I strapped my plain bra before reaching for the dark undershirt of my uniform. Beside me, Bodhi was pulling his pants up, quite disturbed. My mind was busy, as always, calculating my next move when I had no idea where I was going. Reaching for the contraceptive pill, I swallowed it with a swig and offered the water to my sex friend pilot. Bodhi took a mouthful, his dark eyes watching me with interest.

— "You know that every bounty hunter, every cargo knows the kid is missing. Krennic has half the galaxy looking for her…"

I sighed, putting away the coral I had bought from the pilot in my sliding drawer. Of course, Krennic would be upturning the systems to find Jyn. If she had not been found yet… there was hope still, that no one would. Unless Galen sold her hideout. Perhaps I ought to give up; the kid was probably safe, for the moment, and unreachable.

— "Listen. You'll tell me if you find any trace of her, right ? Tell me, and no one else."

Bodhi cocked his head aside, his long dark locks swinging by his nape. He wasn't my type of man - far from it, I liked them taller, bulkier, and fairer of skin - but we got along well enough to banter merrily, have a drink, and enjoy a romp between the sheets. Actually, out of all the pilots that came back and forth for deliveries on this forsaken moon, Bodhi had become a friend.

— "There will be nothing to tell. If I ever hear of her, the empire will already be on her tracks"

I curled my mouth in a pout, considering his words.

— "All right, all right. I get it. Anyway. Thanks for the coral and the meiloorun."

Bodhi's grin sent a smile to my lips.

— "Anything to cheer up a lady-friend. You're scooped up in that horrible stormy moon, you deserve a little sweetness"

— "Well. You're my best shag after all", I smirked.

The pilot wasn't shy ; he gave me a leering look.

— "Glad to hear it. Think I should cut my hair ?"

— "Whatever for ?"

— "I want to increase my level of fierceness"

I laughed, this time, punching his arm playfully. What would he look like, with his hair cut ? Smaller – he was already barely four inches more than me - thinner… perhaps a little more serious than his playful self.

— "You're not fierce, Bodhi. But you're full of energy, and a good lover. Keep the hair, it increases your charm"

His eyebrows waggled at my off handed compliment. For despite his diminutive physique, I had to admit that the core of hard muscles around his waist and hips did wonders to my own body. And some women enjoyed an olive skin.

— "So you don't mind me picking up ladies in every port ?"

I shrugged. Honestly, I had no a care in the world, as long as he didn't bring back an alien disease. And even then, our medicine, in the empire, was too powerful to yield to such things.

— "We're friends, Bodhi, not married."

— "Well, that makes the sex even better, right ?"

His words struck a chord, and instead of laughing, I found myself frowning. Not that I had any intention to submit myself to a committed relationship.

— "Attachment makes sex boring ?", I asked.

Rolling his eyes, the pilot scratched his dark stubble.

— "On the contrary. It's because we get along "

— "Is there a level of trust needed to have good sex ?", I deadpanned.

— "Of course !"

His foreign accent made his retort sound offended. He gave me a great sigh, as if his heart was going to clutter. His theatrics always made me laugh, but deep down, I knew I would never settle for a man like him. Too much noise, too much dramatics, too many emotions bundled up. I needed silence and contemplation, level headedness and a good deal of thinking. Alone.

— "You are so reasonable, sometimes, I wonder what makes you tick", he sighed.

I guess than a pilot needed more excitement in his life than a scientist.

— "Well, definitely not sentimentalism."

— "What's your goal, in life ?", Bodhi asked.

I don't know anymore.

— "To succeed ?"

— "Why for ? To have Krennic proud of you ?"

I had never noticed until then how Bodhi never called him Director, or used his title. Actually, it almost felt like he couldn't stand his guts. I bit my lips there; I couldn't possibly tell the pilot that I was having a severe crisis of conscience, neither that my trust in my mentor was suffering from the competition. What if my feeling was off, and Bodhi reported me ? Unlikely, but not impossible. My silence was probably misinterpreted, for my pilot friend stood to retrieve his tunic.

— "Yeah, I'll leave you to consider this. Anyway, I need to get back to my ship."

