Private Lore Intrigue

[Kragr Krayt]

Sector 06 |~ Industrial ~ Works
Halls of the Forgemasters

Tag: Valery Noble | Location: Tor Valum

It was a long time since Kragr had been back to civilisation. In truth, it was weird being around other Mandalorians since the rise and fall of the Mandalorian Union. A man once proud, reduced to a drunken stupor after the razed of his home and clan. With nearly 98% of Clan Loc dead, Kragr disappeared from the face of the galaxy, taking the remaining of his people with him. However, everything wasn't lost, despite Kragr's state of mind. With the aid of his pseudo-daughter, Shai Maji , Kragr regained the spirit and self-pride to fight on as the once proud Alor that he was once. Despite having accepted joining Clan Krayt, it was still weird to be part of another clan that wasn't his own... nevertheless, Kragr was deeply supportive and proud of Shai and honestly was done with the weight of leading a clan.

Now Kragr was a man of restless action and could rarely if ever sit still and having recently joined the Enclave, Kragr has spent most of his time in the Industrial sector. It was a weirdly comforting feeling on working in a forge again, but the fiery-red-haired giant felt at home working with the smiths. Besides, he was an experienced blacksmith often working on submissions from other Mandalorians. While he never went the forge master route many others did, he never stopped hammering away.

However, today he decided not to take any new submissions and work on his Siege Titan Buster as it required long-needed maintenance ever since some poor stupid Imperial attempted to steal the plans for his Titan and then hide in a factory.

The only downside to the size of the Titan was that it needed a specially made workstation, in order to get to different areas of it. Nevertheless, Kragr was head deep inside of the Titan's electronics when one of his old clan members and ally called up to Kragr. "Kragr. KRAGR!" called the old clan member, trying to drown out the loud music and get Kragr's attention. "WHAT?" Yelled Kragr back, pulling his head back out of the open panel in the Titan, looking down at his old friend.

"We're running out of parts, I'll head over to our storage depot and see if I find some more" explained his old friend, pointing at a couple of opened crates. Giving a thumbs up, Kragr went back to working on his Titan while his friend went to get some more parts they were running low on.

While the forge was a decent size, it was far from the biggest forge Kragr had worked with but it got the job done. The shop, however, was rather large, reaching a little over 20 feet in height, giving plenty of room for the 14 feet tall Titan to be situated for maintenance. The large shop didn't exactly showcase a clean workplace, as things were left a bit all over. One might call it organized chaos as it wasn't hard to find tools and parts left and right.

The forge itself was situated to the left, leaving a nice open space and despite the massive communal forges of gigantic proportions, Kragr's shop still managed to give a sense of scale when entering the door to the shop due to how big the Titan was.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

It felt nice to be back in her normal clothing again.

Almost the very second she had arrived on Kestri, Shai and Kranak had forced her into some Mandalorian armor to further force her to adapt to the training. But it wasn't fitted to her body type, so it was incredibly tight, and she wasn't used to wearing heavy armor for extended amounts of time. Her fighting style revolved around mobility, speed, and almost overwhelming aggression — it was unusual for Jedi, but she didn't fight with the emotional fuel the Sith had. She was still in control of herself, and it was her combat prowess and style that had shaped her into the Sword of the Jedi.

But for this new role, she wanted to familiarize herself with other perspectives on combat, and so she had decided to reach out to the Mandalorians for training. The armor was part of that, but she limited herself in her use of the Force even more and forced herself not to rely on the typical arsenal of tricks and skills she had. It made her think outside the box, and with time, she felt confident that she'd leave this world even stronger, and wiser as well.

An important part of that training, however, was also to really understand the Mandalorians, so she could actually learn to fight like them. This is what brought her into the capital city today — she was looking for a man she had read about, a man with so much history attached to his name that he was ideal to teach her something new if he proved willing. In return, she likely had to do something for him as well, but that wasn't going to be a problem if this could help her on her path to lead the Jedi to victory in the war.

"Anybody here?" Valery asked, as her fiery eyes looked around the shop. She had seen other Mandalorian forges and shops before, but they hadn't been remotely this big. Maybe he worked on large vehicles?

"I'm looking for Kragr Krayt," Valery continued, her voice strong and confident. But her appearance likely made it very obvious that she wasn't a Mandalorian.

Kragr Krayt ​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Valery Noble | Location: Tor Valum

Valery's question was only met by loud blasting music that filled the entire workshop with lyrics that could only be described as tribal of some kind. Nevertheless, as she asked again, seemingly with a strong and confident voice, it found its mark as a strong voice spoke back to her, however, high above her.

