Private A Special Place

[Kaelos Vryn]

Location: Courscsnt
Tags: Vera Noble
Equipment: Lightsaber | Jedi Jumpsuit | Utility Belt​

​

The sun had barely started to rise.

Yet the Jedi Padawan was ready to go. He'd been up long before the sun, getting a bag packed with everything he'd need whilst off world. He'd even been considerate and had left a note for Braze advising that he was dealing with something personal and would be back soon. They were between lessons anyway, so he trusted Braze wouldn't worry.

Kiffu had been an experience unlike any other, shared with a friend who'd made the entire thing even better. The return and the telling off from Valery Noble had been unpleasent at best but luckily they'd avoided any serious reprocussions for their actions. Kaelos still wasn't entirely sure how but he wasn't going to question it.

Since then, it felt like a lifetime had passed. He'd sat his initiate trials and done a glorified fetch quest for Braze . He'd been to New Cov and learned some neat Force abilities and been on an adventure. He'd been to Ilum, met Loomi and built himself a lightsaber, which now sat at his hip. He'd been to Aruza and helped out there. Most important of all, Braze had taken him on as a Padawan.

Softly, Kaelos adjusted the green gem in his Padawan braid. It was his first gift from Braze and it had been with him since as he'd explored. So much had happened in barely any time and in his mind through all of it had been a promise he'd made to Vera Noble . They'd explored a place that was special to him and it was only fair they explored a place special to her.

A place she'd already identified to him.

Strapping his packed rucksack to his back, he took one last glace around his assigned quarters before he left. It was early enough that there weren't likely to be many Jedi wondering the corridors which meant that less questions would be asked about why he wondering around, dressed like he was ready to leave at a moments notice.

Just to be safe, he'd concocted a story in his head about how Braze and he were going on a mission. It wouldn't hold up to proper scrutiny but it would ward off the odd inquisitive Jedi or two. He just had to hope he didn't cross Valery Noble who was definitely not going to be impressed at what he was doing after the last time he'd done something similar.

Eventually, he reached his destination. He didn't think it would look great if he walked through the corridors towards a female's quarters and thus he'd opted for the approach from the outside. It was still dark enough that he blended in with the shadows and the climb up to the window wasn't exactly that far.

Three stories, what could go wrong?

Taking just a moment to prepare, he began his climb up the wall of the temple. Luckily he was finding plenty of places to use as grabbing points and he couldn't tell if it was through sheer luck or the will of the Force. He hadn't actually prescouted his climb so he wasn't entirely sure what he would have done if that wasn't the case.

After just a few minutes, he reached his destination. Luckily there was a large enough window ledge for him to tuck up on and hide on. All he had to do was hope that the Jedi inside heard him knocking. Or that he didn't fall. Falling would suck.

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Tag: Kaelos Vryn

​

Vera had been deep in the middle of a dream — something about exploring old ruins, lightsaber humming at her side, a rush of adrenaline in her veins — when a sound pulled her from sleep. A rhythmic tapping, faint at first but persistent enough to break through the haze of sleep. She blinked groggily, stretching under the covers before rolling over with a groan.

What the kriff?

Still half-asleep, she rubbed at her eyes and stumbled out of bed, her nightgown swishing around her legs as she padded toward the window. Her hair was a little messy, her movements sluggish, and for a moment, she considered just ignoring it. Who even knocked on windows at — she squinted at the chrono — this hour?

But curiosity won out.

Yawning, she reached for the curtains and pulled them open. And there, perched three stories up on her window ledge, looking entirely too smug for someone who had clearly lost his mind, was... "Kaelos!?" The word came out as a squeal, her voice pitching high with equal parts shock and mortification. Her face instantly went red — because oh Force, she was in her pajamas. A loose, soft nightgown that she'd never wear in front of someone else.

Her brain immediately short-circuited.

"Are you crazy!?" she whisper-shouted, trying to keep her voice down but utterly failing.

She didn't even wait for an answer — her hand shot out, unlocking the window and yanking it open just enough for him to slip inside before she immediately slammed it shut behind him. Her heart pounded in her chest, her flustered brain still trying to catch up with the fact that Kaelos — Kaelos —was standing in her bedroom.

