Chapter 21
"Am I the only one to find it really strange to have three supposedly former Imperial stormtroopers locked in the cargo hold, being guarded by the definitely former Imperial Security Droid?" Tonc plopped down gracelessly on the seat next to Jyn with his breakfast in hand.
She grinned at him. "No stranger than the former Imperial cargo shuttle driver who is piloting our ship."
"Which side are we on again?"
"Obviously it's the former Imperial side," she said elbowing him with amusement.
He yawned. "I'm going to start taking notes. I can't keep track of all this."
"Write a program to track it for you," Cassian suggested.
"I just might do that." He swallowed some caf and then asked, "So what happens now?"
Melshi looked up from reading. "We're on course to meet up with Home Two. General Draven will take them from there and decide what to do with them. After that, we have a mission."
Jyn finished her nutrition bar and stood, glancing down at Cassian. "Guess we ought to feed them and let them use the 'fresher again if they need it."
He nodded. "And find out if Kay got anything of importance during the night." He turned to Melshi. "How long until we reach Home Two?"
Melshi checked the chrono. "About another six hours."
Cassian stood also. "Okay. Either we or K-2 will keep an eye on them until then."
"If I thought they had any credits, Bodhi and I could clean them out at sabacc. But, they might like to borrow his deck to play a while to pass the time.
"Didn't think stormtroopers were allowed to have fun," Tonc commented, moving over to the computer terminal.
"Only if they don't get caught." Jyn laughed, leading the way out of the common room.
Once the trio had used the 'fresher, they regathered in the hold to eat their ration bars. Cassian and Jyn settled down to join them, though K-2 elected to remain also, still determined to continue his spy work.
"We'll be meeting up with a contact in a few hours. You'll be able to discuss your options with him. The more open and honest that you are, the better. If he thinks you're holding back, well, he isn't a very trusting sort. He's the one you'll want to convince to help you."
"This contact, he knows how we met? Where you found us?" Ved asked.
Cassian nodded. "He was told the entire story, including how you aided Lyra when she was trapped."
"You're the only woman on this crew?" Rimmer said to Jyn. "That seems a little odd."
She shrugged. "What can I say? You fall in love with a spacer and you go where your man goes." She smiled at Cassian.
"Yeah, guess so. There were a few female stormtroopers, but mostly our only 'love', if you want to call it that, was serving and protecting the Emperor. Relationships were…not common."
"That must have taken a lot of dedication," Jyn observed benignly. That wasn't really a discussion she wanted to get into.
Gazz moved over to a clear spot and began doing pushups. "He does that when he gets bored," Rimmer noted. "We're not used to so much time on our hands."
"I brought a sabacc deck, if that interests you." Jyn held up the cards.
Ved shrugged and reached for it. "Haven't played in quite a while. Not sure I remember how, but it's something to do."
They settled down on the floor to play, and Gazz joined them as the cards were being dealt.
xx
Tonc secured the hatch and moved back to the hall where the others were gathered. "You think they're serious about defecting?"
"It's possible. I didn't see anything to suggest otherwise. K?" Cassian looked up at the droid.
"There is an 82.6% chance they are serious. None of their conversation ever gave indications of subterfuge, nor veiled meanings that they were trying to keep us from detecting. However, it will be up to General Draven to make that determination. I forwarded my findings to him when we docked, along with the recordings I made during the night and today."
"That's all we can do," Jyn said, leaning back. "Why only 82% chance? What's the other 18%?"
"It is an 82.6% chance. There is also a 14.3% chance that they are not interested in joining the Alliance – that they just wanted to escape the Empire – but that they said they wanted to join with the idea it would better the chances of our helping them."
"And the other 3.1%?" Bodhi asked.
"That is several minor possibilities with a likelihood of less than one per cent each."
"I hope they are serious. Not only is that three fewer troopers shooting at us, but maybe they will provide useful intel. Granted, they aren't privy to much really good information, but they will be familiar with some bases, various officers and starships. That kind of thing can help, too." Jyn sat down next to Bodhi as the others nodded agreement with her.
