Outlying Lands (General Ossus Thread)

[Jace]

He thought it odd the woman laughed at a seemingly private joke only she herself knew, that wasn’t something an entirely sane person did. Whatever ease he’d felt was suddenly replaced by weariness again. Maybe this was one of the crazy people Mez had warned him about. He looked at his Master as she spook and shifted uncomfortably on the log, best to keep quiet until he was spoken to again.

[Nessa Henlen]

The honesty surprised her but the two of them had no way of knowing that. She reached behind the log she was sitting on and produced a small bag, while her eyes stayed on the both of them she took the object out of her bag. Nessa held the object out for both of them to see. It was a holocron in the shape of a pyramid with a reddish tint, obviously of Sith origin.

<”I wish to exchange this for information regarding the whereabouts of a certain Jedi Knight.”>

She casually placed the holocron on the ground by her feet before continuing.

<”The reason I’m here in the woods is because I know the sorts of people these things attract. I thought it better to take the long way rather than public transport. I also know you Jedi treasure artifacts such as these, to keep them out of the hands of less devoted individuals.”>

All the cards were on the table now, would this continue to be a friendly affair or were things about get heated?

[Mez-Jid Fie'r]

Mez dropped her mental hold on the stick in shock, letting it burn, and reached out physically, not even looking, for Jace's shoulder, trying to concentrate on being calm. Whatever else happened, she didn't want Jace to so much as touch the thing, and he was shifting like he wanted to get up.

She wanted to ask a lot of questions. Starting with 'where did you get that', 'who's in the holocron', and of course, the big one 'whose was it before you', but she had a horrible sneaking suspicion it was Amanda's. What she said was "Put it back in the bag and name your Knight. You hand it over once you get to Temple for the records, that thing's far too dangerous to be travelling the galaxy with in your bag."

[Jace]

As soon as the holocron was revealed he could feel the power and darkness emitting from it. There was a small voice in the back of his head telling him to reach out and take it. He ignored the voice as best he could but the voice was becoming louder and more demanding. That’s when he felt the calmness come over him and the voice was extinguished and his head became clear again. He realized Mez’s hand was on his shoulder but he ignored and quickly averted his eyes to the fire and only the fire. He focused on the calm he felt and only that, he was no longer paying attention to was going on around him.

[Nessa Henlen]

Nessa smiled behind her maak, despite the pain, at both of their reactions but obliged none the less. As she reached down and picked up the holocron she held it in her hand and stared at it.

<”Such a shame, I think it’s quite pretty.”>

She put the artifact back in her bag and the bag behind the log she sat on. She turned her attention towards Jace.

<”Come now boy, the thing is gone, you’ll go blind if you keep staring at the fire like that.”>

Her attention shifted back to Fie’r.

<”His name is Rico Henlen.”>

If she were speaking Basic no doubt the two of them would have noted the disdain in her voice as she said the name.

<”I really see no reason to go to the Temple now. I noted your datapad as approached, you could save me a trip simply by logging into your Order’s records from here. Once I’ve got the records the holocron is yours to do with as you please.”>

At the Temple there would be many questions and many more Jedi, out here though there were only two Jedi and very few questions. She was lucky these two had come looking but whether they thought the same was another matter.

[Mez-Jid Fie'r]

He'll not go blind. Fire's a perfectly reasonable meditation tool. And appropriate, if he's intending to continue being my apprentice.

"The datapad is more of a map, and connects to the guard station. They have no reason to connect to the records. Temple will have what you're looking for; I do not. Speed to get there is not an issue. We have swoops."

Something spurred her to add: "If it's privacy you're after, we should be able to do most of this undisturbed."

I once had information like that at my fingertips. Now I've got to go all the way to Temple to find out a name? How utterly depressing.

[Jace]

Jace ignored the women’s talk and continued to focus on the fire. He wasn’t sure at what point he slipped into a meditative state but he did.

[Nessa Henlen]

<”It’s like you read my mind Master Fie’r”>

She laughed lightly at the joke then clenched her fists as tightly as she could for the pain that was about to come.

<”I say it’s time we got a move on, don’t you?”>

With her clenched fists resting on her knees she rose slowly to her feet, pain racing throughout her entire body as she did so. Once she stood fully erect she began to walk slowly towards Stunner.

<”Grab the bag, we’re leaving here shortly.”>

The droids photoreceptors came to life without delay and walked over to where the bag rested. It reached down grabbed the bag and walked back towards Nessa where it handed to her. She turned her attention back towards the two Jedi.

<”You’ll excuse me if I move a bit slower than the average person. I was in a terrible accident when I was younger and I’ve never fully recovered.”>

[Mez-Jid Fie'r]

Mind reading? Not me anymore. So that was... a Force Hunch, or something? Passive powers make appearances, maybe it's the Force telling me to pay attention to them more?

Mez flinched at the title, and was about to make her usual request when the world spun.

Not my pain not my pain not my pain...

"I'm no healer. I'm sorry," she whispered, and noticed how quickly the droid powered up. Not as helpless as she'd pretended to be, her guess there had been dead on.

She pulled out her commlink.

"Withdraw. And if somebody could bring me a few Swoops? I'm taking our mystery guest out to Temple." She paused, listened to the response. "Yes, at this hour of the night. Cut the chatter."

She bent to scoop up some dirt to start putting out the fire, and paused, looking at Jace.

Aw, first fire-meditation. Hate to break it up, however...

Mez knelt in front of her Padawan, and passed a hand in front of his eyes, calm. He didn't need spooking.

"Hey there Jace, it's time to go."

[Jace]

He blinked and was back in reality. He felt better than he had but now disappointment in himself was setting in. H He glanced at Nessa then back to Mez. “Where are we going and is she coming with us?” He wanted to tell his Master about the thoughts he’d felt at seeing the holocron but not with that woman around.

[Nessa Henlen]

<”There’s no need for you to be sorry. I’ve learned to cope quite well I like to think.”>

With the fire out things became a lot darker. Nessa wondered just what sorts of animals were lurking out there now, waiting and watching.

<”I hope your swoops get here soon, Stunner is so very terrified of the dark.”>

Another laugh at a joke only she thought funny and another bout of pain.

[Mez-Jid Fie'r]

Mez ignored Nessa, knowing full well only a very hungry animal would come close to her smell, and for those she had her blaster and a few cannisters of repellant. Her Padawan took precedence at that moment.

"Hey there Jace. We're going to Temple, she's coming with us so I can get that thing she's carrying safely away. You see anything in the fire?"

[Jace]

Jace shook his head and looked over at the woman then back to Mez. He leaned in as close as he could and spoke in a whisper. “We shouldn’t take her there. You don’t need the Force to see there’s something wrong with her.”

He glanced at the bag she was holding and shuddered, there was no time like the present he decided. “I felt something when she pulled that holocron out. I wanted it, no, it’s more like I needed it. I know Jedi aren’t supposed to be scared but I am.”

[Nessa Henlen]

When she saw the two were still talking and sighed but without the swoops they couldn’t leave anyway. Nessa simply stood there staring off into the darkness of the forest, counting as many pairs of eyes she could.

[Mez-Jid Fie'r]

He's right. There is something ... off, about her.

"All the more reason to take her there. How do you feel when you're at Temple? A little better, right? And... Well, you're meant to want it. It draws you in, offers you the knowledge and the power it could teach you, grant you- and the important thing is always to ask yourself 'What is the price?'. It tempts me too."

It could give me all my power back, I'd no longer be bite-sized. But the price would be... Too much. The price is always too much.