Private Honor Amongst None

[Ayhan]

"She—She would've t-told us if she could… right?" the nervous Kazelrrian stuttered. "You don't know Ioti very well then," Hera laughed in response before the master's sharp voice cut through the air. "What!? I didn't do anything!" Hera responded on reflex. The Twi'lek rolled her eyes before giving Mahsa a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Ioti isn't the type to intrude on your privacy. It's not very Jedi like anyways."

Thankfully for pretty much everyone except Ioti, who probably was not nearly as bothered by someone in their party as the other other three, the ize-whatever-it-was-called was nearby, and walking in, the four were heartily greeted by a Sullustan male, who gestured towards the open seats. Hera made for the tables, figuring that the younger two probably weren't really welcome at the bar-side of the establishment. "Seems like you've been here a lot," the Twi'lek chuckled at the same time as Ayhan lifted a brow towards the Kazelrrian. It seemed more like a Mahsa inclination than a Jigora one to go to the same place to eat over and over again.

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

A weary sigh left the Echani’s lips as her old apprentice shouted her innocence, though she did little to conceal the faint smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. Her current padawan quickly realized where they stood before Ioti had a chance to remind the girl where she was leading the group to, and before long the simple entrance of the izakaya came to view.

”Greetings Utto,” A polite nod was given to the Sullustan behind the counter, followed by the energetic words of her padawan. "Hiii mister Utto, is Illa around tonight?"

”She should be here soon, went to get some last minute things we ran out of earlier today.” A hearty chuckle had prefaced his words, perhaps amused by the young Kazelrrian, before Ioti gently nudged her padawan in the direction of the table that Hera had picked.

”Something like that, this one can’t seem to get enough of their food.” A soft pat was given to Mahsa’s head, the knowing look behind those silver eyes causing the ends of Mahsa's hair to shift from their sunny hue to an auburn shade, before Ioti took her seat across from Hera. The tip of her ears heated up as she finally realized that, regardless of her choice, she’d be forced to face Ayhan.

"I-I’ll get the menus since Illa isn’t here yet…!" It was the only somewhat valid excuse she could think of blurting out, before Mahsa practically bolted towards the counter.

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

Mahsa bolted towards the counter as Ayhan sank into his seat, his dark eyes following her for a moment before he was fully settled next to his master and his attention slipping away to...well, the empty seat across from him. Ayhan bristled slightly at the thought of having to stare right at Mahsa for the next hour, at least, but shoved the sensation aside. Might as well enjoy the metric chit ton of food he was about to consume. No point in letting anything or anyone ruin that for him.

Hera, for her part, was already drumming her fingers impatiently on the table's surface, eager to order and dig in. Her appetite almost rivalled Ayhan's inhuman own. She was just as likely to eat them all out of house and home as the Firronthix was. "How'd you two find this place?" Hera asked, trying to take her mind off her growling stomach.

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

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

---

A faint smile tugged the Echani’s lips as she watched Hera impatiently drum her fingers against the table, aware of her old padawan’s appetite. ”We happened to come across the owner’s daughter on the first day we arrived.” Her current padawan had picked up the distressed cries that day, urging her master down a maze of corridors and alleyways until they’d come across the older girl.

”Some unsavory scoundrels were giving her a hard time apparently, but they bolted shortly after we arrived.” She’d later come to learn they were part of the newly formed Kin Tatsu Ikka. ”She invited us over as a form of thanks, and that one instantly fell in love with their food.”

She gently nodded in the direction of the Kazelrrian, currently busy gathering up four menus before patiently waiting as the older man poured green tea into four small cups. ”Luck would have it that some of their inn rooms were empty too, so we’ve been staying here for the last couple of days.” The location itself had been beneficial for Ioti’s investigations, and the young Kazelrrian had seemed to feel oddly at ease around them.

"I’m b-back!" It wasn’t long before Mahsa returned, a tray carefully balanced between her hands as she gently set it down on the table. "The tea’s on the house, and here are the m-menus…"

Her voice wavered as she handed Ayhan one of them, the other two already given to Ioti and Hera, before the Kazelrrian quietly sank into the remaining chair across from the Firronthix.

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

Hera couldn't help but let out a soft scoff. "Whatever happened to Atrisia being one of the gems of 'civilized' space," the Twi'Lek muttered. Everywhere she went, crime and abuse ran rampant. It was always just a case of who hid it better. Some part of Hera truly wished and hoped that the galaxy could be a better place. Was a better place. Only time would tell, but for now she'd keep doing what a Jedi did best.

