Chapter 5

Chirrut hadn't been wrong, though Jyn couldn't discern Melshi's hand in it. After only two weeks, Draven contacted her on the comm system. She could almost hear the reluctance dripping from his voice – it likely meant someone else had insisted on this. "We've decided to reassign you to the Millenium Falcon, to work with Captain Solo. It has been suggested that your 'talents' are best suited to the sorts of missions he is given to do." He hesitated, and then added with a sigh, "K-2SO will go with you."

She bit back a grin. "Understood, General. When do I take on this new position?"

"The Falcon will rendezvous with your ship tomorrow at 0900 hours. Be punctual. You'll need to depart immediately on assignment."

"We'll be ready."

Draven closed the comm without saying anything further, but Jyn paused to let the relief wash through her. She had been going stir-crazy on this ship. Taking on active missions again was a pleasant surprise. She stood – better go let K know.

xxx

It took four days. A mere four days. They were hastily departing from another planet under shady circumstances; she wasn't certain Solo knew any other way to fly. K-2 waited until they were strapping themselves into seats in the Falcon's main hold to announce, "It is expedient that I inform you, Jyn Erso, Han Solo is a maniac."

She laughed outloud before she was able to stifle it. She couldn't argue with that assessment.

"You do not seem to be taking this information seriously. It is not a joke, I assure you."

"No, K, I believe you, and agree. What you have to remember is that I grew up among Saw Gerrera's Partisans. At least half of them were maniacs. I'm kind of used to it."

"Well, Cassian would not approve of his methods, I am sure of that."

Cassian. She missed him. She knew K did also. Baze and Chirrut had gone planet-side to provide surveillance on Imperial activity, and so she no longer had a direct source of information about Cassian. She wasn't sure how long they'd be gone, or if Cassian would be reassigned before they got back aboard. She had heard from him once since the Guardians left, but Cassian was more apt to hide aspects of his recovery from her if he thought the details would cause her concern.

As suspected, they hadn't been allowed to see him after he awoke. Once the Captain was fit enough, Draven would surely put him back to work, as far from Jyn as possible. She had tried to get K returned to him, at least, but even that failed. The general didn't seem inclined to cooperate with anything she asked, and if Cassian had made similar requests, they also had fallen on deaf ears. Perhaps Cassian believed the droid was best left with her for the time being. At least that was a satisfying thought, whether it was true or not.

Working with Solo and the Wookiee was an interesting change from being around the usual Rebels. The former smuggler was oblivious to the finer points of finesse. His typical approach involved diving in and bluffing his way out. A lot of the time it worked – barely – but she had a feeling Chewie had saved his hide on more than one occasion, and now she did also.

Even so, she was more used to working this way. Gradually he had begun to trust her abilities, and listen more to her plans and warnings, and it turned out they made an effective team. Draven might not like either one of them, but the man couldn't deny that they got results. In just the two weeks they had been together, they had completed six missions, although two of them had been unsanctioned. Fortunately, General Onoran commanded the Special Forces teams and he was less hard-nosed than Draven.

Solo got a line on some Imperial weapons being transferred, Jyn and K infiltrated the comm system for details and they had flown out with a lot of new stuff in their hold. The other 'extra' involved raiding an abandoned droid repair yard, scoring valuable parts and even some tools. Others praised them; Draven ignored them and acted as though it were luck, a luck he almost wanted to run out. Well, Jyn hadn't stuck around after Scarif because of Draven, and she certainly had no interest in gaining his good opinion. She would admit, though, to enjoying handing over unplanned bounty without sacrificing the initial mission in the bargain. It was worth it if just to watch Draven try to remain impassive when others lauded their actions.

A month – it had been nearly a full month since Cassian awoke, which meant it had been even longer since she'd seen him. The last glimpse she and K got of the medical frigate was it loading on Yavin while they were boarding their new assignment on the tech ship. Baze and Chirrut had given her a reassuring wave from where they were awaiting boarding themselves. Bodhi had departed the previous day, doing shuttle runs between various ships and to planets for supplies.

