Author's Note: So, I've wanted to do one of these fix-its for a while now. Let's see where this ride goes (I have ideas but no outline, so we'll see).

Disclaimer per usual – I do not own Star Wars or any aspect of the SW universe; just a fan with an idea. No profit here, just fun for me.

When the doors to the turbolift open, Cassian hears Jyn tell someone who she is. It takes everything he has left to drag himself towards her voice. He is not going to let her down now. His legs nearly give way underneath him with every step, and he knows that the pain is going to be intense when the adrenaline eases off.

He gets to a pillar, leaning against it to steady his aim as a man in a downright ridiculous cape raises his blaster at Jyn. Cassian fires, hitting the man in the shoulder. He won't ever admit that he was aiming for the man's head but that he just couldn't keep that steady. Jyn's face lights up, and she limps to the console. He hears a computer's voice say the word that the file was transmitting, and Jyn's face glows in triumph. In that moment, she's the single most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

She runs to his side. "Karking hell, Cassian. How did you even get up here?" Jyn supports Cassian as he starts to crumple to his knees. "Sorry, Captain. No time to rest. We need to get out of here." She looks at Krennic, crumpled to the deck, and she starts to lunge.

Cassian gently holds her to him. "Leave it."

She nods and straightens up. "Let's go."

He asks her if she thinks anyone is listening, and she says she believes they are as she supports him to the lift, climbing in and letting him slump against the wall as she punches the button to take them to the ground level.

The lift descends, Jyn's mind racing, trying to imagine what waits for them at the base of the tower. She looks up at Cassian, and he is looking at her as if she radiates the light of all the stars in the sky.

He leans in a bit, but as much as she wants him, knows there is something here, she stops him with a gentle hand to his chest. "I'm not ready to give up yet, Cass." He quirks a small, pained smile at the nickname, and she says, "I won't say goodbye to you yet, and I think, in this moment, that would be a goodbye." She covers his lips with her fingers. "This will keep until we're safe."

With intense effort, he raises one hand to cup her cheek. "My Jyn. All right. Until we're safe." In the back of his mind, he's honestly doubtful that they're getting out of here – but for her, he can pretend just about anything. It's a thought that surprises him, a thought he's never really had for anything but the Rebellion itself, for the cause.

When the doors to the lift open, Jyn is shocked that there aren't any troops. He looks at her and holsters his blaster. She gets Cassian's arm around her shoulder, and despite the fact that both of her knees are screaming at her from the blast that nearly knocked her off the top of the tower, she takes his weight as they make their way out of the tunnel. "This is a bad sign, isn't it?" She looks up at his face, pained with every move. "The only people here are dead. The rest are gone."

He nods slightly. "Yes. They're evacuated, I bet."

There's a flash of light, and then they hear a crash and both look up, simultaneously realizing why the place is evacuated. They see the tower coming down, and Jyn drags them faster, trying to get clear. They get to the edge of the water, dropping down to the sand. He tells her that her father would have been proud, and they hold hands as they watch the horizon disappear. A moment later, they both jump when a Delta Class T-3c Imperial shuttle drops into their line of vision.

The ramp opens, and they're both stunned to see a dark-haired man in Rebel gear waving them towards the ship. "Come the hells on, Andor! We have no time! No time!"

Cassian recognizes the man as Kes Dameron, a Pathfinder and not part of the original Rogue One team. "Go, Jyn." He lets Jyn drag him up and they limp to the ramp. The moment they're on it, Dameron whacks the wall of the ship, and the ramp closes slowly, letting them slide in relatively gently as the ship jolts away from the planet.

Jyn looks around, and, in addition to several injured and uninjured Rebel soldiers she doesn't know, she sees Melshi, unconscious but alive. Next to him, she sees two more figures being tended by medics, and she has to choke back a sob when she sees that it's Chirrut and Baze. Chirrut's skin is deathly pale, and he's unconscious. Baze is conscious, but Jyn can see that he's fading in and out.

Cassian's eyes had followed Jyn's around the cabin of the rather fancy shuttle they're on, but he's snapped to attention when Dameron says, "Captain?"

