The day Asa officially started working at Vi'kio's Droidworks was one of excitement, nerves, and a bit of apprehension. The decision for her to work there hadn't been random—it was part of a carefully crafted plan. As Asa transitioned from traditional schooling to Jedi training under Varan's guidance, the Torriks needed a believable cover story for why their daughter wasn't attending public classes anymore. Working at the droid shop gave them that cover, blending seamlessly with Asa's natural talents and providing her with practical skills while allowing her to stay hidden in plain sight.

The sun was barely up over Aurora's Reach when Mira Torrik was already in the kitchen, humming softly to herself as the smell of freshly cooked food filled the air. She carefully packed several portions into containers, ensuring there was enough for everyone. This wasn't just any morning—today was Asa's first official day as an apprentice at Vi'kio's Droidworks, and Mira wanted to send her off with something comforting.

"Do you think this is enough?" she asked, glancing over at Raal, who was sipping caf at the dining table.

Raal chuckled, eyeing the neatly packed containers. "You're feeding Asa, Varan, and Bisk, not a whole village. It's more than enough."

"Bisk works hard, and I don't want him thinking we sent Asa unprepared," Mira replied firmly. "Besides, it never hurts to bring food. Asa's been delivering lunches to the shop for years—he expects it."

At that moment, Asa bounded into the kitchen, her burnt-orange cloak already draped over her shoulders and her bag slung across her back. Her hair was tied back, though a few strands had escaped the braid, framing her eager expression.

"Smells amazing!" Asa exclaimed, leaning over the counter to peek into the containers. "Is that for me?"

"It's for you, Varan, and Bisk," Mira said, snapping the lid onto the last container. "Don't forget to share."

Asa grinned, grabbing the neatly stacked containers. "Got it, Maa. Thanks!"

"First day on the job," Raal said, setting down his mug and ruffling her hair as she passed. "You're gonna do great. Just don't take anything apart unless you know how to put it back together."

"I know, Baba," Asa replied, rolling her eyes with a playful grin.

When Varan arrived to walk Asa to the shop, he immediately noticed the containers in her arms and smirked. "Your mom outdid herself again, huh?"

"She always does," Asa replied, shifting the stack to one arm. "It's enough for all of us—don't worry, I didn't forget you."

As they walked, Asa glanced up at Varan. "Do you think Bisk will be tough on me? I mean, I've been around the shop before, but this is different."

Varan chuckled softly. "Bisk can be gruff, but he's fair. He's known you for years, Asa. Just show him you're willing to learn, and he'll come around."

When they arrived at Vi'kio's Droidworks, the familiar hum of machinery and the smell of oil greeted them. Bisk was standing at the counter, squinting at a datapad with his usual look of grumpy concentration.

"Well, well," Bisk said, glancing up as they entered. "If it isn't the little troublemaker officially joining the team. I was wondering when you'd finally stop delivering food and start doing some real work."

"Speaking of food," Asa said, setting the containers on the counter with a grin, "Maa sent these for you and Varan."

Bisk's gruff exterior softened slightly as he opened one of the containers, the smell of Mira's cooking wafting out. "Your mom always knows how to bribe me," he muttered, his sharp eyes flicking to Asa with a faint glint of approval. "Alright, kid. You can stay."

Bisk wasted no time getting Asa to work. He led her to a cluttered workbench with a box of damaged droid parts sitting atop it. "Alright, kid," he said, crossing his arms as he loomed over her. "Start simple. Swap out the bad actuators, clean the connections, and for the love of all things mechanical, don't fry anything."

"Got it," Asa said, rolling up her sleeves with the kind of confidence only a teenager could muster. She crouched at the bench, picking up the first piece with her gloved hands and inspecting it carefully.

Varan stood nearby, leaning casually against the doorway with his arms crossed, keeping a watchful eye on her. Her excitement was palpable, and he couldn't help but smile faintly. Asa had always had a natural talent for mechanics, and this was her chance to shine.

