Private The Giant and the Twig

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Shai Maji | Location: Tor Valum​

Having finally finished a submission for a customer, Kragr gained some downtime for a couple of hours. Now, there was always something he could work on, on his Titan as he could always run tests or maintenance on it for the heck of it. However, as he placed his forge hammer back down on the anvil, Kragr reminded himself that he still hadn't visited his foundling or more correctly, adoptive daughter more or less. It wasn't a hard decision to make after all as he grabbed his helmet, connected it to the belt and turned to one of the few people from Kragr's original clan. "Going to visit Shai, keep the forge hot while I'm gone" stated the giant of a man as he went for the exit of the workshop.

"Took you long enough, say hi from the rest of us" teased one of the others in the workshop with Kragr.

"Yeah yeah, try not to burn those hands of yours" waved Kragr over his shoulder and disappeared out into the Halls of the Forgemasters. A truly massive hall with equally massive furnaces and forges alike. It seemed to be quite busy for the moment, whirling with fellow Mandalorians gathering around the many anvils either to put in a request or work something themselves. Kragr even saw a couple of outsiders of non-Mandalorians filling the masses which could give credit to how big the Enclave had become.

Having to actually track down his daughter's workshop, Maji Ironworks, HA, fitting name little one, Kragr didn't have to search long before he came face to face with a very large sign, stating clearly in large letters - Maji Ironworks. A proud smile spread behind the busy but wild fiery beard, "you always were a busy bee, huh."

Nearing the front of the workshop Kragr could clearly see a buzz of attention as customers seemed to come and go, bringing out some kind of trademarked weapon or gear of some kind. Upon entering the workshop itself, his eyes scanned the interior and found everything a buyer could want, however, he didn't see the one individual he came to find but he could guess she was working.

With a roar of a voice, Kragr loudly called out, giving the nearest customers an out-of-nowhere jumpscare, letting his voice reach every corner of the workshop. "WHAT A LOAD OF JUNK, MY LEFT NUTSACK COULD PRODUCE BETTER QUALITY!!"

Of course, it was of purely good heart teasing from Kragr's side as he meant nothing of the words, but he knew it would get a rise out of his feisty and temperamental daughter and get her's attention.

 

[Shai Maji]

Upon hearing the rude remark in the factory shop, Shai emerged with a hammer in one hand and tongs clutching a piece of white- hot Beskar in the other. "THE KRIFF WAS THAT?!" Her voice bellowed from her office, all the way to the store section as she marched towards whoever made the comment.

"I'LL GIVE YOU A QUALITY PIECE OF BESKAR DOWN YOUR THROAT YOU KARKING-" She fell quiet the moment her eyes fell upon the gaze of none other than her old Alor. "Oh..." She muttered with wide eyes, realizing that it was little more than a joke. "Dad, I will kick your ass!" She couldn't hold her laugh back as the hammer lowered from its ready position against her shoulder.

She motioned for him to follow as she walked back to her office and set the Beskar back into the forge. The hammer was dropped onto the anvil as she walked up and wrspped her arms around him in a tight embrace. "Hot damn, it's been forever!" She cheered, letting go to pull a bottle of tihaar from her desk. The last time they saw each other, she was more machine than a person. Her eyes were not her own, her limbs were only steel, and her mind was going down a dark path.

But now, she was whole again. A bright smile met his gaze as her own eyes looked into his. "Where have you been the whole time?" She asked him as she popped open the bottle and took a swig before handing it to him.

Kragr Krayt

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Shai Maji | Location: Tor Valum​

A wide grin could be seen behind the bushy and wild ginger beard as Shai, as expected, came charging out ready to kick some ass. Some of the recurring and loyal customers smirked and hoped to see the forge master beat and kick the extremely rude man out as Maji Ironworks produced some of the best quality items a Mandalorian could wish for.

However, that never happened as they heard the girl mutter "oh..." followed by, "dad, I will kick your ass!".

"Hello Twig" greeted Kragr fondly as his grin merged into a smirk, calling Shai her nickname, given to her by her old clan a long time ago.

