Wait, are you recording this?

[Jaxton Ravos]

Jaxton wasn't sure if @[member="Simone"] would get understand his message, but she gave her a week to clear out all of the details. If she was half the reporter she thought he was she'd have been able to figure it out. And if she wasn't, than he probably didn't have anything to worry about. In anycase he was going to enjoy himself. The Ithorian Herdships were a peaceful place, it's inhabitants deeply attuned with nature, caring for it, uplifting it, in a fervent precision that could only be described as something spiritual. As a result the place was peaceful, not only being serene in appearance, scent, smell, but also stretching outwards to Jaxton in the Force. Overall it had a calming effect on the former Jedi Master. A lot could be learned by spending time here, letting the Force show it's way, what could be gained from co-operation with it.

Today however, Jaxton would be learning little, but perhaps teaching much. He didn't trust reporters, but this one telling her to take down his picture, giving him the option of choosing their meeting spot, not putting out any headlines like "Former Jedi Master found on dating site" in the past week. They were all good gestures. A foundation to build on. Now all he had to do was wait for her to get here, so they could start laying down the bricks.

 

[Simone]

"Okay, Simone breathe. This is nothing you haven't done before."

She wiped sweaty palms on her jeans as she descended the Duckling's landing ramp onto the herdship. She looked back at the past few weeks. She'd been in the Empire's space and met a plant with a bad reputation and had had no fear. She'd watched a speeder blow up on Coruscant and spat in the Republic's face with a live broadcast and still she couldn't say she was more nervous then, than she was now. Maybe it was because so much was dependent on how this meeting went, she had it, right in front of her, the key to breaking the Republic.

True to her word she came armed with nothing. No datapad, no recorder, no camera, just her. She let her feet carry her through the jungle level's troubling one or two ithorian's as she asked where she could find Master Ravos. She found herself a bench carved from the trunk of an old tree and sat down, deciding that it was probably better to let a force sensitive fine her rather than getting herself lost.

@[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Jaxton, while not an overly broad man in his mastery of the Force, at least not for most of his level, was still one of the better at sensing things in the Force. Amidst the peace and reverence that he felt throughout what portions of the Herdship he could sense he felt one emotion, one feeling that wasn't like the others. Above all, it was an emotion of curiosity, with a few healthy teaspoons of nervousness and concern built in. If he was a betting man, which he actually was in time's long past, he'd bet that he was sensing the mind of @[member="Simone"], Zeltron reporter by day and reluctant dating site goer by night. He made his way over, and when he reached sight of Simone on a wooden carved bench she'd likely see him as well, probably noticing that he was unarmed, but also free in expression. Unlike typical secret meeting with reporters, or at least what holodramas thought were secret meetings with reporters, Jaxton made no effort to hide who he was, wearing the simple pants and shirt he wore when he was a Jedi.

He took a seat next to the Zeltron on the bench, but put a little room between them. He had the feeling that'd be more comfortable for her, and he didn't want to seem overbearing. "Good afternoon Ms. Simone. Flight over here go well?" He asked, friendly in tone, though he doubted the reporter would be satisfied with such 'small talk' for long.

 

[Simone]

She had seen him alright, she sat upright eyes bright with curiosity as she watched him come towards her and settle himself on the bench. "Ugh!" she responded, "Don't call me that, makes me think your about to tell me off for something." she shuddered. "Simone will do just fine, Master Ravos, or Jaxton, if you prefer." she shrugged and tucked one leg up underneath her, watching his every move, clearly eager to press into the matter at hand but not wanting to scare him away either. She let him control the pace of the discussion.

"The flight was ok, came here from Coruscant. That was a messy affair if ever I've seen one. Nice riddle by the way, I had to really dig up some history lessons for that one." she cast her eyes at their surroundings. "Kinda surreal, floating on a ship but sitting in a jungle."

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Jaxton laughed. He had the same habit, trying to get rid of formalities. "Jaxton please." He said as she made herself more comfortable, before she spoke of Coruscant, and all the troubles there. Normally he wouldn't know what she was talking about, as Jaxton wasn't one to keep up with the news, but since he was meeting with a reporter he decided to make a small check up on her news, see what she was interested in. Mostly the Jedi from what she could tell, which explained why she wanted to meet with him. In years past he'd have considered a reporter seemingly out to get the Jedi as an issue, but now it merely felt like she was trying to uncover the truth. How times changed.

