Private Edge of the Abyss

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

He looked at her with a nod of his head. "I was thinking more timer set for twelve to twenty hours. When we are well away and can make it seem like something is here so they are delayed or being drawn somewhere else... but that has less control and I am good but not that good about predicting casualties for such a thing." He said it but shrugged as he was heading back towards the cliff they had come up as he stayed crouched low to the ground and was watching. He looked over the side to make sure before using the rope to head down and landed as quickly and quietly as he could on the deck of the ship while Aya was looking at him. "So productive?"

He gave her a look. "Yes hopefully." He said it while waiting for Ana with a nod of his head. They were heading off quickly enough. The twi'lek having a rifle at the ready while she covered their movements into the rocks and she spoke. "There isn't much at least but their com channels went off for a few moments. If anyone tried to contact them they might be trying to return to check on things here."Mistral gave her a nod. "It seemed to work while we were there to at least keep them unaware. If they hadn't sent all of their people to my office then we didn't want to have to fight a lot of them." He was looking at more though as he explained and went over what they had seen.

Aya was looking at him. "Hmmm if and this is an if she is being forced or extorted to do things in a con it might be dangerous to reveal the truth... but if she is how you described when you saw herr then she might have already figured it out but it just trying to distance herself from the thought."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened as they pulled away from the rocks, the boat settling back into the darker water with practiced ease. She remained quiet while Mistral spoke, one hand braced lightly against the rail as her eyes stayed on the shoreline, committing the last shapes and angles to memory until they blurred into shadow.

Only when Aya finished did Ana respond, her tone measured and grounded, the way it always was when she was threading risk and intent together.

"A long timer makes sense," she said calmly. "Twelve to twenty hours puts us far enough away that whatever happens won't point back here. But you're right about the cost—once it's set, you lose the ability to steer outcomes."

She glanced briefly toward Mistral, not questioning him, simply acknowledging the honesty in the concern.

"If we act at all, it should be a disruption, not a punishment," Ana continued. "Something that slows logistics, creates doubt, forces internal checks. Anything louder than that risks collateral damage—and attention we don't want."

Her gaze shifted toward Aya as the Twi'lek spoke, consideration settling in rather than suspicion.

"Extortion changes the equation," she said thoughtfully. "If she believes she's protecting herself or someone she cares about, exposure could push her into desperation instead of cooperation."

A quiet pause followed, filled only by the hum of the engines and the water slipping past the hull.

"But if she already knows she's being used," Ana added, "then distance isn't denial. It's preparation. That makes her unpredictable—but not irrational."

She finally looked back toward the fading island, then to the others.

"We wait," she concluded softly. "We map the next stop. We watch who moves when pressure builds. If they're confident enough to run a long con, they'll expose themselves the moment something slips out of sequence."

Her posture relaxed just slightly, not at ease, but resolved.

"Tonight gave us leverage," Ana finished. "Let's not waste it by moving too fast."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

Aya looked at Ana with a nod. "Don't have to move to fast but if they are doing things then you are going to want to have to deal with the right people and no one moves cargo on Spira without kicking up to the proper people." She said it as they were heading there and she spoke. "Get the colors, we're going to the docks." She said it and Mistral spoke as he crossed his arms. "I hate this run." He wasn't disparaging about it when he was looking it over and the looming lights of the resorts beyond them were there. The secluded waterfront dockyard on the island thrummed with energy beneath swaying palm fronds and the perpetual haze of ocean spray.

Towering stacks of massive cargo containers durasteel crates bound for luxury resorts, cargo ships, private vessels and still plenty set aside for black-market spice and illicit artifacts loomed over the private piers like monolithic sentinels, their surfaces weathered by hyperspace jumps and etched with discreet insignia. Imposing guards in impeccably tailored black suits patrolled the docks, their concealed hold-out blasters and vibroblades hinting at underworld ties, eyes scanning the turquoise lagoons for approaching vessels or rival smugglers. The air carried the mingled scents of exotic floral blooms, salt water, and faint exhaust an exclusive hidden grotto where the the richest could come and indulge in what they wanted.

