Chapter Text
Now - The Alderaan System:
I want to go home. I want to go home.
It repeated in her head over and over again as she sobbed into her knees over again. She didn’t know why she was longing for home in the first place. She hadn’t been on Yavin IV long enough to consider it home….but as she sat on the floor of a run down ship thought maybe it wasn’t the place that made it home itself but the people.
She knew two of them were going to be there by the time the ship landed. The two warrior husbands she met on Jedha had gotten of Scarif in the nick of time despite one was injured, she was certain they were there….but the other two, the man who held her heart and the man who betrayed the Empire…..anything could have happened...she could return after everything, but they could be gone"
All that fighting and connecting and for what? Nothing….
Cassian…she thought, I shouldn't have fallen for you so quickly.
“You alright, Miss Erso?” A voice called out. The small brunette woman lifted her head and almost felt like a fool. It was the Prince of the now destroyed Alderaan. This was someone regal and who had just lost everything, and she was crying over a man she didn’t even know and had felt head over heels with.
“Shouldn’t you be with your girlfriend?” The brunette croaked. She was busy wiping her tears away. Years in front of Imperial officers like Krennic taught her never to cry in front superiors. She went to stand but the Prince put his hand on her shoulder and gently settled her down on her feet.
“Sit, Miss Erso, you are emotionally compromised,” the Prince gently commanded. Jyn was surprised he was letting her be a mess in front of him, considering he had it worse than her. Then again Alderaanians tended to be empathetic people, often putting themselves before others. She sighed and took her place down on the floor. The Prince dusted off his pants and took his spot next to her, “You are probably wondering why I am so calm, considering my parents died today along with my friends and rest of my family... I’ve been talking it out with Miss Kenobi as she mourns her loss, and I have come to find the more I talk, the better I feel.”
Jyn swallowed and looked ahead of her.
“I don’t think you want to know my story,” she murmured.
“On the contrary you and your team-whoever is left- made history today,” the Prince explained, “your story will be in holobooks, documentaries, and taught in school for years to come….as high ranking member of the rebellion I am interested in my co-members’ endeavors...and besides as I said, you talk about it...you’ll feel better.”
If the Prince was right about her and her team, whoever was left (odds were it was her, Baze and Chirrut), she would have to talk about this story and this nightmare over and over again. The price of being a hero, right? But if she was going to do it she might as well practice. Jyn looked ahead and swallowed:
“Three days ago….I was being transferred on an Imperial Prison Transport when…….”
3 Days Earlier - Wobani
It was another day at the Labor Camp. Jyn woke up from one of her nightmares from childhood that she often tried to put at the back of her head. She had a terrible breakfast with mush and weird tasting blue milk, before she was loaded onto the prison truck. She wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone on the way there.
All Jyn could think about was what the fuck she was going to do today. Was she going to be breaking things down with a laser cutter? Was she going to be digging in dirt for the Empire to exploit off the planet for whatever weapon they had this week. Oh, so many dull possibilities.
Suddenly there was a deafening bang and the truck lurched to an abrupt stop that interrupted Jyn from her thoughts. The guards were getting up...this had to be bad. Another blast echoed through the truck, sending the guards flying backwards. Okay….this was very bad.
Many of the prisoners fled from the truck as soon as the opportunity presented itself; each went running in different directions as they escaped. Jyn remained in her place, her hands still cuffed in front. She thought it would probably it was a good idea to stay. Maybe she would get good behavior points for this later. Maybe a cell to herself? Better food? More break time?
But then that plan was quickly thwarted.
The moment she looked up, a man, not in Imperial uniform, looked over at her.
“We’re here to rescue you ma’am,” He said.
….Okay this was really bad.
This person could have been anyone. A terrorist looking to defeat the Empire, waiting to kidnap her to set an example. A man who whored women to men (yes they existed) for a profit. Hell, one of those creepy men who locked women in those basements to make her their slave.
Screw behavior points...Jyn Erso wasn’t going to be some sweaty old man’s whore.
She kicked the man in the stomach, causing him to fall backwards. Maybe this was a good thing. It was only a matter of time before the Empire figured out who she was….and she would be used for a nefarious purpose. She could start over, begin a new life. Lay low. With that thought in mind she rose to her feet.