Before he could pass his hand above the door sensor, I reached for his arm.

— "Wait!"

Bodhi gave me an inquisitive look. Would I dare ?

— "Have you heard of Korwin's death ? The scientist from my team"

Dark eyes squinted, suspicion and fear passing through before he nodded.

— "What of it ?"

His tone was guarded, cautious and I whispered.

— "Have you heard of other deaths like him ? Other scientists ?"

A gleam of recognition passed his eyes, and his shoulders sagged a little. But his eyes refused to meet me.

— "Yes. Rumours of accidents, mainly. We don't talk about it amongst us"

— "How many ?", I asked, breathless.

Bodhi gave me a long, hard look. One that showed, for once, that his core was as hard as mine.

— "Four or five. No scientist leaves Eadu alive, Elya. Be quiet about it, I don't want you gone the next time I deliver stuff"

The pilot left to attend to his ship before his departure and I, flustered by this piece of information, went the other way to hit the mess. It was rather late already, and the place deserted. I ate in silence, lost in my thoughts. Food was cold, and as tasteless as usual.

As I retreated to my quarters, I couldn't help but anticipate the dessert than Bodhi had brought me: a meiloorun. A rare, sweet fruit that could only be found on backmarkets and reminded me on the sunny evenings on my home planet. For once, I wouldn't be snacking on protein bars which flavor was just a synthetic additive.

Lost between anticipation and the memories of my home world, I failed at spotting the shadow that followed me. The attack was swift; a tall form pounced upon me, sending me crashing into the wall. My windpipe screamed in protest when a muscular forearm blocked it. My hands delivered a blow to the sternum at once, but my assailant barely grunted; too massive. So I reached for his pulse point and pressed. Two amber eyes found mine and I would have gasped had my windpipe not been constricted, recognizing him before my vision swam.

Fortunately, Galen's hold slackened and he stumbled back, vanquished by my precise retaliation. A sharp intake of breath later, I was ready for battle. And wary; Krennic always told me his friend couldn't fight, but he certainly packed a punch. I had to give him that, he was sneaky; he had found me out in the blind spot of camera. And to the defence of his remaining family, he was dangerous. My throat burnt, and I considered the pacifist turned into a fighter. How far had the corruption gone, to turn such a brilliant man into a killer?

Seeing my offensive position, Erso didn't approach, choosing to growl at me instead.

— "Why are you enquiring about my daughter?"

— "Because I can't give your wife back".

The scientist blinked, and in the semi darkness, I could spot his confused look. Not what he was expecting. Anger replaced bafflement, flooding his features; I recoiled from the deep wrath that seemed to radiate from him. I'd only known Erso as a collected, intelligent man. To witness his primal core, relieved of his many layers of civility, left me in a state of unrest. For somewhere, deep within the scientist, laid a man whose instinct was to protect mate and cubs. A wolf. My muscles coiled; I was ready for an assault of incredible violence such was the threat oozing out of his eyes.

— "Another trick to gain my trust?", he spat.

What could I tell him, but the deepest truth ? Here, in the camera's blind spot, it was a risk to take.

— "No. It is I, who lost mine."

Breath short, we stayed there, for an eternity, trying to assess the other's truthfulness. Partners, or enemies ? Perhaps I had, as well, shed a layer of my coolness and plunged deep into my emotions, for I was sure that some sort of understanding passed between us.

— "Is everything allright, lieutenant Mereel ?"

I nearly jumped at the voice. Locked in our battle of wills, I had failed to spot the patrol that came our way. Mind spinning, I forced a pleasant smile to my lips, my features regaining their aloof expression as I turned to the head soldier.

— "Oh, yes, nothing more than a scientist's divergence. We'll sort this out around desert. Come along, Galen"

And, with a very emphatic glance, I reached for Erso's arm and dragged him along to my quarters. He barely flinched when my hand laced around his arm, but I could feel his rigid stance under my fingers.

— "Play along", I whispered.

He nodded briskly.

So, this is to thank my faithful and only reviewer. She will recognise herself ! Thank you from the bottom of my heart !