For once, everything seemed to be running smoothly, or….as smoothly as could be. Of course, the Alliance government had to fend off various critics and Saresh was oddly absent on many occasions (something which Cheriss was currently looking into, though according to the Elder, Vice Chancellor Won was somewhat evasive on the matter.) Rumors began to circulate through the Academy, as Vano would tell Aria whenever the Champion frequented the library during the mandatory “study lessons”, which some of her students loathed just as much as she did...though Aria dutifully reminded them that theoretical study was “Just as important to their learning as practical demonstrations”, though others breathed a sigh of relief as soon as they heard the word “library”. 
Aria and Yerbol had dived back into their tutoring roles at the Academy after their short two-month honeymoon period, only improving themselves further as instructors with each class they taught, much to the delight of the presiding Elders. The duo’s teaching styles were as different as their combat proficiencies, which kept each budding student on their toes. While Yerbol preferred to lead with clear, straightforward explanations supplemented with in-depth study and practical demonstrations, Aria favoured more “field-based” learning, giving the students an hour or so of classroom based instruction where they would learn the basic framework of the technique, before she threw them into a practical simulation out in the courtyard or the jungle where the students had to use their wits combined with their newly acquired knowledge to figure out the solutions for themselves while Aria barked corrections at them like a drill sergeant (not to say she was incapable of being gentle and patient for the more...sensitive students, but she did believe in being as firm and straightforward as possible, gaining quite the reputation amongst the student body for being “the stern-faced teacher who tolerated no nonsense in her classroom”). 
One such session had been the source of her absence for the past two days, when the Champion had trooped her over-excited students out into the foothills surrounding the Academy grounds where she had enlisted the help of Janika, Yoruba and some of the other Knights to recreate a rendition of the attacks on Korriban and Tython, where Aria and the Knights would play the roles of Bracknell and Soto’s supporters while the students and their classmates would have to use nothing but the skills they had learnt in previous lessons, their trust in the Force and teamwork with one another to reach a rendezvous point (which was dubbed as “Zinuthra” or “Wild Space” for the purpose of the exercise) before the sun set later in the night. At the start of the exercise most of the pupils had treated it as a joke, much to the Champion’s ire, guffawing and blundering through the undergrowth like a herd of stampeding Banthas and failing in EVERY attempt to remain unnoticed. 
“Your enemies are NOT going to take it easy on you just because you’re young and inexperienced!” she had hollered at them after catching Zi’veri and K’odai slacking off near the lake which provided the main water supply for the Academy. The youngsters had been most surprised when their stone-skipping contest had been interrupted by the torrential wave which Aria lifted out of the body of water using the Force and soaked them from head to toe. 
“How do you expect to learn anything if you can’t make an effort to participate instead of mocking everything I say?” the Champion scolded the unruly pair, hands on her hips as they muttered apologies that sounded more sincere than the last ones, at least. “The attacks on Tython and Korriban were VERY very real, and not a joke in the slightest, so try to have a bit of respect for the people who died there. If they hadn’t you might not even be here today.” 
“I did TRY to tell them that Master,” chirruped Iruba, another student in the group as she dropped down from her vantage point in the tree above their heads. “I TOLD them I saw you watching us but they didn’t believe me.”
“That was very observant of you, Ru. Advanced stealth techniques like those leave very few visible signs.” the young Chiss preened under Aria’s praise, standing up a little straighter and sticking her tongue out at her Twi’lek classmates. Aria had been somewhat apprehensive of Iruba at first, mostly due to her species’ resemblance to the Xiis and the fact that the young girl’s sharply angled cheekbones kindled flashbacks of Illesia in the back of the Champion’s mind, but the Chiss turned out to be one of Aria’s most attentive pupils who thrived both in the field and in the classroom. Aria had pointed out to Yerbol and several of the Elders during meetings discussing the students and the curriculum that she envisioned Iruba moving quickly through the ranks to become an instructor herself one day. Thankfully, after the firm scolding the young Twi’leks had thrown themselves back into the exercise with renewed gusto and the class completed it in record time, enjoying it so much that they had pleaded with her to run it all over again. 

