Private Hot Visit

[Shai Maji]

KESTRI | TOR VALUM
MORNING | CLOUDY
TAGS: Valery Noble

SEARCHIN'​

Shai had been missing for about a week since the fight between her, Valery and Kranak. Kranak kept to his word, keeping her up to date on Valery's status in the infirmary as she recovered. At least her blood did a good job on patching her up to keep her alive. Going to her husband to explain how they shanked his girl in a training session would have been far too awkward... it was already awkward to just think about that picture. Tossing her cigarette into the furnace behind her office, Shai stepped away to take a long drink of her flask.

Her gaze lingered for a moment as she thought back to what happened at the training area. The way her mind shifted at the overwhelming smell coming from Valery and Kranak, the sound of their hearts pumping in their chests. She came close to losing her composure, and it would have cost her dearly. Luckily Kranak made the right call and sent her home before the temptation became too much. With a sigh she shook her head and walked back to her drafting table to continue working on a new concept. She had invited Valery over to the factory, mostly because she didn't want to risk drawing attention to herself and having Valery end up in the middle of it. But she also had a freshly made gift she wanted to give to the woman.

A glance at the wooden box on a nearby table brought a smirk to her features. Perhaps if she was able, they could go out and test the gift's capabilities. Though that talk could wait until the Jedi arrived.

She left the drafting table and walked up the small stairwell towards her office, where she sat down on the bed next to the desk and pulled a bottle of tihaar from the night stand. A smirk formed as she looked at the bottle, then at the door to her office. She heard about the visit to Kragr's forge, and she knew he wouldn't let anyone slip past without at least finishing a bottle of the borderline degreasing agent. But just how well did she handle it? "Dad, you better not have embarrassed our family." She snickered as she took a sip and got back up.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

About a week had passed since she arrived on Kestri and went through some brutal training with Shai and Kranak. Her recovery took about a day and was overseen by Kranak while Shai was off somewhere else. Valery hadn't really asked about it much, believing the Shistavanen just needed the time to herself after a session that had exposed much on both sides. But when she received a message with a request to meet Shai at the factory, she definitely felt some relief.

As heated as it could get between them, nothing would really take away the warrior's respect, and Kranak had also told her about what Shai did to keep her alive and prepare her to be moved to a bacta tank. She was certain Shai had a different reason to call her over, but she was definitely going to thank her for it.

Stepping into the factory, Valery took a moment to look around and familiarize herself with her surroundings, before she focused on her senses to get an idea of where the Mandalorian was. At this point, they both had likely fully recovered, and Valery was already back to training, although she had chosen to only go with light exercises this morning, just in case Shai had something demanding in store for her.

"Shai?" Valery asked, her voice loud enough for it to echo through the hall. She sensed the woman up in what she assumed would be her office, so she slowly began to make her way there.

Shai Maji ​

 

[Shai Maji]

The massive complex of Maji Ironworks was bustling with activity as droids and people moved about to forge, construct, and assemble the vast array of products on their catalogue, from pistols to armour to starships. Nobody seemed to mind the Jedi moving through the controlled chaos of assembly lines. The only person who seemed interested in the Jedi coming through was another Shistavanen talking to a few of the workers. Her muzzle was grey, and her figure looked like a strong breeze could blow her away, but the similarities in features, and the bright magenta eyes, gave a good indication of who she was.

The older woman studied Valery for a moment with a mixture of surprise, confusion, and sheer joy. "Yo, sweetie? You here for Shai?" She called out to Valery as she handed a datapad to one of the workers. Without skipping a beat, the woman turned to Shai's office and clasped her hands around her maw. "SHAI!" She hollered at the top of her lungs to get the other woman's attention. A few seconds later, Shai hung out of her office door by one hand. "YEAH MA?!" She shouted right back.

"YA GOT SOME JEDI LADY OVER HERE LOOKIN' FOR YA!" Shai blinked and paid closer attention, quickly noticing the Jedi master through the factory's workers. "OH! SUP VAL! GET OVER HERE!" She waved her over before disappearing back into her modest office. The older woman merely stared on with a look like she just met her childhood hero. "A karkin' Jedi? In our business? I can die happy now..." She commented to herself with a bright grin as she got back to work.

