General Leia Organa (thereisanother) wrote in thedoorway, @ 2013-05-25 15:46:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, leia organa, mara jade |
Who: Mara Jade & Leia Organa
When: Monday May 8
Where: Leia's apartment
What: Meeting, getting to know each other
Rating: PG
Status: Complete.
Mara shifted the bag in her hand and stopped briefly mid-step to also shift the weight in the drink carrier that she held. For a half-second she considered using the Force to try to balance them, but she wasn’t so confident in her abilities that she thought it a wise move. It would hardly do to have to return to the Java Moment and get new coffee and be late to see her - well, friend was the easiest way to describe her at the moment considering that she wasn’t technically a Skywalker yet. Balance regained, Mara stepped forward again, walking briskly down the hall until she reached the room number Leia had given her. She stopped and composed herself before reaching out the hand with the bag in it to rap her knuckles on the door. Although it had been several months since she’d come through the tesseract, Mara could well remember the feeling of un-easyness that had persisted for days - even weeks - following her admittance to Potts Tower. And that had been without immediately learning that she was to marry Luke Skywalker in her future, or have a son named Ben. The tesseract had kindly placed her at the furthest point in the timeline of all who were there and so she’d been able to put off any particularly disruptive pieces of information about her future. In Leia’s case, she’d have no such luck. With Han here, Jaina, and even Mara herself, and as Anakin and Padme had been here before - everyone here knew, even had they not watched the films - they would know. It was too easy to learn. Mara hadn’t dropped bombs on Leia the night before mostly because she hadn’t wanted to give her too much at once, but Mara suspected others might have said some things, and she was perfectly aware that she might need to do some clean-up. If it made sense, Mara would explain how they knew each other and a bit of why they were friends -- if it made sense. She wasn’t going to push that either. As the door opened Mara placed a warm smile on her face. “Good morning Leia, I brought regular coffee - like caf - and also a couple of mochas, which is like Lando’s hot chocolate drink, only with caf, it’s brilliant basically - and you don’t know who Lando is yet, do you? Sorry... but trust me - it’s amazing.” Leia was still a bit fuzzy after having the spent the previous evening drinking with Han. They hadn’t really talked about anything serious which was for the best right now but she had questions and hopefully Mara would provide some answers. When she had gotten back to her apartment, Leia had found a directory of people who were living in the Tower and found that Obi-Wan was here. He would be the next person she sought out because no doubt he would fill in any of the blanks that remained after talking with Han and Mara. Then there was Luke..but she wasn’t going to think about that right now even though she knew she’d have to face him sooner or later. “Good morning,” she said with a sleepy smile as she let Mara in. “Chocolate sounds wonderful even if I’m not sure who Lando is. Thank you for coming by and I apologize if I’m a little off. I went to talk to Han last night and it was more drinking than talking but I needed it. I’ve also discovered that I’m not old enough to drink on this planet. Which normally wouldn’t bother me but last night, I needed it.” "Ah the inexplicable age limits," Mara laughed slightly. "Yes, I'm grateful that the Tesseract decided to pull me from a bit later on in the timeline. Obviously Han has set you up, but if you ever need some I'm happy to bend rules for you and bring some over." She stepped in and handed the mocha over to Leia. "Here you go. If Lando shows up I'm going to take him a mocha straight away. You will know who he is eventually," she added simply. "He's a scoundrel. Apparently I date him for a while. I'm not certain why, but he also is an alright guy even if he is a scoundrel." She turned quiet and added, "how are you doing this morning?" Leia took the cup from Mara and took a sip, her eyes widening. “Oh this is wonderful,” she said. “I’ve never tasted anything like it.” She turned and walked over to the sofa, motioning for Mara to join her. “Lando is a scoundrel, huh? Let me guess. He’s a friend of Han’s?” It made sense since in Leia’s mind the word “scoundrel” and the name “Han Solo” went hand in hand. “Well judging from the directory I found on the table last night there are certainly a lot of people here. It wouldn’t be strange if this Lando showed up from what I can tell.” There