Private Honor Amongst None

[Ayhan]

Location: Atrisia, Core Worlds, Alliance Space

"In my professional opinion, I'd say this man was murdered."
The body was splayed facedown on the ground, the blood that had pooled around it had begun to dry, the bright crimson dulling to a dark red-brown color. "Master, is now really the time to be cracking jokes?" Ayhan asked with a frown. He may not have grown up in a 'civilized' society, but even his people had respect for the dead.
"I mean that we're in for a long day. Murder of a public official always means we're in for a long haul." Vahr said, attempting to recover some semblance of probity.

The Atrisian police force had cordoned off the area, leaving the two Jedi to their work. Though where to start, Ayhan was hardly sure of. "What do you see, Ayhan?" the Padawan's master pushed anyways. "A dead Atrisian senator."
"Who's cracking jokes now?" Vahr said back as she knelt next to the pool of blood. "No spray, so even without moving or examining the body, we can ascertain that the assailant did not strike any arteries," the Knight observed before looking up at her apprentice. "So, what does that indicate to you?"

Ayhan's brows furrowed a moment, mulling over the possibilities. His eyes drifted over the rest of the crime scene. Even though it was night outside, and the inside of the home was dark, Ayhan's eyes could make out their surroundings with clarity. Signs of a struggle. Knocked over furniture, a broken vase. "There was a fight." This was the victim's home so... "Security didn't find the senator until later in the evening, so they didn't hear it. Either they didn't know-"

A presence made itself known and Ayhan's eyes narrowed as he turned towards the door as a pair of familiar figures walked into the room. "Master Jigora," Ayhan said with a respectful bow. "Mahsa..."

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

Location: Atrisia, Core Worlds, Alliance Space
Objective: Murder Mystery & Thievery Investigation

---

It had been an exhausting couple of days of unearthing rumors and following gossiped whispers, and she’d lost track of the amount of times they’d lead them into a dead end. Each trail seemed colder than the last, and the lack of results was beginning to irritate the young padawan. ”Patience, Mahsa… it wouldn't be a syndicate if we could track them down in just a matter of days.” Her voice was gentle as the Echani quietly chided her young apprentice, bringing Mahsa back to reality as the tightness around the Kazelrrian’s jaw finally loosened.

"S-Sorry, Master…" There was a pressure looming behind those golden eyes that hadn’t existed before, though Jigora could only make a loose guess as to what might be plaguing the thoughts of the youngster. It hadn’t taken long for the whispers of the refectory to reach her ears and, while Mahsa herself hadn’t mentioned a word about it, the Echani had been around long enough to know it was the main cause behind the slight changes in the girl.

"Do you really think this thief is tied to them, Master?" It was clear by the furrowed brows that her padawan had been in deep thought about the matter, a soft nod from Jigora signaling to Mahsa that she was free to continue. "T-Their track record so far is small scale breaking-and-entering… maybe they’re just confident enough now to go for a bigger target?"

The security around this place far surpassed that of the most common areas, but after a string of past successes she could see how a thief would be willing to take a larger risk in the hopes of a higher payout for their job. Nothing about this particular senator had caught Mahsa’s attention either, though they had little time to properly research them upon learning they’d be the latest target of their thief.

”It’s true that our little thief here is a dime a dozen,” Despite her Master’s words Mahsa refrained from smiling or nodding, and sure enough a particular word she’d been expecting followed. ”But that doesn’t mean they cannot be of value to the syndicate, even if it’s only temporary.”

She’d been about to speak up when Jigora quietly held a hand up, the relaxed look on her Master’s features momentarily hardened as she stared further down the dark road they’ve been walking on, before the hand lowered as her Master spoke. ”Come, it seems our dear senator has more than one unexpected guest tonight.”

A frown settled on her face before Mahsa quickened her steps to catch up with her Master, and it wasn’t long before they were greeted by an unexpected sight. The large presence of security around the senator’s home signaled that plans had gone awry for the thief they were currently after, and the light scent of iron that faintly permeated the air unsettled the Kazelrrian. She watched as Jigora spoke with some of the personnel, walking closer at her Master’s beckoning before they crossed the main entrance.

