JEDI

Seems like a whole other life ago. One where I wasn't a Jedi, and I was still just a kid-pilot straight out of Tatooine, trying to fit into his new shoes in an enormous Galaxy, playing at Rebel Command. In that life, I knew Jyn Erso as a contradiction: fiery, yet keen, very keen, to just get through the war with her head down but with her eyes straight up, carefully ensuring the flag over her head was the red starbird. She got on with the task we presented to her - humbly maintaining perimeter sensors - and she never had a complaint. You could almost forget that she was a hero. That were it not for her, and her father, none of us would be here. Including me.

Now there's a thought. Were it not for the machinations of Galen Erso, for her bravery in stealing the Death Star schematics, getting them to Leia, who bequeathed them to R2... I'd still be on Tatooine, staring at the two suns, dreaming big.

I did thank her, four years ago on Yavin IV, at the ceremony when I received the Medal of Bravery with Han. She and Captain Andor were there, watching from the back. They should have been at the front with us, but... well, officially they were disqualified, given that the Rogue One mission was an act of insubordination. I rather suspect they would have been honoured anyway, but looking back on it, I think that they were positioned exactly where they wanted to be. He was in a wheelchair at that point, recovering from his injuries, and I had an awkward moment when I went to shake her hand to find it was in a sling. It was a humbling sight, particularly after Han and I had been showered with glory. I'd always dreamed of being a hero, and the ceremony was the culmination of that dream. For them... I couldn't begin to imagine what dreams they had had growing up.

After that I saw Jyn Erso infrequently. Leia insisted that we utilise her, that her talents not go to waste. The young woman just got on with things, and we tended to only see her when something was wrong. I'd heard about what happened to her on Hoth, that she got sick after getting caught out in a storm much like I did a week later. The last time I saw her was on the Redemption, where she was still recovering whilst I had my prosthetic hand installed. I didn't get to talk much to her, partly because my mind was occupied with rescuing Han, but also because she had company the entire time. I'm glad for her, that she and Captain Andor had survived together.

I found out the most about her from an unexpected source. As Han, Leia and I prepared to leave for Endor, Lando came to us, frowning.

"Han, help me out here. Got a transfer request, you know this one?" The new temporary captain of the Millennium Falcon passed my friend a pad, pointing to a specific name.

"Sergeant Jyn Erso-Andor…?" Han peered at it. I knew that look; it rang a bell. "Isn't that… isn't Jyn Erso the girl from Rogue One…? Erso-Andor, huh… guess those rumours were true after all…"

He touched the pad's screen, bringing up a picture, ignoring us as Leia explained who Rogue One was to Lando, one of the latest Alliance recruits. Han looked surprised, as though he wasn't sure his sight had really come back after all. Then he started laughing.

"What is it?" Leia asked, trying not to laugh too, albeit at him. Chewie gave a grumble, looked over his partner's shoulder, and started chuckling too. "What?"

Han wiped his eyes of mirth, patted Lando's shoulder. "Take her. Little spitfire that one, you'll be fine. Just don't piss her off, girl can make a weapon out of anything." He peeled off to laugh some more. "Didn't realise that was her… that's Liana Hallik."

Lando's confused face immediately cleared, although he now looked even more worried. "Oh…"

"Han…" Leia warned, her patience tested from being kept out of the loop.

He passed the pad to her. "Chewie and I were… well, what we were doing doesn't matter, but we were in this bar on the Ring of Kafrene a few years ago, and Stormtroopers raided the place. We were about to slip out the backdoor when this tiny terror gets up, asks what the problem is, and then started the best bar fight I've ever took part in. She took out an entire squad with a beer bottle, one of their blasters, and a vibroblade. I almost stopped to just watch…"

I peered at the image that Leia was studying, then back at Han's wistful face. I tried not to think too much of the similarities between the sergeant and the dark hair and short stature of my sister (it was still strange, too new thinking of her as that). I took the pad from her and…

And I knew instantly. "Han's right," I told Lando, who looked all the more surprised at my advice, handing back the pad to him. "The Force is strong with that one."

"Oh, well if the Force is strong…" Han grumbled teasingly. I rolled my eyes, picked up another crate of blasters for the shuttle. "Hang on, give me that pad back, when did she get married…?"

I sensed Leia look to the ceiling tryingly and she grabbed his arm, pulled him away with a final good luck to Lando. "So what were you doing on Kafrene?"

"Err…"

GUARDIAN

Look for the Force, and you'll find me. You will find all of us.

Stay calm, Captain.

Even now, as that abomination fires at the fleet, as all hope seems lost, Little Sister is in the safest place you could possibly have placed her. Chirrut was right: her path has always been clear, and a life in Saw Gerrera's cadre could not have better prepared her for today. When she told you she needed to be aboard the Millennium Falcon, when you knew it was so that she could complete her father's onus, all was as it should be. I once lost faith, but I can see it now. By the will of the Force, that ship has the greatest destiny ahead of it. She is safe, even now.

The current general of the Falcon is right too; wait. The Force is strong with the team on the surface, is strong with the Princess, is strong with the Wookie, is strong even with the scruffy-looking General, whether he believes it or not. They have each other. They have all the luck they need.

Do not give in to fear. The strongest stars have hearts of kyber, and she gave hers to you. You can feel it, both under your skin and sitting above it. The necklace she gave you, that her mother gave to her to protect her. The Force protects her still. We protect her.

And we protect you.

