Log:Jedi Order: Forests of the Night

Jedi Order: Forests of the Night

OOC Date: June 14, 2021
Location: Carida
Participants: Jedi Order: Chani Tahn, Rune, Vhe Tenara, Kasia Ashkuri, Aryn Cortess, Jax Greystorm, Zandra naMuriel, Yuun, and Rey Skywalker with Ben Solo

After the events on Dathomir, Ben had been in a bitter temper and vanished for the last several days. When he turned up again, it was to call the Jedi to Carida.

Many of the members of the fledgeling Order are no strangers to Carida, where a protracted battle had been waged over the planet's future between the First Order and the New Republic. Losses had been heavy on both sides, and despite the New Republic's victory, large swathes of land are only thinly scabbed over from the fighting. The area that the Jedi walk through now was once thick with trees, and now blanketed with the bare trunks, stumps, and some scant fresh growth of bright, stubborn young green among the pervasive brown.

The silvery light of the two moons overhead covers the ruined forest in a dim, silvery blanket that causes their skeletal shapes to sometimes loom up suddenly out of the darkness. "The ship that carried those captives away was hard to track," Ben explains as they walk, "but I still have a few favors left over from the way things were. It's here now, somewhere in these woods, or it was recently. I'm hoping we were fast enough to intercept them." There's not exactly one clear path to follow; the earth is alternately torn up or trampled into a maze of overlapping 'trails' from the pell-mell dashing of soldiers during the fighting about a year prior, but Ben seems to know what direction he's going.

"Do we need to worry about any left over surprises from the battles?" This section of the planet's surface is so scarred that Chani can't keep her eyes fixed in one place. Every new avenue they sweep is a lesson in the horror of combat and what it leaves behind long after the sentients waging it are gone. Where the ground lacks grass, the soles of her leather boots squelch in mud and create divoted shapes sometimes left filled with small pools of water. The hem of her feyd-cloth robe is heavier because of how variances in the terrain height sometimes drag it through the muck. Chani lifts her gaze towards the horizon and then the forest, where scraggly branches angle jaggedly into the night sky to eclipse parts of the brilliant moons.

Though there was no clear way that they would have stopped the ship, approaching quietly may have caused just as much alarm, Rune blamed himself for the death of some of the people in the cage. As such he walked sullenly, eyes cast to the ground, watching where he feet go more than the surrounding area. He followed Ben quietly, every once in a while glancing up to make sure he hadn't strayed off the path, before his head tilted down once more and he warred with his thoughts. There's no way to make up for the deaths that occurred, but he was going to get to the bottom of this and make sure that these people will never hurt or kidnap another innocent again.

His thick robes, handy to have in the cool night air, billowed about him as he moved along, booted feet stepping lightly from between the husks of the trees left from the war. His hand tapped at the cylinder on his belt and he breathed a deep sigh while continuing on, ready to face his failures.

The devastation from Dathomir was heard and later seen by Vhe who had stayed behind with the young native. But the aftermath of a full blown war gives something for her to process. The complete decimation brings a frown to her lips before she glances towards Ben. "Your contacts do not know who we are tracking exactly, do they? I still remains unknown>?"

Her foot catches on a rut in the torn up earth and she has to focus quickly to catch herself. The ground itself is treacherous and even Jedi are succeptible to twisted ankles.

"War didn't do this world any favors," Kasia can be heard saying as they move through the damaged forest, grateful for the heavy boots that offer far better footing than her more frequently worn but less practical footwear. "Not that it does favors for many worlds, unless they're the ones making the machines of war. Even then..." The rambling quiets there as she glances around at the others.

Carida draws the bookish blonde into an odd silence, one filled with the painful memories of this world and the scar it left on her life. Aryn had been defeated here, and it led to a transformation in training that prompted Aryn to be more than she was back then. She has nothing to comment about, she just watches where she steps and lightly touches a spot on her chest that still itched from the memory of being struck by a crimson colored lightsaber. The war was vivid in her mind, and in places where the terrain was marked by the passage of soldiers, Aryn often paused to consider it and the memories it drummed up.

