Part 2

If someone were to ask Jyn what happened, she acquire a distant look and say she couldn't really tell you what exactly happened. It was all a blur of emotion. She remembered happiness at seeing her father again, even for just a few minutes; she remembered fear for her father when she saw Krennic and his men pointing guns; she remembered anger at Krennic for threatening and taking her father from her, and at Cassian for lying to her, and at the Rebellion for killing her father she remembered sadness, overwhelming sorrow when she was her fallen father; she remembered… trust for Cassian, even though he nearly killed her father, when he pulled her off the platform.

Jyn rounded on him when they were on the plane, taking off, away from the fighting, away from her father. She shouted and screamed at him for trying to kill her father, yet all she got in response was a passive,

"You're in shock."

The hell she was, but that didn't make what he did any better. So she pushed and pushed to get him to react. She told him he was no better than a Nazi.

That got him to react. The impenetrable, the untouchable, the invincible Cassian Andor's infallible mask crumbled and fell away. He had lost everything, everything, and been in this power struggle since he was six. She didn't know what it was like.

That got through. The impassive, the uncaring, the inscrutable Jyn Erso's deadpan mask crumbled and fell away. She took a step back; six? He'd been fighting since he was six?

Jyn shook herself; then he should know that what he almost did was wrong.

Cassian shook himself; she should know that what mattered was that he didn't do it.

They didn't speak again on the plane ride back.

~ London Underground Base, London ~

She had to go talk to the council. She didn't want to. She wanted to leave and never come back. But she knew what her father had done had to be finished.

So she told them. She told them what had happened and what needed to happen. She told them that they needed to go Westerburg, Germany, to Castle Varlar where the plans were hidden. The castle was currently housing troops, but they could fight them. They had to do this to save not just the Allies, but the world.

They didn't want to. They were scared, cowards, wanted to hide and scatter their forces. What chance did they have?

"What chance do we have? The question is 'what choice?' The time to fight is now! We can choose to hide, but we don't stand up, who will? The Nazis will destroy us all! We have to make a choice. We have to make the right choice. And I choose to fight. It's the only choice there is."

They didn't listen.

Jyn stormed angrily out, back to the small hangar.

"They won't go," Chirrut said. It wasn't a question. Jyn shook her head and paced, furious. Apparently, they were ready to sit back and let the Axis destroy Europe.

"How many?" Bodhi spoke up. Jyn looked at him.

"What?"

"How many do we need?"

He was looking at something behind her. She turned, and was amazed to see Cassian standing there, in front of a group of several men.

"I couldn't live with myself if I gave up," he said quietly by way of explanation. "None of us could."

Jyn gave a half-smile, something squeezing in her chest. He hadn't shot her father; he could've but he didn't and here he was, ready to follow her to his almost certain death, and looking happy about it. Maybe he was different from everyone else, maybe he would stick around.

"I'm used to people sticking around when things go bad."

She wasn't sure when they had moved closer, but they had, and he was staring at her like she was the only thing in the hangar.

"Welcome home."

She could kiss him. The inches between them were electric, humming with tension and energy. She briefly wondered what kind of tension it was. Had Cassian's eyes always been so warm, so endless?

Had Jyn's eyes always looked like a stormy green ocean, just was deep?

A crash in the hangar jerked them out of the little bubble they had formed. Jyn stepped back and scratched her nose; Cassian stepped away and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Let's get going."

It took them little time to ready and go. They piled into the back of Cassian's plane, Cassian, Jyn, Bodhi, and Kay crammed in the cockpit.

A voice crackled over the radio.

"Hey, who is this?! What's your callsign?"

Bodhi was at the radio. His eyes widen almost comically and he looked frantically at Jyn. She motioned for him to say something.

"Uh - Rogue? Rogue… One. Rogue One."

~ Just outside Castle Varlar, Westerburg, Germany ~

Jyn took a deep breath. There was no way - there had to be a way - the codes wouldn't work - they had to work. She clutched her mother's crystal in her hand. She felt Cassian's gaze hot on her back. She glanced back at him, gave him a half smile.

"We're in," Bodhi breathed.

Everyone released a pent-up breath of release and Jyn brushed Cassian to tell the others in the back. The men looked at her expectantly.

"The plans are in Castle Varlar. Cassian, Kay, and I are going inside to get them. The rest of you are here for backup and diversion. I don't know how many are inside or outside, but we have to get those plans. You signed up for this knowing there is no extraction team; the only one is Bodhi on the plane. But you came anyway; you know this is something that has to be done. We've been given a chance that we have to take, and we'll take the next one and the next, until the chances are spent. If we don't… all our families, our friends… they die along with us. We are Europe - the world's - only hope."

She glanced at Cassian when she finished, when he stepped next to her.

"Make ten men feel like a hundred," he said simply.

They had pilfered two Nazi uniforms - because Kay already had one - one for a man, one for a woman. In the back of the truck they had stolen, Jyn and Cassian changed quickly, backs to each other. Jyn had always hated skirts and pencil skirts were the worst. She tucked in her skirt and shrugged on the blazer, then picked up the tie. She'd never had much luck with a tie, but gave it a shot.