Following his daughter back to her office, he looked around and couldn't do else than be impressed with what the girl had managed to accomplish since her days as nothing more than a foundling with too much fire out of her ass. Kragr didn't hesitate for even a moment to not return the tight embrace, lifting the shorter female into the air with a burst of rumbling warm laughter, before setting her down again. "That it has. It feels like forever Twig!" Kragr agreed, rustling her wild bushy mane on her head with a hand.

Seeing the bottle of tihaar a smirk spread. Something never changes and it felt like old times... well almost.

Leaning up against a desk with one hand to support the desk while he accepted the bottle with the other, taking a swig himself. The content had also made his blood pump with excitement as the liquid burned its way down to his stomach, warming it up. A bit of a sad smile and a conflicted expression showed. "I went back to our home, our old clan's resting place" began Kragr, staring into the flames of the forge with a distant old pain flashing in his eyes.
He took another swig and refocused back to Shai, "I've come to terms with the loss, and I'm ready to move past that" said Kragr finally and the old larger-than-life father the Shistavanen knew reappeared in Kragr's eyes as a wide grin appeared again. "But! Now I'm back, thanks to you Twig!" Laughed the fiery ginger and slapped his daughter's back in good nature giving back the bottle.

"But enough of your old man, I want to hear about you. I mean, look at this place! Our old blacksmith would have been beaming with pride had he seen where you are now!" expressed Kragr with a thundering cheer gesturing to everything around them with open arms, incredibly impressed with Shai. It was no secret that their old clan's forge master had a soft spot for the girl, seeing the Shistavanen like the daughter he never had.

 

[Shai Maji]

No matter what she did, how big she got or how much of a reputation she carried, she would never be able to escape her old nickname. That was fine with her. Kragr gladly returned the hug and messed up her mane, earning a laugh from the Shistavanen as she slapped his hand away. "Given how much has happened, it pretty much has been." She quipped.

"I went back to our home, our old clan's resting place"

"I've come to terms with the loss, and I'm ready to move past that"

The joy faded as he spoke, her crimson eyes shifting away as memories surged back. "I'm too afraid to go back..." She admitted softly, looking back at him with wounded eyes. She had moved on, but the memories never left her. The faces never disappeared, always haunting her when she least expected it. But Kragr didn't dwell on it for long as he asked about what she had been doing for the past few years.

"Yeah, well... ma always wanted a family busines. Just didn't think it'll get this big." She chuckled as she looked around. "Definitely keeps me busy. After everything's that happened between me and the Enclave, it's been helping a lot." She admitted with a proud nod. From a simple forge to a massive factory and a shipyard producing thousands of tons of wares for the galaxy. Not a bad upgrade at all." She smiled as she looked back at him and took a long sip from the bottle. "By the way..." She passed the bottle back as she sat against the edge of the forge. "I heard you met that Jedi running around. Valery Noble."

S smirk formed as she watched him carefully. "What did you do to the poor girl? She looked like you made one hell of an impression on her." She teased with a snicker, holding her hand out for the bottle.

Kragr Krayt

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Tag: Shai Maji | Location: Tor Valum​

Leaning against a table, Kragr nodded with approval, "Remind me to check out the wares before leaving" spoke Kragr out loud and was more a self-reminder but having spoken it out loud, it might as well be directed to his daughter. Twig had certainly done well for herself as he could literally hear it buzzing back out in the store and factory behind.

Upon hearing the name Valery Noble a wide grin spread across the giant Mandalorian as a twinkle in his eye sparked to life. "Did I?" Asked Kragr with a deep hope in his voice and a suddenly rather stupid but goofy smile spread, turning to look directly at Shai. For as long as Shai had ever known her dad, Kragr, this was the first time she saw him show this type of strong excitement and desired passion towards another person who he had met.

