Private Ignore the Silence

[Ran Serys]

The Archive was quiet. It was quiet in a way it hadn't been for some time. Ran could see how quiet it was as she hovered the aisles, stacks, and studies. She counted only tens of Jedi of all ages and stages. They kept to themselves, mostly, and used the archive's resources in focused silence. Ran didn't mind the silence so much. She found it supplied a better environment for thinking, examining, and concentrating. She often forgot that silence could also be deafening for those in the midst of struggle.

The final Jedi she came across was one she had rarely interacted with. Vera Noble. One of many of Valery and Kahlil's offspring. This one seemed to have her head in some data, as a wall of digitized text passed on the screen in front of her eyes. Ran almost interrupted Vera's studies to say hello but decided against it. Instead the archivist just smiled and attempted to continue her rounds. Before she could step into the next aisle, Ran sensed the familiar feelings of frustration and doubt. She took a second look toward Vera from afar, examining her to confirm if it was indeed her feelings that Ran had sensed.

"BWEEEEOOOOOOWWW!" Ran's astromech droid, M7-TA, bleated loudly upon finding the mirialan Jedi. The quiet and silence of the Archive had finally been broken and Ran looked embarrassed as the droid continued to boop and beep.

"I am not spying on anyone!" Ran shot back at the droid. "I'm doing my duty!" The Knight corrected, looking somehow even more embarrassed. Green cheeks turned teal as she blushed. In a way the droid was right, she had been spying on Vera but only for a moment, in an effort to help the young woman.

"You, Sir, are in serious need of a memory wipe!" Ran cried a veiled threat after the droid beeped a series of rude beeps and started off. "Don't think I won't do it." Ran threatened weakly as the droid made off with a sound that reminded of sarcastic laughter. He knew she wouldn't. The Knight sighed. "Eccentric- outdated piece of- What am I going to do with him?" She questioned under her breath before she turned slightly in Vera's direction and looked peripherally to see if the young Jedi's eyes were on her.

Tags: Vera Noble
​

 

[Vera Noble]

​

Tag: Ran Serys

​

Vera let out a long sigh as another line of text scrolled past her screen, the dense and dry material doing little to hold her attention. She had read the same paragraph three times already, and none of it was sticking. She leaned back in her chair, running a hand through her hair and muttering under her breath.

Her fingers were just about to shut the datapad in defeat when the loud BWEEEEOOOOOOWWW echoed through the Archive.

Vera blinked and turned her head, catching sight of the little astromech responsible. Her eyes widened slightly at first, startled by the sudden noise, but then she saw Ran's reaction. The flustered defense, the rising color in her face, and the droid's string of sassy beeps. Vera couldn't help it... she laughed.

It started as a quiet snort, but quickly turned into a soft chuckle that she tried (and failed) to suppress.

"Oh, I definitely noticed," Vera said loud enough for Ran to hear, her tone full of amusement. She leaned to one side, resting her elbow on the armrest and propping up her chin.

"Everything okay there, Knight Serys?"

​

 

[Ran Serys]

"Yes. Everything is okay, Vera. I'm just not used to being embarrassed, not by emm-seven anyway." Ran admitted. "He's become quite the handful. His adjustment from spacelanes to archives hasn't been easy." She sighed in agreement with her own thought. "I suppose neither has mine." She said in reflection, letting Vera a premature glimpse into her mind.

"Nevertheless," Ran changed the subject. "He did catch me spying on you. Briefly." She raised a hand, a gesture meant to undercut any weirdness her words might've given off. "I couldn't help but notice you were studying," She explained. "You seemed to be having a rough go of it?" She said more like a question than a statement. "I could help you, if you'd like?"

Ran waited for the young Jedi's answer and as she did, she realized how familiar she had been talking with Vera, not because Ran had known her well. She didn't. It was because Ran could see the features of her great friend, Vera's mother, Valery Noble, in the girl. The familiarity between them had extended to Valery's child. Ran hoped that was okay.

Tags: Vera Noble
​