Chapter 12

"Uh, maybe I should stay here and let you all handle this one." Bodhi eyed the satchel of bombs uneasily. "I might accidentally—"

Jyn held up the detonator, anticipating his concern. "Each of these is matched to a specific bomb group. The only ones you can detonate are the ones in your satchel. You can't trigger any of ours by accident."

"Are you sure? Maybe I should just go with Tonc—"

Jyn shook her head. "No, not this time. You heard Melshi. This is gonna be a tough nut to crack. We need as wide a spread of bombs as possible if we're going to do any appreciable damage."

"But—"

"You can do this, Bodhi. I wouldn't even let you have these if I wasn't sure of it." Jyn grasped his shoulder, making eye contact.

"Jyn's right, Bodhi. If you can pilot a shuttle, you can do this," Cassian added, realizing the man needed extra reassurance.

He took a deep breath and let it out. "Okay. Okay, if you're sure. I won't let you down."

She smiled at him. "I know you won't. Just be careful since you'll be on your own. You'll need to keep an eye on your surroundings. If it comes down to your being shot or taken prisoner, abandon the bombs and get away. Preferably chuck the entire bag at any pursuers and blow it in their midst. That will buy you more time to escape. Be safe."

"Yeah, okay. You, too." Jyn gave Melshi a tiny nod.

"All right. Everyone knows what to do. Split up, work your way to your position and get the bombs set. Once mine are in place, I'll do a check in. When everyone is ready, get to a safe position – I'll call the timing to detonation. Then return to the ship as quickly and safely as possible. Let's go."

It was much harder than Cassian had expected watching everyone else set out on a mission while he remained behind. It was one thing when he had stayed on base due to healing injuries, but this… This was hard. What if something went wrong? He wouldn't be out there, watching their backs, helping make sure the mission was a success without any losses on their side. It was important to have a good pilot at the ready for a hasty departure, but K could do that as well as he could. He should be doing…more.

He sighed. This had been expected. In spite of everything, it was not in his nature to sit back and let others take the risks. He was going to need to re-evaluate his role on the team.

xx

"Team report. Leader – set."

"Uh…pilot…pilot – set."

"Support – stand by."

"Guardians – set."

"Thief – set."

"Ready. Support – set."

"Copy that. Team set. Team go."

Jyn was farthest from the ship and Melshi waited for her detonation, before activating his own – a little extra assurance that she was in motion. She was due to sweep down the east side of the facility while he came along the west side, keeping watch for any of the team in trouble along the way. Already he was hearing the other explosions rending the air. Time to move.

As soon as the explosions began to sound, Cassian took up position by the ramp, his weapon in hand in case they needed cover fire. "K, get ready. They'll be here soon."

"Acknowledged."

He almost smiled when he saw Bodhi, pelting for the ship as fast as he could move. There had been no indication that he'd faltered in doing his job or failed to accomplish his assignment, but clearly he was eager to take safe refuge aboard ship. The Guardians appeared next, and Baze stationed himself on the other side of the ramp to assist if needed.

"Any problems?"

"Don't think so. Nothing anyone has reported, anyway," the older man assured him. "Who's still out?"

"Melshi, Tonc and Jyn." As he spoke, Tonc appeared and dashed inside.

"Come on, Jyn," Cassian muttered. "Don't mess around."

Baze chuckled, having heard despite that not being Cassian's intention. "Don't worry, Captain. She's gotten better about staying focused on the task and not being distracted by other opportunities…as much."

Cassian scowled at the questionable reassurance, but Jyn and Melshi both came into sight just then, so he let it slide. "K, almost ready. Last two are in sight."

At his words, K began bringing the engines online in preparation for launch and he kept an agitated watch for any pursuers until the two were safely aboard. "They're in, K. Let's go."

Once the ship was aloft, the team gathered on the benches nearest the cockpit for the debrief. "Any problems, anyone?" Everyone shook their heads, but Melshi pressed, "Tonc, why the delay with you?"

