Back in Asgard, Anara spends the next few days with Thor preparing for their journey. She grills him on Midgardian customs and finds he's somewhat lacking in knowledge, having only spent a short amount of time there in recent history. She laughs at him when he tells her, with some chagrin, that smashing your cup on the floor and yelling for another is not considered a polite way to order another drink. He expounds at length on the virtues of a drink called coffee, which he seems to love. It surprises her, as he describes it as a non-alcoholic beverage, and Thor is typically not that enthusiastic about those.
Finally the day of their journey arrives. Wanting to make a good impression, Anara puts herself in Gabrielle's capable hands. While Gabrielle does her hair in a more elaborate set of braids, one coiled high at the back of her head and secured with an intricate silver metal hair keeper and another braid trailing down her back, they discuss what she should wear.
Expecting to only spend a day or so, they decide she can get away with a single, layered outfit. Anara opts for one that survived the crash. Light blue and cream, the outfit is a more formal version of her daily Jedi wear. Cream fitted pants tuck into her black boots and are topped by two overlapping tunics: one cream and the over-tunic a light blue. She secures the tunics with a wide cream sash at her waist and buckles her black utility belt over that, setting it low across her hips. Though her hooded cloak did not survive the crash, Frigga's team of seamstresses have made her a new one to match. It too is light blue, embellished with cream Asgardian scroll work.
Before she dons her cloak, Anara makes sure she has everything she needs in her belt pouches, including the holo-communicator. Snapping her lightsaber into its place, she settles her cloak over her shoulders, slipping her arms into the wide sleeves. She checks herself in the mirror. The image she sees reminds her of her mother in her days as a Jedi, before she assumed the throne of Alderan after the death of her father, Anara's grandfather, August Solo. She fights back a tear and wonders what her mother would think of her strange situation, and if she'd approve of Thor.
Putting on a smile, she turns as she senses Thor's approach in the hall. Gabrielle opens the door before he knocks. A smile lights up his face when he enters and sees Anara.
"My lady, you are a vision."
She moves to meet him at the door and gives him a lingering kiss.
"As are you, my lord."
Thor is dressed in his typical attire, black pants and boots, with his breast plate and red cape, his long bracers the only thing on his bare arms. "Are you ready?" he asks her. Nodding, she grabs the communication array off her bed and taking his arm, they head for the Bifrost.
Heimdal greets them at the entrance to the dome at the end of the Bifrost. He considers them for a moment before letting them pass and following them in. Though Thor told her this new building isn't as grand as the original, she still finds it to be a spectacular piece of architecture. Seamless in its construction, it reminds her of the observatories on Magnus Prime but with a lot more style. Constructed in the form of a perfect dome with a large square, golden spire erupting from the top, the building is sheathed in some material that reflects the sheen of rainbows in the sunlight. Inside, the dome is less elaborate, showing the true face of the crystal-flecked stone used in its construction.
Motioning to the side of the door, Heimdal says to Anara, "You may put your device over there."
She places the array where indicated and adjusts a few components. Turning the power source on, she straightens.
"Sif has the other holo-communicator. She will stay in the palace to test it once we've arrived on Midgard," she tells Heimdal.
He nods in reply.
Thor guides Anara into position before a large archway.
"Have you chosen your location, Thor?" Heimdal asks.
"Aye. Set us down in the desert where we've been before. SHIELD won't have a problem finding us there."
Thor takes Anara's hand. "Ready?"
Anara nods and grips her lightsaber, not wanting to lose it.
"Good, then brace yourself. The landing can be a little rough."
He nods to Heimdal, who slides his giant sword into the raised golden pedestal in the middle of the dome. Lightening erupts, snaking across the inside of the dome as it starts to spin, the entire dome rotating to bring the spire parallel to the ground.
Anara stays focused on the archway and grips Thor's hand tightly. As the portal opens, they step through, and Anara finds herself flying through what looks like hyperspace. She finds it quite unnerving to be moving through space without a ship. Dark clouds appear before them, then open up to show a flat, deserted plain.
