Private Found the Foundling Father

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Venari Krayt
Location: Tor Valum

Pamierlyja Božyšča​

It was nice being back in the heat of a forge, hammering away any doubt or worry. Kragr had returned to his forge in sector 06 where the Industrial work happened. Deep inside of the Halls of the Forgemasters off to the side of the massive hall, was Kragr's rented storage where he can work in peace and- or take commissions from other Mandalorians. His workshop was nothing to cheer for, though that was on purpose as it truly just was a very large storage hall outfitted with a forge for working.

At the moment, Kragr was the only one in his workshop, offhandedly kicking some scrap metal to a pile as he walked from a table and back to the forge. His men, those who survived the extermination of Clan Loc, Kragr's original clan, were at the moment out and doing... something. Kragr wasn't keeping tap on the others, in all honesty, it's not his job and he trusts them enough not to get into too much trouble... though, them being Mandalorians could be very debatable what trouble meant.

The whole workshop was very warm, though it was only if one would get very close that they would feel the incredibly hot wall of radiating furnace heat caressing their skin. With one hand tightening the pliers around a metal blade, he hammered with powerful swings onto the bright orange glowed part of the metal. A loud banging sound filled the whole workshop for each hit that connected to form and shape the blade even more.

Kragr only wore the lower half of his armour, as it would get too hot and heavy to wear for long periods of time when working in the extremely hot furnace. However, he did keep on his bodysuit for some protection as you never know nowadays.

 

[Venari Krayt]

A stranger had been making their way down an unknown street, keeping a brisk pace as she looked for a special person. Her attire looked to be that of a drifter's, or perhaps just another person down on their luck.

"Do you know where we even are? I understand you wish to find the Mandalorian that saved us, but shouldn't we have gone after my old suit? I feel so vulnerable out in the open, and I worry about you."

Her AI spoke within their linked minds, this AI had been with the girl ever since the day of her creation. Both the girl and her motherly AI were worn down, taking a far fall from what they once were in the past. The girl's weary eyes gaze upon a building, the freezing air cutting through her ragged cloak and attire with ease.

"You know I am older now, momma. I understand though.. My arrogance got us both in a bind, we were saved by sheer luck, but I must at least give thanks."

Mother was skeptical, if she could the AI would be crossing her arms right now, gazing at her child with a questioning expression.

"My child, after we give thanks.. I would like to take control, I can get us the credits needed for things like food and water, new clothes.. I miss my rifle, never should have hidden it away."

"It's okay momma, you don't need to carry all the weight anymore, I know about what all you had to do to keep me fed and warm.. Now I will work with you, I need to be a woman now."

The AI at first had no response to the girl, not due to anger or confusion.. But due to a genuine feeling of warmth and appreciation.

"I-Well this is unexpected, thank you.. Venari."

"Of course, I love you momma."

And with that the stranger opened the door to the forge, feeling the waves of heat almost slam against her bare flesh. Venari's brown eyes lock onto the man, giving him an awkward wave.

"Hello- I um- I.. I don't know if you remember me or not, but I was one of the people you and the Jedi had saved from that slaver pit on Denon. I traveled all this way to thank you but to also speak to you about something, back in the day I used to work with a group that called themselves the Black Hand Collective, most of them were Mandalorians such as yourself. Their culture and tight family bond always interested me, I have been lost for quite some time.. I was hoping you or someone else was looking to adopt. I desire a family and guidance.. Sir."

"Wait a moment right there young lady! You didn't say anything about any of this!"

Instead of speaking within their linked minds this time, Mother spoke through the girl's shoddy holoprojector clad around her wrist. No being would appear as a hologram, but Mother's robotic voice was definitely heard as it spoke up.




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Kragr Krayt​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Venari Krayt
Location: Tor Valum

Pamierlyja Božyšča​

"I'll be with you in a minute" Spoke Kragr, not even looking up from his work as he continued to hammer, he expected it to just be another customer. However, the sudden rambling of something about a slave pit and a Jedi and then proceeded to explain her situation almost like an admirer. A beat against the metal stopped the giant in his work, as he looked up at the young girl with an almost questioning look trying to piece things together.

But the pieces quickly fit in Kragr's mind as a look of recognition of who the girl was mentioning with 'a Jedi' and slave ring. Placing the hammer down he was about to speak up, but the disembodied robotic voice halted Kragr and tilted his head. How strange this day had turned out to be. When he woke up this morning, he did not expect a young girl to find him after he and Valery Noble had indirectly rescued the girl when busting that black market slave ring.

