0ABY: Etheron
The night passed uneventful. It was a relief for Rogue One. After their watch ended, Jyn had settled close to Cassian in order to sleep better. The idea of being alone, isolated on this planet had left her uneasy. She needed to feel the presence of anyone nearby. After Rostok and Basteran woke everyone from their restless slumber, they ate silently with their meagre rations. Cassian had contacted Bodhi right to ensure all as well back at the shuttle.
"We'll start our way back to Rogue One," Cassian said as he packed his bag. "Bodhi reported it is raining heavily outside, so everyone watch your footing."
Jyn downloaded what little should could salvage from the imperial databank, while Sefla and Rostok made another round of the facility taking pictures of what they found. They focused mainly on the scattered remains of the kyber crystals in the dome below. Every time Jyn stared at the kyber lay strewn on the ground, her own kyber would feel heavy around her neck. She even convinced herself it felt warmer than usual.
"Doubtful the imperials will return," Sefla commented after they all rendezvoused outside the main entrance.
"I wonder what happened here," Basteran said. "They were attacked, sure. But how? Why?"
Cassian shrugged his bag onto his shoulders. "It'd take too long to figure that out and too risky."
Jyn pulled her hat down further as the heavy rain spattered against her face. It was a hot, humid rain that was only present in a jungle like this. They started their trek back the way they came; their boots sloshing through the mud as the rain pattered against the leaves. The birds were no longer chirping above, causing a quiet if not peaceful atmosphere. Jyn always loved the sound of rain. She felt it washed away all the ugly and uncleanness in the world. The further they walked, the heavier the rain became. Thunder echoed above with an occasional lightning streak across the sky.
"Storms settling in," Tonc's voice echoed over the comm. "Bodhi has gone outside to check the shuttle. We think lightning may have struck it."
Cassian had the group halt as he replied over his comm. "Be careful. Tell Bodhi to be quick about it."
Another crack of thunder echoed, making everything around them seem like it was rumbling.
"Let's move," Cassian shouted over the noise.
The abandoned building they first came across the previous day came into view. They were a few metres away when Cassian shouted they could hold out until the rain settled. It had become so heavy it was shielding their view ahead. Jyn had her arms crossed tightly across her chest as she walked slightly hunched against the rain. The wind had picked up, causing any rain that hit her face to sting. Her eyesight had become poor and she cursed herself for not thinking to bring any goggles. At least Bodhi had his to make any needed repairs on the shuttle.
Jyn blamed herself when it happened. No one had pushed her, and it was her own responsibility to keep her footing in check. She tripped on one of the blue vines snaking across the trail. She shouted in surprised as she landed, hitting her shoulder on the ground before rolling down the slope. Shouting from her group could be heard above as she toppled down. She heard Cassian shouting her name frantically. She fell through shrubs, broken sticks and fallen leaves before she hit the bottom. Convinced every inch of her body had felt the ground at one point, Jyn groaned, attempting to wipe her face of any debris, but instead smeared mud on her cheek. The shouting of her teammates above had stopped, or had she fallen so far down that she could no longer hear them? There was a loud groan nearby as lightning struck on of the trees. It snapped in half, toppling over causing the ground to shake from the impact. Smoke filled her nostrils from the burning embers the lightning had left.
Scrambling to her knees, Jyn placed her hand over her eyes to see how far she had fallen. The slope had been steeper than she first thought. No signs of Cassian or the others above. The rainforest shielded her view. Jyn stretched her limbs, anticipating injuries to sear in pain from the movement. Her shoulder hurt along with the feeling of being winded. Aside from that everything appeared okay. Her kyber crystal began to feel heavy again as she steadied her breath. Climbing back up the way she came would be impossible or arduously long. She would have to find an alternate route. She pattered her raincoat for her comm only to find it must have fallen out. Her backpack was missing too. Great, she thought as she stood up. She stretched her back as it cracked in several places.
Jyn's surroundings were much the same as it had been on the top of the slope - trees, mud, vines and heavy rain. Thankfully, her hat still remained firmly on her head. She treaded through some smaller shrubs, trying to see if the slope shortened ahead. It was her best option if she was to get out of this mess. She just hoped Cassian or none of the others followed her down in an attempt to rescue her.
...
"Jyn!" Cassian shouted for the fifth time. He had his hand on a tree as he leaned down the slope, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of her. He reached for his comm. "Jyn! Jyn are you there?"
