Private Dad, Don’t Freak Out, But—

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

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Vera stood just outside the door to her dad's office, rolling a can of coffee between her fingers. She had no idea why she was nervous. It wasn't like she was about to tell him she'd joined a Sith cult or something — she was just going to tell him about Kaelos. No big deal.

…Right?

She exhaled sharply, and then, before she could second-guess herself, pushed open the door. "Hey, Dad," she greeted casually, stepping inside like she totally wasn't overthinking this. The familiar scent of caf, old datapads, and her dad's ever-present, calming presence filled the space. He was exactly where she expected — seated at his desk, deep in whatever Jedi-business he was handling.

Without hesitation, Vera popped open the can of coffee and reached for his #1 Best Dad mug, filling it up without asking. "Figured you could use this," she mused, watching the dark liquid swirl before nudging it toward him. Then, in a move far too familiar — one that would definitely remind him of her Mother — she hopped up onto his desk, knocking aside a few datapads and a small stack of reports as she made herself comfortable. One of them slid off the edge and hit the floor with a soft thunk.

She did not pick it up.

Instead, she swung her legs idly and grinned at him. "You look a little tired," she teased, tilting her head slightly. "Too much Jedi paperwork? Or just missing me too much?" She knew he worried. Even if he didn't say it, even if he tried to act like he wasn't constantly checking in, she could feel it. And after everything, after Woostri, after almost losing Colette, she understood why.

Maybe that was part of why she was here. To tell him and to be honest with him.

Even if this was going to be so much more awkward than fighting a Sith Lord.

​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

This was familiar.

This was way, way too familiar. Kahlil had to double take as he looked up from his paperwork towards his daughter, then to the papers that had fallen to the ground. She was so very much like Valery. A chuckle ended up escaping him as he leaned from the desk to pick up what had fallen before retaking his seat to sip the caf she'd brought him.

"Tired is an understatement. Loss after loss is weighing on the Senate, and I do have to work with them. Kind of." They'd work together if they were helping people, but Kahlil certainly wasn't beholden to them.

"You're behaving like your mother, though. What did you do that you feel you need forgiveness for?"

Vera Noble

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

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Vera's lips immediately pushed into a pout, "I'm not like Mom," she huffed, crossing her arms. But, of course, it was in exactly the same way Mom would have pouted at him, her lower lip jutting out just slightly, her brows drawing together in a way that was far too reminiscent of Valery.

And just to complete the resemblance, she swung her legs a little more, completely undeterred by his knowing look.

She let the moment settle, then exhaled, her shoulders dropping slightly. "I just wanted to talk to you about some stuff," she admitted, her voice shifting to something quieter, more thoughtful. "Like… making sure you don't get too caught up in work." She gave him a smug look, "Mom and the little ones miss you when you're gone too much, and Mom especially gets annoying when you're away from home a lot."

A pause.

"I miss you too, though."

She didn't say it in a way that was meant to make him feel bad — just honest, just true. Ever since she was little, ever since she'd found him again, there had always been this feeling that he was trying to make up for lost time. That even when he was here, his mind was always half-worried, half-stuck in the past, like he still carried some of the weight of those years apart.

Vera just wanted him to know that he didn't have to. Of course, she wasn't just here for that. There was another reason. One that she was still trying to figure out how to say. So, to stall just a little longer, she let her fingers drift toward the pens neatly lined up on his desk.

And, very casually, very deliberately, she nudged them out of place.

Not by much. Just a little off.

Then she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, lips twitching upward into a grin.

"...And also, I wanted to tell you about a boy. But you already know, huh?"

​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Sure, sure."

Just like mom if he pushed it, she'd get more defensive and deny. Which, while he had no problem teasing his wife about it, he wasn't about to do the same to Vera when it was clear she had something to talk to him about. His expression did soften, though. The loose of Woostri, the chaos around Tython and Teta, Hapan's mess. there was far too much he was busying himself with, he knew.

He shouldn't, but he was none the less.

He almost would've apologized for it even, but his gaze shifted to his pens that had been nudged. Not like her mom, was it? He let out a sigh before reaching over to reset it, carefully realigning before his gaze, unamused as it was, looked back to Vera. Then he laughed. A little one, a chuckle. "Stealing a ship with Kaelos certainly came across my desk at one point, yes. Did you have fun with that?"

Vera Noble

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

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Vera grinned the second he reached out to readjust the pens, watching with unmistakable amusement as he carefully lined them back up with that same precision she had come to expect from him. Yeah, maybe she was a bit of a brat, but only in the way that kids who loved their dads a little too much could be.

