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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Saga - PT The Price of Hope - Rogue One drabbles (UDC8)

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by divapilot, Mar 21, 2017.

  1. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Exquisitely written. Wonderfully eloquent and insightful, particularly Weeks 1,2,5,6 =D=
     
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  2. divapilot

    divapilot Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2005
    Replies week 6


    Thank you! I like Jyn a lot (as you can tell!) and her harsh upbringing made her the dogged, determined person she was. And as always, she had hope that it might someday be better.


    Thank you for your response! Jyn always clung to hope, that she could escape, that she could keep living another day. She never gave up.

    Thank you! I’m glad you liked it.



    Thank you for your thoughtful reply. Jyn did start with everything- she had a comfortable life and parents who doted on her. She remembered that, despite everything else that she had to endure. Knowing that there existed a better life makes her hopeful that maybe something like it might be possible again.


    I can’t help but think that Jyn would wish to go back, at some time, to the life she remembered with her parents when she was a child. To have someone love her, care for her, and hold her the way she remembered. She finally does find that, but they only get a moment to experience it. But sometimes maybe a moment is time enough. (uh oh…:rolleyes: plot bunnies)


    Thank you!


    Thank you! Jyn’s life was hard and cruel, but I think that her parents understood that she had to be forged by fire to survive. It’s the memory of their gentleness, love, and kindness that keeps her from becoming cruel herself and keeps the flame of hope for something more alive.


    Thanks for the reply! Baze kind of fits here, but these are the thoughts of Bodhi Rook.




    Ah, but that’s the canon! He tries to go to the flight academy but doesn’t score high enough to get in. Another dream crushed. But his love for flight and his desire to be better gives him the strength to try again.


    Bodhi Rook was a native of Jedha and he grew up there. His family and his house were there. This was his home. Although he yearned to get away from the poverty and the dead-end life, this is still where his heart is. Thank you for reading and responding. I appreciate it!

    Thank you! I’m glad you liked them.
     
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  3. divapilot

    divapilot Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2005
    Week 7: Light and dark (Chirrut Imwe)

    Tangy
    He remembered, vaguely, when he had sight as a child, but he was not nostalgic for it. He had seen enough.

    He could distinguish between light and dark, but what of it? There were so many other ways to experience life. He could hear the sand scratch against the ancient stone walls, feel the warmth of the sun on his face in the morning and the coolness of his cell at night, smell the tangy scent wafting from the cooking stalls, taste the fresh water from the canteen.

    The Force flowed through him, showing him what he needed to know.

    Sweet
    Chirrut felt the ledge until he found a smooth spot, then sat down beside Baze. He leaned against his staff and his sightless eyes seemed to gaze into the distance. A slow, sweet smile arose on his face.

    Chirrut could feel darkness churning in Baze. A hand found Baze’s shoulder. “Why so angry?” Chirrut said. “The Force has plans for you.”

    “If the Force has a plan, why are we still here on Jedha?” Baze answered gruffly.

    Chirrut laughed again, then Blaze relented and chuckled. Chirrut felt the dark shadows leave his friend and the light return to his spirit.

    Spicy
    NiJedha lived under a permanent, literal darkness created by the enormous destroyer that hovered over their city. Swarms of ships, like insects attracted to a dropped spicy tidbit from a cooking stall, shuttled back and forth between the city and the destroyer. Each ship carried more stolen crystals that belonged in the shrines.

    They were powerless. The Empire was too strong, there were too many soldiers, and they looted NiJedha with impunity. But Chirrut trusted in the Force, and he believed fervently that someday the Empire’s stronghold on the galaxy would end. The Empire’s own arrogance would become its undoing.

    Bitter
    There were stirrings in the Force, and Chirrut felt the waves of distain and cruelty from the Imperial soldiers who had moved into the Holy City. The population answered with their own waves of frustration and anger. The city was on an edge and Chirrut didn’t need to see the evidence to recognize it. He heard the rhythmic march of soldiers, the filtered sound of shouted demands, the grumbling of civilians.

    Then, in the street, he felt it – the trigger, the push that would send everything into momentum.

    And it came from them, the cautious man and the bitter woman.

    Bland
    Perhaps because he looked the part of a bland cleric, perhaps because his sightless eyes tricked others into thinking he could not see, both the soldiers and the rebels ignored him as he approached. He sensed them again- the man, and the woman with the kyber crystal necklace that sang out to him. They must be protected. They were the way to the light.

    He had felt the heat of the explosions, but he knew he would be safe. He was one with the Force and the Force was with him. Chirrut gripped his staff and walked toward the fray.


    Week 8: Chains (Galen Erso and Orson Krennic)
    Rebellion
    Galen looked up from his data as Krennic entered the office. Krennic scowled. “You’ve had six months to complete this stage of the project. Why isn’t it done yet?”

    “These things take time,” Galen replied.