Her steps froze shortly after as she felt his familiar presence through the Force, golden eyes quickly looking towards the leftmost side of the landing above. ”Mahsa.” Her Master’s voice snapped the girl from her own thoughts, the Kazelrrian forcing her steps to follow behind the Echani as they moved up the stairs and in that very direction.

”Hera, what a surprise.” A smile was given towards the pink Twi’lek, before Jigora’s gaze moved towards the taller male at her side. ”And this must be your padawan, Ayhan.”

The Firronthix’ bow is met by an equally respectful nod from the Echani, before her gaze shifted back to look at the white-haired girl. Mahsa had remained a step behind her master, partially obscured by the Echani, before finally stepping out to stand at her master’s side when her name was called out. "Master Vahr." Golden eyes focus on the Twi’lek before Mahsa gave her a respectful and cordial bow, her hands quietly bunching the fabric of her robes at her side in a vain attempt to loosen her nerves.

Finally, once Mahsa couldn’t draw it out any longer, the Kazelrrian straightened herself—though her eyes remained glued to the ground—as a soft nod was given to the Firronthix. "A-Ayhan…"

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

"Master!" Hera said with a smile as she turned to the door. "I'd say it's good to see you, but given the circumstances." As if it needed clarifying, the Twi'lek gestured towards the cold corpse on the ground. "And yup, that's him. First murder investigation for him. Not doing too bad either." An almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Ayhan's lips.

Hera turned towards the snow-haired girl, and smiled at her as well. "And you must be Mahsa. Hope my old Master isn't being too hard on you. It seems you two are acquainted?" the Knight said, lifting eyebrow with a sidelong glance at Ayhan.
"We grew up together," the Firronthix answered, the only real explanation needed. Hera might not have known all the details, but she knew the situation in which Ayhan was raised in, and Ayhan couldn't imagine Mahsa would've been able to keep her mouth shut about it to her own master either.

"So, what're you two doing here?" Hera asked, crossing her arms. "Did you have some business with the senator? I'm afraid he won't be speaking much from now on, unfortunately."

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

The Echani was glad to see her former padawan’s vibrant personality still shining through despite the unfortunate circumstances around them, the Twi’lek’s smile returned by one of her own before she nodded in silent understanding as Hera quickly briefed them. ”First murder mystery? My, that does bring back some memories.”

Mahsa had spotted the corpse long before the Knight made mention of it, the heavy stench of iron that flooded her nostrils on their way impossible to ignore. It had proved to be a helpful distraction, even if she did pitied the poor soul of the senator, as it gave the Kazelrrian something to focus her eyesight on that wasn’t Ayhan… at least until Master Vahr addressed her directly.

"A-Ah no, Master has been very good to me." Though she’d held some reservations when the Echani had picked her out, Mahsa had quickly learned that the woman’s normally stern face betrayed her true nature. Small hands gripped the fabric between her fingers tighter when the nature of her relationship with the Firronthix was brought forward, a quick glance given towards him at last before she quickly switched back to Master Vahr.

"Y-Yeah…"
"We grew up together."

A quiet nod was given to confirm his words, though she made no attempt to expand further upon it. The Kazelrrian’s unusual silence had Ioti arching an eyebrow of her own, though she knew better than to press the young padawan about it. ”Not quite, but looks like our ‘friend’ certainly had business with him.” A short sigh escaped as the Echani looked at the corpse, before Ioti caught her apprentice's gaze and gave Mahsa a small nod.

"There’s been r-rumors of an organization, and our latest lead involved a local thief from the area." Unfortunately they’d learned of today’s target too late, but they had hoped to question the senator about whatever bauble or trinket had gone missing in the hopes of uncovering clues about their identity or possible ties to the syndicate. "T-They’ve only taken valuables from their target’s before… usually when the owners aren’t home."

She’d never thought they’d be walking into a murder scene instead.

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

"First murder mystery? My, that does bring back some memories."
"Which kind?" Hera ventured to ask, and Ayhan couldn't help but roll his eyes, already certain that his master had gotten into some kind of near-fatal shenanigans as a Padawan. "The kind where I save your life, or the ones where it turned out the culprit was a feral porg."
"I'm sorry, did you say a feral porg? Killed someone?" Ayhan asked, unable to keep the incredulous look off his face.
"Yup. Long story, remind me to tell you about it sometime," Hera said with a dismissive wave.