Once Valery managed to escape the chaos of the workplace, as well as Omiina's admiring gaze, Shai met her with a wide grin and and an arm around her neck. "Glad you could make it! Word of advice, by the way, if my ma asks if you'd like to visit for a mug of caf... get ready to lose an hour or two of your life." She snickered as she grabbed the bottle of tihaar and led her into her private forge. "Welcome to the family business, by the way!" She cheered with her arms in the air as she turned to face the woman, casually walking backwards as she took a swig and held the bottle out to her.

"How're you feelin' by the way? Heard you haven't been taking it easy after getting out the hospital." She asked with a grin, leaning against the wall of her forge, dangerously close the the jets of fire behind her.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

After calling out the first time, most factory workers seemed to completely ignore her presence. They were either too busy, believed she was some lost stranger, or they didn't care enough to go and help. But there was one exception — another Shistavanen who looked very similar to Shai, albeit older, and her eyes weren't quite the same. It wasn't too difficult to figure out who she was, so Valery greeted her with a warm smile, but a part of her was careful as well, just in case she was as... aggressive... as her daughter.

Quite the opposite seemed to be true, as the woman addressed Valery. "That's right, if you could point me in the right direction, I'd really apprecia-" she paused as the woman turned and yelled for Shai at the top of her lungs. An answer came very quickly, drawing a good few chuckles from Valery.

"Thank you for the help!" Valery called after Omiina before moving up to Shai's office. Once inside, Shai wrapped an arm around her neck and seemed to be filled with some excitement of her own — a welcomed change from the intensity that always lingered between them in training or battle. "Your mom seemed pretty excited about a Jedi being here. I wouldn't mind chatting with her for a few hours; it's the least I can do." She then followed Shai and looked around again, "Quite a business you got here. It's also adorable how you and your mom seem to get along." Valery flashed a slightly teasing smirk, but she meant well with her comment.

"How're you feelin' by the way? Heard you haven't been taking it easy after getting out the hospital."

Valery took the bottle that was offered and went for a good swig, "I'm doing alright, the training has been good. Just had that one... incident that I'm sure you've heard of, hm? But I was patched up, and I'm fully recovered now." She decided it was best not to mention the name of the Mandalorian she had sought out, just in case Shai didn't know and it'd piss her off.

"How have you been since our training session? You've been off the radar for a little while."

Shai Maji ​

 

[Shai Maji]

The moment Valery commented on her mother's enthusiasm, a cackling laugh erupted from the Mandalorian. "Oh, you got no idea. I challenge you to find a bigger fan of the Jedi in the galaxy than Omiina Maji." She quipped with a warm grin. "Hell, she loved y'all so much that I started dreamin' about becoming a Jedi when I was still crawling around the ship and chewing live wires." She snickered at the memory as she walked over to her drafting table.

"Quite a business you got here. It's also adorable how you and your mom seem to get along."

Shai glanced back at the woman as she flashed a wink. "She was locked up for a good ten years of my life, I'm makin' the most of my time with her. This whole business was always a dream of hers, to own a family-run business that wasn't gun running." She admitted calmly, giving the concept design one last look before she held her hand out for the bottle. "Yeah I heard about that incident. I'm curious, though... did Kragr do that thing where he gets way in your personal space to freak you out before dragging you along for a drink?" She asked with a smirk as she took a sip of the powerful liquor. She was rather disappointed by the lack of a reaction to the strong drink form Valery. She blamed Kragr...

"How have you been since our training session? You've been off the radar for a little while."

A guilty grin took over as Shai looked away for a moment. "Yeah... had to cool off for a bit. Between you and Kranak bleeding all over the place and having my head set on fire, I was in a bit of a moment. Kran managed to catch it before I did something bad, sent me home. Had to go find more food as well... But I was workin' on something else as well." She pulled the wooden box, shaped like the iron heart all Mandalorians wore on their armour, from its spot and set it on a table in front of Valery. "I made you something." She had a smile like she won a great victory as she took a step back.

Inside the elegant box, rested a special weapon on the velvet lining. "I take my hat off to y'all assembling those like it's nothing. Getting all the components figured out was a hell of a job." She commented as she watched Valery's reaction.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

The more Shai talked about her mother and the family business, the more Valery felt like they were very similar in a lot of ways. Warriors at heart, ready to do what was needed to defend their people and strike against those who threatened their peace, but there was much more beneath the surface. They cared deeply about friends, and family, and it's that personal side that Valery could heavily relate to.

"Yeah I heard about that incident. I'm curious, though... did Kragr do that thing where he gets way in your personal space to freak you out before dragging you along for a drink?"

