Seeing Red (Not Really)

[Juwiela Melec]

The thread title is clever okay.

It's peaceful here. Despite the activity bustling around the spaceport, a feeling of calm washed over the Miraluka/Human hybrid as she studied the immediate with the Force, the cockpit of her ship sliding open with a hiss as the pressurized air was released. Habitually unzipping her flight suit and pulling off the helmet that was standard issue to any and all Alliance pilots, revealing the hooded outfit she wore beneath, she leapt down out of the starfighter, it sealing shut behind her. The only thing that would trace her back to the Rebels would be the insignia on the sides of her flight helmet, but she trusted that not many had chanced to glimpse at it. And if they had, well, she trusted her skills in fighting with the staff across her back well enough.

Surprisingly enough, Juwiela wasn't on Dantooine purely for the sake of the Rebel Alliance that she called home. At least, not in the most traditional sense. Sure, part of it was her perhaps searching out potential for the Alliance, but for the most part it was her chance to at the very least distance herself from the typical rigors of military life that came with being the underdogs of the galaxy in every sense. In some sense this was her own personal escape, while in another it was business as usual. All she really wished for was being left alone, for the most part. Company here and there was no issue, but as a rule of thumb she had a difficult time trusting those outside of her circle, which included and meant those not belonging to or allied with the Alliance.

Reaching up she raised the hood on her outfit, tightening the tan band of fabric that concealed her empty eye sockets in the same motion. Her intention wasn't to draw attention to herself, in fact, it was quite the opposite. The less people that paid attention to her was all the better, and with her small size she often achieved her goal with little issue. The same factors gave cause for most to underestimate her as well, a valuable tactic she wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of, should the need arise. Hopefully it wouldn't, this time.

Slowly she wove her way through the few crowds present, easily and quickly navigating her way into the small city, if it could be called that. Town was a more appropriate term, but even that was a stretch in some areas of the planet. Not one to split hairs, she was thankful for the lack of people, it being a change from the usual high activity of the Rebel base, whether they were in the simulators or running live training exercises. There was always something to be busy with, and this was quite the opposite. A welcome change, if there ever was one. Some quiet, for once.

[member="Celty Ikon"]

 

[Celty Ikon]

I shook my head at my utter boredom with today. Nothing was happening. Not a swoop race, not a fight, not even hanging out with my cousins or those other two twins from school at all. Just, leaning on a wall with my hammer and a coffee. Kinda dull, compared to my normal lifestyle. This town was kind of like my playground, and school most of all. I could get anybody into anywhere, for a good enough trade. That was what I enjoyed the most about my life, and about being part Zeltron.

Too damn quiet. Wish somebody new would come around, for once.

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

Having a number of traits similar to those of the Miraluka species despite being a hybrid, namely their distinct lack of eyes, granted Juwiela a different palette of skills than your average individual, and even Force user. One of them was her own unique version of sight granted her by the Force, allowing her to perceive things on a level not widely available to those who didn't share the same lineage. It opened her up to an entirely different world of perception, one in which she was able to see others on some higher level of understanding than just their physical features, though those were void to her anyhow. Her own version of sight allowed her to see first and foremost the Force energy of others, whether they were sensitive or not, giving her an attention to detail most overlooked.

And one thing she noticed was an absence of those sensitive to the Force in the small community, not something that entirely surprised her. Most rural areas didn't hold many who had a grasp on the energy field for the simple reason that not many from the greater galaxy settled or stopped to visit in order to create or begin any sort of family, essentially limiting the gene pool. It was for that reason the man leaning up against the wall - or what she imagined to be as such, given that she saw through any similar obstructions - caught her immediate attention. Not only was he Force sensitive, but his signature held a peculiar sense of neutrality that was similar to her own, but distinctly different at the same time. One to watch.

Still walking, albeit with something of a slow pace, she watched him without turning her head, employing the greater range of vision granted her via the Force. He wasn't her primary concern, but he still managed to pique her curiosity enough. If nothing came of her initial mission, he would be one to come back to.

[member="Celty Ikon"]

 

[Celty Ikon]

I'm being watched.

