3635/Meeting Mister Stark

Meeting Mister Stark
Date of Scene:	08 January 2016
Location:	Bar and Grill at the Edge of the Multiverse
Synopsis:	Juno Eclipse meets with Tony Stark to discuss a business proposition.
Cast of Characters:	301, 428

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Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
Welcome to the Bar and Grill, which has an absolutely absurd variety of food and drink from around the multiverse! You never know what you're going to find, here, and you never know what people you're going to find, either.

Tucked away in a corner booth is one Juno Eclipse, wearing not Imperial black but the more rough and tumble clothing she favours now that she's become both Imperial fugitive and pseudo-rebel. She's leaning over the table with a datapad, flicking through a few different feeds of information, and her expression suggests she's bored. A cup of what looks and smells like coffee sits near her elbow, steam curling from the top.

Hopefully she won't be here alone for too long; she'd only just gotten here and settled. The way she keeps looking up to the doorway and scanning the room suggests she's nervous to be in a place this crowded, neutral ground or not, or at least nervous to be alone.

With good reason, really.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
When Tony Stark said he was 'on his way' he really just meant he was going upstairs to open the door to the spare bedroom that seemed most reliably to lead to the BAGATEOTM when that's where he wanted to go. Also, he paused to change out of his grease-stained beater and put a real shirt with a collar on. He still looks a little grimy when he walks in the front door of the restaurant, but it's an honest hard working kind of grimy, you know, rugged instead of slovenly. He runs a hand through his hair to smooth it back as he scans the room for his appointed rendezvous partner, and gives a little nod to himself when he spots her in a back booth. He signals a waitress that he'll want service, and saunters over to slide into the seat opposite Juno.

"Hi," he opens. "So what's a classy dame like you doing in a backwards gin joint like this?"

The waitress hears the remark as she approaches and rolls her eyes. Tony orders some crudit�s with hummus and a glass of water, and sends her off on her way so as not to seem like he's super obviously just here to meet someone for possibly shady business. He laces his fingers together and rests his chin on them, giving Juno a neutrally expectant smile as he waits to hear what she wanted to see him about.

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
The pilot looks up, but her expression remains more or less bland as she takes in the details. Tony Stark isn't very much to look at, if you don't know who he is, and there's a tense moment as she hesitates when he slides into the seat opposite her; a half-second of wondering whether he's a bounty hunter or some drunkard wanting to score.

Neither. Juno finds herself breathing again, unsure of just when she'd started holding her breath.

She glances over to the waitress, watching as Tony places his order, and shakes her head to indicate she's not having anything. Coffee's enough for now. She doesn't intend to stay.

"Scanning the intergalactic news scene, and making sure that the Empire isn't poking its nose around my business. Also, working out the schematics to a problem of mine, but that can wait for another time. It's personal business." She offers a sunny smile, reaching up to clear the white-gold of her hair from her face, but the expression fades. "Classy, Major? I'm moving up in the world. It's been a long time since I've felt that."

"Mostly I'm just tired, any more; tired of looking over my shoulder, and wondering if today's the day they're finally going to catch up."

She sighs, waving a hand dismissively. "Sorry. That's not what I called you here to talk about."

"I have a proposition for you, Major. More specifically, your company."

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Isn't much to look at??

Well, thank goodness that was fourth walled or Tony's Ego might have sustained a slight bruise. The smile remains affixed to his face as one eyebrow arches upward, intrigued. "Well, I'm not the sole executive in charge of my company any more, but I /am/ authorized to listen to proposals and make a few of the decisions. What did you have in mind? And please, call me Tony."

He glances up as the waitress returns, and unfolds his hands to take his glass of water and nudge the tray of veggie appetizers to the center of the table, with a nod to indicate Juno may help herself if she wishes. For himself, he plucks up a carrot stick and swirls it around purposefully in the cup of hummus before crunching it decisively, his eyes never leaving her.

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
Okay, okay, he probably cleans up nicely. Probably.

Maybe.

"Very well, then." Her accent is clipped, neat; precise enough to place her from Corulag, if one were familiar with Galactic dialects. To someone from Earth, though, it probably just sounds like British with a slight odd twist. She looks up, powering off the datapad with a flick of the finger.

She sets it aside, and offers a slightly less sunny smile; a more focused, businesslike expression. "I want to offer my services to your company. While it's true that my primary area of expertise is combat piloting, I've also been the Rogue Shadow's primary maintenance engineer for some years, now. I have the experience to disassemble a starfighter and put it back together again from the ground up, without schematics. Any sort of vehicle with specs similar to a starfighter is something I can work with, so that includes engine design and other related details."

"It doesn't necessarily need to be a formal partnership, since associating with me is probably not a great idea for you, publicity-wise." She drums her fingers on the table, thinning her lips momentarily. "The reality is this: If I want to keep the Rogue Shadow flying, I need income. And I'm receiving that, from certain friends of ours. The problem is that I need something wholly independent from those friends of ours."

She leans back, lacing her fingers. "While the protection they've offered is much appreciated, I'm still recovering. When I fled the Empire, I left everything, and that includes my assets -- all of them. All I had was what I'd had with me on the ship. Everything I'd left behind on the Empirical is presumably destroyed or reallocated. Especially the credits in my name."