It had been difficult, watching Bodhi leave and then parting from the Guardians and Cassian. Just when she was beginning to feel she had regained some semblance of a family, they were separated. She hadn't slept well her last night on Yavin, her thoughts and emotions refusing to let her rest. It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that she had finally acknowledged why she had wanted to stay on Yavin for a while – home. Cassian's words to her prior to Scarif kept returning to her mind, and she had somehow associated home with Yavin, maybe because that's where her new family was. And now they were scattering and Yavin was merely an outpost rather than the main base, at least until it was fully evacuated. Where was home amid all this? She couldn't even say it was with her family because they were not around either. And deep inside, experience whispered that this was the way it always had been and always would be.

She didn't doubt that Cassian had been sincere when he had uttered those words, and for him, home would always be wherever the Rebellion was. That was his family, his home. Family to her was the people, though, not the Cause. She glanced at K-2 and knew that if he wasn't with her, she might have gone back to running. It had worked all her life, but now the prospect of it wasn't so enticing. She wanted more. K was a start, he was a part of the family, but she wanted the rest of them too. Maybe she would eventually have to take matters into her own hands to bring that about. But maybe until they won this war, that wouldn't be possible. Somehow the end seemed an impossibly long way off. She longed for it, hoped for it, but she was realistic enough to know it wouldn't come easily or quickly.

xxxxx

"It'd sure be nice if the two of you would stop moping around over that…that Intelligence Officer, Captain what's-his-name."

Jyn scowled. "K and I are not moping, Solo. At least not any more than you're moping over the Princess." She arched an eyebrow at him.

"The Princess? You've blown your hyperdrive, kid. There ain't nothing between me and the Princess. You and that Captain, on the other hand…"

"Me and the Captain are just friends, and that's all there is to it. I've only spent about two weeks total in his company. Yeah, we're worried about him – he was injured on our last mission. He's the only survivor of Scarif that hasn't yet fully recovered."

"That right? Well, I think there's more than that."

"Don't know where you'd get that idea." She remained stubbornly impassive; she wasn't going to discuss Cassian with Solo. "However, the scuttlebutt says there's definitely something between you and Leia. The two of you can't keep away from each other."

"Scuttlebutt? Who's spreading those lies? I helped her out once, rescued her from the Death Star, but that's all. She's a Princess and I'm a smuggler. We got nothin' in common. End of story."

"Yeah? So, the Princess who isn't princessing and the smuggler who isn't smuggling, who are spending time together rebelling against the Empire, have nothing in common? I'm not buying it, Solo."

Chewie snickered behind him, as Solo's face flushed red and went rigid. "You got it all wrong, Erso. All wrong." With that he turned on his heel and abruptly disappeared into the back of the ship.

Jyn chuckled. The sad thing was, she rather thought the man was trying very hard not to see the sparks between him and the Princess, but as much as those two argued… They seemed to go out of their way to seek each other out and quarrel. She had noticed it before they left Yavin, and since working with Solo, they'd had to go back to the fleet a couple of times. Jyn wasn't the only person who had learned to make herself scarce when those two went at it. Maybe fighting was their version of courtship. She shook her head.

"Jyn Erso, what did Captain Solo mean about there being something between you and Cassian? Have I overlooked an important detail?"

"No, K, Solo just likes to run his mouth and see how many feathers he can ruffle. He wasn't counting on me turning the tables on him."

"You would think by now he would realize that you usually get the better of him in verbal duels. You have done so 79.2% of the time. Why does he persist?"

Chewie growled a comment and Jyn glanced questioningly at K for a translation. "He says that Captain Solo is a slow learner."

She laughed. "Yeah, Chewie, he is that. But he's a good guy anyway. If he ever figures that out, maybe things will go easier for him."

Chewie wandered off, but K wasn't finished. "You did not answer my question. Is there 'something' between you and Cassian?"

She sighed and sat down near the game table, idly tracing a finger over the board markings. At length, she said, "We're friends, K. That's all. Solo's trying to suggest that it's more than that so he can get a rise out of me, but there hasn't been time for there to be more than that. Cassian and I barely know each other." And she really wished that nerfherder hadn't brought this up. She didn't relish trying to explain human relationships to a droid. She barely understood them herself.

K processed this information as he settled beside her, then asked, "Does that mean that there will be more when the two of you have known each other longer? I assume he means in a sexual sense or, as humans often refer to it, a 'romantic' sense."

