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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[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."

[galen_erso]

"The heroism lay in doing it anyway," Galen says, reaching out to affectionately touch Bodhi's cheek.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi turns to kiss Galen's palm, getting scolded by the girls braiding his hair. "I was never a hero."

[galen_erso]

"But you are," they protest. "Just listen to the song!"

The song turns to Bodhi's home port being ravaged by the Empire, of its citizens being killed before his every eyes, so he sends one last message to Galen, and leaves, going into the mountain desert to find the rebels who will take Galen's message.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi accepts the admonishments and shuts up, even if the next part of the story makes him tense, letting go of Galen's hand in an effort to try to hide his duress as Teja sings of the Rebel leader, made distrustful and bitter by war who doesn't believe Bodhi's story and puts him to the test.

[galen_erso]

Galen reaches out for Bodhi's hand as Teja finishes that part, with vague descriptions of cruelties to body and soul that the rebel leader inflicts upon Bodhi, to prove the truth of his words, leaving Bodhi broken and desperate in the man's cells, but the message in the rebel leader's hands.

Then Adalgoth takes over to describe the new heroes that come for Bodhi and the message -- Galen's brave daughter who had been fending for herself for years, a rebel officer, and two fighting monks, one of them blind and of wondrous powers. This part has gained a few stanzas since Bodhi last heard it; quite obviously, Teja has told Adalgoth more about Chirrut and Baze. Their affection and devotion to each other, and the blind monk's devotion to his faith (which appears to be Christian, in the context, but not quite) are made quite clear.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi doesn't relax easily, still tense at the memory but glad to hear Jyn sung of so highly. Chirrut and Baze too, even if he still holds a grudge towards the pair. But that happened after he told his tale here and he doesn't want that bitterness to spoil the song.

[ostro_goth]

Then there is Kay-too, the officer's faithful henchman, who comes with doubt, but he comes; and in the end, he remains on the ship while the heroes beat a large number of Empire soldiers, upon which the rebels take them up into the mountains.

[imthepilot]

"I wish I knew what happened to Kay. He was- a friend, better the the others in many ways. He knew about us. He guessed. No-one else did."

[galen_erso]

"About us?" Galen wonders.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi nods, getting a gentle slap on the shoulder from the girls braiding his hair. "He worked it out. Something about my reactions when I said your name. He promised to keep it to himself. And I trust him."

[galen_erso]

"So the others never knew," Galen nods.

The song arrives at the rebel stronghold, with Jyn taken to the leader and the others thrown in a cell.