Private Dinner with the Watchmaster

[Shai Maji]

Mandalore's Orbit/A ship's cafeteria​

Way past bedtime​

It was way past the usual bedtime for the ship when Shai was sitting in the cafeteria with an untouched plate of food staring up at her, wearing a simple tank top and shorts. She picked at the food with her fork in her left hand while her right hand scraped a finger back and forth against the knife's blade it held. In the past few days of recovering on the ship, she had picked up the habit but couldn't seem to shake it off. Whether it be rubbing something she held or caressing a part of her own body, she couldn't keep the new cybernetic appendage still for long. Her tired red eyes glanced at her hand and forced it to stay still for a second or two before poking at some fries and slipping it into her mouth. Despite the fries being good and the burger beside them looking absolutely perfect... she didn't have an appetite. After a few more bites she had enough and pushed the tray away, dropping her utensils on the table with a defeated sigh. Only a few days ago, she could devour a plate like this in a few minutes and then go on to squeeze in seconds or even thirds. Now she could barely eat a handful of fries before feeling like she wanted to vomit.

She ran a hand through her unkempt mane and rested her head on the table, staring longingly at the tray inches from her snout. Her fur was a mess, seemingly more pale and drab than before. She still took her nightly showers like she always did... but she didn't bother at all these days to give her pelt the care she usually did. The more she looked at and smelled the delicious burger she made for herself, the more she started to grow frustrated that she didn't want to eat it. Finally that frustration boiled over to a determined "Kark it!" and she pulled out her datapad, throwing on a song in hopes that it would break her battered mood.

With newfound energy she pulled the plate closer, grabbed hold of the burger and took a massive bite from it. Just like that the rekindled energy faded and her body felt like it was punishing her for swallowing that single bite. A depressed whine escaped her as she set the burger down, scooted the tray away and laid down on the table to simply listen to the song. All of a sudden it felt too chipper and happy for her taste -a rather odd sensation for the usually happy Shistavanen- and after a few more seconds, she skipped it to something that felt more like her current mood. At least it was late and the ship was massive, so odds of her bothering someone or people finding her were slim... hopefully. She wasn't sure if she could stomach people right now. But at the same time, she desperately yearned for some sort of comfort or affection. An awful situation to be in.

Aloy Vizsla

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

U N I O N - F L E E T​

Tag: Shai Maji ​

It had been a few days since "Joti" had taken that bullet on Mandalore, And the outcome of the fighting below her was still undetermined. She'd been running on bacta and pure adrenaline down there before falling back under the cover provided by Darsch's Deathtroopers of krieg while she pulled her men back, Fighting the traitorous Sith Aligned Death Watch and the kriffing Undead for every inch of ground. Some made it, Some didn't. All she remembers is passing out on the boarding ramp of a drop ship while the undead rushed them from all around... Next thing she knew, She woke up in the medbay on this ship. That was days ago, And since then, She'd shaped up nicely. Turns out it was just blood loss that had had knocked her out, Otherwise she was fine thanks to Shai and Darsch. Since waking up, She'd gotten back in shape, Fixed up her armour in house Vizsla colours, Even gotten her name change underway.

There was one thing nagging at the back of her mind however. Darsch Vizsla... She'd confessed her love to the woman amidst the battlefield, Pouring her heart out for the woman while her body cried it's crimson tears for her. And yet, Her words had not been returned in kind as she had hoped, But had gone entirely unanswered. For the first time in her life, She didn't know how her partner felt about her. Had their spark from so long ago died while they were a part? Uncertainty clawed at the back of her mind like the undead clawed at her armour that day.

The scratch marks were still visible on her beskar'gam even through the new coat of paint as the light blue mandalorian made her way through the ship with her horned skull-like helm under one arm. She'd been looking for somewhere quiet to collect her thoughts and perhaps even to meditate, But so far the ship seemed packed as ever.

With a hydraulic hiss, The door to the mess hall opens, Revealing the redheaded Vizsla as she stepped in, Immediately being hit by the music.

"Apologies, I didn't realize there were still- Oh! Shai. I heard you'd made it, But I wasn't sure I'd see you again."

She stood there awkwardly, Unsure whether to simply give the shistavanen her regards and leave or to stay and talk. Perhaps they both needed a distraction, Or they both just needed to be alone.

