Private Beyond the Beskar

[Veyla Krinn]

Veyla took another drink from her canteen as they followed the winding trail back toward civilization, listening carefully to Kallous' answer before clipping the container back onto her belt.

"I can't imagine deliberately skipping meals and not being distracted by hunger," she admitted with a quiet laugh. She glanced sideways at him before looking ahead again. "Then again..." Her smile grew a touch more thoughtful. "I suppose it didn't distract me today."

His concern about his teaching earned a small nod of respect.

"If I ever have a question, I won't hesitate to ask, Kallous." There was no hesitation in the promise. "You've been honest with me from the moment we met. I owe you the same in return." She adjusted the strap holding her spear across her back. "I know I'm only just starting this journey."

She was quiet for another few moments before another question surfaced.

"Once I build...a better connection..." She frowned slightly, searching for the right wording. "Is that the right word? Connection?" She looked over at him again. "Whatever it is...once that foundation is there, what's the next step?" Genuine curiosity colored her voice. "Learning to move things? Seeing farther ahead? Or is there another lesson that comes before all of that?"

By then, the familiar streets of the settlement had come into view. Rather than returning to the lively cantina from the night before, Veyla guided them down a quieter side street toward a modest restaurant tucked between a smithy and an old supply shop. Warm light spilled through its windows, and only a handful of patrons occupied its tables. It wasn't as loud, nor as crowded, making conversation easier.

"This place serves better food anyway," she said with an amused smile as she held the door open for him. "And after today, I think we've both earned something more substantial than bar snacks."

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

"Once you've established a baseline connection, and you're able to touch the force consistently, that's when you start learning to more directly control it. What you experienced earlier during our spar is only a part of it. The Force obeys your commands as much as it guides you. So once you've started to understand the force more personally as a baseline, we will move on to more practical applications. Usually that's telekinesis." He answered. "Foresight is a slightly more... esoteric capability. Something that either happens on accident because something immensely impactful is about to happen in the near future, and to do so deliberately requires a deeper connection to the force than most can form. Foresight beyond a few days or weeks is usually only possible for true masters of the force. So that lesson will be... indefinitely postponed."

He followed her into a side street to a smaller, seemingly homier establishment. A place that actually felt far more comfortable than the bar from the previous evening. A place he actually liked a lot more. He didn't much like going to pubs or bars or taverns, they weren't to his tastes. Though when she held the door open for him he couldn't help but grin, and say in jest, "How gentlemanly of you."

Though he made sure that as they approached the table he pulled her seat out for her to repay the favor before sitting down himself.

"I look forward to seeing what they have." He said picking up the menu to take a look.

Veyla Krinn

 

[Veyla Krinn]

Veyla laughed quietly as he accepted the door before pulling out her chair in return.

"Well...now we're even." There was an easy warmth to the exchange as she settled into her seat, setting her forearms lightly on the table while she skimmed the menu. Despite her attention on the choices before her, she listened carefully to every word he said about the Force.

The mention of telekinesis earned a thoughtful hum.

"Moving things with your mind still sounds more unbelievable than knowing where a blade is going." She smiled to herself. "A day ago I'd have called both impossible, so I suppose I should stop deciding what is and isn't."

She folded the menu closed after making up her mind, her curiosity already pulling her back to the lesson.

"Connection..." she repeated quietly, testing the word again before giving a small nod. "I think I like that better than power. It feels...more honest." Her emerald eyes met his across the table. "If that's the foundation, then I'll build it properly before I start worrying about lifting rocks."

A server stopped by long enough for Veyla to order before moving away again, leaving the two of them in relative peace.

"Though I won't pretend I'm not curious." She rested one elbow on the table with a faint smile. "Knowing what's next makes it easier to keep walking toward it." She leaned back slightly in her chair. "And I have no intention of stopping after one lesson."

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

Kallous, hearing her say honestly that a day ago she wouldn't have believed it, decided there was no harm in showing off a little bit. He decided he'd use the force to look through the menu, letting the small booklet hover in the air, the pages turning all on their own as they conversed. "Oh you'll believe in a lot more by the time your training gets underway in earnest. You'll be able to do a lot more than just lift objects. You'll be able to empower your body in a way that would make superhuman feats trivial. Leaping tens of feet into the air, the speed at which you can run, putting more power behind your movements so you hit harder. All of it and more is possible. And if you learn to do it right, I might even teach you how to conjur lightning."

