Private Totally Legal

[Shai Maji]

Onderon/Iziz​

14:22 local time​

Onderon was always a planet Shai enjoyed. It was a nice combination between funky jungles and nice big cities. It was also quite under the radar for someone like her, so whenever she had opportunities there she jumped for them as quickly as possible. This round was a simple job. She had to meet with a supplier, pick up the guns, and fly off to their destination. Quick, simple, and easy money. She hoped that something else would come up, some extra creds wouldn't hurt at all.

She sat on a bench in the capital's marketplace. A cigarette in her mouth, a cool smoothie in one hand and her datapad in the other. Every now and then a snicker or chuckle would erupt from her as she browsed through her social media feed. She still had a few hours to herself until she had to meet her supplier. After a while she was getting bored and decided to wander around a little. After putting her datapad away she slipped on a pair of aviators and tossed her cigarette bud on the ground. She slipped an earphone into her one ear and put on a song before strolling through the marketplace. She nodded along lightly to the beat and mouthed the lyrics along with the song as she walked with a spring in her step.

Her train of thought was derailed when she saw a food stand selling all kinds of delicious looking meals. "Oh hell yeah." she said to herself, wandering over to it and immediately hitting a crossroad on what to buy...

Zemira

 

[Zemira]

The Jedi Order had a positive relationship with Onderon and as such had deployed a Jedi Knight to oversee trade talks on the planet as an unbiased third party and to maintain the peace. Everything had run smoothly, these things usually did on developed planets such as Onderon, but taking the precaution was always necessary and was good practice for those times when situations did get out of hand.

Zemira had completed her assigned duties with the trade deals ending earlier than expected so she had a few hours before the public transport she needed would take her off-world. Free time was such a luxury that was rare to her, if not all Jedi. There was always something to do, whether it be practical training or as simple as reflection through meditation, the Jedi did not value idleness so Zemira was at a loss when she had hours before she was due to leave. She had never had a dull day as far as she could remember. Her first memory was of the inside of a smuggling ship and it had all been chaos from there on.

She walked through the market in search of somewhere quiet, wearing her standard Jedi robes. The smell of food immediately drew her off task and towards a nearby food stall but as she was approaching she sensed a danger and moments later a pickpocket swooped in and took a small bag of credits from someone in line. Without so much as a second thought, Zemira leapt into action and jumped onto his back to take him to the ground. She snatched the credits from him while he lay stunned on the floor and stayed on top of him with her knee pressed into his back until the authorities led him away and then walked back over to the stall to return the contents to their owner.

Although she was pretty sure she knew the answer, she had to check anyway. "Are you ok?" She asked. The young woman looked capable of handling her own pickpockets, only the Jedi hadn't given her a chance to react.


Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

While Shai was just minding her own business and having her mouth water from all the delicious food, someone decided to ruin her day. She felt the tug from her pocket and instinctively looked at the guy who just stole her wallet. "Hey, get back here you twerp!" she shouted as she raced after him. But out of nowhere, a Jedi leapt up and landed on him, crashing him into the ground. Shai quickly caught up and stood over the criminal. "You got knocked the kark out, man!" she shouted into his face as the authorities approached.

He was quickly taken away and the Jedi approached her, handing back her money. "Oh, thanks!" she proclaimed happily as she checked her wallet. "That was pretty kriffing awesome, what you did there." she said with a nod at the criminal. "You want something to eat? Come on, I'll buy you something. It's the least I can do to say thanks." she rambled on and pretty soon she had an arm around the Jedi's neck, dragging her back to the food stall with a happy smile. "You're a Jedi, right? Can't say I've ever met a Jedi before, so this is shaping up to be a very interesting trip." she kept on rambling as they reached the stall. Of course, the line didn't wait up for her and her spot was taken by another. She frowned and let go of the Jedi. "Hey, move it! Move it! Got a hero coming through!" she shouted at the people as she shooed them away.

The people did exactly what she asked, though likely because of her voice than her words, and soon they were at the front again. She got them both some kind of wrap stuffed with all kinds of delicious ingredients. "There we go, enjoy!" she said with a wide, toothy grin as she handed her one. "The name's Shai. What do I call you, miss Jedi?" she introduced herself as she led the way out of the line.

