Dress Whites

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Being summoned to Dac wasn't the first choice on Cirrsseeto's list of things to do, but he was a fast learner. Even in a sometimes-informal outfit like the Alliance Navy, you had obligations to meet that couldn't be ducked. Didn't mean you couldn't shuffle your feet a little.

The holo-flimsy with his orders lay on the hangar deck of Challenger while he worked. The Black Cat's frame was held aloft a meter high by an antigrav harness, it's bare frame exposed in places where the felinoid had stripped components off, to effect a massive repair / upgrade project. The deck around the shuttle was strewn with parts and tools in a slapdash clutter, with Cirr resting on his back underneath, torquing a spanner while wearing sweat-dampened PT shorts and a tank.

This was his sanctuary.

He'd been at work for twelve hours, stripping down and rebuilding whatever he thought could stand a reworking. Master Chief Kochanski had swung by with a pallet full of liberated parts and useable floatsam. She stuck around for a bit of silent moral support as he worked, before wishing him well and leaving. Cirr was tired and strung out, but relentless. He'd tear the damn thing down and build it up as many times as he could, because this was simple. Stopping and having to think about the weeks past and the aftermath? That was hard.

A bolt fell from its carriage, rolling across the deck. His hand shot out a second too late to catch it, and it bounced out of his reach.

"Shjit."

He didn't bother. He worked the other bolts loose, and pulled another panel free, staring at the guts of a power relay that the reader unit insisted was tip-top. It should be, he'd optimized it yesterday. He checked it again, hoping to find something else.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The bolt, bouncing and rolling a short distance away, was stopped by a boot that came down over the top of it and quite effectively ending its' movement. The person who belonged to the foot paused momentarily before reaching down to pick up the small piece of hardware. Slender fingers closed around it, and straightening back up, Lok s'Ilancy stood a moment longer. Her eye went from the bolt to the lower half of the Cizerack sticking out from beneath the Black Cat. All around him in a haphazard scattering were the poor shuttle's innards, and s'Il frowned slightly.

She blinked, tugged her cuff, and clasped her hands at the small of her back, the bolt still in her grasp. Rather than the robes that most had become accustomed to seeing her wear, the Lupine had donned the uniform that many of the Alliance's senior ranks wore. It fit her frame well, and the rank plate on her left breast was accompanied by tour of duty pins that spanned decades of service.

With an inner sigh, s'Il audibly cleared her throat.

"I was going to ask if you'd gotten your orders yet, but the flimsi on the deck answers that question well enough. So I must ask now why you're where you are at this moment, and not where you should be."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr knew the voice, and he crawled out from under his ship, pausing only when he saw her unusual choice of clothes. He didn't bring that up, and only addressed her question.

"jI'm not due out untjil tomorrrow. Fjigurre jI've got tjime forr a few rrepajirrs."

He rose to his feet reluctantly, wiping his brow with a grease-streaked hand, and leaving it's tell-tale mark. He could tell that his excuse wouldn't be enough to cut muster with Lok, and he sighed.

"Honestly, jI'm not lookjing forrwarrd to gojing."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

That too did not go over well, and s'Il frowned.

"You obviously did not read that flimsi then."

At his confused look, she lifted a hand up to rub at the bridge of her nose as if to alleviate some sort of headache.

"Cirr, we are both going to Dac, and quite frankly we should have been halfway there by now."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

He was silent in response at first. There wasn't a real defense in his actions.

"jI can bolt herr togetherr wjith my eyes closed. Gjive me a half hourr, and jI can have us on ourr way."

He pulled a work rag from his back pocket, working at his hands, wringing the filth from the craggy wrinkles at his knuckles. All at once, he paused.

"jIf they'rre makjing the fuss of orrderrjing me acrross the galaxy jinstead of just catchjing a holo, jI guess jit's prretty jimporrtant, huh?"

He shifted weight on his feet, feeling ill at ease just standing about, so he busied himself with parcelling up parts and tools as he talked, preparing to undo his handiwork and get the Cat put back together.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Pulling her hands from their clasped position, s'Il tossed the bolt to him which he caught deftly.

"It's important, yes. A summons from Dac isn't usual, but it's also nothing to be upset over."

She watched him work, falling silent for a short while. There was not much that she could really say to alleviate the anguish that she knew he was feeling, and in her own way, she too was dealing with the same emotions he was. Perhaps not to such a degree, but still.

Finally, after a quiet few minutes, she spoke. Her voice, far from its' previous tone, was now gentle and understanding.

"I'm sorry, Cirr."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

He dismissed her apology with an understanding wave, and looked at her, his jaw tight and lips pressed thin as he reached for a slab of hull plating.

"No, jit's..."

