Luke Skywalker Didn't Know She Was His Sister (jedifarmboy) wrote in thedoorway, @ 2015-01-26 22:18:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !log, inara serra, luke skywalker |
Who:Luke Skywalker and Inara Serra
When: January 9
Where: An Indian restaurant in town
What: Dare I say a date?
Rating: PG
Luke had enjoyed his evening with Inara after the date auction. While he had never considered himself a particular fan of ballet, The Nutcracker had been enjoyable and it was hard not to get into the spirit of the season once he was there. Christmas was still a bit of a mystery to him but as Inara had said, it seemed that the yearly production of the ballet was a huge part of the holiday season in this world. He’d also enjoyed the company. Inara was easy to talk to, they got along well and had had a good time. Neither of them had suggested another date although Luke had thought about asking but with Jacen’s arrival and all that had happened, he had more than enough to occupy his mind. Then during a conversation on the network, she’d asked him if he’d been doing anything to take care of himself while he’d been trying to take care of his family and he realized that he hadn’t. Thus he had invited her to dinner and now he was standing outside her door about to knock and trying not to be nervous. Luke wasn’t sure he’d ever actually been on a date before he’d gone to the ballet with Inara, relationships in his world were somewhat different. He’d certainly never taken Mara on a date yet apparently that didn’t stop them from eventually getting married. The evening at the ballet had gone well so hopefully this evening would as well. Unless he did something ridiculous like dropped his food in his lap. That was one good thing about being a Jedi Master, he thought as he knocked on the door, he knew calming techniques which would keep him from making a fool out of himself. Hopefully. The date auction had been something Inara had very nearly not done. It wasn’t the idea of being paid for her company that bothered her, but rather the lack of control over who would be doing the paying that had made her pause. At home when she had chosen her clients - well she had chosen her clients. They had been men and women with whom she felt there would be a certain level of compatibility. Inara deeply loved to help people, to provide companionship and comfort to individuals who might otherwise be struggling, but for that to work - there had to be a spark that told her it would work in the first place. The auction had been a risk on many levels and it had put her immediately outside of her comfort zone, but it had been for a good cause - and so she had prayed and sent herself into the spirit for a good cause. And as fortune had turned, she had found herself with a man whom she might have picked as a client if she were still a companion and he were of the type to want a companion's company. She slid a comb into her hair, giving her appearance a once over in the mirror as she heard the knock on the door. The end result of the evenings efforts was acceptable and she offered herself a look that seemed to say 'take courage', before she went to the door. A second date… well she had agreed, but she wondered if Luke Skywalker knew anything about her life at home and what she did. In her mind, she was helping someone who seemed to be struggling to find his footing, to do so. But perhaps he was hoping for something beyond that? It was a conversation that no doubt needed to happen, and hopefully less awkwardly than what had been accomplished with Mulan - whom Inara was afraid had been dreadfully embarrassed at the misunderstanding. Usually she was so much better at that sort of thing… The memory was put away as she opened the door and graced Luke with a warm smile. "Good evening, Luke," she reached for a winter cloak to slide over her shoulders. "You have impeccable timing, I was just finished." He smiled at her. “You look lovely,” he assured her. “and I don’t know about impeccable timing but I can’t stand to be late.” At one point in his life, Luke had spent a lot of time trying to get out of doing things and was often late but thankfully he’d grown up and was more disciplined now, he couldn’t abide people who were consistently late. “So where do you choose for dinner?” Luke had left it in her hands, she was a bit more familiar with the food here than he was but they had decided on Indian. Anakin had told him that it was good and he trusted his nephew’s judgement since they had similar tastes. "Thank you," Inara said. Complements and accepting them had come second nature to her for a long time. She stepped out of the apartment and closed the door behind her, waiting for Luke to fall into place beside her as she walked to the elevator. "There's a place that's just a few blocks over, a floor or two above a shopping center," she said. "It will be a brisk walk, but not too far, and I thought that would provide opportunity for conversation. Plus after a good dinner, sometimes a walk is precisely what one needs." She pressed the button to call the elevator