He blinks, and Jyn stiffens next to him. "And Sergeant Jyn Erso," he uses the rank given to her by Sefla before they landed on Scarif, "Sergeant Dameron, who is piloting?"

Kes looks towards the front of the ship, and he shrugs. "I don't know his name, but he's the one who saved us all – found me and the others alive, some injured, and we got to this ship. The big guy," he motions to Baze, "Said he's good. Lanky, pony tail, keeps muttering about being the pilot."

Jyn and Cassian both gasp softly, and after giving them a strange look, Kes adds, "He has some nasty burns that need bacta, but we have to get out of here alive first. He's the only pilot we have except you, Andor, and you're also our ranking officer."

The man looks at Cassian, and then he exchanges a knowing glance with Jyn. There's no way Cassian can make it to the cockpit. An explosion rocks the ship, and Jyn pushes herself up. "Dameron, stay with Captain Andor, and get that medic to him. He can barely stand. He had a hell of a fall, probably damage to his ribs and back."

Cassian glares at her, a betrayed look in his eyes, but she leans down to him. "Cassian, I need to go see if I can help Bodhi. Please stay here and let them check on you."

He holds her gaze for a moment. Everything in him is screaming at him to stay with her, to go help her help Bodhi. Then, he sighs. He knows she's right. "Go, Jyn. Help him." He looks around at the shuttle. "Tell him not to go back to Yavin IV right now. It's too much of a target and we're possibly being tracked. We could also get shot down. Tell him to set course for Takodana." He pauses, catching her eye. "But this is still not goodbye."

Tears well in her eyes, and she nods. "I know. It's not." She leans in and briefly presses her forehead to his. "Not giving up. Not yet, not ever, not while we're still breathing." The words feel alien to her, foreign on her lips. She hasn't trusted anyone fully since she was little, but she trusts him. That idea terrifies her. She also knows that while she means it about Cassian and her new friends, she's not sure how she feels about the Alliance. She certainly will never trust Davits Draven.

Without another word, she swallows hard, straightens, and limps towards the cockpit. Dameron stops her and hands her a small bucket of supplies. When she gives him a funny look, he motions towards the front. "For the pilot. For his burns."

"Bodhi Rook, of Jedha. The pilot's name is Bodhi Rook." She motions to Chirrut and Baze. "Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus, Guardians of the Whills, also of Jedha." She catches Dameron's eye, and he nods.

With that, she turns and continues to limp to Bodhi. When she gets to the cockpit, she's dismayed by the carnage in the viewport. She can hear a familiar chant coming from the pilot's seat. "Bodhi?"

He breaks off from repeating, "I'm the pilot," glances at her, and she gasps. Half of his face is livid red, and she can see that he's favoring his right side. "J-Jyn? Did you do it?"

She nods, settling into the co-pilot's seat. "We did it. Me and Cassian, but really all of us. We transmitted the plans. The rest is up to the Rebels." She looks at the controls. "I'm not much use here, but direct me and I can help you. Cassian said to head for Takodana, that Yavin 4 is too hot. And once we're at lightspeed, I need to figure out how to sweep this bastard for bugs and trackers."

"I def-definitely can use the he-help." Bodhi keeps his eyes to the front, dodging debris that is clearly the wreckage of multiple ships as well as the shield generator.

"What do you need?" Jyn surveys the controls. "I'm sorry it's just me. Cassian is hurt and can't get up here right now."

"You-you're more than enough, Jyn." He begins to direct her in a soft voice. She follows his instructions, amazed at how calm he is and how well he explains what he needs, all while keeping them in the air and alive. More than once, Jyn jumps with a squeak, but Bodhi stays calm other than again softly saying, "I'm the pilot, I'm the pilot."

The interesting part is that while there is debris, no one fires on them. Jyn isn't sure why not. She fears that the reason is something she doesn't want to know, that they all have a different target. Eventually, they make the jump to lightspeed, a gentle jolt. Bodhi slumps back in his seat, hissing in pain. "We have at least half a day. I can tell you where the scanner is, but I already shut down the internal tracking system from here."

Jyn nods, and she stands up. "Hold still, Bo." She opens the medkit. "How bad are the burns?"

He winces. "Worst is my face, neck, and right forearm. Flash burns from the-the grenade that destroyed Rogue One. Guess this is Rogue One now?"