were many names on the list that Leia was unfamiliar with, most of them in fact, and a few that she recognized from looking at the network when she had arrived. “Excellent,” Mara said as she walked over to the sofa. “You’re already guessing correctly so I won’t have to tell you everything.” She nodded as she looked over at the directory. There were a number of names in there and she knew that Leia would have recognized some of them - perhaps more later on in her life, but she would still have been able to sort out some of them now. “You’re right there are a number of people here. It’s always interesting to see who is going to show up next,” sometimes downright dangerous, but Mara didn’t want to get into that right away. “You’ve seen Han it seems, and you met Jaina over the network, so you know there are some people here that you know - did Luke comment to you?” Leia nodded. “He did. To be honest I’ve been putting off talking to him because I’m still trying to absorb that he’s my brother. Han told me the basics, that we were separated at birth. I assume that was to protect us from the Emperor. I was adopted and Luke was raised on Tatooine. Which I already knew of course.” She took another sip of the drink Mara had called mocha. Leia could already tell she was going to like it very much. “I also had another person comment to me, a young woman who said she the daughter of Wedge Antilles. I don’t Wedge that well but I know that he was there when we blew the Death Star. I believe he might be a friend of Luke’s? I saw Obi-Wan’s name there too.” Mara nodded. So Leia knew that she and Luke were siblings. That was good at least. She hadn’t mentioned their father at all and so Mara was going to operate under the assumption that she hadn’t been given that tidbit just yet. After her conversation with Jaina Mara didn’t know if she ought to be the bearer of bad news or if she ought to just leave well enough alone. It seemed as if it was the sort of thing that would be impossible for Leia to not learn eventually - and probably sooner rather than later. The truth about Luke’s parentage was too well-ingrained into culture and the topic of pop culture jokes, and if would come out. “Myri,” Mara said with a smile. “Yes, that’s Wedge’s daughter and I rather enjoy conversations with her. We had a similar line of work for a while. There’s Luke, myself, Han, and Obi-Wan. There have been other people here from time to time, but most recently it’s been just us.” She was quiet for a moment, taking a sip from her coffee and trying to decide, but she supposed this wasn’t likely to be any more disturbing to Leia than the knowledge that she had a daughter with Han Solo would be. “My son was here for a while, which I think I mentioned before. His name is Ben. Ben, uh, Skywalker.” So that was how Mara knew of her. Leia hadn’t expected that. “You and Luke are married? Or at least in the future because you’re not now.” She took another sip of the mocha and tried to gather her thoughts. This was all very confusing to say the least. “and you had a son? I take it that he went back through the Tesseract..is that what it’s called? Did you know he existed before he came here? I guess that would depend on how old he was though wouldn’t it.” Leia was thinking aloud, something she did when she was trying to make sense of a situation. “and Obi-Wan. He must be younger because I saw him die on the Death Star.” She shuddered as she remembered the moment. “Does Luke know? About you and him and your son?” Mara nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. “Yeah, Skywalker and I get married a bit in our future, for both of us actually, although more so for him than for me. When he got here he hadn’t even met me in his timeline, and then Ben showed up and startled both of us. So yes, Luke knows, everyone does. There’s a long story to how we meet, but I won’t bore you with that now. Let’s just say that I understand the shock you got when Jaina introduced herself,” Mara said wryly, with a bit of a smile. “Obi-Wan is from before - the Empire, or really right around the cusp of when the Old Republic fell, I think,” Mara wrinkled up her nose. Myri is from further than I believe any of us - or maybe that’s Jaina. I lose track of the timelines, but they both know the most, probably. Ben might have been further, had he stayed, but he came and left pretty swiftly,” Mara was quiet for a moment. There was some part of her that would have liked to have had Ben around for longer - to actually get to know the young man that she’d had coffee with a bit better. “Anyway, um, what else? They told you that we’re ‘fictional’ didn’t they? That’s the typical script SHIELD goes through. In our case there’s a wide variety of mediums we can be