(no subject)

[imthepilot]

Galen gets a message late one evening. The evening Bodhi was planning to spent down in the barracks with the other cargo crews.

The message from the head medic. You better get down here.

Comments

[imthepilot]

"And a degree of jealousy, I'd imagine. It's okay for high up imperials to bed pilots for fun. It's just not okay for pilots to get on their knees for high ups." He shrugs. "It's just the way it is."

[galen_erso]

"Missing the mark narrowly," Galen muses, "is much more offensive than missing it widely. I don't bed you for fun, I live you and will stay with you, so it's better they think I like you for the food."

[imthepilot]

"I know that. And I love you too. I hope you know that?" He reaches out to take Galen's hand. "It isn't about us. It's about perceptions."

[galen_erso]

"I know that," Galen says, with absolute certainty, closing his fingers around Bodhi's.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi nods, glad that Galen understands. He takes Galen's hands and kisses his knuckles. "I'm sorry. I know being with me won't be easy."

[galen_erso]

"Being with you is the best thing for decades," Galen says. "I'm not asking for easy."

[imthepilot]

"As long as this," he presses Galen's hand to his cheek, "isn't putting you in any danger."

[galen_erso]

"It won't," Galen says. "Not unless Orson Krennic suspects this is more than a fling, and I doubt he can fathom that."

[imthepilot]

"Then we're careful when he's around. I go back to just being another pilot."

[galen_erso]

"Luckily, it's not that often, and never very long," Galen says.

[imthepilot]

"He doesn't like to hang around? I suppose he's a lot to do."

[galen_erso]

"He's very busy being important," Galen says. "And we're not the right people to be important at."

[imthepilot]

"He doesn't look as dashing in the rain?" Bodhi asks, somewhat sarcastically.

[galen_erso]

"Oh yes, his beloved white cape," Galen says, smiling. "Lyra and I had to work so hard not to laugh when he first turned up in that. We felt it would be unkind. Later, it was a tyrant's attire nobody dares to laugh at if they treasure their life."

[imthepilot]

"A tyrant in white." Bodhi shakes his head. "How poetic. Goes well with the monster in black."

[galen_erso]

"Yes, that it does," Galen says. "But Krennic has many higher-ups and lateral equals to contend with. He's not nearly as unassailable as Vader."

[imthepilot]

"But it's all about the look. The cape. Inspiring something... more than your average Imperial."

[galen_erso]

"And he is using me to be more than average," Galen says. "I can build the thing that will make him special."

[imthepilot]

"Because he isn't special himself." He reaches out to cup Galen's cheek. This was what Lyra died for - Krennic's ego. He could only imagine how much that hurt.

[galen_erso]

"Not really," Galen says. "Hence the cape."

[imthepilot]

"And instead he hides the brilliant ones here. The ones he uses to climb higher."

[galen_erso]

"Yes, that is the point of this installation," Galen says. "We do the actual thinking, Krennic gets the credit."

Pause.

"Not that I want any credit. Or think about this at all."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi gets up and reaches for Galen. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

[galen_erso]

"About the subject of my work," Galen says, reaching out to Bodhi in turn. "I want to think about how to use my work for good, to supply planets with energy to rebuild after the wars, not..."

Pause.

Silence.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi hears the unspoken words. "Let's go climbing again. As soon as there's a gap in the weather." Where they can talk. Where they can plan.