Private Reorganisation

[Chaussidier]

Reorganisation​

"More welcoming than Rhen Var." the low voice did not carry far. With his hands clasped behind his back, Chaussidier's gaze rested on the planet below. He merely spoke to himself as his crew worked on busily behind him. They had only just entered the orbit of Felucia but the two shuttles were already away. The first shuttle carried a few officers tasked with acquiring a larger load of Nysillin from the local merchants of the planet's capital, Kway Teow. The second shuttle carried the Jedi he had brought with him on the mission to the old core of the Sith Empire. Mathieu Brion was not tasked with anything in particular but seemed eager to visit the more rowdy settlement of Har Gau.

Walking back to the command console, Chaussidier opened the comms channel "Shuttle one, status?" His tone now clear and with purpose.

A few brief moments of static noise followed before the pilot answered. "Our ETA is fifteen minutes, Admiral. We had to divert from the original route. A storm is brewing. Didn't want to risk anything happening to the shuttle."

Seemingly unaffected, Chaussidier produced a small nod. "Understood. Update me of any developments and stay out of trouble. Shuttle two?"

A significantly younger voice answered "I'm touching down as we speak. Admiral, I can see that storm on the horizon. It's looking pretty bad." Mathieu paused for a few moments as he completed the final steps of the landing. Some rumbling noises could be heard as the landing gear connected with the platform underneath. "Something is off about this place. The people here, they seem uneasy."

Chaussidier softly shook his head. Jedi had an odd way of making judgements about groups of people before even having had the chance to meet them and study them. How Mathieu could tell that the locals were uneasy was beyond his understanding, but at this point, the old man had come to terms with not always comprehending the mysteries of the force. Or whatever it was that the Jedi liked to call it. "Regardless, avoid getting stuck down there. We are leaving once the Requisitions Team comes back with the Nysillin."

"Yes Admiral." Mathieu's response came quickly. While he did not display any signs of dissatisfaction, he did seem eager to leave, busying himself with shutting the ship down before departing to explore Har Gau.

"Chaussidier out." The elder once more clasped his hands behind his back. 'Not getting stuck' could be easier said than done. Har Gau was reportedly in decline with poverty on the rise and a rather sever lack of order after it fell from the clasps of the Sith. If they didn't have other pressing matters, getting stuck down there might have done more good than harm. There had been rumours of a regional warlord trying to expand their influence into the city. While that might create order, Chaussidier was not sure if it would be much better than when the Sith controlled the area. Still to him, that seemed like a concern for another time.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

There had only been one or two occasions before that had called him to Felucia. It wasn't an ideal planet in his opinion, full of dangerous wildlife and thick jungles that could swallow entire armies if given the chance. Its position made it important though, a key planet to control for the Sith Empire and then after them the Sith Eternal. It had seen much war and conflict in the past few years, and the collapse of the Sith had changed almost nothing but the names and faces involved.

Warlords vied all around the previously Sith space, claiming regions and planets and attempting to consolidate their power before the enemies of the Sith descended upon them to claim their shares of the fallen Sith worlds. Felucia was no different. The dense jungles that deterred civilian and soldier alike served as the perfect place to hide and build up power without being disturbed.

It was an ideal place for any wannabe warlord, and an issue for everyone else involved.

Alisteri usually wouldn't interest himself in regional politics, but said region was of interest to him. His cult needed weapons and other supplies if they were to survive in the galaxy, plus they made as good trading resources even if they weren't used, but a warlord had taken up residence in an abandoned supply depot somewhere near a settlement called Har Gau.

If he was to gain access to that depot, he would need to rid it of the warlord and whatever forces were occupying it. That would not be easy alone. So here he was, trying to stir up the populace of Har Gau to help rid themselves of the threat outside their settlement. Unfortunately, his words often fell on deaf and scared ears.

He sighed in frustration as he threw open the door to his room, a rental for his stay here of course, and then quickly shut the door behind him. The masked Acolyte repeatedly clenched and then relaxed his hands in some effort to calm himself and not break something as he made his way over to a chair and sat down. "Too eager to lie back and let this warlord do as they wish. How foolish of them..."

His efforts had gotten him nowhere thus far, most of the settlement being reluctant to take a proper stand against anything related to the Sith. "Too used to being ruled over I suppose. A shame." He muttered under breath as he leaned his head on one of his hands and shut his eyes. He hoped to try again after the storm passed, and get some rest while it was there.

Evidently the small moment of peace and quiet would not last though, as his communicator crackled to life.

:"High Priest? High Priest come in!": The Sith reluctantly opened an eye to stare at the device on the table next to him before reaching over and tapping it. "This is Alisteri to the Altorius, what's the matter?" :"We've had to reroute and make our way out of the system sir! Our scanners spotted ships heading towards Felucia and the captain gave the order to flee.":

Now that caught his attention.

