Private A different kind of meeting

[Valery Noble]

Kestri
Appearance ​

Mandalorians sure loved to fight her.

Valery had traveled to Enclave space to train and start her path as the Sword, but it was also a journey to familiarize herself more with the culture, meet more Mandalorians and strengthen the bonds with them that historically have been fragile many times. So today, despite every Mandalorian she had met challenging her to spar and train, she was leaving her place of residence with the intent not to clash with someone. Her body could use the rest, and there were other ways to get to know someone, right?

Luckily, the Mandalorians had all shown their love for one other thing to her as well — tihaar. Kranak, Shai, Kragr; they had all passed her a bottle at some point or even challenged her to a drinking competition. So it gave her the idea to head for one of the taverns on the planet, known as the Shukur Kyr'bes Tavern. Kranak had taken her to the Surbhir Tapcaf, so a little variety wouldn't hurt.

This time, she had also decided against showing up in her Jedi attire and with lightsabers visibly clipped to her belts. She was wearing some tight jeans, a shirt she had tucked into her pants, and a cool leather jacket over it. There was a good chance she'd still stand out a little, but at least she wouldn't be recognized as a Jedi everywhere she went. Or well, that's what she hoped, at the very least.

"A bottle of tihaar," Valery said as she stepped up to the bar, and leaned forward onto her elbows. With the bartender moving to fetch her the bottle, she began to look around, trying to take note of who else was there, and who she could possibly talk to.

Vren Rook ​

 

[Vren Rook]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: In Bio

BROKEN COWBOY​

Tee had been in a mood again.

Chased him right out of the house for the evening. With profanities yelled after him. Even AV-3 had ducked under the ire his mistress was throwing at the gunslinger.
"Guess I can't blame her too much. Hates the snow as much as the sand. She can't win and neither can we, now can we, girl?" Vren was leaning against the immense basilisk's leg, patting against it as if patting the flank of a Farthier. They were in the hangar where Nag as well as the Mother Abbess resided.
The droid rumbled at him.
"Knew you'd be on my side." he laughed. "Though we shouldn't say it too loudly. She's sure to boot you from this hangar."
:: You mean she will try :: Nag said.
"Now, I still have to sleep here, you know." he teased. "A'ight, I'm goin't get a drink - give her a chance to cool off so I can at least get into bed. Be on standby if shit goes South. I don't feel like throwing fists tonight."
Nag rumbled another confirmation before making herself more comfortable in her prone position.

Hopping onto a speeader-bike, he raced over the frozen ground into the city-proper. It didn't take to long to reach his favourite waterhole and dismount outside. It already sounded like a party inside with light spilling through the windows and onto the snow. Sounded like a good time. If he was lucky he'd run into some of the old crowd.

The door whooshed open and he took off his helmet as he stepped over the threshold.
"Vren! Ey, vod! Grab a bottle and join us, man!" "Willy" Jack Vizsla hollered from a booth crammed with some of the other crowd, already sounding like he had 3 too many.
"Yeah, in a bit, partner!" Vren waved at him before heading over to the bar itself.
His dark eyes fell on a dark-haired woman leaning against it just as a bottle of tihaar was set in front of her. If memory served well, the Karjr reports labelled her as Jedi Master Valery Noble and Kranak Vizsla had confirmed her being planetside. Not that she was exactly dressed as a space wizard at current. Everything screamed outsider between all the beskar in the room.

"You sure you can handle that drink, Master Noble?" he asked her before turning to Seyr behind the bar. "Whiskey, rocks, partner."

 

[Valery Noble]

Kestri
Appearance ​

"You sure you can handle that drink, Master Noble?"

Just like that, within seconds of being here, her attempt at being a little more undercover had failed. It made her wonder if she should have worn the armor Shai Maji gave her to fit in better, but until it was made to fit her body type, it was way too uncomfortable to wear. A short and soft sigh of relief followed, but she did turn to greet the man with a polite dip of her head, "Oh I'll be fine," she assured him. This time, she decided against mentioning that she basically couldn't get drunk if she wanted to — the Force could cleanse the alcohol from her system.

The last time she had made rough mention of it, she was challenged to a drinking competition, and she wasn't sure if that was a great idea to get into again.

"Let me guess, the lack of armor gave it away?" She smirked and took a swig from the bottle. "It's surprising to see people in full armor in a crowded place - it gets hot and sweaty." Then again, Mandalorians didn't seem like the types to be bothered by that at all. It wasn't the reason she decided against armor either.

Finally, she shifted to lean against the bar with her side, and looked the man up and down once, "You know my name but I don't think I caught yours yet?"

Vren Rook ​

 

[Vren Rook]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: In Bio

BROKEN COWBOY​

A smirk tugged at the corner of the Karjr's mouth at her answer as he stuck a toothpick between his teeth.

"Let me guess, the lack of armor gave it away? It's surprising to see people in full armor in a crowded place - it gets hot and sweaty."
Vren chuckled before he took a sip of the whiskey. "I just happen to know the Mando'ade on this snowheap. You're not one of them. Strange Mandalorians always keep their helmets on until they are at ease. That and your face came across my desk in the form of an intelligence report." He laughed at the end. "And trust me, in this cold, you want to keep the armour on. Today ain't that bad but it can be freezing." he added, taking another sip.

