Chương 45: Bonus Story : Star Wars : Part 9 : The Gift Shop

The movie had just ended when the lights came back on. The credits continued to roll across the screen as audience members began getting to their feet, stretching, or discussing the scenes they had just watched. Some hurried out of the theater to reach the restrooms before the lines became too long. Others remained seated, as though reluctant to leave that universe before the next screening began. Aldric's gaze remained fixed on the black screen as the final names scrolled by.

His notebook lay closed on his lap, filled with notes, diagrams, and analyses that no historian on this planet would have ever thought to write after watching Star Wars. Emma gave him a light tap on the arm.

"Planning to stay here until the next movie?" Aldric finally looked away from the screen.

"I was reflecting on the consequences of that battle." She stood up, picked up her coat, and quickly checked the time on her phone. They still had plenty of time before the next screening to take a short walk and restock on snacks. Ever since the morning, she'd been debating whether to take Aldric into the official gift shop. Part of her knew perfectly well it would lead to yet another series of misunderstandings.

The other part was far too curious to see what he'd make of the figures, helmets, and lightsabers being sold as simple souvenirs. In the end, curiosity won.

"Come on. I want to show you something." Aldric stood and adjusted the sword on his back.

"Another archive?"

"Something like that." They left the theater. The lobby was even livelier than it had been during the previous intermission. Groups of fans chatted excitedly, compared their favorite characters, or posed for photos in front of the marathon posters. Emma led him to a large gift shop at the far end of the cinema. A brightly lit sign hung above the entrance, surrounded by symbols of the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. Behind the display windows, dozens of items were showcased beneath carefully arranged lights.

"An exhibition hall..." Epic music echoed through hidden speakers. The walls were covered with posters depicting the greatest battles of the Galactic War. Display cases showcased Stormtrooper helmets, Rebel pilot helmets, and bounty hunter gear. At the far end of the shop stood two life-sized statues of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader, their lightsabers crossed above the heads of the visitors. Aldric stepped inside. Then he froze. His eyes slowly swept across the entire shop.

Dozens of lightsabers hung from the walls like the weapons of knights who had fallen in battle. Helmets rested on black pedestals, each accompanied by a small plaque bearing its owner's name. Figures depicted the heroes, the soldiers, and even some of the creatures that had fought in that ancient war.

"They truly honor their heroes..."

"It's just the gift shop." Aldric was no longer listening. His attention had settled on a display case near the entrance. Resting inside, on a dark stand, was a lightsaber. Its metal hilt gleamed beneath a soft spotlight. A small plaque identified it as Luke Skywalker's lightsaber. The hero stepped closer. He stood silently before the display case for several long seconds, studying every detail of the hilt.

"They preserved his weapon..." He leaned in even closer. His eyes examined every detail of the metal hilt. He noticed the grooves designed to improve one's grip, the various control switches, and the black sections that most likely served as heat insulation. Nothing had been left to chance. Even after several minutes of careful inspection, he failed to find a single flaw.

"Remarkable craftsmanship... The artisans entrusted with restoring these relics possess extraordinary skill."

"Aldric..." In his mind, everything made perfect sense. This civilization had preserved the chronicles of this war with extraordinary accuracy. Why wouldn't they have also preserved the weapons of its greatest heroes? The kingdoms of his own world had done exactly the same. The swords of ancient kings were displayed in halls of honor. The armor of legendary generals rested within royal temples. Such relics reminded future generations of the sacrifices made by those who came before them.

His gaze left Luke's lightsaber and drifted to the display beside it. More weapons were exhibited there: Obi-Wan's lightsaber, Darth Vader's, Yoda's, and many others. Aldric stared at them, unable to tear his eyes away. The farther he walked, the deeper his admiration grew. Nothing seemed to have been forgotten. The weapons of the heroes had been preserved, but so had those of their enemies. That impartiality surprised him just as much as it fascinated him.

"They honor both sides..." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. His attention had already shifted to a statue of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The old Jedi Master stood with his lightsaber held calmly before him, wearing an expression of serenity that reminded Aldric of the statues of legendary knights in his own kingdom. He clasped his hands behind his back.

"Now there's a man who deserved a monument." They continued through the shop, and with every aisle they explored, another detail seemed to confirm Aldric's theory. The posters chronicled the great battles, the books recounted the history of the Jedi, and even the display cases were organized by character, like a genuine museum dedicated to a long-forgotten age. His gaze eventually settled on a banner depicting Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, their lightsabers locked together at the height of their duel.

"They chose the decisive moment. The moment when the father still tried to prevent a full-scale war." Just then, a little boy ran past them with a plastic lightsaber in his hand. His father laughed as he hurried after him. The child stopped in front of Aldric and proudly held up his weapon.

"Look, mister! I have Luke's lightsaber!" Aldric knelt to the boy's height. His eyes examined the hilt before moving to the glowing blade.

"Take good care of it." The boy nodded before running off to catch up with his father.

