Author's Note: The only thing that belongs to me is my OC Christianna. All other characters, and the timeline the story follows, belong to Disney now I suppose.
Italicized sentences will be the 'telepathy' talking between the couple.
Bodhi sat against the stone wall of his cell, his eyes wide and his heartbeat quickened. The only movement came from his chest, his shallow breathing. The rest of him was frozen, not from the cold but from fear. His mind twitching, scrambling in attempts to grasp onto any thought, any memory. Something to reassure him that he was alive. Still whole after that... thing, invaded his mind.
He had never had many friends, not even as a child. He was always too quirky and a bit quiet. He didn't like large crowds or lots of attention. He was too different from others his age. His family had died when he was younger; so he had always been on his own. But never, never had he truly felt alone until this moment.
Telepathy.
He gasped softly as that one word made it's way to the surface. Allowing him to remember that he was never truly alone. He always had her. Well, sort of.
His soulmate. She was beautiful and perfect in every sense of the word. He loved her with all of his heart and soul, and he didn't even know her name. Even when she did speak to him, they were short sentences, barely any emotion behind them. But it never dampened the way he felt for her, and he never pushed for more. Because of her, he always had someone there; for he could feel the connection between their minds. That, that was enough for him.
She had told him why once, why she barely spoke, why she all but attempted to push him away. She didn't feel special, didn't feel worthy of something as beautiful as a true soulmate.
Ha!
And here he was, a defector to the Empire.
He shed a tear as he tried to get his mind to focus. What if it didn't work? What if she was gone because of what had been done to him? He would have a very hard time living then.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing so hard as he fought off the jumbled mess of his mind.
"Tell me you are there."
He waited for a few moments but got no answer, clenching his fist as his breathing quickened. No. All of the things the force had willed to be taken. Not her. Please.
"My love please, please. I need to hear you."
"I told you not to call me that."
A soft sob escaped him and he looked up to the ceiling, past it to whatever force was guiding them all through their lives. Thanking it.
"I have done something... something that was not my brightest idea. But a necessary one. And now I am being held captive."
There was a moment of silence. But through it he could feel her become concerned, even though her words stayed calm. It gave him hope.
"And what did you do?"
"I... am a defector to the Empire. In helping a friend deliver an important message that he said would greatly help the rebellion. Though they see my uniform and do not trust me. They... raided my mind and yet still locked me away. I cannot blame them. But I did the right thing, yes?"
"That's really only a question you can answer. If you feel it, in your heart and soul then yes. If you regret what you did then no. Accepting the consequences is just a part of that."
It was his turn to go silent, the softest of smiles gracing his lips as just hearing her was enough to make everything better.
"He told me. He said I could get right by myself. He said I could make it right, if I was brave enough to listen to what was in my heart, and do something about it. I... I did. I did the right thing."
He had never sounded or felt more sure and proud of himself. But deep down he knew. The Empire was wrong, so wrong, and they needed to be stopped.
"I'm proud of you."
Her words made his eyes widen and tears filled them, his heart aching as he reached out absentmindedly, imagining he could touch her.
"The Empire caused my families death, years ago. I've been with the Rebellion ever since. They saved me, saved the others who lived through the destruction of my town."
He stayed silent, not daring to interrupt her as this was the first time she had ever shared anything about herself. He grasped onto her words, held so tight onto them in an attempt to ease the chaos in his head.
"I have never done something quite like that though. I'm not much use at all to them really. Just.. help take care of children at their daycare center."
He chuckled softly.
"Children are the most important people in the universe. They are the future. To help them learn and grow. I'd say that has to be one of the most critical jobs to have. Besides, that means you have the patience of a saint. I'm not the easiest man to deal with."
He teased with her, joked, needing to laugh. Needing to pretend that a future with her was still a possibility or he really would lose his mind.
"You.. you get out of that cell Bodhi Rook."
Her voice barely came as a whisper to his mind, but he'd never felt such a warmth. To hear her say his name did wonders for his confidence.
"And what will I get if I do?"
More silence, but he could tell her mind was active in thought.
"My name. If you get out of that cell, and are on your way to a safe place. You can have my name."
He immediately sat upright, his legs crossing as he prepared to stand. Seems he was about to be even more of a... rebel. Surely breaking out of a jail was going to get some unwanted attention.
"And then I'm doing something stupid for another deal. Whatever it takes to meet you."
"Can you not at least get out of that cell before you try and make jokes with me?"
He sighed content as he heard her tone change to one of amusement. Progress, always the slightest bit of progress when it came to her. He'd take it one step at a time even if he didn't reach the destination until he was fifty.
"Yes yes yes, sorry. I- I have to go. Someone's coming."
He felt her want to protest but ignored it as he returned to his lifeless state against the wall. Guards, with prisoners it sounded like; they were coming his way. A different noise from the creatures that typically partied in the room right outside his cell. Disgusting ones at that. Watching holograms of dancing girls, and betting on games.
He listened to the commotion take place, the new prisoners protesting being, well, prisoners. He'd done the same when he came. But they were locked away just as he was, and soon the guards were retreating, and he was left to listen to the new captives bickering among themselves. Affectionate bickering, he noted. He also picked up that there were three men.
"Who's the one in the next cell?"
Bodhi blinked himself back to reality and listened closely to the cell next to his. Him, he was being referred to.
"An imperial pilot!" A much more rough, much less kind, voice spoke now.
"Pilot?" The third and final voice spoke, just barely.
"I could kill him!" Hands reached through the bars and grabbed harshly at him.
Bodhi Rook would normally have shied away from such confrontation, hearing the protests of the third man who now was trying to pry his cellmate away. But now he was determined, he had a reason to get out of that cell. As silly as it may seem.
"Hey, are you the pilot?"
He turned to see the third man, the man he now knew to be the captain. Who seemed much more composed and softer than his companion. He nodded as he stood, grasping onto the bars between them. Ignoring the throbbing in his head.
"I'm the pilot, I brought the message. Get me out of this cell and on a ship. I'll tell you anything you want to know. I'll do anything to help you. Just please, please, get me out of here." He didn't beg, no, his tone was sturdy and serious. He had a cause now. More than one even. And he'd be the truest definition of rebel, if that's what it took to achieve his goal.
"You wait for me."