"Hey how come you don't drill her as hard as you drilled me?" Hera said, feigning offense. "Well, glad to see its a big family reunion. Maybe we can help each other out and we catch this killer-thief together." Another gesture, this time towards Ayhan. "Take it a away, detective."

Ayhan frowned and crossed his arms, but turned to give both the older master and her apprentice a full view of the room. "It seems your thief entered through the balcony," Ayhan said, pointing to a door. "It wasn't locked, and we have boot prints on the railing. It's possible they climbed from a different floor." The man moved around the body towards its head. "Blunt force trauma to the side of the head. My guess, there was a fight. Your opinion, Master Jigora?"

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

”Ah yes, hard to forget that one.” A faint smile crossed Jigora’s lips upon spotting the look on Ayhan’s face, one mirrored in her own padawan who’d never heard of this tale before today. ”Perhaps something they can look forward to after our work is done, mmm?”

Whatever thoughts Mahsa had regarding murderous feral Porgs were quickly forgotten when Master Vahr turned towards Ioti, eyes opening wide before the Kazelrrian quickly interjected. "N-No… I m-mean yes! She drills me often, b-but only when I deserve it…?" Her words trailed off as her mind slowly connected the dots, a confused look as the girl looked away from the Twi’lek and back to her master, before quickly looking down as she felt the temperature rise on her face and ears.

”Hera, don’t tease my padawan too much.” The Echani quietly rested a hand against her padawan’s back for a moment, a comforting gesture, before Ioti nodded in agreement to Hera’s proposal. She listened as Ayhan delivered his thoughts on what had transpired between the senator and the thief within the room, and the details pointed out by the Firronthix seemed to validate his theory at first glance.

”Well done, Ayhan.” Her praise was earnest as her head tilted in a soft nod towards the young man, silver eyes quietly scanning the scene of the crime a second time before they quietly settled back on the girl at her side. ”What do you think, Mahsa?”

A startled sound escaped as the spotlight was suddenly turned on her, the Kazelrrian pointing towards herself in a silent question as she gazed back at her master. Ioti nodded, and Mahsa tried hard to swallow her nerves as her attention turned towards the room.

Burden.​

She pointedly avoided looking towards the Firronthix as her eyes jumped from one part of the scene to another, the tip of her fingers pressing strongly against the heel of her palm as she tried to ignore the whispers in the back of her mind. It wasn’t like her master to ask a question unless something remained uncovered, a theory quickly supported by the slight curl towards the right edge of Ioti’s lips, which meant there was something Ayhan must’ve missed in his analysis…

"T-The Senator wasn’t supposed to be here, there’s a scheduled public hearing today he was meant to be a part of." They’d suspected this had played an important part as to why their small scale thief had decided to change his usual target profile for the evening. Brows furrowed as the Kazelrrian focused, aware that detail alone wouldn’t change anything from Ayhan’s analysis in the end.

While the scene itself contradicted their thief’s MO until now it was a fact that the senator had died from blunt force trauma to the head. The footprints on the railing matched the singular one on the rug, while the other prints available were perfect copies of the shoes their victim was wearing. "The thief must’ve been startled when he showed up—!?"

Golden eyes opened wide as a single thought suddenly cemented itself inside her mind, the Kazelrrian quickly scanning the room a second and even a third time to ensure she hadn’t missed anything else. "The weapon… there’s no murder weapon here." Normally that of itself wouldn’t be too concerning, after all wouldn’t most killers flee with their murder weapon to safely dispose of it later?

”None that we’ve found so far, at least.” The slight inflection in her master’s words didn’t go unnoticed for Mahsa, the Kazelrrian feeling a bit more confident now as she studied the prints on the rug one last time. She lightly tried to mimic them with her own feet on the hardwood flooring, but despite her best efforts and ability Mahsa couldn’t find a way to connect the last few to the current resting position of the senator. "Unless…"

She knelt beside the corpse, mindful to keep her hands and feet away from the blood or anything else that might be of importance, as her eyes traced over the wound carefully. It was hard to notice at first between the hair and the dried blood, but there was a particular shape to it—whatever had left the mark was considerably thin but sturdy enough. Her gaze quickly shifted towards the massive desk in the room, the senator’s office if Mahsa were to make a wild guess, before she slowly inspected the edge… and sure enough she finally found the missing piece of the puzzle.