And she was still in a nightgown. She turned back to him, cheeks still burning, arms flailing slightly as she tried to figure out what to say. "Okay, seriously, what are you—" Before she could finish, a blur of movement bolted into the room.

A furry, very territorial blur.

Fuzzy — her ridiculously protective Racyon pet — came sprinting in with a vengeance, his tiny paws skidding across the floor as he locked onto his target. His ringed tail puffed up to twice its size, sharp little teeth bared in a very aggressive chittersnarl. His beady eyes zeroed in on the intruder — the man who had dared to sneak into his Jedi's room — and he lunged forward, prepared to defend his territory with all the fury of a tiny, pissed-off Racyon.

"Fuzzy, no!" Vera yelped, throwing her hands up. "Stand down, stand down—he's not an enemy!"

The little creature paused mid-charge, standing on his hind legs as if reconsidering the order. His ears twitched, nose scrunching, and then — very dramatically — he huffed and dropped to all fours, sulking back toward Vera with a glare still fixed on Kaelos.

"Sorry," Vera muttered, running a hand through her already-messy hair, still bright red. "He, uh. Likes to protect me." She finally turned back to Kaelos, still flustered, her arms crossing over her chest. "So — are you going to tell me why you nearly fell to your death just to knock on my window at—" she squinted at the chrono again, "This ungodly hour?"

​

 

[Kaelos Vryn]

Location: Courscsnt
Tags: Vera Noble
Equipment: Lightsaber | Jedi Jumpsuit | Utility Belt​

​

With a single click, the window was open.

Climbing through and into the quarters, Kaelos let out a smug grin. He'd pulled off step one of his plan flawlessly, having not even seen another Jedi between the two rooms. He'd successfully managed to climb three stories and avoid falling to his death after it.

Plus, she'd let him in. It would have been extremely awkward if after all of the effort that he put in she didn't even bother letting him in. The climb back down would have been near soul destroying. His pefectly planned out plan would have been ruined.

What he wasn't accounting for was her to be in her nightgown. Colour flushed his face once he'd settled on her floor and cast his eyes over her. He cracked yet another smile, attempting to avoid the fact he was most definitely staring.

She was pretty, what could he say?

"Morning pilot. Are people not usually up this early?" he teased, followed up with a quiet laugh. "I don't think I'm crazy, I thought it was a good plan. Anywa...." he was cut off as a very angry Raycon came charging around the corner. He wasn't expecting Vera Noble to have a defensive guard.

In that moment, a tiny bit of panic set in. He'd heard stories of people using the Force to calm down animals and so he did the only thing he could. Try and flood the animal with the Force and reassure it that he most definitely wasn't a threat.

Luckily Vera was also doing it with her words, and the Raycon backed down before it used him as a chew toy. It was clearly a Noble pet, it had all of the dramatic flair that seemed to run through the family, the flair which Kaelos was beginning to like just a little bit. "Think your pet smelt the snacks I brought in the bag" Kaelos laughed, with a gesture to the rucksack slung over his shoulder.

"Maybe I just wanted to see you, did you not consider that?" he replied to her comment about why he'd been knocking on her window with a wink, grin spreading from ear to ear. "Thought I'd do the really cute climb up the castle like they do in those old kids stories" he added with another quiet laugh.

"Or, I could give you the actual reason. Other than wanting to see you, I mean that was also the reason" he said, slightly flustering himself for a few seconds before he pulled himself together. "I've owed you a trip and an aventure for a few weeks now, but we've both been busy with Jedi things" he acknowleged, fingers instinctivly touching the green gem in his Padawan braid. It had really been a busy few weeks. "A little adventure after our trip to Kiffu, remember I already told you I knew the perfect place?"

Casting her a smile, he cast his eyes over her once again and most definitely blushed just one more time. "Temples completely empty, perfect time for two Padawan's to slip out unnoticed. I've got a ship ready and everything, if you fancy getting dressed and coming along?" he asked her with a smile.

"I'll even go sit back on the window so I don't watch you getting changed"

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Tag: Kaelos Vryn

​

Vera shifted awkwardly on her feet, her arms still firmly crossed over her chest as Kaelos grinned at her like he hadn't just risked his life and her father's inevitable wrath in the same night. Maybe I just wanted to see you. Her face, which had only just started to cool down, immediately flared bright red again.