"Okay, listen up." Melshi appeared in the hall and got their attention, outlining the upcoming mission. "More details when we make atmosphere. Planetfall in two days. Dismissed."
Among other things, they spent the day getting the ship back to its normal setup.
Certainly Jyn was glad to be dry and back to sleeping in a bed. She was more than used to being out in the rough conditions she and Melshi had experienced, but it was nice to not have to endure it. A nap during the day had helped, but she still didn't hesitate to fall into bed at a fairly early hour.
She awoke to an announcement jolting her from slumber.
"Team, form up in the hallway. Repeat, form up in the hallway. Take caution – portside artificial gravity has failed. K-2, report to the cockpit." Melshi repeated the entirety of the message as Jyn stumbled into the corridor and made her way forward with the others.
They arrived in the hall just as K-2 returned from the portside corridor with Baze and Chirrut using him for counterweight against the weightlessness.
"Well, that was not an appealing way to be awakened," Chirrut remarked, more cheerfully than his comment warranted.
Tonc trailed in last and Melshi explained the situation. "We'll need to double up on quarters for now."
Jyn felt Cassian tense beside her and suggested, "Bodhi in with Tonc and you take the front cabin, and Cassian in with me so Baze and Chirrut can use his? Does that work for everyone?"
She knew Cassian would have shared sleeping quarters before, though it was also possible that he had slept little while doing so. With so much troubled sleep and nightmares waking him, hopefully he would be most comfortable with her, since she had already seen him in the throes of bad dreams.
He swallowed once, but nodded at her, a faint flicker of gratitude in his gaze. Melshi was watching them, so when there was no objection raised by anyone, he said, "That works. We'll move the armory into Bodhi's cabin with me. Those of you clearing cabin space on the starboard side, get to work. Those on port side, let K-2 know if you need something from your cabin and he will either retrieve it or assist you in bringing it out. Once that's done, we'll work on moving the weapons and getting them secured in that front cabin."
Melshi went to take Bodhi's place in the cockpit, but conferred with the pilot before he left. "What are our options for repairs, do you think? The base on Qetix IV?"
Bodhi considered a moment, but then shook his head. "Too small, probably, and they mostly focus on starfighter repairs. I know it's farther away, but Resolute Base on Jagomir is likely our best choice. It's big enough they can take a ship this large, and they should have the parts needed. The Verpine techs might even be able to repair ours without having to completely replace it. They're supposed to be amazing with technology."
"Good enough. I'll set course. Get moved in with Tonc and then report back."
Jyn had followed Cassian silently down the hall, but stopped him at his doorway. "Are you okay with this? I thought…well, I thought it might be easier for you having me in the same room rather than anyone else. Since I know so much about your situation."
"It's fine, Jyn. Really." He gave her a weak smile. "I just hope I don't keep you awake too much." His face clouded at the thought.
"Hey" – she caught hold of his arm – "it will be fine. Who knows – I might keep you awake with my dreams. We'll get through it. Together. Deal?"
His smile was more genuine this time. "Deal," he replied softly, turning to open drawers and pull out clothing.
Jyn let him load her up before moving on to her own room, leaving him to clear out anything else that was left. Luckily she didn't have that much stuff; she wasn't the type to acquire an excess of clothing or belongings. Three of the six drawers were already empty, even if she hadn't previously had a bunkmate. Once they had found a spot for all of Cassian's things, they returned out front to help the others.
Baze and Chirrut had already collected their things and Cassian waved them on. "Go ahead. The room is empty and ready for you."
Tonc and Bodhi appeared right behind them and they went to assist with the evacuation of the armory. Jyn paused for a moment at the cockpit. "Melshi, you want the top bunk?"
He glanced back. "Yeah. If something unexpected happens, I'd just as soon not have a lot of equipment crashing down on my head. Even with the crash netting, that's always a possibility."
Once everything had been cleared from the port side, Melshi directed, "Okay, turn in and get what sleep you can for the remainder of the night. Mission is cancelled – I notified base of the problem. We're headed to Jagomir, so it will take a few days. Dig in for now."
They trickled away. Back in the cabin, Jyn asked, "You want the top or bottom bunk?"