"Here," A finger pointed towards the spot, the dark hue of the wood used for its construction making it hard to spot the dried blood on its surface at first glance. "This is the reason behind the Senator’s unexpected death."

She gave the others a moment before continuing. "Our thief was probably in the process of stealing whatever it is they wanted when the Senator stepped into the office. He must’ve reached out for it, or maybe he tried to physically retain the thief, ‘cause a scuffle ensued—we can tell as much by the marked footprints of the Senator in the rug." She pointed towards the erratic cluster, before shifting the attention to the lone print that didn’t match the others.

"The thief must have tried pushing him off, or maybe they just shoved the Senator hard enough so he’d let go of whatever they were stealing." Either one was possible enough, though it wasn’t of enough importance to find that detail out for now. "And that’s when the rug bunched up over here—the Senator slipped."

It was the only plausible conclusion she’d been able to find after trying to mimic the steps herself. No matter how hard she’d tried it was impossible to connect the last couple of steps unless Mahsa lost her balance… and that’s when she’d noticed a spot where the rug had bunched up together.

"Unfortunately his head struck the desk then, possibly knocking him out in the process." A part of her wondered if he might’ve still been alive at the time, perhaps if someone had noticed sooner the senator would be in a hospital room now instead of lifeless on the floor of his office. "The thief must’ve panicked when the Senator stopped moving, especially with blood oozing from his head, and that’s when they fled through the balcony… probably with whatever they came to steal on hand."

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

"N-No… I m-mean yes! She drills me often, b-but only when I deserve it…?"
Hera couldn't help but quietly laugh at Mahsa's sudden flustered outburst.
"Hera, don't tease my padawan too much." Master Jigora chided, and Hera apologized. "Of course, sorry. Ayhan, please continue." Unsurprisingly, the Firronthix did little more than grunt before finishing his initial assessment of what had occured.

At Master Jigora's Ayhan nodded, before looking towards Mahsa with a faint scowl. She pointedly avoided making eye contact with him as she began to add her own conjecture as to what might've lead to the senator's death. She danced around the room, mimicking the steps the thief must've taken, before crouching by the Senator's corpse. A few moments of silence before a quiet gasp of revelation and a quick examination of the desk left Mahsa pointing at one of the corners.

"They must've knocked the vase over during the scuffle," Ayhan added, following some faint bootprints as they backed up to a pedestal. "That still leaves two questions though," Ayhan said looking over at the three females. "Why didn't the Senator call for security? Actually, where was his guard to begin with? Second, why did he come here if he was expected at a hearing?"

"That's the golden question, isn't," Hera said with a pleased look. "And the answer to both might be one and the same," she hinted. Ayhan's brows furrowed as he thought for a moment before looking up again. "The senator didn't want anyone to know he was here. There was no guard, and so he couldn't call for any security. And he didn't bring any because he didn't want anyone to know he'd come to retrieve something. Something he likely wasn't supposed to have."
"Ding, ding, ding. That leaves us with what, and where is our illicit good?"

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

She’d only glanced towards him once, but the scowl on his face had quickly averted those golden eyes as the Kazelrrian focused instead on presenting her own deductions… and finding the evidence to support them. Despite the outwardly relaxed appearance her heart had been beating against her chest as if it was a cage keeping it from true freedom, only settling somewhat once Mahsa spotted the soft smile on her Master as she nodded towards the young padawan.

A small part of her thought he would’ve refuted her own analysis, even if her mind couldn’t think of an honest reason as to why Ayhan would do so. Burden. That singular thought was quickly shoved back into the recesses of her mind, the Kazelrrian doing her best to not entertain it as the conversation began picking up around the room.

The Firronthix brought up excellent questions that Ioti acknowledged with a tilt of her head, though she refrained from interjecting as she observed Hera guide her own padawan towards the most possible answers. "That leaves us with what, and where is our illicit good?" She couldn’t help being drawn towards the Twi’lek’s personality, brows furrowing in response as Mahsa gave Hera’s questions an honest thought.