If her dad ever heard any of this, Kaelos would be so dead.

Before she could even process how to respond, there was a faint rustling sound, followed by a very determined, very nosy little Racyon digging his paws into Kaelos' bag. "Fuzzy!" Vera hissed in exasperation, catching the little thief mid-snatch before he could run off with whatever snack he was about to claim for himself.

Fuzzy froze, his tiny fingers still hooked around the edge of the bag. He slowly turned his beady little eyes toward her, ears twitching like he was considering his options.

Vera gave him The Look.

Fuzzy huffed. A dramatic, defeated little chitter, before he let go of the bag and climbed up onto her shoulder instead, curling his fluffy tail around the back of her neck.

Vera ignored it.

Instead, she latched onto his idea — his very dangerous idea. Another adventure, somewhere just for the two of them. The words sent a little thrill through her, and she grinned. "You want to slip out of the Temple again?" she teased, arching a brow. "Are you sure you want to risk another Grandmaster Noble lecture?"

But she was already tempted. The promise of another wild trip, another chance to explore, to see something new, to spend time with him? Yeah. There was no way she was saying no.

There was, however… one minor problem.

She plucked at the hem of her nightgown, still faintly flustered. "Yeah, uh…" Her smirk returned, though this time there was a bit of a sheepish edge to it. "That's real noble of you to offer not to look while I get changed, hero. I'm touched."

With that, she spun on her heel, already moving toward her wardrobe. "Give me five minutes. And never mention any of this again. If my dad ever found out a boy climbed into my bedroom in the middle of the night—" She shuddered dramatically.

With a wink, she ducked into the other room to change.

​

 

[Kaelos Vryn]

Location: Courscsnt
Tags: Vera Noble
Equipment: Lightsaber | Jedi Jumpsuit | Utility Belt​

​

With a Raycon for company, Kaelos began double checking he had everything.

Whilst he was in his bag, he threw a meat ration to the Raycon for him to enjoy. For an animal that had considered using him a chew toy when he entered, he found some irony in it being named Fuzzy. The Raycon probably was a sweet creature when it got to know a person, it had just made a very bad first impression to the young Kiffar.

Vera Noble had been quick to agree to his plan without exactly knowing all of the details and it made him quite happy to see just how much she trusted him. Ever since the night they'd met in the archives, they'd been pretty much inseperable when they weren't off doing Jedi business.

Admittedly, he had spent quite a lot of time in the company of Braze recently.

The young Kiffar wasn't exactly sure what he'd been expecting when he entered the teens room, but it definitely hadn't been her in a night dress. He replayed the image a few times in his head whilst he waited for her to get ready, turning a warm shade of crimson as blood flushed his cheeks.

He'd always seen Vera as a pretty girl, sure. She was a year older than him and had a personality he could mesh with. He'd never seen her in a night dress though. In the dim glow of the early morning sun, she looked different, softer. In that moment, her boundless energy that he found so fun had been replaced by true sincerity.

What were these feelings he was having?

There wasn't much time to question though, as he heard the eldest Noble finishing up getting ready. He cast her a grin as she strolled back into the room. "Ready to go, pilot?" he asked her with a smug grin. "The door, or the window?" he asked with the same grin.

It would be a little bit awkward if he was found outside a girl's room, that's all he was saying.

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Tag: Kaelos Vryn

​

Vera took a deep breath as she tugged on her Jedi robes, trying to will away the lingering heat in her cheeks. What was that? She had been flustered before, sure — Kaelos had a way of making her trip over her own words without even trying — but this? This was new. That stupid grin. That line. Maybe I just wanted to see you.

She scowled at herself in the mirror. Focus, Vera. You have an adventure to go on. No time for... whatever this is.

Behind her, Fuzzy sat plopped on his furry little butt, happily munching away on the ration Kaelos had tossed him. The dramatic little thing was still glaring at the Kiffar between bites, but the food had won out over his territorial instincts. For now.

With one final exhale, Vera adjusted her robes and marched back out, shaking off whatever dumb feelings had been creeping up on her. No time for feelings. Time for action. Kaelos met her with that same smug grin, and she shot him a playfully exasperated look in return.

