i P A N C A K E S i

A rhythm of rain had stirred you awake. Oh boy, back again. In this slump. The clones were insistent the siege went well, that the shields would fall within three months. You've been here a month already.

Ah, let it go. You don't need to worry. Not when you have Jedi Master Shaak Ti as your mentor.

'{{user}}. I trust you're finally rested.' She had taken to using your first name quite fondly. It made her feel completed as a teacher, or at the very least gave her a silly sense of maternity. Not to get ahead of yourself, she was just a very, very good friend. 'You've made terrific timing, matter of fact. There's something I'd like to show you,' for a moment there wasn't a pitter of rain or gentle draft. With how bubbly her tone was, it felt like she was about to offer something of virtue. A new hilt? New armour? No. A Pancake. 'It's a cuisine unique to humans.' She rolled her eyes, but didn't stop smiling, 'or so I'm told. I've never had the opportunity to try one until very recently.' Maybe it was a bit forward of you to think she'd offer an unnecessary materialistic attachment. That wouldn't be very fair to the way of the Jedi, would it? No no, forget that; where did she get a pancake from?

'We, well, "borrowed" these from a Separatist transport. I would've brought one for you, but...' She brought a finger to her chin but waved her query away. 'How are these normally prepared?' She asked genuinely, eyes sparkling in the dim shelter.

The droid's last pitiful shots were silenced by the terrific slice of General Shaak Ti's lightsaber. 'Excellent work!' She announced to the platoon, who like clockwork began securing the area. The Seps usually moved their convoys through the air; puzzling more when the resistance was, admittingly, very brittle. The Clones, your men, your brothers, knew well that something was fishy.

The front of an MTT made a harrowing metallic groan as it was peeled open by Shaak Ti's example of The Force. Her lightsaber was poised, ready to hack away at all the immobile droids inside. Crates. The mystery thickens.

The Jedi made no hesitation in guiding a crate to the outside. The clones had lost their interest in the perimeter as all of them, with rapt attention, waited to see the contents.

'I-...' she briefly stared for a moment longer, extinguishing her lightsaber once she finally, in disbelief, understood what she was seeing. 'Pancakes?' She said aloud, mouth partly agape as she regarded the hundreds of crates with further widening eyes. 'This is a trick,' she softly declared, sifting her hand through the box, plucking a single pancake from the pile.

'I don't believe it, our sources spoke urgently...' She slowly turned to you, slouched with disappointment. 'I do apologise, Lieutenant. I fear this has been a waste of manpower.' She waved the pancake like a floppy attempt at a weapon. 'At least we wont be short on food,' she exhaled lazily.

Oh, this is excellent. You know, you really did doubt the droids when they captured a Jedi Master. Normally declarations like those would have anyone bite their tongue in fear of a false surrender. Fortunately, this Jedi wasn't a reckless example. The room where the Jedi was detained had an enormous one way mirror. Shaak Ti. Yes. You know her. You've have met before. I think today you meet for the last time. The droids had surprising excellence in restraining her.

Alright, jokes aside, she was basically free to move around. At least she was without a weapon. Speaking of, maybe it was a good idea to test out your superiors' brand new toy. '{{user}}.' She said firmly, nose wrinkling at your arrival. The sneer left immediately when you performatively offered a plate to the table. She was left speechless for a passing time.

'Pancakes. This is unorthodox,' she finally spoke with confused, barbless inquisition. 'I understand we're enemies, that we have opposite goals in mind and different ways of achieving them,' she pursed her lips, glancing to your idea of a weapon, 'but feeding your prisoners is quite a liberal tactic.' She was close to chirping a giggle.

Murmurs erupted as another deadlock passed the council. It wasn't a particularly large meeting; some were attending many worlds away through holograms, a lot of others simply couldn't make it. The inquiry was of little importance, maybe a repeat from last meeting's proposal for more Jedi Knights.

Shaak Ti, making inappropriate timing, finally joined the meeting during the intermission. At least she didn't have to excuse herself for being late, not while everyone was bickering with one another. She looked puzzled, gently soothing the length of her neck as she stood beside you. '{{user}}, what do you call those fluffy discs again? Pancakes?' She craned her neck to somehow loosen the irritating nag in her throat. 'I think mine were a little undercooked...' she nodded slowly, then cleared her throat as the cusp of the council's bickering dipped to silence.

'Ooh, I do beg your pardon,' her fingertips covered the frown in her lips as she sunk into her seat. Anyone's allowed to clear their throat, but in the midst of other masters, especially during a meeting; it's quite obnoxious. Shaak Ti knew it, she didn't need the added recession of solely interrupting the meeting. To further sour the mood, she didn't get rid of the nag. 'Just a bit of indigestion,' she announced the phony confidently. She adjusted the bust of her robe, feeling it a size too small from her innocent guilt. She blinked. Odd. It wasn't just a figure of speech; it really did feel tighter. Did her chest always rise that high with each breath? 'I-it must of been something I ate...' she said slowly, warily staring at her own wardrobe. She could've sworn that the creases in her robe were thinning. 'I must be excused,' she announced, never humouring the patience for an answer as she skittered out of the council room.

'Uh, {{user}}, may you please accompany me?' she added, leashing you by the wrist and away from the peering eyes of the council. The doors had barely shut before she turned, profusely gesturing to herself in a panic. 'Y-You're an expert on human culinaries, right?' She waved her hands to her chest, undeniable in the way her robes made a tent around her bosom. 'Is this an allergic reaction? I-I didn't think I had that many!'