Scarif survivor AU

[imthepilot]

Bodhi lingered after the briefing, hands behind his back in that stance that had become habit. The stance that hid his prosthetics arm from view. Not that anyone stared any more but some habits were hard to break.

“General Rook?” Mon Mothma didn’t need to look up to know it was him, tidying up the data chips as the rest of the briefing room emptied. “You're wondering why I didn’t assign you to the Endor strike.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He found it strangely comforting, the way she always knew. So, he never needed to ask.

“I have another mission for you and your team.” She gestured him to follow, leading him into a private antechamber. Her expression turned serious as she touches the little data-chip containing the information the Bothans had paid so dearly for. “There was a second message, from an imperial informant.” Her expression tightened, suppressing some deep emotion behind her stateman’s mast.

She pulled up a star map, gesturing to a gas giant orbiting a single star adjustment to Endor’s binary system. “According to this informant, there is an imperial research and development station in the Moddell sector. It’s being used to hold a group of scientists and weapons specialists. Against their will.”

“And you believe this information is credible.” Bodhi asked, his braided hair falling over his shoulder as he leaned in to look at the small speck in the map.

“I do. Yes.”

There was something about her voice, the tamped down strain that made him look at her. There was so much in her eyes, in the tightness of her lips. So much unsaid.

“Your mission, General Rook, is to retrieve the scientists and, our informant. Alive, if at all possible. And then destroy the facility.”

Bodhi nodded slowly, considering. “I’ll need an imperial craft.”

“You’ll have it.” She answered, a little faster than necessary. “A second shuttle has been set aside for this mission. Select your team and brief only those you need to. This mission is of the upmost importance. The Emperor has built a second Death Star. Even if we fail to destroy him, there must never be a third.”

Bodhi accepted the dossiers she had prepared him on the informant. “You have my word.”

He didn’t open the file till he was perched in the pilot’s seat as the other members of Rogue Squad, all Scarif survivors, loaded up. It wasn’t till then he saw the face of the Imperial informant. A holo of a woman, candid and some years out of date. Not a mugshot or a service record scan but the sort of holo someone might carry on their person. A holo of a loved one.

The medic who had saved his life on Eadu. And whose name he now learnt was Rochin. Rochin Mothma.

That was why the commander had such faith in the message.

***

They moved down the corridor at an easy trot, covering doorways and each other as they moved further into the facility.

Getting in had been easy. Easier than it should have been. The facility seemed to be manned by a skeleton crew while the rest of the garrison was elsewhere. On the Death Star perhaps. Or down on the forest moon. Bodhi send up a quiet prayer to the Force for the Princess and Luke’s safety. He’d gotten to know and like them both well. Even if he didn’t have much love for General Solo.

“Cover me.” He called to Melshi as he crossed to the last of the detention block controls. He had to step over a dead trooper, the smell of burnt duroplastic and flesh filling his nostrils. He would suffer for that later. For all of it. He wasn’t past the nightmares, that had become almost a familiar occurrence. Part of the fabric of his scars. But his hands no-longer shook during the fight. Only after.

He gave a triumphant ha as the door locks slammed back, echoingly loud. “Sefla, clear the cells to the left. I’ll take the right. Pao, keep the engines hot, we’re coming your way.”

He shouldered the rifle, concealing a stunner in his flesh and blood palm, just in case this one didn’t want to be rescued. Some of the scientists they’d pulled from other cells were frightened, erratic. Some were so badly mistreated they’d tried to fight off their rescues. And a desperate man could be stronger than he looked. As Bodhi’s blooming black eye could attest.

He opened the door with care, shifting his stance in readiness.

And stopped dead.

Comments

[galen_erso]

If following Bodhi into the womb of the planet is what it takes, then Galen will do it. And it's almost instinct now; this was among the first things he learned from Lyra.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi reaches to steady him through, intentionally using his flesh hand more than the other. No-one likes the touch of cold durasteel.

He switches on a small torch. The space is a stone antechamber of some sort, the walls elaborately carved.

"I spent six months on Delta Base. Forced medical leave. I found this place by accident. At least I thought I did." There are signs here and there that someone put time and effort into stabilising it.

Bodhi leads Galen down a corridor, running his flesh hand over the wall absently. He's use to walking this way in the dark.

[galen_erso]

Galen follows him, looking around as he does, drinking it all in.

"This is amazing," he whispers into the echoes. "Who made these?"

[imthepilot]

"No-one knows." Bodhi admits. "No-one knew this was here till I found an entrance."

He leads Galen into a massive dome, gesturing him to wait by the door. The downcast light shows only the floor till he reaches a plinth in the centre of the space. He set the light upright.

And the great curving roof of the dome lights up as the torch-light is picking up and reflected by thousands of crystals. A night's sky of constellations drawn in light.

Mapped out in tiny kyber crystals.

[galen_erso]

"Stars!"

Galen is very, very impressed. Not only is there kyber here, the whole array displays an artistry, and an attention to the heavens that is breathtaking and overwhelming.

Galen has seen crystal caves and kyber caves; he has seen ancient monuments and places if worship, but never has he seen anything where natural structures have been combined with art and the Force to guide a sentient view on the universe.

He has a million questions.

And then he imagines Bodhi finding this by himself, believing Galen to be dead, and how badly he must have wanted to show this to Galen, and how bitterly he must have missed Galen, and how the discovery of this unique beauty must have stomped on Bodhi's heart because he found it without Galen; and it makes his eyes sting.

But now, he is here.

"You have probably compared these constellations to the current night sky to see how old this is?"

Because it is the most obvious thing to do, both for a scientist and a pilot.

