Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Too much for you to handle, sweet cheeks?”

Jyn gave the man a bored look and debated smashing his face into the bar. Preferably face first into the shot he’d just bought for her unasked. If shards of glass got lodged in his face or worked their way into his brain that would just be an added bonus. Han might not be entirely wrong about her rage issues.

“I could order you something pink?” the man offered.

Nope, she was pretty sure her anger was entirely justified. She tightened her grip on the drink she had ordered even though it was mainly empty at this point.

“I don’t think the lady is interested,” a smooth voice cut in.

“Who the kriff asked you?”

“He’s not wrong,” she said with a shrug.

“Kriff you, bitch. I was trying to be nice.” A rumbling growl cut the man off from a longer tirade as Chewie showed up at Han’s shoulder. The man muttered a few more insults under his breath, but stood up from the bar stool and made his way out of the cantina. In the time Jyn had been working with Solo and Chewie she’d quickly learned that not a lot of people were stupid enough to mess with an unhappy wookiee.

“Can’t leave you alone for even a minute without you starting trouble,” Han sighed slipping onto the stool next to her and snagging the snubbed shot.

“I was here minding my own business,” Jyn defended with a glare. “It’s not my fault if an asshole chooses to approach me. Besides I didn’t say anything so I’m not sure if that qualifies as starting trouble.”

Han threw the shot back with a smirk. “You had the murder shoulders.”

“Murder shoulders?” she asked lifting a brow.

“Yeah, you get all tense before you’re about to kill something, and your shoulders clench up.”

“I didn’t see that shot poured,” Jyn said offhand, ignoring his analysis.

“So?”

“So no guarantees that wasn’t laced with something,” she said finishing off her own drink.

“Are you serious?”

"It’s happened before,” she said with a shrug.

“To you?”

“Once.”

“You get out ok?” Han asked looking uncomfortable. They weren’t the type to talk about bad memories.

“Yeah. One of the girls I was out with noticed something was wrong and got me back to camp.” It’d happened when she was fifteen and still with the partisans. Saw had not been pleased, mainly with her, which she’d thought was unfair. When she’d come to the next day she’d gotten one hell of a dressing down for her carelessness. It wasn’t until a week later that she’d heard a rumor about a local boy meeting a gruesome end. At the time it’d felt like love. Hell, it still sort of felt like love, but she was pretty sure her history had forever warped her understanding of basic emotional concepts.

Han didn’t push for anymore of the story, he glanced nervously at the empty shot glass in his hand. “How long did it take to kick in?”

"Couple minutes? It’s all pretty hazy. You get what we came for?”

"Huh? Oh yeah, easy. Is it hot in here?”

“Nope,” she said sharing a look with Chewie. “We should probably get back then?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure, kid.”

They made it back to the Falcon a few moments before he passed out. Luckily Chewie could manhandle him into his bunk. Unluckily, Jyn’s piloting skills were still not where they should be. She could manage basic shuttles and Bodhi had given her a few lessons when they’d had time, but the Falcon was it’s own special mess. Not that she was going to get in that fight with Han and Chewie again. It also didn’t help that her shyriiwook wasn’t up to par, so take off was a combination of annoyed shouting and over done gesturing in which Chewie mainly ended up shoving her out of the way. Luckily it was two days in hyperspace so she wouldn’t have to help land the thing.

“Well that was fun,” Jyn said as the stars stretched out in front of them. Chewie huffed and she shot him a grin. “I can’t believe he got himself roofied. What a kriffing idiot.” Chewie laughed and said something she couldn’t quite understand, but she was pretty sure he agreed with her, which was good enough for her. “You need me or do you mind if I catch some sleep?” He made a shooing motion and she promised to relieve him in a few hours.

Jyn headed towards her bunk, but stopped off at Han’s to check on him. When had she become a person that checked on people? It was definitely something that had happened after joining the Rebellion. He was sleeping soundly and didn’t seem to be showing any other ill effects from his recent drug encounter other than Chewie had unceremoniously dropped him in the bed and his arm was trailing off. Jyn muttered and stomped into the room to shove him further on to the small bed and move the offending appendage onto the mattress with the rest of him. Figuring she’d gone this far she tugged his boots off and dragged the blanket up over him that had been crumpled at the base of the bed. She owed him a favor anyway for getting her back to her room the last time they’d decided to celebrate a hard won mission at the, technically unsanctioned, cantina on Echo base where she’d gotten well and truly drunk.

She also supposed after five months of working together she could excuse being slightly fond of the moron. She’d honestly thought they were going to kill each other when they were first assigned to work together. Han was just the type of man she hated – all brash unearned confidence and a mouth to match. She’d been forced to run with enough of his type during her time on her own to not want a repeat. He had, however, come back to help destroy her father’s monster so she’d decided to give it a shot.

He’d called her sweetheart on the first mission and she’d decked him, unintentionally setting off a brawl in the cantina they were in. They’d barely made it out alive, but fighting their way out had at least been a bonding experience. Their mutual loathing of authority figures and complete disregard for military standards also hadn’t hurt when it came time for the debriefing. But what had really won her over was the quick realization that despite the man’s bravado he was mush in the middle. He’d do just about anything for Chewie, Luke, or most especially Leia. His devotion to the princess mirrored Leia’s own devotion to the cause, and Jyn got that on a level she wished she didn’t.

She’d chosen to stay with the rebellion and she believed in the cause, but she wasn’t going to pretend that a certain intelligence officer hadn’t weighed heavily on her decision. Not that she’d had anywhere else to go. Anyone she’d ever considered family or friend was dead. Papa and Saw meeting their own violent ends. Chirrut and Baze lost on Scarif. Even K-2 gone. Bodhi and Cassian were the last people in the galaxy she had any connection to, though if you asked her to define that connection she’d be hard pressed to do it.

Bodhi, sweet Bodhi, was easiest. He was the only other person who’d really known her father. A man trying to get right by himself, who’d lost everything in the process, watched his home city burn and crumble. Kind, caring, undemanding Bodhi was what she thought a brother must feel like. It was impossible to dislike him even having known he’d been an Imp. The rebellion’s pilots accepted him quickly as one of their own, and Jyn had been delighted for him even if she missed him as he was sent out on more and more missions.

Cassian, on the other hand, was a struggle. She’d been ready to die in his arms on that beach, content even. They’d completed the mission, done everything they could. It had almost been a relief to know it was all over – that she didn’t have to struggle to survive any longer in a galaxy that took and took and never seemed to give her anything back. Relief from the constant exhaustion of getting by. It wasn’t the worst thing to die in someone’s arms, she’d never imagined as much, sure she would die bleeding out alone in a street or beaten to death by a fellow inmate. Dying had been the first time she’d been held in years, possibly since she’d lost her parents, it’d felt like coming home. She tried not to think about it too hard. And then Bodhi had shown up in the ship screaming at them to get on, and her hug had turned into a steel grip as she’d dragged Cassian in behind her.

Living was much more complicated than dying. She and Cassian never talked about it. There was nothing really to say. They’d been done, and then they weren’t. They barely knew each other really besides a handful of weeks on the mission and laid up in the medical ward following that. It didn’t seem to matter though. He ate up her thoughts and played havoc with her feelings in a way that would have made Saw ashamed of her for her lack of control, her lack of space. Getting close to someone, having them matter like that, it only hurt the cause. Still she couldn’t seem to shake whatever kriffed up emotional attachment she’d formed, didn’t really want to. He’d seemed right there with her during his recovery, they’d barely left each other’s side, but all things end and Cassian was too useful to be left sidelined forever. He’d been put back in the field on missions she wasn’t deemed suited to follow or even know about. Whatever had been brewing between them seemed to stall out as they barely even managed to be on base at the same time long enough to steal a meal together. They were friends she supposed, whatever that meant.

Han snored and rolled over in his bunk bringing her back to the present. Jyn shook her head and got to her feet heading to her own quarters. She was too tired to sort out her own messy emotions and relationships.

It was an odd relief to step down the ramp into Hoth’s cold hanger. She’d be bitching about the cold in no time, but it was nice to get off the ship with another successful mission under their belts and no major injuries to show for it.

“Let me know if anything comes up on the post-flight check, Chewie. Come on, kid, let’s get this data stick to Draven and then grab something to eat,” Han grumbled following behind her.

“Nu-uh,” Jyn argued. “You’re not tricking me into attending another debrief I’m not required at. You have my report and you’re technically in charge so you have to do it. I’ll save you a seat in the mess though!”

“Come on, Erso,” he whined. “Don’t make me do it alone. It’s so boring and he asks the same questions over and over again like my answer is going to change. I’ve been through interrogations that are less awful.”

“It’s not like my presence helps. I just piss him off.”

“Makes it entertaining at least.”

“Not a chance, Solo.”

“Come on, it’d mean more time with me and who doesn’t want that?”

“Anyone with two brain cells to rub together?” a voice interrupted.

“Don’t pretend you don’t enjoy my company, Princess,” Han shot back catching sight of the petite woman as she stood next to Cassian near the hallway leading out of the hanger.

Jyn frowned at the bag slung over Cassian’s shoulder as she took him in. Clearly he was headed out on another mission. “Are you leaving now?”

"In a few minutes,” he said looking unconcerned by her lack of greeting.

“How long?”

“Only a week or so if all goes right.”

“Of course it will go right,” Leia said firmly. “You’re the best at what you do.”

“Having a stick up your ass?” Han grumbled, clearly not enjoying hearing the Princess praise someone else.

Cassian didn’t respond, but his jaw ticked before he mastered his expression completely, and Jyn instantly felt defensive. Neither man liked each other, but it was unfair of Han to take out his frustration on Cassian for something he didn’t even do.

“Having an actual useful skillset,” Leia snapped back before Jyn could say anything.

“Hey, I get the job done just fine, your highness.”

“Oh yeah? Neither of you are obviously bleeding so what disaster happened on this mission?”

Feeling uncharitable Jyn piped up. “Solo got roofied.”

“What?” Leia asked. Jyn shrugged and Han glared at her. “You actually got drugged?”

“In my defense they were trying to roofie her. You’d think she’d be more grateful.”

“Someone tried to roofie you?” Cassian asked frowning.

“Happens,” Jyn answered dismissively. “But I wasn’t dumb enough to drink it.”

“It was a free drink!”

Jyn snorted. “You’re impossible.”

"You love it, keep coming back for more.”

“I keep coming back for Chewie,” Jyn smirked. “That poor wookiee deserves a medal for putting up with you on his own.”

“Like you’re some prize! Your default setting is kick the crap out of them.”

“You’ve shot people on less provocation.”

“They’ve all deserved it!”

“Well, I’ve never hit anyone who didn’t deserve it.”

“You punched me on the first mission out!”

“I think you just proved my point.”

“How you two get through missions is beyond me,” Leia interjected.

“It’s all foreplay,” Han answered throwing an arm around Jyn’s shoulders that she easily knocked away. “She could have requested a transfer a hundred times by now, but has she?”

“We’ve been over this. I stay for the wookiee.”

“I don’t think you’re his type.”

"A girl can dream.”

“Come to the debrief with me and I’ll put in a good word for you.”

Jyn laughed, something she’d been doing a lot more since being paired with the smuggler. “Not a chance, Solo.”

“Sorry I’m late,” a voice interrupted. Jyn turned her head to a pretty blue-eyed blonde woman joining their group. Aliyana if Jyn remembered correctly. She was in intelligence with Cassian and currently had a bag thrown over her shoulder too.

“It’s no problem,” Cassian said. “You didn’t miss anything important.” Jyn cringed at the implied criticism. “I picked up the rings.”

“Oh perfect, I was hoping you would,” the woman said with a sunny smile that Jyn didn’t think she was even capable of producing. Cassian held out a ring with a sparkling stone set in it and Aliyana reached out to take it. Something dark lurched in Jyn’s stomach.

“Congratulations,” Han said. “Didn’t know you two were together.” The girl giggled and slipped the ring on and Jyn wanted to hit her.

“It’s for the mission,” Cassian supplied.

“Husband and wife cover. You’re looking at Mrs. Nandali Sward. We get to make the social rounds as newlyweds and see if we can get some new leads. Should be fun.”

“I didn’t know Andor was allowed to have fun,” Han joked.

“Shut it, flyboy. Let the professionals do their work,” Leia snarled.

“We’ll send updates,” Cassian said ignoring the entire exchange. “See you in a week.”

“Thank you, Captain Andor,” Leia said in her formal voice.

Cassian and Aliyana moved past them and Jyn resisted the urge to grab his wrist. She didn’t know what she would say if she did. Still her gaze lingered. Leia gave Han one last glare before marching off in the opposite direction.

“Really, kid? Andor?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jyn said snapping her eyes away from where Cassian was taking Aliyana’s bag for her and showing her to the shuttle they were using.

“You’ve got murder shoulders again.”

“I do not.”

"He’s just so uptight,” Han commented trailing her as she turned on her heel and moved stiffly down the hallway. “Didn’t think that’d be your type.”

“We’re just friends.”

“You’ve never gotten murder shoulders when a pretty blonde has chatted me up.”

“I don’t remember that ever actually occurring,” Jyn snipped.

“I get why the ice princess likes him, but you?”

That brought her up short. “Leia likes Cassian?”

“Of course she does. It’s always ‘Captain Andor never has to blow up half a space port to make an ammunitions deal,’ ‘Captain Andor never goes beyond his mission budget,’ ‘Captain Andor never complains about long stake outs,’ and on and on.”

“Oh, I thought you meant she likes him.”

Han missed a step. “Wait, you don’t think she does, do you?”

“It’s not like she’s been gushing about his dreamy eyes.”

“Yeah, but what if professionalism is like her kink?”

"Well then you’re screwed, flyboy,” Jyn said with a laugh.

“Like I care,” he scoffed. “They’d suit each other.”

Jyn tried not to grind her teeth at that. It wasn’t like she had any claim on Cassian, and he’d had more than enough time to make his interest known if he had any. Han was just stating a fact. They’d be a good match really - both of them committed, professional, and brave. “Don’t you have a debrief to get to?”

"Don’t get pissy at me just because your boyfriend is running off with some other woman.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Obviously. Andor doesn’t seem capable of expressing enough human emotion to have a girlfriend.”

“You don’t know shit about him,” Jyn said fiercely.

“You actually really do like him don’t you? Why? You could have just about any guy on this base if you showed even the slightest interest.”

Jyn snorted. “You say that like it’s impressive. It’s not like it’s difficult to talk men into have sex. Especially on a base where the men outnumber the women.” She was not interested in trying to explain to Solo that Cassian was the first thing, the first person, that’d felt like coming home in a long time. That he’d showed up even when everything went to hell over and over again in a way no one had bothered for her in years and years. What man could match up to that?

“You haven’t managed with Andor. Or have you?”

“I don’t know how many times I can tell you we’re not like that.”

“I doubt you’re missing anything. It’s probably efficient and mechanical. Like fucking a droid.”

“Imagined it often, have you?”

“Deflecting isn’t going to get you anywhere Erso.”

“There’s nothing to deflect.”

“Come to the debriefing and I’ll help you bag Andor.”

Jyn laughed outright at that. “That’s like Mon Mothma offering to help me in a bar fight. You don’t have the skillset.”

“Hey, I could get Andor into bed if I wanted to!” Han seemed to think about what he said and sputtered. “You know what I mean!”

“You’re inflated ego never ceases to amaze me. I don’t know how many times I can say it, but you’re on your own in the debrief. I’m hungry and tired.”

“Fine,” Han said throwing his hands up. “But don’t expect any favors from me in the future.”

He moved off and Jyn switched her direction to go straight back to her tiny room. She’d lost her appetite at some point. Right now all she wanted to do was go to bed and forget the fact that Cassian was off with his ‘wife’ charming the higher-ups of the empire.

Chapter Text

“Credit for your thoughts, Captain?”

It was only years of training that kept him from startling at Lieutenant Awn’s words. He wasn’t used to running a mission with someone else. Well, someone besides Kay. The thought of the droid hurt and he neatly packed it away. Even two days out in hyperspace together hadn’t made him particularly more comfortable having someone else on board. “It’s nothing Lieutenant. I was just thinking, going over the plan again in my head.”

She gave a short hum in acknowledgement and moved away in the shuttle. “I’m going to go change for landing.”

Cassian restrained a sigh. When had he gotten so unprofessional? It was somewhere between Jedha and Scarif. He could even put a name to it – Jyn. Jyn with her sharp angles, and quick temper, and her desperate need. She thought she hid it, maybe she did from most people, but reading people was a skill he’d had to hone over the years and he’d had her file, what little of it there was. He’d told her welcome home, and he’d meant it, he hadn’t meant for it to trap her. To offer her the thing she wanted most, it hadn’t been a ploy on his part. But here she was still with the resistance, and he couldn’t help but think it initially had something to do with him, that she’d stayed because she wanted to stay with him. Clearly that wasn’t the case anymore.

He ignored the clench in his gut at the thought. Jyn wasn’t his. She was allowed to do whatever and whomever she wanted, even if that meant Han kriffing Solo. It made sense in a small way. They both flew by the seat of their pants and had nebulous reasons for committing to the rebellion. Both reckless and confident in their own abilities. Han made her laugh.

What a change from when she’d first been assigned to work with Solo. He’d found her in the mess fuming and stabbing her food. When he’d asked her why, she’d pointed a moody knife in Han Solo’s general direction and gone back to her dinner.

“That’s not really an answer.”

“I’m supposed to work with that idiot.”’

Cassian had raised an eyebrow. That’d seemed like a very bad plan considering how much both parties inspired people to shoot at them. “Since when?”

“Since this morning. Mon Mothma thought it would be a good idea. We set out tomorrow morning.”

“You should refuse.”

She’d looked surprised. “How am I supposed to refuse? I enlisted, didn’t I?”

"Since when did you start following orders?”

“Have you ever refused orders?” He’d looked away and she’d clarified quietly. “Besides my father.”

“That isn’t the point.”

“Uh-huh,” she’d said with disbelief tingeing her tone. “I’ll give it a try, but I didn’t promise anyone I wouldn’t kill him.” She’d flashed him a fierce little smile that’d set his heart racing.

Needless to say she hadn’t killed him, but Cassian had to admit he’d secretly enjoyed the blue and yellow bruise blooming across Solo’s cheek from her punch when they’d returned. He’d thought that would be the end of it, but they’d come out of the debriefing fuming not at each other, but at the Alliance, and he’d helplessly sat through a dinner in the mess with them raging, drinking, and commiserating. After that it’d been the two of them on missions and crazy rumors circulating base every time they came back from doing something insane. Still, they got results that couldn’t be argued with.

Cassian had been in and out of base on his own missions and every time he came back they only seemed closer. He’d returned two months ago in the wee hours of the morning focused only on getting to his room. It was then that he’d wandered down the hallway of Echo base only to find a mussed Han Solo exiting Jyn’s room. The man had had the audacity to give him a cocksure smile and a nod before going on his way. Cassian had stifled the need to throw him into a wall and beat the ever-loving daylights out of him. After all it was her choice, he had no right to be angry about that.

He closed his eyes and tried to refocus on the mission. Draven had warned him of complications, however indirect he had been. Jyn’s middle name should be complication. He should have been done with her the second he had the information he needed. He just couldn’t be. Pain seemed to flare up his side in a phantom memory of the fire-laced climb on Scarif the only thought echoing through his head, ‘Jyn, Jyn, Jyn.’

Focus.

He and Lieutenant Awn would infiltrate high society and find out the latest gossip. Easy enough. He’d trained Lieutenant Awn himself a few years back and the woman was competent. She followed rules and was just pretty enough to pull out secrets without being distracting enough to have people take great notice of her. She’d play the part well and look nice on his arm without making them stick out in people’s memories.

Jyn would have punched a person in the first five minutes of being off the ship. He’d have had to drag her out of a ballroom spitting and hissing obscenities. Obscenities he agreed with, but knew better than to state. He probably would have had to shove her against a wall and kiss her into silence.

Cassian shook his head and thumped it back against the seat. What the kriff was wrong with him? He was well past his teenage years and even then he hadn’t been this stupid and distractible. Given there had never been a woman quite like Jyn. A woman who mirrored his loneliness and his long bitter fight and still made him feel a ridiculous sense of hope.

They were supposed to die on that beach. He’d have been happy to die in her arms, to die with that hope. Instead he’d woken up in med bay with the news that the plans were missing and there was nothing they could do. He’d have been content, angrier, but content to die again laying in med bay with Jyn curled into his side as the Death Star approached Yanvin IV. Though part of that feeling could be attributed to utter exhaustion. They’d done everything they could despite losing in the end, it would have been simple, and it was more than he’d ever imagine he’d have in dying. He’d always expected to go out alone either by imperial hand or his own suicide pill when captured. But then they’d lived and neither of them had seemed sure what to do with the chances spilling out in front of them.

So he’d done what was easiest and gone back to doing what he did best. He told himself it was enough that she stayed, that they were friends. It’s not like he’d know what to do with a relationship anyway. Neither would she probably. If Kay was around he could probably tell them the high odds of both of them being dead in a year anyway.

He shook his head and concentrated on getting into character. It wasn’t very hard as he’d played Joreth many times before. The man was a simple one. An imperial with a slightly above average inheritance and money in durasteel – rich enough to rub elbows with the right people, but not rich enough to draw scrutiny or to be considered a player in the higher ranks. He was an easy going man who had always been secure in his position and eager to please those higher ranking than him without involving himself too much in politics or war. He was the opposite of Cassian in almost every way imaginable, which almost made him easier to play since all Cassian had to do was think what is the opposite of what I would do in this situation to have his answer.

Footsteps approached the cockpit and he tensed before forcing himself to relax into the easy slouch that was all Joreth, a man who didn’t notice and rarely minded when people snuck up behind him, especially not when they were pretty girls. Lieutenant Awn put a hand on his shoulder and he gave her a relaxed smile that he’d had to train for months to perfect.

“How do I look?” she asked returning the smile. He wondered if she’d always had that smile in her repertoire or if she too had had to drill it into herself. Despite training her they’d never shared anything about their backgrounds or personal lives. It wasn’t necessary to learn the job, personal things got pushed down and shoved aside and that was all you needed to know about that.

He glanced her over taking in the gauzy dress, elaborate hair, and perfectly done makeup. She looked the part. “You look perfect.”

“Your turn.” She waited for him to stand and then slipped into the pilot seat. Time to get to work.

Cassian was relieved to be back on base, even if it was the icy hell that was Hoth. The mission had been uneventful other than people’s slight surprise that Joreth Sward had decided to get married. Once they sussed out that it was arranged, as many were among the upper class, and that the woman came from moderate money as well, everyone had been satisfied and welcomed Nandali Sward as one of their own. They had a few leads that were worth following up, but Cassian couldn’t quite convince himself it was worth the week of pretending to be an Imperial and tolerating what passed for good conversation.

“Would you like me to handle the debrief, Captain Andor?”

It’d probably be good professionally speaking for Lieutenant Awn to get some face time with General Draven. She was more than capable of giving him the report, and if he was being honest he really just didn’t want to, not that Awn needed to know that. “That would be appreciated, Lieutenant.” She gave a curt nod and headed off.

He scanned the hanger and told himself he definitely wasn’t looking for Jyn. It’s not like he was used to a welcome party. Still, sometimes she seemed to know and show up all the same. This wasn’t one of those times. He debated heading straight for his room to sleep, but his stomach’s growling argued most vehemently with him.

The mess was crowded as he got his food and glanced around. It was still weird not having Kay at his side, not finding an empty table and perfunctorily eating his food, while the droid quoted stats at him or reviewed their latest or newest mission.

“Cassian!” a jubilant voice called. “Over here!”

He turned to see Bodhi half out of his seat and waving frantically like his life depended on it. Jyn was sitting next to him looking faintly amused. No wonder she hadn’t been in the hanger. Jyn was at her happiest when Bodhi was on base. No one could dislike Bodhi, and he seemed to have a calming effect on Jyn, if only because she didn’t want to upset him. Bodhi, while much better than when they found him, still had trouble occasionally with memories shifting away or merging. He’d proven to be a competent pilot for the rebellion though, and he had his own means of coping. Jyn helped. She seemed to ground him as much as he raised her spirits.

Cassian set his tray down across from Jyn and raised an eyebrow. “How’ve you been Bodhi?”

“Good! Easy mission to the outer rim. Jyn told me you got married.” She shot Bodhi a glare and from the movement of her body probably kicked him under the table for good measure.

“It was a mission,” Cassian said with a shrug.

“How’d it go?”

“Good enough. Still, it’s dull spending that much time in Imperial company.”

"Well lucky you, you’re back on Hoth.”

His eyes strayed to Jyn. “It’s not the worst place I’ve ever been.” He was pathetic.

Shouting started up and Cassian turned to look. “Ignore them,” Jyn advised. “They’ve been trapped on base together too long.” Han and Leia continued arguing oblivious to everyone around them. To be fair everyone around them quickly went back to their conversations and their meals.

“I don’t understand why he stays,” Cassian commented lightly.

Jyn snorted. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Cassian turned back to her and tried to stamp out his thoughts on why the smuggler would hang around. It certainly wasn’t for the money. Amused green eyes met his and a tight sensation formed in his chest. “I suppose so.”

