A/N: Thank you for your patience with the long wait!
the falcon
. . .
The ship rumbled as it left the atmosphere. The barrage of TIE Fighters didn't make it any smoother.
Cassian followed Jyn as they made their way around the winding freighter. They followed the sounds made by the pilots until they reached the cockpit.
Jyn unexpectedly stopped short of the entrance, leaving Cassian to almost stumble with his current lack of finesse.
Peering around her, he poked his head in to examine the cockpit and followed her gaze to see a furry alien, as tall as K-2SO, sitting in the co-pilot seat.
"That's a Wookiee," he whispered to her.
She glanced at him, and nodded slowly at the given information. She seemed unfamiliar with the creature.
"He's friendly. Now, if you want to get into hyperspace, I suggest you help shoot these Imperials down." The strange man spoke impatiently when he heard them, not even sparing them a look. He continued briskly, "There are top- and bottom-mounted turrets on this ship. Go back into the hallway and either climb or descend a ladder off to the side."
Complying without fuss, Jyn edged around Cassian and moved off hurriedly to where the ladders were. Before she chose one, she shot a questioning look towards her companion once he appeared. "Which is easiest for you to manage?"
Cassian stopped, a hand bracing the wall as the ship rumbled again. "I don't think it makes a difference."
"Hm, I'll take this one then." Jyn climbed the ladder to the top-mounted turret and vanished from sight.
With far less grace, Cassian lowered himself into the controls for the bottom-mounted turret. Slumping into the seat, he waited for the painful wave to subside. His leg was hurting more than he wanted to admit since the bacta was wearing off.
TIE Fighters closing in on the turret window spurred Cassian into action. He grasped the controls, taken by surprise when the controls moved the seat as well as the turret. Having no time to properly understand them, he wildly aimed and pressed what he thought might be the triggers.
Red laser bolts shot out, missing their target. The TIE Fighter pilot, now alerted to the fact that they were targeted, took more evasive maneuvers as they approached again. He tried to lead the starfighter, noting his lasers were closer. He repeated his actions again on the third attempt, relieved when he struck the starship. It spun wildly before exploding in a burst of red and orange light.
Cassian sighed in relief once he could see no more Imperial fighters outside of the weapon's transparisteel viewport. Removing himself carefully from the chair, he climbed up the ladder using only his arms and one leg. Painful twinges shot through him at each bar, and he tried not to shudder at the feeling when he crawled up into the ship's main corridor; he lay there momentarily to catch his breath before leaning his back against the wall.
Jyn had descended her ladder only half a minute after him, so he unfortunately had no time to rest, it seemed. He was about to force himself to stand up again, but she crouched in front of him, avoiding his stretched-out limbs, and put her hand firmly on his shoulder. It signaled to him to stay exactly where he was. As much as he didn't want to, his muscles were agreeing more with her than with him.
Her words followed almost immediately from her gesture. "The bacta pod can't keep the worst of the pain away for much longer. I don't know anyone else who could do what you have done on a fractured leg, so you should rest now."
"I don't think I have that luxury," Cassian grouched in bare irritation. While he didn't really have any problems with Jyn, his condition frustrated him. He also felt something off about their strange freighter pilot. Strange as in them being dumped on some strange, barren moon without a second thought. Or perhaps turned in to the Imperials for a profit or pardon.
Jyn's expression was stern, but her voice held a peculiar gentleness that he wasn't expecting. "If you don't heal, then we won't be able to find the rest of our unit."
Cassian directed his dark eyes to look at the ground. "I suppose so." His eyes traveled over the ridged, curved corridor in thought. Did they even make it off Scarif? His gaze quickly darted back to Jyn's face upon a sudden question coming to him, if only to keep the conversation focused on the present moment and not Scarif. "How many TIEs did you shoot down?"
Jyn, who had since withdrawn her hand, stared down at her open palms, resting on her thighs. "Three. They were swarming over the top half of the ship."
Cassian opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He regarded her with a bemused expression before a cleared throat interrupted them.