"A patrol was going by so I couldn't get to my setpoints as fast as planned. As soon as they passed, I was able to finish planting the devices."

"Okay, then. Good job everyone."

Cassian cleared his throat and all turned to look at him. "You can't be sure how much damage you were able to do unless you have eyes on the ground doing a visual."

"Yes," Melshi agreed, "but I'd rather not risk setting the ship down again, or take the chance anyone noticed it or us being there just prior to the attack. Not after getting away clean." He raised an eyebrow at Cassian, as though suspecting the captain had more to say.

Part of him was reluctant to pursue this, but Cassian had been on too many missions to not understand what needed to be done. And it happened that he was the best positioned to do it. "I…could take the starfighter and go. That won't stand out like the freighter will and no one saw me on the ground."

"Are you sure about this?" Melshi asked quietly.

Cassian shrugged, going for nonchalance, though the others didn't seem to buy the act. "It wouldn't be any sort of a dangerous mission where I engage the enemy. Just walking around collecting information or seeing the damage for myself." More than them, he needed to persuade himself that he could manage this.

"That could work, if you're up to it," Melshi conceded.

"Not alone," Jyn insisted. "It may not be a true mission, but anything can turn dangerous when dealing with the Imps. You need backup." And she didn't like the impassive way he carried himself. He might be doing this because he thought it should be done, but there was no purpose in his effort. Just do the job, without thought. That was exactly the sort of thing she was trying to prevent. He had become deadened to everything around him.

"K can—"

"K can fly or provide backup, but he can't readily do both. With another person, there would be more options. I'll go with you."

Melshi noted it wasn't a request, and bit back a smirk. Cassian had better get used to having a handler once more, something he'd not dealt with in many years. "That's a plan, then. Prep for departure and leave when you're ready. But make the recon as short as possible."

They had been settled aboard the starfighter within half an hour, detaching from the main ship after arranging rendezvous later. Not until they were headed back toward the planet did Cassian again protest Jyn coming along. "You really did not need to come with me. It isn't necessary."

"No? So, if our positions were reversed you wouldn't have done exactly the same thing?"

"You know I would." He sighed. "That's not the point. You don't have to watch over me."

"Someone has to do what you won't do for yourself, Cassian. You might as well accept it – I'm keeping an eye on you, and K will do it when I can't be around. We don't want to lose you."

He wasn't annoyed by her words; he just couldn't feel…anything. Some part of him knew he should be grateful for her concern, but all of his emotions seemed just out of reach. Yet, when he saw her trying to pull him back from the darkness, he couldn't help but want to let her do it. The conflict in him seesawed back and forth, pulled toward her and drifting away again, like a tide ebbing and flowing on a shoreline.

He fell back on the familiar – emotional shutdown. Don't think about it. Just do the work. Get it done. Don't think about anything.

Suddenly Jyn's arms wrapped around him from behind, snugging him to her, as though she sensed the direction of his thoughts. She reiterated, "We don't want to lose you, Cassian, and we are both very determined. Stop fighting us; let us help."

Despite himself, he leaned into her embrace. Not since he was a child had he found comfort in the arms of another person. He couldn't even truly remember what it had felt like to be held by his father or mother. When they were killed, he'd started building the wall that surrounded him, and over the years he had added to it and reinforced it until it was nearly impregnable. Nearly. It couldn't keep out a seven-foot droid becoming a companion and friend. And apparently it couldn't keep out a very determined thief who insisted on scaling it to breach the interior. As much as he resisted, deep inside he still hoped she would succeed.

He couldn't work up any enthusiasm for the mission ahead, but he was committed to doing it now. And part of him was eager to spend time with Jyn, without too much else to focus on. They'd had so little time together since Scarif; a stroll on Coyerti wasn't ideal, but it got them away from ships and soldiers and war ever so briefly. Assuming, of course, the Empire didn't do something unexpected and have them running for their lives again. He couldn't quite convince himself that wouldn't happen.

