Private Pleasant Surprise

[Shai Maji]

Teth/Supposed Mando Base​

Afternoon/Cloudy​

With her smithing skills starting to develop, Shai was hungry for more info on it. She knew her guns, she knew her explosives and she knew her ships. Learning how to craft armour, especially Beskar, was that little something extra that would really make her feel like a proper Mandalorian. She wasn't a fighter and she hated killing... stuff that was rather crucial for Mandos out on the front lines. But she wasn't that kind of person. She could never see herself becoming the type who would just go in and start shooting people left and right. No, the support and crime part suited her just fine. That's what brought her to Teth.

Kragr told her of a supposed clan hiding out on the planet and that's what she was trying to find. Easier said than done.

Her ship touched down close to a monastery of some kind, It sat on a mountain way above her. How the hell people got there without ships was something she couldn't wrap her head around, but that wasn't important. What was important was finding this Mando base she was told about. With her armour and other items suited up, she lowered the boarding ramp and took a look around. "The scanners don't say anything at all. How the kark do we even know where to land?" she asked rhetorically as Baby halted next to her. It beeped curiously as it looked up at her, earning a chuckle from Shai. "Call it a gut feeling. Last time I was here, I dropped Talo off on this point. Though for all I know, the base might not even be here. It could be on the other side of the planet... or not exist anymore at all. I dunno." she explained. It chirped at her as she descended the ramp, rolling after her. "I'd be pretty happy if this was his homeworld. It's plausible. Him wanting to come here, a Mando base being here... it's starting to become a little sus if you ask me." she quipped with a smirk as her T-visor looked down at the droid.

She stood outside, glancing around while trying to see stuff with her vision modes. Though the heat and humidity completely messed around with her thermals and her night vision completely blinded her. Switching back to normal vision, she sighed and knelt down to pet Baby. "Oh well. I guess we can catch our breath and relax first before we start looking again. Go get back on the scanners. I'm gonna check out what was causing that vibration when we broke atmosphere. I hope it's not serious." she ordered as she started to walk around her ship, checking out the connections and flight controls. She knew her ship was a pain to maintain, but unstable flight was something that made her worry a little...

Talo Krayt

 

[Talo Krayt]

Talo had stopped off on Teth after recently completing a job, the Mandalorian had credits he'd wished to share with the clan. Shortly after his arrival, he had planned on hitting the road again except he was requested by one of the Mandalorian instructors to coach some of the Fighting Corps Foundlings on combat and how to survive out in the galaxy once they had undertook the Resol'nare, becoming full-fledged Mandalorians.

During the lesson, it was quietly brought to his attention that the outpost's scanners picked up an incoming ship that flew close by... a little too close to Krayt's outpost. The young Mandalorian volunteered to investigate, halting his lesson in the process and to the disappointment of the Foundlings - "Do you have to go, Talo?" one of the younger Mandalorians asked, disappointment clear in her voice. Talo looked down on the little girl with dirt across her cheek, flashing her a rare but genuine smile as he ruffled her hair "Don't worry, I'll be back. I can't just leave you high and dry, can I?" he reassured her and the others, although in his usual monotone voice. The scarlet-haired Mandalorian placed his helmet on his olive face before gathering the rest of his weaponry also grabbing a personal cloaking device from the camp's armory. He then began making his way out into Teth's dense forests.

Taking a speeder bike through the forest and out towards the mountains - using a handheld scanner, Talo followed the frequency before eventually stopping a few yards away from the bogey's location. Scanning his immediate area, the Mandalorian spotted a series of tree branches leading to where the ship was supposed to be and decided he needed the element of surprise. Aiming his vambrace at the nearest tree branch above him, Talo shot out a grappling line and hoisted himself up onto it before continuing toward the ship.

Maybe they'd pick him up too, if they had any scanners, but they'd have a hard time actually pinpointing him amongst the trees. Finally reaching the edge of the forest and opposite of where the ship had landed, hiding amongst the tree leaves the Mandalorian analysed the ship. It looked... familiar, very familiar. Could it have been... hers? No, he couldn't be complacent and assume it was her, he'd have to remain cautious regardless. Activating the cloaking device around him, Talo emerged from the trees and made his way toward the ship...