“So? Did you have to make out in a data vault to trick stormtroopers about why you were there while you stole information?” Bodhi piped up.

“What holodramas have you been watching?”

“Only the trashiest ones he can get his hands on.”

“Says the woman who was more than happy to watch them with me,” Bodhi shot back.

“Hoth is cold. You were warm,” Jyn said with a shrug. “You could have told me you were going to read mission briefs and I’d have been happy to attend if it meant curling under the same blanket and sharing body heat.”

“Don’t believe her. She loves trash holodramas,” Bodhi said conspiratorially. “If you ever want to get her back to your bunk just offer to watch an episode of The Princess Spy.”

Cassian didn’t know what the hell that was, but it was almost worth looking into if it made Jyn want to curl up next to you. Given he doubted she’d do that to him. Bodhi had somehow manage to achieve a rare position of being worthy of Jyn’s physical affection, which no one else seemed to be able to duplicate.

“Stop telling lies,” Jyn said flicking some of the so-called food on her plate at Bodhi.

“Then I guess you don’t care that I got my hands on the latest episode. I’ll just have to find out all on my own if she goes through with marrying the prince or runs away with the pirate.”

“She’s not going to marry the prince,” Jyn spat. “The guy is a total bore.”

“It’d blow her cover if she didn’t,” Bodhi argued.

“So what? She’s supposed to spend the rest of her life following boring royal protocol with a guy she doesn’t even like and sneaking out on missions? Or she could just run off with Forian and find another way to help the cause.”

“Says the woman who doesn’t like the show.” Jyn made a face and punched Bodhi’s arm. “You should watch with us, Cassian. We can catch you up. I mean you have to ignore that they make the empire the good guys and the alliance the bad guys, but the story is still entertaining. Besides it’s all in some made up galaxy far, far away so at least the two groups are thinly veiled as something else so everyone can enjoy!”

“Uh,” Cassian wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to the invite. The show sounded positively awful, but then again what would he know? He’d never wasted time with holodramas in the past and spending the evening with Bodhi and Jyn was appealing no matter how bad the entertainment.

“She’s impossible!” Han interrupted throwing his tray down next to Jyn. “Can’t be reasoned with.”

“Because you’re so easy to reason with,” Jyn quipped as she snagged a roll off Han’s plate.

“Me? I’m easy! Laid back to almost a fault.”

“But not an actual fault, of course,” Jyn assesed with a light laugh.

“Exactly.”

“She said no to the Bothawui mission.”

“That could be because it was an insane suicide mission for what amounted to some bacta, but mainly a shit ton of alcohol.”

“It was basically a charity mission for our fellow rebels.”

“And it had nothing to do with that side job that Chewie was talking about?”

“Hey, two birds one stone. You’d have had fun.” Solo shot Jyn a winning grin that Cassian had seen melt more than one woman on base.

“I’d have definitely died.” Cassian tried to focus on his food. He wasn’t their commanding officer and he didn’t get to have input.

“You said it was a good idea!”

“I knew the princess would shoot you down, it didn’t seem worth fighting about,” Jyn said with a shrug.

“You’re a traitor.”

“I have sense.”

“Now that’s a bald face lie.”

“More sense than you, not that that takes a lot.”

“You literally threw yourself off a roof in Lego.”

Cassian glanced up at that. He hadn’t heard about that. Jyn just glared at Solo. “I wouldn’t have been up there if you hadn’t set the building on fire without any warning.”

“It wasn’t on purpose.”

“You threw a bottle full of flammable ship fuel attached to a burning cloth at the building. How was that not on purpose?”

“I was aiming for the stormtroopers!”

“Your aim sucks.”

“You still jumped off a building,” Solo muttered.

“And only broke the one leg,” Jyn said with a look of pride that Cassian didn’t altogether think that announcement deserved.

“Hey,” Solo said turning his attention on Cassian. “Her royal highness listens to you. You could put in a good word for the Bothawui mission?”

“The thing Jyn just described as a suicide mission and implied was a front for an illegal side deal?”

“She’s exaggerating. Don’t you special ops sorts need bacta all the time?”

Less so than the two of you it sounds like, is what he wanted to say, but he held it back. “Princess Leia has an excellent grasp on mission parameters and what does and does not benefit the Alliance. I’m sure she took all scenarios into account when making her decision.”

“Useless,” Solo said gesturing towards him, but looking pleadingly at Jyn. “Convince him!”

“With what?” Jyn asked around the piece of bread she’d jammed in her mouth. “Cassian isn’t any more likely than the princess to think this is a good idea.”

“You’re a woman, persuade him.”

Bodhi choked on his food. “Honestly, Solo, I’m not sure how you’ve survived this long,” Jyn said standing up and smacking him upside the back of the head before marching out of the mess.

“Women, right?” Solo looked around for support, but Bodhi just looked resolutely down at his plate and Cassian was sure his face was as cold and impassive as ever. “Everyone here is impossible. I’m going to go find Chewie.” The man stood up and stormed off not bothering to clear his tray.

“Are you going to kill him?”

“Bodhi, what?”

“You looked like you might want to kill him.”

“I’m sure I didn’t.” He was quite sure in fact. He was well aware of what emotions he let show on his face.

“You got all quiet and blank,” Bodhi said looking a little nervous. “You looked a little like you wanted to kill him. I don’t think Jyn would appreciate it though.”

“Probably not,” he muttered.

“Are you ok?”

“Fine, just tired from the mission,” Cassian said picking up his tray. “I should probably head to bed.”

“Wait, you’re really not going to come watch with us?”

“Huh?”

“The Princess Spy.”

“You’re serious?”

“Of course! It’s better than it sounds.”

“Bodhi, I don’t know,” he said rubbing the back of his neck.

“You have to. We haven’t all hung out together in forever. Please?”

And who could say no to Bodhi? He might have missed his calling as an Alliance recruiter. So that’s why a half hour later he found himself sitting in an uncomfortable chair as Bodhi set up the holoprojector in his room that he’d borrowed from a sergeant down the hall.

The door burst open and Jyn darted in looking suspicious. “I got snacks,” she announced as the door whooshed shut behind her. Digging up under her coat she pulled out a bag of moss chips.

“How?” There wasn’t a ton of good food on Hoth, and Cassian didn’t think she’d break into the mess and steal outright.

“Han thinks I haven’t figured out all the hiding places on the Falcon, but he’d be wrong,” she said grinning proudly. “Serves him right for being an idiot. You ready, Bodhi?”

“Almost. Get comfortable,” Bodhi said waving her off as he futzed with the machine.

Jyn toed of her boots and dove for the bed wiggling her way under the blankets. Her coat came flying out to puddle on the floor. “Hurry up!”

“Stop rushing me! And you’re not eating moss chips in my bed. It took me weeks to get all the crumbs out last time.”

“Bodhi,” she whined.

“No!”

“Come on!”

“We can watch this in your room if you want to eat in the bed.”

“But I’m already settled.”

“Then I guess you’re going to starve.”

“Cassian, talk some sense into him.”

“I’m not going to advocate for eating in bed.”

“Fine.” Jyn rolled herself up in the blanket and sat on the floor pulling the moss chips off the desk she’d left them on.

“Hey, you’re not the only one who’s going to need that blanket.” Jyn ripped open the chip bag and started chewing defiantly. Bodhi tugged on the blanket and Jyn rolled away rocking into Cassian’s leg. She shoved more chips in her mouth and glared at Bodhi from her blanket cocoon.

“Cassian,” Bodhi pleaded.

“What?”

“Do something?”

“What am I supposed to do?” he asked bewildered. Dealing with the two of them not in a life or death situation was an entirely new conundrum he didn’t always navigate well. Bodhi seemed to bring out the child in Jyn that she hadn’t gotten to be for very long. More often then not when Cassian was involved he just seemed to make her embarrassed for acting that way, and he hated that she couldn’t be as comfortable with him as she was with Bodhi. His only friend had been a droid for a reason. He knew he wasn’t a very relaxing or comforting presence.

Bodhi had dug his arms into the blankets somewhere around Jyn’s armpits and was trying to drag her deadweight towards the bed. “Steal the chips.”

“You wouldn’t,” Jyn glared.

“It is his room, blanket, and bed.”

“Cassian, if you try to take these chips from me I will bite you.”

A bit of Joreth still lingering in his brain answered promptly with, ‘You promise?’ and he crushed it down. Instead he reached out and snagged the chip bag from her fingers popping one into his mouth. She made a noise of protest and fought, but the blanket effectively neutralized her.

“Come on! Share!” Bodhi argued.

“I want chips and warmth!”

“So put your coat back on and eat the chips. Then come back to bed.”

“Cassian, help me.” He could hear the laughter bubbling in her voice as Bodhi continued to try to fruitlessly drag her towards the bed. One small pale hand worked its way out of the blanket and reached for him. That was entirely unfair.

Cassian sighed and got up. “Hold on, I’ll go get the blanket from my room.”

“It’s your fault, Jyn, if he doesn’t come back.”

“Are you really not coming back?” she asked ceasing her struggles.

“I’m just going to get another blanket so you can continue to eat chips on the floor.”

Jyn eyed him speculatively and then stood up to block his way to the door. “No, I’m done. Start the episode, Bodhi.” She crawled into the bed and Cassian tried to ignore the plummet in his gut when he realized he’d once again effectively shut down their fun without even trying.

Bodhi hit the lights and started the holoprojector up as Cassian headed back to the chair. Bodhi’s hand on his shoulder stopped him and pushed him towards the bed.

“Uh.” Cassian froze.

“The chair sucks, and an episode is an hour long,” Bodhi explained as a cheesey theme song started up behind them.

“Hurry up, you’re blocking it,” Jyn commanded unwrapping the blanket and holding it up for them to get under. Cassian’s feet didn’t seem to be responding to him. Bodhi shoved him gently again and Jyn scooted over further. “You’re letting the heat out and it’s about to start.”

“Shoes off,” Bodhi ordered and Cassian numbly complied.

He got into the bed, leaning against the wall, and leaving a respectful space between himself and Jyn. A space that was quickly destroyed when Bodhi shoved in next to him and pulled the blanket over them all. It was a tight squeeze and he could feel Jyn’s soft curves pressing into his side in a distracting way. How did he get himself into this again? Droids were definitely easier.

Chapter Text

“Jyn?”

“Back here!”

“You ready to go?”

“Almost.” She dug a little deeper in the box of droid parts and made a triumphant little noise in the back of her throat when she saw what she wanted.

Han groaned as he came around the corner and spotted her. “Honestly, kid? More droid parts?”

“It’s not like it’s easy to find KX-series parts,” Jyn argued. “They melt most of them down when they’re decommissioned so they don’t fall into the wrong hands.”

“And you honestly think you’ll be able to find all the parts you need?”

“Well, you keep not letting me steal a new whole one.”

“Because every plan you’ve come up with to do so is suicidal. You don’t see Andor snagging himself a new droid. I don’t see why you have to do it.”

Jyn rolled her eyes and headed towards the front of the shop. “How much?” The Rodian eyed her and quoted a price that was way too high. Jyn sighed internally. She hated when they started high just to be dicks. It just made her haggle harder.

“If Rodians could cry I think he would have,” Han said with a snigger as they left the shop.

“Serves him right.” Jyn swung the bag holding her prize – a KX-series left arm. She was no good at droids, but Bodhi could manage and once they finished they’d be able to upload that backup K-2SO had left. So far they’ve cobbled together a head, torso with a right arm, and a left leg. With this new arm they only had a few million parts to go. Oh well, it’s not like she’d ever had a hobby before, this could count right?

“I just don’t get why you’re wasting the little credits you have on an impossible task. Even Andor isn’t trying to rebuild his droid.”

“That’s because he thinks eventually he’ll be able to get one on a mission.”

“So he’s going to get himself killed?”

“Not if Bodhi and I rebuild one first.”

“That’s a bit more optimistic than you usually are, at least without a liter of alcohol in your system and me having to drag you back to your room for fear you’ll die of hypothermia drunk in the hallways in the wee hours of the morning.”

Jyn shrugged. “Well, you won’t let me get one first, and Bodhi refuses to steal another ship in order to do so, so that’s about all I got.”

“Andor seems fine without. You said you didn’t even get along with his droid.”

“I don’t get along with anyone. Well, besides Bodhi and that’s because he gets along with everyone.” She crushed a smile that wanted to creep to her face at the thought of Bodhi. He’d shipped out again the morning after they’d all watched the holodrama in his room almost a full month ago, but hopefully when she and Han got back from this mission he’d be back on base. It was always a treat when they overlapped. It also didn’t hurt that he could convince Cassian to do just about anything.

Who’d have thought the reclusive spy could be talked into watching The Princess Spy and cuddling in a bed together? Although anyone who had known her over the years would have argued that it was impossible to get her to do that either, well perhaps not her mother and father. Vague memories of crawling into their bed while they watched holodramas, or when she had bad dreams, assaulted her and she pressed it down. It didn’t matter. Bodhi was safe. He wouldn’t expose a weakness like that.

She didn’t think Cassian would either if only because then she could reveal him right back. She still wasn’t sure how the last episode ended because she’d been distracted by Cassian falling asleep on her shoulder and his warm breath fanning across her neck. Saw would have sent her off planet and into intensive training if he could see her now. That’d been the go-to during her teenage years with him. Anything or anyone make her that stupidly careless she or the culprit would be shipped off quickly enough to another partisan cell depending on where Saw was needed. After all Saw was the same man who’d given her the talk when she was 15 and then taken her to a cantina and told her to pick someone she found attractive and get it over with. Caring about someone like that was weakness.

Still she hadn’t entirely wanted Bodhi to wake Cassian up when he did. Cassian had just looked so comfortable and relaxed. She’d been starting to get cramps from how still she was holding herself, but it’d been worth it to see the concern that’d dogged him since Scarif, or maybe had been with him for longer than that, fade away. Although Cassian’s confused sleepy face had been almost as good. She’d had the brief thought that she wanted to kiss him, but had had enough sense to restrain that impulse.

“Coruscant would probably have some enforcer droids,” Han commented interrupting her thoughts.

“What harebrained scheme do you have now?”

“There’s an arms deal I heard about.”

“I assume it’s unsafe.”

“Probably. That’s why it’s so lucrative.”

“The Alliance would never give us permission.”

“This mission was supposed to take three weeks and we got it done in one. They wouldn’t even miss us.” Jyn hummed and debated. “Come on, kid, when did you start following rules?”

“Who would we be arming?”

“Some gang on a shit hole outer rim planet. What does it matter? It’s not the empire and not our problem. Enemy of my enemy and all that.”

“Cassian would not be happy.”

“He’ll never even know. I swear. We get in, make the deal, make a pile of credits, and maybe even score a new enforcer droid for your boyfriend or at the very worse more money to put towards buying parts.”

“Stop calling him that.”

“Then stop doing stupid shit for him.”

“Says the man who is still part of the Alliance only because of one certain tiny princess.”

Han snorted. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Sure, I’d like a crack at the princess if she was easier, but who wants a woman as cold as that?”

“You’re so full of bantha shit.”

“At least I’m not going after a man more concerned about a busted droid than the living, breathing, willing woman standing right next to me.”

“He doesn’t have to be interested in me. We’re friends. He’s under no obligation to have any feelings whatsoever for me.” She stomped away and back towards the ship.

“Is he gay?”

“What?” She spun on her heel to see Han’s face and suss out if he was serious or not.

“I just mean you’re attractive enough. If he’s not interested maybe he’s gay. In which case you’re screwed because I know more than one guy on base with a thing for dark brooding types.” Solo seemed to think on it. “Or maybe Andor is into droids. I’ve heard there are some men who like that.”

“Shut up,” Jyn said pressing down a grin at his idiocy and turning back towards the ship. “You don’t need to flatter me. I know that I’m, how did you put it, two tons of rage and one ton of scary-skills in a 1.6 meter package. That doesn’t scream date me.”

Han caught her arm and spun her back towards him. “Andor is an idiot.”

“He’s not,” Jyn argued and then softened, “but it’s nice of you to say.” She sighed and pulled her arm loose from his grasp. “You really think we might be able to get a KX-series droid?”

“I mean, not without dying, but yeah more likely than any of your other plans.”

“Fine, we do it, but we don’t report it.”

“Obviously.”

There were times she like Han quite a bit. “Chewie is onboard?”

“If we outvote him.”

Ok, a little more than a bit.

Han’s plan was boring. There was a reason Draven didn’t want her in intelligence beyond clearly thinking Cassian was better off far away from her. Jyn was not a patient person. She also hated going undercover. Just show her where to shoot or punch or even bribe and she was happy to do it. Sitting around and pretending to be something you’re not wasn’t her style. She honestly wasn’t sure how Cassian did it. Although perhaps he and Aliyana were having a great time going around to Imperial parties and pretending to be touchy feely newlyweds in love. Curling up in bed together after a long day of work. Jyn pushed that thought away and tried to focus on ignoring the man eyeing her greedily at the end of the bar.

She’d spent a week waitressing in this shitty strip club in order to keep her eye on Han’s weapon dealer and gauge who he was meeting with and if he actually had the goods he was promising. The man was a fat greasy fellow who talked too loud and drank too much, and Jyn had hated him instantly. He did however seem to have legitimate access to armaments as she’d already seen three shady deals play out in what was less secretive then both parties thought.

A familiar form entered the front doors of the club and headed over to a table in Jyn’s section. She took the excuse to eagerly slip away from man at the end of the bar who she could see was working up the courage to say something truly disgusting to her.

“What’ll it be?” She already knew the answer.   The woman sitting in an Imperial uniform came in every day after work for a drink or two before heading home. The first time she’d come she’d called out for a gin and nearly startled Jyn into breaking her cover at the thought that someone had recognized her.

“Gin, please, Kaya,” Elwin said tiredly. Kaya was the name Jyn had given the woman on the third night when she’d revealed her name was Elwin and she’d asked Jyn what her story was. Kaya was simply trying to scrape together enough money to hop on the next transport off world and away from one more shitty failed relationship in a long string of them.

“Coming right up.” She went back to the bar and poured the glass quickly, ignoring the man at the end who looked like he was about to signal for another drink.

She moved away and passed the drink over to Elwin. “Thank you.”

“You mind if I linger a minute? There’s a creep at the bar and I’m hoping one of the other girls has to swing back by before me and deal with him.”

Elwin’s eyes slipped over to the bar and narrowed. “Why in the hell would that man look in a mirror and think he had a chance with you?”

Jyn snorted at that. Despite the Imperial uniform she found she liked the woman all right. Elwin always seemed like she hated everything around her and Jyn could sympathize. “I think he figures everyone in here has a price.”

“Then he should visit the brothel down the street. Want me to get a bouncer?”

“Nah, he hasn’t done anything yet.” Jyn was about to admit she was just worried about not punching him when he did eventually do something, but reeled it back in. Kaya was not a woman who punched her way out of misunderstandings. “It’s annoying, but the gross ones are usually the best tippers. Just not in the mood tonight.”

“The things we do for money,” Elwin said, her tone shifting darkly as she downed half her drink.

“Bad day at work?”

“Nothing unusual.”

“From the posters on the street and the media you’d think every day working for the Empire was a joy,” Jyn said trying to keep her tone light instead of as bitter as it wanted to come out. She hated Coruscant.

“Empire-run media,” Elwin muttered.

Jyn quirked an eyebrow at that. Not many Imperials admitted to any sort of disgruntlement with the current state of affairs. “You saying the Empire isn’t perfect?”

Elwin looked up at her and narrowed her eyes. “Are you going to narc on me, Kaya?” Jyn kept her silence. “You’re going to have a hard time keeping up on your reporting if a comment like that is all it takes for you to turn into an informant. Especially after Alderaan.”

“I heard the rebels did it,” Jyn said repeating the Empire-fed lie.

Elwin snorted and threw back her gin. “Sure they did.”

“Why are you working for them if you’re sure it was the Empire?”

“I thought we covered this. Money. And what the hell else are you supposed to do?”

“There’s always the rebels.”

“I don’t have any interest in hiding out in some shithole planet for some hopeless dream.”

Jyn sighed, she wasn’t here to recruit anyone. That was Cassian’s thing not hers. Besides she knew only all too well about keeping your head down and getting by.

“I could use a refill, love,” a voice called out.

Jyn groaned internally and tried to loosen what she was sure Han would say were her murder shoulders as she made her way back to the man at the bar. “What’ll it be?”

“Corellian rum, gorgeous.” Jyn dropped a glass down in front of the man and grabbed the liquor bottle. “So what’s a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?”

Honestly? Jyn tried to force a giggle. It sounded more like she was being strangled. Cassian would have been horrified. “You know, just trying to get by. It pays the bills.”

“There’s easier more pleasurable ways to make a credit,” the man said as she slid the drink in front of him. He grabbed her wrist and Jyn debated a move that would snap his. “If you know what I mean.”

“I know what you mean,” she said with a smile that was probably too sharp. “Against company policy. You know.” There, Cassian would be proud of her restraint.

“Trust me, it’d be worth it. I’d give you the ride of your life, baby. Have you screaming my name real good.” She broke his hold and bent his hand back and twisted so fast he only got out a short startled cry of pain before she was calmly filling another drink and he was nursing a broken wrist.

“Get lost, before I break the other one,” Jyn said darkly. The man looked at her terrified before scrambling out the door of the club. She poured a fresh gin and moved back to Elwin.

“On the house.”

“Where’d you learn that trick?”

“You know, enough seedy clubs. Girl’s gotta protect herself.”

“You’re liable to get fired pulling stunts like that.”

“Doesn’t matter. I think one more night or so and I’ll have made enough to buy myself passage off planet anyway.” Or Han was planning on approaching their contact tomorrow night to set up the deal and then they’d head out. Same thing.

“Where are you planning on buying a ride to?”

Jyn took a risk. “Probably just some shithole planet.”

Elwin laughed and downed the gin. “I think I’m going to make it an early night.”

Despite what Han claimed, Jyn did not think Han had a great way with people. She watched him talk to the contact and wished she had a blaster, but there’d been nowhere to hide one in the skintight clothes she had to wear to waitress. The fat man didn’t look convinced and Han was leaning forward talking animatedly. Jyn had a vibroblade tucked in her boot, but you never wanted to be the girl who brought a knife to a blaster fight. Still she could probably get across the club and stab the guy in the kidneys fast enough as long as Han could avoid getting shot point blank in the face.

“Gin.”

Jyn tore her eyes away from the scene across the club and nodded to Elwin as she sat down at the bar. “Coming right up.”

“That your ride out of here?”

“Huh?”

“The guy you’ve been staring at. He your ride out?”

Jyn looked at her hard and slid the drink over. There was a chance Elwin was an Imperial informant, but there was no reason for her to have come to this shitty club just to find scum that talked shit about the empire. Besides, from what Jyn had heard, Elwin was a long-time regular long before she showed up. So why did the woman care who Han was or where they were going? “Could be, depends on if I can make 50 more credits tonight to hit his price.”

“Good looking for a man,” Elwin commented lightly.

Jyn snorted. “Don’t tell him that. He already thinks highly enough of himself.”

“Pretty for a rebel.”

Jyn laughed outright at that. “That man’s no rebel.”

“No?”

“No more than I am,” Jyn said wiping down the bar and holding the eye contact.

“Yeah,” Elwin nodded. “Stupid to be one this day in age. Just going to get you killed. Well, I’ll miss you around here.”

“You’ll have forgotten me in a week,” Jyn said with a smile.

“Those pretty eyes? Never.” Elwin threw the rest of the drink back and passed her credits over. “A little extra so you can afford the trip.” Then the woman got up and headed out.

Jyn dragged the credit chips towards her and tried to suppress her small start of surprise when she identified a datastick in the mix. She turned towards the register and rang the drink up slipping the tip and the datastick into her bra. Two hours till her shift was over and she could officially quit. The owner had known upfront she was only around to make a quick credit, like a lot of the workers here no one expected you to stick around for long, so it shouldn’t ruffle too many feathers.

Han ambled over to the bar and ordered a Corellian Rum, signaling the deal was made and he’d see her at the docks once she was off. She ignored him as he left the club.

“What took you?”

“Wanted to make sure I wasn’t followed,” Jyn said quietly as she strolled up to the Falcon, the datastick resting heavy against her chest.

“Who’d follow a cocktail waitress from that shit club? They going to mug you for your crap tips?”

“Hey, I made decent tips.”

“Yeah, right. You’re not exactly friendly in the way men that frequent that place enjoy.”

“Are we ready to go?”

“Shipment should be here shortly.”

“Good, I’m ready to get out of here. Hey, Chewie,” she greeted as the wookiee came to the entrance ramp.

“Here we go.”

Jyn turned towards the entrance of the docks and saw a couple of shady men rolling crates their way. They looked suspicious as hell, and Jyn wondered why crime lords couldn’t find people that blended in better. A growl from Chewie that she’d learned meant “trouble” in shyriiwook had her glancing behind them only to see another group of suspicious looking men entering the other side of the docks.

“Shit.” She was going to be that idiot with a knife at a blaster fight. “Han.”

“Yeah, I see it. Get on the ship.”