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai jumped a little and spun around to look at who entered, rather surprised to see Joti standing in the doorway with a rather nice new armour. "Hey, uh..." she spoke up, scramming to pause the music playing on her datapad. "... Hey, Joti." she greeted with a small smile as she relaxed, looking over the woman. "I've been around here. Was actually wondering what happened to you after the mess down there." she admitted softly as she glanced back at her meal. "You wanna grab a seat?" she invited her, nodding to the spot across from her. She rather hoped the woman would join her. She felt a sense of comfort in seeing a familiar face.

She turned to face her meal again and stared at it for a few moments. "If you wanna grab a bite, feel free. I'm not very hungry at the moment." she offered, pushing the plate a bit towards the woman. "I must admit, I dig the new armour. You need some changes or stuff added, feel free to hit me up." she quipped with a smile as she shot her a casual wink. Though as she glanced down at her arm her smile faltered. "Though I'm not too sure how my skills are yet with this thing. Was hoping there was a forge somewhere on this ship." she muttered as she stared at it. Though she quickly snapped herself out of her trance with a shake of her head. "Sorry. I'm uh... this is still a bit of an adjustment." she apologized as she glanced back at her. "How's your back? After your girlfriend pushed me aside and everything else I couldn't get back at you. Everything still where it's supposed to be?" she asked her, hoping to shift the conversation.

As they talked, she rose to her feet and got out of the booth. "You want a drink or something? Caf or anything? I'm gonna get myself something. I saw a can of hot chocolate somewhere in one of the kitchen's cabinets that I think I'm gonna raid." she offered as she walked to the counter and slid over. After a few moments she returned with a mug of hot chocolate for herself and one for Joti too, whether she wanted it or not. "So what have you been up to?" she asked her calmly, taking a sip of her warm drink.

Aloy Vizsla

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

Tag: Shai Maji ​

The warm welcome was much appreciated, If a little different than what she was used to. Having spent so much of her time among outsiders, It was easy to forget what it felt like to live among her vod once again, A feeling that she wouldn't trade for anything right now.

"Oh yes please! I'm practically starving after all those stimpacks, And I could use the cocoa to get a little energy back" She chuckles while taking a seat, Sliding the tray closer and helping herself to anything that hadn't been touched yet. Remembering how Darsch had shoved Shai aside during the battle, It reminded her that she meant to mention something at the time, But that she'd been unable to force the words herself. Darsch didn't mean anything by it, And she knows now that it was simply the heat of the moment at play. Darsch had always been protective of her, And whether that meant more, Well, Who's to say...

"Oh yeah, About my "Girlfriend"..." She makes air quotes with her fingers "Darsch and I... We go way back. She was my second partner ever when Bounty Hunting. She's always had my back and she's always been a little... Protective. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it, She's just... I dunno, Spur of the moment ya know?"

"But anyway. I haven't been up to much really, Just sorting my music while I recover And uhh, Meditation." She says the last part under her breath, Slightly embarrassed that she'd taken to something like meditation to calm her nerves. She was a mandalorian, Not some jedi. What kind of mando was she if battle wrecked her like this...?

"Recovery's been good. My vest absorbed the blow so the slug didn't do much but knock the wind out of me, So it turns out I was wrong and I'm not dying. hah! And you did half the medic's work by pulling that thing outta me. Speaking of, Never got to say thank you, So... Thanks."

 

[Shai Maji]

As she set the mugs down, she carefully pushed Joti's mug towards her and turned it for an easy grasp. She watched the girl eat her meal and couldn't help but feel disappointment that she couldn't finish it herself. That burger was likely the best one she made so far and now her body just refused her the joy of it. Still, she did steal a fry from the stack and slipped it into her mouth as Joti spoke.

She apologized on Darsch's behalf but Shai simply shook her head. "It's fine, I can sympathize with that. I'm in a similar situation at the moment." she admitted, giving her a reassuring smile. When Joti muttered something about meditation, Shai's smile grew into a grin. "Meditation, huh? I think I might need to join you with that... but I doubt it'll work for me. I'd rather take my arsenal to a shooting range and just empty my month's ammo. I might just do that one of these days actually if I can find a shooting range on this ship." she admitted as she stole another chip from the plate.

