Alderaan - Love and Intrigue

Layne was not particularly interested in hunting; which was good because she wasn't out here to hunt. Thankfully, that also meant she didn't have to worry about getting herself a hunting permit. Well, assuming access to the wilds weren't restricted anyway. Travel was potentially a problem though. She did have her speeder, but she wouldn't take it if some law enforcement type of individual told her it wasn't permitted out there. If that were the case, she'd have to find other means of travel. Ideally, the fast kind.

She had also made sure to take along her Industrial Automaton Hologlide J57 Cam Droid; she'd promised Daz could use it, but she figured that she might commandeer it back for official unofficial mission stuff. Hopefully it might help her find the group she was looking for. Get some pictures back so she knew what they were dealing with. Of course, that might be overly optimistic on her part.


[unsure about transport]

OOC: Survival (Cunning) check at Average with a setback for unfamiliar area.

Survival (Cunning), Setback ignored (Blade of Woe): 2eA+2eD 2 successes, 2 threat


(threat for the GM?)

Layne maneuvers through the wilds deftly and thinks she is on the trail of them when the earth gives way underneath her and she tumbles down through the brush and then crashes into a tall figure wearing a sleek hunting outfit with mirrored helmet face.

They sprawl out in a low lying brook, sliding across mud and rocks. The hunter or huntress rolls quickly to her feet with hunting knife in hand the mirrored mask focused on Layne.

OOC: Threat used.

"W-oah..."

This was unbecoming of a Jedi. If she was going to fall down through the brush, she might as well look good doing it. But what was this? She'd crashed into someone. Well, a hunter was to be expected out here, surely.

"...Uh... hello there?"

She got up and dusted herself off, trying to make herself seem unthreatening. Which was a little difficult with how she looked, but still, she didn't have a weapon in hand or anything like that, and did seem to be genuinely confused rather than there to hurt the hunter.

The masked hunter said in a digital voice, "Your name and purpose here?"

"Layne Hoshin, Jedi Knight, sightseeing. Same question to you," she said, looking him over, her instincts automatically having her see what, if anything, she could determine from his body language and style of armor.

“Master Jedi, this is an odd situation you find yourself in,” the hunter said as stood at their full height. They were tall just under 2 meters.

The helmet hissed as she removed it and let her hair down, “We are curious what brings you to the Hunting grounds of the Crown.”

Oh fuuu--

Well. This was unexpected. Granted, the whole private hunting party should've clued her in that the Queen herself was going to be hunting as well... but she expected... well, not this. Maybe all of them sitting on a luxury landyacht, leisurely taking aim at grazing cattle as they sipped their space pina coladas. Something along those lines. She certainly hadn't expected the queen to be dressing up like this.

"Ahem. Quite odd, yes. I uh..." she thumbed back, in the direction from whence she had tumbled, "...the ground gave way under me. Didn't mean to crash into you like that. Sorry. I'm uh... well, I had *intended* to just quietly keep an eye out, make sure nothing bad happened. Maybe get a bit of a feel for how Alderaanian nobles do things, since apparently I'm rather bad at it as people keep telling me..."

She coughed into a fist again, a little awkwardly; at the same time trying to get a feel for what the queen was feeling in regards to all of this. But the Dark Side interfered.

Sense Emotions: 2eF 2 Dark Side

“We do not appreciate being spied upon by the Jedi Order,” she said calmly not minding the mud on her outift. “If you are seeking to understand Alderaan, lurking like a spy on a private hunt is an excellent method of drawing our ire. We trust the Jedi have a good reason for this, debacle?”

"I do apologize," she said, "I am obviously not a very good spy."

At this point, she figured she might as well be as forthcoming as she could be. Naturally, trying to be as... diplomatic... about it as was possible for her; but she hoped the queen could appreciate honesty. Especially under these circumstances. Perhaps this was the Force helping her out; it really did seem like the perfect opportunity. The queen was separated from her guard... though for how long she did not know... away from the expectations of royalty and leadership, away from eyes and ears that would judge her every response. In other words, the perfect time to speak frankly.

"And well, I do not wish to speak on behalf of the Order, as I am here on my own initiative. But some of us *are* concerned... about some of the company that surrounds the queen. That is to say, the Blackguard. My opinion may not matter much to begin with, even less so now, but I happened to be in the same class as the man who helped train them. They steep themselves in the Dark Side of the Force, and there are questions about where their loyalties truly lie."

“You fear that the Sith are using the Blackguard to infiltrate House Panteer or the leadership of Alderaan,” she responded.

"Among the possibilities, yes. I can't presume to know what's involved with ruling a planet like Alderaan. Others better versed in such things have told me there are reasons why you made the alliance with Thul that you did, but I'm too simple to really ever truly understand all of that. I *do* understand the Sith, however. I understand how treacherous they can be, how their influence can work its way into a person or community slowly enough that they never understand how they're being changed. Or instead, how quickly everything can seem to change around you in their favor once they decide to stop being patient."

“Alderaan is a complex creature, master Jedi. We are not Queen by some primitive divine right or simply martial power. We rule at the behest of the Houses, great and small, and must balance their needs with the needs of Alderaan. The Houses invest their power in me, and despite their oaths of fealty their loyalty is not absolute.”

“Or to put it another way, running Alderaan is akin to balancing manka cats on one’s head without them falling or scratching your face.”

She rubbed the bridge of her nose and then said, “We appreciate the Jedi’s concern but vague supposition is not enough. If you have proof to back such concerns then we will listen, otherwise we must return to our hunt. Alone.”

"Of course," she said, "It is just supposition at the moment, as you say. We can not expect you to act on that. But we can hope you will at least consider the possible danger. And of course, if the queen should find herself in a situation where she must call on the aid of outsiders, we will act as needed."

She gave her best attempt at a bow. "I uh... suppose I should just stay here for a while until your party's moved on. I'm obviously not very stealthy, and don't want to give them cause for concern."

“Such as being accosted by unexpected guests on a private outing? We shall keep that in mind, Jedi Knight Hoshin. We take your warning seriously, such as it is,” she responded.

"...right. Exactly like that. Have a good hunt."

Phew, this was going better than expected. Now if only she could catch a glimpse of that guest she was supposed to be with as well, that would be particularly swell.

The queen gathered her weapon and fastened her helmet to her hip and began pinning her hair back up before she donned her helmet. Leaving Layne alone.

OOC: Perception or Vigilance at Hard.

Vigilance: 3eA+3eD 3 failures, 2 advantage


(So failure, but maybe advantages used to... get *some* kind of useful insight?)

She briefly sees the reflection of some of the Queen's Guard in the water before they fade back into the trees.