Private The Sands of Ophus V

[Colette]

Ophus V, that's what outsiders called her planet. Ophians were what you called people from it, and that meant that while Colette so wholeheartedly disagreed with the idea of planets having names — at least her own people's planet — it was what people would recognize her best as. Although given how obscure the planet seemed to be even in the Jedi Archives, it was fair to assume that few even knew it existed beyond those who lived there, Knight Keer, and whoever this 'A. Lashiec' was who had sorted it into storage a few years ago.

Watching the shuttle pierce between dimensions and show her home through the viewport in front of her was alien. It felt like staring at something so alien yet all too familiar. She couldn't recognize the topography or the geography from this point of view, but if she tried to place herself on any one spot of the sands down below she could almost imagine where she would be.

"The only reason we exist as a people is because the Empire stuck a big fuel and coaxium cache on the planet." Colette said as she turned towards Valery. The shiver in her voice made the kid's anxiety all too obvious. "The files in the archives said it is believed that we are the remnants of a big Imperial garrison."

"We're talking maybe five hundred people." She exhaled and looked back at the planet again. "When the plague hit the galaxy, they began to splinter into groups to keep safe and to isolate."

"... As the—" A long sigh cut Colette off mid-sentence. "I-"

Deep breath. Easy in, easy out.

"This… Lashiec person seemed to connect a lot of dots." Colette swallowed air, her foot tapped nervously on the ground. "Were they some sort of… Archivist? Why haven't I seen them around the temple?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Ophus V

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Colette

The closer they got to Ophus V, the more tense Colette became. It wasn't surprising to Valery, not after their last conversation about coming back here, but she didn't want a trip back home to feel this difficult to her Padawan. Leaning over, she wrapped an arm around Colette's shoulders and hugged her close, "I know you're nervous, but it's going to be okay." With her hand, she gently rubbed the side of her arm, hoping to give her some comfort.

Though one surprising thing did come up.

The name of an old friend quickly brought a smile to her lips, as she pulled back to look at her Padawan, "She was the Chief Librarian or Head Archivist, depending on what you want to call it. She is also a dear friend of mine. One of the first Jedi to welcome me after I got out of stasis, and a true role model for what Jedi should be like."

"Some time ago, however, she disappeared and her return came with some... complications. But she's doing well." Valery paused at that last part and frowned.

"I should really shoot her a message soon and know for sure. It has been a while since I talked to her."

 

[Colette]

Valery Noble

Deep breath. Okay, it was going to be okay. She leaned into the hug with a big frown that slowly began to turn itself around as she closed her eyes and found that center again. The rest of the nerves would straighten out as Valery continued to explain who Lashiec was.

Basically, a big nerd by the sound of it. A respectable nerd, but a nerd nonetheless.

"So this is a bit like that." Colette said and nodded as she looked back at Ophus V with just a smidge more nerves tying themselves up. "Reaching out to someone you haven't seen in a while."

The ship began to approach the planet. Re-entry had never been Colette's part. The subtle shift from fake-grav to anti-grav always made her stomach churn and her heart skip a little. Ships were scary death tubes, but they were made a little less scary when she was in a room without viewports. This was not a room without viewports, in fact this was the cockpit.

The ship eased down into a spaceport. On the way down one could see a massive sandstorm on the horizon, although it was hard to tell if it was about to come or if it had just gone. The answer would be found in the way the dust shuffled and shimmered on the way down. The storm had just gone, which was most likely for the better.

"We usually time our travels based on those." Colette said and nodded out the viewport towards the sandstorm that was now hidden behind the safety of four solid walls of thick duracrete. "Either we dig in or we find marked out caves. Most of the time, there aren't even any animals in those caves."

"The spaceport should be safe. It's uh…" Colette sighed and let in a deep breath. "It's the old remnants of the Imperial base. Not that much of it is left. Scavenging. Sandstorms. Time."

 

[Valery Noble]

Ophus V

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Colette

"It's... yeah, that's a good way to put it." Maybe this was a little more hard on Colette than reaching out to Aeris was to her after so long, but they'd both manage. For now, though, Valery was purely going to focus on helping Colette get through this, and hopefully, all her worries would have been over nothing. Maybe the people where would welcome her back with open arms, and be receptive of her Master too.

That's what she hoped for the most, but only time would tell.