Alisteri sat up immediately and turned to face the communicator as he responded. "You did the right thing then. What ships? Not the usual merchants or civilian vessels I presume? Given the haste." :"No sir, we detected ships belonging to the Galactic Alliance.": Silence. Not a single sound left him for a good minute before the communicator spoke again. :"...High Priest? Do you copy?":

"Stay out of the system and put some distance between yourselves and it. I'll contact you when it's clear and I can be picked up. Until then, do not contact me just in case." He didn't even wait for confirmation from the ship, already storming back out of the rental room. Looks like today just got so much more difficult.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Reorganisation​

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, other items
Tags: Darth Strosius

---​

Mathieu wandered away from the landing pad, straight onto a busy square. There were typical marks of a society in decline. Remarkably high prices, few buyers - and the one who did buy seemed rather desperate at that. Some had resorted to thieving. Of course, those were harder to spot but the high amount of idle wanderers did seem higher than one would expect. What was more interesting still was the jokes that were being made. Something about some madman wanting to take on 'the Grub Lord'. To Mathieu who had never heard it before, the name sure seemed amusing - but the tone in which it was being said was one of fear.

Wearing a cloak over his armour, Mathieu hoped that it wouldn't be all too obvious that he was a Jedi. He was, after all, in what had been the core of Sith space. A planet that had seen calls for wars, internal strife and most certainly better days. Far from everyone welcomed the Jedi. Some had been led to believe that they were evil, others were still loyal to the Sith. Suddenly, Chaussidier could be heard in his earpiece "We have an issue. One of our technicians logged us as an Alliance vessel. It will take some time before we can revert back to a neutral flag. Keeping a low profile will be harder now. We are preparing an extraction team in the case of an emergency. Hopefully, we can avoid reaching that point. Chaussidier out." Mathieu's wide shoulders fell upon hearing the news. He looked around, feeling somewhat relieved that people didn't seem all too excited. Their focus appeared to remain on the Grub Lord. Perhaps word didn't spread to these smaller settlements all too fast. Regardless, it still seemed safe, so he stayed.

Looking around attentively, Mathieu thanked his lucky stars for being taller than most. It made his search for curiosities much easier. Of course, it had its drawbacks too. His grand stature made him rather easy to spot when traveling among civilians in a town that seemed impoverished. Not content with just idly looking for whatever it was that made him believe that the locals were uneasy, Mathieu bought a few local fruits from a nearby stall. It prompted the merchant to quickly rush away to make a few purchases of her own - sensible when prices were rising by the hour.

Mathieu approached a few lithe elders playing Dejarik by a bench at the edge of the market square. "Here" he said, offering them his apples. A gift which seemed to be highly appreciated. "Mind if I join you for a bit?" He was welcomed to have a seat, allowing him to listen in to their banther whilst observing the game. After having waited for an opportune moment to hop into the conversation, the large Morellian spoke "So, do you lot know why everyone seem so off around here?"

Skeptical eyes darted towards the newcomer. "Well, nobody can afford to live anymore. We barely have any police around. Bunch of kids left to go live..." her rant died down as she trailed off. A few awkward looks were directed towards her until she finally waved at him "Ahh, it's the bureaucrats!"

Mathieu looked to the woman for a while. While blaming bureaucrats was something which some liked doing, it sounded less sincere compared to the points she had made earlier. He waited for the players to make a couple more moves as the group fell into an awkward silence. Carefully, he asked "What about the 'Grub Lord'? Is he the one at fault?"

The elder looked to him as if he had kicked a kitten "I think it be best if you take your leave now. Thanks for the apples."

Surprised, Mathieu stood up. He wouldn't linger for long before taking his leave. Time was growing short before he would once more have to be on his way.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Mathieu Brion
-----------------------------

The people of Har Gau were simple. They liked to be left alone and with their own ways, without being too bothered by outsiders. Especially by outsiders that try to pry into their business or go around trying to change something. As such, Alisteri wasn't given too many happy looks as he quickly made his way down the street. People stepped aside or forced him to slip by them, some even just pretended not to notice him at all.

Combine that with the occasional outright glare or halfhearted wave and his walk was complete. He could partially understand their trepidation though, the fall of the Sith had been rough for many of the common folk. Although many were glad to be rid of the oppressive regimes, one couldn't deny the stability and order that the Sith provided. Despair and chaos was left in the wake of the Sith, with pirates and warlords springing up to take advantage of the less defended worlds and peoples. He had seen it time and time again, the duality of pure freedom at the cost of almost all security. If nothing else, many still wished for the stable economy to return.

Overall his short time spent in the town had been nothing short of frustrating, to say the least. He got along relatively well with all those that he had spoken to, until he had started asking them to go after the local warlord. A local warlord with a...disappointing name given the effect that they had on the people of the town. 'The Grub Lord,' how ridiculous. The very thought made his eye twitch and his hand clench. If it weren't for the thick jungle and the warlord's forces, he'd have already gone and gotten rid of the intruder himself.