"Oh, maybe if your luck holds there'll be a couple extra beds for me and Ayhan too," Hera added after Ioti mentioned they were staying in the inn here. Best guess, it was the rest of the building on top of the izakaya. Some of the lights had been dark as the group had approached, so it seemed like a possibility at the very least.

Both Hera and Ayhan watched as Masha returned, tray in hand, with a number of small cups. Ayhan, from his part, was surprisingly impassive as Mahsa set the tray down and began to pass the steaming cups around, his eyes fixed to the ceramic vessel as he did so. Hera began passing around the menus as Mahsa sat down, and began to browse, thanking Mahsa as she did so.

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

A soft shrug was Ioti’s response to the laments of her old apprentice. "Even the most priceless gems can carry flaws, they’re just harder to spot with the naked eye." Still the Twi’Lek had a valid point, there had been a crime increase throughout the galaxy in the last few months, and she couldn’t fault her for wishing everyone would do better.

"Mmm, that might be a possibility. I believe a pair checked out this morning." Ioti remembered catching as much from their conversation while Mahsa and her had enjoyed a small breakfast in this space. "If your luck hasn’t changed Hera it might still be available, though I wouldn’t put it off for long."

An eyebrow rose quietly into the air as Ioti observed her recent charge, it was impossible to miss the way she constantly avoided looking at Ayhan directly in the eyes or the fiery hues that had taken over the lower half of her hair. Still the Echani chose to say nothing about it, aware that bringing attention to it would only upset her padawan further, as a thankful nod was given when Mahsa handed her one of the menus.

Despite knowing every item almost by heart now the Kazelrrian pretended to focus heavily on them, the familiarity of it preferred against the unknown behavioral roulette that had become prominent of the Firronthix sitting in front of her.

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

"A flawed stone is still worth less," Ayhan pointed out absently, his eyes focussed more on the chef as he cooked than on anything that Ioti and Hera were talking about. For that, Ayhan felt Hera's heel drive itself into the top of his foot. "Ow!" the Firronthix yelped before glaring over at his mentor. "What was that for?" Ayhan asked, to which only Hera replied with an equally fierce glare. Ayhan just averted his eyes and went back to watching the chef, grumbling something about not being entirely wrong. "We'll ask for a couple of rooms later then," Hera said, returning to her conversation with Ioti with a smile.

Taking a menu from Hera, Ayhan's eyes immediately began to search for anything with meat. Anything at all. Appetizers, entrees. With a ravenous fervor that matched his, Hera's eyes scanned across the lines of the menu before she set the menu gently down gracefully as if she hadn't just devoured the whole thing with her eyes. The Twi'lek audibly cleared her throat. "Master, I think after all you've done for me over the years, I should be the one to pay tonight."

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

"Perhaps,"she chuckled, silver eyes resting on the Firronthix who seemed more keen on observing the chef at work than looking at anyone else at their table. "While it’s true that a flaw could lower the gem’s monetary value for some, that doesn’t mean it cannot be worth more in the eyes of another."

The Echani didn’t miss the thump under the table as the Twi’lek stomped on the boy’s foot, though she pretended not to notice as she sipped her tea quietly. He was an interesting one, and Hera would certainly have her hands full with him, but Ioti had no doubt they were still a good pair.

"U-Uhm..." A quiet voice cautiously interrupted once Hera and Ayhan had both grabbed a menu, Mahsa’s gaze focused on her pink colored senior as she spoke. "The p-puffer pig gyoza are really good."

When it looked like she had Hera’s attention the padawan continued. "The sauce is a bit sp-picy, but they still t-taste delicious even without it." A pause followed, perhaps the young girl was trying to gauge if her suggestion was welcomed, before Mahsa continued.

"T-Their tip-yip karaage is also really crunchy and y-yummy." A faint glance was finally given towards Ayhan as she spoke, though her eyes were quick to return before the boy could spot her… hopefully.

It wasn’t a coincidence that the Kazelrrian was suggesting meat-based dishes either, aware perhaps more than everyone except Ayhan himself of the dietary requirements for the Firronthix… and they had also been dishes Mahsa had thought he would enjoy when she’d first tried them here.

"Oh Hera, that is so very kind of you!" Her master had turned towards the Twi’lek when she had cleared her throat, the generous offer made by the younger woman causing Mahsa to gasp in surprise—before her brows furrowed as the girl looked at her menu with great concern.

"Generous as you offer is Hera, I’ll be covering the bill tonight." Ioti had allowed the moment to stretch just long enough where her old apprentice might’ve thought she would truly be saddled with the bill, before a hand rested atop the Kazelrrian’s head to ease Mahsa’s tension. "This one gets extra shy otherwise, and I do want her to be well-fed while she’s growing."