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

With nothing of interest found around the bottom of the ship, Shai started up her jetpack and propelled herself on top of the ship. "Hot damn! Would you believe that? A hydraulic piston actually took a knock somewhere." she commented over her commlink for Baby to hear. "Baby could you-" she stopped talking when she heard something. Like a rustling of leaves or something else.

She stood up and glanced around. Her vision modes saw nothing at all. But she swore she could feel something watching them. "Baby, could you get me a spare number 3 piston for the stabilizer wings. And make it snappy. I need you on the scanners." she ordered her droid and it quickly did as she asked.

After a few moments it arrived with her parts and she git to work replacing it. However she was nearly done when Baby perked up, spotting something on the sensors. Shai immediately drew her pistol and glanced around her, trying to spot the intruder. But there was nothing. This was going to be a problem.

Switching to her vision modes again, she tried to spot something. Her thermals finally managed to give a crackle of something that was getting close. Switching back to normal vision, she managed to make out the garbled silhouette against the ground. She immediately fired a stun bolt at the intruder as she knelt down. "Hippity hoppity, your cloaking sucks probably!" she called out as she glanced back to where she saw the figure.

Talo Krayt

 

[Talo Krayt]

Getting a closer look, Talo saw that this intruder was Mandalorian - or at least wore their armor. Regardless, she wasn't of Krayt as he would have recognized her. However, she did sound familiar - like Shai, but again, he couldn't be certain. Standing still, he watched as a BB unit delivered some parts to the intruder and once it perked up and she had taken her blaster out, he knew that his cover was essentially blown.

Watching her intently to see what she'd do, and once that he saw she was looking directly at him - or his silhouette. The young Mandalorian swiftly activated his shield emitter on his vambrace, aiming it in the direction of the incoming stun bolt. A second later and he would been out cold. With the activation of his shield emitter, it cost him the stealth shield as it promptly deactivated.

Aiming with his left, he promptly shot a knockout dart at her while simeultenousky grabbing one of his vibrodaggers. If the intruder managed to avoid the dart, Talo would ask "What're you doing here, aruetii?" he demanded. Despite this intruder possibly being Mandalorian, it didn't mean he trusted her or any Mandalorian that wasn't of his clan for that matter. They may all be bound by the Creed but it didn't mean they upheld the same ideals anymore.

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

The intruder's stealth field dropped and a shiled came up to block her stun bolt. The guy was a Mando, that much was clear. But why the kark he was attacking her was something she would like to find out. He fired a dart at her but she merely ducked down, letting it fly overhead before she got up again. He threw an unnecessary insult at her which prompted her to fly up and land a few feet in front of him.

With her blaster in one hand she pointed a finger at him. <"The kriff you shootin' at me for, ya trigger happy chrome dome!"> she fired right back in Mando'a with annoyance as she holstered her gun. <"Jeez, ya think this armour is fir shits an' giggles? I'm lookin' for Clan Krayt!"> she continued, flipping him off.

However something about the guy was off. Leaning forward, she studied the look of his armour and focused hard on his voice. "Talo?" she perked up with a much calmer voice. A bright smile appeared on her face as she pulled her helmet off to look at him. "Talo, is that you?!" she asked happily as she looked him up and down.

Talo Krayt

 

[Talo Krayt]

The intruder was equipped with a jetpack, which she used to fly and land directly in front of him, beginning to scream at him in Mando'a. So she was indeed Mandalorian. Talo simply stayed silent as he stared down at her while she went off at him, once she was finished Talo calmly responded <"You shot first."> in Mando'a.

Still though, her voice were turning the cogs in his mind - it sounded eerily similar to Shai's but... she wasn't Mandalorian nor did she know Mando'a. The Mandalorian stood in place as she inspected his armor, glancing at her and analysing her himself and noticed her helmet had space for a species with a snout. This seemed too convenient. Finally, she confirmed everything.