Standing on a metallic walkway, leaning over a set of railings, was a giant of a man, face covered in sod and oil with a mane of red fiery hair and a wild beard to match. "We're closed, aruetii, come back tomorrow" spoke Kragr with a loud powerful voice, mostly because the music was so loud and he just couldn't be bothered, or simply wasn't going to turn down the music blasting merrily, making every edge and surface vibrate from the beat. And just like that he turned around and faced the massive exoarmour construction that currently was powered down.

Whether or not it was noticeable that Valery wasn't a Mandalorian wasn't commented on by the very brief moment Kragr spoke to her. However, if she could speak Mando'a, she would have recognized the word aruetii, which meant foreigner, giving a clear indication that either A. Kragr saw her as just that, a stranger he didn't know. Or B. an outsider who didn't fit in with everyone else.

The metal frame hugging the massive Titan was a set of walkways around the armour with a flight of stairs to get up and down. Kragr was currently not visible to Valery from her position, but through the loud music, she could still hear the tinkering somewhere high on the Titan Armour in the front. The state of origin of the loud music came from a decent-sized jukebox off to the side, opposite of the forge, which still burned hot with heat, warming Valery's left side, despite it standing off to the side.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

"We're closed, aruetii, come back tomorrow"

Valery paused and raised an eyebrow at the response. While she had no idea what Aruetii meant, she had a feeling it wasn't exactly a very welcoming term. But whether it was determination or stubbornness this time, she wasn't going to turn away just because of that. Instead, she shrugged it off and moved further into the shop.

The music wasn't really something that bothered her either, and she even found herself moving to the rhythm just a little. When she caught herself, it stopped and she moved up the walkways to try and find the man she had heard, could feel through the Force but had not yet seen at all.

"I'm not here for your work," Valery finally called out when she felt she was getting closer. "I just want to talk," she added before she stopped on the walkway and looked at the goliath of a machine he was working on. As a Jedi, she didn't really use advanced tech like this much, but it was still amazing to see to her.

Especially knowing that someone was building this with his own hands, tools, and passion for his craft.

"I've been training with someone you know. Her name is Shai Maji , and she spoke highly of you."

Kragr Krayt ​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Valery Noble | Location: Tor Valum

Valery didn't really get any answers when she tried to explain herself, despite seemingly pressing on with her request. The closer Valery got climbing the stairs, the more she could see of the giant man, or well the bottom half of him. Currently, he was upper-body deep in the Titan's control chamber, giving Valery a better view of the insides of the beast of an armour. Unlike entering a military tank or some large all-terrain scout transport, this was literally an oversized suit of armour for the driver with holes for arms and legs. The Jedi's fiery eyes would quickly be able to notice that even the "cockpit" where the body and head would be situated in the Titan, didn't have any real control sticks or wheel of some kind and it wouldn't be difficult to imagine that this massive suit of armour was controlled like an actual body.

Fully focused on his work, Kragr had expected the stranger to leave after being told so and would have cursed himself for letting someone get so close to him, without noticing it. However, when he heard the same strong and confident voice again, he would have confronted her for the disrespect of ignoring him. And yet, he almost froze for a second, before pulling back out of the Titan giving the stranger a cautious look. With a press of a button, the music cut completely, casting the entire workshop into a quiet hum from the forge and the distant forges in the open hall outside of the shop.

Kragr hadn't seen or heard from his pseudo-daughter in quite some time, in fact ever since he was finally convinced to join her clan. Giving Valery a look over with his own bright blue eyes, the Mandalorian quickly noticed the strong stance of a warrior, the well-hardened eyes of one who's seen war. On top of that, the woman wore great scared beauty like a proud fiery Mandalorian woman and that was always of great attraction and something Kragr immediately took notice of. The heavy armour pieces though looked comically wrong on her, but that wasn't really important.

What was important, was the fact that the woman, arguably strong, knew his daughter and for some reason, sought out him.

Kragr pulled a small towel way grey than white and dried his hands. "Is that so?" Spoke Kragr, still weighing whether or not he believed the woman. Not one for fiddling his thumbs and waiting, he leaned up against the railing. "Well, what do you want?" He asked straightforward. Getting a clear view of the giant before her, Valery saw a powerful man clad in equally powerful but very heavy armour, maybe even to the extreme.