Basteran slipped a little as he shifted closer to the edge. Rostok steadied him. "Careful."
"One of us should go down there," Basteran replied. "We've got to find her."
"I'll go down," Sefla said, beginning to pull his backpack off.
"No!" Cassian shouted at them over the sound of rain. "Get back to the shuttle. I'll go get her."
"But, Sir," Sefla began to object. "You're in command and..."
"That's an order!" Cassian retaliated. "Get back to the ship! Now!"
They trudged past him slowly as they continued along past the abandoned building. Jyn was his responsibility. He had taken her to Jedha, reunited her with her father, welcomed her into the rebellion and fought alongside her on Scarif. He wouldn't let her down now. Not on this forsaken planet.
Lightning struck a tree in the distance, causing it to snap in half. Cassian grimaced at the sight, hoping Jyn was nearby. He sat down and began his slow descent down the slope. One way or another he was going to find her.
...
Jyn found a small stream following the slope in the direction she believed the shuttle was in. She hoped the stream would lead her to the lake. She kept looking back in case anyone had followed her down, but she saw nothing. The rain had not let down, and soon enough, Jyn felt like she was suffocating. The air no longer smelled of rain and dirt; antiseptic filled the air. The blue vines were more present in this part of the tropical forest. They wrapped around the tree trunks to the point where the bark was no longer visible. The trees looked blue. Noise above caused her to look up and see the tree tops swaying. It looked like something was moving around up there. She couldn't see as the rain bucketed down, blinding her. Bodhi's words from last night replayed in her mind. Was something up there watching her? She wanted to confirm her suspicions, but the rain prevented her from being able to accomplish that.
Instead, Jyn continued on following the stream. It became wider the further she went before she came to a narrow, manmade bridge. It was nothing more than metal sheeting providing a link to the other side. Jyn looked around her and saw nothing else out of the ordinary. She guessed the imperials had left it behind. But why was it there? Was there another imperial outpost nearby? Jyn hovered on the spot, torn between further explorations or continuing on in the hopes of finding the lake. The others would no doubt be looking for her in some way. She couldn't let them down. As she walked past the bridge movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. It came from the other side of the stream. Jyn paused, her fingers hovering over her blaster. Curse this damn rain for making it hard for her to see. In the faint distance she could make out something white move behind a fallen log. It looked like trooper armor. Jyn doubled back to the bridge and crossed it. She removed her blaster from her holster, ready to fire at a moment's notice. The worst thing about this situation was not the rain, but rather the noise her boots made in the mud. She couldn't approach quietly.
The animalistic instinct she had picked up from Kenna and Saw's partisans over the years began to fire up within her. She was ready for anything. The log was only a few feet away. Suddenly, the white figure stood up with a makeshift spear out of a broken stick. It was a stormtrooper.
"Stay back!" he shouted, the spear up and ready to throw.
Jyn raised her blaster at his face. The trooper's helmet was off revealing a pale, fair haired man who looked no older than her. He was scared, that much was obvious. Jyn refused to back down.
"I'll blast your head off before you get that stick anywhere near me," she growled.
The trooper hesitated, eyes darting around as if looking for something else to strike. "Just stay back, okay?"
As her lowered the spear, Jyn still kept her blaster raised. She edged closer after he threw the spear over the log. "Where are the others?"
The trooper winced. "Gone. I think... pretty sure I'm the only one left."
"What happened?" Jyn's heart was racing with a mixture of adrenaline and anxiety.
"Please just don't hurt me," he replied. "I don't want any trouble."
Jyn felt no sympathy for him. He was a trooper. He had made his allegiance. "You're a stormtrooper. Trouble is all you want."
He held her steady gaze and then took in her clothing. "You're a rebel?" he almost spat.
Jyn mocked a laugh. "Last person you expect to see here?"
The trooper let his shoulders droop. "Didn't think anyone would come here. Not after what happened."
Jyn clenched her jaw. "Tell me what happened. I won't ask again."
"The... the vines. They attacked."
Jyn frowned in disbelief. "Those blue vines?"
He nodded. "Yeah, those ones. They attacked after we began mining."
"Why?"
The trooper shook his head. "I don't know. I'm just a soldier. They didn't tell me anything except when to attack." This was the first time Jyn had ever seen a stormtrooper look at her with pleading eyes. "Please, I don't want any trouble from you. I just want to get out of here alive."