"I d-dunno what it might’ve been," Something important certainly, but narrowing an abstract context to a particular item was already hard enough—even if they performed a detail sweep of the room and the evidence present there wasn’t a guarantee their guess would be accurate. "B-But it might be on its way back to the syndicate…?"

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

So many questions. So many, and somehow, instead of having anything even approaching an answer, the only thing Mahsa said placed more challenges in their path. "A syndicate?" Ayhan questioned, his eyes narrowing in Mahsa's direction. "Just how big is this organization? Because it's starting to sound to me like they could be a very serious problem."

From what Ayhan had learned, there were several prominent criminal organizations at large in the galaxy. Crimson Dawn, Kanjiklub, the Hutt Cartels, of course. And many more. And any one of them could make it almost impossible for them to find the senator's killer if they wanted to. Even as Jedi, there was little they could truly do in the face of powerful organizations like those, without being threatened.

"Ayhan has a point," Hera chimed in, looking to the other two women. "Why are you chasing around this syndicate, and who are they? The more we know, the better we might be able to help."

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

"A syndicate?" She’d visibly shrunk under Ayhan’s narrowed gaze as he pressed her further, a confused look on Mahsa’s face as she wondered why he looked at her as if the syndicate’s existence was somehow her fault. "I d-dunno…?"

She was quick to expand on her answer before he could get another word in, she’d never known him to be a patient one towards others—and he'd made it blatantly clear that whatever leeways he’d given her back in the Cage no longer applied. "S-Some of the leads hint they’re in the couple of hundred, but other rumors put them in the thousands instead…" Her gaze had pointedly switched from the Firronthix to his friendlier Master, at least the Twi’lek didn’t look at Mahsa like her very existence insulted her.

Sometimes she wondered which version was the true Ayhan, but the thought was quickly squashed down and forcibly shoved into a dark drawer as she continued.

”There's a lot of contradictory information out there and, unfortunately, we haven’t had enough time to properly narrow it down.” The relief that washed over the Kazelrrian’s face was almost palpable, Mahsa finally releasing a breath she’d unconsciously held onto once her Master joined the conversation. It had been confusing and also frustrating whenever a new lead unearthed clues that didn’t quite match what they had so far,and the recent discovery of a new name had thrown a wrench into what little they had been able to confirm.

”There’s a distinct possibility that there’s currently two groups out there,” Carefully folded stack of papers was produced by the Echani and held for Hera to take and read if she chose to. The contents within each page were mundane enough to not gather interest—though they all shared the same stamp. ”The first three we uncovered about two days ago, all with the same family crest.”

The familiar face of a komainu was imprinted on the paper in a jade colored ink, accompanied by the Atrisian scripts belonging to the group. ”They’re known as the Hisui Shi-Shi Gumi and, as far as we could tell, they’ve been around Atrisia close to a millenia now.” The last paper sported a different crest however, the figure of a dragon coiled around a different set of scripts etched in a rich golden ink.

”We found that one last night,” Mahsa had pipped up then, the worn texture and burnt edges of the paper a sharp contrast to the pristine ones she’d come to expect of the Hisui Shi-Shi Gumi. "I-It’s from the Kin Tatsu Ikka."

Her voice faltered as the Kazelrrian realized she’d butted into the conversation without warning, an apologetic look in her eyes as she glanced at Hera and then her Master, A faint smile on Ioti’s lips as she nodded for Mahsa to continue. "They might’ve been a part of the Shi-Shi’s that broke off… we couldn’t find their crest on anything older than a decade."

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

Mahsa visibly shrinked beneath Ayhan's harrowing gaze. An unmistakable reaction as her shoulders turned inward, her limbs drawing themselves inward as if to they'd protect her from the boy. Though his gaze didn't soften, his gaze mercifully slipped away from her and settled on Ioti as she began to expand on the syndicate. Or syndicates, as it would appear.