"You're already using the bottom bunk. The top one is fine."
"Yeah, but I know your back and shoulder sometimes give you trouble. I don't mind the top rack if it's easier for you."
He hesitated, but then nodded. "Thanks."
They worked together to pull down the bunk, and secure it and the ladder in place. There wasn't much else to do since they were already in sleep clothes. Jyn reached up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Good night. Get the light, okay?"
Her ease made him smile, and hopefully relax a little.
Jyn wasn't surprised the next morning when she awoke early, though it did momentarily startle her when she opened her eyes to the ceiling so close. She rolled to the side of the bed and peeked down. Cassian still slept, one arm half off the side of the bed. She couldn't help the smile that came to her. Sleeping was the only time he looked completely at peace. But she was glad he had managed to fall asleep even in the unexpected change of quarters.
It took a moment to register that his eyes were open behind the hair falling over his face, staring up at her. "What are you doing?" he murmured.
She smiled more broadly. "Watching you sleep. You look a lot younger."
"So do you," he replied, rolling onto his back. His expression sobered. "I heard you coughing in the night. Are you sick? From the weather on your last mission?"
"Just a cold, and yeah, probably from that. Being cold and wet for an extended period will do that. Ved was coughing, too."
"Melshi said we're headed to Jagomir. They have a med facility there. You can get more medicine if you need something beyond what we keep onboard."
"Okay. Jagomir – what's it like? Haven't been there."
"Me either. It's a base that's more recently been established – after we lost the one on Arda. I've heard it's pretty much a swamp planet, and that there are some dangerous plants and animals. They haven't found any sentient life, which is probably one of the reasons they chose it. The only population there is what's on the base – around three hundred or so, I think."
"Well, we'll find out soon enough." Jyn sat up and swung her legs over the edge, then hopped down from her bunk, bypassing the ladder.
"Show-off," Cassian muttered good-naturedly. "You want dibs on the 'fresher if no one else is using it?"
"Sure." She pulled out clothes and toiletries, heading out the door.
The need for repairs created an unexpected break from their work, though not an unwelcome one. Even better was making planetfall for the duration, in a situation where they could freely interact with the other people in residence. Commander Qurno was off the base when they arrived, but his second, Major Yalor, greeted them cordially and got his people to work on the problem right away.
The base was far from full at the moment, so they were given rooms in the barracks. They had been tempted to just remain in their cabins on the ship, but the Verpine that ran the tech bay warned them the noise of work on their ship might cause problems for them. His techs tended to work at all hours to make sure they stayed on top of repairs.
They also got to make use of the mess hall, and though non-descript, it was better than rations. Even so, with the more permanent setup, it was easier for the kitchen to have a greater variety of food available.
Their first meal there, they sat apart from the others in the room, but all could feel the looks cast in their direction. Before they finished eating, two men from the other table approached. "You all, you're Rogue One, right?"
Melshi nodded, raising a questioning eyebrow.
"Just wanted to say, thanks. You know – for going to Scarif in spite of the council. I know they're important and all, but sometimes they just don't get it. Sometimes…soldiers have to do what's needed even without their approval." The man with him nodded his agreement.
"Listen, it's not much, but we've got a little alcohol and we'd be honored to share a drink with you, if you're interested."
Melshi glanced around at his team and when they all seemed agreeable to the idea, he spoke for them. "Thanks."
"Good. You're in Barracks 2, right? We'll meet you there after supper tonight. Oh, and bring a cup with you." He gestured toward the mess hall workers. "They won't mind. Just be sure you return it."
The other man spoke for the first time. "A day here is thirty hours, so supper isn't until around 2200. That kind of throws people off when they first arrive. You probably think you're eating a late lunch, but this is actually pretty normal."
For the next week, they all made themselves as useful as they could around the base. They had been warned how dangerous it could be outside of the compound wall, so they restricted themselves to exploring the base itself. Repairs were delayed since they needed a part that they did not have on base, but Major Yalor had contacted the Commander, and he was able to bring it with him when he returned three days after their arrival.