Jyn wanted to laugh at him. "You seriously think I'm going to help you?"
He surveyed her. "I take it you have a ship somewhere nearby. You won't get back there without my help."
Jyn tightened her grip on her blaster. "I don't need your help."
"They won't let you leave."
Jyn hesitated. The trooper cautiously climbed over the log towards her. She so desperately wanted to shoot him. He stood close, directly in line with her blaster. She was ready to pull the trigger.
"They'll do to you what they did to us," he continued. "They'll find you."
"How is it that they haven't found you?" she accused.
"Some of us... we ran," he confessed, eyes down. "I've been on my own for months, living off what little I can find that is edible. Blaster fire doesn't hurt them. It reflects off like the vines are shielded by something."
Jyn felt her kyber weighing itself down. No, she thought. That can't be. She blinked rapidly, pulling herself back to reality.
The trooper continued: "They only attack you at night, but you can see them coming because they glow. That doesn't stop them from moving during the day. Not sure why it's a night-time activity, but I learned they can't attack you if they can't feel you." He gestured to the ground. "The vines come up from underground and work their way up the trees and anything else they can. They track you from sound and vibrations."
Jyn quickly looked around her to see if any of these vines were nearby. She couldn't tell. The rain was beginning to lighten just a bit, but the thunder continued to roar overhead.
"Please, you have to trust me," the trooper spoke.
"Even if I did accept your help, you would expect me to take you off this kriffin' planet. I won't do that," she replied.
"Because I'll go straight back to the empire," he replied. "I know you won't take my word for it, but after this, I don't want to go back. Those officers just left us troopers to handle this situation on our own with little to no orders. Those that evacuated didn't send help to us that were left stranded. I'm done."
He was right, Jyn didn't believe him. Still, she knew in the back of her mind that he could help her. After all, someone who had survived this for months appeared to know what he was doing. Slowly, she lowered her blaster.
"Fine," she growled. "We need each other, I get it. But don't think I am going to just accept your change of heart so easily."
"Don't expect anything more from a rebel," he replied. "My names Shaden."
Jyn wanted to use one of her aliases, but if they caught up with the rest of Rogue One, he'd soon learn her real name. "Jyn."
"Come on then, Jyn," he said, gesturing for her to follow him deeper into the jungle.
"I need to get to the lake," she replied. "I'm following the stream."
"The vines love the water," Shaden replied. "I know a safer way."
Jyn grumbled to herself, already thinking this was a bad idea.
...
It had taken Cassian some time to safely make his way down the slope. He found Jyn's comm and bag along the way. It made him no less anxious to think of her alone without her gear. Reaching the bottom he smelled smoke coming from the burning tree stump. A small fire had started in the shrub below that had been covered by the broken log from the rain. Cassian surveyed the ground, noticing where Jyn had fallen. He saw footsteps in the mud leading away in the direction they had originally been headed. He cursed aloud, wishing Jyn had just stayed put.
Cassian followed her trail until he reached a stream. That's where her trail ended. He suspected she must have walked through the water, causing all signs of her whereabouts to vanish. He looked around at the rain-sodden environment. The blue vines were thicker in this part and he saw one slither further up the tree. He guessed she must have continued along the stream, and so he continued on. After what seemed an hour his comm came to life with chatter.
"Cassian," Bodhi spoke. "Our engine has been damaged and it's going to take some time for me to repair it."
Cassian mentally swore. "How long?"
"Not sure," Bodhi replied. "Few hours maybe. Some vines got into the wiring. Tonc and I are trying to remove them first."
Strange, Cassian thought. "Get to work fixing it. I'm still looking for Jyn." Cassian clicked the comm off before clicking it back on. "Sefla, where are you guys at?"
Sefla's huffing voice came over the comm. "We're nearly at the tree line. Rain and mud is slowing us down."
"When you get there, help Bodhi and Tonc with the repairs."
"Roger that."
The overcast day had made it dark. One could say that it almost appeared evening if they didn't know better. The sky above had been covered by dark, angry blue clouds that spat out lighting that flashed with a ferocious brightness. Cassian just hoped he was getting close to wherever Jyn was. Eventually, he found his way to a manmade bridge leading over the stream. He noticed footprints embedded in the mud on the other side as well as a makeshift spear. Cassian hurried over, kneeling down to pick it up. He looked around.
