AN: I'm back on the Star Wars train — you can blame Rogue One and RebelCaptain for that. For this story to work out with Canon, I had to modify the timeline a bit, the changes should be obvious. Anyway enjoy reading and please consider reviewing ! May the Force be with
Daddy's girls (or four times Jyn and Leia changed the story and one time they didn't) by pingou
I
The first time Jyn Erso — daughter of the Imperial scientist Galen Erso, yep, that one — sees Princess Leia Organa — daughter of Senator and Viceroy Bail Organa of Alderaan, yep, that one — she thinks nothing of her, in particular.
She's a bit younger than she, a bit smaller (and that's quite a feast, considering Jyn inherited her "petite stature" from her mother) she has a lot of luscious chocolate brown hair and eyes, fine clothes and she doesn't talk much either, surrounded by Imperials as they are.
But while her father had always called her Stardust, Jyn doesn't take long to gather the Princess is a Supernova.
Two hours into the festivities, Jyn (who is regularly put under the 'useful' tutelage of her surrogate uncle Saw Gerrera, when her father can arrange it) catches the girl sneaking out.
"You have to be constantly on alert, Jyn, your father's name and position can only do so much," says the leader of the Partisans in her mind. So, she follows the girl discreetly. She's getting bored anyway, and as usual, that bastard Krennic is creeping her out. A bit of fresh air will do nicely.
She doesn't expect to see a Princess of a peaceful planet cursing in four languages (as far as she can tell, anyway) and grumbling about forgetting her lighter. A cig is hanging hazardously between her lips, and the frown on her youthful face makes her look older. Suddenly the royal persona she witnessed earlier seems a lot more interesting to the not quite Imperial/not quite rebel girl.
"You're smoking?" Jyn asks with amusement.
"I'm trying to, apparently I forgot my lighter. Do you have a problem with that Miss Erso?"
If someone caught her smoking, Jyn would be sheepish or at least uncomfortable. Not Leia, she's glaring, defiant, casual and plain scary for such a tiny package. Saw did say the tiniest fighters are usually the most dangerous. The older girl shrugs in response and goes to pick a lighter hidden in her combat boots — her dress is long enough to hide them, and her dad laughed out loud when she showed him she had no intention to change for classier shoes. Leia just raises a perfectly arched eyebrow, seeing black boots under her red-silk imperial garb, but she favors her with a smirk.
"None, your highness," she finally answers, handing her the thing with a smile on her own.
"Drop the title, my friends call me Leia."
A few hours later, getting home in the impersonal penthouse her father occupies on Coruscant, Jyn is amazed to see she made a female friend so easily. She's not used to open up to strangers, and she had always been surrounded by men. But something in the princess of Alderaan just clicked with her, and the kyber crystal around her neck seemed to pulse, the more they spent time together. Trust in the Force, had been her mother's last words, and while Lyra Erso didn't have time to transmit her faith to her daughter, she feels like their encounter had somehow been the will of the Force, indeed.
II
The second time Jyn meets Leia in the flesh, one standard galactic year has passed. They kept in touch with a surprising regularity, through letters, Holocomms and the occasional video conference, but the daughter of Galen Erso is still rendered speechless when the Alderaanian shows up at her door, on a random Saturday night.
Her father is on Eadu for the supervision of a secret project — she couldn't accompany him, and her Uncle Saw had just started settling on Jedha. Usually, she hates being left behind, but as she takes in Leia unusually disheveled appearance and too bright eyes under smeared black khôl, suddenly she's glad for being alone.
Before Jyn can find anything to say, Leia has frown herself at her, not caring if her embrace is awkward and probably stiffer than it should be.
"Jyn, I got a brother," she says into her neck, like some let out a curse word.
"Well, that's good, isn't it Leia? You're sixteen, but I'm sure you'll be a great sister."
You are to me, she wants to add, apart from dad and uncle Saw, you're the only family I have left. But she's saved from uttering such mushiness when Leia elaborates :
"I have a twin brother, Erso, a biological sixteen year old boy with whom I share DNA."
Said Erso blinks stupidly at her friend, and stares as the recently elected senator literally vibrates in fury. Force.
She digs out Corellian whiskey shots from her father's cabinet, and lets the Princess vents as they indulge. Unlike Jyn, she's a lightweight, the fine, soft and fragrant liquors which are found on her planet didn't prepare her for the rush of alcohol in the amber liquid brings, whereas Jyn participates in drinking games with some of the imperial academy once in a while.
