"Let's at least go talk to them."

"Okay."

They walk closer.

Talking outloud, that's helpful. Not in a language she already knows or has used, that was probably more likely. 

Know the language by any chance?

No. Not even anything close to it. 

They'll probably figure out I'm a mage. If they know we're not from - wherever they're from, and I start talking.

On the other hand if I don't we'll have a job finding out anything else.

...Well, we stayed to meet them...

She grins. Sure did!

And, starting the basis of that process. Reaching (they're still apparently made of metal but they definitely have minds). Mapping, mapping, language, language.

If they don't start talking first after a bit she's going to say hello.

He's perfectly willing to start the conversation.

"Hello!" he calls when they're close enough.

Well, she's got enough for that! (continuing in the background, working, language, language. (And it'll help that they're talking now!)) 

"Hello!"

"We're a bit lost, can you tell us where we are?"

Well that's a question with a lot of possible answers. (She relays the meanings to Genea).

If she says something in her own origin's system they might realize she's from there. Which won't do. And Kashjar's she obviously doesn't know, whatever they have.

"You're in Sovereign Crossing." (Not really a good way to choose between all the names, so go with that one). Check with Genea, check around, and she recites the location in the local system (uses the river confluence as reference, like her origin's, but the numbers and all go different.)

"I don't suppose you'd happen to have a map?"

Well she doesn't.

I am not showing unknown strange metal people a map. And if they're Kashjaran they're more likely to be hostile than not. (She'd considered objecting to giving the location, but it's not that hard to figure out, and she does get the idea of gestures of goodwill, in case they actually are here for some other reason. But this is too far.)

...Diplomacy's really not my strong point...

Well I can't speak the language.

...I think I can translate the other way.

Takes a few moments to get more of the hang of, but it looks like she can. Enough for a few sentences, at least.

So, with the silent coaching,

"Before we consider sharing further information, might we know who you are and your intentions?"

"I'm 9S, and this is 2B. We were hunting machines but uh, we ran into something unusual and wound up here somehow."

Aye confirms that 'machines' is not getting through translation properly for her. Maybe that's what they call Beasts?

I don't think so...

Well, maybe not really what she should be asking first, but,

"'Machines'?"

and, because this probably is,

"Where were you from?"

They don't know the machines?

"You know, the murderous metal robots?"

Robots isn't coming through right either but 'murderous' and 'metal' comes through just fine.