Spoilers [OPEN]

[bailedontheempire]

CHARACTERS: Bail Organa and OPEN
LOCATION: Base camp
WARNINGS: Discussion of planetary obliteration?
SUMMARY: Bail remembers that he knows about Alderaan


Bail's often found around the camp helping wherever he can. Today is no exception. Working, trying to help their little community.

And then suddenly he stops. Sits down. As if suddenly hit by something completely overwhelming. Which is even more obvious when the intense emotions send those Tranquility powers into action completely unintended.

It's a whole chunk of memories all coming back at once. One conversation and every time it's come up since. He's remembered that he knows exactly how he will die.

They tested it on Alderaan.

Alderaan is gone.

That face those from the future always made when people realized who he was.

You expect me to be dead.

Comments

[bailedontheempire]

Talk to Death about it. What a strange thought. And yet... perhaps it would help. He waves for him to sit, because this is not the sort of information anyone can take standing up. "If I wasn't so certain Leia couldn't lie to me, I'm not sure I would even believe it. It seems too massive to be true."

[likescats]

He will sit down then. Folding the robe before he answers.

YOUR DEATH?

[bailedontheempire]

"It won't just be me." It would be easier to face if it was. Knowing that he'll die and leave so much work to Leia so young doesn't exactly thrill him, but it would be a different matter if it was a simple assassination. That was a possibility he'd always had to consider.

"It's... I'm going to die when our planet is destroyed." Which should be impossible and he knows that.

[likescats]

Death steeples his fingers as he thinks over this.

WHEN YOU SAY DESTROYED, YOU MEAN THE ENTIRETY OF IT?

[bailedontheempire]

"All of it. Reduced to rubble. Millions of lives." Just that fast. And if what they've learned about returning holds true, there was nothing he could do about it, even knowing now.

[likescats]

BUT NOT YOUR DAUGHTER?

[bailedontheempire]

"She... saw it happen." And in some ways that's the worst part. Bad enough for the entire world destroyed. But to force someone to watch? "Her foster sisters were off world as well." Somehow, his girls survived, and that was something. "But Leia. They made her watch."

Alderaanians are not known for anger and vengeance. But if he ever gets his hand on Wilhuff Tarkin.

[likescats]

I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND MINDLESS CRUELTY.

Because really that's all it must be. Even from an emotionally detached perspective forcing someone to watch their world get destroyed only made them want to defeat you more. And they usually tended to win.

[bailedontheempire]

"Neither will I. Leia says a lot of people turned on them after that. They were able to put a stop to the Empire but... could anything be worth a price like that?" For all that it did backfire, it would be wrong to say it was worth it.

[likescats]

THAT WOULD DEPEND ON WHAT YOU PUT DOWN AS THE VALUE OF ONE LIFE. BUT I WOULD CAUTION GOING DOWN SUCH LINES OF THOUGHT. YOU CANNOT PAY FOR ANYTHING WITH LIVES.

[bailedontheempire]

"Yes, of course." That was the Alderaanian way. "But many of the survivors find some small scrap of comfort in the fact that the atrocity turned many people against them."

It wasn't much. But what could be?

[likescats]

I SUPPOSE IT IS A LIVING THING.

He's still not used to this.

WOULD YOU CARE TO TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PLANET? I HAVE ONLY SEEN MY OWN AND ONE CALLED EARTH. AND THIS ONE I SUPPOSE.

[bailedontheempire]

Yes, of course he will tell you about Alderaan. These stories are the only thing that will keep the world alive. "It's a beautiful planet. We hold nature in high regard, so we build our cities into cliff faces and on stilts to avoid destroying it. A center of art and culture. Music, poetry, everything that could celebrate life and beauty. That's what we treasure."

[likescats]

WERE YOU AN ARTIST AS WELL?

[bailedontheempire]

"My work didn't allow much time to be more than a patron of the arts. But I dabbled in poetry, when I could. And I always saw a certain artistry in cooking." Perhaps he could have entertained more time for such things, had he not had a rebellion to run. But a lot of things would have been different then.

[likescats]

He nods.

I HAVE MET MANY COOKS WHO WOULD AGREE WITH YOU.

Probably most of them really.

[bailedontheempire]

"Anyone not preparing field rations, I imagine." Maybe that was why Jedi were so poor at it. "And when I cook Breha doesn't worry about whether I'm eating or not."

[likescats]

DOES SHE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT NORMALLY?

[bailedontheempire]

"She insists that I work too hard." She is probably right about that one. But there's always so much to be done. Even more than here, somehow.

[likescats]

AND DID YOU?

[bailedontheempire]

"There was always so much to do." That would be a yes. THat would absolutely be a yes. "But I make as much time for her and the girls as I can. It's sleep that tends to get neglected."

He'll sleep when... well.

[likescats]

I SEEM TO RECALL HUMANS NEEDING SLEEP.

[bailedontheempire]

"So I'm told." Usually be Breha. "There are days where I make a strong effort to substitute copious amounts of caf though." Too many days.

[likescats]

WILL SOMEONE NEED TO REMIND YOU OF THAT HERE?

He's really not one to talk on that front as he needs sleep now again.

[bailedontheempire]

"I sleep when I can." He totally gets so busy with everything and neglects sleep with no one to tell him otherwise. THe people he spends the most time with are just as bad.