"The Ithorians are amazing people. I was lucky enough to befriend one a while ago when I was in the Jedi. Good man, simple man in a lot of ways. Old hammerhead has a lot better vision than I do. Found the strength to leave long before I did." He said, pausing for a moment. "Is that what you want to know? How I came to leave?" @[member="Simone"]

 

[Simone]

Simone nodded "Boolon Murr has a wonderful reputation once you dig past the dren that the republic has pasted all over him." She was not a fool, she had done her homework on all of those that had left. Followed their movements as best she could since. She thought to the table back on her ship, littered with datachips, holograms of all their faces, flickering. "He's been on my 'to meet' list for a very long time." She sighed at his question.

"Yes and no. Here's the thing, I know why you left. Everyone with half a brain knows why you and your friends left. The Republic is a manifestation of lies and broken promises. They lash out at factions like the Empire and the Fringe and label them as evil when they themselves commit the same, if not sometimes worse atrocities. Darron Wraith made the fatal error of marrying the Jedi Order to the Republic and as such the same ethos has fallen over them. Yet you ask anyone in the street what they think of the Jedi and they paint them as saints. You place the case of Matsu Ike under their noses and they'll scream heresy and tell you that it was all a lie made to bring great people down."

Simone's eyes glittered with passion as she spoke. "The people of the Republic are being blinded, and I want to pull the wool from their eyes and make them see the truth that people like Linna and Maerys work so damn hard to cover up. So I'm following every lead I can get. You," she smiled "You at this very point in time are my prized piece. So yes, I want to know why you left in your own words. I want to know what you are doing now, I want to know what you think about the current events anything you are willing to give me." She stopped and drew in a deep breath, and exhaled, calming herself. she was asking a lot from someone who had worked very hard to keep his name and face off the radar for some time. But Simone was not the only one digging up the 'traitors' as such they were called. Of the two evils that presented themselves to him, Simone was the better one. But it would take some convincing, and a lot of trust.

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

"You've done your homework Simone." He complimented, before shifting a bit as more serious conversation came to helm. He paused for a moment, looking at the ground, merely contemplating what to say, what he wanted to do. "I can tell you my story, but I can't come out of hiding. If I were alone, it'd be one thing, but I'm not. Other people rely on me. My daughter relies on me. I can't get dragged out into a PR battle that won't account for anything." He continued, thinking and feeling as he spoke. The Silent Conclave wasn't structured to need a leader, but he was still it's founder, and something like this would have to force him out of it, lest Seroth and Rosa and Ben and Boolon and all the others start being looked for, brought attention to. This lady already knew of Boolon, what else might she have known of? He didn't fear her specifically, but if he came to light others would come looking, many wishing not for the truth or answer, but stories, agendas, ratings.

"I don't think my voice alone will change the opinions of the people of the Republic." He said, still contemplating, but mostly feeling out into the Force. He had never thought turning of the minds of the Republic in his power, but something told him to trust the woman. Perhaps it was him being gullible, perhaps it was him falling for the zeltron's charm, perhaps it was the Force guiding him to some chain of events he couldn't forsee, but it was there. "What if . . . what if I did tell you everything? Let you record it even? Could you sit on it? Wait to disclose it until the right time?"

@[member="Simone"]

 

[Simone]

Simone clasped her hands together and brought them to her lips, preparing herself for the worst as Jaxton spoke of those who relied on him, of his daughter. A sharp intake of breath followed at his suggestion and she beamed at him. "Of course!" she exclaimed shuffling closer to him with excitement glittering in her eyes. "I mean, I know you alone can't change the minds of the citizens but you're a start. If I was to release everything I had as I gathered it, it would just be shot down bit by bit. Everything I record I give to you, the only copy, until you and the others are ready." It was her last card, her last plea to show that she was not here to make a fool out of anyone of them.

In this, Simone had nothing to gain, she was here because she wanted people to know the truth. She didn't care what it cost her. "If you like I can send you other information as I gather it, so you can get an idea for what I'm putting together." She very much wanted to hug him, but she resisted.