Slipping through armored blast doors into the opulent main complex a sprawling villa disguised as a high-end spa the ambiance shifted to one of hedonistic luxury. Vast indoor pools, fed by natural hot springs and illuminated by soft glowpanels mimicking twin suns, steamed invitingly. Lounging in the crystalline waters were stunning women from Spira's island archipelagos and beyond: sun-bronzed humans, graceful Twi'leks with lekku draped in jeweled chains, and alluring Zeltrons with vibrant hues all bare, their lithe bodies glistening with water and scented oils. Intricate tattoos adorned their skin like ancient Mandalorian war patterns or coiling nexu serpents: elaborate designs of fierce predators, swirling vines, blooming nebula flowers, and mythical beasts inked in deep blacks and shimmering metallics, tracing over toned arms, backs, shoulders, and curving across full busts and hips.

Elegant updos secured with golden pins and exotic feathers framed faces with dramatic makeup smoky kohl eyes and bold crimson lips while they reclined intimately against mosaic-tiled pool edges, exuding a potent mix of seduction and syndicate allegiance. Mistral looked around as there were grins, some threatening, some sinister and some more sensual. Aya had led them here and they had been admitted through as he listened to the people. Ascending via private turbolift to the overseer's penthouse office, overlooking panoramic views of Spira's endless beaches through tinted transparisteel, sat the man himself with a grin on his face.

A massively built human with a shaved head, trimmed goatee, and piercing gaze commanded the room from behind a sleek nerf-hide desk, his extraordinarily muscular physique barely concealed by an open, flowing black robe of sheer embroidered fabric with intricate lace detailing on wide sleeves and a dramatic cape trailing floorward. The translucent material shifted over defined pecs and abs as he lounged with effortless authority, one hand near a hidden blaster, the other swirling a glass of spiced Alderaanian wine. He orchestrated the flow of everything through Spira's ports with unyielding control, his intimidating presence silencing any dissent among spice runners and bounty hunters.

"Detective, I heard you were dead." His voice came out as he was sitting there with a look and Mistral kept his eyes on him. "Yeah, must have been some other guy." The man was looking at him but had a grin on his face. "Yeah? Was it some other guy who took a speargun to the shoulder for a local and then threw a blade into the attackers eyes?" Mistral looked at him and he shrugged. "Hey, guy was a piece of poodoo." The man was looking at him as he spoke. "I got no love for these upstarts think attacking women is the way to go, either. But you crossed the line, Detective." Mistral was looking at him as he stood there. "Hey, I'm still here."

"Nah, that don't matter. What you did was wrong, Detective." Mistral was looking at ass the man seemed to notice Ana and Aya with a look. "Whose da dish?" Mistral was looking at him and he spoke. "For now my partner on a case and if the line was crossed and we can't be friendly then please lets part but there are things happening and I don't think your customers have been as truthful with you as you think. We have a group of old Alliance and Imperial worlds trying to move in." The man looked at him as he rose up and walked over. A look on his face or amusement. "Oh those lying imperial bastards!" Mistral looked with a moment. "They're not Imperial any more, Sal. They're a federation of independent liberated operators."

He was showing a look but turned around with a hand coming out as he pointed. "Don't make me hurt you, Mistral. I actually do like when you are worrking good for business." Mistral looked at him as Aya spoke. "There's a major deal going down. A local contractor is selling out to offworld terrorists." Sal and his whole men in the room started laughing. "Lady Holonews, tell me something I don't know." He said it and wasn't dismissive but this is what he did, he handled the flow of goods on the world from offworlders and locals. Mistral looked at him. "It's going to happen tonight, on your docks." That seemed to make the air pause as Mistral was looking at him. "Now That I didn't know."

Mistral looked at him and had a moment. "They are using the Dark Water Islands to obscure it as best we can tell. The one place no one wants to look easily." As he spoke Kono came in and joined them some small bruising but he was let inside. "Ah my other guest, so many unexpected visitors tonight." He said it and Kono looked at him. "I got the news you returned safe but were beelined here little brutha... wanted to make sure you three were safe." He said it and Mistral put a hand on his shoulder. "It is good to see you too."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana did not react to the laughter the way most people in the room did.

