It's beautiful, Jyn thought.
In all of her imaginings she had never had the audacity to believe that the end would be beautiful. The Deathstar was doing what it was built for. It was a terrible, terrible power and it shouldn't have been beautiful, but it was. Jyn turned away from the imploding planet quickly approaching and with burning eyes looked to Cassian. First an irritation, then an enemy, and now a friend.
They didn't speak as they looked at each other and the moment seemed to last a lifetime. He was beautiful too, in his own way. And he clutched at her, their bodies pressing flat into each other, not in the way that Jyn had imagined. Cassian smelled of sweat and blood as she felt his heartbeat fiercely in his chest, in his throat. He was so alive. They were so alive. It was almost over.
Yet, it didn't feel like they had lost. Jyn breathed in a deep breath, her last, and decided that no, she had won something today. She had won. Jyn had stood her ground and fought. Fought wildly, foolishly, and to her last breath. For the first time in her life she hadn't run away. Neither fear nor anger won today. Hope had.