“You’re not still going to try to make the deal,” she said incredulously.

“If we can just get it on the ship and take off quickly we’ll be fine. Whoever these other guys are, Riko’s people can handle. Otherwise this will all have been a waste of time.” He headed towards the shipment and Jyn clenched her fists and jogged up the ramp grabbing a wrench lying out from where Han was trying to repair something earlier. She’d done more damage with less in the past and she didn’t have time to reach her cabin and grab her blaster. Jogging back out she assessed the situation as the second group of men rounded a ship and quickened their paces as Han started helping to shove the shipment towards the Falcon.

A blaster bolt hit at Han’s feet and he cursed and ducked behind the shipment along with Riko’s men. “We are so kriffed.” Chewie agreed next to her as they both darted down the ramp and started laying down cover fire.  

“Halt.”

“I blame Solo for this,” Jyn told Chewie sharply as a squad of stormtroopers showed up with enforcer droids at their backs. “I’ll get him if you keep the path back open.” The wookiee said something that she took as agreement and Jyn darted into the thick of it, taking out a stormtrooper in the middle of it with the wrench before sliding in beside Han behind the crates.

“We’re not going to get this shipment through.”

“We can make it,” Han argued popping up to shoot back at the other group of men.

“We’re definitely not. Can we please just go?”

“You’re not leaving without the shipment, Solo, we had a deal,” the man next to them growled. “I don’t give a fark what your little girlfriend wants. Riko paid you half up front.”

“Riko didn’t say shit about a gang war just to get it out of here,” Han spat. He glanced at Jyn. “We’ll return the money, we’re going.”

Jyn breathed a sigh of relief that was short lived as the man next to Han turned his blaster on them. A well-timed blast threw the crate and all of them back, sending the blaster skidding out of the man’s hand.

“Come on, kid,” Han yelled grabbing her arm and helping to drag her to her feet. “Let’s move.”

She didn’t need to be told twice and they both took off running for the ship as blaster fire rained down around them. Chewie and the ramp were in lunging distance when a metallic hand grabbed her by the front of her shirt and lifted her off her feet before throwing her down onto the floor of the docking bay and knocking the wind out of her. Déjà vu swept over her as she looked up at the enforcer droid staring down at her, but it was short lived as it pointed a blaster at her and she realized she was going to die.

The droids head blew off and Jyn scrambled back trying to wheeze air into her lungs as the droid crumpled to its knees and Chewie replaced it in her vision. The wookiee went to pick her up, and she shoved his hands away clawing her way to her feet and struggling to get enough air to shove out the words, “Grab it!” as she started for the ship again.

“Are you serious?” Han screamed as he laid down covering fire. She bolted up the ramp still gasping and Chewie came behind dragging the heavy droid body with him. “We can’t get the shipment, but we had time for your murderbot?”

“Shut up, and get us out of here,” she rasped raising the ramp as Chewie and Han raced for the cockpit. Jyn ran for the lounge area and strapped herself in as she felt the Falcon’s engines engage. She left the droid body where it was, but if the only damage was a head well they had one of those back on base. Jyn found herself grinning stupidly as they shot out into space.

Chapter Text

Cassian exited the ship and turned around to offer Lieutenant Awn a hand down the ramp. She grinned at him and he nearly blushed as he realized what he’d done. He’d gotten so used to playing the dutiful husband on mission, he hadn’t thought twice about it. He went to drop his hand, but she grabbed it quickly and let herself be helped down the last step to the hanger.

“Thanks, Captain.”

“No problem,” he said gruffly. “I can handle the debrief. You should get some rest.”

Awn opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted. “I told you, statistically speaking, they’d be fine. Lieutenant Awn is highly competent and they’re only one day overdue.” The voice froze Cassian in place. He didn’t often doubt his own mental state, well at least not when Jyn wasn’t involved, but there was no way he could have just heard what he heard. “Neither her or Cassian are likely to take unnecessary risks.”

“I didn’t say they wouldn’t be ok,” Jyn groused.

“Your state of agitation over the last 24 hours past their check in point would argue otherwise.”

“Since when did you start monitoring my ‘state’?”

“I was bored.”

Cassian turned around slowly and took in the impossible sight of Jyn, Bodhi, and K-2SO walking towards him. He checked himself internally. Nothing seemed off and he was unlikely to have been drugged. He definitely hadn’t hit his head on the mission so it couldn’t be a hallucination. Perhaps he was dreaming?

“I thought your droid got destroyed in the Battle of Scarif.” Lieutenant Awn said.

“He did,” Cassian choked out. Jyn was practically beaming at him as they stopped a few feet away.

“Look who we found!”

“You did not find me,” Kay chastised. “You stole my backup from Cassian’s quarters and inserted it in a new body. I was never lost to be found.”

“Well, we found you a new body, didn’t we? That should count.”

“Kay,” Cassian managed hoarsely.

“Hello, Cassian. It is good to see you again and surprising. The odds of you surviving without me were not high.”

Cassian lurched forward, but paused unsure what to do with himself. His first instinct was to hug the droid, but he didn’t think he’d ever live that down or that Kay would appreciate it. He leashed his emotions quickly. “How?”

“Jyn Erso got in a blaster fight during an unsanctioned mission and secured a new KX-series body.”

“Hey, I thought we agreed to go with the ‘built you up from scrap’ story,” Jyn huffed, while Bodhi rolled his eyes next to her.

“I agreed to nothing.”

“You got in a blaster fight?” Cassian asked tearing his eyes away from the impossible droid to look her over. She looked fine and there were no slings or bandages he could see. His eyes drifted over her throat and caught on the dark bruising there. He stepped forward before he could think and tilted her head to get a better look. She swallowed hard and froze at his touch and he dropped his hand hastily. “What happened?”

“That was my mistake,” Kay admitted. “I was discombobulated during my initial startup and grabbed what I perceived to be an attacker by the throat.”

“That’s the story he’s telling anyways,” Jyn said, but her grin gave away her lack of anger. “I still say he did it on purpose.”

“I could not have. The last command I had before my backup and leaving for Scarif was to protect you, and it is still in place. Had I known that command would be issued I would have created my backup prior to it. Jyn Erso has informed me that the mission was successful despite great casualties, including my former body.”

“Yes,” Cassian confessed and if he felt his eyes prickling it was probably just the cold air blowing in from Hoth’s open hanger doors.

“I can handle the debrief, Captain.” He startled a bit, having forgotten Lieutenant Awn was beside him. “I’ll tell General Draven you’ll report in later?”

“Yes, thank you.” The blonde headed for the hallway and Cassian refocused on the ragtag group in front of him.

“Jyn Erso has additionally told me she gave me a blaster during the Scarif mission. Is this true?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Jyn Erso’s behavior is continually unexpected.” He saw a grin spread across Jyn’s lips and he couldn’t help but share it. “Can I have a blaster now?”

“Draven would never allow it on base,” Cassian said and stepped forward to touch the droid’s arm. “It’s good to have you back, Kay.”

“Of course it is. I am, after all, your best chance at survival. I downloaded your medical files and you have not been taking care of yourself.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to do that,” Cassian said.

“We told him you were fine and that he shouldn’t, but he insisted,” Bodhi supplied. “The medics were not happy when he connected to a med droid and stole the files.”

“It was necessary. The two of you cannot be trusted to have accurate observations, nor do either of you know enough of Cassian’s medical history to be able to pick up on operating abnormalities.”

“I’m fine, Kay.”

“Your right leg is hurting you.”

“You said it didn’t bother you anymore,” Jyn said in a tone that sounded like an accusation. She started forward, intent on doing force knows what, and he took a step back. She stopped and crossed her arms over her chest.

“As I said, you are unfit to make medical assessments. Cassian often lies.”

“It gets stiff sometimes after long flights, that’s all,” Cassian said throwing a glare at the droid. “It’ll be fine when I walk it off.” Jyn was looking at him through narrowed eyes.

“You should rest. I will accompany you back to your quarters,” K-2SO said resolutely.

“Do you need help?” Jyn asked.

“No, I swear it’s fine, really.” Kay started moving away clearly expecting him to follow. “Are you ok? What was Kay talking about – blaster fight and unsanctioned mission?”

Jyn groaned and shrugged. “It was nothing really. A stupid idea Han had that I went along with. It worked out ok though in the end. We got Kaytoo back and actually quite a bit of useful information if the way Draven hasn’t discharged me yet is any sign. Also I made a couple hundred credits in tips so not bad overall. The princess is still pretty pissed at us though.”

“Cassian,” Kay called clearly annoyed from the hallway entrance leading off to the living quarters.

“Better go before he starts blaming me for your operating abnormalities,” Jyn said with a grin. “He’s a very possessive droid. He accused me of being the reason you take stupid risks and seemed somewhat upset you had a new partner assignment, although I doubt they would have chosen to make Kay your Imperial wife even if he hadn’t been destroyed. He was also not at all happy that we’d taken this long to get him back online.”

Cassian snorted and glanced at the impatient droid. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

“You don’t have to,” Jyn said quickly.

“Yeah, you’d have done it for either of us, and as annoying as he is he’s part of the team,” Bodhi said and the sad smile that flashed over his face betrayed the fact that they couldn’t bring anyone else back who they’d lost on Scarif. “He really was worried about you. He didn’t calm down until he got his hands on your medical records.”

“Cassian.”

“I’ll see you both at dinner?” Cassian asked, ignoring the droid.

“Of course! And we’re behind on The Princess Spy. We’ve got two new episodes to watch,” Bodhi said enthusiastically. “We didn’t want to watch them till you were on base too.”

“You didn’t have to wait for me,” Cassian replied with a small incredulous smile. He’d never had anyone wait on something because they wanted to do it with him.

“Of course we did,” Bodhi argued. “We’re going to convert you into a fan. You just wait.”

Cassian glanced at Jyn. He was a fan of anything that put him in close proximity to her, well other than grievous bodily harm, which seemed to be the usual culprit. “I fell asleep last time.” And had woken up to her soft smile looking down at him. He’d walked her to her room and headed back to his own wishing she’d invited him in and knowing it was foolish. Kriff, he had it bad.

“And missed when her and Forian were forced to awkwardly share a bed and deny their sexual tension,” Bodhi said. “This is why you’re sleeping first this time. You missed all the good parts.”

“Cassian.”

“Go before he blows a circuit,” Jyn ordered pushing at his arm. “We’ll see you tonight.”

He debated the impulse to brush her bangs out of her face and decided against it. Jyn didn’t welcome casual touches and he respected that. “I’ll see you both then.”

Cassian forced himself to walk away from the two of them, but quickly refocused on the droid in front of him waiting. He couldn’t restrain the smile that pulled back his lips. Kay was the only friend he’d had for years. To have him back – he wasn’t sure how to describe it. He didn’t even argue when Kay rattled off statistics about fatigue hampering his functioning or when Kay pointed to the bed and ordered him to get some sleep. Honestly he slept better than he had in months knowing the droid was powered down in the corner.

He made his way to the mess with K-2SO at his side and couldn’t help if there was a slight bounce in his step. He was well rested and the people and the droid he cared about were safe and all in one place. They turned into the mess and his eyes instantly sought out the rest of Rogue One.

Cassian paused when he saw who else occupied their table. Didn’t Han get enough of her when they were on missions? You didn’t see him hanging out with Lieutenant Awn in his free time. Then again he and Awn weren’t anything more than colleagues to each other.

“Is there something wrong?” Kay asked.

“No, nothing at all.”

“You do not like Han Solo,” Kay said shifting his gaze between the man in question and Cassian. “It is ok. I do not like him either.”

“Why?” Cassian asked not really expecting a real response. K-2SO disliked most people on principle alone.

“He makes it very hard to follow your orders.”

Surprise flowed through him. “How so?”

“It is very difficult to keep Jyn Erso safe under his command. I have downloaded all of their mission files.”

“Kay, you’re not supposed to do that.”

“It was necessary. Han Solo seems to aggravate her recklessness. Her injuries have increased exponentially. Given my data is limited prior to her joining the Alliance, but her medical scans give a history of her past injuries and conclusions can be drawn.”

“You have her medical files too?”

“It seemed most prudent to take hers when I was downloading yours.”

"Kay, that’s an invasion of privacy.”

“Jyn Erso’s privacy is of a lower priority than her safety. Her past aliases actually seem to have provided her with more security than her current situation. I have run several scenarios and the most probable outcome of continued work with Han Solo is doubtlessly a painful death. One scenario ended with her tied to a gungan and drowning. The fact that that even arose as a statistical probability was telling. I have requested to be placed on missions with them when appropriate.”

Cassian snorted. “Solo is going to love that.”

“I do not care what Han Solo loves. Unless you would like to cancel the command to look after her?” Cassian almost thought he heard a hopeful tone, but droids didn’t really have the capacity for that.

“No, do what you think is best.”

“What would be best is to kill Han Solo before he kills her.”

It was tempting. “Ok, do what you think is best without killing a member of the rebellion.”

“Fine, but it won’t be easy.” Cassian smiled at that. He really was glad to have his best friend back no matter what anyone thought of the strange relationship. Kay would never be a piece of machinery or a tool to him.

“Are you going in?”

“Princess Leia,” he greeted.

“We’re not working, Cassian, Leia will do just fine. Come on then, I’m famished.”

He and the princess loaded up their trays and ventured over to the rowdy table, which had grown to include Luke Skywalker, Kes Dameron, and Shara Bey. Han was telling some clearly over the top story, while the table reacted with laughter and cheers. Everyone was too absorbed to notice their arrival, except for Jyn who grinned at him and squeezed over on the bench to make more room. Cassian slide in next to her and found himself pressed firmly to her side to allow enough room for K-2SO too. Leia tapped Kes on the shoulder and slid in opposite Cassian.

“And where was Jyn this whole time?” Luke asked wide-eyed.

“Hiding in the floor compartment trying not to laugh myself to death,” Jyn supplied with a cheeky grin.

“I was suave.”

"Keep telling yourself that, Solo.”

“When are you going to come to your senses and join the Pathfinders instead of this fool?” Kes asked through his laughter.

Jyn waved him away. “Solo gets away with more, which is convenient to the way I like to operate.”

“As recklessly as humanly possible?” Kay interjected.

“You’re exaggerating. I’m only reckless when it’s the best option on the board.”

“Your dejarik strategy would be evidence to the contrary,” Kay argued.

“You’re just pissed you lost.”

“Your gameplay was completely illogical and entirely unpredictable.”

“Exactly,” Jyn said proudly. Cassian wasn’t sure how the droid managed to look exasperated with no facial expressions, but he somehow pulled it off despite the inherit difficulty. Cassian fought down a smile at the thought of the chaos that must have resulted in the two of them playing dejarik. He could imagine Bodhi had to be on hand to mediate. He’d have liked to see it. Maybe now one day he would.

“Guys, can we please not start this again?” Bodhi begged and Cassian shoved food in his mouth to stop himself from outright laughing.

“I vote let them go,” Shara threw out. “The base started a betting pool on which one would shoot the other first and we haven’t got our answers!” Apparently it had been a very eventful week without Cassian on base.

“I would not shoot Jyn Erso,” Kay argued. “Cassian said I’m not allowed to.”

“I gotta switch my bet,” Kes interjected.

“I’m not going to shoot him either,” Jyn said and then patted Cassian’s shoulder. “Cassian said I’m not allowed to,” she mocked.

“Since when have you started following Cassian’s commands? Did that happen while I was out of commission as well?”

“I’ve always respected Cassian’s wishes,” Jyn defended. Cassian did snort at that. “As long as they aligned with my own.”

“Aren’t you admitting you don’t actually want to shoot K-2 then?” Luke asked. “If that wish aligns with your own?”

“Well, he did save our lives after all,” Jyn acknowledged and shot Kay a shy smile that Cassian had so rarely seen before. Kay made a mechanical noise that Cassian had come to associate with surprise over the years and said nothing.

“That screws that betting pool,” Shara said mournfully.

“Like there aren’t twenty other pools on equally ridiculous things still going on,” Leia observed dryly.

“You going to give us insight on when you and Han are going to shoot each other?” Kes asked cheerfully.

“The princess would never shoot me,” Han said at the same time as Leia answered, “Probably within the next couple days when the laser brain does something stupid again.”

“I have 20 credits on next Friday, so if you could wait till then I’d appreciate it,” Jyn said.

“Only if you punch a new recruit before the week is out,” Leia shot back.

“There’s a betting pool on that? I only ever did that once and he deserved it!” Jyn said smacking her hand on the table for emphasis. “Grab my ass, I punch you in the face. Cause and effect. Wanted ass grabbing excluded, obviously.”

“Well, I’m daring a recruit to grab Jyn’s ass in two weeks,” Shara said.

“I don’t think even the new recruits are that dumb anymore. They’ve all been warned,” Bodhi said.

“It was one time!”

“The kid had to get two fake teeth,” Kes piped in.

“Grab my ass, I punch you in the face.” Jyn crossed her arms and looked defiantly around the table daring anyone to argue. Frankly Cassian didn’t think it was a bad rule of thumb to have. While he didn’t outright encourage her bouts of instant physical retribution, he really couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry for the kid who’d taken the liberty.

“Are we done here?” Solo asked looking bored with attention having wavered from him. “Can we go to the cantina now?” Luke, Kes, Bodhi, and Shara all visibly tensed at the question. “What?”

“Don’t be idiots,” Leia said calmly. “I’m well aware of the unsanctioned cantina. None of you are on duty. I’m not going to narc.”

“And what about you Captain Straight-laced?” Solo asked leaning back in his chair.

Cassian felt Jyn tense at his side and wondered if it was on his behalf due to the nickname or if she thought he really would report them. “What about me?” he asked neutrally.

“Upstanding fellow like you. You going to rat us out?”

“Don’t be a jackass,” Jyn growled. “Cassian would never.” Well, that answered that, he thought pleased. She turned to him and grabbed his arm looking up at him imploringly. “You’ll come with us won’t you?” And how did anyone say no to that?

“I thought we were watching The Princess Spy,” Bodhi interrupted.

“That holodrama is awful,” Han groaned.

“Bite your tongue,” Bodhi hissed and Jyn drifted away from Cassian to wrap her arm around Bodhi’s waist in comfort. Cassian tried not to resent him for it.

“Solo is an idiot, ignore him. If the show doesn’t flash tits he’s not interested,” Jyn soothed. “But we can watch The Princess Spy whenever. How often are we all on base at the same time like this?” She glanced back at Cassian. “Will you come?”

He shrugged and tried to pretend there was any chance he could say no to those pleading eyes. “I could use a drink.”

“You can say that again,” Han joked.

“Joy. There is nothing I like more than watching organics actively choosing to make themselves dumber,” Kay said dryly.

Chapter Text

This was a mistake. He should have never agreed to this, no matter how Jyn looked at him. He could have made up a meeting, although Leia might have called him on that, but force he should have thought of something because spies and drinking didn’t mix. Sure, he’d made sure he had a tolerance and had to drink often enough on the job to blend in, but Imperial parties and seedy cantinas didn’t often include drinking games or people who’s good opinion of you actually mattered. When Shara had suggested playing a game he’d thought no one would agree. Leia was too professional, Solo considered himself too cool, Jyn had too much she liked to keep hidden, and Bodhi would follow Jyn. Unfortunately Leia seemed to be on a mission to prove that she could let her hair down, figuratively speaking, as much as anyone else and the second Leia was in, Solo had changed his tune obviously not wanting to be the uptight one. Cassian had waited for Jyn to object, but she’d just said it better not be something lame like spin the bottle because she wasn’t kissing K-2SO, which had sent the droid off into offended hysterics again and somewhere along the way it was decided they were going to play Never Have I Ever.

“I’ll start,” Luke said with the easy confidence of a kid with nothing to hide. Cassian was going to give it a few rounds and then feign tiredness. How bad could it get in a few rounds? He should have taken Bodhi’s side and talked Jyn into watching that stupid holodrama. “Never have I ever owed anyone money.”

Solo groaned and took a drink as did Jyn, Kes, Shara, Bodhi, and Cassian. See, easy. Nothing to hide and no information shared. “Never have I ever crashed a ship – not even a minor accident,” Shara threw out. Everyone at the table took a drink. Eyebrows were lifted at Leia.

“What? I was learning how to pilot and my father kept backseat piloting. We may have gotten into an argument and I may have clipped a tree. Never have I ever dressed up like a Stormtrooper.”

“I do not understand the point of this game,” Kay said as more drinks were had. “How does one win?”

“No one really wins,” Bodhi muttered.

“Then what is the point?”

“To get super drunk and dig up embarrassing information on your friends mainly,” Kes explained.

“I see. So it is a game to collect leverage for later use,” Kay said. “What is the motivation not to lie? Is there a penalty? Why have we not employed this method with Imperials if information is this easily extractable through this game?”

“It’s not for blackmail,” Luke said with a laugh. “It’s just for fun. You could lie if you wanted to, but then you might as well not play.”

“How is giving up information you would not otherwise give up, fun?” Kay asked and Cassian could almost hear the droid’s internal processes trying to make sense of the new information.

“Because everyone is doing it,” Bodhi said.

“That is irrational.”

“It’s because it’s with friends,” Jyn said with more patience and a fonder look than Cassian had ever seen her give Kay. “With people you trust. You know they wouldn’t use the information to hurt you, so it’s fun and funny instead of dangerous.”

“Cassian cannot play,” Kay declared firmly.

“What, why?” Jyn asked surprised.

“I have seen no indicators that Han Solo is Cassian’s friend or trustworthy. Nor do I have sufficient information on Luke Skywalker as to his intentions. You have also displayed hostile intentions towards Cassian in the past.”

“I am not hostile to Cassian,” Jyn said sharply.

“Is he a droid or your mother?” Solo asked scoffing.

“Kay, it’s fine,” Cassian said fighting down a blush as Solo smirked. Kay was overprotective, but it’d hardly ever been an issue in the past since Cassian had never spent much time with people on base.

“I encourage you to lie whenever necessary,” Kay said crossly. “Never have I ever participated in something so stupid.” Cassian couldn’t help it, he laughed and took a drink. The shock on everyone else’s faces, whether due to Kay’s comment or Cassian’s laugh unclear, faded quickly as they too started to laugh and drink themselves. “That was not meant as game play.”

“Never have I ever been roofied,” Cassian said neutrally. So what if it was a bit passive aggressive? Solo glared and Jyn barked a laugh that gave Cassian a little spike of pleasure, which he made sure never made it into his expression. Luke demanded more explanation when Solo had to drink, and Cassian took great pleasure in Jyn’s unflattering retelling of the story that left the table rolling with laughter.

“Never have I ever been an asshole,” Solo spat.

“You’re not allowed to lie,” Jyn shot back grinning and bumping Cassian’s shoulder affectionately with her own.

“Fine, never have I ever pretended to be married.”

Cassian just calmly took a drink and lifted an eyebrow when Shara joined him. “What? Sometimes it’s the best way to get an annoying guy to kriff off. You’ve seriously never done it, Jyn, Leia?”

Leia laughed, “Everyone always knew I was a princess. There was no faking being married.” She glanced at Jyn.

She shrugged. “I usually just punch them if they won’t go away. If that doesn’t work pulling a blaster or a knife does the trick.”

“As you can see there is a pattern in her life,” Solo teased. “It’s a wonder she doesn’t have men lined up for her.”

Jyn’s eyes narrowed. “Never have I ever had a Stormtrooper sneak up on me while I was taking a shit.”

Solo’s eyes went wide. “You said you’d never tell!”

“I didn’t tell anyone anything,” Jyn said smugly. “I just stated a fact about myself.”

Solo glared and took a drink. “Never have I ever wanted to have sex with-“ Jyn lunged up and slapped her hand over his mouth causing them both to tip over and land in a sprawl of limbs on the floor. Clearly everyone was getting drunker than they thought. “Get off, you psycho.” He tried to roll over and pin Jyn down, but whatever could be said for Solo’s skills with a blaster his hand to hand was far below Jyn’s. Somehow they ended up with Solo on his stomach, Jyn’s knee in his back pulling his arm back at an angle Cassian knew for a fact hurt. “Get off, crazy woman.”

“I will end you, fly boy.”

“It’s not my fault you,” he started to defend and then quickly broke off into a series of ow’s. Bodhi was flitting around nervously clearly wanting to help, and not sure how. Cassian debated trying to restrain her, but didn’t really feel like helping Solo out yet when Jyn looked so determined. Kes, Shara, and Leia were hysterical and Luke looked torn. The rest of the cantina was yelling encouragement and bets. Cassian really tried not to wonder what sexual fantasy Han had been about to disclose that had Jyn embarrassed enough to tackle him.

“She’s going to get court martialed,” Kay commented, but didn’t seem overly concerned. Cassian didn’t think Leia had any interest in doing so or that Solo would want to admit he got beaten up by a girl in order to make a formal complaint, but he should probably stop her before she actually hurt the idiot.

“Are you going to play nice?” Jyn demanded.

“You started it!”

“What are you? Five?”

“Jyn,” Cassian soothed. “You should probably let him up before you dislocate his shoulder.”