Jax was keeping his own council as he steps down the ramp of the Falcon. The knight reminds quiet for a few moments. "The planet is firmly in New Republic hands. That's not to say there's not somebody with a grudge or some unexploded ordiance here. So I would say remain vigilant but we're tracking slavers that kidnapped a village. Vigilant is part and parcel. Also the gravity is heavier here than most." He looks to Ben at Vhe's question.

Zandra walks along with the group, quietly listening. She's been here, though mostly in the skies above, and in orbit. She's quiet though, taking in the results of the war on the ground. It's nearly painful,b ut she certainly doesn't add anything to the conversation at the moment. A nod to Aryn and Jax, an inquisitive gaze to Ben and the others. Seems Zanis definitely in meditative mode at the moment. She takes a deep breath though, working to center herself and thinking.

Yuun was there on Dathomir and the cage he, Rune and Ben were trying to stop dropped, badly injuring most and killing one. It will happen, they aren't able to save everyone, he knows that, and understood that they did everything that they could. Without their help all would've perished. He was grateful that later part didn't happen. As he landed his Jedi Fighter, he joined the others, following Ben, Yuun glanced around checking the position of the other Jedi and then looking to Ben as he led them.

He could feel the heaviness of the gravity here, but Yuun moves himself into the center of the their group. He glances in the direction of Vhe as she asks her question, he then looks to Jax as he states this planet is now in the hands of the New Republic, "It may be a good idea to come back here and help with the clean up and see if they can get an Agriculture Corp group to begin help in tending to the land." he says.

Yuun glances forward again taking note of their direction, watching the more shadowed areas as they move, he could feel the force surrounding him and he reaches out to, to keep alert for now.

SPLASH!

D-0 rolls at high speeds through the muddy water, sending a splash of it scascading out around him and ramping up on the other side of the divot to catch some air. His one large wheel lands in the soft earth with a quiet squishing splash. The cone-headed droid swivels its head in a full circle around the Jedi who are all walking around on either sides of him, almost as if he was hoping someone would be impressed with how much air he 'caught' on that jump.

Nobody seemed to be though.

So he continued on ahead, rolling amongst the Jedi, weaving around their ankles.

"Keep up, Dio." Rey says back over her shoulder at the droid. "We need you to scan for anything that might be in the earth, still... active." Mines? Well, he's a scout droid, s it should be on his abilities!

Rey's hood is up, her stare going forward to the back of Ben as he explains what is going on here and why they are here. She holds her hands on the strap of her satchel as she walks onward in the middle of everyone else.

D-O says 'R-roger, Rey." And zips right on past her to try to get to the front of the group. He spots another sweet jump opportunity though and rolls quickly up a small branch sticking out of the mud... launches off th eend of it and...

Well, he splashes Ben and whomever else is at the front of the group. The droid pauses and looks back and up at them. "S-sorry." Then rolls on ahead again!

Ben's forward march slows slightly at Chani's question, as though he had not paused to consider it until just this moment. "I didn't think of that," he admits with a frown, eyes scanning briefly over the churned earth. There is some grass here and there, but the ground under the canopy wasn't exactly a meadow BEFORE the machinations of war had their way with it. "I don't know. Be attentive to your senses."

"We don't know who they are for sure, but who else has been known to kidnap a Dathomiri from that village? I don't believe in coincidences. Not anymore." His boots are splashed by the ramp of D-Ostiny, as evidently there are no coincidences.

And as if to punctuate this point, a large sign stands ahead, planted in the ground on a thick pole, reading simply: 'New Republic Advisory: DO NOT ENTER. Restricted area. UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE'

"...Cost effective," Ben decides, walking past it into the trees beyond. "A good place to keep a secret."

When Ben says to pay attention to her senses regarding any unwelcome surprises lurking in the churned up ground wrought by war, Chani's face expresses a skepticism she doesn't try to keep hidden. Rey's conversation with D-0 carries forward enough that Chani casts a glance back over her shoulder towards the paragon and her companion, body twisting at the waist and wrinkling the fit of the robe as it tightens around her torso and the shoulder opposite the one she glances over. She slows her pace to allow the wheeled droid to pass her in the formation. "Thank you for your help, Dio. I trust your sensors more than my novice senses." Chani still stretches out the bubble of her perception in the Force and pauses at the sign.

