Private A Jedi and a Mandalorian walk into a bar...

[Siv Kryze]

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M A N D A L O R E​

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Mandalore had been quieter than Siv expected. Not peaceful. The planet had seen too much for that. But there was something familiar about being back on Mandalore after spending so much time away dealing with matters beyond its borders.

He had come with a handful of responsibilities to take care of for Clan Kryze. Supplies had arrived, the clan's smiths had questions regarding upcoming work, and a few other matters were better handled in person than through a datapad. Among those responsibilities was a newer project of his own, one that had finally received the approval it needed to move forward. There was still plenty of work to be done before it became anything more than an idea. Siv could worry about that tomorrow.

By evening, the day's business had been settled. Rather than return to his quarters and continue working, he found himself wandering through one of Mandalore's settlements as the sun began to disappear beyond the horizon. A weathered sign reading The Beskar & Brine hung above the entrance of a modest establishment tucked between several older buildings. It wasn't particularly impressive, nor did it seem interested in being. From the street, it looked like the kind of place where Mandalorians could sit down after a long day without ceremony.

Siv stepped inside. The familiar weight of his armor drew a few passing looks from the patrons, but little more. He made his way toward the counter and took an open seat, setting his datapad beside him.

"Something to drink?" the bartender asked.

Siv considered the selection for a moment before giving a simple answer.

"Keldabe Black."

A glass of the dark liquor was placed in front of him. Siv left the datapad untouched. For once, there was no report demanding his attention. No delegation waiting for an answer. No reason to be the Warden of Concordia beyond the armor on his shoulders.

He took a slow drink and looked over the room. Conversations carried naturally around him. Mandalorians talking about work, ships, clans, old campaigns, and whatever else occupied their minds after a long day. Siv listened without interrupting.

Every so often, his gaze drifted toward the datapad beside him. There would be time for the work that awaited him. The approval had been given. The first steps could wait until morning.

For now, Siv remained at the counter, his attention resting on the room rather than the datapad. He wasn't seeking anyone in particular, nor did he appear in any hurry to leave

Tag: Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Combat Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters

The door to the Beskar & Brine opened, and Valery stepped inside. She stood out immediately. No Mandalorian armor, no helmet, and nothing about her suggested she belonged among Mandalorians settling in after a long day. Still, the looks she received weren't entirely unfriendly. A few faces turned with recognition instead. Valery had spent enough time alongside Mandalorians during her years with the Alliance to earn something few Jedi could claim here. She had fought beside them, helped them when it mattered, and that history had bought her a welcome on Mandalore.

At least, she hoped it still did.

Valery caught the gaze of several Mandalorians gathered around a nearby table and offered them a small nod. One returned it, another raised his drink, and that was enough to bring a faint smile to her face. Some things had survived her absence. She continued toward the bar and stopped beside an armored man nursing a glass of something dark. Her orange eyes shifted toward him and gave him a brief once-over. The armor naturally drew her attention first, followed by the way he carried himself. He seemed perfectly content sitting there alone, but there was something about him that made her curious.

Rather than interrupt him immediately, Valery turned toward the bartender and nodded at Siv's glass.

"I'll have whatever he's having."

The bartender gave her a look that almost made her reconsider before pouring another Keldabe Black and sliding it across the counter. Valery picked it up, studied the liquor for a second, then took a sip.

Her eyebrows rose.

"That's stronger than it looks." A smirk tugged at her lips as she glanced sideways at Siv. "Good choice, though." She rested an elbow against the counter and turned just enough toward him.

Siv Kryze ​

 

[Siv Kryze]

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M A N D A L O R E​

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Siv's attention shifted toward the woman as she took the seat beside him, the faint clink of the glass drawing his eyes from the conversations around the room. He caught the exchange between her and the bartender, followed by her reaction to the drink. The smirk that followed earned a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth.


"Looks can be deceiving," Siv remarked, taking another measured sip from his own glass. "Though I suppose that's part of the appeal."