She arched a brow. "You know, for someone who almost died climbing three stories up a temple wall, you sound way too confident right now."

Then, he asked about their exit.

Vera didn't even hesitate. "Window. Obviously." She rolled her eyes, already moving toward it. "If anybody sees you sneaking out of my room, my dad will actually murder you. And I do not want to explain to my mom why there's a Kaelos-shaped hole in the floor."

She slid the window open, taking a quick glance outside before stepping onto the ledge. Fuzzy, now finished with his snack, scampered up onto her shoulder, tail wrapping around the back of her neck like a scarf.

With a smirk, Vera shot Kaelos a look over her shoulder. "Come on, hero. You got up here, let's see if you can get down without breaking anything."

Then, without waiting for him to answer, she jumped.

​

 

[Kaelos Vryn]

Location: Courscsnt
Tags: Vera Noble
Equipment: Lightsaber | Jedi Jumpsuit | Utility Belt​

​

He was desperately hoping she'd say the door.

The climb up at been simple and preplanned. Unfortunately that was where his planning had ended. He hadn't thought of a plan for how they were going to get out. He just knew getting caught walking out of her room would be embarassing.

Climbing down seemed a lot more difficult than climbing up, that was for sure. His only thought was "well, if I fall I guess I'll try and style it out as I crash down against the floor". He watched as Vera climbed up into the window and then with a smirk and a sarcastic comment she was gone.

Not climbing, that was too easy. Vera had decided they were jumping. The young Kiffar watched as his friend fell down three stories and was annoyed at quite how simple she made it seem. It was as if she'd jumped out of windows more than once.

Kaelos on the other hand, he'd never jumped out of a window.

The young Kiffar climbed up into the window frame and let out a slight gulp. He was used to trusting in the Force, and he was most definitely putting a lot of trust in the Force right now. He shut the window behind him and committed to the fall.

Three stories was most definitely not far to fall, he realised that very quickly. Even if he hit the floor wrong, it was survivable. The temple was full of healers, he'd be fine. Broken and battered but otherwise he'd be fine. He hoped, anyway.

He'd seen Vera Noble land and decided that the best way to land was on his feet, using his legs to absorb the impact. He closed his eyes, allowing the Force to flow through him. He directed it into every muscle he could, trying to soften the blow.

The floor approached quickly, and Kaelos crashed down against it. He bent his knees at the last second, attempting to do everything he could to prevent serious injury. It surprisingly didn't hurt, however it was a shock to the system. He fell forward after landing, turning it into some form of forward roll to protect his neck and other vital organs.

"Well, that sucked" he admitted as he got to his feet, grinning. He was quite impressed he had survived and had come out of it unscathed. "How do you do that and make it look... I don't know. So perfect?" he asked, rolling his shoulders.

"Lets get moving, hanger bay"

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Tag: Kaelos Vryn

​

Vera landed in a crouch, boots touching down light as a feather, the rush of the fall still humming in her veins. Stars, she loved that feeling. The brief moment of weightlessness, the snap of the wind against her robes — it was freedom, and she thrived in it. She straightened just in time to see Kaelos take the leap after her. He was... less graceful. Her lips parted slightly as he hit the ground, rolled forward in an attempt to recover, and then flopped onto his feet like he meant to do that.

A beat of silence.

"How do you do that and make it look... so perfect?"

Vera hummed thoughtfully, tapping a finger against her chin as if deeply considering his question. Then, with a grin, she leaned in just slightly. "Talent," she said smugly. "And practice. Which means jumping... out of windows." She winked, then without another word, spun on her heel and took off down the alley, moving fast.

"Come on, hero," she called over her shoulder, barely able to contain her excitement now. "We've got a ship to steal — uh, borrow!" Stars, she could not wait for this adventure.

And the fact that Kaelos was coming with her?

Made it even better.

​

 

[Kaelos Vryn]

Location: Courscsnt
Tags: Vera Noble
Equipment: Lightsaber | Jedi Jumpsuit | Utility Belt​

​

Vera Noble took off at speed.