She turned fierce eyes on him that would have scared a lesser man. “Yeah, listen to your boyfriend.” All Solo got for that comment was a knee digging deeper in his back if his hiss of pain was any indication.

“He’s being a dick,” Jyn said petulantly.

Cassian agreed with her, but that was beside the point, and if the cantina got any louder they really would bring the higher ups down on them. “I think you’ve proven your point,” he said putting his hand on her shoulder and giving a gentle tug. She came willingly enough, but her body still looked ready to leap back into action as Solo grunted, rolled over, and got to his feet.

Solo brushed himself off and unwisely said, “If you wanted to be on top you just had to ask.” The cantina burst into laughter and Cassian barely had time to catch Jyn around the waist and drag her back before she really did do some damage. She practically vibrated in his arms like she had when he’d stopped her from starting a fight on Jedha.

“Ignore him,” Cassian murmured in her ear. “You just pinned him in under 30 seconds in front of half the rebellion. No matter what he says now, he’s going to get roasted for that for ages.” Jyn relaxed a modicum at those words. “Besides I’m too drunk to do a good job cleaning up and hiding a murder scene tonight,” he joked. Jyn huffed a laugh and settled.

“Oh come on, Cassian, let her do what she wants,” Leia cheered with a happy drunk flush on her cheeks. Cassian shook his head and used his foot to shove Jyn’s chair closer to his before getting her to sit down again in case he had to hold her back once more. Bodhi quickly shuffled his own chair in as a buffer between her and Solo.

“I told you this game was a bad idea,” Kay chastised.

“Maybe we should stop for the night,” Cassian threw out.

“No, its still my turn,” Solo announced and Jyn went rigid beside him. Cassian had just enough alcohol in him that he reached out and grabbed her wrist loosely stroking a thumb over her wrist bone without any real thought to it. “Never have I ever jumped off a building.” Jyn relaxed and took a drink as the bar settled down and Cassian dropped his hand from her, before taking a drink along with Kes.

Another round went by and everything was pretty tame again although they were starting to get sloppy drunk.

“Never have I ever slept with someone from a different species,” Luke said. Shara, Solo, and Cassian drank. He should really stop drinking now, but he trusted Kay to stop him from saying anything confidential.

Bodhi grinned at Jyn as if in challenge and said, “Never have I ever had a crush on a superior.”

Jyn glared and drank again while Kes and Shara got into a fight over whether Shara counted as a superior to Kes based solely on title since they weren’t in the same division. Cassian stomach clenched. It was as good as an admission if Bodhi knew about her thing with Solo. He’d been holding out some vague hope that it was just sex and not an actual crush. Silly of him. What would he have even done if his feelings were returned? He wasn’t capable of something like a real relationship anyway.

“Aren’t you going to drink?” Jyn asked.

“Huh?”

“You’ve definitely had your blaster stolen,” she said with a smirk. He realized he’d missed a challenge from Kes and drank his drink accordingly.

“I’m done,” Luke slurred. “Or I’m going to die.”

“This was just as idiotic as I predicted,” Kay added unhelpfully.

“If Luke’s out, I’m out,” Leia said. Kes currently had Shara in his lap and they were too busy making out to have any input one way or the other.

“I’ll help you both get back to your own bunks,” Solo offered standing up too. He glanced at Jyn who was swaying lightly in her chair. “You gonna be alright?”

“Me? I’m fine,” Jyn said easily. She put a hand on Cassian’s knee and one on Bodhi’s and gave them a squeeze. “I’ve got them.” Cassian wasn’t sure if she was saying he and Bodhi would make sure she was ok or if she’d volunteered to be the babysitter like Han was doing for Luke and Leia. Cassian was drunk, but was pretty sure she was worse off than him and in no position to be offering. The group said their goodbyes and Cassian stood. “Where are you going?”

“To bed?”

Jyn stuck out her bottom lip in a pout and gazed up at him. “Already?”

“You’ve been yawning for an hour now,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, but if we go to sleep it means we’ll just wake up to one of us having a stupid mission and not seeing each other for weeks or months at a time again.” She was well and truly drunk if she was willing to admit that much emotional attachment.

“Maybe it won’t happen?” Bodhi offered. “None of us know of any mission orders for tomorrow. Maybe we’ll all have off and can watch The Princess Spy.”

Cassian shook his head and tried to hide his smile. “You both do know that show is pretty terrible right?”

“You fell asleep, how would you know?” Bodhi spat.

“It didn’t take a whole episode to figure it out.”

“It’s ok, Bodhi,” Jyn drunkenly comforted wrapping her arm around the pilot’s shoulders. “Cassian is just upset because it’s inaccurate about spies. It’s like when you get upset about the pilot scenes being wrong. Maybe he’d like Dark Run.” She switched her attention to Cassian and grabbed his hand. “It’s this show about the dead rising up to eat the living and the last people in the galaxy having to figure out how to survive.”

“That is biologically impossible,” Kay said calmly.

“Kaaaaaay.” Jyn strung the word out and leaned around Cassian to try and pat the droid’s shoulder. She nearly tumbled out of her chair and Cassian wrapped firm hands around her waist to keep her from hitting the floor. He expected her to jerk back, but instead she just got herself more fully on her feet and leaned her weight into him, nestling into his side. He awkwardly put an arm around her hips to keep her steady and waited for a hit that never came. “It’s just a show. For entertainment. It doesn’t have to be real.”

“Come on, time to go,” Cassian said interrupting before Kay could argue. “Bodhi, you alright? Do you need help getting back to your room?”

“I’m fine,” the pilot said standing up and grinning at them as Jyn yawned against Cassian’s side. “Kay can help me back to my room.”

“I did not volunteer for that. How intoxicated are you that you can’t find your own room?”

“Kaytoo,” Bodhi growled and Cassian wondered what the hell the drunk man’s end game was. “You don’t actually sleep in Cassian’s room do you? Han said you must, but that’s a little weird isn’t it?”

“I do not sleep at all,” Kay answered clearly offended. “I mainly go to the recharge stations at night, but I have powered down in Cassian’s room on occasion.” Mostly when Cassian was having a bad time of injuries or nightmares when he was younger. The droid had enough sensitivity to not elaborate further for Bodhi, which both surprised and pleased Cassian.

“Recharge station,” Bodhi said. “Want to show me that?”

“Why?” Kay asked and Cassian had to agree. Even with the buzz making his thoughts slip around he could not figure out why Bodhi was acting so weird. He was about to start his own interrogation when Jyn shifted to bury her face in his chest sleepily and lean almost her entire weight against him. All his thoughts fizzled out as her arms wrapped around his waist.

“We should get her to bed,” he said.

“Can you manage?” Bodhi asked. “I really want to see this recharge thing.”

Cassian lifted an eyebrow, but nodded all the same. Whatever had the pilot acting weird could be dealt with another day. “Jyn,” he said softly shifting her so she was standing more under her own power again. “Let’s go to bed.”

“Mmm, sounds nice,” she murmured and leaned into him again. He huffed a quiet laugh and started maneuvering them to the door, waving goodbye as Bodhi and Kaytoo went off the opposite way. They were halfway to her quarters when she started to fidget at his side. “I have to pee.”

“Well, we’re almost there.”

“I have to go now,” she whined.

“You really can’t make it?”

Shaking her head emphatically she said, “It’s an emergency.”

“My room is closer, come on.”

“You have your own private ‘fresher in your room?” Jyn asked sounding scandalized.

“Perks of being a Captain.” He’d honestly forgotten she must be sharing the communal ‘fresher, which was even further than her room. He led her three doors down and keyed in the code to his own quarters. The door opened with a swish and Jyn rushed pass him, hurrying into the tiny ‘fresher and shutting the door. Cassian entered more slowly and plopped down in the small desk chair to wait her out.

She came out bleary eyed a few minutes later and he moved to support her again, surprised when she swept past him and collapsed on his bed.   “Jyn.”

“Hmpfh,” was the only response he got.

“Come on,” he said gently. “I’ll get you to your room.”

“No.” Jyn snuggled her face down into his pillow and was about to curl up when he caught her by the ankle to stop her from dragging her booted feet into his bed. “Too far,” she muttered trying to kick his restraining hand off weakly.

“I swear it’ll go fast. Come on, get up.” He pressed on her shoulder to get her to roll over and look up at him.

Hazy eyes met his and narrowed into an approximation of her usual glare. “Fight me.”

That earned her a startled laugh. “I’m not going to fight you.”

“Because you’d lose,” Jyn said confidently. “Good night.” Then she rolled back over and buried her face in the pillow again

“Jyn, come on, don’t make me carry you.”

“Kay said your leg is hurting you, so you can’t.”

“Jyn.” He got no response. “I’m not sleeping in that tiny uncomfortable chair,” Cassian said firmly. Or as firmly as he could. If she really wanted his bed, what was he going to do about it? When had he become such a pushover? Kay was going to be so pissed when he got hypothermia from sleeping on the floor.

“Of course not,” she slurred sitting up and shoving her boots off before sliding under the covers and over to the far edge of the tiny bed and the wall. Her hand came up lazily and tugged on his wrist. “There’s room.” Cassian froze. She gave his arm another tired tug. “Com’on it’s cold.”

“Jyn, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re drunk and Solo…” he let the comment die in his throat. They didn’t talk about each other’s dating lives. His head buzzed with the alcohol and he tried to focus.

Jyn tugged his arm hard enough to half pull him into the bed and he braced himself on his free hand to stop himself from falling on top of her. “What’s Solo care?” she mumbled. And perhaps Solo was keeping it casual with her, he wouldn’t put it past the smuggler, but was the man actually a kriffing moron? Who’d let Jyn get away once they had her? “Stop being a moof-milker, I’m tired and so are you and I’m not moving.”

Well, if she insisted. They were just sleeping after all, and she would know better than him what Solo would and wouldn’t care about. He couldn’t carry her back to her room right now, though he blamed that on the sway the alcohol had given the world and less on his leg aching, nor did he want to sleep on the freezing ground or crappy durasteel chair. He pulled himself free of her to use the ‘fresher himself, shut the light off, and slip off his boots before crawling into the bed beside her. They were just sleeping next to each other; he did it with Lieutenant Awn when they were on missions all the time. Jyn rolled over and curled into his side.

Ok, this was fine too. He held himself still and Jyn mumbled something unintelligible and buried her face in his throat. His pulse beat overtime and he tried to focus on going to sleep. A tiny warm hand slipped just barley under the seam of his shirt and he stopped breathing. Jyn’s even breathing countered his own and he realized she was fast asleep. And he was fine, definitely fine. She was like a tiny furnace at his side and he relaxed into the heat that was so rare on Hoth. Solo was a force-forsaken idiot.

Chapter Text

Jyn was dying, there was no other explanation. She was in the middle of the Death Star’s blast and every other thing that had happened in her life since had been a hallucinated death wish. She groaned and turned into Cassian’s arms, burying her face in his throat. At least they were together.

She waited a moment and nothing changed. Cassian’s steady breathing fanned out on the crown of her head and she opened her eyes with a whimper to realize they were laying in a bed and not the beaches of Scarif. That stupid drinking game. Force, never again. And she’d refused to leave his bed, how embarrassing. Jyn shifted and wondered if she could get out of his hold without waking him. She’d generally think it unlikely, but he’d been drinking too so perhaps there was a chance.

She wiggled, trying to slip free of his arms. He groaned and released her, rolling on to his side and bringing a hand up to his face. “Sorry, Ali. Must have moved in my sleep.”

Jyn froze. He thought she was Lieutenant Awn. And of course they’d probably been sharing beds on missions. Jyn tried not to be annoyed at the familiar nickname for the woman. It’s not like there was an affectionate way to shorten Jyn that he’d chosen to avoid.

Cassian stopped moving with his back to her and the tension that moved down his body was enough to tell her he’d figured out she wasn’t Ali. He rolled back over to her slowly as she sat up gingerly. “Jyn.”

“Morning,” she forced out around her dry mouth. “Sorry I was such a wreck last night.”

“It’s fine,” he moved to sit and then grunted and dropped his head into his hands. “Kriff, I haven’t been this hungover in a while.”

“You’re telling me. But if you think we feel rough, just imagine how Leia and Luke must feel.” That earned her a small laugh. Jyn knew she should make her excuses and go, but the thought of moving made her head thump in pain.

Cassian sighed and swung his legs off the bed before stumbling into the ‘fresher. He came back out a few moments later and handed her a glass of water before slipping back in and shutting the door. She gulped the water like she’d never tasted it before and was sure no one had given her anything nicer in her entire life. Jyn leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, not bothering to reopen them when she heard the ‘fresher door open. She should have taken the opportunity to sneak out. Tanith or Kestrel would have. Oh well, opportunity gone. He sat down on the bed again and sighed.

“I’m out of pain killer. We’re going to have to go down to med bay if we want tablets.”

Jyn made a face at that. Med bay was always so annoying. “They’re going to be dicks if they figure out we’re just hungover and wasting resources.”

“That’s why we’re going to lie.”

Jyn smiled and opened her eyes. “You’ll get written up for behavior unbefitting a Captain.”

“Not if I don’t get caught, which you forget is literally my job,” he answered with a small confident smirk.

“What are the chance you’ll let me lay here and quietly die while you go tell lies and get medicine for the both of us?”

“Kay would probably be able to give you the specific probabilities, but I’m going with very low. If I have to walk out into the freezing cold and the bright lights so do you.”

“Then let’s just suffer here,” Jyn said drinking the last of the water and curling back down on the bed. “I’m not making it all the way down to med bay without throwing up.” She waited for Cassian to throw her out or argue, but he simply pulled the cup out of her hand to place it on the ground and settled back down beside her on the bed.

“Maybe in a couple hours it’ll be better,” he mumbled, and Jyn was more than happy to follow him back to sleep.

The next time she woke up it was to the sound of Cassian’s door opening and light from the hallway streaming in over the bed. She made a noise of protest and realized Cassian had pulled a blaster from who knows where and was aiming it at the door. She was learning he was significantly more functional than she was with a hangover.

“It’s just me,” K-2SO said entering as Cassian lowered the blaster. The door slid shut behind the droid plunging them back into darkness other than Kay’s optic lights staring at them.

“What is it, Kay?” Cassian asked roughly.

“I brought you pain medications and food,” Kay said. “There was a 95% possibility that you would need it to deal with the after effects of the alcohol. I did not, however, account for Jyn Erso being here. Did you fornicate? Do you need emergency contraceptives? I did not secure those.”

“Kay,” Cassian growled in warning next to her, and Jyn was glad the darkness hid the blush she could feel heating her cheeks.

“Is that a yes or a no?”

“We only slept, Kay,” Cassian clarified.

“Fine, I got extra pain medication anyway. There might not be enough food, as I assume you will unwisely share it, but it should help.”

“What’d you tell them to get the meds?” Cassian asked as Jyn sat up and reached past him to steal bread off the tray Kay was holding. He hadn’t denied it when Kay said he would share so she was taking full advantage.

“I said your leg was bothering you, which is accurate. They would like to see you later if the pain gets worse.”

Jyn frowned. “Kay, my leg is fine. Stop telling people that.” She tried to think back to him going to the ‘fresher, but she hadn’t really paid attention to whether he was favoring one leg or another.

“Either way, they gave me enough medication for a few weeks,” Kay said setting the tray in Cassian’s lap. “I’m leaving now. I have no desire to witness human copulation.” Cassian threw his head back against the pillow and closed his eyes as Kay retreated from the room.

“Sorry about him.”

“It’s fine,” Jyn said stealing some pain tablets to wash down. “I knew what I was getting myself into when I rebooted him. At least he brought meds and food. Small price to pay.”

“You’d be the first to feel that way,” Cassian said with a small laugh.

“He’s walked in on you before?” Jyn asked trying to sound casual.

“Unfortunately,” Cassian admitted. “I may have regretted reprogramming him a couple times.”

Jyn couldn’t help but laugh. “And I thought my sexual history was bad.”

“You can’t top an intrusive droid?”

“Nah,” she answered munching on the protein bar she’d pilfered from the tray. “At least not on the embarrassment scale. Unless calling someone the wrong name counts?”

“I mean it’s not great,” he said grinning and stealing what remained of the protein bar back from her.

Jyn shrugged. “Could be worse. It’s not like they knew my name either. Does Kay offer contraceptives every time?”

“No, one time he walked in and just said ‘you’re doing it wrong,’ before exiting.”

Jyn’s eyes widened. “How in the world were you doing it wrong?”

“We weren’t actually doing it wrong,” Cassian said with a huff. “Kay just has a very textbook definition of what happens during sex, and no real concept of foreplay.”

“And you haven’t educated him on the matter?” Jyn joked barley muffling a laugh. She could just imagine the way Kay delivered that assessment.

“I’d really rather prefer he just learn to knock.”

“I don’t think your chances of that are high.”

“Guess I’ll have to find a girl who’s ok with the occasional droid commentary.” The minute it slipped out of his mouth he looked like he regretted it.

Jyn couldn’t help but smile at his embarrassment. “There are worse people who could walk in on you. At least you’ve never been caught by Draven.”

Cassian gave a fake exaggerated shudder next to her. “Don’t even joke about that.”

“Just lie back and think of the rebellion,” Jyn said, imitating Draven as best she could.

Cassian snorted and shoved her arm out from under her dropping her back into the bed. “That was a terrible impression.”

“I’ll have you know my General Draven impression has kept many a recruit rolling from laughter.”

“You assume they’re laughing because they think you’re funny and not because they just want you to like them.”

Jyn rolled her eyes at that. “You laugh at my jokes.”

“Maybe I just want you to like me.”

“I’d like you regardless,” Jyn said thoughtlessly and then busied herself grabbing another piece of food off the tray to hide her embarrassment. “I just mean you and Bodhi are family. You don’t have to laugh at my jokes to get me to like you,” she tried to clarify. She didn’t want things to be awkward. Just because he wasn’t interested in her that way, didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends. She never wanted to pressure him into something he didn’t want. The silence stretched between them and she panicked. “I have to use the ‘fresher.”

Cassian shifted sitting up in the bed and she scrambled past him, ignoring the larger knocks her headache made at the movement. She hissed as her feet hit the cold floor, which leaked up even through her thick socks. “Kriffing ice ball,” she muttered and could practically hear Cassian grinning behind her, which made her relax.

Shuffling into the bathroom, she took the time to actually observe her surroundings now that she was sober. Having your own ‘fresher was a luxury on base, and she was making sure every future holodrama marathon took place in Cassian’s room. Her eyes landed on the shower and widened.

“Is that a real shower?” Jyn shouted through the door.

“As opposed to a fake one?” Cassian asked dryly, clearly amused.

“As opposed to a sonic, you twit.”

“Oh, yeah.”

“With actual hot water?” She finished peeing and washed her hands.

“I mean not a ton of it, but yeah it’ll last a good fifteen minutes or so every 12 hours.”

Jyn slid the door open. “I would literally trade you my soul for fifteen minutes in your shower. I haven’t had a hot shower since Yavin.” And the years before that were spotty for hot showers having always been on the run or in prison.

Cassian peered at her through the dark of the room. “And what exactly am I supposed to do with your soul?”

“I’ll trade you my extra blanket.”

“Kay already stole me an extra one. It was waiting for me when I came back.”

“Stupid droid stealing my leverage. How about alcohol? I could definitely score you something good on the next mission.”

“Bad offer with my current hangover trying to crush my brain.”

“I’ll give you my first born.”

“Yeah, because raising and worrying about kids in the middle of a war is a reward.”

“I’ll take your next perimeter check duty.”

“Three hours out in the hell that is Hoth for fifteen minutes of hot water?” he asked incredulously. “That’s a terrible trade. I thought you were supposed to be good at negotiating deals.”

“Says the man who has been taking hot water showers for months. What would you know?”

“Jyn, just use the shower.”

“Are you serious?”

“If it means that much to you, how could I say no?”

She let out a happy whoop and bolted across the room to give him a tight hug, which seemed to startle him more than anything else, before dancing her way back to the ‘fresher. “I’ll be out when there’s no hot water to speak of!”

“There’s a towel on the back of the door and a hair dryer in the drawer,” he called after her.

The next fifteen minutes were better than any sex Jyn had ever had. She wasn’t sure if that said something about how desperate she’d been for a nice hot shower or the quality of her past partners. Either way it was a wonderful little eternity. Cassian didn’t know what he had. Stepping out into the cold air wasn’t great, but the dryer took the edge off, and she didn’t think she’d been this happy and relaxed in long time and that was even with a still lingering headache. By the time she came out Cassian had finally turned on the lights and changed for the day and was looking at his datapad.

“You look happy,” he noted with a small smile of his own when he glanced up.

“Infinitely so. If you ever want to make some extra credits you could rent out shower time.”

“If you want to use it again you can just ask.”

“Really?”

“Of course. If I’d known you liked showers that much I would have offered ages ago.”

“Cassian Andor, you’re the most spectacular man I’ve ever met.”

"You’ve literally met the last Jedi in existence.”

“Sure, Luke’s nice and all, but he doesn’t have anything on you,” she said sincerely. “My muscles haven’t felt this good in months. The day Luke wants to offer me access to his shower I can reassess.” She was sure Cassian would still come out on top, but hey she could at least play at being fair.

Cassian snorted. “I have to check in with Draven.” He looked uncertain for a moment and then said, “You can stay if you wanted to sleep more.”

"No, I’m up now and the pain meds are kicking in. I’ll walk you that way,” Jyn offered. “I told Han I’d help on the ship today so I need to go down to the hanger anyway. Given that’s assuming Han is even functional yet.”

“I don’t think he was as bad off as you.”

“Not with the alcohol at least, but I bet his back and arm are giving him some trouble this morning,” Jyn said with a fierce little smile. Served the idiot right for almost telling Cassian she wanted to have sex with him. She’d have never recovered from that humiliation or Cassian’s resulting tactful spy-face rejection. Bodhi would also be getting an earful today for his little stunt about having a crush on a superior, although once he gave her those sad apologetic eyes she’d probably ease up on her tirade. She was pretty sure Bodhi could manipulate her into forgiving anything.

“You’re just lucky Chewie wasn’t there or Solo would have had backup.” Cassian moved to the door and held it open for her. At least he didn’t look both ways down the hall to make sure no one would see her coming out of his room. Not that there was likely to be anyone in the living quarters at this time of day.

“Nah, Chewie lets me beat Han up when it’s earned. He’s not as blindly devoted as Kay is to you.”

“This is why we don’t give Kay a blaster on base.”

Jyn threw her head back and laughed at that. She impulsively wanted to grab his hand, but pushed that instinct away. What were they going to do? Stroll down the halls of Echo base holding hands? Ridiculous. She wondered if she could talk him into a holodrama marathon this evening. Bodhi would be thrilled at the prospect, and it’s not like Kay could object if it was three to one. All she knew was she’d do her best to wiggle her way into more of Cassian’s off hours however she could. She was pathetic.

“Ah good, just the man I was looking for,” a voice said interrupting her own internal flagellations. She glanced up to see Draven striding towards them and Cassian stiffen into a formal posture at her side. “Sergeant Erso.” She tried not to startle at the title, but it was so rare that anyone addressed her formally that it surprised her. “Captain Andor, can we review the debrief Lieutenant Awn gave me?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Great, I think we might have something new for the two of you thanks to Sergeant Erso.”

Cassian’s brow furrowed in confusion and Jyn wasn’t sure she was following. Draven never said thanks to her. She was willing to let it pass as a fluke though and get out of his presence before she pissed him off again. Cassian was not as easily satisfied. “Sir?”

“She got some interesting intel off of Coruscant I’d like to look into.”

“When were you in Coruscant?” Cassian asked sharply. It wasn’t the safest planet to be on if you were a rebel or really had any anti-Imperial sympathies at all.

Jyn flinched internally under the look he was giving her, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to show that in front of Draven. “So that unsanctioned mission where we got Kay? Yeah, happened to be on Coruscant.”

“Can you do it again?” Draven asked.

“Huh?”

“Will your contact give you info again?”

Jyn contemplated it. It was possible, but Elwin hadn’t implied she wanted any long-term commitments to the rebellion. Although her general dissatisfaction with her job and the fact that she’d risked passing the info along at all didn’t exactly bode well for the Empire. “I’m not sure. She doesn’t expect me back, but she might be open to the idea. I’d have to go back and see I suppose.”

“Sir, neither Solo nor Erso are trained for undercover espionage,” Cassian interrupted and Jyn felt her hackles rise. She’d gotten the information hadn’t she? “If they have a useful contact the information should be turned over to intelligence to follow up on.”

“She trusted me,” Jyn growled stubbornly.

Cassian gave her a blank look she hated. “And that’s all well and good. If whoever you contact is is a good source we should have a professional handler take over.”

“What if she only wants to talk to me?”

“Then you can make an introduction.”

“She didn’t want any part of the rebellion,” Jyn argued, now just annoyed that he thought she was so incapable.

“She gave you the intel didn’t she? Knowing you’d take it back to the rebellion.”

“Enough,” Draven cut in and Cassian at least had the sense to look chastised by him. “For now I want to double confirm that the information is good, but in a couple months I may need you to make contact again.”

“Of course,” Jyn agreed readily if only to rub it in Cassian’s face. “Anything to further the cause.”