She knew his name and following that, she removed her helmet revealing a familiar face. His brown eyes widened behind his T-visor "Shai." Talo replied, genuine surprise was in his voice but he still managed to maintain his composure. There were so many questions now. Folding his arms, he smirked under his helmet "You're bigger." he stated, referring to her gain in muscle - last time he saw her she was as thin as a tooth pick, Shai must have been training since the last time he saw her. Impressive.

"What're you doing on Teth? And when did you learn our language? Have you... become one of us?" he asked all at once, two out of three of these questions were fairly obvious but still, he had to know for sure. This was all jarring, even for him. Some time back she was just some pirate and now she seemed to have become part of his culture.

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

Sure enough, it was Talo. Even with his calm voice, she could tell that he was taken back. <"Tha one an' only!"> she exclaimed happily as she threw her arms up. He commented on her size and she flashed a smug grin. "Way bigger. I've been busy the past two years!" she assured him as she closed the distance and pulled him into a tight hug. She let go of him as she looked over his armour. "Glad to see you made good use of that Beskar I gave you." she commented as she tapped against his cuirass with her knuckles. He definitely looked more Mandalorian than the last time she saw him.

He asked her a plethora of questions and she gave an affirmative nod. "Remember when I told you that I was gonna check out an underground fight on Coruscant? I actually participated and ended up fighting against a rancor of a man that turned out to be a Mando. After talking to him and stuff, he offered a chance for me to join him. From there I trained like hell with the guy. Now I'm a full blown Mandalorian." she explained as she pointed to herself. <"Mah Mando'a still got some work, though. I sound like I jus' came from Nar Shaddaa's lower levels."> she admitted with a laugh as she clipped her helmet to her belt. "As for what I'm doing here... I'm training to be a smith!" she finally answered as she threw an arm around him to lead him back to her ship. "After passing the rite of passage, I decided to learn how to smith. I just... really like the idea of it. So the Alor told me that there's a clan here on Teth that I can possibly study some more from." she explained further as they reached the ship.

Inside, they were greeted by Baby but she quickly made sure he knew it was Talo. "So wanna show me where to touch down or are you gonna have to put a bag over my head?" she joked as she led him through the cargo hold towards the cockpit. "Grab a seat. Let's just get the ship under some cover then we can catch up. I still got some hot chocolate if you wanna finally take me up on the offer." she quipped with a wink as she started up her ship. "What do you think of the look, by the way?" she asked as she gestured to the accents and markings on her face. "I figured that if I'm starting a new life, I might as well go for a new look." she admitted as she focused on her controls. "Okay, so where can I park this hunk?" she asked as she focused once more on the task at hand.

Talo Krayt

 

[Talo Krayt]

"I can tell." Talo agreed, patting her bicep heartily. Although he quickly felt himself in Shai's embrace, in his usual fashion, the Mandalorian responded with using a single hand to pat her back while the rest of him remained tense. She commented on his beskar that she had given him all that time ago, with a small smile under his helmet Talo responded "All thanks to you."

Talo listened intently with his arms crossed as Shai answered all of his questions, revealing she did indeed become Mandalorian and was the reason in her ability to speak Mando'a. Finally, she explained what she was doing here which had to do in her newfound passion in smithing, at least it was newfound to him. "Hmm." he said, thinking deeply, Krayt's presence on Teth was meant to be a secret - if others, even Mandalorians, knew of their presence here... maybe it was time to pack up and leave. Still, he trusted Shai enough and she was already here, there would be no point in discourage her from pressing on.

Now on board Shai's ship, he was led to the cockpit by Shistavanen Mandalorian. Once sat in the passenger seat he turned to Shai and answered her offer "Maybe later." Shai would practically hear the smirk under his helmet. "It suits you... the new you anyway." Talo answered honeslty in referral to her accents and the markings on her face. With that over with, Talo pointed to the window leading to the view in front of them and began directing her on where she needed to go. It wouldn't take too long, about five minutes max from here while on a ship.

