Well you can probably figure out what's going to happen from the chapter title.
I don't own anything.
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Orson's P.O.V.
Riding a Markavipe through portal-like air currents makes me dizzy and the minute we hit solid ground I feel like I'm going to puke. Fortunately, I don't.
We end up on a new planet. Unlike the last one, which was like a cross between a volcanic and rocky surface, this one was covered in five inches of water. It's not the easiest to walk through. "Where are we?" I ask Bodhi, who's still on top of Allura with Cassian.
Bodhi pulls out Galen's clue and fumbles with it until he can read it. "I don't know. Did we follow Galen's instructions?"
Lyra nods. "I told the Markavipes to go to Krysilos. So here we are."
Cassian hops down from Allura and walks next to me. "Bodhi, didn't we have a contact with someone who was living on here?" They had a contact here? That would make navigating this area for a clue... whatever the clue was. Of course I'm just assuming Bodhi and Cassian's contact knows the area well.
Bodhi thinks for a moment. Then he nods. "Yeah... I think it was Baze and Chirrut." Baze and Chirrut? I ask Cassian about Baze and Chirrut.
"Baze Malbus and Chirrut Îmwe are just friends of ours. They used to be the Guardians of the Wills. Basically they believe in the Force. Or at least Chirrut does. Baze is a little different."
The water gets deeper with each step we take and and soon I'm wading in about fifty centimeters of water. It makes it hard to walk quickly so I end up riding on Ryuk. I swear, Ryuk is just plotting something against me. The way he looks at me with his beady little eye makes me wonder if I should consider writing a will while I ride him.
We travel for a while until the sun sets and we're forced to stop for the night. We find an island and make camp on the beach. Lyra and I cook some of the rations we brought along. We don't have much food left and I wonder if it's possible to starve to death in this realm.
Gumdrop (who came along unbeknownst to me) has no problem stealing food from everyone's plates. In her haste to steal food, she nearly gets trampled on by Amon. Bodhi finally ties Gumdrop to a tree. "If you're not going to behave, you'll have to stay tied up." The cord is long enough so Gumdrop can walk around but short enough that she can't reach any food. So Gumdrop walks around the tree until her leash is tangled. I often wonder if she has any brains.
I'm the first one on watch duty tonight again. Lyra gives me my staff back so long as I don't fall asleep. I draw in the sand to keep my brain awake. One of my drawings kind of looks like Jyn. I wonder why I think of her so much now. I don't think of finding her as just a mission anymore. I find myself fantasizing how she would react to me being the one to find her. Many times, she'll be a little skeptical at first but then come around as quickly as Bodhi did and we become good friends. However, I already know there is no way in hell that Jyn will be like that. She'll probably beat me up a few times before she's satisfied with her revenge.
My thought train is broken when Bodhi starts crying in his sleep. He's crying about something burning him. I wouldn't be surprised if he was having a nightmare about the Empire burning his home. Cassian wakes as well and the two of us try to wake Bodhi. But the pilot remains asleep, tears flowing down his cheeks. Somehow, Lyra doesn't wake up to any of this.
Cassian sighs. "What are we going to do?" He moans.
"You know him the best. Do something he'd wake up at!" I hiss.
Cassian hesitates before doing what I said. He gave Bodhi another shake as a last attempt to wake him. When it doesn't work, Cassian bends down and kisses Bodhi on the lips. It's a quick kiss but that's all it takes. Bodhi immediately stops crying.
The following morning, as we continued to walk, Bodhi tells us about his dream. "Everything that I love was being taken by the Empire. Even you, Orson. They lit the cottage on fire and I was trapped inside. It was terrifying because I was told they were going to do something bad to you guys. And then Cassian managed to kiss me as he was being taken away and I suddenly had super powers to save everyone. So I guess it was a good dream and a nightmare."
"That's wonderful!" Lyra chimes. "It's always worth it when a dream turned out good."
"Dreams are always worth it if I'm going to be kissed in it," Bodhi responds with a dreamy voice. Cassian and I look at each other. We silently agree to keep what happened last night between the two of us. Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if Cassian kissed Bodhi again- with Bodhi being conscious next time.
