Private Coming Back Into The World

[Rann Thress]

The Temple on New Cov
Rann Thress
Valery Noble ​

---

Steam hissed as mechanical components whirred, pushing the loading ramp of the small personal ship down to meet the cold metaled paneling of the waiting Temple landing pad, another sound amongst the myriad of others that made up the biome of a jungle planet such as this. It was a familiar sound to Rann, and one that brought a smile to his face as he walked down the ramp, his once fine clothing now decorated in ugly patch jobs and distress after so long out in the black, his old mask dangling from his belt next to his lightsaber with it's once fine paint of red and gold chipped and scratched, and a duffle bag thrown across his shoulder. With a deep inhale, Rann stepped away from his ship, taking in the sounds of a jungle planet that reminded him of his home on Onderon as he made his way to the entrance to the Temple, keying in his passcode, thankful it had not been erased since he had last been here.
The door slid open smoothly with a series of beeps indicating the acceptance of the code and disarming of any security measure that may have been preparing, and Rann entered, walking down the familiar corridors, doing his best to avoid interaction until he found his old quarters. Once again entering his code, he was pleased to see the darkened room light up slowly revealing that nothing had been changed since last he'd been here, and with a contented sigh, he threw his bag on his desk and walked over to his bed, falling onto it on his back and staring at the ceiling, the smile and delight to be back in civilization evident on his face as he closed his eyes, sprawled out on the bed and relaxing for the first time in who knew how long.
After allowing himself the moment to catch his breath and enjoy the comfort of his bed, he brought his robotic arm up to his head, activating the small console with an agonizing SZZZKKT! as it came back to life, connecting to the old audio system in his room, playing some cantina music to continue his relaxation therapy, once again sighing happily as he let his arms fall lazily to his side, staring up at the ceiling again. The door to his room remained open, but Rann kept the music low enough to where it would only be heard in the immediate hallway outside his room.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery had felt it the moment his ship broke through the atmosphere. A presence — familiar yet distant, like a voice from a dream she hadn’t realized she missed until now. Rann Thress.

Her fiery gaze flickered upward from where she stood in the temple corridors, the echoes of his arrival still humming through her senses. It had been a long time. Too long.

She moved with purpose, her steps silent against the polished durasteel floors as she navigated the familiar halls. As she turned a corner, something else reached her senses. Music. Faint, just loud enough to be heard if you were listening for it.

A smirk tugged at her lips.

Still the same, then.

When she finally reached his open doorway, she leaned against the frame, arms crossing over her chest as she regarded the man sprawled out on his bed like he had just stumbled into paradise. His clothes were worn, his mask battered, his entire presence marked by the passage of time and whatever hells he had been wandering through. But despite it all, there was something undeniably Rann about him — something unshaken, even after all this time.

Her smirk deepened.

“So,” she drawled, tilting her head slightly, “You just come back after all this time, flop onto your bed like you own the place, and put on cantina music like nothing happened?”

A pause. Then, a quieter note slipped into her voice.

“It’s good to see you, Rann.”

Rann Thress ​

 

[Rann Thress]

The Temple on New Cov
Rann Thress
Valery Noble ​

---

Rann chuckled softly, still staring at the ceiling. A million possible responses popped into his head. Something snarky, something genuine, something funny, but nothing felt appropriate. It wasn't often Rann was at a loss for words, but he had nothing. A beat passed with no words spoken before Rann groaned, sitting up on the bed.

"It's good to see you too, Val." He responded with a smile after what felt to him like hours before pushing a button on his arm to silence the music.

"It's been too long," he said, pushing up off the bed, unclasping the old mask and lightsaber from his belt, setting them down on his desk and taking a walk around the room as he re-explored the familiar setting, softly touching the furniture that had been left here.

"I half expected this room to be used for storage after all this time," he said with a smirk before turning to face her.

"I...I'm lost on what to say, Val," he sighed before continuing, "I've about a thousand things I want to say. How are you, how's everything, how's the family... All that small talk two people should do when they run into each other at the store after not seeing each other for a few years but...it all feels...too small in our world... I guess I...well..." he shrugged, smiling again, "It's good to see you works pretty good, all things considered."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery chuckled, the sound warm and knowing as she leaned against the doorframe. "I could ask you the same," she teased, her fiery eyes flicking over him, taking in the way he moved through the room, tracing the edges of memories left untouched. "You're the one who's been off the grid, wandering who-knows-where. Meanwhile, I've been right here."

Her smirk softened, but there was no missing the curiosity behind her gaze.

"So, tell me, Rann," she mused, stepping further into the room, arms still crossed as she watched him. "What have you been up to? And don't just give me some vague 'Oh, you know, surviving' answer." She arched a brow. "I am curious, you know."

Because it had been too long since she'd last seen him. Too long without knowing what had happened to him, what had led him to disappear, to leave everything behind. And now that he was here again, back in the world, she wasn't going to let him get away with brushing it off. Not entirely, anyway.

She tilted her head slightly, a smirk tugging at her lips. "So? Where the hell have you been?"