She has to smile at that. "Makes sense to me. Anything other than the burns? And is it all right for me to call you Bo?"

He nods slightly, wincing at the cool touch as she spreads bacta over his burns. "Shoulder popped out in the explosion. I popped it back in. I hurt it when I was a kid, n-now it dislocates easily. And y-yes. It's g-good. I like it."

Jyn cringes in sympathy about the shoulder. "Sling?" He softly agrees, and, after putting a soft bandage over the treated burns, she gently fashions a sling for him out of a strip of cotton fabric she found in the medkit. "I found a painkiller in the kit that you can take without going too fuzzy. Can I give that to you?"

After a moment's hesitation, he nods. "Yes, b-but only once. I need to be clear when we land." Once Jyn has done all she can, he points to a cabinet near the cockpit with his good arm. "There should be a scanner in there. If there's a tracker on the outside, we'll have to land to get it off. I'd guess, though, that the transponder I deactivated is all there is. Chances are that they won't be looking for us – they likely are in disarray, and they-they-they probably assume that this ship was destroyed."

Jyn nods, and she puts a gentle hand to the uninjured side of his face. "You did well, Bodhi. You saved us all. My father would be so grateful to you." He blinks back tears, and she drops her hand. "Are you really all right, Bo? I can stay here if you need me to." He gives her a funny look, and she feels as bad as she's felt in a long time. "I thought about it. It was Bor Gullet, wasn't it? Saw really did that to you?""

Bodhi closes his eyes, and Jyn doesn't touch him – she's afraid that doing so will panic him. "I'm so sorry, Bodhi. That thing is pure kriffing evil. I'm so, so sorry."

"I'm all right, J-Jyn. It was Cass-Cassian who saved me, gave me the words to focus on. I'm not sure he even realized it, though g-given his l-line of work, he might've known." He opens his eyes and gives her a weak smile. "I'm the pilot."

She hugs him then. "You're far more than that, Bodhi Rook." She leans back. "I'm going to go scan and check on the others. Call if you need help again, all right, or if you need a break?"

"I'll be fine, J-Jyn. I can nap here. The seat is good, and being upright is best for my sh-shoulder." He smiles faintly.

With a terse nod, Jyn grabs the scanner, looking for any errant signals as she moves through the ship as well as she can, her knees both screaming at her. She thinks she's just sore, though she can tell they're both a little swollen. Working from the highest point she can reach in the ship, she scans everything. The only signal she finds is in a space that looks to be officer's quarters.

There is a datapad on the desk, and it's blinking on and off. She considers trying to slice it, but she wants the beacon to stop. If she can't open it fast, she'll destroy it. She taps the screen, and she rolls her eyes. "Really? What an arrogant nerfherder."

There is literally no security on the datapad. On it, she sees a blinking beacon icon named "transponder," so she taps that. Seconds later, the signal goes off. She's about to put the thing aside when something catches her eye. The words "Project Stardust" jump out at her, but the file is encrypted. She holds the datapad and picks up the scanner, doing a quick survey of the room. She looks around, and suddenly, she barks out an incredulous laugh.

Wasting no more time, she leaves the quarters while shaking her head. She quickly scans the rest of the ship, but there are no more signals. She heads towards the hold, her knees growing weaker with every single step.

Moments after Jyn leaves to help Bodhi, Cassian is worried. They're maneuvering well, but Cassian can tell that they're not being fired upon, and he guesses it's because everyone is focused elsewhere. Dameron helped him over to the others a short while ago, and he's now situated on a blanket, sitting against the wall in a corner for support. They wanted him to recline, but this position puts less pressure on his ribs. The medic comes over to him. "Sir, what are your injuries?"

Cassian grunts. "Blaster burn on my right shoulder, bounced off struts when I fell down the inside of the citadel tower. Fell a few stories, think I landed hard on my left hip and side. First hit was to my upper back, second to my chest and chin. Definitely some cracked ribs, maybe broken. And something is wrong with my back. I can feel everything, but I can't control it well, especially my legs."

The medic looks stunned. "Did you lose consciousness, sir?"