"Shiraya protect us." Murmured under her breath and beneath the voluminous orbs of the two moons hanging in the sky, Chani's attention spends a lot more time oriented at the ground.

"That is something to consider," Vhe remarks faintly, a soft hushed tone as if she might disturb those who lost their lives during the power struggle played out upon these very grounds. Ben's answer receives a nod from the young woman as she picks her way through the field. There is a pause from her as she draws her foot back from one particular direction. "There, be careful." She makes a motion to a patch of land and steers herself elsewhere.

Her foot falls find no troubles and she ends up in one piece which in and of itself is a blessed thing. "Likely something we are going to need to be thoughtful about are entire trip planetside."

He was already lost in his thoughts when warnings of mines and other buried destructibles was mentioned. As such it comes to pass that the normally attentive Rune pays no attention to the sign that warns them of the hidden explosives. So embroiled in his memories, the young Ysannan gives little heed to where his feet are being placed... until one such placement nudges something obscured in the dirt.... and that thing begins beeping... and the beeping begins to pick up speed. "Kriff...."

Acting quickly he throws himself backward away from the rapidly beeping something or other in the dirt, crying out a, "Watch out!" to everyone else around. Seems like, when in a forgotten war zone, it probably would pay to give more attention to one's surroundings. Now he may have more to be sorry about than just messing up before.

Kasia eyes the sign that they move past, trying not to look too worried. She is a little worried though. She happens to be near Ben as the little droid sends up a spray of muddy water, lips pursing a little as she glances down at the sodden leg of her trousers, then eyes the droid, but after the stammering apology she doesn't say a word to admonish the thing. Irritation about the soggy leg fades pretty quick when she hears the warning called out, whipping around to look over at Rune as he throws himself back, then tries to hustle herself away from the beeping threat.

Aryn passes the sign, having to perform a double take to read the warning. She doubted her ability to scout out these explosives, but a moment of communing with the Force and she could sense the pockets that felt dangerous. It did not function like areas of unseen dark clouds, but rather she felt confident in following the urge of the Force and how her mind saw with it. Aryn had no problem moving through this area, though she dare not speak for fear of putting others off their focus. There were few field surgery procedures regarding blast wounds; most proved too fatal for treatment.

Jax carefully steps out of D-0's way, "No problem, little buddy. He's such a polite little guy." Then with confidence as Jax lets the force guides him, he steps through the mine field way more quickly than he has any right to. He looks to Rune and raises an eyebrow as the young man seems to be alright. He lets out a breath, "The signs legit it seems. Rune you alright?"

Zandra blinks at the sign, and shrugs a bit. "Spread out a bit so we don't blow each other up?" she offers, half seriously. She does as she suggests herself, She reaches out for the Force, keeping in tune with it, letting it flow through her. As she walks, there's a confidence to her, as though she's fairly sure she's stepping safely. She eyes the spot that Vhe points out and avoids it, but also avoids several other spots, pointing them out in turn.

"Watch that small log and the area around it," she says with a nod and a hand raising to point. "And also stay away from that bush." Her voice carries but is gentle enough that she could be teaching meditaiton classes. Perhaps she's been practicing that? Zan's feet step softly, not near to Dio's splish splashing at the moment, and she keeps herself touching the Force enough to avoid the hot spots of danger, and make her way through safely. "If I wanted to hide something, I have to admit that the other side of a mine field would be a good -." Her attention goes to Rune, just as Jax asks if he's okay.

Yuun turns his attention to Ben when he speaks up and upon hearing him say he hadn't thought about that tid-bit, Yuun. Blinks, still he wasn't a stranger to warzones, honestly he's been on enough but as he traverese through the area he's walking in, he too dislodges something, "Kriff." he says as he quickly thrusts his hand down at the land mine pushing it below the surface and as deep as he can, "MOVE!" he calls out to the others as he continues to use the Force to hold the mine in place.

He isn't near Rune luckly or he would really be in trouble. Yuun concentrates, his focus is on the mine and he breaths slowly as he tries to use the Force to surround the mine, after a few moments a dull boom is heard and he's showered with dirt as the mine explodes showering him and anyone who is near him. "Sorry about that." he calls out.