He gave a deep shrug, turning to maneuver the plate into its bolt tracks so he could fasten it to the rest of the superstructure. It wasn't that her condolances weren't appreciated. Maybe he just wasn't ready to deal with putting a huge chapter of his life to rest just yet. Keeping busy with other things seemed a lot better.

"A summons ljike thjis? jI have a good jidea what happens. One of two thjings. Ejitherr jI've rreally fucked up, orr jI haven't."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

That he did not wish to dwell on the matter was expected, and s'Il decided it best to not pry into his wound until he was ready to do so himself. Instead, she pursued his last line of inquiry.

"If it would put your mind at ease, then I can tell you that it has nothing to do with any sort of unsatisfactory behavior."

A look was sent about the hangar, taking in those around them with a cursory, if not idle eye. Her awareness however had not left him, and she kept him in her periphery vision.

"It is per my request that they are calling you. There are orders for Sanis as well, but as he is unavailable at this time, it is just you and me who will be traveling."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

At that moment, Cirr wished he'd taken Sanis up on his offer to crawl under whatever rock he'd decided to skulk off to. So it was a commendation, a promotion, or worse?

He shrugged that thought off. He wasn't an ingrate. Maybe at the bottom of it, he didn't want to put a price on Layla. She was far more than the sum of her parts.

In the end, he changed the subject. Back to work.

"jI haven't told mama yet."

He gave a laugh at that.

"She'd have a tjiff, no? To know how close we werre to bejing space dust?"

Cirr seemed strangely at ease with the thought of that.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She smiled a bit, but there was a health amount of relief in her features all the same.

"I do not want to think of what she would do to me if that had happened."

She laughed lightly herself at that thought, but it wasn't long before her amusement died away.

"Frankly, I do not believe I'd ever be able to forgive myself if you and Sanis had not survived. What happened is partially my fault - " he looked about to argue, but s'Il lifted a hand to stop him.

"It was my thoughtlessness that made Sanis join up. You and I both know how he can be at times, and when he agreed to fly with the Alliance, it was to spite me. So yes, I feel a significant enough amount of responsibility for the state of things and I aim to rectify that as best as I know how."

And still, she gave him no room to interject or offer any words in argument.

"Now. I have already had your dress uniform and other clothes packed, and Master Chief Kochanski is waiting for you to finish putting the Cat back together so that she can have our luggage loaded."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"She'd send you the bjill forr what he stjill owed on the shjip!"

He broke out with an earnest laugh, faint lines at the corners of his eyes as he grinned.

The more serious part came later, and the laughing quickly stopped. He listened, holding a pneumatic rod assembly as she tried to assume responsibility. He was ready to pounce on a stray breath, and cut her off at the pass, but she wouldn't have it. Instead, he stood and listened, his grip on the assembly tightening a little.

She was right about what had gotten them into the Rebellion, but that was really only half of it. She'd given him an out to work through. It would be easier to finish his work. There would be a time to talk about the rest later.

* * *

True to his word, the Cat came together quickly, and Cirr didn't keep his guest waiting needlessly. With the last of the assembly finished, he saw Kochanski off, and lumbered into the small shuttle, running a full diagnostic to make sure all soft systems were green.

"We'rre rrunnjing nomjinal, so, all's left to do jis get clearrance..."

An incoming comm from the flight deck officer gave a fly code.

"...and therre we go."

He gestured to the seat to his side, looking up at s'Il.

"jI can stjill keep a tjight shjip, even jif she's just a ljittle smallerr."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Lowering herself into the seat beside his, s'Il leaned back slightly.

"I know you can."

The piloting she left to him, and through half-lidded eyes the Lupine focused her gaze to a spot on the console, purposefully ignoring the view of the flight deck as the Cat lifted up. It was all reflex at this point, and Cirr had seen enough of her coping mechanisms to know that though mildly uncomfortable, she would be well. It was simply one of the things in life that one had to deal with.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

The act of maneuvering the shuttle out of the bay was as automatic as breathing air, and Cirr gave a push on the sublights once they were clear from mooring distance, gaining distance on the convoy. He worked the jump coordinates into the navicomputer, and a minute or two later, he had a jump solution.

"Should be a two hourr trrjip thrrough hyperrspace."

He gave a reassuring smile.

"No bumps along the way."

With the green light given on the console, he pulled the motivator throttle back, and sent the shuttle hurtling through the ether.

About 30 seconds later, the combination of hypnotic star kaleidoscope, idle hands and feet, and 20 hours without sleep caught up with Cirr, and his head lolled to the side as he slumped a bit.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The quiet of hyperspace was welcome, and angling her head away from the console, s'Il looked to Cirr with a sympathetic look. He'd pushed himself until he could barely keep his eyes open, and the reasons why were so painful to think on. And yet, if he stopped, that was all that he would be able to run through his mind.