Unfortunately the way to the depot was both guarded and hidden, and only the locals would be able to help him pick up on the trail.

Of course his efforts to befriend the locals had only ended up with him wasting hours listening to the elders complain and hearing the younger residents go on and on about wanting to "see the galaxy" or whatever else. Alisteri remembered a time when that was all that he wanted to do, leave his home. But to be fair, he had a good couple reasons above boredom and an overbearing community.

Regardless, it had all been for not. No one was willing to take a stand against the Grub Lord if it meant retaliation, most hoping that the warlord would leave them alone or that they would be able to get by with little change to their daily lives. A part of him wanted to stay and try to help these people, to show them that they could do more than merely lying back and awaiting what the galaxy threw their way.

With any Galactic Alliance forces showing up however, he didn't have the time to waste trying to get the settlement to cooperate with him. He needed that warlord dead and a way off world before any soldiers, or Force forbid even Jedi, came to investigate the warlord rumors for themselves. For such a small settlement they sure know how to crowd around and obscure everything. It was just one more annoyance to add to an ever-growing list. In truth he was only halfway paying attention to where he was going, his gaze flickering around to watch the faces of those that he passed and relying on his own instinct and other senses to get him through the crowds.

That turned out to be a mistake, as he suddenly ran into someone. Someone that was definitely not a local, far too tall for starters. Oh, chit.

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Reorganisation​

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, other items
Tags: Darth Strosius

---​

Just as he turned to leave, Mathieu bumped into a stranger. "Hello" he spoke with a smile "Apologies, I probably wasn't paying enough attention." Whilst speaking, Mathieu slowly inched away from the group of elders, figuring that they might appreciate that he left. An added bonus was that they wouldn't have the chance to ruin his interaction with this person. He wondered if the stranger was attentive enough to notice his armour underneath the cloak. While it might raise questions, it still couldn't be all too unexpected, all things considered.

"I only just arrived, I'm still trying to find my way around here. Might be off again soon though." his positive disposition fell for a brief moment as he looked around "Pity about the state of affairs here though. Wish there was something that could be done about it." Of course, it was wishful thinking. A society in downfall and an economy with a soaring inflation wasn't something which one could hope to fix over a night. And it certainly wasn't something which Mathieu was particularly well suited in handling.

Assuming that the stranger hadn't left him already, Mathieu would ask "So, what's your deal? You don't strike me as the desperate peddler" Perhaps it was prejudiced. But with the mask, it was hard not to wonder.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Mathieu Brion
-----------------------------

His immediate reaction to his own mistake was to take a step or two back and recompose himself, only offering the figure he had bumped into a small nod in response for a moment. Definitely not a local. The locals of Felucia usually didn't dress in large cloaks for starters, unless they were some sort of Sith remnant playing the part of course. Thankfully though, the other outsider did obscure the elders from seeing the masked Acolyte before he left the village.That bunch of old fools. He idly wondered how the other man had fared if he had spoken to them.

"Leaving so soon after arrival? I can only wonder why..." A note of sarcasm was evident in his tone, speaking just low enough to where he doubted the elders could overhear him. The last thing he needed was for one of them to get all uppity. He scoffed and nodded with the other's assessment of the town, almost sympathetic were it not for his bad experiences thus far. "Well instability and suffering does tend to follow the breakdown of order. If the leaders of this little town had a proper backbone then maybe they could fix their own mess without needing outside assistance. But, oh well." Felucia was far too close to the enemies of the Sith for them to return without any large forces at their back, unfortunately. Still, he knew that things had a habit of getting even worse before they got better. For that he pitied the townsfolk.

Alisteri inclined his head slightly at the question, as if giving the man a sideways look for a moment before shrugging. "I came to try and help rid these people of an issue. One that would have helped me in return. But unfortunately no one is willing to go up in arms against the...Grub Lord...ugh." The name still annoyed him. "Too many memories of their youth being sent off to war, I suppose. And what of you?"

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Reorganisation​

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, other items
Tags: Darth Strosius

---​

The sarcastic comment earned the stranger a chuckle. While the thrust of it was misdirected, it wasn't hard to see why people wouldn't like to stick around. In Mathieu's case, however, departing was rather a consequence of Chaussidier's fast paced timetable than dissatisfaction with the town. Hearing the other's view on the cause and solution to Har Gau's issues interested the Jedi. In a sense, it was true. Order, stability and a strong leadership could do a lot of good. It reminded him of how the Admiral ran his bridge. He nodded "I don't know whether it was by choice or not, but perhaps they relied too heavily on the Sith to keep the peace and uphold order."