"Jyn!" No response came. He looked at the spear again. Jyn couldn't have made that. She also had no need to make such a weapon. Whoever it belonged to had to be native. He dropped it in the mud and held his rifle close to his chest. This day was just getting worse and worse.
...
Jyn kept her blaster firmly in her hand as Shaden led her through the rainforest. The further they walked, the darker it became from the overcast day. She looked up and noticed she could no longer see the sky from the thick of the tree canopy. This no doubt added to the sudden darkness.
"How much further?" she asked.
"Well, if you are correct about the direction, then an hour maybe."
Jyn rolled her eyes. "I know which direction I am supposed to be going in."
Shaden snorted. "Fair enough."
Jyn really didn't like him, and don't get her started with trusting him. She was only using him as a tool to get her way out of this damn forest. She noticed how damaged his trooper amour was. Scratched all over and covered in bits of dry mud and leaves. He obviously hadn't taken care of his uniform.
Shaden stopped, raising his hand for her stop as well. He crouched down, looking ahead. She followed with her blaster ready.
"What is it?" she hissed.
Shaden hushed her. "This storm is making it dark. Look." He point off to their left. She saw a faint blue glow.
"Now what?"
He hushed her more angrily this time. "Stay still and kriffin' quiet."
Jyn glared at him but followed his orders. The rain was not as heavy in this part of the rainforest; no doubt being blocked from the treetops. The air was thicker and it felt as if she was swallowing soup every time she inhaled. Five minutes passed, and then ten. Jyn's knees were starting to ache from crouching for so long, but Shaden made no sign to move. He kneeled so still and quiet that Jyn could have passed him and thought him a statue. He was good.
After another ten minutes, Jyn's knees felt like they were going to buckle. No doubt the pain was still present from her shrapnel wound from Scarif. She stood up to stretch her legs, keeping her feet firmly in place on the ground. In her mind, her movements hadn't really been movement.
Shaden looked at her as if she were insane. His eyes were wide and he looked ready to shout at her. She was ready for a screaming match to ensue, but the deafening silence and threat around her keep her mouth firmly shut. Instead, they stared at each other attempting to have their fight via a clairvoyant sense.
Jyn felt a tightening around her right ankle. She looked down to see a vine slithering around as if feeling. It was a natural instinct to lift her foot to get it away from her. The vine paused, its pointed end lifted as if hearing. Shaden waved his hand for her stop moving, but standing on one foot wasn't easy in this muddy terrain. She carefully placed her foot down behind her, eyes closed in an attempt to concentrate harder to keep the noise minimum. She breathed deeply, thinking of being anywhere but here. Moments passed and she opened her eyes to find the vine had disappeared. Shaden was staring ahead. Finally he stood up.
"I think they're gone," he said. Turning to her, he shook his head. "What were you thinking?"
Jyn wanted to take a swing at him. "I was in pain."
"Won't compare to the pain you'll be in if they take you."
Jyn frowned. "What do they do to those they take?"
Shaden shuddered. "I don't know exactly. I only hear what happens. I think they are taken underground. I only heard screams."
It was enough for Jyn to flinch. Various scenarios flashed across her mind. "Let's just keep moving."
Jyn had only taken a few steps before a blue object flashed across her path. Jyn shouted in surprised, stumbling back. She landed on her backside as the vine wrapped its way around both her legs. Shaden shouted at her to stop moving, but she wasn't listening. She fired her blaster at it, but nothing happened. It started to drag her through the mud and she lost grip of her blaster.
"Shaden," she screamed as he attempted to grab her hand. He wasn't fast enough as the vine dragged her down into a hollow. She felt her raincoat rip against a sharp rock, and then she screamed as she plummeted down into darkness.
...
Cassian had never heard Jyn scream. He had witnessed many emotions come out of her vocally, but a scream in terror had never been one until now. His entire body felt drained of blood as he heard her. He shouted her name but nothing came in reply. He raced towards where the sound came from. It got darker and the rain lightened. The thought of her being in pain enough for her to scream like that caused his legs to move faster.
He was hit in the side as someone collided with him. Cassian hit the ground hard, groaning as he got up to see what had happened. At the sight of the trooper, he immediately raised his rifle to the man's chest, keeping him pinned down on the ground.
"Where is she?" Cassian shouted, placing his finger on the trigger.