There would come the time however, when he would need to come to grips with the loss; he and Sanis both. Sanis had, predictably, run off to bury himself in alcohol and women. Cirr unfortunately had turned to the last remaining piece of home that was left - the Black Cat.

"You should get some rest, I think," she finally murmured, still watching him.

"You have two hours, and the downtime, however small, will be good for you."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"jI'll get rrest laterr..."

Cirr's words slurred, already thick with the effects of sleep catching up to him. His eyes fluttered half open, then closed, and he fell fast asleep in his chair. Moments later, the snoring began.

Meanwhile, the Black Cat hurtled toward Dac, carrying its two passengers to a momentous rendezvous with Alliance command.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

* * *

She hadn't even bothered him in an attempt to move him to somewhere more comfortable. It was best, she figured, to simply let him sleep where he'd 'fallen'. And so, for the next two hours s'Il had busied herself with other tasks. A series of communiques were sent off and received, requisition requests were finished, and other, more long-winded messages were sent to a myriad of recipients. Not all was official business however, and with fondness she read a series of letters that Teagan had written, forwarded from Dan. It was always the same when she spent her time at the Wheel; Teagan stayed aboard the Dauntless, and every few evenings s'Il received recorded messages from her husband and daughter. Whenever she was gone for longer than a week, the courier brought her at least two handwritten letters from her little girl.

So far she had been with the Jedi for almost a month, and it was turning into her longest stay. Therefor the letters had been often, and many. She missed her daughter, and if the subject matter of each letter was to be any indication, the elder Lupine's presence was sorely missed as well.




Ten minutes before the Cat was to drop back into normal space, s'Il made her way back into the small bridge. Cirr's snoring was constant, and moving to stand behind his chair, s'Il placed a hand to his shoulder, gently giving a few light pats.

"Cirr," she whispered," ... wake up."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

His baby blues blinked open and he sat up like he hadn't missed a beat, sucking in a sudden breath of air as he got his bearings.

"We'rre ten mjinutes frrom terrmjinus."

He turned away momentarily from his guest, wiping at a little ribbon of drool that traced his cheek from where he'd snoozed.

The minutes passed, and Cirr brought the Cat out of hyperspace, swooping down upon the serene blue sphere that was Dac. He broadcast his transponder, and was greeted by the harbor master, who then guided his shuttle to a landing pad on a large floating city in the southern hemisphere. It was a driving rainstorm on the pad, a sight that Cirr took in with some foreboding. He touched down softly, dropping the small gangplank and popping the rear hatch.

"Welcome to Dac, jI guess."

He watched the rain striking the windshield in driving sheets, tugging at the tip of an ear.

"jI need a sonjic showerr anyway. Guess jit doesn't matterr."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Eyes scanning the tarmac, s'Il couldn't help the ghostly smile on her lips as she spotted a speeder transport coming to meet them.

"Well, you can walk I suppose," she reached down to grasp her small duffel while turning to head from the bridge, "... but I think I will take the provided transport."

The speeder stopped a scant few feet from the Cat's boarding ramp, and from the backseat emerged a smartly dressed officer. He unfurled a wide umbrella as he stepped out, and with quick steps he was standing at the hatch's threshold with a broad smile. His unmistakeable red hair was greying at the temples.

"Commodore, always good to see you."

s'Il returned his smile with her own.

"Kes," she greeted warmly, "I wasn't aware that you'd been posted to Dac."

"Not officially, but I tend to spend more time here for General Brecklin so that he doesn't have to be here himself."

At that she laughed, as there had been times when Dan too had sent her in his stead. He had always said that her own intuitions would gather more fruit than his, but they both knew that he simply tried to avoid these sorts of official matters as though they were a plague.

s'Il half-turned to where Cirr had moved to stand beside her.

"This is Mr. Raurrssatta."

Kes, his genial smile never leaving his face, extended a hand out to the big Cizerack.

"Major Kes Akiena. I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Raurrssatta."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr knew what was expected of his station. He snapped a regulation salute, and extended a big hand that enveloped the Major's own in a handshake.

"Honorred to be herre, sjirr."

It was the correct thing to say. He kept it polite and short, all the while getting pelted by a little rain here and there from where a bit of wind would carry it under the shuttle's overhang.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Kes gave a nod, his smile still ever-present as he motioned for the two to walk beside him. The speeder's driver had also left the vehicle, an umbrella of his own in hand and open to shield him from the driving rain. Hastily, he opened the trunk and easily took the small amount of luggage that both visitors had brought with them. Each was deposited swiftly before they could become too drenched, and with that quickly done, he moved back to the driver's side.

Kes opened one of the back passenger doors and gave a wink to s'Il.

"After you."

Ducking in, the Lupine moved to one side of the spacious vehicle so that Cirr could follow her.