Asa got to work quickly, but when her hands were full and she needed a cleaning tool, she didn't hesitate. Grabbing it, she tucked it between her teeth to keep it handy while she focused on swapping out the actuator in the droid arm.

Bisk, who had wandered over to check her progress, raised an eyebrow at the sight. "Now that's a first," he muttered, his fur rippling with amusement.

Asa, not noticing him watching, muttered something to herself around the tool in her mouth as she maneuvered the parts into place. It was only when she glanced up and saw Bisk smirking at her that she realized how she must look. She quickly dropped the tool into her hand, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"What?" she asked defensively. "It works."

Bisk snorted, shaking his head. "Well, I can't argue with that. You're a scrappy one, I'll give you that."

As Asa continued her repairs, the cleaning tool tucked between her teeth while she worked, Bisk leaned closer to Varan, speaking in a low voice. "So," he asked, a sly glint in his sharp eyes, "how's the Jedi training going? She causing as much trouble as I'd expect?"

Varan folded his arms, his expression reserved but tinged with dry humor. "Let's just say it's never dull."

Bisk's ears perked with interest, and a smirk spread across his face. "I take it there's a story behind that expression."

Varan exhaled, shaking his head at the memory. "We were helping Hekka track down his missing herd of moochers. They'd wandered off into the Spirewood, and Hekka was convinced something had spooked them."

"And something did," Bisk guessed, leaning in.

"Right," Varan continued. "A Braga bear. We didn't even realize it was there at first. The moochers were all huddled together, but Asa—" He stopped, glancing over at Asa, who was focused on her workbench, completely unaware of the story being shared. "She wandered off. Didn't tell me where she was going, just... followed what she said was a feeling."

Bisk let out a low chuckle. "She felt called, didn't she?"

"Exactly," Varan replied, sighing. "By the time I found her, she was standing about ten feet from a bush, staring at it. I was about to tell her to back away when the bear stepped out."

Bisk's fur rippled, his curiosity piqued. "And?"

"And instead of backing away, Asa reaches out with the Force. The bear stops. Just like that."

"Stopped?" Bisk asked, incredulous. "A Braga bear? You're pulling my fur."

"It didn't just stop," Varan said, his lips twitching as if he didn't quite believe it himself. "It sat down. Like a trained tooka. And then—because apparently, that wasn't enough—she walked right up to it."

Bisk blinked, stunned into silence for a moment. "You're kidding."

"I wish I were," Varan said, exhaling heavily. "She scratched it behind the ears, told it it was a 'good boy,' and the thing rolled onto its back, completely docile."

At that, Bisk barked a loud, sudden laugh, startling Asa, who turned to look at them with the cleaning tool still in her mouth.

"What's so funny?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she pulled the tool out and set it down.

"Nothing you need to worry about, kid," Bisk replied, waving her off as he tried to stifle his laughter. "Just Doav here telling me how you nearly gave him a heart attack."

Asa grinned, setting the tool down and raising an eyebrow. "Oh, you mean the bear? That wasn't that bad."

Varan gave her a long, measured look, his voice calm but firm. "You wandered off, Asa. Without telling me. That wasn't just reckless—it was dangerous."

Asa's grin faltered slightly under his steady gaze. "I felt like I had to go," she said, her tone more subdued. "I knew it wasn't going to hurt me."

"That's not the point," Varan replied, his voice softening slightly but still serious. "What if you'd been wrong? What if it hadn't listened to you? Next time, you tell me before you go running off."

"Yes, Master," Asa murmured, looking back at her workbench with a mix of guilt and embarrassment.

Bisk watched the exchange with a thoughtful expression, his smirk returning as he muttered under his breath, "Kid's got guts, I'll give her that."

Midway through the day, Bisk assigned Asa a delivery run, leading her to the back of the shop where an ancient, patched-together speeder bike sat. It looked more scrap than functional, with mismatched panels and a faint rattle even when bike looked… unique. Its panels were mismatched and scorched in places, with haphazard welds holding it together. The engine coughed faintly even while idle, and the handlebars seemed slightly crooked. But to Asa, it was perfect.