Both Rogue One members turned their heads to see their pilot standing there, elbow propped against the wall as he watched them coolly. "Nice shooting," he spoke up in his surly voice. "However, we have no time for playing around. Fix your injuries in the cabin, and then we'll go over introductions and... our schedule, after." He tossed a thick gauze to Cassian before smirking, and he disappeared as he walked down the looping corridor. Wrapped inside the gauze were a few bacta pods and a cloth.
Cassian wondered off-handedly how it was possible that he sounded moody and suave at the same time. Glaring at the gauze in his hand, he grimaced. So much for not portraying weakness.
Jyn helped Cassian up and they moved to the cabin area. He sat down on a bench seat wrapped around a small table hosting a Dejarik game. His eyes continued to wander around the common area as Jyn fixed the gauze on his leg to stabilize it.
When she was done, she stepped back and nodded at her handiwork in satisfaction.
Cassian glanced down at it, noting the pressure on his limb felt far less intense. She had soaked it in one of the bacta pods, and the slight cooling effect did wonders for the sharp pain. It wasn't as direct as injecting it, but any bacta applied in any way would still quicken the healing process; it would just simply take a longer time than if he had been submerged in a bacta tank.
Removing the cloth from one of his pockets, he beckoned Jyn over to him. "Can I see one of the pods?"
Nodding, she dropped one into his outstretched palm, watching him curiously.
He squeezed the pod into the cloth, and being careful not to lose any liquid by catching drops that fell, he indicated for her to come closer still. "How's your sprain?"
"That medical droid on the shuttle stabilized it nicely. It hasn't bothered me," she said steadily, stepping closer to him. "I rolled with the explosion on the tower too, so it was a minimal one. More like a pulled muscle."
"I see," Cassian said slowly, falling into a lapse of concentration. Stretching his arm out, he dabbed at the cuts on her face gently, pleased to see the dried blood and cuts disappear.
When he pulled his hand away, Jyn spoke, a note of surprise to her voice. "These bacta pods seems purer than the pods on Raydonia."
"That's because they are far purer than whatever cheap bantha fodder you used there. I need you both healed so you can complete your jobs." Instead of Cassian answering, it was the strange pilot. Again. He came from the direction of the cockpit, pausing when he was in the middle of the common area. The Wookiee followed him, carrying two large bags on his shoulders. It dropped them on the ground with a thud.
The strange man whipped around. "Careful, you large lumbering oaf! There are explosives in there!"
The Wookiee roared in response.
The pilot turned back around, seeing both of their weary expressions on him. "Name's Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon, fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy," he said proudly, as if it was something he was used to saying on repeat. "Behind me is my co-pilot, Chewbacca." He indicated to the Wookiee behind him.
"My name is Myrina, and this here is… Paxton," Jyn spoke immediately, as if the names came naturally to her.
Han nodded without question. "Sure." With effort, he shoved a bag towards them. "In there you'll find all sorts of weapons, communication devices, and thermal detonators. Arm yourselves properly. We'll be arriving in the Thand sector in a few hours. When we get there, you'll be briefed further. If this succeeds, both of you will get a large portion of the pay cut." He smiled. Turning back to the Wookiee, he patted the large, fuzzy alien on the arm. "Chewie, do me a favor and grab our fellow crew members ration bars and water packs. They'll serve no use otherwise." Han left afterwards, disappearing down one of the other hallways.
The Wookiee did as he was told with a huffing sound, handing them another bag full of ration bars and water packs, before he too left the cabin area.
Cassian turned to Jyn once he was sure they were gone. "Paxton?"
"I made that up." She said after a moment, "What's so special about the Thand sector?"
He shrugged. "That's where the Ring of Kafrene is, a major trading outpost." Unwelcome memories of shooting his contact Tivik came to mind.
"Really? Maybe we're just picking up something," Jyn suggested.
"Possibly. It's also likely that we're going there for information," Cassian said. "In the meantime, we should pick our weapons." He started to root through the weapons bag. He pulled out a blaster, a smaller pistol, and several explosives.
Jyn did the same, pulling out a pistol for herself. She also took out a knife, sheathing it on her belt. She then pulled the bag containing the ration bars and water packs closer. "Huh, there's a satchel in here," she spoke with slight surprise. Pulling it out, she stuffed it with ration bars, water packs, and a couple of extra bacta pods that they still had. "Now we wait, I suppose."