Kallous looked through the menu as he said this, picking a dish that he'd never had before. He had no idea what he was in for.

"Though all in all, how did it feel?" He asked, "Touching the force like that for the first time? I can tell that you were able to do it more deeply as we were sparring than you were with sitting still. Tell me about it."

For all of his experience, he really didn't know what it was like to touch the force for the first time. He had done so too young to remember. So this was an experience he was curious about.

Veyla Krinn

 

[Veyla Krinn]

Veyla's eyes followed the menu as it lifted from the table without so much as a finger touching it. It hovered between them, pages turning one after another as casually as though an invisible patron were deciding what to order.

A slow grin spread across her face.

"Eventually..." she said, still watching the floating menu. "I'll be able to do that."

The thought wasn't boastful. If anything, it was quietly encouraging. Yesterday, she wouldn't have believed such a thing possible. Today she'd watched it happen while discussing what to have for dinner.

A server appeared beside the table, not batting an eye at the unusual sight. They took Veyla's order before turning to Kallous, jotting down his choice on a datapad. A chilled mug of ale was set down in front of him without his needing to ask; apparently, someone remembered what the newcomer had ordered the previous evening. Veyla received a glass of iced water and whiskey while they waited for the meal, the server offering a polite nod before disappearing back toward the kitchen.

Only then did she look back at Kallous.

"Leaping rooftops...moving things...running faster..." She counted each ability off on her fingers before one earned a skeptical tilt of her head. "Lightning?"

Her gaze dropped to the beskar covering her forearms before she rapped a knuckle lightly against one vambrace.

"I'm not entirely convinced that one mixes well with metal." A hint of amusement entered her smile. "Seems like the sort of lesson that ends with my own armor trying to cook me."

When he asked what touching the Force had felt like, the humor softened into thoughtfulness.

"The best way I can describe it..." She rested both hands around her glass. "...is surprisingly close to the ocean you told me to imagine."

She looked down into the water as though searching for the memory there.

"At first, it was like standing on the shoreline. I could see the water, hear it, but I couldn't reach it no matter how hard I tried." She paused, searching for words that did the experience justice. "Then, when I stopped trying to force it..."

Her emerald eyes lifted to meet his.

"...one moment I was standing above the water. The next..." She smiled faintly. "...I was swimming in it. No armor. No breathing gear. Just...there. Like I'd somehow forgotten people weren't supposed to breathe underwater."

She shook her head with a quiet laugh.

"It only lasted a few moments before I drifted back to the surface." She shrugged lightly. "But for those few moments...it didn't feel strange at all. It felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be."

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

"You'll be able to do it much sooner than you think." He told her without embellishment. "Given how much progress you made today, I get the feeling your growth will be explosive."

He chuckled at her mention of the armor. "There are ways around that. But if you'd rather not it isn't a problem. Lightning is an ability that ordinarily requires intense emotion to be used to power it. And that is an aspect I don't think should be introduced too soon. So for now, we will shelve that."

Kallous listened intently as she explained what the feeling was like, and he was pleased to hear that his metaphoric explanation had been helpful. He understood that each connection was unique, that people connected to and conversed with the force in different ways. So he wasn't sure how well his ocean analogy would work. But it seemed to have been somewhat helpful.

"I see. I suppose then the best way that I could explain the first step of your training will be to teach you how to hold your breath for longer and longer, which can really only be done by diving again and again until you get better. No real easy road. And after that, it will be learning how to find the currents that run through those waters and ride them." He told her, "I'm not sure how I could apply that concept to your forge, but I'm sure you'll figure it out in the coming days. The way you connect to and communicate with the force will be unique to you."

Kallous then lifted the ale to take a sip. "Thank you for the meal by the way. It's appreciated."

Veyla Krinn

 

[Veyla Krinn]

Veyla nodded thoughtfully as she listened, turning his explanation over in her mind while she idly traced the rim of her whiskey glass with a fingertip.

"It'll probably be different for me than your ocean," she mused. "Not the destination...just the way I get there."

