Remember to Forget

Close Quarters and Cleaning Fluid

Nexyl bent to rest her arms on the edge of the ship's holoterminal as the image of General Garza faded. "A job very well done" had been the official word from the Senate over the decimation of the Gauntlet. Garza's flicker of a motherly smile was the only approbation Nex had needed. Well that, and the promise of five days "off the record" leave between now and Nexyl's requisite debrief.

Captain Nexyl "Nexu" Elvarryn and the rest of Havoc Squad were exhausted from the assault on the Empire's precious prototype. The battle had been hard-won, with Sergeant Elara Dorne narrowly escaping a blaster bolt to the heart. The timely arrival of Lieutenant Aric Jorgan had saved the ex-Imperial's life. His selfless (if somewhat foolhardy) tackle had pushed her aside at the critical moment, leaving her with an injured shoulder and a couple of days in the ship's kolto tank to recuperate.

Pulling her personal com from her belt, Nexyl rested more weight on her forearms and started sifting through all her personal messages, left unchecked for days. Commendations, congratulations, gratitude, all the usual tripe. Her eyes lit on one particular message, from at least a week earlier, easily overlooked as it had a heading of only one word: Aiolu. The corner of a lip curled in a warm, fond smirk while she read, and her eyes misted over for a second before she snapped up and turned decisively towards her quarters. Nex found herself nearly charging headlong into the gawking column of awkwardness rooted not far behind her.

"Wha-? Something you needed, Lieutenant, or were you waiting to use the holoterminal...without saying a word...standing directly behind me..." A solid black brow arched at her blustering XO as she clipped her com back in place. Jorgan tucked his thumbs into his belt and shifted from foot to foot, normally piercing eyes taking in everything but her. Nex settled against the holoterminal again, folding her arms and suppressing a smile as she waited for him to work up a reply. He stilled with a cough, retreating to the attitude he felt most confident in...standing at attention, eyes pinned securely to her forehead, only the tiniest hint of a twitch in his jaw betraying the confusion of a moment before.

"Sorry, Sir. Should've been looking where I was going. Just came to tell you I finished inventory and filled out the requisitions order. Just needs your final approval." He all but shoved the data pad at her. Unable to hold back a patient sigh, the black-furred captain pushed the pad out of the way and slowly sauntered past, pausing to fix him with an amused, if stern, glare.

"Five days leave, Jorgan. That's an order, not a suggestion. We're all worn out, you no less than anyone else. Table that until later, it'll keep, I promise." His brows crumpled and mouth opened to protest, but a small hand at his elbow dried up that torrent faster than a Tatooine dust storm. Jaw shutting with an audible click, the leonine soldier caught himself before his gaze lingered too long. The nervous shift returned.

"If you say so, Sir. I've never had much use for leave...don't really know what to do with myself..."

"Just do what relaxes you...whatever that might be. I don't know, go to a range, find a gym and spar, read up on the latest armstech....heard there were some new sniper models. Hells, see if anyone you know is planet-side, go to a cantina, catch up. Just....off my ship, soldier! Shoo!" She flung her hands up in exasperation, strutting away to her room, muttering and chuckling under her breath. The door slid shut on the lieutenant's mumbled reply.

"Relax? Not likely..."

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Thirty minutes later, a freshly scrubbed Nex emerged from her cabin, slipping into a modest dress tunic and zipping it closed over uniform slacks and an anything-but-regulation top. Ears flushing slightly, her eyes darted around the main cabin, hoping no one had seen her only concession to femininity. She wasn't sure if she'd have the guts to let it see the light of day, but it gave her a racy little thrill to at least have it on.