The Way of the Primitive

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa walked slowly down the road, an unconscious woman slung across her shoulders much as she would carry a deer, her paw holding onto one of the dangling arms. Her spear was in her free paw, and a lightsaber was clipped to her pants, swinging back and forth with every step. As she got closer to the buildings the Kufu became aware of a growing swell of attention directed toward her as she walked.

She stopped, shifting the body, and then started again, the sun beating down on her burden as people started to approach her.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya backed away from the deadlock in a furious shuffling of feet. Jamis had reach and strength on her, and he could better attain leverage if her momentum was halted. Instead Draiya paced him in a nimble bit of footwork. She inverted the grip on one of her shoto sabers, changing her stance and facing periodically to not let him settle on how to address her assault. When at last she struck, she charged low to get the other padawan to commit to his own defense, locking her blades as she met his own before quickly deflecting his full-sized lightsaber inward. She had aims to run her inverted blade against his neck to force his yield, but in a surprise, he sent her sprawling to the ground with a blast of force kinetics. Off balance due to her own attempt to deny him the ability to parry, Draiya fell backwards, at the last minute tucking her chin to her chest so that she fell against her shoulder and across her back. Momentum did the rest, and she rolled back to her feet, digging in and ready to pounce. She did so immediately, sailing into the air in a somersault as she twirled both blades to dazzling effect.

[Jamis Kerr]

Two quick shuffle-steps and one sidestep sent him out of the immediate path of Draiya's incoming assault. Jamis caught one of her blades on his own though, a swatting strike meant to shift the balance of her aerial maneuver. He followed with a quick side-slash that she deflected with her other saber before landing on her feet.

So far their spar was rather fast paced, but each combatant played safely enough. They were each matched on height at least, and while he did have reach on her, she had a certain quickness that he couldn't match. Which just meant that he had to wear her down with brute strength.

He came at her again, his saber coming around in a wide arc before flipping about and locking once more against her shoto blades. They stood there, pushing against one another in some bizarre bid for control.

And then something caught his eye, and Jamis sent his gaze up. Over and past her, someone was coming into the camp with...

He made a confused face, and nearly forgot himself as Draiya shifted her stance and broke the lock. At the last minute he deflected her strike while moving back and lowering his own blade. With his free hand, he pointed past his dueling partner.

"What's she... "

Ndonsa was a familiar enough sight, and Ndonsa carrying in some killed animal for the mess hall's cooks was even more familiar.

But, Ndonsa carrying in another person?

"She's got a... a lady on her shoulders."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Forget about it Jamis! I wrote the rulebook of dirty tricks! Draiya's defiant face wasn't fooled by his attempt to divert her attention and she rared back to lay a haymaker, when she caught sight of what was in her peripheral vision. Surprise suddenly bloomed on her face and Draiya lost her footing, falling on her butt in the dirt. Sabers switched off, she gawked at the sight of Ndonsa carrying a person like a side of killed venison.

I KNEW IT! SHE'S A CANNIBAL came the immediate thought. Draiya frowned, her expression turning introspective. Wait, it's not cannibalism if it's another species. That seemed to calm her until she thought about it another second. She's still eating humans, that isn't cool!

Scrabbling to her feet, her eyes were big as saucers as she watched the Kufu approach, seemingly calm as a sip of water.

[Ndonsa]

Draiya and Jamis stared at her as she walked nearer, her burden causing each footstep to be more solid than usual. Still, she was in good physical shape and was not feeling tired despite the trek down the hills. Ndonsa was going to walk past the other padawans, but then she stopped.

"Do you know who is in charge of the Ally-ants men? This one is... a sneak," she decided on the word at the last minute. "Or a Council Jedi will do, I think. Maybe better," she mused, the female across her shoulders slipping a bit until she adjusted the weight.

[Jamis Kerr]

His saber extinguished, and Jamis gave the Kufu a wary look as his eye momentarily tracked to Draiya. She seemed as shocked as he was. Finally he looked back to Ndonsa.

"Don't know about the Alliance- "

His eyes caught sight of the saber at her belt. It was strange; not like any saber he'd ever seen. The one Ndonsa had clipped on had a simple metal cross-guard where every other one he'd seen did not.

The second part of her question went unanswered, as he blurted out a question of his own.

"Where'd you get that?"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

There was no way Ndonsa had made a lightsaber, much less one that kuu'ai. Draiya looked from the crossguard handle, then up to the unconscious woman she didn't recognize. A perplexed look was plain on her face as she played with a loose strand of hair from her ponytail that had fallen down.

"I bet she's a Sith spy!"

[Ndonsa]

"She may be," Ndonsa agreed. The young ones were too easily distracted. "The saber was hers." She already thought of it as her own - she had taken it from an enemy after besting them in combat. Of course it was hers.

She shifted her weight to the other leg. "I will continue. Thank you," she said a little stiffly, as they hadn't been helpful at all.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Ndonsa?"

Anbira emerged from the meditation tent nearby as he adjorned his current training class. The padawans scattered, or would have, if they weren't now rubbernecking at the sight of the Kufu woman with the human on her back in a fireman's carry. He quickened his pace to her, concern on his face. His padawan was steadfastly earnest in all things, and he expected that she would not delay in her explanation.

