Alderaan - Love and Intrigue

It'd been playing in her mind all night. Delmi speaking on it didn't help.. didn't hurt either, because it was Kat whom she trusted implicitly telling her which wracked her brain. She'd hoped Delmi might offer something more, proof, but no one was sharing proof. Everyone was asking her to just trust them. How can she do that when she trusts all of them? And nobody was supplying anything she could hold onto, not enough to be sure. Well, most of them. Delmi was still pretty suspicious but she seemed to have the credentials enough for truth at least. It all came together to make this far too heavy to carry on her own.

These thoughts raced around in her mind in endless circles. Soon as she tried laying in bed after the bar scene she could feel it immediately, how she couldn't sleep. Leaving her blaster behind once more she dresses and departs from her ship. Getting a late night speeder to rush her over to Bryson's. No one else was going to give her the answers, so she was going to get them herself. Walking along the walk up to the front door she brings out her commlink and gives Bryson a call.

He answered, a light going on in the window of his room, "Riss? It's a little late for movie night?"

"I need to talk," she says, the tension latent in her voice. An urgency to her tone that come through worryingly so. A slight shake of her hand as she holds the receiver bit of the commlink there, an earpiece in as she moves toward the door with a quickened pace. Eyes locked onto the light in the window.

A minute passed and he was downstairs in sweats without a shirt and simple shoes. He said with concern, “What’s up, you okay? Not more assassins?”

As the door would open, the commlink and earpiece would be shoved into her pockets and forgotten. Seeing him brought such a flush of emotion she just steps forward, grabs him by either side of the jaw, and pulls him in kissing him hard. There's that deep needy passion to it for near on half a minute before she breaks off and pushes him back further inside, she takes deep breaths amid words that all come out with urgent speed, "I'm so kriffing confused, and I don't know what's going on. You- you're at the center of it, all of it. I need.. I need answers, I need to know who's telling me the truth. I can't.. I can't," she shakes her head, breathless, her hands resting against his chest as she didn't even have the thought to take them off after pushing him back a bit.

"Alright breathe... take your time, Riss," he said giving her a chance to collect herself.

Eyes lock and she nods, taking a step away from him she paces around a few steps before finding anything that seemed remotely able to be sat on and sits on it. Laying her forearms down across her knees she interlocks her fingers. Leaning her head down she rests her forehead against her joined hands and takes a couple minutes to relax and compose herself.

Head lowered she speaks, slowly, "Kat told me you're a part of something- something- that it's you. All these problems that have been going on? That you're part of some.. group, not House Rist but something else. A group of dangerous people who want to hurt Alderaan and you used me as a part of it. Something about that information you had me hand off to the prince. They have your picture and it's been through.. everyone, SIS? The Jedi? Even the Major, Organa, everyone's seeming to agree that it's you," she pauses for a breath.

"Kat has never lied to me, she would never lie to me," she reaches for one of his hands, takes a hold of it. Meeting his eyes she focuses on them, looking for that sincerity you're supposed to be able to see there, "But they have to be wrong.. because I don't believe you'd do something like that, right? You're good.. like actually good. I'm.. I'm so sure of it."

Well that put some things in perspective for him. He sighed and said, “It’s not what they think, and I am not some lone crazy, Riss. There are a lot of wounds, I guess I would call them, on Alderaan. Lots of people tired of expending our wealth, our time, and people to a Republic that takes our world for granted. And what are the nobility doing, we are supposed to lead and protect but it’s all politics and parties.”

“Even my own House is more invested in doing our business of mortality than what’s right,” he said placing his hands on her shoulders, “It breaks my heart. No, it broke my heart. They found me, they put me in touch with like minded people in the other houses. We know that some people will get hurt, but people are already getting hurt, getting left behind. We need to change. Panteer is doing their best, but they are not the ones to lead us forward.”

“Duke Ulgo, I believe in him, and no he isn’t involved, but he would agree that new leadership is needed. Alderaan has to be strong, we can ignore this or we can do something. I would prefer to do something. I am sorry, I used you, but I do care about you,” he said honestly.

“You are doing the right thing.”

Riss looks to him, meeting his gaze with the intensity of her own. The lost look in them turning to searching, then to uncertainty, but even this relaxes into something else. There were so many new questions, so many answers she still needed. All of them she would get in time, it culminating in that one assurance. Riss lips parted to ask a question but they only met his as she pushed herself into him, kissing deeply. Hands going to the front of his waist she pulls him in by his sweatpants.

There was no sign of her stopping.

[Screenwipe]


Byron kissed her forehead and said, "So... that was a lot to process, how are you coping?" The bedroom was just as she saw it last.

Turned on her side she looks to him with a warm smile worn, nodding a little at the question. Index finger of one hand drawing circles along his bicep while the other cozied the blanket up to her chest. A soft murmur of a calm sound as she thought to herself a second, "I'm okay. It's a lot to wrap my head around but I'm okay. Especially after that," she chuckles briefly.

"I.. still have a lot of questions though. Big ones," she says, looking to him. "You.. ready for them now?"

"Hit me, Lady lanar," he teased.

Smirking she balls up the hand stroking his arm into a fist and hits the very same bicep, it isn't hard and she isn't that strong. Scrunching her nose following the hit she hakes it at him.

"So.. first, one of the easier ones... Why Ulgo, and.. how?"

"He's a hero that has dedicated his life to protecting Alderaan, as for how... I don't know that's up to him if he so chooses. But I believe he sees the need," he responded.

"Not sold on him yet myself but.. okay. Got some other questions first," she offers with a brief smile.

"So, about the information you had me hand over? I don't trust her in the slightest, but the woman who was accusing you of something. Was.. this it? Cause she's claimed you're spreading false information to drive the houses against one another, spark conflict. I'm.. what's the goal of it all? What's actually going on there?"

“It’s a mix of real and false information. The goal is to drive the Houses to conflict but it’s not a conflict that wasn’t coming. Just speed it up, it’s not pretty business, Riss. I am going to admit that, but it was coming one way or another,” he admitted.

Riss looks pensive for a moment, shifting so that she could sit up a bit more. Seeking his hand to pull into her lap, massaging it with her own, "I'm.. not much a fan of that," she chuckles, more awkward than not.

"Why.. separated from the Republic? I'm not the biggest fan of them all the time but what does an Alderaan without the Republic even look like these days? Sure.. we're strong, but we're not exactly take on the whole Empire by ourselves strong."

"I am not pushing for separating from the Republic, but really I would follow whatever Duke Ulgo decided was best for Alderaan," he admitted. "I just feel like a change needs to happen."

"Yea.. I, I think that change is pretty much a guarantee at this point after I handed off what you gave me," she says, a light laugh as she glances out across the room. "There was a woman at the dance with Joran, she said some strange things. Queen's niece who had a gift of some kind, they tend to respect her opinion.. so it's not all nonsense," she says, a soft chuckle.

Retelling it brought her back to the feeling then, the reminders of her family. So, Riss shifted position and lay her head against his chest, "Supposedly I am Death, or connected to Death, whatever. What matters is, I was told that it meant change. That it was as it should be, that it was happening... and that if I didn't find my light, I might be lost to it," she sighs, her voice softer and a touch more distant.

"Even Kat trusts her.. appraisal?" she shakes her head a little against his chest. "So.. there should be change, since everyone seems to think she's not just some crazy woman. I just.. I hope it's the kind of change we can all live with when it's over and done with," she says, her voice is tinged with that deeper worry, uncertainty.

"I just want to make Alderaan a better world for my children to live in," he said honestly. "I have to believe I am doing the right thing."