and looked over at him. "If that sounds agreeable to you?" “That sounds perfect,” he said, smiling at her. “I prefer to walk anyway. It’s funny but I feel safer in a spaceship than I do in one of those taxi cabs out there. The subway isn’t so bad but walking is better.” The elevator arrive and he stepped back, letting her walk in ahead of him. “At least it’s not too cold out tonight so we won’t freeze. I grew up in the desert so I’m not a big fan of cold.” Not to mention that spending time on Hoth had been more than enough cold to last a lifetime as far as Luke was concerned. “What’s it like where you come from?” He was curious to learn more about her. They hadn’t had much of a chance to talk before and Luke felt bad that he’d been so distracted with all that was going on with his family. He had promised himself to make up for that tonight and to apologize to Inara for having been less than stellar company before. Still though she had agreed to have dinner with him tonight so maybe he hadn’t bungled it as badly as he thought he had. "Clearly you've never been in Serenity," Inara said with a bemused smile on her face. Although it was an entirely lacking in seriousness comment. The truth was that Serenity, for all her flaws, had a pretty stellar crew including Kaylee, and that meant it was one of the places Inara liked the most. She rather missed it - missed Mal - she shook her head just slightly as she pushed the button for the lobby level and watched as the doors closed. "There are some similarities, but Earth itself is simply legend. As the legend goes, the population of earth grew too large for this planet and so they left it. And settled in a new place where planets could be terraformed if necessary to accept new people. And it's not unlike this place in some ways… But it's very different too. Space travel is more common, there's an alliance that forms the government, and not everyone likes them greatly," She tilted her head as the doors opened and decided it was as good to speak of it now as it would be later. "I work as a companion, the closest thing I've found in this world is what is known as a Geisha, but they are not so common here - certainly not in the United States - as they are at home." “I’ve heard of terraforming although I’ve never been anywhere that it had actually been done,” he said. “or if it had I didn’t know about it. If the sheer amount of people in this city is any indication of the rest of the world, I can easily see how the planet became overpopulated.” Luke had been in some big cities in his world but New York was something altogether different. He glanced over at Inara when she mentioned what she did at home. “I’m not completely sure what a Geisha is,” he admitted. “I’ve heard the word and I know they originated in a country called Japan but I’m not sure I understand exactly what they do. I was watching a documentary on the country one night when I could sleep but I must have fallen asleep after all because I don’t remember the complete explanation.” The doors to the elevator opened and Inara stepped outside into the lobby. She had half hoped he would be familiar with the concept of a Geisha because it would have been some shorthand for what she needed to tell him, but it wasn't particularly surprising that he wasn't. And it was perhaps not helpful to do a strict comparison because there were differences as well. "There's a good deal to learn here, and it's nice that the Internet and television are so helpful in that regard," Inara offered with a smile. "The companions have a guild, and they operate much like you might expect with a title. Our clients request us for a period of time to serve as a companion for them in various ways, conversation, an event, a date for an evening, emotional or physical comfort as needed. I've served as counselor for many individuals, but not in any sense that would be recognized here. I am glad they were willing to take me on as a teacher… I don't know what I would have done otherwise. My profession seems to simply not exist here - at least… not in any way I would be comfortable practicing it. The Companion Guild demands a certain amount of respect." Now he was beginning to understand. He’d taken dance class from Inara and he knew she was very talented in that regard plus having had several conversations with her, he knew her to be intelligent. Clearly companions were well taught. “It sounds like your profession is highly respected in your world. I know for a fact that you’re easy to talk to, you got some things out of me the other night when we were talking on the network that I hadn’t been able to admit,” he looked over at her and smiled. “and I’m glad you did. It’s much better to get things off your chest than keep them inside.” They started walking toward the entrance. “and from what you’re telling me, what you do is nothing like what they have here. I can’t speak for anyone else but I enjoy your company even though we’ve only spent a short amount of time together outside the classroom and for what it’s worth, you’re an excellent teacher. I don’t have two