On the ground, Jyn wrapped her head in her scarf. It wasn't much of a disguise, but it might be sufficient to avoid anyone remembering seeing her prior to the recent attack. At least blasters were commonplace on Coyerti, so it would not seem unusual for them to be armed. Even so, Cassian knew Jyn had other weapons tucked out of sight. Normally he did also, but…well, he hadn't prepared as much as he usually did for a venture such as this. Jyn's preparations would have to suffice.

Just outside the spaceport, Jyn slipped her arm around his, giving the appearance of a couple on a casual walk around town. The gesture brought a smile to his face, unrelated to it being a cleverly deceptive action for her to take. His thoughts kept trying to dwell on that pleasant sensation, but the underlying emotions kept skittering elusively away from him, making it difficult for him to enjoy the simple pleasure of her company.

Forcing himself to focus on the task at hand, Cassian steered them into a holonet shop under the guise of shopping for a new holo projector. In actuality, it gave them a chance to hear the broadcasts tuned in to the various news channels.

"There seems to be a bit of a commotion in the streets," Jyn observed to the shopkeeper. "We thought this would be a rather quiet visit to town."

"Aw, someone went and blew holes out at the plant. Done a lot of damage, they did."

"Plant?" Jyn asked.

"Yup. Bioweapons. Empire does research on 'em here. Means big business for the town. Least it did until that slime blew things up. Probably that Rebel scum, making things hard for folks."

"Well, was it really bad? Can't repairs be made to continue the work?" Cassian's mouth twitched in amusement at Jyn's naïve female act. Certainly the shopkeeper was buying it.

"Not so simple as that, Miss. They got to evaluate the damage to see how bad it is, but I hear several labs were pretty well destroyed. Took down a lot of the compound wall, so they'll have to rebuild that, see, for protection. Big headache. Lousy Rebels."

"I hope they caught the people who did it, at least."

"Nope. Got clean away – no one even really saw 'em. Pity that – they deserve to rot in a cell, if you ask me."

Cassian had been pretending not to listen in on the conversation, but now interrupted to say. "I don't see anything here we can afford right now. Maybe next month we'll come back." He nodded to the shopkeeper and steered Jyn toward the door. After they were out of earshot, he murmured, "Nicely done."

She smirked up at him. "I may not be a superspy like some people, but I do know how to get information from others."

"That you do," he conceded. "Let's walk toward the plant and see what we see – try to confirm what the shopkeeper said about damage. The news reports were similar."

They paused for a cup of caf at a food vendor, adding to their cover before continuing on. They had turned down a sidestreet that ran parallel to the plant when Jyn realized Cassian was no longer beside her. A glance back found him stopped, staring fixedly into space, his breath coming rapid and harsh.

It took a moment to understand the problem – either this was the street where he and K had hidden from pursuers, or was very similar to it. It must have triggered something. Quickly, she went back to join him, clasping his hand in hers. "Cassian, look at me." When his gaze remained fixed over her head, she repeated more firmly, "Look at me, Cassian!"

The sharp note in her voice did what her gentler entreaty had not, and his gaze flicked down to meet hers. She brought her hand up to his cheek and stroked it gently. "Breathe. Slowly. Steady. You're with me, you're safe. We're going to stroll back to the ship now."

He swallowed hard, but let her lead him in the opposite direction. Gradually his tension eased and his breathing evened out. Jyn had continued to hold his hand, while rubbing her other hand up and down his arm. Without realizing he was doing it, he pressed closer against her, seizing on her presence to anchor him.

They were almost to the ship when he croaked, "We didn't examine the damage at the plant."

"We found out enough. We're leaving now. It isn't worth it to stay longer."

"I'm disappointing everyone. Failing to—"

"Cassian, listen to me. You gave as much as you could today. Just as you have every other day of your life. Some days we can do more than we can on others. Don't be so hard on yourself. You didn't fail. No one is going to be disappointed."

