To respond to my lovely guest; I am of the mind that force sensitive is like a cursor. Those who don't consider themselves force sensitive could, with meditation, probably capt some information out there, but not use the Force. Those who are more force sensitive won't even have to concentrate. This is why the Jedi meditate a lot as well, to increase their connection with the Force. Does it make sense ?
Krennic's desolate face, wide blue eyes sad, immediately send my mind in overdrive. What could have possibly happened ? For an eternal second, I wondered if he had had enough of Galen and eventually got rid of him. Then my eyes caught him in the room, his back ramrod straight as he watched the empty night. I swallowed my relief at once.
"Come, Elya, come. I thought our mutual friend might want some support before…"
My attention switched from scientist to Director, trying to assess the bombing that was sure to come. Why was Krennic acting so solicitous? After the Vader fiasco, he constantly snapped at us. But tonight, he seemed crushed. And if I didn't know how skilled a manipulator he was, I might have believed him. But there was that gleam of satisfaction hidden behind the misty irises, a light behind the frozen surface.
"She's here, now. So get on with it." Erso's clipped voice surprised me; he had never addressed anyone in the lab with such contempt. To hear his usually silky voice lash out like a whip was unexpected … and a little frightening. Silly me, afraid of the only man that cared about me in this room. I'd better watch my back with Krennic… but old habits died hard. For years, my heart had truly believed that Orson would watch over. Deprogramming this rush of trust and affection was a tough struggle. So I schooled my features, and lifted an interrogative eyebrow to my mentor.
Indignation flashed in his eyes, quelled at once to keep up the desolate façade. When he nodded to me, I knew he had caught my drift. Better even, I could feel his satisfaction at being able to communicate with me on such a subtle, wordless level. The fool…
Krennic started speaking of intelligence, of distant planets and crime syndicates I had only heard about, his long introduction grating on my nerves. Galen just turned around, leaning against the transparisteel window as he watched us both. His eye barely drifted to me before they returned to the hologram transmitter his nemesis had fished out.
"I retrieved a document recently, and thought you might want to have a look."
And without further ado, the sequence started to play. At first, I could only spot flashes and explosions as fighting was much too messy. Then, things started to clear out and a group came running from a huge corridor, passing the surveillance camera. There was no doubt they were rebels; the absence of uniforms and their irregular weapons couldn't possibly belong to the imperial army.
Once, I would have been appalled at their haggard look, all dishevelled and disparate. Proud of the uniforms bestowed upon us by the empire; a sign of belonging into the great scheme of things. Fortunately, I had grown out of it, finding those blasted constricting garments too stifling for anyone's good. The firefight intensified as a group of warriors passed in the camera's range.
The image froze, and I realised Krennic had stopped it. His icy eyes, though, were set upon Galen. "Do you see ? That little figure in the middle of the battle ?"
The scientist had paled two notches, his eyes reflecting pure shock as he approached the image that hung in the air. His hand lifted, as if to touch something … or someone. I squinted, searching for the person they had both noticed, and I had dismissed as a sidekick. There. A girl, no more than ten, ran beside a tall black man who seemed to be in charge.
"Jyn," Galen whispered.
My stomach plummeted, brainwaves spiking in fear. They had found her! Had they captured her already ? Killed her ? Would he dare ? I doubted Krennic would crush his former friend so badly, but he'd ordered Lyra's death after all. My legs started shaking, so I locked my knees, and watched the proceedings.
"Saw Guerrera got his hands on her, now. She's fighting with him against the Crimson Dawn, and there's nothing we can do to retrieve her."
Galen's jaw tensed, but none of the words he wanted to hurl at Krennic passed his lips. My mind reeled; did he know where she was in the first place ? Was it part of the plan ? I had scarce knowledge of those factions, no idea if the man would protect her or use her. "No."
This was pure rejection, a simple word that contained many layers. No, you won't have me tell you. No, I don't want to see her there. No, you can't retrieve her, she's out of your reach. Lost, I forced myself to catch Krennic's gaze. He blinked at me, and I shrugged; I had no information to impart.
"Galen. Is there any way you can contact those people to get Jyn back? She would be protected here, with you." The hair at the back of my neck rose; the danger swimming in Galen's eyes promised violence, on the very short term. I had never seen him like this. Desperate, yes. But ready to throttle someone with his bare hands, never. "You think me such a fool, Orson," he spat.
True; the proposition was laughable, at best. If Saw Guerrera was that rebel terrorist everyone talked about, he wouldn't allow anyone from an imperial base to contact him so easily. "Be reasonable!" Krennic argued, his own hackles rising as he pointed to the little girl with pigtail braids. "She's in the middle of a war ! You can be a family once more."
Galen took a step forward, then another to the point that both men were facing each other, one breath apart. Their familiarity spoke of numerous years spent in naught but their own company, and I suddenly felt very foreign… and very young. I couldn't help but wonder how things were when friendship was still blooming between them. When had Orson been steered away so badly that he'd trapped his own best friend ? It was so sad.
"We stopped being a family when you killed Lyra", Galen ground out.