After the time Talo had estimated, he would direct Shai to touchdown in a free docking hangar at the outpost. Motioning for her to follow, he led her outside and what the new Mandalorian would see was a small but thriving community of Mandalorians, young and old, going about their lives. Surrounding them were small metallic structures that served as either homes or other places of interest such as schools, places to trade and many other forms of convenience. The outpost was also enclosed by a large durasteel wall that would keep intruders out and in the centre of the outpost was a large satellite dish that projected a stealth shield to keep the outpost hidden.

Talo and Shai would be greeted by Krayt's Alor, Raya's sister; Brinna. Casually removing his helmet, and resting it in between his arm at his side - the young Mandalorian greeted Brinna with a head nod. <"Talo, who is this outsider you've brought into the outpost?"> she asked in Mando'a not sounding all too pleased about it <"Her name is Shai, she is a friend and I trust her. She wishes to study smithing under us."> he explained calmly, face neutral as he did so. Brinna glanced between both Talo and Shai <"What is it you wish to learn specifically, Foundling?"> Brinna queried.

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai smiled brightly at his answer of hot chocolate. It would definitely be the cherry on top of the day if he joined her for a mug. He went on to compliment her look which earned him a joking kiss blown at him. "Hopefully it won't be a look I'll have to get rid of anytime soon." she quipped with a chuckle as she lifted the ship off the ground. He quickly directed her to their secret base and she gently set it down on the landing pad. "Oh this is nice!" she commented as she glanced around them.

They quickly disembarked and were approached by someone, their Alor by the look of it. With a happy smile she was about to greet them, when she noticed Talo taking off his helmet. With curious eyes she studied him, though that curiosity quickly turned into amusement as her lips curled inward. She was fighting hard not to say something as he introduced her to the Alor. She glanced back at the person as she talked to her. Though her mood dropped a little at the mention of being a foundling. She knew she was one... but she did have a name! <"Yeah my name is Shai Maji, sis, not 'foundling'."> she retorted rather curtly. "I'm part of clan Loc. As for what I wanna learn... what can you teach me?" she continued, ending in a laugh. "Like seriously, I'm here to learn. I know the basics of Beskar forging and I can manage with other materials, but I know there's still a bunch of other tricks and tips on how to work it properly. Plus I wanna be able to make more than just armour with the stuff. Whistling Birds and stuff like that would be awesome to make." she answered fully, looking square into the woman's T-visor.

She glanced at Talo then back at the Alor. "So can I stick around for a bit?" she asked with a big grin.

Talo Krayt

 

[Talo Krayt]

Talo noticed Shai's lips curl inward from the corner of his eye, glancing at her his eyebrow raised, puzzled as to what it was she found funny. When Shai snapped back at Brinna, Talo's head whipped around and he glared at Shai with his dagger-like eyes. She needed to be respectful, for this was not her clan. Shai's response also prompted Brinna to glare at her coldly through her T-visor, serving as a sort of warning to her.

When Shai began to explain, the two Krayts would listen intently and when she was finished Talo and Brinna would exchange glances before eventually having their gaze land on the Shistavanen. Brinna took a moment to consider before finally speaking up "Very well, you may study under our Armorer. Talo, show her where she needs to go." she ordered, earning her a nod from Talo as she passed both him and Shai.

"That was Brinna Krayt, our Alor who took over after her mother passed." Talo informed her, jerking his head for her to follow. Wandering through the outpost, the two would again be halted by a group of tiny Mandalorians-in-training, the clan's younger Foundlings. The group greeted the two by screaming Talo's name in excitement both simeultenousky in unison as well as overlapping each other. "Talo! Is this the intruder you went out to find?" a little girl with red hair asked "Why didn't you kill her?" a slightly older boy asked, glaring at Shai suspiciously. Talo glanced at Shai before at the little boy and little girl, smirking he let out a dry chuckle "Because she's a friend." he answered "So show her some respect, she outranks you in every way." he teased slightly.

