Private Sow

[Auteme]

The Ashina estate's landing pads were still full, many ships spilling over into nearby fields and clearings; the influx of Jedi to their council remained even this late into the night (it was closer to morning, now, but Auteme still laboured under the impression she would be able to sleep tonight). At this hour no one was out, a few small and excitable groups planning and working, the rest taking up rooms for the night.

No one but her and her niece. She made her way down, guided partly by the Force, and then the sound of rustling movement; the removal of tarp, rise of the canopy, packing of bags. She caught her niece putting her stuff in the X-wing's small storage compartment.

"Tight fit," she said. She reached to her bag and produced a small paper bag, Dordalone's printed on its side. Over the years she'd been practically a donut shipper to Concord Dawn; one of the few things Loske missed from Coruscant. Her daughters had developed much the same taste, with Auteme's help. "Any more room?"

She beckoned the girl down.

Talin Treicolt ​

 

[Talin Treicolt]

That dark cloud still writhed above her head. The work of loading and pre-flight checks had taken the roamin' thoughts away, but she just couldn't shake the lastin' dread. She and Tansu shoulda been locked in the guest quarters gossipin' 'till the sun came up and eatin' junk food. Instead, she was takin' off, and didn't know when she'd be back. Aunt Auteme's voice broke her brooding. Instinctively, she almost snapped a response, but her eyes wandered side long to the donuts. A short nod was allowed before she came down off the ship.

"Thanks. Dunno when I'll get anymore of these."

She took the bag of donuts when offered up, peekin' inside. Her favorite. Talin gave a begrudging smile before stuffing her mouth forcefully with fried dough.

"Sorry our visit got cut short." She pushed out between chewing. "None of it was supposed ta be this way."

Suddenly, she had lost her appetite. The donut was put back in the sack and rolled up for safe keeping. Eyes on the floor, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I don't think I fix this one."

 

[Auteme]

Auteme’s now-vast Force abilities got put to use weaving a bench for them to sit on. It was easy, a low spring dew was already forming. Her mist-weaving was effortless. She sat, and beckoned her niece, in part so she could grab a donut of her own. She hadn’t been to Coruscant in years now, and it’d likely be even longer with the Empire in the Core. "It'll be a while, yeah."

She took it in silence, letting Talin stew for a couple more moments, before giving a simple nod. "Su was pretty upset."

There was a part of her -- the part that had brought her to the Chancellor's office -- that was mapping routes of conversation, responses, results. There were a great many ways to make this worse, a great many things she did not know. The twins had grown up so much in a short few years, lives so far diverged from when she'd seen them last. What story could she tell, lesson could she impart?

No, it was a question that had forced Jonath's hand before. She gave the same to Talin. "So, what are you going to say to her?"

Talin Treicolt ​