From the cockpit view, Valery watched the sandstorm in the distance, but she didn't really seem too bothered by it. In her ship, and down below within the spaceport, she doubted that a storm like that could cause much harm. For the nomadic people that Colette used to live with though... it was very different.

"I'll leave tracking the storms to you, hm? Not that I can't tell when something is coming at me, but I'm sure you're better at reading how things change around here than I am." She chuckled, lowered the ramp of the ship, and stood up to head outside.

"I'm curious - how do you find your people from here?"

 

[Colette]

Valery Noble

Thankfully sandstorms were rare enough that they weren't any real trouble if you knew how to plan your trips. That wasn't to say Colette hadn't been caught in one before, but more often than not it was during those times that her clan would move towards the forest clans and interact with them until the dunes settled again.

"Radio." Colette said and shrugged with a weak smile as she tried to lighten the mood for herself. "We did have technology around. We just didn't want to rely on it too much. That said…"

She did the math in her head. If she had been gone for… And assuming that…

"That must have been the big yearly one." She said as they stepped down the ramp. "Spreads seeds across the deserts and plains. It's scary, but essential to life."

Her foot touched Ophian ground and it was like a shiver down her spine that froze her in place. It was as if her foot would immediately know where it had touched down, yet as if something was wrong. The kid furrowed her brows with worry. It wasn't telling her to leave, it wasn't telling her to stay. It was as if it was telling her that it knew who she was, but that something about her was different.

But then, that might also have been superstition. Colette shook the feeling for now and tried to ease up again. As the two of them stepped through the archway that led them into the bay where their ship had landed they were greeted by an office manned by a single person who very clearly was not very enthused about being where they were. Valery and Colette would be free to move on once they got their papers checked and approved. The clerk gave a bit of a curious raise of their brow as they noted that Colette was from around here, but beyond that there wasn't much to notice.

While the landing itself was unassuming, it wasn't until they stepped out of the harbormaster's office that the duo would be introduced to Ophus V properly, as in front of them, the second that they stepped through the door, was the bazaar with all the sights, sounds, and smells that one could associate with such a place. It lifted Colette's spirits somewhat as she began to reminisce.

"It was always interesting whenever we made it here." She said and looked at Valery. "It's the biggest hotspot for those of us who wander the deserts."

"Sort of like the senate, but not as stupid."

 

[Valery Noble]

Ophus V

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Colette

"Won't the storm create too much interference for the radio?" Valery was absolutely no tech expert, and Colette knew that after she had seen Valery ask Vera for help with the holo-tv. But that at least sounded reasonable to her — certain types of storms and phenomena in space also tampered with sensors and communications equipment.

But perhaps their radio equipment was designed specifically to handle it.

"A storm essential to life, hm? That sounds interesting," Valery said with a chuckle. "Are they very dangerous if you're caught in them? I imagine that for people living here, always evading them might be difficult." Maybe they had their ways to get through them, though Valery wasn't keen on trying that out.

Even her love of adrenaline had its limits.

Valery then followed Colette through the spaceport, and helped handle the boring side of it all — paperwork. It luckily didn't take too long, and after they were cleared, they ended up in the bazaar. This already brought a smile to Valery's lips, and she noticed that Colette brightened up a little as well. "This is really great. Anything we should try out here? I don't know if they have good local food, or maybe we can bring back a souvenir." She chuckled a little and patted atop Colette's shoulder.

"We're not in a rush, so we can take our time to explore and have a good time too."

 

[Colette]

Valery Noble

"It would." Colette nodded in response to Valery as the two went further into the bazaar with their walk and talk. "All sandstorms are dangerous if you get stuck in them." Colette added. "This place is built to withstand the storms though. I mean, just look how little dust there is in here."

And that much was true. Despite the storm having recently rolled on through, the place was surprisingly clean. The people were even surprisingly calm and their movements seemingly unbothered. It was just another routine around here, same as any other place that adapted to dangerous weather.

Like, say, the people on New Cov.

"Well, a lot of the food here is produced in nearby factory farms." Colette said and nodded as they approached the local food market. "We mostly eat grown foods. It's the least violent way to feed ourselves. We don't take much from nature that way."

Colette stopped and picked up a nearby peach with a warm smile before she picked up another to hand Valery. She began to look around her for something to barter with but the man behind the stall quickly raised his hand and waved his hand to dismiss it. She was free to take the peaches and Colette gave the man an appreciative nod for it.