What came next was good. The large Morellian's eyebrows rose as the stranger told him of his ambitions. It was a positive surprise to be sure. It might have been the force or perhaps it was just his gut and lust for adventure, but something had called him to the settlement. So far, it had been a struggle. The possibilities for him to help had been few and talking to the elders had not done him much good. "Maybe I can help" he spoke with enthusiasm, finally encountering someone who could use a hand. Mathieu paused for a moment to consider how to answer what his own 'deal' was. While honest, claiming to be a Jedi would still be rather bold. But then, if they were to take up arms against a warlord, revealing it was inevitable. Still, it could be delayed "I used to be a mercenary. I was at Nar Kreeta both when we lost it and when we took it back." It was the truth, from a certain point of view. While it might have given the idea that he was affiliated with the Concord, both battles were against the Bryn, an - at the time - rather existential threat to the galaxy.

"Mathieu" he introduced himself whilst extending an arm for the other to shake. "You must be the madman the locals mentioned. I haven't heard much about this Grub Lord other than you wanting to take him down. What did he do to make you so keen on fighting him?"

 

[Darth Strosius]

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Mathieu Brion
-----------------------------

The masked man only gave a shrug in response, idly thinking on how the Sith had ruled Felucia. There was some truth in the other man's words. If they can't make their own order without needing support, how can they ever be considered Sith? The thought brought a scowl to his face for a moment, wondering if it had been the Sith Empire or the Sith Eternal that had been the better rulers of the wild planet. It mattered little now of course.

He did noticeably perk up whenever the idea of help was offered.

Nar Kreeta eh? From what he could recall it wasn't a Sith world, somewhere out in old Bryn'adul space if he had to guess. Evidently they were a threat, or had been, but he himself had never fought them. There wasn't much time to worry about the previous southern border of the Empire when all other sides were under attack after all. Regardless he wasn't going to turn down an extra set of hands, skilled or not. Alisteri didn't allow the handshake to sit in the air too long, grasping the other's hand firmly and shaking. "Alisteri, a pleasure."

He felt his eye twitch at the word "madman" and resisted the urge to shoot a glare at whatever direction he had seen the elders last. "I wouldn't call believing in fighting as madness. But oh well." There was a pause as he considered what exactly to reveal for a moment. Obviously going around and telling random passersby his true intent was less than ideal, especially if he was discovered to be a Sith. On the other hand though, there wasn't much point in striking up an alliance without some mutual understanding. Delicate diplomacy, his worst skill. "Let's just say that he's in the way of something I want. Something that would improve the lives of my...family. Helping out a town is just a benefit of getting what I desire, so why not?" With a nod he gestured to the deep jungle beyond the small settlement, roughly in the direction of his target. "The Grub Lord fancies himself an up and comer without any empire to keep him in check. A power hungry rejected Acolyte, with a bunch of rejected Legionnaires at his side. All sitting right in the middle of a Sith-Imperial supply depot, still stocked with weapons and ammunition."

The Acolyte idly rested a hand on his hip and gestured to the town around them with his other hand. "And of course, a steady food supply from this little settlement. That's about all I can tell you without interrogating the Grub Lord or one of his lackeys for more information."

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Reorganisation​

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, other items
Tags: Darth Strosius

---​

Was he thin skinned? It was a somewhat hasty judgement on Alisteri's reaction to being called a madman. What had been uttered as a lighthearted comment was responded to with a serious answer. In fairness, it was a fair thing to react on. Mathieu offered a sympathetic nod as he shrugged. Oh well indeed.

Listening to what Alisteri hoped to gain, Mathieu couldn't help but to think that it was a respectable cause. The aim to help the family was not quite as altruistic as one could have hoped. But it was in line with what could be expected. What came next piqued the Jedi's interest. Sith and their followers. Perhaps this Grub Lord was never a full fledged Sith. But even at lower levels, their teachings could make a person unreasonably dangerous. And considering the Lord's apparent reputation, he or she sure did seem dangerous.

"Sounds to me like a place that's..." he paused suddenly as his comms device started beeping with a low tone. Mathieu glanced down to his wrist, catching a glance of who was calling. Chaussidier. Still, he pushed through "... worth visiting. Will you excuse me for a moment?"

Taking a few steps away, the large Morellian answered the call, choosing to only use audio through his earpiece. It was news about the other shuttle. The harsh weather conditions had forced the requisitions team to stay grounded. Despite not being visible to the Admiral, Mathieu nodded respectfully before returning to Alisteri.

A smile formed on his lips "It seems like I can stay here for longer than expected." A brief pause followed "We should take this Grub Lord in to face justice." He looked to the new - potential - ally with a more serious look in his eyes "I think we can do some good today. Lead the way."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Mathieu Brion
-----------------------------

There was a raised eyebrow, followed by a narrowed gaze, as the other outsider paused and suddenly walked off with little explanation. He was tempted to try and follow, maybe even eavesdrop on what that quiet beeping had been, but he stayed put where he was and instead glanced around at the village once more. It could very well be the last chance that he got to see it after all. I doubt that I shall return here, Felucia wears on my nerves almost as much as the stubborn and ignorant locals.