Zemira

 

[Zemira]

Zemira wasn't sure what she had been expecting when the stranger greeted her but she sure wasn't expecting to be met with such enthusiasm. The other woman spoke in a whirlwind of words, barely leaving space for the Jedi to get a word in. "Oh, er..." She started to answer the question but it was answered for her. "You don't have to, it's really no trouble." She attempted to refuse politely but it seemed futile. The other woman looped an arm around her neck which surprised Zemira but she made no attempt to free herself though she found the situation rather odd.

She couldn't manage to get another word in before they got to the front of the queue, although she made an attempt to dispute her over-dramatic reaction, it was too late. "There's really no need-" She started but sighed in defeat when it became apparent it would get her nowhere and accepted the food from the woman. "Thanks." She replied with a grateful smile. It was unlikely to receive hostility on Onderon since it was under the influence of the Silver Jedi, however she had never expected such a positive response.

The Knight accompanied her new companion for the meantime; it wasn't as though she had anywhere else to be and the other woman seemed keen on continuing the conversation so it would be rude to leave now. "Zemira." She replied. "Nice to meet you, Shai. Are you an off-worlder too?" She asked before taking a mouthful of the wrap. Although surprised at first, she had to admit it was nice to have such a genuine interaction with someone who didn't just treat the Jedi as the pawn of the Order. "What are you doing on Onderon?" She asked out of curiosity.


Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

Of course the hyperactive and very enthusiastic Shistavanen didn't even give her half a chance to get a word in as she rambled away. At least the girl could introduce herself and ask why Shai was there to begin with. "Oh yeah, I'm here for work. I'm a delivery girl, actually. I'm waiting for the guys to contact me over where to get their stuff." she explained happily, keeping the fact that she was actually a gun runner to herself. "And you? What's a Jedi doing all the way over here? Aren't you guys supposed to be fighting the Sith or something?" she asked her.

She sat down on a park bench before taking a massive bite of her wrap. Her eyes closed as she moaned in delight. "Oh mhan, tha'sh goodh." she mumbled with a mouth full of food before swallowing and taking another big bite. This was definitely money well spent. "So what's it like being a Jedi? My dad always went on that you guys were nothing but trouble, but my mom was a big fan. So I'm actually stoked to be able to meet an actual Jedi!" she rambled on again, before helping herself to another bite. "Do you actually have a laser sword on you? I've heard so much stuff about it but never actually seen it. Don't suppose you can gimme a sneak peak, do ya?" she asked her, leaning into her as if they were best friends. The toothy grin didn't falter for a moment.

A ping came through on her datapad, and after checking it out she looked a little nervous."Hey, sorry if it's a bother, but umm...do you think you can show me to the industrial area?" she asked her, hoping that Zemira would be able to help her out.

Zemira

 

[Zemira]

The words delivery girl immediately stood out in Zemira's mind and she listened intently to what Shai had to say next. From her time living with smugglers she had learned that some people used mundane words to conceal a more unsavoury truth and while she had no reason not to trust Shai, she was wary of what the other woman told her. "We are fighting the Sith but... we have other duties as well. I was here to oversee trade talks to ensure that the peace was kept and everything ran smoothly." She replied. Shai's view seemed to be the common view of the Jedi but it wasn't always as glamorous as people believed it to be.

Zemira joined her new friend on the bench and smiled to herself in amusement at Shai's reaction to the food. She was used to simplistic food so this was a welcome treat. "Oh it's um..." She pondered, wondering how she could possibly sum up her life to someone who knew nothing about it. "Well it's not always death and glory." She started. "We are keepers of the peace after all so we spend a lot of time ensuring that the peace is kept which isn't always as exciting as everyone seems to believe." She replied.

"A lightsaber? Yeah." She moved some fabric from her hip to reveal the silver hilt attached at her waist. "I'd rather not brandish it publicly though without actually being under threat." She told Shai before moving her hand away from the weapon. The woman seemed to be acting as though the pair were very familiar and was very confident about doing so which Zemira felt was peculiar but she seemed nice enough so she wasn't uncomfortable. "Mhmm." She said through a mouthful of food. "Sure, I'll take you there." She replied before standing to lead the way. "So where are you from?" She tried to make polite conversation as she led Shai to where she needed to go.


Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

"Oh snap." Shai said rather enthusiastically as she saw the hilt on the girl's hip. She really wanted to see it in action, though she had heard that Jedi were a bunch of buzzkills when it came to that. Her explanation of her duties were what got Shai really curious. "Peacekeeping? Come on! How can that be boring? You get to kick criminal butt and all kinds of things." she commented, only realizing afterwards that what she said may be attributed to her as well...and she didn't like getting her butt kicked.