Thor turns to her and yells over the screaming wind, "Be ready!"
As they begin to fall from the sky, Anara uses the Force to slow her assent, and she lands, catching herself with a single hand. Thor lands beside her as the clouds above them dissipate. Looking around them, there is nothing but barren soil and sand for miles, except for a large circle beneath their feet, decorated with scrollwork.
"How long before SHIELD finds us?"
"I am unsure," Thor replies. "But it shouldn't be long. We should conduct your tests while we can."
Anara agrees and pulls out the holo-communicator. Switching it on, she hands it to Thor, adjusting it in his hand so that the tiny camera points to her.
"Sif, this is Anara. Can you hear me?"
Static is the only response. She adjusts a setting and tries again.
"Sif, this is Anara. Can you hear me?"
A wavering image appears above the device in Thor's hand.
"I hear you, Anara." Sif replies, her voice almost overwhelmed with static.
Encouraged that it works, Anara makes another adjustment.
"Is that better, Sif? Is the transmission clearer now?"
"Yes, I can see and hear you clearly now. Congratulations, it works!"
Thor hands the devise to Anara so he can talk with Sif.
"Sif, report back to the AllFather and tell him we are well and will return in a few days."
Bowing, Sif says, "Of course."
Anara turns off the communicator and places it in a belt pouch, pleased that it works. Thor picks her up in a bear hug and kisses her fiercely.
Setting her down, he says, "They come," and points off into the distance.
Anara can see a small black speck in the air coming towards them, the roar of an engine getting closer. Waiting in the Bifrost circle, they turn their heads and Anara puts her hood up when the plane lands, kicking up dust. When the dust clears, the back-loading hatch opens, and Black Widow steps out to the edge of the ramp. Yelling over the engines, she motions them to board.
"Come on, we need to get out of here before anyone shows up!"
They run for the plane and jump onto the ramp as it lifts off the ground. Getting their footing while Black Widow directs the pilot, Anara looks around. Though the craft is of a basic design, she's still impressed with the human's technology. Black Widow turns and finally greets them. She nods to Thor. "Nice to see you again. Please tell me you're not bringing some alien army on your heels?" she asks.
Thor laughs. "No, actually, we're just here to visit."
Anara steps out from Thor's shadow and takes off her hood. Black Widow stares, clearly shocked to see her dream made real.
"Natasha, may I present Anara Solo, Princess of Alderan and Jedi Master."
Anara bows.
"You - you were in my dreams." Black Widow stutters.
Anara smiles, "Yes, it was the only way for us to let you know we were coming, in hopes that you would not be alarmed. I apologize if my efforts had the opposite effect."
Natasha gathers herself and sits down, motioning them to do so as well.
"We did figure out that Thor might be coming, but honestly, we weren't sure if it was a good thing," she tells them.
Thor leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees. "I would like for Lady Anara to meet Tony Stark. I believe he can help her with something. Can that be arranged?"
She looks at Anara, a strange expression passing across her face as she notices the light saber on her hip.
Turning back to Thor, she says, "Yes, we're headed to the SHIELD helicarrier. Fury decided to call in everyone when Clint and I told them we were having the same recurring…dream."
Anara can sense trepidation and confusion from Black Widow, whom Thor also introduced as Natasha – Black Widow is a nick-name perhaps? She wonders to herself.
In an attempt to break the ice, Anara points to the cockpit and says, "May I? As a pilot myself, I'm curious to know how this ship works."
Natasha nods, and they walk to the front of the passenger compartment. Anara's ploy works, and Natasha relaxes as she points out the various controls and explains their method of propulsion. When the carrier comes into view, Natasha turns her back to the seats.
"You're going to want to sit down and strap in. The cross winds can get a little nasty."
Anara nods, sits down next to Thor and straps herself in, more familiar with such systems than Thor.