It didn't work.

She cursed quietly, tried again, but calloused hands were suddenly on her own, pushing them away and tying the tie for her. She looked up abruptly. Cassian was inches from herself, eyes intent on hers. Neither looked away from each other as he tied her tie without looking. He finished, smoothed his thumb over the knot, brushed his fingers over her pulse point. Her eyes fluttered.

"Cassian," she whispered, tasting his name on her lips. His eyes skirted over her face, lingered on her lips and back to her eyes.

"Jyn," he whispered hoarsely.

"Cassian," she said again, desperately, surging forward, pulling him to her.

Their lips met desperately in the middle; Jyn hadn't considered that he would kiss the way he did everything else; with ruthless efficiency. She gasped and he took it, stole the breath from her lungs and she gladly let him. His pulled on her bottom lip, smoothed his tongue over it. Her fingers found his hair; the other slid underneath her jacket, scrabbled at the back of his shirt to find bare skin. Cassian pushed her backwards, till her knees bumped the back of the bench, pulled her closer, one hand pushing beneath her jacket. Jyn pulled back reluctantly for air, but Cassian only moved from her mouth to her jaw and neck, sucking lightly on her pulse point, making her gasp.

A bang on the side of the truck made him pull back, Kay's voice calling,

"Hurry up, you two. Someone's coming."

Cassian ran his thumb over her cheek, straightened her tie again; Jyn took a shaky breath and pulled on his jacket to straighten it. He smiled slightly.

"Till the chances are spent," he said softly.

They exit the truck bed with smooth masks on their scared faces; this was ride or die. They couldn't exactly back out now. Cassian turned to Kay.

"Everyone ready?"

At his affirmative, the three crept around to the back of the castle and slipped in a backdoor. Hopefully, they could get in and get out while escaping notice, but that was a lot to ask. Jyn was glad she had shoved pants into the bag Cassian was carrying.

The plans were on the sixth floor; that meant a lot of stairs and even more potential interference. They would have to hope no one really looked past the uniform.

"I've got a bad fe-"

"Shut up!"

"Quiet, Kay!"

Chirrut and Baze waited impatiently by the back of the car. An American was going to rig an explosion on Cassian's signal; then they would draw out the Nazis from inside the castle to make way for Jyn, Cassian, and Kay.

Chirrut was praying quietly under his breath. Baze had lost faith after the Nazis overran Jerusalem. Where was God when they needed him?

He found Chirrut's hand instead and Chirrut squeezed it in response. All Baze needed was Chirrut and his gun. As long as he had those two things, he could make it through this suicidal battle.

They hadn't realized that Castle Varlar was so big. It was enormous and the hike to the sixth floor would take even longer than she'd originally thought. She felt jittery in her own skin; Cassian felt like he was going to soak through his hat with sweat. Neither of them understood how Kay looked so calm and impassive.

Jyn's hand crept over to Cassian's, fingers sweeping over his knuckles, and took yet another deep breath. Stay calm - but the clock it ticking - nothing will be made better if you loose it, Erso - the clock is ticking faster and faster.

They were on the third floor; time for the diversion. Cassian ducked into a shadowy corner and pulled out a walkie-talkie.

Bbsszzttt

"Mel, do you copy?"

Bbsszzttt

"Captain, I copy."

Bbsszzttt

"Light 'em up."

Almost immediately, an explosion went off, shaking the ground, rattling the walls. Cassian, Jyn, and Kay started running against the flow of people who appeared, pushing them towards the door, acting like they were trying to help get people out.

In reality, it was quite the opposite. They kept their heads down and sprinted up stairs, two, three, at a time.

"Here! Here it is!" Jyn yelled, stopping short at some double doors. Cassian checked behind him and in front then kicked the doors open. Kay motioned them in.

"You go!"

He pushed them in and yanked the doors shut behind him. There was a sturdy mahogany desk next to several all file cabinets directly across from a large fireplace. The western wall had only one window.

Kay started rifling through the papers on the desk, while Jyn and Cassian began looking through the files. Cassian cursed and slammed one of the drawers shut, before opening the next.

"Cassian, Kay!" She caught Cassian's arm. "Look for stardust!"

"Stardust?" They asked. Jyn nodded, flinched when she heard feet thundering past the door. "Why?"

"Because it's me."

Kay gave an exclamation.

"It is in the third drawer from the top in the middle cabinet!"

Someone banged on the door, shouting,

"Wer ist dort!"

The three exchanged a look and Jyn and Cassian bumped elbows trying to find Stadust.

"Here! Here!"

Jyn pulled a file out, brandishing it. Now they just have to get the plans out. Kay turned to them, looking resigned.

"You can get out if you take the tunnel."

Jyn and Cassian exchanged a look, confused.

"What tunnel?"

Kay went across the room to the fireplace and pressed something that made the back slid up. Jyn gasped. Maybe they could get out!

There were more voices outside, methodical banging on the doors. Kay gestured frantically.

"Go! I will cover you!"

Cassian looked up sharply.

"What? No!"

Kay sighed, exasperated, tired.

"There's no other way, Cassian. You have to."