[Jamis Kerr]

The sound of Knight Hicchoru's questioning call to the Kufu cut through anything he might've wanted to interject with. He gave a look to Draiya, a silent agreement that her guess was probably the right one. Then his gaze tracked back to Ndonsa and her 'catch'.

He couldn't help himself; he really couldn't. After all, the only times something came back on Ndonsa's shoulders was when they were fixing to have fresh meat on that night's menu.

"I think she figures we're gonna eat a lady for dinner tonight!"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya didn't say anything initially, but the fact that Jamis was echoing what she initially thought made her make a gross-out face. She could imagine Ndonsa cracking open a femur and baying at the moon while slurping out the sweet insides.

"No, I think I'll just stick with the usual Padawan grruel if that's okay."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa's ears tinged pink, but she walked away from the young ones, toward her master, Anbira. He sounded concerned - perhaps he thought she was going to eat this sneak as well. Maybe she should, if she was to be blamed for it anyway.

"I found her in the jungle, sneaking. She had..." Ndonsa's voice trailed off as she searched for the word. "Bine-ocks. She attacked me when I followed her." She turned so the female's rump was closest to Anbira's face. "She has ID in pants."

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira creatively backed onto his heels to apply some amount of appropriate personal space as Ndonsa presented the prisoners' buttocks the way a fishmonger might sell haddock. Shuffling back a few more steps, he put his hands up, mindful not to put his hands on. His Padawan wasn't facing him to see his expression, so he adopted a diplomatic tone.

"I...believe you, Ndonsa. I'm sure there's a more, ahem, discrete way to identify this stranger."

Suddenly, he remembered the (now thankfully) empty meditation tent.

"Bring her in here, please."

Ndonsa turned to see where "here" was, nearly slapping Anbira in the groin with dangling legs.

[Jamis Kerr]

Never one to pass up an opportunity to be in the middle of the next big piece of gossip (especially if it ended up being that Ndonsa really did eat people), Jamis clipped his now-extinguished saber to his belt before trotting after Knight Hicchoru and his padawan. Course, didn't mean he couldn't try to inject a little bit of helpfulness - not to mention a possible saving grace for the Kufu's 'catch of the day'.

""If she asks for salt and pepper don't give her any!"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

With her spar effectively quashed in the face of grisly intrigues, Draiya likewise put her blades away and hopped-to in hot pursuit. A squirrel which had been previously rummaging for foraged tree nuts on the ground moments before soon scampered after her, running up the back of one of her trousers' legs before hitching a ride on the back of her jacket. She rolled her eyes at Jamis' jokestering, but there had to be a story worth hearing about on this one.

After all, even though there were no such thing as Fey'dann maneaters, that didn't make little human girls nervous when visiting the rural steppes.

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa turned her head and stared at Jamis, the sternest look she could create. Studying under the old shaman she had learned very forceful glares. Then she followed Anbira into the tent, lowering her captive to the ground with a thump. Onto the mediation pillows, of course.

"Here, the ID," she said, crouching down and digging in the female's pockets until she found it. A small hard chip came out as well, the kind people stuck in their screens and got information from. Ndonsa tossed the ID at Anbira.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Jamis."

Anbira glanced coolly at the Padawan in a calm but no-nonsense way. Now wasn't the time for jokes. Ndonsa tossed him the ID placard and he steadied it with the force before clasping a thumb and forefinger at it's corner for inspection. The face on the photo matched the unconscious woman. The badge seemed to be a legitimate Alliance Contract ID card, with the name "Bree Merisen" printed in bold font beneath the official heading. Anbira turned the ID over a few times. It seemed the genuine article.

"This seems to be in order." Even as he said it, Anbira knew that he wasn't an expert on the matter, and he'd need to defer to other sets of eyes to be certain. It certainly didn't look like a fake to him, though.

Pocketing the ID, the Jedi Hermit moved to a small table where a carafe of water rested near a row of drinking glasses. He filled one, approaching Ndonsa as he knelt beside her.

"We should wake her. I wouldn't put much faith in an ID alone."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa shrugged, picking up a cup of water some padawan had left behind and pouring it on the woman's face.

[Farran Esrimoure]

It was like being dragged, kicking and screaming, out of the most blessed of dreams. Hells if she could remember it, but she knew it'd been wondrous. It had been perfect... until the waking world grabbed hold of the scruff of her neck and jerked her away. It pulled her along after it, up the long tunnel that led away from her subconscious. She yelled, cried out, raged against it, but it was unyielding as it deposited her roughly on a smattering of pillows, inside a tent.

At least, that was the first thing that registered as Farran surged upward. The second was a little bit more annoying, and as she swiped a hand across her face to wipe away the water, the blonde grumbled out a string of garbled gibberish.

She blinked up at the padfoot, then slowly turned her head to look at another; a man.

And in that moment she moved, a sudden motion as she scrambled up, intent on escape.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Bree Merisen got three good strides before the fourth foot pumped air. She continued to sprint a few more strides, even as an invisible force kept her lifted an inch from the ground and glided her back into the tent. Anbira's hand held before her casually as he again pulled the ID. The innocent rarely run.

