Outlying Lands (General Ossus Thread)

[Jace]

Jace nodded and extended his Force awareness as far as he could in hope that the person might slip and let their presence show through. He stayed behind Mez as she made her way towards the area. About halfway through their journey he felt the presence again and it was still in the same place, he told his Master as much and they continued on more cautiously. When they were a few feet out they stopped and Jace could see a fire blazing in a clearing. Next to the fire sat a person clad in black Jedi robes and beside them stood a droid of some sort.

[Nessa Henlen]

The woman who sat at the fire was clad in black Jedi robes and her face was hidden behind a mask. Not one part of her skin was showing and if anyone did get a look where her robes might be pulled up her skin was covered in bandages. She looked towards the tree line where she felt the Jedi and nodded.

“My Mistress would like to invite you both to come sit by her fire, if it pleases you.”

The droid that spoke was not a protocol droid but a Yuuzhan Vong Hunter, outfitted with several protocol programs. She turned her attention back to the fire and prodded it with a stick, waiting to see what action her new companions would take.

[Mez-Jid Fie'r]

Of course, it had to be fire, Mez thought ruefully, making absolutely no move to step any closer. The one thing she used to be really good at.

"This is a protected area. Fires around here can spook the animals pretty badly. Your Mistress got a name to give out to people, and does she communicate solely through you, or is she still capable of fluid speech?"

Hunter droid. Sithspit. Easy enough to deal with provided a given value of Force Electricity capabilities, which she didn't have anymore and Jace was highly unlikely to know - shouldn't know, not at his age to say the least. At this rate, she'd need to get her 'saber back off Jace-
Which would leave him practically undefended.

Diplomacy. Greeaaaaat...

[Jace]

He stayed behind Mez and used the Force to try and get a sense of the person sitting at the campfire. He didn’t feel any hostile thoughts coming off of them. He wanted to tell his Master as much but he thought it best if he kept his mouth shut. Jace then thought of an idea and used the Force to try and open a connection with Mez. If they couldn’t communicate openly maybe they could do so in the Force, after all she was a Jedi Master so this should be a cake walk for her.

[Nessa Henlen]

“We are very sorry for the fire then ma’am, we did not realize. As to my Mistress’ name you may call her Nessa, but in return she would know yours and your young companions as well.”

Nessa continued to the poke the fire for a moment longer as her droid communicated through her. The last comment made her look up and she cocked her head slightly to the side, as if amused.

<”Oh, I’m very capable of speech. It’s just a matter if you can understand it or not.”>

The words were not in basic, in fact they weren’t words at all, at least not to the untrained ear. It was a series of growls, barks, and low moans. To see and hear a human speak Shyriiwook was as fascinating as it was terrifying, at least to some. To make matters a bit more frightening the growls and barks that came through the mask had a slight robotic twang to them.

Although her face was not showing the woman who sat before them looked to be in her late teens or early twenties due to her size. She also had no visible weapons on her, although everyone present knew that meant little.

[Mez-Jid Fie'r]

Mez kept her face completely straight as awareness slammed through her, the universe opening up again around her, every rustle of the trees in the distance, every animal, plant, every single thing, present, and alive.

Vo- no. Jace. Interesting.

?, she managed to send.

"You may call me Fie'r. The boy's name is his own to give. And I've not met a Wookiee wearing so much in the way of clothes before - nor yet a human speaking their tongue."

And the person in the mask was human, that much she could tell through piggybacking off Jace's Force-use. Human and-
not hostile.
Ah. That must be what Jace was trying to tell her.

Still. Droids were consistently harder to read, so she wasn't going to step any closer quite yet.

[Jace]

He was taken aback when the woman, he assumed it was a woman with a name like Nessa, began to bark and growl. It took him a moment to realize it was Shyriiwook. He started listened more carefully but only caught the last bit of what she was saying. He stretched his Force awareness even further in hope it might help him understand what this strange woman was saying the next time she spoke. When he heard Mez give her name he looked at Nessa.

“I’m Jace.”

Jace turned his attention back to his Master and waited for any instructions she might wish to give.

[Mez-Jid Fie'r]

The universe was beautiful even without her full connection to the Force, but sensing everything the way Jace did was breathtaking, so much that it was nearly all Mez could do to pull back a little, let her Padawan's powers be more his own than adding to hers.