@[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Even without the Force amplifying his senses, or his Zeltron physiology letting him detect slight bits of emotion in others telepathically, she could tell that @[member="Simone"] was ecstatic about his answer. "That could work." He said, optimistically. "Although, truth be told I don't want to gather all of the info you get. I don't know what's gonna happen, and I don't know how all of the other's who've left are going to act, but I don't want to seem like I'm trying to push other people into giving their stories like I have. Let them come in their own time you know? So, I'm just gonna trust you that I'm not the only angle you're gonna pursue." He said, perhaps a leap of faith, but Jaxton was ready for it. As long as he could the trouble away from Kida of course.

"Soooo . . . . how does this work exactly? Most interviews I've done are in a locker room after a game and a shower."

 

[Simone]

Simone grinned. "Grav-ball was a long time ago." she chuckled and got to her feet unable to sit still any longer and paced for a minute in thought. "Okay, let start with something simple. This isn't going to be a one off interview, thanks-very-much-i'll-never-speak-to-you-again crap. I can't get to the bottom of the subject like that. So, lets start with dinner and drinks. Locations will remain your decision," she stopped pacing and looked around her "I think they reflect you better if you chose." she nodded, satisfied with her decision. "I'll bring a recorder. No camera's for the first few, and we can talk. Get to know each other better. When you're comfortable we'll get the camera's involved."

She clasped her hands behind her back. "What do you think?"

@[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Jaxton stood up with the impatient and not-completely stifled a laugh as she finished her thoughts. "I think you best be careful or you might yourself on a real date one day Simone." He joked, before thinking a moment. "Let's try Smokey Pete's on Corellia. Little hole in wall burger joint I used to go a long time ago. Man can cook a nerf." He said, choosing a 'lower class' option, but a good one. Jaxton enjoyed little dingy places like that. Couldn't stay in business that small without a loyal customer base, which usually meant good food.

"Now, I've chosen the place, so I'll let you choose the time. When shall I see you next?" @[member="Simone"]

 

[Simone]

Simone hooked her thumbs through her belt and tilted her head, flashing him a flirty smile. "I wouldn't object to that." she winked. Hell if you couldn't flirt with the people you were working with who could you flirt with? Her comm beeped in her pocket and she pulled it free, her smile dropping as she read the message.

"Well," she said looking up "provided I don't get myself killed on Korriban shall we say this time next month?" Korriban to Corellia was a long run. "I'll let you know if there's a hiccup." she waved her comm realizing that she wasn't explaining herself. "Republic are invading Korriban. Can't miss that one."

@[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

"Korriban?" He asked, raising his voice a little in surprise. "That's . . . dangerous! How do you plan to get there? Do you have a blaster? Or a flak jacket? I'll buy you a flak jacket." He said, mouth moving a hundred miles a minute as he began to pace. "I can't buy a flak jacket, I'm on an Ithorian Herdship." He said, realizing there wouldn't be an armory here.

Jaxton let out a deep sigh, as he realized there wasn't much he could do. "Just . . . Be careful."

@[member="Simone"]

 

[Simone]

Simone was taken aback by Jaxton's sudden concern for her safety, she let out a laugh. "I have a ship, so i'm flying. Yes I have a blaster, no I don't know how to fire it and no i don't have a flak jacket...though its not a bad idea." she gave him a reassuring smile. "I do dumb things like this all the time, and i'm still in one piece. I have a knack for surviving against the odds." She patted his arm.

"I'll be fine, and if i'm not...well, you can come rescue me, hey?" she winked again.
@[member="Jaxton Ravos"]

 

[Jaxton Ravos]

Jaxton saw the smile of the Zeltron reporter, trying to reassure him, but the words spoke of nothing but the contrary. Going to a warzone with a weapon you don't know how to use? No armor? And this a typical situation? And her supposed back-up plan was Jaxton coming to rescue her? It was a bit unsettling, to say the least, though the angle of flirtation was not lost on him.

"I might have to." He said, walking away. "Although . . . maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing." He said, with a grin before turning around and letting her go. He'd see her again on Corellia, and they'd have some burgers. Hopefully.

@[member="Simone"]