Tell Me...

[Marcello Matteo]

Marcello stood silently on a plateau over-looking the expanse of Ossus. While he wasn't the biggest fan of the planet, he did acknowledge that he quite often was required to travel to the Temple to pick-up new students or teach a class here and there. He'd never really seen himself as much of a teacher but times had forced his hand and shown him the necessity to lend his assistance in any way possible. That being said, the Jedi Master still had standards to maintain. There were plenty of individuals he found to be, by and large, untrainable. The path of a Jedi Knight was not for every Padawan...some were merely better suited to the Jedi Service Corps. Those jobs were all very necessary and there was no shame in assignment.

Of course - try telling any Padawan that and they immediately thought they had all the answers to life and merely needed a second opinion. This never created any element of a recipe for success whatsoever. Either way, this particular trip to Ossus had nothing to do with Padawans or the Order at large, really. He had asked for a fellow Jedi Master to meet him here at these precise coordinates for a meeting. Well...Jedi...Mandalorian. Whatever the hell the deal was.

Dressed typically in comfortable clothing, the Jedi Master leaned against the nose of his N-1T as he awaited the arrival of [member="Rianna be Ar'klim"].

 

[Rianna Organa]

Ossus

Rianna was dressed very simple one would have expected either mandalorian armor, or a dress of alderaan design, but Rianna preferred the simple cotton pants, and shirt of a very neutral color. She walked down the ramp of The Morning Star and headed towards where she was to meet her long time friend [member="Marcello Matteo"]. He had sent a message and he didn't usually do so unless something was needed.

She could see him ahead leaning on the ship she laughed and shook her head as she approached, "Marcello you're looking well and you have the look of a man with many thoughts" She moved closer smiling once within reach she reached over to hug her friend and then step back looking up at him. He was taller than she, "So what is up my friend" What was on his mind.

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Marcello's glacier-blue gaze flicked in the direction of [member="Rianna be Ar'klim"] at the sound of her approach. Pushing off the nose of his starfighter slightly, the Jedi Master returned the smile though he piqued a curious brow at her choice of words. He supposed he was pensive more often than not.

However, when Rianna stepped in for a hug, Marcello returned it...awkwardly. In truth, the Jedi Master was definitely not the touchy feely type with those he did not know, or wish to know, on a...deeper level. As a matter of habit and no lacking of desire, the Naboo native's thoughts immediately drifted to [member="Kiskla Grayson"]. For several moments, the smell of her hair filled his nostrils and the feeling of her lips upon his own left a tingling sensation. They were all memories, but it was a testament to the depth of his emotion that his interaction with any female...regardless of how benign...only made him long for the one that held his heart.

Forcing the thoughts and emotions aside for the purpose of being productive, Marcello took a slight step back from Rianna, creating an air of space he desired mostly just to be able to see the diminutive woman clearly. "Thank you, Rianna. You look beautiful as ever. I suppose married life agrees with you." Marcello allowed a thin smile to crack the veneer of his otherwise stoic expression. Given the state of the galaxy, they all had to find their own happinesses. "I'll get right to it. Alderaan. I am sorry we were not able to emerge victorious there. I must admit the...re-attack was haphazard and poorly planned. Leadership of the government has changed rather drastically in the wake of that serious blunder."

Waving a dismissive hand, Marcello declared himself actually read to be productive...instead of mere complaints that would effect nothing. The past was the past...he could not change it. "Your people. I imagine you resist. The Jedi Order and Republic wish to provide you aid in whatever form we can manage. In that light, I have two requests. I need to know what it is you need...what type of support, and I also need to know if you can sneak an apprentice of mine onto the planet. Claim he is in your service for whatever random reason, but he will be my eyes while I get other things organized."

 

[Rianna Organa]

[member="Marcello Matteo"]

Alderaan the heart of many topics of discussion as of late. It was almost as if fate was once more taking a hand whenever Rianna tried to be friendly with Marcello he often radiated these emotions that made her think of something with sharp edges. She had never really thought of him romantically she knew the Leori had feelings for him but this was neither here nor there.

Blunder, her home was in distress changing. "Marcello there is a resistance on Alderaan consisting of nobles and others. But the information coming out of Alderaan is not all promising they are changing Alderaan into something else. It is said portions of the valleys, and mountains disappear everyday. The wildlife, no one knows our poor Thranta who only exist on Bespin and Alderaan could be gone"

Rianna thought of home, "I would like to see Alderaan free. It will take years to make it home again, but the people that are there now, they need help. And the few houses I'm in touch with will fight to the last member of their houses, and as for your padawan I can get him on Alderaan, but his safety could be in jeopardy. Do you think he would be alright there if he had no help?"

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Marcello's mostly dispassionate response was immediate. "Vongforming." While the Jedi Master certainly cared, he made practiced effort to keep emotions out of his decision making. That even included emotions centering around [member="Kiskla Grayson"]. What's that? He failed all the time? Well it was a work in progress where the principal interest of his life was concerned.