I caught the very moment Orson Krennic lost his temper. He became a youth once more, the imposing Director of the Galactic Empire left behind. "Eh!", he protested. "Her blaster was aimed at MY chest!" But she had not fired. And as I recalled the scene, the men stared each other down. Needless to say, I now understood Lyra's fierce need to protect her husband from Krennic.
Suddenly, it looked like a lover's spat. Orson's spurned love, discarded for another woman. His reaction that of a child, even, whose parent refused to give exclusivity. Now that I knew where to look, I could see, plain as day, the jealousy in his reddening face. In the rise of his voice, uncontrolled, when he kept so calm in every circumstance. Galen had been his only true friend for a long time, a friend that now judged him, and found him wanting.
"You gave the fucking order, Orson! YOU killed my wife!"
Erso's booming voice echoed so strongly against the walls that a member of Krennic's guard sprang into the room. My heart clenched, and for once, I was glad to be a beginner at this feeling game, because it took me a while to process why it felt so difficult to witness Galen's rage.
Lyra.
He had loved her so much, loved her still. There would always be a special place in his heart for her … where was mine ? It didn't matter. I didn't even know if I should be angry, or sad. My world had changed reference, from Krennic to Galen, and to see him explode like a Quasar put me off balance. For the first time, I had to brace myself against his wrath.
Galen's hand banged upon the table, sending the holocron crashing to the ground. The scientist didn't spare me a glance when he stormed out of Krennic's office, confident that his former friend wouldn't dare stopping him. Rooted on the spot, I suddenly felt drained of my energy. For once, my mind was blank, unable to function in the wake of such destruction.
The sound of the door whoosing close called me back to reality; Galen might have left, but I still had to face Krennic. If Vader had been there … well. I would be screwed. Calling upon my cold persona, I took a peek at my – former – mentor, finding his expression almost vulnerable. Then the cold mask replaced it, his eyes glinting like ice under the sunlight once more. "I'm sorry, Elya. You're going to have to work hard to get him in working condition."
"Did you have to show him, really?", I hissed. Krennic's affronted look was like a direct hit to the gut; I needed to tame my anger, fast. So I took a deep breath before my next sentence came out. "What did you expect ?". Orson walked behind his desk, fishing out a bottle of liquor which deep crimson colour reminded me of the Sith-Kyber. Orson sank in his chair with a sigh, gesturing for me to do the same. "I hoped he would see reason," he sighed, pouring two glasses of the liquor.
There was so much I didn't know in this game; how much of Orson's despair was actually true ? What had been his true aim ? To cripple Galen, a show of Force ? To uncover us ? I nodded thoughtfully, and took a sip of the liquid. Alcohol burnt my throat, but the sweet flavour that lingered behind felt rather good. My eyebrows rose in surprise; I had expected something "manlier" than that. Krennic sent me an amused glance before his face returned to his usual expression.
"I fear Galen is too far gone for reason, you'll have to keep him in line". The amused snort never passed my lips; Galen led me, not the other way around. But I could pretend being in control for the sake of Director Krennic. So I nodded, and took another sip, looking at him straight in the eyes. A good little soldier.
The lines around his mouth were more pronounced now than when we had met; had so much time passed already ? Almost seven years since the institute had shuffled me into a room where he waited for me. I had been ready to believe in legends, that day, for the great Orson Krennic had condescended to mentor me. Naïve girl, really.
"He likes women who can dominate and lead him. You are strong willed Elya. Put him on a leash. It is easier for him to work his science if you… well, you get what I mean." I lifted an amused eyebrow, all the while worrying about my companion. Where was he, right now? I wish Lyra had been here, she might have known how to handle such a crisis.
"I don't know if I'll be able to dig him out of the hole you just put him in," I mused. Krennic suddenly stood, and I left the unfinished glass on the table. I could feel the alcohol affect me already, better stay sober if I needed to handle the storm that was Galen Erso right now. "He dug it out for himself," Orson hissed, his eyes hard. "Give him your hand, he will claw out. Do whatever you need to do, I want him back on his feet in two days' time."
I nodded, jaw tight. Worried. And right before I could exit Krennic's office, he lay his hand upon my arm. "You are worried."
Damn! Was I that easily readable? I needed to be more careful. Perhaps I could use the same technique I had used on Vader to keep my emotions from displaying upon my face. For the moment, though, I couldn't possibly lie. Caught red handed, I tried to rationalise. "Yes. Jyn is unattainable now."
I left the rest unsaid, because I sure as hell didn't want to give more weapons to the master manipulator that faced me. His eyes slightly cringed at the corner, not unlike Galen did, and he gave me a crooked smile. "You're provided us with other means to keep him in line."
My blood ran cold as I realised what he meant.
Me.
I was the pressure point now. Suddenly, I felt the urge to punch him repeatedly in the face. Swallowing my anger, I nodded stiffly. "I think it is best l find him before he does something stupid". Krennic's smile widened, the earlier despair gone as he ordered the doors to open for me. "I'll tell the guards no to shoot him if he gets drunk".
I didn't respond, jogging up the corridor with a sense of renewed urgency. No shooting for sure, but he didn't say anything about letting security drag him in a cell. And if there was something I was sure about, it was that Galen would need my support before the end of the night.