    “I suggest you find a way to increase efficiency. The Emperor wants this weapon completed.” Krennic said. “This rebellion will be over when you finish your work. Perhaps you can do it before Saw Gerrera’s forces are completely destroyed.” He handed Galen a datacard. “Anyone on this casualty list you recognize?”

    Galen’s heart stopped. No. Not Stardust. He checked the list and sighed with relief.

    Revolution
    The trials were only partially successful.

    Krennic was livid. He stormed into the lab and confronted Galen. “You’ve embarrassed me in front of Moff Ghainso. Why did you fail?”

    Krennic shoved his face into Galen’s. “Have you forgotten what is at stake here, Galen?” he hissed. “I promised a revolution in weaponry. Your wife Lira already paid a price for your failure to cooperate with us. She died on Lah’mu because of you. Do you think we don’t know that Jyn is with Gerrera? Do you want your daughter’s blood on your hands too?”

    Galen winced and hung his head.

    Freedom
    Eadu was a barren world that provided little distraction from the task at hand. His scientists and engineers were good men, and intelligent. It was sometimes tricky to slip the errors past them. One man actually figured out the design flaw. As a reward, Galen promoted him to another facility after the flaw was fixed. Once the man was reassigned, Galen spent the next six months slowly reintroducing the error.

    Krennic demanded constant status reports and made unscheduled inspections. Galen meekly complied. Krennic’s smug belief that he completely controlled Galen gave Galen the freedom to destroy the project from within.

    Martyr
    Galen deliberately made the calculations unnecessarily complicated and extended the testing periods with minor (but not fatal) flaws. Krennic believed that only Galen could resolve these issues, and Galen bought another year.

    Another year to embed the sabotage.

    The weapon would be built with or without him, so he made himself indispensable. When the weapon fired, Krennic would insist Galen be there beside him to witness the carnage and then tauntingly proclaim Galen a hero. The galaxy would despise him as a monster. But only Galen knew that when the planet killer exploded as designed, he would die a martyr.

    Veteran
    Galen became a veteran of cowering, a skillfully broken man. This pleased Krennic and he kept Galen alive to watch him writhe.

    Krennic mocked Galen with false reports (later retracted) of Jyn’s capture and torture, or her death on the battlefield. He reminded Galen of his cowardice in abandoning the child on Lah’mu. Krennic took sadistic pleasure in tightening the chains he held around Galen.

    “You have nothing left to live for,” he told Galen. “Everything else is gone.”

    Galen finished his work for the day and filed the calculations to his computer.

    /save Stardust/

    “Not everything,” he thought silently.
     
  4. Mistress_Renata

    Mistress_Renata Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 9, 2000
    These are great, divapilot. Galen's subtle, silent rebellion, and I really, really like Chirrut Imwe's. He trusts in the Force, and knows that there is nothing he can do because the time is not yet right. But when the time is right, the Force will let him know. And it does.

    Great work!
     
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  5. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Superb with Chirrut and Baze, their friendship and the former's attunement to the light in the crystal and discerning that Jyn is pivotal.

    And about the plot bunnies -- [face_dancing] yay. [face_batting]
     
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  6. Mira Grau

    Mira Grau Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2016
    I like the insight in Chirruts mind, he is such an intresting character, I wish we would have seen more of him in the movie.
    Same with Galen I enjoy how you write his relationship with Krennic, how he acts as a broken man to win time and add the flaw to the death Star.
    Nice Drabbles :)
     
  7. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    I like Chirrut and Galen and how you gave insight in their characters
     
  8. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Week 7
    Wow! You certainly couldn't have chosen a better Rogue One match for this group of taste-word prompts than Chirrut. They're so perfectly emblematic not only of his (necessarily) nonvisual way of experiencing the world but also of his very organic, holistic way of using the Force. And those things come together in the way Chirrut experiences/interacts with the other characters and they with him: the light of the Force can be sensed in the sweetness of friendship with Baze, but also in the bitter woman with the crystal around her neck. (Whose bitterness is of a categorically different kind than that projected by the invaders marching in.) And then there's Chirrut himself: though he comes off to many passerby as bland at first glance, anyone who's talked to him even for a bit will know what a tangy wit he has! :D

    Week 8
    A real gut-puncher, this group. You’ve hit it out of the park with your portrayal of Galen’s quiet rebellion, inner strength, and years-long patience in bringing Project Stardust to completion—what an amazing foil those characteristics form against Krennic’s bluster, swagger, and impatience. Krennic continuously taunts Galen with low blows about his daughter and his wife, but then Galen turns Krennic’s foibles right back against him in order to buy more time. It’s really quite impressive given that Galen is not a deceitful or manipulative type at all—just earnest, determined, and principled.

