"I'm surprised it didn't get more dirty in that trash compactor, to be honest. I was in and out of that damn muck hole and it still looked close to white."
"Evidence or it didn't happen," said Jyn, crossing her arms.
"Of course it happened," said Leia. "Why would I make it up?"
"You've just told us about a magical white dress that doesn't get dirty," Jyn replied. "White gets dirty. That's basically a universal law, a universal absolute. Right Shara?"
Shara Bey looked up from her leg, where an armourer was adjusting one of her leg guards.
"I think we'll need to adjust it at the knee, Lieutenant," said the armourer.
"Oh okay, sure," Shara nodded. "What were you saying, Jyn?"
"White," Jyn replied. "All white things get dirty. White clothes, white paint, all of it. Universal law."
"All I'm saying is that it was a miracle that my dress, which was, yes, white, didn't really end up dirty," Leia interjected.
Shara looked up, her eyebrow arched.
"Evidence or it didn't happen," she said, as Leia threw up her hands and Jyn laughed.
"I'll be honest, Princess," said the armourer now re-measuring Shara's legs. "We're running out of materials for replacement armour."
The good natured man looked up at Shara for a moment.
"Of course we'll get your piece done, Lieutenant," he said quickly. "But I'm cautious as to how things might work out in the long run."
The levity in the room dropped faster than a stone in a pond.
Jyn had enjoyed the company of Leia and Shara for over four days now, in what seemed to be an unexpected lull in any serious activity for the Rebellion. They had sat in the mess hall and shared meals, gone on purely recreational trips in the areas surrounding the base, and had each attempted to drink Han Solo under the table (and succeeded, although Han tried to bribe each of them to at least make the official story otherwise). Now they sat here with Shara because on a previous mission a leg guard that had protected her leg from being lopped off at the knee unfortunately had to sacrifice itself in the process.
Jyn remembered seeing groups of men, women, and all sorts shopping together when she was back on Coruscant. She remembered them in a haze, all carrying bags, sharing each other's purchases and talking about what they might buy next. As Jyn sat and joked with Leia and Shara about things that were - in reality - non-entities she wondered if this was what it was like, to be able to live without consequence and to be able to while away time with friends.
And then moments like that happened, the first in days where Jyn settled back into the status quo that, even on days off, they were at war.
When she tapped back into the conversation, Leia was already mid-flow.
"... we'll tally it up, okay?" she was saying. "I'll look at it personally."
"If it's easier I can forgo this guard," Shara added. "Look, I'm just used to having it. I'm sure I'll be fine without it. I shouldn't be letting stormtroopers get too close anyway."
"Nonsense," Leia replied, and Jyn saw the princess in her, the part of her that would lead come hell or high water. "You need the guard."
"I'm sure we could see what spare parts we could repurpose?" Jyn heard someone say, before realising it had been her.
She looked around at the faces staring at her and realised that she simply had to plough on.
"There's scrap metal everywhere," she said. "Old parts, this and that. If we found a way to get them re-used somehow? Melt them down or something?"
"We do that already," said the armourer.
Jyn shrugged.
"Just a thought. There are always spare parts and things lying about everywhere, if you're willing to look."
Leia looked at her, a smile forming on her face that Jyn wanted to return if only she knew what it was about.
"You're right," said Leia. "There are always spare parts and things. We pass old knick knacks and things all the time, even on our walks. Remember that random coin you found the other day, Shara? I didn't know what denomination it was."
Shara nodded slowly, and Jyn could see the wheels turning in her head.
"We can't have people bringing back items all the time after missions though, Leia," she said. "We just don't have a lotta space in some of those ships."
Leia shrugged.
"Every little helps though, right?"
The Princess turned towards the armourer, measuring tape still in his hands. He nodded.
"You're surely right, princess."
"What'd I tell you, Anders? Leia, please."
"Sorry prin - Leia."
He nodded and bustled out of the room, promising to have a replacement piece made very soon.
"You know," said Shara, "If you wanted to prove us all wrong about that magic dress of yours you could find out what it was made out of - if it helped to repel stains I'm sure its properties could be put to use somewhere."
Leia sighed and rubbed her hands across her temples. In her mind's eye she got out of that disgusting trash compactor with barely a scratch on her and her hair and dignity intact, even if she knew this might not have been the case at all. It was something she thought about sometimes: the moment she first met Han and Luke, and how fateful that meeting had been.
"Maybe I remembered it wrong," she said.
Jyn nudged her with a smile as the three ladies left the room and walked down the corridor together.
"I personally would like to vouch that I hope it indeed is a magic dress."
Leia smiled at her.
"You know, I could have a check in my quarters right now to see if I still have it... You wanna come?"
"Only if I get to have a look too," interjected Shara, flanking Leia's other side.
Jyn looked further down the corridor and her heart warmed at the sight of Cassian standing there reading a data pad in his hands. He looked up as the three women approached.
"Hey," he said lightly, a smile on his face. "What are you up to?"
"Oh, you know," said Jyn. "Ladies sorting out the world one problem at a time."