She looked out the restaurant's window for a moment before continuing.

"The forge isn't still." A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Everything in it moves. Heat rises. Air feeds the flames. The bellows breathe. The metal changes as it warms, and every strike of the hammer changes it again."

She could almost picture it already.

"I don't think I'll be following water currents." She looked back to him. "It'll probably have more to do with the flow of heat. The rise and fall of the hammer. The air moving through the bellows into the fire." She shrugged lightly. "If the Force really is alive...maybe that's how it'll make sense to me."

A quiet laugh escaped her.

"I suppose we'll find out soon enough."

She raised her whiskey slightly before taking a measured sip, then nodded toward his ale.

"You're welcome, Kallous." Her smile warmed. "After everything you taught me today, buying dinner seemed like the easier part of the bargain."

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

He nodded his understanding. She would do well, he was sure of it. She would struggle at times, everyone did. She'd fail, she'd fall short, and then she'd try again until she succeeded. He was certain that this was a mountain she would scale. He could tell from their duel that she would endure through it all. And he couldn't be happier to be teaching someone who was as determined to succeed as they were worthy of the skills he was teaching her.

After setting his glass down he changed the subject.

"Well, with today's lesson over with, I have a few questions for you of a different nature. What exactly is it that you do? Are you a soldier? How does that function? I've never looked at Mandalorian society very closely, so I must confess that I know very, very little."

He was curious to learn about his new home, and if he was going to fit in he would need to assimilate to some degree. And there was no better place to start than the expert in front of him. It was her turn to teach him something, and he would be sure to remember everything she told him.

Veyla Krinn

 

[Veyla Krinn]

Veyla smiled over the rim of her whiskey before setting the glass back onto the table.

"Then I suppose it's my turn to teach."

She leaned back comfortably in her chair, giving his question the consideration it deserved.

"Mandalore is...simpler than most people think." She folded her hands together. "The Empire is led by Mand'alor Aether the Iron. He's the one all the clans ultimately answer to, even if each clan governs its own affairs. Mandalore itself is our capital world." She motioned vaguely downward through the floorboards with an amused smile. "Quite literally beneath us at the moment. Concordia is Mandalore's moon. That's where we're sitting now."

Her expression grew thoughtful as she continued.

"As for me..." She shrugged lightly. "I'm a member of Clan Kryze. Most days, I'm a forger before I'm anything else. I work Beskar, repair armor, and make weapons when they're needed. That's my trade." Her fingers unconsciously mimicked the motion of a hammer striking an anvil before she noticed and smiled at herself. "The military side comes when it's needed. Every Mandalorian is expected to answer the call if our people require it."

"So I'm not a full-time soldier." Her emerald eyes met his. "Most of us aren't. We're builders, mechanics, pilots, doctors, merchants, farmers...and when someone threatens Mandalore or our people, we become warriors. I spent several years as a mercenary after the Purge before finally coming home. House Kryze needed people willing to rebuild more than it needed another hired gun."

She lifted her whiskey in a small, absent-minded toast before taking another sip.

"That's probably the shortest explanation of Mandalorian life you'll ever get." A grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Work hard. Keep your word. Protect your people. If someone tries to kill you...make sure they regret trying."

Her smile softened after a moment, curiosity replacing the humor.

"What about you?" she asked. "I know you're teaching me now, and before that you mentioned Bastion and...well..." She gestured vaguely, remembering everything he'd hinted at over the past two days. "...a rather complicated past."

She tilted her head slightly.

"But what do you actually do?" she asked. "Besides teaching me, I mean. Before yesterday, what did your days usually look like?"

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

"Is that really all?" He asked with some surprise. "Given that you were the one in command I had assumed you to be an officer of some sort. Full time."

He took another sip of ale, "So Citizen Soldiers. I think I understand that. Make sure everyone is capable of defending the homeland if need be, it makes sense. Simple enough. I suppose you being a blacksmith explains why you find a forge to be the most grounding image for quieting your thoughts. Still, you're speaking that you're part of a clan. Is that determined by geography? By lineage? By choice? Did you enter their employment and thus become part of the clan? How does that work?"