“If I may make a recommendation, sir. Sargent Erso should be sent with an intelligence officer, not Solo.”

“Duly noted,” Draven said looking rather unimpressed with the whole conversation. “We’ll speak in the future, Seargent Erso. Captain Andor?”

Cassian gave a sharp nod and followed his superior down the hall without a backwards glance at Jyn, which was just fine with her because she was pretty sure she looked like an irritated wampa, as Bodhi had once called her. Where did Cassian get off thinking she was so incompetent? Her and Solo did everything the Alliance asked of them and for the most part successfully. She’d been raised and trained by one of the most notorious rebels in the galaxy and had spent years after the Partisans surviving under the Empire’s boot with no one to depend on but herself. She’d lied, cheated, and conned with the best of them. So what if her preferred method was either avoiding the confrontation or beating people into submission? It didn’t mean she couldn’t talk to a contact who had trusted her and get the Alliance the info they needed. Jyn stomped down towards the hanger fuming. So maybe she wasn’t good enough to fake a million accents, languages, and personalities. Maybe she couldn’t pass for a snobby, proper, pampered little Imperial wife, but she could sure as hell run with the scum of the galaxy in a shit strip club on Corsucant. Force, despite her Imperial lineage she was the scum of the galaxy, it wasn’t even subterfuge.

“Uh oh,” a teasing voice said breaking her out of her dark thoughts. “She’s got murder shoulders. What happened, kid? Captain Stuffed Shirt didn’t stick the landing?”

Jyn looked up to find Han, Chewie, Bodhi, and Shara standing near the Falcon now staring at her. “What the kriff are you on about, Solo?”

“You don’t look like a woman who just got off.”

Jyn narrowed her eyes. “You really want to lose that arm, don’t you flyboy?”

Bodhi held his hands up in a peacekeeping gesture. “We all just didn’t think we’d be seeing much of you today.”

Shara laughed. “At least we hoped that’d be the case for your sake.”

“Are you all still drunk?” Jyn groused. Bodhi wilted a bit under her dark glare and she sighed and toned it down. “Seriously what are you guys talking about?”

“Well,” Bodhi started looking at the others for support, but Shara just smiled and Han waved at him with a get on with it gesture. “It’s just that Kay passed through here earlier.”

“And?”

“Han asked if he’d seen you, and K-2SO informed us that you and Captain Andor were in his quarters fornicating,” Shara supplied gleefully.

Jyn closed her eyes and tried to count to ten, but it didn’t do anything to calm her down. “I’m going to offline that stupid droid. We were not having sex. I was drunk and needed to use the ‘fresher and his room was closer. I passed out in his bed and we slept. That’s it, which was clearly explained to Kay this morning. We still had all our clothing on for force sake. I’m going to find the stupid hunk of junk and make sure he isn’t spreading this around the whole kriffing base.”

“You were going to help on the ship,” Han protested.

“I’ll come back once I’ve dealt with this. Besides I suck at repairs. You’ll just scream at me for a couple hours before you get frustrated and send me off anyway. No need to rush it.” Jyn darted off as Han started up complaining behind her. She was in no mood to deal with him when he was trying to fix his beloved ship. Let Chewie deal with it. At least Chewie actually knew what he was doing.

 Five hours later Jyn had properly threatened Kay into silence, at least she hoped she had as the droid had been particularly flippant about the whole thing, and was in the process of trying to convince herself not to hit Han over the head with the hydrospanner she was holding.

“I said the gauge to the left.”

“You didn’t!”

“Either way it obviously wasn’t the right gauge.”

“Han. I am not an engineer, pilot, or mechanic. The only thing I know how to build is bombs. If you want me to help you’re going to have to be more specific.”

“How the hell did you get around the galaxy if you can barely pilot and fix a ship.”

“My skills lay elsewhere,” Jyn defended. “You need fake documents, I can forge them with the best of them. I’d like to see you do that. Besides I’ve never met a pilot I couldn’t bribe into taking me where I needed to go for the right price.” Jyn kicked a panel in frustration.

“Don’t abuse her!” Han shouted and Jyn rolled her eyes and chucked the hydrospanner at him, with no real intention to hurt him, which he caught.

“You’re such an idiot.”

“Why? Because I’m protective of the things I love?” Han declared passionately and Jyn tried not to laugh at his over-the-top declaration. A throat cleared from the doorway, and both of them looked over to find Cassian stiffly standing there with his carefully neutral spy-face on. “What do you want, Andor?”

“I was actually looking for Jyn.”

“As you can see, I’m busy,” Jyn said crossly. She hadn’t forgotten how annoyed at him she was.

“It’ll only take a minute,” Cassian said firmly.

“Oh, just go,” Han said rolling his eyes, before sticking his head back into the open electrical panel. “We’re done here anyway.”

Kriff him for not even being a good excuse, not that she wanted to stay and continue helping. “Fine,” Jyn spat crossing her arms. Cassian turned and walked rigidly off the ship as she followed. He walked to a more shadowed corner of the hanger before stopping.

“You and Solo ok?” he asked gruffly.

“We’re fine,” Jyn said annoyed. “I highly doubt you came all this way just to check on the status of me and Han’s relationship. What do you want?”

“You’re angry at me,” he stated flatly.

“Did you figure that out all on your own?” Jyn asked sarcastically. “You really are a great intelligence officer!”

“Jyn,” he started clearly getting frustrated with her, but he paused and sighed running a hand over his face. “I didn’t mean to piss you off.”

“Because usually girls swoon when you call them incompetent?”

“I wasn’t,” he struggled to find the right words. “I was not trying to imply that you are incompetent. You’re clearly not. It’s just that Corsucant isn’t exactly safe, and you and Solo aren’t exactly known for your subtlety. It would make more sense to send an intelligence officer.”

“I did it once. I can do it again.”

“Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” he argued and she could tell he was fighting to keep his tone even and low. “You’re good at what you do, Jyn, and so am I.” He must have seen the need to argue taking her over because he finished softer with, “Is it so wrong that I don’t want you to be put in the middle of a fire fight, in the heart of the empire, without me there to do something about it?”

Well, that was unfair and knocked the argument right out of her. “Cassian, the blaster fight had nothing to do with the intel. I get that you’re concerned. How do you think I feel every time you go off on some undercover mission? But it really wouldn’t be anything too risky as long as Han doesn’t drag me into another side job.” Cassian glared at that. “Which he won’t, because I won’t allow it, clearly. I’ll really be alright.”

“I’m still recommending an intelligence agent goes with you if you have to go.”

Jyn sighed. “Fine, but I’m still going to argue that it’s unnecessary.”

Cassian nodded tightly. “Are you still mad?”

“No,” she said uncrossing her arms. “I think you’re being stupid, but I’m not mad. Are you shipping out again then?”

“Tomorrow afternoon.”

“Do you have to prep tonight?” She tried not to sound like she’d be upset if he did.

“I could do it on the trip out tomorrow,” he said almost like it was a question.

“Good, then it’s dinner and The Princess Spy tonight. You’re hosting since you’ve got a private ‘fresher. And if your droid goes around telling people you, me, and Bodhi are having a threesome in there you have to fix it, because I’ve reached my quota.”

“What? Why would he do that?” Cassian asked following her as she set off for the mess.

“Because he apparently has an even looser grasp on what sex is then you said and isn’t afraid to tell people that that’s what you’re busy doing.”

Cassian groaned. “How many people did he tell?”

“I think just Han, Chewie, Bodhi, and Shara, but who really knows?”

“I’ll speak to him.”

“Like that’ll do any good,” Jyn snorted.

“I’m really sorry about this.”

“I’m not,” Jyn said grinning. “It was still worth it for the hot shower.” And to spend time with Cassian, but even she wasn’t stupid or impulsive enough to say that out loud.

Chapter Text

“You are being irrational.”

“Kay, seriously, don’t you have anything better to do?”

“Obviously not.”

“It’ll get us in good with this rebel cell,” Jyn explained as she wrapped her knuckles. “Make them more open to talking with us.”

“I fail to see how you punching or being punched by one of their members will help negotiations,” K-2SO said seriously. “Cassian will be displeased. He has never gotten into fistfights as a recruitment method.”

“Which is why the Alliance has failed with so many rebel cells,” Jyn answered making sure her vibroknife was within easy access just in case the opponent decided to play dirty. Fighting she was willing to do, but dying to some cocky-ass partisan who thought he could make a name for himself by killing some Alliance bitch was not on the docket. “I grew up with people like this. They respect strength and action. They see the Alliance as a bunch of weak-willed politicians who are afraid to get their hands dirty. Sending smooth-talking intelligence agents to recruit them just proves their suspicions right. Playing by their rules will be more likely to get them to talk to us.”

“Why can’t Han Solo fight?”

“Because his hand to hand is shit.”

“What about the wookiee?”

“It’s not fair putting a human up against Chewie. Kaytoo, I’m going to be fine, and if you don’t let it go soon I’m going to start to assume you care about my wellbeing.”

“Cassian cares about your wellbeing,” the droid corrected and Jyn ignored the warm flare in her chest at that statement. “There is a 45.3% chance you will overlap with him at Echo Base and still have visible injuries from this fight.”

"So the chances are in our favor,” Jyn said with a grin, clapping the droid on the arm.

“I advise against your current plan.”

Jyn rolled her eyes. “You didn’t have to come, you know. You volunteered for this mission for whatever reason.” Which had surprised the hell out of her, more so when she’d demanded to know if Cassian had ordered Kay to keep an eye on her, and the droid had answered dryly that Cassian would never directly send him on a mission with her and Han as Cassian preferred him in one piece. Han had shrugged and let the droid aboard when he’d been told, but had quickly lived to regret it. The only upside was that Han was so busy arguing with Kay that neither of them had time to argue with her. She and Chewie had been having a perfectly pleasant trip ignoring the two of them.

“I ran probable outcomes and you were more in need of my assistance than Cassian. He has Lieutenant Awn with him as backup. You do not.”

“I have Han and Chewie.”

“Han Solo does not count as backup, and the wookiee is more dedicated to preserving Han Solo’s life than yours. In nearly all the simulations I ran, his life was prioritized above yours.”

“Kay, I appreciate the concern, I really do,” and she found there was more truth to her words than she meant there to be, “But it’s one fight. I grew up fighting and spent many years on the run taking fights for extra money when things got tight. I’ll be fine.”

“Fine, but I’m telling Cassian.” Jyn smiled at that and squeezed the droid’s wrist joint affectionately even though it would mean little to nothing to Kay.

“You ready, kid?” Han asked walking into the lounge area with Chewie at his side.

“Good to go.” They exited the Falcon into the mountainous air of Eiattu and headed towards the caves that this rebel cell had claimed as their own.

“You’re really going to let her fight?”

“Of course,” Han answered, “She’s good at it.”

The droid made a mechanical noise that Jyn had come to associate with annoyance and suspicion. “You do not value Jyn Erso’s life.”

“That’s a little harsh,” Han argued. “I just don’t think this is going to be what kills her.”

“Correction. You do not value her wellbeing.”

“I do too,” Han said. “I prefer her not shot, stabbed, or bleeding out.”

“Then you would not send her to fight.”

“Boys, really?” Jyn asked trying to disrupt their tiff.

“This was her idea!”

“You did not argue.”

“Have you ever argued with her? It’s a no-win scenario.” Chewie laughed at that as he took up the rear.

“I have won multiple times,” Kaytoo said calmly and Jyn tried not to laugh as well. What the droid considered winning was debatable. More often then not Jyn just continued to disagree with him and do whatever she thought was best, but ceased to argue verbally with him on the subject.

“Honestly, I’d take C-3PO over him,” Han said throwing up his hands.

“The protocol droid offers no tactical advantages. He is nearly as useless on missions as you are.”

“Kay,” Jyn said sharply, but laughter she couldn’t contain bubbled in her tone. “Han’s going to dismantle you if you keep this up.”

“I’d like to see him try.”

“It can be arranged, bolt-bucket.”

“Honestly, both of you, shut the kriff up. We go in, we make friends. We offer a little friendly supplies and set up communication between them and the rebellion. Easy enough. Kay, I’m not going to die and we have some bacta on the Falcon. Han, try not to shoot anyone or make Kay shoot you.”

A teenage boy watching the entrance smiled at their approach. Jyn remembered his face from the group of partisans that approached them upon landing. The landing party hadn’t been particularly friendly other than not outright shooting at them. They’d listened to Han’s offer with grim faces and the leader had laughed and spat and said they didn’t make deals with politicians. Han had tried to talk to them about the benefit of trading arms for intel, but they hadn’t trusted a word of it and one insult too many had had Jyn vocally ripping the leader a new one. A tense moment at the end of her tirade had dissolved into the man laughing and inviting them to participate in tonight’s entertainment and a meal if they lived.

“You’re really going to fight then?” the boy asked. “I thought you all were going to fark off back to the Alliance while you had the chance.”

“You all want to fight before you talk it’s fine by me,” Jyn said with a shrug.

The boy nodded to a girl that looked a few years older than him sitting at the cave mouth. “I’ll take them down.”

He ran off ahead and they followed, all practiced in ignoring hostile looks and threatening sentients. “Kid, the chance of us being able to shoot our way out of this if it goes tits up is not high,” Han growled quietly beside her as they took another fork in the twisting caverns.

“Approximately 5% success rate,” Kay added.

“It’ll be fine,” Jyn said waving them off. Honestly this felt more like home than the Rebellion often did in the freezing organized halls of Hoth. This was what she’d grown up with. Angry people with few outlets and fewer opportunities in life. She got them in a way she didn’t get good upstanding rebels who’d left comfortable homes and, often, Imperial families to take up a cause that was hard living and little reward. Leia for example, at least prior to the Death Star, could have kept her head down and led a comfortable life.   Jyn didn’t know what she would have been if her family had stayed successfully hidden on Lah’mu, but she didn’t envision herself becoming a rebel. She’d have probably stayed happily ensconced in her parents love and become a farmer’s wife with a bushel of children and few worries as long as they paid their bills and followed the law. The vision was so ridiculous she almost snorted. It seemed impossible based on who she’d become, but she still remembered that first year with Saw when she’d cry for comfort and feared the harsh sentients who made up her new life. She’d had to burn that weakness down to survive. The creature that had crawled out of the ashes understood places like this, felt comfortable in the ever-present threat of violence.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Han muttered at her side.

Jyn laughed and elbowed him encouragingly. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you, pretty boy.” Chewie laughed behind her as they came out into a huge lit up cavern, filled with jeering men and women circled around a shallow pit.

Cages full of animals lined the wall, and as they got closer they could hear the snarling in the pit over the sound of cheers. Peering down into the pit Jyn could make out an akk dog and a loth-cat caught in a ferocious fight. Usually she didn’t think the loth-cat would stand a chance, but the akk dog looked like it was a runt and was taking a beating. Jyn had never been interested in animal fighting, but she’d been in enough bad places to be able to mostly ignore it.

“You came,” Birander, as their leader had finally identified himself, said coming over to them. “We’re a few fights away from the main fights of the night.”

Jyn shrugged. “Just let me know when you need me.”

“Who do you have Jyn paired against?” Han asked warily.

Birander nodded over at a mountain of a man who jumped down in the pit to pull what must be his loth-cat off its kill and stuff it in a portable cage. The thing hissed and spit uselessly and Jyn sympathized. She’d never taken well to being manhandled either. “Dreg volunteered.”

Jyn eyed him critically. “Like kriff she’s fighting that,” Han said outraged. “That’s not a fair fight.” The man was big and muscled, but Jyn wasn’t that concerned. The men were always bigger and more muscled than her. People gave too much credence to appearance matching up with ability. Saw had taught her young that that misconception would always be an asset and that talent, not brute strength, often won out.

“It’s fine,” Jyn cut in.

Birander laughed. “You see? You should have more faith in your woman.” He clapped Han on the back and wandered off before Han could put up more of a fight.

“Are you insane?” Han hissed. “You can’t fight that. He’s a monster”

“It’s fine.”

“Aren’t you going to argue?” Han asked turning on Kay. “I’m sure you have a statistical probability of her being murdered by that.”

Kay turned his gaze from her opponent and stared at Han. “It’s low. The man does not appear to have any formal fight training. There is a 95% probability that Jyn Erso will prevail.”

Jyn preened at that. “See? At least someone has faith in me.”

“It is not faith,” Kay corrected. “It is a statistical probability.”

“Useless bucket of bolts. We’re all going to die in this mad house,” Han grumbled next to her.

“You’re a smuggler. I’m sure you’ve hung out with worse.”

“To make a deal or a trade. I don’t stick around, sweetheart, and everyone knows everyone else’s objectives. I don’t walk into a nest of zealots and offer to fight them on the off chance they might want to talk afterwards.” Han huffed. “You know everyone goes on and on about how I put you in danger, but I’m pretty sure you’re the crazy one.” Chewie made a noise that sounded like assent and Jyn glared.

“Just don’t shoot anyone,” Jyn muttered.

“Are you proud of yourself?” Han asked passing her a drink in a dinted tin cup and settling in beside her.

“A little,” she admitted grinning and then wincing when the motion aggravated her split lip.

“You shouldn’t be,” Kay said from her side. “You are damaged.”

Jyn rolled her eyes, but didn’t argue. The split lip, bruises, and sprained wrist would have proven her wrong. Still she’d dropped six men before she’d been taken out and that included Dreg who cheated profusely. The bastard had thrown dirt in her eyes and started swinging before they’d officially started the fight. He wouldn’t be walking properly for a while after she’d broken his leg in at least two places.

The teenage boy who had led them down to the fights darted out of the crowd now eating, drinking and celebrating their wins or mourning their losses depending on how they had bet for the evening. He held out sizzling meat on a stick towards her and she raised her eyebrow. “For you.”

“Why?” Jyn knew this life well enough to know that supplies weren’t plentiful. Given the meat was probably locally hunted, but younger, newer fighters rarely scored the best food and the kid couldn’t be a day over 16. His brown eyes glowed with amusement and the way his hair fell in his face reminded her of Cassian if he had years less of trouble and responsibility on his shoulders.

“Because I won a lot of credits tonight, miss,” he said grinning and pushing the stick of meat towards her again. “No one thought you’d win anything, but you didn’t seem stupid to me. Figured it was the least I could do to say thanks.”

Jyn gave him a small smile and accepted the offering. She was hungry after all and it was fair. Han snatched a chunk of meat off the skewer and popped it in his mouth before she could stop him.

“Thanks, kid,” he got out around the chunk of meat in his mouth.

The boy looked unimpressed and dropped down next to Jyn on the rock she’d perched herself on. “How’d you learn to fight like that?”

“I was part of a rebel cell too before joining the Alliance,” Jyn said as she bit into the meat. “Under Saw Gerrera. Have you heard of him?”

The boy stared at her wide-eyed. “Who hasn’t? You really knew him?”

“A long time ago,” Jyn said.

“He was a lunatic too,” K-2SO added behind her.

“Tell me about it?” the boy asked ignoring the droid.

“It was a long time ago,” Jyn reiterated. “Why don’t you tell me about here instead?”

“Baaro,” Birander called as he made his way over to them. “Are you bothering our guests?”

“He’s fine,” Jyn said flashing the boy, Baaro, a smile.

“Birander is my father,” Baaro said by way of explanation and Jyn supposed she could see the family resemblance now.

“At least that’s what his mother says,” Birander said with a laugh. “Who can really ever know?” He waited for a laugh he didn’t get and shook his head good-naturedly. “I didn’t think the Alliance had fighters like you.”

Jyn shrugged and focused on her food, shifting a bit and leaning into Han to get some weight off her bruised ribs. “I worked with Saw Gerrera before I joined.”

Birander raised an eyebrow. “From what I’ve heard Gerrera’s people would never have worked for the Alliance.”

“Things change. Gerrera is dead and his people weren’t the ones who brought down the Death Star. The Alliance is no longer a group of toothless politicians, and their fangs are growing by the day. Alderaan was a rallying cry. The Empire cannot stand and we can’t fell it divided.”

“So we switch one yoke for another. What proof do you have that your Alliance will be any more just than the Empire when they achieve the power they seek?”

Jyn thought of Leia with her steel spine, bright vision, and unrelenting dedication to a republic. Of Luke with his optimism and naivety even as he grew into something more dangerous, of his continual need to help whoever and however he could. Of Shara and Kes, brave and in love despite all the risks. Of Han and Chewie and their loyalty to the ones they cared for. Of Bodhi and his eagerness to make things right, to fight even when he was scared, and his natural instinct to comfort those who had lost. And finally of Cassian and the darkness he carried so others didn’t have to, of the things he’d done to give the rebellion a chance, to give others a chance at a life he certainly didn’t believe he’d ever live to see or enjoy.

“It’s different,” Jyn said quietly, but confidently. “The Empire wants to crush everything in its path. The Alliance wants to give everything a voice. There was peace once, the Alliance has the right leaders to create it again.”

“There were Jedi once to keep the peace.”

Jyn snorted. “And sith to destroy it. In the end it’s the people who must choose what sort of galaxy they live in and create it.”

“With what power?”

“Whatever we can take,” Jyn said fiercely. “And we can take more by working together.”

“What could you possibly want from us?”

“You’re strikes make it obvious you have access to intel in this sector. You give us intel and we give you supplies.”

“We have all we need.”

Jyn laughed outright at that. “No partisan group ever has everything it needs.”

“I don’t think the Alliance has much to offer either.”

“Soldiers and ships,” Jyn said with a shrug. “Find a target worth our while that you could never hit and perhaps we can.”

“I’ll think about it,” Birander said. “Will you be staying the night?”

“We’ll be leaving tonight,” Han butted in.

“Fair enough. Baaro why don’t you show the Solos back to their ship?” Birander had already walked away before the comment fully registered to Jyn and the chance to protest passed quickly. She supposed they’d only introduced Han with his full name. She’d simply said Jyn due to old habits. She wasn’t valuable to the empire anymore with her father dead, but the name Erso didn’t endear you to a lot of people.

“Come on, this way,” Baaro said looking disappointed. He started leading them out of the cavern and Jyn paused by the animal cages in a spat of pettiness.

“That loth-cat owned by Dreg?” Baaro nodded and Jyn moved over to the cage, handing Han her skewer. The loth-cat hissed and arched backing into the corner of its cage. “I get that,” Jyn said softly. “I don’t like being put in cages either, or my jailors.” Jyn tugged a pick out of her sleeve and quickly went to work on the old-fashioned lock, grateful her dominant wrist wasn’t injured. The mechanism gave way and she popped the door open and backed off. The loth-cat gave a final growl and streaked past her to the cavern floor. Clearly looking for the advantage of height it shimmed up K-2SO and perched hissing at the world on top of his head.

“Get this creature off of me,” Kay demanded reaching for it as it darted away to his shoulder.

Jyn grabbed the last of the meat off the skewer and crouched down, holding it out in offering. The loth-cat hissed from Kay’s hip and darted down his leg when the droid slapped at him again. The creature approached cautious and snarling, hackles raised. Its paw stretched out quickly and ripped the chunk of meat from her outstretched hand, eating it ravenously as it watched her with wary eyes.

“It reminds me of you when we found you,” Kay noted.

Jyn shot him a glare, but stayed where she was. The loth-cat finished the meat and approached sniffing at her now empty hand before giving a squeaking meow. “Sorry, little one, that’s all I’ve got.” The loth-cat butted her hand and she scratched it behind its ear. “I’m sure this world has rodents too. You’ll do all right. Go on, you’re free.” She stood up and brushed the dirt from her knees. The loth-cat backed up and growled again. “Go on.” The loth-cat raced off down a tunnel and Baaro laughed.

“Dreg is going to be so mad.”

“He deserves it,” Jyn said fiercely. “He cheats.” They followed Baaro out of the tunnels and back to the mouth of the cave.

“You’ll come back?” Baaro asked hopefully.

“That’s up to your father, but yes, we’d like to be allies.”

“Think you could teach me some moves next time you come?”

Han snorted next to her and muttered, “Probably not the ones you’d like her to.”

She kicked his boot and focused on Baaro. “You stay alive that long and I’ll teach you how to throw a man twice your size over your shoulder.” The boy gave a quick nod of assent and a wave before disappearing back into the cave.

Chewie growled out something, but the only word she could pick out was ‘wife’. “Shut up, you big lunk,” Han chastised.

“What did he say?”

“He said that Han Solo was going to have to defend his wife’s honor against a teenager if we came back again,” Kay piped up. “When did you and Han Solo get married? Does Cassian know? I’m sure he wouldn’t approve.” Chewie laughed and Jyn rubbed her temple as she felt a headache coming on. “The Alliance most certainly doesn’t know. You would have had to file paperwork, and I did not see it when I went through your personal file upon reactivation.”

“Kay, those are private,” Jyn sighed and wondered why she even tried.

“It was necessary. This means you must have gotten married since I was reactivated or have not filed the proper paperwork. The latter is more likely.”

“We’re not married. Birander made a mistake,” Jyn explained.

“You did not correct him.”

“I was surprised, and he’d already walked away. There didn’t seem to be any point in chasing him down just to say he was wrong.”

“The wookiee would know if you two were married and he called you Han Solo’s wife.”