"We don't really have credits here." She said and motioned towards the merchant. "They create debt. Debt makes people desperate. And desperation means you are more likely to put your own survival above others."

Eventually Colette stopped by a bench and motioned for Valery to sit down before she took a bite out of her peach. It was instant gratification. An instantaneous reminder of what it felt like to be this close to her own people and just…

The kid closed her eyes in joy.

"It's amazing what people can do when they don't have a reason to mistrust others."

 

[Valery Noble]

Ophus V

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Colette

"I can tell," Valery said as she looked around. "The people here look like they're going through just another normal day." Nobody seemed bothered by the gigantic sandstorm, but then again, it wasn't their first rodeo. They've learned to adapt and built this place to withstand the most difficult days on their homeworld. Much like others in the Galaxy.

"Grown foods do taste better, too," Valery then said with a chuckle. "I've started growing stuff at home, and my husband really loves it for when he's cooking us meals." It was one of many benefits to their new home. They had the space to grow their own food and provide the kids with-

Wait, is she stealing fruit?

Valery's eyes narrowed at Colette but before she could say a thing, the stall owner assured them it was alright. This clearly surprised Valery a lot, but also amazed her in a way. A planet that could thrive without needing any currency? It was a stark contrast to... just about the rest of the entire Galaxy.

"What motivates people here to work hard?" Valery asked after taking a bite from the fruit. "Most people in the galaxy wouldn't ever work if they didn't get something in return. Here... it's clearly very different."

 

[Colette]

Valery Noble

A small sigh of frustration blew past Colette's lips. Was it really so hard to understand? She took a deep breath and looked back out amongst the crowd in the bazaar before she turned back to Valery with a weak smile and a shrug.

"Survival isn't you or me, it's you and me." She said and took a bite out of the peach. It was juicy, fresh, and most of all a dopamine hit unlike any other that the kid had experienced in a while. "The elder used to say that death was a brutal solution to something that's merely a symptom of something much worse."

"Given all that has happened, I think I understand." Colette said and smiled at Valery yet again. "There's no coming back from death. Nobody learns anything from death. It just stops things. Nothing new comes from the act."

"Sure, the… Rats and the insects and the birds… They get themselves a meal, but…" She shrugged. "We as people, as a group, we only lose."

"A loss of life, a loss of love, a loss of… I don't know," She exhaled a chuckle as she caught herself ranting. "Maybe, a loss of understanding."

 

[Valery Noble]

Ophus V

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Colette

"To a lot of people, that's a very idealistic way of looking at life," Valery said, having picked up on the sigh of frustration. "You're not new to it anymore, but there are few planets where survival is you and me." Especially now, during times of war. When backed into a corner or when the basic needs of living were threatened, a lot of people turned to their own survival instincts and hardly bothered to look around them to help others.

The Jedi played a big role in making up for that.

Turning back to Colette, she did manage a smile at her interpretation of the Elder's lesson. The people here cherished life, much like the Jedi are supposed to.

In some ways, a lot of cultures had these similarities.

"I had a strange encounter with this myself, actually. For a few years, I believed my husband to be dead, and he himself also believed he was dead. It's... a long story," Valery said with a frown. "It gave him the unique feeling of coming back from it, and it changed a lot about how he looked at life. And especially how he looked at me and the kids."

"He's never taking his time with us for granted anymore."

 

[Colette]

Valery Noble

"I'd rather die as an ideal, then." Colette muttered bitterly for a moment before she perked up and continued to listen to what Valery had to say. And while it definitely surprised her that Kahlil didn't inherently have his current view on his family, and while it was kind of sad that he had needed that, at the same time it mattered little since ultimately he had arrived where he was today.

Then again, she had no idea what his views were before then. Given his epicanthix upbringing she was prone to assuming the worst even if it wasn't fair to Kahlil in the slightest.

"The war is not…" Colette exhaled in frustration. She needed to put this as eloquently as she could. "War is the disease, people's selfishness is the symptom. I won't judge a symptom, but I will judge the disease."

Colette looked away for a moment to take in the crowd. There were no familiar faces, but the way they moved and talked was certainly familiar. A quiet pair of footsteps appeared from behind.

"Wisely put, padawan." A slightly more 'Imperial' voice called out from behind the two. Colette flinched in surprise and looked up at the old woman that had approached them. She had blonde hair that looked slightly disheveled. From what she wore it was clear that she had been around for Ophus for a while, but the way she spoke and the air she carried herself with was most certainly not from anywhere around here. She looked a little uptight, but not unwelcoming.

