A Walk in the Park [Ossus]

[Ral]

In his many years of service to the Jedi Knights, Cassus Lammerai had never once gone to the world of Ossus. As the orange orb appeared below him as the consular yacht exited hyperspace, the Jedi Knight pondered what the upcoming mission would bring for him and his new Padawan. That caused another tangent to form in his mind as he wondered what his Padawan was up to. He hoped she wasn't sleeping, he had told her to meditate and prepare herself, but one could never be certain with Padawans these days. Pressing the button for the ship's comlink, Cassus addressed his teenage Padawan. "Fen, we've arrived at Ossus, grab your gear and meet me in the cockpit."

Piloting the ship down to the surface of the planet, the Knight would wait for his young Padawan to arrive. The yellow and white clouds would get closer, and Cassus would be able to start making out the shapes of high mountains, great valleys, rivers, and lakes on the surface of the orange planet below them. Naturally, they were quiet small and hard to spot from this distance, but Cassus had particularly good eyesight, and they were starting to move into a low planetary orbit. When she finally did he'd look to her, his blue eyes scanning the relatively attractive teenage girl for a moment as he motioned for her to sit down. "You ready for this mission, Fen? Remember what we're supposed to be doing? Do you have any questions?"

Cassus piloted the small yacht down to the surface of the planet. Going through the usual process, Cassus cleared his landing with one of the control tower, giving an excuse as to why they were landing: looking for work. Not entirely a lie, but Cassus didn't want to give anyone a heads up that the Jedi had arrived on the planet, especially considering they intended a little bit of espionage. It was a perfect mission for Cassus and his young Padawan, especially considering Fen had a certain way with people which might make completing their objective easier as well. Cassus also believed this to be a perfect chance for him to connect more with his Padawan, and to teach her about being a Jedi and the Force.

With the ship landed and safely on the ground, Cassus led Fen to the boarding ramp, checking his own map to see where the park was and which direction they would need to take. Looking down to his pink-skinned companion he asked as he pressed the button for the ramp, "How are you feeling, Fen? Think you're ready for the mission?"

@Fen Vel

 

[Fen Vel]

Fen had been doing what she was told. Going through the same steps of meditation and trying not to think of anything at all, she was getting better at it for sure but hadn't actually succeed yet. Never the less every time she did it, her motion improved just a little and she felt a little more comfortable in her own body. For a while the heavy metal rod in her hand had slowed her down, while her arms were getting stiff and sore she could now move somewhat naturally with it. The whole exercise was serving somewhat to let the girl not focus quite so much on the fact she had been in Space again. Not that falling to their dead in a metal coffin towards an unforgiving ground was that much better. It was not the cold endlessness of space that seemed to be constantly screaming at her any time she got within sight of it.

When her teacher called for her, Fen dropped what she was doing and obeyed. Moving from her room in the yacht towards the cockpit with a hand on the wall at all times. Once she arrived she too could see the distant scenery, and them promptly tried not to. It was making her feel motion sick. Rather than her more standard outfit on a top and trousers she was wearing something far more, different. A white blouse with black magnet clasps down the front, a graphite coloured waistcoat with similar clasps and a collar so large it fell onto the edges of her shoulders. Below a pleated skirt in a deep purple, every other pleat slashed to show a ripple of white silk under neither. The lightly odd outfit was held together with a thin black belt, a crest on the buckle making it all to apparent. It was a uniform for one of the Ossus Private Academies, attended by the wealthy and important. Fen was neither but the people they would be attempting to interact with, would be. Beyond clothing, or even the knee length black boots she was wearing was her hair, was down. There were still braids on either side but rather than pinned up her purple hair fell down to the middle of her back, having the effect of making the girl seem smaller.

There was another difference of note, though far easier to miss. Her Tattoos where gone, hidden under a layer of makeup and she was wearing a deep red lipstick to cover those on her lips. Though clearly near human rather than human, Fen made even less of an impression than normal, or so she hoped. Casting an eye over the controls she had no understanding of she answered Cassus's question, "I am as ready as I can be. Though, you haven't exactly made the plan clear." It was not the first time she had asked, and the answer she had gotten before was that he was making the entire thing up as he was going along.

