After the sudden and rather public reunion, Hana and I are able to escape outside to a more secluded part of the base to have a much needed conversation.
Even though it's late at night now on Yavin, it's still warm outside. The humidity is making the baby hairs around my neck and face stick, and only seems to accentuate the sweat that had formed in my different crevasse.
"I must say Yavin, reminds me a lot of Hawaii," Hana comments, flopping herself down onto one of the outdoor benches. "I didn't like the humidity there, either," she says with a sniff.
"I remember hearing about you and your parents moving to Hawaii after everything happened," I comment, taking the seat next to her.
"Yeah," she says, lifting her sleek dark hair up in order to fan the back of her neck. "Decided a change of scenery was in order. Mom had family on the main island, anyway. I think it also helped for my mom to have my obaachan- she really wasn't coping very well with it all…"
I nod, remembering Mrs. Samano as a very gentle and caring person. "Yeah, my dad pulled me out of school once the year was over and homeschooled me after that," I say.
"Yeah, my parents had me homeschooled too- it's kind of hard to trust public schools after the 7th grade math teacher kidnaps your child," Hana says with a dry laugh.
"But that aside," she starts, bringing the conversation back around to the real topic, "how did you get here? How long have you been here? What have you been up to? You arrived with the three main characters of all people!" Hana asks, saying the last part in a whisper.
"No, no, no- Commander Samano, I would like to hear your story first. You seem to have been here much longer than me if you're already a Commander of the Green Squadron." I shake my head, quite honestly dying to hear about what she's been up to since arriving in this universe.
Hana looks a little bashful at her title, a little smile appearing on her lips against her wishes. "Oh fine," she surrenders.
"It all started one day when I was at the beach, surfing. A wave knocked me off my board but instead of falling into the water, I was just- falling! Through the air! I managed to land without breaking anything- but I was really scared and confused, I mean, I was just in a swimsuit, barefoot, and in the middle of a city I didn't recognize." She goes on to tell me about Wedge, and how he found her and took her in. I can't help but notice the fondness in her voice as she talks about him and it brings a quiet smile to my face as I continue to listen. They had escaped Corellia together and joined the rebellion as pilots.
"And five years later, here I am," she finishes with a little flourish of her hands as if to say 'ta-da!'.
"Wait a minute- did you just say five years ago?" I did some quick math, "the rebellion let you join when you were only fourteen?"
"What? No, I was nineteen," Hana says, looking confused.
"We're only about a year apart in age, how does that work? Because I'm eighteen right now…" Hana looks thoughtful at this, her brow furrowed.
"Do you remember what the date was when you left Earth?" I blink. I sit there for a moment, trying to remember the exact date that I left Earth, but it doesn't come to me.
"It was February- or maybe late January, 2018."
Hana nods again, "same for me. So it's pretty safe to assume that we left Earth at the same time-"
"- but arrived in this universe at different times," I say, finishing her sentence. "It was probably the same cosmic glitch- though I don't know why we arrived at different times."
"Sounds like the admins have gotten to you," Hana notes.
"Are those the aliens in that big white room?" I ask. Hana nods.
"Yeah, I don't know if they have a proper name or not, it's just what I've heard others call them," Hana says waving one hand about, "y'know, the people who control the multiverse, they're the admins because they have administrative powers, or whatever." Hana says with a wrinkle of her nose. "In my experience, they're usually really hard to get a hold of, and not much help when you do get the chance to talk to one of them. But if we start talking about all that, we'll be here all night. I wanna hear your story now."
"Well let's see-" and I begin to recount everything I've been through up until that point. Going to Dairy Queen, getting hit by a car, waking up in the Junkyard on Jakku, meeting Han, working with him, meeting Luke and Obi-wan, rescuing the princess, "oh-! And I kept getting these oddly prophetic text messages- but I kinda forgot my phone on the Death Star…" Hana's eyes are blown wide by this last part.
"Prophetic? Death Star? Nancy- what-wh-" she is at a loss for words and drops her head into her hands. "So let me see if I have this right, you had a magical phone that sent you text messages, and you just happened to leave it on the Death Star?"
"Well you see, I had C-3P0 play some music off my ass-kicking playlist on Spotify over the Death Star intercom- because I just feel like I fight better when I have a groovy soundtrack in the background, it really makes a difference!"
"Seriously, Nancy?" Hana asks. I quiet, dropping my head as Hana gets up and begins pacing around in front of the bench. Everything is quiet except for the sounds of the Yavin jungle, the dense vegetation muffling the sounds of the ongoing party into nonexistence.
"If somebody- anybody, really- were to find your phone on the Death Star, you'll have just handed over a foreign, and possibly quite powerful piece of technology to the Empire- to Vader! And if they're able to get into your phone somehow- and let's be honest, they probably will figure out a way- who knows what they'll do with it!"
Hana whirls around, gesticulating madly as she continues, "we just destroyed the Death Star, but it might not have even mattered since they have your magical phone now!"