    I have to say that I love how you gave the Eadu engineers such a leading role—I was always partial to them, and I adore the idea that Galen’s deliberate design flaw began as an actual mistake that was taken out—and then painstakingly worked back in. I don’t know if that’s established or if you came up with that, but it’s very cool and adds a new dimension to things. That one engineer is as much of a hero as Galen, as far as I’m concerned. :cool:

    “Save Stardust”—if anyone can do it, Galen can! And his Stardust, in turn, will save everyone. @};-
     
  9. divapilot

    divapilot Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2005

    Thank you! I wish there had been more about Chirrut. He is a really interesting character. ;)

    Thank you! I’m glad you liked them. Chirrut and Baze have a unique friendship and I wish we knew what their backstory was. You’d think someone as apparently disillusioned as Baze would have been long gone but something about Chirrut keeps him on Jedha. :D And Chirrut’s unshakeable devotion to the Force is inspiring.


    As for the plot bunnies, there may be something in the works…o_O


    Thank you! I agree, there must be a fascinating story behind Chirrut. We really don’t know much about him and then he’s gone. Galen suffers for years with the guilt of his wife’s death and not knowing what became of his daughter, so the sabotage becomes his revenge. That man has will of steel. [face_thinking]


    Thanks! I’m glad you are enjoying these. They’re fun to write. I get to dig a little deeper into those characters.:D


    Thank you for your generous response. I was a bit stuck with these until I realized that, as you put it, they are great nonvisual prompts for Chirrut. But there is also the other meanings of the words, too, like bitter and bland. So they worked out perfectly for Chirrut. ;)


    Galen realizes that if he doesn’t work on the project then someone else will do it, so if he wants to have any control over the outcome he has to be the one to design the Death Star. He hates it, but he uses the task to his advantage. It must have been awful for him to have to do, to know he will be remembered as a killer. If things went as he planned, then no one will ever know it was he who made the flaw that would destroy it.:(


    I felt bad for those engineers, in the movie. They had no idea what they were a part of. They were so lost in the science and the creativity of the project that the purpose of the device seemed to elude them. As I imagined it, it’s a little different from how you interpreted it. These engineers were smart, they would have picked up on the errors that Galen inserted, so at some point someone probably called it out. As the head of the team, I imagined that Galen would celebrate the “discovery” of the flaw, reward the insightful engineer with a big promotion (away from the project), let everyone assume the flaw was fixed, then slowly build it back in. Galen has become extremely clever at buying time.

    And if the project is called “Stardust,” it shows that Galen never, ever stopped thinking of Jyn. =((
     
  10. divapilot

    divapilot Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2005
    Week 9: The Annihilation of NiJedha

    Bright
    The sky exploded in a bright light, then a fraction of a second later NiJedha began to shatter. K2SO witnessed the event from the cockpit of the shuttle. His mind sorted through possible reasons for this inconceivable display of destruction before it settled on the most likely cause: weapon (of unidentified origin). There was a 97.46 percent probability that the weapon was of imperial design. Therefore, there was a 73.65 percent probability that the target of the weapon was, or was connected to, Cassian. Except Cassian wasn’t in NiJedha. He would need a quick evac, and K2SO awaited his orders.

    Star
    Krennic watched the display from above, through the viewscreen of the Death Star. The green light pierced the heart of the city, and the resulting fountain of dust and debris rose almost immediately. The explosion shot material high into the atmosphere, setting off electrical discharges across the sky. The death throes of that wasted, worthless nuisance of a city began to spasm across the screen.

    He smiled at its beauty. Concentric waves roiled outward, obliterating everything in their path, scrubbing out the landscape with awe-inspiring power. Now the Emperor himself would have to acknowledge the undeniable value of Krennic’s work.

    Mama
    Bodhi Rook stumbled out of the caves, blinded by the sunlight. Around him, rock walls crumbled and gave way. The ground shook violently and he could taste dust in the air. His mind had not yet recovered from Bor Gullet’s ravages, and at first he thought another forgotten memory had forced its way to the surface.

    Then he realized that he had never seen this kind of destruction before. This was no memory. This was happening now.
    He looked up, toward the spires of NiJedha. But they were gone. The city was gone. The implication hit him. “Mama,” he whispered.

    Please
    Cassian fought his way deeper into the caves. He found her on her knees, as if collapsed, in front of a holoprojector. Saw Gerrera stood on the other side of her, silhouetted against a circular window.

    Jyn was motionless, as if oblivious to the unfolding catastrophe. He pulled at her arm, and she arose. “We have to go,” he pleaded. Please, Jyn. Hurry.

    She looked at Saw. “Go with him,” Saw said.

    “Come with us,” she countered to Saw. He shook his head sadly. Her place was not with him anymore.

    Together, Cassian and Jyn left the crumbling structure behind.

    Shine
    Baze tossed the staff to Chirrut, who caught it mid-stride. Together they raced towards the craft that appeared only slightly ahead of the mountainous cloud of debris.