“He was making a joke, Kaytoo.” For a droid with no facial expressions he still looked suspicious. “I wouldn’t marry Han if you paid me.”

“Hey!” the man objected.

“What? You’re liable to get me knocked up and bail the second I asked you to change a diaper,” she teased.

“That’s what Chewie is for,” he argued and the wookiee made an offended noise and argued. Jyn laughed as they lowered the ramp to the Falcon. “Fine, we’ll make Threepio do it.”

“That bumbling droid is not handling my baby,” Jyn said firmly.

“What about K-2SO then?” Han offered hooking his thumb back towards the droid in question.

“I was not made to deal with childcare,” Kay said sourly. “Nor will I care for your and Jyn Erso’s genetically-deficient baby. You have not reported your pregnancy to medical either or you would not have been sent on this mission.”

“Kay, I’m not pregnant,” Jyn said in exasperation. “It was another joke. You’ve really got to learn the difference.”

“It was never necessary with Cassian,” the droid answered as they got on the ship.

“Shocker,” Han huffed. Jyn elbowed him in the ribs. “What? You’re not going to tell me Captain Serious is secretly hilarious.”

“Cassian is funny in his own way,” Jyn defended. True, he didn’t crack jokes often, but he made her smile or laugh regularly with his dry observations and quick replies. Cassian was just a different type of funny, and it wasn’t his fault Han never shut up long enough to find that out.

“Defend your boyfriend all you want, but I’m not buying it.”

“You are not dating Cassian. He would have informed me,” Kay stated. “This is another joke?”

“Yes, ignore him. I am not dating, married, or pregnant, Kay.”

“I’m sure Baaro would be happy to help change that,” Han snickered.

“Get kriffed, Solo.”

Chewie told them to strap in and headed for the cockpit. Jyn settled into the seat next to Kay and buckled up.

“Jyn Solo is a stupid name,” Kay said beside her.

“Kay, I’m not married to the idiot.”

“I know. Just as a precautionary measure you should take into account that Jyn Solo is a stupid name.”

The Millennium Falcon grumbled to life and Jyn rested her head back against the seat. A weight dropping into her lap nearly scared the daylights out of her. She looked down to see the loth-cat blinking back up at her calmly. She sighed. “Solo is going to be so pissed.”

Chapter Text

Cassian had been in worse situations, given that particular bar had been set so high by Scarif that it was almost impossible to surmount. Still the mission wasn’t going great, well to be more specific the second mission wasn’t going great. Joreth and Nandali Sward had successfully attended an Imperial party, getting them deep into the Imperial controlled city before they’d had to “leave early” due to his wife not feeling well. They’d gotten on a shuttle, successfully slipped off without notice, and doubled back to infiltrate an Imperial base.

Everything had been going well till the very end when a fluke random search had caught them in the middle of stealing intel. Their masks had guaranteed their covers weren’t blown, but they’d barely made it out of the base with their lives and had to request an emergency extraction. They’d spent two days hiding in a shitty abandoned factory and he wasn’t sure Ali could go much longer without medical care. She’d been shot once in the side and severely broken a leg jumping out a window. He’d patched her up as best he could with what they had, but she’d gotten a fierce fever on the second day of hiding and they needed to get out of there.

Luckily the Alliance had finally given them coordinates for pickup. The unfortunate part was he wasn’t sure how he was going to get them there. He’d helped support, really drag, Ali on a splinted leg through half the city in the dark of the night without getting them caught, but he wasn’t sure how to make the last bit into the hanger. The entire city was on high alert due to their escapades and the Swards couldn’t be caught still on planet.

“I’m going to leave you here for a minute and scope it out.” He glanced at Ali tucked into a corner of the alleyway he’d sequestered them in.  She was mostly in and out of consciousness now. He lifted her face in his hands and waited till her hazy eyes tried to focus on him. “I’ll be gone for a moment, don’t go anywhere.”

She gave a watery laugh at that. “Don’t think I could even if I wanted to, Capt’n.”

“Be right back.” Cassian set off and slipped into the hanger looking for anything familiar. He nearly groaned when he saw the Millennium Falcon. Solo was the last person he wanted to deal with right now, but they must have been the closest agents available and at least the ship was fast, not that he’d ever admit that to Solo. Cassian stuck to the edges of the hanger and worked his way closer. He didn’t think he’d ever been more relieved to see someone in his life than when K-2SO made his way to the base of the ship’s entry ramp clearly checking over the hanger.

“Kay,” Cassian hissed quietly.

The droid turned quickly at his voice and had enough sense not to call out. Instead moving slowly and mechanically closer as if securing the perimeter around the ship he’d clearly been set to guard. He stopped within quiet speaking distance. “Cassian? You are who we’re extracting? Where is Lieutenant Awn?”

“She’s hurt. I’m going to need help getting her here. Can you come with me?”

“There will be no subtle way of getting her through the hanger to the ship if I have to carry her.”

Cassian sighed. “Guess it’s a good thing this particular team was assigned. Give Solo and Jyn the heads up and then come with me.”

As Cassian sprinted through the hanger shooting at stormtroopers with adrenaline pumping through him and Kay carrying Ali at his side, he could at least quietly admit that being reckless had some appeal. Cover fire was laid down over their heads and Cassian’s eyes locked on Jyn firing around the ramp door. He felt a blaster bolt whiz past his arm and put on as much speed as his own injured leg and back would allow. They flew up the ramp and it started closing before they were all the way in.

“Someone get on the laser cannons,” Han shouted darting for the cockpit. Chewie followed him with a roared command and Kay propped Ali in a seat.

“See? The wookie trusts me with blasters.”

“Kay, just go!” Jyn yelled as Cassian tugged the mask off Ali’s face in the hopes of making her breathing a little less labored before strapping her in. “I’ll get the med kit.” She darted off and Cassian ripped the mask off his own face.

He heard a cannon fire and stumbled forward bracing himself on a chair as the Falcon started takeoff. The ship tossed again, from a hit or from Solo’s takeoff he wasn’t sure.

“Strap in!” Solo’s voice ordered.

Cassian didn’t need to be told twice. He threw himself in the seat next to Ali and belted in. Another hit rattled the ship and Cassian gripped the seat trying to ignore the shock it sent up his leg and spine. Scarif had left more than one mark. He grimaced and glanced up to see Jyn trying to round the corner of the hallway with a med kit in hand as the ship lurched forward again. She gave a startled cry as the ship shot upwards at a 90 degree angle and came tumbling through the air toward him. On instinct he reached out and grabbed her, grunting as her body impacted with him and her legs clamped down on his own injured one to steady herself.

Cassian pulled her closer, securing his arms around her waist and trying to keep her stable as the ship whipped itself through crazy maneuverers and cannon fire. Another jerk upward pressed them both back into the seat and he yelled a warning Jyn couldn’t even heed as a loose wrench came flying towards them from the hallway aimed directly for Jyn’s head. His hand went up reflexively and tugged her down, tucking her face into his throat successfully as the wrench went flying by, missing her by a hair’s breadth. He didn’t let up, wanting to curl around her and protect her till this shitstorm of an escape was over. Who in the fuck left items unsecured in a space ship? Reckless, stupid, assholes, that was who. Jyn’s hands fisted in his shirt as another blast rocked the Falcon sideways. Why in the hell hadn’t she buckled in when Han ordered her too? Her clenched legs and added weight were making his injuries scream, but he couldn’t take the chance of shifting her to a less painful position and potentially losing his hold on her. A tugging sensation informed him they’d made the jump to hyperspace and he breathed out a harsh breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“Are you ok?” Jyn asked into his throat.

“Fine, you?” He realized she couldn’t lift her head because he was still desperately holding her tucked into him and released her.

“I’m ok. That was a nice catch.” She backed up in his lap and he couldn’t hide the flinch of pain on his face, which had her scrambling back up and off him as fast as she could. “You’re not ok.”

“I’m fine,” he countered harshly trying to regain his composure, but felt the adrenaline thrumming through his veins along with the frustration of the last couple days and panic of the last few minutes. It all coalesced into a bubbling anger that was hard to keep restrained. “Old injury. Can you find the med kit again? Lieutenant Awn needs assistance.”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Jyn said and took off down the now level hallway where the dropped med kit was most likely to have landed. Cassian unbelted and tentatively put pressure on his leg.

“Everyone good back here?” Solo asked jubilantly as he walked into the lounge. “That was a close one.” Cassian punched him hard, sending the cocky pilot sprawling. “What the kriff, man?”

“What kind of farking idiot are you?”

Solo got to his feet clearly spoiling for a fight and, other than his injuries, Cassian was happy to supply. “The kind that saves your ass.”

“No, the kind who leaves tools unsecured and nearly gets their crewmembers killed,” Cassian yelled pointing to the wall where the wrench had embedded itself in a now sparking panel. Jyn scurried back into the lounge with the med kit under her arm looking wide-eyed. “That was very nearly Erso’s head!”

“Well I don’t know where the wrench came from, but it certainly wasn’t me.”

“You’re the Captain of this tincan aren’t you?” Cassian demanded. “That means you’re responsible for what happens on it.”

“Sorry, if I was more focused on saving us from certain death, which may I remind you was brought down on us by your team, rather than proper safety procedures!”

“Guys,” Jyn said trying to interrupt.

“If you don't consider a wrench through the skull as much certain death as being blown out of the sky you might need a biology lesson.”

“Guys.”

“And you,” Cassian shouted rounding on her. “Why in the force’s name didn’t you strap in when Solo told you to? You almost got yourself splattered against a wall with a wrench in your head for your troubles. Why can’t you ever listen to a kriffing order?”

“I was trying to get the med kit for your partner!” she defended.

“Because you were going to administer aid with the whole kriffing ship flipping upside down?” Cassian snatched the med kit out of her hand and limped over to the thankfully unconscious woman still strapped in the seat.

“Don’t worry about it, kid,” Solo growled behind him. “I’m pretty sure this is just Captain Stick Up His Ass’ way of saying thank you.”

“Trust me, it’s not,” Cassian said coldly. He tried to calm the tremble in his hand that had started the second he’d barely moved Jyn’s head to safety as he dug through the med kit. He grabbed an antibiotic shot and got it in Ali’s arm, hoping it could get her fever under control before he started digging for a bone stabilizer shot, some painkiller, and bacta. They wouldn’t have enough to heal her onboard, but at least the supplies should keep her alive till they hit base.

“Jyn Erso, remove your animal this instant.”

Cassian snapped his head up at the strange proclamation to see Kay returning to the lounge with what looked to be a panicked loth-cat wrapped around one leg. What in the hell even happened on this ship? Jyn sighed but walked over trying to sooth the wide-eyed animal into releasing its hold on the droid.

“Pets are against Alliance regulation,” Cassian noted sharply as he applied a bacta patch to Ali’s side.

“Yeah, well, I’ve suggested spacing it at least twice,” Solo growled touching his face tentatively where Cassian’s fist had connected.

“He killed that animal that’s been eating through the ship’s wiring,” Jyn protested hotly, plucking at the last paw desperately trying to cling to K-2SO. “You should be thanking it.” The paw came loose and the loth-cat wrapped itself around Jyn instead.

“Guess I’m as good at appreciating favors as Andor,” Solo said. “Besides the thing sheds.”

“No more than Chewie!”

Cassian ignored their idiotic bickering. His anger was simmering, but he honestly didn’t owe them shit in the way of an apology. They were going to get themselves killed the way they operated. Ali gave a painful moan and her eyes fluttered open. “Cassian?”

“Yeah, I’m right here. We’re ok. You passed out, but we’re on the Millennium Falcon headed for base. We don’t have enough supplies to fix you, but we’re going to make you more comfortable, ok?” She gave a weary nod as she slumped in the seat and he pushed her sweaty hair out of her face. “You’re going to be fine, Ali, I promise.” He stood up and turned back to Solo. “Is there a cabin where she can lay down?”

“I can show you,” Jyn said, awkwardly trying to reposition the still clinging loth-cat more comfortably.

Cassian moved to lift Ali into his arms, but Kay stopped him. “You’ll hurt yourself further.” The droid picked her up, to which she only gave a mild whine of protest, and they all followed Jyn to a small bunk. Kay maneuvered into the room putting her down on the cot and shuffling back out.

“We should look at your leg,” Jyn said tentatively.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.”

“I’m fine enough. I’m going to stay with Ali to make sure her fever breaks.” With that he shut the door in their faces before either she or the droid could argue further about his medical care. He sank down on to the floor next to the bed and stretched out his leg, reveling in the numbing cold of the durasteel underneath him. Ali rolled over and looked at him blearily. “Get some sleep. It’s all going to be fine now.” She shut her eyes willingly enough and he leaned back against the wall and closed his own. There was nothing to do now, but wait.

He woke up a couple of hours later stiff and hurting, which wasn’t really a surprise. Ali’s breathing was even and deep and he took her temperature quickly with the skin thermometer without waking her. It was down quite a bit and he gave a little sigh of relief. He’d honestly thought she might die on him a couple times. Struggling to his feet he shuffled out of the cabin only to find Kay stationary across the hall.

“Will you accept medical treatment now?”

Cassian sighed. “All I need is rest, and right now I’d prefer food.” He started limping towards the lounge and the galley with Kay dogging his tracks. He found Jyn curled up with the loth-cat reading a datapad. She glanced up as he entered and looked like she would have stood to come to him if not for the animal in her lap.

“Is Lieutenant Awn ok?” And he was grateful she didn’t instantly harp on his own injuries.

“The fever is down,” Cassian said. “Hopefully it’ll stay down and we can get her back to base without further trouble.”

Jyn winced and he wanted to apologize. He hadn’t meant trouble from her or Solo, just trouble from the injuries in general. He held his tongue though, apologies weren’t something he gave often. “That’s good,” she said neutrally. “Are you hungry?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed. Just point the way.”

She shrugged and moved the loth-cat to the seat next to her. It gave a little growl of protest and then curled up again. “I’ll get it. Have a seat.” He was about to argue that he was fine and didn’t need to be coddled, but Kay’s firm hand on his shoulder started pushing him forward towards the seats and he decided he just didn’t have the energy to fight both of them. “We’ve got some protein bars and polystarch bread. Nothing too exciting.”

“When you haven’t really eaten anything in two days everything sounds good,” he allowed with a shrug as he sat. The loth-cat opened one eye to assess him and then promptly went back to sleep. Jyn came back with the rations and he finally got a good look at her. “Do I even want to know why you’ve picked up a loth-cat or what happened to your face and arm?”

“I told you he would find out,” Kay said petulantly.

“You said 45.3% chance,” Jyn countered sticking out her tongue at the droid.

“That calculation was not including an emergency extraction as a variable.”

Jyn ignored the droid and tossed Cassian the ration bar going to add some water to the polystarch before bringing it back over. “The Alliance wanted us to make contact with a rebel cell on Eiattu.”

“They’ve been notoriously not open to discussion,” he noted with a frown. He had personally approached them a few years back and been quickly rebuffed, as had every other agent the Alliance had sent. “Why would they send you?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Jyn groused crossing her arms.

“I believe Cassian is implying that you are unfit for delicate negotiations,” Kay supplied and Cassian flinched at that explanation.

“Thanks very much, Kay,” Jyn said sarcastically. “They sent me because no one else had worked and Mon Mothma thought my history may make me more relatable.”

“So you got in a fight?”

“Multiple fights.” Jyn grinned and slid into the lounge seat next to him behind the hologame table. She scooped up the loth-cat and dropped it in her lap again running her fingers through its fur distractedly. “They weren’t interested in talking, but they offered me a spot in their fight matches if I was willing. I accepted. Rebel cells like those respect strength and action, not words. I think they’ll at least contemplate talking to the Alliance in the future.”

“And that?” Cassian asked nodding towards the loth-cat as he devoured the protein bar and reached for the polystarch.

“I stole him,” Jyn said shrugging. “I mean not on purpose,” she clarified when he gave her a disapproving look. “Well it was on purpose, but not the stealing bit. They had animal fighting. He was owned by the first guy I was matched up against. The guy played dirty. I put him down and freed his loth-cat. It wasn’t my fault the thing decided to stowaway on the Falcon.”

“There really is a no pet rule on base,” Cassian said shifting to try and find a better position for his back and leg.

“You got to keep Kay.”

“I am not a pet,” Kay stated, clearly affronted.

“It’s fine, I have a plan,” Jyn said waving off the droid’s annoyance.

“Do I even want to know?”

“It’s the same plan as always,” Jyn said as the loth-cat started up a rumbling purr in her lap. “Ignore the rules and do what I want anyway. It’s just one loth-cat. How mad can they possibly get? Besides I think the thing eating through the wiring on the Falcon is native to Hoth and has been doing the same thing on base. It’d explain why we keep getting so many power outages. He’ll be useful. I’m sure I can convince the princess to let me keep him if nothing else.”

Her logic wasn’t entirely flawed, just a bit askew, which he should be used to from her anyway. Either way he found himself too tired to argue and it wasn’t his job to enforce the rule. “So what’s its name?”

Jyn looked up at him startled. “His name?”

“Yeah, what have you been calling him?”

“Um, just you know the loth-cat.”

“Are you serious?”

“What? It’s not like I’ve ever had a pet before, and I don’t even think you can train the thing so it didn’t occur to me to give him a name.”

“Well, if you’re going to keep him, he’ll need a name. Everyone on base is going to get annoyed if they have to say things like ‘Kriff you, Jyn’s loth-cat’ when it inevitably causes more trouble than it’s worth. You’re going to have to name it.”

Jyn looked down at the cat and back up at Cassian. “You name it.

“What? Why? It’s not mine.”

“Yeah, but I’ve never named anything before and it seems like an awful lot of responsibility. Once you have a name you’re stuck with it forever whether you like it or not.”

“You and I change our names constantly,” he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes at him. “It’s not like the loth-cat is going to be switching out aliases.”

“I’m not naming him.”

“Fine,” Jyn said and then her eyes got a wicked little light he both loved and hated. “I’ll name him Cassian.”

“Honestly, what?”

“It’ll be hilarious,” Jyn said enthusiastically. “Then when people are shouting at him as you predict it’ll be ‘Kriff you, Cassian,’ and ‘No, Cassian, don’t crawl up the princess’ dress’ and ‘Cassian, stop attacking the tauntauns!’”

“You’re not naming the stupid thing Cassian,” he said sternly, but he couldn’t entirely smother his smile.

“So you name him then.”

“Not a chance. How did you come up with your aliases? You’ve named yourself plenty of times.”

“I don’t know. I didn’t put much thought into them. It’s not like I expected to be them for long. As long as it wasn’t ‘Jyn Erso’ it was good.” She went quiet and focused on the loth-cat in her lap.

Cassian nudged her shoulder with his. “For the record I like the name Jyn Erso.” She shot him an almost shy smile glancing up at him and his heart stuttered at the sight. He wanted to do more things that earned him that smile. “You could name him Millennium Falcon and really piss Solo off.”

Jyn laughed outright at that. “It’s tempting.” Then her eyes lit up. “How about Rogue after Rogue One?”

Cassian smiled. “I like it.”

She swept the cat up under its front limbs so it was dangling in front of her eye to eye. “How do you feel about Rogue?” The loth-cat gave an answering meow, and that seemed to be good enough for Jyn. “Rogue it is.” The loth-cat started to wiggle and she set it down on the hologame table. The newly dubbed Rogue glanced around before leaping down into Cassian’s lap and then jumping off to the floor, which would have been fine if it hadn’t used his injured leg as a spring board.

Cassian grit his teeth. “I was right. It’s definitely going to need a name to be cursed at.”

“So you are hurt,” Jyn said. “Did you use any of the painkillers?”

“Didn’t want to run out,” Cassian said. “Lieutenant Awn needs them more than I do.”

“We have plenty. We keep an extra stash. Here, just stay here.” She darted off before he could argue and came back wielding a shot that he knew had the fast-acting good stuff in it.

“It’s not that bad,” he protested. “I can just take some pain tablets.”

“Kay, if he doesn’t comply hold him down.”

The droid nodded and stepped forward menacingly. “Traitor,” Cassian accused.

“It is in your best interest, Cassian,” Kay noted.

Jyn stepped forward and hesitated. “It’s best closest to the pain. We should probably do your leg.” She didn’t move any further though and he quickly realized the problem and fought a blush.

“You’re going to need to remove your pants, Cassian,” Kay instructed.

“I can do it myself,” he said reaching for the shot.

“There is an 89.6% chance he will lie about having done it,” Kay said and Jyn jerked her hand and the shot back from him.

“Kay! I’ll take it. I promise.”

Jyn frowned and clearly weighed her options. “Come on.”

“Where?”

“I’ll never hear the end of it if Han walks in from his shift to find you with your pants down and me anywhere near you. I’ll show you a spare bunk. You could probably use some rest anyway.”

“Jyn, give me the shot. I’ll do it myself.”

“Kay says you won’t.”

“Since when did you start listening to Kay?”

“Since it concerned your wellbeing,” she said crossing her arms and glaring.

Cassian debated ways to talk her out of this, but between her, Kay, and his injuries he doubted he could take the shot from her and he had a feeling Kay really would hold him down at this point. “We got chased, shot at, and camped out in a disgusting dank abandoned factory for two days before getting chased and shot at again. I’m filthy.”

“So? I didn’t ask to cuddle.” Cassian snorted at that. The thought of Jyn asking to cuddle was such a foreign one he couldn’t help it. “Come on, if that’s the best excuse you’ve got you can hop in the sonic first, and I’ll grab you some of Han’s clothes.”

That knocked the humor right out of him. “Jyn, I’d rather walk around this ship naked than in Solo’s underwear. Honestly, mine are still probably cleaner.”

Jyn burst into laughter. “Ok fine, just take your clothes into the sonic with you. You’ll feel better if you’re clean anyway. It’s no hot shower, but we’re still a day and a half out from base.”

Cassian grumbled, but between Jyn and Kay was effectively herded into a small refresher. He stripped his clothes off, struggling as everything hurt, and dumped them in the sonic before getting in himself. He’d never enjoyed sonic showers, but it was better than nothing and it would be nice to have the grime off. He finished quickly and struggled back into his clothing before coming out to find Kay and Jyn still standing guard outside the door.

“This is really ridiculous.”

“You brought this on yourself, Cassian,” Jyn said primly. “By always being such a martyr. Follow me.” He sighed and trudged after her with Kay trailing behind him blocking his escape. Jyn led him into another small bunk and turned on him looking expectant. He crossed his arms. “Don’t make me make your droid pants you, Cassian.”

Cassian eyed Kay, but the droid gave no indication he wouldn’t comply with Jyn’s wishes. He sighed. “Give me the shot.”

“Cassian.”

“You can both stay and confirm I’ve really taken it, but I’m doing it myself.”

Jyn bit her lip, thinking it over, before clearly deciding she could take him down if he tried to run and relinquishing the shot. He put the thing between his teeth and worked his pants down quickly enough, lifting the edge of his underwear and shooting the pain killer into his thigh. “Happy?”

Jyn shrugged. “You should get some rest.”

“I need to check on Lieutenant Awn,” he said reaching down to pull his pants back up. Jyn’s hand on his arm stopped him.

“You should get some rest. You two can’t possibly fit in the same bunk. I can look in on her.”

“You’re not going to let me out of this room, are you?”

“Definitely wasn’t planning on it.”

Cassian sighed again before toeing his boots off and shucking the rest of the way out of his pants and making his way over to the bed. “You realize you can’t keep me here all the way back to base.” He laid down on it and threw an arm over his face. He really was tired, but they didn’t need to know that.

“You realize Kay and my shift’s don’t overlap, right?” she said. “We can force you into all sorts of things indefinitely.”

He gave a small laugh and rolled over on to his stomach. “You’re both ridiculous. Go check on Lieutenant Awn.” He tensed at the first press of her hand to his leg. “Jyn?”

“Just relax,” she instructed and he bit back a groan as strong fingers worked into the muscle of his leg.

“Where in the hell did you learn this?”

Jyn snorted. “I’ve known more than one person with chronic pain. In a small rebel cell you had to do everything. We all took shifts in medical, or what passed for medical, which was usually just water, alcohol, needle and thread, and hope.”

“You’ve never shared before,” he said turning his head on the pillow and glancing up at her. She’d dropped her head so her fringe fell around her face like a curtain and refused to look anywhere but at her hands.

“Yeah, well, you always lied before. Said you didn’t need any help.” He grunted as she hit a tender spot. “Good or bad?”

“Both,” he replied truthfully.

He could make out her small smile at that as he watched her from the corner of his eyes. “Massage therapy is a proven method of pain management for chronic injuries. You should see about having it more regularly.”

“You assume the rebellion has invested in that,” he said and breathed out deeply as she destroyed a knot in his lower back.

“Then find me,” she said quietly. “I don’t mind helping. After all it’s my fault your leg troubles you.”

He reached out at that and snagged her wrist, forcing her to look at him. “I made my choice, Jyn. None of this is your responsibility.”

She nodded slowly. “Still. I’d like to help if I can.” He released her and she searched out more knots. He found himself lingering on the edge of wakefulness and sleep shortly there after. He felt her stop only as a vague absence and gave a small grunt of protest. Her fingers tousled his hair softly and he didn’t bother to open his eyes. “Get some sleep.” He didn’t need to be told twice.

