What appeared to be two satellites stopped mid-transit and began moving in changing directions.

Almost directly overhead, at a distance that made the objects resemble satellite flares.  The objects moved into the field of view from south to north, at first appearing as if they were satellites.  They then stopped, and proceeded to move about in changing directions as if they were searching an area of the sky.  This continued for more than 30 minutes and in fact had not yet stopped when I simply stopped watching.  I frequently watch the stars and enjoy watching satellites and meteors on clear nights.  I definitely know the difference between satellite movement, aircraft (I'm a private pilot), and stars/planets.
At times it appeared as if the objects 'released' other very faint objects.  This is hard to be certain of, given the distance and very faint nature of the secondary objects.  Also, at times it appeared as if a perfectly concentric circle of blackness enveloped the objects; again, given the distance this feature was hard to discern at all times.
Overall distance covered is best estimated as follows:  I noticed the objects coming past about 230 degrees on the compass and they stopped and "searched" at about 300 degrees moving around an area encompassing roughly 290-310.