A google search attempting to discover how fast hyperspace travel is did not result in much success. What I took from it is that it is really fast, depending on how fast the ship is. And how direct the route is. Maybe I'll turn into a true Star Wars fan by the time I finish writing this! Anyways, I am taking some creative liberties with the hyperspace travel time! Also, I found a super-cool searchable map that shows where all the planets are in the Star Wars galaxy!
Chapter two: a short hop along the Corellian Run
It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time. - Sir Winston Churchill
Outside the starship, the surface of Scarif was engulfed in flames. Inside the shuddering spacecraft, chaos reigned.
The man who had helped Jyn haul Cassian's prone body onto the craft promptly shut the cargo bay doors and darted into the cockpit. "This shuttle's been damaged by the surface fighting! The hyperdrive looks like it'll barely hold together. We won't make it back to Yavin 4; we'll be lucky to survive even a short hyperspace jump-"
The harried voices from the cockpit sounded warped to Jyn over the craft's shrieking alarms. She tried unsuccessfully to slow her ragged breathing, her mind spinning as she questioned the words that she thought she had heard Cassian utter before his eyes had closed and she had screamed his name once again, this time fearing the worst. She used the back of her fist to roughly wipe away tears that she couldn't recall having spilled and shifted, delicately placing Cassian's head on her lap as she attempted to brace his unconscious form from worst of the airship's shaking.
A second speaker barked: "Course is laid - just get us the hell out of here!"
There was a flurry of movement, more cursing, and then Jyn felt a familiar drop in her gut as the ship made the jump to hyperspace. A remote part of her marvelled that the craft had successfully made the jump before fully clearing the planet's atmosphere. Then again, it was the second time in, what - days? weeks? - that she had done so. Jyn glanced down at the face of the injured captain with whom she had so narrowly escaped the destruction of Jedha, an event which now seemed as remote as if it had happened in another life. His eyes were closed as she cradled his head in her lap, and if it weren't for his injuries, he might had looked peaceful. Or dead. She resisted a sudden flood of panic and swallowed hard, forcing back a rush of bile as she looked desperately to his chest, anxiously awaiting the rise and fall of his breath. When a slight movement confirmed that the captain, although injured, was still alive, she exhaled loudly and blinked back the blurriness that threatened her vision.
"Can't you turn those goddamned alarms off!" The shout, almost drowned out by the piercing of the ship's alarms, was soon followed by merciful silence. The only sounds now were the hum of the ship's hyperdrive and Jyn's haggard breathing, loud and erratic in her ears.
She glanced up wildly as movement caught her eye. One of their saviours, the one who had helped her to get Cassian on board, had returned from the cockpit. He caught her eye and tossed an object her way. She caught the imperial medpac without flinching, her reflexes honed from years of training under Saw Gerrera.
"We'll be lucky if the hyperdrive holds together…" the Alliance soldier muttered as he opened a hatch to access the maintenance panels, disappearing as abruptly as he'd appeared.
Jyn closed her eyes, inhaling deeply through her nose and then exhaling loudly. Out of habit, she reached up to her collarbone to grasp the kyber crystal which hung from her neck. I am one with the Force. The Force is with me. I am one with the Force. The Force is with me. Turning her attention to the medpac, she flipped it open, grateful to see a full assortment of medical equipment, including several bacta patches. Cassian's head was still resting on her knees, and she gently extracted herself and turned her mind to her next crucial task - keeping him alive.
Her attention now focused solely on her patient, she quickly took stock of the situation. The side of Cassian's head was bloody; his hair was matted with it. Ascertaining that the cut was shallow and not life-threatening, she ignored it and moved her attention downwards. His shoulders and arms seemed fine. Continuing her inspection, she frowned when she reached his torso. His side was still wet with fresh blood. She carefully peeled away his shirt, which had been stained a scarlet red, and tore away the material to gain access to the wound. Reaching for the antiseptic and some clean bandages, she worked first to do her best to clean and sterilize the injury.