She agreed to take her to the industrial area and the Shistavanen gave her a big smile. "Thanks!" she said as she gave her a nudge with her shoulder. As they started to walk, Zemira asked about where she came from. A cackling laugh escaped Shai as she held onto the last bite of her wrap. "From absolutely nowhere...quite literally. I was born on a hyperspace lane and moved around as my parents worked all over the galaxy. You could say I'm quite a free spirit." she explained casually before finishing off her wrap and throwing the wrapper in a bin. She then reached into her pocket and fished out her packet of cigarettes. She popped one into her mouth and lit it before offering Zemira the packet. "Not sure if Jedi do the smoking thing, but feel free to take one if you want." she offered her.

"And you? Judging by the gorgeous looks you're probably from Hapes, right?" she guessed as she looked her over. "Or did you grow up in the Jedi?" she continued as she realized her assumption might be a little off. "Um...sorry if I'm being a little forward over here. I won't lie, I'm actually a little nervous." she admitted with a softer tone, realizing she might be overwhelming the poor girl...

Zemira

 

[Zemira]

It wasn't necessarily that she didn't want to brandish a lightsaber because the Jedi would condemn it but because she personally believed it to be unwise. It was a weapon after all and she was supposed to maintain the peace, not cause the unrest. "It depends what kind of job you get. I mean they're all important but some are more... eventful than others." She told Shai. "Kicking criminal butt isn't so much the aim as it is the byproduct of keeping the peace." She replied. Due to her past, she could empathise with those the galaxy considered criminals; she was aware that for some it was a desperate attempt to survive in a galaxy that didn't care for them and she could not judge them for trying to live in unfortunate circumstances.

"No worries." She replied with a smile as the other woman nudged her. "Oh wow, yeah it does seem that way." Zemira said in response to hearing Shai's story. She could relate to her experiences somewhat since she spent five years of her childhood living on a ship with no place to call home so she at least had something in common with Shai. "Oh, no thanks. I don't think the Jedi prohibit it specifically but it's a personal preference for me." She refused politely.

Zemira nodded in response before clarifying, unfazed by the compliment as she frequently heard them. "Yeah, Hapes... for a while at least. Then with the Jedi for the last fifteen years." She replied though she skipped the part where she lived with smugglers as she preferred to keep that part of her history private lest she face prejudice from people who weren't as understanding as her. She doubted Shai would be someone who judged her for it but it was still a personal information that she didn't feel was appropriate to share with a practical stranger.


Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

As she suspected, the Jedi refused the offer and Shai simply slid the packet back into her pocket. She then explained where she came from. The number she gave, though, intrigued Shai. "Fifteen? Wow. Don't you, like, get tired or something of working for the Jedi after so many years? Do you guys actually get breaks at all?" she asked her before taking a long drag of her cigarette. She made extra sure not to blow the smoke into her new friend's face as they walked.

After walking for quite a while, with Shai keeping the conversation going nonstop, they entered the industrial district of the city. Around the same time, a ping came through again on her datapad. "Sorry, lemme just check this real quick..." she trailed off as she pulled out her datapad. For a brief moment Zemira might be able to see exactly what Shai was supposed to be delivering before the Shistavanen put away her datapad once more. "Now where would I find warehouse forty-two?" she asked Zemira with a happy smile. "You know, I like you! I'm actually hoping we'll bump into each other again. Usually people will bail on me after chatting like we did. But you're still here. I wish the galaxy had more folks like you." she complimented her as she wrapped an arm around Zemira's shoulders to hold her close as they walked.

"We should totally go out and do some stuff if we get the chance. I've been dying to go to Randon for a bunch of stuff. Their shopping malls got everything from clothes to guns. I saw this beautiful Westar pistol with Krayt bone grips and a sleek silver finish for sale there a while back on the holonet. And it's Mandalorian built so you know it's solid." she rambled again, probably losing Zemira completely with her talking. The smile on her lips quickly faded as she looked at Zemira again. "Uh...you probably don't care about stuff like that as much as I do. Sorry." she apologized with a nervous chuckle.