"This old rustbucket came with the," Bisk said, smirking as he crossed his arms. "It's older than me, and I've patched it up more times than I can count. It's not fast, it's not pretty, and it's definitely not reliable. But it'll get you where you need to go… most of the time."

Asa ran her hand along the bike's side, her grin growing wider with every second. "Oh, I love it already," she said, hopping onto the seat with the confidence of a starship captain.

That's when Varan walked into the room, his eyes immediately locking onto the bike. His expression shifted to something between concern and outright disapproval.

"Absolutely not," he said firmly, his arms crossing as he stood in the doorway.

Bisk raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Relax, Jedi," he said. "It's not you riding it. Let the kid learn."

"That thing looks like it's held together with wishful thinking and duct tape," Varan replied, his voice flat. "It'll fall apart the second she hits a bump."

"Don't worry about me, Varan," Asa chimed in, already testing the throttle with a mischievous glint in her eye. "This is gonna be great."

Bisk handed Asa a small datapad with delivery instructions. "Simple run to the east side," he said, his tone casual. "Nothing fancy. Just don't break the cargo—or the bike."

Asa saluted dramatically. "Got it, boss!"

She hopped on the bike, her grin widening as she revved the throttle. The bike sputtered and coughed like it was protesting, but Asa whooped loudly, undeterred by the shaky start.

Standing by the doorway, Varan looked on with crossed arms and an expression that hovered somewhere between resigned exasperation and genuine worry. As the bike lurched forward in a series of sputters and jerks, Varan muttered, "This is a terrible idea."

"It builds character," Bisk replied, smirking as he leaned against the wall, clearly entertained by Asa's enthusiasm.

"It's going to build a trip to the clinic," Varan shot back, his brow furrowing as Asa took a sharp turn and disappeared out of view. He turned to Bisk, jabbing a finger in the Bothan's direction. "If she crashes, you're the one explaining this to her parents. Not me."

Bisk barked a laugh, clapping Varan on the shoulder. "Relax, Jedi. She's a natural. Besides, I installed a speed limiter. She can't go fast enough to hurt herself too badly." He paused, the smirk still on his face. "Probably."

Varan closed his eyes briefly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "If 'probably' gets her hurt, Raal and Mira are going to kill you. Not me, you." He pointed emphatically at Bisk, but his words only made the Bothan laugh harder.

Asa's first delivery was to a small mechanic's shop on the east side of Aurora's Reach, tucked away in a quiet part of the settlement. Armed with a datapad containing the delivery details and a bag of droid components strapped to the bike, she set off with the kind of confidence only a teenager could muster.

The bike roared (well, wheezed) to life under her, and despite its sputtering start, it smoothed out as she gained speed. For the first half of the journey, Asa couldn't stop grinning. The streets of Aurora's Reach were alive with activity, and she waved at every passerby as if she were piloting the finest starship in the galaxy.

"See? Nothing to worry about!" she called into the wind, though no one was around to hear her.

The bike sputtered in response, but it held together, much to Asa's delight. She zipped through the settlement's narrow streets, steering with surprising agility given the rustbucket of a bike's questionable stability. Locals paused to watch, some shaking their heads, others chuckling, but Asa didn't care.

When she arrived at the mechanic's shop, a grizzled Rodian stepped out to meet her, raising an eyebrow as they eyed her and the bike. "Bisk sent you?" they asked, their tone skeptical.

"Yep!" Asa replied brightly, hopping off and handing over the delivery. "I'm the new apprentice. Don't let the bike fool you—it's got charm."

The Rodian snorted, taking the parts. "If by charm you mean it looks like it's held together by dreams and luck, then sure."

Asa laughed, unfazed. "That's the spirit!"

