“To blazes with the report!” shouted the not so honourable looking Adoven Ryner at his comlink, throwing the device on his desk. His usually neatly groomed hair was flat and clean-shaved face sported stubble. He had bags under his eyes and the waste basket next to his desk was littered with disposable coffee cups. Had he been staying in his office all night and day? You bet. He was half tempted to down the bottle of Tarul wine he kept chilled in his office’s conservator... yet the disapproval he knew his protocol droid would have upon seeing him sloshed made him rethink this. Adoven had pulled late nights or all nighters before, but this was… A disaster. Though it had happened 10 days ago, Adoven was still reeling with the aftermath of the Ithorian Peace tragedy. Sometimes, he just hated the notoriety he had amassed with this job: the New Republic’s poster child for disasters and tough negotiation. God he had been at this for far too long… He should have just been a HoloDrama star like he had secretly wished to be as a kid. Like that, he could have pretended to be a diplomat in tough spots without actually having to be one. Then again… there was something of the adrenaline rush he liked when arguing and debating. Or when things got hairy and his life came close to being on the line… in controlled situation that is. Not like this Ithorian Peace debacle.
What a shock he had received when hearing of the news, especially since he himself should have taken a holiday on the very same ship. It’s only a last minute change to his work schedule that had made him cancel his reservation. He shuddered just thinking about it… his body slumped against a dining table, eyes all glassy, dead…
“Enough, Ryner. Enough… Just don’t think about it and work…” he muttered to himself, trying to calm his nerves. He knew the outburst of a few minutes past would earn him scorn, but he didn’t care. But for all his concentration being applied and focused on his work, he lasted 10 minutes of sitting in a chair he usually thought highly comfortable. He just couldn’t think anymore. What he wanted right now was to relax… take a long shower “and groom”, he said aloud finishing his thought as he spotted his reflection in the ornate mirror across the room. And why should he not? He had dealt with all pressing matters to all regular assignments AND the incoming stuff pertaining to the liner massacre. And so, it was settled. Pushing himself away from his desk, Adoven made his way towards the onsite facilities that only the crème de la crème had access to.
An hour later, he was a new man. Well, actually, he was the man he usually was. It was the ghastly shadow he had been previously that had been discarded into nothingness. The shower had invigorated him and his vanity (the incessant grooming, applying of moisturizers, toners, etc) had done the rest. And it’s with a renewed gait that he traipsed back to his office, taking the liberty of pouring himself yet another coffee on his way. He sat down once more in the black stylish chair and opened a drawer, rummaged for a bottle and poured a bit of its content in the cup before taking a sip. Ah yes. He felt much better. Despite his lack of sleep, he felt confident he could handle just about anything...