Leia brought Cassian in front of an adolescent-looking young guy, a tall man with an indolent and arrogant appearance and a wookie. It was certainly a peculiar trio, though Cassian thought that beggars couldn't be choosers, and the mission needed every skilled pilot he would be able to recruit.
"Fellows, this one here is Cassian. Cass, this is Luke," Leia said, pointing at the blond guy with big, innocent blue eyes, who nodded in greeting. "Han," she added, gesturing at the tall man. "And Chewie." The wookie groaned in his language. Cassian didn't understand Shyriiwook, but anyone could grasp a greeting in any language. "I know they don't look like much." At that unflattering description, the three sentients started to protest all at the same time. "But," Leia added, raising a hand to appease them. "Looks can be deceiving. I assure you that these three are the best pilots I've ever met, despite this one's youth," she turned to Luke. "And this one's huge head and mouth, which would make even a saint wish to murder him and question the wisdom of choosing him," Leia explained in exasperation, pointing at Han.
The mentioned man smirked cheekily. "So you admit that I'm the best at something, Princess. You can't take that back now."
"If it weren't because we're in a desperate situation, I'd have never in a million lives resorted to a snake like you," Leia retorted.
"That's touching. You think of me when you're desperate," Han teased relentlessly.
"Oh, shut up, I don't have time for your hogwash. Well, Cass, my father is also spreading the word among his most trusted contacts and friends to guarantee secrecy, but the greatest news is that he's told Antilles about the secret plan, and this one is moving heaven and earth. By now, I can positively confirm that the totality of the Rebellion's pilots are in the process of being recruited, and even Draven already knows and condones it under the table, because of course he can't openly approve of an unsanctioned operation. And apart from the Rebellion's pilots, we'll count on a lot more from other rebel cells or who simply hate the Empire, who have volunteered. The goal of destroying the Death Star is uniting all the scattered resistance cells still remaining in the galaxy, it seems. We'll have all the pilots we could wish and more, you'll see. We have to trust that our forces will be enough to take down that monster of a weapon."
Cassian was a bit overwhelmed by the information. When he'd set the operation in motion, he hadn't expected such a unanimous and enthusiastic response.
"To hell with the Council," Leia went on. "We cannot wait for them to reach a consensus, because that'll hardly happen here. It's already difficult for them to agree to take action in easier matters, let alone in one of the worst threats this galaxy has known, as much contradictory as it sounds. Galen Erso is right. In a situation like this, we can't allow ourselves to be carried away by our fears and procrastinate or do nothing. I understand that the Council is necessary and one of the scarce foundations of democracy that remain in the galaxy currently, but desperate situations require desperate measures. Even resorting to certain swindlers that only value money," Leia rebuked, glaring at Han.
"Hey, Princess, I remind you that I'll take part in this madness for free. I'd think that letting oneself be killed just for the fun of it would be considered by many as greatly brave and altruistic," Han complained sarcastically.
"You? Brave and altruistic? You don't even know what those words mean. And you're taking part in this only because Chewie would have torn your arms off your body before letting you run away with your tail between your legs, and you've just chosen the lesser of two evils!," Leia retorted, with her face red.
"You should put priorities in order, Princess. I'd never think that going straight to one's own death head first is the lesser of two evils!," Han counterattacked, equally as red and mere centimeters from Leia's face.
"Call me Princess once more and I'll..."
Cassian coughed loudly before Leia spat a rude threat (he'd heard her curse in at least three different languages, it wasn't very advisable to be on the other end of her wrath), trying to bring the quarrelers back to the topic at hand. He didn't know if bursting out laughing at the ridiculousness of finding himself in the middle of a pair of dolts' mating ritual or if hiding behind a wall in embarrassment. "Either way, thank you all, truly," Cassian cut off tactfully. "I'm well aware of what we're asking of you. The debt the galaxy is incurring with you is the type that can never be repaid, not in thousands of generations."
At least that short but honest speech had the virtue of making the whole group look at each other with brilliant eyes, including the cocky ex smuggler, his fight with Leia forgotten. They cleared their throats discreetly to conceal their bout of emotion.
"I'll keep you updated, Leia, and you do the same. As soon as we have all the people ready, we'll finish organizing everything, okay?," Cassian instructed.
"My father, Antilles and I are already coordinating the volunteers who are contacting us, so you don't have to worry on our behalf. We'll work out the final details soon," Leia assured with a confidence that eased the burden over Cassian's shoulders. He offered thanks to the Force for her fortifying presence.
"Great. See you soon," Cassian said to the whole group in farewell.