It turned out that they had to wait for two hours as the ship navigated through hyperspace. The rest and relaxation were certainly nice, but Jyn found herself growing impatient. It didn't feel right, sitting around doing nothing. The rest of Rogue One could be alive, but there was no way they could find that out right now.
Glancing over at Cassian, who sat next to her on the bench, she noted he had since grown unusually quiet.
"Is there something up?" Jyn prompted.
The man shook his head. "No. But going back to the Ring of Kafrene, well, it just has a lot of significance to me. I… I first learned about those plans there. It's a great place for spies. I'm not so sure we should be seen so carelessly. I'm sure we wouldn't be recognized regardless, since it's a huge hub, but there's no telling what could happen."
He seemed to be particularly reminiscent, which led her to believe there was something left unsaid. As to what that might be, though, she had no idea. What exactly was the Ring of Kafrene? "I think we'll be fine. Scarif might be known, but us being the cause of it probably isn't."
"I'm sure the news of Scarif's assault is halfway across the galaxy by now," he agreed.
The ship shuddered for the thousandth time, but this one was worse, and Jyn realized they must have come out of hyperspace. Her suspicion was confirmed when both the pilot and the Wookiee emerged from the hallway that led to the cockpit. She tensed upon seeing that they were both armed, earning her a reproachful look from Han Solo.
"We've arrived at the Thand sector, just a short distance away from a trading outpost. Chewie and I will be going to get information, and then we'll be on our way." He didn't comment on their tenseness, although it seemed like he wanted to.
"When are we going to learn about this schedule of yours?" Cassian's voice was low and gravelly.
Han smirked. "Hey now, it's your schedule too. You'll hear of it as soon as we get what we need, which is confirmation of our mission."
The pilot and co-pilot spent the rest of the time running around the ship, preparing for their landing at the trading outpost.
Another shudder seemed to signify the ship's landing.
Han Solo and Chewbacca appeared once again, leading Jyn and Cassian through the curving hallway to the boarding ramp. It was already lowered, and soon Jyn felt the grit of the hangar bay under her boots. The boarding ramp receded into the ship's hull with a groan, making her look back in surprise.
"You two can stay here, get some fresh air. We won't be long," Han broke the silence, already walking away with the Wookiee following.
Jyn saw that Cassian was already moving to sit among the crates that were piled around their docked ship. His stride looked stronger already, although she could tell he was still favoring his leg. She followed him at a slower pace, taking in the hanger around them, peering into the shadows.
Luckily, their pilot had chosen a rather empty place to dock, so there wasn't much in the way of other lifeforms. A few astromech and cargo droids moved around the large space, but that was it.
"So, what's here that you haven't told me about?" Jyn whispered. "Is it really just a mere trading outpost?"
Cassian leaned in close to answer, voice quiet. "If you can think it, then it's probably here. Imperial squadrons, Rebel spies, Hutt bounty hunters, mercenaries, space pirates, and crime syndicates. Everything."
Jyn didn't say anything. She was used to dealing with those kinds of people, so she wasn't fazed. The only difference was that back then, she was used to relying only on herself. No one ever stuck to her side when things went awry, and she knew then that that was the most reliable feature of people, that they could and would disappoint. They would disappear. Finding Cassian, finding that he would back her up no matter what his orders, that was the sole difference of her situation. And even if she didn't fully realize it yet, she didn't want to lose that. She didn't want to lose him. Having such trust only made what they were doing now more difficult, more difficult than she could have ever thought possible.
Lost deep in her thoughts, Jyn didn't realize that her eyes were still on his. Cassian was still meeting her gaze, calmly watching her.
She blinked, remembering that she had wanted to ask something else. "Why do you seem so aggravated whenever our…" she paused in hesitance. It didn't feel right to use the word pilot, to her that was synonymous with Bodhi. "When Han Solo speaks?" She could honestly say she didn't trust him either, but she had noted that he had set Cassian on edge more than once.