read about in - there are the films, which are sort of like holodramas, then there are additional books, and graphic novels - books with photos, basically - so you can choose to read things or watch things to catch yourself up, or not. In my case I chose to read a bit - at least partially because people tend to drop all sorts of information about your life to you, either accidentally or not, and it’s always a bit jarring when you haven’t experienced it or have any foreknowledge of it. But I know people have approached that differently.” “Han mentioned the films,” Leia replied. “He didn’t seem to be very fond of them. I think I might like to see them though at some point. Get an idea of what happened after I left.” She looked over at Mara. “and yes SHIELD went through the whole fictional thing. I got a rather big shock on the network when I encountered a man who looks exactly like Han but isn’t. Apparently that’s not all that uncommon either. People having the same face.” It all seemed rather odd to Leia but she was going to have to get used to it if she was going to be here for any length of time. “Meeting Jaina was a shock. Having children wasn’t something I’ve even thought about. Or getting married for that matter. Certainly not to Han Solo.” Leia shook her head. “but it seems that I do at some point.” She’d only know him for a short time after all or at least that’s what she knew to be true. Apparently she got to know him much better. “I liked her though. We didn’t talk for long but I liked her. She reminded me a lot of her...Han.” Leia still couldn’t quite say father in reference to Han. “The obvious reason here is that people are played by the same actor in the fictional films, and so forth. But it doesn’t make any sense in any context other than that, so I can’t explain it. Mara pulled her feet under her and took another sip of her coffee and nodded. “That sounds so very familiar,” she said ruefully. “I certainly never considered having children, and when Ben showed up it was a bit of a shock. At the same time - well I could see so much of Luke in him, but a bit of myself, so I knew that it was all right. I really had a difficult time seeing myself married to Skywalker as well, so really, it all sounds very familiar. “When I first meet you, you are married, and in fact are pregnant with Jaina and her twin, Jacen,” Mara smiled. “You seem happy, so the only thing I can say is that ultimately it works out. And I suppose the same for me.” “Jaina has a twin?” Leia squeaked. She couldn’t imagine carrying two human beings inside of her in fact it made her a little sick to her stomach. “That’s...just. Well it’s in the future so I don’t have to think about how horribly uncomfortable that must be just yet.” For a moment she paused to sip her mocha as she thought about what to say next and how to say it. Finally she looked up at Mara. “I have to confess that I found myself attracted to Luke when we first got to know each other. Actually that wasn’t all that long ago to me but obviously that isn’t going to happen since he’s my brother. Although that would explain why I felt drawn to him, wouldn’t it? Especially if the Force was involved.” Leia knew very little about how the Force worked but from things her father had told her and what she’d seen from Obi-Wan, it could certainly find a way to bring people together if it wished to. “Kriff,” Mara swore and then she winced. Not certain how Leia would take that. “Yes, I didn’t think about the fact she might not have mentioned it, but yes. Sorry. I’m honestly not trying to throw things at you without ceasing. It’s difficult enough here without getting unloaded on.” At Leia’s next confession, Mara couldn’t help but smile slightly. “Well, obviously he’s rather handsome, and he has a bit of a presence. I mean, even now, although it’s different than he is when I know him - when I knew him... whatever,” she waved a hand. “So, I can’t fault you too much for it, and you didn’t know. It does make sense that you’d feel a connection and since you didn’t know what the connection was...” Mara considered for a moment. “When I first met Luke, his X-Wing was sitting in the middle of nowhere. The Force was almost certainly involved in that as well. Despite the fact that I really hadn’t utilized it since the Empire fell - at least not with any regularity - I managed to sense him as we went by that point. And then I had to keep saving his life, despite the fact that I didn’t want to,” she shook her head with a smile. “And that’s the short version of the story, the long one is far more complicated and spoilery probably.” “That’s okay,” she said. “I would have found out sooner or later that she had a twin. I know it’s hard to figure out what to say when you don’t