He's going to be strong one day. Likely stronger than I was, at this rate.

She felt him narrow his focus to Nessa, and flowed with it, offering only a gentle, mental reminder to keep some of his senses on the droid as well. She knew where the others in the night's patrol were anyway.

[Nessa Henlen]

<”The universe is full of surprises Miss Fie’r.”>

She nodded at the boy as he spoke and turned to her droid.

<”I’ve no use for you right now Stunner.”>

The droids red photoreceptors blinked off and it slouched forward ever so slightly. She looked back towards Fie’r and motioned towards the other log positioned on the opposite end of the fire.

<”The droid is deactivated plus you have the advantage in both numbers and knowledge of the terrain. I’ve more to fear from you then you me.”

[Mez-Jid Fie'r]

Mez eyed the fire carefully, but couldn't smell any chemicals in it. Which was good, frankly. She wasn't quite sure if she'd be able to do anything with it if she needed to, but chemicals involved always made it so much more difficult.

She stepped forward cautiously, being sure to make as much noise as she could while doing so; walking like a civilian, rather than a Jedi or even a guard.

"I'd be more afraid of the animals, were I you, Miss Nessa."

[Jace]

Jace followed Mez’s lead and made as much noise as he could approaching the log. He stood behind her the entire time not sure what else to do. He could take a seat but what if it was a trap? But if it was a trap why didn’t he sense anything amiss? He pushed the thoughts from his mind and focused, waiting to see what Mez would do next.

[Mez-Jid Fie'r]

Mez eyed the log, then sat on the edge of it, angling her legs to spring up and away at a moment's notice.

"You were expecting company, to set out two logs for sitting on. Are we the ones you're seeking, or is there another you're waiting for?"

The fire was warming, and she'd regret the interference with her night vision later, Mez decided.

[Jace]

He sat beside his Master and kept his eyes on the woman, feeling slightly less anxious then before. If Mez was willing to sit it at least showed the situation was somewhat defused.

[Nessa Henlen]

<”That’s what Stunner is for. As I’m sure you can tell he’s more than a simple protocol droid.”>

She watched them approach and laughed, which came out oddly enough as a regular human laugh. She also physically recoiled at her own laughter as if it caused her pain.

<”You’ll excuse me if I find your over cautious approach amusing, you both act as if I’m some monster. Although I suppose dressed as I am I do look the part.”>

Nessa looked away from them both and began to prod the fire again. It was a deliberate move to show she did not fear them and they should not fear her. When she looked up again she saw they were both sitting.

<”I felt you approaching in the Force, I thought to play a somewhat decent host.”>

She contemplated what to say next. It was obvious they were both Jedi. The boy wore the robes and despite the woman’s outward appearance and behavior she was doing nothing to hide how strong her Force presence felt. Although she supposed the woman could be unaware of her hidden gifts but then why would a Padawan be following her? Perhaps Jace was the Master and Fie'r the Apprentice? Nessa laughed aloud at her own thought and once again grimaced.

<”You’ll excuse me I hope, a funny thought just entered my mind.”>

She prodded the fire a bit more before finally throwing the stick into it and staring at them both through her mask.

<”I am seeking someone but that’s more a Jedi matter and no concern of a couple of guards making their rounds.”>

Nessa doubted they’d be truthful with how suspicious they were but stranger things had happened.

[Mez-Jid Fie'r]

"You're no monster. You are, however, a trespasser. Which is dangerous to you, and to the animals, and of course, to that which is guarded out here. Caution is important."

Mez watched the stick fall into the fire, and let go of Jace to focus on it, just for a few seconds, push back the flames licking it and she smiled. A good exercise. She took her eyes but not her meager senses off the stick.

"You also have a distinct Force Signature. You can hide in it, have been hiding in it, but you're very much there. So let's avoid the continued pretense. You've found your Jedi here and you're plenty aware of it. Explain your purpose in the forest and on this planet and I might think about letting somebody escort you to Temple safely."

Do you need healing? Your laughter hurts you, you go from feeling almost calm to a jagged slice in the Force in an instant, so painful even I can feel it. Should somebody help you to the healers first, or does what you seek blind you even to that kind of pain?