"We found that one last night," Mahsa said as Hera examined the papers that Ioti had offered, scanning them quickly and pausing at the emblems before handing them to Ayhan who began to do the same, though taking more time than his master as he struggled to decipher the words on the page. Aside from the slight furrowed brow of frustration, the Firronthix's face remained unchanged as he spoke up. "Yeah. This is a problem," he stated before handing the papers back to Ioti. "Maybe not," Hera said, her arms crossing over her chest. "Like Mahsa pointed out, this is a newer group. Not as well established as some of the older crime families on Atrisia," she explained. "That being the case we might be able to pull them out from the root."
"Wouldn't that make the other crime syndicates stronger?" Ayhan asked. "They'll sweep in and take whatevers left."
"Perhaps," Hera admitted. "But at this point, it won't make much of a difference. The Atrisian government has had them backed into a corner for centuries now. They're not the Hutts or Black Sun. Cockroaches, sure, and damn hard to get rid of, but manageable. The death of our poor senator here," she gestured towards the now cold corpse on the ground, "while sad, is a fluke. And completely unintentional if our assumptions are correct."
"Ok, fine, but still. We're here to investigate the murder, and arrest the culprit," Ayhan reminded the Twi'lek, "not take down an entire criminal organization."
Hera looked over to Ioti with a smile. "Well, our interests do align at the moment," she said. "So I don't see any reason why we couldn't at least help out, right? What do you say, master? It'll be like old time."

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

His piercing gaze carried with it a pressure the Kazelrrian couldn’t shake off, involuntarily trying to become smaller as a result, and it’s only when he finally focused on her master that Mahsa felt she could breathe again. Small steps had unconsciously carried her closer to the Echani, her presence alleviating some of the distress deeply nestled within her chest, as the fruits of their investigation were shared with the other pair.

Golden eyes carefully watched as Hera and Ayhan discussed among themselves, her attention naturally drawn towards the pink hued Twi’lek. She was one of the many Knights and Masters that Mahsa had come across in the Temple as a youngling, and one of the few with whom the Kazelrrian had felt comfortable around during the early days… though she would’ve never imagined being picked up by the same Jedi that had trained Vahr.

”What do you say, master? It'll be like old times.” The smile dancing on Hera’s lips brought the padawan back to the present, a nervous glance spared towards the Firronthix as she wondered what he thought about this.

”Rarely do missions work out as we wish them to, but life would be boring if we could predict it all.” Silver eyes looked towards her padawan before quietly shifting towards the Firronthix bound to her old apprentice. ”Shall we see what lessons are in store for our two padawans, Hera?”

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

"Perfect," Hera grinned at her old master. "In that case, let's finish up here. Get some food, discuss next steps. Come on, we'll tell the officers that the senator is ready to be sent to the morgue now," she said, already moving towards the door that Ioti and Mahsa had come through. Ayhan followed the Twi'lek, pausing only to tell the officers posted at the door that they were done now.

After a trip down the hall and a silent elevator ride, the Jedi were able to exit from the building's lobby, and as soon as she was outside, Hera immediately looked down one end of the street they were on, then the other. "Ayhan, you've got a sharp nose. Find somewhere good for us to eat," Hera said with a mischievous delight. "I'm not a dog," Ayhan said, a faint growl lying somewhere beneath his clipped words. Hera gave him a look somewhere between an apology and sympathy. "Ask a local. I've never been here before. Obviously."

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

She hadn’t looked at the Firronthix for long, afraid to earn another hard stare from Ayhan, so her eyes had trailed towards the only other figure in the room… unalived as he was. Part of her was thankful that his head faced the opposite direction of where Mahsa stood, but a single earlier glimpse had been enough to burn the expression the man wore into her mind for an eternity.

”Mahsa?”
"C-Coming!"

A few steps and one awkwardly silent (at least for her) elevator ride later found the quartet on the outside of the mansion. She was thankful for the breath of fresh air as the night chill wrapped around them, washing away the lingering scent of blood and death that clung to their frames.

The edges of her lips curled into a faint smile when Mahsa heard the silvery tones of Hera, though it quickly disappeared as she picked up the low growl that lay hidden behind his words. If Hera would’ve chanced a glance towards her old master she would’ve recognized the look in Ioti’s gaze, before the youngest in their midst piped up once more.

"T-There’s a place not too far from here that we could g-go…?" The glance she gifted Ayhan lasted less than a second before the Kazelrrian chose to focus on the friendly Twi’ lek instead, palms quietly grasping the sleeves of her robe as she continued. "It’s an izu... ize..."