    Once aboard, Baze glanced out of the window as the ship forced its way upward. Chirrut was annoyingly unnerved. But then, he would probably say their survival was the predetermined will of the Force, so why waste energy worrying? Baze, however, held his breath. It was going to be close. Then, miraculously, the destruction’s darkness was replaced by the stars’ shine, which stretched into brilliant lines of light as they jumped to hyperspace.


    Week 10 – The Organas

    Raise
    Years earlier, Bail had made a promise to a dying friend: He would love and care for her infant like his very own child. Coming home, he wavered. Was this a mistake? The baby had been so small and helpless, and he wondered if he could carry out such a momentous task. But the moment he had placed the little girl in his beloved Breha’s arms and witnessed the fierce maternal love she had for Leia, Bail was reassured. He had made the right choice. They would raise her as their own beloved daughter, and the crown princess of Alderaan.

    Juvenile
    Sometimes it was challenging to have an energetic youngling running about the palace. She was so curious, his little Lelila, and often got into trouble with the household staff for playing where she was not allowed to be. He countered their complaints by noting that juvenile behaviors were to be expected from a little girl.

    Bail understood that royal life was demanding. There would be years ahead for her to lead her people, a lifetime of royal duties. But right now she was a child, and he reasoned that a game of hide-and-seek in the Ancestral Ballroom couldn’t hurt much.

    Mature
    Leia had inherited her adopted mother’s devotion to the people and her birth mother’s passion for justice. There was something else, too – a desire to constantly prove herself. Perhaps this came from her birth father, Bail mused.

    Leia used that willfulness to earn a Senate seat. They represented Alderaan together in the Senate, and he taught her all he knew about the galactic government. He knew that the programs he had initiated as Senator would be safe in her mature, capable hands.

    It pained him that he had to involve her in the as-yet unfinished rebellion he had initiated, too.

    Growth
    The way Leia acclimated to the world of politics was astounding. She earned multiple languages, she studied history avidly, she became a devoted student of law. Even so young, she debated skillfully with her colleagues, as if anticipating their next move. Bail was amazed at her prodigious growth as a politician.

    He resigned as Alderaan’s senator and she took his place. As a senator, she had access to contacts throughout the galaxy under the protection of diplomatic missions. Freed from Imperial government restraints, he devoted himself to his cause. Little by little, he taught her the secrets of the rebellion.

    Elder
    Bail had planned carefully. He would serve only a few more years, as Breha’s health had been declining. Leia had proved a capable representative of her people in government and a beloved princess at home. She would serve in the Senate; then, when the time came, she would assume her place on the throne. She would take over as queen on her twenty-fifth birthday, and her parents would witness her coronation.

    Bail smiled. He would be the elder statesman at last, and his daughter would rule. If all went as he hoped, her reign would be in a free galaxy.
     
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  11. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Week 9: Vivid and superb details of unfolding events. Please and Shine were my favorites. Week 10: Oh delightful. Raise and Juvenile were so loving. Mature and Growth — so full of pride and promise. Elder — gracious I could almost reach out and grab the "if only" of the plans for the future.
     
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  12. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Great action in week 9 and week 10 was lovely to see the growth of Leia
     
  13. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    Oooh, these were fantastic! As much as I try not to fall behind, it is a treat when there are this many drabbles to sit down and savor at once. ;) [face_love]

    Week 7: I love how rich with imagery this one was. Chirrut surely does not need his eyes to see; and the added sensory details, along with what the Force shows to him, were masterfully conveyed. Then, I liked the glimpse of his bond with Baze; their banter, and how easily they fit together as a team just warms my heart to see. [face_love] But it was the last few lines of Bitter - and how that led into and expounded in Bland that really stood out to me. Marvelous work!

    Week 8: Galen definitely possesses a rare kind of strength - the ability to climb up and resist, even while still on his knees. His patience, and the sheer amount of genius it took to embed his sabotage and weave his web, all the while holding his head up high through Krennic's aggravations and coping the knowledge of just what he is working on, even so - was excellently portrayed. I especially enjoyed Freedom - of course there would be a wrench in the plans like that! :oops: And Martyr really encapsulated his mindset nicely. But it was the very last line of Veteran that tied his all together. It's all for her. [face_love][face_love]

    Week 9: Whew! Those were some emotional, action packed drabbles. I love how you went from the artificial consciousness of K2 to the gloating of Krennic to the more personal pain felt by Bodhi, knowing that his family counted amongst the destruction. It was poignant to view the scene from so many different tones and angles, and together they really increased the impact of NiJedha's destruction. Sobering, powerful work. =D=

    Week 10: I adored this week. [face_love] Bail is such a fascinating, strong character - and he, with Breha, really went above and beyond to foster that same sense of strength in Leia. I particularly loved Juvenile for the image of wee Leia running about the palace. :p And Mature struck me for Bail's spot on observations about her character - especially the idea that her eagerness to prove herself came from Anakin. :( The last lines of Elder stood out to me the most, however - what a beautiful wish, and one that he will, sadly, not live to see. But Leia will take everything he taught her and use it to help build a new government. The implications of legacy, both on a familial scale and on the larger, political scene were beautifully explored in this! [face_love]=D=
     
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  14. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    Week 7: Your Chirrut has much of a legendary Shaolin monk: firm believe in the light, a good portion of humour and excellent skills as a fighter. Without him Baze would be as lost as Jedha city.