While Kragr loved Shai like a daughter and it showed in his eyes every time he looked at the girl as bottomless pride filled his heart. But this was a different type of love that shined through the man. It was a puppy love infatuation that showed in Kragr's face as the large man rose from where he leaned. "Ha! We fought like no tomorrow!" expressed Kragr now filled with excitement over the news.

"That woman is something else I tell ya!" cheered Kragr and turned back to face his daughter. "You should have seen her! She's an absolute beast of a woman. And she fought without using the Force! HA, the amount of force she could put behind her punches and kicks is like anything else I have ever felt! I tell ya Twig, I can't wait to trade blows with that woman!" Explained the giant of a man with a strange type of enthusiasm in his voice, as he more or less began to just hype up Valery as she had just slayed a Krayt Dragon on her own with her bare hands.

 

[Shai Maji]

The moment she mentioned Valery's name, Kragr's entire demeanour shifted in a way she had ever seen with him. Unfortunately for her, she knew that look way too well. Her smile faded with a look of terror slowly replacing it, growing into a visible grimace with each aspect he mentioned about her. She saw it for the better part of ten years with Xyoz, even after they broke up, and she saw it in a bunch of other people. To see Kragr, of all people, acting in such a way toward someone she considered something between a friend and a sister in battle was disconcerting.

"That woman is something else I tell ya!"

"You should have seen her! She's an absolute beast of a woman. And she fought without using the Force! HA, the amount of force she could put behind her punches and kicks is like anything else I have ever felt! I tell ya Twig, I can't wait to trade blows with that woman!"

A groan escaped her as she took hold of the bottle, downing a good portion of it in hopes of getting some liquid comfort... she had lost that ability the moment Xyoz turned her. "You look like you wanna do more than just trade blows with her, just between you and me." She muttered as she looked at him with a strained smile. She didn't want to crush the poor warrior's heart, but she also couldn't let this slide. "... You're karkin' head over heels for her, aren't you? She muttered, giving him a long, knowing look as she took another swig of tihaar.

"Dad... don't you, uh... think you're a bit... past your prime... to be looking at her like that?" She asked him, only realizing how it sounded after the fact. So much for a gentle approach.

Kragr Krayt

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Being completely absorbed by his own delightful thoughts of Valery, Kragr didn't notice the change of mood from his daughter at first. Flashing a smile of pure excitement. "you wouldn't even know the half of it" quipped kragr with a hidden undertone of something more than just trading blows.

"How could I not, you should have seen her. That woman is something else, something of ethereal make! Stardust made real!" Explained Kragr with renewed excitement when Shai muttered to him to be head over heels for the Jedi and her dad was clearly not hiding his emotions, not that Kragr had ever been a man to hide his emotions.

Standing with both hands on the table, he raised an eyebrow at her gentle attempt to tell he was too old. Kragr released a humourous snort when hearing that and stood back up. "I might be your old man, Twig. But past my prime? Ha! The moment I'm past my prime is the moment I lie dead in the ground" expressed Kragr with a laugh telling Shai that her dad found her attempt more humourous than disrespecting or offending.

Walking over to the lit forge in the workshop, Kragr removed his gauntlet and let the heat caress his hardened hand. "Besides..." Began Kragr, pulling his hand back before it started to be really painful.

"She wants me, the way those fiery red eyes looked at me when we talked and fought. Oh, there was a fire in her eyes for me. She fought to keep it hidden... But I noticed and saw" smirked Kragr and looked back at Shai.

"But, enough of your old man's love life Twig. I've heard nothing but good things about your work and I'm on the look for new stuff to bring home. Care to show your old man around?" asked Kragr with a warm excited smile.

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai listened with a strained smile as Kragr got lost in his daydreaming, recalling all kinds of thoughts about Valery. She was thankful that she didn't have the Force. The last thing she wanted was to know what pictures he had bouncing around in his mind. Hearing him talk about Valery's skill as a fighter certainly had Shai feeling a pang of jealousy. "She's not that good." She grumbled to herself as she looked away for a moment. It was a lie, of course, Valery Noble was an exceptional fighter. Drawing blades against her was as much a suicidal goal as it was to get into a shootout against the ironclad Wardog.

