Prose - Secrets and Sandwiches
Dec. 26th, 2016 04:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
imthepilotTitle: Sandwiches and Secrets
Location: Yavin 4
Timing: Canon
Characters: Rogue One crew
Spoilers: Yes.
Getting cleared by the Alliance was exactly as painful as Bodhi expected it to be. He was still wearing an Imperial uniform after all. And after how Baze had come at him the first time, why should he expect anything else.
They were separated, almost as soon as they landed and euphemistically vetted separately. But it certainly felt like an interrogation to Bodhi.
He repeated the facts over and over as calmly as he could, his shoulder high and tight with frustration. But the longer it went on, the more the Security Officer pushed, the more Bodhi felt himself tense, his hands clenched and shaking. And the harder it got to answer the woman’s increasingly accusatory questions.
When Cassian came bursting into the room, Bodhi nearly screamed. His palms were already bleeding from driving his own nails into them.
“Leave him be.” Cassian ordered, putting a hand on Bodhi’s elbow to pull him up. “I’m vetting him. He’s fine. He’s with us.”
Still unsure how he felt about Cassian, Bodhi moved to back himself against a wall, getting out of the firing line of the argument between Cassian and the security officer.
He could barely hear the words of the argument; his pulse was pounding so loudly in his ears.
Not till Cassian barked back, “He’s not lying. He’s not being evasive. Saw Gerrera tortured him. With Bor Gullet.”
The security officer’s face paled, taking a step back. “Oh! I’m… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Bodhi flinched away from the look of horrified pity on her face.
Cassian growled and picked up the comm. pin, attaching it to Bodhi’s vent. “Don’t take this off while you’re here. If anyone gives you trouble, send them to me.” He gave Bodhi a guiding shove towards the door, keeping a firm hand on his arm. “Go back to the ship, stay with Jyn till Council is called.”
Bodhi looked after Cassian as the Intelligence officer strode away, still unsure. And still frightened. But grateful not to be in that room anymore.
It turned out getting the Council together for a briefing took time. Hours in fact. Bodhi found himself fidgeting just as badly as Jyn was pacing. Chirrut and Baze seemed completely at ease, having a conversation of non-sequiturs no-one else could hope to follow.
After being told it would be another hour yet, Jyn snapped and hissed, complaining bitterly. She muttered something in Bodhi’s direction but he didn’t catch it, too lost in his own thoughts. Instead he looked up at her. “I’ve haven’t eaten since Jedha. I’m going to find us some food.”
His captors had shoved food at him after the telepathic torture was done but he couldn’t have eaten it if he’s wanted to. No wonder he was shaking.
It wasn’t hard to find the Mess. And it was just as bad as any pilot’s mess anywhere in the Empire. The same awful rations, the same cheap durostreel trays. No, he couldn’t stomach that. Not after all he’s been through. Not after what all of them had been through.
He managed to find the right people. There was always someone on a base like this – someone who made bread from scratch and knew where unfreeze-dried vegetables could be sourced. Turned out his little cache of spices was in great demand on Yavin and a few moments later he returned to the ship with a box of stuffed pocket breads, still warm from the oven.
Jyn looked like she might hug him but then stuffed her face with the haste of someone who’s use to not knowing where the next meal is coming from. Or who was going to try to steal this one.
Baze looked impressed and slightly suspicious and went to past one to Chirrut but Bodhi stopped him. “No, this one.”
Baze looked less impressed and more suspicious but Chirrut gave one of those bobbing head laughs. “That one’s for me because it has no meat.”’ Chirrut pointed out, covering Bodhi’s hand with his own as he accepted the sandwich. “He knew I won’t eat meat that wasn’t blessed before it was slaughtered.” The blind monk squeezed Bodhi’s hand before letting go, his thanks flowing through the touch.
Jyn wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, nodding to the box. “You made one for Cassian?” There was still so much bitterness in her voice, so much anger for the man who had intended to kill her father.
Bodhi shrugged and nodded.
K2-SO loomed up behind him. “That is for Cassian? I will take it to him.” Before Bodhi could answer, the large droid had hold of the box and was gone. He only just managed to rescue his own sandwich in time.
***
Cassian stepped away from the knot of people he was talking to as K came over, carrying the box.
“Bodhi made food. This is for you.” K thrust the box at Cassian. “I don’t eat but it appears to be nutritious and contains no poisons.”
Cassian took a big bite, raising an eyebrow at K. “I know he doesn’t like me much but I don’t think he’d try to poison me.”
“You were going to kill his lover.”
Cassian spat sandwich. “What did you say?!”
“Galen Erso. You were ordered to assassinate him.” The droid pointed out in mild exasperation. “You said so, on the ship. Everyone heard you.”
“Not that bit, K!” Cassian exclaimed, “The bit about Galen and Bodhi being lovers. Why would you say that?”
K cocked his head, looking down at Cassian with those unblinking eyes. “Based on breathing patterns, altered speech, and retinal dilation, I estimate an 87% probability Bodhi Rook’s relationship with Galen Erso was physically intimate.”
“Does Jyn know?”
“Why would Jyn Erso know?” K looked affronted. “Cassian, you are cleverer than her. If you didn’t know why do you think she would?”
“Don’t tell her.” Cassian urged, stepping closer and dropping his voice. “Don’t tell anyone. This stays between us, you understand?
“Yes, Cassian.” If K could have rolled his eyes, he would have. “If you say so.”
“This mission is complicated enough already.” Cassian shook his head. “We can’t afford for things to get any more complicated.” An aid caught his eye, signalling it was time for the briefing and Cassian nodded, “Let’s go.”
As the Council argued and debated, K watched Cassian; who watched Bodhi; who watched Jyn; who blazed with fury, unaware of any of it.