She did not stiffen, did not bristle, did not smile to play along or soften the moment. Instead, she let the sound run its course, watching Sal with quiet attention until the amusement thinned and spent itself. Only then did she speak, her voice level and unhurried, carrying easily through the room without needing to rise.

"If this were just another rumor circulating through your docks," she said calmly, "you would not still be listening, and you certainly would not have stopped laughing."

Her gaze moved once, slow and deliberate, sweeping the room without counting bodies or weighing threats, reading posture instead and noting who laughed out of confidence and who laughed because they were waiting for permission to stop.

"You control the ports," Ana continued, returning her focus to Sal, "which means you control timing, manifests, inspections, and the kind of silence that only exists when everyone knows who truly owns the flow of goods."

She stepped forward a fraction, not into his space, but firmly into relevance.

"What is moving tonight is not just cargo," she went on, her tone steady and precise, "it is an extraction dressed up as a shipment, routed through contractors who believe fear of the Dark Water Islands will keep anyone important from looking too closely."

She paused, letting the thought land without drama.

"That only works if the docks remain complacent," she added evenly, "and if the man who runs them assumes this is simply noise he does not need to chase."

Her eyes met his fully now, steady and assessing, not confrontational but entirely unflinching.

"That assumption is exactly why your docks were chosen," she said.

She let that settle before continuing, her voice quieter but no less certain.

"We are not here to threaten your business or disrupt your control," Ana said, aligning herself subtly with Mistral without deferring to him, "we are here because once something like this succeeds, it does not remain small, and when it grows, it stops being something you can cut loose cleanly."

She held his gaze.

"You do not need to trust us," she concluded, "only delay the shipment, tighten the manifests, and watch who panics when the schedule changes, because the people worth stopping will reveal themselves without you lifting a finger."

Her tone never hardened, because it did not need to.

"If nothing happens," she finished, "you lose a few hours and gain confirmation, but if we are right, you keep control of your docks and your name stays clean."

Then she fell silent, neither pressing nor posturing.

She waited.

Because Ana understood leverage, and she understood that Sal would too.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

"You don't get to where I am, beat out rival families, upstarts and in some cases the old guard by discounting anything. Someone using the docks for business is nothing new, we offer the best thing which is business freedom for a price but they know the rules or should about trying to bite the hand that feeds them." He said it we he motioned with a hand and was walking now. Mistral and Kono looked at Aya and Ana but there was plenty of men here and women.. they couldn't be discounted from the baths down below. Mistraal was walking as Sal stopped and looked out the window at the docks with one hand. "I fought and killed many, there are even more bodies in the sea but I took the control as needed. Offworlder, different ones coming to mess with things have ambition at times but they also don't know how to play with others. Their respect needs to be taught." He said it and Mistrral looked at him. "So you have a plan?" The man looked. "No, I have people and more guns then most on any of the islands. I plan to confront them and if they give me a reason will give them a few more holes to breathe out of."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana had been quiet until then, her attention split between Sal's words, the way his people held themselves, and the subtle geometry of the room itself. When she spoke, it was without raising her voice, yet it threaded cleanly through the space and settled where it needed to.

"That approach works," she said calmly, stepping just enough into the conversation to be unmistakably present, "when you are dealing with people who think in straight lines and believe strength only exists at the point of impact."

Her gaze shifted briefly toward the window, not to admire the view, but to track the movement of lights along the docks below, the choreography of ships, guards, and unseen schedules.

"But the people using your docks right now are not behaving like opportunists testing boundaries," Ana continued, her tone measured rather than confrontational. "They are behaving like operators who expect resistance, plan for it, and rely on escalation to mask intent. That makes a direct confrontation useful only if your goal is to flush them early, not if your goal is to understand what they are actually moving, who is paying for it, and who disappears if things go wrong."

She looked back at Sal, meeting his eyes without flinching or challenge, the way someone does when they are offering information rather than judgment.

"You have leverage they cannot afford to lose," she went on. "Access, timing, routes, and legitimacy. They need your docks to look routine, boring, and uncontested. The moment that changes, they either retreat or accelerate, and acceleration creates mistakes. Mistakes tell us far more than bodies do."