Following him to the rear of the ship she checked herself over, picked up a satchel that had several coloured ribbons hanging from the strap and thought back to the last time she had acted as a child. Looking back she could never really consider herself having a childhood of any sort, at least this role was one of an almost adult. Someone who wanted power, to develop and take on the ruinous world of politics, that should be easy for her. With her teacher asking the same question for the second time she smiled slightly, "I feel fine, are you feeling worried?" Fighting was where she was weak, along with a great many things. This mission, it should play to her strengths.

 

[Ral]

"Just want to make sure you're ready for your first mission, darling. Don't want you to be going into this with any doubts or questions. I need you to be confident," Cassus replied back to the near human girl, her appearance oddly more attractive like this school girl than now. Perhaps it was the way she had her hair down, he thought to himself. Pushing any distracting thoughts aside, Cassus offered a polite smile, "But I feel like you're confident enough in your own abilities. That's good! You'll need that confidence!" Picking at her collar, he mused, "It helps that you look the part. I'm sure you won't have any problems selling the part."

Removing his hand he motioned for her to head down the ramp after him. Stepping out into the open air, Cassus scanned the azure sky and the buildings around them, making sure they were clear before he would turn back to his Padawan. "Alright, we're heading to the city's central park. There is supposed to be a meeting between this world's political leader and some other people there. We need to figure out if he's friendly with the Sith or not. But we can't be spotted, which is why you're going undercover so you can get close. No causing a scene though, so I'll be watching from a safe distance just to watch your back. But we don't want to take any chances so..." Cassus held out his hand. "Weapons or anything that might blow your cover. You're just a school girl today, not a knight in training."

Taking a breath, Cassus started walking out of the space dock and onto the streets. He had memorized the route to the park, it would take several minutes, which would give them plenty of time to work on some training. There was no way this Knight was sending his rather green Padawan into that park without at least a crash course in a few of the basics. Glancing at the attractive girl beside him, he motioned for her to join step with him. "I'm going to give you a brief rundown on two things every Jedi should know. How to shield your mind from telepathic intrusions, and how to hide the fact that you're Force Sensitive." He looked at her, he knew the mental defence would probably draw a comment out of her considering how she was found and brought to the Order. "To defend your mind you must erect a wall. It will require willpower, and until you get the hang of it, no small amount of focus to do. But just remember your Jedi training, calm yourself, become serene, try to feel the Force, and when you feel someone trying to pry into your mind, resist them by remaining calm and focused. They can only discern what you let them discern. Don't give them an inch."

Cassus paused to answer any questions or repeat anything as necessary. He wanted Fen to have a moment to process it all. Moving on he spoke again, "To hide you presence in the Force you must first recognize what it is like to be normal. You must use your senses to feel the people around you. Then you must keep calm and focused and turn your sense inward on yourself and use the Force to manipulate what your own energy is like. Try it for me, if you can."

 

[Fen Vel]

Still not used to being touched Fen looked at his hand with some trepidation when he pulled at her collar, not making a comment. She was glad that she looked the part, she had researched the school in detail including some of the class material that they made public. Even if questioned she was fairly certain that she could bluff her way through it. She had also taken some time, wisely or not to watch some of the planets entertainment dramas. Partly to talk about if need be, partly to see how they talked. As a girl that had never gone to school, or had much of a concept of one, or life in the outside world before the last few months. It was important research.

Though not an expert on this world, as Cassus laid out the plan again Fen was able to pick apart more of the details again. It was irregular for a politician to hold meetings in a park, unless they wanted them to be unofficial. It was somewhat common for everything to be said in a office or meeting to be recorded, a park might be the easiest play to hold a meeting without sneaking around, risking an scandal. It lead more than a little credence as to why they were here, trying to catch them in the act. Then he moved onto weapons, surely he knew her better than that? Fishing in her satchel she brought out a delicate etching pen, "This is the most deadly weapon I have I'm afraid." Fen didn't trust herself with anything aggressive as it was, it would only make her more of a target if things went wrong. If she couldn't run away then chances were she had already lost, not that she wanted that to even be an option. She had at least some faith that for once things might almost go to plan. Then, another lesson happened, or at least part of a reminder.