The Courscant Jedi Temple layout was familar to both of them, they'd spent more than enough time within it's walls to know how to get from the sleeping quarters to the hangers. It was still early enough that there was hardly a single soul out in the corridors as well.

Moving through the Temple's corridors with pace, Kaelos and Vera approached the hanger bay where their ship of choice was stored. Lucky for Kaelos, he knew exactly where the ship was for he'd landed it there. Braze wouldn't be too mad, surely.

Kaelos was sure his knee had developed a bruise from his entirely delicate and completely planned fall from the window. By the time he'd reached the hanger bay he'd developed a very slight limp. Not enough that it would deter him from their adventure, but enough that it was probably noticeable.

"That one" he stated as they entered the hanger bay, poining towards an old and battered Payday-Class Freighter. "It's called the Mud Duck" he said softly as he took the hand of his companion and guided her up the boarding ramp.

Ensuring that the ramp was closed behind them, Kaelos guided Vera Noble through into the cockpit with a smile. He slid into the pilots chair with grace and it was clearly already adjusted to allow him to fit into it. Everything about his demeanour would suggest he knew the Mud Duck well.

"Master Braze has been teaching me to fly" he acknowleged, attempting to catch her inevitable question about if he knew how to pilot a ship before she made it. "I got this thing out of the New Cov hanger and basically managed to fly it to Ilum" he stated, clearly quite proud of himself.

The young Jedi had completed many of the pre-flight checks the night before in assumption that Vera would indeed be willing to accompany him. All he had to do was fire the ship up and guide it from the hanger. It was simple enough, surely.

"Got everything you need?" he asked with a smile. "Co-pilot" he added with a cheeky, yet smug wink.

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Tag: Kaelos Vryn

​

Vera's eyes lit up the moment Kaelos guided her onto the ship, her fingers tracing along the worn walls as they moved toward the cockpit. This was his ship — okay, well, not really, but he knew it. Knew how to fly it. He had a plan. And stars, that was exciting.

Not long ago, he couldn't even fly at all!

She dropped into the co-pilot's chair with zero hesitation, spinning in place with a huge grin before finally settling in. "Look at you," she teased, flashing him a playful smirk. "Flying ships now, taking me on adventures... I'm impressed." Her fiery gaze flicked across the cockpit, taking in the controls, the screens, the soft hum of the Mud Duck awakening beneath Kaelos' hands.

He really had come prepared.

Then — co-pilot.

Vera beamed, clearly delighted by the title. "Oh, I like the sound of that." She leaned forward, flipping a switch to turn on sensors. If he was flying, she'd at least help him monitor ship systems and sensors.

"Ready when you are, Captain," she grinned, throwing a wink his way. "Let's get this adventure started."

​

 

[Kaelos Vryn]

Location: Courscsnt
Tags: Vera Noble
Equipment: Lightsaber | Jedi Jumpsuit | Utility Belt​

​

She wasn't wrong.

On their adventure to Kiffu, he hadn't remotely known how to start a ship. He was terrified if he touched anything, he'd end up blowing them both up. Now he was much more confident, Braze had taught him everything that he needed to know about how to fly a ship.

Well, the basics anyway. Braze had definitely taught him enough to get from A to B without crashing. He wasn't going to be pulling off any fancy flips or tricks or stunts, but he could at least get the ship from Courscant to their destination.

His fingers hovered over the main engine button and he smirked as Vera Noble referred to him as Captain. He pushed the button in and instantly the sounds of the engine overtook the cockpit. The hum of the vessel was becoming more and more familar to the boy every single time he heard it.

"You remember when we returned from Kiffu?" he began as his fingers danced over the navigational computer screen. He was delicate as he inputted different information. "And I asked you what your favourite place in the galaxy was? Do you remember your answer?" he asked her with a smile.

Kaelos began to handle the repulsorlift controls, each input gentle and delicate. The Force assisted him as he softly brought the Mud Duck away from the floor and into the air. It wasn't as natural to him as it was to Vera, but he was competent enough.

Slow, sure. But competent.

With some delicate handling of the repulsorlift controls and the yolk, Kaelos guided the Mud Duck away from the hanger and out into the Courscant skyline. They were ascending, with Kaelos applying minimal pressure on the throttle as he made for orbit.

