Sergeant Aric Jorgan rolled out of bed abruptly as the comm set off his morning alarm. The bunk room had enough space for another five members, but he slept alone, since at present Havoc squad was only made up of its commander and himself. He had chosen one of the bottom bunks with the best view of the door. Being prepared at all times was what he knew how to do best.
The lights automatically began to brighten slowly in their morning sequence. He shook himself to shed the pull of sleepiness, and padded over to the small adjoining washroom. He stripped down and hopped into the ship's shower. The mist sprayed from all sides as he scrubbed down. It didn't beat the feel of flowing water from a real shower, but it got the job done. Water was a precious commodity in space; the mist shower was designed to use as little as possible, then purify and recycle it back for re-use. He admired the efficiency of it.
The tall Cathar stood still as the shower blew warm air to dry him off, then stepped out and dressed quickly in his basic uniform. They were only making a quick visit to the market today before leaving on their next mission, so no need for formal wear as they had when going to the Senate. He stretched his toes, enjoying a moment more with his feet bare — if every Cathar could have done his duty as a republic soldier barefoot, he would — before shoving them into a pair of sturdy black boots that were broken in with much wear. He frowned at the scuffs on them. He would polish them later. He headed down the hall to the small mess tucked on one side of the briefing room.
He rounded the corner and was surprised by the sight of his commander, Lieutenant Finnara Kinnaid, leaning back on the counter and blowing carefully on the surface of a hot cup of coffee in her hands.
Her orange-red hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders, down to the middle of her back. She always wore it neatly tied up, and he hadn't known it was so long. She was still in her soft gray casuals, and he noticed suddenly how well the clothes hugged her lean curves. Her lips were still pursed in cooling her drink, and he realized she was a very attractive woman.
He had known she looked nice enough when they met, but he was aware now that he hadn't actually looked at her closely before. She was stunning. She had an elegant straight nose, high cheekbones and a pair of no-nonsense eyebrows. Her long, dark lashes framed a pair of dazzling gray-blue eyes. He realized he had been staring when the next moment those eyes looked up at him.
"Morning, Jorgan," she smiled at him. "Coffee?" She tipped her head to indicate the pot on the warmer next to her.
He nodded, realizing she hadn't noticed anything, and wordlessly stepped over to the counter. He busied himself digging for a cup and pouring his drink. He was acutely aware of his proximity to her. Scolding himself inwardly, he focused on finding something to eat as well.
By the time he had procured some breakfast, Finnara had moved over to sit at the small table opposite the cook area. She closed her eyes, cradling the coffee under her nose.
"Ahh, we need to stock up on this stuff before we leave. Remind me, will you?"
"Yes, sir." Jorgan managed. He felt like a god-damned rookie, standing here all tongue-tied. Get it together, Jorgan. It's not like she's the first woman you've ever seen. It was a good thing they were used to periods of silence between them, or she would be wondering what the hell was going on with him already.
"Somehow I don't think the coffee on Taris will be Coruscant's finest blend." She opened her eyes again as he took the seat opposite her. "And you know you don't have to 'Sir' me at breakfast, Jorgan."
"Yes, s—" It was an automatic reflex. "Okay."
She grinned at him. "Much better."
He couldn't help but smile back a little. They finished their breakfast, chatting about what was left to do in preparing for the trip. For the most part Finnara went through her list and Jorgan added a comment here or there. By the end Jorgan had mostly quelled any sign of improper thoughts about his commander, but he still avoided looking at her for long. That striking hair made his thoughts go a bit fuzzy.
She finally got up and put away her breakfast dishes. "Report out front in five. I'll be right down."
When she left the room Jorgan let out a slow breath, telling himself to focus. You're a soldier. There are regulations about this kind of thing. She's your CO. Do your job. He deliberately pulled himself upright, quickly cleaned up and headed down to report for duty in the docking bay. He was not going to let anything get in the way of their mission. Being part of Havoc Squad was the best way of bringing justice to the men that had betrayed him. Their defection had caused him to be demoted and placed under Lieutenant Kinnaid's command. He was determined to do the Republic proud in hunting them down, no matter what.
When Finnara appeared again, her hair was wrapped up tightly and she was crisply dressed in her basic uniform. He saluted her, and they got to work.
Disclaimer: Characters and plot belong to the creators of SWTOR.