Private Pack some Blankets

[Shai Maji]

Kestri/Wilds​

Morning/Snowing​

It was early morning and still snowing when Shai departed Tor Valum with Vulcan to brave the wilderness of Kestri. Clad in armour and with plenty of supplies in her backpack, Shai was more than comfortable in the cold. She made sure to organize a suit for Vulcan as well, wanting to get him used to the heavy armour. Plus it was great cardio to traipse around in the heavy armour through snow and rough terrain.

A weapon case also hung from Shai's back, with another given to Vulcan to carry as they trudged into the woods. "This is gonna be a regular thing for us. Easiest way to get fit and toughened up. Trust me when I tell you, you get everything thrown at you when you're in a fight." She spoke up as she glanced at him. It was likely a bit of a cheat for her to march with him in her current state. Her cybernetics didn't get tired, especially her legs. And the exosuit underneath her armour plates certainly helped as well. Then again, she had very little sympathy. Compared to what Kragr and the rest of clan Loc put her through, this was still mild. In that same breath, he was still a kid while she was almost in her thirties when she joined the clan.

"I hope you remembered to bring everything. We're gonna be out here for a few days." She looked around them and took a deep breath of the fresh air in. Her helmet hung from her belt, allowing her to enjoy the crisp cold that carried through with the gentle breeze. Tor Valum was little more than some specks against the mountain several hours back from where they came. For all intents and purposes, they were alone and as removed from civilization as one can get on the planet. Only the forests and mountains surrounded them, with the creaking of trees and chirping of birds to keep them company. "How you doin'? You still managing?" She asked him with a more gentle tone as they reached a clearing. Coming to a halt, she dropped her bag and gun case against a stump and took a sip of her canteen. "It's been a while, we can take a break... also a good spot to work on your aim." She quipped, tapping the gun case next to her.

Vulcan Krayt

 

[Vulcan Krayt]

Location: Kestri/Wilds
Time: Morning
Weather: Snowing
Tag: Shai Maji

Vulcan packed essential items and resisted the urge to overstuff his pack. The armour fits well, but the weight caught him off guard, but not so much to cause him to fall over. Which would have ended badly for all around, but then again, the experience would help to let himself make mistakes. He has to start somewhere and, Shai was here to help him be a full Mando.

The snow was ankle-deep and crunched quietly as they hiked, the armour slowed him down a bit, but he pushed ahead because if he slowed down, he would be left behind and, that won't do. He held the case he was given closer as the strap dug in slightly. After a while of being quiet, Shai spoke.

She explained why they were here and, the way battle works well, the chaos anyway. Vulcan was eager to learn the way. What better person to learn from than Shai. He made mental notes of where they are for reference. They made it to a clearing and stopped. Vulcan carefully set both his case and pack down. Grateful for the break, he took in the view and, it looked like a Greetings Card one gets from relatives, a pristine landscape with trees in it. Vulcan remembers seeing Greeting Cards just like that way back when he lived with 900 others, the same person multiplied by 900. He pushed that thought to the side as he drank from his own canteen.

<"I'm doing pretty good, but the weight is going to take some getting used to,"> he replied. The weight could be a good tool to gain a better amount of fitness and, he's not going to complain about it. He doubted Shai would enjoy him griping like a grumpy teenager, he is one, but he is also here to train not to whine.

He has also packed away some baked goods to eat when the day is through. He got the recipes down and had hoped to share them with Shai. But first, he needed to work on his blaster aim, which is why they are here. He put his canteen away and nodded at Shai in confirmation.

<"That would be great."> He says, ever eager to learn, and going out was by far the best way to do it. Can't learn if you don't get out there and learn on the go.

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai nodded as he commented on the weight of the gear he was wearing and carrying. She figured that he wasn't going simply adjust and wear the armour like a unit. "It's gonna take a while, trust me on that one. But once you're used to it, it's hardly gonna bother you. The stronger you get, the less you will feel the weight. Bonus points when we start working on jetpack training." She explained with a wink.