Putting her pen away she listened and remembered those lessons, promptly picking up on the flaw. Fen had on their first meeting been subjected to a rather terrible mental intrusion curtesy of Cassus himself and she was yet to forgive him for that. Fen's mind had reacted violently and she had a phobia of being attacked in such a way again. It had made any sort of training on that topic touchy, however she was eager never to let it happen again. Her defences weren't hugely strong but they fought back, fighting a battle with the attacker rather than just denying them. Putting up a wall with the Force though, or fighting back, that'd be a dead give away that she was not only strong with the Force but knew how to use it. Exactly what a Sith would want, Fen had already given this some thought, part of why she had been researching so heavily.

The hardest thing, hiding the net that Fen used to cast out every time she spoke to someone. The net that let her detect when a person lied, the ripples they made in the force along with the way they acted, the words they said. It was how she had been detected by Cassus and for most of her life had been second nature. It was harder to learn not to do that constantly than it was to learn how to erect mental barriers, in part because she was already so good at hiding things from herself.

Sliding the pen back into her bag Fen popped her lips and offered a cheery smile that almost seemed convincing, vastly out of character. "I need to lie, there is only the slightest resistance to anyone finding out that Cracemara Y. Ethsgaphmuw lusts for fame and power." Her voice changed from her normal dower quietness, lower and far more alive, "Why look further when my motives are so clear?" Again a smile and a spring in her step. Fen was focused, in a relaxed way. It was a big lie, a single one that she had to believe herself more than anyone else out the outside had to. In the past few months she had picked away chip by chip at the mask she had worn her entire life and found so far that there was very little behind it. Far from healthy it did make things like this so much easier, almost effortless. As for hiding her own energy, it actually almost came naturally, once she was committed to the idea. It was something hard to detect for herself however, since that'd require breaking the control she just put up. So thinking about what Courtney and Thandor were doing on their date she looked up hard at Cassus, "Am I not the future of Ossus?"

Gracemara Y. Ethsgaphmuw isn't normal, she wants power and change and she doesn't let things get in her way, whatever it takes she is going to get to the top.

 

[Ral]

"And if there's a Sith there in attendance? If he tries to use the Force on you to tell him the truth? If he pushes you, tries to see if your simple selfish motives are all there is to it. What will you do then, Fen? You have no weapon, and you're at the mercy of someone much less compassionate than I was when we met." Cassus shot Fen a look, slightly annoyed, but more worried. He wasn't displeased with her, but he needed her to understand that she couldn't take half measures when it came to dealing with their Sith and their allies, as remote as the possibility was in this case, it was big enough he wanted Fen to be prepared for the possibility. Taking a deep breath, he looked away, "Just sell it to yourself, Fen. If you resist too hard a Sith will know you're hiding something. But if he believes that all there is to it is what you're telling him than you'll be fine. Do you think you can do that? Sell your cover so well that a Sith won't look any deeper than the surface?"

Cassus hoped so, otherwise they'd have a serious issue if a Sith showed up. Clearing his throat, he glanced at her, "Whether you're the future of Ossus or not is yet to be determined. Guess we'll have to see how well you do today, darling. Remember what I told you. You may need it later." Humming to himself as he stopped at an intersection of streets waiting for the traffic of landspeeders to pass, Cassus reached out in the Force to get a general sense of how Fen was feeling. Looking back at the Zeltron hybrid dressed as a schoolgirl, Cassus smirked, "Do you know how to use your abilities to get a feel if someone is strong in the Force before getting close to them and talking to them, Fen?"