Rey sees the sign up ahead, and in fact that is what she's staring at when the two mines are found in the dirt. Rune's going off first, Rey is far enough away that she's left only showered in dirt and mud across her white clothing (more washing required).

Yuun's comes next and Rey rushes toward him to check on him after it detonates. "This is worse than we thought it'd be!" Rey calls up to Ben.

"Are you okay?" She asks Yuun since she'd been closest to him, before her eyes dart up to see if Rune was as well.

"Don't s-step h-here." D-0 announces from up ahead. Apparently he missed some in his jump-taking moments back with the group. "Oh dear." The little droid says.

Only two mines are uncovered by the group, which seems pretty good, all things considered. It's hard to have a frame of reference for exactly how many unexploded ordnance to expect, after all. Yuun's goes off, but at a safe depth for everything except this week's laundry, and the one Rune dislodged, left alone, simply... stops. Is it safe? Is it disarmed? Probably best not to find out. "This is /better/ than I thought it would be," Ben replies to Rey with a shrug, turning to continue on and stepping past D-0's danger zone.

The ordnance seems to thin out, with less and less of the hot zones sensed by the Jedi as they work their way through, and up ahead, visible in the moonlight's soft glow, are a number of prefabricated structures, the sort easily transported in and set up for lightweight operations. There are two main buildings, one larger than the other, and a few smaller than the smaller of those, more like storage sheds than anything else. Squatting low and beetlelike on the opposite side of them is the ship that had dropped the cages back on Dathomir. A perimeter appears to be staked out around it but only by actual stakes, not a fence. They are metallic, about three feet high, and spaced about 10 meters apart.

Chani's figure ducks in the moonlight when Rune yells to watch out. Shortly after, Yuun is also yelling out and the muffled explosion of a mine going off underneath the ground's surface kicks up a cloud of mud, dirt, and sparse grass. Flecks of it pelt against Chani's robe, triggering an instinctive lift of her arm to guard the side of her head and face from debris coming from that direction. The broad sleeve of her robe slips back to reveal the sleeve of her cream tunic and the pale fabric of the long-sleeved shirt beneath. Once things settle, Chani slowly rises from her crouched position and surveys the crater left behind by the mine. Licking her lips to wet them how they've dried after rapidly breathing through her mouth, she continues on.

It's not long before she's hunched low again. As the distinct shapes of structures begin to solidify in the night, Chani tries to decrease the presence of her silhouette against the backdrop of the open field behind them. Looking at the stakes jutting up from the ground, Chani ventures a guess. "Movement detectors? Unless they're generating some other sort of invisible field."

Rune had covered his head after hitting the dirt, expecting a large amount of dirt and debris to shower down a top of him. Instead, he lies there for a moment, peeks from under his arms and rolls over to peer at the no longer beeping device. "Well that was anticlimactic." the novice Force user comments. He nods to everyone as he stands and dusts himself off, giving them all the "I am fine, sorry about that." and such. Thankfully no one else save Yuun set one off and that one was fairly contained.

Alert with his mind on the business at hand, Rune follows closely behind Ben, treading lightly over the surface and minding each and every step. When they arrive at the complex, Rune crouches low, peering at the ship and its immediate surroundings. The stakes that ring the area are a bit troublesome and, though Rune knows little to nothing about electronics, seem to be more than they appear. "What do we do now, how do we get by them? Can they be disrupted by the Force?" He asks, loathe to rush in like he did before lest he trigger something else terrible to happen. Even still, he detaches the ugly, black metal tube from his belt and grips it lightly in his palm, retrieving a piece of the handle that fell off to place in one of his pouches.

Lifting her arms and hands over her head to help some of the lessened spray of dirt that made its way to her, Vhe is relatively untouched though she is now staring at the one Rune found, giving it a side long glance before they continue on through the field of war.

She glanes back and then at those around her to be sure they have everyone in one piece and there is a sense of relief that cross her face. As Chani asks Vhe gives the line of stakes a considering look. "Let me see if I can figure out what is going on with those..."

Hunkering down low, she slinks forward, picking her way closer and remaining on the outside of that perimeter as she makes the cursory inspection of one of the stakes. It does not do anything obvious to her when she touches it and then there is a shake of her head to show its inconclusive as she offers a shrug.

