Saga A Letter With Nowhere to Go-OC, ANH-ish timeframe, One post. Author replies up 1/20

Her hands trembled as she turned over the thick envelope she had found among her fallen comrade's papers. She looked at who it was addressed to.

To be delivered, special post, to Mrs. Benjamin Dantre, of Alderaan.

His mother. He had written to his mother on flimsy with a pen. What had been so important that Danny had written to his mother before he went on his fatal mission? She opened the envelope and began to read.

"Dear Mom,

I know that for the last two years you've thought I've been working at some nice, cushy, safe job in some Alderaani embassy on some out-of-the-way planet. I haven't. I've been working for the intelligence department of the Rebel Alliance.

I'm truly sorry I've lied to you. I hope you can forgive me. I know you and Dad taught me to never lie, so it hurt me every time I sent home a paycheck marked 'Embassy Aide'--but I knew it would help out. It doesn't justify what I've done, but please try to understand. Please forgive me.

I know what you'd say next. 'But, Danny, it's so dangerous.' And, Mom, you're right, it is. But it's also the right thing to do. I couldn't sit around and let the Empire ruin everything we've ever hoped for. I couldn't let them ruin our lives further. They took Dad from us, and I couldn't allow them to get away with that. What the emperor is doing is wrong. I had to do something about it--if not for me, then for you, and for Benny, and for Jalyn.

I'm not some innocent kid anymore, Mom. I've seen some terrible stuff, stuff that makes me want to go screaming into the night. Things that force me to cry myself to sleep, quietly yelling into my pillow, trying to stifle the fear I feel and don't let show. We live with death everyday, but you never get used to it. You get used to not getting used to it. War isn't a pretty business--it's hell, and I wish it upon no man or woman. War isn't all that sterilized propaganda we've all seen from the Clone Wars--it's messy, and gory, and horrible, and scary as hell.

I've made a lot of good friends here. Lost a lot of them too. The Empire doesn't discriminate when it comes to killing. But as much as you want companionship, you want to stay distanced. You don't want to get to know the new recruits, because sooner or later, they die, or you die, or you both die. But dying for this cause is worth it--I can feel it. I can sense that when we're done, good will have triumphed over evil once again.

But, maybe you already realized that I don't work at an embassy. I mean, you're Mom. You've known me since before I was born. Maybe you know that I could never sit behind a desk while someone else wins my freedom. Maybe you knew because you know me.

When you stand in the garden and gaze at the stars, think about me. Think about all of us who fight for the galaxy's freedom. I'm not fighting for me. I'm fighting for Dad. I'm fighting for you. I'm fighting for Benny and for Jalyn. I always keep the most recent holo of you all near my bunk to remind me why I'm here, and who I'm fighting for. Not like I could forget it.

On every mission, there's the chance that one of us or all of us won't come back. I've got this feeling about my next mission--something doesn't seem right. I don't know why. I should have written this letter a long time ago, but here it is. I don't have a chance to send this before we head out, but I'll send it the moment I get back. Got to stay optimistic, you know. But I'd die for all of your freedom.

I love you, Mom. Tell the kids that I love them. Hugs and kisses to you all.

Love, your son and brother,

Danny."

Tears fell onto the paper, cried from the heart of Danny's commander. What Danny could never have known--what none of them on the mission could have known--was that at the same time the Imperials shot and killed him, they also destroyed his planet, and his family with it. The Empire had taken his planet, his family, and his life.

It was a letter with no place to go.

***

Feedback's welcome.

 

That was so sad but so powerful. Beautifully done!

 

Wow. That was very powerful Laine. Thank you! It's nice to read stories that move you so much that you feel the emotion as you read. Very well done!

 

Wow, wonderful idea and execution.

 

Beautiful and sad, I agree. But so very well done! You captured the feelings of a soldier, or anyone who does such a dangerous and necessary job, so well. Lovely!

 

Gina: Thanks for reading. This really just popped into my mind. It all started with the title. I pondered, and what you see is the finished result.

Earwen: Thanks for replying to the link I posted in the social thread. Other than what I told Gina, I have no idea how I thought of this.

DarthIshtar: Thanks.

VaderLVR64: Thanks. And the weird thing is, I'm not a soldier, and I haven't really ever known any current soldiers. I've known some retired navymen--mostly, my grandpa--but my dad works as a lieutenant in our state prison.

 

Oh, Laine, that was so sad! But beautifully written. great job!

Shaindl

 

Shaindl: Thanks. I didn't intend for it to be so sad. Just maybe thought-provoking, but sad works.

 

Upping so that people can see this. Didn't expect it to drop so fast.

 

really lovely work, Laine.

I know I'm biased, but with all the tales of Jedi and bounty hunters and senators and empires, stories about the average joes of the Star Wars universe and how they cope with the terrible events around them are really a breath of fresh air.

I loved this one. Fitting title, good last line. It worked well I think to let us know at the beginning that the mission had failed. Sets us up for the ending a bit.

 

Thanks, PadawanRoo. And yeah, there's all these stories of heroes and Jedi and smugglers and all those glorified types. But what about the unglorified heroes? That's what I was thinking about. And then here came this viggie. Took me a write and a re-write.