4ABY: Planet Hosnian Prime

Andor Residence was a rather well-endowed establishment given to Jyn and Cassian for their years of service to the alliance rebellion. Situated in the heart of the capital, near the reformed New Republic Military Academy, it was the ground apartment of a large complex that housed mostly military families with the occasional senator. It was the ideal location given that eventually Jyn would start her new career training recruits at the academy. Cassian had been promoted to General in the New Republic Intelligence sector, given his own team of officers to train and list for operations. This had been what he wanted as he felt his new duty lied with his small family. He no longer desired to travel the galaxy, constantly being in the thick of danger; he had new priorities. Right now his work was solely focused on recruitment which had required him to travel off planet to locate suitable candidates, some of which would only speak with him directly. He had planned to have all this done by the time their child was due.

Jyn sat comfortably in the living area, going over her datapad, perusing all the messages she had received while away on Corellia. Although she was not on active duty, many in intelligence still sought her advice on certain activities going on in the galaxy. Most had to do with rumours pertaining to imperial strongholds or possible imperial sympathisers. To be honest Jyn didn't particularly care. The war had been won and now all that was left was to clean up the scraps of the empire. Surely they could do this without her opinion while she took personal leave. The reputation she had received after her daring infiltration of Scarif had troubled her at the beginning. She was not used to people looking at her, or singing her praise, or even smiling in her direction. It had all been overwhelming and more than once had she considered leaving the rebellion behind just so she could go somewhere people didn't recognise her. It had taken time but eventually she found routine and stability and Cassian had helped her keep a level head.

Jyn noticed a package on the kitchen counter – the kitchen being located right near the front entrance. She stood up and walked over to it, tugging the note off the wrapping.

For the newest member of the New Republic – Mothma

Jyn smiled, remembering seeing a message from Mon Mothma on her datapad about stopping by a few days prior while she visited the senate during her brief stay. Jyn untied the silk threads, removing the wrapping. A white blanket with gold edging revealed itself. It was the softest blanket Jyn had ever felt. She placed it to her cheek, closing her eyes. She couldn't believe her child was going to be born on Hosnian Prime – of all places – into a stable house with a strong support group. Now above all that this simple blanket gifted by a senator was proof that her child was indeed going to be given all the opportunities she and Cassian never had; school, friends, playgrounds and swimming lessons – simple, every day activities that most would deem the norm, but not to Jyn and not to Cassian. Originally they had planned on settling on the newly formed colony on Yavin IV as neighbours to Kes and Shara Dameron. But of course duty called them to Hosnian Prime and while at first Jyn had been reserved to the whole idea of living in a megatropolis she knew she had made the right decision for her child's future.

Evening came and Jyn started to feel lonely without her husband being home. Maybe it was because she was pregnant; she had felt her emotions change of the several months where simple matters would reduce her to either a mess of tears or angry outbursts at poor alliance officers. Sure she felt guilty for making that one x-wing pilot cry, but he shouldn't have thrown his helmet to the side, narrowly missing a five month pregnant Jyn. She didn't see it as overreacting as at the time she was thinking solely of her unborn child. At least Luke had laughed at the situation until he saw Jyn turn her steady gaze in his direction.

Jyn wished she could contact Cassian if only to hear his voice. She didn't exactly know where in the galaxy he was. He had shown her a list of potential new recruits to his sector before he left. Most were located in the midrim with a few on Coruscant. She was surprised to see one name of a former imperial officer whose posting had been on Coruscant.

"He was never a large supporter of the empire," Cassian had said, sliding on his jacket. "I crossed paths with him on a few occasions on Coruscant, and while he suspected who I worked for he never arrested me."

"That doesn't make recruiting him the right choice," Jyn had protested. She had been sitting on the edge of their new bed, her face masked in concern.

Cassian lent down to kiss her. "I looked up his file years ago and he only joined the imperial army to pay for his mother's healthcare. Besides, you are not one to talk."

"My father's situation was entirely different," she had protested.

"As soon as the empire fell he left his posting and contacted the alliance to offer any intel he could offer." Cassian picked up his bag. "I must go, take care while I'm gone."

"I'll be fine," Jyn had insisted. "Stop acting like I don't know my limitations." She stood up and embraced him. "Don't be long gone; not now."

Cassian nuzzled her neck, memorising the soft scent of her hair. "It will take no longer than a few weeks and when I return it'll be on a more permanent stay."

It was one thing that always made her wonder in the beginning of their knowing each other – his calming effect on her. She could be riled up ready to take down an entire imperial base on her own and all Cassian would do was take her hand, draw her close to him and say "Leave it." Those two words were first spoken on Scarif, and he continued to use them in the years that followed during missions where Jyn would flare up, mind focused on one thing alone. They were good together; not just as a couple but as a team. At first she couldn't stand him, believing he must have thought him above her for being part of a cause while she did nothing else but survive. He didn't know then what he knew now.

...

