Ankh-Morpork Guard
First Post
Chapter 594: Surveillance
“I have to admit, I’m actually surprised I’m not down there waiting to get mauled,” Tobias commented quietly.
Perched next to him, back on the rooftops of Bestine and watching the streets below, Corinna tilted her head just slightly towards him, “But the bait has to be someone that can take care of themself.”
“I can take care of myself just fine,” he grumbled back, trying to keep his senses in the Force as pulled inward as possible and instead watching the distant, cloaked form of Master Ral with his not-so-great eyes, “Besides, what does that say about you?”
The Miraluka girl shrugged, “What it says about me isn’t important. You and your Master are the Jedi here, you two are supposed to be the noble ones. So that’s why he’s out there and we’re up here. You’d be eaten alive and he’s chivalrous.”
Tobias did his best to not let his mouth sit open. While on one level, he was absolutely sure that she was just having fun with him, the way she was keeping her focus elsewhere and her matter-of-fact tone of voice actually made it seem like Corinna was serious. There was, of course, a test for that. A test that Tobias decided to try, “Well you’d be more useful down there. Can you even see me right now?”
“Likely better than you can see me.”
Though she didn’t add to that, beyond the immediate rooftop, the street below, and Tobias, Corinna was blind. The plan was simple. The Force was involved in the previous attacks on the other Jedi, so Master Ral was out there doing everything he could to be easy to notice in the Force. Tobias and Corinna were waiting up high a good distance away, keeping their own Force presences as drawn in as possible. While that was a mere annoyance for Tobias, it meant that Corinna’s since of ‘sight’ was severely limited. So it was really just Tobias watching Master Ral, with Corinna calmly waiting and being surprisingly good about the whole situation.
It was still dark, and the streets of Bestine were emptying a bit more as the night began to grow even later. That at least meant it was easy to watch Master Ral, though Tobias was uncomfortable with the area around him, just expecting to get jumped by someone. In the hour since he and Corinna had been in position, there had been long, uncomfortable silences and short bursts of sarcasm-laced conversation. For having just met one another hours before, they got along surprisingly well.
As there was little else to do, Tobias decided to push it a bit further, “Are you sure your sight is that good?”
“Of course I’m sure,” finally, a hint of a smile was there on her face, though Corinna was doing a good job at keeping it in check.
“Really sure? Because uh...” he paused a moment and looked her over as if he was inspecting her, “...you do know you look a bit ridiculous, yes?”
Slowly and deliberately, Corinna turned to stare him down in a way that was entirely unmatchable, even if he had been using the Force to do so, “What is that supposed to mean, Jedi boy?”
For a moment, his resolve stumbled. Tobias stammered before jumping back onto his previous train of thought, “It means you look like a flag. Well, a bunch of flags. Flags and belts and weird colour combinations...did I mention you look like a walking flag?”
He was only exaggerating slightly. After reaching the rooftop where they sat, Corinna had removed her large robe to have something more comfortable to sit on. What she wore beneath it was unlike anything Tobias had ever seen. While the form-fitting, black bodysuit was reminiscent of the morphsuit he had underneath his clothes, she had a bunch of...belts was the best word Tobias could come up with. They hung at an angle around her waist and things that looked exactly like flagls hung from them down to her thighs all around. They were generally muted greens in colour, but in a few places the pieces were trimmed in a bright, vibrant red. Even her boots had a red lining at the top.
Corinna did not seem to be amused, “I do not look like a flag.”
“Well, what’s with the flag-like things, then?” Tobias pointed as if she had no idea they were there.
“What’s with that jacket?” she countered before giving his shoulder a rough punch, “You expecting snow on this planet or something?”
“I like my jacket,” suddenly, Tobias was on the defensive, grumbling under his breath and wondering how things had been turned around on him so easily.
“Well,” Corinna idly lifted up one of the pieces of fabric that hung from her belt, “I like my flags.”
For some reason, Tobias decided to attempt to turn things around again rather than just giving up while he was behind, “But really, greens and reds? I could spot you from orbit.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry I don’t want to look like every dirt-covered being on the planet,” this time, Corinna took hold of his jacket collar and tugged it a few times, “Grey and black. Wow. That’s very unique, Jedi boy. Did you get the idea from your other moody friends or did you just come up with this one on your own to show how deep and brooding you are?”
“It was my father’s.”
The way Tobias spoke those four words was enough. Corinna’s teasing stopped in that instant and she let go of his jacket and said softly, “I apologize.”
She knew nothing about Jyren. In fact, she barely knew anything about him. But Tobias’ voice relayed the message quite clearly. And while the jacket Tobias wore was not the same one that Jyren had held onto for years, it was one that Marix had given him at least six years prior. Tobias had picked it up one day and found it comfortable an then Jyren had died and...well, it was something he just did his best not to think about anymore. That line of thought was never good, and pushing it away was slowly becoming a way for Tobias to learn control over his emotions that he desperately needed.