In fact, they hadn't even had time to truly take in everyone they rescued from that sickening slave ring as the leader of the slave ring had fled and had to chase the leader.

Walking around his large anvil, Kragr almost cautiously approached the girl, not because he feared she would attack him, but because this was such a strange situation.

As Kragr stopped in front of Venari, he towered over the girl, like a mountain looking down at the tallest tree. His ever bushy fire-kissed hair and wild beard gave the Mandalorian a true wildling appearance. However, despite having piercing blue eyes, they were calm but spoke of years of battle experience.

An eyebrow rose, "let me get this right. After you are freed, you decide to track me down and, what? Asking me to make you a foundling? Even though you spent time with another group of Mandalorians called Black Hand Collective?" Asked Kragr just to make sense of this weird situation.

 

[Venari Krayt]

"I and my mother used to work for that group, it wasn't just Mandalorians but I was always fond of their values. She did all the work really, we were on Roon with them for a good while until the group sort of just... Dissolved? The leader kinda vanished, once what we had grown used to was gone I tried to get things done. It's a long story but that is how I ended up on Denon, and how we met I guess."​

The girl's wild ride was something hard to sit down and just say, it would only get more confusing if she brought up that her Mother existed in her head! Ya, that doesn't sound insane at all..

"I know enough about Mandalorian customs to know what a foundling is, and if you would have me I will gladly take a family that can guide me, I want to be a warrior and to have a family that I never got to have... Along with thanking you again for the rescue, the year of being a slave was rough."

Kragr Krayt​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Venari Krayt
Location: Tor Valum

Pamierlyja Božyšča​

Venari's explanation did pique Kragr's curiosity as he looked over the girl with examining eyes. It was a bit of time since he took in the girl, Zhara Krayt and raised her up as a foundling. Similarly, many years ago, he took in a twig by the name of Shai Maji and raised her up to become a devastatingly strong Mandalorian.

And once again the seasoned veteran, stood in front of a young girl who sought to learn the way of the warrior clad in iron. It was almost a form of deja vu for the large fire-kissed Mandalorian now that he thought about it.

Scratching his wild bushy beard, Kragr looked thoughtful as he considered whether or not to take in another foundling. He didn't exactly have his own clan or village, where he could take this girl and raise her up to become Mandalorian as he did with Shai back many years ago. Then again, he took in Zhara as his own founding daughter and doesn't have a village today.

He could take them to Krayt's main ship, and train her there. Then again, the ship wasn't exactly anywhere near at the moment and they would have to track down the clan's ship in the end.

No. Kragr didn't feel like going space travel just to get to a ship, despite its impressiveness. Then there was of course the main issue at hand, deciding even if he wanted to accept this girl as his daughter. Kragr wasn't just going to adopt anyone who had a pulse. No. He would need to see if the girl had potential. Yes, that would be a good start. Take the girl someplace where she could be challenged and he could get a sense of her capabilities.

Nodding to himself, he focused back on Venari and gave her a warm smile. "You sound serious about this" began Kragr as he began to examine the girl some more and slowly circled Venari.

"You got the passion, I'll give you that much, but passion isn't everything" explained Kragr as he ended up in front of Venari.

"I want to see what you're capable of before I decide whether or not to take you in girl" explained Kragr, crossing his arms as a sign of this wasn't negotiable, like a father telling his kid how things are.

 

[Venari Krayt]

The cards had been played, it was all or nothing now. So she had to give whatever test this will be her all, else be stuck in the same mess she had been for years now.

Venari gives him a firm nod, a look of understanding in her eyes.

"It is our passions that drive us forward, and I am ready for whatever test you have in mind, sir."

Her curious minds starts to wander, what could this test be?

"What test do you have in mind?"

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Kragr Krayt​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Venari Krayt
Location: Tor Valum

New Dawn​

A smile spread into a grin, "good".

And with no further words, did he turn around and went deeper into his workshop. The fire-kissed Mandalorian stopped by a table and began to rummage through a bag for a few seconds, seemingly looking for something. A short "there you are" spoke Kragr with an excited smirk and returned to where Venari's position and handed the girl a simple datapad.

"On that, you'll find coordinates for a location where we will see what you got, little one" explained Kragr pressing a button to power the datapad up. "Meet me there tomorrow. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a customer" shooing the girl gently out of his workshop as correctly enough, three people stood and waited for Kragr to finish whatever conversation he had with the girl in front of him.

