Private Edge of the Abyss

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

Mistral looked at Kono as he took another bite not taking his eyes off of the grinning man. "Just like mom used to make." He got a small laugh from it and was listening to Ana as she spoke with a nod. Kono was excited though. "Good good, cause when this does well, expansion. Grandma does a lot with corner stores but supplies for that is harder on the island. Import fees even if you can get aa good deal from Sal and his people... but food we have plenty and everyone has to eat." He was nodding his head as Ghen'ni looked over with her lekku vibrating more in humor she wasn't showing visibly. She seemed glad... happy even with the excitement and conversation. Meanwhile Jackie had remained there seated but stood up a he walked past. Speaking to Mistral and Kono. "The one in the recording she was a lieutenant that went to prison on Corellia. Before the marriage. There were rumors she sangbut she wouldn't come here without a plan. We'd recognize her."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana accepted the bowl Kono had set out for her without hesitation, settling it into her hands and tasting it with the same measured calm she brought to everything else. She didn't react when the explanation came, no widened eyes, no pause mid-bite. Just a thoughtful nod as she took another spoonful.

"It's good," she said simply. "Strong, but clean. Wakes you up without trying to impress you."

She glanced at Kono then, the faintest warmth in her expression.

"If you expand, do it slowly," she added. "Food works because it's honest. People trust what keeps them fed. The moment it feels like something else, that's when problems start."

Her attention shifted as Jackie spoke, spoon pausing just above the bowl while she listened. When he finished, she nodded once, precise and deliberate.

"That confirms what we suspected," she said. "She didn't stumble into this, and she didn't improvise it either. Prison time, rumors, a controlled disappearance—those are foundations, not coincidences."

She resumed eating, unhurried, as if grounding the conversation back in the present mattered.

"If she's a lieutenant, then she's not the top," she continued calmly. "But she's trusted enough to move pieces without supervision. That makes her dangerous and predictable."

Ana glanced briefly at Mistral, then back to Jackie.

"If she came here with a plan, she expected pressure," she said. "Which means whatever she's protecting is worth more than the marriage, the cover, and the risk."

She set the spoon down for a moment, folding her hands loosely around the bowl.

"That gives us leverage," she concluded. "We just need to be patient enough to let her show us where it is."

Then, quieter, almost to Kono as much as anyone:

"And for the record," she added, "brains or not, this beats caf on an empty stomach."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

"Was." He said it for emphasis. "With us she was, when she went away she could have become anything else. It means she also knows the rules." He said it and walked away stopping by Kono as he looked at the big man and spoke. "I am going to report this, if anything happens to her." He didn't finish, it was heavily implied and Kono gave him a nod. Jackie was walking away as the first moment he was near a crowd he seemed to melt into it, even in a suit compared to the rest he was able to move away. Kono looked at him though and went back tot he table with some refills for the food. "That man, bad vibes all around but they don't like making waves."

He had a bigger look though as Ghen'ni looked at him and she ate some of the brain stew. "He isn't so bad, when he isn't working at least. We paints in the rooftop gardens when he thinks no one is there." She said it but. "And if you say anything, I will deny it and you will likely be somewhere no one will find you. I am far to valuable to touch." She said the last as a mixture of quick to modify and joke but also serious. She knew she made credits and there might be something but you didn't mess with the credit maker. Mistral was looking at her and raised an eyebrow while he was eating but spoke. "If whoever that was was one of them, she'll know a lot more then just to stay concealed. She'll know how they think and be a lot more dangerous whether she is in charrge or just part of it."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened to the exchange without interrupting, her attention steady as she took in the implications rather than the posturing. When she spoke, it was measured and calm, the way someone talks when weighing probabilities rather than emotions.

"If she was trained," she said, looking between them, "then she understands discipline, contingency, and what it means to disappear properly. That doesn't make her predictable, but it does mean she won't act without a reason."

She accepted a refill without comment, stirring it once before continuing.