It was a harsh thought, but one that he felt was fairly vindicated. Given all the arguing and trouble that had been his time here it wasn't like he was eager to return at the very least. Then again, he supposed one never knew what the Force would challenge them with next. Hopefully the next warlord I takedown will have a more rebellious populace under them. He could only hope.

Alisteri inclined his head in acknowledgement as his apparent companion returned, doing his best to bite his tongue and not look too confused by the whole "taking the Grub Lord in" part. The Acolyte saw little point in delaying justice and giving a would-be tyrant the death they deserved, but there was no point in scaring off an ally with such reservations. "Right, I suggest that you keep close and try to keep low if you can. I have little doubt that any self respecting soldier would know the area around their base better than we do." The rough location wasn't a mystery, sneaking out at night and uncovering trails leading back into the jungle wasn't all that difficult if one was quiet enough after all.

Getting inside would be the tricky part.

The masked man led Mathieu right out of the settlement with his head held high and a quick pace to his steps. There was no time to waste anymore, not with a fellow determined warrior by his side. It wasn't far from the last town building to the edge of the clearing, the daunting and lively jungle laying just beyond. "Have you ever been to Felucia before Mathieu? It's truly an unforgettable place." What he meant by that statement, he wouldn't say and instead busied himself with pushing into the brush and ducking around the first low branch in his way.

"I'm more of an arid or temperate planet guy myself."

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Reorganisation​

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, other items
Tags: Darth Strosius

---​

A slight smile appeared on his lips. To 'keep low' was usually something said with a hint of sarcasm when addressing the large Morellian. It reminded him of the times before he struck out to Sith space with Chaussidier. Of times when he stilled used to work with known companions. This was different though. Alisteri spoke with a serious tone. They were not friends. They were allies. Perhaps friendship would come with time. If the masked man worked around this area, it was at least something which the Jedi could hope for.

With long strides at a reasonable pace, Mathieu kept up with Alisteri as he walked away from the core of the town. He stayed close, just as instructed. The former Mercenary looked around as they moved, trying to keep an eye out for things of note whilst learning the way back, should Alisteri no longer be there to guide him on the return.

"No. No, I have not. Seen pictures of it on the holonet though." he spoke with enthusiasm, remembering some of the tourist brochures he had seen in the past. Naturally not mentioning the invasion plans he had taken part of back when the Concord still held Voss and Ossus. He glanced down to the visor of his travelling companion as they walked, raising an interested eyebrow upon hearing his planet preferences. "You should consider taking that mask off sometime. Jungles aren't all that nice, but try visiting a planet like Truuine or Rishi sometime. Their beaches are hard to beat."

Soon, as they got ever closer to the edge of the settlement, his eyes went to the jungle ahead of them. A somewhat travelled road stretched out to the east, allowing him to see a bit farther than what would otherwise have been possible. The mountains to the north were filled with vegetation, creating a colourful sea of different plants. "Consider it now" he said, almost mesmerised by the planet's natural beauty when seen up close "Take that mask off now. Whatever those visors are showing you won't do it justice." He spoke in utter fascination.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Mathieu Brion
-----------------------------

If there was only one constant of the jungle, it was the ever present feeling of paranoia that it gave off. Trails could be made and then overgrown, and animals could frolic and die, but the air remained one of tension. To Alisteri himself at least, Felucia always felt like a predator waiting to pounce on unsuspecting prey. Almost like a battlefield, in a way. Jungles were unfamiliar, but battlefields were something he had a fairly intimate knowledge of.

As such, he moved through the jungle just like he would any other battle. Low, somewhat quiet, and very deliberate. He did his best not to go too far ahead of Mathieu, idly wondering what would happen to either of them if they lost one another in the thick foliage. Thankfully his, somewhat, hidden trail was still relatively intact. It was good that they had went now, he had little doubt that another day or so would see it gone completely. "The holonet hardly does anything justice from what I hear."

His only response seemed to be a small nod as he pressed forward, deeper into the jungle. Beaches were another unfamiliar sight. The only time he had been on a beach had been in the midst of a war, and it was a sore memory. Maybe he could go and see what all the fuss was about them one day. "Huh?" The masked man's stride paused and he glanced back at his ally in both curiosity and confusion. "...I can take in the sights later, once we have a defeated warlord." He didn't much see what his companion saw in the jungle that had him in awe, maybe it was to do with the height difference, but whatever it was could wait.

"Come now, we should be getting close to where they've made their patrol routes."

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Reorganisation​

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, other items
Tags: Darth Strosius

---​

And on they went. Deeper into the jungle. Normally when making his way through such troublesome terrain, the large Morellian wouldn't mind clearing the path to a reasonable degree. But this time, there seemed to be a point not to leave too much of a trail, and so, he did his best to simply follow in the footsteps of his ally.