She kept her breathing even. She'd learned how to suppress physical signs of emotion. "He does mean that. Whether or not it will come to that, I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. Don't worry about it. Besides, at the rate we're going, I'm never going to see him face to face again. At least not if Draven has his way. He considers me the worst influence Cassian could have."

"He would be mistaken about that."

She blinked in surprise. "He would?"

"Certainly. Cassian spent far more time in danger following General Draven's orders than in his time spent with you. If anyone is a bad influence it would be General Draven. Cassian is much more likely to come to harm due to him. Although, Cassian has not known you long so it is possible that could change."

She laughed. "Yeah, maybe, but at least I try to not get him killed or injured. I'm not sure Draven worries about that very much."

They sat in silence until K observed, "I do not understand how it is possible, but I think I 'miss' Cassian. Droids should not miss humans. It is not logical."

"No, it isn't, but Cassian is your friend, K."

"Droids do not have friends, Jyn Erso."

"Maybe most don't, but there's a first time for everything. As I've said, you have personality. The droids who have personality often have illogical aspects to them. You saw Luke with that R2 unit of his. R2 has personality also."

"I have calculated the odds of how soon I might see him again, but I do not like the numbers that keep coming up. There is not enough data to make a definitive calculation."

"Yeah, well, one way or another, it's going to happen. Cassian or I will make sure of it. Don't give up on it happening."

"Do you miss him also?"

"Yes. Yes, I do."

xxxxx

The search for a new place to locate a base continued, but slowly. There was no denying they were vastly outnumbered by the Empire and locating places that were little known and had sufficient resources for their needs was not easy. Those of the Rebel fleet who had managed to evacuate already found themselves in limbo. More and more, the fruits of their missions were delivered to other ships, or small groups met and made quick exchanges on planets, before taking off again.

Certainly it was a lifestyle with which Jyn was very familiar. She had spent most of her life in transit, hiding, or on the run. It made her wonder what they had really gained on Scarif. No, the Death Star couldn't so readily destroy them in one fell swoop as it had the planet of Alderaan, but it was difficult to see that they were any nearer to overthrowing the Empire's tyranny.

At least she was comfortable working with Solo. The smuggler and his Wookiee companion were not unlike many others she had known throughout her life. Even so, sometimes the man did get on her nerves.

"Solo, quit your howling! You make more noise than a wounded Wookiee! You're not injured all that much." It hadn't even been a mission this time. Han had managed to slip off the ramp while working on the ramp retractor and scraped his leg. It didn't truly warrant the bacta patch she had applied, but doing so was the only thing that quieted him at all.

"It hurts, I'm telling you. I think it's broken. Get me to that stupid medical ship and have them fix it! I think I'm losing feeling in my foot."

Jyn rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll see what I can do." She was tired of the argument. Let the med droids deal with him. Maybe they would have better luck convincing him he wasn't desperately injured and near death.

She left him moaning piteously in his bunk and made her way to the cockpit. "Guys, he insists he's dying—"

Chewie growled anxiously and she could guess the question. "And if you're wanting to know if he really is dying, the answer is no. It's barely a scratch, and it hasn't had time to become infected. Still, he insists he needs medical attention, so we'd better find the medical ship and get him there. He isn't going to shut up until we do. If I didn't know better, I'd think Leia must be on that ship just now. Get a location and set course."

As she turned back into the ship, a grin crossed her face. Leia might not be there, but Cassian still was. If nothing else, this pointless trip would allow her and K to have a visit with him. It had only been a month and a half, but it felt much longer. It had been easier to stay in contact with him while they were on the tech frigate. Sometimes they had to keep comm silence while working jobs with Solo and she was always glad when they could go back to regular comms and messages. When last they spoke, he reported Baze and Chirrut had returned, but she had not yet had a chance to talk to them. It would be good to see all three.

The doctor had indicated everything was pretty much healed now, and his rehab exercises were helping him to recover his physical strength. Cassian admitted he hadn't spent as much time in bed the whole course of his life as he had in the past month. She didn't doubt Draven would have him sleep deprived as soon as possible. Baze had told her that Draven was already sniffing around, before they left, showing great interest in Cassian's rate of recovery. The two Guardians had conspired with the doctor to exaggerate how slowly the recovery was progressing. What Draven didn't know would be in Cassian's best interest. But that had been some three weeks ago. She hoped Draven wouldn't persuade Cassian to resume active duty before he was fully ready.

