Alderaan - Love and Intrigue

Arriving in port anywhere at night was always a different vibe. There was a sense of 'this is our time, our place' about everyone who made their way through them. Folk like her, captaining ships and taking on jobs. Burning the later hours to either settle a deal or get prepped for the next one. Cargo-haulers and others of the nature, all just a bunch of folk who were only here cause they were trying to put together what money they could to keep going. Maybe for a few, in the case of the haulers, they might get to retire someday but most were often already old and gave up on that dream some time ago.

Yet.. tonight she wasn't here for any of those reasons. Following the race she had a few things replaying in her mind. She'd almost been willing to wait for him to come back but things were getting more urgent, coming to a head. So, she had to get ahead.

Taking in a moment outside of the spaceport she stands looking over Delaya. Hands on the side of both blasters at her hip, ratty jacket billowing in the wind, she's picturesque for a moment before flagging down a speeder to find her way to Bryson.

The Riss compound was more a mighty tighter with a holographic banner of House Riss outside of it. On the 586th floor was the landing pad and Bryson was waiting there when she arrived. He was dressed in a more professional uniform of House Riss, and although Night on Alderaan here it was actually early morning before dawn.

“Welcome, Lady Lanar,” he said warmly.

There was certainly a small platter of different emotions when she saw him. It had expected consequences. Making her way from the speeder with at first casual steps that quickly hurried until she was half-way to a jog in the last few which brought her up to him. Hands on his sides, leaning up and in, kissing him. One second, two, she settles and steps back finding his hands with her own.

"We.. need to talk, again," she says, a half-laugh. Glancing just past his shoulder a moment before focusing back on him totally. Eyes first, then lower, appreciating his appearance, that pause to allow her to do so. "Uniforms.. a good fit on you, by the way," she says, with a half-laugh, brow raising as she continues to inspect and appreciate.

"Thanks, and sure, whatever you need," he said honestly.

"You've got a room or something here we can do that in? Or you wanna talk it all out here on the landing pad?" she teases, evidenced further by the scrunch of her nose, a little shake.

"Yeah, of course," he said walking back towards the tower. The skyline of Delaya all around them with air-speeders moving above and below them.

OOC: Flip a Destiny here.

"Things have been hectic back home. Got me a little worried but.." she redirects, "it's probably good you came out here considering," she says with a light laugh, the rushing of speeders going either way. Creating that backdrop she had to keep her volume up enough for to talk over, though her tone tinged to softness.

Glancing down a moment, "Okay, honest. They got me really worried, about you and.." she shakes her head, settling herself. "When we get inside. What brought you out here anyway? Like- what've they got you doing?"

“House business for Duchess Rist,” he said once they entered his suite apartment. “What has you so worried?”

"You're.. I was approached yesterday," she says, taking the moment to breathe in and settle herself a moment. Calmer outlook, calmer words, "The Thul Duke-consort, Zeno? Seems.. they've got their sights on you now too. He approached me last night looking for you so.. they know something about this thing we've got going on. I probably let it slip to.. Delmi her name was?" she chuckles awkwardly a bit, shaking her head.

"Anyway.. I'm worried," she says, once more properly inside she takes his hands again. Facing him, meeting his eyes, "Cause things are starting to get real tense, and they're all looking at you. I- I know you've done what you've done for good reason but I think it's time to call it quits Bryson.. talk to Kat, figure you a way out of this. For your kids, for... me?" she says, there's an extra layer of exposure there she hesitates on, vulnerability.

“I see,” he said grimly, “I always knew that this was a possibility. House Thul… they should have never let those monsters back on the planet. But I am not going to turn back, this is what I have been working towards.”

“I am sorry, Riss, I really didn’t mean-” he paused in his speech and then clutched at his neck, Riss heard the transparasteel shatter and then a second crashing as a blaster bolt rips through his chest!

He fell back crashing through a low table onto the floor, his life quickly draining from his eyes.

There was that incredulous anger rising in her expression, the way her eyes focused on him with her rebuttal forming. That need to tell someone you care about they're being really stupid- and then everything shattered. Eyes wide she instinctually glanced toward the sound but her focus quickly flew back to Bryson. Crashing through the low table as he was she didn't get to her knees so much as fall immediately to them by his side. One hand taking to his head to support it, the other scrambling through her jacket as if she could find something, anything that would help- but she was the furthest thing from a doctor.

"No no no no, no no, no no no," she heard the voice, shaky and distant. Feminine. It was strangely exactly like hers but pained, frightened, and a million miles away.

Hand goes above his chest as it stops the searching, looking to it trying to parse an idea but nothing comes to her. First hand leaning his head up the other, likely bloodied, comes up to his cheek as she cups it, "Please no. What- what do I do?" she pleads, the worlds a strange fuzzy blur for a few seconds before she blinks and the welling tears fall away from her eyes.

Bryson tried to speak but no words came as he reached up and touched her face and then collapsed and the life left his eyes.

Meanwhile...


Elsewhere she was already dismantling her weapon. The deed was done, she had to do it herself to make sure it was done right. Pity, the man was a true believer he could have been useful down the line, but he was sentimental and had obvious weaknesses.

Just one more loose end to deal with.

For a few seconds she just held there frozen in the moment. Feeling the touch of his hand on her face, holding onto it. Words didn't come up so much as a soft whimper as she cradles his head. Pulling him closer to her chest, her heart, and burying her head in his hair. Kissing his forehead in the mess she just holds him steady and close.

Lost, in the moment, in time, inside herself.

[An Hour Later]

Riss stirs from an impossible stillness. It was nearing midnight back home, she could feel the hour start to wear on her. That weariness bringing her back from wherever she'd been for the past hour. Lifting her head she blinks through the bleariness of her eyes. A sniffle announcing her more attentive state. Taking in the scene of the room, the morning sun, the smell of the outside world, her gaze drifts over toward the transparasteel where the holes had long since cooled. It would make sense to her eventually. Right now however she returned her attention to the man laying in her arms, lifeless as he was. Eyes welled up again at the sight of his lifeless eyes, a gentle hand closing them she stares at him for a minute, two, she wasn't keeping count.

Brushing her thumb and the edge of her palm against his forehead she clears his face of the strands of hair. Leaning in, kissing him on the forehead she holds just hovering there for a moment, "I love you.." a moment to bite back the tears again, "I'm sorry," she pulls away. Laying him down gently she takes a look around the room again. Slow, steady motions. Down to herself, the mess of his blood on her, she scoots away before rising from aching knee's which lay against the hard surface for far too long. A cut in her pants from the shattered table, a shard of glass which seemingly scraped one of her knees but the minor wound closed up long ago. Pushing herself slowly to her feet she takes a moment to breath, unsteady steps she moves toward a nearby couch and sits down.

Forearms leaning down onto her knees she joins her hands together a moment, just looking at him laying there. Knowing she couldn't stay here forever, that this couldn't stand to sit like this forever, she looks down at herself again. Digging through her pockets she finds her comlink, the fob and the ear piece. Holding them in hand she stares blankly down at them. Whom would she even call? What would she even say? Questions she has no answer to. Almost as if they were forgotten she turns her hands and the comlink pieces fall to the ground scattered across the floor. Hands on her knees she pushes herself up again.

Moving toward the door she takes one more look back at Bryson, and then opens the door and exits through it. Leaving the door wide open in her wake she wanders until she can find someone, anyone, that could help her. Dazed, confused, shattered, she wasn't able to conjure up her usual articulate self. Instead all she managed out when she found someone was.

"Help me."