Jyn refused to look at Cassian's face as she worked deftly to clean the wound. Thinking about who she was trying to keep alive would bring back that suffocating sense of panic, and Jyn knew that she could not afford to panic.
The injury was as clean as it was going to get. Ignoring the slight tremor in her hands, Jyn reached for a bacta patch, tearing open the packaging and placing pressure on the patch as she applied it to the wound on Cassian's torso. "If you die on me Andor, I swear I will follow you wherever you end up just to kill you all over again." She grit her teeth together, and for a moment could have sworn that his lips twitched in response to her muttered threat.
With that life-threatening injury taken care of, she now moved her attention to the rest of him. His fall from the column in the archive library had surely caused injury, but if so, it was internal. She knew from supporting him as they stumbled from the turbolift to the beach that his leg was injured, but her medical skills lacked the sophistication to determine if there was a broken bone or not. "Maybe it's a good thing, if I can't tell if it's broken…" Jyn sighed, sitting back on her heels to observe her patient. Cassian still looked like he might be on death's door, but at least while he was unconscious, and clearly still breathing and alive, she allowed herself to feel a brief flutter of hope that maybe, just maybe, their chances had not yet been spent.
Putting aside the blood-soaked bandages, she then used the antiseptic to clean the shallow cut on the side of his forehead, taking a tube of bacta fluid from the medpac and applying a thin layer to the laceration. "What you need is a bacta tank, and a med droid who knows what the hell they are doing…" She smoothed the matted hair away from his forehead, and gulping, swiftly shoved down the deluge of emotion that threatened to overtake her again. Taking another bandage, Jyn took a moment to clean the blood from her hands, vainly attempting to stop their shaking. This time she was sure not to look at Cassian.
With the immediate danger of Cassian dying now (hopefully) passed, she took a moment to gather herself, settling her face into a familiar, emotionless mask. Rising, Jyn winced as she put weight on her injured ankle. She had forgotten all about the aches and pains in her own body in the adrenalin rush that followed their impromptu rescue. Fairly certain that it was just a sprain, Jyn grit her teeth together and shuffled to the cockpit, taking care to keep weight off the injured foot.
The Rebel pilot barely acknowledged her as she entered. "Your partner still alive?"
Jyn nodded, then realized that he obviously couldn't see her. "Yeah, for now. He needs medical care, though."
"Don't we all," the pilot said, although not unkindly. He glanced up towards her. "We were part of the Alliance ground reinforcements - we started looking for our own ride when we realized that nobody had planned to come back to pick us up. Thought we were goners for sure when that… thing showed up in the sky. And then just like an answer to our prayers, we crossed over a sand dune and found this Imperial piece of shit," at that he slapped his hand down on the dash, then gave Jyn a toothy smile. "But a damaged Imperial shuttle is better than dyin', so we helped ourselves and just as we were settling in to leave saw you two not far off on the beach." The pilot suddenly sobers, the smile melting from his face. "Scarif… the whole base, all our men… gone, just like that. What chance does the Rebellion have, against something so powerful?"
Jyn doesn't know if he expects an answer. She doesn't think she can provide one. For a moment, her mind shifts to K-2, then to Chirrut, Baze, and Bodhi... Don't go there. Not now.
She shakes her head and forces the thoughts from her mind. She doesn't have the energy, and Cassian doesn't have the time, to explain to this pilot that their foolhardy plan had succeeded - that the plans for the Death Star were now in Rebel hands. Did any of it even matter now? They had barely escaped Scarif with their lives, and were hurtling through space in a shuttle that sounded like it might give out at any moment. To Jyn, the Alliance's war and the battle for the Death Star's plans suddenly seemed far away.
Her grim musing is interrupted by the entrance of the second Rebel, who nods at her briefly before settling himself into the co-pilot's seat. "The hyperdrive is close to being caput."