Crap, she really did know about that.

"Something like that..." Valery began before she realized that sounded way too suspicious. She smiled nervously and continued, "He took me to the tavern in midtown, and on my way back to my place, I was ambushed and he patched me up after taking down the attackers." Valery looked at Shai for a moment and gained a more teasing grin, "He seemed to really like me, though."

Hopefully, she wasn't going to regret that joke.

Shai then went on to explain why she had been taking some time away, and Valery just nodded along to make sure she knew she was listening, "Yeah I wanted to apologize for that as well. For, you know, setting your head on fire..." she smiled sheepishly but considering the fact Shai and Kranak had beaten her into a bacta tank, they were probably even.

"I made you something."

Valery tilted her head and watched her retrieve the box. After it opened, and Valery saw what was inside, her eyes widened and there was that look Shai and Kranak likely had if they entered a gun store. "You made this for me?" She asked, clearly surprised by the gesture, but very grateful as well. "It's amazing..." she picked it up carefully to feel the balance of weight and to admire the design.

"It has been a long time since I've used a proper curved hilt, but they're fantastic in certain styles I've learned." She grinned and dipped her head to Shai, "Thank you, this weapon is very well-made. Even our best Artisans would be amazed."

Shai Maji ​

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai snickered at her explanation of what happened, as well as her comment of Kragr taking a liking to her. "Yeah that sounds like dad. Flip of a coin, either he likes you or he don't." She quipped, blissfully ignorant of what Valery meant with the comment. Valery went on to apologize for what happened, but the Wardog merely shrugged it off with a wave. "Hey, heat of the moment, no big deal." She cackled away at her own terrible joke before giving the woman her gift.

And the reaction was everything Shai could hope for.

"Thank you, this weapon is very well-made. Even our best Artisans would be amazed."

Shai flashed her a cheeky wink as she tugged her tank top like it were a jacket. "Forgemaster, baby." She quipped with a beaming smile. "My contact in the Jedi Order helped me out with the schematics and component requirements. Built everything in house, tried going for a Beskad design..." She gestured to her Beskad hanging on a weapons rack before glancing back at Valery. "... But that didn't work out too well. Balancing and fighting style is way different, so I tried to adjust the design to compensate. Though when I talked to my contact, she said that I accidentally created a hilt that's perfect for one of the saber forms. Think she said 'form two' or something. I dunno, her talking backwards always throws me off." She admitted with an amused grin.

A grin that became very smug all of a sudden. "Just... one thing, though. Before you drop a crystal in and go ham, I got one condition." Maintaining her smug eye contact, Shai plucked the hilt from her hand and placed it back into the box, slowly closing it. "You gotta knock my ass to the floor first." She challenged, leaning in close with her toothy grin.

"I'll explain later, but them's the breaks." She crossed her arms and stood in front of the box as she stared Valery down.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

"Yeah that sounds like dad. Flip of a coin, either he likes you or he don't."

"Right, yeah..." she smiled sheepishly and decided against elaborating on what she meant. It didn't matter too much in the end, anyway, as nothing happened, but it was certainly amusing and there was something funny about messing with Shai. Perhaps another time. Right now, she was just happy that the use of fire hadn't angered her too much, and the gift was going to make this whole trip even more memorable. For as long as she lived, it wouldn't only be something she could use in the field, but it would act as a reminder of her training here.

Shai then continued by explaining a little more about the construction process, and it didn't surprise Valery she had gotten some help from another Jedi. The talking backward part got her to raise an eyebrow for a moment though, but she had an idea as to what she meant by that.

"The Jedi was right, curved hilts are used in Makashi. It's a Form that's not as aggressive as what you've seen me using before — it's precise, elegant, and very calculated. Not that many Sith use it either, as they generally favor more aggressive tactics," Valery explained, choosing a moment to show off her nerdy side — her role as Battlemaster in the Old Republic had meant the leader of the Lightsaber Instructors, after all.

"Just... one thing, though. Before you drop a crystal in and go ham, I got one condition." Maintaining her smug eye contact, Shai plucked the hilt from her hand and placed it back into the box, slowly closing it. "You gotta knock my ass to the floor first."

Valery tilted her head, narrowed her eyes, and stared at the Shistavanen for a moment. But then a smirk crept through, and she dipped her head, "Luckily my morning training was light enough. Where do you want to do this, and would you be interested in me using that style I mentioned? Could be interesting for you to be up against something a little different."