"People like that don't improvise under pressure," she added. "They execute patterns they already trust. If she stayed quiet this long, it's because silence benefits her more than noise."

Her gaze flicked briefly in the direction Jackie had vanished, then back to the table.

"Which also means if something happens to her, it won't be accidental," she said evenly. "And if she's involved now, she's either leveraging what she knows… or being leveraged by someone who knows exactly what she's worth."

A pause, then softer, more practical.

"Either way, assuming she's harmless would be the mistake. But assuming she's reckless would be worse."

She took a bite, unfazed by the contents, and added almost as an aside,

"People who know the rules usually don't break them without a very good reason."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

"She took a risk to make it personal. Even if we play out a scenario where she went to prison. She was part of their organization, they usually have rules about wives and family and how you don't target them." Mistral said it when he was thinking about it but eating. Using some of the bread spread with stew but he took a bite. Finishing up and continuing. "If she went away, said nothing and was cast aside, abandoned by her organization while being labeled a rat. That makes for anger, some resentment sure but you might join a rival group. Going out of your way to get with the wife of your old boss is much more personal. She either wants to prove something."

He paused at some of the look from Ghen'ni and Aya. He figured Ana would get his implication. "She wants to show he is a hypocrit. He cast her out at the hint she was talking to authorities but will let his wife live for helping with something that they don't allow or do." Ghen'ni gave a nod and Aya looked at Kono. "Your grandma isn't going to like this scenario, worse if it is drawing everyone in she'll like it even less cause it disrupts things." Kono gave a nod. "She has been trying to take territory, cause problems and involving Sal or the Lux, creating waves. Grrandma isn't going to like it and may want to talk with this woman."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened without interrupting, spoon paused halfway to her mouth as Mistral laid it out. She didn't react immediately. She rarely did when something rang true.

When she spoke, it was measured, analytical, and quiet enough not to draw attention from the table.

"You're right," she said. "That kind of move isn't opportunistic. It's deliberate."

She set the spoon down, folding her hands loosely in front of her.

"If she'd simply been cut loose and burned by her own people, the usual paths make sense. She disappears, she sells information, she attaches herself to another group out of spite or survival." Her gaze shifted briefly toward the table, then back to Mistral. "But going after the wife? That's not business. That's a message."

Ana nodded once, slowly.

"She isn't just trying to survive. She's trying to expose a fracture. Hypocrisy, double standards, selective loyalty." Her mouth tightened slightly, not in judgment but recognition. "That kind of play only works if she knows the rules well enough to break them where it hurts."

She glanced toward Aya and Kono, then back again.

"And if she's stirring Sal, the Lux, and the Dark Waters all at once, that's escalation by design. She wants pressure. Confusion. People reacting instead of thinking."

A faint exhale.

"Your grandmother won't like it," she agreed calmly. "Not because it's violent, but because it's destabilizing. This isn't someone grabbing territory. It's someone rewriting loyalties."

Ana picked her spoon back up, finally taking another bite of the stew as if the conclusion had settled.

"Which means if Gweyn wants to talk to her," she added, "it won't be to threaten. It'll be to understand what story this woman thinks she's telling…and whether it ends with everyone else bleeding for it."

She didn't look alarmed. Just attentive.

"People who make things personal don't stop on their own."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

"She might be disappointed." He looked at Ana. "You saw how he reacted when we revealed the information. He wasn't looking for a way to change what was done, he looked resigned he would have to do something. He was worried about their daughter." He said it while looking at Ghen'ni who spoke. "She is a nice kid and I've seen things done I never would have thought done... though Jack is one of the few who wouldn't take a joy in it. Besides if anything happened well it would be something no one expected or saw coming." She said it and Mistral gave a nod of his head. "The real problem is going to be what we are walking into." He thought about it. "THe Dark Water Islands will be tricky but we have an excellent captain and her ship, a plan that we might be able to use but I am planning for plan c to be the one that worrks."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened without interrupting, her attention steady as the implications settled. When she spoke, her voice was even, thoughtful, carrying neither optimism nor dread, just assessment.