There were almost no gaps in the armour, making him incredibly well protected. Kragr had wild fiery hair, even more so when Valery stood face to face with him. A thick full beard of defiance hugged his face and a pair of piercing blue eyes showed an age experience rarely seen in a warrior culture.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

As she walked up the stairs, she quickly picked up on the man working on his creation, but while she couldn't really see him yet, she focused mostly on the machine. Valery knew of the Mandalorian war machines to some extent, but this looked far more unique, and even without knowing its specs, she had a feeling it was very powerful. It made her wonder just how much went into the creation of it, and how much it was tailored specifically to its owner. Judging by the lack of controls inside the cockpit, perhaps only he could use the goliath?

Either way, Valery made her approach and with how close she got, it was finally enough to draw his attention. The music stopped and with it, Valery paused to wait for him to appear. She didn't want to cause even more trouble, having already moved into his shop despite it being closed, so she was ready to handle a more aggressive reaction as well. Luckily though, the tall man appeared, likely a bit frustrated, but without any hostile intent, she could read in his eyes, or through his presence in the Force.

Looking him up and down, she could easily tell what kind of man he was — he was a warrior, much like her and many other Mandalorians she met here. But through Shai, she knew he had a different side to him as well, albeit one he likely didn't show to outsiders. With the project he was working on and a shop like this, he definitely didn't mind getting his hands dirty either, and she suspected him to be the type to always be working hard.

She could appreciate that, and a brief smirk showed it.

"That's right, she and I are training together while I stay here," she answered with a respectful nod. "I'm here to learn more about the Mandalorian culture. I want to understand them better for my own growth, and I believe you'd be the best Mandalorian to teach or show me." She said with a more fiery tone. But then she blinked, realizing that she hadn't even introduced herself yet. So she extended a hand for a firm handshake, "I'm Jedi Master Valery Noble."

Kragr Krayt ​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Valery Noble | Location: Tor Valum

Kragr noticed the brief smirk but didn't pay it much mind as he listened to the woman explain her determined decision to visit him. He found it a comical if not a sense of pride, knowing how far his foundling had managed to get. It was honestly a bit weird that of all people, this woman sought out him for learning about Mandalorian culture, especially since she could just go to some of the religious people in the capital for culture and history lessons. Then again, Shai did apparently suggest him as one who could teach this stranger.

Standing in his own train of thoughts, it was first when she introduced herself as Jedi Master Valery Noble. Now her name did not bother him, in fact, Valery Noble seemed to rather fit her otherwise noble but scared beauty. What bothered him was the Jedi part and a Jedi Master on top of that. While Kragr wasn't by default consumed by hatred over every force sensitive... well maybe with Sith, but Jedi were a whole-nother thing.

He didn't trust many if any force sensitive beings, Mandalorians or not. So many viewed the Force as a toy or tool without taking into account the repercussions using the Force could have on others. That Dark Side was a very real and dangerous part and Kragr had seen so many Jedi throughout his life fall to the pull of the darkness, placing those closest in harm's way.

And yet. Here stood a high-ranking and most likely powerful Force Sensitive Jedi Master, allies, or maybe friends even? With his daughter. Kragr was incredibly conflicted, especially since he valued actions above everything else when it came to values. His daughter was no fool and if she trusted this Valery Noble, Jedi Master, Kragr could probably also trust her.

However, he was a stubborn man, very stubborn...

While he stilled dried the last sod and oil he could from her hands, he looked down at the outreached hand for him to shake. His piercing blue eyes found the Jedi Master's own bright orange eyes. Pushing off the railing he surprisingly planted his own hand in hers. His palm had a rough skin surface, thanks to the many years of hard work and combat. His hand was also quite a bit larger than hers and Valery could really feel the power behind his shake.

Then he did something out of nowhere a second or two after he took her hand. He moved up close, almost intimately close to her really showing the height difference between them. peering into the orange eyes of Valery as if he was reading something deeper about her as a person. With a low voice, though with intense piercing eyes, he spoke to the woman in front of him. "Do you even know, what it is you're asking me... Are you even prepared for the sacrifice? Valery Noble, Jedi Master" Asked Kragr with an intense but strong demeanour, never leaving his piercing blue eyes her orange ones.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

When he pushed back from the railing and looked her in the eyes, she narrowed her own and moved no muscle while the hand remained extended for him to take. Almost to her surprise, he reached for it and shook it firmly with a powerful grasp. Much like his own hands, Valery's were rough and strong from her own experience as a warrior of the Jedi, and so in this gesture alone, she knew they both already learned a lot about each other.

The fire in their eyes, the strength in their hands — it was something only a true warrior possessed.