With the delivery complete, Asa climbed back onto the bike and revved the engine. The bike sputtered to life with a loud clunk, but it was enough to get her moving. The first part of the return trip went smoothly—well, as smoothly as it could with the bike occasionally rattling like a loose droid.

"Just a little further, buddy," Asa said, patting the handlebars. "You've got this."

But the bike had other ideas. As she rounded a corner, the engine let out a guttural groan, followed by a final sputter, and then silence. Asa sighed, hopping off and crouching beside the bike to inspect the problem.

"Really?" she muttered, pulling out her multitool.

A quick look confirmed the issue—a loose connection in the ignition system. Asa fiddled with it for a few minutes but realized the bike wasn't going to cooperate. She was close enough to the shop that it wasn't worth the effort.

"Fine, be stubborn," she said, standing up and grabbing the handlebars. "We'll walk the rest of the way."

After Asa returned from her first delivery with the bike sputtering into the shop, Bisk and Varan took it as an opportunity to teach her how to handle the bike's inevitable breakdowns in the field.

Bisk, leaning against the workbench, waved her over. "Alright, kid. If you're gonna keep driving that thing, you'd better learn how to fix it when it falls apart—which it will," he said, grabbing a multitool and pointing at the ignition system. "This mess right here? It's your biggest problem. These connections come loose every other run, so here's how you keep it together."

He crouched beside the bike, pulling apart the wiring with a practiced hand. "This connection here?" He yanked a wire free. "It's junk. When it comes loose, don't waste time trying to make it perfect. Jam it back in, twist it tight, and keep going."

Asa leaned in, watching as Bisk demonstrated his quick, no-nonsense solution. "Uh… isn't that a little, you know, risky?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

Bisk smirked, handing her the multitool. "Risky? Maybe. Effective? Definitely. These kinds of fixes'll get you moving again, and that's all that matters when you're out in the middle of nowhere."

He showed her a few more quick fixes, most of which involved creative shortcuts that prioritized speed over stability. "Now, it's not pretty," he admitted, standing up and dusting off his hands, "but if you're in a bind, it'll do."

Asa nodded, though a part of her wasn't entirely convinced.

Varan, who had been observing with his arms crossed and a faintly disapproving look, finally stepped in. "Or," he said, crouching beside Asa, "you could take a little extra time and do it right the first time."

Bisk snorted. "Jedi," he muttered, shaking his head as he walked back to his workbench.

Ignoring the comment, Varan pointed at the ignition system. "This wire here? It's frayed. If you just twist it back in like Bisk showed you, it'll hold for a while, but you're asking for trouble down the line. Here—watch."

He carefully stripped the frayed section, replaced the connector with a spare part, and tested the connection before moving on. His movements were deliberate, and his explanation was clear and precise. "It takes longer," he said as he worked, "but it's stable. You won't have to stop and fix the same thing twice."

Asa's eyes lit up as she watched him. "You're really good at this," she said, her voice tinged with surprise.

Varan glanced at her, a faint smile on his lips. "I've had my share of speeder repairs," he said simply. "When you're on the run, knowing how to keep your transport working can make the difference between life and death."

He walked her through a few other common issues, showing her how to adjust the stabilizer properly and tighten loose bolts without causing stress on other parts. By the time he was done, the bike looked—and felt—a lot sturdier.

Asa stood back, wiping grease off her hands as she surveyed the bike. "So… Bisk's way is faster, but your way keeps it from breaking down again?" she asked, glancing between the two of them.

"Exactly," Varan replied.

Bisk let out a gruff laugh. "Yeah, well, if you're out in the field with no time to spare, my way'll get you home in one piece," he said.

"And if you have the time to do it properly, you won't need a second fix," Varan countered.

Asa grinned, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth. "Why not both? Quick fixes for emergencies, real fixes for when I'm back here."

Both men exchanged a look, Bisk smirking and Varan raising an eyebrow. "Smart kid," Bisk muttered.

"Sometimes," Varan said, shaking his head but smiling faintly.