Rann Thress ​

 

[Rann Thress]

The Temple on New Cov
Rann Thress
Valery Noble ​

---

Rann pursed his lips together, looking down at the floor between the two of them as he thought about his answer.

"Atonement, I guess you could say...though that feels dramatic." He said with a slight smile. "I've never...been one to handle things...rationally," he continued with a sigh, "During the war with the Dark Empire, I got into a few skirmishes here and there, even found a little Sith Artifact that drove people to kill people." Rann shook his head, pacing around the room,

"...And every time, people died. Died that I could have saved. Mistakes....or negligence... it happened. I felt....I feel responsible, so I left. Went to go balance the books, I guess. Do a good deed, find someone to save. Come back when I felt I'd done enough." He shrugged, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "I feel better. So, it was time to come back."

Doing good to feel good about doing good wasn't as altruistic as Rann wanted to be, but it was the truth for him and was a damn sight better then doing no good at all. He still had work to do to be the man he wanted to be, and he knew running off every time he made a mistake wasn't the right move, and with a heavy sigh and a furrow of his brow he said, "I'm sorry. I should have said something. I'm not...too good with talking to people, I let my family know where I was, what I was doing, and that I was still alive. Should have let my friends know too. But with the War and everything...it just didn't cross my mind. You were fighting your way...I guess I was fighting mine."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery listened in quiet understanding, letting Rann speak without interruption. She could hear the weight in his voice, the way it lingered on certain words — atonement, responsibility, feeling better — but it was the unspoken things that stood out the most. The regret. The self-imposed exile. The way he had carried his mistakes like a burden that only he could set down.

Her expression softened.

When he finished, when he let out that heavy sigh and finally met her gaze, Valery smiled — warm, steady, unshaken by any of what he had just admitted. She stepped closer, her arms unfolding as she studied him for a moment.

"It's okay," she said simply, because it was. He didn't need to apologize to her for the path he had taken. "You did what you felt you had to. And I'm just glad you're doing better."

She could have left it at that, but that wasn't who she was.

"That said," she added, tilting her head slightly, a knowing smirk tugging at the edges of her lips, "Next time, maybe don't go at it alone?" Her voice was light, teasing — but beneath it was something genuine. Something unwavering. "I get it. You needed to figure things out on your own. But you've got people who care, Rann. Jedi, friends — me."

Her smirk softened, turning into something more earnest.

"If you ever need help, if you ever feel like the weight is too much —you don't have to carry it by yourself."

Rann Thress ​

 

[Rann Thress]

The Temple on New Cov
Rann Thress
Valery Noble ​

---

A small single chuckle left Rann's lips paired with that smile of his.

"I know, Val. Thank you. I know I have a thousand people who'd be there to help me at the drop of a hat. It's why I didn't say anything." He sighed, leaning over his desk and punching a short command, bringing up a holo of the galaxy.

"When I left, Tython wasn't in the hands of the Empire," he said, pointing a finger to the fabled homeworld of the Jedi. "Hell when I left there was only one Empire to worry about. Now the Alliance is beset on all sides... I'm glad we're friends. I'm grateful for every friend I have, Val, but this?" He gestured broadly with his hand, circling the map of the galaxy, "This is more important. The Galaxy would have been all the lesser for it if I dragged your attention away from it on some...feel good side quest of self healing."

Rann sighed, standing straight and crossing his arms, shrugging slightly as he continued, "That's extreme...I know. I just...I feel better knowing that you, that everyone is out there doing the work. It's why I felt like I could go do my own thing. I didn't need to be here because you were." He turned and walked around the display, leaning back on the console with the holo of the galaxy casting a dim blue glow back lighting him. "But I'm here now, and I'm not intending to go anywhere anytime soon. And I've talked about me....a lot. Now, please, what's new with you? How can I help with..." A gloved thumb jerks up and behind him, towards the map, "Or with anything? Mostly, just tell me about you. How are you?"

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery exhaled softly, her arms crossing loosely over her chest as she listened to him, really listened. She understood, even if she wished things had gone differently. She had walked that path before — the path of solitude, of self-imposed burdens, of believing that some journeys had to be taken alone. It was a hard thing to argue against when she had made those same choices herself.

So, instead of fighting it, she just nodded, a quiet acceptance settling in her fiery gaze. "I get it," she admitted, her smirk tempered into something softer. "Sometimes, you just need to step away and figure things out in your own time." she trailed off, her gaze flickering briefly to the holo of the galaxy behind him.

It wasn't just about him. It was about all of it.

But then, he turned the conversation to her, asking what was new. A breath of amusement left her lips as she shook her head. "Well, for starters," she began, leaning against the desk beside him, "I gave birth to a new daughter not too long ago." Her eyes gleamed with warmth at the mention of Yvaine, and she laughed softly at what she knew was coming — the usual disbelief. She was still incredibly fit, toned, with no outward sign of having just had a baby. "Doesn't look like it, huh? That's a Keshian thing — our bodies bounce back fast. But yeah, little Yvaine is our newest blessing."

