Alderaan - Love and Intrigue

She'd given out coordinates and a time for Omandri; somewhere out in the supposedly wild lands. Not the most comfortable place to have a conversation perhaps, but it was likely going to be harder for anyone to listen in when they weren't supposed to. Of course, members of House Rist weren't exactly the most trustworthy when it came to that sort of thing and she still hadn't fully bought into the whole 'I'm not like my sister' act. But even if he was on the level, others of his house might not be. But at least they were easier to cope with than the real enemy; so... she'd just cope.

She wouldn't have to wait long, Omandri was a pretty punctual person so after a bit she would see the doctor walking down the trail toward the spot of their meeting. He wore sturdy but rough clothing in browns and tans and had a rather large pack on his back. Next to him walked a canine styled Droid about waist high followed along with him.

He smiled and gave Layne a little wave "Knight Hoshin! how are you? Beautiful day for a little hike eh?"

"Uhuh," she nodded and gave him an appraising eye; sizing him up in terms of looking like he could hold his own in a fight. The backpack was also given a glance; if only on account of its unusual size. The canine droid on the other hand, barely a glance whatsoever.

"You hid your sister in that pack, or something?"

As she observed him it might be hard to tell if he could handle himself. As far as body type it was hard to tell since the clothing obscured his physique and just left the impression of a generally average body size but trained warrior as she was Layne could notice he walked with a balance, a warrior's way of carrying himself that only comes with extensive training.

He laughed a little at her joke as he unslung the pack and set it on the ground, his voice took on a theatrically grave quality "Oh yes Knight Hoshin, my plans come to fruition I brought three clown assassins stuffed in the pack to finish you!" he said chuckling and shaking his head "No just trails essentials, medpac, and some food. Been running around all day haven't had a chance to eat anything but caf." he said with a smile "I hope you don't mind if I eat while we talk? I brought enough to share as well if you'd like."

"Go ahead," she said with a shrug as she found a place to sit. She'd already eaten, and even now there was the urge to be obstinate on these little things anyway.

"It would've been helpful if you'd brought Bryson, but I assume he'd just find some excuse not to come anyhow."

Omandri shrugged and found a place to sit giving Layne a look "Look I get it, my family made a bad introduction. We have a bad reputation but I promise I'm here to help. I want to find Vidara more than anyone ok? We spent the past years thinking she was dead." He said seriously "I know it'll take more than words but just, try and give me the benefit of the doubt yeah? I'm really not like most of my family."

He pulled out a sandwich and began chewing "so you're already a step ahead of me knowing my sister is alive. Now what makes you think she's part of some kind of conspiracy?" He asked raising an eyebrow at her.

"The Force reveals much," she said, crossing her arms. "We know that she, Galen, and another were part of a cell of this group's operatives, and that they went off-grid on Delaya right after Galen's death. We've encountered this other agent and she's confirmed as much. I understand your house doesn't want this to be true, of course, because frankly a house of assassins shouldn't be permitted to exist in the Republic in the first place and if it gets out that noteable members of your house are involved in a conspiracy against the Jedi, I don't imagine it will do you any favors. However, the fact that you all thought your sister was dead all this time, surely should tell you something. As should the fact you got handed false information incriminating a Jedi for her death. Clearly your other sister was being manipulated in acting against us. You don't think this is just coincidence, do you?"

She leaned in closer. "I assume you also understand it wasn't a coincidence our call got cut off just as things were getting interesting."

Omandri sat for a while and just absorbed that information. He crossed his legs on the stone seat and leaned back with his hands behind him. He looked up to the sky for a moment and while he made no noise a few tears escaped. After a second he rubbed them away with a sleeve "sorry, sorry, still uh, processing ya know?" He said with a slightly embarrassed smile "not everyday you sister comes back from the dead. Hearing about it in detail just made it so real." He shook his head "youndont care about that though." His smile turned a touch apologetic.

"Alright so Galen, Vidara, and another were part of a cell in a conspiracy. You took down Galen and then they went under ground. OK got it, but now they are resurfacing? Interesting timing." He said and then caught the last bit "Oh and yes that was intentional, Bryson was monitoring my communication on my sister's orders. She doesn't trust you at all and didn't want you to know you knew more than us about what was going on." He paused and the pleasant expression became a little more serious "we had....words about that."

"That's interesting," she said, "According to intel we received, Bryson may be part of the conspiracy. Seems to me like he might've been keeping me from telling you more about what we were investigating, rather than keeping me from hurting your other sister's ego by learning you didn't know as much as we do. Better for them that we stay opposed to each other, after all. The moment it looked as if you might start getting drawn into this, the call was cut."