Zemira

 

[Zemira]

"Not really." Zemira shrugged. "It's no different tot any other job." And it wasn't as though she had any other option, she had no education or skills outside of the Jedi... it was all that she was good at. "Not breaks as such but you're not on an assignment every day so you do get some free time though you're usually expected to train or do something productive. The Jedi don't value idleness." She replied. It was refreshing to talk to someone who seemed interested in the Jedi, not everyone was quite as receptive of the Jedi.

For a moment she saw an opportunity to peer over and see what was on Shai's datapad but out of respect she chose against it. Although she was sceptical of Shai being a delivery girl as she had claimed, she didn't trust her any less because she suspected she may have been being flexible with the truth, after all, after all she had done the same by omitting part of her history. "Over here." She took a turn and led Shai towards a warehouse not far away. "Aw, thanks, I've enjoyed talking to you. Not many people tend to talk to me. I suppose some people feel intimidated by the Jedi." She pondered for a moment. "But one of the perks is meeting all kinds of people and I enjoy that." She said with a smile.

"If I can manage to find some free time then I don't see why not." She replied. It was a proposition she had never been given before but she was starting to warm up to Shai even though they had only just met; her confidence had earned her respect. "I can't say I know much about weapons, you know... keeper of the peace and all. A lightsaber is all I'm used to." She responded. A few moments later, she halted outside of a warehouse and looked up at it with her hands on her hips. "This is it." She told Shai. "What are you delivering?" She asked before quickly following up with "If you want to say that is... though I'm not law enforcement." She tried to reassure her.


Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

"Anytime! I can't imagine why people will be intimidated...well, I can imagine. But probably only if you tick one off, right?" she answered the woman. "Meeting people is really fun, I'd die if I can't talk to people. Hell, flying through hyperspace can get boring and there's only so much you can talk about with an astromech droid." she chuckled at the thought of what she and Baby have chatted about through the long flights of hyperspace.

She admitted not knowing anything about weapons and all that jazz, which annoyed Shai. "Oh man, just wait until you get your hands on a proper blaster. Like a classic DL-44 or those pulse rifles. Damn dangerous but damn fun, lemme tell ya!" she patted the pistol in a well-worn holster hanging loosely from her hip. "Though so far I got this baby and boy is it a treat." she looked back up at her with a grin. "Guns are kind of a pastime for me...but don't get me started on explosives!" she proclaimed then immediately regretted it. There was probably no reason somebody like her needed to know the ins and outs of explosives. Hopefully Zemira didn't ask about that.

They finally arrived and Zemira popped the dreaded question: what was her cargo? For a moment Shai had a hint of nervousness in her eyes but it was gone in a flash. "Raw materials. Not every company can be Incom or Kuat Drive Yards, so small time freighter pilots like me need to fly around their stuff. I need to just make sure the stuff is right before I load them up. Can't fly all the way to the other side of the galaxy and then find out it's all wrong, right?" she explained happily.

"Well it's been great to meet ya, Zemi! You mind if I call you Zemi?" she greeted perhaps a bit too hastily before throwing her arms around her for a great, affectionately tight hug. "Don't be a stranger!" she said with a wave of her hand as she walked off towards the door. She knocked and a rather sketchy looking guy opened. He looked at Zemira rather suspiciously but opened the door wider for Shai to enter. "Bye!" she called out before disappearing into the warehouse.

Zemira

 

[Zemira]

"Well..." She started but Shai continued rambling on before she could get another word in. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I used to be like that but I have a Padawan now and it's like having a shadow." She commented. Her Padawan certainly made for interesting conversation but he could get on her nerves all the same. "DL-44... Right..." She repeated, clearly clueless. At the mention of explosives, Zemira frowned a little, puzzled as to why a simple delivery girl, as she claimed to be, would know about explosives. Unsure how to bring it up without making the situation awkward or making Shai defensive, she decided to leave it for now, at least until she saw an opportunity.

"Oh, ok." She replied in a calm tone despite her scepticism. "Yeah, sure, everyone else does." She responded with a shrug and a warm smile, though her suspicions of Shai were growing. "Oh, er... ok." She hugged Shai in return before the latter turned and walked towards the warehouse. She watched after her apparent new friend as she disappeared into the warehouse behind a rather suspicious looking man and her own suspicions peaked enough for her to investigate further so she immediately went around the side of the warehouse to look for another entrance.