Of course, Valery would recognize both the voice and body as someone she had met before. In fact, as someone they had talked about no sooner than half an hour ago. Aeris was clearly surprised and yet very happy to see that her friend was here, but…

"Never took you for the kind to dig that far into the archives, Valery." She said and enveloped the grandmaster in a big hug. "Unless…"

She separated for a moment and looked over at Colette.

"Wait," She said and tilted her head just a little. "You are from around here…"

"No…" The blonde whispered to herself. "No, then it wasn't you who found this place." She said and turned back to Valery. "It was Keer."

Colette nodded despite the fact that she was so incredibly confused at that moment.

"He always had a thing for trying to dig up the notes that I tried to obscure."

 

[Valery Noble]

Ophus V

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Colette

Valery picked up on the bits of frustration from her Padawan, but said nothing of it. The war was equally as frustrating to her, and the way it had changed people was certainly something to be grumpy about. Old friends turning against each other, people fighting for no reason beyond conquest, and so.many families were being displaced again - war was hell, but it was the hell they were living in.

Sometimes it felt like there was no getting out of it either. They had already survived one large-scale conflict, and now there was another threatening to tear everything apart.

"It's good that some of us stick to our ideals, at least." She smiled at her Padawan, but then narrowed her eyes and glanced over her shoulder when she felt someone familiar approaching. Valery turned, listened to the voice, and instantly brightened up.

"Aeris," Valery said before moving in to meet her old friend in a big embrace. She let it linger for a good moment, and couldn't help but smile as they pulled back from the hug.

"It indeed wasn't me, but my Padawan here has done a lot of good work. She was complimenting you earlier, actually." Valery smirked at Colette and patted her on the shoulder.

"What brings you all the way out here?"

 

[Colette]

Valery Noble

That wasn't the first time Colette understood that Valery admired how stout Colette was in her beliefs, but it still hit her like a truck for some reason. As Valery and Aeris shared a hug, the kid began to look out across the street again.

Aeris on the other hand was very clear in her actions. It was good to see that Valery was here, clearly not something she had expected but something that wasn't unwelcome either. Her hand patted at Valery's back before they separated and with it she too looked over at Valery's apprentice with a probing stare.

To Colette, that was almost the most haunting stare she had ever seen. As if the blonde was peering straight through her body and into her soul as if she knew something that Colette did not. Despite the stare, Colette raised her hand to wave and Aeris nodded her head in response.

"Did she now?" Aeris asked and turned back to Valery. "Oh, I figured that given how obscured this planet is from the rest of the galaxy, it was a good place to spend some time getting my head on straight. Think things over."

"Then, of course, once I had arrived there was the small issue of not contributing." Aeris smiled at Colette who gave an understanding nod. "So, I've started making a sort of history book for them. Gathering accounts, getting them in written format. So far I've only met some of the desert clans, but it's been very fascinating."

"Oh yeah?" Colette asked and stood up. She was tired of feeling like a third wheel. "What did you learn?"

"Well, they are all skilled navigators, but this one clan…" Aeris seemed amazed. "They can navigate with nothing more than the moon and the stars."

"That's my clan!" Colette burst in excitement. "That's my clan. It's in the way—"

"It is a form of mathematical device you have set up." Aeris cut her off with a clever nod.

"Yeah… Probably?" Colette seemed confused. "Where did you hear about this?"

"The other clans." Aeris admitted and nodded. "I'm actually meeting the elder of that clan at the hospital later."

"The—" Colette froze up. "The hospital?"

Aeris tried to respond. There was nothing. The kid's lip quivered for a moment before she started to back up. A clearly distressed breath blew from her nose before she took another step, and another, before eventually Colette broke into a sprint out of there and towards what one could assume was the hospital.

"I—" Aeris stammered. "I thought she—"

"You should go, Valery. We'll have more time later."

 

[Valery Noble]

Ophus V

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Colette

"Well, that's quite the coincidence, then," Valery said with a warm smile. "Or perhaps the will of the Force." It almost felt too convenient to meet Aeris here, of all places. She had done the research they needed, and even now was studying up on the planet. Perhaps she'd know where they could-

"I'm actually meeting the elder of that clan at the hospital later."

Valery blinked and turned her gaze between Aeris and Colette. Her bond to her Padawan allowed her to instantly feel what was going through Colette's mind and heart, and it worried her immensely. The Elder had clearly been someone important to her, so she could only imagine what it must be like to hear the news like this.