Cassian nods and winces at the movement. The adrenaline is wearing off and almost everything hurts. He even thinks his hair hurts. "Briefly. Blacked out when I hit the second strut. No more than a few minutes, and my head isn't hurting. It may be the only thing that isn't. I've had a fair number of concussions, but I don't think I have one now."

"Any trouble breathing?" The medic holds his gaze.

"No, not so far. Deep breaths don't feel great to my ribs, but that aside, I am able to breathe pretty normally." He's honest with the man; he knows that he can't and likely shouldn't try to bluff his way out of this.

"All right, sir." The medic opens an Imperial medkit. "At least we stole a good ship. Med supplies are top-notch on this one." He helps Cassian gently ease his shirt off, and the medic swears softly. The blaster wound is black, but thankfully not deep. It's Cassian's torso, though, mottled with darkening bruises, that clearly shocks the man.

Before he does anything else, the medic grabs an injector and gives Cassian a painkiller. Cassian knows what it was because the relief is nearly immediate, letting him relax slightly. It usually would have made him angry, but it's not the time for that. "Thank you, but please ask me first next time."

"Of course. Sergeant?" Kes comes over. "Help me sit him up, gently please."

Kes nods and helps support Cassian as the medic wraps bacta patches around Cassian's battered upper body. The medic then dabs bacta over the blaster wound and bandages it. Kes wraps an extra blanket around Cassian's shoulders, and they ease him back against the wall. When they're done, despite the painkiller, Cassian breathes out slowly. "Mierda, that hurt." He is still hyper-sensitive, and he feels the moment they jump to lightspeed.

"I bet." The medic eyes him. "The bacta will help a little, but you need a tank, sir, and maybe surgery. For now, your vitals are stable, but you need to stay as still as possible to avoid further damage to your back. I'm hoping the stable vitals means no internal damage, but if you do have a splintered rib or other bone in there, big movements could cause more damage, especially internal."

"What about the others? Melshi, Baze, and Chirrut?" Cassian looks over at his friends, old and new.

"Touch and go for all of them, sir. Are we heading for the base? We need tanks. Based on triage, Melshi is the worst off, then Chirrut, then Baze, then you, unless something changes. You're the only one even slightly able to tell me how you are."

"We can't go to Yavin 4. We don't know if there are trackers on this ship, and the Alliance might shoot us down before we can hail them." He sighs. "We're going to Takodana. Maz Kanata is there, and she will help – she doesn't directly rebel, but she has no love of the Empire and has loyalty to the Organa family. We may also be able to sell this Force-foresaken ship and get something a little more nondescript to take us home."

Jyn suddenly limps into the hold, and her eyes lock with Cassian's across the room. "It's that bastard's ship! That cape-wearing piece of bantha fodder. It's his!"

She crosses the hold, barely making it to Cassian's side before her knees finally give out. "I scanned the ship. We're clean now. No trackers." She tries to stretch out her legs and gasps. "Kriff. That hurts."

Cassian looks alarmed. "What hurts? You've been limping, Jyn." He motions the medic over. "Something is wrong with her legs."

The man pulls her boots off before Jyn can protest. It's a testament to her fatigue that she doesn't attack him. He rolls up her right pant leg and breathes out a curse. He goes to the other leg and does the same. Both knees are swollen and mottled with bruises. "Sergeant, how have you been walking?"

She shrugs. "Adrenaline and determination?"

Cassian snorts and rolls his eyes. "Jyn, you should have let Dameron do the scan at least."

"It was fine, Cass. And we're safely at lightspeed. Will take half a day to get to Takodana." She hisses as the medic puts a bacta wrap around her right knee. "What's your name?"

The man peers up at her. "Aari Eriston."

"Take it a bit easier, Aari." She lifts an eyebrow at him.

He frowns. "Sergeant, I'm pretty sure both of your knees are sprained, the right one badly. I could barely touch you and it would still hurt."

He goes back to wrapping her legs, moving to the left one, and she has to admire his grit. Most people wilt under her glares. He finishes with her knees. He puts a rolled-up towel under them to give her some cushion, and then he hands her another blanket. Before she can shoo him away, he doses her with a mild painkiller as he had Cassian. She glares even harder, but he just says, "You two get some rest."