She would have obliged had Ailel not contacted her on her personal comlink and requested she report to the hangar post-haste to make ANOTHER trip out to Quensu with another group sent through to Wild Space on Lisan Won’s request, to “learn about the first discovery of the True Sith temple and the part it played in helping the Qyaari’s philosophies to be established”. The routine was becoming rather repetitive and she had grown somewhat tired of recounting the experiences she and Yerbol had encountered there or trying to explain how intricately complicated Force bonds were...but she had gotten used to it, since the Elders seemed to INSIST that the duo partake regularly in such endeavours although they had yet to receive any explanation other than vague hints from Matt before Cheriss or Ailel quickly silenced him. 

Aria was just returning to their quarters, where she had accidentally forgotten her datapad in her footlocker two days before (oops!), in time to faintly hear the comical woman’s voice reciting a message from her partner’s datapad. She chuckled softly as he crossed the room and embraced her, slipping her arms around his neck to reciprocate the gesture as she responded in kind:
“Well now, I wouldn’t have been doing a good job of going unnoticed if you knew where I was, would I?” she planted a second kiss to his nose, her eyes twinkling as she shook her head slowly. “Practical training simulation, which sort of turned into an assessment of sorts. You should try that sometime, it’s a lot more fun. Then Ailel strong-armed me into another diplomatic fiasco and well...here I am! I missed you...”  
A quiet groan of exasperation left the Champion as the datapads pinged insistently and Yerbol’s female assistant read the message aloud once again. 
“Well…” Aria checked the chronometer on the wall close to the door and sighed. “I suppose that takes priority over us having an early night in then.” the pair had gotten used to being pulled away at a moment’s notice for some task or other, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept it without complaining a little when it did happen. After the nightmarish experience with the Xiis it had been taken a few months of getting used to working apart again without worrying that the other partner would end up in some kind of terrible danger, but their relationship had only solidified further and the bond between them had become so strong that they could still have an inkling of the others feelings even over greater distances, so it was easy to quickly check in on each other “just to make sure”, and before they knew it they were having to do that less and less as they settled into the less dangerous lifestyle once again.
At least this time, Malu wanted to see them both. Although that in itself was somewhat strange, usually the Council summoned them separately in order to maximise effectiveness by having the duo deal with a scenario each.
“...That probably does mean she hasn’t told Voldon or the other Elders about whatever this ‘job’ is yet, right?”

The Champions would promptly find out as they joined the Miraluka Elder in the garden at the designated time, which just so happened to be dinner time as well...so the other Academy students and staff would be preoccupied in the dining hall and not be around to eavesdrop their conversation. 
“Why the secrecy, Malu?” Aria inquired with a raised brow as the Miraluka greeted them with her usual mysterious smile.
“I have an...inkling of sorts, that I’d like you to investigate for me. Given the...nature of the target, I would rather send two people who I know have done this sort of thing before.”
“Target? You make this sound like a bounty, Malu.” Aria frowned warily, exchanging a glance with her partner. 
“Of sorts.” Malu confirmed with a nod. “The Council just got word that Soto escaped her holding cell on Coruscant. Ailel swears blind that it’s a hoax because when she left Coruscant she put Soto under the watch of some very capable Alliance troops but I’d rather not take the risk. There’s a possibility that she could have had...help, shall we say.”
“...you really think this underground network you’ve been trying to track has something to do with it?” 
“It’s certainly possible. And if my feelings are correct then we have no time to waste. You need to track Soto and re-capture her before she can rally any more of these Force users who are opposed to the Qyaari back to her cause and start that bloodbath anew again.”
“...Got it. Coruscant, are you sure?” 
“She could have moved off-world already, but that is where I suggest you start, yes. As soon as possible.”
So much for normality….Aria thought as she exchanged another glance with Yerbol.
“Well, guess it’s time to fire up the ship again. Any last advice, Malu?”