That cancerous creature there… around which the Force moves so darkly light will never pierce it… the shadows have blinded him. The light is about to shine… I never thought this day would come... the Jedi have returned.

So fear nothing, Little Brother, for all is as the Force wills it.

IMPERIAL ENGINEER

It's not… it's not possible… not again...

I watched, helpless, as an Alliance X-Wing fighter and a Corellian YT Freighter fired at the hyper matter reactor core, their presence impossible but...

As the inferno began, my life flashed before my eyes.

Oh Force... what a waste... I had been to many places all over the Galaxy for the Empire, met so many people... why was it only now that I realised how beautiful it had all been...?

ADMIRAL

I know that it's not quite over. That there will be plenty more fights after this.

But by Force… seeing the Death Star explode, see it spit out my pilots safely… knowing that the Emperor could not possibly have survived… it feels over.

It's a beautiful sight, the explosion. I know it shouldn't be, I know the cost that we have paid to see this, I know that there were hundreds of thousands of people on that station who weren't evil - I have been in this fight so long I'm not sure if 'evil' really exists, and if it does then the only one who qualified for the title is now just space dust before my eyes - who might have had families somewhere, had people who cared for them. I am sorry for that… but…

I am reminded easily of why I am not really sorry.

As my crew cheers around me, Captain Cassian Andor steps forward, his face easy to read, his hand clutching something that hangs around his neck. Gratitude swells in me: when he returned from Coruscant we all expected to say goodbye, but instead he volunteered to man the sensors, has been keeping the worse off all our backs through this battle, has kept as many of us alive as he could. I can guess what it is that he's looking for, what he needs to see with his own eyes; the Millennium Falcon, in one piece.

This is why I am not sorry for the lives of stormtroopers, or of Imperial soldiers. I would regret infinitely more the loss of those that this man cares for, all those that all of my men care for. Because when he sees it, when he hears General Calrissian confirm that he and his crew are fine and heading home, I don't know whether the captain's going to be sick with relief, or burst in tears. But then he turns to me, and his smile is so wide he looks ten years younger.

And I think... this is what peace might look like, knowing that your loved ones are coming home.

HANGAR CONTROL SUPERVISOR

This time I knew who they were.

Although… alright, I didn't realise the significance when the Admiral instructed the Millennium Falcon to reroute and dock with Home One, instructing me to ensure there was a landing pad for them. Cut me some slack, I didn't know that she was on the Falcon and he was here on the Bridge. Do I look like I have access to that kind of thing, how was I supposed to know she'd asked to be Calrissian's gunner and he on Admiral Ackbar's scanners? Last the rumour mill had it she was up the duff or they'd eloped on Bespin or something.

And everyone was already celebrating - we could see the debris of the Death Star from the Hangar - so let's be honest, we weren't paying that much attention. There was a lot of hugging going on, so what was two more people hugging?

Anyway, the Falcon landed, scratched and beat to all hell but for a piece of garbage it was doing alright, it got back in one piece. The door opened, and the crowd gathered around General Calrissian, heralding the hero who lead the X-Wings into the Death Star. I admit it, I might have been part of the crowd too, until…

"Jyn!"

I recognised that voice. Don't hear many Festian accents, do you? I turned round, distracted, and saw another hero sprint out from the direction of the Bridge, his eyes scanning the crowd, shouting her name over the cheers.

"Cassian!"

I did exactly what he did; looked over at the door to the Falcon. She was coming down the ramp, her eyes searching for him. I saw the moment that she found him, saw her stony face light up with happiness, and I watched as she darted forward, squeezing past the people carrying the General on their shoulders.

They collided, sunk to their knees together, holding each other so tight it looked almost like it would hurt. I was close enough to see him close his eyes, see hers fill with unshed tears. They simultaneously wrenched their heads apart, smiled with unbridled happiness, and pulled the other in for a searing kiss, ignoring everyone around them.

They held each other like they were at the end of the world. And by Force, I felt jealous of them. That was how you celebrated victory.

I saw them again later, at the party on Endor. Funny really; they looked… like everyone else. I only noticed them because they were talking to an Imperial droid - the sight of it was making everyone do double-takes. They were both eating some of the food the Ewoks (I can't believe they actually exist…) had made. The droid must have said something funny; the two both started laughing, the captain nearly choking on a spoonful of something, turning red as she patted him on the back. The droid made to do the same gesture, and I chuckled as the captain wisely stepped back, a free hand waving the robot off, his eyes wide but grinning.

Then my friend, my stupid best friend who I've been working alongside for four years now, who has been lifting my spirits by burping and farting the whole way through this war, nearly spoiled the moment by punching me in the shoulder. "Isn't that Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso? You know, the ones from Rogue One?"

And I've no idea why I did this, but I did. "Who knows?" I said with a shrug. I punched him back. "Come on, let's go see if the teddy bears have any decent liquor."

I never saw them again. There's still loads of rumours about them. That they're working as spies still for the New Republic. That they got married, had half a dozen kids and live on a farm somewhere. That it's all nonsense and actually they despised each other and she went back to being a smuggler with Han Solo on the Falcon. Some daft idiot even reckoned she married Solo (we all know that's not true, lucky beggar married General Organa, didn't he?) and then sold him out to Jabba the Hutt (also not true, last report out of Tatooine says the Hutts are done). Another thinks it's all a piece of propaganda churned out from the Council to keep up morale, and actually they died on Scarif with the rest of Rogue One.

Who knows, maybe that last one is true, that the couple I've been seeing really are just anyone. Either way… I hope things work out for them.