Leia knows he exists somewhere, she heard her father speak about him with the Senator (and secret Rebel leader) Mon Mothma, but she doesn't who he is, where he lives and what he looks like. She has a brother, she has always known a part of her was missing, but she's just so angry nobody ever told you about it, not even her father, and she's a complete daddy's girl!
Somehow, the expression strikes Jyn, and she starts to laugh: "Well, I'm one too !" she declares a bit too brightly. Leia is clearly a talkative drunk but Jyn is a happy one.
When the girls regain consciousness the following afternoon, feeling like they've been stamped by a few banthas, Jyn is horrified to see a small fresh tattoo on her left calf: a star, a kyber crystal and the letters D.G. But Leia only giggles when she exhibits a similar one, with a star, the symbol of the rebellion and the same D.G.
Leia sometimes has to conceal it with makeup, and Jyn is always sporting socks into her practical shoes, but their secret is safe, and it's nice to have a shared reminder of identity, friendship and happiness in a world that is getting more fickle and dangerous.
III
The third time Jyn encounters Leia without strangers in the vicinity, teenage shenanigans are far from their minds. Jyn turned twenty-one, the Princess is nineteen, and both are thrown head first into the Rebellion.
It's been three years since the older girl got separated from her father, seeking permanently refuge with the Partisans on Jedha. She has been trained into a terrorist, a killer, a fighter, a rebel without a cause, and she knows her idealist of a father wouldn't like it, if he knew. But it's been a long time coming according to Saw and she just had to find a way to survive, while making the Empire pay for tearing so many people apart from their families, from their freedom. Galen and Leia are much more subtle, molding in the Empire society while alimenting the Rebellion. It's smart, it's effective, but Jyn didn't think she could do this, too.
Until her best friend sent her Cassian Andor, a Rebel intelligence officer, K2SO his reprogrammed imperial Droid and her father a deserter pilot named Bodhi Rook. And after Jedha City and its Temple of Whills got destroyed, their improbable association counted two more members: A sightless Force believer named Chirrut Îmwe and a mercenary called Baze Malbus.
By the time Jyn reached the Rebel HQ on Yavin IV, she knew she had to follow Leia's lead if she wanted her father's plan to succeed. Of course, the Rebel leaders were more than wary of what she said, until she caught Bail Organa's eyes, who vouched for her and her "allegations" and had Draven into a corner. She would get Galen's plans of the Death Star, and pass them to Leia so that the Rebellion could bring a fatal blow to the Empire.
Cassian and her group of misfits — named Rogue One — were too late to save Galen on Eadu. They got the necessary backup on Scarif, and managed to come out alive, despite massive injuries, but Leia got captured by Vader.
When the two scarred women see each other again, they're fatherless.
Jyn is still recovering in the medbay, next to Cassian, when Leia Organa comes to sit by her bed. Her jaw is set, and she's frowning, and intimidating and so far from the carefree princess she'd somehow grown to love as a sister. It brings tears to Jyn's bright green eyes, but Leia's are getting darker, almost black.
"Jyn Erso, you're not allowed to die, ever. Do you have a problem with that?"
"None, your highness," she finally answers, swallowing her despair and soreness with a smile.
"Drop the title, my family calls me Leia."
The urge to sob is back, through the princess' tone is as demanding as ever, and when she exhibits the tattoo on her calf, Jyn ignores her nausea to hug the last survivor of the Alderaanian royals, almost like she did with Cassian, when waiting for death to come on the Scarif beach. Almost, but not quite. Leia Organa is her sister in all but name, but Cassian Andor is... Cassian.
IV
The fourth time Sergeant Jyn Erso hangs out with "The" Princess Leia, the whole Rebellion speaks about it for days.
She has the reputation of being unmanageable: Imperial born, Partisan grown and Rogue within the Rebellion. Everyone knows the small Rogue One unit is a special case, that they depend solely on each other, since they refused to be decorated for their dedication to the cause. As former spy Cassian Andor was practically Draven's man through and through, nobody understands why Senator Organa sought out Jyn — and her team, by extension.
When they had to relocate on Hoth, and sleeping quarters were attributed, the Alderaanian leader chose to refuse her private room near the commandment to share with Erso, in the corridor which holds the members of Rogue One. The fact that Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, as well as the Wookie Chewbacca were also housed in that era of Echo Base didn't rise as many rumors, which is strange to Jyn, but much more relevant, if she musts say so.
