AN: If you're like me and feel personally victimized by the ending of Rogue One, then this story is for you! I know many similar fanfics have been written already, but this is my take on how Rogue One should have ended. In my opinion, Jyn's Kyber crystal was referenced throughout the movie too many times for it to have not played a role in saving her life. I choose to believe she lived, and this is how the story would have concluded! I anticipate that this story will be short, maybe 3 or 4 chapters. Also, keep in mind that I am a biologist, not a writer. Short and simple is my style. Enjoy!
It was in the elevator, on the way down from the tower on Scarif, that Jyn realized they were not going to make it out alive. Looking at Cassian now, it was clear that he had come to the same conclusion a while ago. The low rumble of the Death Star's blast could be felt as it sent vibrations through the rebels' bones, jarring them to the very core. The intense light that intermittently illuminated the elevator was not the light of a sun, but rather the light of an impending death, Jyn now realized. The thought should have terrified her, but for some reason, it did not. Her mind was calm. Her thoughts were no longer racing. They had been successful in their mission—the Death Star plans were in the hands of the Rebellion.
But her calmness quickly turned to concern as she looked at Cassian. His expression was soft and peaceful as he gazed back at her; there was no sign of pain in his eyes. This didn't make sense to Jyn, for she knew he was mortally wounded. He had been shot, and although the wound was cauterized, he was losing blood fast. Yet Cassian didn't seem concerned as he leaned against the wall of the elevator and looked back at her. His face was mere inches from hers, and as the light illuminated his features, she could see that he was at peace. He gazed at her now with a certain longing—a desire that she did not recognize.
The elevator completed its descent and they stepped onto the blinding sands of Scarif. Jyn leaned in and supported Cassian, and she felt his weight sink into her. Her own body ached in protest, but she would not leave him behind. Cassian had never left her, as she so often expected him to do. Now, the least she could do was be there for him in their final moments.
The notion of escape was a fleeting hope that came and went as the pair slowly made their way across the sand. Jyn looked around at the lifeless bodies strewn before them—rebels and Stormtroopers alike. Smoldering piles of twisted steel littered the vast expanse of beach, and the only movement came from the hovering smoke as it floated across the sand. There wasn't a survivor in sight. Jyn smiled to herself. No, they weren't meant to escape. This was the end of the line for her and Cassian. They had done their part.
They looked ahead towards the distant, looming wall of dust and light. If she hadn't known any better, Jyn thought they could be watching a beautiful sunset cloaked behind a shield of haze. But the vibrations beneath their feet and the low rumble on the horizon gave away the true nature of the approaching light. She could already feel the intense heat from the blast, even though the thick wall of dust was still miles away. Jyn looked up at Cassian. He was smiling, the distant orange light reflecting in his eyes.
At the water's edge, they collapsed onto the sand. Cassian winced, but his expression quickly became calm again, and he smiled as he looked over at Jyn. "Your father would be proud of you, Jyn," he said, searching her eyes and hoping that his words could somehow bring her comfort.
She smiled back at him, trying to fight off a wave of emotion. The distant rumbling grew louder, and the heat intensified. The wind picked up speed as the wall of dust and fire grew ever closer. Jyn looked across the water at the vanishing horizon, and smiled at the awe-inspiring beauty. If she had to die, she couldn't think of a better way to go. Quickly, painlessly. Cassian at her side. She still couldn't believe that this captain of the Rebellion had not abandoned her and this mission a long time ago. She hadn't given him any reason to stay, nor had she provided him any concrete proof of her father's message—that the Death Star plans concealed a hidden weakness in the Imperial weapon. Yet Cassian had put his faith in her cause. He had trusted her completely, right up until the end.
Jyn reached over and found his hand, gripping it firmly as if to say thank you. He squeezed her hand weakly in response. His strength was nearly gone as the blood continued to spill from the wound in his abdomen, yet he still had enough left in him to pull Jyn into a tight embrace. She held him as close as she could, breathing in the scent of smoke and leather. Unable to hold back her emotions any more, she allowed a silent tear to fall. The rumbling was deafening now, and Jyn could hear the spray of water as the blinding light and violent wind approached them. Cassian gripped her tighter.
In the blink of an eye, they were engulfed behind a wall of white hot light.