”Izekaya.” Her master offered, nodding softly in her padawan’s direction. "Right, izekaya! The owner’s really nice, and his food is amazing~" Her face lit up as she spoke of the small hole-in-the-wall, the tips of her hair becoming sunlit strands as she gushed over some of the dishes that had captivated her palate the most.

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

The Firronthix looked at Mahsa with a degree of impassivity, the stuttering words only given enough attention to deduce if there was edible food. The way the girl spoke, it was impossible to tell until her master swooped in and saved her, providing the proper term for...whatever an izekaya was. The tips of Mahsa's snow white hair shifted, a sunny golden blonde, reflecting her anticipation. Her excitement at least indicated the food was good. If there was one thing that even Ayhan could not deny about Mahsa, it was that her love of food usually lead her to make reliable choices when it came to food establishments.

"Welp, sounds good to me!" Hera said with an equally bright smile. "Ayhan, any objections?"
"None." Possibly the kindest the boy had been thus far.
"Alright then, lead the way, Mahsa," the Twi'lek said, gesturing for the girl to take charge. The four fell into step alongside each other, Ayhan bringing up the rear beside Ioti while Hera walked next to Mahsa, eager to gossip with the girl. "So how's training with my old master? I wanna know if she's still up to all her old tricks."

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

"O-Okay!" Nervous as she was to have Knight Vahr’s attention on her Mahsa still managed to stutter an agreement about her new task. Thankfully the izekaya had left enough of an impression on the Kazelrrian, becoming a frequent spot for them the last few days, and the padawan felt confident enough to not lead the group astray as they began walking down the road.

She was surprised however to find the pink Twi’lek at her side as they walked, the Kazelrrian unable to keep herself from glancing back towards Ayhan and her master, before the hushed whispers of the older woman caught her attention.

"Tricks…?" There was a faint tilt of her head as she spoke, eyebrows furrowed slightly in thought before one rose up questioningly.

If Ioti had any concerns about the Kazelrrian guiding them towards the food establishment the Echani didn’t show it, calmly matching the pace of the Firronthix when her old apprentice rushed ahead to catch up with the girl.

"I hope she’s not giving you too much trouble," Her gaze remained on the two figures ahead as the Twi’lek leaned closer to Mahsa, a small smile tugging at the corner of Ioti’s lips. She didn’t need to eavesdrop to know what they were talking about, able to guess from their body language alone.

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

"Oh, you know," Hera said, making an exaggerated show out of rolling her eyes. "She used to do all that weird..." Hera frowned as she tried to figure out the right word, her brows knitting together as she sifted through her mental dictionary, "motherly thing?" It wasn't exactly the word Hera had wanted to use, especially as she didn't really know what Ioti and Mahsa's relationship was like...but if she knew her old master, she could guess. "She can always tell what you're thinking. Doesn't really say it, but she gives you that look all the time. I swear, she has to know telepathy or something."

Behind the two women, Ayhan grunted and shrugged at Jigora's own statement. "You would know better than I," the Firronthix said, his eyes firmly fixed on the two ahead of them. "Jumps in head first, expects me to pull her out of the deep end." let out a small sound of annoyance. It seemed he attracted those kinds of people. "How did she make Knight?" the man asked, looking towards the oldest of them.

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

The soft frown that pulled Mahsa’s eyebrows close together finally let up as the Twi’lek’s words sparked little thoughts and memories to the forefront of her mind. All traces of subtlety were lost when her stare rested heavily on her master as the Kazelrrian glanced back for the second time in less than a couple of moments, before quickly turning towards Hera with a nod.

"Y-Yeah, it does feel motherly..." It hadn’t clicked in her mind until now, but every story and textual definition that the Kazelrrian could recall about how a mother should have been like seemed to align with the experiences Mahsa had shared so far with her master—"Wait, she gave you that look too?!"

A spark flared to life within her gaze then as a fiery shade crept up the tips of her hair when a new possibility was brought forth, the skin atop her cheeks and tip of her ears burning up as her fingers clutched the fabric of her sleeves tightly. "Y-You don’t think she can really read thoughts though… r-right?"