Turning his glacier-blue gaze briefly to the horizon, Marcello eventually gave [member="Rianna be Ar'klim"] his full attention once more. Raising a hand, he signalled for them to basically take a step back. "I suspected as much, but I hadn't heard any specific reports. Vongforming is...quite difficult to reverse, Rianna. You are correct in that it would take a great deal of time and resources."

Exhaling heavily, Marcello ran a hand through his long, golden locks before eventually nodding to nobody in particular. "Alright. You say they want to fight back." Retrieving his datapad, he punched in an access code before dispatching a meeting to [member="Rano"] for him to meet Marcello at the entrance to the Temple...and be packed for an extended trip. "We need to get organized then, and I'm not keen on delaying unnecessarily. So. You're going to get us onto that planet to meet with whatever resistance exists there."

Obviously us included Marcello's very young apprentice. The boy could use the experience however.

 

[Rano]

[member="Marcello Matteo"]

When he got the massage Rano quickly packed and pulled the bag onto his shoulder before leaving his room and headed off to meet Marcello... Once there he smiled a bit and ran a hand threw his shaggy blond hair.

 

[Rianna Organa]

[member="Marcello Matteo"] [member="Rano"]

She knew Marcello was right she felt she knew the minds of many of the others, they wanted to pull Alderaan away from the Sith no matter what. Even if it meant years to restore it they felt it was a matter of honor. She understood, but there was also the plan of finding another planet where their people could take refuge. "There are some on Alderaan that will need refuge Marcello somewhere safe."

Things were so twisted already she tried to keep her mind straight, and keep the goals of the Queen in mind.

"Yes, I'll take your padawan if anything I will protect him long enough for him to leave and meet with the resistance" What there remained of them.

 

[Elaine Thul]

ignore.

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Marcello nodded his head slightly. "I'll accompany you. I wouldn't ask someone else to take responsibility for my apprentice, and he's not yet ready to...venture out on his own." As much as Marcello believed in allowing people to prove themselves, he did not believe on sending some that was, effectively, but a boy into a potential dangerous situation improperly prepared. "Meet me at the entrance to the Temple."

Saying nothing more, Marcello quickly entered the cockpit of his fighter and rocketed off into the distance. The trip to the Jedi Temple was a short one. After he arrived, he instructed R9 to take the vessel to the nearest Praxeum-class for temporary storage. Making his way over to [member="Rano"], Marcello nodded to the young boy. "We're going to Alderaan to establish contact with the Resistance." Turning slightly, Marcello cast his glacier-blue gaze in the direction he knew Rianna's ship would arrive from. "You're going to meet a friend of mine that is going to help us do that."

Marcello was sure that the sight of his very large frame next to the child's very small one would look...odd to Rianna. Perhaps she would be used to it though.

[member="Rianna be Ar'klim"]

 

[Rano]

[member="Marcello Matteo"]

" Really? Alright.. what's your friends name?" He asked looking up at Marcello with his sea blue eyes as he brushed his shaggy hair out of his eyes again but gave a slightly annoyed look as they fell back again, he shook his head and sighed " think i need a hair cut" he said with a soft laugh.

 

[Rianna Organa]

[member="Marcello Matteo"] [member="Rano"]

Rianna watched now, time was of the essence this was now well understood. If Alderaan was to have any hope then they needed to get there and make their plans, and if the force were on their side perhaps just perhaps they could free it from Sith, and Vong Terraforming.

Rianna headed to The Morning Star. The trip would be short, Rianna made contact with one of her allies on Alderaan, asking them to meet them within republic space to take Marcello and his apprentice to Alderaan.

Rianna knew that action had to start somewhere, and this was it.

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Marcello arched a curious brow as he watched the boy fuss with his hair. "Adapt and overcome, [member="Rano"]." The sensation of the Alderaanian Jedi's approach pulled Marcello's glacier-blue gaze to the horizon momentarily. "Her name is Rianna." Silence lingered for but a moment before he turned his gaze back to the young Padawan. "Guard your thoughts and tongue around her. She is polite and kind, but she owes loyalty to an organization that can hardly be trusted from week to week."

At least, that was certainly the case in Marcello's eyes. Why the Republic was reaching out for an alliance with the Mandalorians was largely beyond the Naboo native, but he supposed a congenial neutrality was better than outright hostility.

[member="Rianna be Ar'klim"]

 

[Rianna Organa]

[member="Marcello Matteo"] [member="Rano"]

Rianna arrived having made contact with someone that would most likely make Marcello and his Padawan nervous but she would go with them as far as she could to Alderaan itself if she had to, and then from there they would make contact with the next person.

Then the Jedi could disappear. Rianna moved her ship to a turn to fit onto the landing area, she could sense Marcello nearby, and another unfamiliar as they were.