Jyn could feel the dust and sand stinging her skin, cutting through her like blades as the violent wind tore through them. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself against the pain. The heat was even worse—it felt as if the skin was melting from her bones. With all her might, she tried to hold onto Cassian, but could feel him slipping away. The pain was unbearable, and she was sure that she would black out soon. Her body began to go numb, except for the pain. She could no longer tell whether she was holding onto Cassian or not. All she knew in that moment was the pain, the violent wind, and the unbearable heat. The roar of the blast was so deafening, she felt it rather than heard it. To Jyn, it seemed like an eternity passed as she sat there paralyzed, bearing the tremendous force of the Death Star's blast.
Then abruptly, the wind stopped. The heat dissipated, although a thick haze still hung in the air. Slowly, Jyn opened one eye. She saw nothing but the thick, gray dust. Her ears were ringing and she couldn't hear a thing but the deafening, high-pitched drone. Her head felt as if it might split open. She tried to move, but could not. There was no feeling in her arms or legs, no feeling in her body whatsoever but the intense, throbbing pain in her head. There was no way to tell where she was, whether she was lying on the ground or still holding onto Cassian. Every proprioceptive sense was gone.
She thought it would be a quick death. The blast should have atomized her—this was not what she had imagined. Jyn opened her other eye, squinting against the thick dust. The tinnitus in her ears grew louder, intensifying the splitting pain in her temple. She tried in vain to see through the fog and haze, but it was too thick. It became clear, however, that she was no longer holding onto Cassian. The rebel captain was nowhere to be seen.
Jyn tried to call out for him, but as soon as she opened her mouth, a violent cough shook her. She continued coughing as dust and sand escaped her lungs. The fit seemed to jerk her body out of its numbness and she turned over on her stomach, finally realizing that she had been lying in the sand the whole time. She continued to cough, then struggled for air. But she could only breathe in the thick dust, which made the coughing worse.
She didn't know how long she lay there, struggling for half a breath. "Cassian," she managed to choke out at one point. But her voice was weak and trembling. There was no response, and no sign of the captain. She lay there in the sand, wheezing, trying to see through the dust and smoke. "Cassian." She could feel sand scratching inside her throat. There was no way to tell how long she laid there. At one point she tried to stand up, but a stabbing pain shot through her body and she collapsed back into the sand. She lay there for several moments, still trying to catch her breath.
Then, from off in the distance, Jyn heard voices. At least she thought she did. Her ears were still ringing and her hearing was muffled, but there was no mistaking the sound of frantic shouting as it grew louder, closer.
"Help," Jyn managed weakly. She couldn't imagine anyone was still alive out there on Scarif, but she knew what she had heard. Planting her elbows into the sand, she managed to prop herself up to look in the direction of the voices. "Help us," she called again.
Figures began to emerge from the haze. They were running. Someone approached her, knelt at her side. She couldn't really see the man's features, but she heard his voice. "Jyn Erso?" the man asked, "Can you walk?"
Someone else grabbed her by the forearm and tried to pull her up. The man who had knelt at her side took her other arm. They got her to a standing position, but as she felt her weight sink into her hips, her legs buckled. The two rescuers prevented her from falling all the way back to the sand, but it was obvious that Jyn would not be able to walk out of here.
"We need a stretcher!" One of the men called to someone whom Jyn could not see. They pulled her up to a standing position again and held her steady.
It was then that Jyn looked down and saw the shock of dark hair and the off-white, blood-stained tunic. He wasn't lying more than ten, maybe twenty feet from her. She saw the rebel captain there, motionless in the sand, his once tan skin now shockingly pale. A third man was knelt beside him, doing what exactly, Jyn could not tell. All she could tell through the haze was that the captain was not moving.
"Cassian!" she called, her voice stronger this time. She tried to make a move towards him, but suddenly she was whisked away, her body lifted onto a long, metal slab. "No!" Jyn nearly shouted, as she looked up at one of the men carrying the stretcher. "I can't leave him!"
She remembered putting up a brief fight as the rescuers carried her away. She had shouted at them, but couldn't remember her words. Her last memory was being carried onto a ship of some sort, hearing the roar of the thrusters, and then the world went black.