Setting her case flat on the ground, she pulled a sniper rifle from it and carefully laid it against her shoulder. "I got you an assault rifle and pistols in there. Better take care of 'em, 'cause they're yours. Rifle's been set to non-lethal for now, so no need to worry about killing me or yourself accidentally." She smiled, cycling the action on the rifle against her shoulder and setting it back down. "You know the basics by now. Using the sights, the safety, loading the weapons, all that jazz. After we're done, I'll show you how to strip the weapons and some of the other features. For now, though..." Her twin pistols left their holsters as she took aim at Vulcan. "You move and try to hit me." Her helmet slid on and her repulsor boots came to life as she gave a maniacal cackle, blasting up and around the trees.

Three rounds impacted the ground by Vulcan's feet to get him moving. She landed on a branch and quickly set her pistols to non-lethal as well, hoping he didn't pay attention to the fact that her first few rounds would have knock him down hard if they hit. Taking off again, she twisted her body and fired at him again.

Though their little training session wasn't going unnoticed, nor were they alone in the woods as Shai trained him. Hidden in the snow, two pairs of eyes watched them carefully...

Vulcan Krayt

 

[Vulcan Krayt]

Location: Kestri/Wilds
Time: Morning
Weather: Snowing
Tag: Shai Maji

Vulcan nodded at that, this was his first time wearing proper armour. So it was bound to feel quite heavy at first. But Shai was right, as he trained more and got fitter, the less heavy it will be. He wanted to fly, but at the same time, it sounded daunting, being up in the sky outside a Starfighter. But, that will be addressed when they get to it.

Vulcan opened his own gun case and took out the pistols, he was getting some hands-on training now, and the task was simple, try not to get hit and try to hit Shai. A difficult task for sure, but nothing is gained by having an easy time. So, he scrambled back to avoid the shots to his feet, making sure to remain upright and pushing the weighty metal ever so slightly so that he doesn't tip over.

In time he will barely notice the weight, but his main focus was the task at hand. So he fired back and took cover. He had to now use his head for this. He didn't know how to use a jet pack or boots yet. So he needs to trace her from the ground. The trees are a hindrance in themselves which is why this particular place was chosen to make the training fun and hard.

He took off running in the same direction, using the bushes as cover and, when he got an opening, he fired, his aim was still a little off, but as the session continued, he got a little better at it. The weight still made running and dodging hard, but he did well not to fall into a large snow dune. Speaking of snow, it looked like it got a tad heavier than before, or was it just him seeing things?

Maybe the weather was changing, but he wasted no time wondering about it as he was hot on Shai's heels, and he too failed to notice that they were being watched. It never occurred to him that they would have company.

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai rarely stood still, her hulking form zipping through trees with surprising ease as she fired back at Vulcan. His aim was very much off at the start as was expected, though it steadily started to hone in on the flying Shistavanen. Shai had to admit that she wasn't expecting him to grasp the arguably difficult aim so easily... trust an Ubese to be good at killing.

Firing another volley of bolts at him, Shai didn't move quick enough to escape a salvo from him and got knocked back into the cover of a tree as they impacted her cuirass and helmet. "Hot damn kiddo, you learn quick!" She called out to him with a cackling laugh. Already too long in one spot, her boots launched her towards another tree as she fired some more, but she never got a chance to touch down when a massive creature swung a paw and sent her bouncing along the ground.

The beast let out a gutteral growl as it turned its attention to Vulcan. Its striking blue gaze hardened before the beast charged at him as well, attempting to take a swing at him with its enormous paws.

Shai groaned as she rolled over, a heavy cough escaping her as she fought to get air back into her cybernetic lungs. What remained of her body ached and stung as she pushed herself off the ground to look at what the hell hit her. How they missed such an enormous beast was beyond her, though she didn't have time to ponder on that. She needed to get its attention off Vulcan.

"Hey, HEY!" She barked, switching her pistols to lethal before she fired a couple of rounds at it. It seemed to do little more than tick it off, but at least it turned its attention to Shai before charging at her. Jumping up, her boots took her up and touched her down onto a branch, however it did little as the beast slammed into the tree to bring it down. "Vulcan! The rifle!" She shouted as she leapt to another branch, getting her air knocked out again as she slammed into the next tree.