Sure, I could've been jumping at shadows, but something was nearby, looking at me. Shady types needed to have that instinctual knowledge of their audience, and being Force Sensitive didn't hurt, either. Of course, I couldn't see exactly who it was, with my blind side turned to them.

Kark it.

I picked up my hammer, swung it up onto my shoulder, and continued sipping my coffee as I walked towards the direction where I'd felt that presence. Whoever it was probably knew I was coming, and I was okay with that. Meanwhile, I was going to try and pick the person out by dint of instinct again.

Hmm...

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

The one individual she'd recognized as Force sensitive was slowly nearing her through the crowd, something Juwiela wasn't entirely uncomfortable with. It wasn't just his same attunement to the ethereal energy that garnered her attention, but the fact that he deemed to approach instead of observing from a distance or choosing avoidance over making any contact with whomever was the interested party. Such boldness wasn't a bad trait to have, if it was directed correctly and in the right scenarios. And she couldn't fault him for it, necessarily, being as she would have done the same had the shoe been on the other foot.

It did impress her that he was able to detect someone watching him when she wasn't doing so in the traditional sense, lacking the eyes necessary for the activity in the first place. If she didn't know better she would have guessed he was just as naturally connected to the Force as she was. I suppose there isn't a point in avoiding him. He didn't emanate a malevolent aura, not really, which was all the assurance she really required. Her sight told her more than anyone could observe with their own eyes.

Slowing her pace even further she examined the surrounding area with short bursts of telekinetic energy, eventually locating a gap between the buildings identified as an alleyway. She stepped into the space, finding it wide enough for two individuals to hold a conversation with room enough for someone else to pass between them. It would suffice, for whichever impromptu conversations would follow. And she had a feeling plenty soon would.

[member="Celty Ikon"]

 

[Celty Ikon]

I could sense the person coming near me. It was unquestionable. They were following me, or at least coming in my general direction. With my left eye, I searched for my apparent stalker, and only saw a red-haired girl a bit shorter than me. Was she the one radiating those little blasts in the Force? Only one way to find out.

I swung my hammer into the ground, hard enough so it stuck out at an angle in case I had to use it, and leaned on the handle as casually as possible. The coffee was still in my hand, and it was still warm. Good. Sipping at it, I waved at the girl in front of me.

"Hi there. Lookin' for me?"

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

"It's a bit difficult to look when you don't have eyes." Either he hadn't noticed she was Miraluka or had chosen to ignore it, the latter of which would have been a rare scenario in itself. Most had some sort of comment, much of it in regards to just how she was able to pilot. This was something of a nice change, even if their attitudes towards each other were more of the confrontational sort. It didn't seem that he was making any blatant threats, which was a start.

Reaching up she lowered the hood of her ensemble, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I would say that you've caught my attention. Force sensitives are rare here, from all that I've found. But that's not entirely my business, or my first priority in being here." If possible she would avoid mentioning her affiliation with the Rebel Alliance, as the name of the faction of freedom fighters didn't typically spark the best moods in others. It usually had quite the opposite effect.

"You do have an interesting aura."

[member="Celty Ikon"]

 

[Celty Ikon]

I felt my hand go up to unconsciously touch the cauterized indent where my left eye had been. Truth be told, I didn't really care whether or not this girl had eyes. I was more worried about her being some kind of threat to me, or my job. Even at the slightly uncomfortable feeling her first sentence had given me, I felt myself smirking straight into the empty sockets that were there instead of her eyes.

"I'm not from around here. It's not obvious, but I'm not human. Or even fully Hapan."

I let a little bit of my relatively weak Zeltron pheromones loose, just for show.

"That might be why my aura feels weird to somebody who tracks with the Force. It was fascinating to sense your mind at work, trying to piece together what I was. I've never felt anybody's Force Sight on me before."