He came to a shuddering halt and rubbed a shaky hand over his face. "How did I get this bad? I never realized…"

"You've tried to bury everything you were feeling, but it has festered below the surface. The best we can do is lance the wound and drain the toxins so you can heal."

She bit her lip, then decisively turned to face him and raised up on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck and draw him close. "You'll get through this," she whispered. "I'll be here to help."

Reflexively his arms tightened around her, so snug she could barely breathe, but she made no complaint. They stood there for several minutes in silence, with Jyn merely stroking his hair as soothingly as she could manage. It rather surprised her how natural it felt to do this. Some part of her vaguely remembered being held by her parents when she was frightened or simply needed reassurance; her father and mother each holding her that last day on Lah'mu. She had not thought she had it in her to offer that kind of solace to another person all these years later.

When finally Cassian released her and drew back, his embarrassment was evident. For probably the first time in her life, Jyn tried to put someone at ease with her nonchalance. She turned back toward the ship, caught hold of his hand and said, "Let's get back. K will be getting worried, and we don't want him coming to look for us if he's bored."

That earned her a weak smile; better than nothing. Back aboard ship, Jyn answered K's questions as Cassian silently worked at getting them in the air and on course for the rendezvous point. If K-2 suspected more had happened than he was being told, at least he didn't question it. Jyn would be willing to tell him more later, but not in front of Cassian.

Rejoined with the main ship, Cassian was quiet and withdrawn. Jyn noticed the others glancing at him periodically, but she was grateful they didn't ask any questions. He excused himself early to turn in, pleading weariness and no one argued. After he was gone for some time, Baze moved over and sat down next to Jyn.

"You okay, little sister? I don't know what happened down there, but you seem worried about Captain Andor."

For several minutes, she didn't respond, but Baze was patient. Finally, she blew out a breath and looked at him. "There were problems. He didn't cope with it very well. It was too soon for him to return to Coyerti. I should have argued against it more."

"The captain is a capable soldier. I'm not sure you can take that away from him."

"I don't want to take it away from him, Baze. It's just…" She rubbed her face. "He's been a soldier since he was a boy – most all of his life. Cassian's never had a chance to just be…a person. His whole life has been about the Rebellion. He needs time to just be himself for a while. Maybe find out who exactly that is."

"The same is true of you." Baze raised an eyebrow to emphasize his comment. "You're so busy trying to fix him, but don't forget to spend time on yourself."

She waved a hand dismissively. "I'll manage. I always do. It's Cassian that has me worried. He's too near a precipice, and I refuse to let him fall."

He laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not telling you to let him fall. I'm just saying not to fall over the precipice yourself while trying to prevent it. If you did, I think he might jump after you. That wouldn't do either of you any good. Worry about him, but worry about yourself, too."

The Guardian moved away and Jyn watched him thoughtfully. With all Chirrut's wise pronouncements, it was easy to overlook the steady wisdom of Baze hovering in the background.

Much later, as the ship was mostly shut down for the night save for Bodhi on duty watching over the helm, Jyn was just heading to her cabin and encountered Cassian leaving the 'fresher. He was still fully dressed, despite his earlier claim of weariness and an intention to turn in.

"You don't look like you've been sleeping," she remarked.

He gave a slight shake to his head, not even bothering to offer an excuse, but not meeting her eyes.

"Do you want to talk? Would that help?"

She sensed more than saw his hesitation. "You'll want to get some sleep. You've had a long day."

He turned toward his cabin, but she caught his arm to stop him. "I wouldn't have asked if I minded. Do you want to talk?"

Sheepishly, he nodded. He glanced down the hall, back in the direction of the communal gathering space in the cargo hold.

"Maybe your room would be better than out there. Even if everyone else is asleep, I don't think you want them overhearing should they wake and wander out. Besides, maybe after we talk, you'll be relaxed enough to rest yourself."