But then, while their eyes were still locked, he suddenly stepped forward, into her personal space and looked down at her. Valery's chin lifted so she could stare straight back into his, showing no signs that she was intimidated or caught off-guard. This was no moment to show weakness, not to a Mandalorian like him, so she showed that brilliant fire that always burned within her heart, and spoke with the confidence of a leader, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't. I understand sacrifice like no other," she said, and as those words left her lips, she almost felt the scar on her face burn.

Her life had been so full of pain and sacrifice — from losing her own students and a loved one, to leaving behind the era she was born in, knowing that all of them were long gone now. As Sword, she committed her life to always fighting the Dark Side, knowing that while it would never bring her peace, her actions cast a shadow countless others could find comfort in. A life of sacrifice, but one she'd never change for anything.

"I don't expect you to do this for free, but I'm willing to do what it takes to learn."

Kragr Krayt ​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Valery Noble | Location: Tor Valum

It was a tense moment as they stood barely inches from each other, speaking a voiceless language of common understanding and experience. The Jedi had a strong grip to match Kragr's own, something which the giant of a man could respect. In fact, nothing of this Valery spoke of a fragile and soft-skinned woman. In fact, internally, an intrigue about the woman had piqued the Mandalorian's mind, just a bit.

This was certainly not how he expected this to go as most people who knew of him, also knew how much prowess Kragr possessed when he stubbornly faced someone.

Continuing to grasp Valery's hand in his, almost challenging her by putting more pressure on their shake. Standing close enough to consider it an intimacy level found the Jedi's bright orange eyes incredibly expressive as his eyes never left hers. Listening to her speak, he never interrupted or disrespected her own struggle and hardship for he saw in her eyes a deeper sense of truth than any spoken words could ever convey.

And then she said, "I don't expect you to do this for free, but I'm willing to do what it takes to learn.", earning her a raised eyebrow and a sudden shift from this iron-hardened battle warrior's face.

An amused smile slowly spread, "willing to do what it takes?" Asked Kragr, repeating Valery's words, a slight undertone of amused tease in his voice could be heard. With his free hand, Kragr held Valery's chin with his thumb and index finger, "be careful, what you offer, kih senaar" spoke the red-haired Mandalorian with his amused smile merging into a full-blown smirk, with a spark of a predatorial glint of a hunter in Kragr's eyes.

The choice of holding her chin with his two fingers was another challenge, a show of domineering control over the situation, to see what type of person she was and what kind of personality would shine through Valery's captivating scared eyes. On top of that, it might have been a bit unfair to use Mando'a words when calling her kih senaar, meaning little bird as it could have different meanings, depending on the relationship between two people.

And as quickly as he had entered Valery's personal space, had he left it, letting go of their show-of-strength handshake, not to mention, his two fingers around Valery's chin. A bit of sod from Kragr's fingers had left their mark on her chin, darkening the skin just a smidge.

Nevertheless, he was curious what exactly this Jedi wanted to learn... Mandalorian culture, not to mention religious beliefs was very vast and not something that could be learned just overnight. Honestly, he wasn't even sure, if he wanted to teach another, ever since his people were slaughtered by Dar'mandas, loyal to the Sith Empire.

Walking over to a small table on the walkway, he took his helmet, holding it in both hands, looking at the emotionless face of the black t-visor. In a moment of inner contemplation, he turned around, placing his helmet back down on the small table. Showing a much more jovial smirk, "so you will do whatever it takes, you must either be naive or unfamiliar with Mandalorian stubbornness" spoke Kragr with a short humourous snort.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

Valery could feel his grip tightening.

It went hand-in-hand with the tension that was rising between them, but she still didn't back down. She didn't even consider it, and just met his grip with her own tightening as well, forcing the muscles in her arm to tense up. As a Jedi, much of the strength that really made her unnatural and powerful came from the Force, and it was no toy she used for moments like this. So all she drew on was her natural strength and the confidence she had not to show weakness to him.

An amused smile slowly spread, "willing to do what it takes?" Asked Kragr, repeating Valery's words, a slight undertone of amused tease in his voice could be heard. With his free hand, Kragr held Valery's chin with his thumb and index finger, "be careful, what you offer, kih senaar" spoke the red-haired Mandalorian with his amused smile merging into a full-blown smirk, with a spark of a predatorial glint of a hunter in Kragr's eyes.​

The moment his fingers touched her chin, it was as if the fire within her ignited in her eyes, and as they narrowed, she made it clear through the way she looked alone that he was pushing boundaries, and that he had to be careful. With a slight tilt of her head, she pulled back her chin a tad, but only when he stepped out of her personal space again, the grip was fully released. She made no move to rub her chin or wipe away the sod, as it would only show him that it bothered her. Instead, she lowered her chin again and watched him closely.