know what I’m aware of. Which is actually not much. Han and I did more drinking than talking last night if you want to know the truth. Although it was kind of what I needed at the time.” She listened to Mara’s story. It certainly sounded like the Force had brought them together and Leia was coming to realize that she liked the other woman. She could see how Luke would have been attracted to her. “Well even though it hasn’t happened yet, I’m glad you kept saving his life. It sounds like you were happy together. Or will be...it’s rather hard to know what tense to use around here, isn’t it?” “Isn’t it though?” Mara said with a laugh. “For the longest time I was the person furthest in the timeline - and then Ben showed up, and then Jaina showed up, and then Myri, so I stopped being the ‘person most likely to spoil everyone’.” She took another sip of her coffee and smiled at Leia. “And I can’t blame you for more drinking than talking at all. If you’d rather do more coffee than talking right now, that’s all right too. I can tell you about New York City and SHIELD, and Potts Tower, and a bit about what’s different. Or if you do want to know things that might be necessary to know I can also do that. I really am all right with either one - but I don’t want to keep dumping things on you if you aren’t ready for that.” Talking about New York and SHIELD and the place they were living in was much more appealing to Leia than learning things she wasn’t sure she wanted to know just yet. “I think I like the idea of you telling me about Potts Tower and how all of us got here more than anything else right now,” she said. “I’m going to have more than enough to think about over the next few days in regards to myself. Tell me about this place. I met some of the men from SHIELD when I got her of course. They aren’t the most outgoing people are they? I had plenty of questions as you can imagine and they spent a lot of time evading them. Much like Imperial agents in fact.” “Part of that’s simply training,” Mara shrugged. “I mean, when you come through they may know exactly who you are, or they may not. They may have some idea of when you’re coming from, or they may not. Not answering the questions allows them to get their feet under them and to know how to approach you a little bit better, and to hopefully not create more panic in arrivees than absolutely necessary. “But, about Potts Tower - New York City reminds me of Coruscant, except smaller and not planetwide. But it’s not unlike it either. The planet doesn’t have space travel - no end of being tired of being land bound, believe me - and the planet itself is broken up into smaller regional governments, some of them quite small. We’re in the United States of America, currently, and SHIELD is one agency that deals with defense and homeland protection, particularly around things that aren’t necessarily from here -- like us.” Mara stopped and took a sip of her coffee and tried to think what else might be helpful for Leia to know. “Obviously we’re all here in Potts Tower which is provided by Tony Stark - an extremely well-to-do type who has provided residency for the refugees from different worlds. Which means that you have a little time to figure out what you might want to do here.” She smiled. “And of course there’s the fun part where we’re fictional and our stories are just out there for anyone to read, or watch, in our cases a bit of both. So that means that if you’re recognizable - and you are, I’m sorry Leia - you will likely get stopped on the street by various people. Apparently I’m only in the books so no one recognizes me most of the time. Or they think I’m Natasha, who is from this world, but looks just like me - that’s an interesting thing I haven’t quite figured out yet.” “I’ve already experienced that with a man named Indy,” Leia said. “I thought he was Han but he’s not. I’m used to being recognized back home but on the streets here? That’s going to take some getting used to. The fictional element is what really intrigues me. We exist but to these people, we’re entertainment? That’s a bit disturbing.” She had fought hard for the Rebellion and had risked her life more than once for what she believed in. The idea that someone would find that entertaining bothered Leia. It was not something she did for fun. She was fighting for her life and for the lives of many others. “So New York is a very big city and there is no space travel. No wonder Han seemed so restless. I’m sure he hates not being able to fly. Luke too no doubt.” Leia couldn’t imagine two people who would hate being grounded more than them. “Well it’s very nice of this Tony Stark to be willing to help us out. What is this Tesseract that the SHIELD people mentioned. Some sort of time