He yielded to her suggestion, though she thought it might be due more to a disinclination to resist than an active choice. The room told Jyn more than Cassian realized. She had seen his quarters on Yavin – neat and tidy, everything in its place. Cassian had been onboard more than long enough to have gotten his quarters squared away, but instead he had tossed his bags in a corner and some clothes and needed items just sat haphazardly on one of the pull-down shelves that served as a table. She wasn't sure he had bothered to even open any of the drawers built in under the bed.

She wasn't exactly known for being conscientious about order when it came to her room, but on a whim she asked, "Want me to help you get your things put away?" Maybe having someone work with him would be incentive to make the effort, and he might feel better if his surroundings were organized. Jyn really couldn't claim the offer as being much more than a delaying tactic. Heart-to-heart talks weren't exactly her strong suit. Maybe the shared activity would make this easier for the both of them.

Whether he recognized her purpose or simply felt his arguments would fall on deaf ears, he allowed her to set to work emptying his bags on the bed. At first it seemed he would merely watch her work, but his innate orderliness kicked in and he began rearranging his belongings where he preferred them.

"At least not having to share the room means you have plenty of storage space." She grinned teasingly at him. "Even if you replace all the many jackets you had before."

His only response was a solemn nod, and Jyn rose from her knees as she closed the last drawer. She pushed at his shoulders. "Sit, Cassian." He dropped obediently onto the bed behind him, and she climbed up next to him, sitting cross-legged where she faced him. After a moment, she caught hold of one of his hands. "Talk to me. What are you feeling?"

At first he was silent, but finally he slid back to lean against the wall and closed his eyes. Jyn readjusted her position for the change and then waited.

"It all just hit me. I was back on that last mission. The stormtroopers were pursuing us." His face scrunched as if in pain. "I had already been hit and K was trying frantically to find cover for us." He went silent again, then his eyes blinked open, staring at the wall across from him, filled with anguish.

"I should be able to shake this off—"

"No, Cassian. No. This isn't just a single traumatic event you're trying to overcome. It's… It's… I once spent time on a planet, Sullust, that had active volcanoes, and I learned a little about them. The hot lava boils and churns, pushing toward the surface until the building pressure finds a weak spot, and eruptions spew out the lava. It usually doesn't just do it once, and then end. The volcano may erupt repeatedly, sporadically, for days or weeks, even years."

She took a steadying breath. "That's what's happening to you. All this hurt and guilt has been trapped inside too long, and the pressure has been building. Now fissures are opening at weak moments, allowing it to expel the venom that has been poisoning you from within. You can't expect to prevent it any more than you could prevent a volcano from erupting. And like most wounds, you can't begin to heal until the pus is removed."

"There's too much. It can never be removed." He rubbed the palm of his free hand frenetically on his thigh.

"Maybe not, but we'll keep draining it off so the pressure doesn't build too much for you to function."

She stood up and his eyes went wide with alarm. "You're leaving?"

Without answering the question, she pressed on his shoulder. "Lie down."

Reluctantly he obeyed, and then she reseated herself next to him. One thing she did remember from her childhood was her mother sitting with her, stroking her head and humming to soothe her back to sleep after a nightmare. She didn't know if it worked for adults, too, but it was the only thing she could think of to try.

Stroking his head was awkward from that position, but that was the easiest part. She couldn't say that she remembered any childhood songs, and music wasn't a part of her life after leaving Lah'mu. She settled for a tuneless humming, and hoped for the best. It seemed to work in getting him to relax. She wondered if his mother had done the same when he was a boy.

It was impossible to know how long she kept it up, but the wall chrono told her it was now some three hours later. She must have dozed off herself and had lain down beside him. Cassian had wrapped an arm around her in much the way she had drawn comfort from her stuffed toys when she was frightened or alone.

Jyn was reluctant to disturb him, but she was desperately in need of a visit to the 'fresher, so she gently slipped out of his hold. There was a second blanket at the foot of the bed, and she covered him with it since he was laying on top of the bed covers. At length, she couldn't delay any longer and she exited from the room.

xxx

Jyn had never been much for sleeping longer than five or six hours at night, when she was lucky. She listened at Cassian's door on the way to the 'fresher the next morning, but heard nothing. She hoped that meant he still slept.