Jyn lept out of the truck and ran as fast as her feet could carry her, the thought of freedom weighing heavily on her mind. But she didn't make it very far. A bulky droid raised its arm, catching Jyn in the midsection. The force of it sent Jyn backwards and she landed hard on the ground. Her head was spinning . She could see stars as her vision began to fade out. The last thing she heard before she slipped into unconsciousness was a voice saying to her:
“You are being rescued…”
Oh, the irony.
2.75 Days Earlier, Yavin IV
“Now are you sure this is the girl you were speaking of Mr. Rook,” A thick, heavily accented voice echoed almost distortedly in her ears.
“Well I wouldn’t have said ‘hey...that’s the girl Galen told me to look for to get me into Guerra’s hideout’ if it wasn’t her now, would I?” The voice she assumed belonged to Mr. Rook responded, sounding just as muddled, “Of course that is her.”
“You don’t have to be a sabelotodo, Mr. Rook, we are trying to help you fulfill Erso’s mission!”
Jyn groaned and opened her eyes. She was uncuffed and lying on a hard surface. Two men, both scruffy looking but easily distinguishable due to body structure were looking down at her. The one to the left was tiny, skinny as a stick, probably from a desert planet because of his deep olive skin, with black hair and black eyes.
She turned her head to the left to the man standing at his side…..and could not stop staring. He was tall, a mix of natural and sun bronzed skin, with shaggy brown hair and eyes as brown as fresh and healthy tree bark. Jyn had seen her fair share of men, mostly in cantinas where women and men alike would fawn around them like fruit flies to a flame. But stars this man was handsomer than them all.
“Look, she’s awake,” the handsome man Jyn kept staring at whispered. Beautiful man with an attractive accent. She shook it off. If she kept looking at him, she would seem creepy. “Are you Jyn Erso?”
She swallowed, sitting up slowly and using her arms to hold her up. This was why she couldn’t be distracted by this sinfully handsome man: somehow he knew her name, her real identity. For all she knew he was working for the Empire, and his handsome charm was some sort of weird interrogation method to seduce her into speaking…..well she wasn’t having it. So she just glared.
“Are you not going to answer?” The handsome man asked again, “Alright. Mr. Rook do you have the age progressed Holoimage Doctor Erso gave to you?”
Jyn’s eyes widened. How did they know her father? The man she assumed to be Mr. Rook pulled out a data pad. He pushed a few buttons, possibly to pull up an image. The small man lifted the pad and put it next to Jyn’s face.
“That’s her alright,” Mr. Rook declared with a nod, “Stardust.”
Jyn’s face went pale. Stardust. That was her father’s nickname for her. It only confirmed what she already knew….this was the Empire. She had to figure a way out of here.
“If you are the Empire,” She growled through gritted teeth, “you might as well kill me. I will not be your tool for you so you can make my father do your dirty work.”
She moved her hand hoping to punch Rook, but with quick reflexes, the unnamed handsome stranger standing with Rook grabbed her wrist. She expected it to be a hard grip, nearly breaking her tiny wrist, but it was surprisingly gentle. Jyn looked into the stranger’s eyes. They were firm but sympathetic.
“Miss Erso,” he said gently, “I understand you are probably wary of me and Mr. Rook but we’re not with the Empire, we are here to help. Let me prove it to you. My name is Cassian Andor, and I am a Captain for the Rebellion.” With his hand still gripping lightly onto Jyn’s wrist, the stranger, she now knew to be named Cassian, stepped backwards and pointed at the markings on his jacket. “See, this is my insignia...you can trust me.”
Jyn suddenly felt heat burning against her chest….right where her necklace, a kyber crystal her mother, long gone, gave to her the day she died. Jyn’s hand reached into her shirt and pulled the pendant into her hand. It was hot to the touch.
She knew the necklace had a power she didn’t understand, but Jyn knew it could react in two ways, either ice cold or burning hot. When it would turn ice cold, it would be around people she shouldn’t trust, Like when a group bucketheads would make their way towards her, or when she was near men in Imperial uniform. When it would turn scalding hot, it meant she was near someone she could trust: a friend...a lover. The hotter it got, the deeper the connection Jyn was more likely to have with the person.
And this was the hottest she ever felt it. She wondered what that meant. But for now, she had to figure out what was going on and why she was here.