And she did love him.

Which was why she felt zero guilt as she nudged them slightly again the moment he pulled his hand away. Just a little. Just enough. Her smirk deepened, eyes glinting with mischief — until he mentioned the stolen ship.

Oh, right. That.

For a brief second, she hesitated, but then her smile stretched wider, sheepish but proud. "Okay, but listen, Dad — it was awesome," she admitted, eyes bright with excitement. "We went to Kiffu. The storms were unreal, and we saw them up-close! It was really cool!" Her grin turned a little more innocent. "And y'know. It was fine. We were fine. Totally in control."

That probably wasn't making him feel any better.

Vera rocked slightly where she sat, swinging her legs again before exhaling and finally shifting gears. "But, uh… yeah," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I kinda like him. And I was thinking… maybe I could invite him over for dinner sometime?" She hesitated, then shot him a hopeful look.

"And if I do, you'd cook, right? You're the best, after all."

It was a blatant attempt at flattery, but hey — she knew how to play her cards. And she wasn't lying either. His cooking was the best in the whole Galaxy.

​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Using the Force was something a Jedi should only do when necessary. To use it for any day tasks was an abuse of the power Jedi were supposed to hold sacred. This time, the pen didn't move. An unseen force kept them in place, though Kahlil smiled none the wiser as he leaned back comfortably. Listened as she spoke. On one hand, it made him smile to hear that she was having fun, that it was someone she trusted to have fun with like that.

On the other, parental worry of two teenagers wandering off on their own together.

"Flattery is only going to get you so far. You did take a ship and went off world alone with him without telling anyone. You and Aris both. He was already grounded for such a thing. Definitely bring him over for dinner, but no more just going off world with him without letting your mother or I know, okay?"

Vera Noble

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

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Vera squinted at the pens when they didn’t move. Her fingers nudged again — nothing. Her father’s expression was as neutral as ever, but she knew. Oh, she knew. He was using the Force to hold them in place.

Cheater.

She huffed but didn’t say anything, instead choosing to roll her eyes at his actual response. “Okay, you’re making it sound way worse than it was,” she protested, arms crossing over her chest. “We just went on an adventure. You and Mom do that all the time!” Her voice took on an exaggerated tone, as her lips spread into a smirk

“But fine, I’ll let you guys know next time. Even if it’s way less fun that way.”

She swung her legs again, the tension already forgotten, and her grin softened. “I’m glad he can come over, though. I think you might actually like Kaelos.” Her eyes flicked up to his, a little more serious now. “Or well... I hope you will."

Her smile turned a little lopsided. “And I swear, if you or Mom scare him too much, I’ll have my revenge.”

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[Kahlil Noble]

"You'll understand when you're an adult and have a Padawan, if not your own children." Was all he was going to say on that front. Any further subject, any further discussion, his poor heart wasn't prepared to have that sort of talk. It was absolutely cowardly of him, but it was something he was going to leave to Valery to ensure, at least for now. Especially given the mention of his adventures with Valery.

Nope, he wasn't even going to think about it.

"He's coming over to the home of an Epicanthic Prince. Unless he is of a warrior culture himself, he probably will be scared. So don't judge me too much if he is, mm? I won't go out of my way to scare him too much. The guns can stay in the locker. Might keep out my hunting knife though. Maybe sharpen it."

He hummed. Was he teasing? Was he serious? The worst part was how hard it was to tell. After a moment though, even he couldn't hide the twitch of a grin from his daughter.

Vera Noble

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

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Vera huffed, crossing her arms as she gave her father an exaggerated look of exasperation. “I’m basically an adult,” she argued, though the smirk tugging at her lips made it clear she knew exactly how that statement would land. “But fine.”

She tossed her hair over her shoulder for dramatic effect, then settled back into her usual grin — until his next comment.

The hunting knife. The sharpening. The whole Epicanthic Prince intimidation act.

Her smirk flattened.

“Yeah, okay,” she deadpanned, rolling her eyes. “I wouldn’t expect anything else from you. But if he—” she hesitated, a faint pink dusting her cheeks as she forced herself to say it, “...if he maybe wants to... date me or whatever,” her nose scrunched slightly, as if just saying the words out loud was physically painful, “Then he’s gotta be able to handle this.”

She gestured vaguely toward him, as if he were some uncontrollable force of nature — which, honestly, wasn’t far from the truth.