The masked one was pressing on, choosing to forgo the pleasantries of taking in the sights. It was a mindset which Mathieu had much respect for. In a way, it reminded him of Chaussidier. While often thinking of himself as disciplined, it was quite obvious that Mathieu himself was not really the same. With a nod and a hand gesture towards their destination, the large Morellian acknowledged the validity of what his ally was saying and ushered him to lead the way. Words were not needed in this instance. Especially not if they were close to some sort of patrol route.

It was hard to spot, but soon, what looked like a well-walked path appeared in between all the thick shrubbery that the jungle had to offer. Mathieu slowed his pace as they got a little closer to it. A couple voices could be heard in the distance - and they seemed to be coming closer. "Better to see if we can let them pass" he whispered, figuring that the fewer guards they could fight before getting to the Grub Lord, the better. Not only from a moral-humanitarian standpoint, but also from a tactical one. Tiring themselves out would not at all be ideal.

The main trouble was how they could best hide. As Alisteri indicated, the guardsmen would be familiar with their routes. Should the attackers disturb it too much, they risked discovery. But then, without disturbing it fully hiding might be difficult - especially for someone with a larger stature like Mathieu. He looked to his ally, unsure of whether to reveal his connection to the force. The masked figure had seemed relatively calm and mission focused so far. It was a good sign as it made it seem less likely that he would mind the aid of a Jedi. Thus, the Morellian reached out through the force and cloaked himself, rendering him extremely hard to detect through sheer visual means.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Mathieu Brion
-----------------------------

It was a relief to work with someone that seemed fairly competent again, his ally being broken out of his reverie without too much trouble and then following him as normal. Going into a situation such as this one, deadly or not, was always easier with a decent and steady ally by your side. There was only so much point in having someone watch your back if they couldn't watch their own after all, something that he had learned many times over during his time in war.

Finally, the low branches and greenery gave way to reveal a clear path ahead of them. It wasn't their path of course though, but rather the path of their target's watchful guards. Alisteri's stride halted though as he heard the sounds of voices off in the distance, and they were getting closer by the second. Ah, well that makes things complicated. He bid his lip to silence a curse as his hand instinctively trailed down to the hidden lightsaber tucked away in his clothes, but Mathieu's voice stopped the wandering hand. "Agreed, no sense in wasting the effort." He whispered back with a nod. Not to mention that the bodies could very easily attract some...unwanted guests from the jungle.

Of course, avoiding them would mean hiding and staying undetected until they passed by and were out of earshot. The masked man trusted that Mathieu could hide himself, instead focusing on sliding down to the ground and pulling fallen branches and vines over him as quietly as he could. The dark clothing he wore would help, but the red on his outfit had to be covered up immediately. However, after he had covered himself as much as was necessary, he felt something.

Something in the Force, for the first time since he had arrived in Har Gau.

The Acolyte turned his gaze to the side to look for his ally and found him seemingly nowhere in sight at first glance, but he could feel a presence still. Right as the first boot of the guards entered sight it clicked in his mind. You've got to be fething kidding me. Thankfully he kept himself quiet and did his best to keep a grip on his emotions before they ran wild as the pair of guards slowly but surely passed right in front of his hiding spot. They were blathering on about rations or the weather or something else, it didn't matter to him and he was far too busy trying not to lash out at anything to listen to them anyway.

When they had finally passed and made their way out of eyesight and their voices out of his hearing, he slowly lifted himself up from the jungle floor and threw off his temporary camouflage. All the while he did his best to silence his inner rage and frustration as he glanced around for his...'ally.' "...Mathieu?"

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Reorganisation​

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, other items
Tags: Darth Strosius

---​

The two guards passed them by, idly talking about what could only be described as mundane. There was nothing to be gained from eavesdropping on them. Mathieu, having stayed as quiet as possible as he cloaked himself through the force finally let his breath out. Unlike himself, Alisteri had actually managed to hide himself well. Of course, his location to Mathieu as he had seen the masked one cover himself up.

Slowly, Mathieu would reappear, once more making himself visible to the naked eye. He threw his ally a steadfast glance before producing a meek smile. Carefully, he studied the other, trying to gauge his reaction. It was a hard task, seeing as the man was wearing a mask. Still, keeping an eye on him was probably the safest route as it would allow him to react in case Alisteri would react violently to a force user.

Hoping to keep his ally, Mathieu remained calm and peaceful. The last thing he wanted to do was to either agitate or frighten the man who seemed so keen on taking the Grub Lord out. "Shall we be on our way?" he asked, keeping his tone low, not sure how far his voice would carry and how near hostile ears might be. With his brows slightly raised, Mathieu looked to his ally curiously, both awaiting an answer and potential questions. Whatever the questions might be, it seemed likely that they could be answered on the move.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Mathieu Brion
-----------------------------

There was a silence, whether a sign of masked emotion or internal thought was up for debate, as he watched his ally gradually reappear before his eyes. The familiar sense of the Force made it hard to keep his composure, or his hand, from running wild. Unfortunately there was little point in fighting another Force User out in the dense jungles while another enemy with a small army was waiting nearby. Not to mention the cloaking, that was something he would have to look into later.