The painkiller paired with her recent lack of sleep suddenly sneaks up on Jyn, and she can tell that Cassian is fading, too. "Dameron!" She motions Kes over.

"What's up, Erso?" Kes squats down in front of them, making Jyn cringe and shift uncomfortably.

She looks up at him. "Kes, can you check on Bodhi now and then? No touching him if he's not really aware of your presence."

"I can, Sergeant." Kes reaches out and squeezes her shoulder before standing and heading back to the others.

She turns towards Cassian, snuggling into him carefully, head dropping to his shoulder. She surveys the room. "I don't know how to do this, Cassian, how to need you and them." She gestures helplessly towards the cockpit and towards Chirrut and Baze. "Everyone leaves me. If I don't have people, people can't leave me."

"We won't. Not if we can help it." Cassian's voice is soft, and he knows deep down that she is going to understand what he means when he says, "You've surprised me, Jyn. You have no idea how much. I don't get close to anyone. Now I have a strange, determined family. I am still processing that idea."

"I know precisely what you mean." She moves a little closer. "Is this all right? I'm not hurting you?"

"No. You're not hurting me." He wants to wrap an arm around her, pull her into his side, but he knows that actually will hurt. So, her head on his shoulder will have to be enough for now.

"Cassian, I'm sorry about Kay. Sorrier than I can say, really." Her voice is so small and sad, and it echoes how thinking of Kay makes him feel.

"I appreciate that. He would like knowing that he's mourned." He pauses. "He was my best friend. I know that's messed up – to have your best friend be a droid – but it's the truth."

"It's not messed up. He died for you, for us." She finds his hand in their little corner, taking it with hers and entwining their fingers. "And he wasn't just a droid, Cassian."

He squeezes her hand, not saying anything. He's not sure what he can say without falling apart a little, and it's honestly not the time or place for that. For now, he's just going to enjoy the feeling of Jyn holding his hand, of being alive, and of knowing that someone understands.

Before she drops off, Jyn softly says, "When we wake up and before we land at Maz's, I need to tell you about my last time there. Maz may remember me."

He snorts even as he feels her slump against him. "I can't imagine anyone forgetting you, Jyn."

The mild vibration of the ship combined with the medic's painkiller lull Cassian to sleep. He'd assumed he'd never have another living, breathing peaceful moment like this after Scarif. Holding Jyn's hand, he's not sure he's ever been more grateful to be wrong.

X

Jyn runs along the edge of the black sand on Lah'mu, the cold water nipping at her feet. She can feel her braids slap against her shoulders as she runs, and she laughs at the freedom she feels. She's running towards her parents, and her father has his arms stretched out to her.

Out of nowhere, a large Delta Class Imperial shuttle appears, and a bolt of light flares out. Her father disintegrates before her eyes, and she and her mother both scream. Her mother holds a blaster, and she starts to fire on the ship. Jyn stops running, frantically looking for something to use as a weapon as Stormtroopers flood off of the ship. Jyn screams again as the Stormtroopers fire on her mother, cutting her down instantly.

Jyn sits up suddenly, reaching for a blaster and gulping for air. She looks around frantically when she can't find a weapon, taking in her surroundings. It's dark, and there are people sleeping everywhere. She sees a person right next to her, and her brain supplies a name – Cassian – he's sound asleep in the corner, his brow furrowed in what appears to be pain.

"Hey." A mostly unfamiliar voice makes her turn, fists raised defensively. "Whoa." There's a man in front of her, hands raised in a non-threatening way. He has black hair, a Rebel uniform, and kind, expressive eyes. "Sergeant Erso, Jyn, you're all right. No one is going to hurt you."

She blinks. "Where is my blaster?"

He smirks. "Lieutenant Rook warned me that you might get aggressive if you woke up disoriented. It's right here." He motions to the blaster, on the floor behind him and out of her reach. His expression softens. "You're safe, Sergeant."

She takes a deep breath, trying to calm her heartbeat. In a moment, her head clears. "Sergeant Dameron."

He nods, clearly satisfied that she's all right and herself again. He drops back down next to her. "It's just Kes, and how are your knees?"

She tentatively moves her legs, and she's happy to note that while sore, they are improving. The swelling is also down. "Better. Can I have my blaster now, please?"