It took the better part of a day to make the rendezvous with the medical frigate. Solo had been suspiciously silent on the journey, but as soon as they docked he was back to groaning and complaining of extreme pain. Jyn let him lean on her for the trip to the medbay, tuning out his gripes. At one point, they paused briefly for her to catch her breath, and when they resumed, she muttered, "Other leg, Solo. You're limping with the wrong one."

She didn't know if K had figured it out, but the more she had considered things while they were en route, the more she became convinced this was Solo's heavy-handed way of ensuring they could see Cassian. If she had any doubts about her conclusion, the stutter-step he took to get back to favoring the correct leg eliminated them. She owed him one. Chewie had chosen to stay with the ship, not being terribly fond of medical environments, but Jyn insisted that K accompany them, 'in case Solo needed more assistance than she could provide'. If he didn't also suspect Solo's motives, the droid was at least willing to make use of the injury for his own purposes and had not argued about acting as escort.

The closer they got to the medbay, the louder Solo's howls of pain became. For all the bluffing he did, he was making a poor job of it now. It was doubtful anyone would believe this was real. She released him to the med staff, glad for the silence it afforded.

Chirrut materialized at her side. "I hear Captain Solo is in dire need of medical treatment."

"I argued for a lobotomy, but he and Chewie outvoted me," she grumbled. Baze snickered behind them.

"Follow me," Chirrut instructed. "I will show you where you can wait, away from the sounds of his suffering."

Jyn had long since given up wondering how Chirrut got around so well without his sight. She followed immediately, and K-2 readily trailed along behind Baze.

"You two staying out of trouble?" she asked.

"What trouble is there to get into on a medical ship?" Baze replied. "I just sit around listening to Chirrut chant and pray."

"If you joined me, you wouldn't consider it so dull." Baze snorted but didn't bother to respond to the ongoing debate.

"You haven't been on the medical frigate this entire time. I've no doubt the pair of you could readily find trouble on Tatooine. How was it?"

"Hot, dry, sand everywhere – just like Melshi said." Baze didn't elaborate beyond that.

They came to the doorway of what was clearly a rehab facility. Different sorts of equipment around the room enabled patients to stretch or strengthen various body parts as needed. Cassian was seated on a bench, studiously lifting some hand weights. It was good to see him moving under his own power. To Jyn's eyes, he still looked a little weak, but he was much improved from when last she saw him.

Just then he became aware of their presence in the doorway and turned to look. Immediately his face broke into a wide grin. He was on his feet and rushing for them before anyone else could move. Without even thinking about it, Jyn met him halfway, catching him in a tight hug. "Now this is the Cassian I wanted to see, not the one I left in the medbay on Yavin."

"Cassian, I am relieved to see you looking well." K joined them and Cassian smiled up at him, laying a hand on his chestplate.

"You can't be any happier than I am to see you all in one piece, my friend. I never expected—" His words choked off.

To ease his discomfort, Jyn said, "I guess Baze and Chirrut told you about it. Not only did he make it out, but he recruited a stormtrooper to defect also. That guy – Tag – is now happily settled on the tech frigate, rebuilding droids."

"Who knew I should have been taking you with me on recruitment runs?" Cassian teased, a moment before a look of confusion claimed his expression. "Wait, why are you here? Who's hurt?" He ran his eyes over Jyn, presuming it would be her.

"Not me." She raised her hands in denial. "Actually, no one is injured. Han's being a decent guy and pretending to be mortally wounded even as we speak. He sustained a tiny scratch and has been howling miserably ever since. I was strangely willing to indulge his demands that he receive prompt medical treatment so he wouldn't lose his leg, and here we are."

Cassian chuckled. "Tell him I owe him a drink sometime."

"Don't worry, he won't let you forget."

Cassian had kept his arm around Jyn, but now seemed to become aware of it and self-consciously withdrew it. To cover his embarrassment, he waved toward benches and chairs. "Sit. Let's talk until Solo is cured."

