The weather was hot and humid on Yavin's fourth moon - Not much worse than Wobani, Jyn thought with a smirk, raising her arm to wipe away a bead of moisture that had dropped from the ceiling.

Outside her room in the central barracks, Jyn could hear troops jogging across the compound, their feet hitting the ground in perfect synchronicity. Farther in the background, she could almost make out the gentle whir of ground vehicles transporting personnel and supplies. Every once in a while, the engines of a U-wing or X-wing thundered to life on the tarmac, but the base was surprisingly calm and orderly. Aside from the frantic energy inside the command center, no one would ever guess there was a moon-sized super weapon stalking the galaxy.

If we only knew where the plans were, Jyn thought with frustration as she leaned forward to adjust the pillow behind her back.

Pulling one knee up toward her chest, she leaned back against the wall and looked out the small, rectangular window above her bunk. As daylight receded toward the horizon, she watched twinkling bits of stardust wink to life in the night sky. She wondered how many of them would disappear before they located Princess Leia and the missing blueprints. Tens? Thousands? Without those plans, there was no limit to the Empire's destructiveness.

The Empire had already proven how unscrupulous it was when it used the Death Star to destroy the Citadel on Scarif. One powerful blast from its primary weapon had destabilized the planet's core, killing hundreds of stormtroopers in a single instant. The blast also destroyed years of valuable military research, including the remnants of her father's career. Some of the research was - undoubtedly - irreplaceable, but it seemed like a paltry sacrifice compared to the devastating blow suffered by the Alliance.

Nearly all of Rogue One died in the assault on the Citadel, including her friends, Baze, Chirrut, and Bodhi. Thinking about them brought a pained expression to Jyn's face as she remembered the first time she met Chirrut, perched against a stone step in the alley on Jedha; the way Baze called her "Little Sister" before she left for the Citadel; and Bodhi's confidence as he looked at her and reaffirmed their call sign. Would anyone remember them?

The Battle of Scarif was not a battle for heroes. It was a battle for hope. Now hope was lost, or so it seemed.


After her release from the infirmary, Jyn learned about the near-loss of General Raddus's fleet, as well as Darth Vader's successful capture of Princess Leia. Although the Council considered the Battle of Scarif a victory - albeit, a costly and unsanctioned victory - there was still no word from the few remaining spies hidden throughout the Imperial fleet. The overall success of Rogue One appeared to hinge on the recovery of the stolen plans transmitted to Princess Leia's consular ship, Tantive IV. Without those plans, the Alliance remained at the mercy Governor Tarkin and the newly completed Death Star.

Perhaps we would've been better off if Krennic had lived, Jyn mused, looking away from the window to stare at a spot on her boot. Krennic and Tarkin were equally ruthless, but at least Krennic showed some discernment when it came to manipulating people and assessing strategic value. The same could not be said for Tarkin.

Sighing heavily, Jyn sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bunk, pushing away from the edge with the palm of her hands. Pacing the length of the small room, Jyn contemplated her next move. Ships from General Raddus's fleet continued to arrive, but they were few and far between. Most of them were badly damaged, including the Imperial shuttle Jyn and Cassian arrived on yesterday. It was piloted by Raysen Nezra, a young Corellian officer who had recently joined the Rebellion. Similar to Rogue One, his mission was to transport ground troops to Scarif and retrieve the stolen data plans – if possible – in the form of Capt. Andor and herself. Although Jyn's information was based solely on her father's hologram, it was infinitely more valuable than the rumors circulating about the Emperor's new weapon.

Most of the rumors described the Death Star as a moon-sized sphere with a single, primary laser. The laser seemed to emanate from a large dish embedded in the upper half of the sphere. No one knew the full power of the laser, but it seemed capable of leveling cities and creating planetary instabilities. Jyn witnessed both events first-hand and feared they were merely a sampling of the Death Star's full destructiveness. Pausing beside her bunk to look at the night sky through the window, Jyn turned around and plopped on the edge of the mattress. As if on reflex, she secreted her hand beneath the collar of her shirt and pulled out her mother's kyber crystal necklace. Holding the crystal at eye level, she absentmindedly rotated it between her thumb and forefinger. It was so small and beautiful, yet capable of infinite destruction.

Holding the pendant between her palms, Jyn steepled her fingers beneath her nose. Feeling the rough edges of the crystal against her skin, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Slowly, Chirrut's words floated to the surface of her mind: "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me."

Jyn didn't know if she believed in the Force. Her mother described it as a mystical energy that bound the universe together, but to Jyn it seemed more like a childhood fairytale. Even so, Jyn believed in her mother's kyber crystal. Whether or not the cyrstal possessed any magical properties remained to be seen; however, it had become a touchstone for Jyn during the bleak hours before Saw Gerrara's rescue. She had worn it all these years – mostly out of habit - but part of her truly believed it was a talisman against harm. Ironic, considering kyber crystals nearly wrought her demise.

Jyn chuckled to herself. She felt certain she would die on Scarif, but she didn't, and neither did Cassian.

Cassian.

Tucking the pendant back under her shirt, Jyn stood up and resumed pacing the room.

Compared to Cassian, her injuries were relatively minor – she was discharged the day they arrived and assigned quarters in the central barracks. She tried to sleep, but her mind kept drifting back to Cassian and the way he looked at her as they rode the lift down from the top of the Tower. His gaze never wavered and she felt the deepest sense of tenderness in his eyes. It was an unspoken possibility they surrendered on the beach, their mutual affection bound in a tight embrace. Neither of them thought they would live beyond that moment, until a voice called to them through the howling wind...

Suddenly, a short, polite knock sounded at the door. "Excuse me? Sgt. Erso?" came the voice of protocol droid.

"Yes?" Jyn responded, half-expecting a summons to the command center.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, miss, but it's about Capt. Andor."

Hearing Cassian's name, Jyn's breath caught in her throat. "Yes?"

"He's awake and out of the bacta tank." The droid paused before delivering the rest of his message. "He's been...asking for you."

Jyn's lips broke into a broad smile as she jogged toward the door, ripped it open, and nearly bowled over the protocol droid.

"Well, excuse me!" huffed the protocol droid, his tinny voice laced with annoyance.

"Sorry!" Jyn called over her shoulder as she took off running down the corridor. All she could think was, Cassian's awake!


Authors note: Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Chapter 3 delves into Cassian and Jyn's escape from Scarif. It also introduces a new character that will continue to appear throughout the story. My goal is post Chapter 3 within the next day or so - I may even do it tonight, if I find the time - but all depends on how I feel after the new Sherlock premieres. Stay tuned!