He grins. "Only if you behave."

Something pings in her mind. "Are you flirting with me?"

He blinks, shaking his head quickly. "Sorry, no. Not at all." He hands her the blaster and pulls back right away.

She isn't sure what to make of his reaction. "Not at all? Well, that's flattering."

He rolls his eyes. "I didn't mean it that way. Well, no, I did mean it that way, but it's not an insult." He rubs his hand across his eyes, and Jyn suddenly notices a band on his left hand. "I have a bad habit of teasing people at the wrong time."

She holsters the blaster. "It's all right. And it's Jyn." She reaches out and taps his ring, lifting an eyebrow. "Is that how you meant it?"

He relaxes slightly, but Jyn bets that the joking exterior is a mask for someone who is always tightly coiled, ready to fight. He smiles again, this smile so gentle and personal that Jyn almost looks away. "Yeah. My full introduction is Kes Dameron, husband of the best and most beautiful pilot in the Rebellion, Lieutenant Shara Bey. So, nothing personal, Jyn, but no, not flirting at all."

"Was she part of the fight, in the air above Scarif?" She regrets the question almost instantly when he pales.

"No. She was on an assignment." He frowns. "Or at least I think so. But she's going to think I'm dead, I'm afraid. Most everyone who landed on Scarif is."

A rough voice makes them both jump. "We'll get word back as soon as we can, Kes." Cassian tries to move, but he feels stiff and his legs are even less cooperative. "Kriff. But someone else may have to handle the message. No way am I getting to Comms like this." Jyn looks at him, eyes wide. He shrugs lightly, trying to not telegraph how scared he is right now. "We know I need time in a tank, Jyn."

She furrows her brow, and they can both sense when Kes moves away, giving them some privacy. "Can you still feel your legs, Cassian? Can you move them at all?"

He concentrates hard, and he notices Jyn moving. She touches different places on his legs, and he's intensely relieved that he can feel every touch, nodding stiffly each time. He shifts slightly, then looks at his feet. After a moment of intense focus, he's able to twitch both of them, but that's all he can manage.

It's good enough for Jyn, though, who releases a breath. "That's good."

He agrees. Wanting to think about something else, he peers at her. "So, why is Maz going to remember you?"

"Have you been to her place before?" Jyn leans against his arm again. At his nod, she says, "Well, you may know that she doesn't allow fighting."

He snorts. "And you're not so good at avoiding fighting?"

"Got it in one. But in my defense, the guy I took a swing at pinched my ass and made a pretty disgusting remark. I was blonde then, so while Maz may spot me, not many others would." She shrugs. "How are you so calm right now?"

Her abrupt change of subject startles him. He sighs, staring at his mostly useless, at least for now, feet. "I'm scared to death. I don't want to be unable to work. I need to work."

She feels a tremor go through him. "Cassian, I'm sure there are other ways you can contribute to the cause."

"Maybe so, but I hope they won't be necessary." He looks down at her. "We make a good team though, good partners."

She shakes her head. "I'm no spy, Cassian. But I'm a pretty effective enforcer and fighter."

"Maybe that's what I need." He gives her a pointed look.

She hesitates. "Do you have a backup for Kay? He was a far better partner for you."

"Yes." Any hope that rises in her chest, any idea of stealing a KX droid for him, fades as he continues, "But only for the records. He knew just as I did that it's not as simple as uploading memories and patterns. His reprogramming changed his base operating systems. He was completely unique. Even if I could remember exactly how I managed to reprogram him the first time, a new model wouldn't be Kay. It would be a different KX-series with memory banks from Kay, you know? He was a true AI – that's a lot more than memories."

She wants to argue, but she understands what he's saying. "I'm really sorry, Cassian. Does your homeworld have any rituals for death? We can honor him. I'd help you do that." She's surprised at herself. She hasn't given much thought to the fallen for some time. There was no room for that under Saw, and there was even less room for that when she was doing what she had to in order to survive.

He takes a rattling breath. "I'd like that. Maybe not anything from Fest, but if we could get Rogue One together, those of us still here, and have a memorial, that would be good. We should actually do it for all of the members of Rogue One that we lost."