Cassian finally broke eye contact. "I don't trust him, I have the sense he's getting us into more than he's saying," he rumbled. "He's also on Imperial radar, and he conveniently appeared to get us off the planet."
"But isn't it impossible for him to know who we are, if you're suggesting that?"
Cassian shook his head. "He doesn't know us, Jyn and Cassian. But he probably knows that Liana Hallik was arrested, and then escaped. Or rather, was rescued by a Rebel extraction. I'm sure he's a mercenary. He was in a place where mercenaries gathered, just like the woman who obviously recognized you. And if we knew who you were when we extracted you, then it's doubtless that others did too. He probably wants to use your skills."
"That might be the case. I wasn't trying to make enemies with anyone but the Empire, although… I probably crossed a few people I shouldn't have when I was with Saw. And after he left me, there's a chance I could have become reckless with abandon and maybe crossed a few more people. So maybe it's a possibility that Liana Hallik is more known than I would have thought in the realm of crime." Jyn shrugged, slightly sheepish. That brought her to another consideration. "I wonder who's paying him."
"He isn't with the Empire or the Alliance, so I imagine he's with a third party. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a crime syndicate of some sort." He leaned back into one of the other crates.
"So long as we get a cut, he could work with a Hutt and I wouldn't care." Jyn knew they needed credits to do anything. The galaxy ran on them, those that had lined pockets could control entire worlds. They, however, had nothing but the clothes they wore. Not even a single credit to their names.
Cassian smiled ruefully. Jyn took in the expression with a curious tingling sensation in her fingertips, but her attention was ripped from him with the sound of marching footsteps. She knew the sound of stormtrooper marching all too well. She slipped into a crouch behind the crates, drawing her blaster from her belt. Cassian joined her a slow, unsteady moment later, his own blaster drawn.
"Can you see how many there are?" she asked.
"Five," he replied grimly, staring between the crates.
Jyn cursed under her breath. Why were stormtroopers here? Was it a trap? Were they still being followed, somehow?
They drew near to the rescinded boarding ramp. "The ship's inaccessible and there appears to be no one here. This is indeed the ship that was scanned with expired permits…" One of the troopers could be heard speaking into a comlink. "CF-8462, go check those crates. Make sure there's nothing there."
She rested her finger on the blaser's trigger. Just as she knew they'd be seen, hurried footsteps echoed throughout the hangar. "Wait!" a voice called. Han's voice.
"Are you the pilot of this ship?" The original stormtrooper asked, tone militaristic.
The footsteps of CF-8462 ambled away from the crates.
Han cleared his voice. "Ah, hm, yes. Why… why do you ask?"
"Your ship was scanned upon entry, your scandocs expired. Three months ago."
"Oh, they did? I'll be sure to renew them." A disbelieving rumble from the Wookiee followed Han's proclamation.
"Where's your cargo manifest?" The stormtrooper was beginning to sound impatient.
"I'm sorry, I can't show that, we uh, lost it."
Jyn couldn't see any of the confrontation behind her hiding place, but it was easy to tell that Han was losing the verbal battle quite pathetically.
"Let us on the ship." The clicking of the stormtroopers bringing their weapons to bear was audible in the hangar.
Knowing they would be in a bind if they sat around doing nothing, Jyn inched her way along the crates and signaled her intent to Cassian with a silent gesture. Wedging herself in a small space she found, she caught sight of the five stormtroopers that he identified and steadied her blaster pistol on the corner of the crate. She pressed down on the trigger.
A red bolt struck one of the troopers in the shoulder, and they went down with a cry. The four others whipped around and rang off their own shots with trained reflexes. Jyn shrank back and lowered herself to the floor when a bolt barely missed her ear.
Blaster fire resounded back and forth, and before she knew it, all the troopers were twitching on the ground. The air smelled of ozone from the plasma bolts as silence finally fell. Jyn rose to her feet, and scanned the area warily before she looked to Han. He had his weapon drawn and a relieved smile on his face.
"Thanks. I thought we were bantha fodder," Han Solo said with a note of chagrin. The tone was more than she ever thought possible from him.
"Yeah, well, I hope you have what you need, because we need to get out of here now," Cassian interrupted impatiently.