Shaden winced from the impact. "What?"
"Jyn! Where is she?" Cassian saw the blaster the trooper was holding. He pushed his rifle harder on the men's chest plate. "Tell me!"
Shaden coughed. "She was taken."
"By who? You have troopers stationed here?"
"N-not anymore," Shaden replied, coughing again. "The vines took her like the others. I told her to stay still but she didn't listen."
Cassian didn't believe him. "You're lying. Tell me where she was taken."
Shaden looked up defiantly. "Look at me! Do you honestly think there is some grand trooper garrison stationed nearby? I don't even have my kriffin' helmet on!"
Cassian snarled. "You expect me to believe she was taken by a plant?"
"It's true!" Shaden looked behind him from where he had come. "It's not dark enough in this area for them to attack, but it is in there." When Cassian didn't remove his aimed rifle, nor stop looking at him as if he were the scum of the galaxy, Shaden sighed. "I was helping her get back to her shuttle. I take it you are a rebel as well? She didn't mention others."
The thought of Jyn working with a trooper was laughable. "Why do you have her blaster?"
Shaden looked at it loosely held in his hand. "She dropped it as she was taken. It's empty now."
"Why didn't you go after her?" Cassian was ready to kill this man.
Shaden just shook his head, exasperated. "And do what? I can't rescue her just like I couldn't rescue my friends. They were all taken underground."
"Show me," Cassian replied. "Show me and I won't shoot you."
"Are you insane?" Shaden asked, sitting up straighter. He didn't care about the rifle anymore. "I'd rather you shoot me right here and now than go back there!"
"I'm going to find her and you will help me."
Shaden sighed. "Surely you rebels aren't that short of soldiers. What's one life lost?"
"She's more than just a soldier."
Shaden raised a brow. "To you?"
Cassian removed his rifle from the man's chest. He bent down and hauled the man up, pressing him against the tree behind him. "You are going to show me where you saw her get taken, and if you don't, I will make your last minutes alive a living hell."
Shaden pushed Cassian off him. "Fine."
Cassian stood back, nodding slowly. "Which way?"
...
Jyn woke abruptly. She was lying on her back in what appeared to be a narrow cave. She tried to move her arms and legs but found they were bound down into the ground by those damn vines. She lifted her head to look around. The cave was lit by a blue glow and showed nothing. She let her had fall to the ground; her head was pounding and the smell of antiseptic filled her nose. The vines grip was tight, but she could still wriggle her fingers and toes. In the distance, she thought she could hear an animalistic roar. It was far below her and she guessed this was just the top of a larger cavern system.
Movement to her right caused her to shift her head away as the tip of a vine came close to her face. It slithered over her cheeks, past her lips and down to the hollow of her neck. She felt the pace of her heart quicken. Whatever it was doing, she didn't want to know. It felt cool against her skin which was a relief from her humid surroundings. The antiseptic smell was stronger now and her head swam with dizziness. Her kyber crystal felt like it was burning a hole through her chest as the vine touched it. She winced, believing it was burning a hole through her chest. Quickly, the vine retreated as well as relinquishing its hold on her limbs.
Jyn remained still for several moments not sure on what to do. Had she been released? Or was something else coming? She grabbed her kyber crystal and felt around her chest for a burn mark. She found none; her skin was smooth. The whole ordeal felt strange and her kyber remained warm to touch and heavier than usual. The ceiling of the cave was low and Jyn hit her head as she sat up. She shifted onto her stomach and began to crawl through the only tunnel leading out. Through the dirt of the tunnel, bits of kyber peeked through. Occasionally its sharp edges would brush against her arms. The roar came again, causing the dirt beneath her to shake. It was either very close by or extremely large. She kept crawling on her stomach for ages, wondering how far down she had been taken. She came to a crevice much like the one she had been held in. She felt with her hand and came across something hard. At first she suspected more kyber, but the texture felt different. She came across more hard fragments and then one large object. It felt round with a couple of large holes. Jyn dropped it suddenly realising it was a human skull. Her breath quickened. This must have been where the imperials had been taken. Had they been left to die down here or did something else happen to cause their deaths. She shifted the bones away from her and continued on.
This whole situation was making her physically nauseated. Jyn even began to feel sympathy for Shaden. Kriff knows what he had heard from below the ground. As she crawled past numerous crevices she didn't stop to feel around again. She knew what would be there had she found something; she chose rather to forget that grisly discovery.