"You know my name but I don't think I caught yours yet?"
"Ah, forgive me. I'm Vren Rook, Karjr of the Enclave. It's uh....it would be the equivalent of a lawman in Basic." he said, turning to hold out a hand to shake. "Usually based on Tatooine, but I take a holiday from time to time and come home. Which is probably why you haven't run into me yet. Just got back." He added.

Setting his glass on the bar surface, he looked at her properly.
"How long have you been on Kestri, if you don' mind me askin'?" he asked her. "And why us?" He was genuinely curious as to why a Jedi would seek out the Mando'ade of all people, alliance or not. He wasn't as averse to Jedi as some of his comrades, but he wasn't used to seeing them walking around Tor Valum either.

 

[Valery Noble]

Kestri
Appearance ​

"An intelligence report about me, hm?" Valery met his smirk with one of her own, but she already suspected the reason for it. Jedi weren't exactly common in these parts of the Galaxy, and she had made an official request for her stay here to avoid any complications during her training. If his work allowed him access to reports about visitors, he'd surely have seen the peculiar request from the Jedi Master. "I've brought along warmer clothing as well, but Jedi have other methods to stay warm," Valery said with a nod. She still preferred not to use the Force for problems that could be solved with a coat and extra layers, but it was always an option in unexpected fronts of cold.

"Ah, forgive me. I'm Vren Rook, Karjr of the Enclave.

"A pleasure to meet you," Valery said with a smile before she raised the bottle up to her lips for another swig while she listened. "Going from extreme heat to a pretty substantial cold, then. Must take some time getting used to," Valery added. The bottle was set down and she reached for his hand, shaking it with a rather firm grip.

"Only a few days now, and it'll be a few weeks at most, I imagine. But it's part of my personal training — I've accepted a new role within the Jedi and while I still have the time, I believed it could be useful to learn an entirely new and different perspective on how to approach combat. So I've been training with a few Mandalorians while others have taught me more about your culture." She took another sip and kept her fiery eyes connected with his.

"A long time ago, A Jedi in the same role as I am now trained with Mandalorians in preparation for an important fight. I've decided to try something similar, and so far it has been very interesting."

Vren Rook ​

 

[Vren Rook]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: In Bio

BROKEN COWBOY​

An intelligence report about me, hm?"

Vren chuckled at her.
"Don't worry, it ain't nothin' bad or secretive. We just like to stay informed of Galactic situations, is all." he explained before taking another sip of whiskey. "And yeahp. It takes a bit of adjustin' to the temperature differences of the two planets. But I love 'em both. We fought hard for this place particularly before we could turn it into home." he then answered her observation.

He then listened to her speak.

"A long time ago, A Jedi in the same role as I am now trained with Mandalorians in preparation for an important fight. I've decided to try something similar, and so far it has been very interesting."

Vren couldn't hold back a laugh.
"A trial by fire." he said. "But yes, we do have a different approach to combat. It would only be beneficial to you. Although I have to say that our armour is not only our protection - it's our way of life, our way of combat. A Mando'ad can survive well enough without his armour, but by not wearing it, he has lost some of his identity. If you want to learn our way - you'll need a set of beskar'gam...well earn it." he said. "It speaks for itself. If it's shiny, then you haven't seen combat."

Glasses were thrown around behind them as voices were raised.

Vren just took another sip of his drink, a smile tugging his mouth.
"That and get used to it that no cantina in a Mandalorian city is without at least one brawl."

 

[Valery Noble]

Kestri
Appearance
​

"I figured that was the case, but it's more interesting to imagine it being a little spicier," Valery said with a smirk regarding the intelligence report. Although, she was aware of other reports about her, especially those made by enemies, and she could definitely live without the huge target marker on her head. "And I'm not surprised to hear it was challenging to turn this place into a home for your people, but from what I gathered, it has worked out really well. I told another this too, but there's something about this world that makes it feel like a great place to settle down."

If she had been a Mandalorian herself, she likely would have.

"A trial by fire."

Valery almost snorted at the reaction but nodded quickly, "Something like that..." she said, thinking back to the moment in their first training session that actually involved a little too much fire in the literal sense. "And that's what I've learned here as well. I was given a basic set of armor for training, although one that barely fit me. But we've also trained without. Another Mandalorian, Kragr Krayt, taught me about the Resol'nare and he very strongly shares the mindset of the armor not making the Mandalorian." She paused a moment and raised the bottle up to her lips for a sip.

"After fighting Mandalorians not wearing armor, I have to agree with it as well."

Then the sound of glass shattering caught her attention, but quickly her eyes shifted to something else. One of the Mandalorians dodged a glass being thrown, and it came straight for her. In an instant, she connected with the Force, and only inches away from her face, the glass stopped and continued to levitate. If her appearance hadn't already, this certainly blew her cover.