"Mandalorians aren't the only stubborn people," Valery finally said as her eyes followed him to the table. She noticed a shift in the Force when he looked at his helmet, but knowing that all warriors carried their own scars, she wasn't going to ask about it. Sometimes silence was the best way to show mutual respect, and she believed this was one of those moments. "I came here to learn how Mandalorians fight. I've given up my usual style, my comfort zone, and accepted the pain it would bring just to understand their perspective on combat." Kranak and Shai had been pushing her a lot, and without her usual arsenal of tricks and abilities, it had taken a toll on her body.

"But to understand it better, I need to know how they think, act and what they value as well. I'll do what it takes to learn it, because one day, I may need it on my path to destroy the Sith and anything tainted by the Dark Side." That was, after all, the purpose of her new role — she was the Jedi's Sword against the enemies of the Galactic Alliance, and she was going to do everything in her power to strengthen herself, so she could carry the burdens that came with it.

"Can you help me or not?" She asked with a tone that suggested she wasn't going to beg or plead forever.

Kragr Krayt ​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Valery Noble | Location: Tor Valum

Her defiance and hardened eyes certainly brought an inner smile forth, though it was obvious that she wasn't a Mandalorian as a move like his, catching Valery's chin would have earned him a punch to the jaw. However, it was clear that she wasn't a pushover, far from it actually with her almost narrowed death stare she gave him.

Her goal was honourable, he'll grant her that, a goal they shared, though the question of course was, how far were she willing to push to gain her goal? Turning over everything she had said to him, not to mention, the fact that Shai had sent the Jedi to him spoke loudly as he doubted she would spend time on any righteous idiot.

Crossing his arms, Kragr gave Valery one last look over before taking a deep sigh. He hope this wouldn't be consistent or he would have to smack some sense into his daughter. Nevertheless, he cracked his neck two times and walked back into her personal space tilting his head a bit, "fine, I'll entertain the idea and kick some culture into your pretty little head, Valery Noble, Jedi Master. But if I do this, I have two rules, two very simple rules" spoke Kragr with a low determine, but powerful voice.

"One. You quit and you can return from where you came. Two. You follow my lead and you listen well" warned Kragr with a deadly stare as he looked down at her.

Standing still intimately apart, Kragr searched Valery's eyes and face for any doubt or second thoughts for if he saw any, it would end, before it even began. If no doubt or second thoughts betrayed Valery, Kragr's threatening completely shifted to that of a larger-than-life smile, "perfect," spoke the giant of a man simply giving Valery a good hearty slap on her shoulder as he left her personal space, again and grabbing his helmet. Walking past the Jedi Master, he spoke up again, "oh and about your payment, I'll figure something out you can do for me at some point" explained the Mandalorian rather nonchalant.

Kragr descended the stairs quickly and with a press on his vambrace, locked down the massive Titan, making it nearly impossible to break into. Waiting for Valery to join him, he looked at her with a crack of a smile, "I could go for a drink, let's go" expressed the large Mandalorian without even asking Valery and left the workshop. Expecting the Jedi to follow him, they would then find themselves in the massive complex of forges, spanning as long as the eyes could see, bringing a new sense to a heated room.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

"fine, I'll entertain the idea and kick some culture into your pretty little head, Valery Noble, Jedi Master. But if I do this, I have two rules, two very simple rules"​

Valery's eyes followed his as he moved back towards her, but this time the corners of her lips had tugged up into a faint smirk. As much as she had wanted to punch him earlier, she felt that a less aggressive approach would be more convincing, and she still made sure that he knew she wasn't going to let him push her around too much. Even for this cause, she wasn't going to let herself get humiliated for no reason at all, and she was certain he knew that.

She then listened to his rules and met his deadly glare with her own. But after it lingered for a few seconds, she smirked again and dipped her head in acknowledgment, "That won't be a problem," she said without even a small hint of doubt in her voice or eyes. If she committed to something, nothing was going to stop her from seeing it all the way through. Her perseverance is one of her key strengths, and has taken her this far already — it was not going to fail her now.

"perfect," he said with a slap on her shoulder she chose to ignore this one time, as it was meant without the intent of the earlier touching of her chin. Kragr then took a step back and grabbed his helmet so they could get going, and she stepped aside to finally let him pass, a smirk still resting on her lips.

"Just let me know," she said regarding the payment before he suggested getting some drinks. It was getting later, and it would be a good opportunity for a conversation, as long as he managed to behave. "Sure, but Kragr?" she waited for him to turn around and look at her, so she could briefly shoot that fiery glare his way again.