"Miss Merisen?"

The Blonde woman was put back on her feet, but Anbira's hand didn't stray far from her as he shook his head to discourage a future flight.

"I wouldn't advise that at present."

[Jamis Kerr]

He'd only just started to stick his head through the tent's entrance flaps. The sight that met his eyes however caused him to momentarily freeze in his actions - the woman was heading straight for him! Jamis backpedaled furiously, backing roughly into Draiya as the flaps fell back into place, once more closing the two padawans out.

And yet, she didn't materialize outside. Knight Hicchoru's voice carried out, muffled though it was, and the boy breathed out a sigh of relief while ntangling himself from his fellow padawan.

Undeterred, he stepped up once more to the entrance, and with a deep breath pushed his way inside.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya's mouth gawked open as she watched the woman try and make a run for it, only to get the brakes slammed on mid-air. She pumped her feet uselessly as she was drawn back into the tent. One thing was for sure, Draiya was not missing this one! She crowded into the tent to get a better look at the goings-on.

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa crouched a little, a paw on her new lightsaber at her belt, and bared her teeth at the female as Anbira put her in her place.

[Farran Esrimoure]

It was a heavy (not to mention entirely unavoidable) problem that she now found herself in, and Farran seemed to bristle as she was set back down the ground. Her last chance at escape, and she'd been dragged back in like some unruly pup.

An angry look was the only thing she sent in answer to the (obvious) Jedi. His hair could've used a hell of a comb-through. It made her wonder just how refined these Jedi on Ossus were, and if they really had any connections to the old Order. By the looks of the man's wild mane, she seriously doubted it. And then there was...

... her eyes tracked past the two youngsters, going to the Nehantite that'd brought her here. The Nehantite that had made life a hell of a lot more complicated and frustrating. Farran screwed her face into a mask of contempt. But it was the sight of her saber - her saber - dangling from the padfoot's belt that infuriated her the most.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"My padawan tells me she caught you skulking around wilderness surrounding the Sanctuary grounds. She also tells me that when she confronted you, that you attacked her with this."

Anbira gestured to the cross-hilt saber now hanging quite visibly from the Kufu's belt. There was no malice in the Hermit's face, but there was little mirth either.

"Those are serious allegations. I also trust my Padawan thrives on truth the way that you and I thrive on air, so I am inclined to believe her completely."

He twirled her ID card between his fingers as he spoke.

"I urge you to speak truthfully and completely. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

"Hardly skulking," came her eventual answer, her voice short and impatient.

Ignoring his order for her real name, Farran turned a narrow-eyed sideways glare to the Nehantite.

"And your 'Padawan' started chasing me. If I attacked, it was because she doesn't know well enough to leave alone."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa bristled, her eyes reddening. "You smell bad. Wrong. You are not from the Alliance."

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya stood silently, staring at 'Bree Merisen' as if she were the only person in the room. Something wasn't right here. Her dark eyes narrowed slightly as she canted her head, searching her feelings to find what lay between the woman's words and the eyes that belonged to the woman who spoke them.

[Farran Esrimoure]

It started as a slight tickle, a needling finger poking into her mind; intrusive, unwanted.

With a frown, the blonde screwed her features into a stony mask as instinct flared to life and walls sprang up to shield her thoughts. She turned her eyes to the younger girl, fixing her with a withering stare. Yes, it'd been here. The singular look in her eyes. Farran felt her hands ball up into fists, and as her walls went up, she gave a mental 'slap' to the girl's unseen 'hand'.

"Little girls shouldn't go brain-dipping."

[Jamis Kerr]

He felt it, clear as day. And if he could feel it, then there was no doubt that anyone else in the meditation tent could feel it, too.

Jamis' eyes widened in shock, and he looked to Draiya as his jaw fell open.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya flinched for a moment, then stepped forward again with a defiant look in her eyes as if she was bowing up after taking a physical slap.

"Yeah? And innocent skulking strrangerrs shouldn't have anything to hide!"

The Syragori narrowed her eyes. One thing was for sure though. This lady certainly had force potential, and very likely training.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Padawan."

Anbira ceased further outburst from the quick-mouthed girl with a raise of his hand, and turned back to Bree.

"No more cryptic responses, Miss Merisen. I'm waiting for the truth in full."

[Farran Esrimoure]

Her attention went back to the man, and Farran set her lips in a thin line as she mulled over the best answer to give.

Another moment passed before she finally spoke up.

"I'm looking for Jedi."

Which was the truth. Well, part of it at least.

"Seems I've found you."

[Ndonsa]

"One who has nothing to hide does not sneak around and spy on the village," stated Ndonsa firmly.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Yes, you have."

Anbira nodded, his hands spread slightly apart.

"The days of the Jedi hiding are over."

And yet the words of his padawan were a demand for truth not yet satisfied.

"You could have come to us openly, yet you chose to do so clandestinely and attacked my student. Why?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

"Your student chased me. I was only trying to protect myself."

A decidedly sour look fell on her face, and Farran settled for crossing her arms over her chest rather than continue on about the particulars of what brought her here.