    Week 8: Now that I faced your version of Krennic, I shivered and felt sorry for Galen. But the thought of his "star dust" gives him the necessary strength for silent resistance.

    Week 9: Your way of showing the destruction of NiJedha was even more powerful & sobering than in the actual movie novel. I needed tissues.

    Week 10: And your portrayal of Bail as the adoptive father of Leia was superb. Alderaan was the best place for her to grow up.
     
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  15. Mira Grau

    Mira Grau Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2016
    Nice update :)
    Intresting to see the different persoectives on the destruction of Jedah. Krennics reaction is truly cold and live contempuous.
    I liked the insight into Bails mind in the years during which he takes care of Leia, how she grows up and becomes a key figure in the rebellion. Its sad that he will never get his retirement and Leia will never become the Queen of Alderaan.
     
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  16. divapilot

    divapilot Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2005

    Thank you! I’d been waiting for an opportunity to tell the destruction of NiJedha from Bodhi’s perspective – that was his home and his family being destroyed. And it would have been wonderful if Bail’s plans had worked out, but evil intervened. Leia would have been an amazing queen.@};-


    Thank you! Leia must have been a tremendous joy to her parents, and a great source of pride.[:D]


    Thank you so much for this wonderful response! Chirrut is a fascinating character and I would love to know his backstory. It’s cool to know that it was Donnie Yen’s idea to make him blind. That quality, imho, is really what defines Chirrut.

    I just read the part in the novel where a higher-up impatiently demands that they fix the exhaust ports on the Death Star and Galen talks him out of it because it would take too long and cost too much. Galen was a pretty smooth guy to be able to sabotage the weapon one grain of sand at a time, over fifteen years. But he did it for her – he never stopped thinking of her.[face_love]


    Thank you – everyone who witnessed the destruction felt it in a different way, and I tried to portray that. For some, like Bodhi, it was tragically personal, while for others like Krennic it was gloating. Mostly it was fear that they would be consumed by the devastation next!:eek:


    Thank you! I have to say I was a bit influenced by @Briannakin’s wonderful Bail/Breha stories to give me some background to Bail and Leia’s personal relationship. When Bail tells Mon Mothma that he would trust Leia with his life, he means it. She’s that good. It must have brought Bail and Breha great joy to have such a daughter. If only he had been allowed to see her become the queen she was destined to be. But like you said, she led a galaxy instead.


    Thank you for stopping in! I completely see Chirrut as a Shaolin monk. He is such an interesting person. :cool: And the closeness of his friendship with Baze, who would do anything for him, makes me wonder what their backstory is.


    Galen lived the rest of his life as a prisoner, but his hope that Jyn would have a chance kept him alive. He was brilliant enough to create the flaw that brought down the people who destroyed him and his family.


    Can you imagine how terrifying that must have been? And Bodhi knows that he is watching the very thing that just killed everyone he loves. It must have been a nightmare for them.:(


    So much of who Leia is comes from her birth parents, but also from Bail and Breha. They raised her to be a true servant of her people, and to lead them by doing what was right.[face_love] Alderaan was a perfect place for her.


    Thank you for your thoughtful response! Krennic is such a contemptuous, arrogant man. He was always jealous of Galen’s intelligence and he thinks now that Galen is forced to work for him, that he controls Galen. But Galen has, once again, outsmarted him. The set with Bail and Leia is bittersweet. There is so much love and respect between them, but their dreams of Bail retiring and Leia becoming queen were so cruelly shattered.:_|
     
  17. divapilot

    divapilot Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2005
    Week 11: I Rebel (Cassian Andor)
    This week’s drabbles are inspired by @Mavjade’s wonderful story For the Rebellion. Thank you for allowing me to expand on the scene!

    Go
    Cassian stared dismally into the amber depths of his drink.

    It had all been in vain. Even Jyn’s impassioned pleas hadn’t swayed them. They were too afraid of the weapon, and their fear had collapsed their resolve. Instead of fighting, the leaders were ready to disband.

    He took a gulp then placed it down, his hand wrapped like a fist around the glass. An idea began to form like the swirling liquid. This was a rebellion, right? He could rebel.

    The thoughts became words, and the words became speech. He raised his head and spoke softly. “What if we go?”