It wasn't too surprising to see her run off.

"Don't worry about it, Aeris. I'll see you soon, promise!" She called out before sprinting after her Padawan to catch up. "Colette! Wait up!" She yelled as loud as she could. Valery didn't know the way in the city, so right now she was just following her senses. But the further away Colette got, the more difficult it'd be to trace her exact path.

 

[Colette]

Valery Noble

Although Aeris was clearly feeling guilty about what had just happened she would still hang back and let Valery and her apprentice get this time to themselves. Well, more like that the blonde really didn't wish to involve herself in a situation like this and that more than anything she suspected Colette wouldn't have allowed it given her volatile mood.

The kid pushed through the streets until people learned to get out of her way, all Valery had to do was follow the trail of ruffled feathers and she would eventually find her apprentice barging into one of the more modern looking facilities around.

"Where's Sheila?" Colette demanded as she leaned in against the reception.

"I don't—"

"I'm so sorry." The kid said. She was not having it. She reached behind the desk to flip the screen around and got a quick view of the list. There were only so many rooms in this clinic. "Sixteen-A. Thank you."

It would have to do. The nurse was clearly not happy and Colette was as equally uncaring for what she thought. She approached the door clearly marked with 16-A and barged inside with her heart in her throat.

"Sheila!" Colette exclaimed in worry. "Sheila, I— I just heard."

The elder clearly looked as confused as she was shocked to even see Colette again. For a moment she just remained there in bed, her heart monitor beating at the same calm pace even as the lost girl wrapped her up in a big hug. A gentle hand albeit very dry, very worn hand patted against the girl's shoulder.

"Colette you… You silly little girl." She laughed. Her voice was clearly weak, her age was showing in more ways than just the wrinkles of her skin. "You shouldn't worry about me, I'm just fine."

Tears began to flood from Colette. She refused to let the old woman go.

"Enough, child. Enough." She hummed, now getting somewhat annoyed. "I see you've brought company." The old woman laughed. "Esteemed company no less."

 

[Valery Noble]

Ophus V

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Colette

"Colette?"

Valery called out again as she moved through the street and quickly threw a few apologies around for people who had been knocked aside. Luckily, nobody had fallen or gotten injured, but people had definitely dropped some things and gotten annoyed. Best to leave before they came after the Jedi as well.

Not that she expected people here to get aggressive, but best to be safe.

"Colette, stop it and calm down!" Valery called out, as she saw the young woman run into the hospital. By the time Valery reached the front door, she had already gotten around the front desk to look at the nurse's display. "I'm so sorry," Valery told her with a sheepish smile, before following Colette once more, and this time through the hallway of the hospital. She could feel her Padawan's emotions in there being pushed over the edge, but at least everybody was safe.

Once inside, Valery quietly looked at Colette hugging the older woman and offered a smile only after she was noticed, "I apologize if we startled you, Ma'am. But Colette is...." she glanced at the kid, "Just very happy to see you."

Walking over, Valery dipped her head and placed a hand on Colette's shoulder, "I'm Jedi Master Valery Noble. It's a pleasure to meet you."

 

[Colette]

Valery Noble

"I know who you are, Jedi Master Valery Noble." Sheila mumbled as she seemed to stare straight through the Jedi Master's soul and out the back to see what she could find hidden beneath the surface in that special kind of way that only a world-worn elder truly could. No force, just sheer intuition. "And I know what you do…"

"You keep strange company, child." The elder said and moved her attention over towards Colette who was slowly letting the elderly woman go so she could wipe her tears and still her nerves. "Very strange indeed. How did this happen?"

"I was at the temple that the Jedi that came by camp mentioned, and Valery introduced herself, and we got along, and then I trained with her once, and we decided to make it a permanent thing." Colette sobbed. She put her hands in front of her and stared at the ground, almost as if she was ashamed of something.

"And she treats you well?" Sheila then asked to almost glare at Valery.

"Better than most out in the galaxy would." Colette spoke between snivels as she kept the snot that wanted to pour from her nose at bay.

"Even if she kills others for a living?" That glare turned into a squint, she wanted to gauge Valery's reaction again, see if there was even a semblance of remorse in there. "Puts herself above others, and decides the fate of millions with every move she makes?"

A moment of silence passed.