"I suppose throwing it back would be a bad idea?" she joked with a grin before setting the glass down on the bar counter.

Vren Rook ​

 

[Vren Rook]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: In Bio

BROKEN COWBOY​

"I suppose throwing it back would be a bad idea?"

The Karjr couldn't help but laugh.
"Unless you plan on throwing fists against a few, yes, it will be a bad idea." he chuckled.
"Oi Vren, toss us a glass, Vod!" hollered one of the Dragr lads.
Vren smiled as he picked the glass up from the counter again and threw it over to the young Mando'ad who caught it deftly before flinging it at a young Vizsla while in another corner a Kryze and a Saxon were duking it out hard with a lot of insults going around.

"Ah the young lads - gotta love 'em." Vren chuckled as he turned back to Valery. "Speaking of youngins, when are y'alls Padawans fit for battle generally?" he asked her, the curiosity evident in his voice. "How do you determine if they're ready?" He knew it was nothing like the Verd'goten - that required putting guns and knives in a kid's hands from the moment they can hold them properly for them to properly be ready to undergo the rite of passage to the Mando'ade.

He had seen some Padawans with their braids running around from time to time, although he felt that throwing a kid against a Sith Lord wasn't exactly the best thing to do. A thought of Domina Prime and Vulcan Krayt on the battlefield flashed across his mind then and he realised that it would be impossible to tell any of them to not go after Sith and he figured it'll be equally hard holding back a zealous Padawan.

They'd have a collective Youngin Rebellion on their hands.

 

[Valery Noble]

Kestri
Appearance
​

"Unless you plan on throwing fists against a few, yes, it will be a bad idea."

For a moment, the smirk on Valery's face made it seem as if she entertained the idea, but she wasn't the type to start these types of fights and offered the glass back so Vren could toss it back over. As expected, it was promptly smashed and their bar fight continued. "It might sound surprising, but they remind me more of our Padawans than they probably should." Especially lately, they had been a thorn in the ass, but it was all part of raising and training young Force users.

"Speaking of youngins, when are y'alls Padawans fit for battle generally?" he asked her, the curiosity evident in his voice. "How do you determine if they're ready?"

It was a good question and one that wasn't easy to answer either. But after a moment of thought, she finally spoke again, "Once a Jedi becomes a Padawan, they fall under the direct oversight of their Master, who is free to take them on missions throughout the Galaxy, combative ones included. So it's up to the Master to determine whether or not their student is ready. The Council interferes only in extreme situations or if a Padawan has no Master, which can be the case these days."

"But generally, one important step that helps them prove they're ready is the creation of their lightsaber. I know Mandalorians earn their armor, and similarly, Jedi have to earn their lightsabers."

She paused to take a sip of her drink and smirked, "But Jedi aren't necessarily warriors, so it's quite different from your people. Some Jedi, like myself, began training with our training lightsabers since we were able to walk, while others never really advance their skills with the blade at all."

"I don't think I've heard of a Mandalorian before who can't fight at least to some extent."

Vren Rook ​

 

[Vren Rook]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: In Bio

BROKEN COWBOY​

Vren listened intently as she spoke, occasionally taking a sip of whiskey.

It was definitely intricate enough to become a full-fledged Jedi. It was indeed interesting that the crafting of a lightsaber held the same kind of importance as forging your own armour. On the one side it was also kind of troubling to know how similar the two cultures were despite being so different in doctrine.

"I don't think I've heard of a Mandalorian before who can't fight at least to some extent."

Vren couldn't help but chuckle at that as he finished his whiskey before motioning for Seyr to give him another.
"That's certainly true. Every Mando'ad should be able to pick up arms if they are called to it while they can still hold a gun or swing a hammer. And, well, you have experienced yourself now how we train. Being a Mando'ad is a constant honing of skills. And it's a good thing. We have had one too many surprises in our territory." he explained to her. "Although I admire your doctrine, the Mando'ade are definitely not peacekeepers. If it can't be resolved in talks or a fist fight, then the only other way is with sending a shotgun message." It was definitely odd explaining these things to an outsider.

They probably sounded like a horrible kind of people.

 

[Valery Noble]

Kestri
Appearance
​

While she listened to him explain more about the Mandalorian perspective, Valery finished her bottle and set it aside, but the look on her face made it clear she wasn't planning to get another. The alcohol didn't affect her at all, as she actively cleansed it from her system, but she definitely preferred other things when it came to taste. Sadly, she figured fruity juices weren't exactly what she'd find in a place like this, and neither did she feel like asking about it.

"That's... definitely quite different," she said with a slightly sheepish smile. "The Mandalorians I once knew were a bit more extreme than what I've seen from the Enclave, but that's likely because it wasn't that long after the Mandalorian Wars. Right now, I'm just glad there's a decently strong alliance now, especially with a group like the Maw ravaging the Galaxy."

She paused for a moment and looked at him as he took another swig of his new whiskey, "But outside of combat, I've learned Mandalorians value a few other things as well through the Resol'nare. Is there anything in particular from it that you believe is more important than the others? Or do Mandalorians view them all as equally important?"

Vren Rook ​