Despite no longer in physical contact, Jyn and Cassian managed to sit beside each other on the bench he had previously occupied. Each kept sneaking glances at the other when they thought no one was watching. Jyn couldn't quite decide how to respond to Cassian now. They were strangers, then they were friends, then Scarif happened and that had felt like more. Now that they were back to life in the Alliance, Scarif seemed like a dream rather than a memory of something that actually had happened. The comments Solo had made, about there being some connection between her and Cassian, would have felt true if solely based on their mission end on Scarif. But that hadn't been where it ended. That moment had passed and now everything was unsettled. Neither of them was much for touching, but they had easily done it during the mission. What did she want now? What did he want, for that matter? Would everything go back to as it had been before, with him off doing his spying and her occasionally helping out with a mission? Would they see less and less of each other until it no longer bothered her to be away from him?

Her thoughts had wandered and she forced them back to the present conversation. Their talk felt rushed, as though they were frantically trying to get everything said before Solo was finished with his ruse, and their chance to be together ended. But despite all the talk, the words were mostly inconsequential, not the things Jyn would have liked to discuss with him. Things that might have helped them sort this out.

Too soon, Dr. Lesorid appeared with Solo in tow. "Andor, you have the best doctor in the galaxy! I'm healed!" Solo proclaimed, his arms spread dramatically.

Dr. Lesorid rolled his eyes, but added, "Yes, it took all the medical expertise I possess, but I managed to save the patient."

Everyone laughed, but Jyn met the doctor's eyes. "Well, you did save one patient. Thanks, Doc." He inclined his head in acknowledgement of her meaning.

"Unfortunately," Han said, "duty calls. Chewie commed me to say Onoran has our next assignment and wants us to leave immediately. He didn't seem sympathetic to my injury at all."

Everyone stood, and Doctor Lesorid suggested, "Captain, why not walk them to their ship. It will do you good to stretch your legs and get out of here for a few minutes."

Cassian nodded, falling in next to Jyn. As they walked, she suddenly remembered the situation. "Oh, hey, your stuff is on the Falcon. I can get it for you before we leave. I'm sure you want it back now that you're up and around."

He met her eyes and then glanced away. "Would you mind holding on to it for me a while longer? I can get it later."

"Sure. No problem." Surprising, but she had no intention of arguing; it might mean they'd at least see each other one more time.

Then they were in the docking bay and there was no more reason to delay. While Solo went to prep for launch, Jyn gave a final hug to the three men, ending with Cassian. "Glad you're finally well," she murmured.

"Thanks to you," he replied softly.

Reluctantly, they let go. To hide the awkwardness, Cassian looked up at K. "You be careful. As soon as I'm back in service, I'll see about having you join me. Until then, keep an eye on Jyn for me."

"I assume you mean keep Jyn safe. That is easier said than done on the Millenium Falcon, but I will do my best."

Cassian's face reflected his dismay at this lack of comforting reassurance. "It's not that bad," Jyn hastily told him. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

And then there was no choice but for them to board and depart. If Cassian remained until they were completely gone, it was only because he was a little tired from the walk. He bid the Guardians farewell as they left for elsewhere on the ship, agreeing to meet them for supper.

With a sigh, he turned back toward the medical ward. He had concealed how down he felt so much of the time lately, how much he felt like he was just going through the motions of living. Chirrut maybe suspected, but luckily hadn't said anything – he wasn't sure he wanted to talk about it with anyone. Most people seemed to attribute the tiredness in his face to his recovery efforts – he preferred it that way.

He hunched his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pockets. His left hand touched something smooth, bringing him to a halt. There hadn't been anything in his pockets earlier. He drew out the object and his eyes widened. Dangling from his hand was Jyn's kyber crystal necklace on the leather cord. He looked toward where the ship had been docked and shook his head. Pickpocket, indeed. This time in reverse. It brought a smile to his face anyway, and he slipped the cord around his neck, tucking the crystal out of sight. Guess he'd just have to see her again to return what she had accidentally misplaced while here.

To be continued…

invented characters:

Sergeant Daster – head of the tech shop on the tech frigate

Dr Lesorid – kind doctor caring for Cassian

All other characters actually are taken from the existing Star Wars universe.