(no subject)

[imthepilot]

Bodhi waits by the outer door of the facility, looking up at the sky that is for once not black. Grey and hazy but not black.

The medic has given him a series of injections that allow him to walk and carry a light pack without too much pain. Granted there are patches he can't feel, his hip mostly. But he can live with that to enjoy a day outside.

Comments

[galen_erso]

Galen leans in to kiss Bodhi's cheek, then gets to his feet.

[imthepilot]

The kiss makes Bodhi smiles and he follows Galen up. The next peak is a little more challenging and Bodhi finds himself a little breathless before he makes the peak. "Good thing the doc fixed my lungs! I'd need to be airlifted back to the ship otherwise."

[galen_erso]

"And she'd have my hide for gloves for bringing you out too early in that case," Galen says, arriving just behind him. "Is that your ship?"

He points.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi peers and nods,looking at the sadly leaning ship two ridges over. "That's it. It doesn't too bad from here all told. Up close that broken strut is going to be ugly."

He sees his footing for the decent and pauses, chuckling. He picks a torn scrap of cloth from between two sharp rocks. "I think that was my hip."

[galen_erso]

Galen looks at the scrap in Bodhi's hand and shakes his head. "That all happened so terribly fast," he says. "We were bizarrely lucky, or rather, the Force was with both of us."

[imthepilot]

"A bit of both maybe." Bodhi pockets the cloth out of habit. That's what pockets are for - keeping things you might need but don't know when.

"If that wind gust hadn't blown me out of the convoy, I might have been on the pad then the two big ships came down so hard. I might have been under one."

The thought has been niggling at him. Could a freak storm be the will of the force too? If so, why was he saved when so many others died.

[galen_erso]

"I am glad that you were saved and then saved me," Galen says. "I find that I finally prefer to be alive and well again."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi laughs softly and leans down from his handhold, kissing Galen softly. "You and me both."

There's something wonderfully silly about kissing Galen while dangling off a rock-face.

[galen_erso]

Galen seems to find it amusing and pleasant as well, to judge from his smile as he returns the kiss. "Good thing we agree," he says with that almost playful glitter in his eyes.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi gives him another smile and a teasing lick on the lips before darting upwards to perch on the last ledge, looking down.

"Hmm, we might need to repel back down. That might be a bit steep the other way."

[galen_erso]

Galen Stands beside him and looks down.

"Looks dangerous," he says. "You're right. You just fell down there in the dark?"

[imthepilot]

"More or less." Now that he's looking at it, he has no idea how. "Given how heavily it was raining, I kind of... washed down."

He shrugs and straights up. "All the Eadu Actual radio operated told me was the pad had been compromised. For all I knew the facility could have been attacked and the convoy shot down. I didn't give myself time to think."

[galen_erso]

"We grow with our challenges, utterly banal as this adage is," Galen says. "And you grew into the skill set of a mountain goat" -- pause -- "out of love for me."

He still sounds awed by it.

[imthepilot]

"Out of sheer scorched panic. That I might never see you again." Bodhi admits. Somewhat shyly.

[galen_erso]

"But you did," Galen says, leaning over to kiss his lips again. "Now we are here together."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi returns the kiss, running a hand through Galen's hair.

He heads for his downed ship, walking a circle around it, assessing the damage with a frown.

[galen_erso]

Galen hangs back a little and watches him. A pilot and his ship have a special bond, even if it's just one of these flailing space turtles: - a ship is both home and the perfect freedom to leave anywhere.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi would like to think he's not that sentimental. A ship is freedom. This ship is- "Not flying any time soon. With the resources here, the Empire is more likely to junk her. Getting it off world whole might be more than it's worth. Maybe if I can get it down to the pad, I can scavenge some parts. Patch the wing up enough to get it out of orbit."

[galen_erso]

"And then what?" Galen asks. Getting it out of orbit is flying isn't it?

[imthepilot]

Bodhi shakes his head. "Then nothing, unless I can arrange a pick up. The sublight engines are too close to the broken landing strut. Cheap design to make more cargo space. The risk that the engine integrity is compromised is too high. One micro-fracture and the ship tears itself apart. I can get into orbit on maneuvering thrusters but once I'm up, I won't be able to do anything but float."

He runs his hands through his hair. "I'll run an assessment scan and submit it for orders. Chances are they'll declare it derelict and send a salvage crew later."

He pops the hatch and climbs is the leaning ship, offering Galen a hand up. "Once my medical leave is up, I'll most likely be ordered to hitch back with another crew. If I'm lucky they'll assign me a new ship within a week or two."

[galen_erso]

Galen takes the hand and nimbly follows him up into the ship.

"So you need to get your own stuff and the cargo out first, then take it up on thrusters?" he guesses, looking around an remembering the first meal they had shared. "Your spices. Your non-regulation food and drink. Anything not issued by the Empire."

[imthepilot]

"I don't have much in the ways of personal effects but I could do with having them. Especially if I'm staying on the facility for a while."

It doesn't take long to pull everything together into his pack. And yes, his spices and stash of food stuffs, all carefully packed.

[galen_erso]

Galen watches him, then offers his help.

"Do you have another backpack for me?"

[imthepilot]

"Uh, yeah. There's a spare." He runs his hands over the hatches and cupboards, finding what he needs with the minimum of fuss. He'd know his way around this ship in his sleep. "Thank you. I was planning to strap an anti-grav to the cargo and float it down after us."

[galen_erso]

"Climbing is safer and easier if the backpack isn't that heavy," Galen says. Unless you want to put everything in with the cargo?"