Gabatrix: The Pirates of Palora

Chapter 18: One Last Good Thing

It had been the following morning. Javier was returning to his stateroom. In his hand was a canteen filled with coffee. Steam rose from the nearly closed lip. A fellow crewmember waved and smiled to the officer as he continued his trek down the centripetal ring passageway. Javier lifted his canteen as a gesture of hello.

Javier was halfway to his destination since the galley was on the side of the spinning ring. A familiar face was quickly approaching in front of him, somebody that he didn't feel too comfortable seeing.

It was Girsha'lar again. The towering Shal'rein always seemed to be bumping into this officer. She looked like she was dressed out to work in the ship's gym. She was wearing a sports bra and stretch shorts, leaving her midriff exposed. The officer tried to remain professional and let the event occur. The two would pass each other, and that would be that.

"Javier," Girsha'lar said nonchalantly.

"Girsha'lar," he replied in a similar tone.

The two passed each other, but Girsha'lar's walking posture began to tense up. Javier tried to ignore her, but the towering Shal'rein came to a halt as Javier kept walking.

"Javier, stop," Girsha'lar said.

"Girsha'lar, I'm not to be directed that way," he replied to her. He came to a halt and looked at her.

"Just listen to me for a second....." Her voice cracked some as she turned around to face him. "Look.....I'm sorry for what happened on the Garja."

Javier sighed. He was more worried that she would say something too private for the wayward crewmember to overhear.

"Are you?" He asked her. He walked toward her. "Or are you just saying that because you're going to serve with me?"

He could see the frustration on her face as she gritted her teeth. "I'm sorry....," she said. "I'm sorry for hurting you." She closed her eyes. "Forgive me."

Javier could see that she was trying. It did cause him to relent a little bit.

"Why now?" he asked her. "You've had all this time and never spoke to me about it."

"I......didn't know how to.....what to say....," she fumbled her words.

For a little while, Javier felt some gratitude to see her in this state, but it reminded him to relax his aggressive stance against her. The towering woman was regretful for attacking and assaulting him in the past.

"Why did you attack me?" he asked her, already knowing the answer.

"Because.....," she tried to say. "You were my enemy.....but......I saw the error of my ways. Please.....forgive me."

Javier relaxed a little bit and thought about it. His eyes looked down. "I saw some of your fights," he said. "Before they fully released you....when Bransen hit your ear. I knew he got you good."

She cringed a little bit as she rubbed her fin-like ear. "He....hit harder than I thought," she confessed. She closed her eyes in shame.

"I can't be.....too angry at you. I don't remember much that day.....I try not to think too much about it."

"I remind you of it...."

"It's hard to ignore it."

She put her hand to her temples. She grimaced a little bit as if she was flustered with herself.