 

[Fen Vel]

"If they dig so deep that I have no choice, I react the same way I did to you. Only I scream, I cry, I cause a scene. If Cracemara is force sensitive what, that explains it. If the Sith are trying to remain hidden they would have failed and what can they do to a school girl, in public, during the day that would not risking poisoning everything they were working for when she knows nothing of what just happened? I am used to lies that my life depends on Sir, only in this situation I am certain it does not." Confidence was a requirement, not only for the character she was playing but also for the ones that may be trying to poke inside her head. One did not reach or even aim for the top and act timid, that would be a give away.

What he said next made her think he misunderstood, though she had hardly made it clear. Fen, did not see herself as something vital or even important, just here right now. That was part of her display, her act. As much as anyone he had to be fooled by her into thinking she was the character. It unsettled her that he might think that was real, or was it that she was doing such a good part of playing the role? She should take comfort, still, it didn't feel right. Trying to banish that thought Fen focused on what he had said before and tried to put it somewhere in her mind where she could bring it back and yet, leave no trace she had ever thought of it. Finally for his last question as they walked, she was somewhat less confident on, not that she let it show too much, "Not without knowing that they can't sense that I am looking for them," She answered. It actually seemed somewhat easy for her to work out if someone was able to protect their mind with the Force, just talking to them and seeing if they blocked her from sensing if they were telling the truth. Exactly what she was not allowed to do, "Maybe that should be something for you? Walk past me if you can sense them?" Even if they did find out they were force sensitive, it would need more than that to prove they were Sith, not only that, they'd need to prove it to other elements of the government as well.

 

[Ral]

"Then you'll be a crazy girl screaming for no reason in the middle of the park." Cassus interjected, his eyes flashing for a moment. "And if they are trying to remain hidden then they would have failed... You seem to be presuming that a Sith would care that the people there would find out. Don't be too quick to assume, and besides, you forget one thing, they do not need to touch you to hurt you, and they can do it without alerting anyone present to the fact that they are Force Users. There isn't some special motion they need to do, or some phrase they need to say which will alert others to what they are, and a screaming teenage girl will look worse for you than for them. What's more likely to these people who don't know a Sith is in their presence? That some crazy girl showed up and went crazy or that some Sith did it to her? And if they know, then they likely won't care. Don't make assumptions which can get you killed.

"Crime lords are one thing, Sith lords are a whole different beast. How many of those criminals can reach into your mind and rip out the information they seek? Did this ever happen when no one was around to protect you from someone who could throttle you with a simple pinching of their fingers? Start screaming, and see how long that goes before your throat closes up as the Sith chokes you to death, or forces you to pass out where they will take you prisoner." Cassus inhaled, he had not meant to be so critical, but this was not the time to be cavalier. Then he exhaled with a deliberate sigh. "You'll need to learn eventually, but since we seem to be taking the safe road today, I'll see if I can sense anyone out of the ordinary, or if anyone is Force Sensitive in that crowd of people."

It would be a tricky mission to be sure, but Cassus wasn't going to be deterred from it. He just wasn't going to go in without ensuring his own student wasn't ready for what might happen as well. "You'll know if they're a Sith," he remarked, "Unless they've gone out of the way to ensure they can't be detected, when you speak to them you'll notice there is something off, like they are cold in the Force, unsettling. It's hard to explain, but it's impossible to miss."

 

[Fen Vel]

Fen merely answered with, "Hrump." It was rather disheartening that he had no faith in her. That a Sith would open up on a girl walking past purely for walking past, while possible seemed stupid. Did Sith walk around trying to force their way into the minds of everyone that walked passed them in the street? In that situation of course she would have to do something different, however they were in a park, public. If she was to start talking to someone and they question, or someone else nearby questioned her motives then they would look. That was how she saw it going down if it did, in that situation, a display of extreme pain was the best answer. After all if a Sith could and wanted to take over this planet without stealth and secrecy then they would do so. Either they did not wish it or far more likely, they did not have the resources to invade this planet right now, meaning they needed other methods. To Fen this put what she said firmly in the right and her teacher, focused only on the most unlikely and worst outcome.