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

Though she couldn't see his facial expressions, hearing them was something one adapted to easily enough, and so Juwiela returned his smirk with one of her own, looking to where she gauged his face to be, but she could never be entirely sure. "It's a bit hard to recognize your species when I can't see your face in the first place." Her tone was light and teasing, harboring its own lilting sarcasm. "So yes, I would agree that it isn't obvious. Just as it's a bit hard to tell that I'm not a full-blooded Miraluka, but I tend not to split hairs. It isn't as if my human blood is written on my face."

The pheromones that he released were just barely detectable by her Force senses, but instantly perceived all the same. "And I'm not from around here either, if it wasn't obvious already. I guess we're both strangers to everyone here, huh?" She wasn't entirely sure if her presence would be as welcomed as his seemed to be, if her affiliation with the Alliance was brought to light.

"You learn to be more creative when your way of seeing doesn't let you exactly, well, see things just right. Detail is lost on me, but I'm all the better for it." Her head tilted slightly. "So, we're both not from around here, and likely up to something no one else knows about. What a coincidence, huh?"

[member="Celty Ikon"]

 

[Celty Ikon]

I leaned on the handle of my hammer a bit more, and wiggled a finger. Better that I just explained now, rather than suddenly have somebody interrupt with something awkward at the wrong time.

"I'm not a stranger at all... The coincidence is you running into the guy who runs all the fun stuff in this town. Racing, gambling, clubs... This is a small town, but I like it here. I'm the only person nobody knows what's going on with."

Still smirking happily, I held out my hand.

"Anything you wanna see?"

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

It seemed he hadn't quite wrapped his head around the fact that she wasn't able to see in the traditional sense, and so any comments made in regards to that were viewed in a wry sense of humor. Juwiela didn't have an issue with them, and often found them amusing in most situations. It proved to be something to smile about at times when she didn't have much else to keep morale up. But now that she was at peace, at least for the moment, it would make for an interesting back and forth.

Momentarily surprised when he offered his hand, she slowly reached out to take it, still smiling faintly. It didn't look as if he was in any particular hurry to make formal introductions, and so she wouldn't unless prompted. This kind of carefree interaction had been void in her life for a long while, and it was refreshing to encounter someone that had no more worries than how they would entertain themselves for the next few hours, or perhaps the next day if they were planning ahead.

In contrast, her life was nearly the exact opposite, comprised of constant looking ahead into the future to see what the wisest next move would be. Such was the price of a militaristic lifestyle. "I'm not sure how much I'll be seeing along the way, but I'd be happy to go wherever you think would be best."

[member="Celty Ikon"]

 

[Celty Ikon]

I snorted when I realized my mistake. Not being able to physically see was an old topic for me. Sure, "seeing" wasn't exactly the greatest term for what Force Sight does, but it's the closest to what it made up for on my blind side, so that's what I referred to it as. When she took my hand and made the comment about following me, I pulled her gently towards my swoop bike and locked my hammer onto the back of it.

"Well, I dunno where to go. Most places are closed this early, unless you wanna just sit and have breakfast. I mean, I can get into the places I run, but there'll be nobody there."

[member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Juwiela Melec]

For a moment Juwiela studied the vehicle with her immediate vicinity, recognizing it as a swoop bike, though she was unfamiliar with anything further regarding the technology. That, however, wasn't her concern. His idea of fun, it seemed, was going to heavily populated places, but hers was quite the opposite. The less attention drawn was all the better, especially with the name those she associated with had been making for themselves. It was always best to lie low and unsuspecting, rather than having others drawn to you.

Pondering his request, she couldn't help but smile faintly. "I don't have much of an issue with going to a quiet place. My life has been plenty hectic enough lately, so some peace would be appreciated. That is, if you're agreed to the idea as well."

[member="Celty Ikon"]

 

[Celty Ikon]

I grinned at the girl and revved the swoop's engines. I don't mind quiet, really... I just don't like feeling alone. This town was full of people who didn't pique my interest much. They'd practically begged me and my cousins to buy up the shadier parts of town, and even tried to drop authority on my shoulders. I hadn't wanted it. It would have set me, an already lonely person, apart even further.

"One quiet morning, coming right up, girlie. Just make sure you hold on, yeah?"

[member="Juwiela Melec"]