There were stairs leading up to a second door which was guarded by two armed men but she was keen to gain access to the building in fear of Shai's safety. Seeing no other option, she approached the men who looked at each other and then at the Jedi before them. "Can we help you?" One of them asked, confused. Zemira raised a hand and waved it across both mens' faces as she said "You will let me into the building peacefully." To which both men repeated what she said and stepped aside to let her into the warehouse. Once inside, she avoided being spotted and followed the sound of voices from below until she was at a comfortable distance. She was, arguably, acting outside of the Jedi jurisdiction but she could see so much of herself in Shai and didn't want her to get hurt, or worse - killed.


Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

Inside, Shai put on her game face. Instead of a genuinely happy smile, was a rather unsettling smirk on her face. "Yo, Ziggy! I'm here! Let's get down to business!" she called out as she waved at a Weequay who leaned against a bunch of crates stacked together. "That Jedi harpy outside wasn't exactly supposed to be here." he said with an annoyed tone. "Oh don't worry about her! She won't bother us. Now, about that shipment. Let's go over the details before I get shot on delivery. Job card said Mimban, right? Some restock of weapons and gear for the rebels?" she asked, making sure she had it all correct. "I am worrying about her, you hairy brick." he said rather aggressively, pushing off the crates and facing her fully.

Shai's eye twitched slightly at his insult. "Listen, man. She isn't a bother. She's just a girl I chatted up to try and get lucky with. She's not a cop, so get off my case." she fired back, her cheerful voice starting to turn angry. "She's a karking Jedi!" he shouted, his goons drawing their weapons. Shai instinctively did the same and pointed her pistol at the guy closest to her. "They always interfere! So why the kark should I let you have the guns?!" he asked her, tapping his holster.

Shai looked back at him with burning red eyes. "'Cause when I say I'm on top of something, I don't lie! Now drop your guns and stop being a paranoid little skug." she ordered, pointing her gun at him. He didn't flinch at all. He merely smirked and looked at his men. "What reason do we got to believe you? Some second rate gun runner doing all the bad jobs. Now why don't you drop your gun an' get out of here." he said with authority. Shai didn't back down as she looked between them. Tensions were rising and if she didn't back down, bolts were gonna fly. But she also knew turning her back on them would also get her shot.

"Sorry, man. Ain't gonna happen. I came here for a job. So let's cut the bantha crap and talk business already!" she ordered, glaring at the men.

Behind her, some other men were surrounding her and cutting her off. They weren't going to let her go...

Zemira

 

[Zemira]

Zemira caught on in the middle of the conversation and listened curiously at the exchange between Shai and a man but it soon became apparent that the source of the conflict was the fact Shai had arrived in the company of a Jedi. From the moment she saw the man at the door, Zemira imagined that this would've been an issue and feared for Shai's safety - this only confirmed her concerns were correct. The conversation also confirmed that Shai wasn't quite the simple delivery girl she claimed to be but Zemira didn't judge her any differently nonetheless, after all she had suspected it from the start.

There was a large empty space in the centre of the warehouse and the walls were lines with a walkway above the ground. There were a few people milling about further along the walkway but Zemira stood well away from them and relied on the Force to give her guidance on what was happening below while she remained hidden in the shadows as best she could.

The tension below continued to grow until the conversation seemed to stop which alarmed Zemira - clearly the time for talking was over. Not willing to risk Shai getting injured, she ran to the edge of the platform and placed both hands on the railing that lined it, pushing herself up and over it to flip and land next to Shai with her lightsaber ignited and held tightly in both hands. Without a moment's hesitation, a handful drew blasters but then seemed hesitant to respond, unsure how they would fare against a Jedi.

"Let us leave peacefully and no one will get hurt." She offered the group who exchanged glances but some returned to her with a glare. "I'm not here to stop you from doing whatever it is you're doing, I just want to protect her. Shoot at me and I will tell the Order about this operation." She spoke calmly and carefully. Some of the thugs exchanged glances again though it seemed like they couldn't make a decision between them. With blasters trained on them, Zemira remained poised and placed herself between Shai and the blasters as best she could.


Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

Suddenly Zemi landed next to her, glow stick in hand. Shai lit up immediately. "Ha! What was that, Ziggy?!" she shouted rather confidently, holding her gun sideways. With Zemi checking the front, Shai glanced behind her. "Get the kark back, thank you!" she shouted, spinning around and holding the gun at one of them.

Ziggy started to chuckle, glaring at Zemi. "You can't take us all, Jedi! So why don't you do us all a favour and not make it hard for yourself? We'd hate to damage the goods on a promising product." he spoke, levelling his gun at Zemi. Shai turned back around and looked at him. That's when she noticed it.