If she died then who the Sith was would be beyond clear, as would them being here. If she was alone, then she would not even be in this situation. Listening devices, cameras, droids, that would be how she would prove the situation. If she had to fight a Sith then different again, however that was not their mission and nor was it something she thought even remotely likely. Sith were not stupid and people that were not stupid could be predicted. The Sith would either attempt to kill them or flee if they knew they were discovered, however the former would have them trying to salvage the situation. Killing them outright in public was the opposite of that, that gave them time, even in the worse came. That was, assuming there was a Sith here at all and this hadn't all be random chance. The point was to discover who they were without the their target knowing that they had done so.

Trying her best to remain perky despite the verbal onslaught Fen considered that maybe Cassus should be wearing the skirt if he felt she was up not up to it. The crowd ebbed around them, she got some looks but she was used to those. Distancing herself from her teacher but doing her best to say within eyesight. Their target had to be here somewhere, her eyes lazily looked for him. It should not be hard to make him out.

 

[Tsunami]

OCC: Here to NPC a Sith.​

Xerxies stood close to his political partner in crime as the crowds began to swell. Over the last few months this location had become quite the point of interest for not only passers by, but figures from all walks of life. Leaders of syndicates in Hutt space, teachers, security and clueless government officials all relished in the glorious luck of one man.

But it had not been the luck of one man, but the will of another. Xerxies had been spending a lot of time on Ossus in recent months his mandate to influence the government at the highest level, gaining territory that the unsuspecting planet didn't even realise was being taken until it was too late. You see, Xerxies had a knack for the art of mental manipulation and while he was a decent swordsman and had good control over the force in general the upper echelons of the Sith saw fit to put his talent to good use far from any physical battlefields.

Every so often he would whisper in the politicians ear, his voice carrying with it the weight of the force, twisting the mans mind and knotting it, allowing him to be swayed and controlled by the Sith who to untrained members of the public saw him merely as an advisor, although an oddly dressed one.

Xerxies was a mix between robed and armoured, as many of his kind were. One might have thought he would wear something less attention drawing, however why would he need to. This far out of the republic there were many odd cults, fashions and dress codes. Xerxies blended in slightly more than one might think, deflecting questions about his true allegiance and making the more persistent questioner disappear.

As he and his friend moved from person to person, he got a feint sense of something. Hmmm, I wonder. he thought to himself, he was certain anyone who was foolish enough to walk into this situation unprepared, would soon reveal themselves and pay for their mistake.

@Ral

 

[Ral]

Cassus grimaced at the girl as she gave a rather defiant grunt in response to his lecture. Inhaling slowly, the knight closed his eyes and focused on remaining calm and balanced. There is no emotion, there is peace... the words ran through his mind over and over again. He didn't hate Fen, but she did try his patience at times. As a Jedi who had dealt with the Sith many times, Cassus was cautious. And being this close to the territory the Sith were known to be in made him even more cautious. He didn't want to take any risks without being prepared, and since they were there to determine if the leader had Sith ties, Cassus thought it both wise and prudent to go in ready for any possibility. A sentiment his Padawan did not share apparently, being too stubborn and cavalier to think that a Sith could be on this planet. Cassus could forgive that petulance though, she was only a teenager after all, still naive about the galaxy. She would learn in time, the easy way or the hard way, Cassus just hoped she wouldn't pay for it.

Fen broke away from her master into the crowd, letting the groups of people create a natural barrier between them. The Knight couldn't blame her, hopefully in time she would learn what it means to be a Jedi. In any case, they were getting close to the park, which meant their actual mission started now. Pealing off to the left, Cassus scanned the faces attentively, reached out into the Force for anything odd or unusual.

