(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]

"I'll be ready in half and hour," Galen says. "Twenty minutes, if you can get me some caf to drink on the way.'

[imthepilot]

Nika smiles. "I can arrange that, sir. I'll meet you here to escort you."

[galen_erso]

In twenty minutes, Galen is ready -- in a grey jumpsuit with absolutely nothing on it. He has neither rank nor code cylinders here.

[imthepilot]

And as promised, Nika is waiting with a mug of caf, and a couple of breakfast biscuits.

He gives Galen a critical look, kinda glad to see the jumpsuit covers the worst of the bite marks.

He walks with Galen down a handful of corridors, to a small office overlooking a cleared garden. Mon Mothma looks up from her terminal and offers Galen a small smile. "Thank you, Nika. Dr Erso, please take a seat."

[galen_erso]

Galen has been drinking about half of the caf on the way and is fully awake now.

"Good morning, Councilwoman," he says politely, and sits.

[imthepilot]

"Mon, please?" She cocks her head, examining the couple of red marks that peek out over the edge of the collar. "I take it your reunion with General Rook was- fruitful?"

[galen_erso]

"It was," Galen says. "For the time being. We can never be certain of the future."

[imthepilot]

"I envy you that." She mutters, almost to herself. "My- Dr Mothma speaks very highly of you." She gestures to the pile of reports on her desk. "As does the agent who debriefed you. I understand you wish to offer your services to the Alliance?"

[galen_erso]

"Yes," Galen says. "Wholeheartedly. For my scientific and engineering knowledge, or for the memory if my heroic late daughter. Whatever I can be most useful for."

[imthepilot]

"I'm very glad to hear that, Dr Erso." She sets the reports aside, indicating she no longer needs them. If she ever did at all.

"As you may be aware, the Second Death Star was destroyed last evening. With the Emperor aboard. We have struck a great blow for freedom but the war is not over. Far from it. And there is much we must do to secure peace."

"I understand before you were seconded to the Death Star, your research was focused on clean energy production?"

[galen_erso]

"Involving kyber and related crystals," Galen clarifies. "Yes."

[imthepilot]

She nods and goes on. "One of the major challenges well will face as a new republic will be providing aid to planets ravished by the Empire. Food, medical supplies, housing and power. I'm hoping that's something you can help us with. We need initiative solutions getting help to those worlds fast and simply. Do you think that's something you could turn your talents?"

[galen_erso]

"Absolutely," Galen says. "That's what I had in mind when I started my research. Optimally, a network of small satellites that covers the planet like a common array, making it possible to receive power with slightly modified satellite dishes."

[imthepilot]

"Could such a thing be done without kyber?" She asks, watching his expression with interest. "I'm aware there's kyber on New Kisge but I don't believe it's suitable to be mined."

She knows about Bodhi's temple. Not that Bodhi knows that.

[galen_erso]

"But you have kyber," Galen says. "Scattered in the debris clouds of both Death Stars."

[imthepilot]

"Interesting." She acknowledges, making a note on her terminal. "That's not something I'd thought of. How soon can you put together a proposal on how to recover it?"

[galen_erso]

"I can think of three different ways of doing it, and I can write up an outline for them until tomorrow," Galen says.

It will give him something to do until Bodhi comes back and he can go outside.

[imthepilot]

"It's my intention to reactivate Delta Base as a research centre. One I hope to offer to General Rook to command. We cannot afford to disband Rogue Strike. There are times he and his team will be required. But between missions, I intend to make this his base of operations."

She gives a small shrug. "I've not yet discussed this with General Rook."

[galen_erso]

"I hope he will take it," Galen says. "Herding scientists is a mammoth undertaking -- especially if those scientists are all vital to rebuilding the galaxy after that depredations of the Empire."

Pause.

"As for the Death Stars, there is more to find in the debris than just kyber. The Empire has sunk a sizeable percentage of its resources into those monsters. Harvesting those will help a lot."

[imthepilot]

"I know he has- a fondness for this place." She cocks her head, sharp eyes looking straight through him. "And you. You may not be aware of this, but General Rook updated his personnel details this morning before going off-world. Listing you as his next of kin. And registering you as his life partner."

[galen_erso]

Oh. He had become sort-of married without even knowing about it. Of course, had Bodhi asked him, Galen would have enthusiastically answered with all sorts of yes.

Instead of looking gobsmacked, or jumping up with the sudden happiness, Galen just nods. "Glad to hear he had time to file that," he says. "We will do our best to make sure none of the other scientists feel at a disadvantage, or accuse him of a conflict of interest. Scientific rivalries can be vicious, and are of course massively counterproductive. That mustn't happen."

[imthepilot]

Mon gives him a very flat look. You're not fooling anyone, Galen.

She closes her terminal, very deliberately. "Dr Erso, let me make something very clear. We, the Alliance, failed your daughter. We failed Cassian Andor, the Jedhean Guardians and K-2SO. We failed Bodhi Rook."

"Since the return of his ship from Scarif. I've made his care my personal concern." There's a subtle warning in her tone.

[galen_erso]

"I will do my very best not to fail him," Galen says. "Because I love him deeply. He went out there for me, risked everything to help undo the monster I was made to build. When he runs this station, I will make sure he doesn't think it a sinecure. We will put out good work and helpful solutions for a war-ravaged galaxy, because that will give meaning to both of us. And make sure that Jyn and those others are remembered as they should be."

[imthepilot]

She holds his eyes for a long moment, her gaze level. Then nods.

"You've been granted the rank of special project science officer. You're cleared to move around the base and its environs freely. However any transmissions or travel off-world must be cleared beforehand."

She presents him with a wrist comm and a rank pin. "Now that you're officially an alliance officer, I can tell you that Bodhi left early this morning to attended the funeral for the pilots lost during the battle. He should be back by morning."

"I suggest you spend the time preparing a proposal for recovering the kyber and setting up labs here to manage it."

[galen_erso]

"And the other resources," Galen says, "which will be quite useful for rebuilding the sector. I am thinking of a three stages approach, with which -- anyway, I will put it all in writing."

He accepts the comm and pin.

"I will have to to outside and also get something to eat, rather than explain to Bodhi why I didn't."