Walking passed them, Talo turned his head to the Foundlings and winked "We'll continue our lesson soon, I promise." Talo assured them. The Mandalorian would lead Shai to the clan's Armorer who was stationed in a hut, similar in architecture to the others around the outpost - entering inside Talo greeted the Armorer with a nod before placing his helmet on the counter top. "Talo. What can I do for you? Need something repaired?.... again." the Armorer assumed with an unimpressed tone. Talo folded his arms and looked at him with a raised brow "Not this time. We have a guest from Clan Loc, she wishes to learn more in-depth about forging beskar. Alor sent us to you." Talo informed him smugly, patting Shai's broad shoulder.

The Armorer glanced at Shai before sighing, obviously not wanting to do this, but if the Alor sent her herself - he was obliged to follow her orders.

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

The Alor agreed and Shai nodded with a smile. Walking with Talo, he didn't seem very impressed over her response to the Alor. At least he gave a name which was handy. "She sounds like she needs a vacation." she quipped with a smirk as she walked with him. As they walked, they were intercepted by two kids whose responses were a little disturbing to say the least. "Kill me? What the kr-" she was cut off as Talo spoke up, vouching for her. As they continued on, she gave him a look of great concern. "Dude, what the kriff?" she muttered, nodding to the kids. "They're kids! The kriff do they know about killing? And jeez, does the armour and language not count for anything here?" she asked him with wide eyes.

Soon enough they arrived at the blacksmith. Talo introduced her -though neglected to mention her name as well- to the smith who seemed as impressed with the idea as the Alor did. She was starting to get the idea that they really didn't want her here. She wasn't a stranger to people not wanting anything to do with her, but she was expecting something a bit more welcoming from other Mandos. Was everyone in the clan as dry as Talo? If so, she was going to have to try and work on that. "Hey, the name's Shai." she introduced with a smile as she held out a hand for him to shake. If he took it, she would give a firm shake before looking around. "Gotta say, I love the forge. The stuff you got is a step or two nicer than what I'm used to. Don't worry, I'm a quick learner. I'll be out of your hair in no time." she commented, figuring he'd appreciate that bit at least.

She glanced at Talo then at the smith. "Just one sec, I just wanna talk to Talo real quick." she quipped as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders to lead him out. Once outside, she turned to face him with a smile. Wordlessly she pulled him into a tender hug before pulling back. "If I said something to piss you off with the Alor... sorry. I just... don't like it when people just brush me off as nobody in particular. As for your clan... tell them I won't be here long. They clearly don't want me here. I just wanna learn what I can before I go." she admitted to him softly, looking into his eyes.

She gave him a light punch on the shoulder before turning to enter the forge. "We can catch up properly later. Lemme see what mister grumpy has to teach me." she quipped as she gave him a salute while entering the forge. Once inside, she glanced around then back to him. "Well, sir, how can I help?" she asked calmly as she stood at the ready.

For the next few hours she was in the forge, helping the blacksmith with his work and taking notes of the different things he could teach her. She just hoped that her skills with the forge made up for her interfering in his life. Hopefully he closed up soon, though. She really wanted to catch up with Talo...

Talo Krayt

 

[Talo Krayt]

Shai seemed surprised at the way the children spoke, prompting Talo to shake his head at her and correct her "They're Mandalorians. Warriors. Regardless of their age." it may have sounded harsh or unforgiven, but the majority of these Foundlings were orphaned - rescued from a life of hardship, they were survivors, like he was, any hope of a normal childhood they had was lost when their parents left. Regardless, it wasn't all terrible - despite being trained to be the ultimate warriors, these Foundlings would look upon their childhood with fondness.

At the forge, Talo watched the exchange between the Armorer and Shai - it seemed a bit tense, but the Armorer was standoffish with everyone. Even the Alor. The Mandalorian made a mental note to explain that to Shai later as he could tell that the clan's coldness toward her was starting to get to her.

As Shai led him outside, Talo made sure to grab his helmet on the way out. Once outside, his suspicions were all but confirmed "It's fine." he assured her "And I'm not pissed off. Try not to worry about the clan's abrasion to you... we're a cautious bunch, even to other Mandalorians--" Talo paused glancing sideways "Not all Mandalorians are honorable, nor do they adhere to Resol'nare." he explained. Standing in place as he watched her enter the forge, the young Mandalorian flashed her a small smile before returning to the Foundlings he had promised to train for the day.