Cassian opened his mouth to argue, shut it, cursed.

"Go, Jyn. I'm coming."

Jyn paused at the tunnel entrance and turned to Kay, flipping a pistol around and holding it out.

"I think you'll be needing this," she said with a tight smile. Kay - Kay looked surprised.

"I - thank you, Jyn Erso. You are more different than predicted."

Jyn's mouth twitched.

"I get that a lot."

She ducked into the tunnel, manila file clutched close to her chest. Cassian ducked in just behind her, looking grim as the hidden door shuts and dull shouts were heard. Cassian dug a flashlight out of his bag and tossed Jyn her pants. She changed quickly, as he flipped through the file.

"This is it, alright," he told her, closing it and handing it back to her. Jyn nodded and flinched when she heard shots. Cassian's walkie-talkie suddenly went fuzzy; Kay was gone. Jyn's hand found Cassian's in the dark, and they turned as one to run down the tunnel.

Five minutes later, and they heard clear shouts from the head of the tunnel. Somehow, they put on a burst of speed, but the yells were getting closer.

What was that?

Thin slivers of light ahead!

Suddenly, bullets stared flying around their heads, and Cassian wrapped his arm around Jyn puling her closer and pushing her more in front. He was going to get himself killed.

Cassian periodically twisted around to shoot back at their pursuers, and about twenty feet from the exit, when Cassian had turned to shoot, was shot in the side and fell forward.

"Cassian!" Jyn screamed, felt him drag, but pulled him on and didn't stop running. She wanted to, she wanted to stop and push him down, make him rest, but he would want her to go. She pushed through the wooden door at the end, burst out into the screams of fighters zipping through the air, shooting other planes, dropping bombs. Jyn skittered to a halt, ducking and throwing up a hand to protect her and Cassian. Starting to move again, she pushed Cassian back through some bushed to a stand of trees to let him rest.

A man in a white suit - Director Krennic, head of Project Death Star - burst out where they had just come, striding forward purposefully. He had come to find them. Turning back to Cassian, she shoved the papers in his bag, but kept the file.

"Okay, Cass, time to stay quiet. Stay here," she murmured in his ear, unwrapping an arm around his waist to help sit. He groaned when she did, and her hand was sticky with his blood.

"I'll come back."

She might not get a chance to come back, and Cassian knew this, but didn't contradict her. She pressed her lips to his temple, and turned and ran the opposite direction from Cassian. A voice rang out from behind her.

"Je tirerai si tu ne t'arrêtes pas."

Stop or he'll shoot? Jyn hadn't spoken French in ages, but it was still easy as breathing.

"Je n'ai pas peur de toi," she called out, clear as day. And she never would be afraid of him. She had few fears anymore. Well… she had several that made her feel sick.

"Vous voulez les plans? Viens les chercher," she told him, standing defiant, chine raised, fire in her eyes.

Krennic deliberated.

"That would be a foolish move for you, you know," he said, thick French accent. "I will still shoot you."

Jyn smiled humorlessly.

"I don't care if you shoot me. I'd think you'd understand that, considering I came into the heart of Nazi territory willing to give my life for some plans."

Krennic stared hard at her.

"Who are you?"

Jyn lifted her head.

"Jyn Erso, daughter of Galen Erso. And your plan will never work," she swore.

Krennic laughed.

"You're as foolish as your father if you really think that. You will die with your precious Alliance." He aimed his gun at her. "And the Nazi party will rule as they should!"

A bang resounded through the trees, but instead of Jyn falling, it was Krennic. Cassian was leaning heavily against a tree, pistol pointed out a him, and Jyn thought he was the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. She jogged over to him, limping and she wasn't quite sure when that had happened. Reaching for the bag, Jyn quickly dug through it, then sighed, then looked up.

She stared up Cassian unashamedly. He was pale, a bruise forming around his left eye and cheekbone, and blood was soaking through his shirt, but his eyes were shining with hope.

Cassian stared at Jyn unabashedly, drinking in the sight of her, need and fire in her eyes, a cut on her chin, blood on her pants leg - when had that happened - but she had never looked more beautiful, glowing in the setting sun.

Somehow they made it back - they had given to plans to a pilot who was starting his ship back up and would take it straight back to London.

They finally reached the plane, Bodhi in the cockpit but -

"Where are Chirrut and Baze?" Jyn demanded, helping Cassian sit down. Bodhi didn't - couldn't - look her in the face.

"They - they're not - not coming," he whispered.

Jyn slumped against the plane wall. No, nonononono, they didn't deserve to die. No one who came did.

"Where's the rest?" she asked wearily.

Bodhi only shook his head, and Jyn gasped for breath, sinking down beside Cassian. Her hand crept over to grasp his, and he turned it to hold hers more firmly. The plane sputtered to start around them.

Cassian turned his head to face her, and found her already staring at him, and pulled her to his chest.

"You father would be proud, Jyn," he said softly, hoarsely.

In the end, almost is the saddest word there is.

They almost avoided that bomber fire.

He almost dodged that bullet.

They almost found family.

She almost loved him.

They almost made it.

- End, Part 2, Finis -