"It's complicated," was her only answer, "I was told not to engage."

[Ndonsa]

"She told me she was a sur-vay-or. A lie. I followed her, yes, but she attacked first. With this," Ndonsa lifted the lightsaber hilt a bit and then let it fall back against her thigh. "I had my spear. She intended to kill me.

"She was not very good." Ndonsa sounded amused.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"You were told?"

Anbira's head canted slightly. Finally some new information beyond the tiresome deflection of accusation.

"By whom?"

The Knight glanced to his student, wondering if she'd gleaned anything regarding this from their encounter.

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Draiya crossed her arms as she stared down the strange woman.

"Masterr Hicchorru, with yourr perrmission, I could get all these answerrs outta herr."

Serena might have issue with it, but wasn't this a matter of Jedi security?

[Farran Esrimoure]

Farran almost laughed aloud, but the gravity of her situation kept her mouth mostly shut. As it was, she let out a single snort.

With a look sent to the man, a level gaze that matched his own, determination for determination. After a small bit of pervasive silence settling throughout the tent, she gave a nod to the youngsters.

"They leave."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa looked at Anbira, who nodded. She turned and put paws on the padawans' shoulders, pushing them backwards out of the meditation tent. Mouths open in protest, they seemed to be trying to think up a reason they should stay, but she closed the tent flaps firmly in their faces.

A muffled "Heyyyy!" came from the other side, and then a round of shushing. Ndonsa had no doubt the pair would try to listen in anyway.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira gave a nod to his Padawan. The younger ones wouldn't like it, but if that's what it took to get something material out of this mystery woman, that's exactly what was going to happen.

The Jedi Knight waited for Bree to arrive at a forthcoming state of mind.

[Farran Esrimoure]

Farran watched with a careful gaze, and as the tent's flaps closed shut, she waiting a few seconds longer before one hand moved to a slim leather pouch affixed to her belt. The metal hasp was undone, and she pulled a holoprojecter out. It was an older model, of the sort that were used by the Jedi during the Clone Wars.

And with her features set in a stony mask, she held it up. A moment later her thumb pressed the playback button.

A figure appeared, translucent blue. He appeared old, but it was easy to see that in his younger years he had been a broad-shouldered man. Certainly not frail in his appearance, it was simply the way in which he held himself. And yet, there was still a vibrant, almost unpredictable energy to the way he stood. It was a contradiction given form. He wore the familiar robes that marked him as a Jedi, and his hair fell past his shoulders in a loose ponytail. He had a beard, but it was far more well maintained than the Jedi Knight she was currently in the presence of. The small, flickering blue figure began to speak.

"It is my hope that when you receive this message, you'll have found the Jedi. I only wish that I could have come with you, but it has been so long that I've been on Helska IV, and I do not think that it is my destiny to leave this planet. If any of the other Masters are still alive, tell them that I am well. Tell them that I am happy, and that I am at... peace."

The image of the Jedi held for a little bit longer before freezing as it reached the end.

Another flick of her thumb, and the figure disappeared.

"My Master, Elys Davola."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa stood in silence, waiting for Master Anbira to speak. If this hollow gram was her master, he had not trained her very well. She thumped the butt of her spear into the ground, softly.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira watched the hologram as if he was staring through history. Though he didn't know the man's name, if his words and his student's were true, then it meant what he'd known in his heart. No matter how thoroughly the Empire may try, they could never stamp the fire of the Jedi from the galaxy completely. There would be far-flung embers cast in places they may never see, waiting to kindle anew.

"I see."

One thing was clear. A new Jedi had arrived on Ossus. Anbira was intrigued.

"The Council will most certainly want to see this message."

The hermit tipped his head deferentially.

"And the student who carries it. What name shall I give them?"

Certainly not Bree Merisen.

[Farran Esrimoure]

The projector was once more returned to its' case, and she secured the clasp. Her eyes went to the Nehantite, then slowly moved across the way to the bearded man. One hand twitched, and the saber hilt that'd been fastened to her captor's pants snapped away, zipping through the air before smacking into Farran's waiting palm. She closed her fingers around the handle in a protective grip. It was easy to see that the initial loss of her treasured weapon had been a source of quiet disgruntlement.

Her lips formed a thin line as she let out a long breath.

"Esrimoure. Farran Esrimoure."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa flinched as the weapon unclipped from her belt, and she frowned deeply. By rights the weapon belonged to her. She casually leveled her spear at the female. "You have not explained why you are sneaking. And lying."

[Anbira Hicchoru]

It was a brash move on Farran's part. Brash and presumptuous. The Council would yet have their say on the matter. For now, Anbira rested a reassuring hand on Ndonsa's spear, gently urging it to be lowered. It wasn't as though she didn't have a point, however.

"My Padawan's tendencies are rather pointed, but she is still correct. Why all of the trickery?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

"I've been looking for you lot for a long time; you weren't very easy to find before."

Which was the truth. Before the Jedi had come to Ossus, they'd been all but invisible, and whatever information she'd gotten about their whereabouts had always come too late. She was always a step behind, and a day or two too late. It had been a little bit more than frustrating. Her time away from Helska IV hadn't been the success that her master had hoped for, and the few credits that he had given her had not lasted as long as he might've thought that they would.