Shai Maji ​

 

[Shai Maji]

An eyebrow raised as Valery elaborated on the style her friend mentioned, tempted to tease the woman for the overflow of information, though she quickly decided against it after thinking back to instances of her doing exactly the same. The similarities between the two of them were becoming way too much. Though her comment on Sith fighting styles earned a demeaning scoff from the Shistavanen. "Yeah, tell me about it. They can be as aggressive as they wanna be, at the end of the day a blaster bolt to the head don't really care. They all die the same in the end..." She spoke with a cold grin and a menacing look in her eye as her voice grew low.

But just as quick as the shadow of hatred crept up, it disappeared as Valery accepted her challenge. She thought about it for a moment. On one hand, a sparring session would be good exercise, especially against her. But on the other, that hilt was going to need a christening session if Valery could beat the Wardog's challenge.

The choice became quite easy.

Shai continued to stare as she leaned over and hit the switch for the door to slide shut. "I ain't talkin' about weapons." She gave no time for contemplation as she hurled a powerful jab at the woman's stomach, waving towards herself with both hands, she invited the Jedi to come at her as her hands rested on her hips. "You think Mandos are dangerous because of their weapons? Come on, Val. Hit me with your best shot." She quipped, patiently waiting for the Jedi to take a swing at her.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

While Valery picked up on the anger flaring up in Shai's eyes at the mention of Sith, she didn't think too much of it and decided against commenting further. They both had been up against the wielders of the Dark Side many times before, so they understood their enemy well. The subject was dropped and with a tap of the switch, Shai returned the metal hilt back into the box, leaned in closer and that's when Valery felt a surge in the Force.

The Shistavanen's jab connected with her stomach, folding Valery forward slightly on instinct, but it had only been a strike to make her understand what she wanted. This wasn't a proper spar to test different styles and actually improve something specific — it felt more like a brawl.

"Alright then..."

At the invitation that followed, Valery assumed a stronger stance and raised her hands up to cover her face, the elbows tucked in against the body and her chin tucked in as well. First, she opened with a series of jabs that were hardly impressive but helped measure and control distance. What followed, though, would be something she hadn't quite shown either of the Mandalorians before.

Augmented by the Force to first increase her speed, Valery's core twisted, and with incredible strength, a kick was aimed at the side of the woman's head. It wasn't just fast, however, she also augmented it using her technique from Bakuuni Hand, allowing her to strengthen the limb explosively, and so much, that the power of the kick could shatter rock, and bones and take down most fighters in one sweep if it were to connect as intended.

She wanted her best shot — she got something explosive.

Shai Maji ​

 

[Shai Maji]

The punch to her gut seemed to get the message across effectively, as the Jedi took a step back and raised her hands. Shai did the same, both arms raised as she turned her body and presented her shoulder, drastically minimizing her silhouette. The first few punches were nothing of value, easily swatted away by the Shistavanen as she seemed to grow bored already.

It costly mistake that gave the Jedi all the time she needed. In tje blink of an eye she was halfway in the air with a kick to the Wardog's head. Her eyes widened, and even with her inhuman speed, she couldn't get out if the way of the surprise kick as it barreled towards her. She only managed to change the landing zone before Valery's boot crashed into her head.

Bone shattered through her muzzle and teeth flew from her maw as her head snapped to the side at a very disconcerting angle. The Wardog spun as she crashed into the ground, splayed out and deathly still for a long moment. Long enough to start making it look like a costly accident. But luckily, her muzzle crunched back into place along with her neck, while her teeth grew back in her mouth. With a long groan, Shai rolled over as she massaged her jaw. "Where the kriff did you go fetch that? The karkin' Hydian Way?!" She spoke up with complete shock and awe across her face.

Sitting up, she spat a few remaining teeth out and forced herself off the ground. "Holy kriff, sis, you earned it. Hot damn..." She slid the box towards Valery as she walked over to her flask for a long drink. The pain was gone, but the sensation still caused the Shistavanen to massage her jaw. It made her wonder if she could match that kind of power if she let go of any and all restraint, she still didn't know the full extent of her power compared to Xyoz. "Alright, you win. You can show me that fancy saber form." She agreed with a mortified smile.

Walking over to the weapons rack, Shai grabbed her Beskad and pistol, though a lingering gaze remained on Valery's legs and feet for a moment. "Holy kriff..." She muttered to herself, still processing the effects of it all.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

The kick connected.

