Alderaan - Love and Intrigue

Returning to her lodgings, Kat had one more meeting left in the day that also needed her attention.

There just weren't enough hours in the day.

This time she at least had tea out for her guest as she waited.

Galen arrived first.

"Good evening. Is that tea?"

"Good evening, mr. Sol. And yes, it's tea," she gave a small smile. "Alderaanian tea. Would you like a cup while we wait for sir Frayus?"

"Call me Galen, please." he responded. "I would love a cup."

"Alright, I ask that you call me Katarzyna, or Kat as most do, in return then."

The room, similarly to any other room in this side of the housing, was nice and comfortable... though rather spartan, as its occupant didn't seem to have many personal belongings with her. Still, there were comfy chairs and a comfy couch.

Kat took a chair herself, and poured a cup of tea for Galen. "All the dangerous wildlife aside, have you had a good time so far this festival?"

"Yes." he smiled as he sat down. "It's been better than I thought it would be. What about you? Is it like previous festivals?"

"Yes and no. It has all the same traditional events and fairs and all that... just don't remember it having potentially two royal betrothals waiting at the end of it before." She poured herself a cup as well, pushing Galen's cup closer to him across the table by nudging its saucer before picking up her own cup and settling back in the chair.

"I've mostly been busy, but I try to take part in many of the traditions. It's... good, to be a part of it."

"It would be nice." he took a sip of the tea and savored it for a moment. "To be a part of that, history and tradition."

After some minutes, a tired, but smiling Blai knocked on the door. The lack of growling or panting around seemed to suggest the wolf was not around this time - although Kat and Galen might notice Blai still instinctively looked back or to the side from time to time, as if she were close by. A nice flowery smell also told of a shower just before the visit, and this time he had simple clothes on instead of the usual cargo pants or full noble dress.

"Evenin' Galen, miss Ulgo", he said, unaware of her previous words to Galen and therefore keeping that small measure of formality. "Sorry to keep you two waiting... these were some days, eh?"

Even before any of them suggests it, he reaches into a pocket and takes the shady triangle out. "Speaking of which... I've been wondering the whole day how bad these news are."

Galen looked at it, then up at Kat. "I've only heard about them."

"Good evening, sir Frayus," Blair was welcomed with a small bow and offered a place to sit as well. Kat made sure to pour him some tea as well, figuring a fellow Alderaanian appriciated a local earthy blend.

As Blai takes out the object, she held back a sigh, but there was a wariness to her eyes. "This object... is what is known as a Holocron. A Sith Holocron specifically in this case."

"A Holocron is like... a storage device, attuned to the Force. It contains a great deal of knowledge, depending on its creator, and interaction with the content is usually done with a holographic image in the form of its creator. In the hands of those who aren't sensitive to the Force and can use it, it's just an expensive relic... only those who can use the Force can activate these devices."

Now she let out the sigh she had been holding in. "I have a feeling I can guess the maker of this one, or at least the previous owner, as I take it you found it in the lair of this Darth Dominus?"

"So this is a Sith one." Galen looked it over. "It isn't much different from what I have, but enough to assume that it wasn't made by a Jedi."

"There are some differences in them, but..." she studied it for a moment. "I don't think it's dangerous to activate in itself. The danger is more with interacting with the keeper - the hologram projection of the creator. It cannot hurt you or do anything, and knowledge in itself is not harmful."

"Rather, what one does with knowledge is what is dangerous."

The man takes a seat as suggested, and thanks Kat for the cup of tea, taking some time to breathe in its aroma with a slightly worried smile.

"A... holocron, eh?", he finally says. "Now you mention it, I think I've heard the word mention by mum. Or sister. Or both. Never paid it much heed, though... figured I wouldn't have to deal with them."

He looks at the odd triangle with the corner of his eyes, his brow furrowed.

"Ah... I don't know if that was the lair of Darth Dominus?", he says after a while, looking at Galen, then at Katarzyna again. "We found him, or his spirit, or a projection, at the factory. Apparently sustained, or projected, by the machine Galen and Elur destroyed. I'd... figured it was something left behind by something? Maybe Dominus himself, maybe someone else who was working at the factory in..." he seems a bit unsure, confused even. "Well, at some point in the past."

He then looks at them both again. "But... from what you said of this Dominus, you think it may have been his lair, at some point? Here in Alderaan?" He seems really, really worried - more worried with each word, even. But he's clearly missing the point of the Holocron proper, so he shakes his head and looks at the device after a while.

"But... well, you think activating it isn't dangerous per se, then, miss Ulgo?"

Some more time thinking before he speaks again. "I guess... maybe we should have a look at what Dominus had to say together, then? Whatever this knowledge was... I suppose it would be important to the Jedi..." he then looks directly at Katarzyna. "And you knowing what we know might make things ... easier?" His eyes turn to Galen, then at Katarzyna again. "Unless... you said you don't think the owner's words, or the knowledge it imparts, would be dangerous in itself... right? Like... try to twist us, or something like that?"

"Well, we know the Empire used that facility for processing hyperfuel before it was bombed." Galen said. "It is entirely possible it was used for more insidious purposes."

"Most people never come across them, so I'm not surprised that was your approach," she said with a small chuckle.

"Lair, base, hobby-room... I don't think that machine you spoke of would've been there if he didn't have some interest in it. Could've been where he set up his HQ during the war, like a strange sort of home-base for the hounds, a place they would consider part of their territory."

She looked at the holocron again, thoughtful. "Yes, there might be safety in number, to make sure that none of us are led astray by his words. The words themselves may not twist us, but he might try to manipulate us to the Dark side of the Force. Tell lies or decieve us."

"This should be different than what we faced out there." he told Blai. "The gatekeeper can seem very willful, but it only provides knowledge. It won't strike us with lightning, probably."

Hobby room, the nerdy xenobiologist thinks. It brings a saddened grin to his face. That'd be a terrible hobby...

"Well, no sudden lightning striking us is a relief, at least", he says with a laugh and a grin. "I suppose we could see what message that psycho's left behind, then...", he says.

He looks at the holocron again, but doesn't move to touch it. He thinks of Elur, thinks of the hounds, and winces, then looks at Katarzyna, as if inviting her to activate the thing.

Perhaps sensing Blai's trepidation, Katarzyna steels her nerves and touches the Holocron, letting the Force flow through her...

OOC: Force roll, must use Dark Side to activate, permission to roll given.