Her expression soured.

"Gotta make a living somehow; put food on the table and keep fuel in my ship. I wasn't exactly in the best of conditions when word trickled out that you all had settled here, so getting a job that put me on Ossus and dropped coin into my pocket was something I couldn't pass up."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa let her spear point touch the ground at her master's silent order. She was not happy with this stranger, and 'Farran' had not said anything that had lifted her suspicion. "Who are you working for?"

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"You were hired to spy on the Order?"

A raised eyebrow at that. A curious admission. If she was as she said, perhaps she had no intention of making good on her promise. And yet...

He glanced to Ndonsa, and back to Farran. Again, his Padawan's instincts and directness were sharp.

[Farran Esrimoure]

"Who said anything about spying on the Order?"

It came out quickly, each word clipped as she gave an almost quizzical look to the man. A frown, and she went on.

"It's not the Jedi I'm officially here for, if it makes you feel any better."

[Ndonsa]

"The Alliance then," said Ndonsa. "They will want to question you." She twirled her spear haft, the point digging into the ground as it spun on its tip.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Ndonsa was tiring of the charade, and so was he.

"I'm inclined to agree. Even now, you give us evasions and half answers. Clearly you think little of us if you think trust is so cheap."

Though the spirit of his padawan was in the right place in terms of understanding this woman clearly needed sorting out, Anbira had a different tactic.

"Let's take her before the Council. You may not answer us, but you'll certainly answer Master Laran."

[Farran Esrimoure]

She said not a word, choosing to allow his words to fall by the wayside. What he and his 'student' thought was inconsequential. They could make assumptions and conjecture all they wanted. Farran furrowed her brow at the deeper understanding of it all, and her eyes closed as she maintained patience in the face of everything. A long, inhalation, and an even longer exhale. Air left her lungs and so very nearly whistled out from between clenched teeth. Her features softened, and the blonde finally gave a nod.

Her orders had been specific, but they were only applicable in the best of times. There was, of course, the main objective; the target. That one could not know. Could never know. Would never know.

"Fine. Your Council."

She could improvise, and sometimes necessity demanded one think on their feet.

Her lightsaber was clipped to her belt, and she crossed her arms over her chest while eyeing first the Nehantite, and then the man.

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa looked pointedly at the Farran's weapon, and then back to Anbira. Only a fool would bring an armed enemy into the chief's long house.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Of course.

A flick of Anbira's hand sent Farran's saber to it's waiting grasp.

"Trust has certain privileges."

[Farran Esrimoure]

A sour look was sent his way, but Farran said nothing. Instead she glared at him. Another few seconds passed, and she extended a hand out, gesturing to the tent's flaps with a mocking motion.

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa's face had no expression, but somehow still looked smug. She opened the tent flaps and stepped out, Draiya and Jamis tumbling backward and falling in their haste to get out of the way. Ndonsa clicked her tongue and pushed them slightly, moving their tangled bodies out of the way as she strode toward the road.

[Jamis Kerr]

"Oh sh-"

Cut off from finishing his expression of sudden shock, Jamis didn't have time to back away far enough, and was sent tumbling alongside Draiya. Further insult was added as Ndonsa shoved them further out of the way with the Force. He propped himself up on an elbow, sent a look to his co-conspirator, and then sent a withering glance up to the Kufu as she continued on her way.

"You forget your fork or somethin'???"

[Draiya Naaianeya]

Falling firmly on her backside, Draiya winced as she rolled to her side and massaged her bottom.

"Oww...owww...I landed on a rrock."

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira glanced down to Jamis and Draiya, clearly not in the mood for their hijinks.

"Padawans, don't you have duties to attend to?"

Leading ahead, the Hermit waited for Farran to follow as he and Ndonsa led her to the Council to hopefully settle questions that refused to attract answers. The trio moved quickly down the road, coming to the large double doors that would lead them within. Pausing at the threshold, he looked to Farran.

"Now is the time for you to discover a talent for truth. I sincerely hope you do."

[Farran Esrimoure]

"A talent for truth," she repeated, eyes going up to take in the doors they now stood before. She let her gaze trace along the contours.

A light henh sounded, escaping her lips as she inhaled deeply. There had not been a contingency for how things had turned out; She had been told to watch and observe. Now though, cards had been laid out and a new playing field had emerged.

"The truth is a hell of a thing," she finally sighed, her lips drawing into a thin line.

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa stood at the door while Anbira took the sneak inside, hesitating. She had been in the building only once, when she had first arrived. After a moment she followed them, hanging well back from them.

[Serena Laran]

Serena was checking a datapad, her finger scrolling the screen, and she looked up as Anbira entered with his padawan, and a stranger. "Anbira, how may I help you?"

She put the datapad down and looked at the council chairs. "Should I call the others?"

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira bowed in salutation to the Jedi Master. At her query to summon the council, he looked back to his guest.

"I think that may be necessary, Master. I have an interesting guest who has something important to say."