It certainly wasn't something that he had seen before, and never from a fellow Sith at that.

Mathieu's question broke the silence and he offered a nod in response. "Yeah, we have a Grub Lord to find after all." Alisteri spoke low, as if he hoped that it would mask any emotion in his voice as well as keep prying ears from hearing. Before he fully turned away from the other though, he paused and idly gestured to him as he glanced back. "You'll have to tell me where you got that cloaking device though, it looks like pretty impressive tech."

With a silent hope that his lying and acting skills hadn't deteriorated, he crept out of the brush and onto the cleared path. A quick pause and glance to either side assured that they were alone for the time being. Thankfully. "Now, would you rather crawl through more bushes and flora or risk trekking along the path to their base?" Slow and quiet or fast and dangerous, as always. "Regardless we need to decide quickly, there's no point in standing around and waiting for the next patrol to come around."

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Reorganisation​

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, other items
Tags: Darth Strosius

---​

They agreed. Mathieu started moving when he noticed that Alisteri paused for a brief moment. Cloaking device? The large Morellian kept himself from chuckling. That would have been a grand cloaking device indeed. he thought, remembering how much time and effort he had spent learning how to do it through the force. Of course, he wanted to offer a more kind spirited answer. Not quite sure how to put it, however, Mathieu instead pushed forth, giving himself to consider what to say as they moved. Was it reckless to just tell the guy that he was a Jedi? "With the force by your side, you need no cloaking device. I am a Jedi." Maybe he was a little reckless. But if they were going to be allies, some degree of trust had to be shown and Alisteri seemed to be reasonable enough.

Mathieu had taken for granted that they would continue sneaking through the brushes. But the question carried a valid point with it. Crawling through the brushes carried a certain risk with it too. It was slower, which meant that they risked encountering more patrols in total, each time risking discovery. Thereafter, battle would be likely. The short path would be faster and seeing as they had just let two patrolmen pass, there was a chance that they wouldn't encounter more patrols before reaching the base. However, if there were more patrols, discovery would be hard to avoid and violence would likely be inevitable.

"Let's move along the route" he whispered, concluding that the risk of either option was likely similar enough that the time saved by taking the jungle path would be worth it.

Entering a jog, Mathieu rushed forth with long strides. His eyes were scanning the path ahead for irregularities. But unlike a normal jungle where nuances of green and brown were all that had to be dealt with as 'normal', Felucia offered a far more varied palette. It made it harder to be truly sure that the coast was clear. Still, the duo would be able to continue undisturbed for some time, making it evident that, while powerful, the Warlord was not quite capable of upping the intensity of the patrols all too much.

Thinking that he spotted something, the large Morellian raised his arm to signal to Alisteri to stop. "Is that a building?" he asked, pointing to something metallic grey. It was hard to see between the jungle flora but it was certainly something. Perhaps they were about to reach their destination.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Mathieu Brion
-----------------------------

The admittance of Mathieu's force abilities caused a noticeable tension in the masked man before he had the chance to hide it. A clenched fist was quickly released, a breath silenced, and shoulders slackened in an attempt to seem nonplussed by the news. "Oh?" Alisteri idly wondered what drove the Jedi to be so bold as to admit it freely just like that. Perhaps he didn't suspect any ill will from him at all, or perhaps he assumed that it was welcome news. Regardless at least he wouldn't have to pretend as if he was completely ignorant anymore, but of course he still intended to keep his mouth shut on the matter. For now.

He is a bold one indeed, it's almost surprising that he's lasted this long. He nodded in agreement with the choice and wasted no time hurrying down the path alongside his tentative ally. Although he did have some vague idea how many forces they would have to dodge around, exact numbers would escape him until he had all the bodies to count out. It made advancing slightly dangerous, but Thankfully their opponents had little intent of hiding in the thick bushes and close trees of the jungle that surrounded them.

Pride and falling and all that.

Alisteri came to a stop next to the taller Jedi, his gaze following the pointing finger and narrowing at the sight of metal amidst the flora. "Well would you look at that? I believe that's overlooking the entrance to their little compound, probably a watchtower of some sort." Of course, while he had admittedly never seen the supply depot in question, he had been to plenty of Sith-Imperial bases before. The telltale sign of militarized and efficient architecture was easy to spot and determine when one had such experience after all. The layouts of many bases and outposts were very similar as to make construction more streamlined and efficient, for better or worse. It did mean that more than likely this supply depot had the same weaknesses that he had seen exploited before.

