Blade of Selvaris
Jedi Archives - 0200 Coruscant Standard Time
The archives were quietest in the late hours of the night and the wee hours of the morning. Ran believed it to be the perfect time to begin her role as Chief Archivist of the New Jedi Order. So as she crossed the archive silently, and unnoticed, naturally she overheard a conversation about her and her new appointment.
“I don’t understand how Grandmaster Noble and the rest of the council can think this is a good idea.”
“Why isn’t it a good idea? If she wasn’t qualified, she wouldn’t get the job. Would she?”
“Stranger things have happened, my dear boy! Stranger things have happened! But I for one refuse to let things be strange here! I’ve been a lorekeeper through the last three archive heads and I’m just as likely to see three more. I will not let Serys ruin the well oiled machine I helped to build. No I won’t!”
“What’s wrong with Master Serys, X’ellgihl? What’s she gonna’ do?”
“I don’t know, and that’s precisely the problem! Especially considering what I do know about her.”
“Oh yeah? What do you know about her?”
“I know she isn’t one of us!”
“A Jedi?”
“A Lorekeeper, my boy! Keep up. Ran Serys is a soldier, a brute, a philistine. She is a Jedi you send when you need a villain bashed over the head. She is not the one you send when you need a keen mind or a deft hand.”
“So you know her?”
“I know of her.”
“Personally?”
“Well… no, but-”
“Then you don’t know anything.”
“Fine. You’ve made your point, my boy.”
“Good. Let’s stop talking about this before the wrong person hears and thinks you’ve gone senile.”
“Tsk. Senile? Even if I was senile, I’m more equipped to be head than Serys is.”
“Would you give it a rest, X’ellgihl?”
“Look! All I’m saying, dear boy, is that there is no way Serys is fit to head the archives. This is a delicate ecosystem and she’ll just muck it all up. You don’t have to believe me when I say that, but you will see I’m right. I believe that much.”
“Perhaps you are too rigid in your beliefs, Master X’ellgihl,” Ran interrupted, making her presence known much to X’ellgihl’s surprise. “I find that people oftentimes have a way of challenging and changing our beliefs.”
“Ye- yes. Sometimes- they do.” X’ellgihl replied awkwardly. Ran could see the blush of embarrassment cross his face.
“And those who bring about this change don’t usually fault those who fight against it.” Ran continued. The beet red X’ellgihl remained quiet.
“Now. We have some work to do in this archive, and from what I understand it never stops. So please be patient with me while I catch up. I am, after all, a philistine.” Ran declared as X’ellgihl looked like his face would explode.
“Breath, Master X’ellgihl. And come. I’ve much to learn about our backend systems and you are going to show me.” Ran informed.
Jedi Archives - 1400 Coruscant Standard Time
Ran Serys was a quick study. In addition to her chemical yellow eyes, and multi-spectrum vision, the years of forced experimentation left her with an ultra adaptive mind among other things. As X’ellgihl stood over her shoulder she began chronicling her and so many other’s accounts of her and Corazona Von Ascania’s council induction for future generations.
“It seems to me that maybe I’m no longer needed here.” X’ellgihl swallowed his emotions, in this case a different kind of surprise. “I shall leave you to archiving these accounts, Master Serys.”
“Certainly, but don’t go too far, Master. I may have more questions soon enough.” Ran smiled at him. She held no ill will against the man for his earlier unkindness.
“Certainly.” He said. Ran thought she saw his smile turn from fake and awkward to genuine. She believed she might be growing on the old man.
As she turned back to her work, she gave a passing greeting to a young Jedi with emerald green hair walking by. “Good Afternoon.” She said with no real intention to carry on a conversation, instead she stared at the holoscreen before her.
