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.

Comments

[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.

[imthepilot]

"The Guardians didn't. Not till I told them here. I'm sure Jyn didn't either. She would have said."

Saw might have. No matter how hard Bodhi tried to keep it from Galen.

[galen_erso]

"I had so much to tell her, including this," Galen says softly.

The song moves to Jyn getting her father's message from the rebel leader.

[imthepilot]

He wishes he could give Galen hope that she might yet come but he remembers how bitter that hope was. How painfully it burned, like a splinter of ice in the soul.

He takes Galen's hand and squeezes. "She was so fierce, Galen. So passionate. I wish you could have seen her. She would have made you and Lyra proud."

[galen_erso]

"Not just would have," Galen says. "Did, in my case. I was glad to see her for just a moment."

One of the girls nudges his shoulder, so he lowers his voice to a whisper

[imthepilot]

Bodhi nods and falls silent too, resting his head on Galen's shoulder, just listening.

[galen_erso]

Then, Teja takes over by himself and sings about the cells, which used to be catacombs, and about the sea-captain Bodhi, shaken by Saw's cruel tests, who rallies his mind when he hears Galen's name.

I am the pilot, I brought the message.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi mouths the words, aware of just how powerful an effect they had on him.

[galen_erso]

They are repeated a few times, being hinge words the story depends on.

And then, Adalgoth sings of the mountain shaking, and the cell doors braking, and Baze freeing Bodhi from his shackles. They got that bit not quite right, but it sounds very impressive, like the wrath of the gods.

[imthepilot]

How else do you explain the death of a whole city in a matter of moments? Bodhi tries not to think too hard about it, focusing on keeping his breathing even.

[galen_erso]

Galen reaches out to take Bodhi's hand again a Adalgoth sings about the evil empire's ships attacking the port and burning it to the ground even as the earth shakes and tears itself open, and Kaytoo comes to take all away -- all except the rebel leader, who refuses to leave his stronghold."