War Child--Rogue One

XXXVIII

Within a week of living on Fest, I establish my midday walk.

Halfway around, I stop at a restaurant that recently opened, so nobody in there should be able to recognize me.  The waitresses all know my order: fried tubers, roasted meat, and bread.

I've seen a few people I recognize in the restaurant, the Golden Blaster, but they don't seem to notice me.  I wear my hair down, and what little beard will grow I let grow.

At first, I didn't remember anything about the bases. A year and a half in prison and in a labor camp will eliminate most memories, and time does the rest. But, after a little while, I figure out what has changed.

Most supplies and troops enter the back doorway of the north base, instead of the front. A new lookout tower was constructed in the south base. The west base appears to be mainly an officers' barracks and meeting rooms, guessing by the ratio of officers to troopers. And the east base are all snowtroopers and no stormtroopers, and they've added a garage of some sort. I assume it's for snow speeders.

Now, I have no clue how to get the information back to the Rebellion. I slowly alter my walk so I pass the shipyard, but I'm either there at the wrong time every time or none of that team come here anymore.

I spend my eighteenth birthday on Fest. I am officially an adult, as far as the Imperial Senate is concerned. According to their Code, I should now be treated the same as any other adult, which I find ironic, since when I was arrested at fifteen, I was treated as though I were as old as I am now.

Just goes to show you how the Empire defies even its own rules, not just morals.

I wish I could send even one letter home to Linami, or send a message back to the Rebellion to have them get me out of here.

I decide to take action.

I stop longer by the shipyard, and start to drop hints that I'd like to go home to the warmer climate of Dantooine, if I can find someone willing to take me there, as long as I work.  Finally, someone picks up on the not-so-subtle hints.  That someone just happens to be the Dantooine trademaster for Fest.  He looks up when the next crew leaving for Dantooine is for me.

I have three days to pack everything I want to take with me and sell everything else.  I'd like to return with five hundred credits, the same amount I arrived with, to give back to the Empire.

I barely scrape together five hundred twenty credits by selling my things, and notify the landlord that I would be leaving shortly, apologizing that I hadn't given him earlier notice, but I just found a ship and want to go home to see my family.

He thinks I'm a farmer and starts talking to me about the climate there, asking the average rainfall and those sorts of things.

I dodge that by saying, "I never really pay that much attention to how much rain we get.  All I know is that it rains and waters the crops and that's been pretty consistent as long as I've lived there."

He grunts and nods.  "It's the same here, if you've noticed.  We don't measure the snow anymore.  It's just dustings and dumpings."

I laugh to satisfy him, and leave to finish packing my things.  As well as the credits, I have two hefty bags.

These I carry onto the ship with me on the third day.  The pilot is Lee Grant.  As I step onboard, she says, "Eh, Giovan!  Finally decided to come back?"

I shrug, acting along.  "Decided it's too cold here.  I like the rain better."

She chuckles.  "Took you long enough.  I think your girl's been missing you.  And never a letter!"  She tuts.  "Surprised she's still holding out for you."

The door closes and we drop the act.  "Linami really can't wait for you to be home.  And what room you so long?"

"Couldn't figure out how to get home," I say with another shrug.

"Fair enough.  Get what you needed?"

"Yup."

"Alright.  Crew!  We're getting off of this Force-forsaken planet.  Let's get somewhere warm!"

Her crew hoots their approval as she vaults up the ladder, preparing the bartered Zeta for takeoff.  I take hold of the strap above my head and drop my bags, ready to start the journey home.

"Are we stopping anywhere on the way home?" I ask a nearby Gungan.

He shakes his head.  "Weesa going home!"

"Straight home?"

He nods.

I offer up a silent prayer to the Force and hold tight as the ship lifts off the ground.  The flight is so long.  We have to maneuver out of one system, fly across in lightspeed to the next, and maneuver through there until we finally land in the tiny village of Topi on the other side of the planet from the base.

After some debate, I am allowed to radio base to see if someone can come and pick me up. They say that they will send someone, as soon as possible.

Lee offers to let me stay in her house by the landing pad until the Rebellion comes to pick me up, but I decline, and end up reclining on some crates, watching the clouds gather.  Judging by the formations, I've got ten more minutes before the sky opens up and drops a few inches of rain on my face.

It's just starting the sprinkle—tiny pinpricks of cold water—when the rebel ship lands.

Gaspard leans his head out the door.  "Cassian!"

"Gaspard!" I greet, and turn to wave to Lee.  She smiles and gives a salute.

I climb into the ship and close the door.  As we take off again, Gaspard wraps me in a hearty embrace.

"What were you doing over there?  Sunbathing or something?  What took you so long?" he asks, clapping my shoulder.

"Couldn't figure out how to get home," I say with a shrug.

"That's a, uh, nice beard you've got going there."

"Oh, it'll be gone as soon as I can shave it off," I laugh, stroking the subject of our scrutiny.

"Good.  I don't think Linami likes bearded men," Gaspard teases.

I scowl.  "It throws off the facial recognition."

"Whatever you say."

We land and I can't throw the door open quickly enough.  Linami is standing at the edge of the landing pad, in the rain, with her arms wrapped around herself.

I pull my bags out and bring them with me right up to her.  Her arms go around me instead and I drop the bags to snake my own arms around her.

"You were gone so long," she says into my chest.

"Hopefully never again," I tell her, and plant a kiss on her forehead.

She angles her face up.  "It's not up to us, but if it were, I'd never let you leave me again."

I smile down at her, and, without processing what I'm about to do, I kiss her.

It's quick, before an officer taps my arm.  "Mothma and the Senator want you to report.  Now."

I sigh, roll my eyes Linami's way, and follow the officer to give my report.