The awkward quiet had returned, and Tobias felt it was even worse than the others. So he tried to break it by stepping back and asking an honest question rather than trying to start a fight, as it were, “Do you really see colour?”
“Yes and no,” Corinna tilted her head very slightly again and thought a few moments before explaining, “I know what red and blue and green and such are. I just...” she trailed off and motioned to his jacket again, “I don’t think what I see is the same grey that you see. Its more...well, you’ve seen in the Force. Its not really about colour. But I learned early on what things are based on how others see them. So I know its grey, not because of the colour, but because that...signature, I guess, is what I see grey as.”
When Tobias thought about it, he realized that, technically, everyone was that way. He didn’t know red was called red until someone else told him it was, indeed, called red. But then again, there was a deeper bit to what Corinna was trying to get across. She didn’t have eyes. As she’d said, he knew what it looked like to see through the Force. He could do that. It wasn’t colour at all. It was...the Force. While he was not well trained enough to pick out details, it was obvious that with practice, he could...and would likely see whatever she saw. But what she saw was not the same as everyone else. The Force didn’t give information in colours, so Corinna was really working as if translating things into a separate language at all times. It was actually quite fascinating, and something Tobias hadn’t even considered back when he’d met Tokarr.
He had been about to continue that line of thought out loud, but was stopped by a sudden feeling in the Force. The fact that he was so drawn in and still jumped in surprise at the feeling was a testament to both its strength and proximity. Corinna had to have noticed it, too, as her head yanked around to face directly where Tobias had started to look. Sadly, the lights in the street did Tobias’ eyes little good. He could see where Master Ral was, distantly, but couldn’t actually make out anything beyond the shape of his Master leaning against a building. There were other things moving nearby, but nothing that seemed to be the source of the feeling in the Force...though it was nearby and right in front of them...
Corinna was on her feet a moment later, “I think that’s it.”
“You don’t want to wait?” Tobias followed suit, getting himself up while still trying to get a better view of the source of the feeling.
“I can see it, Tobias,” she used his name. That was only the second time, “I can see it and I can’t see it. That doesn’t make any sense and its terrifying. Whatever it is shouldn’t be there but is. That’s what we’re looking for and its going for your Master.”
Tobias nodded as she leapt down to the street below. To himself, he just shrugged and said quietly, “Off we go, then.”
A moment later he was right behind her, and the two of them were sprinting down the dimly-lit street for Master Ral.
“I have to admit, I’m actually surprised I’m not down there waiting to get mauled,” Tobias commented quietly.
Perched next to him, back on the rooftops of Bestine and watching the streets below, Corinna tilted her head just slightly towards him, “But the bait has to be someone that can take care of themself.”
“I can take care of myself just fine,” he grumbled back, trying to keep his senses in the Force as pulled inward as possible and instead watching the distant, cloaked form of Master Ral with his not-so-great eyes, “Besides, what does that say about you?”
The Miraluka girl shrugged, “What it says about me isn’t important. You and your Master are the Jedi here, you two are supposed to be the noble ones. So that’s why he’s out there and we’re up here. You’d be eaten alive and he’s chivalrous.”
Tobias did his best to not let his mouth sit open. While on one level, he was absolutely sure that she was just having fun with him, the way she was keeping her focus elsewhere and her matter-of-fact tone of voice actually made it seem like Corinna was serious. There was, of course, a test for that. A test that Tobias decided to try, “Well you’d be more useful down there. Can you even see me right now?”
“Likely better than you can see me.”
Though she didn’t add to that, beyond the immediate rooftop, the street below, and Tobias, Corinna was blind. The plan was simple. The Force was involved in the previous attacks on the other Jedi, so Master Ral was out there doing everything he could to be easy to notice in the Force. Tobias and Corinna were waiting up high a good distance away, keeping their own Force presences as drawn in as possible. While that was a mere annoyance for Tobias, it meant that Corinna’s since of ‘sight’ was severely limited. So it was really just Tobias watching Master Ral, with Corinna calmly waiting and being surprisingly good about the whole situation.
It was still dark, and the streets of Bestine were emptying a bit more as the night began to grow even later. That at least meant it was easy to watch Master Ral, though Tobias was uncomfortable with the area around him, just expecting to get jumped by someone. In the hour since he and Corinna had been in position, there had been long, uncomfortable silences and short bursts of sarcasm-laced conversation. For having just met one another hours before, they got along surprisingly well.
As there was little else to do, Tobias decided to push it a bit further, “Are you sure your sight is that good?”
“Of course I’m sure,” finally, a hint of a smile was there on her face, though Corinna was doing a good job at keeping it in check.
“Really sure? Because uh...” he paused a moment and looked her over as if he was inspecting her, “...you do know you look a bit ridiculous, yes?”
