Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

More than One Sort of Prison

Chapter Four

"So, Lobot here is my aide and most loyal friend," Lando spoke in regards to the man walking beside him with cybernetic implants as they, Jyn, the two smugglers, his guards, and the droids carrying Cassian between them, walked through the structure's corridors on their way towards the medical bay. "At least out of everyone who's on Cloud City. If there is anything you all might need other than what you receive while you're here, he will remain with you when I can't and you are free to ask him for it. We promise to do what we can to be accommodating."

"Did Liana happen to mention the reason for my partner and I being here?" Richter asked while he glared over at the young woman as she walked alongside the travois Cassian was lying on to remain close for his protection.

Lando looked between Jyn and the thieves, lying with ease as he responded, "She mentioned you were both in need of new identities, as you're both wanted by the Empire. My people and I are neutral in the war between the Empire and the Alliance, but we don't have any respect for the Empire either, so if you need a new start to remain off of their radar, then you will have what you need."

Dax Nox smiled smugly as he replied, "That's mighty gracious of you. How soon will you have them ready? And when will we be clear to leave?"

"A few of my men are refueling your ship as we speak," the Baron Administrator answered. "And the documents will be ready within the next few hours. You will be free to leave as soon as you'd like once you get them. If the two of you would like to follow Lobot and my men, they'll take you to get your food and drink as promised. They will also show you to your quarters for as long as you remain here."

"Don't forget our deal, Liana," Richter stated coldly as Jyn locked eyes with him, then he and his partner followed after the guards knowing that they wouldn't be able to remain with Jyn to keep their eyes on her all the time. "We are holding you to it."

Once they were out of sight, Lando turned his head towards Jyn still behind him while they continued on to the medical bay and spoke up saying, "You weren't joking about their hostility. You said they threatened you?"

She looked down at Cassian's face while she responded sadly, "It wasn't me they threatened."

"I see," he replied quietly and stood aside in the doorway when they arrived at the medical facility, then motioned for the droids to bring the wounded man to a bed where they'll be able to tend to him before placing him inside the bacta tank that would hopefully heal him the most that bacta can heal him. "All right, your friends aren't around to hear our conversation anymore. So tell me, Jyn. What's really going on? What happened to you and this man who is your friend?"

"It's a long story," the daughter of Galen Erso answered nervously when she finally turned away from Cassian to face Lando. "Other than getting help for… His name is Cassian Andor, a Rebel Intelligence Officer. Captain as a matter of fact. Surely news of Jedha City and the Imperial base on Scarif both being destroyed by the Empire's new superweapon has reached your world?"

Lando nodded as he responded, "It has. Most of my people believe that the rumors are false. I didn't want to believe it myself. So it's true then?"

They call it the Death Star," Jyn replied angrily. "My father helped build it, but only because he was forced to. However, he placed a flaw in the reactor so that the Alliance could be given a chance to destroy it. Cassian, me, and a small group of rebels went to Scarif to steal the superweapon's plans and we succeeded in transmitting the plans to the Alliance. But we suffered a major loss. Cassian and I are the only survivors."

"I heard word of the Rebel attack too," Cloud City's leader said with the sound of surprise in his voice. "That was really you?"

"I was as surprised as you are that we survived," she continued. "As far as both the Empire and the Alliance knows, we're both dead like everyone and everything else on Scarif."

Lando led Jyn to another bed nearby Cassian's so that her own wounds could be treated as well and then he asked, "And are you seeking sanctuary from both? You seem very keen on remaining hidden, though you've clearly aligned yourself with the Alliance."

Jyn pushed one of the medical droids trying to help her away in frustration, then he quickly stated, "You need treatment too. From the way you favor your left leg when you walk, I see that you're hurt too."

"I told you I'm fine," the young woman answered curtly. "It hurts a little, but I prefer that your droids just keep their attention on Cassian."

"There's plenty of droids to treat you both," Lando replied smugly, then ordered the droid to continue helping her and this time she allowed it to. "Please continue."

Jyn sighed and then spoke again saying, "I wasn't so much working with the Alliance as I was doing them a favor. They needed to find my father so that they could learn intel on and defeat the superweapon with the power to destroy whole planets. Like I said, my father built it under duress. But as far as I'm concerned, the Alliance is as much to blame for his death as the Empire was. Not everyone, but enough. Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful to them for setting me free from the Imperial labor camp I had become trapped in before I became caught up in this war. And they finally joined the battle on Scarif when they were given no choice after first refusing to fight. However, I don't know if they would ever trust me completely and I can never truly trust them enough to continue to align myself with them, as much as I might want to."

He looked over at the Captain on the table, then turned back to Jyn as he asked, "And your friend, the Rebel spy? Do you trust him?"

"They were never going to believe you," Jyn suddenly remembered Cassian saying as he and a few other rebel soldiers walked towards her back on Yavin 4 before Rogue One had become assembled together.

"I appreciate the support," she said cynically, feeling anger rise inside of her upon believing that he had come out to continue their earlier argument on their shuttle.

The Captain took a few steps closer to her and with sincerity he continued, "But I do. I believe you."

Jyn looked at him with disbelief as she sighed while he turned his head to look at the men standing behind him, then he looked back at her again and said, "We'd like to volunteer. Some of us… most of us… we've all done terrible things on behalf of the Rebellion. We're spies. Saboteurs. Assassins. Everything I did, I did for the Rebellion. And every time I walked away from something, I wanted to forget. I told myself it was for a cause that I believed in. A cause that was worth it. Without that we're lost. Everything we've done would have been for nothing. I couldn't face myself if I gave up now. None of us could."

"Implicitly," the daughter of Galen finally answered Lando resolutely while she looked down at Cassian's ashen face. "I've trusted very few people in my life and those that I did were all killed on Scarif, except for him. Cassian is the reason why I'm really here, Lando. To see that he gets well. I've only known him a few days and I almost allowed myself to hate him for a mistake I had no real right to blame him for. But despite the strain and distrust that was first between us, Cassian saved my life again and again, this last time sacrificing himself for me and not for the Rebellion. If he chooses to return to the Alliance after he recovers… I won't try to stop him. He has been with them his whole life and I can't fault him for that decision. But I hope he will be able to see that he can be something more than just a spy. He deserves more than that."

"Believe me, I get it," the man who listened to the young woman intently until she finished responded in understanding. "I really do. You may not believe you can trust me fully, on account that I am a smuggler myself and not tied to anyone except for my people, but I won't double cross you. I admire what you and your friend did way too much. As far as those two smugglers are concerned, hopefully my men will get their new identities together quickly and they'll just leave. If not, well then we'll deal with them when the time comes if they try anything foolish. We're well prepared for trouble, I assure you."

Jyn turned to him again and replied, "I'm sorry if I can't believe that just yet. I want to thank you though, Lando. For helping me and especially Cassian. I realize that you didn't have to allow me back into the city after the mess with Saw Gerrera. I never meant for your people and his to get into a fight when he came looking for me. I don't even know why he did. All this time I thought he abandoned me."

The Baron Administrator smiled at her as he answered proudly, "There's really no need to thank me. I didn't agree to help you for gratitude. I'm a thief and on most days more selfish than I am a saint, but I'm not completely heartless. I think my people might even attest to that."