Over the next few hours, Talo continued teaching the group of Foundlings of what to expect in the galaxy outside of Teth - remaining honorable, the dangers of the outside galaxy both animal and sentient. Finally, he would end the lesson teaching the young Mandalorians to be, a moderate amount of skills he used with vibrodaggers and encouraged them to continue practicing. With that over with, Talo returned to the forge to check on Shai and see how things were going with the Armorer.

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

As the hours passed, Shai worked hard with the man and constantly made notes. Thankfully the systems in her suit helped to keep her cool as she worked around the forge, but it was still really stuffy by the time the day neared its end. By the time Talo arrived, they were just finishing up. With her helmet under her arm and her datapad in hand, she exited the forge with an exhausted smile. "I'll be here first thing in the morning, no worries! Thanks for today, you helped me out a ton!" she greeted as she turned to walk back to her ship, though she stopped with a big smile as she saw Talo. "Hey!" she called out as she clipped her helmet to her belt and rummaged through a pouch. "Think fast!" she quipped as she tossed him a gift. "Had some excess Beskar flakes that I decided to mess around with. Just a little something to remember me by." she explained with a wink as she motioned for him to follow.

She ran a hand through her mess of a mane and pulled a cigarette from a pocket. She lit it and took a long drag, letting the smoke pour out her nose. "Hot damn, that dude can work you into the ground." she laughed as she glanced at him. "Okay so, how does the routine work around here? Does everybody line up for dinner or do we do our own thing?" she asked as she took another drag. As they reached her ship she spun around to face him as she walked backwards. "Just make yourself comfortable. I'm gonna catch a shower. That kriffing forge ruins the fur like something else." she pointed at the soot and spots on her face as she spoke.

She walked up the ramp and disappeared into her quarters as Baby nudged Talo's leg and followed him like a puppy. After almost half an hour she finally emerged with a more comfortable attire. "I swear if someone flaps their gums over me not wearing my armour, I'm gonna smack them. I don't know how other species with fur can manage to wear armour all day everyday." she joked as she entered the recreation room.

She opened the fridge and pulled out a beer for the both of them. She handed him his bottle and popped the cap off hers against the counter. With a heavy sigh she dropped onto the couch and kicked her feet up on the table. "I feel like a kriffing spent power cell." she muttered as she leaned her head back. She glanced at him and a grin formed on her lips. "You know, I need to get it off my chest..." she spoke as she sat up to face him. "YOU'RE A KRIFFING GINGER?!" she exploded in laughter as she clutched at her stomach. "I pictured you like... hard shade, wide jaw, just a karking hunk of a hardass." she admitted as she tried to compose herself. "At least you look good. I'm surprised you don't got a girl yet" she teased as she held her bottle up towards him.

She took a long swig and sighed with content. "Okay so... wanna catch a walk, get some food... whaddya wanna do?" she asked him as she scooted right up against him with a smile.

Talo Krayt

 

[Talo Krayt]

The timing couldn't have been any better, it seemed as if Shai was finishing up saying goodbye to the Armorer. When she saw him, she threw something that he could barely make out but swiftly caught it instinctively with his right hand. Lowering his hand, Talo opened his hand and got a look at what she'd thrown at him "Thank you, but I won't need this to remember you by." he stated, Shai was the type of character who'd be hard to forget. Despite that, he'd keep it for the fact that it must have meant something to her.

"I can guess. He hates everyone." Talo dryly joked, referring to the Armorer "We get food whenever we want, we're a community not an army." he confirmed as he accompanied her toward her ship. Following her up the ramp, he trailed into the recreation room and simply hovered - feeling Baby nudge at his leg, the young Mandalorian glanced down toward the spherical droid. Slowly smiling to one side, he knelt down and patted the droid's head.

When she returned in more comfortable attire, folding his arms Talo shook his head "We aren't that formal." concluding with a lazy shrug. Accepting the beer, the Mandalorian calmly pried the lid open and took a slow sip of the beer while simeultenousky making his way to a corner in the room, it was good stuff, Shai had good taste apparently. Relaxing against the one of the walls in the corner, his dagger-like eyes propped up and glanced at Shai when she mentioned needing to get something off her chest.

