OOM: In Gotland with Bodhi and Galen

[ostro_goth]

 It is the very height of summer now, so the fields are turning golden, the young animals in the meadows are nicely grown and running around when they are not stuffing their faces with the abundant grass, and the people are busy in the gardens and in the workshops and among the granaries.

One of the children points up at the procession coming down the barrow-hill, and then everybody is running up to meet them.

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[imthepilot]

Bodhi glances over at Galen, hoping it's okay that he shared details of their story.

[galen_erso]

Galen listens, rapt. One hand holds little Totila securely, the other is entwined with Bodhi's fingers.

"Once you are dead, your tale is anyone's to tell, and your secrets may pass into legend, Teja said," he whispers to Bodhi. "He is right."

[imthepilot]

Bodhi turns and presses a kiss to Galen's cheek. "I needed to tell your tale. Our tale. But they tell it better than I did."

[galen_erso]

"Differently, at home in their world," Galen whispers back.

And then, he falls silent as in the song, Teja and Adalgoth take turns singing about little Jyn in deep hiding, and Lyra's old rebel friend searching for her, leaving no stone unturned. If Bodhi has heard of it, then he will know that there are echoes of Teja's own fate as a child, and Saw comes over much like old Hildebrand.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi didn't hear it, so much as worry for Galen. That this memory might be too personal, the wound too fresh. He had told all this before Galen returned. When he thought he'd be alone and without Galen for all time. He holds tight to Galen's hand, watching Galen's face out of the corner of his eye.

[galen_erso]

Galen has tears in his eyes, thinking of his Stardust; he seems relieved when the song reaches the part where Saw finds her and takes her to safety, to be raised among those that fight the evil empire.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi moves his chair closer and put an arm around Galen, hugging him warmly.

[galen_erso]

Teja's story returns to Galen, telling of the death machine and how he cleverly slowed down its building, and then, when the time was right, built a weakness that would mean the rebel ships could sink it, if they knew where to strike.

[imthepilot]

"My hero." Bodhi whispers, squeezing gently.

[galen_erso]

"And you are mine," Galen whispers back.

The next part is, in fact, about Bodhi landing in the harbour of Galen's exile, and their sharing a meal aboard his ship, guessing at their mutual stance about the wcil wmpiremtheybare both forces to serve, with the safety of Bodhi's sisters in the balance for him.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi's glad to hear his sisters as part of the song. He will never know what became of them but he knows they're safe. And that's all that matters.

Their strange little courtship sounds so very romantic when sung like this and Bodhi can't help but smile.

[galen_erso]

And then, Teja sings of Bodhi coming to the harbour for the second time, and them sharing a meal on dry shore; and then he came a third time, and the harbour catches fire, all the ships are ablaze, and Bodhi saves Galen at great coat to his own skin.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi shakes his head, huffing softly. They make him sound far more heroic than the panicked mess he really was.

[galen_erso]

And then, next, Teja sings about the healer named Rochin, who tells Galen that the life-debt will ever bind him to Bodhi, so taking care of the sea-captain is now his holy duty that the god of the Whills asks of him; and about Galen gladly and happily accepting this bond.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi squeezes Galen's hand. "We owe her so much. I glad she survived the bombing of Eadu."

[galen_erso]

Adalgoth sings about the great care Galen and Rochin took of Bodhi, and how the bond of the life-debt deepened true affection. If the medicine they sing about sounds more like herbal poultices than bacta -- well, they imagine what they know.

Galen nods. "I never met Mon Mothma, only heard the name now and then," he whispers. "She was some senator working with the rebellion?"

[imthepilot]

Bodhi nods quietly. "She was- is the calm voice in the rebellion. I liked her. I think Jyn did too."

[galen_erso]

Next, Teja takes over and sings about Bodhi getting better, and Galen and him climbing the mountains near the harbour and swearing eternal friendship and troth in the lonely secrecy of barren peaks, promising to free each other from the yoke of the evil empire, even if that meant destroying the empire itself.

Galen nods, and leans closer to Bodhi. "Do you know if they -- met again?"

[imthepilot]

"The Medic and the Senator? I don't know. I don't know if Mothma was in the fleet at Scarif. I don't think so. And if she did, she survived. I guess history doesn't record little things like love."

[galen_erso]

"We need bards for that," Galen says, as Teja is still reiterating the plans and vows Bodhi and Galen made in the mountains.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi chuckles, resting his head on Galen's shoulder. "I hope they found each other again."

[galen_erso]

"We might look for a biography in the library," Galen muses.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi nods and gives him a little squeeze. He doesn't Galen to see what the histories say about him but the idea of looking up Mon Mothma is a good idea.

The girls, happy with Galen's hair, moves on the Bodhi's.

[galen_erso]

Galen stretches out his long legs, and Teja and Adalgoth move on to Bodhi's farewell, his promises to come for Galen, and the pain it costs both of them as Bodhi's ship sails out of the harbour.

[imthepilot]

"I'm almost glad I didn't know. That it would be the last time. I wouldn't have left if I had."