Galaxy (GIVEN UP)

Chapter 13

Roman poked his head down into the engine room. "Hey, Virge." He said. "Can I come down?"

Virgil shrugged and Roman took that as a 'yes'. He dropped down into the engine room and sat down just a way behind Virgil.

"What're you doing?"

"Tryin' to attach yar engine to the main-frame of The Osiris." Virgil explained. He furrowed his brow as he pulled apart the nest of wires he'd extracted from the Kaboom Raa 15. "These damn things make no sense." He muttered furiously.

Roman looked over his shoulder. "Well, sure they do." He pointed over Virgil's shoulder. "See, those ones are for electricity, see how they're the thinnest? Then it's data, they're a little bigger and finally fuel. See?"

Virgil sat very still for a couple of seconds. Then, he let out a sigh and pointed at Roman.

"Ya..." He said. "Ya are a genius, Princey. An absolute genius!" He shook Roman off and started separating the wires.

"I'm not." Roman said. "I was just there when they built the ship."

"Of course they wouldn't colour-code the wires!" Virgil nattered on, paying Roman no heed. "The Resistance is smart, they are. Damn smart. They musta known the Empire would wanna get a-hold o' their ships. So they changed it up. Damn smart!" He laughed and set to work.

Roman sat, almost frozen. He'd never heard someone talk so fast and with so much passion in that accent since... well. It didn't matter. But he hadn't heard someone speak like that in ages. It almost hurt him.

"Anyway, um, what's complete molecule reversal?" He asked. "In theory."

"Well..." Virgil started. He didn't go further with the sentence, instead picked up another tool and started analysing the wires from every angle.

"Well," Virgil said again, more focused on his work, "in theory, complete molecule reversal - or molecular disengagement - is basically makin' somethin' disappear. Poof. Gone."

"Gone?" Roman repeated.

"Gone." Virgil confirmed. "Completely. Supposedly, it's the most painful way to die in existence but since we only have theories, no one can know."

"Why, though?" Roman asked. "Surely it'd be like... poof and gone. Quick, from we saw."

"Yeah, it's quick but..." Virgil trailed off again. He put his tools down and turned to look at Roman. "Try and imagine every bone in yar body breaking simultaneously, every vessel in yar body bursting, every part of ya being crushed all at once. And all that happening in a matter of milli-seconds." He nodded at Roman's face. "Exactly. Quick but not painless."

"That's awful." Roman breathed. "If it fell into the wrong hands-"

"It already has." Virgil interrupted. He turned around, not looking at Roman. "That X-Wing wasn't disengaged just because it was tailin' us."

"You mean...?" Roman swallowed. "You mean the Empire stragglers already have this?"

"Empire stragglers," Virgil scoffed, "there are no Empire stragglers, Roman!" He snapped. "There's the Empire! Just the Empire! They're always there."

"No." Roman said. "No they're not."

"Why do you think the Resistance is still recruitin'?" Virgil shot back. "What, because of 'just in case'? Because... they're cautious? Because it could happen again? They're recruitin' because they're scared and out-numbered - so delusionally out-numbered."

"How'd you know that?" Roman asked. "I saw what you did back there with the nearly killing the Resistance fighter. What are you?"

"I only did that because ya were in danger." Virgil snapped. "I don't normally go around Force choking people into unconsciousness but I did. Because of ya. But if ya'd've rather been pumped full o' laser holes, please, do tell and I'll remember for next time."

"What are you?" Roman repeated. "Cause the only person I've ever seen choke someone like that is a Sith."

"What, ya think I'm a Sith?" Virgil asked. He scoffed and shook his eyes. "If I were in the Empire, I wouldn't be sat here with ya in a dusty engine room, would I? No, I'd be on some sorta workin' ship, discussin' plans for complete molecular disengagement, wouldn't I? But, seein' as I'm not and I haven't killed ya yet, I'd say I'm not!"

Virgil turned away. "Now could ya go away?" He asked sharply. "Ya're in my light."

We got an arguement. I love writing arguements.
Bye,
Blaize