his lap and went over to the line-less taco speeder at the corner. "Three please."

The server nodded, then tapped the order into the register. Pierce pressed a credstick into the payment terminal, pressed his thumb to the credstick's print reader, and waited. The transaction finished with a quick ding and the server nonchalantly signaled his order to the nearby cook. "Be right up," she said.

Pierce stepped to the side and turned back to scan the plaza while he waited. As soon as he did, he felt the difference.

It wasn't immediately clear where this shift was coming from, at first. All he could tell was that it was localized: some part of the cheerful landscape had been disrupted and small waves of discontent were rippling through the mood. His eyes gradually traced the disruption up the street, past the crowd by the statues, and finally found the source by the fountain.

It was a person in an Imperial officer's uniform.

There was a brief tap on his arm; Pierce accepted the outstretched taco tray with a brief thanks and began moving towards the small crack in the otherwise cheerful day. By the time he got close enough to see them clearly, one taco was gone and another was half-finished.

What was most striking about his first glimpse was the age; it was a human male who couldn't have been older than 17. As Pierce continued to get closer, his eyes took in the entirety of the person. The slump in their shoulders, the unsteady stance, and the direction of their gaze into the fountain all signaled an internal turmoil so great the boy'd become oblivious to everything else.

Pierce hesitated, but the hesitation was pushed aside by something inside him. "Everything alright, officer?"

The eyes came back to the present, took in his response. "I'm not- I do not- Your help is not r-required at this time, citi-" the voice, maturing but with enough crack to signal the vestiges of puberty, suddenly dissolved into a rush of breath. The form struggled and eventually managed a half-hearted headshake.

Pierce finished the second half-taco, then set the taco tray onto the edge of the fountain. "Have a taco."

"I'm n-" the voice tried again, briefly, ending in a soft "I cannot."

It was the word cannot that echoed familiarly in his ears. "Nonsense," Pierce said, sitting down next to the tray. "It's not every day one meets an Alderaani Lieutenant of the Empire. The least I can do is give you lunch for the privilege."

Eyes turned on him, pain cascaded through an otherwise vacant expression. "I'm a monster."

Pierce's own words to Karin came back to him. I believed I was serving right. But I was the monster.

"You need to talk" Pierce said, coming to an immediate decision. "And I'm willing to listen. Come on; let's go somewhere private."