When they departed, they already had an assignment. It was for recon, but along the way Jyn managed to acquire more credits for their use from an unwitting Imperial benefactor. At their next fuel and supply stop, Cassian and Jyn headed out to restock the galley. Bodhi tagged along with Tonc on his rounds of the tech stalls.
It was more a matter of killing time for Bodhi, but Melshi liked them to stay in groups of at least two when off the ship. Fortunately, when Tonc spotted a stall with much of interest to him, Bodhi happened to notice a nearby stall had holovids for sale. Everyone had been enjoying that change of pace for entertainment. He decided to use some of Jyn's largesse to add to their collection. He was soon immersed in leafing through the stock available.
He had just glimpsed Tonc from the corner of his eye, coming to join him, when another group of vids caught his attention.
"You about ready? I've got what I came for." Tonc fiddled with his purchase as he spoke.
"Oh."
Bodhi's small exclamation made him look up. "Something wrong?"
"I don't believe it."
"What?"
Bodhi held up a holovid disk. "The Adventures of Spaceman Spiff."
"You're kidding, right?"
"No. No, there are several disks – it seems to be a series of programs. I guess Jyn didn't pull the name out of thin air – she must have seen or heard it somewhere before, even if she didn't remember it." He paused, then cautioned, "Don't tell Jyn or we'll never hear the end of it."
Tonc snorted. "Got that right."
Neither spoke for a minute, but then Bodhi sheepishly eyed him. "Only, now I sort of want to see it just to see what it's about."
Tonc tried to look reproving, but finally gave up with a sigh. "Yeah, me, too."
They found a bundle of five disks together, but those were the only ones. Apparently they weren't terribly popular as the price was extremely low, so they didn't have great expectations for the viewing quality. But, if nothing else, they would be good for a laugh.
Cassian was inspired by the influx of fresh ingredients and made a tasty supper for them that evening and it struck Bodhi as the appropriate time to spring his surprise.
"I found some new holovids in the market today. I thought we'd watch one of the new ones."
"What's it called?" Baze asked lounging comfortably on the floor.
Bodhi and Tonc shared a grin. "Oh, I think I'll let that be a surprise. Everyone get comfortable while I set it up."
Melshi stood. "I think I'll pass this time – I've got a book I want to finish. I'll take over in the cockpit so K-2 can join you. He seems to enjoy these, even when he only listens."
Tonc looked around. "Oh, didn't you know? He watches them later to see what he missed. I think we got him hooked on them."
"I heard that, and I do not like the implication that I have an uncontrollable urge to watch human entertainment. I merely find them interesting as a means of better understanding humans and their behavior."
They all shared a grin at K's affront, but none challenged him on it.
The bundle they had purchased contained what looked to be the very first episode of the series, though Bodhi couldn't determine if the others were in order after it or how many there even were. When he had time, he would do some searching on the holonet to see what he could find out.
Once everyone was comfortable, he started the projector.
A pretentious voice boomed out "The Adventures of Spaceman Spiff, interplanetary explorer extraordinaire!" Exciting theme music swelled in the background for a moment, before the announcer began summarizing the premise of the story. It went unheard, however, as the Rogue One team was already hooting with laughter.
The show was only about thirty minutes long, but they laughed and commented throughout. Likely they'd have to watch it again just to know what actually happened. Bodhi wasn't sure they needed to bother; the show really was not that good – over-acted, overly dramatic about things that weren't of any real importance, fake-looking aliens and technology. It was labelled as an action/adventure series, but he thought it more appropriate to put it in the comedy section. Still, he hadn't ever heard the team laugh this much. Even the usually quiet and taciturn Cassian and Baze had chuckled and made joking remarks a time or two. He definitely had to count his purchase as a great success.
Uncharacteristically, K-2 had remained silent for the duration, but when the laughter subsided, he finally spoke up. "I do not understand this program."
"What do you mean, K?" As usual, Cassian was more tolerant of the droid's questions and potential arguments.
"It is completely illogical and full of misinformation."
