Author note:

I unfortunately came down with the sickness while writing this chapter so it might not be my best. Although, I still hope you enjoy today's chapter!

Silence. Silence so palpable that almost any noise one would make would echo endlessly down the halls of the Jedi Temple. It was about 23:00 hours (11:00 PM) now and all halls that were once filled with younglings going to and from classes, now only had the dominant silence reverberating around. Albeit save from the pitter pattering of two young students who were looking for a midnight snack.

A young 6 year old human male with a mess of black hair and ever so vibrant green eyes was currently sneaking about with a young Mirialan girl with a headdress adorn on her but her brilliant sapphire eyes ever beaming out as she looked about nervously. Whilst the boy was making haste but keeping his footsteps mute by having his boots off, the Mirialan girl was nervously making her ways with him, making sound here and there.

The boy looked back and whispered, "Barriss, you're making too much sound…"

Her face flushed red in embarrassment, whispering back, "Soooryyy… I didn't mean too… It's just… what if we're caught Jao? We'll get in MEGA trouble."

Jao gave her a knowing smirk, one she'd start becoming accustomed to very soon, "See, that's IF we get caught. My stomach is begging me to feed it, so I will feed it."

Barriss sighed to herself before Jao finished with, "Just keep an eye out. If you make sure we don't get seen by Ms. Yaddle, I will make sure we don't get caught."

"Fiiiine. I'll watch out. Only because I don't want to get in trouble." She'd insist as Jao merely rolled his eyes as the duo made their way further and further down the halls.

They kept their footsteps silent as they crept up to what looked like a metallic grate as he took out what looked to be a servo-screw and pried off the bolts as the grate came loose. He caught it quickly before it clattered to the floor and gently set it down.

"Bingo!" he quietly exclaimed excitedly as he gestured forward as he got on his hands and knees, "Come let's feeeed the beast…" whispering dramatically.

Barriss giggled at the dramatism before following after him on her hands and knees.

The ventilation system was a complex system of vents and tunnels that led to different parts of the Jedi temple. One could go from the bottom of the temple to the vent that led to inside the Jedi Council's Chamber. Although the same could be said for the opposite and that is if one wasn't prepared, you could easily get lost. Unfortunately for the duo, Jao hadn't read any schematics and was purely going off feelings.

Soon the pair came to a junction before he stopped and said, "Ship, Tank, Ship, Tank pick the best and shall make bank." pointing to each tunnel with each individual word before stopping on the right junction and saying, "This way."

"That's not right, Jao." Barriss intervened before he could move.

Twisting his head back as best as he could in the space, "What do you mean? Of course it's right. Ship and Tank never fails." beginning to pout.

Barriss sighed, "You didn't bother looking at the tunnel plans before, did you?"

Jao merely whined in response and Barriss giggled.

"You're supposed to go left from here then take the first right Jao."

"B-But…"

"Unless you want us to get lost…"

"Fiinneee…" seemingly submitting to the fellow 6 year olds suggestion as Barriss smiled.

Deciding to take Barriss's suggestion to heart, Jao would led them the way that Barriss suggested before coming to a dead end with a grate that led out into a dark space below. Taking out a flashlight before his pocket that he'd made, he'd click it on to view inside the room and indeed, Barriss was right.

Jao merely groaned in annoyance as he heard Barriss whisper from behind him, "Well….?"

Jao merely didn't respond back as his pettiness overtook his ability to give a proper answer and Barriss responded smugly, "That's not very jedi-like, JR."

Jao exasperatedly said, "Fine, Fine. You were right, Bari."

A surprised look on her face spread quickly at the weird nickname, "Did just call me Bari?"

Looking back at her with only his left side of his face showing her his cheesy smile, "Yea! Sounds cool right?" before he giggled and turned back to loosen the bolts on the grate.

Barriss, unbeknownst to Jao, pouted her lips and whined slightly before muttering to herself, "Bari sounds like a boy's name…"

Jao prying the last bolt as silently as he could and pulling up the grate, he'd look back and ask, "What did you say?" before Barriss turned red again and shook her head, "Nothing."

Plopping onto the cold tiles of the Jedi Kitchens, Jao looked around the expansive space that held large tables that had been compiled with neatly stacked utensils and bowls on top of them. Sinks and dishwashers seemingly occupy another space of the kitchen with the room having an almost L shape to its length and width. Tiptoeing their ways towards the bottom with the leftward pivot point where large sliding doors led to the pantry. Giggling in excitement, Jao would quietly announce, "Jedi Jao to Jedi Barriss, I have found the pantry. I am going to open it now."

Barriss simply rolled her eyes before hushedly saying, "Just open it, dummy."

Jao laughed before placing his hand on the scanner as it quietly registered his name and clicked open, sliding. Snacks, Loth bites, Purrgil gummies and the whole lot were stockpiled alongside numerous foods and cans. Rubbing his hands together, "We found the BIG ONE!" accidentally shouting.

Shushing Jao, Barriss retorted, "Stuff your mouth, Jao! Do you want them to know we're doing this?"

Quietly his tone, "Sorrryy…"

Rolling her eyes, "Just make it quick. There's no way no one didn't hear that."

"Hear what, Ms. Offee?" a masculine voice from the entrance of the kitchens echoed out.

Few days later, 13:00 (1:00 PM)

As children were eating in the lunch hall, a chime played on the intercom to signal the children that chow time was up and they must get ready for their afternoon classes today. Children were filtering out, two of the mob were to stay after to help clean up the kitchens. These children were none other than Barriss Offee and Jao Ren Paul.

Jao whined, "This isss sooo borrinnggg…"

"Well it's your fault for being too loud, rancor mouth." Barriss retorted.

"Maybe if you kept your eyes peeled we wouldn't-"

"Enough!" A masculine female voice rang out as a hulking Besalisk female looked over at them with an icy gaze. One did not have to feel through the force to know she was irritated by their behavior.

"You two are training to become powerful jedi and your current behavior will only lead you to become sith! Being selfish like that."

Barriss simply sighed to herself and kept quietly working as the Besalisk kept speaking, "Everything you do has an equal and opposite consequence." The Besalisk made her ways whilst she spoke, "What you two did was incredibly selfish and non jedi-like. Not owning up to what you did is even worse!" heavy footfalls finally stopping in front of them, "Now. What do you two have to say about that?" hands on her hips.

In unison, "I'm so sorry, Ms. Danduf. We won't try to steal again…"

Smiling as she knew, despite not being force sensitive, that they were being honest. She patted their shoulders and said, "Good, now run along. I better see you here helping me for the next few weeks as your punishment."

"B-But-" Jao tried to get out before being cut off.

"No Buts, young Paul!

Sighing, "Fiiine..."

"Come on, lets get to history of the Jedi, Jao. We're MEGA late as is." Barriss informed.

Barriss and Jao ran off together to their next classes as Ms. Danduf shook her head with a lopsided smile, "Those two… they sure are inseparable."

A/N: I hope I was able to show the beginnings of Barriss's Personality as seen in Clone Wars! Of course because of Jao Ren Paul, her personality will be slightly tampered with to fit her new surroundings. As always, if you have any feedback, I'd highly appreciate it! Anyways until next time!