She blinked in surprise when Joti spoke about her recovery and thanked Shai for getting the slug out of her back. The Shistavanen gave an embarrassed chuckle and waved off the gratitude. "I didn't do all that Joti, believe me. The most I did was drag you into cover and try to take care of you until backup arrived. The real heroes were Darsch and the medic, I didn't do all that much. But... you're welcome. I couldn't let you just lie there with a slug in your back." she confessed softly, though she did get up and sit next to Joti to give her a warm hug. "I only wish it was you that found me and Aerith instead of Talon, but it's not right to complain about that. He saved us... though I do feel like he's partially to blame for the fact that Aerith is currently locked in a cell on the ship." she commented, glancing at the table as her cybernetic hand pinched a piece of her shirt and caressed the cloth.

She snapped out of her trance after a few seconds and reached over to grab hold of her mug. With a large sip she relaxed and glanced at Joti again. "Hey, Joti, you wanna go do something? Maybe some shooting range meditation?" she suggested, giving her a slight bump with her cybernetic elbow.

Aloy Vizsla

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

Tag: Shai Maji ​

The sentiment was mutual. Both were reluctant to say they'd done anymore than do their part, They'd both been injured and were just glad to be alive, And they both needed something to take their minds off of current events. Though, Two things stood out to her. The first of which being the hug that had caught her off guard, Causing her to awkwardly glance around for a moment before she'd decided how she felt about it. The second however, Were the names Aertih and Talon. She had no idea that Talon had been down there at the time, Or even what's become of the scoundrel. Aerith though, That was a name she didn't recognize.

"Alright buddy," She chuckles softly while leaning in to hug Shai back with one arm over the shistavanen shoulder and the other bringing her mug up to her lips.

"Mm-" >sips< "I'd love to blow off some steam at the range. On the way though, Can you tell me more about Talon? I didn't know he was even on the field with us. The galaxy has a habit of bringing us to the same place, Like destiny wants us working together for some reason... Usually it has us meet first though, And now I gotta know, Make sure he didn't do anything stupid!" She laughs, Releasing shai from the awkward side-hug and standing up.

"And Aerith, Who's that? Haven't met them yet, And if she's in a cell, Well... She have anything to do with..." She juts her chin towards Shai's new cybernetics "With that?"

 

[Shai Maji]

To Shai's delight Joti agreed and she quickly gave her another hug before getting up from her seat. She downed the last bit of her hot chocolate and adjusted her attire as she listened to Joti speak. "I don't know that much, sadly. All I know is what the medics told me when I woke up." she admitted as she started to walk with her. "I only know he saved me and Aerith, but I never saw him." she explained to her. When she mentioned Aerith and the new arm, Shai's face darkened and she looked at the floor.

"Aerith is a cyborg... we're somewhere between friends and being together. I don't know what we are exactly. I guess you can call us super associated." she spoke with a weak smile but it quickly faltered when she looked back to Joti. She hugged herself and her new hand started to caress her bicep almost immediately. "You remember after I... took down that other person who came barging through the door? Someone else attacked from outside? That was her. We didn't recognize each other but even after we did, her programming still saw me as a threat." she explained softly, reflecting on the whole situation as her lower lip started to quiver again. "She couldn't bypass her programming and I didn't want to shoot. But we did. She hit my arm and I nailed her through the chest. Somehow she survived but immediately after she was patched up I heard the Union imprisoned her and rigged her up to get any info they can from her memory banks." she continued with a heavy sigh, trying to calm herself.

She looked back at Joti with a crushed look in her eyes. "I know why they're doing it to her. I understand that it can help the Union out a ton with everything she knows. But still... apart from my mom, she's the person I care about the most in the galaxy. I want to help her, not see her strung up like some puppet. But that's the other issue..." she trailed off as she looked down at her metallic hand. "I still need to go see her. But after everything that happened, I'm struggling to figure out what might happen. It's not her fault that my arm's off, I'm holding the Sith accountable for that. But it still feels hard to get myself to go see her." she admitted to the Mando. She wasn't sure what Joti was going to think about her relationship with a Sith soldier. She could only hope that Joti was at least more open-minded than some others were. "My ship's this way. I got a few toys on my ship. There's two Rippers, there's a pulse cannon, my particle pistol is somewhere as well." she explained as she thought about where her pistol was.

