Cassian sits across from Jyn in their small kitchen, both nursing half-empty cups of caff before the sun's even peeked above the horizon.
It's a pretty low stakes mission, just him and K, who is already on base prepping the ship, but Jyn wanted to see him off anyway. Cassian's glad.
With another restless glance at the wall clock, Cassian rises from the table and pads down the short hallway to Rey's bedroom. She won't be up for hours, but he never leaves without giving her a goodbye kiss if he can help it.
As silently as he can, he eases the door open. Her bed is unmade and the drawers beneath it are pulled out, looking like they've been routed through. Rey is nowhere in sight.
Confusion gives way to worry as Cassian calls over his shoulder, "Jyn, where is our daughter?"
The kitchen stool screeches as Jyn storms out of the kitchen and appears at his side. She looks past him to the vacant room, then meets his equally wide eyes.
"Rey?" Jyn calls as she starts back down the hallway.
A faint "Yes?" comes from the workshop in the lower level of their house.
Jyn and Cassian both heave sighs of relief and speed down the short set of stairs. Rey sits on the hood of their family speeder, kicking her legs absentmindedly. She's got a small knapsack secured around her and Bodhi's old goggles – far too big for her – perched crookedly on her head.
"Is it time to go?" she says.
"Where, Stardust?" Jyn asks just as Cassian catches on.
"Ord Mantell." Rey says, a gapped-toothed smile spreading over her face, eyes twinkling, "Captain Solo says there's a junkyard there the size of a palace."
A bitter taste fills Cassian's mouth as he shares a somber look with Jyn.
"Come here, cariño." he says and she scuttles off the speeder.
He bends down on one knee, cupping her little face with his hand. There's so much of Jyn in her, but Rey's eyes mirror her father's perfectly.
"I can't take you with me, Rey." his heart plummets along with her smile, "It's just going to be K and me."
Rey's eyes go wide, filling with tears faster than he can blink.
"I don't care about the junkyard." she says quickly, lip trembling, "I'll stay on the ship, I promise."
"No, no cariño." Cassian sighs and wipes at a few tears that have escaped. The ache in his chest makes it hard to take in air.
Rey sniffles, "I won't be in the way, Papá, I promise. I can help."
"I know." he speaks as gently as possible, refusing to let the pain show in his voice. His arms wrap around her lean frame and nestle her against his chest, "I know. That's not the reason."
Rey grips his jacket tighter, softly crying into his shirt.
Jyn comes to kneel beside him, resting one hand on his shoulder and the other on the back of Rey head. He meets her eyes, finding his own guilt in hers. She gives him a reassuring nod.
After a steadying breath, he says, "I need you here, cariño." He murmurs it into her hair, rubbing soft circles into her back, "Mama needs you here."
Keeping her face tucked against her father's chest, Rey looks up at Jyn, who leans in to kiss her cheek.
"That's right, Stardust." she says, "You're my first mate. I need you to help me keep things ship-shape around here."
Rey seems to consider that a moment, pulling away just a bit and rubbing her now puffy eyes.
"What about you?" she says to Cassian.
He smiles, "I'll have K with me. You trust him to protect me, don't you?"
Rey's eyes burst wide open and she feverishly nods her head, terrified she's implied something mean about her favorite droid in the world.
Cassian chuckles, "We'll be careful and I'll be back as soon as I can."
He doesn't guarantee it, as much as he wants to. He and Jyn agreed they'd never make empty promises to their daughter.
"Come on." he gives her shoulders a little squeeze, "Do you want to drive up to the base with me?"
Rey hums affirmatively. Jyn pilots the speeder so that Rey can sit in Cassian's lap. They make their way out of the residential sector, up a small ridge toward the main hanger.
When they arrive, K2 is standing outside the ship he and Cassian will take to the Alliance outpost on Ord Mantell before they travel to the capital city via transport. The droid looks between the three of them.
"I wasn't aware you would all be seeing us off." he says, though he doesn't sound annoyed.
(Cassian knows for a fact he cares far more deeply about Rey than he lets on.)
Rey scrambles out of the speeder toward K, who automatically crouches to accommodate her. She gestures for him to lean closer and puts her hand where his ears would be, whispering something urgently.
Cassian's about to get out of the speeder when Jyn grabs his hand.
"Five days." she says, repeating what they'd discussed earlier that morning.
Guilt becomes solid in his throat as he admits, "Six at most."
She nods, unfazed, then glances at Rey, who is still machinating with K2.
"Don't be late," she jests, "because I wouldn't put it past her to steal a ship and come after you herself."
"I wouldn't either." Cassian says, rolling his eyes, "Wonder where she gets that recklessness from."
"What you call recklessness," she leans in for a chaste kiss, "I call passionate defense of your loved ones." and slips out of the speeder.
When the sky lightens just a fraction, they know they can't stall anymore. K takes Cassian's pack and begins procedure for take-off.
Rey leaps into Cassian's arms and he holds her against him, willing the feeling into his memory for the coming week.
"Puedo ser fuerte como tu, Papá." she says.
"Yo se, cariño. Yo se."
0o0o0o0
Later in the cockpit, Cassian asks what Rey and K2 were talking about. The droid straightens his shoulder like he's pleased with himself.
"Rey informed me that while you are leading this mission, I retain the right to *quote* keep you from acting like a kriffing martyr."
Cassian blanches.
"I suspect she heard that last part from-"
"Yes, K, I know." he sighs, already preparing an austere lecture on leading by example when he sees Jyn again.