Chapter Text
Orson walked up to Galen. The man was a farmer! What a waste of talents to have such a wonderful intellect wasted on something so simple and unchallenging. Orson didn't really want to admit it but he missed Galen and Jyn.
"Really? Farming, it's so unchallenging, you are wasted on it." Orson said. The man before him was standing his ground well, Orson didn't want to hurt Galen and he wouldn't but the engineer was testing his patience.
"Galen", He said. "I know you lost your trust in me but please, I need you and our daughter to come back, I miss you both of you." The Director cupped Galen's cheek affectionately.
Galen just looked at him, "Krennic, it's not just about trust, it's about peace. You're confusing peace with fear. I'm not going back to the Empire and neither is Jyn."
Orson sighed, "Well, I guess we'll have to let Jyn decide." He nodded in the direction of the girl. She was being carried back by one of the deathtroopers, who held her gently in his arms.
The deathtrooper set her down carefully and she ran over to the two adults.
Jyn smiled as she held onto her favorite stormtrooper doll, Orson remembered giving it to her when she was so young. It's been years since he saw his daughter.
Orson kneeled down slightly to catch her, but she shied away from his outstretched arms. He picked himself up and watched Galen hug her instead.
"Papa, I tried to hide but the black stormtroopers found me. Who's he?" She asked, pointing at Orson.
Galen sighed, but otherwise he didn't answer her.
Orson smiled at her. "Jyn, remember me? Your Da? I'm sorry I couldn't find you and your papa sooner. But now we can all be one small happy again. Would you like that?" He asked her gently.
Jyn glanced at him curiously, "Da? Papa said you died. Where were you?" The Director gently took her from Galen's arms. "I didn't die, young one, but I had to leave for a bit. I'm back now, we can all go back home to Coruscant, would you like that?"
She frowned at him. "But Papa said this was our home." Orson glanced at the engineer turned farmer, who looked away.
A deathtrooper aproached the reunited family, "Sir, it's time to go. You are needed back at the project." Orson nodded.
"Well Galen, as much as I'd hate ruin our reunion, we need to leave before your rebel friends arrive. Jyn needs to see there is more in this galaxy besides farming. We can show our daughter the power of the Empire. She's always been curious about this, why don't you want to show her?"
The same deathtrooper who has spoken, took Jyn by the hand and walked her back to the shuttle.
Galen pulled out a blaster from the folds of his clothes and pointed it shakily at the director. Orson sighed, "Don't make this more difficult than it has to be Galen, put the blaster down or our daughter might not get the family she deserves."
A deathtrooper walked up to him and took the blaster from Galen's hand.
Orson walked back up to him and rubbed his back. "You can say you tried at least, if it makes you feel any better. Now let's get back to our daughter, shall we?"
Galen looked at Orson, "You used to be my friend, my lover, the father of my child. But you chose the Empire over our family, over me. You promised you'd always be there but you weren't. You chose work instead."
Orson brushed his lips against Galen's and whispered. "I can have both of them now, I can support you and Jyn easily now and we can finish the project together. We'd be seen as heroes throughout the Galaxy, why don't you want that? Why can't you see this my way?"
Orson pulled Galen in a hug. "I'm doing all of this for you and Jyn, why won't you understand that."
The engineer refused to answer, but he followed old lover back to the ship nonetheless.
Jyn was in already strapped to a seat. A deathtrooper entertained her with the stormtrooper doll but she smiled when she saw her parents. "Papa! Da! Shadow says we're going home, where's home?" She asked.
Orson glanced at the trooper, who avoided looking at the director. He turned back to his daughter, "Home is on Coruscant. We used to live there together, it's a big city. But you were so young when you and your Papa left."
She smiled at him.
Orson has never been considered soft or gentle, he was always considered cruel but brilliant. But right now he just wanted to hug his daughter and hear her laugh.
Galen took her from the deathtrooper dubbed "Shadow" and placed her in his lap. Moments after the shuttle had left the planet, she was fast asleep.
Orson and Galen didn't speak a word to each other on the whole way back to Coruscant. Jyn slept on unaware.