But it still sucked to hear her father talk so highly of her Jedi rival.

"I might be your old man, Twig. But past my prime? Ha! The moment I'm past my prime is the moment I lie dead in the ground"

"Besides..."

"She wants me, the way those fiery red eyes looked at me when we talked and fought. Oh, there was a fire in her eyes for me. She fought to keep it hidden... But I noticed and saw"

"Sure, dad..." She muttered, that strained smile unwavering. How the hell was she going to get him off this lovesick spree without breaking his heart? "You, uh... do know she's married, right? Kid and everything." She asked with a nervous chuckle. The thought of coming to visit him, only to find him in bed with a good friend was nothing short of a nightmare.

"But, enough of your old man's love life Twig. I've heard nothing but good things about your work and I'm on the look for new stuff to bring home. Care to show your old man around?"

"Oh, there's a lot of catching up to do. Not just with the factory." She quipped as she took one last sip and led him through the factory, showing him the extent of the operations. Basilisks, weapons, tanks, armour, components and electronics, and a steady rotation of parts out to the shipyard where massive ships were being assembled. "I's been growing good. The shipyards is the newest bit, though I think I got a newer addition you might be curious about." She looked at him with a smirk as she held her left hand up, showing a golden ring to him. "You got a son in law now." She snickered. "There's some other stuff too, but that can wait for now." She admitted as her smile slipped a bit.

Kragr Krayt

 

[Kragr Krayt]

Kragr found it humous how his daughter grumbled over his high praising of the Jedi Master as if his fascination with the woman would somehow minuscule Shai's own impressive fighting prowess. Then again, there might be rivalry between the two and the giant could appreciate some good ol' fashion rival jealousy between two formidable fighters.

Letting Shai lead the way he just smiled with a cheeky glint in his eyes when his daughter mentioned that Valery was married and had a child. Not only did he know that as the Jedi was quick to point out, at least with marriage, but with the way that the Jedi looked at him, especially when he was bare-chested working the forge. To make it even more obvious, the grabbing positions they ended up in, the smirking joy he received from the Jedi Master, was, if anything, a signal that the marriage wasn't going perfect.

Nevertheless, he could daydream about Valery's powerful and strong body another time, he wasn't here to see a potential future, but to see his daughter and catch up and maybe get some new gear.

"Oh?" Asked Kragr, intrigued by her quip. It was all very impressive, especially how big the factory was as he took in everything with his bright blue eyes. "You've certainly been busy" commented Kragr off-handedly with a wide warm smile while looking around.

Kragr halted, looking at the golden ring so snugly wrapped around her finger. The shocked expression said it all as she just dropped a bombshell of new information he had not expected to learn from her. He expected maybe a new pet or some fancy new high explosive ship cannon, but a husband, not that.

Then the news truly settled in, "wait, you got married?!" he sputtered in a major case of surprise and for a moment it might look like Kragr would have disapproved, but the Shistavanen was not just pulled into a tight hug, she was held in the biggest bear hug she had ever received from Kragr. With a burst of loud joyous laughter, Shai felt her body swing around in a circle and the crushing strength behind the bear-of-a-man.

Shai was let go, only to feel Kragr swing an arm around her neck and pull her in for a rustle of her spiky mane of her lifetime by Kragr's large palm. "Can't believe it! You found someone who could handle your explosive energy Twig!" expressed Kragr with a mix of teasing and genuine happiness for the girl.

Letting finally go of Shai, after having rustled her mane into an even more wild state, he spread his arms out. "SO! Who is it? Is he strong? Can he fight? You got to introduce me, I would like to personally thank him!" joked Kragr wholeheartedly and winked teasingly to his Daughter

 

[Shai Maji]

There was a long moment of tension as Kragr stared at her with a dumbfounded expression. She wasn't sure what to expect in that moment. Finally she got one hell of a reaction from the giant of a man. His arms wrapped around her and lifted her off the ground, and soon he was spinning around with her as she let out a cackling laugh. At least he was definitely happy. Though she fully expected the question of who her husband was.