Vulcan Krayt

 

[Vulcan Krayt]

Location: Kestri/Wilds
Time: Morning
Weather: Snowing
Tag: Shai Maji

Vulcan got a few stings from Shai's pistol shots, he stumbled back a bit, carefully throwing the weight forward to stop himself from falling backwards. So far it has not been easy, good. He doesn't want it to be, Vulcan had been able to hit Shai a few times, not bad for a beginner, he felt pleased with himself. But this will be a long session, and a learning curve to boot. He ducked into a bush or rather landed in it after getting a hit to the back. He took a small pause to regain his breath, wow that was heavy, he thought.

The armour did a good job of protecting him from the thorny tangle, they looked big and prickly. He'll be sure to keep this in mind to avoid landing in it in the future. Also, it has berries, but for now, he needed to concentrate. He picked some for the want of berries, he is still a mid-teen. He was just about to return a volley of his own that is until a very large, dark, and furry thing leapt from the tangled shrubbery. A very large, angry and no doubt hungry animal. Vulcan frowned a little, why didn't he pick up on the fact that they were being watched? He reckoned that as he got better at this, he became more in tune with his senses.

He gulped, this is not good, not good at all. Especially as it began to turn all its attention onto him. He had to fight the instinct to just freeze and stay where he is. He could not get his legs to move, the animal was advancing slowly and Vulcan stood there like a prey animal. Soon as Shai shot at it, he was no longer the focus, he took a deep breath and went for the rifle.

He found the strength settings and switched them to lethal. It had an indicator for the settings so he didn't spend too much time fiddling with buttons. As soon as it was done, he aimed the rifle at the Beast's back and let off a few rounds towards the Beast. He could be a snackable to it if he didn't make sure he kept an eye on it and Shai.

He dared not to stop shooting at it, he felt he needed to keep it slowed down just a little. He hoped Shai wasn't about to be a Shistavanen kabab, because he can't afford to be alone out here, and he liked her a lot.

 

[Shai Maji]

Vulcan let loose at the beast as Shai simply tried to avoid getting torn apart by it. Finally she managed to get high enough into the tree in order to get her bearings. The rifle did nothing to the animal except anger it further. It shrugged off the bolts like it was nothing, though she was certain that it was taking its toll. "The neck! Shoot the neck!" She shouted before hurling herself onto its back.

Grabbing hold of its mane and sitting up, Shai yanked back and dug her heels into its flanks as she held on. With her inhuman strength she at least managed to pull it back from going for Vulcan, forcing it to stumble and swerve around as it had its head pulled back. Shai focused on holding on and trying to steer the animal to keep it pointed at Vulcan. "Take the shot! The neck!" She barked at him through her grunts and the animal's growls.

And when the shots went off, it seemed to only get worse. It fell down and rolled over to get Shai off its back, though the sounds from it were obviously not normal. It gurgled and whined as blood dripped from the gaping wound. Shai managed to get off before it flattened her, landing rather close to the sniper rifle that laid against the nearby tree stump. Without hesitation she grabbed it and took aim, letting loose with a shot at it. Her rounds landed on its chest and passed straight through, leaving a trail of destruction through its chest cavity and finally bringing the creature down.

The woods fell silent as Shai breathed heavily, carefully watching the animal to make sure it was down. Her gaze turned to Vulcan as she scrambled up to grab hold of his shoulders. "You okay?!" She asked as she looked him over for any injuries. Very uncharacteristic of the Wardog, she pulled him into a tight hug for a quick moment before letting go of him with an awkward clear of her throat. "I, uh... you're okay." She muttered with an awkward chuckle.