portal?” “It is. I think it bothers some people more than others. I mostly don’t worry about it too much - I suppose partially because I can see bio-holodramas being written about you and Luke and Han anyway you cut it - even back home. At least here they’ve got the facts mostly right - at least as best as I can tell from those I’ve spoken with, and the stories that I’ve read myself they have.” Mara shrugged. “Yeah, we’re entertainment, but maybe inspiration as well?” Mara took another sip of the coffee. “Yeah, I hate the lack of travel. This is the longest I’ve been planetside for most of my life, since I finished my training, honestly. “The tesseract is - a time portal... and a dimensional one … that’s about the best that I can tell about it and I don’t know that SHIELD knows a whole lot more.” Leia, despite what some people might think, didn’t like to think of herself as someone that people would write stories about. She believed in the Rebellion, she wasn’t seeking fame from it at all but Mara had a point. After all that happened after she’d been captured, then rescued, the Death Star destroyed...it was going to be impossible for them not to be known. “Inspiration. I hope that’s the case. I’d like to think that we inspired some people. Even if I don’t know how it all turns out yet.” She smiled and took another sip of the mocha. Yes, this was going to be something she’d have to partake of more often. “I’m sure that if SHIELD does know anything, they’re not telling anyone,” she said dryly. “At least if they’re anything like most government agencies I’ve encountered. If that’s even what they are. I know that coming through it....it’s not like anything I’ve ever experienced before. Although it seems I have experienced it but don’t remember it.” “Well there’s that,” Mara said wryly. “I mean, after all, I don’t have super high clearance even being a cell handler and all that. So it’s entirely possible that someone at level seven or level eight clearance does know more than what they’ve shared with us down below. That wouldn’t be a bit surprising although it is a bit vexing. I’m used to being a bit higher up in most of my positions,” she looked slightly embarrassed. “So it’s always a bit weird to be somewhere nearer the middle or the bottom.” “At any rate, I think I’ve shared about what I know of the tesseract - which isn’t a lot. It tends to take people back through it at random and pulls them here at random. If there’s any reason to it I haven’t heard that anyone has discovered it and there are any number of people who have done investigations into the matter - people who are quite good honestly.” She took a sip of her coffee. “I would definitely have a hard time being near the bottom,” she admitted. “in fact I’m sure that it would drive me crazy. I’m a bit stubborn although you know that already and taking no for an answer isn’t really an option with me. So not knowing everything about SHIELD is going to annoy me to no end!” Leia shook her head. “From the names in the directory, it seems to have pulled a rather wide variety of people here. I don’t know most of them of course but from what I’ve skimmed on the network, there are people from all sorts of times and places.” Mara nodded as Leia spoke. “I’m guessing eventually if we’re here long enough and prove ourselves we will have opportunities to move up in the organization. I suspect there are many of us as capable as those from the top, we simply don’t have the history in this reality for them to be able to know that themselves,” she shrugged. “It really bothered me at first, but I am getting used to it. That could be said of a number of things here, honestly. “And you’re right, people from all over and all times and places. It’s unclear how our time relates to time in this reality. In theory we’re from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... but we’re far more technologically advanced than this world, so it’s somewhat difficult to take that seriously.” “Time is a funny thing,” Leia mused. “To them it might seem like a long time ago but we might even exist in the same time plane. I know that from what little I’ve seen, we are very far ahead of them in everything. I was looking out the window at the vehicles on the streets. They don’t appear very efficient for getting anywhere quickly, do they?” she finished her mocha and set the empty cup on the small table in front of her. Leia thought that she would definitely have to get another one of those soon. “Do they have space travel here at all?’ she asked. “Yes, but not in any actual sense of the word,” Mara shrugged. “They have a space station in orbit around this planet, as best I can tell, and they have sent some vehicles into space - mostly to the moon that orbits this