Per the woman's request, Valery had barely held back anything in the kick — she had only removed any obvious lethal power from the energy she had fueled into the strike, but even then, it was meant to not just knock out, but completely break someone on impact. The Shistavanan was without a doubt much tougher than most, so Valery felt it would be fine, but seeing her completely still on the ground with broken bones briefly scared her.

However, she could still feel a pulse in the Force, and after a long moment, Shai's muzzle snapped back and she rolled over to massage her jaw

"You didn't think Jedi were just dangerous because of their weapons, did you?" She joked with a smirk, using a quip Shai had thrown at her only a few minutes prior. The Mandalorian then sat up and slid over the box, clearly in approval of what Valery had displayed, and while she didn't need pats on the shoulder, it felt more meaningful from one warrior to another.

So to show her own respect, she dipped her head and accepted the box. After opening it, she let out a soft breath and both the curved hilt and one of her own lightsabers began to levitate. Carefully and with extreme precision, they disassembled in mid-air, allowing Valery to swap the crystal from her own lightsaber into the curved hilt. With the new weapon in hand, she tapped the ignition switch and watched a familiar violet blade ignite.

Finally, she began transitioning into the Makashi stance, which started with her feet sliding apart, and Valery angling her dominant side towards Shai. She then drew the blade vertically up in front of her face and performed the Makashi salute — an x-pattern carved in the air in front of her as a sign of respect for her opponent. The weapon then dropped into a low guard, and she stood ready.

"Let's get started...sis."

Shai Maji ​

 

[Shai Maji]

Valery's quip earned a laugh as Shai glanced over to her. "With how you lot hang onto those sabers, it seems like it, yeah." She teased right back as she grabbed her weapons and threw them into a bag along with a few other essentials. Her attention was cut short when, in the corner of her eye, she noticed Valery doing something odd.

Confusion turned into mesmerized admiration as she idly held onto her chin with wide eyes, staring at Valery as she disassembled both hilts with effortless elegance and swapped the crystal into the new hilt. Shai finally snapped out of her trance with the purple blade sparking to life for the first time in the new hilt. "Hot damn that looks good." She muttered, shaking her head. "Hold up, hold up!" She called out, holding her hands up. "Punching the snot out of each other is fine, but laser swords and blasters is a no-go." She grabbed her duffel bag, donned a hoodie, and gave Valery a tap on the shoulder. "I know a place that's out of the way. Should help us keep a low profile, huh?" She snickered as she led the way out of the factory.

"YO MA! WE'RE GOIN' OUT!" She called over the ruckus. "OKAY SWEETIE! PACK LUNCH FOR THE BOTH OF YOU... AND PLAY NICE WITH THE JEDI!" The voice came from the other side of the factory, earning a laugh from Shai. Once outside, Shai tossed her bag into the backseat of her speeder and took off once Valery was in. Breaking just about every traffic law in Tor Valum, the Shistavanen took them out of the city towards Lake Htagir, far away from prying eyes with only a handful of people minding their business at the edge of the docks.

"Idea behind that little stunt was a lesson I taught all our foundlings. Mandos shouldn't be feared for the weapons they carry, or the armour they wear. They should be feared for what they are. The presence they demand, even when their weapons and armour are taken from 'em. A Mandalorian who can't defend themselves outside of their armour, doesn't deserve it." She spared a glance at Valery as a smirk formed. "I'm glad to see you ain't so different. Does the rest of the Jedi Order have a similar philosophy?" She asked her casually, slowing the speeder down and parking on a large pier.

Shai reached over to the backseat and handed Valery a jacket to keep her warm in the frigid snow outside. The duffel bag was left on the hood of the speeder as Shai pulled out her Beskad and dropped the sheathe back in, giving the short sword a twirl.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

"Hot damn that looks good."

Valery flashed a wide grin and nodded, "It feels extremely well-balanced, and with the material you used to make it, I don't have to fear it getting destroyed." Her own lightsabers were made using resistant materials as well, but very few things really matched up to Beskar, so it made this new curved hilt very special. Then, after assuming her stance and preparing herself to clash, Shai made a comment that got her to blink.

"You know... that makes sense," she chuckled, disengaged her lightsaber, and followed after Shai, who called out to her mother and got another good laugh out of Valery. It made her wonder what her relationship with her daughter would be like later when she was all grown up. For now, though, she was going to enjoy having to take care of her little star.