[Serena Laran]

Serena looked at the woman who seemed sullen, and nodded. "I see. Just a moment please." She picked up her commlink and made a call to Solomon, asking him to come to the council building and to find Zem along the way.

[Zem Vymes]

A short time later, Master Vymes and Master Solomon entered the council chambers, stepping past Knight Hicchoru, Padawan Ndonsa, and an unknown quantity in their midst. A shared glance went to Serena in curiosity as each council member took their appointed seat. There had been no further discussion on the matter, so Zem clasped his hands in his lap as he waited for clarity to be applied to the situation at hand.

[Farran Esrimoure]

She stared at the assembled three, a slowly dawning look of disbelief coming over her. A look back to the bearded man, then once more to the... Council? This was not in any way what Master Davola had told her to expect. Of course, he'd not exactly been specific, but his stories of the Great Jedi Council had painted such vivid pictures in her young mind. Pictures that stayed with her through her years growing up on the harsh wastes of Helska IV with only her master as company. As her eyes went over each person seated before her, Farran felt the first pangs of disappointment.

In what, she could not know, only that the emotion had sprung up and was slow to die away.

She pursed her lips then, and with a slow, respectful bow to the Council, the blonde lifted her eyes to the woman in the center.

Despite her flagging thoughts, there was still courtesy and respect in the face of any Jedi Master, a sentiment that had been thrust into her young, impressionable mind. Respect and honor, these were to be given to all Jedi, but most of all to the Masters of the Order. 'The Masters carry the immeasurable weight of so many, and their word is law, and their deeds unquestionable.' She could still hear the words he spoke over and over, his voice a hypnotizing mix of aged roughness and soft gentleness.

[Rev Solomon]

Solomon's eyes locked with unerring intensity on the fair-haired stranger in their midst as he took his own seat. She wasn't the first visitor to drop in on the Jedi unannounced - he'd ferried a few of them himself. But he didn't notice the protective stance Anbira and Ndonsa had taken on either side of her, or the unfamiliar crosstreed weapon hanging securely in the knight's grasp.

"Padawan Ndonsa," the preacher said, "I understand you are the one who brought this woman into our colony. Perhaps you could explain how you came upon her."

[Ndonsa]

Ndonsa stood straighter as Master Solomon spoke to her, her tail waving slightly. "I was hunting," she started, and suddenly remembered the meat she'd had to leave behind. The mongoose frowned a bit, and continued. "I came on this female, sneaking in the forest. She told me she was a...surveyor." She might not know what a surveyor was, but she'd figured out how to say it correctly.

"She did not smell right, so I followed her, and on our second meeting she could not answer my questions and would not return to speak to 'Sarge' with the Alliance. I would not let her go away from me, and she attacked me with her lightsaber. Which," Ndonsa insisted, "I claimed from her after I defeated her." She looked pointedly at the weapon on Anbira's belt.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

At Ndonsa's mentioning, Anbira presented the unusually-designed weapon for inspection before the assembled masters, stepping to his left toward Solomon's seat to deliver it to him first.

[Farran Esrimoure]

Without thinking, Farran spoke up in response to the Padfoot's words, giving the Padawan a narrowed, sideways glance while delivering a withering accusation.

"Do the Jedi now steal lightsabers for their own instead of going through the honored ritual of building their own?"

[Serena Laran]

"We do not," Serena said. "Padawan Ndonsa is from a culture where I gather it is customary to take things from defeated enemies. She will be instructed differently by her master." The Kufu's face settled into a mask of neutrality, but Serena could sense a storm of emotions from the padawan. Then, suddenly, the storm was gone, replaced by...nothing? Ndonsa remained stonefaced.

"Perhaps you can tell us your name, and your side of the story."

[Farran Esrimoure]

A deep breath. Now came the truth. The truth that she'd been instructed to keep confidential, but in the face of things as they stood now, there was no going back. In a way, Farran was somewhat surprised that her employers hadn't disclosed the information that had been given to her, to the Council. Of all the Jedi on Ossus, it seemed the prudent thing to do, but well, stranger things had happened.

"My name is Farran Esrimoure, Masters. I'm here under the authority of Alliance Intelligence."

A second ident card with her real name, and a listing as a contractor with temporary Alliance credentials was pulled from an inside pocket of her jacket, and she held it up between two fingers.

"They contacted me for a job; just a simple watch and log affair."

She stopped then, the card still held up. Her eyes went first to the Nehantite, then the bearded Jedi. It was an unspoken request for privacy, as what she had to say was best only known by the masters.

[Zem Vymes]

A turn of events both unexpected and unnerving. Zem's jawline tensed as he laced his fingers together.

"Knight Hicchoru, Padawan Ndonsa, that will be all for now. We may call on your testimony later."

As Kestra Martel escorted the two other Jedi from the room and sealed the doors behind them, Master Vymes leveled a finger directly at Farran.

"If what you say is true - if - then it's damned disrespectful to put it bluntly. I won't have this new-found order become the hotbed for agent provocateurs and anything else that diminishes our mission."

[Farran Esrimoure]

"I truly don't know why you weren't informed. All I know is what I was told, and that was to remain as unobtrusive as possible."

She gave a shrug at that.

"But things change, and we all have to face the truth sometimes."