There was an unmistakable fondness in her voice, a warmth that even the weight of war couldn't touch.

"And the rest of the family?" she continued, glancing back up at him. "They're all doing well. The kids are growing fast — way too fast, honestly. It feels like just yesterday Vera was tiny, and now she's running off on Jedi missions and getting into trouble." She rolled her eyes, but the pride in her tone was impossible to miss.

Her gaze flicked back to him, an amused smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "So yeah, that's me. Still chasing after Jedi, raising a family, and somehow managing to keep all my limbs intact." She arched a brow at him playfully. "You still sure you wanna get involved in all this chaos?"

Rann Thress ​

 

[Rann Thress]

The Temple on New Cov
Rann Thress
Valery Noble ​

---

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Rann said with a laugh after containing the surprise at the mention of another Noble in the Galaxy.

"Of course, you look good, that's not a surprise at the slightest. It's good to hear your family's doing good, I'd love to meet your daughter." He said with a warm smile.

He laughed again at the mention of her successfully keeping all of her limbs, raising up his robotic arm, "Glad to hear that, too. It's a score I'd be happy we kept 1-0." He smiled and folded his arms looking over at her. "And to answer that last question? Yes. Absolutely. I've been too long in the cold. It's well past time to come back to it all."
Rann smiled and exhaled deeply, glancing around the room then back at her, "It's...Well to say comforting doesn't do it justice. But it's comforting you've not changed after all this time. Even given the state of the Galaxy. Helps give me hope. And knowing you've got the right things to fight for? I'm glad we're friends. I'd hate to be your enemy," he finished with another chuckle before looking down.


"I don't plan on disappearing like that again," Rann said with another exhale before continuing, "And I want to help. Whatever I can do, however I can do it. I'm here, I'm back, I'm staying that way."

After all this time and still. Rann could think of few as loyal as Valery Noble.

"You deserve a better friend in me then what I've given, Val. I shouldn't have run off.. I'm truly sorry."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's smile warmed at his words, a quiet appreciation flickering behind her fiery gaze. "You know, for all the time you've been gone, you still know how to charm," she teased, shaking her head softly. "But thank you."

Her smirk softened, shifting into something more genuine. "And you can definitely meet Yvaine soon. The other little ones too — they're always excited to meet new people. Especially Vera. She'll probably drag you into some ridiculous adventure within five minutes of meeting you." There was an undeniable fondness in her voice, but also a knowing amusement. Vera was definitely her mother's daughter in that regard.

When he spoke again, though, there was weight to his words — something deeper. She listened, truly listened, and as he finished, she let out a quiet sigh.

"You don't owe me an apology, Rann," she said, shaking her head. "You took the time you needed, and I'm glad you did. If you had forced yourself to stay when you weren't ready, it would've just broken you more. Now?" She met his gaze, firm but understanding. "Now, you can commit to your duties with a strong mind and body. That's what matters."

A pause. Then, a smirk.

"That said… you better not just throw yourself into missions and work yourself into the ground." She tilted her head slightly, her expression knowing. "That means spending time with friends, too. Actually relaxing every now and then."

Her fiery gaze glinted. "And don't try to argue — I will drag you out myself if I have to."

Rann Thress ​

 

[Rann Thress]

The Temple on New Cov
Rann Thress
Valery Noble ​

---

Rann shook his head and chuckled, "No argument from me. At all, don't worry. I enjoy my relaxation time."

He pushed off the desk, taking a few steps around the space. "You're right, though. I'm ready. Come what may. We don't need to talk shop here and now, obviously, but whenever you need me come callin'. I'll be there." He said, turning around and nodding. "And...Thank you. For being understanding. It could have been so easy to lock me out, turn me away, but you didn't. I really appreciate that, Val. I know you're not the type to do that, but still."

Rann chuckled, thinking to Vera and the rest of the Noble family, "I'm looking forward to whatever shenanigans Vera might drag me in to. Adults are usually so meticulous planning their missions. I think a child's idea of a mission sounds oddly fun. Until she'd have us stumble across some ancient temple or something."

He chuckled, then held the silence for a moment, wondering what to say, before holding his robotic right hand out, "You're a good friend, Val, you always have been, words can't do it justice. Thank you."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery watched him with quiet warmth, a small smile tugging at her lips as he spoke. He was right — she would always come calling when he was needed, and it was good to hear that he was truly ready this time. Not just pushing himself forward out of duty, but standing strong because he had taken the time to heal.

And then he reached out his hand.

A gesture of gratitude, of friendship, of everything they had been through, and for a second, she just stared at it. Then, with a quiet chuckle, she stepped forward — ignoring the handshake entirely — and pulled him into a proper hug.

"You're an idiot if you ever thought I'd lock you out," she murmured, her tone half teasing, half completely sincere. "You've always had a place here, Rann. Always."

Her arms tightened just briefly before she pulled back, giving him a knowing smirk. "Besides," she added, tilting her head, "You're gonna need all the support you can get if Vera gets her hands on you. Once she decides you're fun? It's over. You're stuck with her and the chaos that follows."

She winked. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Rann Thress ​