Serenity (D2, LE. Open)

[Katarzyna Ulgo]

"I do not know..." she sounded genuinly uncertain, but also troubled. "There seems little to be gained by making Rist caught up in such a conflict, especially as Rist have been the closest friends to Ulgo."

She thought for a moment. Think it through, reflect on it. "But that is assuming that it would be Rist that is the target to upset, and not the Jedi, or specifically Layne." Her fingers tapped lightly against her knee. "Another possibility is someone trying to shake up Ulgo and Rist. It is tempting to want to point to Thul, but it's important to not overlook the faults within our own homes."

[Omandri Rist]

"Yeah if Ulgo had an issue with Layne using Rist to take her out would be smart to keep the wrath of the Order off their heads. The question then becomes why would Ulgo have a problem with this Jedi? As best we can tell last time she was here she killed a Rist agent." He frowned thoughtfully for a moment.

He exhaled a little, leaning back on his hands "I don't know, maybe you can do some looking around Ulgo intelligence? Maybe figure out who would have motive to lie about this proof?" He offered

[Katarzyna Ulgo]

Kat considered his words with the seriousness it deserved. Then nodded. "That does seem to be the right approach. We need to know if Ulgo or someone else is trying to cause discord."

Looking up at the sky, she sighed. "It seems naive now to had hoped for the festival to be a week of relaxation."

[Omandri Rist]

At that Omandri laughed recovering quickly he shook his head "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just funny thinking about this place as any sort of relaxing." He sighed a little with an easy smile on his lips looking out to the view "I mean don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful planet. They take good care of it but damn the people make it awful sometimes."

[Katarzyna Ulgo]

Kat laughed as well, a soft but warm laughter. "Oh, I do agree. The people are the worst sometimes."

"Just... when I asked the Council for some time to reflect on matters, there was no other place I wanted to be than Alderaan. Perhaps Alderaan is an attachment I have not learned to let go off yet, but I always feel a sense of peace when I can be here, in these valleys and forests, by the rivers and lakes. Or perhaps the Force was telling me that this is where I need to be now."

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri made a sort of thinking sound for a minute "You and I view Alderaan very differently." He said with a smirk "well maybe you just had a better home life than me. For me this place while beautiful and peaceful in certain ways has always been stressful. Being home usually means fighting with my mother, now my sister."

"Moments like these being away from everything and almost everyone. These are nice but usually fleeting." He took a drink again "with everything going on I think the Force did pull you here. I have no sensitivity to it but I've studied it and it does seem to have a way of bringing people to certain events where they're needed." He chuckled "and oh boy this seems like one of those events."

[Katarzyna Ulgo]

"The Force does work in mysterious ways," Kat said with a laugh. "But if I can do some good while I'm here, that's alright with me."

She observed him a bit, thinking over what he said of his family. "My apologies, I didn't know home was such a difficult place for you. I don't think I had a hard time growing up - my parents died when I was young, during the Sith's first invasion of Alderaan... I don't really have any memories of them, but I'm proud of the sacrifices they made to help others." She at least did not seem burdened by the loss.

"After the war, my aptitude for the Force was noted, but I was allowed to begin my training here on Alderaan rather than leaving for the temple right away, and my uncle made sure I recieved the education expected of any Alderaanian noble in that time. It was some harsh years, when I view it in hindsight, but I think it came from good intentions of wanting the best for me."

[Omandri Rist]

He regarded her this time "I am sorry to hear about your parents. That must have been hard."

"As for me I just have a lot of, moral qualms with the family business. Even before I became a doctor the idea of 'mortality'" He said making air quotes around the world "never really sat well with me. Lead to a lot of fights."

"I myself went to an academy here until I was fourteen, left for university at that point. After I left here, went to school on courscant for a bit, then joined the military. I've only been back about six or seven times since I first left."

[Katarzyna Ulgo]

"Thank you. I think the younger me was sad over their passing, but I've long ago accepted that they died heroes of Alderaan, reminding me that we can all rise to greatness." For her, it was so long ago, and she only vaguely remembered anything like parents or that kind of family-life. Some of it she suspected she might've filled in herself over the years based on interactions with others.

"Of all the Houses on Alderaan, Rist might be most complicated one, I suppose. No offense meant, but I can understand why it must've been difficult for you." House of Assassins, someone who didn't want to kill. Recipe for bad mood. "Is it the Festival that brought you back this time, or something else?"

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri gave her an amused smile "I doubt you could say anything worse than what I have already said regarding House Rist." He said with a small laugh.

At her other question he shrugged "Well my sister said she needed me. We are very different people, we rarely get along, but in the end she is my family."

[Katarzyna Ulgo]

"I hope you'll be able to help your family then, and also stay true to yourself along the way," she offered kindly. "Would you like to share contact info, in case the other comes across more information regarding the death of your sister? I think it's in all our interests that the truth comes to light, no?"

[Omandri Rist]

"They have not yet managed to compromise my morals and I have only become more of a pacifist as the years pass. I doubt they will manage it now."

He pulled out his communicator "Certainly, to exchange information and having useful contacts is never a bad idea."

[Katarzyna Ulgo]

Taking out her own communicator, the contact-info was easily exchanged.

"I admire your strength in remaining true to yourself. It can't be easy with so much pressure from those closest to you."

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri shrugged "perhaps. I've never really thought much of it. The lying, scheming, dealing in secrets, while not my Forte I had no issue with. That's just how the game is played." He paused a slightly frown on his face "but the exchange of human life as political back and forth never worked for me."

"My sister I think just bought into the propaganda more than I did. How it's a noble service provided to the other houses. A more peaceful means of conflict resolution. Why go to war over an insult when one life can be bought to satisfy?" He shrugged "its tradition but not all traditions need to live on in my opinion."

[Katarzyna Ulgo]

"I agree. I don't... care for it either, or these feud-traditions either. So much of Alderaan's culture is about peaceful resolutions, yet we cling to these old things that allow people to just go and kill others." She sighed and shook her head. "A friend of mine is a subject to these harmful traditions, with a contract hanging over her head, simply because of the family she was born to. Even if she doesn't use that family name anymore and hasn't been on Alderaan since most of her family got scattered with the Thul's return."

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri nodded "it doesn't happen to be a Rist contract does it? There may be something I can do if it is." He offered.

[Katarzyna Ulgo]

"Afraid not. But I appricate it, really. I just hope she doesn't do anything stupid in response to it and get herself in a bigger mess..." Kat chuckled with some exaspiration. "But sticking by your friends even when they do stupid things is what friends do."

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri thought for a moment. He didn't really believe in coincidence and it wasn't too often old dead house names had open contracts and even fewer doled out to lesser assassin houses. He gave her a long look "hmm I think we might share a friend. Or at least the friend of a friend. I recently had an old friend asking me about a similar situation for one of her friends. Noble families, even minor ones don't go away very often. Even fewer have open contracts. Chances are this is the same person."

[Katarzyna Ulgo]

Kat raised an eyebrow. "Riss. Or, you know, Captain Riss of the Rimma Roundabout?"

[Omandri Rist]

His eyes widened slightly "Yeah! Well wait she asked me to look into it for a friend. Are you saying the contract is actually out on her!" He said with a bit more distress in his tone then her shook his head with slightly amused exasperation "I should have known it was. A very random and particular request."