"Once we're in hyperspace, I'll give you the grand tour of this little Mud Duck" he commented with a smile towards his co-pilot. Low atmosphere gradually became higher atmosphere and then they'd punched through the atmospheric layer and out into orbit.

Their was a delicate ping from the navigation computer and Kaelos made some small adjustments to ensure that they were lined up for their hyperspace jump. Once everything was lined up, he offered Vera a smile. "Last chance to back out" he acknowledged before he took her hand. He placed both of their hands on the hyperspace lever and pulled.

And the stars turned to streaks around them.

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Tag: Kaelos Vryn

​

The second the Mud Duck jumped into hyperspace, Vera let out a delighted laugh, watching the stars streak past the viewport like rivers of light. There was something about this — about flying, about the hum of a ship beneath her fingers, about the sheer freedom of it all — that never got old.

But then Kaelos spoke, pulling her focus back to him.


Vera blinked, her grin softening as she thought back. Of course, she remembered. Niv Hani. The first place she ever truly called home. Where her family was. Where she had grown.

"Yeah," she murmured, multi-colored eyes flicking over to meet his. "I remember."

Her fingers idly tapped against the edge of the console as she studied him, curiosity sparking in her fiery gaze. "Why?" He was smiling, but there was something in his tone, in the way he asked, that made her tilt her head just slightly. Where was he going with this? Then, at his last chance to back out comment, Vera snorted, rolling her eyes before flashing him a brilliant, unshakable grin.

"You wish I was backing out."

Her grip on his hand, still resting against the hyperspace lever, tightened slightly. "I live for this," she beamed. "A ship, a mission, a little bit of chaos? Yeah, no. I'm all in."

Then, leaning back against her seat, she smirked.

"Now, about that grand tour..."

​

 

[Kaelos Vryn]

Location: Courscsnt
Tags: Vera Noble
Equipment: Lightsaber | Jedi Jumpsuit | Utility Belt​

​

He cast her a smile as she questioned him.

Niv Hani, he remembered well. He'd asked her where her favourite place in the entire galaxy was and she'd responded without even pausing. It had been built from the ground up by her father if he was recalling correctly, so he could imagine why it was special to her.

"You'll see" he responded to her with his usual smirk, giving her hand one last small squeeze before he removed it and leant back in his chair. He was quite content to sit and stare out at the streaking stars for hours. He'd once dreamed about getting to explore the galaxy, and since meeting Vera Noble (and also Braze but hush) he'd explored more than he'd ever dreamed he would.

However, watching the stars go by would have to wait. He'd promised a tour, and he kept his promises. He smiled, pushing himself up from the pilots chair. He flicked a few switches to ensure that the ship would alert him if something went wrong, but otherwise the ship would mostly fly itself until it came time to set the big vessel down.

"You'll have to forgive the mess" he said with a laugh, leading Vera from the cockpit. "She's seen better days has the Mud Duck. Master Braze intends for us to repair her overtime, he wants me to learn how to do it so I can fix a ship in a pinch if needed" he commented. "I'm hoping that include a few upgrades"

He guided Vera out into the corridors of the vessel, pointing out different rooms as they explored the Payday Class Freighter. There were holding cells aboard the vessel which had yet to be cleared out, probably full of unexplored treasures and dangers alike.

After just a few minutes, they'd all but completed their tour. It wasn't the largest ship, yet it was home for Kaelos when he and Braze were off exploring. He paused outside the door to the quarters he'd claimed as his own for a few moments with a smile. "And finally, this one is mine" he acknowleged with a smile.

The door hissed open and instantly Vera would notice just how clean and organised it was compared to the rest of the ship. Kaelos operated best on organisation and neatness and his quarters reflected that. He'd even brought some cheap free weights aboard, so at least he could try and get some form of a workout in even if running was out of the question.

"It's odd. When I first met you, I'd never seen any of the galaxy. Now I have my own quarters above a space ship and I feel like I see a new corner of the galaxy every single day" he acknowleged thoughtfully. "I can fly a ship now, which is mad" he added with a laugh.

The ship made a small chime and Kaelos smiled.