A brief pause, just long enough to let the thought land.

"If you confront them openly tonight," Ana said, "you will win the room, but you may lose the trail. If you let them believe they are still unseen for a little longer, they will show you every place they are vulnerable without realizing they are doing it."

She inclined her head slightly, respectful but unyielding in her reasoning.

"You do not need to teach them respect," she finished evenly. "They already respect you enough to hide. What you need is to decide whether you want them afraid now, or exposed later."

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

He only seemed to be amused but not dismissive of what Ana was saying. A grin staying on his face as he walked outside and there were a few more men coming with him. "We shall see what they say." He said it and didn't make it a look as they moved with a several more men moving into positions to watch and flank. The larger gates at the far end of the dock secluded and away from most peoples eyes. The two standing outside of the gate looking at they spoke into their comlinks and Sal came forward. "Gentlemen, I have been hearing some disturbing news of late." The men seemed to be looking at him and Sal came forward as he stood there looking at them. His men obscuring Kono, Aya, Ana and Mistral. "SOmeone has saaid you are doing things without certified union worrkers, now you know the rules.. I explained them clearly nothing moves off these docks without union workers moving it. You can have your men but we need to be overseeing." He said it while looking and the men were calling for others to come while Sal remained there.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana did not step forward, and she did not need to.

She remained just behind Sal's line, posture composed, hands relaxed at her sides, eyes already reading the rhythm of the men across the dock. Who was tense. Who was posturing. Who was calculating exits instead of angles. When she spoke, it was measured and carried easily through the space without raising its volume.

"He is not exaggerating," she said calmly, her gaze settling on the man who looked most accustomed to giving orders rather than receiving them.
"On this island, logistics are not a suggestion or a courtesy. They are an ecosystem, and ecosystems do not tolerate improvisation without consequences."

She shifted her weight slightly, not advancing, not retreating, simply aligning herself so she could see everyone at once.

"Union oversight is not about slowing you down or taking your cut. It is about accountability, traceability, and making sure mistakes do not spill outward into people who did not consent to be part of your operation."

Her eyes flicked briefly to the gates, then back to the men.

"If you believe your cargo is clean and your process is compliant, then certified workers observing should not concern you. If it does concern you, that tells us far more than any inspection ever could."

There was no threat in her tone, but there was no softness either. Just certainty.

"This is the point where things stay orderly, or they become expensive. That choice is still yours."

She fell silent after that, letting the words settle, perfectly content to allow the weight of Sal's authority and the dock itself to do the rest.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

There was a small look but Sal seemed to only raise an eyebrow as he was moving in. The gates opening within the guards doing it from operator overrides. The man was checking on a few things but he made it less overt and more casual. "There we go see you can see things properly." He said it while looking over other parts of the docks and his men spread out. Mistral looked at it all and walked with a few of them mirroring them as they moved around and checked things. Moved some things around and generally remained a mixture of out of the way but ready for anything. Sal seemed to have been approached by whoever was supposed to be in charge and he spoke looking at the man.

"Are you now." The voice cut in and out as he was walking with the man. "and you think that gives you authority over us?" His hand came out as he gripped the mans shoulder looking at him and the man seemed to be getting more and more afraid. What men he had were mostly looking at the other men who had come in. "Alright alright..." There was a capitulation as Sal backed up and was walking away. "For this a penalty should be paid. SOmething to make sure you and your boss know you do not try this." He walked away as two of his men were staying there and collecting credits from the man. Sal motioned most of them to come with him as workers were coming in and they were locals and his with some seeing and nodding to Kono.

Sal looked at them as the gates closed with more of his men there. "They'll find out what is happening." He said it while walking away and Kono followed mostly staying back. "Got to let things take their time.... Sal is more brutal but man don't like problems."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana watched the exchange without interrupting, her attention moving in quiet parallels to Sal's men as they spread through the docks. She noted the way authority shifted without a single raised voice, how fear did more work than force ever needed to. When Sal finally spoke and the gates sealed again, she let the moment breathe before adding anything of her own.