That's when he felt it. It was like a cold breeze ran up his spine and into his skull, chilling his brain. Frowning, the knight scanned the crowd again. He knew what caused the sensation, but he could not identify where it came from. It was only there for a moment, and then it was gone. Perhaps it was just a lingering sensation, but Cassus couldn't take that risk. Not with a Padawan's life at stake. Spotting Fen out in the mob of people, Cassus planned an intercept course, drawing his own presence inwards so he'd be difficult to detect. It took about ten seconds for the incognito knight to pass in front of Fen. He didn't make eye contact, but he did make the subtlest of motions with his hand as he passed her, hoping to draw her attention to the fact that he felt something.

 

[Fen Vel]

Ripples.

A echo, a chill feeling. At the edge of perception beyond feeling, sight and sound, a something, then another. Something passive rather than her actively looking, with what Cassus had told her it seemed likely that what they were looking for was in fact here, right here. Their task was complete then, there was a Sith here, time to go home. If only it was so easy, then Cassus walked passed her giving a sign that she purposefully didn't react to. Coming to a stop she identified several of the people around them, a minister of the interior, a mayor, deputy speaker, lobbyists. It seemed that a session had ended and that what she had read about the deals on this planet were true, they did much in the open. Fen also noticed the man that stood out amongst these people, armour was not something worn by politicians that did their best to appear friendly and open. It didn't suit their image and that such a person was here, in a park in broad daylight. Maybe a decoy but certainty odd, odd still that few others seemed to notice.

After a cursory glance with no further thought, Fen turned her attention to one of the more minor faces with a smile. Someone who was a supporter Ruddious Classcowmeru and would be happy with any sort of attention. A young man slightly on the portly side, suited like most of those around them who Fen picked as her target. Bubbly and in character she introduced herself, that she was here for a school project and promptly started taking notes as she spoke to him. What inspired him, what he stood for, his education and finally who he looked up to, who he worked with. It was easy, natural enough and required nothing of the Force at all. Minutes flew by until Fen asked without any ulterior motive, "Who is the guy in armour, a bodyguard?" He had stuck around as some of the others filtered away, sticking pretty close to Ruddious as he did his rounds.

The answer she got was vague, that Xerxies was an advisor. Given how eager the young man was to be the centre of her attention before, it was a little jarring, exactly the sort of answer she was looking for. Brushing it aside she asked a few more questions before pushing her hair to one side, "Do you think you can introduce me to Mr Classcowmeru?" Shooting another smile, "It would really help me out."
It was not a tactic she was used to using and would feel rather uncomfortable with herself, the person she was had no so such problem. Using everything at her disposal to get what she wanted, getting close to the big man was what she wanted. With all these people around, she felt relatively safe and was somewhat clued into what was going on. Except that Gracemara barely had any idea what a Sith was, only that the other guy was dressed somewhat oddly.

 

[Tsunami]

Like a bloodhound to the scent Xerxies pulsated force outwardly, fearlessly; in almost an over confident manor he sent rippled out through the crowd. It was almost like radar, a technique that his master had taught him long ago, before he had usurped him and taken his place.

As the feint waves of the force flowed out across the crowed he waited for the conformation he was looking for, like a ripple in the water hitting a bank the energy changed its course, the feeling of one who refused to let the dark in. Maybe not a Jedi, his technique did not show that, but it was a warning. Xerxies was no longer alone and whoever these two force users were. He would deal with them, quickly and quietly.

Suddenly his hands left the shoulders of Classcowmeru, he made a B-line straight for the source of the first ripple break, his focus being on recovering the energy he had expended for the time being. The source of the first ripple was a young girl, innocent looking and dressed in what seemed like a uniform much like those worn in the private school close by. Yet, she was alone, without teachers or other students from what he could see.

He finally reached her and as he approached the young man she had been talking to walked off. His head hanging as he passed Xerxies. "Strange to find someone like you here. Project is it?" He wasn't to versed on the school curriculums however he was certain that even at her age, this would be an odd place for one to find themselves. His eyes would meet hers, the dark orange and red fire of them burning with dark side corruption. The longer he lingered the more people began to spread away from him and his new friend.

Such was the uncomfortable feeling of his aura.

@Ral