She nods. "We'll do that, then." Cassian shifts, and Jyn sees him wince. "Is the pain getting worse? We can get you meds."

"Save anything we have for the more severely wounded. If Maz doesn't have a tank, Bodhi may need it to get us home, and Baze, Chirrut, and Melshi are all worse off than I am." He grimaces.

"Bantha fodder." She motions to the medic. "Aari? The captain needs another shot of pain meds." She looks back at Cassian. "They may need bacta sooner than you do, but they are blissfully unaware except Bodhi. Even Baze is out now. You need the meds, Cassian. We need you able to focus on something other than not screaming in pain."

The medic gets to them, an injector ready. "Captain, can I have your permission this time?"

Cassian stares at Jyn, trying to get her to back down. After a moment, without blinking, her entire demeanor changes. It's as if she's incredulously saying, "Really?" without actually speaking.

He chuckles and shakes his head. "Go ahead, Aari." He's never met anyone who can crack his façade, and she does it without even trying. As a spy, he knows that should make him uncomfortable, but it doesn't. He knows, though, that what he was saying earlier is true – they're good partners. He doesn't necessarily need another spy as a partner. He needs support – a team. He has a feeling that this last adventure, the damage to his back, may make that even more true than ever.

The medic applies the medicine, and he begins to relax again. Jyn can clearly tell. "See? Nerfherder."

Aari turns to her. "Sergeant, I'd like to check your knees."

She nods. They're still sore, but nothing like before. "These look much better. I'm going to do another round of bacta wraps, but after that, it's just pressure wraps and taking it easy for a while. I'll be right back."

The medic moves over to the medkit. As they wait, Jyn remembers something. "Cass, this is Krennic's ship." She grabs the datapad and hands it to Cassian. "This has a file on Project Stardust, and there is a closet full of those karking capes in the officer's quarters."

He looks at the datapad. "The file is encrypted." He glances at her. "What did you mean when you said you knew it was the right file because it was you?"

She swallows hard. "My father called me Stardust." She wrings her hands in her lap. "It was like he knew for certain that I'd come looking, that I'd be the one to find it."

"He believed in you, Jyn, and he wasn't wrong to do so. You proved that." He covers her hands with his.

The medic comes back, and he makes quick work of re-wrapping Jyn's knees. She looks at him. "I need to go check in on Bodhi. Am I all right to walk if I'm careful?"

"Yes." The man looks reluctant. "But you must be careful. As it is, you'll recover without a tank. If you mess them up worse than they are now, you'll have to get your dunking as well."

"Thank you, Aari." She looks over at the others. "Chirrut, Baze, and Melshi are all still unconscious?"

The man nods. "You're welcome, and yes. But they'd be in serious pain otherwise, so it's a blessing."

"Aari," Cassian addresses him, "Sergeant Erso is going to step out in a moment – can you come back in a moment to help me with something?"

The medic looks confused for a moment, but Cassian is oddly reticent to say in front of Jyn that he needs to pee and needs help figuring out how to manage that. She must sense that something is up, and after a moment, she smirks a little and ducks her head.

She then looks back at the medic. "Get some rest yourself after you help Cassian." She gives him a stern look.

He laughs and heads back to the others to wait for Jyn to leave. Cassian looks at her. "Go check on Bodhi, and if we're close, get Dameron. You and he can call Maz. I'll stay here with the datapad, see if I can slice it."

She nods. "All right. What name should I use?"

"Willix. She'll know that name. Who are you there, by the way?" He lifts an eyebrow at her.

"Nari McVee." She pushes up from the floor, pulling herself up using the wall as support. Her knees still ache, but she's pleased by how the shooting pain is gone and by the fact that she feels mostly steady. She reaches down and tousles Cassian's hair. He tries to bat her away, but he does so half-heartedly. "I'll be back."

He nods, waving her off. She looks around the space again, and she's struck by a wave of fear, but it's not like it used to be. This is fear that drives her protective instincts, not her usual fear, that which drives self-preservation. After a stop in the fresher, she gingerly limps to the cockpit, and when she gets there, she feels that wave of protectiveness again. She sits in the seat next to Bodhi, and she's relieved to see that he's asleep.