"Unfortunately, exploring my quarters will have to wait" Kaelos said with just a hint of a playful smirk, casting his eyes over the readout on a computer screen on the wall. "Hyperdrive appears to be running at less than one hundred percent. As a consequence, we appear to be dropping out of hyperspace into an astroid field of some description. Going to be some interesting flying this"

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Tag: Kaelos Vryn

​

Vera followed Kaelos through the ship, her eyes sweeping over the narrow corridors, the control panels, the compartments tucked into every available space. There was something about ships like this — functional, worn, with years of stories buried in their bulkheads — that just felt right. Maybe it was because she'd spent years living on one herself, raised aboard The Bastion, learning every creak and hum of its systems before she ever set foot in a Jedi Temple.

So yeah, she liked The Mud Duck. It had character.

"Messy ships are the best ships," she declared with a grin, trailing a hand along the corridor wall. "Means they've lived a little."

She listened as he spoke about repairs, upgrades, and she could hear the enthusiasm under his words. She smirked slightly, nudging him with her elbow. "If you ever need help fixing her up, I do have some experience. Not to brag, but I've definitely spent more time in an engine room than in a library." A pause. "Much to mom's horror."

When they reached his quarters, Vera hesitated for just a second, watching as the door hissed open. The instant she saw the pristine, organized space, she snorted. "Okay, this I wasn't expecting," she teased, stepping just far enough inside to take it in. The weights, the neatly arranged belongings, the lack of any clutter.

But then Kaelos made that comment.

"Unfortunately, exploring my quarters will have to wait."

Vera's brain froze.

She turned to look at him, blinking once, twice. Wait… did he mean…? A very distinct blush crept up her face, her thoughts spiraling for a half-second before she shook her head and forced herself to focus. Not what he meant, Vera. Not what he meant. She coughed, willing her face to cool. "R-right," she muttered, rubbing the back of her neck before glancing at the screen. "Asteroid field, yeah — that's what we're focusing on."

The blush didn't fully fade, but the prospect of threading a ship through an asteroid field was more than enough to snap her back into the moment. Her eyes lit up with excitement, her usual thrill for chaos-flying taking over. "Alright, let's see if The Mud Duck has some moves," she grinned, already turning back toward the cockpit.

 

[Kaelos Vryn]

Location: Courscsnt
Tags: Vera Noble
Equipment: Lightsaber | Jedi Jumpsuit | Utility Belt​

​

Vera turned a shade of red he'd never seen before.

He wasn't entirely sure what had caused it and he didn't really have time to ask for his mind was on other things. Mainly, his mind was trying to figure out how he was going to pilot a ship through an astroid field. He was actually glad Vera Noble was with him. She was an excellent pilot, much more capable than he. If all went wrong, it was likely she'd be able to fix it.

Kaelos followed his companion through into the cockpit, throwing himself dramatically into the pilots chair just as the stars turned from white streaks to small specks off in the distance. An alarm blared as an astroid came directly into view.

Instinctively, Kaelos threw the ship into a drop. With some careful movements on both the thrusters and the steering yolk he very narrowly managed to avoid a head on collision with a large rock, although he couldn't promise he hadn't lose some paint work in the process. Braze would either be annoyed or impressed and he wasn't entirely sure which.

For a moment, he'd been extremely stressed and it would have been quite obvious to anyone looking at him. He wasn't exactly a master of hiding when something was stressing him out. "Okay, that was too close" he acknowleged with a relieved sigh and a slight chuckle.

Guiding the ship gently, Kaelos began to navigate his way between extremely large rocks. The Force flowed through him, guiding his fingers and his movements as to keep the duo alive. He could only imagine just how many ships had lost the battle to astroid fields just like the one they were in now.

"This isn't so bad" he acknowledged after a few moments. "I weirdly expected navigating an astroid field to be much more stre..." he didn't get chance to finish what we was saying. A very large astroid filled the viewscreen very quickly, and his trick of just shooting down wasn't going to work because there was another large rock below them.

"I take that back. This sucks"

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Tag: Kaelos Vryn

​

Vera had been gripping the edge of her seat, her fingers curled tightly as Kaelos dipped and weaved through the asteroid field. He was doing well — mostly. The ship skimmed dangerously close to the edges of some of the bigger rocks, but they were still in one piece. She exhaled sharply, her precognition already flickering with the warning of something incoming — something big.

