Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Riss]

Securing herself a room here at the Dead Man's Hand Riss was putting in the brief bit of leg work to check over the room for any bugs, or other such listening devices. However, naturally, she was pretty sure there were gonna be some anyway and honestly by the time she was done checking she didn't really care. Not like anything she said was on the level of state secret when she still had her award winning smile by the end of it all.

Keying in the code for Kat she pulled up the woman on her holo, and even went so far as to put herself on holo if Kat was able to receive such on the other side.

[Katarzyna Panteer]

It didn't take long before Kat answered. The holo didn't capture all of her, but it was clear she was still in her armor. "Riss? Is everything alright?" Judging by her tone, she seemed to already be anticipating some emergency call.

[Riss]

"Huh? Oh yea, everythings fine. I'm just not gonna come home tonight," she says, and then disappears from the recording potential of the screen to dig around in her room for her things. Cleaning up this awful little room was rather important to a woman a little too used to the comforts by her measure. Nothing like the old days where she'd find herself into a random dirty bunk and hit the bed snoring.

Coming back into view, "I've got something, a little lead that maybe I can work. Everyone at the base got their talents, eh? Well.. I see a way to ply mine here so, I'll not be coming back for a little while mm?"

[Katarzyna Panteer]

There was no surprise when Kat frowned in response to those news. "And what exactly do you mean by 'a little while'? When should I start a search-and-rescue?"

[Riss]

"Tonight and tomorrow at least, or at least until I tell you otherwise yea?" she gives her little smile, innocent as a bee. "Look, I'll give you updates as I go but there's this thread here that I don't wanna lose. Besides, Aurie was.. here, which was weird? But it happened. If Aurie is going places they can't be too dangerous right?" she says, standing within the den of their current enemies.

[Katarzyna Panteer]

Kat was silent as she seemed to be mulling over this. If Aurilie was there, it meant someone could be closer to Riss in case of danger.

"I'll admit, I don't like this at all, Riss," she said sternly. "I want more description of where you're at, so that I know exactly where I need to go when things go bad." Not if. When.

[Riss]

"I'm so happy you'll admit things to me when you're worried mom," she says, leaning in toward the recorder with a big teasing smile. Finding herself a space somewhat further back a bed come into view and Riss sits on it. "I'm at the Dead Man's Hand, and staying here for the night. It's over in Junk Town. If you start asking around, the bartender might know where I am. When he asks you for money, give him 50. Any more than that and he's swindling you," she says with a casual smile as if she wasn't delivering a step by step plan of how to find her if she was in danger.

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri had got to Junktown as night was falling. He paid the tribute in credits as he didn't bring much equipment he wouldn't need at some or another.

He'd heard this place was the best place to stay, he asked around seeing if any new people were staying there trying to feel out the expedition members that might be here. He got someone matching Riss' description and a few more credits got him a room number.

And so she would hear a knock on the door.

[Katarzyna Panteer]

"Hey, I'm just worried about you," Kat held up her hands defensively as she quirked a small smile. "You and Gaul are some of the most important people to me, you know that. But... thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

The sound of a knock could be heard vaguely over the connection. "Just let me know if you need help. You know I'll come, Riss." Her smile softened. "May the Force be with you."

[Riss]

"May the Force be with you," she returns, a little more sheepishly than Kat but maybe cause it wasn't really her words. Just Riss sorta copying the phrase off Kat more than anything. Leaning in toward the recording so that her torso was occupying the majority of the 'screen', "And that's why I call you first always, mm?" she winks. Raising a hand to her lips Riss blows Kat a kiss and then disconnects. Finding herself a moment of silence before she remembers the knock at her door.

"Now.. who is behind door numbe-" and she opens the door to find, "Omandri??" she questions, puzzled and confused.

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri had been looking down at his nails while he waited. He was clad in rough spun plain clothing that would be more reminiscent of their time spent together cruising through the outer rim.

He looked up with a small smile "Hey there Riss. You stand out a lot know that?" He asked with his eyes catching hers.

[Riss]

"I had absolutely no idea," she says with a chuckle, leaning in forward a bit and hooking her arm against the side of the doorway. Taking up the look of the dashing rogue coming to seduce the fair maiden Riss was anything but either of those more often than not. Still, she was amused by the posturing she did enough with Omandri at the door.

"Comin' in?" she asks, and glances toward the mostly open space beside her through the door.

[Omandri Rist]

His smirk grew a little "Makes you easy to track down in a place like this." He completed the thought and then nodded

"I mean as comfortable as these hallways are I prefer a slightly better places to talk." Assuming she moved aside to let him in he would enter the room "what's got you out in Junktown?" He asked setting down the large military style backpack

[Riss]

Riss move just enough, but he'd have to brush past her a bit. Linking onto his shoulder as she passed she closed the door with the heel of her foot, leaning onto his shoulder a bit, "I got bored," she said with a tease to her. Leaning off of him with a sigh as she walked more into the room proper.

Taking up position on her bed she sits down with a hand on either side, legs crossed, "I'm looking into a job that might sting the pirates in my own way so.." she shrugs, "pay ack for the Rimma. You?"

