Remember to Forget

Scarlet Schemer

"Hau'ilaaaaa! I'll tell ya, Nexi, it's so good to see you again! Look at you! Do you Cathar ever age? I mean, seriously, there's no way you're older than 16! And still so skinny! Should I be worried about you? We all thought maybe it was just the fact that you were the youngest as to why you never grew boobs, but damn, meila'u, you're still flat as a plank! Oh, who cares, you're still my meila'u! C'mere, you!" The effusive Twi'lek caught her petite companion up in a breath-robbing hug. Nexyl's face was all but buried in a generous set of the very attributes she'd been teased for not having, but she still managed a good-natured laugh, returning the hug with equal warmth.

"It's wonderful to see you too, Aio! You, on the other hand, look nothing short of prosperous! Looks like the performance circuit is treating you well! Spending as fast as you earn, yet? Husband on every planet?"

"Pfft, oh meila'u, as if I could! I rake the credits in too fast for that! Husbands? Tch, no need for those, baby, patrons pay better." The stunning Twi'lek primped her tendrils, knowing full well the effect she had on nearly every male in the cantina. An eye-catching scarlet, her hide was interspersed with green stripes, ranging in shade from a vivid viridian to a rich, dark emerald.

Electric purple irises took in the sight of her more subdued companion. Her meila'u might not have been quite as flashy, but she still managed to catch some longing glances, with her velvety midnight-hued coat, delicate features, and arresting hazel eyes. Her petite form fired the fantasies of those who found Aiolu too rich for their blood. Glaring at one of the more blatant gawkers, Aio scooted possessively closer to her friend, enveloping her in an inescapable cuddle. "Now, tell me about this...what's it called again....oh, squad you're in. Behaving yourself? Making eyes at all your superiors, yes?" Aiolu chucked Nex under the chin, winking wickedly. The captain rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a chuckle.

"Nope, sorry Aio. I'd be flirting with myself, then!" She gave her voluptuous friend an echoing wink as the woman caught on to her meaning with an awed gasp.

"No! You're not in command of the damn thing, are you? Oh, Nexi baby, I should've known! You always were a born leader, always bossing everyone around, whether we needed it or not...'course, it ended up being for the best..." The lovely performer sobered as she reminisced. "We'd never have gotten out of that hell if it hadn't have been for you, meila'u."

Nexyl dropped her head, staring hard at the fingers twisting fitfully in her lap. A tortured gulp set her head to shaking, almost without realizing it.

"It was either that or have more of us die, Aio...I just did what I had to..."

"Pah! As if anyone else could've come up with something so unbelievable...dance as a form of combat? Crazy! But for that very reason, it worked! I'll never forget how you looked that night...gods, you were like some kind of demon, a hkelall'im, blood soaking your arms, dripping from the corners of your mou-" Aiolu cut herself off when she noticed her friend quaking convulsively. Cooing, the older woman crushed the shaking youngling against her, stroking her hair and murmuring soothingly. "Ooh ooh, shh shh shhhh, easy now, nu'meila'u! It's all over now, all done, they're gone, I promise, they can't touch you anymore!"

"Their bodies may be gone, nu'mau'la, but what they did, to me, to all of us...as long as I have memories, I'll have ghosts...especially after what they drove me to..." This revelation was spoken in a voice so calm, so emotionless, it bordered on disturbing, even to Aio. The only signs of grief were the uncontrollable spasms. By all other appearances, Nexyl was completely unaffected. Hands clamped to her knees, the commander of Havoc Squad worked herself through the ever-too-familiar stages of self-hypnosis, shutting down all emotional triggers tied to the aforementioned trauma. It was a method she used before heading into battle, and one that had never failed her.