The coordinates were not off of the planet, so Venari at least didn't need to find a spaceship or travel to a new planet as the location was on Kestri like the capital was. However, the freezing and biting cold outside meant she would find a way to keep herself calm.

The exact location was a few kilometres outside of Reaver's Bay, which was nothing but wintery wilderness and icy waste. Nevertheless, Venari had a day to prepare to meet her potential adopting Mandalorian father if everything goes as the girl wanted.

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Nevertheless, Kragr was a man of his word and the next day, Venari would find Kragr sitting, surrounded by nothing but snow and ice as far as the eyes could see with a small campfire, fully suited up with the exception of wearing his helmet. A hundred feet from where Kragr sat, was a raised hill where an opening into the ground could be seen, leading to something...

 

[Venari Krayt]

Weary eyes scout out the surroundings ahead, the cold wrapping around the girl like a freezing blanket. She feels it deep within her, the chill, this venture into the freezing unknown had been only a section of this test, the unforgiving minute where we must continue to press on and endure.

And as the ice and snow crunched under her worn boots, Venari looks over the data pad one last time, seeing she was getting closer and closer.

Her ragged attire and cloak only protected her so much, relief quickly setting in as she spotted Kragr next to a fire. Those little flames seemed like such welcome company, their embers dancing within the hopeful young girl's eyes.

As she meets up with Kragr, she of course takes a moment to warm herself at the welcoming fire, glancing over at the strange hole in the ground.

"What's next?"

She asks the man with a worn breath, still facing the challenge head-on despite the wintery frost beating her down... Thankfully this fire was quickly taking away the numbness she felt within her fingers.

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Kragr Krayt​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Venari Krayt
Location: Tor Valum

New Dawn​

Poking some more in the flames, trying to get some more flames out of the fire Kragr looked up when foundling-in-waiting arrived and gave her a contemplating look and rose up from where he had been sitting. Waiting for Venari to come over to him, Kragr nodded in the direction of the hole in the icy hill beside them.

"It's very straightforward. You want to prove and be accepted by me and I want to see what you got and if you have what it takes" explained Kragr, leading Venari over to the entrance of the large opening in the hill, leading down to somewhere. "But here's the thing, I know nothing of you and if you have what it takes, not to mention I didn't raise you, train you or teach you. So for you to prove to me, I want you to kill whatever comes out of this hole without using tech or blasters" continued Kragr and held an open palm in front of Venari, expecting her to hand over any range-type weapons.

As soon as Venari handed over any and all range-type weapons she might have on her or if she wore none, it didn't change what Kragr did next. With a thermal detonator in his free hand, he primed it and lobbed the grenade in a nonchalant arc watching it disappear into the darkness.

"Good luck, kid" spoke the large Mandalorian and handed her a Vibrosword before activating his jetpack to give himself a boost into the air and landing on top of the hill to sit down comfortably on a rock.

A large scale of tremors went off as the thermal detonator exploded, shaking the ground where Venari stood. What followed next was a thousand echoed roars of something or multiple something monstrous from deep within the darkness of the cave and it came directly towards the exit of the cave hole.

Rushing out of the cave appeared not just one furious and very hungry Wampa, but three incredibly much bigger than average Wampas. In an instant, the two Wampas locked their predatorial sight onto Venari and came at her with a madding bellowed roar of natural strength.

 

[Venari Krayt]

She had no weapons to give, the only things she had were herself and the worn clothes upon her back.

"I understand, sir."

The deal was locked in, and so with the vibro sword in hand... The test had begun.

A test of skill and wits, and as primal as it got. The cold continued to batter the young woman, Venari was on a timer against the freezing chill by this point.

Thankfully she knew how to use a blade thanks to her time on Denon, fingers grip tightly around the hilt as the beasts roar at her. Now was not the time for fear, she was long past that, grown up into a new mindset and strength. And so with the promise of no tech... For the first time in her life, Venari turns off Mother without the permission of the AI. This test was for her, and her alone. And if she was to fall, the last thing she wanted was for Mother to feel the same pain.

Fulfill the vow, clutch this new life and take it... TAKE IT!

Her blade slinks into the snow, trailing alongside the young woman as she focuses on the beasts. As the first would rush at her, she waits, and moments before the beast can lung.. The blade flicks up, showering its eyes in snow. Within that white storm she lunges the blade deeply right across the upper chest of the thing. Hopeful that the multi cuts had torn the monster asunder, an all or nothing move for sure.

Kragr Krayt​