It was impossible to miss the cherry blush that colored Mahsa’s cheeks, the heat rushing to the very tip of her ears as she listened to her master’s words… though the faintest of smiles tugged the corners of her lips as she continued to gaze at her menu.

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

Ayhan made a mental note of Mahsa's suggestions. Even though he'd never been a picky eater, and hadn't become one since being introduced to what Hera called 'real food', Ayhan wasn't one to forgo things that actually tasted good. He'd still eat everything in sight, if given the chance, of course. Besides, Mahsa had proven herself in the past to have good taste in...well, taste.

Meanwhile though, Ayhan's eyes darted over to Hera as soon as she'd opened her mouth. After she'd taken him on as an apprentice, it hadn't taken long for him pick up on some of Hera's habits. Like her general aversion to paying for her own meals, among others. Careful eyes found their way to the eldest of them, and the ravenous duo both waited for her response with bated breath.

"Oh Hera, that is so very kind of you!" Hera had to stop herself from leaning in, something in her blood telling her that Ioti wasn't quite finished speaking, even as Mahsa gasped. "Generous as you offer is Hera, I'll be covering the bill tonight." Both Hera and Ayhan had to make a conscious effort to not begin cheering, instead leaning back in their chairs, and not at all hearing whatever it was that Ioti was still saying, too enamored by the thought of free food to continue to do so.

"Ah, well, in that case, thank you Master," Hera said with all the politeness she could have possibly mustered before kicking Ayhan in the shin to also thank the master. "Ow! Uh, t-thank you, master."

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

Relief washed over Mahsa as she noticed the excited look on both master and padawan once Ioti had confirmed she’d be footing the bill, knowing that her own master’s words after that had probably fallen into deaf ears and spared Mahsa from some of her embarrassment. She’d been weighing the menu options when the sound of the front door sas it slid open caught Mahsa’s attention, the familiar figure of a girl appearing as she carried a large weaved basket towards her father in the kitchen.

”Sorry for the long wait, bit of a busy day today. How can I get you guys started—Mahsa~!” The older girl’s sleek black hair had been tied into a high ponytail to keep it away from her face, a notepad picked on her way to the table as she fell into the routine, before her eyes sparkled upon recognizing the young Kazelrrian and her guardian. ”Almost thought you guys wouldn’t have dinner with us tonight.”

"Things got a little busy today for us too." The young waitress nodded in understanding, back into her role as Illa beamed a smile to the other two present. ”Well I’m glad you guys made it, and I’ll make sure dad puts in his best effort for everyone here~ Already had something in mind, or does everyone need a little bit more time to think?”

Ioti was the first to place an order for a few items; a yakitori assortment of both vegetables and tip-yip, and a lighter potato salad to balance out their richness. Mahsa had followed as the girl ordered the very karaage she’d suggested moments before, along with some of the spicy edamame local to Atrisia that she’d quickly become fond of.

”Alright, we have an order of meat and veggie yakitori, our house potato salad, and spicy edamame… perfect, and what about you guys?” Illia’s attention turned to the Twi’lek and Firronthix next, her smile never fading as she waited for them to order their starters.

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

The waitress arrived just as the group settled on who would be paying tonight. Raven haired, and easily just as talkative as Mahsa. Hera smiled at her in her greeting, whilst Ayhan sank deeper into his chair, looking over at the girl passively. "Sorry for the long wait, bit of a busy day today. How can I get you guys started—Mahsa~!" the girl exclaimed, providing more evidence that the two Jedi had indeed been frequenting the establishment quite a bit. And that Mahsa had been settling into her new role as a Jedi of the People far better than Ayhan had.

The ordering soon began, and Hera gestured for Ayhan to go first. "I'll have the house ramen, berbesian crab roll, burra fish roll, and tempura yobshrimp," the Firronthix ordered. "Thank you," he added quickly, before Hera delivered another swift kick to his shins again. And then it was Hera's turn. The Twi'lek audibly cleared her throat, picked up her menu and began to run her finger down the list. "I'll have the Porg fried rice, broiled hammerfish, crab-stuffed creampuff, gi dumpling soup, nori-crusted redfish, yobshrimp noodle salad, tempura yobshrimp and, uh...Oh yeah, a rainbow roll!"

Hera smiled at the girl as she handed her her menu. "Thank you very much."

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

If she was surprised by the sudden amount of food ordered by one side of the table their young waitress didn’t let it show, her smile never faltering as she nodded patiently as item after item was added to the list. After they were seemingly done the items were sounded off one by one by Illa to confirm nothing had been missed, before the girl gave the group a small bow and headed behind the counter to join her father.