She was quiet for a moment before going on.

"Intel contracted me out to watch one of the Alliance officers you have posted here. Seems he's been bought out by the Imperial Knights to keep an eye on you."

Her hand lowered then, but only for a moment before flicking the ident card up into the air on a trajectory toward the older Jedi.

[Rev Solomon]

Solomon lifted his hand and halted the card's flight with the Force, then gently brought it to rest on the tabletop before Serena. He felt no need to inspect it himself, as he had no way of spotting a competent forgery. "We will, of course, check your credentials with your superiors," he said. "If we have a spy in our midst, why have you been sent to watch, and not to apprehend him?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

Another shrug.

"My guess would be to get information of their own before making a move. From what I could tell, they've mostly just uncovered it themselves and didn't want to rush into snatching someone up without proof. Making folks unexpectedly disappear is a bit of a dangerous game to play, so I'm going to figure that they want as much evidence as possible before they move. Though, that they didn't decide to use one of their own agents is beyond me."

She closed her eyes, head dipping in a horizontal shake.

"Look. This was not on my itinerary, and I had been advised to keep contact to a minimum. I'm pretty much flying in the face of that stipulation at this point in time. I needed the credits, they needed an outside person. I thought it was a fair shake; I get to eat for another month or so, and they get the information they want."

[Serena Laran]

"And did you?" Serena picked up the ID card and turned it over. It looked real enough, and the words of the woman rang true. She looked up at Farran. "Get the information they want? If you are just watching, what are you watching for?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

"I've got some, but at this point in time it's not enough to bring any sort of conviction. I've only been on Ossus for a few days."

Her features turned thoughtful then, as she looked down to the hardwood flooring. She could even still pick up traces of fresh cut timber coming from the smooth, tightly fitted planks she now stood upon.

"I was supposed to watch for patterns, and then any deviations of normal day to day life. Observe any interactions made, and log everything I saw. As of this morning, I'd really only started to get a basic view of the subject's daily paths."

[Zem Vymes]

This was all smoke and mirrors. Zem leaned back in his seat with ponderous deliberate movement. For someone ostensibly doing someone else's dirty work for pocket money, this woman was certainly taking her small job seriously. Vymes arched an eyebrow.

"And do all Alliance Intelligence freelancers carry a lightsaber, or is it merely coincidence that you do so here?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

Her eyes remained downcast at the query, brow knitting in concentration. In remembrance.

"I took the job because I wanted to come here, to see the Jedi. I had to."

She looked up then, shoulders squaring back as she pulled the older model holo-projector from the leather pouch on her belt. It was scuffed along its' edges, and though aged, it was still more than serviceable. Holding it up in front of her to rest in the palm of her hand, her thumb flicked the activation button. Before, she had played only a small portion of the message. Now, she played it in its' entirety. The image of a robed man, advanced in age, but still youthful in appearance to a degree. That strange conundrum of two notions that could never possibly coexist coming together in an image of peculiarity. His long hair was pulled back, his beard meticulously maintained.

The flickering image of Jedi Master Elys Davola looked out at the three Jedi Masters.

"I trust this message finds you well, Farran. Your last transmission gave me much hope. If the Jedi have truly begun to come together once more, then the galaxy has finally begun to right itself again. The Dark Times are coming to an end, my Padawan, and I am joyful that you are able to be present for the grand re-emergence of our Great Order. Now you will see the true reach and splendor of the Jedi."

A translucent blue hand lifted, a single finger raised.

"If the Jedi are being harbored by this... Alliance as you call it, then do what you must to place yourself in such a situation that you can join them. You have spent so many years here with me, and your mother would be proud of you; of that she has told me. It is my hope that when you receive this message, you'll have found the Jedi. I only wish that I could have come with you, but it has been so long that I've been on Helska IV, and I do not think that it is my destiny to leave this planet. If any of the other Masters are still alive, tell them that I am well. Tell them that I am happy, and that I am... at peace."

The hologram froze in place then, and another moment later blinked off.

Exhaling a long breath, Farran let her arm fall back to her side, still holding the projector.

[Serena Laran]

Serena leaned forward to watch the hologram, and when the recording was done she leaned back in her chair. She looked over at Solomon, one eyebrow raising just a bit. She recognized the name and the face of Master Davola, but knew little about the man. He had served in the Clone Wars, as had Sol, so perhaps Solomon was more familiar with the sort of Jedi they were dealing with.

[Rev Solomon]

Solomon lifted his eyes from the hologram to the woman who carried it.

"Master Elys Davola served as a Jedi general aboard the Venture during the Clone Wars," he said for the benefit of his fellow Councillors. "His ship was destroyed in the Helska system, and all hands were presumed lost. How did you come to meet him, Miss Esrimoure?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

"My family crashed on Helska IV when I was a baby. My father died in the impact and my mother was hurt badly. Master Davola saved us, and took us in. We lived on the Venture with him, until my mother finally died from her wounds. After that it was just me and Master Davola."

