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The ship does land in one piece. As she'd suspected from the moment she saw it, the stolen ship is a rare Imperial shuttle made for stealth. She leans easily into these controls, quietly whipping through space, even after it became apparent that the patrolling TIEs had been ordered to find the ship's escaped prisoners. Hera had dodged among them, evading their scopes and radars, as she flew the shuttle far out enough to make the jump to hyperspace. In the end, it was only one unfortunate fighter that managed to catch sight of her.

The shuttle's weapons systems are nothing special, she learned. But they did the job.

The jump to Batuu was only about three hours, even with the slightly roundabout route Hera decided to take. The girls, fortunately, seem to be accustomed to space travel. Occasionally they whisper to each other, but otherwise, they tend to stay quiet unless Hera speaks to them. About an hour in, Hera recommends that they get some sleep, and the girls don't object.

It's midafternoon at Black Spire when they reach the planet. Hera is careful on her approach, avoiding likely lanes of traffic – she doesn't want to run into questions about the stolen shuttle she's flying. But then, most who visit Batuu aren't the type to ask questions. But she still chooses to land the shuttle in a clearing, surrounded by dense forest, about five kliks downriver of the outpost.

As the shuttle touches down, she turns to the girls. "Are you all right?"

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"It sounds really silly," Sucasa says, but she's looking up at the Bang-Kernels with awe and anticipation.

"I don't think that name is real," Wrema adds, but she gives Hera a slightly dubious look, because so far she hasn't lied to them.

It's just . . . very strange.

"Some people think 'silly' gets attention."

And Hera can't help but wonder what Chiss sense of humor must be like.

"Maybe if it's something for babies," Sucasa allows.

"Is it?" Wrema asks, still looking at the brightly-colored kernels wistfully. "Do you think we could get some? Or is it like the bird-meat, and we might be allergic?"

She really hopes she's not allergic.

Hera glances down at Wrema, thinking on this.

"When we were -"

There's a beat, and then, "- with those others, before the ship and before we came here, they gave us rations with lemus corn cakes to eat. If you could eat those, this should be okay."

Sucasa scrunches up her face.

"They were gritty."

Ew.

Wrema nudges her shoulder a little harder than she probably needs to. Don't be rude, Sucasa!

"They were okay. We didn't get sick."

"I think you'll like this better," she tells them, as they reach the stall's entrance.

Hera glances at the barrels and piles of spices, and adds "But maybe - just look, and don't touch for now."

She doesn't really want Sucasa to get a face full of yellow catabar.

Sucasa's eyes widen. "I wouldn't put my fingers in someone else's food!"

The very thought is horrifying. For a seven-year-old.

"We'll be good," Wrema promises, taking Sucasa's hand in hers and tugging her toward one of the barrels, this one filled with an intriguingly teal pile of particles. It's definitely not sand, Wrema is sure!

Edited 2019-05-07 01:45 (UTC)

Hera, meanwhile, walks toward the large glass orbs, where the kernels turn and pop into bright colors over simmering flames. Stoking one of those flames is a short, older human woman, her short hair streaked blue and pink, who smiles up at Hera as she approaches.

"I have the perfect thing for a Twi'lek," she says, without so much as a greeting first. "Tomo-spice and smoked negamo."

"Oh, I uh -"

Sucasa tugs at Hera's sleeve, peering up at her and succeeding in looking both excited and piteous, possibly without really trying.

"What's she saying? Does she not want to sell to you? Is she closing?"

Wrema sighs a little, catching at Sucasa's hand and tucking it into her own, to stop any plaintive plucking at sleeves.

"Shhh. They haven't even talked yet!"

The woman looks down to the girls, and claps her her hands.

"What sweet girls! And unusual customers."

The woman steps away. She moves to one of the globes, and scoops from it a handful of popped, bright red kernels, before she slips back into the stall.

A few seconds later, she emerges, the kernels collected in a small paper bag and dusted with bright and dark blue spices. "Want to try?" she offers them.

Hera merely offers a shrug.

Sucasa's eyes get wide, even as Wrema smiles a little and nudges her forward.

"Oh, yes, please," Sucasa says in Meese Cauf, reaching up to take a single kernel, if the woman will let her.

Wrema, meanwhile, waits. Because it's polite.

(And because if Sucasa has a bad reaction, it's probably better if there aren't two of them going into convulsion. Or itching.)

Sucasa takes a piece of the brightly colored treat, turning it over in her fingers to admire it before placing it in her mouth and chewing slowly.