She asked what his day to day life had looked like prior to this and he thought for a moment. "Well... Prior to coming here, the most regular schedule I'd ever had was life on Bastion in its tower. I'd study and teach there. You wouldn't be too far off the mark to have called me a monk. Aside from that I commanded a decent section of the Diarchy's military, a privilege Master Rellik had given to me as his apprentice. So normalcy is hard to define, given I was moving around a lot later in my time there. I had become more what I had expected you to be, a full-time commanding officer. My uniform is still aboard my ship actually, back on Phaseera. I should make a point to go back and retrieve it at some point, assuming it hasn't been found and looted or destroyed already."

He took a third sip of his ale, "I'm afraid I don't have many other skills. I'm not a craftsman, I'm not a bricklayer, metalworker, welder or anything of the sort. A teacher is probably the best thing I'm suited to being, since I know so much. But even then, I doubt many people would want a former sith to be teaching their children how to read and write."

Veyla Krinn

 

[Veyla Krinn]

Veyla smiled softly, understanding why he'd reached that conclusion.

"I do lead when I'm needed," she admitted. "Yesterday just happened to be one of those days. Mandalorians tend to care more about who's capable than what rank they're wearing. If someone is the right person to make the decisions, people generally let them." She shrugged lightly. "Tomorrow I could be back at the forge all day."

His questions about clans drew a thoughtful nod.

"Clan is usually determined by birth. I was born Veyla Kryze." She rested her hands around her glass. "During my years away...I chose to go by Krinn instead." Her expression grew quieter for a moment. "It was easier. Less attention. Less expectation." A faint smile returned. "Perhaps it's time I took my name back."

"That isn't the only way to become part of a clan, though." she continued. "Children without families can be adopted. We call them Foundlings. Once they're accepted, they're raised as Mandalorians and become part of that clan as though they'd always belonged." She smiled warmly. "Blood matters less than commitment."

She took another sip of her whiskey before adding, "And not everyone who lives among us belongs to a clan. You can become part of Mandalorian society without taking a clan name at all. Traders, artisans, specialists...people who choose to make a life here without becoming Mandalorian themselves."

Her emerald eyes settled on Kallous again.

"So no," she said gently. "You don't need to worry that someone is going to hand you a family name the moment you arrive." The corner of her mouth lifted. "Though if you stay long enough..." She gave a small shrug. "Stranger things have happened."

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

"Alright... my next question then is how big are these clans, typically speaking? Do they encompass the majority of the population? Or are they small groups of people that associate themselves with one another? And what purpose do these clans serve as far as your society is concerned? Are they political groups? Would they be placed in charge of a planet or system to govern? Are they more about rallying the people for campaigns or military action, and leave the civil duties to other organizations?"

When she made her remark about him getting a family name he chuckled with mild amusement. "It would be strange, joining a Mandalorian clan. I suppose they'd hand me a blaster and tell me to learn to use a jetpack."

This joke was also punctuated by him taking another sip of his ale, before setting the drink back down again. "So. Krinn... and Kryze... you didn't change too much around did you? How did you come up with that name?"

Veyla Krinn

 

[Veyla Krinn]

Veyla nodded along as Kallous continued asking questions, smiling faintly at the realization that she had become the teacher for the evening.

"Clans vary quite a bit in size," she explained. "Some are enormous, with branches spread across several worlds. Others are little more than an extended family. It depends on their history."

She gestured vaguely toward the ceiling again.

"Concordia has long been associated with House Kryze. It's our home. Other clans have their own territories or holdings, but that doesn't necessarily mean they govern them outright. Think of the clans as families first and political organizations second."

"Every clan tends to become known for something over time." She smiled. "Pilots. Shipwrights. Beast riders. Warriors. Ours has become better known for Forgemasters these days. We still fight, of course, but we build just as much as we defend."

She paused long enough to take another sip of her whiskey.

"Every clan has an Alor." She tapped the side of her glass thoughtfully. "They're the leader of that clan. They settle disputes, represent their people, and lead when leadership is needed. Above them is the Mand'alor, who unites all the clans when something affects Mandalore as a whole."

His joke about the jetpack earned a laugh.

"You'd absolutely be handed one." She grinned. "Whether anyone would trust you to fly it on the first day is another matter entirely."