She's seen how Leia is with Han, and while she has nothing against same sex relationships (Chirrut and Baze are proof of that), she laughed out loud when Cassian refused to meet her eyes and asked if she was with the Princess in that way. Apparently Kaytoo had been regrouping data and he and Bodhi (influenced by the rumor mill) came to the conclusion she and the Princess were "likely to be amorously entangled".
"She's family," is always their response — to Leaders, to Rebels, to Rogue One and to Solo, Skywalker and Chewie. No more, no less.
Until Draven decides to reclaim Cassian on a solo mission, now that he is healed — his back is still fragile, even after several Bacta tank immersions — but the despicable man is intent on separating "his best intelligence officer" from his team, from her. She tries to plead with Cassian as much as she can — they still hadn't addressed the thing that exists between them — but his loyalty is foremost to the Rebellion. He smiles gently at her, takes her hand and lets his thumb graze her pulse point, but she knows he'll do as Draven bids him to.
"Eres mi casa, no tenga miedo, volveré siempre hacia ti mi estrella."
"I don't speak Festian," she mumbles at his door.
"I know," he replies with twinkling eyes while she gets back to her quarters.
When she gets there, it's Jyn who rants and Leia who listens, somewhat patiently:
"I can't forbid him to go because you're worried about him. Draven is right, he is a good agent, and this solo mission could bring valuable information to the Rebellion. But, tell me, do you like Captain Andor, Jyn?"
Leia didn't even brush the subject before now, but she is used to get straight answers and suddenly Jyn feels trapped. She thinks of all the times he came back for her, when he didn't have to. She thinks of "Welcome home", of their embrace on Scarif, of his lips on her temple when the first Death Star was destroyed, of her hand steadying his trembling back around the Base, of his jacket she took and has yet to give back.
"I don't know, Leia. Do you like Han?"
"Why do you ask me that? He's insufferable, and has no sense of justice and even if Luke finds him great, I think he has the ego of..."
Jyn turns Leia out as she lays on her cot, and her hand comes against her calf, where the tattoo is safely hidden by socks and heating pants. She thinks of her dad, of her mother, of Saw, of Jedha and Scarif casualties and she hopes she will never have Cassian to add to that list. When Leia retells a witty comment from Solo in which he affirmed Leia liked him because he's a scoundrel, Jyn interjects:
"He's right on that one, though, you liked me because I wasn't as proper as I pretended to be. You like people like Solo and me, I find kinship in his "selfish approach", for one, and it doesn't mean he's not a good man."
"I was far wilder than you were, Erso, and you know that!"
"We were daddy's girls, but I chose to obey when you defied yours."
As soon as the words leave her mouth, Jyn regrets letting her guard down. Leia's impassive senatorial mask is back in full, and the chill in the air has nothing to do with Hoth glacial temperatures this time. She's already berating herself in her head, hearing her father exhaling "my stardust" with his dying breath, when Leia's steely tone pierces the silence:
"I'd do anything for my family. Maybe I can't prevent your Captain to leave the Base, but I can assign you to Solo while he's gone, since the two of you seem so alike".
"Thank you Leia," she whispers, "at least we have you in common, and that's something. Tell me," she asks in the dark, "do you speak Festian?"
"I'm not fluent, but I can manage, why?"
"What does Eres... mi casa... and mi estrella means?"
"It means I should take the room away from Rogue One, or that I'll have this one to myself soon."
"I'm serious, Leia!"
"So is Captain Andor Jyn, I can assure you. If you don't get what he said already, I —"
"Please, tell me."
It may be the last words she'd hear from Cassian and she can't bear not to have the slightest clue of what he meant. Jyn never copes well when people are leaving. She's on the verge of sleep when she hears : You're my home, my star. She's not sure if it's Leia, or Cassian, or Galen speaking — in her nightmare, she loses all three on Scarif.
By morning, everyone is gathered in the hangar and Jyn tries to follow the rush which precedes missions. She naturally gravitates around Rogue One, and tries to ignore Cassian while Bodhi and Luke Skywalker chat about piloting. It's only when Han and Chewbacca join in that Leia makes her way to them :
"Han, Sergeant Erso will accompany you and Chewie on your reconnaissance mission."