"Listen, it wasn't intentional!" I say defensively, my face flushing from Hana's rant. This was not what I was hoping for when she came and found me earlier.
"Nancy, I don't care if it was intentional or not. What I'm worried about is the possible implications this will have on the war- how many people will die because of it. I know how the story is supposed to go, but you've just thrown a wrench into it and I don't know how that is going to affect everything else! What if this turns the tides of the entire war? The rebellion is supposed to win in 4 years, but now I don't know if they'll win at all!"
"Well-" I'm at a loss for words after Hana's speech. I feel my eyes prickle with shame, my stomach curdles in that gross way that it does when you know you're in the wrong. "Well at least you know what's supposed to happen, we can use that against them! I don't even know what's going on, I don't know Star Wars-"
"Keep your voice down!" Hana hushed, casting a furtive glance around our still empty location.
"- I don't know anything about Star Wars," I say more quietly, "at least you have foreknowledge on your side- on our side! And I can help! I promise, I'll do whatever I can to fix things." I say earnestly, trying just as much to comfort Hana as I am trying to comfort myself.
Hana sighs, forking a hand through her hair as she wilted back into the seat beside me.
"Yeah," she relents, "I guess it'll be up to us… sorry for taking that all out on you- I just wasn't prepared for-" she gestures tiredly, "- all that I guess."
"It's okay, I deserved it," I say. I gather my skirt around me and pull my knees into my chest. "I don't even know…" I start, "I have been so lost since I arrived here and I've just been trying to keep up, honestly- I don't know anything! About this war that I've suddenly joined, about the worlds I've been to, what the Force is, what are Jedis- I don't know any of it! I've been in the dark, bumbling around for the past 4 months… I guess I didn't realize that- I don't know. I'm just- I'm such a fuck up, Hana, I'm sorry."
Hana reached over, placing a hand on my shoulder, "it's not your fault for not knowing anything- I mean, it is pretty amazing that you don't know anything about the Star Wars franchise, I mean it is pretty big-"
"Okay I thought this was going to be a comforting speech," I cut in, "I would like to go back to that now, please."
"Alright, alright- what was I saying?"
"There there, Nancy, it's not all your fault. It's okay, I love you. You're great." I say, prompting her with some lines.
"Yeah," Hana nods, "what you said."
Gyfurth Theeplo scuttles down the grand hallway of the administration building towards the head supervisor's office door, his footsteps echoing back at him down the empty hall. He mutters irately under his breath as he goes, all the while tapping away at his tablet.
What could he possibly want with me? Gyfurth thinks irritably. The head supervisor was a managerial man of mystery. He kept to his office mostly, only ever sending out major updates to the multiverse, and the weekly company newsletter (though Gyfurth never bothered to read those). Everyone in CS and Emigration has been working overtime to fix the mess the last major update created in the multiverse. Now, there are apparently some new changes to be made that Gyfurth just hopes doesn't add too much to their already mountainous pile of work.
He approaches the office door, but before he has the chance to knock, the door flies open with a woosh to reveal a dashing man with flowing black hair, dressed smartly in a red suit with matching heels. Gyfurth jumps back in surprise, letting out a little yelp as he does.
"Gyfurth!" Says the head supervisor with a glossy smile, his lips painted the same red color as his suit and shoes. "Right on time like always, come in!"
"Erm," says Gyfurth, still surprised and more than a little confused now. "Yes, of course sir," he agrees, slicking his three strands of hair down nervously as he steps into the head supervisor's office. It was a sleek, and tastefully decorated office; filled with large leafy potted plants that looked fake but were actually real, and one crystal dish containing luscious fruit that looked real, but was actually fake.
"Drink?" The head supervisor offers as he makes his way over to a very fancy-looking drink cart that sits against a large window overlooking a computer-generated scenery of a windy cliffside. "You like cosmos, right?"
Gyfurth shuffles around awkwardly, unsure what to do with himself and feeling too unworthy to sit on the black leather couch provided.
"Erm, yes - how did you know that I like cosmos?" Gyfurth can't help but ask.
"Oh, you've been here many times before," the head supervisor says casually, "we just made sure you forgot." He turns back around, a cosmo in each hand, and gives one to Gyfurth.
"We need to have a chat," he says, his smile dropping for the first time since the door opened. Gyfurth pales, one of his hearts leaps into his throat while the other one sinks to the pit of his stomach. Had he done something wrong? Quickly, Gyfurth scans his memories, trying to find something that would get him in this level of trouble but was drawing a blank. He was a very safe and practical employee. He didn't even steal the complimentary snacks in the employee break room!
"H-have I done something wrong, sir?" Gyfurth stutters out nervously.
"What?" The head supervisor says in surprise, "no! Whatever gave you that idea?" The head supervisor gave an amicable chuckle, his free flowing locks bouncing with each laugh. "I always forget you have such a timid disposition. No, what I need you here for is because transition is going terribly!"
Gyfurth blinks in surprise, "transition, sir?"