left feet anymore thanks to you.” He grinned. Luke hadn’t been a terrible dancer before just rather inexperienced, a lot inexperienced actually. Whether or not he had entirely grasped the profession she decided she would simply go with the compliments he offered. She offered him a smile. "It seemed perhaps you need to talk, and I'm glad you did as well. Sometimes taking the time to put voice to the things that have been difficult for us, can help us - put them aside, release them and let them go." She reached over and wrapped an arm through his as they crossed the street. "You've got a good rhythm, actually. I didn't have to work so very hard to help you learn the steps. Just give you a little bit of a chance to practice. The next dance they have, you'll be well prepared." Luke understood what she had been talking about especially when she mentioned ‘physical comfort’ and it didn’t bother him at all. Why should it? People needed companionship in many ways and that was one of them. “You’re right. It’s not always easy to let go but sometimes it’s for the best and it may be the only thing you can do in certain situations.” As much as he hated to admit it, Luke was beginning to understand that. He smiled when Inara wrapped her arm through his. It felt nice to have someone touch him that way again, to feel physically close to someone even if it was just crossing the street. “Thank you. I suppose all the training I’ve done learning light saber fighting techniques is responsible for that. I never thought about it as a type of dance but in a way it is I suppose.” "It is a bit I would think. Saber fighting, we have it where I come from, although, not with light," she smiled as she stepped up on the sidewalk once more. "But it's been a pleasure to teach you, Luke. I suspect at some point you will have learned all that I can teach you, so perhaps you will simply have to promise me a dance occasionally." Her hand was still on his arm as she walked down the sidewalk. And she turned to him then. He had said that it was not always easy to let things go, but she was no better prepared to understand much of his family than she had been previously. She tilted her head and asked simply: "Tell me a bit about your family." “I’ll be more than happy to promise you a dance whenever you would like one,” he said with a smile. He was enjoying the evening so far and it was nice to have someone to talk to. When she asked him about his family though, Luke was caught a bit off guard. “Well my family is a bit…..complicated to say the least,” he said. “but I’ll do my best.” It would have been much easier to just tell her to watch the movies but naturally there were things that had happened that weren’t there and they certainly didn’t come close to revealing the things he had felt and experienced. “I never knew my mother, although Leia has memories of her. The films paint the picture that she died in childbirth yet Leia says she remembers her dying when she was very young. So I’m not sure where the truth lies but I never knew her. Leia was adopted by a family on the planet of Alderaan and raised in one of the wealthy political families there. We were separated by Obi-Wan and Yoda who were the only two remaining members of the Jedi Order so that the Emperor who had been consumed by the Dark Side couldn’t find us.” he paused for a moment. There were so many things he still didn’t understand about that decision yet sometimes he wondered if he would have made the same one had he been in their places. I was taken to live on a planet called Tatooine which is far away from the center of well...pretty much everything in our galaxy,” he chuckled. “I was placed with a kinsman of my father’s and that’s where I grew up. Obi-Wan was also there, the idea was that he would take me when I was older and train me to be a Jedi. My uncle had other ideas and that never happened. When I finally did meet him, I was nineteen and all I wanted to do was get the hell off that planet. I was a lot like my father before he fell from what I can gather. I wanted to fly, to be a hero, to save the world I guess but I was also extremely stubborn. I knew very little about the rebellion, only that it existed, and I was preparing to go the the Imperial Academy to learn to fly and join their military even though two of my best friends were trying to convince me to leave after I was trained and join the rebellion.” Wedge and Biggs had both done that and he did eventually find them although it had been quite a surprise when he had. “Without getting into some very long details, my uncle and aunt were killed by the Empire, I joined Obi-Wan and we rescued Leia who I had no idea was my sister. That turned out to be rather awkward as you can imagine once we found out. Nothing ever happened between us but we felt drawn to each other and it very well could have if I hadn’t been told by Obi-Wan’s Force ghost. Force ghosts by the way are unique to the Jedi, they can communicate with the living that way. I also discovered that the Sith Lord who had been helping the Emperor control the galaxy was my