The fact that there are explosives this close to them is distressing, and Kasia doesn't try to hide that from being written plainly across her face. "We need to start landing closer to our goals, the walking is always troublesome." She might've claimed that even without the explosives, being no fan of hikes, but at least today there's an excuse. It is -- so far -- the extent of her complaining, keeping quiet the rest of the way, until they're stopped looking at pre-fab building and the odd staked out perimeter. "I wonder if we can get to that ship to prevent another quick exit."

Aryn takes a moment to look over the change in scenery. The pre-fabricated structures reminded her of Ruusan, when the First Order had set up a small operations base in front of the monuments. These were significant, not because of the structure, but rather what was staked around them. Aryn clicked on her comms.

<<"Although we may not see it, the perimeter of this peculiar establishment is protected by a barrier emitted from those stakes. My Lord Father used these in larger hunts to keep wildlife from reaching our supplies; mainly the nocturnal scavengers that enjoy our foods. I think some of them require a device be worn to pass between it. Remarkable piece of equipment, truly.">>

Jax makes a hmm sound, "I see what I can do." This is in response to Kasia. Then he steps into the shadows of the night melting away. Then begins the trip to head toward the ship.

Zandra hears the comment about the ship and nods. Seems she and Jax have similar ideas. "I'll go with Jax," she says promptly. "Stick together in teams." And then she too reaches for the Force, finding shadow, and vanishing into it. She starts making her way closer to the ship.

Shaking the dirt off him after he was showered with it from the mine. Yuun looks to Rey, a look of disbelief shows on his face than a slow grin. "Yeah I'm good, thanks Rey." he says to her. "I didn't know if that would work." he says to her.

Yuun looks in Rune's direction, he heard the mine go off but saw him standing up, he smiles, "Yeah, should've been keeping a better eye out. I'm sorry everyone." he says. He adjusts his clothing, and he looks around and begins moving with Rey, keeping up with the rest of the group as they make it out of the mine field. As seeing this area does bring memories back to Ruusan, and he looks over at the others.

As questions start to be asked, Yuun drops down in a crouch so not to be a target, "First, if there is anyone here, we have to assume they heard the detonation of one of the mines. Now they may disreagrd it due to wildlife, but still we need to be ready." he says. WHen he hears Kasia, "We could but that gives people the opprotunity to notice us and be more prepared. It was my fault for not detecting the mine, which could've gone badly." he states.

He sees Vhe move up and then Jax and Zan leave to move towards the encampment. He was about to say something but stops and shakes hsi head. He notices a tree, "I will move up to the tree, I will try to provide overwatch, we need to communicate what we are doing and when so we are able to coordinate our actions." he says to those near him. He points to the tree he saw and lets them know thats where he will be an try to spot out targets if need be. Witht that Yuun moves up the tree and finds a good place to perch and keep watch.

Rey watches the others as they approahc the barrier, she approaching to within a handful of feet of where Vhe is. She listens to her and then looks to Aryn to listen as well. She exhales sharply, her eyes going to the settlement that they've arrived at.

She lets her eyelids slip shut as she lets the Force yield more info to her about the condition and status of this place...

When her eyes open again, she looks at those with her and motions with a hand toward the structures. "There are a handful of people gahtered together there." She says of the smaller building, then sweeps her pointing finger to the larger one. "And two or three within that one. I'm assuming they might be the guards..." She lowers her hand again and walks toward the perimeter, stopping at the edge of it.

"We should draw them out, I believe. Try to speak with them." Rey offers as a suggestion, knowing full well some of their people are already on their way to that ship...

Notably, when Vhe touches one of the stakes, nothing happens. Aryn's explanation provides context, and Ben pieces these two bits of info together with an astute "It didn't do anything to her," and moves to cross the invisible barrier. He takes a big step over the line... and nothing happens. Rey suggests speaking with whoever is inside, and Ben squints against the darkness. "They must be keeping the captives in the smaller prefab. We haven't seen anyone else yet. There's a chance we could take them and go."