0BBY: Yavin IV

Four Years Earlier

Jyn had suspected it was the rebels who had sprung her from Wobani, but that didn't stop her from jumping them and smacking that poor guy across the face with a shovel. She had every reason to hate them, to hate Saw and Kenna and every single one of them who thought themselves esteemed for fighting the cause. She had fought the cause too only to have it stab her in the back multiple times. She was done with it and sick of them. Now she was cuffed once again and being escorted through the hanger on Yavin IV while X-wings were being maintenance around her. Jyn had been surprised at how well organised it was. Saw's insurgency was nothing like this and neither was the Corellian resistance or any other resistance Kenna had dragged her to. This level of professionalism did not leave a promising note in Jyn's mind; look at the Empire and how organised and well groomed they were. Organisation did not make you any less evil.

The first time Jyn saw Cassian was while she was sitting in front of a former senator and a rebel general who made it overly clear that he desired her back in her cell. He had stalked out of the shadows to her left, arms crossed with an easy expression on his face. For a brief moment she felt comfortable in his presence by the way he spoke so easily to her, but then she remembered who he worked for and that without a doubt his casual demeanour was nothing but an act to get information out of her. Then just like that she was assigned to work with him on a mission so personal to her that she felt weak at the knees; the prospect of seeing her father after fifteen years of silence. She had told them she liked to think of her father as dead, making things easier for her. It was the truth, probably the most truthful words she had spoken in months. Imagining Galen Erso as dead and Saw as her actual father had made growing up from the age of eight more bearable. 'Erso' had not been uttered in her presence in over a decade and it felt unreal to hear it after all that time.

Jyn had been handed a bag by the requisition officer as Cassian worked around her gathering equipment and supplies for their mission. Jyn grabbed what little she could, but to her dismay there were no weapons in sight. She thought of asking for one but the requisition officer avoided eye contact with her and Cassian seemed more than pleased to keep his back to her. So this was her welcome to the alliance rebellion – a cold reception.

Jyn sat in one of the isolated side chairs of the U-Wing, facing the cockpit. She had told Cassian "trust goes both ways," and she had meant it, but still one could never be too cautious, and if this galaxy had taught her anything it was to never let your guard down. She felt the weight of the kyber crystal as it gently rocked against her chest as the U-Wing took flight. She touched it gently through her shirt, smiling at the one familiarity that kept her grounded. Out of all the possessions she went through these past two decades, her mother's kyber crystal had remained a constant presence. Force knows what she would ever do would she end up losing it. Kyber crystals were common words spoken during her childhood. It was so common she always thought they were in abundance.

The first time she even saw a kyber crystal she was only a few years old, waiting with her parents in a large, beautiful room on the planet Kanzi. The man she remembered as "the man in white" who Jyn would later come to know as Krennic had greeted her parents and led them into a smaller, yet equally beautiful room. It was in that room Krennic had opened a case of crystals that instantly caught Jyn's attention. Her father had picked one up and Jyn had declared vocally "I want one!"

"Maybe someday," her mother had replied, carefully moving Jyn's hands away from the case. Jyn remembered frowning at her mother, not understanding.

Caught back to the present, Jyn smirked at the memory, knowing full well that day was the beginning of what led her to this very moment in this very U-Wing with a reprogrammed imperial droid and a rebel captain who thought it plausible for her to go into a warzone without a blaster. At least it felt good to finally be out of her prison cell. Her cellmate had declared her intention on killing Jyn the next time they were let out for work and that day had come where she was ready to die, hopefully putting up a good fight before going out only to be rescued. Was that another reason why she fought back? She had been gearing up for a fight, even looking forward to it only to have the whole prospect shattered once the rebellion blasted the doors down. She had been on edge to begin with and they just happened to get the brunt of it.

After waking from a vivid dream, Jyn looked out the window to see a rusty-coloured moon. "That's Jedha," Cassian said, making his way over to her, "or what's left of it. We find Saw, we find your father."

Saw and Galen – to men she came to call father and yet both had abandoned her. Did she really want to find either of them? It was becoming evidently clear that her personal feelings were not to be considered.

"You never asked me why I am no longer with Saw," Jyn said as she and Cassian began their trek to the city. "I doubt the reason would have come up in the file you have of me."

Cassian was walking slightly behind her which made her wonder if his pace was to keep an eye on her. "No it did not come up," he replied. "Any reason does not pertain to this mission."

Jyn rolled her eyes. "And you are not even curious?" She turned to glance his way. "Maybe he doesn't want to see me."

Cassian studied her. "Is that true?"

"Maybe... maybe not; I couldn't tell you." They walked in companionable silence. Jyn looked up to the cloudless sky and smiled. It had been a long time since she had seen such a view and the fresh air – despite its chilliness – was refreshing. "It's a beautiful day." She looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Well if one takes out the destroyer then it would definitely be a beautiful day."

Cassian returned the smile. "You were in prison for a while, no?"

"Long enough. My sentence was twenty years but I knew I wouldn't last five years. Besides, my cellmate told me she was going to kill me the day your rebel friends rescued me."