"Touch my chin like that again and you'll lose your hand." She grinned and pushed herself past him, her shoulder nudging him aside just a little while she left the shop behind and waited for him to lead the way to wherever they could grab drinks. He had tried to be somewhat intimidating, so she made sure he knew she wasn't so easily wrapped around a finger.

Kragr Krayt ​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Valery Noble | Location: Tor Valum

As he turned around, seeing the fiery glare at him he blinked a second, and then just burst into a burst of good hearty laughter thundered from Kragr, "that's the spirit!" as he lead Valery through the massive hall towards a sector where one could get a drink or ten.

Snapping his helmet to his belt, Kragr led them past more and more furnaces along with even more Mandalorians either working or having items made. Despite the truly impressive forge hall, Kragr knew a couple of shortcuts and soon, they soon found themselves out of the Halls of the Forgemasters. Unlike some of the upper sectors, where crowds were normal on the street, down in the industrial sector, the discreet nature of the sector has meant that many organizations and companies not seeking to draw attention to themselves and so it was true for the people walking by.

The industrial sector was rather boring looking, having non of the beauty of the top sectors due to it being so deep within the mountain. Most people ignored the duo, though still giving Valery an odd glance because of the unfit armour she wore. Kragr had been relatively quiet after his booming laughter had died down until he broke his silence, "how much do you already know of my people's culture?" Asked Kragr quite serious. He didn't look at her as he led the wait through the half-busying street of people mostly keeping to themselves or their groups.

It was a legit question, he didn't really have the faintest idea how much she already knew or if she were a completely blank slate on the topic as that would change, where he would start.

Whatever her answer was, Valery soon found herself in a turbo lift, bringing them up and away from sector 6, heading towards sector 3: Midtown. Leaning against the wall of the turbo lift, he looked Valery over again with a rather amusing smirk on his lips as the armour really didn't fit and in some areas, especially her chest, made her breast look even bigger due to being too tight. And then there were other places where it looked like a kid trying her father's armour on.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

"That's the spirit!"

Valery rolled her eyes — of course, he liked the strong attitude in return, it was probably what he had been expecting from the moment he touched her chin. But she shrugged it off and followed him through halls familiar to him. Having been to many core worlds and industrial planets, it wasn't the strangest sight, but it still felt unique to see all these forges — she knew what type of gear was often being made here, and no other place in the Galaxy was really like it.

But it wasn't the only thing that drew her attention.

As they walked, she began to notice that a lot of Mandalorians were looking her way. She was very much still dressed in her Jedi gear, and even for a Jedi, it was unique, to say the least. Perhaps it was a better idea to go for more casual clothing while moving around, as she suspected that some weren't exactly fond of Jedi being here. Luckily, some distraction came in the form of a question, and one she should have gone into before.

"How much do you already know of my people's culture?"

"Not as much as I'd like — I know the Mandalorians as a warrior culture, having... fought them before," she admitted, her eyes shifting to him to gauge a reaction to that. "But I'm somewhat familiar with their clan structure and know they value family a lot as well. I understand the importance of your armor and weapons to some extent, as they seem to be more than just tools. Perhaps more like what a lightsaber is to a Jedi; a symbol."

She stepped into the elevator and leaned back against the opposite wall, her eyes turning to him while she brought a hand up through her hair, "I'd like to know a lot more about it. What drives Mandalorians, what they value the most and why?" A faint smile touched her lips, but then she noticed he was looking at her as well, and she tilted her head just slightly. Was he checking her out, or was something off about her?

"You're not used to seeing people without 20 plates of armor strapped to them, are you?" she asked somewhat confrontationally, having noticed his amused smirk.

Kragr Krayt ​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Valery Noble | Location: Tor Valum

Valery had already given him a lot of information, some of it was rather basic knowledge most knew about, while others were a bit off, but nothing he could correct for their time together. Her mentioning fighting other Mandalorians gained no reaction from Kragr as if he hadn't heard her, but the truth was that Kragr wasn't some blind loyalist to all Mandalorians. He did nod a couple of times when she spoke, showing that he was listening.

Having absolutely no filter or shame when Kragr saw someone or something he liked, but that wasn't really why he was looking, at least this time. resting a hand on the top of his helmet, he tilted his head, still having his amused smirk plastered on his lips. "The way yours are strapped to you? Only when they're not behaving" hinted the larger-than-life Mandalorian with a wide smirk and a wink.