Vulcan Krayt

 

[Vulcan Krayt]

Location: Kestri/Wilds
Time: Morning
Weather: Snowing
Tag: Shai Maji

Vulcan continued to fire on the Beast, but it seemed to only make it angrier which made the Beastie focus on him again. Seeing him as a mid-day snackable, but this time he stood his ground, he had to, this thing won't stop until they are both eaten. Then Shai pounced, grabbing its fur and steering it away from picking him up in its jaws and quite possibly making him a bite-sized morsel. Vulcan sighed in relief at this, but he then steeled his resolve as the Beast thrashed and kicked in a frenzy of ducks, bucks and circles.

As soon as Shai gave the order, he aimed straight for the now exposed neck, keeping his hands steady so he can aim at it with accuracy. It hit and the exposed neck began to bleed, the Beast's neck was now bloodied but that wasn't enough to stop it. So he raised the rifle again and resumed firing until the ammo ran out. This was not good, not good at all. They were going to get eaten, he thought dully as it struggled wildly in its attempts to dislodge Shai. She remained firmly attached to the fur and back of the animal.

Shai after a hefty tussle, managed to finish it off with a chest mangling shot from her rifle, he knows that wasn't the right word, but he didn't care as long as it was down, and not going for them, A brief moment of tense staring passed and still, the Beast didn't move and slowly Vulcan relaxed from where he was, still wary but able to take a deep breath in relief.

That was exhilarating and scary. But it was also a huge learning curve too. Then Shai grabbed his shoulders, concern in her eyes, he wasn't injured, his armour was muddy and had leaves stuck between the plates from when he landed in the bush. What surprised him most of all was the brief hug, it may have been brief, but it felt nice. He silently wanted it to last a little longer, but he didn't voice this out loud. Right now was not the time.

<"Yes, everything's still attached and not hurting or bleeding."> He replied, then he looked at her in turn. <"Are you ok?">

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai looked back to him with a breathy laugh at his reassurance, though she simply waved him off with his concerns over her. ”Oh yeah, I’m fine. Just gonna feel those knocks later tonight.” She commented, rubbing at her stomach idly as she looked back to the beast.

Coughing slightly, she walked over to inspect it with a few rounds of walking around it’s carcass. ”Thing’s a karking unit.” She spoke up as she reached its head, opening its jaws to check its teeth. ”Well Vulc, safe to say you’ve claimed a hell of a kill today.” She spoke, flashing him a grin as she let go and walked over to him.

”We’re definitely taking trophies back home, no way I’m letting you walk away from this without something to show everyone else.” With a slap on the back she beamed with triumph. He handled himself spectacularly, not letting fear or panic take hold.

Trust an Ubese to be good at killing.

At least she knew that teaching him wasn’t going to be hard, it was the physical aspects of his training that was going to likely take time. Sitting down on the stump with a heavy sigh, she fished out her canteen and took a long drink from it in deep thought. ”We can continue with training a bit later. This was enough excitement for the morning.” She snickered, setting the canteen aside for the moment.

After a long break and some teasing over him aiming for the bushes, it was back to training. Shooting, movement, and finally another long hike deeper into the woods after calling someone in with a freighter to pick up the creature. No way they were going to leave that to rot in the woods.

”I hope you’re not bothered by alcohol, because we’re celebrating this kill when we get back!” She called over her shoulder as they made their way up a steep hill. At the top they found a another clearing and Shai dropped all of their gear in the middle. ”Next up. Jetpack training. You ever got taught to use a jetpack before?” She asked him as she set down her jetpack by their things as well. ”Or do we start from the top and I give you a rundown of all the basics?” She asked him casually.

Vulcan Krayt

 

[Vulcan Krayt]

Location: Kestri/Wilds
Time: Morning
Weather: Snowing
Tag: Shai Maji

Vulcan rose an eyebrow, not convinced but deciding to drop the subject. He also watched Shai check the Beast. Wasn't a Unit something to measure stuff with? He thought to himself, not grasping the metaphor very well. He can learn to fire rifles, fly a starfighter, and kill a Wild Animal, but can't make sense of abstract slang and metaphors. But that can't be helped, and besides, that is not why they are here.

He was chuffed at what he did today, that was one heck of a kill and they both worked well together to bring it down. No something like this needed to be recognised and he was looking forward to what kind of souvenirs they will be taking back. Those teeth were pretty fearsome and big. Anyway, he takes a swig from his Canteen, the water is refreshing, especially after that.