It hit her suddenly and forced her to come to a halt. For a moment her eyes went wide then looked down at the floor again. "Never mind. I lost it down there." she muttered as she walked again. Out of the blue she wrapped an arm around Joti and hugged her close. "Sorry if I'm looking glum or moody or depro or shit like that. I just got a bunch on my plate right now." she apologized as she tried to give her a small smile. When they reached her ship, Shai grabbed a backpack and filled it with snacks, beer and her two ripper pistols as well as a bunch of ammo for them. The cannon was in a crate along with its own ammo which she helped Joti to carry. When they reached the range, she locked the sliding door and immediately set the stuff she brought out on a nearby table. A grin formed on the Shistavanen's face as she picked up a pistol.

"Just remember ear protection." she quipped, picking up earmuffs and slipping it on... although her oddly shaped head and positioning of her ears made it a little awkward. She finally managed and started to load the weapons. But once she was done she hesitated for a moment before holding it out to Joti. "You go first." she offered gently.

Aloy Vizsla

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

Tag: Shai Maji ​

The repeated physical contact was... Not her thing. She didn't mind it from the right people, But she'd never gotten used to it. The only time anyone had ever touched her in her life was when they were trying to kill her, Save for a rare and lucky few that had more... Intimate intentions. Even then, It usually startled or excited her in ways uncommon in healthier individuals. She may have been the quiet one, But she had her boundaries.

"Alright Shai, Settle down... There's only three people in this galaxy that have been allowed to constantly touch me and walk away, And I don't know you well enough to put you on that list... You were fine the first time, But let's step back and get to know each other first alright?" She says in the least stern tone she could possibly mandage while still demanding her personal space.

"I'm not used to that chit..." >Sigh< "Now than!" She takes a deep breath and takes hold of the pistol, Giving it the once over before sliding her helmet on and activating the sound dampeners within to muffle the gunfire that would follow later.

She was about to take aim when she hesitated, Deciding to bring up something she'd kept down for years, As it could possibly help the shistavanen.

<"Now, I'm gonna let you on a little secret... And if you tell anyone, You might wanna look into more cybernetics"> She laughs teasingly <"Those three people I mentioned, Two of them were outsiders. One of them was a Dark Jedi. Emphasis on Dark. Far as I know, He'd run away from the sith as a child... Now, I've always hated the sorcerers,"> Her arm starts to rise, Leveling the pistol at a paper target ahead.

"But, He'd put his past behind him and tried to do good by the galaxy. So, I gave him a chance... It was a big mistake.">

>B a n g<

>Bang<

>Bang<

Three shots ring out, All grouped at center mass and spread fairly evenly on the target despite her hands starting to shake a little.

<"Romeo Sin... Good man, Good partner even. But you can't let yourself get attached to people that will never be vod... It just... It doesn't work. It'll hurt in the end when you walk a path they cannot follow...">

>Bang<

The fourth shot hits the target right where the heart would be, A large hole torn clean through just like hers had been torn that day.

<"It sounds to me like you've made the same mistake as I did. So, If she can be redeemed, Make her one of us. If she can't, Find someone else. Either way, Make sure you don't waste time going after someone you can't have.">

>Bang<

>bang<

>bang<

<"We're Mandalorians... We don't do that mushy chit. We find someone we love, We fight beside them for the rest of our lives and we die beside them. There's no ifs ands or buts, So you gotta make damn sure this person is the one before you let yourself get attached, Especially when you live a life where they can be dead just as soon as you've met.">

>Bang<

>bang<

>bang<

<"I've lost entire clans in a single afternoon, Shai. I've seen one of my partners asphyxiate in the vacuum of space right in front of me. I've Seen-"> >bang< <"couples kill each other over conflicting loyalties and bring entire worlds down for it...">

>Bang< <"And on top of that? I managed to fall for an outsider and my partner after... She kriffing leaves me and waits to show up till now?! After I get something going with the only person that's stuck with me through it all, Refused to kriffing Abandon me like all the others?! And I waited till now, Till we're fighting and I'm kriffing bleeding to finally tell her how I feel..."