She watches him sleep for a while, and then she turns her eyes ahead, watching the stars streak by at lightspeed. Her mind wanders to the dream she had earlier. It has been years since she dreamt about either of her parents. She knows that recent events have brought a lot of things up to the surface. It occurs to her that this, absurdly, may be the first time she's felt even moderately safe in years.

She's not sure if it's Cassian or Bodhi or even silly Kes Dameron so completely in love with his wife, but it feels normal and safe. She snorts softly, muttering, "As if you know what normal looks like."

"Hmm? Jyn?" Bodhi blinks awake.

Jyn furrows her brow. "Sorry, Bodhi. I didn't mean to wake you."

He shakes his head, immediately checking all of the monitors. "It's all right. We-we are going to drop out of lightspeed in a few minutes anyway. The alarm was about to go off."

She nods and then they both jump at the sound of another voice. "Almost there?" She looks back to see Dameron has come up behind them.

She glares. "How did you manage to get up here without making any noise?"

He shrugs and just says, "Pathfinder." When she gives him a funny look, he explains, "SpecOps ground forces. Good at sneaking in and making a bit of a mess when a mess is needed." He cocks his head at her and smirks. "You'd actually make a good one."

She takes that as the compliment that she knows it is, and she nods. "Yes, we're coming up on Takodana."

They drop out of lightspeed, and Kes says, "Try this frequency to hail Maz," and he rattles off a sequence.

As Bodhi enters the frequency, Jyn looks at him in surprise. "You know Maz?"

"Are there any people who don't know Maz?" He counters.

"Good point, but I bet Bodhi doesn't." Jyn shrugs.

"You-you'd win that bet. Channel is open." Bodhi looks at her.

Before Jyn can hail, she hears a familiar scratchy voice. "Who is coming to my home in that Imperial Ship, and how did you get this frequency?"

Kes leans in. "Greetings, Pirate Queen. I do believe you asked me to not be a stranger, gave me this frequency in case I ever needed a favor after my lovely wife and I helped eradicate the womp rats that some idiot smuggler brought here by accident."

"Dameron!" Kes grins at Jyn when Maz answers.

"Yes ma'am. And I have some friends in need of serious medical attention. One of them is here to talk to you. Her name is –"

Before Kes can say her name, Jyn says, anxiety that Maz will turn her away roiling in her gut, "Nari, Maz. It's Nari McVee. I know I caused trouble last time. I promise to behave if none of your patrons pinch my ass this time."

"Nari, my girl. No hard feelings. I didn't know about the pinch until after I tossed you, so I owe you one too." Maz sounds contrite, and Jyn's anxiety notches down.

"No worries, Maz. Whatever the cause, I broke your rules. We have some people in need of bacta tanks, and we want to sell this karking shuttle, get something a little less noticeable."

"I can help you with all of that, child, but who is 'we?'" Maz sounds curious.

Jyn swallows hard. "Willix and several others. Willix is one of four who need the tank."

"Is that why he's not on the comms?" Maz's curiosity turns to concern.

"Sort of. He's conscious, but we'll need four stretchers, and one is for him. He took a bad fall, and he can't really walk right now. We want to be cautious. Our other three patients need the bacta more, though, two of them critically." Jyn sighs. "Where should we put down, Maz?"

Maz rattles off coordinates and promises to get the stretchers together. "I have you coming in to a secluded entrance to the palace. It's underground, where I keep my medical bay. I imagine you want to be low profile. Don't leave anything you need on the ship. I can have my people move it so that it doesn't draw undue attention."

"Got it." Jyn pauses and adds softly, "Thank you, Maz."

"No problem, kiddo. I owe Willix one too. See you soon." The line goes quiet then.

After a moment, Jyn says, "Thank the Force."

Kes squeezes her shoulder. "I'll go let everyone know to get ready."

Bodhi takes the ship down, and Jyn looks over at him. "Do you need to use an alias?"

He shakes his head. "I-I don't think so."

"And how are you? How are the burns?" She furrows her brow.

"Much better. The bacta salves helped a-a lot." He looks at Jyn. "Nari?"

She laughs softly, sitting back in the co-pilot's seat. "Long story. Take us in, Bo."

He nods. "Yes ma'am."