The sound of rushing footsteps in the distance proved his words. Han rushed to the boarding ramp without comment, and the Wookiee followed once it was lowered. Cassian made it to the edge of the ramp before it started raising, and he extended his hand to Jyn. She grasped it, and he hauled her up before it closed entirely.
Cassian closed his eyes as he slumped against the bench seat in the Falcon's common area. The bacta pod he used moments before finally took effect, and he sighed. Each successive treatment proved invaluable, and he was sure that by the time they reached their destination, he would be able to walk again properly.
Planet Kessel. A place he had only heard in stories. It was a planet well-known in the underworld, a place he heard often during his missions with the Rebellion. He knew of its foul nature well, and now that he was finally going to witness it first-hand, he wasn't sure what to expect. A part of him felt the familiar urge to gather information while he was there, something he could provide to the Rebellion. But he had no easy routes to get there yet; not to mention, he was slightly worried about getting shot for what could be considered treason. He was a captain of the Rebellion; disobeying orders wasn't taken lightly. And what of the Death Star? Did the Empire finish them off? Was Yavin IV gone?
He fiddled with his blaster, memorizing its shape behind his shut eyelids. Han's explanation of their mission was vaguer than he preferred, but he understood. If they were captured, the information couldn't be transferred. It was a common and highly successful tactic.
They were going to Kessel. They were to rendezvous with an underworld supplier to steal unknown shipments and drop them off at a specific, deserted region of space. There was no information offered on the contents of the shipments, the supplier, the one who hired Han, or the region they were drop off the shipments.
While Cassian didn't know any of those things, by using simple estimation and deduction, he could guess what they might be doing. Kessel's top export was spice. It was practically their sole export. The galaxy ran on the drugs produced by the spice as much as it ran on credits. If Han Solo was a smuggler, then they would obviously be smuggling out shipments of spice. And what better way to do that then follow the infamous Kessel Run route? The infamy of the route was tried and proven by many skilled pilots. But the main question he had was that of Han Solo's employer.
He was roused from his musings by Jyn's movement around the common area. After Han learned that she was extremely skilled at altering scandocs—something he undoubtedly already knew—he set her to work as quickly as he could. She held the finish product in her hand, extending it to Chewbacca, who stood at the entrance of the main corridor.
The Wookiee rumbled and went back down the same corridor he stood in.
He watched as Jyn rearranged her satchel for the sixth time. She checked her weapons again.
"Didn't you already check all of those things?" Cassian asked her lightly.
"Yes, but it doesn't hurt to be sure." She repeated the motions she went through the last several times, and when she was satisfied, she faced him. "How are you feeling now?"
He stretched out his leg carefully. "It feels much better. I think I'll be able to walk on it quite well once we get to Kessel."
She nodded, looking pleased. "Good. We'll be there shortly, so we'll need to be in top shape."
Cassian knew that as well as she did. While they were different, they were both the same. She was a petty criminal. He was a rebellious pilot. Their capabilities overlapped quite a bit, and in the end, were they really that different? He worked for Mon Mothma, and she, for a period, worked for Saw Gerrera. They were both extensions of the same belief system.
The freighter's rumbling started, and he knew they must be exiting hyperspace. The ship rocked and groaned, but it eventually steadied out. He imagined that Han and Chewbacca were using Jyn's forged scandocs to get access to the planet. The ship remained calm until it started entering Kessel's atmosphere. Then the ship rumbled and tossed as much as before.
Chewbacca appeared again, a large crossbow in his grasp. He also had a large bag slung over his shoulder, and he roared before motioning to them with one of his large hands. Cassian stood amidst the wild bucking of the ship, and he was surprised that his leg didn't give out under him. It was sensitive, but he was sure he could do what was needed of him now, just so long as he didn't overwork it.
He touched the blaster at his side and stepped forward, following both the Wookiee and Jyn as they traveled through the curved corridor. He had to brace himself against the durasteel wall when the ship lurched aggressively, and he was careful about where he put his foot down. They made their way to the corridor that held the boarding ramp, quickly reviewing the plan in his mind.