father. He told me and that was the hardest thing I’d ever have to hear.” Luke glanced down at his right hand and without thinking wiggled the fingers. “He cut off my hand, this one is a robotic hand, works as well as the other one. Most of the time I forget that it’s not the one I was born with but every now and then….” his voice trailed off. “Well anyway it’s taken many years for me to come to peace with the fact that Darth Vader was my father. I know he wasn’t always a Sith Lord, I’ve watched the films that deal with his life, Obi-Wan has shared some things with me but sometimes I still worry because his blood runs in my veins. It would be very easy to let the Dark Side take over and I almost have because those who can control it are very seductive and have ways of making you believe they are showing you the right way. It’s been a constant fight but I’ve seen what it can do and I won’t let that happen.” They walked along in silence for a few minutes before Luke spoke again. “I made a lot of mistakes, I had no one to guide me and I was convinced I could do it myself, rebuild the Order, I got a bit of a big head as they say here,” he smiled. “but thanks to Mara, I began to see that I had to change if I wanted to make a difference and as much as I hated to admit that she was right, she was. I’d begun to do that right before I was brought here and from what I’ve read, eventually the Order does get rebuilt. As for the rest of my family, well Han and Leia had three children, a set of twins and my nephew Anakin. He’s named for my father. Thanks to the timelines here, Jaina is nineteen and Jacen is thirty one which is rather odd for all of us. There are a lot of things that happen with Jacen but I haven’t lived those yet and I’ll spare you since I’ve talked far too long.” He gave her a sheepish look, feeling bad that he had monopolized the conversation but asking about his family….well there was no simple way to explain it and Inara didn’t seem to mind. And Inara didn't mind. Listening was a way for her to get to know those she was with, and usually it helped her know something about them from what they were thinking about, where they placed their priorities, and all of those things ultimately helped her to help them when it was necessary that she did so. She had agreed to this idea because she felt that Luke Skywalker, outside of being an excellent dance student and a nice person, seemed to perhaps need a bit of help right now. The question of course was in how to best offer it in this reality. At home if he had asked for her time, she would have offered options, and determined payment. But this place was different. The Companion guild did not exist, and had she asked for payment for her time, it would have been - as best as she could tell - potentially illegal. No, this place was different, but for now, friendship and listening. These were things she could easily offer and so she did. She stepped up to the restaurant and offered Luke a smile at the door. "It is just Han and Leia and their children, yes? And then Mara, your future wife. Are there any others from your home reality at this time?" “Actually yes. Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was my teacher for a brief time is here. Everyone else that’s here is related to me. Well Mara isn’t related to me but she will be,” Luke knew it sounded confusing and it was but that was the way life was here. He opened the door and let Inara go in ahead of him. “Mara was the only one here for some time and then all of a sudden people started appearing. It’s rather strange how that works.” "It really is," Inara agreed easily with a smile at the hostess as they approached them. She waited until they had been seated and been given menus before she continued the conversation. "There are several here from home for me, but then others have come and gone. Mal was here for a while, but he isn't now. But many of the others are. Simon & River, Wash, Zoe, and Kaylee who is my roommate. They're good people - not blood family, but it's good to have them here even as I have begun to make friends here from other realities." “That’s right, Kaylee is your roommate. I knew that. She’s very sweet.” Luke had spent time talking to her while they were on the Ascension together. “and you’re right. Sometimes the closest family aren’t blood kin to us at all. That’s not what makes a family anyway. In my case I found out that the people I’d grown closest to were in fact my family which was a surprise but it was a good one.” For the most part anyway. Discovering that he was Darth Vader’s son hadn’t been something he’d been prepared for but there was nothing to be done about that. "It must have been quite a shock, but a not altogether unpleasant one it seems." Turning her attention to food, Inara picked up her menu and looked through it and then laid it down on the table in front of Luke so she could direct her attention to the various options. "I don't know what type of food you'd like best. Curries are a staple of Indian foods. They're vegetables, and a sauce, sometimes a meat, Usually served over