Disclaimer: Though I am a fan of Star Wars I am not as well versed as many, so there very probably will be some discrepancies with my story. Please note that this entire story is a divergence from canon, so if you have a problem with some of my mistakes just think of it that way. Thank you!

10

bron·tide

a low rumble of distant thunder

The next morning when she woke up Cassian was gone. She vaguely remembered him telling her that he had an earlier shift the next morning-apparently there were supposed to have important reservations that day and he was needed to prep all of the food.

Jyn didn't know what constituted 'important' on a planet like Tatooine, but she was told to look nice so she rolled out of bed and began brushing her hair out. It was getting long again, she would need to trim it before it got unmanageable.

An hour later Jyn stepped out of their room with her hair pulled up into a neat little chingon that she was surprised she'd been able to pull off. She checked her face in one of the darkened glass windows on her way to work and made a mental note to pick up a mirror on her way home that night.

She was making a list in her head of things that they needed to do and purchase when the sound of a whip cracking brought her back to the present. Crossing the street ahead of her was a long line of people, their wrists and feet were shackled with heavy looking chains and their waists were connected by one long chain.

She'd seen this a few times since they'd arrived on Tatooine. Slaves, were one of Tatooine's biggest exports. People who couldn't afford to pay their bills or feed their families became indebted to people and in order to buy back their freedom they were forced into service.

"Get up!" One of the slave traders barked as a young woman stumbled in the line, jerking everyone with her as she fell. The whip went back and Jyn's feet moved to do something, anything. But a hand caught her arm dragging her into an alleyway.

"Young lady those are dangerous waters to tread." The person who grabbed her was an old man, standing barely an inch above her. He had white hair that was pulled into a neat ponytail and a mustache that twitched as he spoke.

"It's not right." Jyn argued looking around the corner, the woman had gotten back onto her feet and the group was moving again.

"There are plenty of things that aren't right. It doesn't mean that you can change them by yourself."

"Sorry." She muttered, not feeling very sorry at all.

"Uh-huh." The old man chuckled, his wispy mustache moving as air left his mouth.

"Lyra is that you?" A voice called her mother's name and she turned to see Lyssa hurrying towards them.

"Lyra is it?" The man's eyebrows rose in disbelief "Funny you don't look like a Ly-"

"Thank you very much, but I need to leave or I'll be late for work." Jyn hurried out of the alley to join Lyssa who was frowning as her.

"What were you doing with Cyrus?" She asked, linking her arm through Jyn's.

"Oh," Jyn shrugged nonchalantly "I got in the way of some slave traders and he pulled me to safety." She didn't say that she'd been about to confront them. Jyn had learned quickly that Lyssa didn't think slavery was an odd thing and found it better not to bring it up.

"You should be more careful Lyra," Lyssa scolded as they rounded the corner of the restaurant "They will take you and ask questions later."

"I'm sorry I will be more careful, promise." Jyn apologized "So you said that old man's name was Cyrus?"

"Yes, he's the archivist for Tatooine-we've only got one because, well there isn't a whole lot to archive." Lyssa said it like it was some sort of joke, but Jyn didn't find it very funny.

"We better hurry or Omar is going to skin us alive." Jyn ushered her forwards into the restaurant and hoped that Lyssa wouldn't talk about what had happened that morning to Cassian-he was already paranoid enough as it was.

But luckily the restaurant was too busy all day for any idle chit chat and by the time that night finally fell Jyn was exhausted.

"Okay ladies, chip chop go clean yourselves up our reserved guests will be here in just a few moments." Omar clapped his hands as if that would drive Jyn and Lyssa into motion.

As they dragged themselves to the nearby restroom Lyssa pulled Jyn close enough to whisper into her ear "These guys come in here once or twice a month, they are apparently close advisors to Jabba. Probably the closest thing we have to 'civil servants'." Lyssa spit the word out sarcastically as they washed their hands and wiped the sweat from their faces. "In reality they are a bunch of mobsters who come in here and get drunk and laze around for hours."

"Do we have to stay here the whole time?" Jyn asked wearily as she smoothed her mussed hair, they'd been there since early that day and her shoulders and legs ached.

"Yes, but luckily Omar always opens the restaurant later in the afternoon after night's like this." Lyssa said cheerfully and Jyn watched as she undid the top two buttons on her blouse, when she noticed Jyn's eyes she shrugged sheepishly "It gets me better tips, just watch out for the grabby hands and you should be fine."

Jyn gaped at her coworker as she left the restroom, she wasn't expected to do the same, was she? She looked down at her chest which wasn't anything special, she'd never had the time or the energy to and all of the women that she'd encountered in Gererra's rebel forces had been too battle hardened to worry about little things like that.

Jyn hesitantly undid the top two buttons of her own blouse and frowned when she didn't achieve the same look that Lyssa had. She unbuttoned one of her buttons with a shrug and opened the bathroom to head out into the hall.

Cassian was waiting for her and one look at his clean-shaven face made her insides twist. She'd almost forgotten last night when he'd grabbed her hand almost as if to stop her but had let go. She'd wanted him to continue even if that meant something changing. But now that she wasn't as close as she'd been she was grateful that he had let her go.

