Twenty-five years ago
"Seriously, Cassian?" demands Draven as he storms into the police station. The blank brown walls close in around them, shades drawn over a storming night. Thunder snarls. "I thought—"
Cassian clamps his mouth shut, studying his shoes as Draven lays into him. The police took Bodhi to the hospital and the rest of them to the station, although fortunately they're not charging any of them. Baze and Chirrut were allowed to leave because they're adults. Baze hesitated, clearly feeling guilty, until Kaytoo ordered them to just go.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" Draven finally asks. Mon Mothma appears in the doorway, and Jyn shrinks in her chair.
Cassian peers up at his foster father, the lights blinding and the smell of coffee turning his stomach. I'm sorry?
But he's not.
He shrugs, and Draven lets out a sigh of disgust. "Get up, Cassian."
"My father's been working against them," Jyn blurts out.
Cassian freezes. Kaytoo winces.
"Excuse me?"
"You're a cop, right?" Jyn asks, looking up at Draven with her eyes wide. "So you can help."
Cassian's stomach flip-flops. That's not how it works.
"And you know this how?" Draven asks, crossing his arms over his chest. Cassian's pulse hammers in his throat. Be careful, Jyn.
"Saw Gerrera told me," Jyn says. "When he was dying—and he confirmed it. My dad. They all heard it."
"That is true," Kaytoo affirms, and Jyn shoots him a grateful look.
Draven looks to Cassian, and he nods. "It's true. We heard it."
"You can ask Bodhi Rook, and Chirrut and Baze too," Jyn adds, fervor in her voice. "He said there are documents that can take down Krennic—in his place. Krennic's house."
"Between us, I have no doubt Krennic has incriminating documents at his place," Draven says. "But no, I don't think your word will be enough to get a search warrant. You're a criminal. So is Rook. And Cassian's got his own record, too. And as for Îmwe and Malbus, they're no better."
"I'm none of those things," Kaytoo says.
"Big whoop-dee-doo," Draven shoots back.
"What does that mean?" Kaytoo asks, brow furrowed. Cassian glares at him. Shut it.
"One voice is not enough," Draven says. "Your father's word is hardly reliable anyways, Jyn."
She flinches, and Cassian can practically see the rage steaming off her. "But," she says, voice clipped. "Saw Gerrera's—"
"Unless the dead can talk, Jyn, his word is useless too, because it's coming from yours. And a brief glance at your record of lying, stealing, aggravated assault, and more tells the court all they need to know about the reliability of your word."
"Hey!" Cassian shouts. Everyone turns to look at him, Jyn with her eyes flashing, Kaytoo with horror lacing his face, Mon Motha curious and Draven irate, his eyes bulging. "I was there. She's telling the truth." You trust me, don't you?
No, Cassian knows even before Draven rolls his eyes. You don't.
"It's not enough," Draven says.
"I'm sorry, Jyn," Mon Mothma whispers. Draven's hand lands on Cassian's shoulder, pushing him out.
And he's that little boy again, watching his father fall.
No.
There has to be a way. There has to.
Or Cassian won't be able to face himself in the mirror.
Jyn wakes to the sound of pebbles against her window. She blinks. The sunlight drifts in from her windows, soft and gentle. Mon told her she wasn't going to volunteer the next morning, assuring her it would be all right, assuring her she really, truly was sorry.
Jyn still punched her pillow and cried until sleep took her.
Hobbling out of bed and tripping over a bra, Jyn makes her way to the window. She pries it open, warm morning air caressing her face. A pebble narrowly misses her cheek. Jyn shrieks.
"Sorry! No one answered the door!" Cassian calls up to her.
She pulls her head back in to glance at the clock. 9:08. "What do you want?"
"Can you let me in?"
Do I want to?
She remembers him standing up for her, against Draven of all people, and darts away from her window, pounding down the hardwood stairs to fling the door open.
"Hey," Cassian says, shoving his hands in his pockets. Jyn shuts the door behind him. Mon must be at work. "How are you doing?"
Jyn's throat tightens. Her fists curl. "I'm pissed," she ekes out, glaring at the ceiling as if it can offer her answers.
"I know."
She looks at him, and he's gulping. "I also know you're telling the truth."
Jyn throws her hands in the air as she heads back towards the living room, Cassian following. "Does no good if they don't believe me."
"You don't want to give up."
Jyn squeezes her eyes shut. I love you, Stardust. Her father's voice. It rakes at her, leaving her bleeding and cold. "I don't know what else to do."
"I have an idea," Cassian says. "Krennic's place overlooks that private beach. Scarif."
"So?" Jyn asks as she plops onto the floral couch. Cassian sits next to her, his knee brushing hers.