[imthepilot]

"I tried." Bodhi admits, leaning on the wall at Galen's side. "They don't match any known star systems I've been able to find." He sighs, dark eyes reflecting the crystal stars above. "Whoever they were, when they looked up they looked into a sky no-one else could see. A universe where things were different. Better maybe."

His voice drops low and broken. "I hoped that's where you were. Where you and Jyn and Lyra could be together."

[galen_erso]

"But I am still here," Galen says, standing beside him and reaching out to touch Bodhi's shoulder. "I am still here, to finally give my work to your side, and then to puzzle out the meaning of this once peace comes. This will be a marvel of the galaxy, but now is still just our personal heavens.'

[imthepilot]

Bodhi flinches. But only because it's that side of his body. And he's always been sensitive about what's left of that arm.

"I've never showed this to anyone. People know about the ruins. There are sites all over the forest. But no-one's ever really looked at them. My team know where to find me if they need me. But they don't come here. This is... my place." And he'd like to keep it that way. "You're the first." And the only person he could share this with.

[galen_erso]

"It's not ours to keep for good," Galen says, softly. "But for now, it is. Do you know if there is any more kyber on this planet? Because if not, it means those people already had interstellar travel, and will be on ancient maps."

[imthepilot]

Something hardens in Bodhi. Something behind his eyes that shuts down. As if he regrets letting Galen see this. See him here.

"Delta Base is a haven for a reason, Galen. It's location is a protected secret. Even the route we took to get here was designed to throw off tracking. I'm not about to compromise this base and everyone on it for a historical excavation."

He strode across the room, snapping off the light and extinguishing the stars.

[galen_erso]

Galen follows him into the darkness.

"Bodhi," he says, softly. "I am talking about peacetime. When we have won. That will happen one day. This war is not forever."

[imthepilot]

"You're assuming either of us live to see peace." Bodhi's voice is bitter in the darkness.

He heads back to the first chamber, soft grey light filtering from the hole they descended through. He hands Galen the torch and offers him a hand up to the lip.

[galen_erso]

"By now, I am prepared to believe it," Galen says, taking the offered hand.

Wondering fleetingly if the droid hand wouldn't be stronger.

[imthepilot]

It is. And significantly so. Something it's taken him some time to master. He braces and slides that hand under Galen's feet, boosting him up towards the ledge.

Waiting till Galen is clear of the first section, he runs at the lip and jumps, pulling himself up by that same hand.

Twilight is falling outside, colouring the light an almost ominous red. The water of the pool is almost black now, the place taking on a forbidding look. A place people could well believe was haunted.

[galen_erso]

"Thank you," Galen says softly, once he comes to stand beside Bodhi at the edge of the pool.

He reaches out to take Bodhi's flesh hand. They have time. These ruins are something Galen could dedicate his life to. His life after the war.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi lets Galen takes his hand, his callus fingers tightening ever so slightly around Galen's.

"There's a word in Ryl, the Twi'lek language. It has no direct translation in Basic. The nearest anyone can comes is the call of the void. It's the feeling you get, standing on a precipice. That urge to jump. To surrender." His eyes never leave the black surface of the pool.

He gives no context to the comment. But he feels it strongest here. Growing up Jedhean, he never learnt to swim so the dark water calls to him the way a cliff edge might.

[galen_erso]

Galen holds his hand, feeling the new, unfamiliar calluses.

So much history to catch up with. But they will have time.

"And yet, you still stand beside me now. Again."

[imthepilot]

Words form but never make it past Bodhi's throat, forming a lump there that chokes him. His eye prick with tears he thought he'd cried out long ago. And yet-

A beep at his wrist breaks the spell and he swears, grabbing at the little comm. pad. "What?"

Melshi's voice is tinny but jubilant. "Sir, word from command. All lights are green!"

Bodhi tilts his head up, searching the sky for his bearings. He pulls at Galen's hand, a little rough and reckless and yanks him towards the fallen temple, clambering up the stones to the highest point, where there's a break in the trees large enough to see the sky. He looks up, turning the pick just the right spot and points.

A moment later that point in space becomes a white flash of light, contrails of brightness streaking away as the core of distant nova fades.

[galen_erso]

After the climb, Galen reached for Bodhi's hand again.

"That was the monster?"

[imthepilot]

"More than one." Bodhi says, triumphant. "All lights are green means the Emperor and Vader were on-board when it blew."

It isn't the end of the Empire. Bodhi has no delusions it would be that simple. The head of the serpent was cut off but it would take time for the body to die. However the wound was fatal.

There was hope.

He squeezes Galen's hand, looking over to him. "You might be right yet. About us seeing peace."

[galen_erso]

"Did it get to fire again?" Galen asks, softly.

He so fervently hoped not. No more innocent death to his name.

[imthepilot]

"I hope not." Bodhi says softly. "I had friends on the forest moon."

He lets go of Galen's hand. "We need to get back. Get a full status update. And you'll be tired. It's been a trying day."

[galen_erso]

"I started it as a desperate prisoner living in a lie and labouring endlessly on something that I hated with all my soul," Galen says. "It ends here, with you beside me, alive, and my monstrous work destroyed along with the heads of the Empire that held me and enslaved the galaxy. All in all, it was a good day."

Apart from the news that Jyn is dead. But if he had been honest, there had been indications it was a lie all along. For the entire time, her hair had always looked the same.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi pauses, offering Galen a swift hug. Still fighting the urge to give in and fall apart. "It's not over. Not yet. But we have a chance now."

He lets go, hiding his face from Galen as he headed back towards the base.

[galen_erso]

"We do," Galen says. "And we will get there."

He follows Bodhi back to the base. This is true for the two of them, as well as for the entire rebellion, which they might start calling the New Republic soon.