Chapter Text

“What, Kay?” Jyn finally asked irritated. The droid had followed her mostly silent and staring for the better part of an hour, while she checked on Awn and gave the poor woman some more injections before waking her up to get some water into her. The woman had refused food and fallen swiftly back to sleep and Jyn didn’t have the heart to wake her again. Then Kay had followed her on her rounds checking electrical panels, which had become a habit since whatever it was had crawled in and started kriffing up the wiring, and now he was pacing her as she headed for the cockpit to relieve Chewie.

“I did not say anything.”

“I’m asking more why you’ve decided to become my shadow all of a sudden.”

“I am making observations to adjust my calculations to make better predictions about your future actions.”

“Why?” Jyn asked and almost immediately wanted to take it back. Whatever insane reasoning was rattling around the droid’s circuits she was probably better off not knowing.

“You convinced Cassian to take care of his most pressing organic needs with less punching and more subtlety than I had heretofore given you credit for having. You also had previously unaccounted for medical knowledge, which was applied accurately and in a way in which Cassian would accept.”

“I’d hardly call that medical knowledge,” Jyn argued feeling inexplicably embarrassed by the droid’s comments. “I’m used to difficult patients. Hell, I am one, and if you think Saw wouldn’t have walked around with a mostly severed limb hanging on by only a tendon and continued to claim he was fine then you didn’t know Saw.”

“I did not know Saw Gerrera.”

Jyn waved that away. “Beside the point. Cassian just needs to think taking care of himself is his own idea and not about pity.”

“You gained nothing by convincing him of such. You do not need him to accomplish anything currently.”

Jyn stopped at that and turned on the droid. “Do you honestly think I use him that way?”

K-2SO stared silently for a moment and she could almost hear his circuits working. “You needed him to gain your freedom and survive on our original missions. You also needed him and the followers he brought to take on your suicide plan on Scarif. You also needed a bed when you were inebriated and his was closer, or so he said. Besides your past records that intelligence compiled, which further imply you only cultivate associations that are helpful to obtaining your goals, this is the observational data I have been able to collect on your and Cassian’s relationship. It does not predict your current concern.”

“Kay, it’s complicated.”

“I find human relationships often are.”

“Cassian and I may have started out using each other as means to an end, but it isn’t like that anymore.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” Jyn started and then found she didn’t think she had the proper words to explain. How had things changed? Had they even changed for him? She could only speak for herself, but she thought he considered her a friend. He willingly spent his time with her and Bodhi when they were on base together. He’d come back time and time again for her and welcomed her home. “He’s my friend and I hope he considers me the same. I want him to be safe and happy. I care about his wellbeing, like you said he cares about mine.”

“Why?”

“Why do you?”

“He is my reprogrammer and my purpose.”

“Cassian said your reprogramming made it so you have a choice of following him. Why did you choose to stay?”

“Because he offered me that choice,” Kay said simply.

Jyn smiled. “He offered me that choice too.”

“Humans cannot be reprogrammed.”

“No, but we can change. I’d been on my own only caring about myself for a long time, Kay. I could have gone back to that once Scarif was over. Cassian didn’t force me to pick the rebellion, to stay. He said he’d support anything I chose to do.”

“And you chose him?”

She should correct him, point out that it was the Alliance she chose, but it didn’t ring entirely false in her ears. “Yes, Kay, I chose him. I guess he’s a bit of my purpose too.”

K-2SO tilted his head at her. “This is helpful to my statistical analyses. There is a 98.75% chance you will continue to look after Cassian’s wellbeing in the future.”

“Why only 98.75?” she asked with a grin.

“I have factored in love.”

“What?”

“Humans behave abnormally when they feel what they describe as love, were you to do so there is still a statistical chance that that person may take priority over Cassian. However, as you are not overly welcoming to other sentients the chances of you experiencing the love emotion are low. As it is in Cassian’s best interest that you do not, I would encourage you to continue being hostile to new potential mates.”

Jyn groaned and stomped away. “Cassian definitely kriffed up your reprogramming somewhere. How do you come up with this stuff?”

“I could explain the mathematics, but I fear they would be over your head.”

Jyn ignored him and nodded to Chewie as she entered the cockpit. The wookiee gave her an acknowledging grumble and vacated the pilot seat intent on his own bunk probably. She threw herself down in the seat and tried to ignore the droid hovering at the entrance. She hated piloting shifts in hyperspace. There really wasn’t anything to do but hang out and be on hand if there was some sudden emergency. It was so boring. K-2SO surprised her by taking the co-pilot chair. “What are you doing?”

“You generally display signs of aggravation, most likely brought on by boredom, when I come to relieve you from your shift. Cassian has shown similar symptoms in the past. He found it helpful when I kept him company on-shift, as I do not require sleep. I thought to offer you the same.”

Jyn wasn’t sure she wanted Kay for company, but she was sure she wasn’t going to be rude to one of the nicer gestures the droid had made since being rebooted. “Thanks, Kay.”

Jyn woke with a yawn and stretched in her small bunk. She was grateful they’d be back on base soon. The Falcon had become a second home, but the bunks weren’t exactly spacious. She glanced at the chrono and figured she’d slept through Kay’s shift and most of Han’s. When she’d gotten off shift herself she’d made the rounds to check on Awn again, waking the woman up and helping her to the ‘fresher. The short trip had tired the Lieutenant out and she’d promptly fallen back asleep when Jyn got her back to the bunk, but her fever was still down so at least that was good. Jyn had swung by Cassian’s bunk next, but he’d still been sound asleep. She’d been unable to stop a grin when she noticed the newly named Rogue curled up in the bed beside him.

Jyn got up and wandered out to the lounge and smiled when she smelled caf brewing. “Is that fresh?”

“Just switched with Chewie,” Han said. “Figured I’d make a new pot.”

“Pour me a cup?” she asked sliding into a seat.

He brought a mug over to her a few minutes later and slipped in to the seat beside her. “How are the patients?”

She wrapped her hands around the warm mug and shrugged. “As well as to be expected. Her leg is still mangled and the fever is low but controlled. She needs an actual medic, but I think she’ll make it to base. I’m going to check on her again once this caf kicks in.”

“And your boyfriend?”

“Would you stop?” she asked rolling her eyes. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Fine, is Captain Stiff Pants ok?”

She glared and sipped her caf. “Cassian, will be just fine.”

Han stared down in his mug for a moment. “I’m sorry about the wrench.”

Jyn shook her head and squeezed his arm. “For all we know I was the one that left it lying around. It wasn’t your fault. Cassian overreacted.”

Han snorted and touched his bruised cheek. “You can say that again.”

“Cut him some slack. He’d been trapped in a decrepit building for days with his partner getting worse and worse and then had to run through a firefight before having to survive one of your takeoffs. He may possibly have been under a little stress.”

“I think it had more to do with you being in danger than any of that.”

Jyn didn’t respond to that. There was nothing to say other than to deny it, to point out that Cassian didn’t call her an affectionate nickname like Ali. Instead she just sipped her caf in silence.

“Kid,” Han started softly. He nudged her shoulder with his and she glanced at him. “He cares. Trust me.”

Han could be sweet when he wasn’t trying to impress anyone. She gave him a quick smile and leaned her head against his shoulder. “I know. We’re friends.”

“No, kid, we’re friends. Whatever you and Captain Punchy are is different.”

She smacked his arm and downed her caf. “If he’d wanted something more than friendship he has had plenty of opportunities to make that known. It’s not what he wants.”

“I doubt that man has ever allowed himself to acknowledge he wants anything,” Han said with a serious tone he didn’t often get and a shrug. “Anyway you can do better than him. You don’t need a stuffed shirt nagging you about putting wrenches away. Maybe that’s our thing. What does he know? Maybe we enjoy a rousing game of dodge the wrench. Maybe you just scored 10 points and pulled into second place.”

Jyn laughed. “Second place behind you, I assume?”

“Yeah, Chewie is shit at dodging wrenches,” Han agreed with a grin. “Given in the end we’ll have to let him win.”

“Obviously, devoted as we are to our arms staying attached to our bodies,” Jyn nodded sagely and Han laughed as he went to retrieve more caf.

“Top off?”

She gave an agreeable grunt and held her mug out. He poured and set a box down on the table in front of her. “What’s this?”

Han looked vaguely embarrassed and rubbed the back of his neck as he sat back down. “Happy birthday.”

“Birthday?”

“Did the droid get it wrong?”

“K-2SO?”

“Yeah, he mentioned your birthday once a couple weeks back when we were celebrating Kes’.”

Jyn was genuinely puzzled, sure she’d never mentioned her birthday to anyone. She hardly even thought of it. The last time she’d celebrated it had been with her parents on Lah’mu. She honestly had to think about the date today as birthdays often came and went without her even noticing till later. “No, he was right. I’m just not sure how.” She looked back at the non-descript brown box and reached for it cautiously. She wasn’t any more used to getting gifts than she was celebrating birthdays. Tugging the lid off she reached inside to pull out a stretch of black fabric and a small blaster. She lifted an eyebrow at Han and he shifted uncomfortably.

“You said you might have to go back to Corsucant,” he explained. “You couldn’t hide a blaster in your waitressing clothes when we were there. You’d have to switch to a skirt, but then you could fit the blaster in the thigh holder underneath.”

“Can you even kill anyone with this?” Jyn asked looking over the blaster. “It’s so small.”

“Fits its owner,” Han joked. She elbowed him in the side. “And she kills things just fine.”

Jyn grinned at that, made sure the safety was on and took aim across the room. It’d be better than nothing and it was more thoughtful than she often gave Han credit for. “I don’t think I’ve worn a skirt since I was a little girl.”

“You’ll have to convince the princess to take you shopping.”

“Can you imagine?” Jyn asked with a laugh. She scooted out of her seat and strapped the belt and attached thigh hostler on over the sleep shorts she hadn’t switched out of yet. The blaster nestled comfortably on the inside of her thigh. “How does it look?”

Han grinned and stood to circle her. “Looks good. Though it sort of loses its purpose on top of your pajamas.”

“This is how I’m sleeping now,” Jyn announced putting her hands on her hips with a grin.

“Not sure that’s going to set the proper mood for your dates.”

“What kind of men am I dating who don’t find a thigh holster and a tiny blaster hot?”

“Fair point.”

“Thank you, Han. I love it.”

“Yeah, well whatever,” he responded gruffly, which just made her grin harder. She caught his arm and tugged him into a rough awkward hug. “It was nothing, kid.”

She squeezed once feeling his arms come up to return the hug quickly and released him. As she stepped back she spotted Cassian at the entryway of the lounge with Kay flanking him. “How you feeling?”

“Better,” he said staring over her shoulder like there was something interesting on the wall.

“Caf?” Han offered. Cassian nodded and Han went to grab another mug.

“You should sit,” Jyn said shifting to give him access to a seat.

He waved her away. “I need to check on Lieutenant Awn anyway.”

“I can do that,” Jyn offered. “You should rest.”

“Jyn, I’m fine.” His tone was tense and she debated arguing, but figured it wouldn’t get him to sit any faster. He moved to take the offered mug from Han and she noted he was at least moving smoother.

“I got some water in her the last two times I checked on her, but so far she’s refused any food. She could probably use some more medicine and the ‘fresher again.”

“I’ve got it,” Cassian said with a nod. “Thank you for looking in on her.” He drank the caf down quickly and headed off towards Awn’s bunk. “Kay, stay here.”

“Can you support her on your own?”

“Yes, I’ve got it.” The droid stared after Cassian, but didn’t follow.

“Kay?” Jyn asked sweetly. The droid’s head swiveled to look at her.

“There is something wrong with your voice. Are you sick?”

“No,” she said dropping the fake sugary sweet tone. “How do you know when my birthday is?”

“It is included in your medical files.”

Jyn froze processing that for a second. “And when and why were you in my medical files?”

“I gave myself access,” the droid said with no hesitation. “I needed them in order to best fulfill Cassian’s command of keeping you safe. You also have the tendency to claim you are medically sound when you are not.”

“Did Cassian tell you to go in my medical files?” Jyn asked trying to keep her tone neutral.

“No.” She relaxed at that. “The parameters of Cassian’s command were vague, so I have pursued the fastest and best methods of achieving a favorable end result.”

Jyn sighed. “You have so many boundary issues.”

“I do not. My optical sensors provide optimal depth perception and 3-D mapping. I know the boundaries of any given space much better than any human.”

Jyn considered testing out her new tiny blaster. The droid would probably survive one teeny tiny hole.

“Why were you and Han Solo embracing?” the droid asked interrupting her internal debates. “We have discussed you avoiding situations which could induce feelings of love.”

It was too damn early for this. At least she had two cups of caf running through her system. It was like having a child, well at least what she assumed having a child would be like. “Friends hug, Kay. It’s not a sexual thing.”

“Cassian is your friend, isn’t he?”

“Yes?”

“You do not spontaneously embrace.”

No, she supposed that was true. Then again hugging people was new in her life. Bodhi and Han were easy. Bodhi was always quick to initiate contact with her and Han quick to accept whatever was offered. Cassian and her were different. Touch was limited to missions, fights, injuries, or alcohol. Cassian and her hugging was a Death Star on the horizon and their last moments. Casual touch wasn’t something she knew how to do with him. “It wasn’t spontaneous,” Jyn defended suddenly embarrassed, which was silly. It wasn’t like Cassian ever indicated he wanted something like that anyway. “Han got me a birthday present and I was thanking him because I was happy.”

The droid seemed to think about it and then nodded. “Understood. A hug once a year is unlikely to lead to romance.”

Yep, she was going to shoot him.

“Jyn?” Cassian asked returning. “Do you have any liquid rations? I want her to eat something, but I don’t think she’s going to keep much down.”

“Yeah, hang on. I think we have some nutrition pouches.” Jyn darted off to grab them and followed him back to Awn. She wasn’t in the mood to continue with Kay.

She quickly found she wasn’t much use. Cassian was gentle and effective, getting Awn to eat and drink a bit before helping her to the ‘fresher and back to bed. “We’re almost back to base,” he said tucking Awn in and pressing a cool pack from the med kit to her forehead. “Just a little while longer and we’ll get you actual medical attention.”

“I don’t know,” Awn said with a weak smile. “You’re doing ok.” Cassian grimaced at that, and Awn wrapped her fingers around his wrist. “It wasn’t your fault, Cassian. I’m going to be ok. I already feel better, promise.”

He dropped his hand over hers and hung his head and Jyn suddenly felt like she was intruding. She started to back out of the room, but the moment broke and Cassian stood. “Keep resting. We’ll be there soon.” Awn was already blinking tiredly up at him and drifting off. Jyn shuffled into the hallway with Cassian behind her.

“Hungry?” Jyn asked for lack of anything else to say.

“Sure,” he said distractedly trailing her back to the lounge. He sat down next to where Kay had positioned himself and she grabbed some rations for him. She could hear Han talking with Chewie up in the cockpit. “Thanks,” he said glancing up at her. A frowned creased his face. “What are you wearing?”

“Oh,” she said blushing and reaching down to unhook the leg holster she’d forgotten she was sporting. “Han got me a leg holster and a small blaster. I just wanted to try it on.”

“Why?”

“It is her birthday,” Kay supplied.

“It’s your birthday?” Cassian asked looking up sharply. “I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t even remember,” Jyn said with a shrug. “Kay told Han apparently.”

“You didn’t tell me.”

“I did not know I needed to,” the droid said. “It came up in conversation during Kes Dameron’s birthday. You’ve been off-planet on a mission.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Jyn said waving him off. “I didn’t expect anything. I haven’t celebrated my birthday since I was a little kid. Saw didn’t think things like birthdays mattered.”

“May I?” he asked gesturing towards the holster and blaster she now held in her hands. She nodded and handed it over watching as he removed the blaster and examined it. “It’s good quality. Should pack a punch despite its size. You should still test it in the range on base before taking it out.” He ran his thumb over where a serial number had been filed off before passing it back to her.

“Don’t worry about that. I learned that lesson a long time ago.”

He raised an eyebrow and Jyn tugged her shirt aside to reveal an old blaster burn scar on her right shoulder. “Bought a shady blaster when I was seventeen and didn’t test it out. Got in a fight and the thing shot once and then promptly died. I’m lucky I got out with just this.”

Cassian lifted his right hand to show a scar on his palm. “Almost blew my hand off with a faulty blaster when I was ten. Happens to the best of us.”

Jyn grinned and twisted rolling her shorts down slightly to show the back of her left hip. “Bet you can’t guess how I got this one.” A jagged white scar ran along her hip for about two inches.

“Knife fight?”

“Nope, try again!”

“Shrapnel?”

“Dancing.”

“Dancing? How in the world did you get a scar from dancing?”

Jyn laughed and turned back around to him. “I was thirteen and me and another boy were bored of making bombs. Some song came on the HoloNet station we had on and he asked me to dance. I said I didn’t know how and he said he’d teach me. Needless to say he didn’t know how to dance either. Spun me out and lost my hand and I ended up slamming into the edge of a table with a jagged metal edge that ripped me open. Had to get stiches since we didn’t have any bacta on hand. Saw was pissed.”

Cassian laughed. “Did you get better?”

“Obviously, it’s just a scar.”

“No, I meant better at dancing.”

“Oh, no. Never tried again.” Jyn said with a rueful little smile. “Saw sent that boy off to a different partisan cell the very next day. Said he was a distraction. I never saw him again. It was a silly thing to do anyway. What use would dancing have ever been to me?” She shrugged. “I just, at the time I still remembered sneaking out of my room when my parents thought I was asleep and finding them dancing in the living room. I was made for fighting though, not dancing. Saw was right, I should have known better.” Silence shifted over them and Jyn suddenly felt like she’d kriffed up. She’d meant to tell a funny story not bring them down. Usually her dancing scar got a laugh, no one asked what happened after.

“First time I tried to drive a speeder I was in it five minutes before I wrapped it around a tree. Don’t have any scars to prove it other than mental ones of embarrassment though.”

Jyn laughed and shot him a grateful little smile. “I’d have paid good money to see that.”

“To be fair I was eleven and it was a small tree.”

“I’m not sure that makes it better. Shouldn’t a small tree have been easier to avoid?”

“It was that or a herd of bantha. I still say I made the right choice.”

Jyn laughed. “Do I even want to know where you were and what you were doing that that was a choice?”

“It’s a long story.”

Jyn slid back into a seat and grinned. “I’ve got time.”

Jyn finished her last set and grabbed the small towel to wipe some sweat from her face. The only nice thing about exercising on Hoth was that it was the only real time you were ever warm. They’d landed a few hours ago and she’d grabbed a quick dinner in the mess on her own before deciding to get in a workout before bed. They hadn’t been reassigned yet, so she was looking forward to a couple days on base even if it was cold. She nodded to Shara across the room as she tugged on another layer to exit into the hallway. She was ready to shower, feed Rogue who she’d kept cooped up in the Falcon for now much to Han’s displeasure, and then pass out.

“Hey Jyn!”

She turned and saw Skywalker striding towards her still in his flight suit clearly back from practice flights. “Hi, Luke. How are you?”

“Good! I didn’t realize you and Han were getting back today. Is he around?”

Jyn snorted internally at that question. Of course he was around, where else was there to go on Hoth? “He and Chewie went off together. Not sure where they ended up,” she said instead. “Pretty sure he had plans to find the princess and drive her insane later.”

Luke grinned at that. “I’ll check command. Captain Andor was just looking for you in the hanger. I bet you can still catch him if you head that way now.”

“Oh, ok,” she said surprised. Luke gave her a friendly wave and darted off and she headed towards the hanger. She’d expected Cassian to stay in the med bay with Lieutenant Awn for the rest of the night. The woman couldn’t possibly have been released yet. The worrying thought that complications had caused the woman to die had her picking up her pace. She ran into him in the hallway leading to the hanger. He didn’t look bereft. “Is Lieutenant Awn ok?”

Confusion worked its way across his face. “I believe so, why? Did you hear something?”

“No, its just Skywalker said you were looking for me and I thought you’d be in medical.”

“Oh,” he said looking faintly embarrassed. “No, she’s fine. The medics said she needed to go in a bacta tank. There really wasn’t anything I could do or any reason for me to stay. I’ll see her during visiting hours tomorrow if she’s awake.”

“Oh, good.” There was nothing else really to say to that and she wasn’t the one who had sought him out so the conversation stalled out. They shuffled to the side of the hall as a team of rowdy mechanics pushed by and Jyn shifted uncomfortably.

“Are you busy?” Cassian blurted out suddenly and it was so awkward and out of character for him that she frowned.

“No, I was just going to shower, feed Rogue, and go to bed.”

“Oh, ok, I don’t want to mess up your plans,” he said actually physically retreating from her space a step

“Cassian, those things hardly count as plans. Did you need me for something?”

He shifted on his feet and ran a hand through his hair. “I was hoping you might have an hour free.”

“I’m free now if you don’t mind me a little sweaty.”

“Ok, yeah,” he said. “Um, this way.” She followed him down the maze of hallways to a small training room and wondered if he wanted a practice session. He opened the door and she slipped past him inside.

“So what’s up?” He glanced away uncomfortably again and it took a moment for Jyn to realize he was nervous. She’d never seen Cassian nervous before. Pre-mission jitters, legitimate worries and concerns, but never just awkwardly nervous. What in the hell could make him act like this? Other than if maybe he had to tell her something he didn’t think she was going to want to hear. Her mind ran through one awful scenario after another ranging from him getting engaged to Awn for real, to him getting assigned to a deep cover op that would take him away for years, to Bodhi being injured or killed on his current mission. “Cassian, what is going on? What’s wrong?”

He must have heard the panic in her voice because he focused on her again and looked apologetic. “Kriff, sorry, nothing is wrong.” So he was engaged then. The next sentence came tumbling out of his mouth so fast she almost didn’t make it out. “I just thought since I didn’t get you a birthday present, and you don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I thought I could maybe teach you to dance, but only if you wanted.” She stared at him in surprise and he rushed on. “It was a stupid idea, I know. I just. It’s not like there’s a shop to get you a gift on base and I thought about getting some alcohol from the cantina, but then that seemed like a gift for someone you don’t know very well and I thought of this, but it was dumb. Sorry. Do you want to go get a drink? My treat.”

“Cassian,” she started and he turned and headed for the door. She jogged forward a step to grab his arm and stop him. “How do you even know how to dance?”

He shrugged. “Standard intelligence training. You can’t fake being an Imperial and attend fancy parties and not know how to dance. You don’t have to. We can just go get a drink.”

“I can get a drink anytime,” Jyn said shaking her head. She tried not to grin too broadly, but with her worst fear alleviated it was sort of cute that cool, calm, collected Captain Andor had been nervous to ask a girl to dance. “But just remember when I break your toes that this was your idea.”

He laughed at that and the tension rolled out of him. He crossed the room to find a HoloNet station on the dinged up little audio unit, before launching into the basics.

Her prediction proved to be pretty accurate. She was a terrible dancer, but Cassian was a patient teacher and she was stepping on his feet significantly less by the end of the hour. A slow song came on and he shifted her closer, drifting across the small training room with slow shuffling steps that were much easier to match than the formal dances they’d been trying. Jyn gave into the impulse and tucked her head against his chest and followed his lead.

“Happy birthday, Jyn.” She hummed a little acknowledgment and reminded herself to check with Kay to find out Cassian’s birthday. Cassian spun her out in a slow twirl and back into him. Maybe she was made for dancing after all.

Chapter Text

Cassian was tired. In fact he didn’t think the word tired really covered what he was. He was so far beyond tired he might actually be the walking dead. He finished his report to Draven and waited desperately to be dismissed.

He’d been on a mission for two months helping a rebel cell recruit and organize on some shitty swamp planet that he never ever wanted to return to and all he wanted to do was collapse in an actual bed. Yes, it was so bad that the standard Alliance beds were sounding like luxury. He was bug bitten and covered in a layer of grime he didn’t believe would actually ever come off. Kay had gone directly to an oil bath that he’d complained would never truly fix the damage that had been done by the planet’s inhospitable terrain. Cassian had never been so glad to see the frozen hell that is Hoth. At least there weren’t snakes slithering into your boots overnight here or insects trying to make nests inside your ears. If the swamp planet wasn’t the main source of ingredients essential to bacta he’d have been happy to let the Empire keep its hold on it.

“Thank you, Captain Andor. You’re dismissed.”

Cassian didn’t need to be told twice. He navigated the hallways in a daze and nodded wearily to acquaintances as he passed, completely focused on getting to his own quarters. He keyed the code and stumbled into the room switching on a light. He nearly jumped out of his skin as a meowing noise greeted him from his bed.

“How did you get in here?” he asked the loth-cat, which just blinked at him slowly and then curled back down in his blankets. It must have come in through the vents or something. Oh well, as long as the thing could share a bed he was too tired to care right now.