Her mother told her to trust the Force, and the Force telling Jyn to trust Cassian and Mr. Rook.
“What do you and Mr. Rook need me to help with you with?” Jyn finally asked.
“Bodhi please,” Mr-sorry, Bodhi murmured, raising his hand gently, “Mr. Rook makes me sound like an old man….I’m only 25.”
“We’ll keep that in mind next time, Bodhi.” Cassian said before turning over to Jyn, “A few friends of mine need your expertise on an important matter. Are you able to walk?” Jyn nodded. Honestly she was curious what she was needed for and how she was going to assist them. Moreover, she hated looking weak to other people.
So, with a deep breath, she rose to her feet. However, she quickly stumbled from dizziness. With quick reflexes, Cassian grabbed her arm. Jyn turned to him and furrowed her brow. Whether the stone told her to trust him or not, she hated chivalry.
“Don’t give me that look Miss Erso you were about to fall,” Cassian chimed, “don’t expect to let me to let you go until we get to the briefing room.”
Trust the crystal, Jyn thought.
After all being here, escorted like a feeble woman, was much better than being in the clutches of the Empire.
“Your father is Galen Erso, a known Imperial Collaborator in weapons development is he not?” One of the men sitting at the head of the table asked her.
The Kyber crystal was not as hot as it was when Jyn met Cassian and Bodhi, despite the fact that both men were in the room, but it was warm enough to tell her she could still trust these people. Still the mere sound of her father’s name made her uncomfortable. It reminded her of a past long ago she wished not to remember. She swallowed as she lifted her head to look at the man questioning her.
At the corner of her eye she saw a woman wearing white robes come out of the shadows. She looked somewhat familiar. Maybe she saw her on some holoscreen while walking in one of the towns. But the fancy clothing and the jewelry told Jyn that her father was in more trouble than she expected. Something that made her uneasy in her stomach.
“I would like to know the meaning of this,” she declared staring straight at the newcomer who entered the room, “and who you are and why you want my father.”
“Um,” Bodhi who was sitting next to her piped up, “I think everyone knows who she is.”
The stranger in the white robes furrowed her brow at Bodhi before turning to face Jyn.
“The reason why you are here is for you to make a new start and because we think you may be able to help us,” the stranger said again, “As for who I am, my name is Mon Mothma. I sit on the council of Alliance High Command, and approved of your extraction.”
Ah, that explained something. Jyn had heard the name before...she was a wanted criminal for her activities against the Empire. She had a bit more ease being here knowing she was at the last possible place she knew the Empire would be. Still there were hesitations.
“Well, Mon Mothma,” Jyn said folding her arms, “I prefer to speak to Cassian Andor or Bodhi Rook on the manner regarding my father and not someone who has a Bounty on her head..”
Mothma, unhinged by Jyn’s comment, turned her head over to Cassian and gave him a nod. The dashing captain, who stood in the corner for the earlier part of the conversation emerged from the shadows. He slowly made his way over to Jyn’s side.
“When was the last time you saw your father,” Cassian asked, his voice surprisingly calmer than the man who was asking her questions before.
Still Jyn swallowed. A part of her knew where he exactly was...but part of her didn’t want to confirm the obvious.
“It was fifteen years ago,” She answered calmly, “but I have no idea where he is, but I would like to think he’s dead...it makes it easier.”
“Easier than what?” Cassian inquired, gave Jyn a slightly sympathetic look, but kept his determined gaze….after all…..he seemed to have a job to do, “working for the Imperial war machine.”
“To be honest….” Jyn wanted to deflect the conversation about her father as much as possible. The more she spoke on the subject the more upset she got. If she kept talking even further memories of the day her mother died would flood her head. “I hadn’t had the luxury of political opinions.”
“Really now?” Cassian’s tone of voice quickly changed. It was still as sympathetic and casual as it could have been but a bit sharper, as if he was giving her an interrogation. “When was the last time you have been in contact with Saw Guerra?”
Well now the conversation had taken a 360 degree turn. She wondered what Saw Guerra had to do with her father. But she knew if she answered all these stranger’s questions she would be let free and she would go into hiding, safe, still a ghost to the Empire’s clutches.
“Saw Guerra saved my life when I was child,” Jyn said honestly trying to keep the best composure she could. “He raised me. But I have no idea where he is. I haven’t seen him in years.”