The loud BLING filled the turbolift and a calm feminine voice could be heard, "Sector 03, Midtown. Welcome and have a pleasant visit". Exiting the turbolift, Kragr was met with quite the busybody street and he suddenly remembered why he hated going up here. "It's not far," said Kragr, leading Valery through the busy street to their destination.

Valery was a bit more invisible, due to the larger number of people on the street, though she still got a couple of odd side glances thanks to her outfit. Arriving finally at their destination and Kragr's mood seemed swift to joyful the closer they got to the inn. The Shukur Kyr'bes Tavern was nothing if not lively and crowded.

Upon entering, Kragr at the top of his lungs, "BARTENDER, THREE BOTTLES OF YOUR STRONGEST LIQUOR". The duo immediately got the attention of a vast amount of patrons which Kragr completely ignored and most also ignored when they saw it was just another rowdy Mandalorian. Valery on the other hand, wearing specifically Jedi Robes and having a face many most likely had seen on holo news, renowned name and title or elsewhere, hardened their stairs at her. Then again, then there were other Mandalorians who just didn't care about her presence and had just come after a long day's work to relax before going home.

Surprisingly, after getting two cups and three bottles of clear, fruit-distilled liquid in them, Kragr even managed to find them a table off in the corner. Planting himself down, leaning forward, he had a devilish grin on his face. "First lesson, Valery Noble" stated Kragr with a challenging tone as he poured her average-size cup up with Tihaar. It was clear that Kragr was testing the Jedi Master's resolve and her ability to handle Mandalorian brewed liquor.

Pouring himself a cup, he raised his glass to her, "bottoms up" and took the entire cup in one swig, feeling the absolute hellish fire burn all the way down through his throat and stomach. Grimacing, shaking his head and slammed the cup down, "Nothing like a shot of Thiaar to wake you up!" Cheered Kragr joyously turning his eyes to Valery with a wide cheerful grin.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

"The way yours are strapped to you? Only when they're not behaving"

"Not behaving?" Valery raised an eyebrow, not fully getting it. But she decided against asking more — she probably didn't want to know. The turbolift then came to a stop, and after hearing the elevator voice, she stepped out and followed him through the busy street. This entire area looked a lot less industrial, so there was more variety in people here. Friends, families, and people who were done with work and likely on their way home or an inn as well.

She still received the occasional sideglance, but it no longer really registered.

"Something tells me you come here often," Valery joked with a smirk when they entered, and he called out for drinks. Earlier, he had felt rather intense, but now it was like the inner kid came out. He felt joyful and was clearly excited about the prospect of drinking. 3 bottles though... that was going to be a lot to get through. Turning her eyes into the room, she noticed that his loudness had drawn some attention. Attention that very quickly shifted to her, as they noticed instantly she was an outsider. But kragr didn't seem to care about any of it, and she didn't really either.

"First lesson, Valery Noble"

Another eye roll followed as he filled up her drink. His tone seemed challenging, so she knew exactly what was coming up next, and she couldn't exactly back out of it now. So she reached for her glass, held it up to gently clink against his, and emptied its contents in a single swig as well. "You know I can easily outdrink you, right?" she said with a grin as the glass was set back down on the table.

It somewhat suggested she had a trick up her sleeve, but she wasn't going to share why she could outdrink him just yet. It was more amusing to see his reaction to the seemingly bold statement.

"So be careful with your challenges, or you might regret it~" Another grin, as she reached for the bottle to fill her glass back up again.

Kragr Krayt ​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Valery Noble | Location: Tor Valum

Valery actually earned herself some respect by being able to handle Tihaar to such an extent.

"You know I can easily outdrink you, right?"

Oh, this was going to be fun, Kragr could just tell, from her grin that seemingly seemed to show itself. "Oh I'm going to make you swallow those words little Jedi" spoke Kragr, now with a grin of his own. It was quite the difference between the Mandalorian Valery had met in the workshop and the one sitting across from her, pouring his own cup again after Valery had filled hers.

"HA, mighty words" snorted Kragr downing another shot in one go and placing his cup back down and leaning forward, resting his arms on the table. "But mighty words might work where you're from, little Jedi, but here, action speaks louder than words" explained Kragr with a cheeky wink, already started teaching Valery about Mandalorian customs through shared drinking. Grabbing the bottle, and pouring Valery another shot he tilted his head, locking eyes with Valery. "Never back down from a fight, remember that Valery, even if it's one of your own" explained Kragr with a glint in his eyes nodding in a direction behind her at another part of the tavern.