And then she saw it. Her eyes widened, and instinct took over.

"Up!" she yelled, and before she even had time to think, she was moving.

With barely a second to spare, she leaned over, her hands flying toward the controls. But in her rush, in the frantic need to not die via asteroid, she miscalculated the distance between her seat and his. She crashed straight into his lap. Oh no. Her hands still gripped the yoke as she yanked the ship up, the Mud Duck narrowly clearing the massive rock in front of them. The ship tilted violently, but they didn't crash. That was the important part. That was all that mattered.

Except for the part where she was still sprawled across Kaelos's lap.

Vera froze. The warmth of his body pressed against her, his arms braced on either side of her, his breath right there. And her entire face went red.

"Uh."

Her brain short-circuited completely. For a second, she just sat there, gripping the controls way too tightly, because what the hell was she supposed to do now?

Finally, she forced a stiff, very awkward laugh. "Haha— um — yeah, sorry, uh—" she swallowed, her voice way too high-pitched as she tried to not acknowledge the situation. "Good news, I saved the ship. Bad news, I think I need to eject myself out the airlock now."

Still very much in his lap, she cleared her throat and, with as much dignity as she could muster, started to peel herself away. But she knew her face was burning.

This was fine. Everything was fine.

 

[Kaelos Vryn]

Location: The Mud Duck
Tags: Vera Noble
Equipment: Lightsaber | Jedi Jumpsuit | Utility Belt​

​

She radiated warmth.

Vera Noble was sprawled across his lap, having successfully saved their lives. Their bodies were pressed together, closer than they'd ever been before. He could feel her chest rise and fall against his body with every breath that she took.

Redness flushed into his cheeks and he was almost certain Vera had gone just as red. His mind went into overdrive, every fleeting thought he'd had about his companion flooding his mind in one go. He'd known for some time that they'd been growing closer and closer, but he didn't realise just how close until she was on top of him.

He realised he was still gripping the controls, his arms either side of her and he offered an awkward laugh in reaction to hers as he moved them. He felt her pull away from him and he had a sudden urge to stop her, although he didn't act on it.

"Heh... yeah. Let's look at the positives" he said, awkward embarassment lacing his voice. "Good bit of flying" he commented as she settled back into the copilots chair, attempting to force his voice to return to some normalcy.

There was nothing in any of the books on how to deal with this. He didn't exactly have any family he could talk to about how he felt, and Braze was much too similar in age. He debated for a moment speaking with Kahlil Noble but he wasn't sure how that would go down.

"In ugh... good news? We appear to be out the other side of the astroid field" he finally acknowleged, attempting to change the topic. His fingers lightly danced on the controls, his gaze locked on them so that Vera wouldn't be able to see just how red his face remained.

After just a few moments, his fingers locked around the hyperdrive controls and he pulled. Stars began to streak around the Mud Duck once again as they continued on their way.

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Tag: Kaelos Vryn

​

Vera sat as stiff as a durasteel beam, her knees pressed tightly together, hands planted firmly on top of them like she was trying to keep herself from spontaneously combusting. Which, honestly, felt like a real possibility at this point. Her entire face was burning, her mind replaying the last thirty seconds on an endless, mortifying loop.

She had landed in his lap.

She had stayed in his lap.

For way too long.

Oh, stars above, she was going to die.

Vera swallowed hard, very deliberately staring at the controls in front of her, definitely not sneaking a glance at Kaelos because if she looked at him, she might just curl into a ball and roll out of the cockpit entirely. She could feel the awkward tension hanging between them, thick and suffocating, neither of them quite sure how to recover from… whatever that was.

But she had to say something before her brain short-circuited completely.

"So, uh—" She cleared her throat, forcing her voice to something resembling normalcy, though it wobbled slightly. "Where, um… where are we going next?" She kept her gaze locked on the hyperspace tunnel ahead, avoiding eye contact with the same intensity as if looking at him directly might actually make her explode.

It was so awkward.

Her fingers drummed lightly against her knee, her posture way too upright, way too tense, her entire body language screaming, I am trying so hard to act normal, but failing miserably. She needed a distraction. Preferably one that did not involve accidentally launching herself into Kaelos again.