>Bang<

>bang<

<"How much kriffing ammo does this thing have?!"> She looks down at the pistol, Turning it over once or twice before setting it down and pulling her helm off suddenly, Clearly sweating a little and breathing more heavily than she realized.

"I'm sorry... I uhm... I needed to blow off more steam than I thought..." She says while digging through her pockets for her Electric Nervesticks and pulling a couple out and lighting one with her vambrace's mini-flamer.

"Want one?" She holds one out for Shai while taking a quick drag on her own.

 

[Shai Maji]

Joti seemed quite opposed to her physical affection, which reminded Shai that not everyone was like her. "Sorry. I'm... I'm a physical person. Hugs, cuddling, pats, stuff like that. It's how I express myself. But I get it. I'll try to keep it to a minimum." she admitted, giving her a guilty smile. As Joti accepted the weapon, though, she started to tell a story and Shai made sure she listened. A rather big mistake for her.

She sat on the table next to Joti and glanced at her out of the corner. But the more she spoke, the more Shai retreated into herself. She stared at the floor and hugged herself as Joti practically scolded her. Like a statue she sat on the table and poured over Joti's words. They struck deep and hard, she had to admit. The gunfire only added to her mood and soon a sniff escaped the Shistavanen. She only moved when Joti took off her helmet and offered her a curious little device. She looked at it and slowly reached out to accept the little thing and studied it for a few moments. "What's this?" she asked as she glanced up at Joti and brought it to her lips. She took a drag like she usually did with cigarettes and was quite pleasantly surprised. It tasted delicious! And the smoke didn't burn her nostrils like cigarettes do as it poured out of her nose.

"This is nice. Thanks." she said with a timid smile as she took another puff and relaxed against the wall. She thought over what she said yet again and after a few moments she glanced at the woman. "I'm not a fighter." she said softly. She felt small again. Like she was back before she Joined Kragr and trained with him. "I'm not a front line shock trooper or a scout sniper or anything like that. Sure, I can fight pretty decently and I'm a good shot. But I'm not a fighter. I hate killing and I hate seeing people die. I smuggle guns and I live in ships. I can build you a top class starfighter, I can get you top quality weapons for cheap and I'll challenge anyone in this parsec to a dogfight in a ship. But I'm not a fighter." she confessed to her before taking another puff of the device. Her lip started to quiver as she raised her cybernetic hand. "I wasn't even supposed to be down there." she muttered as tears started to well up. "I wanted to be in a cockpit of a ship or stay back here to help with the logistics. I shouldn't have been down there." she spoke as a sniffle escaped her. She looked to Joti with her tearful eyes and wanted to wrap her arms around the woman to try and get some comfort. But she made it quite clear that she wasn't into that. So instead she set the device down on the table and stood up, securing her earmuffs and taking hold of the pistol.

She stood by another lane and took aim through her foggy eyes, letting loose at the target. Round after round she fired until the slug magazine was empty. When that was done she set it to blaster mode and fired a few more times until she had enough, tossing the pistol down on the table. "And now I got my best friend rigged up by the karking top dogs like a kriffing Piñata while you're here telling me to write her off because she's not a Mando?! My mom isn't either! She's a karking gun runner stuck in prison who's only getting out after seven years of me busting my ass to get her bail money! Should I write her off too, huh?!" she shouted at Joti as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

She sniffed and turned to open a bottle of beer but accidentally knocked it off the table. In a fit of anger she picked up the bottle and hurled it at a wall, watching it burst as she bared her teeth. But with the sight of it she took a step back and slumped down against the wall next to the table. "I don't turn my back on people, Joti. I just don't. I lost my dad and too many friends to simply give up on the few people I still have. I only have Aerith and my mom. My other friends just drifted away. And I don't blame them. Who the kriff would want to be close to a mutt like me?" she sobbed and buried her face in her hands as she let out all her pent up emotions. After a few seconds she pointed to the table and slowly glanced at Joti. "Can you gimme my thing, please?" she asked with a sniffle.

