(no subject)

[imthepilot]

{From here}

Bodhi takes Galen's hand and walks back through the door and back into the base. The cerebration is in full swing, happy shouts echoing from the hall. They run into only one other person on their way to Bodhi's room. The young lieutenant who had escorted Galen earlier.

Nika salutes, eyes drifting from Bodhi's face to their joined hands and back again. "Sir, Dr Erso."

"Lieutenant." Bodhi acknowledges, his voice a tense growl. Ready to deck the young man for a word out of place.

Instead the young man stutters shyly. "Sir?" He starts uncertainly. "I hope- have a good night, sir. You- you've earnt it."

Bodhi relaxes a little, resting his metal hand on the youth's shoulder. "As have you, lieutenant. Now go and enjoy yourself."

The boy nods, freckled cheeks warming with a blush. "Sir, yes sir." There's something about the way he steps aside to let them pass, watching them go. A crush perhaps? Or something more like hero worship?

Bodhi doesn't speak again till they're inside his room, the door firmly closed.

Comments

[galen_erso]

"Yes," Galen says. "The Alliance attack bowled me over, and I got a bit damaged. That's probably why you thought I was dead. Jyn was there, and then everything went black, and I woke up on an Imp ship with Rochin hovering."

[imthepilot]

"She was furious." Bodhi washes Galen's back gently, "She blamed Cassian, our rebel captain. He'd been ordered to kill you but at the last minute chose not to. But because of the crash, he lost contact with the Alliance. They sent the strike team to do it, believing we had been lost."

Even after all this time, there's an undertone of bitter anger in Bodhi's voice. He settled his own score with Draven after the Battle of Yavin.

[galen_erso]

"But he still came with her to fetch the plans from Scarif, and died there?" Galen says. "I wish I'd had the chance to know her as a grown woman. She sounds awe-inspiring."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi nods tightly, touching his engraved metal wrist-joint out of habit. "It made him realise how much he'd done in the name of the Rebellion that was abhorrent to him. Following Jyn to Scarif was his redemption."

Bodhi muses silently for a movement before answering. "She was. She died a hero. She's remembered as the bringer of Hope at a time when the Alliance was fragmented and fractious. Her sacrifice galvanised them."

[galen_erso]

"I'd rather have my Stardust than the public memory of a hero," Galen says, "but as that's not an option, I will do my best to help remember her in order to inspire others."

[imthepilot]

"I know." And he wishes he could change that. But he had to learn the hard way that you can't take back what's lost.

Even all of that is proved wrong by Galen being here.

[galen_erso]

"So we will do that together, you as her surviving crewmate, and I as her father," Galen says. "When we can."

They will probably name schools after her. What an odd idea.

[imthepilot]

"I think Mon Mothma and Leia would like that. They'd like to see her celebrated. More than she already is."

[galen_erso]

"I'd like to talk to them about it, once I get the clearance to talk to people like that," Galen says, towelling his arms, vigorously. "That's yet another thing I can contribute."

[imthepilot]

"Mon will want to talk to you tomorrow. She'll have orders for both of us. Leia-" He looks up towards Endor. "I haven't heard from her yet."

He's not worried. He know she can look after herself. As can Luke. But they're still his friends.

[galen_erso]

"She's Senator Bail Organa's daughter, isn't she?" Galen says.

[imthepilot]

He nods, getting dry himself. "She is. She was the one to received the message above Scarif. And risked everything to get it back to the Rebellion. Including being interrogated by both Vader and Tarkin. She refused to give up the plans, even after Tarkin destroyed her world."

It's clear he admires her greatly.

[galen_erso]

Galen is stepping into his underwear. Its no longer fresh, but he literally has nothing else.

"It will be great to meet her," he says. "It will be great to become part of this. It will be great to openly be on the same side as you, and standing up for it."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi nods with a small smile. He goes to his duffel and pulls out a clean pair of PJ pants, offering them to Galen. He slips into a pair of boxers for himself.

He gestures towards the bed, in need of sleep.

[galen_erso]

Galen puts them on, starts to say something, yawns instead and wanders over to the bed.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi cocks his head, questioning what Galen was going to say.

[galen_erso]

Galen flops on the bed. "The world blew up, but here we are," he says. "Thank you. I love you."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi lays down next to him, stroking Galen's hair back from his face. "I love you." It's not that it's hard to say. Just- hard to cope with all that goes with it. All the change it brings.

[galen_erso]

Galen closes his eyes, smiling dozily in the general direction of Bodhi.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi doesn't sleep. Not for a long time. He just holds Galen, stoking his back gently.

By the time Galen wakes up, Bodhi's gone. His kit is still there but there seems to be less in it. There's no note but a quiet knock on the door.

[galen_erso]

"Yes!" Galen calls out, sitting up and stretching.

[imthepilot]

"Dr Erso, it's Lieutenant Nika. General Rook asked me to bring you some fresh clothes. And I have a request for Council-woman Mothma."

[galen_erso]

Galen gets up and opens the door, blinking a bit owlishly at Nika.

[imthepilot]

The chain of bitemarks and bruises on Galen's neck and chest set Nika back a bit, surprise and shock registering across his face.

"Umm, sir." He holds a filled kit back out to him. "General Rook asked me to bring you this. He's - he's been called off-world for the day."

[galen_erso]

"Thank you," Galen says, accepting the kit bag. "Sorry for my state of undress. What was that about Councilwoman Mothma?"

He opens the bag and looks inside.