She shrugged. "Just a working theory. Maybe it really was just what you were told. Or maybe that was just a convenient cover so that he could manipulate things to his favor."

Omandri shrugged a little "I mean my sister corroborated his story and confirmed that she had told Bryson to do it. I believe communications were cut right after I told you you knew more than I did. Bryson seems like a good guy, family man, like actual family man, with kids and stuff. Not saying he couldn't be tied up in all this but I'd be a little surprised. Do you have any evidence that he is involved besides the holo call incident?" The doctor asked with a slight raise of his eyebrow.

"Like I said, we have intel he might be involved. And he *really* needs to come talk to us. I'm sure he seems like a good guy to you, you're related after all. But, and I hate to keep bringing this up, he's part of a house of professional assassins. I'm sure he's more than capable of playing a con, and it sounds as if he's well placed in your organization to do exactly that."

Omandri shrugged to that "I can let him know but i'm not his boss, can't really make him do anything that's really my sister who can do that." he responded "Also yeah he's part of a house of assassins but we aren't all assassins, for example, my cousin Kellen is an archeologist and I'm a doctor and a pacifist besides. I'll admit I'm certainly an exception in that last one but Bryson is just a data analyst. Maybe he could play a con but it'd be risky and difficult, my sister is pretty perceptive and she'd have him killed if he betrayed the family." Omandri lapsed into silence for a minute thinking.

"Well is Bryson your only lead? I can't do much about getting him to talk to you, he's on Delaya for a couple days last I heard. I mean I can talk to my sister if I can find her but her patience with me is likely wearing a little thin by now."

"I'm heading to Delaya myself again anyway, maybe... do you... happen to know *where* on Delaya I might find him? *Any* idea?"

Omandri shook his head "sorry no luck there just know he said he'd be there for a few days. I should be heading there tomorrow evening to meet with him. Well to meet with someone else but Bryson should be there."

He paused a little "so before we go much further I have to ask. Is your plan to kill my sister?" For the first time his easy smile dropped into a serious expression.

She looked at him, her expression not really changing as silence passed between them for a few possibly uncomfortable moments.

"I don't plan on it, no. Part of the reason I left the Sith behind me was so I could stop doing that sort of thing. But she does need to be stopped. And if a person who needs to be stopped doesn't give me any other choice, then I will not hesitate. So it's really up to her. If I can take her into custody alive, then I will do so."

Omandri raised an eyebrow at her "but how hard do you look for that other choice? You have the bearing of a warrior. How hard do you try to apprehend instead of kill?" He asked not looking away from her eyes for a second. He was friendly but he was clearly no push over.

"I want to be there if you find her. I don't want her involved in anything like what you're describing. And I want to make sure we can bring her in alive, which is more likely if im there." He spoke calmly but seriously. He pulled out a data stick "this is all the information I have about Vidara that the family has been tracking. If you keep me looped in, and if our goal is to bring her in I'll share it with you. Otherwise I'll be doing this on my own, but I'd rather work together."

"I am a Jedi Knight," she said in a manner that suggested it meant far more than the simple uttering of the words themselves, "At this point, your sister is unlikely to listen to reason, and she is likely committed enough to her beliefs that she would not cower and simply surrender either. However, if it comes to violence, know that I am more than capable of keeping an opponent from passing into death if it involves my lightsaber skills, so long as they are not completely suicidal."

She looked at the data stick, not taking it yet.

"I can not promise you anything that is in her power and not mine to deliver, but I *can* promise you that my intent *is* to take her in alive."

He paused a minute giving Layne an evaluating look studying her for a handful of seconds before nodding "We stand a better chance working together. If we find her let me handle her, be there to back me up, keep off whatever guards, or teammates she has all I really care about is her." He extended out his hand with the stick to her "Not sure if my sister is right and I'm a fool for trusting you but part of me believes you're in it for the right reasons." He gave her a little smile "don't make me regret it Layne."

She took the datastick.

"If the situation allows for it, then that's how it will go down," she said.

Layne then took out a datapad to load up the stick and see what it was they were actually working with.

As Layne took the stick Omandri nodded as she uploaded it it was various data and hints and clues about what Rist intelligence was able to find. Nothing definitive or conclusive but could be vaguely helpful if the right connecting information was there.

"It's nothing concrete but should be able to help if you can fill in some gaps in what they've found."
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Per Dapper the information gives a boost die to any checks to track down Vidara.