"That was handled cleanly," she said, her voice even, reflective rather than congratulatory. "They were never going to fight you, not really. People who plan to operate quietly do not gamble on confrontation unless they believe they are untouchable, and tonight they learned they are not."

Her gaze tracked the departing workers, the locals filing back into place, the subtle restoration of order that came not from comfort but from inevitability.

"A penalty like that does more than recover credits. It forces a recalculation. Someone will have to explain the loss, justify the delay, and decide whether continuing is worth the attention it now carries."

She glanced briefly toward the closed gates, then back to Sal and the others.

"If they are smart, they slow down and try to disappear. If they are desperate, they rush, and rushed operations make mistakes."

A faint pause, her tone softening just enough to acknowledge the reality of how this world worked.

"Either way, they have been moved off balance, and that gives us time, which is usually the most expensive thing to steal from anyone."

She fell quiet again after that, content to let Sal's methods stand on their own, already turning over what those next mistakes might look like when they finally surfaced.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

Mistral looked at Ana and gave a nod of his head. "That and with all of the workers it means if they want to get things or track it better then they can. Sal is a lot of things but aside from much more violent he is a businessman." He said it and Kono was looking at Mistral. "Yeah but his men are dangerous if he doesn't control them." Mistral gave a nod. "Yeah but that is why he isn't killing either of us. His man frakked up incredibly." He said it but didn't shy away from it as two of the other men were looking at them. Kono speaking. "Understatement but grandma says he made it as right as one can in his position.... and you handled the rest when it was needed which is why he might be salty with you."

He chuckled to that and Aya looked over at the pair. "You mean that guy worked for him." She indicated with her head while walking. "The one who tried things with..." She stopped seeing Kono look her way and gave a nod. "Good, at least it was handled. Hana has always been much nicer to me... less inviting me over when she is getting information." Kono moved so he was between Aya and Mistral with a nod and putting hands on both of their shoulders. "So, if we are waiting and have the time, whose hungry? We are getting a fresh batch of fish this morning for the foodvan and I am cooking." He looked overr at Ana with a grin. "You too little sista, we got plenty of food."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened to the exchange with quiet attention, her expression thoughtful rather than tense. The dynamic between them all was settling into something workable, imperfect but functional, and that mattered more than ideals right now. When Kono finished and looked her way with that easy grin, she let a small smile surface in return, unguarded in a way she rarely allowed.

"He is a businessman first," she said, nodding once in agreement with Mistral's assessment. "Which means he understands leverage, consequences, and limits. Tonight stayed on the right side of all three."

Her gaze shifted briefly toward the docks behind them, then back to the group, tone steady but lighter now that the immediate pressure had eased.

"And if his men are dangerous, then structure is what keeps them pointed outward instead of inward. Sal knows that, even if he dislikes being reminded."

At Kono's invitation, she paused only a fraction of a second before answering, warmth edging into her voice.

"I would not say no to that," she replied, the smile lingering. "Food sounds like a very good use of waiting time, and I would rather be nearby when plans start moving again."

She inclined her head slightly toward him, an understated but sincere acceptance.

"Lead the way, Kono. I trust your cooking almost as much as your instincts."

It was not praise given lightly, but it was meant, and she let the moment sit comfortably among them before moving to follow.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

He had a look on his face as he was leading the way and Aya gave a nod of her head looking at Ana as she laughed a little. "When it comes to food trust his instincts." Saying it there as Mistral gave a nod of his head. THen they were in the street and Sal waved them off as he would give information when it came. Kono was leading the way as the morning light was coming up over the ocean. His place was there and the sight of Jackie sitting at one of the tables brought his attention around. The twi'lek Ghen'ni was there looking great as the morning sun was on her skin. Kono taking a moment but he came over. "You came."

She turned around and looked at him with a nod. "I said I would and Jack was kind enough to escort me so compromise." She said it and Kono looked at the man but there was no look from him. Jackie was acutely aware of everything Mistral was sure of it and could respond faster then any of them would be able to. Mistral took a seat after puling the chairs for Ana and Aya with a nod of his head. Aya remained focused and aware a lot more. "You know the enforcer from the Lux?" SHe asked it with a sort of what has she gotten herself into look at all of them. Mistral shrugged but Kono had kept his smile as he was opening the doors and starting food.