His attention remained on her for a moment longer than necessary. There was something else he noticed, something he couldn't quite place at first. A subtle presence that felt strangely familiar. Siv didn't reach for the Force or make any attempt to probe further. He simply took note of it, leaving the observation where it was.


"You seem to know your way around here," he said, turning slightly toward her. "That's not something I see often from outsiders."


His gaze briefly moved toward the Mandalorians who had acknowledged her upon entering before returning to her.


"Though I imagine you've earned it."


Siv took another drink, allowing the observation to settle without pressing her for an explanation. After a moment, he extended a hand across the small space between them.


"Siv Kryze."


There was no need to mention his titles. If she knew enough about Mandalore to be here, the name would likely tell her what she needed to know.

Tag: Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Combat Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters

Valery's smirk grew at his observation. She shifted properly into the seat beside him, turning her body toward Siv rather than facing the bar. One elbow came to rest on the counter, her cheek settling lightly against her gloved hand while the other remained curled around her drink. It was a comfortable posture, perhaps a little more playful than one might expect from a Jedi surrounded by Mandalorians.

"Looks can definitely be deceiving," she agreed before taking another sip. This time, she handled the Keldabe Black without the surprised reaction, though the warmth spreading down her throat still demanded some respect.

His comment about her being an outsider earned a slight tilt of her head. "I suppose that depends on who you ask." Valery's orange eyes wandered toward the Mandalorians who had acknowledged her before returning to Siv. "I've fought beside Mandalorians enough times to know my way around. Helped a few, annoyed a few others." Her smile turned more amused.

That history went back years, to when relations between the Jedi and Mandalorians had been far better than most would have expected. She wasn't foolish enough to assume every Mandalorian welcomed her because of it, but she had earned enough respect to sit here without watching her back every few seconds.

Then came his name, and it certainly caught her interest. Valery looked at the offered hand before taking it, her grip firm despite the relaxed way she sat. "Valery Noble," she introduced herself, though there was a good chance the name already meant something to him.

She released his hand and settled her cheek against her own again, studying him with that same playful smirk.

"So, Siv Kryze." Her eyes briefly swept over his armor. "Do you always spend your evenings drinking alone, or did I happen to catch you on a particularly exciting night?"

Siv Kryze ​

 

[Siv Kryze]

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M A N D A L O R E​

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Siv listened, taking another drink as Valery settled beside him. The mention of fighting alongside Mandalorians explained some of the familiarity he'd noticed when she entered. It also gave him a better idea of why the room hadn't exactly turned against her. Still, there was something else about her that he'd picked up on almost immediately. A presence he knew well enough to recognize, even if he had no intention of drawing attention to it just yet.

"I wouldn't call it exciting," Siv said, a faint smile settling across his face. "The day's work was finished, and I had little interest in replacing it with more work."

He glanced around the bar before looking back toward her.

"Drinking alone was more or less the idea."

A brief pause followed, though his expression softened slightly.

"That was before you decided to test my choice of drink."

There was a touch of amusement in his voice as he lifted his glass again. He took another sip before setting it back down.

"Though I can't say I mind the company."

His gaze shifted toward the Mandalorians she'd greeted on the way in, then returned to Valery.

"Sounds like you've spent enough time around Mandalorians to earn some goodwill." Siv tilted his head slightly. "Not an easy thing to do."

The faint amusement faded into something more thoughtful.

"And I suppose that explains why nobody seems particularly bothered by a Jedi having a drink in here."

He didn't say it accusingly. If anything, the words carried more curiosity than suspicion. There was still some hesitation behind them, but Siv made no effort to hide that he was willing to hear her out.

He took another drink and leaned back slightly against the counter.

"As for where tonight goes..." His eyes returned to hers, a small smirk returning. "I wasn't expecting much of anything when I walked through that door."

He lifted his glass a fraction.

"So far, it's been more interesting than I expected."

Tag: Valery Noble​