The pilot lands the plane with barely a bump on the deck of the flying carrier. As they taxi to a stop, Natasha unbuckles her harness and walks to the back of the plane. Taking three small gas canisters with face masks from a storage compartment, she begins turning a valve on each. Anara and Thor follow her lead, unbuckling their harnesses and standing.
Natasha tosses a canister to each of them, saying, "You're going to need these. We're at thirty-thousand feet. The air is a bit thin."
They nod and place the masks over their faces as the loading ramp lowers. Natasha leads them off the plane towards a nearby airlock, struggling against the wind. Anara throws up a Force bubble around the three of them, allowing them to walk to the airlock with ease. Natasha looks back at them when the wind cuts off, but says nothing until they reach the safety of the airlock.
Once inside she removes her mask when the light turns green and asks Thor, "How did you do that?"
Thor shakes his head and looks to Anara.
"It was not my doing."
Not wanting to reveal too much, Anara replies, "It was nothing, just a little trick I picked up on-board similar ships."
The inner airlock door opens, forestalling further questions by Natasha. They walk into a long hallway and are met by a man in a black suit. Thor's face lights up, and he picks the man up in a bear hug.
"Son of Coul, it makes my heart sing to see you well again!"
Putting Coulson down, his mood darkens and he says, "I would have words with Fury. It appears he lied to us about your death. "
Coulson responds, "He didn't lie. They say I was dead for several minutes." Motioning them down the hall, he continues, "Now, if you'll follow me, the others are waiting."
Anara absorbs everything as they walk down the hall. The structure of the ship, how various personnel defer to each other, uniforms, and weapons. She catalogs it all.
They finally arrive at their destination, a large conference room with a convex wall on one side and a curved table in the middle. Anara recognizes those seated around the table as the ones called the Avengers, but does not see Dr. Banner or his altered self, the Hulk, whom she's never actually seen, but Thor describes as a massive green giant.
Everyone stops their conversations and stands when she and Thor enter the room. Nick Fury is the first to speak.
"Thor, it is good to see you again. Agent Romanov believes this to be a social call. I trust that's true?"
Thor gives a nod of greeting to Fury and the others before speaking.
"I am glad to see you all again as well. It is true that we come here for no other reason than to pass on information and ask for some assistance in return."
Fury replies, "And who is your beautiful companion?"
Anara steps forward and bows. "I am Anara Solo, Princess of Alderan II and member of the Jedi Council on Coruscant."
She senses instant disbelief at her introduction.
Tony Stark begins to clap. "Thor, you've outdone yourself. She certainly looks the part, but come on, what's up with bringing a Jedi stripper to the party?"
Thor starts to say something, but Anara stops him with a hand on his arm. "Forgive me, but how is it you all know of the Jedi when those of Asgard do not?"
Tony quips back, "Enough with the act, sister. The lightsaber on your hip is an obvious fake, Alderan was blown up in Episode IV, and while the costume's good, we all know the Jedi only exist in the Star Wars movies."
Before Tony can say anything else, Thor interjects, "She does not jest, Stark. Her ship crashed on Asgard, and Odin has looked into her mind and seen the truth of her statements. You would do well to show her some respect."
Fury steps in, trying to defuse the situation. "Now why don't we all sit down and discuss this like adults?" No one sits down, and the tension in the room escalates.
"Actually, if she's really a Jedi, I'd like to see her prove it. Light up that lightsaber, sister and show us what you can do," Tony quips.
Anara nods and motions for Thor to give her some room. Moving her cloak behind her, she uses the Force to bring her lightsaber to her hand. In one motion, she activates the blade and slices through the top of the chair in front of her, simultaneously using the Force to snuff out the smoking fabric before the fire suppression system can kick in. Twirling the blade once, she deactivates it and returns the lightsaber to her belt.
The room is silent, and she can sense the awe and confusion from the others. Tony, clearly shocked, closes his mouth and gives her a nod, conceding to her authenticity.
"It appears that I may, for once in my life, have been mistaken. My apologies, Princess," Tony says with a gallant bow in her direction.
Fury takes control of the room again and says, "Now, can we complete the introductions and get on with why Thor and Princess Anara are here?"
