Supernova || Luke Skywalker

Six

"Tell me", Chirrut's voice broke the shocked silence. The ship was still in hyperdrive. The droid in the pilot's seat as Cassian fiddled with the radio coms. The rest of the ship's occupants were seated in various states of shock. Jyn was curled up in a corner with her knees tucked into her chest. Bodhi was seated on a bench with his hands over his face, staring at nothing. Lian had collapsed by the window like a puppet with cut strings. His head buried in his scarf and his eyes closed.

"Please tell me", Chirrut asked, voice horse with emotion. "All of it? The whole city? Tell me".

"All of it", Blaze stated. The heaviness in his voice and the words being spoken out loud was like a physical blow. Bodhi winced and Lian made a painful moaning noise. Chirrut ducked his head and stood up. He shuffled across the ship, his staff helping him find his way. When he came to Lian he sat down at the boy's side. One of his hands raising to rest on his shoulder. Blaze gave a sigh and sunk to the floor on Lian's other side as the boy shook.

At the comms, Cassian sighed and took off his headphones. "Set a course for Eadu".

"Eadu", Jyn looked up. "Is that where my father is?"

Bodhi seemed to reawaken. He turned to Jyn curiously. "Are you Galen Erso's daughter?" His voice was soft and quiet.

"You know him?"Jyn's eyes were hopeful.

Bodhi looked unsure of what to say. "I am Bodhi, um the pilot".

"You brought the message", she almost smiled eagerly.

"Yes. Your father said I could get it right. He said that I could make it right if I was brave enough to listen to what was in my heart and do something about it". Bodhi began to tear up. "I guess it was too late", his voice broke.

Jyn leaned forwards. "It wasn't too late".

"It seems pretty late too me", Blaze growled.

Jyn turned to him, eyes sharp with a fire. "No, we can beat the people who did this. My father's message, I've seen it. They call it the Death Star. But they have no idea, there's a way to defeat it. You're wrong about my father", she stood up and strolled over to Cassian.

"But he did build it",  Cassian pointed out.

"Because he knew that they'd do it without him. My father made a choice. He rigged a trap inside it. It's why he sent you to bring that message". She turned and gestured to Bodhi.

"Where is it? Where is the message?"

"It was a hologram?" Jyn deflated slightly.

"But you have that message right?" Cassian pressed. Jyn shook her head.

"Everything happened so fast".

Cassian sighed and turned to Bodhi. "Did you see it?" Bodhi shook his head.

Jyn took a step closer. "You don't believe me?"

"I'm not the one you've got to convince".

"I believe her", Chirrut voiced. Lian lifted his head up so that he could peer round at them. His dark eyes were shiny.

"What kind of trap?" Blaze asked. "You said your father made a trap?"

"The reactor", Jyn stuttered. "He said that he's placed a weakness there, he's been hiding it for years. He said that if you blow the reactor then the whole system goes down". She turned to Cassian, her fire returning. "You need to send word to alliance".

"I've done that".

"They have to know that there's a way to destroy it. They have to go to scarif to get the plans".

"I can't risk sending that. We're in the heart of imperial territory", Cassian snapped.

Jyn straightened her shoulders. "Then we find him and we bring him back so that he can tell them himself". Cassian nodded but Lian could tell by his eyes that there was something he was not telling them.

——

Eadu was a pretty blue planet from above. A swirling blue marble that looked so small and simple from space. Lian peered at it through the window in curiosity. There was the sound of footsteps and he looked down to see Jyn at his side. She was smaller now that she wasn't talking. It was like her voice and fire made her bigger, more impressive. Now that she was silent at his side, he realised that she was almost a whole head shorter than him.

She looked up at him curiously. "What's you name again?" Lian blinked at her and turned to the window. He couldn't find is voice. His throat felt closed up, heavy and tight. He could still hear the thundering of the lightning and rocks as Jedha fell around them. It hurt. The grief still too much like shock to actually hurt.

"His name is Lian", Chirrut called. "And he has problems talking to strangers".

"Oh ok", Jyn nodded. She returned to looking down at Eadu. "It looks pretty doesn't it? Is this your first time on another planet?" Lian nodded and pulled his scarf further up over his nose. Jyn immediately winced. "Sorry. About your city. I'm sorry". Lian nodded again, this time more jerkily.

Jyn looked him up and down. She took in his dusty robes and the staff at his side, the short spiky black hair and the dark eyes. "You are a guardian like Chirrut?" Lian nodded, this time adding a confirming hum. "How old are you?" Jyn looked to be in her mid to late twenties. A few years younger than Cassian but a few year older than Bodhi, who Lian knew was twenty four.

"He's twenty", Bodhi murmured softly as he walked up to join them. He was still wearing his grey imperial flight jumpsuit and his aviator goggles on his head. He turned to offer Lian a shaky smile. He looked worn. It had been a few years since Lian had seen him, not since before he joined the flight academy. He had aged well, if you took away the effect of the last few days. Bodhi nodded at him. "Did I get it right? You were a sixteen when I left. You've become a full fledged guardian now. Sorry I missed it". Lian ducked his head and nodded.

Bodhi's smile widened slightly. He had always been like an older brother to Lian when they were kids running around the streets of Jedha. "You still struggle talking to strangers huh?" Lian felt the redness tinge his ears. Bodhi made a slight noise that might have been a chuckle if it hadn't been weighted down by the grief of their home. He inhaled deeply, staring through the window into space. "You used to follow us older kids round the square like a little silent shadow. All dressed in black robes with your head shaved. The aunties at the stall used to call you little dumpling". Lian snorted softly at the memory, a light smile flashing briefly across his face.

"Ah yes", Chirrut nodded. "It was because of his cubby cheeks. Us older guardians used to take him with us to collect offerings".

Blaze grunted in amusement. "Yeah that's because you used to collected twice as many offerings with a cute little kid around".

"Hey", Chirrut shrugged, unashamed. "Cuteness works".

Bodhi laughed as he turned to look at Lian again. "Lost your chubby cheeks now though. You've grown up well. You almost look like and adult". Lian swatted at him and Bodhi grinned. For a moment the familiar chatter and nostalgic memories brought a lightness to his chest. For a moment they could all pretend that Jedha was still there, waiting for them to come back. It was easier to imagine the city like that, a childhood home. They were probably heading towards death but none of them cared.

"You guys might want to grab one to something", Cassian called back, interrupting their small bubble. "The decent is going to be rocky. Bodhi get up here and direct us".

Unedited