Before he could reply, she hopped off the desk in one smooth motion and walled over to the window, her gaze drifting outside. For a moment, her expression softened into something more thoughtful.

“…Maybe he can come along on a Noble adventure sometime,” she mused, voice quieter now, but still teasing. “See if he can keep up." Or would Dad prefer to keep his Dad/daughter adventures to himself?

She smirked over her shoulder.

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[Kahlil Noble]

"You're not an adult yet. And you're still a Padawan regardless." He avoided saying she was forever his little star for once, if only to keep his point from being undermined by her. He knew her well enough to know she'd make a comment on it to try and convince him he was just being an over protective dad. Was he? Yes. Would he be anyway?

Yes.

Seeing how she even talked about dating though brought so much peace to his heart. Actual peace. If this was how she was just talking about the idea of dating this boy, then he really didn't need to worry about her taking too much after her parents after all, huh? "I don't see why not, so long as you two aren't all over each other all the time and distracting from the mission."

He was probing. Making sure that she wasn't going to be. Her reaction alone would tell him what he wanted to confirm.

Vera Noble

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Yeah, yeah..." Vera grumbled when her dad reminded her she was still a Padawan, though there was no real bite behind it. Just the usual I already know, but I’ll still argue for the sake of it energy. She smirked over her shoulder at him, letting him have this one — for now.

But then he kept going.

Vera froze mid-step, her expression turning into something truly offended.

"Ugh, Dad. Gross." She turned to him with a dramatic shudder before letting out a chuckle. "I swear, you say stuff like that on purpose just to torture me."

Still, as much as she rolled her eyes at him, she loved that he cared so much. Always looking out for her, always making sure she was safe — even if that meant giving any potential boyfriends the full Epicanthic Prince Dad Treatment. And yeah, okay, maybe she did take comfort in knowing that no matter how much she grew, no matter what she did, she’d always have that shield.

She grinned and walked over, wrapping her arms around him in a quick but tight hug before pulling back just enough to press a kiss to his cheek. "You’re the best, y’know that?"

Then, she flopped back down into her seat, stretching her legs out in front of her as she tilted her head at him, her smirk turning curious. "Okay, but what about you and Mom?" she asked, eyes glinting with mischief. "What was your first date like? Were you nervous?"

She wiggled her brows, clearly very invested now.

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[Kahlil Noble]

Ah, peace.

Kahlil smiled faintly, letting himself take comfort in this fact. As much as Vera was his and Valery's daughter, she wasn't too like them. That peace of mind would last for a long while, he figured. Long enough for him not to worry too much. That peace was even better as Vera kissed his cheek and told him he was the best. This conversation he dreaded turned out to be much better for his old heart than he thought.

Or was.

Was peace really a lie? His expression stilled for a moment as he glanced to Vera. Their first date together, him and her mother. "Our first proper date wasn't until much later in our relationship, actually. Chaos tended to be the core of our interactions, fighting and working together more often than not. We went on a vacation to a beech world."

Their first proper date? Also the same day Vera was made, it turned out. Not that he'd ever say as much.

Vera Noble

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

Vera's face scrunched the second her father mentioned a beach world.

"Oh Force, ew — gross," she groaned, flopping back dramatically in her seat like she'd just taken critical damage. She wasn't stupid. She knew what would happen when two love birds went to a beach world together on vacation. And she also knew exactly whose idea it would have been. Mom.

After a moment, her expression softened as she turned more thoughtful.

"You said it was chaos, at first," she murmured, chewing her bottom lip. "But when did you know? That you liked her, I mean. I know it happened on New Cov, but… was it scary?" Her eyes flicked toward him, a rare note of uncertainty in her voice. "When you realized how you felt, were you worried you might say something stupid? Or mess it up somehow?"

She looked away again, brushing some of her hair behind her ear.

"…Because I think I might, and I don't want to scare him off."

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[Kahlil Noble]

Well at least he didn't have to explain any farther on that date. He chuckled a bit, nodding his head as he was just as willing to move on. His expression softened though as Vera spoke. That worry, had he felt that with Valery? No, he hadn't. They were older in their lives though, at a point where they were sure on at least who they were on their own, let alone what it meant to be with someone.

"There was no doubt in my mind that I loved your mother. The only real worry I had, and this is something you shouldn't ever tell her, was when we were apart for a year. We didn't talk all that time after New Cov, and even I couldn't help but feel nervous that I had done something wrong. It was a relief she'd come back, though she came back to me imprisoned."