"More than that, Mister Stark, I've decided to go after the Empire for what was done not to me, but to others who had no say or choice in what was done to them." Juno stares at him, blue eyes serious. "But the things I can do are extremely limited. I'm being watched, Mister Stark. Hunted. And I'm afraid if I don't find something productive to do with my time," she says, with a wry smile, "I'm going to go mad. It's a win-win situation, for your company. I'm willing to offer my skills to whatever projects should require them."

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony Stark is not familiar with Galactic dialects and just thinks she sounds British. Which is ok; British is sexy.

"You... want a job?" he asks at first, his mouth twitching into a bemused smile.

When she goes on about being hunted, though, the smile fades. He pushes his lips out and his brows down into a thoughtful pout as he plays with a slice of bell pepper in his fingers.

"Well you... certainly sound qualified, for work in our Engineering department at least, if not R&D. Being that both fall under my side of the co-CEO spectrum, I could offer you a job right now. But I have to admit I'm a little concerned with the whole 'I'm being watched' thing. I'm not gonna get targeted for employing you, am I? More to the point, I'm not gonna be putting /my employees/ at risk of terrorist strikes or anything? We're talking about a lot of people here."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"I can't necessarily prove that I'm being watched, of course." Juno gestures almost dismissively, wrapping her hands around the coffee mug. The steam feels good, to go by her expression. "I assume as much, because if I weren't paranoid I'd probably be dead. It may be that there are a tremendous amount of incompetents in the lower ranks of the Empire, but Vader, and the Emperor himself, are no fools."

She leans back a little, cradling the coffee cup. "That's why I'm speaking to you here, on neutral ground, and why I'm not being more insistent. I don't want to be a threat to anybody else. I want so badly to go back to a normal life, or something close to it. But at the same time, I can't take that risk. I can't willingly place any of your people in jeopardy simply because I'm going stir-crazy on my ship."

"I'm willing to do the work for your company, Mister Stark, but more to the point, I'm willing to do it offsite. The simple reality is this: I'm not going to stop living or spend the rest of my days hiding in fear because of the Empire, because if I do that, then they've won. But I refuse to place anyone /around me/ into jeopardy, either. I think we can reach a solution satisfactory to both parties, here."

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Stark leans back in his seat and scratches his cheek thoughtfully, his hand sliding down from there to smooth over his beard as he tends to do when he needs to buy a few seconds to think without being super obvious about it.

"I do have a few... off-site locations," he muses aloud, finally. Well hidden -- and secured -- bunkers and test sites where he's done top-secret work for the government or SHIELD, like that helicarrier project of theirs. "I'm sure I could find a team that could make use of your particular expertise. Problem then is passing the background check." I mean, she's just come right out and SAID that she's a government defector on the run.

He draws a breath and puffs it out slowly through pursed lips. "Our mutual friends might be able to help with the logistics there," he suggests. "Maybe bend the rules a little, get you on a lower-clearance job with a new identity. It wouldn't be glamorous, but it'd pay well enough."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Mister Stark, I flew TIE fighters for several years. Over a hundred combat missions. I don't think there's any job you could offer me that would be any worse than a carrier posting aboard a Star Destroyer." Juno offers a weary smile. "The Empire likes to keep its pilots in a state of hunter's anxiety, which means no regular sleeping schedules, no regular wing position, and no regular carrier posting. No regularity at all, in fact. It was hell."

She shrugs when he mentions the clearance and the background check. "If I wanted to be in something glamourous, I think I wouldn't have defected from the Empire at all, and I wouldn't have been honest about the things I'm telling you, would I? It's not really in my nature to be interested in things like that. I'm interested in the work."

"I'm interested in keeping busy." She manages a faint smile, but it's a little miserable-looking. "I'm sure you understand trying to keep your mind off something unpleasant, Mister Stark; a lot of people have been in that position before. I'd appreciate anything you can do for me. And who knows?" Juno shrugs. "Maybe I can do some good for your company, and world; even if I've failed the ones in mine."

"That's about all I needed to say. I just didn't want to say it over certain public bands. The decision is yours. I'm certainly in no hurry, either. Take what time you need to think it over; I could hardly fault you for that. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me."

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony nods slowly as Juno speaks. He does, indeed, understand the need to keep your mind away from unpleasant memories. "Let me talk to some of my department heads," he replies. "And- some of our friends. I'm sure I can slot you in somewhere, just... give me a week or two, to work out the logistics."

He smiles suddenly, all public relations charm. "And the pleasure was all mine. I'm well aware of how my company might benefit from your talents. We'll be in touch, then." He makes no move to get up; evidently he intends to sit here and enjoy his food before he has to deal with the Toph-being-grounded drama back home.

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Like I said, I'm not in any hurry. I understand the need to consider the logistics, and other details, carefully." Juno waves a hand, dismissive, as she sweeps her datapad up and tucks it under an elbow as she climbs to her feet. She's gone through most of her coffee, at least, which she's presumably already paid for.

She pauses, tilting her head slightly and regarding Tony almost warily when he turns up the charm, but eventually shakes her head and offers her own faint smile. "Right. I'll be in touch. You can contact me through our friends; that would likely be the safest and easiest way. Thank you for your time, Mister Stark."

With that, she sketches a bow, not entirely serious, and takes her leave with a crooked half-smile.