She nodded once at Mistral's words. "Resignation can be more dangerous than anger," she said quietly. "Anger still looks for alternatives. Resignation accepts cost."

Her gaze shifted briefly, not to anyone in particular, but to the idea of the daughter mentioned, the unseen weight of collateral lives. "He is already calculating losses," Ana continued. "Not asking how to fix it, only how much it will hurt. That tells me he has decided action is unavoidable."

At Ghen'ni's comment, Ana inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment. "Which means anything that happens next will be framed as necessity," she said. "That makes surprises more likely, not less. People who believe they are doing what must be done stop questioning their own blind spots."

She folded her arms loosely, not defensive, just grounding herself. "As for the Dark Water Islands," Ana went on, measured and precise, "any place everyone warns you away from survives on reputation as much as reality. That cuts both ways. Chaos creates cover, but it also eats plans."

A brief pause. "Planning for plan C is wise," she added. "But we should assume we may need plan D. And E. The islands reward adaptability, not confidence."

Her eyes returned to Mistral. "If we walk in expecting control, we will lose it. If we walk in expecting uncertainty, we might keep our footing long enough to matter."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

"I don't know about control, I expect things to go wrong initially then go from there. It helps with surprises in most cases." He said it but was still eating as Kono sat there. "The Dark waters will be a lot worse but plans are easier there. Remember there are more islands then people. Some large and some tiny sure but it is made for hiding and ambushes even to ambush many of the people who try and ambush you is what Grandma says." He was looking at Mistral though and gave a nod. "We'll take care Kono and thank you. Once we finish and get a few extra supplies, maybe some sleep we'll be able to head there and hope nothing too crazy happens while we are taking a moment."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened, finishing her bite before speaking, letting the cadence of the conversation settle rather than rushing to fill it. When she did answer, her tone was calm, steady, and quietly aligned with what had already been said.

"That's usually the difference between plans that survive contact and plans that break," she said. "If you expect things to go wrong, you're already leaving yourself room to adapt."

Her gaze briefly met Kono's, acknowledging his words and his grandmother's warning with a small nod.

"Places built for hiding always favor the patient," she continued. "Fewer people means fewer witnesses, but it also means patterns repeat faster. Ambushes leave signatures. Even chaos does."

She rested her forearms lightly on the table, relaxed but attentive.

"Getting supplies and sleep first is the right call," she added. "Fatigue makes people mistake urgency for insight. Whatever's waiting in the Dark Waters will still be there when we arrive, and we'll be sharper for it."

Her eyes returned to Mistral, steady and thoughtful.

"And if something goes wrong while we pause," she said evenly, "we'll deal with that too. Planning for disruption doesn't mean inviting it. It just means we won't be surprised when it shows up."

There was no bravado in her words. Just quiet confidence, and the sense that she was already thinking three steps ahead.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

A nod of agreement as he spoke. "Agreed, now to find a place to sleep. I don't imagine they cleaned up after ransacking my office and apartments." He said it looking at Kono who shook his head. "Naw they were there for a long time and there wasn't much left I doubt they didn't search." He gave a nod acknowledging it before he was finishing his food and looked at it. "So, got to a fallback safehouse and sleep for a little while. Hope nothing goes too crazy while doing that and then there will be the getting there with Aya and her crew. The rrest we'll just have to hope the gods of irony like us... orrr dislike us."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened quietly and attentively, letting the plan settle before responding. When she spoke, her tone was calm and practical, the kind that didn't argue with reality so much as adjust to it.

"Sleep is the right call," she said. "Everything looks worse when you're exhausted, and mistakes compound faster."

She glanced briefly toward Kono, then back to Mistral.

"If they spent that long in your office and apartment, assume anything obvious is burned," Ana continued. "Keys, routines, habits. A fallback that wasn't part of your daily pattern is the safest option."

There was no alarm in her voice, just assessment.

