Title: A - Te - Deum
Summary: Mara enjoys Leia's company. Leia does not precisely enjoy her involuntary stay aboard the Executor, but arguing with Mara is kinda fun.
Or, Leia is Vader's hostage, Mara is his unwilling shipmate, and Padmé is Boba (Leia is just a little Mandalorian).
Pairing: Leia/Mara Jade
This might become a series, if inspiration strikes. Feel free to leave suggestions.
Mara does not enjoy traveling with Darth Vader, but her master has ordered her attendance on his overlarge flagship for the foreseeable future. She is uncertain which of them is being punished by his decree.
The company of Vader's recent guest, Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, is slightly less arduous. It's like sitting in a room with a Bluscale Firespitter, but less deadly by several degrees of magnitude. For one thing, Mara is armed. And seeking her out to pick meaningless arguments are fun. Until Leia shifts, and folds of her dress tunic - white, like everything Alderanians wear because they've never heard of dirt, or practicality - part, just for a second.
She interrupts the Princess mid-sentence. It's not a particularly important sentence. Something about the inherent value of dignity of alien life, or something equally ridiculous.
"Is that a Nubian holdout?"
"Is it?"
Mara puffs up, hackles raised and ready to swing right back into battle, but … she isn't mocking. It's genuine confusion. Which is novel of itself. So she allows herself to lounge back into the dubious comfort of the seating in the junior officers mess they've commandeered.
"You don't know your blaster?" She'd thought even Princesses would be a bit more methodical about their equipment.
"No. My mother gave it to me. For protection."
One blaster against a Star Destroyer isn't that much in the way of protection, but then again, the Princess is a hostage. It's a wonder she has a blaster at all.
"It's a Nubian mark 34 X. Went into production the decade before the Empire was founded. Limited production run - they're practically collectors items. Limited by range and cell capacity, but all but invisible on standard screenings. Excellent for close quarters."
Leia's watching her intently, head tilted like the sparrakeets that had been the Imperial fashion at events two, three years back. "You know a lot about it."
Mara shrugs. "I like weapons."
There's a gleam in her eyes. Leans forward conspiratorially. Mara mirrors, training mixing with genuine interest till she doesn't know where one ends and the other begins
"Have you heard of knife-ball?"