[Omandri Rist]

He brushed past her but wasn't too quick about it and smiled as she leaned her head on his arm "Oh is trying to survive and rebuild a defunct military base with the people we've been at war with our whole lives not exciting enough for you?" He said with just a hint of teasing as she sat and he leaned against a table palms flat behind him.

He raised an eyebrow at her "What kind of job are we talking about?" He said producing a slender black device from his pocket. He clicked the end and set it down. She'd have been around him enough to know it's the bug jammer he carries with him at all times. A habit he's had as long as she's known him.

[Riss]

Riss gave him a look, and then a smile, "One that'll get us both ahead, mm? Lookin' into this one with Beezlediz, supposedly the pet gambler of one of the big 'uns around these parts," she shrugs. "We'll see what comes of it, mm? Honest I heard the rumor way back on Alderaan so I'm real curious what's up around here."

"Noowww," she extends one leg toward him but it doesn't come quite close enough to touch. "You. Spill it. What is Omandri Rist, the man who turned a family of assassin's into anything but doing out here with the scum of the galaxy?"

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri raised an eyebrow at her with a smile "You know as well as anyone that I have spent more than my fair share rubbing elbows with scum and villainy." Poverty created crime, Omandri spent most of his time in impoverished areas during his travel.

He sat back a little harder on the table his face falling a little. He suddenly seemed more tired like a front had fallen or the weight of the day pressed in all at once.

"My sister is here."

[Riss]

"Oh."

"Well kriff, okay, that's a surprise right? What does that mean for- so what are you doing, what do you need? I might be able to help, mmm?" Riss looks up at him with that concern written into her feature, the way her eyes searched him for answers he may not fully be aware of or willing to communicate. Regardless of their comfort, of their past, it was just how Riss always was. Never quite trusting someone even knew all of the pieces themselves when they came to her.

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri shook his head a little "Not really a surprise. She sent me a message while I was still on Alderaan, after I had already agreed to go to Hoth." He clarified to make it clear he hadn't had an ulterior motive to going from the jump "but it was coded and vague and I wanted to make sure it had some substance before bringing it up."

"But considering she tried to blow me up for the second time a few hours ago I'd say this has plenty of substance." He took a breath

"I think just be here for me? Right now I have some things I need to do on my own, confront her and all that but I might need your particular charm after I know more about what's going on."

[Riss]

"Always," she says with that casual ease she manages to possess. Reaching out a hand now instead of a teasing with the leg she pats the seat beside her on the bed with the other hand.

"Okay, so, explain to me what's going on a little more though? She tried to blow you up? I'm.. confused on the why?"

[Omandri Rist]

He takes it and steps to the bed sitting next to her close enough their shoulders were touching and for a few moments he just enjoys that closeness.

Then there's a breath and he shifts himself on the bed so he can look at her while he talks "So we found out my sister was still alive during the festival five years ago. That much I've already told you, as you can guess we put considerable resources into tracking her down. We knew she worked for the Star Cabal and so we redoubled our efforts for the Cunning Man as well because I figured one would lead to the other."

He looked down the smile that touched his lips was rueful "I was right after a fashion. About a year ago we conducted an operation where we had cornered the Cunning Man. At least we thought we had." There was a touch of pain to this memory "we infiltrated a shell corporation office building. We found a terminal and I got a message, Vidara was the Cunning Man. She had rigged the building to explode. We lost three good operatives that night because I wasn't smart enough to figure it out and walked into a trap."

He had to take a pause to pull himself together and give Riss a chance to process everything so far.

[Riss]

At the revelation Riss found herself distant, away from the moment. Eyes not quite concentrating on the space in front of her, but on so much more. Shoulder leaving Omandri's, losing that touch, as she loses herself in the moment. Mind whirling through the process. Choking out the words at first but getting smoother, "O-oh.. w-what are you going to do, Omandri? If-" she shakes her head, not looking at him but just in front of herself, "when you find her that is?"

[Omandri Rist]

He had thought this might be hard for her but he trusted her, she was probably one of the few people he did trust especially with something like this.

He shook his head "I....don't know. I'm going to track her down tomorrow, I got a lead on where she's hiding. But I don't know." He reached out and put a hand on her leg "You ok?" He asked gently.

[Riss]

Riss pulled away instinctually, but bit that response short and stayed under Omandri's reassuring gesture. Breathing steadily, intentionally, she maintained herself in a sort of calm. When she spoke, it almost didn't sound like Riss- her tone was cold, "You better figure that out. Don't give her a chance to get away, she'll find it and take it," she bites her lip to cease a slight hiss, only causing another one in pain.

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri looked at her for a moment thoughts running a bit but nodded "I'll do what I can." He said.

He reached up and gently caught her chin "now stop that, you're going to make your lip bleed and I didn't bring any bandages." His voice was gentle and soft, he saw her pain and pushed his worries aside for now. He gave her a reassuring smile there were traces of worry there but directed toward her and not the larger situation at hand.