The pilot nods. "Just like I figured. We won't make it to Yavin 4, so we'll have to find ourselves another ride to get there. I've plotted our course to Tatooine - it's not as far from Scarif as I'd like to be, but at least it's enough of a hellhole that we aren't likely to run into too much Imperial trouble."
Jyn frowns. Tatooine. She had passed through the planet on multiple occasions. There had always been plenty of work, at least for someone with her unique set of skills. "You'll draw attention to yourselves if you try and land this Imperial shuttle in Mos Eisley, unless you know someone to bribe, and have a fortune to pay for it…"
The pilot shares a glance with his companion. "We know that. While you were patchin' up your partner, I made arrangements with an Alliance contact who's agreed to get us off Tatooine. We're going to land outside of the city, on the Great Mesra Plateau. From there, we destroy this shuttle, and our contact will pick us up to take us into the city, and then off planet. This shuttle probably has a locator on it, anyway. It's too dangerous to just abandon, and it's likely not going to fly for much longer regardless."
Jyn had been nodding. The plan wasn't ideal, but it should work. Mos Eisley was teeming with smugglers and criminals; a ship entering the atmosphere but not berthing in the hangar would probably go unnoticed. And if it didn't, and someone got a bit too curious and decided to investigate, all they would find would be whatever rubble was left over after they blew the shuttle.
"There's only one problem."
At this, the two men exchanged a look that instantly raised Jyn's hackles. She rolled back her shoulders, wincing in pain as she asked, "and what is that?"
The pilot exhaled. "Our contact isn't actually with the Alliance, he's just a sympathizer to the cause. He can smuggle us aboard his freighter, but his passenger capacity is tight and he won't be keen to cause any trouble or raise attention to himself. Bringing an injured fellow on board is certain to raise some questions."
The co-pilot glanced up to her. "But we could probably take you, if you want-"
Jyn shook her head, cutting him off. "No. I'm not leaving him. And he's too injured to haul onto another starship without being treated first, anyway. Thanks for the offer."
The pilot nodded and the other man sighed, looking relieved.
"You've done enough already by getting us off Scarif, and I have some of my own contacts in Tatooine. Can you get us into Mos Eisley?"
The pilot nodded. "That shouldn't be a problem."
Jyn felt a sense of relief. The situation was far from good, but now at least she knew what it was. And if she understood the situation, she could plan her next move. "Good. I need access to a computer."
The co-pilot nodded and stood to lead her back to the cargo bay, talking as he rose. "I need to start work on setting up the self-destruct sequence. I saw some mobile computers in a storage bin in the cargo bay, along with some Imperial blasters. You'll probably be needing both."
Jyn stepped aside to allow him to pass, and paused. "And... thanks… for everything. We were ready to…"
The pilot waved her off over his shoulder. "We all were. I lost more than a few good friends today; figured it was the least we could do to try and save at least two lives. We're not far off from Tatooine, so I suggest you focus on finding your partner a med facility in Mos Eisley."
Retreating back to the cargo bay as she followed the co-pilot, Jyn's mind was racing. Her imprisonment on Wobani had severed her access to the various networks used by Outer Rim's criminal underworld, and it would require some effort to regain entry. The co-pilot rifled through a storage container, and she accepted the mobile computer with a murmured thanks.
"There are some Imperial issued blasters in that compartment over there. Help yourself." The co-pilot gestured to a compartment near the cockpit entrance, then returned to join the pilot.
Jyn placed the mobile computer on the ground next to Cassian, then moved to the compartment. Opening the lid, she noted without surprise that it contained only the Imperial standard issue E-11 blaster rifles. She selected one, hefting it with a familiarity that spoke of frequent use, and took a moment to ensure that it was in good working order and that the power cells were full.