"Assuming we haven't tripped any sort of alarm," Chani adds at the end. She regards the silent metal stakes jutting up from the ground for a moment longer before her gaze sweeps to Rey. "A few of the others are sneaking that way. Instead of calling out, we could walk into the camp from a different angle to speak with them. It could help serve as a distraction while the others see if this is where we want to be or not." Chani herself makes no movements to pass the barrier. She does rise from where she's hunched over, though, in semblance of doing such a thing. "If Aryn and I go with you, it's likely they'll be less provoked. The others could split up to make sure all the buildings are checked? I'll follow whatever plan."

Rune listens to all the possibilities and nods. Being not Rey or Aryn, nor currently heading toward the prefab, he decides to stick with Ben as a sort of backup in case things go poorly. "I will remain on guard should things take a turn for the worse." He states, nodding at Rey with an assured smile.

As the perimeter does nothing to them, at least nothing that they can see or hear, Vhe listens to the rest and gives a slow not. "I am going to head for the building and keep out of sight. Get an understanding of who is where and what numbers we are looking at. If your words fail you it will give us the time we need to try to get them out. But the Force be with us all."

Vhe lowers once more and with a quickness and light footed steps she picks her way across the distance, hugging the side of the building when she gets close enough and using it as her cover to begin looking for windows and possible egresses in as well as the contents of that which are within.

When Ben crosses the perimeter, Kasia watches to see if anything happens, and when it doesn't she straightens up and simply follows. Which might've been fine had she not inadvertently kicked a stone and sent it flying only to clack noisily against the closest building. She freezes, turning her gaze to the building, then quickly around to the others that are within view. "Well, they might know we're here now," she says, sounding a touch apologetic. She doesn't whip out a weapon, but she does get ready for a fight by closing her hand around the saber at her hip, just in case a fight breaks out.

"A fair action, I daresay. Let us approach from the other angle and see if our friends here prefer words to swords then." Aryn steps off in the direction Chani had suggested, and walks to the open to present herself as a friendly. "Hello there..!" She calls out, waving a gloved hand back and forth. When her hand settled back down, it clasped her other at her front, giving her a proper poised look, like someone with something to say. "Might we speak with the one who holds command over this compound? There is certainly no need for violence." Aryn breathes out slowly and deliberately, doing her best to squash the feeling she had in her gut. She prayed, and prayed hard, that reason would be sought over violence.. but then, Aryn was a victim of Carida's atmosphere, and the paranoia it gave her given her experience here during the war.

Jax makes his way up to the ship while the team focused on diplomacy do the proper thing. Then Corellian knight finds himself at the closed ramp of the ship. Then he reaches up and breaks open the security console and starts rewiring the console to allow the ramp to open. Then with a bit of work that well handy for a jedi would fall into the questionable list of skills. The ramp opens for him and Zandra.

Zandra makes it to where she can see the ramp of the ship, and watches as it opens. it's quiet over this side of things. She takes a breath, quiet, gentle, and reaches for the Force, sending her senses out to try to see if there's anyone aboard the ship. She shakes her head, after striving mightily to sense - well, she's not sensing anything alive. "Probably full of droids," she mutters softly with a smile at Jax. "Ready?"

Yuun stops as he hears the others ideas. Considering for the moment, then he nods his head, "That is a good idea." he says as he looks to Chani, then to Aryn. He looks to the group and gives a bow of his head, "Heading to another angle." he says. Yuun moves with a grace of a fighter, his steps are sure. He keeps his wits about him this time, scanning the area, he's not seen anyone so far but still you never know.

Rey first looks to Vhe, nodding to her once, "Be careful." She tells her with a quick small smile before her eyes go then to Chani and Aryn. "Lets go then." She tells the other two before they start off. A glance is given to Ben, Rune and Yuun as he's joining them.

eyes go back over to Aryn then. "This might be challenging. I get the sense these people are less than cooperative. But, it's worth a try... it's always worth a try."

There-after the Jedi in the muddy white garments falls silent and stands off to one side of Aryn.

