When Garrick finally finished his pie he felt a bit remorseful that it was gone, but still satisfied and pleasantly bloated. He probably would regret it later, but it was well worth it to get that little taste of home.<br/>Garrick sighed contently as he set the empty pie tin down on one of the nearby vacant tables.<br/>Quietly, Garrick reached into his vest into one of the inside pockets, pulling out a smooth curved wooden pipe and a small pouch of pipe-weed. With gentle care and great skills Garrick took a small pinch of the dull brown weed and stuffed it in the pipe.<br/>With a sight of hand, a match seemed to instantly appear in his right hand, as Garrick bent down and stuck the match against the sole of his shoe, gently puffing on the mouthpiece as the scent of the burning sweet-leaf began to fill the local air. Satisfied, Garrick tossed the extinguished match sideways into one of the nearby waste bins. "Flawless. Yet again." he thought as he quietly enjoyed his pipe, the sweet earthy taste marinading his senses.<br/><br/>Garrick leaned up against the back wall, crossing his leg leg over his right as he started to truly pay attention to the crowd for the first time.  Civilians and soldiers alike they were, from all parts of Sol. Almost every demographic was represented here. From the burly, thick accented, stoic Plutonians, to the soft spoken, airy Venusians. Even some of them were mingling, Imperials and Alliance, that is to say. Garrick supposed he should have expected this. That when people worked together on a common goal that their daily lives and professional lives would eventually overlap. That they would become, friends.<br/><br/>Garrick frowned. It was no prudent to make friends with an enemy, no matter how willing they may seem for peace. Garrick had grown up hearing of the horrors of the Independence War. On how a corrupt and decadent government had sent millions of soldiers to the outer planets quell the rebellion and forcibly bring the upstarts back into the Alliance.<br/>Even after the end of the Great War and the beginning of the new Coalition, Garrick got the distinct feeling that if the Alliance brass had a chance, they would reabsorb the Empire into the Alliance once again.<br/>Certain politicians who had great clout in their Senate had been calling for total war and annexation of all held Imperial territory during the war. Those politicians now grumbled and held their quiet during this era of peace, no doubt gathering supporters and quietly rallying the public to their cause.<br/><br/>Garrick shook his head disapprovingly as he eyed some of them.<br/>"Collaborators. Traitors." where two words were that came to mind.<br/><br/>Yet, Garrick had resolved himself long ago, not to worry himself over things he couldn't change. It was not his business to decide government policy.  He would play the role asked of him by his commanding officers. That was his duty, and nothing more.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>