  Topological defects are one of the most conspicuous features of liquid
crystals. In two dimensional nematics, they have been shown to behave
effectively as particles with both, charge and orientation, which dictate their
interactions. Here, we study "twisted" defects that have a radially dependent
orientation. We find that twist can be partially relaxed through the creation
and annihilation of defect pairs. By solving the equations for defect motion
and calculating the forces on defects, we identify four distinct elements that
govern the relative relaxational motion of interacting topological defects,
namely attraction, repulsion, co-rotation and co-translation. The interaction
of these effects can lead to intricate defect trajectories, which can be
controlled by setting relevant timescales.