Valery hopped into the speeder and watched Shai blast through traffic, and while that probably should have sparked fear for her life, the Shistavanen seemed so confident that Valery didn't even worry a second it could go wrong. She also didn't have to pay the fines if they were caught speeding so that helped.

"It's an interesting philosophy, and similar to what your dad- Kragr, told me," she blinked and cleared her throat. "The Jedi are somewhat similar, in that we feel we need to prepare to always be able to defend ourselves, or else we can't ever hope to protect others. I value that type of commitment and perseverance a lot, perhaps more than some, and training without weapons is a big part of it to me. Other Jedi might not spend as much time practicing it, since not all Jedi are what you'd consider warriors. But in these times of war, the majority will."

The two then reached the lake, and after stepping outside, Valery accepted the jacket. She could easily use the Force to stay warm with use of Tapas, but she preferred to not use the Force when something as simple as a jacket could solve the problem. "Oh, and the conversation reminded me - do you think you can uh, adjust the armor you gave me so it fits a bit better? If and when you have time, of course." She blinked again and tried to force a smile.

"It's a little tight in certain... areas."

Shai Maji ​

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai glanced at Valery as she spoke, a smirk forming as she corrected herself. "Hey he is my dad, pretty much. Me and him have been through a lot over the years. We both lost a lot. He helped me out of a hole, I helped him out of a hole. It's just weird sometimes when I talk about him and ma don't got a clue how to respond." She laughed, stepping away from the speeder as she clutched her blade. She was definitely going to have to talk to Kragr, find out how much he taught her... and what the hell he did to leave such an impression on Valery.

It was fun to hear a bit of Valery's life, just like she was learning Shai's. It was also interesting to get the full inside scoop on what was going on in the Jedi order, something she had been curious about for years. "If you need people to knock some paddies around and shape 'em up, you know who to ask." She teased, waiting patiently for Valery to ready herself.

"Oh, and the conversation reminded me - do you think you can uh, adjust the armor you gave me so it fits a bit better? If and when you have time, of course."

"It's a little tight in certain... areas."

The Wardog's composure shattered as she barked out a cackling laugh. "I knew it!" She laughed away as she rested her hands on her knees. "Hey, Mandos typically don't got more junk in the trunk than a heavy freighter to fit underneath the armour!" She quipped through her laughter before she finally managed to calm down. "Yeah I can reforge it, no big deal. I'll do it when we go back... but still, hot damn sis."

She gestured with her blade, waiting for Valery to ignite her blade. Shai rested her left hand over her chest before she brought the blade up to rest horizontally in front of her forehead, a warrior's salute before she eased into a stance. Her right hand came up as well, allowing her to rest the tip of the blade against her forearm as she started to carefully close the distance between her and Valery. But even as she waited to see who was going to attack first, she figured they could keep juggling some conversation. "You still got parents kicking?" She asked calmly, carefully watching her opponent's movements.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

While she nodded at the clarification regarding Kragr, she decided it was best not to comment much more on it. Between her supposed "father" staring at her chest in a turbolift, and asking her to share the bed with him, there was enough material to get the Shistavanen to feel uncomfortable, or maybe even angered. At least she called him out and rejected the offers...

"If you need people to knock some paddies around and shape 'em up, you know who to ask."

Valery almost snorted, "I actually think a training exercise with the Jedi and Enclave would be interesting, but we'd have to discuss training methods a little. What we did back in that simulation... I can't let Padawans go through it. Would have to remain completely non-lethal for it to be officially endorsed by the Council."

Then, after asking about a potential adjustment to her armor, Valery blinked as Shai just burst out in laughter. The comment that followed seemed to surprise her a little, but after she looked down at her chest, she finally understood. "Yeah, hot damn indeed..." she shook her head and chuckled. As long as it was getting adjusted, she wasn't going to mind any laughing or jokes about her 'junk in the trunk'.

"I appreciate it."

She switched back into the same stance she had adopted back in the factory, and again, she carved the X in the air in front of her as a respectful salute, "Well, they've technically been dead for about 4000 years," Valery answered with a smirk. "I'm not from this time and ended up in a long stasis, so everybody from my past is long gone." There was no more real sadness to her tone, as she had accepted it and moved on. But it was likely still a strange story to hear.