Two Mandalorian from two different tables, already intoxicated, threw one insult after another until one of them made an insult personal and had enough and threw the first punch. The fight quickly grew to four people fully involved the fist fight, until multiple bouncers threw the fist fighters out. "You saw what he did? He made the insult personal. If you don't want to end up bloody, don't make it personal" explained Kragr, now drinking the Tihaar like it was normal beer.

Then a mischievous smile showed itself. "But between you and me, a real party isn't complete without a few broken furniture and at least a blackout or two" crackled the fiery Mandalorian and downed another shot.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

"Little Jedi?" she asked as she downed another glass, making it seem like nothing with the way she looked at him, "You're the one who will be swallowing your words," she said with some sass in her tone while she watched him fill up her glass again. Of course, with his size versus her own, and the fact she rarely drank strong liquor, he'd easily outdrink her if she played this fair. But without him knowing, she was cleansing some of the alcohol from her system.

Not enough to where she'd completely avoid the effects of it, but she was being smart about it.

"But mighty words might work where you're from, little Jedi, but here, action speaks louder than words"

"That's why I intend to prove it," she winked in return and went through her glass fairly quickly again. It was rare for her to show off like this, and she felt a little bad about using the Force for something like a drinking contest, but this was part of their culture as far as she knew, so she was going to adapt a bit. "Do I look like the type who backs out of a fight?" She smirked and followed his eyes to the pair of Mandalorians that had found themselves in a heated argument that turned into a full brawl.

Never make it personal, got it.

She looked back at him when he continued to speak and chuckled, "Like fighting that much?" she asked. "Let's not break this place down though. I don't think I can afford to cause too much trouble as an outsider."

Kragr Krayt ​

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Valery Noble | Location: Tor Valum

Kragr emptied the last bit of the first bottle downing the liquid in his cop in one quick sweep and a larger-than-life smile spread wide. Impressively, he was still going strong, showcasing his beastly constitution taking into account that Tihaar could almost be used for vehicle fuel. Freeing the second bottle from its crock.

The atmosphere was lively but comfortable in the sense that people stayed to themselves or in groups with a couple of people mingling. In fact, it was quite a calm evening for a tavern filled with nothing but Mandalorians. Even Mandalorian might earn a calm night once in a while, well, calm compared to what would be considered calm to Mandalorians.

Pouring Valery another fill in her cup, followed by pouring himself another. "Tinkering is good, fighting is better, kraking is best" stated Kragr matter-of-factly with a cheeky grin, accepting the hellfire burn as he drunk the liquid in his cup. Her comment about not breaking the place and not being able to afford it, cause Kragr to choke on some of his drink, fighting a brave battle trying to get his coughing under control.

Taking a deep breath of air after his minor choking hazard, "now wouldn't that be a fun way to end the night" crackled Kragr merrily raising another cup to his lips, seemingly still unaffected by the fuel-like alcohol.

With a slam of his fist, Kragr made the table shake for a second, "stories!" Expressed Kragr with a laugh. "Tell me of some of your best kills" requested the larger-than-life giant of a man, leaning back, making himself comfortable resting his eyes on her.

She had his complete attention.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Kestri

"Tinkering is good, fighting is better, kraking is best"

Valery shook her head with a slight chuckle. She did enjoy the thrill of a good fight, but that was mostly contained to training or less serious situations. The actual act of killing an enemy to protect herself or others wasn't something she enjoyed. It's likely where her Jedi beliefs differed greatly from the Mandalorians and their views on it all.

"There are better ways to close off the night..." she stepped and blinked, "I'd rather not get kicked off this planet," she said before she took a sip from her drink and watched him. Her use of the Force was allowing her to keep going, but she could already feel it a little bit. But he was tanking it all without having the ability to cleanse the alcohol.

Very impressive.

"How are you holding up? Not regretting the challenge, are you?" she teased in an attempt to provoke him into pushing himself too far. But it was met with a fist slamming down on the table, and a demand for stories. Valery didn't mind telling them, but what he asked for specifically was hard to answer. "Well, Jedi don't really look at those we kill that way... but, I was once a Jedi Shadow, so hunting down Sith and taking them out was fairly common," she began.

"What might be interesting to you, is that I was born in the days of the Old Republic, roughly 4000 years ago. I was a member of an Enclave who believed that no Dark Sider could be redeemed, so... we killed them. I later ended up in stasis and was helped out of it around the time the Sith Empire collapsed. For a while, I worked as a Jedi Shadow, finding Sith remnants and taking them out, but now I've become a more active and visible leader."

"Which is what brought me here."

Having told him a story, she leaned back and raised a hand up through her long hair while she slowly sipped from her drink, "Your turn to tell a story."

Kragr Krayt ​