Aloy Vizsla

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

Tag: Shai Maji ​

She takes a deep breath, Letting out a prolonged sigh that shot orange smoke all across her side of the range as she sat up on the table, Not making eye contact but rather staring at the wall in contemplation. Some may find this disrespectful, See it as a sign of disinterest. Aloy however was listening intently, Carefully sifting out the emotion from the dialogue.


Not a fighter, Shai says. But she was capable of it. No, She was a fighter in the technical sense that she could put up a fight, But she wasn't the one to seek it out, Unlike most mandalorians. Curious. She was also a pilot and not a shock trooper unlike Aloy, Which suddenly made sense. Jaster's clan was full of pilots, And it was through that man that she'd first met Shai. Pilots lived in a whole other world from infantry, And she'd known plenty of both in her travels. Sitting out the battle of your people's homeworld for logistics though? That wasn't an option she'd even consider.

And then came her accusation that she'd told the "Mutt" to just write off her friend because she wasn't mandalorian, Which wasn't entirely false, But not the message Aloy was trying to convey.

"Look," She crosses her arms "I don't know enough about you to say anything about your friends. But your self deprecation chit isn't helping anyone."

After a moment, She grabs the nervestick and tosses it back to Shai as requested, Continuing with the conversation, As uncomfortable as that may be.

"And I'm not saying to just write her off... Friends stick together. If you're really her friend, Or more, You stick by her unlike your 'Friends'. What I am saying, Is that you need to sort your chit out and decide how far your willing to drag each other down whichever path you choose. If you want to be vode, Make her Vod. If she can't, And you want her in your life, Than step back, Take off the helmet and walk away. Together. This fight is for Mandalorians. If you bring her along, She has to want it. You can't just pull her into this, Because if something happens... If something happens than you'll never forgive yourself."

Looking off to the side, Her crossed arms tighten, Self much the same as Shai right now. Truth be told, She saw a tiny glimpse of herself in Shai right now, And she didn't like it. That wasn't good for anyone, Especially not Shai.

After taking another long drag from her nervestick, She continues, Exhaling orange smoke with each word. "I'm sorry about your mother... I never really, Uhm... Mine was never there. I can't say from experience but I know a mother's supposed to be important. Can't say I can relate in that regard, But I've where you are, In a way. I've been a lone wolf for... Five years now? Been scum for 10. Something happened, And was forced to leave the Mandalore sector before the fall. I was a Bounty Hunter for over a decade and I mixed with all sorts of nasty people. There were gun runner, Sure, But I'm talking gangers, Drugs dealers and even slavers. Worse than murderers I think..."

"My first partner died on me and I took to Death Sticks to cope. Got addicted, Nearly died a few times, Got clean eventually. It was right after that I met Darsch... In a way, She saved me from all that. Maybe Aerith will save you, Or you'll save her, I dunno. Just as long as you Both decide that you want it."

"You also gotta make real damn sure that she really is the one. I still can't decide if Darsch is, But I have feelings for her anyway. There's three people I've felt like that about. One of 'em is dead for all I know and the other is either going to kill Darsch when she finds out or Darsch is gonna kill her..."

She takes one last drag from her nervestick, Bringing one knee up to place her foot against the table, Giving herself support while leaning back against the wall and letting out a long exhausted sigh, Exhaling the orange smoke straight up into the air.

"These things," She holds the nerve stick out between her two fingers "They're modified Nervesticks. Republic troopers used to chew on 'em to keep adrenaline surges down. They're calming and non-addictive. I designed them myself as an alternative to Death Sticks. ..."

"Anyway. I'll talk to Westwind about Aerith when they've finished downloading. I'm his bodyguard now, The least he can do is listen to me once in awhile..."

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai kept her eyes glued to the ground when Joti started to talk, flinching as the nervestick collided with her chest. Carefully she picked it up and took a few puffs as she listened to Joti speak. When she mentioned giving up the Mando way, she earned an angry glare from Shai. But she didn't interrupt her. She kept her muzzle shut and processed everything Joti had to say to her. She finally looked up at her with tears still in her eyes as she told her about her experiences in her past. It was rather amusing to think that the people she described were what Shai could describe as 'regulars'. Perhaps getting out of the business might be a good thing going forward...