"So, all we need to do is throw a party on his beach at night. He'll try to ignore it at first because he won't want to cause trouble, but after awhile he'll have no option but to call the police, and before that, you and me and Kaytoo will sneak in and steal the files."
"So be thieves," Jyn says. Cicadas whir outside. It's supposed to be the warmest day of the year so far.
He blinks.
"You'd really do that? You'd ruin everything, you know. For yourself."
"Bodhi, Chirrut, and Baze are already on board. I've got friends, too. They've said they'll help."
Her head spins. "Why?"
"I can't face myself if I don't." His dark eyes meet hers. "Jyn—I lost my father when I was eleven. He was a—very messed up guy, but he loved me, and I can't—I need you to—"
He doesn't need to say anything more. She knows. He knows. "Thank you," Jyn manages.
He nods. "Tonight at seven."
"Tonight," Jyn echoes. You're actually helping me. Via breaking the law. She shakes her head.
"What?"
"I'm not used to people sticking around when things go wrong."
Cassian smirks. "Welcome home."
There. That sentence. Again.
Jyn leans forward, and his lips meet hers. Cassian's mouth opens, one hand digging through her loose hair, one wrapped around the side of her jaw.
He pulls back, panting. "You don't hate me."
Jyn shakes her head, his breath warm on her cheek. She can't speak. He tilts her face up, sinking down to meet her. His arms press her against his chest, and Jyn feels safe.
"Even if this works," she gasps, breaking because she needs to warn him, needs to make sure he understands. "We might go to jail."
His eyes are sober, but accepting. "I know."
I'm worth it to you. Jyn could cry, but that might also be a waste of this moment they have, right now, this morning when no one's home and he's looking at her like she's the north star, and he's the one offering her something she doesn't fully understand—home—but knows she craves.
Jyn's not sure how long they kiss for, but eventually his hand slides under her shift, and she tugs his jacket off. "Okay?" he asks her.
"Yeah," she breathes, leaning back until he's on top of her and the couch is soft beneath her. She fumbles to undo the button on her jeans, heart pounding, but not because she's afraid.
When they meet up with everyone near Scarif Beach, Baze notices Jyn and Cassian's entwined hands and smiles, whispering something to Chirrut. Jyn rolls her eyes, but Chirrut gives a thumbs-up in her direction.
"How's your nose, Bodhi?" Jyn asks. She does not want Kaytoo finding out that she and Cassian slept together. Although it's probably only a matter of time.
He shrugs. "It's clearly looked and felt better, but it's worth it."
"You're all sure about this?" Jyn blurts out, the sun, hotter than it's been so far this year, beating down on her. She adjusts her shorts. "That you want to do this? It's your lives, you know."
"And you're our friend," Baze states simply.
"We want to help," Bodhi interjects. "We want to help you, and Galen."
Cassian smirks at her. Kaytoo sighs. "Cassian said I had to help."
"Well, that's very sweet of you," Jyn replies. Chirrut snorts.
"The three of us—Kaytoo, Jyn, and me—will break into the house," Cassian says. "We'll search his study—we'll see what we can find."
"Be quick about it," Bodhi warns.
"Will do."
The wait for seven pm is agonizing. Jyn can barely eat the burger and fries she orders from one of the town diners.
"You're not missing out," Bodhi assures her. "They're not very good. You'd think that, given the popularity of this place, they'd serve better food."
Baze snorts. Cassian offers Jyn a weak smile.
"Maybe, in the future, you should make that food yourself," Chirrut opines.
Around seven, they sneak past the sand dunes and the rocky cove towards the beach.
"Took you long enough," comments a girl with her hair in two buns.
"Leia!" Cassian grins at her. "This is Leia Organa. She's—she knows what's going on."
Baze and Bodhi arrange the speakers. Chirrut stares out towards the sea, waves rolling in, rolling out, the sun melting and leaving an orange film on top. A ridge lined with stone steps leads up to a mansion overlooking the beach. Krennic's.
"You don't have to do this, you know," Jyn says as she sidles up to him.
He smiles in her direction. "Jyn, it's my honor to help you."
She throws her arms around him. "Thank you."
The basses start, and more and more people filter in. "We told them to invite everyone they could," Baze says in satisfaction.
Jyn nods. Cassian takes her hand. "It's time."
They scramble halfway up the steps, opting to dive into the brush for the last half. Jyn skins her knee on one of the rocks and shakes her head. Keep going.
Krennic's car sits in the pristine driveway. Jyn hates him right now, in this moment. He sits like a king while my father rots.
"I'm you best distraction," Kaytoo says, holding out a screwdriver. "Go around back."
Jyn takes it and nods. "Thank you."
"Welcome." He turns away, and she and Cassian jog towards the lawn.
A security alarm wails. "Shit!"
"Kaytoo will take care of it!" Cassian hisses, grabbing her and ducking against the house. Jyn spots a window and races over. He chases her.