Anara takes a seat in the chair she has just decapitated, and Thor sits next to her. When Fury finishes introducing everyone, Anara says, "I am honored to meet all of you. Thor has told me much about you and sings often of your heroism in the Mead Hall."
Tony turns to Steve and whispers loudly, "Thor can sing?"
Anara laughs and says, "Yes, and quite well, actually."
Addressing Nick Fury, she says, "Forgive me, but can you explain how it is you know of the Jedi? I was under the impression that we were unknown in your galaxy. If there are others here, I would ask to meet them."
Fury thinks for a moment before responding. "I'm sorry Princess, but this is all a little confusing for us as well, for you see, the Jedi exist to us only in a series of movies called the Star Wars Saga. It's all just entertainment for us, and until today, we didn't think any part of it was real."
"What is a movie?" Anara asks, still very confused.
Stark pipes in, "Let me see if I can put it into terms you Shakespearian types will understand. Think of a movie as a large theatrical production, but pre-recorded and replayed on a giant screen in front of hundreds of people."
Anara nods her head. "We have something similar in the theaters of Coruscant. So what you're telling me is that to you, the Jedi are just characters in a story?"
Stark replies, "Pretty much."
Natasha leans in and addresses Anara, "You said your last name is Solo. You aren't any relation to Han Solo, are you?"
Anara's face drains of all color, her Jedi calm fleeing like a mini-droid down a crowded hall. Thor puts a hand on her leg and looks at her, concerned. She gives him a slight shake of her head and recovers her voice after a moment.
"He is my ancestor. I am a direct descendant of Han and his wife, Leia Organa-Solo."
You could hear a pin drop in the room. The shock of all in the room, with the exception of Thor, is palpable. She breaks the silence with another question.
"From your knowledge of him, I would assume he is one of the players in these movies you speak of?"
Hawkeye answers this time. "Yes, in the original trilogy, along with Leia and Luke Skywalker. Are you telling me that Darth Vader really exists?"
Anara nods her head, still in shock. "He did, though he's been dead for several hundred years, slain by his son, Luke."
Tony pipes in, skepticism still strong in his voice. "You said you were the princess of Alderan, but if all this is true, how can you be princess of a planet that's been destroyed?"
"You did not hear me completely, Tony Stark. I said I was Princess of Alderan Two. About 10 years after Alderan was destroyed, those who survived, who were off-world, found another planet to colonize. They named the new world in honor of the one they had lost. They asked my ancestors, Leia Organa-Solo and Han to continue the royal line, and though they held no real power in the beginning, my family now rules as a constitutional monarchy."
She sits back in her chair, trying to process what's happened. Sensing Fury's desire to find out why she's here over everyone else's desire to ask her more questions, she decides to table the current discussion and heed Fury's desire.
"Forgive me, I believe we all have many more questions regarding all this, but I feel we need to address our reason for coming before the day grows much longer."
Turning towards Nick Fury, she addresses him. "Director Fury, Thor has brought me here because he feels that your people and Tony Stark in particular, may be able to help me." She pauses for a moment, and Fury motions for her to continue. "When my ship crashed, it was very nearly destroyed. Although my weapons are intact, the Asgardian technology is different enough that they cannot replicate what I need to either repair or replace them should something happen. With your permission, I would like to work with your people to see if they can create what I need. Obviously you may keep the plans I provide. I only ask that the lightsaber technology not be released outside of SHIELD. They are dangerous weapons, and only one with the ability to control the Force can wield one."
Fury turns to Stark. "Tony, what do you think?"
"Do you really think I'd turn down the chance to recreate a real, working lightsaber?" He stands and motions to the door, "After you, your Worship."
Fury turns back to her and motions towards Stark, "I think you have your answer. Our scientists are at your disposal, your highness." Anara stands and looks to Thor.
"Go ahead, I'll find you later." he says quietly.
As she walks towards Tony and the exit, she gives the group a small bow. "It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I look forward to continuing our previous conversation later."