She took one last drag of the nervestick when Joti finished and slowly rose to her feet. Clutching her shirt, she wiped her eyes and gave one last sniff before glancing at the woman. Without warning her arms extended and she pulled her into a warm and tender hug with no indication of letting go soon. After a few moments she sighed into her armoured shoulder and pulled back to look her in the eye. "I'm just scared of being alone. Nobody to talk to, nobody to laugh with... I hate being alone. And apart from being able to bail my mom out, she's been able to not make me feel alone. And take it from another scumbag... it's not always so bad to be one." she admitted, giving her a frail smile toward the end. She stepped back and took another drag before slipping the nervestick into her pocket. "And thank you. For being willing to talk to the top dog. It means a lot to me." she thanked her as she glanced at the snacks, beer and guns still strewn around them. Her sad and downtrodden look finally broke a bit when she looked back to Joti with a smile. "There's still a pulse cannon and a ton of ammo to play with if you still wanna." she reminded her as she opened another bottle of beer and took a sip.

Setting the beer aside, she picked up the blaster on the table and reloaded both magazines, getting ready to fire again. "And Joti... thanks for everything. Especially the nervesticks. It's pretty awesome." she said gently as she slipped the earmuffs back on and waited for her to do the same. Joti gave her a lot to think about and said a few things that made the gears in her head crank a little. The thought about Joti's past gave her another idea as well.

"By the way, once the doctors get off my ass, I wanna get back in the job. I got some contacts that I think will be willing to help the Union with weapons, gear and stuff like that. Would you... like to come along, help out with a job or two?" she offered her.

Aloy Vizsla

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

Tag: Shai Maji ​

"What did I say- Agh nevermind..." The sudden hug wasn't exactly her thing at first, But eventually she just shook her head and hugged the shistavanen back, Petting the back of her head with her gloved hand.

"I uhm... I know that feeling all too well, Shai. I can't fault you for it." The fear of being alone. Her own nightmare made manifest for the last decade, That's one of the reasons that Darsch leaving her for that kriffing queen, EllieEx , Had hurt her the way did years ago. That's why she clung to Tan'yill like the blast scoring on her armour... Well, That and there was just something about Tan'yill. The Twi'lek had done something for her that only Darsch could have done before; She made this husk of a mandalorian feel alive for awhile. But not only that, But like there was something worth living for after the fight, Something to truly fight for, Not just survival. But the fear of being alone would never leave her, Not when some many people had left her.

Then those thoughts were interrupted by the job offer, Causing Aloy to look up suddenly, Her thumb still resting on her lip while she went over things in her head.

"Hm? Oh, Yeah don't mention it. You sounded like you needed something soothing and they won't hurt'cha so, No reason not to really. Now, What was this about a job? Contacts did you say? You mean arms dealers..."
Well, The union needed weapons, And in fact since Darsch had put her in charge of building Death Watch, She had as much a need for those contacts as the union, Especially if they could get her Westar gear...

"Hmm. You know what, Shai?" She crosses her arms again, Nodding slowly to herself while giving Shai a sidelong glance "Why not? If it'll help the Union, i'm in. I need to get out and stretch a bit, And Darsch needs weapons too. Where we headed?"
Now that's more like it. After being cooped up in the medbay, It was time for some action!

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai waited patiently to hear Joti's decision. She finally spoke up and agreed to the job offer. A smile spread across Shai's features as she turned to face her, listening to the woman's question. "Nowhere yet. First we need to get released and I uh... I need to get the mess with Aerith sorted. But once that's over, I was thinking of hitting up Nar Shaddaa and Nal Hutta. They're the places I got the most contacts at. But I also got one or two on Onderon if it's not a warzone anymore." she explained to her. "They're scumbags, don't get me wrong. One is a swoop gang, the other works with the Hutts, it's a big mess of a situation. But they got pockets for days. If we need anything and we got the money for it, they'll keep the supply rolling." she continued as she fished out the nervestick from her pocket.

She took another few puffs, inhaled it and let it slowly roll out of her nostrils. "This stuff's awesome." she commented before taking another puff. "Are you willing to sell? Doctors chewed me out over my smoking habits the other day. I uh... I got a bit of a stress problem going on." she asked with a guilty chuckle. It was a hell of a euphemism but Joti didn't need to worry about that. She didn't want to keep pouring baggage onto the poor girl after the 'heart-to-heart' chat they had just a few minutes ago. "So yeah... substitutes are welcome. I'm willing to pay a bunch for some if you got the excess to give away." she continued with her offer.