A break was welcomed, that was exciting, and they needed to conserve energy. He pouted a little at the teasing, but it wasn't so bad, he got edible berries out of the training/Beast killing. He could get enough to make jam, but that will be done later. First, they needed to continue the training session.

<"They got in the way, but they have edible berries, so it wasn't all bad."> He pouts, as he ate a few, he knows it's only teasing.

After a long and peaceful break, they got up and picked up where they left off. They focused on both shooting and movement, the shooting part was fine but his movement still wasn't graceful. He's still getting used to the heavy armour. The hike wasn't so bad, he did struggle a bit on the hills but he pushed through it to keep up.

Thankfully the snow slowed to a sporadic sprinkle. The landscape looked beautiful, no wonder people used them in greeting cards. He frowned, he forgot his holo camera, oh, well, it wasn't essential. Soon they reached a clearing, it was big and open, he too put down his stuff.

Jet pack training, well he has never used one before. He did not need to learn. But now he does and he was eager to do so. But it will be interesting seeing how he does on his first try. Snow is deep enough if he goes off-kilter.

<"I have never used a Jet Pack before,"> Vulcan replied after a brief moment. <"Best we start from the beginning.">

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai nodded at his suggestion to start at the top. This was going to be a very long day... and if he figured out the basics quickly enough, it was also going to be a rather painful day. "Alright then, we start from the top." She muttered as she set her jetpack down in front of him. Patiently she talked him through the controls. How to synchronize the jetpack to his vambrace, connect it to his backplate, the basic features, and eventually how to handle it. She knew that it was going to take a lot more than simply telling him. It was going to take a long while of training to memorise it all before he would be able to use it properly.

She repeated the explanation and let him recite it a few times as well to make sure he understood. Then came the interesting bit. "Alright, now start it up. Gently. Start on the lowest throttle and carefully work your way up. We got all day for this. Get used to hovering and moving around a little bit first." For what she had planned, she wanted him to at least stand a chance.

No matter how long it took, she stood by him and gave pointers on things he might struggle with. No impatience, no attitude, simply helping and praising where needed. He was going to need them.

Once she felt she was ready, she pulled a bright, blue flag from her backpack and flew off with her jump boots down the hill. In a few moments the flag was tied to a branch stuck in the snow and she was back by his side. "Okay, here's the challenge. I want you to fly towards the flag as fast as you feel comfortable with, get it, and bring it back. I'm gonna be timin' you with each run." She instructed him, concern very clear in her eyes. "I'd suggest you make sure to keep your helmet on. It ain't fun flyin' into a branch or tree." She gave a guilty snicker as she looked down the hill to the flag.

"Alright, go!" She barked, starting the timer. For some extra motivation a few stun bolts were sent in his direction as well as the Shistavanen waited for him.

Already the guilt was eating her up. At least she packed some hot chocolate in for the two of them... and a first aid kit... and a plethora of other comfort items and pain killers. She knew what he was going to go through.

Vulcan Krayt

 

[Vulcan Krayt]

Location: Kestri/Wilds
Time: Morning
Weather: Snowing
Tag: Shai Maji

Vulcan listened closely to Shai's rundown of the functions, once he knew what does what, he then clipped the Jet Pack onto the backplate of his armour and turned it on, so far it was going good, then he had ended up upside down at one stage, the landscape looked more interesting now. Vulcan nudged it back the right way. The hovering was easy, but he knew that it won't be for long, no, this was a prelude to full-on training. Doing is better than thinking first. That's the trouble with training, all thinking and no doing won't help anyone.

Now he was zipping side to side and keeping himself upright, this was not so bad, he stopped and watched Shai affix the flag to the branch and tell him he was going to go get it and be timed each run. His helmet was secured firmly and won't be easy to dislodge. With that he was off, heading for the flag, he barely dodged the stun bolts and a branch, but then spins off course by another branch to the side. That hurt, that's a bruisable hit for sure.

