HOME | DD

Description
"Tell Senator Organa I said 'Thank you for doing the right thing.' And...that I'm willing to discuss terms of surrender."

"Just like that?"

"My people and I have carried out our final orders. Technically, we've been relieved."

Gorely gestured a thumb past his shoulder to the Republic infantrymen moving in time with directions given by a stocky commander, a thick beard the color of snow masking half of his face, his voice crescendoing with each order bellowed into the valley. Riflemen stood arm to arm with his own storm troopers securing and binding prisoners, aided wounded both Imperial and Haxion alike. Tanir was still alive, helped down from his AT-ST with his co-pilot on one shoulder and a rebel beneath his other, who began urging them in a direction assigned by the ancient looking but loud man taking control of the field. Something about his voice seemed familiar, like he had heard it before but differently. Like an actor in a play taking on the role of a historic figure without the amenities of a renowned theater to make up for differences. A lookalike that had been found from hours of talent scouting.

Gorely remembered what aging had done to his own father, how in his final years he spoke the same and had the same sentiments as he usually did if a bit time weathered, but age had made him look and sound like someone else. Commander Gorely pried his fixation away from the man to look back at Tanir, assess the extent of his injuries, and found the AT-ST pilot to be looking back at him, bright white teeth showing up from his dirty face. It wasn't an expression of pain, but a smile. Whatever pain the man was in wasn't being shown. The smile was a big smile, big enough that it reached his eyes, joy radiating from him even as hobbled to the Republic medics on an injured leg. Gorely felt himself begin to grin, nodding his approval at Tanir.

"We did what we set out to do," he said, turning his attention back to Lieutenant Aramni. "Empire or no, these people deserved better than for us to leave a job half finished. They deserved better than for us to abandon them. A power vacuum in wild space doesn't stay empty for long."

Description
"Tell Senator Organa I said 'Thank you for doing the right thing.' And...that I'm willing to discuss terms of surrender."

"Just like that?"

"My people and I have carried out our final orders. Technically, we've been relieved."

Gorely gestured a thumb past his shoulder to the Republic infantrymen moving in time with directions given by a stocky commander, a thick beard the color of snow masking half of his face, his voice crescendoing with each order bellowed into the valley. Riflemen stood arm to arm with his own storm troopers securing and binding prisoners, aided wounded both Imperial and Haxion alike. Tanir was still alive, helped down from his AT-ST with his co-pilot on one shoulder and a rebel beneath his other, who began urging them in a direction assigned by the ancient looking but loud man taking control of the field. Something about his voice seemed familiar, like he had heard it before but differently. Like an actor in a play taking on the role of a historic figure without the amenities of a renowned theater to make up for differences. A lookalike that had been found from hours of talent scouting.

Gorely remembered what aging had done to his own father, how in his final years he spoke the same and had the same sentiments as he usually did if a bit time weathered, but age had made him look and sound like someone else. Commander Gorely pried his fixation away from the man to look back at Tanir, assess the extent of his injuries, and found the AT-ST pilot to be looking back at him, bright white teeth showing up from his dirty face. It wasn't an expression of pain, but a smile. Whatever pain the man was in wasn't being shown. The smile was a big smile, big enough that it reached his eyes, joy radiating from him even as hobbled to the Republic medics on an injured leg. Gorely felt himself begin to grin, nodding his approval at Tanir.

"We did what we set out to do," he said, turning his attention back to Lieutenant Aramni. "Empire or no, these people deserved better than for us to leave a job half finished. They deserved better than for us to abandon them. A power vacuum in wild space doesn't stay empty for long."