"But you know how to fly," said Bodhi, his eyes narrowing.
"Yes," Jyn explained, "but not an X-Wing."
"Well, I haven't flown an X-Wing before either. Used to be an Imperial pilot, remember?"
"Sure, but you can fly anything."
Bodhi opened his mouth and shut it again. He had become so used to being beaten down his entire life that these days he was constantly remind himself that he now lived in a world where compliments could actually be genuine. It was a good feeling.
"Thanks," he said quietly.
"So, what do you think? Help a friend out?"
He knew why Jyn had been so vocal about it recently, this X-Wing mission she was fixated on. The team had been grounded, meaning that none of them were to get sent on any tasks or missions off base. That strict rule had been put into place some five days after their miraculous survival from Scarif, when each member of the team, none fully recovered in any sense of the word, had been caught trying to sneak out of the base at various times to try and aid their Rebellion comrades.
Bodhi remembered Han patting him consolingly on the shoulder after his doctor had shouted himself hoarse for what had been the third time in the past forty hours.
"Put it this way, kid," the smuggler had said. "You've done your bit. Go and enjoy yourself, rest up."
Han's eyes had briefly wandered around the medbay.
"God knows Chewie and I could do with a bit of enforced R&R."
He had looked back at Bodhi's doubtful face.
"Look, why don't you pretend you're resting for me, eh? That I'm channelling your spirit or something. You're doin' a favour for a friend."
Both pilots had grinned at each other at that.
"Alright," he had said to Han. "I'll be resting on behalf of Han Solo."
But where Bodhi had decided that he might as well embrace his grounding the way Han would do - that is, with one hundred percent commitment - Jyn wasn't taking it so well. There was something about being grounded as a team which meant that they all felt that they were in it together, but it was still hard for someone who had been on the go for most of her life.
"You know, Shara's the best person to ask if you want an X-Wing specialist -" he tried.
"You know she's on a mission, Bodhi -"
"Well, have you asked Luke? You've become good pals, I'm sure he'd be happy to help you out."
Jyn leaned forward and squinted so that Bodhi squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze.
"What are you up to?" she asked suddenly.
He leant back and put up his hands.
"Up to? Me? What? Up to me? Me up to? What?"
She leant back in her chair and folded her arms.
"Okay," she said, a mysterious smirk on her face. "Fine, don't help me. But I will find out what you're up to."
"Oh look!" Bodhi yelped quickly. "Is that C-3PO I hear?"
"Bodhi."
"What's that, you need help, C-3PO? Can you hear that Jyn? His joints need... oiling..."
"Oiling," said Jyn, deadpan. "You're going with oiling."
"I'll just -" Bodhi got to his feet and pointed to an indeterminate point behind him. "I'd better go help him out with that. I'll just - yeah -"
Jyn watched him run off, laughing silently under her breath. She couldn't ever be angry with Bodhi, no matter what he did; but the laughter didn't distract her from the relentless bustle of the hangar for long. Bustle that she wasn't privy too. She tilted back and forth in her chair, legs propped up on the table.
She felt better. Jyn felt better: she was sure of that. Sometimes she dreamt of gunfire and bombs, and would wake up sweating and unable to sleep for the rest of the night. Sometimes she'd feel the aches in her body from her wounds on Scarif and the twinges wouldn't go away for days. But those didn't count as being injured, did it? She was fine, all better. Completely better.
Jyn heard a beeping behind her and turned around to see R2-D2 rolling towards her.
"Hey Artoo," she said casually, glad for the company. "You doing alright?"
The little droid beeped conversationally.
"Oh, bored? No, I'm not bored."
Artoo issued a short beep in reply.
"Okay, maybe I am bored. Just a bit."
A stream of beeps came back at her and she sighed.
"I asked Bodhi to teach me how to fly an X-Wing - you know, since he's the only grounded pilot right now, and he won't."
Two beeps.
"I know, I thought it was weird too," she swung her legs off the table to better talk to Artoo. "Do you know if he's up to anything?"
The droid beeped back.
"Maybe he's tired?" she said incredulously. "We sit around all day, how could he be tired?"
Artoo hesitated, before emitting a few, carefully chosen beeps.
"Why don't I ask Cassian?" said Jyn, surprised.
Careful, droid, Artoo thought. He beeped succinctly again.
"Oh... well, I know he technically is a pilot," she said slowly, "but he seems pretty restless these days. I don't know if he'd want to."
Beep. Beep-beep, said Artoo. Beep.
Restless. Just like you, then.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the captain walking through the hangar with Chirrut, the younger man chatting as the blind monk pointed with unnerving accuracy to the different fighter models. Jyn suddenly wondered if Chirrut and Baze knew how to fly as well.
In the distance she saw Chirrut mutter something as he made flying gestures with his hands, and Cassian barked a laugh, one that didn't quite hide the uneasiness in his eyes. With a jolt Jyn realised that she had seen that look in her own reflection sometimes.
Next to her Artoo beeped, making Jyn jump. She had forgotten for a second that the little droid was there.
And then she spied, at the very far end of the hangar, Bodhi's face peering around the great open doors. Jyn laughed again, and Artoo beeped questioningly.
"Oh, it's nothing Artoo," she replied, getting to her feet and deciding to make a beeline to Chirrut and Cassian. "I've got an X-Wing to learn how to fly."