"It's sweet!" she says gleefully. "And spicy! Wrema, you have to try some!"

Wrema, of course, does, and she too looks pleased, if less dramatically enthusiastic than Sucasa about it.

Edited 2019-05-11 21:16 (UTC)

"Do you want more?" Hera asks.

Almost at the same time, the proprietor says, "They can try whatever they like, I have hundreds of spices."

Hera doesn't to spend... that much time here, but she mostly translates this for the girls.

Sucasa doesn't quite grab the little packet and hold it tight to her chest, but she sure looks like she wants to. Wrema cedes that ground gladly, but also looks hesitant for a second.

"Is there one with fruit? Fruit and something spicier than this? I don't need much! But I want to try. Please."

She stands up on tiptoes just to peer at all the barrels, hoping if there's something with that mix of flavors that it's also pretty. Maybe red and orange, or yellow and blue . . .

Hera translates this request, though the old woman already sets to work before she finishes speaking. This time she returns with a handful of the kernels collected in a small black cone. They are red, but twinkle with shades of gold and violet spices.

"Starblossom and durmic. Unusual combination, but she looks like an unusual girl..."

Wrema takes the proffered cone like it's something precious, tucking it almost as tightly to her chest as Sucasa did her own. She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath of the delicious smell, before taking a piece and placing it in her own mouth. After savoring it for a long moment --

"It's good! Thank you!"

She beams at the old woman, then at Hera, even as Sucasa sidles a little closer to her.

"Can I try one of yours? Please?"

Wrema is a generous creature, because she holds out her cone enough that Sucasa can take several pieces, with only a little encouragement. See? She can be good!

Hera, meanwhile, has no intention of leaving the girls with only their small samples. She orders each flavor for the two girls, and the old woman disappears into her stall once more, taking a little longer this time, but soon reemerging with two large buckets that Hera strong suspects were once helmets of some kind, though they've been hammered down into a mostly circular shape, and painted bright colors.

"There you are, girls," she coos. Before Hera can pay, she adds, "And don't think I've forgotten about you -

"Oh, I don't -"

But Hera's protests don't mean much, she ends up with a small sack of kernels that glint orange and green.

"What flavor did you get?" Sucasa asks, peering over at Hera's bounty and bouncing up and down on her heels. "Are you going to get a bucket of it, too? The buckets are pretty! Look at mine! It's purple!"

Wrema takes that moment to rescue Sucasa's bucket from overturning itself in her enthusiasm, and Sucasa will definitely be sure to thank her later.

Okay, she probably will.

Maybe.

If someone reminds her.

Hera, however, decides against a bucket. She pays the old woman, and starts leading the girls back toward the crowd.

"Remember to tell your friends about Kat Saka's Prisma Color Bang Kernels!" the woman calls after them.

Hera's fairly certain she won't remember all that. ... but she does have to concede, after trying a few, that the kernels are a wonderful, bitterly sharp yet spicy flavor.

Oh, Sucasa and Wrema definitely will. Is there any likelihood that Chiss personnel will visit this planet any more frequently on their recommendation?

No.

But they are certainly going to try.

"Can I try yours, Hera?" Sucasa asks, eyes going big in an attempt to entreat her successfully. "Please?"

It's not like Hera can say no to that face.

But she only takes out a single kernel, and warns her, "You might not like it. Twi'lek tastes are... different from others'."

"I bet it's great!" Sucasa says staunchly, popping the bang kernel into her mouth.

Her mouth purses up into the tiniest shape it's ever been, and her eyes squeeze shut in poor defense.

"Oh," she says, and, "Oh," again.

She moves her lips around to make sure she can still feel things, and swallows heavily, before looking back up at Hera.

"That was exciting! I've never tasted anything like that before. Can I have one more piece?"

"... if you're sure."

Those faces didn't suggest she'd liked it. But Hera has never minded sharing.

And they have plenty of water.

"Yes, please," Sucasa says firmly. But she'll take that water after the second piece.

She just wanted to make sure it felt like being punched in the face again! Or, well. What she guesses being punched would feel like. But with flavor.

Wrema sticks to her own treat, holding out her bucket to Sucasa. "If you need to clear your mouth out before going back to yours," she says. Helpfully.

Hera also pulls out one of the bottles to offer Sucasa.

Maybe not the wisest, but she does have to admire the girl's persistence.

"Thank you," Sucasa says seriously, taking a long swallow of water through a still-pursed mouth.

Wrema just shakes her head, attempting to share a look with Hera that says she's so ridiculous.

Like grown-ups do.