planet - and some unmanned vehicles further abroad than that, but there is no quick travel in space, it’s all real time - so you can see that’s limiting. And the vehicles are interesting... Skywalker and I both have our licenses now so we can go out - but they aren’t particularly efficient, no.” “I’m not sure how I’m going to like that part of it,” she replied. “I’m used to getting places quickly. I have a feeling I’m going to be bored at first.” Leia sighed. She wasn’t used to sitting around and doing nothing, she never had been and for now it appeared that was all she would be able to do. “What do people do here for entertainment?” “Well,” Mara set the coffee on her knee and considered. “There are a number of things similar to things we do. There’s lots of dancing and that sort of scene. There are films and television - which are similar to our holodramas - there are books and there’s a huge library that you could check out just a ways from here. There are physical activities like swimming, and a hundred sports that I have yet to sort out completely. “Skywalker and I have been renting a vehicle every few weeks and going out of the city for a day to just see something that isn’t all concrete, durasteel and towers. And of course there are plenty of things in Pott’s Tower as well, at least that’s where I started, just talking to people. Oh - and Han and I were going to throw you and Skywalker a birthday party...” “A birthday party?” Leia was surprised at that. “I...well...thank you. I don’t know what to say. I have no idea how that would work here. I’m guessing our calendars are not the same? When is my..I mean our..birthday?” She was going to have to get used to speaking of Luke as her brother. It seemed strange after believing herself to be an only child for her entire life. “We’ll be twenty won’t we? Age would work the same way even if the calendars didn’t. At least I should thing so.” “Assuming you don’t mind,” Mara shrugged. “I believe you and Luke had simply chosen a date before and if you want to keep the same date here then we’ll continue to throw you a party. And I think you would be... honestly I hadn’t even thought about that - but I suppose you and Luke are both from similar points in your timeline so you would both be about the same age... At any rate, it’s not something we have to do, but talk to Luke and if you are both still on the same wave-length then we’ll continue as planned.” “A party doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Leia replied. “I’ll talk to Luke though. I need to do that anyway. I just haven’t had the chance.” She knew that it was going to have to happen sooner or later and she made a mental note to get in touch with him. “From what Han said and from what you’ve told me, it seems that Luke comes from not too long before we meet so we would be the same age.” “Then let me know what you and Luke decide and we’ll proceed accordingly.” Mara took another sip of her coffee. “What else? You’ll probably want to get some different clothing otherwise you’ll be recognized straight away. I think I’m a bit taller than you but it’s possible that we could still share some things. I’ve found that their leggings and tunics are the simplest and most like what I’m used to at home, but I can show you some different places to shop if you’d like. And where to get food and groceries... Basically if you need anything over the next week or two as you’re getting settled don’t hesitate to ask,” she offered a smile. “Oh, and time - I need to go pretty soon because I have to get to work at SHIELD, but before I leave do you need anything?” Leia shook her head. She liked Mara, she reminded her a bit of herself with her no nonsense attitude and the fact that she got straight to the point. “I don’t think so but I’ll take you up on some clothes. I think there was something about getting in touch with the floor’s housing assistant as well about things like that.” She smiled. “Thanks for coming by Mara. It was nice to meet you. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.” “The housing assistant can also help with things if you can’t get ahold of me,” Mara nodded. “That’s a huge part of their job, but if you want someone you’ve met, text me on the communicator they gave you and I’ll try to be quick to respond.” Mara finished the rest of her coffee and stood up at that point. She half wished she didn’t have to go into SHIELD so she could take the time to show Leia around a little, but she also knew that Leia might want the time to sort things out herself as that was almost a part of feeling comfortable with where they were. “I’ll see you later then,” she offered Leia a smile. “And like I said if you need anything in the next little bit - please don’t hesitate to ask.” |