This had been a rough day, but Joti helped her out a lot. Though at the end of the day, Shai still had a long road to walk before she could function the way she used to. Before the fighting and everything else happened. But at the same time, she couldn't shake the feeling that the universe was trying to teach her a lesson about being so dependent on others...

Aloy Vizsla

 

[Aloy Vizsla]

Tag: Shai Maji ​

"Nar kriffing shaddaa!" She stifles a chuckle "If you only knew the history. Hell I know some sectors like the back of my hand, Might even know some of your friends. Don't get me wrong, I call these people scum, But it's a title I share. I wasn't always a freedom fighter, Shai. Nar Shaddaa was a frequent stop to get high on battle or illegal substances."

Taking a long deep drag off her nervestick, She exhales one last gaut of orange smoke into the air before pocketing it while simultaneously withdrawing a small box and handing it off to Shai.

"Speaking of substances. I make these myself. It's a substitute for Death Sticks, I'd still be addicted if not for these things helping me wean myself off... I can't make 'em in big batches, But I can lend you enough to keep yourself stocked for awhile. Just keep them away from ionic energy, Else they won't heat properly and you gotta remove nutrient stick and chew on it instead. It's a combination of Republic Nerve sticks, Stresstabs and gimer brush juice condensed into a little bar. It's best smoked but chewing 'em will give you a slow release that ain't bad for you either."

If Aloy was right in her interpretation of what Shai had said, Than the shistavanen needed them for similar reasons as Aloy once had, And she wasn't about to leave her hanging with something like that.

"I don't expect anything back. Just conserve your supply if you can and come back when you need more. Now, Who are we meeting up with first? I have no love for either, Especially the Hutts. But I know a hutt or two and I used to have pretty good standing with them as a Bounty Hunter. I never didn't do anything big, But I was known for keeping quiet and doing things under the guild's radar, Which was useful for hutts looking to keep things quiet, You get me? Sacrificed the fame for the money.
"As for swoop gangs, Well. I used to run with one myself for a short time. I always enjoyed a good ride and they always had some trouble they were willing to pay in credits or good to have removed. But, I sorta ran sour with one recently, So it depends on which group you're talkin' about"

Ah the unoriginally named "Crimson Rancor Gang". She still remembers betraying them for Darsch, A decision she'd never regret, But they'd caused problems for both her and Tan'yill. They'd have to be dealt with one of these days...

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai listened to Joti as she spoke, accepting the little box she gave her. With a smile she slipped it into a pocket and waited patiently for her to finish talking. The explanation helped out a ton to understand what went into the devices. It certainly sounded a lot nicer than normal cigarettes. "From one scumbag to another, I thank you." she joked gently as she took another puff. She was definitely going to get more when these ran out. She just hoped they last longer than a normal pack of cigarettes.

Joti asked about her contacts and Shai listened to try and figure out if they knew the same people. She wouldn't write that possibility off. Shai was also familiar with Nar Shaddaa and if Joti was as well, they might have even met without realizing it. "We might actually know the same Hutts." she admitted with a snicker. "As for swoop gangs, one of them is run by this Nautolan dude named Chase. They're not massive but they're pretty big. They bought weapons from me a bunch of times and I used to be good friends with Chase. Like... really good, if you get my meaning. Though last time I saw him was more than a year ago and we didn't exactly part on good footing. So I'll have to play extra nice with that." she explained with a guilty smile. "But the rest are a bit more mellow. There's a Rodian business dude who runs a mafia on the side. There's also a few other small groups but nothing outrageous. Not ones I can think of immediately, anyway." she continued as she stared off into a corner. Slowly a smile curled onto her features as she looked back at Joti. "I think I even dealt with the Crimson Rancors once or twice, but it wasn't anything prominent. I remember big deals quite well." she quipped.

With one final puff of her nervestick she slipped her earmuffs back on and readied her pistol. "I don't know about you, but I wanna see how much of a dent I can make in my ammo stash." she commented as she glanced at her.

Aloy Vizsla