Vera Noble

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

​

Tag: Kahlil Noble

Vera sighed and dragged her hands down her face. "Of course you weren't nervous," she muttered, side-eyeing her dad with exaggerated exasperation. "You two are like... annoyingly perfect. Jedi power couple. Totally in sync, all dramatic and romantic and bla-bla." She huffed again, leaning her cheek into her hand. "Meanwhile I can barely form a sentence without worrying I sound like a complete idiot."

But then something else clicked, and she blinked.

"Wait. You waited a year?" Her eyes widened, brows lifting. "A whole year after New Cov?" That was insane. "You guys are always so happy together, though... so I guess she was worth it, huh?" Her smile turned a little more genuine then, softer. "I hope I can have something like that."

Her eyes sparkled with just a touch of mischief as she leaned back in her seat, swinging her legs slightly. "Though I really hope I don't have to wait a year. Just waiting a few days for him to come over for dinner is stressful enough." She let out a small laugh, tilting her head toward him with a teasing grin.

Then her expression shifted — thoughtful, curious... and devious.

"Hey," she started slowly, "Do you think I should take him on a date?"

A beat.

"To a beach world?" she asked, grinning like a menace, watching her father's face for signs of an impending heart attack. "Y'know. Just to keep the tradition going."

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[Kahlil Noble]

"By the time I realized I could actually love someone, I'd met your mother. Or perhaps she's who let me see that I could. This nervousness you feel, though? You're supposed to. Your mom and I are the weirdos in this case." Though, it didn't help that he couldn't really help her with her feelings. It was something he'd never experienced.

And yet, very much something he wanted her to know. This was the kind of childhood he hoped she'd have. One of peace, where if she liked a boy or not was the problems in her mind, not if she was going to die.

Okay maybe not this free spirited. His expression actually twitched at the mention of a beach. "There's no tradition there you're keeping any time soon, Vera. You can go to a beach, but you're not going to a resort to spend a week with him or anything."

Vera Noble

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

Vera smirked at him, clearly enjoying every second of this. "Okay, fine. You're both weirdos," she said with a dramatic roll of her eyes, though there was warmth behind it. "But, like... I guess the good kind of weird." She stretched her arms over her head and let out a breath. "I'll do my best, though. With Kaelos. Try not to look too stupid."

Then came the twitch in his expression. She caught it instantly. Her brow lifted. Slowly and dangerously.

"You act like you and Mom did some weird or nasty stuff there," she said with a perked brow. "On your first date.” The way she drew out those last three words was nothing short of villainous. "Honestly, Dad. I just want to soak up some sun and maybe sip fruit juice out of a silly glass or something."

She smiled at him with the most obviously fake air of innocence imaginable.

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[Kahlil Noble]

"You'll be fine, Vera. Don't worry." If Kaelos thought she was stupid, well, he would be the dumb one, certainly. Not that he was going to say that aloud. Even he knew how petty that actually was of a thought process. His brow, though, knitted together for a moment as he glanced to Vera. She was playing with a fire she did not yet understand, that much was clear.

He let out a breath before closing his eyes.

"Your mother's and I's first official date was on a beach resort. We weren't able to go on another for a while, since you were born about nine months later."

Vera Noble

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

Vera froze like a droid short-circuiting mid-step.

Nope.

Then came the full dramatic horror.

"OH MY — DAD, GROSS!"

She jammed her fingers in her ears and spun around in place, groaning loudly. "No no no nope. You and Mom are so nasty!" She made a series of exaggerated gagging sounds, stumbling back like the mere knowledge physically pained her. With a full-body shudder, she hopped off the desk and began pacing toward the door like she needed to escape the sheer mental image now burned into her soul.

"I did not need to know that, ugh."

But just before she stepped out, she paused — turning halfway, that familiar, mischievous smirk creeping back across her face. "Y'know what? After hearing all that… I think I'll stick to dinner with Kaelos." She smirked and shook her head, "And I'm never asking about you and Mom again."

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[Kahlil Noble]

"In the future I hope you try to avoid teasing on things you don't know fully, less you end up the one embarrassed." Kahlil was chuckling. The kind of chuckle he was desperately trying to hide, but he couldn't help himself but chuckle. This truly confirmed in his heart that there was nothing to truly worry about with Vera's newfound interest in boys.

For now, anyway. He figured that would change one day, if it did. Perhaps it wouldn't, and that was fine. Just, not yet. Not yet.

"Dinner, though, sounds good. Do you know what his favorite foods are?"

Vera Noble