Sergeant Ashara Compton felt as if she had stepped off one battlefield only to step immediately onto another one. It wasn't a new feeling - she had been slogging through separatists on Ord Mantell for the last few weeks, after all - but this was different.
She walked into the Republic command post, fully expecting to bear the brunt of Lieutenant Jorgan's ire at the defection of Havoc Squad, only to find him pacing like a caged rancor as all his ire was aimed at a Republic General.
It took didn't take long for her to understand what had happened. Havoc Squad was, for now, beyond their reach; but the Republic military had to punish someone for the stunning defection of their most decorated special forces squad, and Jorgan was just close enough to be caught in the backlash.
Sergeant Compton sighed and closed her eyes in the face of Jorgan's anger and the poorly hidden pain in his voice. Despite his words, she knew he wasn't blaming her for what had happened; it wasn't a great stretch of imagination to understand what this meant for him.
She turned her attention to General Vander as he introduced himself, and proceeded to turn the world on its ear. She could hear Jorgan's teeth grinding as Vander promoted her, and assigned him to Havoc Squad.
"I'll take the Havoc badge and sergeant's stripes if it means I get to grind them into Tavus' face before we kill him."
There was so much anger in his voice, but Jorgan didn't seem like the sort to appreciate a show of sympathy; indeed, Vander was continuing as if the sergeant's anger wasn't worth mentioning. Lieutenant Compton (and that would take some getting used to!) wasn't willing to let the matter drop so completely, however.
She drifted over to where Jorgan stood, nodding as she listened to General Vander's explanations and orders. Jorgan was standing facing away from them both, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, every muscle tensed, and a deep scowl on his face. He ignored her, and largely ignored General Vander as well.
Ashara stopped a calculated distance away from Jorgan, and waited for General Vander to finish. When he had finished with his orders and nodded in farewell, Jorgan turned and uncrossed his arms; when both Havoc soldiers snapped to attention, her shoulder armor clacked quietly against Jorgan's.
Jorgan turned to look at her, anger and resentment still lingering in his glowing eyes. She held his gaze for a moment, then nodded.
"Let's get off this dust ball." She kept her tone neutral, her words selected carefully to fall between invitation and order.
Jorgan's tone was indecipherable, but it was far from neutral.
"I'm right behind you, sir."