The Realm of Muertos [Under Editing]

Chapter 1. Afterlife

[Note as of 4/22/2017] This story is under editing (not by a beta. By me) so please excuse the random updates]

[Original Note as of 1/22/2017]
This chapter was originally set up to be a one-shot. However, I thought it would be a good way to kick off this story (I mean, I wrote the one-shot. Why not share it?).

The story has been slightly modified to so it doesn't sound like it really is just a one-shot.

I don't own Star Wars.
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Everything slows down.

Everything was in a freeze frame.

Everything except for the green light screaming across the sky.

I lay on the communications tower platform, watching in dread as the green beam from the Death Star lopes down towards Scarif's surface. I could try to run. I could try to escape. But it was useless. I would never make it to a ship before the explosion claims my life.

The beam touches the surface of Scarif and a brilliant, bright sun-like dome rises out of the ground and expands rapidly, swallowing anything its edges touch. It was just as beautiful, if not more, as the explosion on Jedha.

This was the end.

Tarkin. I should have known Tarkin would use my own creation against its creator. It happens in every children's story. Apparently, it happens in real life as well.

The yellow dome continues to grow. Like most of the children's story's said as well, my life begins to flash before my eyes. I think about all the events I have lived through: the rising of the Sith, the discovery of the Jedi Chosen One, the Clone Wars, the Fall of the Republic, and now the peak of the Empire. But most of all, I think of what I regret most. I wish I had done so many moments in my life differently and not allowed myself to become so blinded by lust and power.

The dome is just moments away from me, its light like a hungry mouth meant tear apart and consume anything in its path. The thought of how much pain I would have to go through crosses my mind, though I find it hard to imagine what it would feel like. A body exploding is not an ideal final thing your senses feel. I squeeze my eyes shut and brace myself for the pain.

This was the end.

However, the pain doesn't come. Curiosity rises inside me and I open my eyes. I am inside the dome, floating through yellow misty air, and in one piece. In front of me was none other than Galen and Lyra Erso. I guess death itself isn't as painful as I thought it would be. But I can't say the same thing about what might happen next. Galen and Lyra are probably extremely angry at me for betraying them, killing them, and appearing in front of their very feet. This was an open opportunity for their chance to get revenge on me. I brace myself again, this time for whatever they do to punish me. I deserve it anyway. I am the one who tore their family apart.

Galen bends down and extends a hand towards me. His other hand is holding on to Lyra's hand. I flinch, thinking Galen is going to slap me like I had slapped him back on Eadu. But the slap never came. Instead, Galen's voice did.

"You're here." Galen's voice surprises me. I haven't heard it this gentle in so long. I look up at him.

"What do you mean?"

Galen smiles. "I was wondering how long I'd have to wait before you kicked the bucket."

I don't understand. Why isn't he angry? Instead, Galen has that twinkle in his eyes where he thought everything is kind of like a joke. I had seen it when we met back at the academy and it had never left his eyes until the day they discovered I had been using them to fuel the Death Star's construction. "Why aren't you angry at me?"

Galen glances at Lyra. Her face is calm and relaxed, something I haven't seen since the the first few weeks after I freed the Erso family from captivity. She looks down into my eyes. "Why should we be angry? We all ended up with the same fate; being killed by the war. Revenge shouldn't be the only option to use on the people who hurt you."

The meaning behind their words is still vague to me. It must be obvious because Galen explains further. "Forget what you have done wrong. Start a new beginning with us. We'll help you along the way. After all, friendships carry on through the ages."

It's been more than a score and a half since I last cried. Yet here I am, tears streaming down my face like a child. After everything that had happened, everything that I put them through, they still forgave me. I don't deserve their friendship. I don't deserve any of this.

Galen still has his hand extended towards me. I wrap my fingers tightly around his. He yanks me to a standing position and this is where I do something I would have never imagined myself doing. I threw my large frame against Galen and Lyra's and embrace them tightly. The two return the gesture by wrapping their arms around me. "Thank you," I whisper. "Thank you so much."

We stay in that position for a long time. Eventually, I run dry of tears and resolve to soft hiccups. Lyra pulls away first. She smiles at her husband and I. "Come on, let's go find our daughter," she says.

"Your daughter?" I ask. "But she still-"

"She didn't survive the explosion either," Galen cuts in. "Which means that we will be able to see her in the realm of the dead."

I flinch. I know Jyn will hate me. I know she'll never forgive what I did to her family. If her parents couldn't punish me, she would. My mind is returned back to reality when Galen says my name. "Orson, we will explain everything to Jyn. We will tell her what's happening." He squeezes my hand and beckons me to follow him.

I take a deep breath. This wasn't how I imagined the afterlife to be. But if it mean having a second chance at correcting all my mistakes and restoring my friendship with the Ersos, I was more than glad to accept death.
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Welp! That's the first chapter! Hope you all enjoyed!

(I might have some messed up tenses somewhere in here. I suck at figuring out the correct tenses.)

Please review, criticize, critique, and or just comment! It will really help me with my writing in the future!