The faint crease in Hux’s brow grew deeper as he watched his scouts’ movements on radar. Topographical information in their database was incomplete, so it was expected that his subordinates might have to make a few minor detours, but that did not explain these movements that were so far removed from any known formation. Disorderly. Nor did they communicate their course changes over comms, as required by protocol, and every one of them damn well knew it! Hux demanded a status update. That reinstated some semblance of normalcy for a time, but before long they resumed their disorganized meandering. On his second call for a status update, several scouts did not reply. One dot on his radar had not moved in a long time.
That quiet voice sent a chill down his spine. Hux whirled towards a flash of movement in his peripheral vision, raising his blaster at the offending… tree. He stopped his trigger finger just in time. Hux would happily sear this entire forest off the map if need be, but there was no sense in revealing his position until he had an enemy target. A careful look at his surroundings revealed nothing. Hux’s pulse accelerated like it never did in the simulations. Not one of his scouts had reported any sign of the Jedi, but… they wouldn’t report mind control, would they? He can almost hear Ren and Aiya laughing in the back of his head.
“I am not going anywhere,” Hux hissed. He determined the most strategically located tree and stood with his back to it. “Your mind tricks won’t work on me. By your own pathetic creed you cannot kill me, and what’s more, if I die, so does the Jedi’s staunchest ally in the Senate.” Hux’s words echoed through the misty trees. Still, no target appeared. “Show yourself!”
Qui-Gon Jinn smirked a little bit at him, freaking out over this, but he wasn’t done with him. It's clear that he is not from his time or that he didn’t know much about Jedi’s. He was more than willing to show him, still easily staying out of his view of sight. Appearing behind the tree that Hux was standing behind. “That’s where you're wrong, I haven’t used a single Jedi power against you. The Jedi Order is no more, at least not yet. So there is nothing stopping me from killing you, I have killed my fair share in the past. I'm a bit of a wild card in the past as I didn’t follow most of the Jedi Creed.” Still using that soft voice of his as it seemed the most affected.
“Though I need to remind you, that peace doesn’t mean weakness. We are coming back and if the Jedi wanted to, we could outnumber you easily. “ In that moment he did learn that Hux is responsible for Padme and that he had done something to her. Not clear on the what or the why, but he moved back and he used force push on the tree, that it would shove Hux not to his knees. Enough to push him away from the tree, like an invisible force pulling him away from tree’s safety.
“This planet is protected and doesn’t like intruders, I don’t feel like showing myself to you. You're not worth showing myself to. You do see my Master was a dark side user now and he taught me a lot on how to deal with people like yourself.” In that moment he sounded like he was right next to him, speaking into his ear before disappearing into the mist once more. The once quiet forest, as if on cue, started to make noise. As if sensing some disturbance in the area that wasn’t natural in the forest. Birds coming in the area and making noises and backing out the light from their numerous shadows in the trees. As if waiting and watching the show that is going on below as they were roused from their sleeping in the rustling trees.
Qui-Gon Jinn had been living here for the past two years. In that time he had gotten to know the local area and the wildlife. It was early morning for him, but the birds were known not to be peaceful birds if they were woken up from their sleep. “I follow the will of the force, not the order itself. So if you were looking for someone that follows the creed, you won’t find them here. I would leave before the birds start to get hungry as you did wake them from their sleep with your yelling and shooting. “