"Yes, we're moving the company in a new direction - omniscient cosmic entities controlling the multiverse is so last millennia, we're rebranding the company with the aid of our latest project - I could have sworn I mentioned all this in the last few company newsletters, didn't you get those?"
"Of course!" Gyfurth says quickly, not wanting to admit he had programmed his inbox to automatically archive all staff newsletters, "yes of course! I just, erm, forgot."
"Oh, yes of course," the head supervisor nods, "the memory wiper can sometimes take more information than we want it to - well then, let me fill you in quickly so we can get down to business. Have a seat," the head supervisor motions to the couch as he leaned against his desk majestically, his hair flowing about him as if an invisible wind was toying with his glossy mane.
The head supervisor places a small piece of metal and glass on the coffee table between them, beside the decorative bowl of fruit. It's innocuous, all things considered, encased in some kind of rose-gold colored plastic, the corners scuffed and dented slightly.
"This," says the head supervisor, his eyes lighting up in excitement, "is the future of the multiverse and of Wha'tevah."
"Excuse me?"
"Wha'tevah!" the head supervisor says again, "It's all part of marketing's rebranding strategy - and no, I do not want to hear your comments on the name. We've already spent too much money on the ad campaign now, there's no going back." He leans forwards and taps the little device's screen, causing it to light up and reveal a lock screen asking for a six-digit pin code. "This little thing will allow it's user to traverse anywhere in the multiverse they'd like to go. Any dimension, planet, time-period - you name it! It lets you do Wha'tevah You Want! Get it? (That's our new slogan, by the way). Imagine: A tiny little piece of technology that gives you full access to everything in existence and non-existence."
Gyfurth doubled back in surprise, "that is extraordinary, sir! That will revolutionize existence as we know it, it'll-"
"-And we're going to make only accessible to the select few who can afford the extremely high mark-up that we'll be selling it at!" The head supervisor beams. Gyfurth dims a little, though tries to hide it.
"Oh, I see," he says simply.
Gyfurth peers down at the little device and then back up at the head supervisor who was grinning at him toothily. Gyfurth wasn't sure if the smile was meant to be beautiful or terrifying, for he found it to be both in equal measure.
"This is all very interesting, sir," Gyfurth says, adjusting his glasses, "but I'm still not sure why I'm here."
"Well, your department is recovery and we have a few beta versions out in the field. I need you to go retrieve them and their testers," the head supervisor says as he brings up a hand and rests it delicately against his head. "These glitches have been an absolute nightmare to work with - every time someone uses the thing it sets the whole multiverse on scramble and no matter how many hotfixes tech deploys, nothing seems to stop these glitches from happening!" The head supervisor sighs dramatically, massaging his temple. "The new product launch was supposed to happen last month; we already have a waitlist longer than time itself, and now we've had to roll back our launch date to TBD," he says gravely. "This was designed to be marketed to the top 1% of the multiverse - do you know how well they take being told their inter-dimensional time traveling device will be delivered to them TBD?"
"Uh, I imagine not very well," Gyfurth offers.
"They take it terribly!" The head supervisor exclaims. "I've had Jeff Bezos's PA blowing up my inbox for the last three weeks!" The head supervisor gives another grand sigh before flouncing his way into the empty seat beside Gyfurth on the couch. "I'm having my receptionist forward you a spreadsheet with the names and locations of all our beta testers."
With surprising strength, the head supervisor lifts Gyfurth from his seat on the couch and ushers him towards the door. Gyfurth lets out a little involuntary squawk of surprise when he felt his feet leave the floor.
"I know your department already has a lot on it's plate, but I really need you to put this at the top of your priority list," the head supervisor says in a tone that Gyfurth believes is to be sympathetic but fails spectacularly. "Do you think you could have all beta testers gathered by, say, end of this week?"
Gyfurths mouth flaps wildly, trying to say something along the lines of 'I understand the severity of the situation, but you're basically asking me to drop everything else I have to do and work on this and I have other projects I have to get to that are also of great importance!' But instead what came out was a half garbled acceptance of the head supervisor's timeline request.
"Geat! You're a real peach," the head supervisor gives one last toothy grin before shoving Gyfurth out of the office and slamming the door behind him.
Gyfurth opens his mouth again to try and say something, but the words die in his throat and he sighs resignedly.
Ping!
Gyfurth glances down at his tablet nestled in the crook of his arm to see a notification for his inbox. Ah, yes! The list of beta testers! He thinks, though he isn't sure how he knew this. He goes to open the list with his other hand only to find to his pleasant (if somewhat confused) surprise, a cosmopolitan. Gyfurth lifts the drink to his lips, enjoying the tartness of the drink and deciding to not question where it came from.
Shuffling the things in his arms around, Gyfurth was able to open the spreadsheet and gave the list a preliminary scan as he set off back down the hall (what was he doing here anyways?). It's shorter than what he expects, and one of the names jumps out at him as familiar- didn't he just help someone with that name? He decides on a whim to start with the name he recognizes.
Nancy Duke.