When Aryn calls out, there is a slight delay before a cautious man, followed by a rifle stuck out around the door and another from a roll-up window, exits the larger structure, toting a similar weapon of his own. "You let me be the judge of that, missie, and let it be known that I am a /fine/ judge of character," the man calls across the space between them, hands resting on top of the weapon. "You three look like a nice buncha young ladies, which leads to the question of what in the name of Spic Hyl you're doing all the way out in the middle of a gods-forsaken minefield in the center of miles of abandoned warzone, and not a sweeper between you." Baggy eyes, astute with experience, skim over them. "I can see you must be the source of the 'kaboom' that shook the dust off our gear a few minutes ago. I'm Spic Hyl, by the way, and that's Jan Bak and Kyp. Jan can shoot the eyelashes off an akk hound from a hundred meters so why don't you explain yourselves from over there?"

Inside the smaller construct, there is the sort of quiet murmurings of those who do not want to be noticed or paid any undue attention to but are beginning to feel the winds of change nonetheless and aren't quite sure whether to hope for better or fear for worse. There is a door on the front that is locked, and there are no windows. There is a vent high up on one wall, but the walls are not particularly high or particularly thick.

Inside the ship, nothing is stirring, not even a mouse droid. The systems are powered down, and the lights remain offline when Jax opens the ramp, stubbornly veiling the interior from the intruders' eyes.

Following Rey and Aryn deeper into the camp, Chani casts a sidelong glance at the blonde noble when she calls out and tries to draw someone from the camp out to speak. They don't have to wait for long. Along with a sentient stepping out to address them, Chani takes note of the weapon barrels oriented in their directions. Her hands lift from their resting position to in front of her, revealing there is nothing in her hands when the sleeves of her feyd-cloth robe slip backwards. "We come in peace." She says nothing more, though her gaze floats between those being introduced. Her feet rest shoulder length apart and her knees are just slightly bent, so the blood flow isn't impeded and she doesn't just suddenly drop from passing out.

Rune remains where he is, crouched low and watching as the interaction begins. His eyes flit to Jax who is messing with the shuttle, hoping the man stays unseen as he goes about his business investigating. Likewise his attention shifts to those who are moving to the smaller structure, silently willing them to hurry with their affairs to unlock the building and free whomever may be held captive in there. Hopefully it's not a group of hungry... whatevers. Anything other than a rescue would be bad news. Regardless, he sits and watches, waiting for a time in which he, Ben, and Yuun will be needed but hoping the opposite is true.

The sounds of voices inside the building are more of her focus than the conversation going on at the other end of the encampment. Vhe arrives back at the door with no windows to give her and in and out. She tests the door to be sure of herself but as it refuses to open she takes the short cut while there is a distraction.

The brass saber at her side is withdrawn from her side. She places the end of it right against the lock and quick brush of the switch on and off, the sizzling pale blue blade makes short work of her progblem which gives her access to those inside. Keeping hold of the saber in case of needed defense she pushes the door open and gives real egress into the building.

For those within she allows her eyes to adjust and notes that she has further hurdles to clear. She holds up her finger to her lips and moves for the cage they are held within.

Kasia's route takes her to where Vhe ends up, keeping back enough as the saber is used to melt the lock right out of usefulness. Once that is out of the way she creeps closer, peering into the room, and then stepping inside to try and get a better look at the people in the cages. "We need to get those collars off," she says in little more than a whisper. "I don't want to know what will happen to them if they try to leave with the collars still on."

"An impressive feat of marksmanship, I daresay. My family pride themselves marksmen as well, but nothing quite so spectacular. Alas, our arrival is not to comment on the skills of your men. We have arrived to discuss the nature of your ship. I also appreciate you reminding me of the verbiage from the New Republic ordinance we passed."

Aryn shifts slightly, remaining where instructed. "You may call me Aryn, and I often serve the New Republic's defense force. In fact, I served in the wars upon the soil we all stand presently. I trust that you have credentials available for review as well. Preferably those which authorize you to occupy this compound marked by New Republic military insisting that all unauthorized personnel avoid this perimeter. Furthermore, our mission brings us here because of your vessel. We witnessed its departure.. carrying with it members of a village that we were entrusted to facilitate their return."

"Perhaps your sharpshooting companion might know where we can begin our search for these answers? I am certain the military vessel above need not be involved, either. You seem all upstanding sorts. We can work this out peacefully, right?" Aryn holds out a commlink, seeming to signify she could make a military inquiry to the residing authority above.