Finally, she decided to press the attack and lunged forward by just extending her dominant foot. With a very quick and calculated thrust, she aimed to pierce the tip of the new blade between two plates of armor on the torso, before withdrawing back to her stance for balance. She was far less aggressive, but very fast and precise now — a different challenge completely for the wardog.

Shai Maji ​

 

[Shai Maji]

The two of them carefully watched each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move. Shai maintained her stance, with her blade held in a high guard as she waited for Valery. Though her casual remark nearly succeeded in completely distracting the woman.

"Wait, what?!" She slid back and dropped her blade to swat hers away, her eyes still wide with surprise. It was only when Valery elaborated that she understood. "Yo, that's... wack to say the least. But hey... looking good for an older gal." She commented, hoping to not step on any toes with her words. Shai took the initiative this time and lunged forward, swinging to slap her blade away and strike up at her sword arm with the blade. She was at a great disadvantage with her blade length, and Valery's form wasn't going to make it easy for her. This was going to be interesting.

Shai quickly backed off again and resumed her stance as she started to circle around Valery. "Also, you burn a hole in this hoodie, I'll make that armour of yours tighter. This is my good hoodie." Shai remarked with a hint of annoyance as she tugged at the thick, grey hoodie.

With another lunge, she tried to lock the woman's blade against her own as she threw a kick at her stomach. "So you're tellin' me that you and me both are girls outta time? Hell, I'm probably gonna be able to meet your descendents and you could've met my ancestors." She snickered away with another swing at Valery, this time aiming for her legs.

"Is that when you got that? How'd it happen? She asked, gesturing to her eye to give Valery an idea of what she meant.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

"Older gal, huh?" Valery smirked and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Technically she was very old, but the stasis pod had preserved her body at the age she was when she entered it, so she definitely didn't feel very old. "Careful what you call me," she joked in return before she used Makashi's elegance and slid in retreat in harmony with Shai's lunge, allowing her to maintain distance and flick her wrist to parry away the incoming blade.

Distance was always an important factor to control in any fight, but Makashi especially revolved heavily around using footwork to very precisely control it.

"Might want to take it off, then," Valery challenged teasingly before Shai began to move. This time, she tapped into the Force for precognitive purposes and allowed things to play out a certain way. The blades locked, and the second the kick connected, it would feel as if she was kicking into literal abs of steel — Valery had augmented her body again. It still knocked her back a step, but she hoped the surprise would allow her to counter-attack.

So with a quick lunge, she attempted to thrust the tip of her blade forward again, aimed directly at Shai's left side. Makashi also relied on smaller strikes and slowly crippling an opponent by hitting them multiple times, so that's exactly what she was trying to do here. "No, the scar is from something else," Valery said right after she attempted to counter-attack. "It's a reminder of a mistake I made as a late Padawan. I allowed pride and arrogance to get the better of me,"

Shai Maji ​

 

[Shai Maji]

The stark contrast in their movements had Shai studying her opponent with beaming curiosity. She couldn't help but think back to the times she saw Erskine Barran use that wacky broadsword of his. It wasn't entirely the same, but the similarities in how they both aimed to control the distance and movement was keeping all of her attention on Valery.

"Might want to take it off, then,"

"Hell nah, you'll get jealous if I did that." She quipped as she kicked at the woman, though the resistance against her foot had her blinking with surprise. "Well someone's been doin' their morning sit-ups!" She spoke up as she moved in again, with powerful swings to break the woman's defence while keeping her own bases covered. When the Jedi came in again for a thrust, Shai, swiped down with the Beskar blade to knock her lightsaber away before she swung up at her chest. An easy attack to avoid, though it allowed Shai to see more of what the style could do.

"No, the scar is from something else,"

"It's a reminder of a mistake I made as a late Padawan. I allowed pride and arrogance to get the better of me,"

"I know the feeling." Shai commented as she gestured to the myriad of scars around her eyes. As much as she wanted to argue, her reason for doing what she did on Coruscant wasn't too different. "Turns out that trying to take on a Sith Lord and his lackies at once is liable to get a Coruscanti cloudcutter brought down on you." She attacked once more in an attempt to catch her blade before she kicked out to sweep Valery off her feet.

"This style of yours is real interesting, though. Dunno if you've ever had the pleasure to see the Empire's Lord-Regent fight with his sword over the years. But it's very similar. I think throwing you two at each other will be more of a piece of art than a fight!" She quipped with a grin.

Valery Noble