A couple barrels of fuel. Highly explosive. Shai gave one last smirk and a shrug, making sure her gun's barrel pointed at the barrels. "Sorry, sweetheart, we're not for sale." she quipped before pulling the trigger. The shockwave sent everyone to the ground as the flames enveloped Ziggy and a few others. Shai wasted no time in grabbing Zemi's shirt and yanking her to her feet. She continued and wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her moving as she started to make a run for it. "Let's go! Keep those bolts off us!" she screamed as she ran like hell. She fired away to keep the others down before finally reaching the backdoor.

She burst through it and closed it as if it would stop them. "Come on, this way!" she shouted as she grabbed hold of Zemi's wrist and pulled her along. She led her through the alleys and tried to get back to her ship. She stopped, however, to catch her breath once they were a good few blocks away. She holstered her gun and caught her breath before looking back to Zemi. "Zemi, that was awesome!" she squealed and threw her arms around her. She hugged her as tight as possible. "With the glow stick, and the jump and the rush and-oh man that was awesome!" she continued, holding on for dear life on the poor girl. Tight enough for Zemi to hear her heartbeat that was clearly running on adrenaline...

Zemira

 

[Zemira]

"Alright, don't get too cocky." She warned Shai though she didn't seem annoyed. Her companion was certainly confident but being overly so could be costly so she needed to watch her tongue. Though it seemed to have little effect as a man, who she could only assume was Ziggy, continued to threaten the pair and even had the audacity to suggest surrendering. "I think you underestimate me." She replied as she took a defensive stance with her lightsaber raised over her shoulder. But before the situation escalated any further, Shai's eyes seemed to have caught something and with a smirk she made her final declaration.

Before Zemira could comprehend what had happened, she was being pulled back to her feet by Shai and the pair of them were sprinting away, somewhere. "Got it!" She shouted back as she looked over her shoulder and deflected a bolt that came their way and then another two. The thugs didn't quite have their wits about them yet so they weren't drowning in blaster fire but once they caught up they would be and she doubted that she would be able to take all of them, even with Shai's help.

It seemed as though Shai had a real fighting spirit within her, after all, she had done most of the work and was the driving force behind them now. Once they had stopped running, Zemira leaned against a wall as she caught her breath. "Shai..." She started but was interrupted by a tight hug which was half-heatedly returned. Shai seemed alarmingly excited and upbeat about the prospect so Zemira pulled away from the hug with a look of concern. "You need to be careful. I know you need to do what you do to survive but just... keep your wits about you. You could've been killed." She told her, being able to empathise with her position.


Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

Zemi didn't seem too keen on hugging her back, but she was probably still adjusting to what just happened. Shai let go and looked at her with a beaming smile, even as she was scolded. "Oh please!" she scoffed. "I had it under control back there. Besides, I had a feeling you would come snooping around to save me." she ended with a wink. It was a blatant lie and Zemi would know it. Shai just didn't want to admit that she would be dead if she wasn't saved. She threw her arms around Zemi again and pulled her into another hug. "Anyway! Thanks, Zemi!" she thanked her, nuzzling the side of her head as she practically smothered the Jedi.

"Come on! Let's get out of here." she said happily and grabbed her wrist, pulling her along. When they finally arrived at her ship, she asked her droid to open up and led the Jedi on board. "Welcome to my humble abode! Pardon the mess, I wasn't expecting guests." she joked with a cackling laugh, leading her to the mess room past the crates and other clutter lying around.

She threw an arm around her and led her to the kitchen. "So what are you in the mood for? Caf? Sandwich? Whiskey? Hot Chocolate?" she looked back to her and gave a toothy grin. "I'm gonna make us hot chocolate! I only do that for my friends." she proclaimed, giving her a final hug before doing exactly what she said. In no time at all two mugs of hot chocolate were prepared and Shai placed them down on the booth's table. She left her weapons and effects on the counter, scooted in, tucked her knees into her chest and patted the space next to her. "Come on, have a seat." she offered before taking a cup and enjoying a long sip.

"But seriously, thanks for today, Zemi. I definitely did get into a pickle back there." she admitted, tilting her head to look at her. She scooted even tighter against Zemi, making herself comfortable and taking another sip. "This is just awesome. I got saved by a Jedi. Who would have thunk it?" she thought aloud, smiling at her.