This broke concentration, he over throttled the thrust, and shot into the sky, hitting a few small branches on the way up. His stomach felt like it was down by his feet by the momentum of his ascent. He resisted the urge to look down, the one thing that would scare him more than the near concussion is how far he was up into the sky.

Well, that was a great way to begin his first full lesson, up here in the clouds, he thought glumly, wiping snow off his visor. Bruises only beginning to spark with pain.

The blue flag is still gripped in his hand, he didn't drop it, that's a relief, he had nothing to eat so he didn't get nauseous. But still, he was up in the sky. Thankfully, he was able to stop himself before he went out of the atmosphere. With some fiddling Vulcan was able to at least fly downwards, because he can't give Shai the flag if he is up here and she is down there.

Not realising he had it on the wrong setting and he was accelerating, he zoomed down at a curve, up the hill, hitting branches as he went and ploughed right into the snowpack with a muffled thump and a shower of snow. His feet sticking up at an angle. The blue flag is clamped firmly in his hand.

<"Help?"> He asked, his voice muffled by the snow. A crash landing in snow can't be that bad.

 

[Shai Maji]

Vulcan's start seemed quite promising, given his skills and inexperience with a jetpack. Though Shai's hopes dwindled as she saw him smack into branches and eventually simply blasted up into the air, her face contorting into a grimace as she simply watched him eventually come down and smash into a heap of snow nearby.

Definitely a ways to go...

She walked over to him and helped to pull him free of the snow. "I can't tell if I'm in awe or in shock." She snickered as she dusted him off. "I think we can write this one off as a practice run." She quipped with a concerned smile as she took the flag and boosted along with her boots to go hang it up again in a tree. Once she was back, she gave him a slap on the back. "Again!" She ordered, starting the timer on her vambrace. Several times over, it was all she said to him. For several hours it went on. If needed, she'd explain some tactics or suggest different approaches before she sent him off again.

As the sun started to set, a fire was made and she called him over on his last run. "We're done for today." She stated as she wrapped her arms gently around him and held him close. "Alright, what's broken or hurt?" She asked him as she set him down on the stump next to the fire and looked him over. Soon the hard veil fell and Shai nursed any injuries he might have gotten, as well as helped him drink some water... and as the night came, he had a blanket wrapped around him. "You're getting better, kiddo! Compared to how you started today, you're gettin' the hang of it." She spoke with a warm grin as she stoked the fire a bit. A number of slices of meat sat over the fire, occasionally turned around and spiced under Shai's careful watch.

"If you can get up tomorrow, we'll do weapons again. Either that or some hand to hand. Bottom line... you gonna feel it tomorrow." She quipped, giving him a gentle nudge to the shoulder. She was very careful not to touch any bruises or injured areas as she sat around him and made sure that he was comfortable.

Vulcan Krayt

 

[Vulcan Krayt]

Location: Kestri/Wilds
Time: Evening
Weather: Snowing
Tag: Shai Maji

Vulcan nodded in thanks to Shai for getting him out of the snow, oh, that was a smashing start to the session. Oh goodness, that stung. But that said, he was not put off by it the stinging made his eyes water but the helmet blocked it from view. He waited for Sai to re-affix the flag back to the branch before resuming his run. This run went better, another branch hit him, but he swerved to avoid another repeat of the earlier training mishap.

He was learning, slowly but surely, he ducked one branch but hit another, as he completed his runs he got hit a lot less. He had worked out how to control the acceleration, so he wasn't going faster, thus preventing any more nasty spills. Which helped with avoiding being struck with branches. By his third to the last run, he hurt, he reckoned he had four big bruises and lots of smaller ones.

Shai's suggestions helped him to avoid accidents as he implemented them. His speed and coordination improved and finally, the session ended as the day drew in and sunset began. For today the training was concluded and Vulcan got a hug, and it did sting a little with all that bruising.