He and Leia had been friends since he joined the Rebellion five years before. She was just a girl of fourteen by then, but her cleverness, skills and maturity made her seem older. He'd suspected that she'd developed a juvenile crush on him, what had been a bit awkward at first, but shortly thereafter Leia overcame that phase (always the pragmatic type; she'd never pine for long for someone who clearly didn't requite her feelings) and they struck a solid friendship, though they couldn't see each other much due to their respective busy schedules.
He turned to go back to his ship, where Kay was waiting for him, and from there they'd head for the next destination where Cassian would meet with another couple of pilot recruits. Afterwards, they'd return to Yavin to go on organizing the mission. There was still a lot to do and plan, and time didn't stop running for anyone.
In the meanwhile, Jyn was spending as much time with her father as she was allowed, though most of the time she just kept him company quietly, as he was completely engrossed in his designs for the secret mission.
Jyn felt frustrated because she couldn't take part in it. She hadn't learned how to fly properly. She had always traveled using public transports, hitchhiking or as a stowaway. The partisans were mostly ground troops with very few members who knew how to pilot, and besides they didn't have the means to acquire ships, which were too expensive for their limited funds. And that had applied to her too after she was left behind by Saw. She hardly had the means to survive, let alone buy and maintain her own ship. So flight lessons hadn't been a priority on her agenda.
She also felt frustrated and scared because four of the people she'd come to appreciate a lot those last days were going to risk their lives whereas she would have to stay on base doing nothing and suffering for her friends. She still remembered vividly the conversation she and her father had carried on.
THE DAY BEFORE
She had gone to his quarters as usual, and he, as usual too, had encouraged her to spend more time with her new friends.
"I've just got you back, papa. We need to make up for lost time. I'll have plenty of chances to see them." She trailed off, as if realizing something. "But come to think of it, I've just found Chirrut and Baze today. Cassian, Kay, Tikus and Bodhi were nowhere to be seen, not even in the mess hall at breakfast time. It's odd. If a mission had come up, Cassian would have told me. And anyway, none of us except for Cassian aren't officially members of the Rebellion yet and we aren't assigned missions. So where are the missing strays?"
Galen lifted his head from his work and looked at her strangely. That put her in alert. "Jyn... I have to tell you something, but promise me that you won't lose your head. You're very much like your mother even in that aspect and she was prone to react impulsively," Galen reminded her, with a wistful and fond smile.
Jyn reutrned the sad smile. "Okay, papa. I promise. What is it you know that I don't?"
"All these designs I'm sketching... No one has ordered me to do them. They are the plans of specific parts of the Death Star I'm drawing by memory. They'll guide volunteer pilots to the main reactor so they can shoot it and destroy the whole base." Galen paused, studying her cautiously.
"Volunteer pilots? You mean... pilots like Cassian? And Bodhi?," she asked with a slightly trembling voice.
"Yes. And Tikus and Kay. They have plenty of experience flying," he added.
"Do the bigwigs know about this?"
"I think Draven is starting to suspect, he's not a fool. And I wouldn't be surprised if he'd set up a hidden camera in this room to spy what I do when I supposedly believe no one is watching me. Or that he's snuck in when I'm away eating or running errands. I think he'll summon me any moment to talk about this mission I'm planning behind his back. Something tells me that he wouldn't be opposed to supporting it covertly. And anyway, with his support or without it, the gears have already been set in motion and I have hidden copies of all my designs (about which Cassian knows) in case Draven decides to throw me in a cell and confiscate my original work. He won't be able to stop this, because this goes far beyond his power. I told Cassian to recruit all the trusted pilots he could find willing to participate, and I'm sure that the word is spreading by now. I don't know if even a great number of them we'll be enough, because this is virtually a suicide mission. I'm sending lots of good, capable men and women to their deaths only for a tiny chance to blow up the planet destroyer I designed," Galen finished in self-hatred. "And I'm glad that you don't fly. I love you more than anything in this galaxy and I can't let you give your precious life for something I'm responsible for. If you died in my place, doing what I should do myself, I wouldn't go on living either, period. My miserable life would have lost all sense. I wish I knew how to fly, but I'm useless even for that, so I'm sending others to do the dirty work. But not you. I can't sacrifice you. I don't care that you hate me for this, as long as you're alive. You see, I'm a selfish bastard." Her father finished his tirade with tears in his eyes, and Jyn was openly crying now.
"Oh, papa." And she hugged him tightly. "I'm maddeningly furious with you, just so you know. But I don't hate you. I never could," she whispered against his ear, and they both chuckled behind their tears.