The others were gradually trickling into the hold as they awoke, food in hand, and as usual, conversation was minimal. None of them were particularly chatty, and all were even less so in the early morning. Jyn hadn't yet ventured to the kitchen for food, but she glanced around. Baze and Chirrut usually drank tea so that didn't tell her much. "Is there caf made?"

Melshi appeared through the doorway at that moment and caught her question. "Yeah, just made some."

She nodded and rose to make her way to the kitchen. It was located at the back of the ship; not the most convenient placement, but it put it out of the way for the more typical activity of a freighter. They had discussed making modifications in the team hold area to allow at least some food storage and prep there, but so far no one had moved forward on obtaining what was needed for the job.

A sense more than a sound alerted her to someone else approaching, and she turned to find Cassian standing in the doorway.

"G'morning," she said, offering the cup of caf she had just poured for herself.

He took it, but eyed her warily. Belatedly, he murmured, "Good morning."

She poured another cup of caf, then turned to lean against the counter, blowing to cool it. He was still watching her, so it was evident they needed to clear the air. "Did you sleep okay after I left last night?"

He nodded, still uncertain and hesitant, so she smiled at him. "Glad to hear it."

He looked down at the cup of caf, rolling it back and forth in his hands, his fringe of hair falling forward to cover his eyes. "I didn't… I shouldn't have…"

"Hey." She set her cup on the counter and took his from his hands also. "Look at me."

After a moment, he followed her instruction. Once she had his attention, she told him, "We're a team, Cassian. You and me. The others, too. There's no need for embarrassment or guilt for having to rely on us sometimes to carry you. And maybe there will be times it seems like we carry you more than you carry us, but we're okay with that. We help whoever needs the help, whenever they need it, whether it is one person or several or all of us. There's no maximum number of times we'll be here for you, there's no one doing a tally to see if anyone is getting more than an equal share." She paused, then reiterated, "We do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, for whoever it needs to be done."

He didn't look convinced, even though he nodded in response to her words. Abruptly she stepped forward and slid her arms around his waist, drawing him close and laying her head on his chest. "We're with you, Cassian. All the way."

He expelled a ragged breath. "It's hard. I don't know how to do this."

"Neither do I," she whispered, "but we'll figure it out. Trust me."

His arms tightened around her. "Always."

"If you're going to hug in the galley, at least move to the side so the rest of us can still get food." Tonc's face appeared over Cassian's shoulder, startling them both.

Jyn stuck out her tongue at the corporal, but drew Cassian off to the side without relinquishing her hold. "When it comes to food, Tonc, you're as bad as a Wookiee. And, trust me on that. I know."

He chuckled as he rooted through the cupboards for food, poured some caf and then left them to their privacy.

Jyn's hand slid down Cassian's side. "You need to eat. You're way too thin, Captain."

His mouth tweaked into a slight grin, reluctantly releasing her as she began to offer him some food options. It was a small improvement, but she'd take what she could get.

After a moment, he told her, "Too bad we don't have much real food on board. I could make something that tasted better than rations."

Retrieving her caf as she tucked a ration bar in her pocket, she glanced at him in surprise. "You cook?"

He nodded. "When they first brought me to the Alliance, I was too young to fight or anything, so I helped in the kitchen."

She wrinkled her nose. "I thought you said you could cook. I'm not sure mess hall food qualifies any more than rations."

He dipped his head a moment, then explained, "Usually they don't have a lot to work with so it is pretty non-descript. But sometimes when we would get unexpected supplies, we could make something better. Especially if we managed to get spices to add. There were several different species working the kitchens, so I learned a little about food from different cultures."

"Can you make anything from Fest?"

He bit his lip and she thought maybe it was a mistake to ask about his home planet, but then he said, "One thing. My mother used to make it, and then after she was killed I lived with an uncle who also did. His wasn't as good as my mother's was, but I learned how from him and kept the recipe. When I could, I practiced making it until it tasted more like hers than his."