    Wait
    Others at the bar turned to him. “What?” one man asked.

    Cassian turned slowly to face him. “The longer we wait, the more the Empire will believe that they’re invincible.”

    A woman, her flight suit knotted at her hips over a dull gray tank top, spoke up. “And the longer we wait, the more time they have to acquire their next target. This isn’t the end. They will use this weapon again.”

    Cassian nodded. “The information that can destroy it is out there. We’re the only ones in the galaxy who know how to stop it. We have to act.”


    Rise
    People began to rise from their seats and stand around Cassian. “What’s the plan, then?” someone asked.

    “We don’t need an entire fleet to get the data,” Cassian said. “We could take a group and get the plans ourselves.”

    “A hit-and-run assault?” the woman wondered aloud. She nodded thoughtfully. “It might be better that way. Nobody would suspect a small group to infiltrate.”

    Cassian’s expression grew dark. “I saw what they did on Jedha. They killed everyone. Everyone. They will do it again. We can’t allow this.”

    The man to his right raised his glass. “To Jedha,” he said solemnly.


    For
    It was a crazy idea.

    Cassian ran the scenario in his mind. They would have to supply and commandeer a vessel, without anyone suspecting anything. They would need to infiltrate the security at Scarif, which would be nearly impenetrable. Then they would need to determine where, physically, the data files were stored, somehow retrieve them, and return to the Rebellion. He ran his hands down his bearded face. It was an impossible task. How could they hope to achieve this?

    Hope.

    That was the key. If this weapon wasn’t stopped now, then hope would die.

    They were fighting for hope.


    Against
    “The odds are against us,” Cassian conceded. “This isn’t going to be easy. It’s unsanctioned, and we might not come back.”

    A human man leaned in on the bar. “But if we do nothing, how many others will die? Innocent people, who didn’t ask to be a part of this. What kind of future will they have if we don’t?”

    They looked at Cassian expectantly. They’d do it, he thought. Those people on Jedha would not have died in vain. They would fight their way into Scarif and retrieve the plans. Cassian nodded grimly. Some things are worth dying for.



    Week 12: A Heart of Kyber (Lyra Erso)

    Break
    Lyra had always suspected that she was the tougher one. Galen was a scientist, true, but there was much of the poet in him, too. Her subject was geology. It was tangible: her crystals had heft and size; she could feel her hand against their edges. He, on the other hand, was a mathematician. His equations were a symphony only he could hear, with complex patterns rising and falling along invisible pathways.

    His love for her made him vulnerable, however, and she never wanted to be the reason why he might shatter and break. She swore always to protect him.


    Quiet
    Kyber crystals formed only on rare planets, and under the most exacting of circumstances. Lyra loved to explore the caverns where kyber could be found. In the dark and quiet caves, she swore she could feel them vibrate, she was sure she heard them call to her.

    Galen had given her a gift once of a small kyber crystal that he had strung on a cord as a necklace for her. She wore it every day, and would often unconsciously touch it with her fingertips, feeling its warmth against her skin. The strongest stars had hearts of kyber, she whispered.

    Lives
    They had settled on Lah’mu and taken up farming. It was a rewarding, if difficult, occupation, but for once their lives felt safe and in control. Lyra didn’t mind being so far from civilization. What was to miss? The noise and stress? The political maneuverings? Lyra gladly left that behind.

    Their new home was small, much smaller than the apartment they once lived in, but nobody seemed too burdened. Even little Jyn seemed happy here. Lyra tried to make the home pleasant for Jyn and Galen, but part of her was always sure that eventually the Empire would find them.


    Dies
    Lyra never stopped scanning the skies for signs of unscheduled shuttles, and she always kept her blaster within reach. “What if they find us?” she asked Galen one night. “If one or both of us dies, what will happen to her?”

    “We have the escape hatch. Stardust knows the drill well enough, and she’s smart. She’ll go there and wait for Saw—“

    “But he’s so radicalized,” she interrupted. “What kind of life would she have? Her childhood would be over. She’d be living in a war zone.”

    Galen reached over and gently stroked her cheek. “But she’d be living.”


    Story
    Their sensors warned them of the incoming shuttle, and Galen went to confront the intruders, presumably telling them some story to buy Lyra and Jyn more time. Suddenly, Lyra stopped. She couldn’t leave Galen to these monsters.

    Nobody knew that the hatch existed, and Saw would come to check on them if he hadn’t heard from them. Jyn would survive. But how could Lyra live with herself if she didn’t try to protect Galen? She said goodbye to her daughter and kissed her, then watched the girl race toward the hills. Lyra checked her blaster and headed back toward Galen.

     
  18. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    Week 11 - What an absolutely beautiful expansion of that scene! I got chills from reading your words. Every bit of it fit perfectly into the scene and with the prompts themselves.