Unsurprisingly, it was in relation to the color of his hair. He parted his lips, letting out a low and quiet sigh before discreetly rolling his eyes - "Sorry to disappoint." he said passive aggressively, feeling as if a nerve had been hit. Talo was no stranger to the teasing of his hair color, it had been a thing ever since his days as an orphan back on Tatooine and even more so as a Foundling, although he was used to it, it still annoyed him. Shai's next statement caught him off-guard though "I wouldn't be a good partner. I can't give a woman the attention she would need." he confessed, taking another sip. Talo hadn't planned on settling down and raising a family, his life was too dangerous for it, and he'd made peace with it.

On the prospect of Shai's question, Talo's lip fell into a sort of frown as he tried to think - "Sleep?" he answered, completely unsure of what to do.

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai snickered away at his passive aggressive comment as she took another swig of her drink. However she kept quiet as he elaborated on his reason for still being single. "Yeah that might be a bit of a problem." she admitted as she ran a hand through her mane. "But hey, mark my words. One day you'll meet someone who might make you reconsider that statement." she winked, raising her bottle at him for a toast before finishing it off.

She set the bottle aside and groaned at his answer. "Oh come on! Sleep? This early? You're high as a kite, my dude." she scolded him playfully as she rose and walked towards him. "WE are gonna throw some snacks together and go find a place to hunker down for dinner. I haven't seen you in ages. You're crazy if you think I'm gonna let you off the hook this early." she explained with a demanding look in her crimson eyes.

She quickly grabbed a bag and filled it with rolls, sausages, sauces and a small gas stove for a makeshift picnic before grabbing his arm to drag him along.

Outside she walked through the village with a smile on her face. "I only thought of this now!" she spoke up with a look of surprise in her eyes. "Do you know Raya Krayt?" she asked as she looked at him with a wide grin. "Oh man I'm an idiot!" she cackled as she smacked her forehead. "She told me her clan name but not for one moment did I put two and two together. Where is she, by the way? I haven't heard of her in ages." she rambled on with curiosity.

Finally she came to a halt and looked up at one of the massive trees inside the walls. "What about up there?" she quipped, flashing him a smirk as she pointed up at the tree.

Talo Krayt

 

[Talo Krayt]

Unconvinced, the young man simply scoffed dryly through his nose before taking another sip of his beer "We'll see." he responded in a cynical manner. Of course, Shai didn't take to his suggestion well and he let out a weak, defeated sigh when she insisted on finding a place to eat "Fine." he relented, running a hand through his scarlet spiky hair. He really did want to sleep though.

Talo finished the rest of his beer as his friend packed some food away, before heading off, the Mandalorian gave Baby one last pat on the head. During their walk through the village, Shai had mentioned Raya, asking if he knew her. At the mention of her name, a broad and genuine smile grew on the Mandalorian's face "Yeah, I know her." he said with some emotion in his voice "She's... a good friend, the first one I made when Krayt took me in." he reminisced, recalling on the romantic feelings he held for her in his youth. She truly meant a lot to him. Glancing at Shai sidelong "She should be around here somewhere, but I haven't seen her since she got back... how do you know her?"

Glancing up at the tree Shai proposed, his eyes remained locked on it as he spoke "Why?" he questioned, his stoic tone returning. Talo couldn't imagine eating on a tree would be particularly comfortable... or enjoyable.

Shai Maji Raya Krayt

 

[Shai Maji]

She smiled as he lit up over Raya. Clearly they knew each other quite well if the woman managed to actually make him express something other than just being a droid. He asked how she knew her but she merely smirked at the question. "It's a story and a half, I'll tell you once we got dinner going." she quipped as she continued on.

Reaching the tree, his simple reaction told her more than enough about his thoughts. "What? I figured we could have a nice view while eating!" she admitted with an innocent shrug. Turning away, she tapped his arm as she walked past to have him follow. "Fine then, let's skip the tree." she suggested as she looked around. "Where's a good spot then?" she asked him, hoping that he had a good spot in mind for their little picnic.