Before she could answer his final question, the server returned, balancing two steaming plates. The aroma of roasted meat, fresh bread, and vegetables immediately filled the space between them. Veyla thanked the server, waiting until they had departed before picking up her fork.

She considered the question while cutting into her meal.

"Truthfully..." she admitted after a thoughtful pause, "I don't remember deciding on Krinn."

She frowned slightly, more at the memory than the question itself.

"When my parents left Mandalore, they took me with them. I was still a child then." A small smile touched her lips. "I think they chose Krinn. Something that sounded close enough to what I knew, but different enough to keep us from drawing attention."

She gave a small shrug.

"Looking back..." Her eyes met his. "Perhaps I never really intended to leave Kryze behind. Just...borrow another name until I found my way home again."

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

He nodded thoughtfully as she explained how the clans functioned, it made some sense. He had never personally encountered anything that worked quite that way before. But if it worked it worked, and he had a feeling he would get to know the ins and outs of it all eventually. He was probably going to be here for a while after all. So he had plenty of time to figure it all out.

"I see." He said thoughtfully, mulling over everything he'd just learned with some curiosity. "Sounds interesting enough. So, you were born into Clan Kryze were you? I haven't been speaking to a highborn noble like she were a common laborer this whole time have I?"

He said this right before the server came around with their food, and the scent struck his nose immediately. And straightaway he could tell why she had brought them here. This was the kind of food he lived for, a good balance of hearty meats, steamed and seasoned vegetables and hot, soft bread with some form of butter applied to it. It was a delicious combination that never failed to satisfy. Once the server departed he took up his utensils and cut into the steak straightaway to take a bite. He was not disappointed.

Nodding with satisfaction he pointed to his food with the fork in his hands. "Very good food. Thanks for bringing me here, they might just have a repeat customer."

"I see... well how long have you been back home?" He asked curiously. "And if I may... why haven't you changed your name back already? did you just forget to or... or is there something holding you back from it?"

Veyla Krinn

 

[Veyla Krinn]

Veyla couldn't help but laugh at the question.

"No." She shook her head with an amused smile. "We have Alore and a Mand'alor, but we don't really have nobility in the way most of the galaxy thinks about it. No princes sitting in castles waiting for servants to bring them tea."

She cut another piece from her meal before continuing.

"This..." She gestured around the restaurant with her fork. "...is honestly the best place in Keldabe." A grin crossed her face. "Whenever I'm in town, I eat here. Every time." She pointed toward his plate. "The food never disappoints." Her eyes drifted to his mug. "Neither does the ale."

After taking another bite, she grew a little quieter at his question about her name.

"Since I turned away from Kryze..." she admitted, "...it never quite felt right to simply pick it back up again." There wasn't shame in her voice, only reflection. "I left it behind. I abandoned it. Even if it was done by my parents."

She rolled the thought around for a moment before looking back up at him.

"I know I could take it back." She nodded once, certain of that much. "I'd probably be welcomed home without anyone questioning it." A faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "But names mean something. I think...I wanted to be certain I'd earned mine again before I started using it."

Her gaze drifted briefly toward the window before returning to Kallous.

"Maybe yesterday was the first time I truly felt like I'd started doing that."

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

"Alright then. I suppose I can learn the rest later." He mused before taking another bite of his food.

He listened to her explain why she hadn't taken the name back yet, telling himt that she'd felt like she had to earn it first. Not that it had been required of her, but more that she'd felt she needed to prove to herself that she deserved to take that name back. He could certainly understand what she was saying, names had meaning. Which made him wonder about his own name, for a brief moment.

He had only ever been "Kallous", just that. No family name, just his given name. Whether it was given by his parents or by the sith that had taken him on, he did not know. He suspected that his first Master had been the one to give it to him. He was certain that his parents had been slain before he was "recruited", it was pretty normal for the Sith. But he found himself briefly saddened by the thought, that he had no such connection to anyone else.

He pushed it aside quickly, he always did. He would mull that over, later.

"Well, I'd say you've earned it. As much weight as my opinion on this matter might have." He said to her. "Though I suppose that's entirely up for you and your clan to decide."