She clutched the projector another moment longer before slowly returning it to her belt pouch. It was a strange sort of detachment that she now felt, speaking so casually of the deaths of her parents. But, it was the will of the Force, as Master Davola had said so many times. It had brought her to him, and given him a student to impart his knowledge to. She had ceased to be a child the day that her mother died. She was too young to know grief then, and now? She was far too removed. Far too distant from the notion of family.

[Zem Vymes]

It seemed fortuitous that Farran would find herself in the Jedi Master's company, and doubly so that she was gifted in the ways of the force. Jedi believed neither in luck nor coincidence. This had to be attributed to the force's will.

"I'm sure that Master Davola instructed you in a manner my fellow councilors would recognize. In the days of the old order, potentials were brought to the temple at a very young age to begin their training."

And yet something seemed amiss. Why was Master Davola so adamant to remain on Helska IV?

"Tell me, your Master declined to leave in search of the order. Did he discuss what held his attention there?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

She bit her lip at that, a sense of honest uncertainty sweeping over her. The question that was now posed to her had so often perplexed her own sensibilities for each year that she had been away. It had confounded her, but she had obeyed with the diligence that Master Davola had instilled within her. She had not pressed the matter with him beyond a single questioning look, and he had not elaborated. Or at least, he'd not elaborated past a simple 'I belong here now'.

It was those last words that she repeated to the three Masters now.

"I... did not ask. It was not my place. All he told me was that his place was on Helska IV."

[Serena Laran]

Serena pushed aside the current topic of conversation with a wave of her hand. Master Davola's decision to die in exile was not something that would affect the Jedi, but an Imperial spy amongst them was a clear and present danger.

"What is the name of the person the Alliance asked you to watch?"

[Farran Esrimoure]

Thinking for only a moment on the question posed, Farran knit her brow.

"With all due respect Masters, if I give you his name, I must have assurances that hurried actions to root this person out won't be taken."

[Zem Vymes]

"Trust in the will of the force, Padawan Esrimoure."

It was an inscrutable response from Zem that effectively gave no guarantees.

"Whatever action this Council embarks on, it will be done with full wisdom and with full information at it's disposal. This suspect may yet lead us in useful directions if we keep a tether on them, but equally possible is that they may need to be apprehended at once. We will not allow outside forces to subvert or undermine the authority of the Jedi Order, be they enemy or ally."

[Farran Esrimoure]

She blinked in a healthy amount of surprise at that, and with a long, flat look to the older man, Farran pursed her lips as if in some final show of defiance. It was a fleeting look however, and her eyes fell back down to the floor.

"His name is Deni Estas."

[Rev Solomon]

Solomon's remaining fingers danced over the keypad before him, calling a personnel file onto his datascreen. A wave of his hand mirrored the file on his colleagues' monitors as well.

"Deni Estas is a tech specialist with the Alliance Technical Corps," he said. "He's had a hand in just about every computer system we've set up, from the Council archives to the classroom datapads. A spy in his position could harvest any data he wants, or even create back doors so our systems can be accessed remotely. If these suspicions are correct, Mr. Estas poses a grave threat to our security. I don't believe observing him from a distance is sufficient protection."

[Serena Laran]

Serena frowned with concern. "Having our systems reviewed for security leaks would be a good first step. A slicer could find out if anything has been accessed...and I happen to know a good slicer. Jedi Knight Morgan Evanar."

[Farran Esrimoure]

For a few moments, she stood. There was no emotion on her features as she presented a carefully held blank expression. Inside however she was more than a little bit turned back.

"This is still my job," she finally ground out, doing her best to stay as level as possible. Master Davola had always made sure to drive into her that her duties and her word were to be seen through to the finish. Any job, duty, or endeavor that she set out up, she had to be the one to complete it. She could hear him even now, whispering angrily into her ear as if in accusation to her current circumstances. 'Never let anyone take over the tasks that you set out to do. They are yours, and yours alone. And if you cannot finish them, or if you allow others to take up where you can no longer carry, then that is your burden and failure to bear.'

Words that she had heard so many times. Words that burned deep.

[Zem Vymes]

"Padawan Martel, strike the minutes of this session."

"As you wish, Master."

If this Mr. Estas had as much access as his dossier suggested, then the level at which a compromise existed could extend within these walls.

"Padawan Esrimoure, you want to oberve your target in the act of incrimination, then I suggest we set up the playing field to compel him to act."

Vymes nodded to Serena.

"We should inform Knight Evanar of this, discretely. Perhaps in the course of mitigating any damage, we can also steer our suspected spy into showing his hand."

[Farran Esrimoure]

Now this was something she'd not expected; or at least, a course of action that she hadn't taken into account. Farran looked pointedly from each Council member to the next, blinking in not a small amount of surprise. She licked her lips, and instinctively her hand passed over the conspicuously empty metal latch on the right side of her belt. Not for the first time since regaining consciousness this day did she inwardly lament the absence of her saber. It grated, but it seemed that her situation allowed for little leeway on that particular matter. Still though, the sting of loss was acute.

She listened as the Masters spoke, knowing that her place as it was was to remain silent. In the presence of her betters, she fell upon her teachings and held her tongue for now.

What came next she could only guess, and Farran steeled herself. She would adhere to her Master, and follow as close to his teachings as she could. She had a job to do, after all.