Satisfied with her new weapon, she selected another one, glancing back to double check that Cassian's blaster pistol was still secured in its holster at his side. She swallowed as the unbidden image of Krennic's cruel, victorious face rose suddenly in her mind. I lose nothing but time. You die with the rebellion. Cassian had come to her aid with that blaster pistol, appearing as if from nowhere to shoot Krennic and save her life. Forcing back the emotions brought on by the memory, Jyn closed the compartment, and settled herself cross-legged in front of Cassian. While the computer was booting up, she watched the rise and fall of Cassian's chest. She didn't dare look at his face. The fact that he was breathing meant that he was alive, and that was all that mattered right now.
Stop thinking. Start working. He's not out of the woods yet. Getting past the initial Imperial security system was a simple matter once the mobile computer came online. The trickier part was locating the encrypted network that served as a hub for the seedier businesses that operated on Tatooine. Just like the shifting underbelly that fed it, the network's location was constantly shifting to avoid unwanted Imperial attention. As she worked to gain access to the network, Jyn mentally cycled through the list of smugglers, criminals, and industrialists located on Tatooine whom she had encountered over the years. The first name that came to mind caused her lips to curl into a scowl. Not him. Keep thinking.
She was in. Her fingers flew over the keys as she searched. From the cockpit, she heard the pilot shout, "five more minutes!"
No good. She's still furious after the last job went south and I had to dump the cargo. What did she expect? Even I get boarded sometimes. Her eyes scanned the screen as she sifted through the data with a precision gained from a lifetime of experience. Gone. Must have been arrested or moved the business off-world. A minute ticked past and her search became a bit more frantic. Even criminals needed a medical clinic to recuperate away from prying eyes at times, but quality healthcare came at a cost and was often troublesome to find. Another minute passed, and Jyn exhaled in frustration. No choice. It has to be him. Hopefully he's still not mad about those missing credits…
Sending an encrypted message using the same alias that she had used under his employ, Liana Hallik, she turned her attention to her financial accounts. Not too healthy. Acknowledging that she would need to pick up more work on Tatooine to cover what would certainly amount to exorbitant medical fees, she transferred a large portion of her existing credits to the proper account. Now he has no reason to shoot me, at least not right away…
Her task complete, her eyes finally rose, again watching Cassian's breast as it faintly rose and fell with each breath. "You had better be worth all this trouble…" She had to again force thoughts of the battle at Scarif out of her mind. She would have time to reflect on that chaotic jumble of shooting and running later; time later to ruminate on what had happened on the beach. Unwittingly, a flush rose to her cheeks as she felt her heart beat faster. Cassian's arms had been warm around her, and she had wanted to melt at the truth she had seen in his eyes. For the first time since her father had held her as a child and called her Stardust, Jyn Erso had felt safe. She closed her eyes hard, forcing her lids to stay shut for several more seconds as she distanced herself from such dangerous thoughts. One thing at a time. She did not dare dwell on that moment, did not dare investigate the flood of feelings that surged through her whenever she thought back to the look in the captain's deep brown eyes.
First thing's first. Cassian needed medical care, and Jyn was not thrilled by the identity of the individual that she had been forced to seek it from.
A familiar lurching sensation served to inform her that they had dropped out of hyperspace, meaning they were quickly approaching Tatooine. While she found the necessity of relying on this contact from her former life particularly distasteful, Jyn also knew one thing for certain: without question, saving the captain's was worth it.
Ta da! Second chapter complete! I was so excited to discover on the star map that Tatooine is actually quite close to Scarif… which makes sense when you consider the events in A New Hope. Anyways, I have no plans to seriously incorporate the characters from A New Hope in this fic, but we may or may not bump into them. Thanks again for the lovely reviews - it has been a very long time since I tried my hand at writing, and appreciate your kind words!
Being the perpetual student that I am, I am headed back to classes tomorrow. I already have ideas for the next few chapters in my brain, it's just a matter of getting them typed out. Either way, expect less frequent updates, but hopefully good ideas! Happy New Year!