Jyn was lying on her stomach, not sure how far she'd come. She was so tired and dizzy. While the air had been thick in the rainforest, down here it was much thinner like something was expelling the air to the surface. Her head pounded from a likely concussion from being dragged down into this hellhole, and what scared her most was that she hadn't come across a single blue vine since it unbound her. To keep her mind relatively sane, she thought of reasons why it had done so. It had to do with the kyber necklace. This planet was abundant with kyber, more so than Jedha she believed. Did the vines like kyber? Was their some sort of deep force connection between the two? Maybe the vines or whatever they were didn't appreciate the imperials mining it. Jyn rested her head on the ground, too tired to keep moving. She just wanted to shut her eyes for a movement.
Jyn snapped her eyes open, refusing to relent. It felt unnatural and she refused to give in. She pulled herself forward, desperate to find a way out. It came in two options. One tunnel led along a straight trail to her left while the one in front of her sloped upwards. Jyn went forward, guessing up meant out. As she passed, she noticed blue glowing down the left path. It was flashing as if moving with great speed. The sight caused her to move faster.
Crawling upwards when it felt like the Force was pulling you back into darkness was a difficult task to achieve. Jyn had to use every muscle she possessed to keep her body moving. Her muscles were strained and sore and she felt a few muscles being pulled in her abdomen. She groaned through the pain, determined to make it out. She remembered the cave back on Lah'mu, Kriff that was nothing compared to this. At least she had been rescued back on Lah'mu. Jyn knew Shaden would not have stuck around, and to be fair, if Shaden had been taken, Jyn would have left him too.
When she heard Cassian's faint voice in the distance above, Jyn didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was faint as he called her name. At first she thought she had been imagining it. She croaked out his name in response but her voice was so small she knew he couldn't have heard her. The thought of Cassian pulled her along. If he was truly out there, she had to reach him.
...
"Are you sure this is where she was taken?" Cassian asked Shaden who sat on a boulder next to the cave's entrance.
The trooper nodded mutely.
Cassian stepped closer, shinning his torch into the blackness below. "I can't see the bottom."
"It's a long way down," Shaden murmured. "Don't worry; you'll hear her screaming when it starts."
"What starts?" Cassian asked.
Shaden gestured to the environment around them. "Have you ever wondered why you haven't come across any land animals?"
Cassian frowned, thinking. It was true that the only animals in sight had been birds high up in the trees. "What are you saying?"
"My best guess is that those vines need to eat."
Cassian's jaw clenched at the thought. "No. They are plants."
"Plants can be carnivorous."
"I have to get down there." Cassian didn't want to think of that possibility. He removed his bag and opened it to find some rope. It had been packed as a last resort for anything or anyone who needed wrenching up. "Tie this end to that boulder and hold it tight."
"You can't go down there," Shaden said, taking the rope numbly. "They'll catch you."
"I'm not leaving Jyn down there," Cassian replied as he clipped his end of the rope to his belt. "Help me do this and I'll get you off this planet."
Cassian saw hope flicker in the young man's eyes. Clearly he had expected the rebels to leave him behind. Cassian had planned it too.
"Come on."
Before he started his descent, Cassian shone his torch down once more. He shouted Jyn's name a few times, trying to see any glimpse of her.
"I'll tug three times when I'm ready to be pulled up," he said to Shaden. "Think you can manage that."
"For the chance of getting of this planet, hell yes."
Just as he swung his legs over the ledge, he heard a soft voice from below. He paused. "Jyn!"
A moment passed. "Cassian!"
His heart leapt at her voice. "Where are you? I can't see you!"
A shuffle from below. "I'm here!"
What looked to be twenty meters down he saw the outline of Jyn's raincoat. She peeked up, her face dirty. She was beautiful and everything Cassian had wanted to see since she disappeared. "I'm coming down. Stay there!"
"Hurry!" Shaden called from behind. "They'll be back. They always come back."
Cassian lowered himself faster than he should have and landed with a thud next to Jyn. She looked weak and exhausted. At the sight of him, Jyn embraced him hard, burrowing her head into the crook of his neck. He returned the embrace equally.
"I've got you," he whispered. "I've got you."
He felt her shake slightly and was sure she was crying. Force knows what she had suffered down in this darkness. Keeping her held tightly he pulled the rope three times with a hard tug. Above, in the light, Shaden's head appeared.