She grinned. "Tell me what you need, and I'll find it for you. I could use some decent food."

His tension had eased, so she steered him back to the common area and they settled down with their teammates to eat their meal. Chirrut had wandered back to his cabin a short while ago, but reappeared with clothing in his arms and a small leather packet. "Anyone have anything that needs mending?"

"I've got a shirt," Bodhi said, going to fetch it. No one else spoke up.

Cassian watched the Guardian settle down and pull out needle and thread. An eyebrow quirked up in surprise. "The blind man does the mending?"

"He's actually quite good," Baze answered. "Better than me, certainly. The only thing he needs help with usually is the colors. If you have something, give it to him."

"Uh, no. Not right now, but I'll keep the offer in mind."

Bodhi returned in the middle of the conversation, dropping the shirt next to Chirrut. "Dark gray." Chirrut nodded an acknowledgement.

Taking his seat again, Bodhi smiled at Cassian. "You've been away from us for a while, so you haven't had time to discover the hidden talents. Chirrut sews, Baze does a crazy good massage and Tonc knows a lot about droid programming."

"Cassian cooks," Jyn volunteered. "We have to find some decent ingredients for him and check it out. Maybe Tonc will even learn to eat properly and not mash everything together."

"Hey!" he protested, from his spot at the terminal, working on a program.

Cassian nudged Jyn with his foot, where she had sprawled on her back on the floor. "What's your hidden talent?"

She shrugged. "Still hidden. I'll let you know when it surfaces."

"Is that one of your bombs?" Baze was watching her toss a ball in the air and then catching it.

"Nervous?" she teased, then admitted, "It's just the shell. Nothing inside it yet."

Melshi rejoined them from the cockpit. Jyn twisted her head around to look up at him, then remarked, "New mission."

"What makes you think that?" Melshi asked, noting it was a statement rather than a question.

"You get a look every time."

"No I don't."

"Yes, you do," Baze agreed. "We've all noticed it."

Melshi scowled momentarily, then admitted, "Okay, we do. HQ got details on an Imperial supply line. The specific supplies can vary, so we won't know for sure what we're getting until we raid them, but since the Alliance can use just about everything, it's bound to be worthwhile."

"That mean Erso doesn't get to blow anything up?" Tonc called over his shoulder.

Everyone chuckled at that, including Melshi. "We'll see. At the very least, she may get to do some fireworks as a distraction."

Not long after that, the team began to separate so as to make individual preparations. With nothing he needed to do, Cassian wandered back to his cabin. Once there, he flopped down on his bunk, hands behind his head. The group that formed as the original Rogue One hadn't had much time to get to know one another. Some of the men had worked together at various times, but likely knew very little about each other personally. He couldn't really say that he knew much about any of them, other than Melshi, and most of that was obtained from their personnel files.

The trip from Jedha to Eadu to Yavin and finally to Scarif had formed a connection between the five main proponents of the unsanctioned mission. But even they were not well acquainted at that point, save for Baze and Chirrut. During the course of his time with the Alliance, he had rarely been part of a team. He had gone on training missions, but usually only with one or two others. If he was honest, he had concertedly avoided being on a team, not wanting to get that close to anyone as he feared he might.

After what he had just witnessed of the current Rogue One, he had to think maybe that had been a mistake all these years. Part of him felt disconnected from their warm camaraderie, even though they had drawn him into their group readily enough. But more importantly, for the first time in his life he wanted a team. A family of sorts. This family. He had expected to come onboard to find the usual military discipline in place, but that wasn't so. Melshi and Tonc were still military-minded and more formal in their address toward those of rank, but this was the first time he had ever really seen Melshi bend a little.

Doctor Lesorid had told him he thought this assignment would be good for him. A good setting in which to continue his recovery. He hadn't paid much attention to that assessment, but now he thought perhaps the doctor had known what he was talking about.

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.