"I'll keep my footprint light while we're down," she added. "No unnecessary traffic, no messages that don't need to be sent. If something does go wrong, I'd rather it be because the universe insisted, not because we advertised our location."

A faint hint of dry humor surfaced.

"As for the gods of irony," she said, "I've found they're easier to deal with when you don't tempt them. Sleep, reset, then move with intention."

She folded her arms loosely, grounding herself.

"Wake me if the situation changes," Ana finished. "Otherwise, I'll be ready when it's time to leave with Aya."

It wasn't reassurance. It was readiness.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

He agreed with her as he looked at Kono. "And Aoyoshi Kinkawa ?" He said it with a look on his face as the big man spoke. "She good brotha don't worry. Little sister saw them long before they saw her, did whatever you told her and she has been with grandma and my mom now. Even brought a bag of fresh choice weapons." He laughed a little with a nod. Mistral took a moment. "Good." He would catch back up with her when it was safe enough and she would understand. His hand going to the sword on his hip. "Well that will be a risk to go there then." He was prepared though and Kono looked with a nod. "WOrry not brotha.. I got you. Little love nest down by the beach near the cove." He said it and Mistral mentally debated as always Kono's definition of love nest but not in a bad way. "Thank you." He accepted it as he was getting up and looked at Ana and Aya. "I don't know how much space there is or if you want to return to yourr boat but now is the time."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened without interrupting, her attention moving easily between Mistral and Kono as the situation clarified. There was no visible reaction to the mention of weapons or contingency plans; it was information, not surprise. Useful, but expected.

When Mistral turned to her, she inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment before answering.

"I'll stay," she said evenly. "Moving twice right now creates more exposure than it solves."

Her gaze flicked briefly toward Aya, a silent check-in, then back to Mistral.

"If space is tight, I don't need much," Ana added. "Somewhere quiet, a door that closes, and enough time to keep my work secure."

She paused, then continued, tone pragmatic rather than reassuring.

"If we're treating this as a risk window, it makes more sense for me to remain close to the people already in the loop," she said. "Returning to my ship can wait until the situation stabilizes."

A small glance toward Kono, acknowledging the offer without comment.

"I won't be in the way," she finished. "And if anything shifts, I'd rather be here to adjust than playing catch-up later."

She straightened slightly, ready to move when they were.

"Just tell me where you want me," Ana said.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

He looked at her for a moment and he spoke. "Aoyoshi would kick my ass seven ways and then invent new ones possibly." He said it and it was a small thing but he laughed which got a chuckle from Kono. "She isn't exactly one for being told no... kind of scary your receptionist or whatever she is to you. I know she didn't like those guys ransacking the office or the home." That got a laugh. "She was my partner in the Protectorate and then we came here and opened our place. She just likes not being in gunfights... so takes the cases and makes me run around the island." He said it while he turned to look at Ana and spoke. "It might be safer to go with Aya, we'll be taking the boat and you can do your planning with their maps."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened without interrupting, her expression composed as she tracked the relationships and implications as easily as she tracked data flows. When he finished, she inclined her head slightly, acknowledging both the concern and the offer without taking either lightly.

"Aoyoshi is observant," she said evenly. "And protective. Those are qualities I value, even when they're… forcefully expressed."

A faint note of dry humor threaded her tone, not a smile, but close.

"She did exactly what she was supposed to do," Ana continued. "And I appreciate it. I don't need people to enjoy gunfights on my behalf. I need them to prevent the next one."

She shifted her weight slightly, considering the logistics rather than the pride of the choice.

"Going with Aya makes sense," she agreed after a beat. "Fewer variables, better charts, and a crew that knows the waters. I can work with that."

Her gaze lifted to him, steady and honest.

"If we're moving toward the Dark Waters, I'd rather plan from a position that doesn't require improvising around hospitality," she added. "Safer for everyone."

A brief pause, then more quietly:

"I'll coordinate with Aya," Ana finished. "And I'll make sure Aoyoshi knows her efforts weren't unnoticed."