"Ready?"
Cassian flashed his torch up at him. "Pull us up."
"Come on," he said to Jyn, pulling her to her feet. "We gotta get out of here."Jyn didn't move except to stand. She kept her head buried in his neck. "Jyn, I need you to help with this climb."
Slowly, she pulled her face away and looked up. "Right," she muttered.
Upon reaching the top, Cassian pushed Jyn up for Shaden to take hold of her. Cassian followed, allowing Shaden to grab his hand. As he swung one leg up, his other felt a sharp tug. Cassian yanked his foot up only to see a vine had grabbed him.
Shaden noticed the commotion and grabbed hold of Cassian. "Don't let go of me!" Shaden shouted.
Jyn, rubbing her eyes, saw Cassian struggling. The vines were back. The animalistic urge in her rose again and she pulled out her dagger and threw herself on her stomach where Cassian was in an attempt to cut the vine.
"Give it to me!" Cassian shouted at her, hand outreach for the dagger. She released her hold on the dagger and Cassian leaned down to hack at the vine. It let go hastily, retreating back into the darkness. The trio breathed heavily from the adrenaline rush.
"We have got to get moving," Shaden said between breaths. "They won't stay gone for long."
With renewed vigour, Jyn pulled Cassian up and followed Shaden as they ran with all haste.
"Bodhi are you there?" Cassian shouted into his comm as they ran.
A pause. "Yeah, I'm here. Everyone's back and we're waiting on you. Have you found Jyn?"
"I got Jyn and an imperial survivor."
"A what?" Tonc's voice came over the comm.
"Never mind that," Cassian shouted back. "Is the shuttle fixed?"
"Yeah," Bodhi replied. "Took us a while to get the vines out. Basteran was attacked by one but we managed to get him free. Shuttle is standing by."
"Get it in the air now!" Cassian replied. "We are nearing the tree line. Come get us!"
The lake and open area was a beautiful sight and their shuttle more so. Bodhi had it hovering over the lake and approached them with a ramp down. They lunged onboard, Jyn collapsing to her knees. Cassian pulled her up into his arms as the ramp closed.
Rostok and Sefla had their guns raised at Shaden.
"Well, well. What do we have here," Rostok said.
"This is an imperial shuttle," Shaden stated, looking around. "Where'd you steal it?"
"As if we're gonna tell you that, "Sefla replied.
"Easy," Cassian interrupted. "Weapons down. He helped us." The atmosphere was tense. "He helped me save Jyn and I promised him passage off this planet."
"Back to the empire then," Basteran said, striding over.
"Hell no," Shaden said. "Not after that. I'm out."
"Imperial defectors make up most of our ground troops," Tonc said, popping his head down from the upper deck. "Bodhi is one after all."
"He's right," Cassian said, still holding Jyn firmly in his arms. "Go easy. We'll take him back to Delta Base. Then we'll take matters from there."
"You okay, Jyn?" Sefla asked with concern. "Had us worried."
Jyn managed a small smile. "Fine. Just... sore."
"Get some rest," Sefla replied. "And maybe a medpack."
Jyn hummed in agreement. "Both sound good."
The climb up the ladder hurt, but she managed a wave in Bodhi's direction before heading for her bunk. She leaned against the wall between her bunk's door and the refresher door. It was all too much to rethink. Cassian had followed her, eyes etched with worry.
"I'm okay," she said softly. She shifted off the wall and carefully wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thank you."
Cassian returned the embrace, resting his cheek on her hair. It had been a long time since he had held someone so close to him. Her body fit perfectly with his and her warmth radiated around him. "You know I wouldn't leave you behind."
"It was so dark down there... and I..." she stuttered, thinking of the bones. "There was something down there. I think it was alive."
Cassian shushed her. "Don't think about it now. Let's get you cleaned up. I grabbed a medpack for you."
Jyn stepped out of the embrace and took it. "Should probably shower first."
Cassian gave a small smile. "Yeah I think we all could."
No one knew how badly being down in that cave system had affect Jyn. She wanted to keep it to herself. It had bought up old memories long buried, and brought out a nerve-racking fear of what ifs. She kept reminding herself that she was safe now, but as she sat under the shower, hugging her knees and allowing her tears to fall freely, she had never truly felt safe in her life.