Veyla Krinn

 

[Veyla Krinn]

Veyla considered his words in silence for a few moments.

"I'll take it into consideration."

A half smile found its way across her face as she lifted her water and took a slow drink before returning her attention to the meal in front of her. The conversation settled comfortably for a few bites, neither of them seeming to mind the quiet.

Then she looked back up at him.

"Though..." she began thoughtfully, "if you think I should take my name back..."

She let the sentence hang for just a heartbeat.

"...you might want to consider taking one yourself."

There wasn't any pressure behind the suggestion, nor any hidden agenda. It was spoken with the same quiet sincerity he'd shown her throughout the day.

"You told me names carry meaning." She rested one forearm on the table. "You've spent your whole life with one that someone else chose for you." Her emerald eyes held his. "Maybe one day you'll decide that's enough."

A small smile returned as she speared another piece of her dinner.

"Not today." She gave a light shrug. "Not tomorrow, either. But if I'm supposed to think about reclaiming a part of myself..." She nodded toward him with her fork. "...then I think it's only fair you ask yourself the same question."

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

He considered this for a few moments, a few... long moments. The two had settled into a brief silence to eat, a comfortable one. Kallous didn't mind silence so much. He was usually perfectly content to simply exist, and content to let others exist with him. He found silence comfortable, it let him clear his mind and simply be. But their conversation had other plans, and Veyla's seemingly innocent suggestion hit Kallous harder than perhaps she thought it would.

He didn't let it show, rather he kept those thoughts to himself for now. But he would certainly consider them. She had a point, but at the same time...

"And what sort of name do you think I should take?" He asked, "I don't think I can simply declare myself Kallous Von Something or Other and it be true. Like you said it has to have meaning, where do you think I should get that meaning from? Because if i just come up with a word and call it my last name, well... it won't really mean much will it?"

His question was sincere. This was an area in which he was immensely unfamiliar, so he didn't know what to think or how. He doubted she was extending to him an invitation to join her clan, it just seemed unlikely. So what else might she have to suggest?

Veyla Krinn

 

[Veyla Krinn]

Veyla didn't answer immediately.

Instead, she finished chewing another bite in comfortable silence, giving his question the same consideration he had given hers throughout the evening. After swallowing, she reached for her water, took a slow drink, then set the glass down with deliberate care.

Leaning forward slightly across the table, she met his eyes without wavering.

"As you're teaching me to listen to the Force..." she said quietly, lifting a finger to gently indicate the center of his chest, where his heart rested beneath his robes, "...I think you should listen to yourself."

She let that thought linger before continuing.

"If you have another name waiting for you, I don't think you'll find it by searching star charts or history books." A faint smile touched her lips. "It'll come to you. Maybe in your sleep. Maybe during meditation. Maybe one day you'll simply wake up knowing it as surely as you know your own first name."

She settled back into her chair again.

"If it turns out to be a Mandalorian name..." she said with a small shrug, "then all the better. If it doesn't, I understand that too." The smile returned, carrying a hint of mischief now. "Though I have to admit...Kallous von Something has a certain uniqueness to it, doesn't it?"

A quiet laugh escaped her before she picked up her fork again.

"Whatever name you end up with..." she added more sincerely, "make sure it's one you choose because it feels true...not because someone else thinks it should be."

Kallous

 

[Kallous]

"I see you are an excellent prosthelytizer." He said in a joking manner before taking another sip of ale, and continuing with his meal. "Maybe. Kallous Someoneovich is another good one methinks."

With the jokes aside, he was seriously considering what she was saying. On the one hand he understood what she was saying, but at the same time he also didn't really see the point. What difference did it make? The name Kallous may have been given to him, but it was nevertheless his name. The name that had been with him his whole life. Whether he liked it or not it was a part of him, and that was not so easily changed. It wasn't like he could just assume a new name, he couldn't just declare himself a Skywalker and be a Skywalker, such a declaration would be hubris of the highest order.

"Anyway, that's something to sleep on. It won't be decided immediately, or even soon. So no use worrying about it. So allow me to ask another question. What's your home life like? Do you have a family to take care of? Siblings? A Husband? Children? Anything? Or do you just work all day, take care of business, go to bed and repeat ad nauseum?"

Veyla Krinn