    This was the part that started the chills which continued through them all. What a powerful sentence with a powerful message.

    Thank you again for thinking of my story! It's quite the honor for someone so talented to want to use something I wrote as a part of their own. @};-


    Week 12- All of them are beautiful! But I especially loved Break. I can very much see that as their lives, and that these were Lyra's thoughts when she went back to try and save Galen. For what little we learned of her, she seemed like such a strong woman and I love that you showed that here.

    =D=
     
  19. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    =D= For Week 11, the strength and resolve shine through so vividly! Week 12: Lyra's love and courage are gorgeously and poignantly detailed. All she wants is what everyone wants: peace and happiness for her family in a safe place. @};-
     
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  20. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    You gave Cassian a lot of character here, even vulnerability. :*

    And your Lyra is wondeful. I could gun down Krennic for killing her the way he did.
     
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  21. Mira Grau

    Mira Grau Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    May 11, 2016
    Nice update
    I like how you had Cassian motivate the others around him and himself after the destruction of Jedha, I think witnessing such destruction would make everyone desparate. Nice to see them find their courrage again.The empire might seem Invincible, but there is allways hope.
    Lyra was nice to read as well, I wish we would have seen more of her in the movie, she seems to be a very intriguing character.
     
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  22. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Once again, I came to this thread far too late to be able to review every drabble individually, but I loved all of this and here are a few highlights.

    I loved how you combined each week's prompts in to fragments of a single character's story -- but even doing that, the amount of character growth that you crammed in so few words is amazing. This is particularly true of the characters you returned to for a second series of drabbles, e.g. Galen the mathematician-turned-rebel and Cassian the cynic-turned-idealist. But the one character that really stands out for me in your writing here is Bodhi Rook. The week 4 series "home" was so bittersweet in so many ways, with the idea that Bodhi had this loving, caring mother who was driving him crazy yet wanted the best for him -- and then returning to him for "Mama" in week 9. Those 100 words capture so perfectly his expression in the film when he sees what is happening to NiJedha, which was also such a great moment of acting by Riz Ahmed. I expected him to say something in the film, and now I know what he said :)
     
  23. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Love your take on Cassian and Lyra
     
    AzureAngel2 likes this.
  24. divapilot

    divapilot Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2005


    Thank you so much! As you can tell, I really loved your story and it got me thinking of how that missing scene from your story reflected ideas from my drabbles.[face_love] Something changed in Cassian that day. He knew the impossible odds, but if he didn’t act, then who would?


    Thanks! I think Lyra and Galen loved each other very much, and although Lyra’s actions were desperate and one could say foolhardy, what she did, she did for love. Like Cassian, she knew she had impossible odds, but she had to try.


    Thank you! Those soldiers who accompany Cassian and his crew to Scarif were true heroes – they knew they were probably not going to survive, but they lay down their lives so that others could live. And Lyra is a great character – I wish we knew more about her. She loves her family so deeply she would fight to the death to protect them. =((


    Thank you so much!@};- I really like Cassian; he is a complicated man who does have a moral compass. He truly wants to do the right thing, and so often he has had to make awful choices for the greater good. As for Lyra, I agree. She was Krennic’s “friend” once, and he casually shoots her down in front of Galen. But then again, she never trusted him and she was in Krennic’s way.


    Thank you for your reply! I have to give mavjade the credit for that scene, from her story. This was a critical time for the entire rebellion. They were falling apart from the fear that the Death Star struck at them. It all came down to one man, Cassian, who helped them find the courage to defeat the threat. And Lyra is a cool character. She has such a deep faith in the Force, and such a strong love for her family.@};-


    Thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate it! You’re very kind.:D
    There are a few characters I keep coming back to (Jyn will be back, I’m sure, and I find myself very partial to Bodhi and Cassian). But as soon as I saw the prompt “mama,” I knew exactly where this set should go. Bodhi lived in NiJedha – that was his home. (I’m still intrigued by what it was that made him want to “set things right” but I guess that is a topic for another set of drabbles.) When Bodhi sees NiJedha destroyed, he is watching everyone he loved, his whole family and his home, murdered. It’s amazing he was even functional after that point. (I suspect the Bor Gullet effect was around for some time, muting his emotional reaction.)
    Riz Ahmed did a great job bringing the vulnerability of “the pilot” to life. Thank you for your high compliment!



    Thank you so much! I’m glad you are continuing to enjoy these.:)
     
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  25. divapilot

    divapilot Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2005

    Week 13. Governance (Wilhuff Tarkin)

    Uprising
    The first rebellion might have come as a surprise to anyone else but Tarkin. However, he considered himself an expert in the behavior of mobs, having had great success in the past in the quelling of opposition. There will be the initial outcry, of course, after a purging of an intractable faction; but those voices die out when the futility of their efforts becomes clear.