He set her down, only to wrap an arm around her neck and thoroughly mess up her already messy mane. She tried in vain to defend herself as he ruffled her hair up, all the while laughing away with him. "He definitely handles it! Dad, come on!" She cried out. He finally let go, dropping the question she was nervous about. She wouldn't be surprised if he was expecting another Mandalorian.

Shai patted down her mane as she smiled at him. "Oh, he's strong! Really strong. Really good fighter too. His name's Xyoz, he's a mutt like me. He's... he's also the one that gave me my body back." Her smile softened a bit. "He's a Sangnir. I met him... ten years ago? During our Union days. We were good friends, started to see each other off and on. Only seriously started to date a few years ago. But... after the mess on Tython and him helping me out with that, we figured it was time to make things official." She explained to him as she motioned for him to follow, continuing on with their walk through the factory.

She only realized after she said it that Kragr probably didn't know a thing about any of that. Her being turned, waging war against their people, her exile from the clan... and she just laid it all out for him. Then again, there was no easy way to say it. At least Kragr didn't have to know that his son in law was a former Sith Lord...

"Right now he's kinda in the criminal business. Far from me to judge, I've been in that industry for a good thirty years of my life. But yeah, he's doing really good for himself. He just... has some trouble hanging around Mandos, so we ain't living together yet. Though you'll like him! Dude's really solid." She reassured him with a hard nudge to his shoulder. She was rather nervous about introducing Xyoz to Kragr, though it likely had to happen eventually. "If you want... I can hear if he's available and in the area. Swing around for a bit, let you two meet." She offered as she turned to face him.

Kragr Krayt

 

[Kragr Krayt]

"You don't say!" Expressed Kragr with a wide smirk as he started to think of all the grandchildren his daughter and now son-in-law could provide him with, a bunch of mini-twigs, all with too much energy and not enough explosions. Kragr abruptly stopped when his daughter just off-handedly mentioned getting her body back... "He gave you your what back?!" Asked Kragr and marched directly in front of his daughter. Then in the middle of Shai speaking she would feel her father place his large palms on the side of her head and proceed to examine her.

He wasn't rough nor held particularly hard on to her with his hand as he examined his daughter with a mix of confusion and curiosity. Even if the girl continued talking, her father didn't stop to examine her face as if Shai was 10 and had hurt herself.

After 10 seconds, Kragr let go of his daughter and rose to his full height and looked down at Shai, "You look exactly like I remember you Twig" expressed the giant, seeing no change in his daughter. Matter-of-factly, despite her many new scars, he didn't remember her having or the slight glow in the girl's eyes, she looked exactly the same. Still the same wild mutt with too much energy to know what to do with.

"Well, whatever he did, I'm glad you are still you Twig" expressed Kragr and finally let her lead him onwards for her tour guide throughout her factory. "Is that so?" said Kragr upon her mention of him having trouble being around Mandalorians.

"And yet, he married the most Mandalorian woman there is, that boy really should have his brain checked," said Kragr with a snort and a dry short laugh. "But, who can blame the poor lad, you are my daughter afterall," said Kragr with a wink, poking Shai teasing with an elbow.

The thought of meeting his daughter's husband was a very entertaining idea and he would get to see if this male mutt was all the things his daughter hyped him up to be. Hugging Shai into him with an arm around her shoulder, "let it happen, let's meet this perfect husband of yours, Twig" boasted Kragr exaggerated stretching his other arm out to the factory whole.

Shai Maji

 

[Shai Maji]

Shai watched with curiosity as KRagr took hold of her and studied her for a good few moments, clearly trying to see any differences. He pulled back and brushed it off, earning a frown from the Wardog. "Come on, dad, you really telling me you can't remember all the chrome I had for the last few years? I looked like a freak." She muttered as she looked away for a moment.