Soon a warm fire lit the area and the warmth made his fingers less cold and it felt good to sit down. Should he just say he's fine? Shove it under the rock to be less whiny and just compartmentalize everything and put it on a front? It wasn't a good idea, because somehow trying to play it down will do more harm than good. He nibbled at his homemade bread, it was light and fluffy and tasted and smelled delicious.

<"I got very sore bruises where I hit those branches."> He says, handing some to Shai. He decided to be honest with her. Hie beamed brightly, which was covered by the helmet but he was chuffed that he did improve. His stomach gave a very small rumble, he was hungry and he eyed the meat. They looked good.

<"I can't wait to learn more things."> He said eagerly, he'll make sure he gets up tomorrow. He is not going to let this get in the way of training that is for sure. He weighed in the options, and he wanted to learn to fight. <"Let's try the hand to hand next.">

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai chuckled softly at his comment, giving an appreciative nod as he handed her the piece of homemade bread. A hum of delight escaped her as she took a bite and looked back to him. ”This is really good. Been a long while since I had actual homemade bread. I gotta order some from you when we get back.” After a few more bites she turned her attention back to the topic of his training.

”It’s gonna hurt, and it’s not gonna be a quick path. To be a Mandalorian, you need to be feared wherever you go. Training like this will take a lot from you. Lots of bruises, maybe even broken bones, but in the end you will be stronger. You’ll be able to overcome whatever obstacles are thrown your way. I trained for two years non-stop... and after that, I kept on training. First in the Union, then on my own, and now again in the Enclave and with the clan. Sure, I’ve had some motivation that I hope you never have to live through... but at the end of it all, Vulc, I want to see you excel. I want you to be ready for anything this galaxy throws at you, be able to fight like hell to keep you and yours safe from whatever tries to harm.” Her voice as gentle and sincere as she looked at the boy. Her cybernetic eyes couldn’t convey the emotions they once could anymore, yet the smile along her maw was genuine. ”I want to help you, to the best of my abilities, to be strong.”

He mentioned wanting to try hand-to-hand and she gave a firm nod. ”Not a bad idea... that’s if you can get up tomorrow.” She snickered before taking another bite of her piece of bread. ”You sit tight. I’ll get the tents up for us. You’ve been through enough for today.” Perhaps training him personally wasn’t the greatest idea. On one hand, she wanted to go the extra mile with him, but on the other, seeing him in pain wasn’t a pleasant experience at all for her.

After pitching up their tents, she returned to the fire to help with their meals before she retired for the night. ”We’ll be up early, so don’t stay up too late.” She called out from her tent as she tucked herself in.

Vulcan Krayt

 

[Vulcan Krayt]

Location: Kestri/Wilds
Time: Night
Weather: Gentley Snowing
Tag: Shai Maji

He swelled with pride at this, he'll be sure to sell Shai a few loaves. The lure of the fire heat brought him closer to it. The night often brings in the chill and instinct told him to find warmth. But then his heat-seeking ceased as Shai spoke, the path to being Mandolorian will be hard work and it will be painful, today left him with already blue bruises. He is going to wake up with a very sore body. Vulcan will push through it, well not with some protest in the mornings. He is after all a teenager, it's his job to be stubborn in the mornings.

Vulcan watched her pitch up the tents, as he would need to put his up at night after tomorrows training sessions. He took a few bites of meat, these are good. He had seconds. Soon the minutes pass and he stoked the fire a bit. He was excited for tomorrow but also nervous, which he needs to get a grip of to become a fearsome fighter, something more than a kid and when tough fights happen, he can hold his own.

Because he had his helmet on, Vulcan could not convey his gratitude fully, but he was thankful he had a mentor, all the same, he certainly hit some strides and trees today. With the outline of what he was expecting tomorrow, he was going to mentally prepare and stay up a few minutes longer before going to bed.

<"I am grateful I have such a good teacher"> He says, with sincerity. Giving her a good night wave, which left him to his thoughts and the crackling flames, they were very hypnotic. So he listened to the night wildlife for a bit before dumping snow on the fire, putting it out. With that done, he pulled himself to his feet and also entered his tent and gathered the blankets together into a cacoon so he will be warm during the night.

He drifted off to sleep.