"We should keep low and stick near the treeline as we get closer, see if we can get right up to the walls of the depot and find a way inside. I have little doubt that Felucia has made a weakness in them somewhere." The Acolyte gestured slightly off the path as he spoke, guessing where they would find a blind spot in the watchtower's line of sight. "They'll likely have eyes on the entrance and the path leading up to it, it may be wise to try and slip through the jungle and try to avoid their cleared areas."

 

[Mathieu Brion]

Reorganisation​

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, other items
Tags: Darth Strosius

---​

Just an Oh? Mathieu's gaze lingered on the mask figure for a bit. It was a rather brief reaction. Was he truly that surprised? Possibly. He wondered what the man was thinking. Most would either say something or plot to kill him upon hearing it. He quelled a chuckle as that stance made a murder plot seem likely. Giving someone the benefit of the doubt was always preferable but then, living was also pretty nice. Regardless, nobody would blame him for staying on his guard. And so he would. Not planning on lingering, Mathieu simply nodded. Oh indeed he thought before producing a slight smirk.

Once closer to the compound, Alisteri identified the construct some kind of watchtower. Agreeing with the assessment of his companion, Mathieu nodded once more. "Risky" the note was made absent-mindedly as he thought of how to get closer to the tower and the greater compound. It was hard to see through the thick jungle between them and their destination. But that also meant that it would be harder for them to be detected for the time being. "But we can always try. I take if that the jungle is too hard to clear?" Perhaps they could throw a base into the thick forestry. But going by what Alisteri said, it certainly didn't sound like the Warlord had cleared the surroundings around his base.

He walked towards the jungle and crouched down a bit as he started to wade through the thick shrubbery. "What weapons do you use?" They had gotten far without the Jedi inquiring about what Alisteri was capable of during combat. But the information would be valuable soon - or at least that is what he assumed. For whenever they would be detected, a fight was inevitably going to follow.

For the first part, their sneaking would be smooth. Mathieu moved forth in something of an arc, ensuring that the route would not be all too easily to predict. It meant that he wouldn't arrive by the walls all that quickly, but it also meant that he had a better idea of the layout of the area he walked into and its relation to the watchtower. It was a safer approach that reduced the risk of surprises at the expense of spending more time risking discovery. Still, it seemed to be going well enough for the time being.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Location: Har Gau, Felucia
Equipment: Lightsaber
Tag: Mathieu Brion
-----------------------------

While the layout of the compound may be somewhat familiar, what the new inhabitants had done with it wouldn't be. Relying on his own experiences and intuition was likely to fail if the guards had modified any areas or had fixed whatever possible holes in the defenses that were already there. Getting past the patrols around the area, as well as whatever watchtowers or cameras were around, would prove fairly difficult. It all only cemented the fact that getting inside, undiscovered of course, without the assistance of the Jedi would prove challenging and dangerous.

The thought made him a little sick to his stomach, but Alisteri paid it little mind. He glanced back at Mathieu, done with his limited survey of the jungle between them and the walls, as he spoke. "Hard is a word." Felucia was a pain to all that attempted to settle it, and clearing land was just one example of it. Without proper equipment it was almost impossible. Even he had encountered difficulty with his lightsaber. Of course he had no intent of revealing his own weapon, not unless he had to anyway. That made the question of his armament cause him a moment of pause as he considered his answer carefully. "...Hm. Well I have a vibroknife, and I can grab a blaster off of a guard if we take one down." After another moment of clear pause he quickly added onto his statement however. "I did have my own blaster, but I had to sell it to get to the village."

If it came down to it he had little issue or inexperience simply using his own hands to fight off their adversaries. His natural strength was somewhat enhanced compared to more normal fighters anyway and literally throwing enemies around was nothing new. Their range would make that difficult of course, but there did just so happen to be a Jedi to help with that. "I can always beat someone down as well. Although you'd have to deflect the blaster fire. You Jedi do that right?" His tone and the mask made it difficult to determine whether the question was sarcastic or not. Regardless he wasted little time in following after his ally, glancing behind them one final time to ensure that they weren't seen before moving forward into the brush.

As expected, the walled compound of the depot sat in a relatively small clearing. Four watchtowers and high walls, as well as the occasional pair of patrolling guards on said wall, stood watch over the thin cleared path around the main buildings. Notably there were some areas where the plants had crept back towards the walls, with even thinner paths made through them as well. Thankfully the thick foliage was enough to keep prying eyes from spotting the pair, but the patrols around the compound were clearly there to limit such incursions. Overall it was about what he had anticipated.

That was both good and bad for their chances of getting inside unseen. The masked man's gaze swept over the wall as it came into sight, looking for any sign of a maintenance hatch or door that they could exploit. Scaling the wall was also an option, but one that carried obvious risk. Decisions decisions. When he eventually scanned over one of the watchtowers, he finally looked back at his taller companion. "Tell me Mathieu, how long can you keep up that little disappearing trick?"