"... Yes." Colette sniveled. "Despite what you say, she is a good person."

The elder continued to peer into Valery's eyes, unfettered by the biased view of an idolizing child. "Is that so, Valery Noble, Jedi Master?"

 

[Valery Noble]

Ophus V

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Colette

Valery tilted her head curiously at the interaction that followed between Sheila and Colette, but she didn't interrupt. Even as questions were asked, and even as the woman glared straight at her. None of it really bothered Valery — she knew how cultures across the Galaxy could differ, and there were plenty who wouldn't see eye to eye with the Jedi. But, for Colette's sake, Valery hoped to at least not strain their relationship.

That was far more important to her than how anybody viewed her.

"I do what I can to protect the people who I've sworn to protect, Ma'am," Valery said with a serious voice, as she met the woman's gaze. She couldn't deny the fact that she had killed, and she didn't regret those decisions either. But she did wish that it wouldn't have been necessary to take those lives to save others.

But that's perhaps where their views would differ.

"Colette is one of those, but so are the millions who rely on my decisions. I'm not perfect, nor will I ever claim to be, but we both know what it's like to have responsibility." In a way, this woman had put herself above others in the same exact way Valery had. Through experience, and because others chose to look up to them.

Not because it was forced.

"We make mistakes, we make difficult decisions, but we do nothing but our best to protect life."

 

[Colette]

Valery Noble

"People have died because of my decisions, but I have never had to kill someone with my own two hands because of my decisions." Sheila muttered. "But…" Her mood seemed to lift. "I suppose as far as reasons go, that will have to do."

The room fell quiet for a moment before the elder turned back to Colette again.

"Why are you back here, child?" She probed. "We were no longer yours to care for once you left. Unless, of course…" The two of them locked eyes. While Valery could stand it, Colette could not. Her nerves tangled up, her arms tensed up and she forced herself to look away in shame. "I see…"

"You have had an influence on this child, Jedi Master Valery Noble." Sheila said as she slowly turned towards the one she was speaking to. "There is guilt in her eyes."

"Elder, please, I…" Colette pleaded.

"No, child. You have already started on this journey for yourself." Her elder said and turned back to look at the child. "It was just a matter of time before the galaxy swallowed you, too. Just like it swallows everyone else."

"S- so what do I do?" Colette asked, her eyes clearly tearing up yet again as she looked between her Master and her Elder. "I- I can't just let you go. The clan means too much to me- I-"

"We were your clan, child. You know that you were an outcast from the start." Sheila persisted in an admittedly cold mood. "We aren't yours anymore. These… Mystics are yours now." The elder looked at Valery. "Maybe one day you can lead them, better than they already are today."

There was a gentle knock on the door as a nurse leaned in.

"Excuse me, hi. Uh, visiting hours will be closing soon." The nurse said. "Sheila needs to rest for the operation tomorrow."

"Wait. Operation? Visiting hours?" Colette frowned. "What's- I- of course."

A brief moment passed of silence. Colette looked at Sheila with the tears still streaming down her cheeks. Despite the pain it was still good to be home, and she gave the elder one last hug before she nodded at the nurse and began to make her way over to the door.

"I hope you recover and get well, Sheila." The kid whimpered for a moment before she stepped outside the door where a certain blonde archivist was already waiting. Although, given how Colette was feeling she really had no desire to speak with her. Instead she took a seat on a nearby bench and merely fell apart into a crying mess.

"What have I done?" She sobbed.

 

[Valery Noble]

Ophus V

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Colette

There were a lot of things Valery wanted to say. She didn't agree with this Elder at all, and the way her people lived, hiding away on their world so they're not swallowed by the Galaxy just rubbed her the wrong way. They only cared about taking care of their own, whereas Colette at least committed to helping more than her direct family. To Valery, that was worth a lot more respect than whatever this was.

But she didn't say a word.

She wasn't going to disrespect anybody, and certainly didn't want Colette to be even more upset than she already was. The kid needed comfort right now, and as her Master, Valery would always be there to provide it.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Sheila. I'll take care of her," Valery said, but she didn't really care what the woman thought of it, and turned around to leave. Entering the hallway, she offered Aeris a brief and faint smile, but she figured the blonde wouldn't mind waiting just a second longer.

"Hey," Valery began with a soft, motherly voice, as she sat down besides Colette. "It's okay to cry," she added, before leaning in to wrap her arms around Colette to just hold her for a moment.