Why did humans make these things so complicated?
Location: Yavin 4
Timing: Canon
Characters: Rogue One crew
Spoilers: Yes.
Getting cleared by the Alliance was exactly as painful as Bodhi expected it to be. He was still wearing an Imperial uniform after all. And after how Baze had come at him the first time, why should he expect anything else.
They were separated, almost as soon as they landed and euphemistically vetted separately. But it certainly felt like an interrogation to Bodhi.
He repeated the facts over and over as calmly as he could, his shoulder high and tight with frustration. But the longer it went on, the more the Security Officer pushed, the more Bodhi felt himself tense, his hands clenched and shaking. And the harder it got to answer the woman’s increasingly accusatory questions.
When Cassian came bursting into the room, Bodhi nearly screamed. His palms were already bleeding from driving his own nails into them.
“Leave him be.” Cassian ordered, putting a hand on Bodhi’s elbow to pull him up. “I’m vetting him. He’s fine. He’s with us.”
Still unsure how he felt about Cassian, Bodhi moved to back himself against a wall, getting out of the firing line of the argument between Cassian and the security officer.
He could barely hear the words of the argument; his pulse was pounding so loudly in his ears.
Not till Cassian barked back, “He’s not lying. He’s not being evasive. Saw Gerrera tortured him. With Bor Gullet.”
The security officer’s face paled, taking a step back. “Oh! I’m… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Bodhi flinched away from the look of horrified pity on her face.
Cassian growled and picked up the comm. pin, attaching it to Bodhi’s vent. “Don’t take this off while you’re here. If anyone gives you trouble, send them to me.” He gave Bodhi a guiding shove towards the door, keeping a firm hand on his arm. “Go back to the ship, stay with Jyn till Council is called.”
Bodhi looked after Cassian as the Intelligence officer strode away, still unsure. And still frightened. But grateful not to be in that room anymore.
It turned out getting the Council together for a briefing took time. Hours in fact. Bodhi found himself fidgeting just as badly as Jyn was pacing. Chirrut and Baze seemed completely at ease, having a conversation of non-sequiturs no-one else could hope to follow.
After being told it would be another hour yet, Jyn snapped and hissed, complaining bitterly. She muttered something in Bodhi’s direction but he didn’t catch it, too lost in his own thoughts. Instead he looked up at her. “I’ve haven’t eaten since Jedha. I’m going to find us some food.”
His captors had shoved food at him after the telepathic torture was done but he couldn’t have eaten it if he’s wanted to. No wonder he was shaking.
It wasn’t hard to find the Mess. And it was just as bad as any pilot’s mess anywhere in the Empire. The same awful rations, the same cheap durostreel trays. No, he couldn’t stomach that. Not after all he’s been through. Not after what all of them had been through.
He managed to find the right people. There was always someone on a base like this – someone who made bread from scratch and knew where unfreeze-dried vegetables could be sourced. Turned out his little cache of spices was in great demand on Yavin and a few moments later he returned to the ship with a box of stuffed pocket breads, still warm from the oven.
Jyn looked like she might hug him but then stuffed her face with the haste of someone who’s use to not knowing where the next meal is coming from. Or who was going to try to steal this one.
Baze looked impressed and slightly suspicious and went to past one to Chirrut but Bodhi stopped him. “No, this one.”
Baze looked less impressed and more suspicious but Chirrut gave one of those bobbing head laughs. “That one’s for me because it has no meat.”’ Chirrut pointed out, covering Bodhi’s hand with his own as he accepted the sandwich. “He knew I won’t eat meat that wasn’t blessed before it was slaughtered.” The blind monk squeezed Bodhi’s hand before letting go, his thanks flowing through the touch.
Jyn wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, nodding to the box. “You made one for Cassian?” There was still so much bitterness in her voice, so much anger for the man who had intended to kill her father.
Bodhi shrugged and nodded.
K2-SO loomed up behind him. “That is for Cassian? I will take it to him.” Before Bodhi could answer, the large droid had hold of the box and was gone. He only just managed to rescue his own sandwich in time.
***
Cassian stepped away from the knot of people he was talking to as K came over, carrying the box.
“Bodhi made food. This is for you.” K thrust the box at Cassian. “I don’t eat but it appears to be nutritious and contains no poisons.”
Cassian took a big bite, raising an eyebrow at K. “I know he doesn’t like me much but I don’t think he’d try to poison me.”
“You were going to kill his lover.”
Cassian spat sandwich. “What did you say?!”
“Galen Erso. You were ordered to assassinate him.” The droid pointed out in mild exasperation. “You said so, on the ship. Everyone heard you.”
“Not that bit, K!” Cassian exclaimed, “The bit about Galen and Bodhi being lovers. Why would you say that?”
K cocked his head, looking down at Cassian with those unblinking eyes. “Based on breathing patterns, altered speech, and retinal dilation, I estimate an 87% probability Bodhi Rook’s relationship with Galen Erso was physically intimate.”
“Does Jyn know?”
“Why would Jyn Erso know?” K looked affronted. “Cassian, you are cleverer than her. If you didn’t know why do you think she would?”
“Don’t tell her.” Cassian urged, stepping closer and dropping his voice. “Don’t tell anyone. This stays between us, you understand?
“Yes, Cassian.” If K could have rolled his eyes, he would have. “If you say so.”
“This mission is complicated enough already.” Cassian shook his head. “We can’t afford for things to get any more complicated.” An aid caught his eye, signalling it was time for the briefing and Cassian nodded, “Let’s go.”
As the Council argued and debated, K watched Cassian; who watched Bodhi; who watched Jyn; who blazed with fury, unaware of any of it.
Why did humans make these things so complicated?
