The Officer {Orson Krennic X Reader}

XIII. Galen

I'm sorry for being a lazy ass and not updating last week. So here is a chapter which I hope will take a fair chunk of time for you to read and enjoy.

Of course, for those of you who were not following this book during its updates/have just started reading it (and have made it this far in X number of sittings), move along, there is nothing to see here except a very long author's note.

New term:
(h/c) = hair color. Pretty self explanatory.

I don't own anything.
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"Nothing?" was your first response to Galen's awkwardly uncomfortable greeting. Did he greet Krennic like this?

"Then where is Krennic?" It was clear Galen was about as clueless as you on the situation. Apparently the Empire had really poor communication between its workers. Holst, that lady, and now Galen all seemed to have heard nothing about Krennic's mishap. It wasn't as much of a surprise that the other two didn't know but Galen? Shouldn't he have been informed?

Galen raised his hand and shook his head almost as soon as the words left his lips. He changed direction. "Never mind that. I see you're another director. An associate of Krennic's?"

"Apprentice, and temporary director," You correct. Galen didn't even know about that? You were going to file a complaint about communication when you got back. "Krennic was unable to attend the meeting today due to some... personal matters," you explain.

Galen nods slowly. His expression suddenly changes from slightly confused to flighty sympathetic. "I'm sorry, where are my manners?" He holds out his hand. "Galen Erso, head of the Eadu Operations under Director Krennic."

"Priv-Director (Full Name)." You take his hand and shake it. Even though most people would think Galen is slightly smiling, the time you have spent with Krennic has taught you how to notice the slightest changes in eye contact and facial movements. Galen was about as hard to read as Krennic... well, actually he wasn't as hard as Krennic. The way his eyes dip down shows his disapproval and the way he shakes your hand is a curt and emotionless gesture. You can't help but feel uncertain about this decision Krennic made. Was sending you here really the best thing?

Galen releases your hand and turns behind him to the workers who have stood patiently in a neat row. "Let's go! We've got a lot to unload!" He barks. The workers run past him and into the ship. Galen glances at you for a moment longer before following them. As he passes by you, you can almost feel the aura of abhorrent manner radiating off him.

Not the way you wanted to start things off with your other idol. This was worse than meeting with Orson, who just did a lot of yelling. Galen didn't explode your eardrums with his lungs but he knew how to break you down mentally without saying a single word. And it hurt.

You call to your Death Troopers to help the Eadu workers. The five of you join the group of Eadu workers and walk into the ship. The troopers put their rifles away and begin lifting some of the heavier supplies while you go for whatever could be carried by one person.

One by one, each of the pieces in the ship are carried out across the platform and into the large Eadu facility. Galen helps out with some of the transporting but most of his time is spent directing everyone to where he wants the pieces to lay. He organizes them mainly by type and size.

You work with Galen's team until everything is inside the building except for the objects too heavy for humans to lift, even with all of you there. Galen has two workers run off to get the transport speeders. "The rest of you get back to testing those crystals!" He commands. You notice the ferociousness in Galen's eyes and you had a bad feeling that he was mad because of you. You should have let Krennic just come.

Galen turns to you and sighs. He relaxes to a softer expression looks up at the sky and lets the rain fall onto his face. In a way, it almost looks like tears streaming down his tired and broken face. He seems to age quite a bit with his broken side exposed. "Is... everything alright..?" You ask cautiously.

Galen turns his eyes towards you. "What? Oh, no, it's nothing. I'm just tired."

Tired seemed like an understatement. The man was dangerously underweight and the scars on his suggested the amount of work he did. There was something that was driving Galen to destroy himself. There had to be more of a story to this all then what he was saying. You wanted to ask and the questions were at the tip of your tongue.

Instead your hands did something else. You reached into your utility belt and pulled out the ration of food. You handed it to Galen. He stared at you with a confused frown. "Take this," you say. "You look famished."

He hesitates before he takes it. "And you're much too kind to be Director Krennic's apprentice," he says quietly. Galen takes a bite of the hard crusty roll up. "If it weren't for the uniform and rank insignia, I would think you weren't even a soldier."

The way he talks concerns you. Did Krennic... despise Galen? Or was it the other way around? You could have asked but you didn't get the time to. The two workers with the transport speeder arrived and they used the robots that attached to the speeder sides fly over and lift the pieces into the cart behind the speeder. The robots stacked the pieces quickly and efficiently onto the cart and then the workers drove away.

You glanced behind me. The Death Troopers returned to their positions behind you, their rifles in their hands again. You look at Galen directly. "Well, Galen Erso, it was a pleasure to meet you." You held out your hand.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Director (L/Name)," he says, putting his hand out and allowing you to shake it. But when the shake was over, he didn't release your hand. He was staring at your face, his eyebrows knitted slightly. "Are you the one Krennic keeps mentioning?"

"What?" You say. As far as you know, Krennic hasn't visited Eadu for as long as you have been under his apprenticeship (and the time on Rikon when you weren't his apprentice).

"He kept mentioning some private that he crushed on. He said they were about (height), had (e/c), (h/c), and some other things I can't remember."

"You mean... wait what? He said WHAT?!" You released Galen's hand and jumped back a step.

His eyes widened and then he smiled, a smile much more genuine then the ones Krennic often have you. "So you ARE a thing!"

A thing!? "I never said that!" You said defensively. Was it really that obvious?

Apparently it was because Galen continued by saying "It's blindly obvious, even for blind people. Rook, you're good. We've got everything off. He said to the ship pilot who had walked up to ask him about any more help. He then went back to you.

"When did he tell you this!?" You demanded.

You regretted the voice you used on Galen because he seemed slightly nervous by your tone change. But he continued speaking as though it never affected him. "He told me about... I believe four years ago."

Four...years... ago... that was when you joined the Empire... You felt like you were in a daze. "I'll be off now," you said softly. You needed time to think about this. You set your hands in your pockets and that's when your fingers landed on the holodisks. "Oh... these are from Krennic. He told me to give them to you." Galen takes the holodisks and thanks you. "What's in them anyway?"

"Probably another love speech from Krennic," Galen said with a droning tone. "He gives them to me a lot. It's honestly annoying." He shrugs and then says goodbye to you. Galen leaves you on the platform confused and upset.

Krennic... giving Galen... love speeches..? He never did that to you! Was Krennic lying that he loved you?! Had he never cared for you. You stormed into the ship and your troopers followed. When you got back you were going to get things straightened out with Krennic.
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Oh dear. A plot twist.

Aside from that, what did you think of Galen?

Please review!