Getting down to Kessel was their first objective. They were supposed to split up and make their way to one of the mines, Mine 2A, separately, and meet up behind the large plateau that held ship landing platforms. They had to find their inner operative and meet with them, collect the spice, and leave unnoticed.
It sounded simple, but Cassian knew it was anything but. There were a lot of factors that could go wrong. They could get lost or fall down one of the drops in the terrain. Imperial watchtowers could spot them. Their supplier was unknown, only identifiable by a spoken code. The shipments could be damaged or destroyed. It was dangerous, but if they pulled it off, the amount of credits they'd receive would be well-worth the risk.
So long as they received what they were promised. He would make sure they were.
The rocking back and forth continued, and a hard jolt nearly sent him sprawling. He clutched at the wall and caught himself. Jyn nearly toppled over too, but he extended his arm to catch her. She felt warm through her vest, and the sensation was quickly replaced by the cool air as she pulled away, a grateful, almost-hidden smile on her face.
He smiled in return, removing his hand from the wall when the ship remained still. They must have landed where they needed to.
His smile vanished when Han Solo finally joined them.
"I've set the Falcon down a klick away from Mine 2A. It'll be a long walk, so keep an eye on your rations," Han instructed. "Your comlinks should be adjusted to our frequency, so if something goes wrong, buzz in. Otherwise, try to remain silent. Are there any questions?"
"Yes, when do we start?" Jyn asked, a smirk on her face.
Han matched her expression. "Well I've been had. Right now, Myrina."
Following his words, the boarding ramp lowered, and they all descended in single-file. The first thing Cassian noticed was the russet-colored rocks. They were various shapes, with many forming arches and flat-topped plateaus. A dry wind kicked up, but that was expected from Kessel's northern hemisphere. Dust filled much of the air, and he had to turn away as it blew right in his face. When it passed, he observed his holomap and oriented himself in the direction he needed to go. He saw Jyn doing the same.
Han held his hand up in farewell before he started hiking in a different direction. Chewbacca left in another direction, and soon Cassian was left alone with Jyn.
He moved closer to her. "If you're in trouble, you let me know, all right?" His tone was firm.
"I will. The plan is to do this successfully, so don't count on me needing help. I know what I'm doing, this is right up my alley." Her tone was amused. "Just make sure you don't land yourself in a situation where you need my help."
Cassian nodded. "I know. And don't count on that, either. I know well enough what the stakes are. I've played worse before, if you can believe it." He paused to consider something for a moment. "Here, take this." He removed another comlink from his pocket and placed it in her palm. He watched her study it curiously.
"What is this for?" she queried.
"It's a comlink connected to mine. It also has the capability to connect with the secret frequency that the Rebellion uses to communicate with. I doubt it will connect to them, since their frequencies are blocked, but if something happens with… our friends, then let me know privately. I can do so vice versa. While they are our acquaintances, they aren't our friends."
Jyn stared at the comlink for a moment longer before she wrapped her hand around it. "Very well. Stay safe, Cassian. May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you, Jyn," he returned. He watched her round a bend, then she disappeared. He stood there, staring at the spot for a moment longer. He prayed to the Force or whatever else might be out there that it wasn't the last time he would see her. She couldn't die, and he couldn't die. They sacrificed too much for everything to end here. He looked down at the pair of comlinks in his hand, his personal one and the one he received from Han. Their surfaces felt cool, and he clutched them for reassurance before he slipped them in his pocket.
He checked his blaster, his pistol, and the explosives that were stored safely inside one of the bolt-resistant satchels he found before they landed. Once he was satisfied that he was set, he briefly scanned the terrain around the freighter, if only to memorize the location in case he needed to return by visual sight alone.
When he was satisfied that he could find his way back, he turned in the direction he needed to go and started walking. Nothing specific came to view, everything he could see were the repetitive, russet rocks. He followed a thin trail, carefully testing his leg as he went. It felt steady. Now all that was left was to complete their mission and leave Kessel. And after that? Maybe he and Jyn would finally have the means to search for Rogue One. Maybe they could finally be united. Maybe they would finally have answers. Maybe they would finally have the means to fight back against something that couldn't be stopped, the means to end a tyranny that threatened to swallow everything in the galaxy whole.