"Come on, come on," Jyn mutters as she wiggles the screwdriver.
"Let me," Cassian says.
"You can't do it any better!" She drops the screwdriver. Cassian grabs it.
"You're right," he says after a minute. "Another—"
Krennic's voice rings from the front, enraged. "We don't have time!" Jyn grabs a small rock from the garden.
"What are you—"
She smashes it through the window. Cassian pales. Jyn bats the rest of the glass away, slipping through. Her sandals crunch the glass, and she turns around to pull Cassian through. They're in some sort of entertainment room, complete with a TV and speakers of Krennic's own. Jyn doubts he uses it much. Photos of Krennic with famous sports stars he's evidently met line the walls.
"Upstairs," Cassian urges, and she nods, following him. He freezes behind a closet door.
"Get that beach under control!" she hears Krennic snarl. Footsteps echo in front of them.
"Kaytoo," Cassian whispers. She shakes her head and spots the staircase to the second floor. She sprints, Cassian on her heels.
"Here's his study," Cassian pants. "I'll take that—you take his bedroom?"
"You think there's a chance of that?"
"It can't hurt!"
She nods and sprints off. Please be okay, Cassian. She reaches the bedroom and turns the knob, entering the surprisingly bare space. No curtains hang on the window, only blinds. The bedspread is bland and beige, and on it there are papers. She charges forward.
No good. Jyn's chest throbs.
"Well, well," says a voice behind her. "What have we here?"
Cassian rifles through Krennic's desk drawers, dumping piles of paper onto the floor. He doesn't care. Let him make a mess.
Here—these look suspicious. Letters to Chief Palpatine, and to Darth Vader. Cassian stuffs them in his pockets. And this one—Bail Organa?
Leia's father? Cassian glances towards the darkened window.
No. He knows it can't be right. It's got to be a set up. Leia needs to see this, ASAP. Cassian wishes they made phones you could carry with you, so he could call her right now.
Krennic's voice. Cassian freezes. And Jyn's—talking back to him.
Cassian grabs as many papers as possible, hoping against hope that one of them's useful at the very least. And he breaks out of the study, charging for the bedroom. Which door is it? That one!
Jyn stands at the foot of the bed, papers clutched in her hand and a murderous look on her face. Cassian's heart leaps.
"I'm Galen's daughter. And Lyra's. And you've lost. You're not going to get away with this."
"I'm not going to let you leave my property," Krennic says. "So how exactly have I lost?"
Jyn hesitates, and then charges for the door. Krennic spins, lunges—and Cassian kicks him, his trainers colliding with Krennic's face. Blood spews from his nose.
Shit.
"Let's go!" Jyn grabs his hand, and they surge down the steps. "Did you—"
"Some things," he pants.
"You're a disappointment to your father!" Krennic's garbled voice echoes down the stairs.
"He was working against you the entire time!" Jyn hollers. Cassian tugs at her, trying to wrestle her out the door. Oh yeah. We should go.
They sprint down the perfectly paved driveway, rushing into the brush. Thorns tear at Jyn's legs. Shouts echo from down on the beach.
"Oh shit," Jyn gasps, skidding to a stop on the slope and windmilling her arms.
"Cassian!"
He whirls around to see Leia panting as she climbs up the ridge. "The cops are here."
Jyn yanks the papers out of her pockets, shoving them at her. Cassian copies, adding: "You might want to take a look at some of those."
A scowl crosses Leia's face. "I plan to look at all of them."
"We need to split up," Cassian says. "Or else—"
"Got it." Leia waves and scatters to the right, heading back up and deeper into the forest. Cassian pulls Jyn towards the road.
A car cuts them off, tires squealing.
"These are the ones!" cries Krennic. "They broke into my house—they stole—"
If you're that angry, Jyn thinks as a cop shoves her to her knees and another one pats Cassian down more heavily than needed. That means we got what we needed.
"Nothing, sir," reports the cop.
"Search her!"
Jyn's yanked to her feet, arms twisted in cuffs. They shove their hands in her pockets, around her legs and torso. They dig through Cassian's jacket, his pants. "Nothing."
"That's not possible!" splutters Krennic.
Jyn can't keep herself from grinning. You lost.
"You're not looking at very much time," Mon Mothma tells her. "A month or two at most, if that. And your father will go free."
That's all Jyn wanted to know. She nods.
The days in lockup are lonelier for her than, she imagines, for Cassian. He doesn't have the record she does and the only reason he's apparently still in juvie is because Chief Palpatine is making it so. Same for Bodhi. At least they're together. And from what Jyn understands, Baze and Chirrut were released.
It's one week until her father comes, and when he does, he wraps his arms around her, face worn, and says the one sentence she's always craved: "I'm proud of you, Stardust."