"Really?"

"It's probably half the reason I lashed out – I was preparing for a fight to begin with."

"Wouldn't that have added extra years to your sentence?"

Jyn stopped walking to turn to face him. "I never said I was planning a fight to win. I was prepared to die."

They stared at each other in silence. She had expected Cassian to reply but he didn't. His expression remained neutral but she hinted at something in his eyes – a sense of understanding perhaps? "We should keep moving," was all he eventually said.

Every step Jyn took in Jedha city made her uneasy. This city was haunted by the rebels under Saw's command and Jyn half expected to see her foster father lurking in the shadows, watching her as he used to when he would take her out in the field so she could practice her shooting and aiming – scrutinizing. Cassian kept close to her, occasionally grabbing her upper arm or brushing his hand against her lower back to keep her pace up. It had been a long time since she had any physical contact that wasn't by the hands of troopers. Their grips were rough and unkind, where Cassian's was gently but firm in a way that showed protectiveness. At first she didn't like the way he guided her through the city, a constant presence; his face near hers. It must have been after she spoke with that blind Guardian of the Whills. She had been left alone for a moment but the sight of Cassian made her feel easy again.

Then everything erupted around them. Saw's rebels had laid an ambush which Jyn and Cassian were caught in the middle. It felt good to fight again; to shoot a blaster. It had been some time and she had forgotten the empowered sensation it gave her. All too soon it had ended. Cassian had shot one of Saw's rebels to protect her earlier and unknown to them both it had been witnessed by one of his men. They were bagged and taken. It took a day and a half to reach their destination and all the while Jyn came up with scenarios that could happen once Jyn came face to face with Saw. It would not be a warm welcome; she would make sure of that. She had words for him that she had spent years imagining. Kenna had told her to let it go, that 'these things happen' and there was no point dwelling on it. It was easy for Kenna to say that as her former friend never developed any form of emotional attachment. She would call Jyn her friend or 'like a sister' many times, and Jyn believed her at first. Kenna was just as bad as Saw if not worse.

...

11BBY: Planet Dasoor

Ten year old Jyn fired her blaster while she gripped it in both hands. She hit her practice target with ease, though missing a critical hit each time.

"You suck," Kenna said, walking over with a blaster of her own. It had been a little over a year since they met and Jyn soon learned that Kenna was a year older than her and had a much larger vocabulary.

"I'm practising," Jyn replied in protest. "Practise makes perfect."

Kenna rolled her eyes. "You need to hold the blaster with one hand, not two. You should strap a dagger to your left hip so you can grab it while you shoot with your right hand. Good to have all options available."

Jyn reloaded her blaster. "Saw gave me a dagger the other day. He said it came from Onderon, his home world."

Kenna rolled her eyes. "Nobody cares where it came from."

"Saw does." Jyn aimed with one hand and shot her second round.

"See, much better," Kenna said triumphantly. "Didn't Saw tell you to stop squinting when you aim."

"I'm trying."

"Don't think too much, that's your problem. Just shoot and you'll get better. Mama always told me that you have to become one with your weapon, otherwise you will never have control over it."

Dasoor was a midrim planet overrun with thieves and slavers. They had been living there for almost five months now as Saw had established good grounds with several smuggling rings. He had also been recruiting fiercely. He rarely allowed Jyn outside their safe house without his presence, but on days like this where Jyn needed an open space for practising while he was off dealing with the worst of the lawless, he left her in the care of two of his trusted men. He had decided to keep Kenna around as a companion for Jyn and a teacher. As the weeks went by Saw noticed just how skilled and street smart she was. Despite her sharp and often cruel tongue, both girls seemed to get along well enough.

"You shoulder change your hair," Kenna said kicking a rock around.

"I like it this way." Jyn had kept her hair in the style of two braids as it had been the way her mother chose to do it. It was really the only hair style Jyn knew.

"You look like a child," Kenna accused. "We aren't children anymore." She walked over and tugged at one of the braids. "We could put it into one long braid?" Kenna gave Jyn one of her rare smiles. "It'll keep your hair out of your face, and then you'll shoot better."

Kenna's hair style had changed drastically over the time Jyn had known her. It started off as long, messy and unclean. Once Saw had taken her in and ordered she be bathed, Kenna had taken a knife and hacked her hair shoulder length. Nowadays she had let it grow out again keeping it tied back in a loose plait.

"Like you hair?" Jyn finally said, tucking a loose strand behind Kenna's ear.

"Exactly," Kenna continued to smile. "We could be sisters then!"

Jyn smiled. "I've always wanted a sister."

"Me too, though your hair is longer than mine, so we will have to braid it. It'll still look the same as mine."

Jyn didn't mind at all. Any kind of braid reminded her of her mother and those nights when she would comb Jyn's hair and braid it in two. "Come on." She grabbed Kenna's hand and led her back into the building. "If we do it now then I can surprise Saw when he comes back."

Jyn didn't see Kenna roll her eyes.