"K—"
"Furthermore," – now that K had the floor, he clearly didn't intend to give it up until he'd had his say – "it is unlikely that a spaceship of that design would be capable of interplanetary travel. Indeed, it might not even be structurally sound. Never at any time did Spiff wear any sort of breathing apparatus, and it is highly improbable that all the planets he visited had a breathable oxygen-based atmosphere. His weapons were possibly workable, though I would need a closer inspection of them to be certain of that. And the aliens he fought do not even exist! I have extensive knowledge in my databanks and the chances that such creatures have been found without my being aware are infinitesimal."
Cassian was rubbing his forehead, but Jyn just grinned up at the droid. "Are you finished?" she asked.
"For the moment, yes."
Jyn sat up and told him, "Look, K, holovids aren't supposed to be 'instructional'. That means they don't always bother to get their facts straight. Their point is just to entertain and the people watching are willing to ignore any discrepancies between the vid and reality. Most vids will try to stay closer to the truth if they are meant to be viewed in a serious manner. And there are comedies that intentionally stretch truth and reality in order to make people laugh. But sometimes, like this holovid, they are meant to be taken somewhat seriously, but they stray so far from believability that they become laughable. That's why we laughed so much at something that was supposed to be exciting and dramatic. If you want to enjoy these holovids, you can't take them too seriously."
"And you can't look too closely at the details," Bodhi added.
K's photoreceptors switched back and forth between the two of them, trying to analyze their explanation. Finally, he told them, "I am not sure I will ever understand the human concept of humor."
Jyn shrugged. "You wanted to watch them with us. Maybe stop trying to find logic in them and just study them to grasp what humans find entertaining. There really isn't any way we can explain humor to you."
Baze muttered, "I'm beginning to see why Melshi wanted to read." Chirrut elbowed him.
"Do you prefer that I not watch them with you, then?" K-2 asked.
Bodhi shoved to his feet to shut down the projector. "You can watch if you want to, K. It's just that I think you'll continue to find them confusing and we won't be very helpful in explaining things to you. You might find that more frustrating than worthwhile, but it's up to you."
Jyn reached over and patted K-2's leg. "You're part of the team and you're always welcome to join us in team activities, whenever you want. If you find them too illogical, you may want to do something else like Melshi did. It's up to you."
xx
The Spaceman Spiff holovids served a more important purpose than Bodhi could have anticipated. They all needed the laughter, especially as the anniversary of the Battle of Scarif approached. The Rebels on Jagomir had reminded them how near it was, and everyone seemed tense despite efforts not to let it show. The laughter helped, very likely keeping at least a few nightmares at bay.
After the ship's artificial gravity was repaired, everyone soon relocated to their cabins as before. With one exception. Jyn had recommended to Cassian that they stay sharing for the time being, at least until the anniversary of Scarif had passed. She suspected, and he agreed, that either or both of them were likely to have more than one troubled night of sleeping.
The precaution had been wise. Cassian knew he likely was the one receiving the greatest benefit. There was no stopping the nightmares entirely, but being in the same cabin also meant that they rarely went unnoticed. Too often in the past, nightmares sent him spiraling into despair, but Jyn's prompt soothing eased his agitation and got him back to sleep again far quicker than he could ever have hoped. He reciprocated, of course, when it was necessary, but Jyn heading off his demons meant more rest and a better frame of mind upon waking.
Unexpectedly, Rogue One was directed to meet up with Home One. To keep it's location safe, they took a circuitous route to get there and arrived on July 9th. Tonc and Bodhi both were thrilled for the chance to visit with Marika, but Cassian was less excited about their orders. General Draven had summoned him to a meeting on the 10th, and he dreaded hearing what the General might have to say to him. He hadn't mentioned it to Jyn, not wanting to alarm her. See what Draven said first, then deal with whatever came of it.
To be continued…
invented characters:
Sergeant Daster – head of the tech shop on the tech frigate
Dr Lesorid – kind doctor caring for Cassian
Isk-Gun Jul – bounty hunter
Marika Tonc – cousin of Rogue One team member Stordan Tonc
Ved, Rimmer, Gazz – stormtroopers Jyn meets
All other characters actually are taken from the existing Star Wars universe.