The window came up and he spoke. "Have a seat and enjoy, We got fresh island blend caf on and I got some flavored milks here." He put things out with a nod of his head as the bottles were there, colored from honey's, berries and fruits. The first sounds of things being cut and prepared came out as Ghen'ni sat down while looking at the other three with a smile. "So you all look like you have had as busy a night as myself and I just sing."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana accepted the seat Mistral pulled out for her with a quiet nod, settling in as the morning light filtered through the street and caught on the bottles of caf, fruit, and milk laid out before them. The tension of the night had not vanished, but it had softened into something more manageable, like muscles finally allowed to loosen after being held tight for too long.

She glanced briefly at Jackie, registering him the way she always did with people like him: without staring, without judgment, simply noting presence and capability. Then her attention returned to the table, to Kono working with practiced ease, and finally to Ghen'ni as she spoke.

A small, genuine smile touched Ana's mouth, warmer than most ever saw.

"Busy feels like an understatement," she replied, her tone calm but touched with dry humor. "Though I suspect singing through a room full of expectations and sharp eyes is its own kind of work."

Her gaze moved briefly over the caf, the food, the easy rhythm Kono had slipped into behind the counter, and she allowed herself a slow breath.

"I will say this is a welcome change of pace," she continued, lifting one of the bottles to inspect its color before setting it back down. "Quiet conversation, good food, daylight. All signs that we survived the night well enough."

She looked back to Ghen'ni, meeting her smile without flinching or overplaying it.

"Thank you for joining us. It is good to sit somewhere that feels… grounded, after everything."

Ana reached for a cup of caf at last, cradling it between her hands, present and attentive, letting the moment breathe before whatever came next.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

"It can be trying but you get to relax between sessions and I have a big strong protector." The twi'lek said it and looked at Jackie who was there and had a drink to the side while reading a datapad. His eyes not flicking up but Mistral knew he was well aware of everything and likely knew how he was going to dispose of all of them... in multiple ways. Ghen'ni spoke. "Oh don't let him fool you, he is kind once he warms up to you, handles all of the handsy people without even drawing a weapon like some bodyguards on other worlds." She said it and Mistral stood up as he walked over. The copy that they had made of the message in his fingers.

"We found this on the island, your boss might want to see it." He handed it over knowing Ana had her own copy while he was going back to his seat and Jackie remained there as he watched it. Not showing a reaction but his finger flicked the replay several times as Kono brought out the first things to eat. Toasted bread with jams and jellies, fruits cut up and some seasoned as it absorbed the juice to make a syrup. "Secret family recipe, a little spice and heat but goes good with the coldness of the fruit." He laid them all out as he was going over a few other things but had all of the food and Mistral took a piece with a nod. He knew Kono's skill and Aya did much the same with the syrup.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana had been quiet for most of the exchange, content to let the room breathe and for people to reveal themselves in their own way. She watched the interaction between Ghen'ni and Jackie with a calm, observant eye, the kind that missed very little even when she appeared relaxed. When Mistral passed over the data, and Jackie began replaying it in silence, she noted the stillness in him, the way attention sharpened without spectacle.

As the food was set down and the scents of spice and fruit filled the air, Ana finally reached forward, selecting a piece of toast and letting a bit of the syrup soak in before she spoke.

"That smells dangerous," she said lightly, a small smile touching her expression as she took a bite. "In the best possible way."

She glanced toward Ghen'ni, her tone warm but measured, appreciative without overfamiliarity.

"Your performance last night carried the room," she said. "Not many people can do that and still make it look effortless."

Her gaze shifted briefly to Jackie, not pressing, simply acknowledging his presence and the weight of the information now in his hands, before returning to the table.

"And Kono," she added, lifting her glass slightly, "this explains a lot. If this is how you cook when things are calm, I'd hate to see what you do when you're trying to impress."