"They're already passing the symbols of their heroes on to the next generation." Aldric continued his tour with his hands clasped behind his back. The farther he walked through the shop, the more convinced he became. This civilization had not only preserved the chronicles of this extraordinary war, but had also taken great care to display the belongings of its greatest heroes. Every display case told another piece of their story. Nothing had been left to chance.

Even the lighting was arranged to showcase the weapons and armor as though they were national treasures. A few yards farther on, several helmets rested on display stands. Darth Vader's towered above the others. Its black surface gleamed beneath the spotlights. Aldric stepped closer, glanced around to make sure visitors were allowed to touch the exhibits, then carefully lifted the helmet.

He turned it over in his hands, examining the fastening mechanisms, the breathing vents, and the various metal components that made up its construction.

"It's been preserved remarkably well..."

"That's because it's brand new."

"A truly exceptional restoration often creates that impression." His attention was drawn to the next aisle. This time, the shelves were lined with plush toys. Yoda wore a wide smile. Chewbacca looked like an enormous ball of fur. Grogu held his arms up with an irresistibly adorable expression. Even the Jawas had been transformed into little fabric cushions. Aldric picked up a plush Yoda. He examined the stitching, the softness of the fabric, and the way the ears had been recreated before gently pressing its belly.

A soft squeak echoed from inside. He pressed it again. The same squeak sounded once more.

"They turned a former Jedi Master into a squeaking cushion?" Emma was still laughing as they left the plush section. Aldric, meanwhile, still seemed unable to accept that a former Jedi Master could be turned into a cushion meant to decorate a child's bedroom. Yet he believed he had finally reached the limit of what this strange civilization could possibly surprise him with. He was mistaken. As they continued their tour, his attention fell upon the small white tags attached beneath every item.

Until then, he had assumed they were simple description plaques, much like those found in the museums of his own kingdom. This time, Aldric stepped closer to the display cases to read the labels. His eyes landed on the first lightsaber: two hundred and fifty euros. He stood motionless for a few moments, comparing the price to the metal hilt before continuing his inspection. A figurine was priced at eighty euros, Darth Vader's helmet at six hundred and fifty, and an enormous Obi-Wan statue exceeded twelve hundred.

The more prices he discovered, the greater his confusion became. At last, he turned toward Emma.

"They're actually selling the heroes' relics? Even in my kingdom, the sacred weapons of great heroes were kept within the temples. No royal family would ever have allowed them to be sold." His gaze swept across the shop once more. Everywhere he looked, visitors handled these objects with astonishing casualness.

Two children were already making Luke and Darth Vader figurines duel on top of a shelf, a teenager was trying on a Stormtrooper helmet in front of a mirror while his father took pictures, and farther away, a young woman hugged a Grogu plush against her chest. In Aldric's mind, it was as though visitors had walked into a sacred temple to try on the helmet of an ancient king or play with the sword of a legendary knight. The very thought was unimaginable.

Yet all around him, no one seemed to find the slightest trace of disrespect in it. A man walked over to the lightsaber display. He picked one out, carried it to the register, paid for it, and left the shop with the box tucked under his arm.

"They're allowing a complete stranger to walk away with a hero's weapon..."

"Because it's a replica." They continued browsing in silence until Aldric came to another stop. This time, it wasn't a lightsaber, a helmet, or a statue that had caught his attention, but an enormous box displayed in the middle of the shop. It showed the Millennium Falcon recreated entirely out of LEGO bricks and occupied nearly an entire table. A small price tag read: 849 euros. Aldric read the number again before studying the picture printed on the box. Thousands of tiny gray bricks. Nothing more.

He looked back at the price a second time, then mentally compared it to the cost of the lightsaber displayed a few yards away.

"Your kingdom has a truly incomprehensible economy."

"Why?" The hero first pointed toward the lightsaber display.

"That legendary weapon costs two hundred and fifty euros." Then he pointed at the LEGO box.

"And this chest filled with tiny stones costs over eight hundred. The merchants of your kingdom have... rather unusual priorities." Emma burst out laughing.

"They're not stones! Look. You put them together to build the ship."

"People pay more... only to build the object themselves?" Emma nodded before explaining the concept of LEGO, the enjoyment of building, collecting sets, limited editions, and the enthusiasm of dedicated fans. She spoke for nearly two minutes, giving example after example in an effort to make this strange custom easier to understand. When she finally finished, Aldric was still staring at the box with exactly the same bewildered expression he'd had from the beginning.

"Just... forget it." At last, they headed toward the exit. Just before stepping through the door, Aldric stopped one final time to look back over the entire shop.

"If these heroes could see what became of their relics... they'd probably start a second war." Emma burst into such uncontrollable laughter that she had to lean against the doorframe to catch her breath. A few moments later, they calmly made their way back toward their theater.

"You know... I think you're the only man on Earth who could be offended by a Yoda plush."

"A wise man deserves better than cotton stuffing." Emma immediately dissolved into another fit of laughter as Aldric calmly continued on his way.