"I see you’ve finally found someone to match your appetite, Hera." The Twi’lek might’ve been able to hide it from their apprentices, but the older Echani knew her well enough to see the relief on her face after Ioti had offered to cover the bill. It took a moment however before Mahsa finally realized she’d been gapping a bit, before the Kazelrrian quickly tried to cover her own surprise by drinking some more of her tea.

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

Even though the waitress was just reading off the list, it was nonetheless impressive that she had not missed a single item from their long list of food. Well, mostly Hera's food. With how fast the girl had been scribbling, Ayhan was almost certain she wouldn't be able to make sense of the scratches, and yet...At some point Ayhan would learn that shorthand was something that existed, but for now, he nodded with quiet admiration.

"I see you've finally found someone to match your appetite, Hera."
"If only he could," Hera responded with a mirthful smirk, to which Ayhan groused: "It's not me that can't keep up, you just eat more food than any other being in the galaxy."
The Twi'lek laughed. "You're a growing boy, you probably should be eating more," she said, as if eating for times the average human wasn't eating 'more'. "What about you, Mahsa?" Hera then asked, turning to the girl. "You're at that age too you know, you can have some of my food if you'd like."

There was a quiet thud from under the table, followed by a look of pain on Hera's face, accompanied by a barely suppressed groan. She slowly turned to glare at Ayhan. "You shouldn't comment on other people's food habits," he said before sipping his water, echoing something he'd once heard her say to a server who'd commented on how much they ate.

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

Back in the cage Mahsa would’ve confidently denied that anyone else could surpass Ayhan’s appetite, aware of how much the Firronthix could truly pack inside that bottomless pit he had for a stomach, but life outside of the controlled habitat Glorii Te had prepared for them continued to surprise her. Curiosity had certainly gotten the better of the young Kazelrrian, her gaze fixed on Hera as she seemingly tried to figure out how the Twi’lek could eat more than Ayhan—

"What about you, Mahsa?"
"...!"

It took a second before the girl realized Hera had turned her attention to her again, and the girl almost seemed to shrink in her chair from the unexpected attention to her own dietary needs. "I-I… uuhm... n-not as m-much—!" Citrine strands blended into the whites of her hair as she spoke, a flustered blush coloring her cheeks and the tips of her ears, before the unexpected thud underneath the table caused her to jolt in response.

At first she had thought that perhaps Ioti had been the cause, golden eyes quietly straying towards the Echani as the woman raised a hand to her lips and quietly chuckled. She frowned ever so slightly, the confusion almost palpable in Mahsa’s face then, until Ayhan finally spoke up.

Had he… No… it’s probably just a coincidence. It’d be foolish of her to think he’d done it for her sake, knowing that if the Firronthix had a choice he probably wouldn’t be sitting across from her right now.

"How long were you planning on staying around for, Hera?" Sensing the mood shift in the air the Echani decided to steer the focus of their conversation elsewhere, silver eyes quietly shifting from Mahsa to Ayhan before they finally settled on her old padawan."Perhaps we can sneak in a little bit of sight seeing if our jobs finish early enough."

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

"Once we find our murderer-thief, we have to take them back to Coruscant, forthwith," Hera reminded Jigora. "How long before they actually stop dragging their heels and actually try him, that's another question entirely," she then deadpanned.
"My people would try him on the spot, once we caught him, and deal the punishment," Ayhan commented dryly. The Kazel's had developed a different custom, Ayhan had pieced together, but the Firronthix had never been the type to sit on their laurels. If the clan leader wasn't able to make a verdict, the two parties were free to deal with any perceived offenses as they wished, barring blood-letting. Most of the time, it just ended in a fight.

It seemed a fair system, if you asked Ayhan. Apparently, in the Alliance though, this did not count as 'justice', as Hera reminded him: "Ayhan, we've been over this. The accused have a right to a fair trial."
"We catch them, and then they get a chance to convince us they're not guilty. That's as fair as it gets," the Firronthix replied obtusely. "And there's no waiting for your 'red tape'. What does tape have to do with our jobs anyways? It's not like it's used to bind them, and stop them from running. And why is it red?"

Hera audibly groaned, and pinched the bridge of her nose before looking up at Jigora with a pleading look.

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

Mahsa had listened as the conversation in the table continued, her master nodding when Hera complained about the bureaucracy that would follow once their target had been apprehended. "Unfortunately there’s not much we can do there." She couldn’t help but nod softly in agreement, aware that all the Jedi could do was offer their aid as they were doing now, but in the end it was up to their own people to figure out the intricacies that came with running a civilization.

