Chapter Text
He couldn’t see, but that hardly mattered. The Force would guide him, as it did, as it always would, throughout this life and the next. In the back of his mind, he could feel Baze reaching out to him, and while he should have been concerned, there had been an idle sense of contentment there to know that Baze cared, that Baze thought of him above all others. Even in his darkest moments, the ones that came few and far between, he could always count on Baze to be there to watch over his shoulder, to see what he could not sense. Now, though, it seemed that there was nothing looking out for either of them.
But that did not mean the Force had abandoned them. No, the Force would never abandon him. It flowed through him, giving him life, giving him energy, and providing him with the strength that he needed to do this. This, it seemed, was his purpose. They all had had a part to play, even if he hadn’t immediately recognized it when he had come to Jyn’s rescue. He had just felt a tug in the Force, a tangible pull that this was what he had needed to do, and he had followed the direction of the Force as it so often did. It had led him to Baze, and if that had been a mistake, it was one that he would make over and over again.
He could hear the sound of blaster fire all around him, but he was not afraid. Well, that wasn’t quite true. He was nervous, yes, but not of pain, not of death. He was afraid of something much more vital. If he failed in this, the others wouldn’t have a chance against the Empire, and it was more than clear to him that that was his mission now. Whatever life he had wanted with Baze would have to be forgotten now. The role that he had come to play on Jedha? Gone. This was what the Force required of him, and they all had to play their parts to stop the regime of the Empire from spreading.
He had to pull the lever, the one right in front of him, the one that would open a connection with the Rebel star fleet. Maybe the Force had given him eyes without sight for this very reason, so he wouldn’t have to see the barrage of lasers flying his way. He could feel them, though, could hear the study hum of the blasters firing and could feel the heat as the blasters just grazed his robe, but they did not hit him. Instead they sunk into the sand all around him, sending explosions through the air and showing him with bits of sand, but he kept his head bowed, his staff front and center, as he walked on. This was what he was set in this galaxy to do, and he felt almost sure that the Force was going to allow him to do this, his final act in his closing moments. Whatever fear, whatever trepidation that he had, was not towards his own death, but merely the thought of failing, of being struck down, before he could accomplish his goal.
That, and thoughts of Baze. He would understand why he had to do it, but he would never really understand why it was him who had to do it, and that had always been the great thing about Baze, humoring him without even understanding why he was doing so. Somewhere along the line, they had become inseparable, and now there was nothing ahead of them, no future to look forward to. It was a loss, but at the same time, it would allow others to live. It would allow others to be free of the shadow of the Empire, to have a chance at freedom, and that was worth so much more than the lives of the entire Rebel Alliance combined.
Still, he couldn’t lie that there was a tremor in his heart as he groped blindly around the console before he finally pulled the switch. The Force would only protect him for so long, and once he had done his duty, that would be it for him. He wasn’t as terribly afraid of his death, as it was a necessary trial that everyone must at some point undergo, but it wasn’t his life that he was afraid of. Baze would not be able to take it. Baze would not be able to simply walk away from this, although somewhere in the back of his mind, Chirrut doubted that any of them were going to be able to walk away from this. The Empire was quickly closing in, and with that shield still in place overhead, it was doubtful that any of them were going to be able to make it out of there alive.
This mission commanded everything that they were willing to give, and the Empire had taken everything from them, everything but their lives and their hope, and Chirrut felt momentarily comforted that the Empire could only choose one to rob them of. It could take their lives, and it would, but there was a sort of reassurance knowing how many others there were willing to fight, how many other lives could replace his when the time came. Their mission would greatly reduce the people who had to live in fear, and without fear, without that hold on the peoples of the galaxy, the Empire would crumble and collapse.
No, hope was the strongest weapon that they had at their disposal. It wasn’t Baze’s custom blaster or his staff or even the powers of the Force that the Jedi masters of the old stories were able to wield. The hope that even one person could turn the tide of battle, that one person was able to stand up against the Empire and help disable them for the good of the galaxy was enough for him. He would never live long enough to see it completed, but by playing his part in this mission and by giving his life, the Empire would collapse. He could feel the Force calling out to him, assuring him of this, reminding him that this would lead to a better future, not just for Baze if he ever made it out of there, but for everyone.
His fingers fumbled for a moment as he found the lever, and his shoulders slumped, both with resignation and relief, as he completed his final mission. Almost immediately, he could feel a blaster bolt slam into his back, and the pain that shot through him was unlike anything he ever felt before. There was another, and another, but eventually the pain became so overwhelming that he barely felt anything at all as he slumped to his knees and allowed a new kind of darkness to take over. A sudden sense of peace overcame him and in the back of his mind he couldn’t help but wonder, wherever the next stage of his journey would take him, if he would finally be able to see Baze’s face.
All was still for a few moments before he could feel Baze drop into the sand beside him, taking him in his arms as he repeated his name over and over again. Why do I need luck when I have you? That’s what Chirrut had said to him back on Eadu, and it was what rang through his mind again now. It was as true for Baze as it had been for him, but he could barely think of what to say to provide him comfort in his closing moments. He could barely hear the explosions around him, could barely feel Baze’s hands anymore, could barely take in the acrid smell of smoke that was thick with blood and death.
“Look to the Force,” he advises, each exhalation a tangible effort on his part. “And you will always find me.”
“The Force is with me and I am one with the Force,” Baze says, taking up the chant that he had put up with for so long. Chirrut can feel the muscles in his body relax somewhat, could feel the darkness of the Force taking hold as Scarif began to fall away. He could feel the hands of the Force reaching out to him, and he went willingly, letting Baze’s words guide him to whatever the Force had planned for them in the After. “The Force is with me, I am one with the Force. The Force is with me, I am one with the Force. The Force is with me, I am one with the Force. The Force is with me...”
Still, that wasn’t the last thought that crossed through his mind before he was finally allowed to pass on. He knew the team would take his loss hard, Baze most of all, but while his mission ended here, theirs did not. They had to keep fighting, they had to keep pushing on, and with the last ounce of his energy left in his body, he channeled all of his strength to try to send them a final message, hoping beyond hope that they could feel it. She had been selected for this mission for a reason, he had sensed it the moment she had first passed by him on Jedha, and he knew that, ultimately, the fate of the galaxy rested in her ready hands.
Good luck, Jyn Erso. And may the Force be with you.