”Perhaps, or perhaps not. The Hera you know today has come a long way from the youngling I first met.” Ioti’s voice was calm and even as she observed her old and new apprentice as they interacted, though she couldn’t help the slight lilt at the end or the soft chuckle that escaped soon after.

”Believe it or not she wasn’t always this… vibrant.” Her gaze finally shifted away from the pair ahead to look at the Firronthix, the intensity lurking within those silvery depths barely concealed as she studied him.

”All living creatures have their share of worries and insecurities,” It wasn’t rare for personal experiences and outside pressures to weigh down the younger minds of the temple, but it didn’t take an Echani to see the heavy weight that Ayhan carried on his shoulders. ”Some just hide them better than others.”

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

There were a few brief moments as Mahsa thought where she brows furrowed together, and a slow grin crept onto Hera's face as those moments drew on. Hera was most certainly correct, she didn't need Mahsa's verbal affirmation to know that. "Wait, she gave you that look too?!" Hera couldn't help but laugh brightly, at the girl's surprise. "Oh yes. The 'Ioti Special'," Hera said, still chuckling. "She used to give me that look all the time. It always drove me crazy, but I usually deserved it." Hera had the look burned into her retinas at this point. Something caught between sternness and a frank 'really?' And always at the right time, when Hera needed it.

"Why not?" Hera commented on the possibility of Ioti being able to use telepathy. "It's been done before. Its inherent to the Setarans, and even some Jedi have been able to use the ability before, but that's pretty rare. But still, maybe." Hera had spent many nights awake wondering if it was one of the woman's best and worst kept secrets, or if Hera was just letting herself go crazy.

"Perhaps, or perhaps not. The Hera you know today has come a long way from the youngling I first met." It was not so much an answer, to Ayhan's question as it was an errant thought. Or at least, that's what it seemed. "Believe it or not she wasn't always this… vibrant."
"Is that so," the Firronthix said before he felt the master's eyes boring into him. Ayhan's gaze shifted and met hers. Eyes, pools of silver. There was an endless depth to them, the wisdom of many years. Eyes that judged him, attempted to peel him away, layer by layer. Ayhan broke eye contact first.

"All living creatures have their share of worries and insecurities, some just hide them better than others."
"Mm." Whether it was Hera, Mahsa, or Ayhan Jigora was referring to, he didn't know. Maybe it was herself. No answers, just more questions. Typical Jedi sithspit.

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

The ‘Ioti Special’… A nod was given as she pondered over the name, finding it perfectly fitting to describe the look her master would sometimes give her. "Ahaha... you’re right on that last part." Mahsa had only seen it a handful of times so far, but each one had certainly been well earned… she was thankful that her master was a patient one.

"Why not?" Hera’s words did little to calm the Kazelrrian’s racing thoughts however. Mahsa knew from books and lessons that telepathy was inherent for some species, and there were even a few records of Jedi displaying such a skill.

"I h-hope not…" The orange shades crept up the snow white strands as Mahsa thought about it more, unnerved by the idea that her master could just barge into her mind and read her personal thoughts. "She—She would’ve t-told us if she could… right?"

Ayhan had been the first to break eye contact as the Firronthix turned his head, a quiet ”Mm.” putting an early end to their conversation shortly after. The thinnest of smiles formed on Ioti’s lips as she observed him, but whatever curiosity she held for Hera’s first padawan was placed on hold when the first ripple nudged against her mind.

”Hera.” That all too familiar gaze settled on the pink Twi’lek and the young apprentice at her side, a startled jump and a squeak escaping Mahsa as she heard her master’s voice. That single moment of silence almost felt like an eternity for the Kazelrrian, but it was the recognition of a fixture that finally spurred the padawan to act.

A hand hastily reached out for Hera’s before lightly tugging at the Knight, pointing towards the nearby alleyway. "W-We’re almost there!" The entrance was accessible just a few steps into the tight space, inconspicuous save for the simple banner that adorned the top of its frame.

”Irasshaimase!” A rough and booming voice greeted them as they entered, the energetic smile a sharp contrast to the various creases and wrinkles on the man’s face. ”Ooh, almost thought you wouldn’t come by tonight—and with company this time.”

He waved towards the small space composed of two tables and a few stools that lined the counter from which the man worked, a clear sign that they were free to take their pick.

---

Ayhan ​