There was an ease to her now, still analytical, still alert, but softened by the shared space and food. She settled back into her seat, content for the moment to listen, to let the morning unfold, knowing that whatever came next would arrive soon enough.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

Kono looked at Ana and offered a grin. "I like to keep my friends full and my rivals fuller. That way, I can see who's here for the food and who's here for the chef. You have to wait and see which is which." He was putting a little more food there for them and finishing that before heading back in and Ghen'ni looked at Mistral and them. "As good at the Lux's food is, there is something delicious about the local food." She was getting some of the bread and spreading the different jams on it and a butter. Mistral doing the same in some of it while he spread a little of the seasoning and waited for it to congeal just enough before he was eating it.

"Kono rarely holds back, he learned it from his family and.." He trailed off as Aya looked at him with a small laugh. "THey can be unconventional but no worse then anyone else I have seen. SHe is just usually a lot more personal in some cases cause she knows how to lure everyone in... wait until she randomly have hard candies. SHe loves doing that to unnerve you and it is still a test." Mistral looking over. "Old interrogation technique, you can gauge in many cases how long someone will resist by how long they refuse and if they will either give in and take it from being polite or walk away. Not reliable in some cases but it is helpful... and harmless."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana listened as she accepted the food, the exchange drawing a quiet curve at the corner of her mouth as Kono spoke. She took a measured bite, clearly appreciating the flavors without rushing them, eyes moving calmly between the people at the table as she absorbed the rhythm of the conversation.

"There's a lot to be said for food that isn't trying to impress you," she said evenly, her tone warm but thoughtful. "Local meals tell you who a place really belongs to. Luxury kitchens serve spectacle. This feels more…honest."

She glanced briefly toward Kono as he moved about, then back to Ghen'ni and Aya, considering the comment about hard candies and tests with mild amusement rather than discomfort.

"Subtle pressure is usually more revealing than force," Ana continued, folding her hands loosely around her plate. "People show you who they are when they think nothing important is happening. Whether they accept something small, ignore it, or reject it outright tells you far more than a threat ever will."

Her gaze settled briefly on the spread of food again, unbothered, grounded.

"And harmless tests are the best kind," she added. "They let everyone leave the table with dignity intact."

She took another bite, content to let the moment breathe, clearly comfortable in the company and the quiet, communal normalcy after everything that had unfolded.

Mistral

 

[Mistral]

Ana Rix

Mistrral gave a nod to Ana as she spoke but he was also taking the moment to enjoy some food. The small amount of sleep he had gotten on the boat when traveling wasn't a lot and his office and apartment were ransacked so he was going to find the sleep where he could as he could but for now... stimulants with the caf when he drank it. The taste of vanilla in there and nuts well worth it. Kono returning with some food as he laid it out. "We have a little everything, potatoes crisped to perfection and shredded, juicy meats, a little shark strips to wake you up, veggies, eggs and spices." His grin was wide and he put it down while finishing up some of it and pulling out a tray of bowls. "And specialty, for vitality and clearing your mind." He set it down in front of Mistral and the man looked at it, thick like a stew with chunks of meat and veggies in it but he took a spoon and ate it. Tasting it for a moment as it kind of exploded in juice in his mouth but he looked as the taste was sharp and immediate for waking you up. "What is it?" He asked for a moment taking another bite as Kono nodded looking at Aya who was hiding her mouth and a small giggle. "Monkey lizard brains."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana paused only briefly when the bowl was set in front of her, more out of courtesy than hesitation. She took in the steam, the richness of the broth, the way the spices carried warmth rather than bite. When Kono supplied the missing detail, she did not flinch.

She picked up the spoon, tasted it, and let the flavors settle before responding.

"That explains the clarity," she said evenly, nodding once as if the answer fit neatly into place. "It's balanced. Strong, but not overwhelming."

Another spoonful followed, slower this time, appreciative.

"I've had worse things offered with far less honesty," she added, a faint hint of dry humor threading through her voice. "This at least knows what it's trying to do."

She glanced toward Kono, meeting his grin with calm acceptance rather than challenge.

"Thank you," she said simply, and continued eating without ceremony, letting the stew do exactly what it had been made to do.

Mistral