Ayhan’s words reminded her of the difference between their species, but even his kind had been kind enough to afford the accused a way to defend themselves before judgment was passed. Her own species had tethered between two sides of a coin. Those she had considered part of her tribe believed in a trial guided by a handful of their peers, with the penalties less geared towards physical harm and instead focused on benefitting the pride as a whole, but she’d heard of the ruthlessness that abounded among the Kazelrrians that had embraced their negative emotions.

His complaints about the unknown ‘red tape’ had brought the girl back from whatever buried memories she’d been contemplating, the faintest of chuckles escaping her as she watched Hera pinch the bridge of her nose.

"I-It’s not an actual r-red tape, Ayhan…" There was a cautiousness as she spoke, unsure of how the Firronthix would react as she butted her nose into the topic. A quiet glance was given towards her own master, the Echani nodding her head softly, before the Kazelrrian continued. "T-That’s how they refer to processes and formalities that stretch and hinder efficiency in g-governments and whatnot."

”Here are the appetizers~” The cheerful voice of Illa resonated as she approached the table with a wide array of dishes, expertly balanced atop a large tray as one by one they were placed in the middle of the table. ”The main dishes will take just a bit longer, and let me know if there’s anything that’s not to your liking.”

She made sure to top off the tea of those that were low, before the girl gave a little bow and returned behind the counter to continue assisting the Sullustan chef.

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

Ayhan had leaned back into his seat and pursed his lips with displeasure as he'd listened to the knight and her former master. He didn't understand everything they'd said. In fact, he understood very little, but the one thing that did come through was how much of a waste of time things like bureaucracy were.

It hadn't worked for the Firronthix, or the Kazellrian, and they were few in number. Governing trillions? It was a slow, excruciating death, Ayhan imagined. One he was unfortunately stuck helping to perpetuate. For food and board though, damn those trillions. They could fend for themselves.

A chuckle drew Ayhan's gaze, straight towards Mahsa as he attempted to figure out if she was laughing at him or not. She looked to be looking more at Master Vahr than him though, so Ayhan let it slide, despite his eyes still sticking to the girl like glue.

Then she opened her mouth. He'd let her explain, at the very least, which was a good sign. He snarled, nonetheless. Faintly, but the growl was still there.

The appetizers were brought before Ayhan could say anything. The Firronthix nodded politely (or rather, what passed as politely when it came to him) and began to put pieces of the appetizers onto his small plate. "My point stands. Our way was better," he continued to grouse unwilling to budge on the topic.

Mahsa

 

[Mahsa]

The pointed gaze that began following her had already caused Mahsa to second guess her words, and the faint growl echoing in his throat was enough for the Kazelrrian to sit just a bit straighter and keep her lips shut until their waitress had interjected in with part of their food.

"T-Thanks Illa…!" Her voice caught as she offered a faint smile towards the older girl, and Ayhan would find his point uncontested as she reached for the bowl of spicy edamame and scooped a portion of them onto her plate. A pair of silver eyes glanced from her young padawan to the boy and back, as if quietly trying to decipher the true nature of their relationship, before the Echani moved the conversation along.

"No use focusing on the things we cannot change, and an empty stomach makes for poor thoughts." A portion of the potato salad was scooped onto Mahsa’s plate and then her own, before Ioti motioned for Hera and Ayhan to grab some if they so choose—enough still left given the restaurant’s preference for family style dishes when possible. "Let's dig in instead, hmm?"

---

Ayhan ​

 

[Ayhan]

Ayhan made no note or notice of any shift in Mahsa's demeanor. Or the fact that Master Jigora, and Hera as well, were paying close attention to them. For different reasons, no doubt. Hera would certainly find something to menace Ayhan with for days on end before the end of the night. Ayhan, hardly registered Ioti's invitation to dig in, that too lost to the fact that his focus was now solely on the food. He only took a conservative amount. 'Conservative' being enough of everything to create a small mountain on the tiny plate, but somehow that was still dwarfed by Hera's own plate.

Hera was, thankfully, a little more cognizant of the others at the table though, as they all began to eat. "So, maybe we should start going over what we know," Hera offered, somehow having made a quarter of her plate disappear already. "Single attacker, struggle, missing security. I don't wanna sound crazy or anything but-"
"Someone paid the guards off," Ayhan suggested, apparently having no qualms with making himself the black sheep. "The guards should have been just outside the door, and rushed in the moment they heard anything."

Mahsa