Zemira

 

[Zemira]

Zemira frowned, unconvinced by Shai's attitude towards the situation. "Shai, I'm serious. You're going to get yourself killed if you aren't careful." She warned her more sternly and with a look of concern. Shai seemed very cheerful and not at all shaken at what had just happened whereas Zemira was still trying to process the whirlwind of events they had just come from. "You have to look out for yourself." She told Shai with a hint of sympathy as she knew all too well what the galaxy was like for people like her and that looking out for others rarely got you anywhere if you didn't end up dead. "You're... welcome." She replied with a sigh as she finally hugged Shai back with more commitment.

How had this happened? She wondered as she was being dragged back to Shai's ship. Zemira had a few friends within the Jedi Order who she had grown up with but those friendships had taken years of cultivation and even then she didn't have one friend who stood out among the others. She felt as though her past was a barrier between her and her friends when she joined the Order, whether it be actual or perceived and her level of Basic was far behind that of her peers so she struggled to make friends at first and struggled with confidence due to her lack of language skills for many years - it was only in her later Padawan years and Knighthood that she began to thrive and apparently now making friends was as easy as running into them on the street.

Yet again, the Jedi struggled to get a word in before Shai answered her own question again and set off on a quest to make hot chocolate but not without an extra hug for good measure. Zemira was still bewildered by the whole experience that had left her in the ship of someone who was acting like they had been good friends for years. She had experienced hospitality before but this was on another level. "Friends? Uh, ok..." She repeated, though it seemed Shai's attention was on her task.

The Jedi slid into the space next to Shai and wrapped her hands around the mug she had been given and offered the other woman a smile. "Thanks." She said before taking a sip. "Oh, this is good." She told Shai, sounding surprised. Zemira shook her head and raised an eyebrow at Shai. "I think you did most of the saving back there. You were the brains behind it for sure; I just stood there looking pretty." She joked, though she wanted to make it clear she didn't deserve all the credit. "What are you going to do now? Do you have any more jobs?" She asked, hoping Shai had a back-up of some sorts for her income.


Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai beamed at the compliment before taking another sip. "Yeah the stuff's expensive as hell But damn, it's worth the price." she admitted as she helped herself to another sip. Zemi explained that Shai did all the work, but that simply received a hard shake of her head. "Hell no! I didn't do all the work! Between the jumping, surprise and blocking bolts like a pro, you definitely helped out a ton." she assured her, wrapping an arm around her once again and making herself comfortable.

She glanced at Zemi for a moment, giving a shrug. "Not right now, no. But that job wasn't so crucial, I still got creds from my last job. Just gonna keep my ears open for any offers until something pops up again." she explained, swirling her mug a little to mix the hot chocolate at the bottom. "Hey, uh...you're not...you're not gonna arrest me or anything, are you?" she asked her as she looked up at her. "I wouldn't exactly do good in jail." she confessed with a nervous chuckle. "I swear, I'll do anything to have you keep quiet about my work." she said in a much more serious tone, not giving Zemi a chance to reply. "Like, I can drop you off, I can wash your robes, whatever you like." she offered without missing a beat.

She hugged Zemi tighter, finished off her drink then laid her head on Zemi's shoulder. "Pretty please?" she asked her softly, utterly nailing the puppy-eyes even after all these years.

Zemira

 

[Zemira]

Zemira rolled her eyes jokingly. "Yeah but I couldn't have done it without you. Although, granted I wouldn't been there if it weren't for you." She joked but almost caught herself. How was this conversation so easy? She then became a little wary of how tactile and friendly Shai was being. So far she hadn't seemed to have any ulterior motives but now Zemira was questioning that logic, especially as Shai seemed to be so flattering. Did she want something? She wondered.

"Mm yeah, that's probably the best idea." Zemira agreed. "What?" She almost laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, of course not. I told you that's not what I do. It might be a different story for other Jedi but... I appreciate that some people are just trying to get by." She replied in a more serious tone, almost longing to tell Shai about her past but she was still unwilling to share such a personal piece of information with someone she had just met, no matter how friendly or nonthreatening she seemed to be.

Zemira gently pried Shai from her and looked into her eyes. "Shai, I'm not going to arrest you. I've known smugglers and those outside the law, I've even loved them. I know the struggles you face and I know that you need to do what you can to survive." She assured her without revealing too much about herself, though it could open way for some questions she didn't want to answer, she was prepared for that.


Shai Maji