Slowly and deliberately, Corinna turned to stare him down in a way that was entirely unmatchable, even if he had been using the Force to do so, “What is that supposed to mean, Jedi boy?”
For a moment, his resolve stumbled. Tobias stammered before jumping back onto his previous train of thought, “It means you look like a flag. Well, a bunch of flags. Flags and belts and weird colour combinations...did I mention you look like a walking flag?”
He was only exaggerating slightly. After reaching the rooftop where they sat, Corinna had removed her large robe to have something more comfortable to sit on. What she wore beneath it was unlike anything Tobias had ever seen. While the form-fitting, black bodysuit was reminiscent of the morphsuit he had underneath his clothes, she had a bunch of...belts was the best word Tobias could come up with. They hung at an angle around her waist and things that looked exactly like flagls hung from them down to her thighs all around. They were generally muted greens in colour, but in a few places the pieces were trimmed in a bright, vibrant red. Even her boots had a red lining at the top.
Corinna did not seem to be amused, “I do not look like a flag.”
“Well, what’s with the flag-like things, then?” Tobias pointed as if she had no idea they were there.
“What’s with that jacket?” she countered before giving his shoulder a rough punch, “You expecting snow on this planet or something?”
“I like my jacket,” suddenly, Tobias was on the defensive, grumbling under his breath and wondering how things had been turned around on him so easily.
“Well,” Corinna idly lifted up one of the pieces of fabric that hung from her belt, “I like my flags.”
For some reason, Tobias decided to attempt to turn things around again rather than just giving up while he was behind, “But really, greens and reds? I could spot you from orbit.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry I don’t want to look like every dirt-covered being on the planet,” this time, Corinna took hold of his jacket collar and tugged it a few times, “Grey and black. Wow. That’s very unique, Jedi boy. Did you get the idea from your other moody friends or did you just come up with this one on your own to show how deep and brooding you are?”
“It was my father’s.”
The way Tobias spoke those four words was enough. Corinna’s teasing stopped in that instant and she let go of his jacket and said softly, “I apologize.”
She knew nothing about Jyren. In fact, she barely knew anything about him. But Tobias’ voice relayed the message quite clearly. And while the jacket Tobias wore was not the same one that Jyren had held onto for years, it was one that Marix had given him at least six years prior. Tobias had picked it up one day and found it comfortable an then Jyren had died and...well, it was something he just did his best not to think about anymore. That line of thought was never good, and pushing it away was slowly becoming a way for Tobias to learn control over his emotions that he desperately needed.
The awkward quiet had returned, and Tobias felt it was even worse than the others. So he tried to break it by stepping back and asking an honest question rather than trying to start a fight, as it were, “Do you really see colour?”
“Yes and no,” Corinna tilted her head very slightly again and thought a few moments before explaining, “I know what red and blue and green and such are. I just...” she trailed off and motioned to his jacket again, “I don’t think what I see is the same grey that you see. Its more...well, you’ve seen in the Force. Its not really about colour. But I learned early on what things are based on how others see them. So I know its grey, not because of the colour, but because that...signature, I guess, is what I see grey as.”
When Tobias thought about it, he realized that, technically, everyone was that way. He didn’t know red was called red until someone else told him it was, indeed, called red. But then again, there was a deeper bit to what Corinna was trying to get across. She didn’t have eyes. As she’d said, he knew what it looked like to see through the Force. He could do that. It wasn’t colour at all. It was...the Force. While he was not well trained enough to pick out details, it was obvious that with practice, he could...and would likely see whatever she saw. But what she saw was not the same as everyone else. The Force didn’t give information in colours, so Corinna was really working as if translating things into a separate language at all times. It was actually quite fascinating, and something Tobias hadn’t even considered back when he’d met Tokarr.
He had been about to continue that line of thought out loud, but was stopped by a sudden feeling in the Force. The fact that he was so drawn in and still jumped in surprise at the feeling was a testament to both its strength and proximity. Corinna had to have noticed it, too, as her head yanked around to face directly where Tobias had started to look. Sadly, the lights in the street did Tobias’ eyes little good. He could see where Master Ral was, distantly, but couldn’t actually make out anything beyond the shape of his Master leaning against a building. There were other things moving nearby, but nothing that seemed to be the source of the feeling in the Force...though it was nearby and right in front of them...
Corinna was on her feet a moment later, “I think that’s it.”
“You don’t want to wait?” Tobias followed suit, getting himself up while still trying to get a better view of the source of the feeling.
“I can see it, Tobias,” she used his name. That was only the second time, “I can see it and I can’t see it. That doesn’t make any sense and its terrifying. Whatever it is shouldn’t be there but is. That’s what we’re looking for and its going for your Master.”
Tobias nodded as she leapt down to the street below. To himself, he just shrugged and said quietly, “Off we go, then.”
A moment later he was right behind her, and the two of them were sprinting down the dimly-lit street for Master Ral.