Cassian cleared his throat "Luggar says that I can leave after the guests are served, but I will wait until you get off."

"That could be hours I hear." Jyn said drily. "Are you sure you want to hang around for that long?"

"Of course."

Jyn smiled at that, feeling pleased despite her earlier thoughts.

"Lyra!" Lyssa's voice called from the dining room as the sounds of voices filled the restaurant again.

"Gotta go, I'll see you after!"

Jyn hurried into the dining room which they'd converted so that one long table took up the span of the room. Lyssa was leading tall brawny men into the room-several of them were human and the rest were varying kinds of alien. Jyn jumped in to help, pasting a gritty smile on her face.

The meal they were serving was a four course meal that started with soup. In reality it would have been easier to serve if there had been four of them, two taking either side of the table, but Jyn and Lyssa would have to do. Omar himself had taken a seat to the right of a stone face man with slicked back black hair, so he would be of no help.

Jyn scurried to ladle equal portions of the soup, which smelled like a mixture of different vegetables, while Lyssa followed behind her with the cart and the large pot of soup. They then hurried to pour water and alcohol in the men's glasses, avoiding any hands that decided they wanted to pat some part of their body.

They made it through the first three courses of the meal without a hiccup, Lyssa was a good deflector of attention for Jyn who made a point in avoiding eye contact with the many men in the restaurant.

Cassian had taken a seat on the floor in the hallway, she could feel his watchful eyes on her as she refilled yet another cup of alcohol.

"This one's a new one isn't she?" the man whose cup she was filling asked.

"Yep." Omar nodded "She'd a pretty one isn't she?"

"Quite a bit tinier than your usual waitresses." Another man piped up "And not your usual type eh Linux?" he teased the original man who had spoken.

"True I do like women with fuller figures, but wiry one's like this lady here can be just as adventurous in bed and twice as crazy." He waggled his eyebrows at her and Jyn's face flamed as she hurried away from the table to help Lyssa with the next course.

"It's ok." Lyssa murmured, noticing Jyn's distress "I'll take that side of the table if you want."

"It's fine." Jyn replied through gritted teeth.

Lyssa shrugged and turned back to the crowd, planting a cheerful smile on her face as she brandished her pitcher full of beer "Alright fellas who's ready for another round of beer!"

Jyn did her best to ignore Linux's gaze on her back as she served what looked to be some kind of roasted bird to the table.

As she served his food Linux grinned up at her "C'mere." He said looping an arm around her waist and drawing her onto his lap, much to the amusement of his dining companions who laughed like it was the funniest thing that they had seen.

Jyn was just reaching for his fingers, fully intending to bend them backwards until he released her when Cassian's voice cut through the laughter.

"You are going to let her go," He had stood up from his place in the hallway and was calmly standing a few feet away "Please." He added almost as an afterthought.

"And what are you going to do to me if I don't?" Linux sized Cassian up and smirked, obviously taking the man at first glance. He stood, dragging Jyn with him, his hand moving to cup her butt and causing her to jump. Luckily it wasn't there for long, Cassian moved lightning fast and his fist connected with the man's jaw and sent him sprawling to the floor.

Everyone was silent now, Lyssa was standing off to the side with wide eyes and Omar had stood at the beginning of the confrontation.

"You're fired." He said, his face slowly turning red "Both of you. I had better not catch you coming in here or I won't be this nice."

Cassian opened his mouth to speak but Jyn pushed him towards the door. She needed to get him out of there before he caused any more trouble.

"What the hell was that for?" She berated him once they'd gotten a safe distance from the restaurant "I had it under control!"

"It did not look like it from where I was sitting." Cassian was just as angry as she was.

"Well I did. I always have everything under control by myself."

"Is that why when we found you you were in prison?" He scoffed.

"That is besides the point-"

"And also, don't think I didn't notice the button. Why the hell would you unbutton your shirt especially in front of men like that?"

"It was just one button, it's not like I have a whole hell of a lot to hide anyways. Besides Lyssa made it seem like the thing to do. Where do you get off telling me what to do and why do you even care so much?" She was embarrassed that he had noticed the button, her fingers moved up to deftly slide it through it's hole and back into it's proper place.

Cassian didn't seem to have an answer to her question and Jyn wanted to smack him. Instead she whirled away from him, fully intending to stomp back to the room.

But Cassian managed to grab her hand and turn her back to face him, his face was unreadable now-all of the anger behind his brown eyes was gone-only to be replaced with something else that Jyn couldn't quite place.

"What are you doing?" She asked, confused by the sudden change in their argument.

"This." He replied and then kissed her.

- Author's Note -

Uhhh yeah haha. So that happened. I am starting school tomorrow and I really (REALLY) wanted to write this chapter. I knew that the kiss was going to happen in this chapter I just didn't know how I wanted it to happen. I am a fan of the unexpected! Things should be heating up in the next few chapters and a lot of time will pass as well. I want to wrap things up with this story hopefully around 14-17 chapters if I can so that I can mark it as complete!

Also, this story had almost reached 4,000 views in under two(ish) weeks, which is something that I am extremely happy and excited about so thank you so much!

Please read & review it helps motivate me to continue on! Thank you!

-LittleMoonLover-