Alderaan - Love and Intrigue

Duke Bouris Ulgo was present, he arrived with little fanfare without honor guard. He really didn’t feel much of a need for it and if House Thul wanted to take him out, well he had survived worse. He watched the sea and drank whiskey from Corellia.

He really could be doing more work but an appearance in public would not hurt.

Having cleared his security check by Panteer, Zeno was present on the cruise. More as a formality than anything else. He was still not pleased with what was happening in his house but he wanted to try and keep a Thul public presence. Noticing the Duke, Zeno approached the man and offered a respectful nod.

"Duke Bouris," he greeted in a calm and even tone.

The Duke drank his whiskey and those rose to his full height, he was a bear of a man at well over two meters in height. His frown deepened and then he said, “Duke-Consort Zeno Thul.”

"I imagine that you're evening feels like it's just been spoiled. Which I assure you is not my intention," Zeno states. "I was hoping more for an amiable conversation."

The imposingly large man was not something that bothered Zeno. Bouris was no Massassi.

“Spoiled, hardly. But if you come being amiable then say your piece,” he said pouring a second cup of whiskey.

“Might as well have something better than the piss they call wine.”

Zeno accepts the cup and nods. "Thank you. I wanted to let you know that Katarzyna visited our estates yesterday and it was a pleasant distraction from everything that is going on. I appreciated it and my daughters did as well."

He takes a sip of the whiskey.

"There have been a large number of holo vid bullshit that has been going out recently. There is something more going on here on Alderaan and I suspect that it is not any houses going through the trouble of trying to make Jedi and others look bad here. My hope is that the houses can pull together during what looks like an external force trying to create crisis and damage the balance of our world."

“Our world? Decided to go native, Imperial?” he said swallowing the double in a single go.

“The Houses did pull together when we held the line and kicked the Imperials off our world. Twice. And what was given for the sacrifice of so many a laughably pitiful treaty that spits in the faces of every veteran worthy of the title.”

He poured more and said, “What’s going on now is what the Crown has sown, my family will be here to clean up the mess when the proverbial shit hits the motivator. The question is, where will Thul stand when that day comes?”

"On Alderaan's side," Zeno states, meeting Bouris's eyes.

He speaks in a cool tone. "I am from Imperial space, and I have family there, but I have lived on Alderaan for the last eight years. This is where my daughters were born and they are native. They are Republic citizens and Alderaanians, born and raised, and they are the future of my house. Children change the way we look at the world. I am not a good man, and I have done terrible things, but I am trying to be a better man and make a good life for my children. That means a good life for my house and a good life for my world. Because above all others, I am loyal to my daughters."

OOC: Average Charm or Coercion check with a boost die for the speech.

D5 MA, The Duke, Charm, Boost from Speech, Boost from Zash's Talent, Influence FD, Average: 1eP+1eA+2eB+3eF+2eD 2 advantage, 1 Light Side, 2 Dark Side

1 dark pip for success, 1 dark pip for advantage
1 success, 3 advantage
3 advantage notice things about the speech that Ulgo appreciated

“Children do change a man, they change everything,” he said looking back to the sea.

“I don’t like your house or your wife, or you. But I respect that you intend to do right by them. I can respect that. Some of the best soldiers I worked with, hated their guts, but they had my respect.”

"Want to know a secret?" he asks the Duke. "I very nearly killed the new empress of the empire when she was still in her mother's womb. At this point I'd guess I wouldn't exactly be welcome there after the change in leadership."

He raised a brow and said, “I don’t understand anything you just said, you almost killed a child?”

"Yes. The Sith world drove many of us to truly horrific thoughts and acts and I never want to be that monster again. As I said, I don't consider myself a good man but I am trying to do the right thing by my new home and my family. But then, I wonder how many in the Republic might consider killing a child if they stood before the Sith empress... since she is only around 9 years old at this point if my math is correct."

“Grim.”

“I don’t envy the soldier that would have to make that choice, but sometimes a hard choice has to be made. But murdering a child, that’s a hard soul that can accomplish that and sleep at night,” he said grimly.

“It’s hard to think of Sith as children.”

He nods at that. "Not a particular decision I have to live with, since I made the right choice. And now, having daughters of my own, I understand how close I came to being truly evil that day. Even if people don't like me, I literally could have been much worse. I am glad I am not."

"Our children... they often never know the people we truly are," he said before taking another drink.

Zeno finishes off his own cup. "It's true. I hope that mine won't learn about some of my darkest moments, but I won't hide from them if they do. I want them to have the freedom to be what they choose, but I don't want them burdened by the mistakes of my past. And yet, my love for them would likely drive me to repeat some of those mistakes if it would help them. Fatherhood is a hefty responsibility but it comes with a great deal of joy and pride. I'm relatively new on the journey, but I can't imagine life without it anymore."

“Cherish that, then they get older and get their own ideas… it’s wonderful but frustrating. The moment they start saying no is a game changer,” he said looking at Zeno.

"My twins are a bit past the no stage... they plot together instead. Find ways around doing what they're told and get into the snacks they're not supposed to get," he says with a smirk. "I'm more worried about the stage when they don't want to do things with daddy around because he's not cool."