    Tarkin ordered the survivors of the uprising to be executed. The holo of their long, tortuous demise was broadcast on every channel to remind the rest of the population of the error of their ways.


    Negotiate
    Tarkin glanced at the report. “The outer colonies have been supplying the rebels. Our intelligence shows it to be small; hardly worth our notice, but as it is on the way, perhaps we can stop in.”

    Vader’s dark presence loomed beside him. His ominous, heavy breath filled the silence. Tarkin turned to the Sith Lord. “I could send a contingent to wipe them out. But perhaps you would rather negotiate with them?”

    Tarkin swore he could sense the smile that crept across Vader’s face beneath the mask. His gloved hand clenched his lightsaber. “It would be my pleasure,” Vader said.


    Convince
    It seemed perfectly clear. Stability came from obedience, and obedience came from fear. Once the population understood that disobedience would be met with swift and brutal retaliation, they would quickly fall in line. After that, the supplies would arrive without sabotage, the requested conscripts would appear for duty, and most importantly, the Emperor’s orders would be followed without question or complaint.

    It was becoming necessary to demonstrate a new destructive force in order to convince the recalcitrant systems that continued this ridiculous rebellion. Tarkin smiled at the thought of the impression that the slaughter of an entire planet would make.


    Overthrow
    Tarkin had earned the rank of Grand Moff on his own exceptional merits. He tolerated Vader’s presence, only inasmuch as he supplemented Tarkin’s own ends. Vader, by his very nature as a Sith, was unpredictable and emotional. His life was ruled by rage. Tarkin, by contrast, was methodical and detached.

    Tarkin felt that he had achieved a satisfactory status. He was feared, and therefore respected, by the military; and he ruled his systems efficiently. Power was not something he craved, although it had its privileges.

    If Vader held any ambition to overthrow the Emperor, he kept such thoughts to himself.


    Unity
    In the end, Tarkin reasoned, all the Imperial leaders were working toward the same goal. His role was to protect the galaxy and to ensure the status of an efficient, organized system of government.

    To have peace, there must be tight controls over freedom. To have unity, there cannot be diversity. It frustrated him sometimes that these misguided radicals believed that freedom should be distributed equally; clearly some species, and some classes, were better suited for leadership while others needed to be dominated.

    He was, in the end, doing the galaxy a service. Really, those people ought to thank him.



    Week 14. “I’ve been in this fight since I was six years old.” (Cassian Andor)

    Talk
    Cassian attended the factory school, where he and the other children would learn the skills required to make them obedient and useful workers, manufacturing durasteel for the Galactic Republic. Someday, Cassian thought as he looked out the grimy window, he would be like Father, and put on his breathing mask and head to the production line.

    Cassian loved being with his father. Sometimes Father took him to meetings where someone would demand better conditions for the workers. Occasionally those meetings became secretive, and Father would ask Cassian to play at another table so he and the other workers could talk.


    Silence
    One day, the workers lined up in front of the plant, shouting about the bad, dangerous things that went on in there. Father explained that the workers wanted better conditions and a healthier living environment.

    Someone from the government eventually came to meet them. He said something (in broken sa-Festi) about how he would take their complaints to officials in Coruscant. The man promised that he would come back with plans on how to make things better. Cassian’s father seemed relieved, and he looked forward to hearing what the man would have to say.

    But all they heard was silence.


    Smile
    The Republic promised to help, but when? Every day the skies grew darker with pollution, every year there was less food to go around. Republic politicians greeted the workers’ pleas with a smile and a promise, but nothing ever happened.

    Be patient, the politicians said. Fest is far away from the Capitol. Some people argued that the Republic had forgotten Fest, so why should the Festu people stay loyal? Soon riots began to break out. Cassian’s school closed, and people were ordered to stay off the streets.

    The Separatists began to send emergency supplies. The Republic began to send troops.


    Laugh
    The riots became guerilla attacks. Cassian’s father returned late at night and slumped against the wall. Cassian awoke and lay his head against him. “Why are we fighting?” Cassian asked sleepily.

    “The Republic is very powerful,” Father said. “They won’t allow us to be independent. They demand we make them more weapons, and they do nothing to help us. They ruin our world with filth and let our people suffer.”

    “So if we fight them, the clone soldiers will go away and let us live in peace?”

    His father’s bitter laugh answered him. “They’ll never let us live in peace.”

    Cry
    Cassian and his father left their home and joined the fighters. Cassian, along with the other children in the camp, assisted the adults by packing supplies and serving food. But being young didn’t protect him from seeing bloodshed. His childhood quickly ended and he became hardened to the trauma of war.

    Then came the demonstration at Cardia.

    It started peacefully enough, then someone threw something. A shot was fired and returned. The insurrectionists attacked and the clones retaliated.

    It was a rout. Later, the survivors returned to claim the dead. Father lay motionless on the ground.

    Cassian didn’t even cry.