rice. I tend to really enjoy the Chicken tikka masala myself. Naan bread will probably come with almost anything you order however. The Tandoori chicken is primarily chicken, again - you'll usually get some rice and naan, but less vegetables and the flavoring is on the chicken itself. If you want something sweet to drink, a mango lassi is a delicious and refreshing option." Luke had no idea what some of the things Inara was describing were but he did know what chicken was so he decided to give chicken curry a try. It sounded good and he’d learned that when ordering food in this world, you usually couldn’t go wrong with chicken. Once they’d ordered, he turned his attention back to Inara. She’d asked him about his life, now he was curious about hers. “How did you choose to become a companion?” he asked her. “from what you said, it takes a great deal of training.” "I've always wanted to be a companion," Inara said with a smile. "Where I grew up my family didn't have a good deal of freedom, but I lived on Sihon, near the companion school and house there. And I would watch them when I was a very little girl. They always had such grace about them and they were so kind to those they met, so courteous. It was very different from what I knew - and I knew that I wanted that. It was… freedom that my life as I might have followed it otherwise would not have offered." She took a sip of the drink in front of her. It had almost certainly been the freedom and the education that had drawn her in. That combined with the kindness of the Companions that she had seen in her youngest years. "It's rare that someone from my societal class gets accepted into training. It is incredibly elite education, but I wanted it very badly and I had done my best to mimic what I had seen, and I suppose the Head Priestess saw something of that in my interview. I have never known precisely what she liked that allowed me to make the cut, but I have been forever grateful. "The education alone would have been worth everything, but the opportunities to meet people and to help some who truly struggle to make connections or who are in a period of their life where they are having a difficult time," Inara looked over at him. "I would not have found those opportunities had I remained where I was." It was easy to see that she truly cared about people and that she had chosen her career so that she could help them. Luke didn’t need the Force to show him that but what it did show him was that she cared about him and wanted to help him. This surprised him a little since they didn’t know each other that well but it was nice. He’d certainly been feeling lonely the past couple of months and while he’d had things to focus on to keep him busy recently, there was a part of him that missed things like this, having dinner with a beautiful, intelligent woman, talking about other cultures which he knew nothing about. “Well I would have to say that they made the right decision,” he said with a smile, reaching across the table and resting his hand on top of hers. “It’s easy to see that you’re good at what you do and that it means a lot to you. I’ve found that the people who are best at their chosen professions are those who believe in what they’re doing. I had to find that out the hard way at times, I questioned a lot at first but time helps.” He paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say next without sounding like he’d grown up in the middle of nowhere with very little culture even though that was exactly who he was. “I’m glad you agreed to come out with me tonight,” he finally said. “I like talking to you. I enjoy hearing about other places, other cultures. I never got that chance when I was growing up and later I was so involved in the Rebellion that there wasn’t time for that. I hope we can spend more time together.” There, he’d gotten it out and he hadn’t stumbled over the words. Which for Luke in a social situation was quite an accomplishment. In her time as a Companion, Inara Serra had spent a good deal of time around a wide variety of people. And rarely did she spend time around people that she had no interest whatsoever in being around. Serenity had oddly started out in that way - a means to the end. A way to travel and see what she wanted, without the continual oversight of the House. She could have had a life there in Madrassa House and she had chose instead to see the stars. To have complete control over her clientele and to have independence. That she had grown to appreciate and admire the wildly variant personalities of the firefly ship had surprised her as much as anyone. Here in a tower with a large number of people, along the way she had found people she could enjoy spending time with outside of those from her native home. Luke Skywalker had been an excellent student, and had proven to have a heart that spoke of a commitment to family, and who perhaps shared her interest in exploring the world more thoroughly. When she offered Luke a warm smile, turning her hand up to give his a squeeze, and spoke - she meant every word. "I'd very much like that." |