There was no resistance in her answer. Just alignment, chosen deliberately.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix
He gave a nod to her with that and was going where Kono directed him. Aya motioning and leading the way while she walked and would be able to leave Kono alone with Ghen'ni. Mistral turned back around and held a hand up as he pointed. "Thank you again, both of you. Kono just be yourself and show her why you are the coolest on the island." He said it as he was walking away towards the beach and he could make it there. Taking only a moment to give a bumped fist to one of the teens who was watching them in case but started following him a little afterwards. Aya was laughing to herself and holding a hand over her mouth while she spoke.

"Well he certainly has his moments, I see why most get along with him." She said it standing up and looked at Ana while she motioned with her head but moved over and hugged Kono. "You be safe and remember to come down to the marina from time to time. Ship crews need food also big brotha." SHe hugged him again but looked at Ghen'ni as she spoke and walked away. "You be careful now, take good care of him."She said it while walking away with some food for the moment and looked at Ana. "Come on, we are this way, the Marina really is nice and secure mostly. Helps to have a shark woman in the water who can smell people a couple miles away."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana inclined her head once to Mistral as he spoke, a small, deliberate acknowledgment rather than a wave. Gratitude didn't need spectacle.

When Aya laughed, Ana's mouth curved faintly in response, just enough to show she'd caught the humor of it.

"People like him tend to survive because they remember how to be human," she said quietly. "That goes a long way."

She waited while Aya hugged Kono, stepping aside without making herself absent, her attention briefly settling on Ghen'ni with an assessing glance that carried no judgment, only awareness. When Aya motioned for her to follow, Ana fell into step easily.

At the mention of the marina and its unusual security, she let out a soft breath that might have been a laugh.

"That's one way to handle perimeter defense," Ana said dryly. "Hard to beat a sentient early-warning system that doesn't rely on sensors."

She adjusted her coat as they walked, gaze already taking in the routes, sightlines, and the subtle rhythm of the place.

"Lead on," she added calmly. "I'm looking forward to seeing it."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

Aya looked at Ana as she gave a nod of her head as she was walking. The streets showing people and then fencing as the marina wrapped around a curve. Dock spreading outwards with different boats. Herr ship there as the twi'lek was on it with her legs propped up as she was eating some food. She looked over as Aya was coming over for a moment. as she looked at her and then into the water. "She down below?" She said it while coming onto the ship and there was a shrug. "MOst likely or she swam to one of the beaches, you know how much she likes messing with some of the tourists. Hard to argue when someone can rescue you from the riptides." She said it with a laugh as her lekku twitched a little but she and Aya found a place to sit while welcoming Ana on board the ship to use the holotable and maps.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana followed Aya up onto the docked ship, the shift from street noise to the quieter rhythm of the marina settling around her almost immediately. She paused just long enough to take in the layout of the deck, the water below, and the easy familiarity between Aya and the Twi'lek before stepping fully aboard.

At the mention of someone possibly being in the water, one corner of her mouth lifted faintly.

"That's one way to build goodwill," she said dryly. "Nothing earns trust like pulling someone out of a bad current."

She set her bag down near the holotable and moved toward it without ceremony, fingers already brushing the controls as the surface came to life. Light spilled upward, resolving into a three-dimensional map of the surrounding waters, islands, and channels.

"Thank you for the space," Ana added, glancing briefly between Aya and the Twi'lek before refocusing on the projection. "This will do nicely."

She began adjusting the map, isolating routes, toggling depth readings, and traffic patterns with practiced ease.

"I won't need long," she said calmly. "I just want to make sure we're not relying on assumptions where the water's concerned. Currents, visibility, places people think are empty but never really are."

Her attention stayed on the holotable, but her tone softened slightly, more conversational than clinical.

"And if she did swim off to rescue tourists," Ana added, "I'll plan around that too. It's usually the unexpected variables that complicate things."

The map rotated slowly under her hands, routes beginning to take shape as she settled into the work, clearly comfortable here, surrounded by quiet motion and open water rather than walls.

Mistral