"Anyway, how I met Raya was rather amusing." she perked up with a snicker. "This was before the two of us met. Me and her took a job at the same time to get some Sarlaac teeth for a client. No clue why they wanted it but the pay was solid, so who cares? So I rigged up a winch in my ship and supplied the stuff we needed, she supplied the guts to actually do that. Was a damn close call but we completed the job. Though I must admit, the pay was barely enough to cover the cost of the whole thing." she explained with enthusiasm as she walked beside Talo.

"What are you doing tomorrow? I was thinking of going back to check that monastery I landed next to." she confessed with a mischievous grin as she glanced at him.

Talo Krayt Raya Krayt

 

[Raya Krayt]

Upon exiting one of the huts, Raya saw Talo up ahead and while normally she would've been pleased to see him, she saw he was accompanied by an outsider so her expression soured and she quickly walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to force him to turn around to face her. "<What are you doing? Why have you allowed an outsider into our home?>" She asked in Mando'a. Her expression being one of concern rather than anger.

Upon seeing his companion was Shai, who she was familiar with, her expression softened slightly but she didn't withdraw her question. While she had trusted Shai with her own life when they had worked together, she did not know how far she could trust the woman and did not want to risk the lives of all the people who had made the camp their home as she didn't know what it would take for Shai to betray them to the Sith which would devastate the clan and the Mandalorians as a whole.

Talo Krayt Shai Maji

 

[Talo Krayt]

Shai's reasoning for the tree was met with a sidelong glance followed by a disapproving headshake. Turning his head away, he looked off to a few huts in the distance longingly - the one he was starting at in particular being worn down, as if no one had lived there in years "I know a place." he said, walking off ahead of Shai regardless of whether she followed or not.

Listening to Shai's recounting of her time with Raya brought another smile to his face, from what she described fit perfectly with Raya. She was always the risk taker, even more so than he was. Regarding the question she asked after, he opened his mouth to answer but suddenly felt a heavy hand on his shoulder which promptly spun him around.

Facing him was none other than Raya herself, another smile grew but quickly faded when he saw the look of concern on her face. Glancing between Shai and Raya, Talo would answer "<Peace, Raya.> he responded back in Mando'a, noticing his old friend's expression soften upon glancing at the Shistavanen. Placing a comforting hand on her bicep, he would begin to explain "<Shai is one of us now. A Foundling. She came from Clan Loc to study under our Armorer.>" with a small smile. With that hopefully resolved, Talo took a step back and allowed the women to re-acquaint themselves.

Shai Maji Raya Krayt

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai stopped when Talo was suddenly yanked back and spun around, ready to give the rude mudscuffer a piece of her mind, however her mood shifted immediately when she recognized the person.

She was about to speak when Talo beat her to it and calmed Raya down. A broad grin spread across her face as she nodded in confirmation. <"Yeah no need to flip..."> she started in Mando'a, but fell quiet as her face contorted into a frown. "Um... kriff, what's the thing again?" she asked as she snapped her fingers repeatedly, trying to remember the translation. "Um, the thing. You know... the-the... oh kark it." she gave up and instead pulled Raya into a hug, lifting her up and spinning around with a happy giggle. "You understand Basic, so kark it. How have you been?!" she asked with excitement as she let go of her and looked her over. "Man, I haven't seen you in ages. This is awesome! Now you're both here." she grabbed hold of Raya's hand and pulled her along as she started to walk again. "Okay Talo, where are we heading?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

"But yeah, like he said. I'm a Mando now! I'm trying to learn how to forge good shit so I was sent by my Alor to come study here. I'd like to think I'm pretty good at it. I even made Talo a little something while I had some free time." she explained as she walked beside her. "By the way, what do you think of the new look?!" she asked as she gestured to herself. She was sure Raya could remember what she looked like last time they met. "The peeps back at the clan kept calling me twig. I'm sure the nickname's now pretty ironic." she quipped with a smug grin, rolling her shoulders and arms to show off a little.

Talo Krayt Raya Krayt