“We know how to find him,” Cassian responded. Okay why was Jyn here then? She knew nothing about her father. They had info on Saw. Was there something else? “We need someone through the door without getting us killed.”
Huh? Then why did they need her for that?
“You’re all rebels aren’t you,” she snarked.
“Yes but Saw Guerra is an extremist,” Mothma then explained, “He’s been fighting his own war for a long time. With the circumstances, we have no choice but to try to amend that broken trust.”
It lead Jyn back to the one thing, the one question she was trying to avoid with the terrible circumstances. The very first thing they had asked her first. She swallowed and looked up at Mothma and Cassian.
“What does this have to do with my father?” Jyn asked.
Cassian turned his head to Bodhi who had sat quietly and patiently waiting for his turn. At first he looked calm and nonchalant but when Cassian put his eyes on the man, he sat up straight and swallowed. And that’s when Jyn saw it. The patch on his right arm was indistinguishable...it was an imperial patch. It only meant one thing…..
This man had risked wrath from his masters to deliver some message that everyone was in great danger. Jyn knew what the Empire could do when it was angered. She had seen an execution of a man when she was a child. It was a slow hanging where the man choked to death at the pace of a slug. Considering a brutal punishment like that or something worse was looming above his head, Jyn thought Bodhi had a lot of balls coming here….even if it didn’t look that way.
“Well umm,” Bodhi murmured. One hand was violently tapping his fingers on the table, another ran quickly through his hair. “There is a weapon the Emperor is building that has the power to destroy a planet.”
Jyn’s heart sunk. She wanted to believe it was a lie, oh Force she did. But if the Crystal didn’t turn cold she would have enough evidence he probably wasn't. She sighed deeply, her fingernails digging into her palms. Suddenly she felt hand rest on her shoulder. She lifted her head quickly to see the source. It was Cassian. As if he sensed her pain, he started rubbing it to calm her down.
She wondered if it was part of his “I am a soldier” act he decided to put on. But it did keep her grounded just a little.
“Galen Erso,” Bodhi swallowed before speaking again, “Sent me to send the information to Saw Guerra. I wasn’t able to get in. They tried to grab me….but one of the rebels spying on the Empire on Jedha overheard and saw me in distress and brought me here.” He paused to turn and look directly into the eyes of Jyn, “that’s when I told them to find you...stardust, and that you can get us in.”
Things went from bad to worse. Not only was there a weapon the empire was building to destroy a planet, but her father was the one who built it. Her father, a person who she saw as hero, was a traitor and a monster. This couldn’t be. It had to be that he was protecting her? Wasn’t it? After all he always told her everything he did, he did for her. It had to be the reason.
She needed to find him. She needed to talk to him, she needed to confirm that her father was not a monster.
“As we believe Mr. Rook’s testimony is authentic and that your father is critical to the development of this superweapon,” Mothma added to the conversation, “we’re hoping that you can convince Saw to help us locate your father.”
As much as Jyn hated that her father was now associated with this superweapon, she knew if he was involved to keep Jyn safe, her association with the Rebellion could make sure her father would be dissociated with the possible crimes involved with this superweapon. At least take a death sentence off his head and stop him from being made an example of.
“If I were to do this, bring my father to you,” Jyn stated calmly, “do you promise to make sure my father isn’t punished for creating this weapon?”
“The senate will probably not allow your father to go unpunished,” Mothma answered. There was a hint of sympathy for the young woman, which made talking to her a bit easier for Jyn. “But I will make sure he will get a lenient sentence for his cooperation. And you, Miss Erso, will be able to be free to continue on with your life should you choose not to stay with the Rebellion.”
The death penalty was off the table. Jyn would be able to live her life away from the Empire. It was a good deal.
“Then I’ll help you,” she declared firmly and confidently.
Cassian squeezed her shoulder. Jyn looked up and noticed there was some hesitation in his eyes. She could figure her suddenly being willing was all the cause to concern.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked.
Jyn narrowed her eyes in determination. She wanted to be clear, she wanted to be concise and she wanted to make sure, despite the fears of how this was going to end, she was going to put those fears aside and fight, for her father and her freedom:
“This is a rebellion isn’t it? I rebel.”