We reach another island and on the beach is a blind man. He doesn't turn our way but I can tell he hears us coming. I'm assuming this is Chirrut, as Bodhi told me that Chirrut is blind but he has a special connection with the Force so he knows where everyone is. Hopefully my presence wouldn't startle him.
"Chirrut!" Bodhi calls. Chirrut's eyebrows rise in surprise. "Chirrut! It's great to see you!" Bodhi hops off Allura and runs up to Chirrut.
Chirrut smiles. "It is good to see you too. Baze! Bodhi and Cassian are here. And they've brought two friends!"
I tense up when I lock eyes with a taller and more muscular man. He must be Baze. Baze looks at me coldly and it's obvious he knows perfectly who I am. Lyra introduces herself and is immediately accepted as a friend. I wish I could make friends that easily.
Baze walks over to me. "Lemme guess, you're either a captive or you're a member of the group."
"A member," I answer honestly.
Cassian and Bodhi fill Chirrut and Baze in with all that has happened in... I have lost count of how many days it's been since we met. Surprisingly, Chirrut accepts me right away. "The Force says he's pure."
"Tch," Baze grumbled. "The Force might not even be a thing in the Universe of the Ghosts."
"Oh, shut up, Baze. It is here. I can feel it."
"This is the man who can't make it a full day without tripping over something."
"So the Force is not as strong in the Galaxy of the Dead, big deal."
I smile. These two fight like they're a couple or something. I let them bicker and draw squares in the sand with my foot. I begin to wonder just how many names this realm is known as. It might be entertaining to listen to the six of us referring to the same realm with a different name and no one knows what the other is talking about.
Chirrut and Baze finally decide to show us their living quarters. Baze holds out his arm for Chirrut to hang on to and the two lead us through the forested island. We arrive at a large cave. It's quite homely except for the whistling wind that comes from deep inside the cave.
I inspect the cave. It's a little area to get out of the weather. Cassian, Bodhi and Lyra are talking to Chirrut and Baze while I continue looking around. I notice that there's two hammocks from Baze and Chirrut (Chirrut's walking stick is next to one and Baze's machine gun is by another) and a third area for another person farther inside the cave. A small pistol is laying underneath it. Is there a third person? Do Baze and Chirrut carry around pistols? I pick it up and inspect it.
A cold hand wraps around my neck and I'm pulled off my feet and thrown to the ground. I quickly roll to my back to see my attacker. It's an imperial droid... "Another Imperial scum. I thought I disposed of you last week," The droid says.
"What was that for?!" I snap as I try to get up. "And who are you calling scum?!"
"Stay down." The droid drops its foot onto my chest. "For the record, any Imperial of any form is scum."
"Says the Imperial droid," I retort.
The droid's bends down to look at me closer. "You are Director Orson Callan Krennic, are you not? You're the one that killed Galen Erso."
I stiffen. "That was in the other realm. I'm no director anymore. And do I know you?"
"That does not matter. I can scan you and find out all I need to know. I can even tell you that your heart rate has gone up."
"That is information I already know." I manage to get out from under the droid's leg. I stand up. "So what do I call you? Impy?"
"Excuse me?!? I am nearly thirty-six centimeters taller than you. You are the imp."
I roll my eyes. "I'm calling you Impy. I don't care if you're taller." I turn around and start walking out of the cave.
The droid follows me. "You sense of sass is very strange, Orson Krennic. Perhaps you should take a sass class."
"Does that even exist?"
"You need a teacher. I can be your teacher."
"I'm ecstatic."
"Was that sarcasm?"
"How should I know, Sass Teacher?"
"I find your answer full of stu-" the droid doesn't get to finish. We're standing at the mouth of the cave when Cassian barrels by me, knocking me over.
"KAYTOOOO!!!" Cassian hugs the droid like there's no tomorrow.
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Yay! K-2SO is in the story!
I thought I might as well go for a lighter chapter to ease up the tension between the group. Of course, the next chapter will probably be filled with the dark theme again.
Please review!