Jax stroles through the shuttle and makes his way silently to the cockpit. Then as he stands there for a moment in the dark there's a clicking of his tongue. Then he appears there letting the force slip away from concealing him and he stands there visiblly. Then he shrugs as he produces a small torch from his utility belt then shines it on the console. Then decides the best course of action is well remove a couple of relys and fuses from beneath the console.

Zan blinks as they make it aboard the ship and find - darkness. Nothing. The ship isn't even powered up. "I'm going to cargo," she tells Jax, as he goes to do his thing. She finds a couple wrenches, a repair kit, and some parts. "Is that really a particulate hyperspanner? Why?" she asks, shaking her head. "Cages - of course there are cages." They did rescue some of the Dathomiri - but not all. She continues her search, looking to see if there's anyone or anything. "Oh, a datapad," she says, pulling it out and flipping it on to see what's there. "Encrypted." She settles that into a pocket, so she can bring it along with her. "Either it's something of use, or it belongs to the Dathomiri, either way, it doesn't need to stay here." Yes, she's more or less talking to herself, of course, but that happens. That done, she makes her way back to the ramp, to keep an eye on things.

Yuun kept up with Rune and was going to keep watch as Aryn, Rey and Chani moved up to do diplomacy. He really needs to work on that and now it shows, but it's good they have others who are more inclined in that area. It's awefully beautiful tonight, the moon's rays calls to him, he doesn't know why. He hadn't seen anything of note as he was supposed to be keeping watch, but Yuun glances up, and smirks a litle bit before brining his gaze back to the hear and now where it belongs.

Rey's eyes are on the ones greeting them with weapons aimed out of their habitat structure. She does look sideways to Chani and Aryn before regarding their potential attackers again. Her face is partially covered in a splattering of dark mud from the mines that exploded earlier, her clothing far more covered in it though as her hood protected her face from any further gross muddy bits.

She has her hands held in front of her, her right hand gripping the leather bracer that covers her opposite wrist. Her right hand fingers move just a litlte though, and her lightsaber tweaks a bit beneath the satchel that is covering it on her left hip... it's there, ready to be grabbed if needs arise.

In the mean time, Rey is quiet, observant and ready herself.

"Now before you go making wild accusations, perhaps you'd like to give me the same chance that I extended to you, being that the three of us are at least civil and educated individuals, unlike the armored arachnids that roam the wild parts of this planet," Spic Hyl replies to Aryn disarmingly, though he keeps his own arms resting on his arms. "We are but simple mercenaries trying to make our way in the galaxy. When a client shows up offering a fat chunk of chits just for sitting under a roof with three square meals a day for you and one for the poor sods in the shed out back, you don't turn your nose up at that, Madam New Republic. Do you know how many worse jobs I've done for less pay? More than the number of years you've been alive, I'd wager, though perhaps that's not saying too much." He gestures vaguely in the direction of the ship with a shrug. "As far as the ship, the client left it there, said we weren't to touch it. Me, I see a fine ship like that, I think, it's a waste that it's sitting there gathering dust. But I've had stranger requirements, understand? On the other hand, nothing was ever said neither here nor there about /you/ touching it, Madam New Republic, and as a matter of course, in the lack of clear instructions, I am prone to beg forgiveness rather than permission. You're welcome to it."

There's a slight problem in the 'shed out back'; the people in the cage do not have grey skin, and none of them look like what Zifa would describe as The Mother. They're a mishmash of species, all humanoid in the broad strokes, but not the ones the Jedi are after.

"I know what you're thinking: what about Spic Hyl's good reputation? What about his pay?" Spic spits in the dirt. "A job like this, you know you're being set up to take somebody else's fall. So you get half up front and you keep an open mind. We all part as friends, see? Just do me and them two a favor, when you take the saps from around the back and go, walk that way, we want a clear path to take out of here and the trip in was a hell of a thing, sweeping back and forth for hours. Much easier to follow a trail of craters and limbs." With a twinkle in his eye, he vanishes inside and pulls the door shut behind him, the rifles disappearing as the roll-down window zips back up.

From his spot on the periphery, 'supervising', Ben frowns. "A decoy. I should have known." Still, saving a bunch of prisoners is something, even if they're not the ones they had set out to save. The search would have to continue.