"Oh, and what about you, your Worship? You're not up to join me for a bit of fun, anymore?"
"Corellian things make her a bit reckless, in my experience, Solo. Don't worry, I should keep my head cold."
Luke seems confused, Han turns even more smug, but under Leia's glare Kaytoo declares she has a good chance to die in atrocious circumstances. Then Baze snorts, and Chirrut smiles, and Bodhi fidgets, but Cassian grows even moodier, stiffly saluting Leia before walking away. He doesn't look at Jyn once.
+ 1
The next time Jyn sees Leia for more than debriefing between two missions after the Battle of Hoth, she seems almost broken, cradling Luke to her chest aboard the Falcon. Skywalker is missing a kriffing hand, Han Solo is nowhere to be seen (someone named Lando Calrissian emerges from the cockpit), and the Princess refuses to say anything. Leia Organa has nothing to say, and in the seven years or so since Jyn can call her a friend, that's a first.
She instantly reaches for her, but her eyes are fixed on Cassian. Mon Mothma takes charge, and the Base (which is in the Endor system for now) is getting back to normal, but Jyn can't leave Leia's side, when she's glued to Skywalker in the medbay. When Kaytoo, of all people, is "sent to retrieve her for the night", Leia is still clutching her hand. Once Jyn assures she'll come back later, the Princess says 'I know' in an odd voice, and the rebel doesn't know quite to say.
As foreseen, Jyn and Cassian had started living together — Han had been a bit too flirtatious with her after they got back from Takodana, Cassian downright punched him and while furious with the whole situation Leia rattled them out loudly: "Cassian and Jyn are in love dumbass! Why don't you try your pick up lines on someone desperate?"
"Like yourself, you mean?" The smuggler replied, otherwise unfazed by the whole commotion. But he did send Jyn a wink when neither Cassian nor Leia were looking. Even if her best friend is still in denial, she considers Han family.
Which is why, once Cassian is here to gather her into his arms, Jyn lets the tears Leia refused to shed fall. For Han, for Luke, for Leia and for the kyber crystals, around her neck and on her skin which both seem so heavy tonight. He rocks her softly, murmuring in Festian against her hair, and Jyn wants to slip under his skin, safely curving around his beating heart, when the Corellian is frozen in carbonite. A while later, he grants her wish as much as she can expect, for if she doesn't slip under his skin, Cassian settles under hers, proving to each other that they are alive and whole.
When Luke and Leia decide to go rescuing Han on Tatooine, Jyn wants to accompany them. But then Bodhi comes back injured from the Operation Yellow Moon and as much as she likes Han and the rest of Leia's companions, the Rogue One crew is her family. The Jedhan pilot is her only living link to her father, besides, as Baze and Chirrut said, they have to stick together no matter what.
So she embraces Leia when they depart for Skywalker's home planet, and the Alderaanian advises her to "remain close to her boys while they'll be Hutt-kicking". As usual, Bodhi is too impressed by Senator Organa to say anything, but while Chirrut smiles in the direction of her best friend, Baze grumbles about age difference — of course, Kaytoo is also bothered to be referred to in such derogatory manner, he's not a boy, he's a Droid and if he should belong to someone, it's Captain Andor, certainly not Jyn Erso... But Cassian only salute politely the expedition and it's only when they're somewhat alone that he says he doesn't mind being one of Jyn Erso's boys as long as she's the only one she stays close to. She rolls her eyes at him (he's far mushier that he'd been when they met four years ago on Jedha) but lets him kiss her.
If she stares at her tattoo, praying to the Force for Leia's success with her mother's crystal in her hand, nobody says anything about it.
After that, things accelerate almost too fast for Rogue One to process, but since Scarif, each one them felt as if the Rebellion didn't really need them. The point is, they find themselves surrounded by Ewoks, celebrating the fall of the Empire, the second Death Star is destroyed, Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader are dead, and both Jyn and Leia have to learn how to respect their fathers 'legacy, in a freed galaxy.
Finally, when the third day of festivities is coming to an end, the two women sneak out for a while. It's been quite sometime since Princess Leia had quit smoking, but Jyn Erso still has a lighter on her, and they pass it to Luke, since he "needed to light a fire for personal reasons" (must be a Jedi thing). As they watch him walk away, his sister brings out a flask of Corellian whiskey — which she certainly got from Han — and both daddy's girls toast it to the starlight sky:
For Galen, for Bail.