Powering down, she quickly got up and went to the back ramp and walked down, her dark eyes immediately went to where Marcello was. Walking with definite purpose as she got nearer she could see them, she whispered knowing that her voice would carry on the the breeze that swept over to Marcello and his padawan.

"Ready?" She paused, smiling only slightly.

 

[Rano]

[member="Marcello Matteo"] [member="Rianna be Ar'klim"]

Rano blinked and then nodded " Yes sir" he said as he then folded his arms behind his back and remained quiet. Even once he heard another voice he stay quiet but nodded his head a bit in greeting to her.

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Marcello gave [member="Rano"] a brief glance of approval before shifting his gaze to the approaching [member="Rianna be Ar'klim"]. "I believe so." Motioning to Rano, Marcello took a brief moment to do the introductions. "Rianna, this is Rano, my...newest apprentice." As Rano already knew who Rianna was courtesy of his brief explanation, the Naboo native did not bother to execute the second part of the introductions. "Alright, let's get this show on the road." Casually, Marcello stepped forward towards Rianna's ships. He hoped this...visit proved fruitful. There was no telling when it came to refugees that just really wanted their home back. It had a tendency to make people...well...rash.

 

[Rianna Organa]

[member="Rano"] [member="Marcello Matteo"]

"Hello Rano, welcome aboard, Marcello let us be off" Rianna turned and headed back into the ship. She began speaking before she was even in the pilots seat, "There is a small resistance group on Alderaan, they are doing their best to be accommodating to the new owners, but at the same time they are leading small raids to disrupt activities which is not making the sith happy. I think we need to step those raids up, but the reports that come out about what is happening are not reliable. They are after all not military, they are operating out of necessity, fear, and loyalty."

Rianna slid into the pilots seat, sent the message off to the contact to be at the rondevous point. Then she primed the engines rising up slowly turning and then darting towards space.

"What have you heard of Alderaan Marcello?" She did not look, she did not want to see if there was more devastation at home than what she wanted to believe.

 

[Rano]

[member="Marcello Matteo"] [member="Rianna be Ar'klim"]

Rano followed them onto the ship but remained silent still even after he took his seat he stay quiet to let the two talk.

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Marcello settled himself into the co-pilot's seat though he paid no attention to the controls. Turning slightly in his chair, he watched [member="Rianna be Ar'klim"] as she briefly explained what was happening. Her question, however, made him curious. "Only what I've read in reports or heard by word-of-mouth."

Pausing, the Jedi Master glanced back at [member="Rano"] before fixing his gaze on Rianna. "I've heard about the vongforming. I'm sure you understand that makes for quite a long-term problem. Do your people have any sort of plan to deal with not just the Sith but the planet as well?"

 

[Rianna Organa]

[member="Marcello Matteo"] | [member="Rano"]

Rianna had indeed posed this question to all those that currently were planetside. She had heard the passoin in their voices when she had suggested that they leave and find a new home. Not that she was for giving the Sith Alderaan, but the truth was they had it already and were changing it. She had seen a few thranta her last visit, but so far none of the manka cats had emerged. It was probably because thranta had the ability to fly higher and further away.

Already things had changed. "There is one or two among the resistance that have been putting aside a seed bank of all things from Alderaan, that they can still find." Rianna kept them on a steady course.

She tried not to sigh tried not to make it sound like there was a sense of hopelessness. Rianna looked to Marcello, "My niece has gone before the Senate and posed three options to them regarding Alderaan. Find all the refugees a new home, rescue any citizens left on Alderaan that want to leave, and take on the sith once more to take it back. I do not know how that is being received. What we see is taking Alderaan back from the Sith, and over time terraforming it back to what it was, but find a new world for all those of Alderaan to live on, and call home until we can go home."

Rianna hit the hyperdrive. "Taking Alderaan back from the Sith is more symbolic than anything else. Think of what Alderaan represents to all of the galaxy." She stopped talking letting all that she said sink in.

"You must think us foolish" She knew him to be straight forward.

 

[Marcello Matteo]

Marcello listened to [member="Rianna be Ar'klim"] patiently. He was not aware of the motion on the Senate floor, but he wouldn't be. The options seemed...intriguing. He wondered why people had remained there during the first two evacuations in the first place. At this point, going in to liberate more people would be...quite dangerous without actionable intelligence on location and defenses. If nothing else, he could acquire that.

"Alderaan is, honestly, a fading symbol in a dark galaxy Rianna. I think those trying to fight off the Sith through rebellion alone are a touch moronic." Pausing, Marcello considered his next words carefully. "I'm on this trip to assess the ability for you all to conduct rebellions and provide some training and advice as necessary. My report will ultimately drive whether or not the Republic elects to attempt re-taking the planet. So...it's not hopeless. Not yet."