But her soured mood didn't last as he spoke about Xyoz. "Don't worry, I made sure he checked his brain a few times." She quipped with a chuckle as he nudged her. She wasn't sure whether or not it was healthy for a relationship, but being able to shoot holes into each other did make for some good relief of tension. Finally, why words left her father's mouth that made her face burn up. He really wanted to meet Xyoz. "Okay, then. I'll give him a call." She pulled away from Kragr with a chuckle and returned to her office, quickly opening her chat with Xyoz on her datapad.

:: Hey, babe? I got something going on this side. I... just told my dad about our marriage... and he wants to meet you. If you got the time... you wanna come over to Kestri? Don't worry about entry, I'll sort that out for you. Just lemme know if you're up for it. :: She sent the note to him with a chuckle in her voice. She was surprisingly nervous about the two meeting each other. Taking a deep breath, and a long sip of blood, she returned to Kragr. "Okay, so aside from eyeing up one of my best friends, what else have you been up to? I heard you're taking on foundlings left and right." She quipped with a smug look as she approached him.

Xyoz Maji

 

[Xyoz Maji]

"Mmmmm I'm more tempted just to cut my losses on Denon at this point. Galaxy's a big place, and it ain't like the Hutts hate me or anythin'. Ring up Gorbo, see about starting to divert the Giggledust to Nar Shadda and such, mm? .. No, no. We're not cutting Denon off. Just diverting our profits so those masked fucks stop costin' so much. Oh, and get to setting up a damn bounty on em. Fucks kept cuttin' me up. Dead or alive, I'm done lettin' em play heroes."

He clicked off the holoprojector, tapping the button where, in almost comically large font, OFF was written. Technology. Still didn't like it. Cool to look at, not so much to use. And let out an annoyed grumble as an alert popped up. Another of his little drug outposts got hit again? He clicked the button labeled OPEN and went through a complex series of emotions. First, relief. Wasn't what he thought it was. Then y'know, grins cause it was Shai.

Then panic. Her dad? She still had a dad? Like, he knew Mandalorians had that whole clan thing and he'd probably have to meet some of them, but her dad? Kranak Vizsla already broke into his damn ship looking for her when he took her away. The hell would her dad do?

:: Fuckin' is tha- Yeah okay got it. Yeah I'll uh, on the way. Shouldn't be too long. See ya in a bit, babe. .. Alright where's the button.. That one. YEah. Wait no that's not it. The fuckin- For fucks sake which is it! Send you piece of shi-! :: At least it finally sent. With a grumble he fell back in his chair. For like two seconds before springing to his feet and snatching up his suit jacket to tug on.

"Hey, we're goin' to Kestri! And not to sell drugs so keep that shit here!"

Kragr Krayt | Shai Maji

 

[Kragr Krayt]

"Twig, you have never in your life, looked like a freak. You looked like my daughter, you acted like my daughter, you are my daughter no matter what form or shape you take" spoke Kragr seriously with a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. As Shai went to call her husband, Kragr leaned back up against a pillar as he waited for the girl to return, so they could finish the tour while waiting for the loverboy to arrive. Kragr was curious, no, excited to meet the man who made his daughter happy as that was what any father wanted for their offspring.

On a more serious note, if Kragr finds out that the husband of his daughter has or will hurt Shai, Kragr will not hesitate to hunt Xyoz down till the end of the galaxy. Of course, Kragr wouldn't want to hurt his daughter's husband, but a broken neck would be a reasonable punishment for breaking his daughter's heart.

Getting shaken out of his own thoughts when Shai returned a twinkle in his eyes shined when mentioned foundlings. " Zhara Krayt , now that's a girl with a lot of energy and a can-do attitude. Stumbled upon her by chance when she was very young. Bright girl, though. She actually reminds me a lot about you and your neverending energetic ass when training you" quipped Kragr followed by a laugh as he remembered all the times Shai landed on her ass, only to get back up again. Anyways, the girl was living in poverty with no real purpose, so I took the girl in as my foundling and trained her in the ways of our people" explained Kragr while he let Shai continue to tour him through her factory.

Shai Maji | Xyoz Maji