Cassian moved forward only to almost face plant into the floor when he tripped over a discarded boot. “What the kriff?” He cut himself off as he glanced around the room and realized it must have been looted while he was gone. He never left his quarters this messy. He blamed his tiredness for the fact that he didn’t instantly register it wasn’t his stuff littering the room. He twisted around just to make sure he was in the right quarters, but that was definitely his parka hanging by the door where he’d left it and his cold weather gear neatly tucked into the shelf where it should be.

The door slid open behind him and he turned to ask, what he presumed would be Kay, what the hell was going on.

Jyn let out a foul curse and looked sheepish standing in his door. Her cheeks were flushed and she was panting, still dressed in gear that meant she’d clearly just been doing perimeter checks. “I’m sorry! I just heard you were back and I was hoping I could get here before your debrief was done.” She scooted in past him and frantically started collecting discarded clothing and sheets of flimsy scattered on his desk. Rogue lifted his head again to watch the chaos, but otherwise didn’t move.

“Jyn?”

“Yeah?”

“Why is all your stuff in my room?”

“Sorry! I’m really sorry!” She looked up at him and then looked horrified, lunging past him to grab a bra that was dangling off his desk chair.

“Not really an answer to my question.”

Jyn’s cheeks flushed a deeper red and she shoved the clothing into an empty duffle bag that had been shoved halfway under his bed. “The power went down in F block so I couldn’t stay in my quarters. Everyone was doubling up with friends, and I didn’t really have anywhere to go since you and Bodhi were on missions, Han’s quarters are in F block too, and I was tired of sleeping on the Falcon. You weren’t here so I figured you wouldn’t mind. I should have gone to Bodhi’s, but I figured he’d be back on base sooner than you, and his quarters are smaller, and I’m really sorry.”

Cassian’s brain parsed that jumbled admission slowly and he sighed. “How’d you even get in?”

She looked, if anything, even more embarrassed. “I’m an ok slicer and the door security systems are old. It wasn’t that hard to get your code.”

“Is the power back on? You can’t go back if it isn’t,” he said wearily. He’d really been looking forward to passing out, but no one could stay long in the unheated areas, and he wasn’t kicking Jyn out if she had nowhere to go. Generally he’d be more than happy to let her stay, but he wasn’t fully functioning right now and he didn’t have the energy to play host.

Jyn continued to shove items in the bag. “Yeah, it’s fine. I should have gone ages ago, it’s just you have a shower and you weren’t here and it seemed like a waste.”

“Jyn, how long have you been living here?” She dropped her head and mumbled. “What?”

“Maybe like a month,” she said more clearly. “I’m really really sorry. I figured when you came back I’d hear about it and could clear out fast enough, I even bribed a flight controller to give me the heads up when your ship made contact, but I was on a stupid patrol.”

He tugged the bag out of her hand gently to stop her frenzied movements and crouched next to her. “Jyn, it’s fine. I’m not angry. Just surprised.”

“It was rude of me.”

“Well, yeah, but it would have been rude of me to not offer you shelter had I been here when the power went out so I guess we’re equal.” It was flawed logic, but she looked so scattered he couldn’t help but allay her concerns.

“If you just give me another minute or two,” she said glancing up at him through her lashes. “I can be totally cleared out.”

“Jyn, it’s fine. I was just surprised. Is the power actually fixed?”

“Yeah, mostly,” she said with a little smile. “It goes in and out sometimes, but mostly everyone’s moved back. They gave everyone an extra blanket.”

“Problem solved,” he said sarcastically. Another blanket wasn’t doing shit if the power went out all night. “Go make sure your quarters are actually livable.” He stood up and stretched. “I’m going to pass out, but if there’s no heating just come back and you can stay.” It wasn’t like they hadn’t shared a bed before.  He yawned and stood letting her stuff the last of her scattered belongings back in the duffle bag.  She slung the bag over her shoulder and slipped past him to gather the now protesting loth-cat into her arms.

Cassian raised an eyebrow.  “They let you keep him?”  Last he’d been on base she’d still been smuggling the loth-cat back and forth from the Falcon to her room.

“It’s not like I was going to let them say no,” Jyn said with a sharp grin as she wrangled the animal into a more comfortable position in her arms.  “Besides those little rat creatures really were Hoth natives.  Rogue’s been killing them left and right and engineering has been having way less problems with frayed, bitten-through wires.  They should be thanking me.”

Cassian snorted.  He doubted she’d ever get that. “I’ll see you for dinner with everyone?”

“Yeah, sure.  Just com me when you’re up.” She started for the door and then paused as he dropped his own bag on the table and headed for the bed. “Cassian?”

“Yeah?”

“You might want to take a shower first.  You smell worse than a tauntaun.  Just a suggestion!”  That said she slipped out the door.

He eyed the bed and debated the benefits of a shower over immediate sleep.  Realizing he was probably going to burn his current clothes and didn’t have the option of burning his bed he groaned and made his way to the ‘fresher.  He dully noted Jyn had forgotten a toothbrush, hairbrush and hair ties on the small sink.  Oh well, she’d have to get them after dinner. He stepped into the shower and did his best to scrub off the worst of the grime.  His beard had gotten out of control and it seemed like a losing fight to bother with it. Easier to just get rid of the damn thing and start again.  He finished as quickly as he could in the ‘fresher and stumbled out to his bed, falling asleep almost the instant his head touched the pillow.

Cassian navigated the base hallways feeling infinitely better. A four hour nap had made life manageable again and he’d only wanted to kill his chrono a little when the alarm went off to get him up for dinner.  He’d get some food in himself and then planned to immediately go back to bed. He’d commed Jyn to meet him at the mess and spotted her already sitting at a table by herself with a tray of food when he entered.  Getting in line and grabbing his own pile of food he walked over and dropped into the seat across from her.

She barely glanced up from her datapad. “That seat is taken.”

“By who?” he asked curiously.  Maybe Bodhi was back on base?

Jyn jerked her head up and stared at him wide eyed. “Cassian?”

It was such a strange reaction he glanced around behind him to see if there was an explanation for it. “Uh, yeah?”

“What did you do?” She reached across the table and touched his jaw tentatively before thinking better of it and snatching her hand back.

“Are you serious? I just shaved.” Jyn kept staring and he fidgeted in his seat. “What?”

“You look like you’re fifteen.” And then she promptly burst into laughter. “I didn’t even recognize you,” she wheezed out between laughs.

Cassian ducked his head as people turned to stare at the commotion she was causing. “I don’t look that different.”

“Yes, yes you do,” she argued still sputtering. “You look like a baby.”

“I do not.”

“A little fresh faced baby,” Jyn chortled. “Careful you don’t get mixed up with the new recruits.”

“What’s going on?” Shara asked coming up to the table behind Cassian and dropping her own tray in front of the seat next to him.

“Cassian has regressed to his teen years,” Jyn supplied happily.

“You pop a public boner or something?” Shara asked glancing over at him. “Holy shit, what’d you do?” 

Jyn burst into laughter again and Cassian flicked some of his food at her in annoyance.  “You’re both overreacting.”

Shara stood up in her chair.  “Kes, get over here, you gotta see this!”

Cassian was pretty sure if he could crawl under the table without causing more of a commotion, he’d do it.  This is what he got for making friends. He focused on his food and ignored the next round of laughter at his expense as Kes joined the table.

“Aw, I think we hurt his feelings,” Shara cooed throwing her arm around his shoulders. “Don’t worry Andor, the girls will love it.  Makes you look vulnerable and cuddly.”

“The key word being ‘girls’,” Kes added.

“Hey, some boys will probably like it too!” Jyn hooted.

“I hate having human friends,” Cassian said sending them into another round of merriment as he focused on his food.  He spotted Solo and the princess entering the mess and girded himself for the next onslaught.  The last thing he needed was the smuggler joining in on the ridicule.

Jyn followed his eye line and whistled low under her breath. “Oh man, he looks pissed.” Leia snapped something at him and Solo threw up his hands and stormed back the way he’d come.  “Ugh, we have a mission tomorrow afternoon.  I’m going to be regaled with hour-long ice-princess rants. Maybe I can slip sedatives in his caf.”

Leia stormed her way over without even grabbing food and threw herself in the seat next to Jyn. “That stupid nerf herder is impossible. I don’t know how you work with him.”

“Mainly I ignore him,” Jyn said helpfully slipping some food under the table for the loth-cat at her feet.

“I can’t imagine how,” Leia said with a pout that was entirely beneath her. She glanced up and gave a start. “Captain Andor,” she said with an overly polite nod.

“You can laugh,” Shara said with a grin.

“I don’t know what you’re referencing Lieutenant Bey,” Leia said folding her hands diplomatically.

“She means Captain Andor’s face,” Kes supplied helpfully.

“Oh?” Leia asked primly, but he could hear the edge of a chuckle in her voice.

“And I’m done,” he said shoving his tray away from him.

“Cassian, its not that bad,” Jyn said with barely suppressed mirth. He stood up and she snagged his sleeve with her fingers. “We’re sorry.”

“I’m not,” Kes crowed.

Jyn glared at Kes and tugged more insistently making him sit again. “It’s nice. You won’t give anyone pash rash this way.”

“What?” he asked as Shara started to giggle.

“You know, pash rash.”

“What in the world is that?” Leia asks.

Jyn looks around the table as if for help, but Cassian had never heard the phrase before and Shara just grinned and clearly had little interest in helping Jyn explain. “It’s the rash you get on your face when you make out with someone who has a beard for too long.”

“And how would you know about that Sargent Erso?” Kes asked with an innocent smile.

“Oh, shut up,” Jyn said rolling her eyes.

“Well, Cassian better get to it before his five o’clock shadow kicks in,” Shara said gleefully. “So many girls on base, so little time. You won’t leave any evidence, now’s the time to strike.”

He hated them all.

“Don’t be rude,” Jyn said sourly. “You know Lieutenant Awn is off base.”

Cassian frowned and wondered if he’d missed something. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Oh, I just thought,” Jyn started and then stopped. “Well, I thought you were a one woman kind of man.”

What the kriff did that mean? “What are you talking about?”

Jyn turned a shade of red he hadn’t seen before and ducked her head reaching down below the table to pull the loth-cat into her lap like a comfort blanket. “I just thought. I mean you can do whatever you want.”

“Wait,” Leia said with wide-eyes. “You and Lieutenant Awn?”

“Me and Lieutenant Awn, what?” he demanded seeing a similar look on Shara’s face and bewilderment on Kes’.

“Since when did you and Lieutenant Awn start knocking boots?” Shara demanded. “What did she do to get the upstanding Captain Andor to drop his pants with a subordinate? The Alliance rumor mill will need to know if only for future replication, and as your friend I should have access to the information.”

Cassian fell back on his training to school his face into a neutral expression, when all he really wanted to do was stare at them all in horror. What exactly had the rumor mill been saying about him, and why did they think he was sleeping with Awn? “Who told you Lieutenant Awn and I were together?”

Leia and Shara turned sharply to look at Jyn who sunk down in her seat. “You just seemed close,” Jyn said glancing at him from under her lashes and then refocusing her gaze on the loth-cat. “I didn’t mean to out you.”

“Out me?” Cassian asked stunned. What in the hell had given Jyn the idea that he and Ali were anything other than professional partners? Sure, he’d cared for her when she was sick and wounded, but there hadn’t been anything sexual about it. “Lieutenant Awn and I are partners, nothing more.”

“You don’t have to hide it, Cassian,” Leia said eagerly, clearly looking for a story to distract herself. “You just have to file some paperwork to make it official and it’s no problem at all.”

“We can double date,” Shara added with a laugh.

“Only problem being, we’re not together,” Cassian said firmly.

“Oh, don’t be that way. We’re all friends here,” Leia said. “You deserve some happiness. You’ve been alone for as long as I’ve known you, which is ridiculous considering how many women on base would be eager to volunteer. It’d actually be good to have a real reason to shut down all the girls swooning over mysterious Captain Andor.”

Cassian fought a blush. He’d had no idea about any of this. He’d always kept his head down and done his job. Of course there’d been a few trysts here and there, but they’d always been a simple transaction of needs met and done discreetly. “Lieutenant Awn and I have a purely professional relationship,” he said resolutely. “She has a long-term boyfriend back on her home planet. They’ve been dating since they were teenagers, but he needs to help support his family on the farm they own and couldn’t join the Alliance with her. I don’t know what gave you the idea we were otherwise, but I don’t think her boyfriend would appreciate it.”

“That’s a pity,” Leia said with a sigh. “We could have used a good romance on base.”

“Hey!” Shara yelled.

“You two are old news,” Leia said waving her outrage away. “And besides you were both obviously in love since you met. There was no suspense. Who doesn’t like a good ‘they were posing as husband and wife for a job, but then actually fell in love’ story? It’s straight out of a holodrama.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” he offered. Perhaps that’s why Jyn had thought what she did – too many holodramas gone to her head? Although he expected that more out of Bodhi than her.

“Well, you could go on a kissing spree as a consolation prize,” Leia offered. “That’d give the base gossip for weeks.”

“I’ll get to work on that,” Cassian said dryly. He finished off his food and moved to stand again. “If you’ll excuse me.”

“Enjoy yourself!” Kes yelled after him and he shook his head.

He was halfway down the hall and back to his room when he felt a small, but insistently strong hand on his elbow. He stopped and rounded on Jyn.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted.

“For what?”

“For implying you were sleeping with Lieutenant Awn. I didn’t mean to start any rumors.”

“It’s fine, but why would you even think that?”

“You two just seem close whenever I see you together,” Jyn said looking embarrassed.

“That tends to happen when you have to go undercover with someone in enemy territory with only each other as back up.”

“You said her name in bed.”

He winced at that. They never really talked about the one night she’d spent in his bed and she’d avoided commenting when he’d said the wrong name so he’d hoped she just hadn’t heard him. “I was just waking up and out of it. When we’re undercover we share a bed and sometimes a small one. You can’t always keep your own personal space. It didn’t mean anything.”

“I just assumed,” Jyn said. “I shouldn’t have. I really am sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s fine. No harm done.” She started to open her mouth and then stopped. “What is it?”

“Your face isn’t so bad.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Is that really the best you can do to get back in my good graces?”

“It’s just different. You don’t look like you. You look like,” she paused, and a hand came up to tentatively touch his smooth cheek. He held himself very still for fear of scaring her off. “Like this, you look like maybe you weren’t in the Rebellion your whole life. Maybe you didn’t have to do certain things in the name of the greater good. Maybe you didn’t have to follow me into a suicide run for one last desperate hope.”

“I look simpler?” he offered, hating the fact that it was probably true.

She dropped her hand. “Yeah,” she agreed. “Simpler. Younger and more approachable.”

“I’ll keep that under advisement,” he turned and headed for his room suddenly exhausted all over again and for very different reasons. Her hand sliding into his stopped him instantly.

“So you’ll grow it back?”

“I thought it was simpler?”

“Who said that was better? I like you,” she stated firmly. “Old and weather-worn.”

“Jyn,” he half laughed at her description.

“We match better that way.” Something tugged in his chest and his first impulse was to pull her to him, but he fought it viciously. She wouldn’t appreciate it. Instead he settled with squeezing the hand that was still holding his.

“You left some things in my room.” He wanted to kick himself for the non sequitur, but quiet moments weren’t something he was good at.

She instantly turned bright red, ducked her head, and dropped his hand. “Shit, I’m really sorry.”

“It’s no big deal. I just figured you might want your toothbrush eventually. Is the power actually ok in your quarters?”

“Yeah.” She paced him with Rogue trotting at her heels as they headed for his room. “I should have gone back earlier, your quarters are just way more convenient. I never wanted to get promoted till I found out you score better digs.”

Cassian smiled and keyed the door open, laughing when Rogue slipped passed him with absolute confidence that he owned the place. The loth-cat jumped up into the bed and curled up clearly intent on sleeping right there.

“Sorry,” Jyn said moving to scoop the loth-cat back up. She set him on the floor and headed for the ‘fresher only to have Rogue jump back onto the bed. “I’ll get him on my way out.” She entered the tiny ‘fresher and came back out with her belongings in her hands, frowning as she clearly debated how she was going to pick up the loth-cat too. “Come on Rogue. Time to go.” Rogue lifted his head and blinked at her slowly before lowering it back down onto his paws. Cassian leaned against the wall and watched in amusement. Jyn walked over and balanced awkwardly on one foot, poking the loth-cat with the toe of her boot. “Come on fuzzbutt, let’s go. I’m leaving you.” She started for the door and looked exasperated back at the stationary feline. “He usually follows pretty good. Come on, Rogue.” The loth-cat yawned in her general direction. “Ok, looks like I’m going to need a bag and then I can carry him.”

“Do you want to stay?” It was out of his mouth before he could think about it and her surprised face jolted him into a sputtering explanation. “I just mean for a while. It’s still early. We could watch a holodrama or something if you want. I’m sure someone has the latest episode of The Princess Spy on the base’s intranet.”

“It’s on hiatus,” Jyn said still looking mildly surprised. “And Bodhi would kill us if we watched it without him anyway.”

“We could always just watch it again with him later.”

Jyn looked horrified. “Cassian, that’s a direct violation of the holodrama friendship viewing code.”

“The what?”

“You can’t just go behind someone’s back and watch a show you’re watching together without them!”

“But you can re-watch it with them later. What does it matter?”

“It’s not as pure,” Jyn said urgently. “It’s like you’re keeping dirty secrets from your friend the entire time you know what’s about to happen in the show and they don’t. You have to experience the story together.”

“Oook.” He wasn’t entirely convinced of her argument, but she looked so passionate about it, and he cared so little, it wasn’t worth fighting about. “I guess that’s goodnight then?”

“There are other holoshows,” she said quickly. She looked down at her toiletries in her hands and then discarded them on his desk before turning back to him. “Do you have a holoprojector?”

“Yeah, a little old, but it works.” He didn’t mention that he’d specifically bought it three missions ago with her and Bodhi in mind. He grabbed the thing off a shelf and handed it to her letting her set it up.

“Ok, we’ve got a few options,” Jyn said kicking off her boots and shamelessly crawling into his bed, pulling Rogue into her lap as she went. “What genres do you usually like?”

“I honestly never watched holoshows too much in the past,” he said taking his own shoes off. Draven had occasionally screened things for intelligence agents just so they could keep up-to-date on pop culture that was likely to be referenced in the field, but that was generally clips with extended summaries.

“You read don’t you? What do you like to read?”

“I mainly read mission briefs.”

“Stop being difficult,” she chastised poking him in the thigh with her foot as he sat.

“I mostly read historical things and nonfiction.”

Jyn made a face. “I don’t want to watch a documentary. We need a show, a series. What about a medical drama?” Cassian shrugged. Whatever Jyn wanted was fine with him. “Oh, I know! There’s this detective show everyone on base has been talking about. I bet you’d like that. What do you think?”

“Sounds great,” he said easily. He honestly didn’t care what they watched. If he could get through The Princess Spy he could get through anything. Jyn found the right programming on the bases’ intranet where people had illegally downloaded tons of things from the HoloNet securely so it couldn’t be traced back to base. Officially command frowned on the practice, but didn’t actually shut it down. Cassian thought there might be a revolt if they did. People liked their entertainment.

He was jolted out of these thoughts as Jyn snuggled back against the wall and leaned against him. He tentatively put his arm around her waist to have it in a more comfortable position and she didn’t push him away. Instead she curled down closer and Rogue repositioned himself so he was sprawled across both their laps. Cassian reached his free hand down and ran it through the loth-cat’s fur earning himself a low happy rumbling purr. Maybe if he was lucky the power would go out in her quarters again. He could get used to this.

Chapter Text

“I can’t believe them! Haven’t we learned our lesson about doing nothing?” the princess fumed as she stomped down the hallways of Hoth with Jyn trailing after her.

“I mean we couldn’t prove it,” Luke said soothingly. “They did say we needed definite proof to act.”

“It’s as good as definite proof,” Leia argued. “I trust the ambassador’s word.”

Jyn snorted. “Because the Alliance is good about going on someone’s word alone.”

“You’d think they’d learn,” Leia griped.

“You want to go rogue, Princess?” Jyn asked only half joking. She’d gone with Luke and Leia on an intelligence-gathering mission with a government that wasn’t entirely ready to outright disobey the Empire, but was definitely sympathetic to the Rebellion’s cause. The ambassador had agreed to meet with Leia, but wouldn’t allow any bodyguards or backup in with her. Luckily for them the planet was very old-fashioned and they’d allowed her a handmaid as company. Jyn had been a good choice for being deadly even when she didn’t have a blaster. She’d also been free, since Han had broken a leg on the last mission they’d gone on and, while mostly better, still hadn’t been cleared for active duty. He was probably off pouting somewhere about Luke piloting this mission instead of him.

“Don’t put ideas in her head,” Luke chastised. “The council has good reason to doubt the ambassador.”

“Not you too!” Leia said throwing up her hands. “I need a drink.”

Jyn laughed and followed her as she switched directions towards the cantina. She’d always liked Leia, but this mission had made her especially fond of her. The princess was fierce in a way that would have made even Saw think twice about crossing her. She could understand why Han was smitten with her, and why he was having such problems actually winning her over. Still she envied the fact that at least Han always knew exactly what Leia was feeling. Leia had a great diplomatic face when she wanted it, but she didn’t apply it with friends and allies like Cassian had the tendency to with his spy face. No, Leia let you know right where you stood with her. Although, when Jyn did manage to steal a smile out of Cassian it felt all the better for having been hard won.

They entered the cantina and Leia made a beeline for the bar with Luke trailing after. Jyn glanced around looking for seats and was delighted to spot Cassian and Bodhi at a table with Kay hovering nearby. She hadn’t been sure when she left if either of them would still be on base when she returned.   She drifted their way and smiled.

The smile shifted into a frown when Bodhi glanced at her and didn’t offer a wave or his usual welcoming grin. His eyes slid over her as if he didn’t even know her. Something must be wrong. She picked up the pace and his gaze was drawn back to her by her focused movement. Bodhi nearly choked on the drink he’d just taken setting himself off into sputtering coughs that had Cassian reaching across the table worriedly to presumably pat him on the back if needed.

“Jyn?!” Bodhi croaked out as she stopped at Cassian’s shoulder. The other man whipped around at the mention of her name and looked at her wide-eyed.

“What’s wrong with the two of you?” Jyn demanded at their equally bewildered stares.

Bodhi recovered first. “You look like a girl.”

“I am a girl,” Jyn said unimpressed.

“Yeah, but now you look like one,” Bodhi said blithely.

She put her hands on her hips to glare at him, and then flushed bright red when she realized what he was going on about. Stupid, idiot, Jyn. They’d gone straight from the ship to the debrief and she’d gotten so used to it over the past week that she’d forgotten to go back to her room and change.

Jyn shifted her arms to circle around her waist as her embarrassment rose. She’d completely forgotten she was still dressed like a handmaiden for Leia. The deep red fabric of the dress screamed for attention like Jyn’s normal apparel never would and clung to her body, exposing more of her chest and arms than she usually displayed. Given there was tulle covering the skin, but it still felt awfully bare. Her hair was up in an elaborate braid that a handmaiden was supposed to help a princess with, but had in actuality been just the opposite. The same with the makeup painted on her face. Saw had never seen any reason to teach her those skills, and she only had the vaguest memories of her mother ever applying makeup.  

“You look nice,” Cassian said breaking the awkward silence.

“I look absurd,” she corrected feeling silly and self-conscious standing in the base cantina surrounded by soldiers looking like this, like some Imperial lady who’d faint at the sight of blood and swoon over the latest holoshow stars. Leia often sported dresses, styled hair, and makeup, but she was a princess and carried it off with a ‘go ahead, and try to fuck with me,’ attitude that Jyn had found difficult to summon in a dress.

“No really,” Bodhi hurried to counter having realized he’d made her uncomfortable. “It’s just different. I was surprised. It looks good on you.”

“I should go change.”

“You look beautiful, Jyn,” Cassian said and it sounded so sincere she wanted to believe him. “Not that you don’t always, but the dress looks wonderful on you too.” Jyn was sure her skin was turning a shade to match the dress, and she tried to squash the internal voice that preened to hear Cassian’s compliments. He was only being kind as she was obviously mortified.

“Jyn, how’d it go?” a voice interrupted

She glanced over to see Han striding towards her with only a slight hitch to his step. “Han,” she greeted. “How’s the leg?”

“Fine, they should have let me go. Everyone ok?”

Jyn quietly translated ‘everyone’ into ‘mostly is Leia ok?’ “We’re all fine,” Jyn said jerking her head towards the bar where Luke and Leia were picking up drinks.

Han seemed to study them for a second assessing that Leia looked alive and well before he turned back and actually looked at Jyn. “What happened to you?”

“It’s from the mission. I’m going to change.” She turned to head out and Han grabbed her hand spinning her back for inspection.

He gave a low whistle. “You should let Leia get her hands on you more often. And maybe let me watch.”

“Shut up,” she said pulling her hand free and punching him softly in the arm.

“Seriously,” Han continued smiling wolfishly. “If I met you in a bar I’d definitely try to get you into bed. Oh wait, we are in a bar…”

Jyn snorted. Han would run for the hills if she showed any interest. Maybe not before Leia, but definitely now. “I think I look a little more high class than the girls you used to tumble.”

Han laughed and slipped a hand around her waist tugging her closer. “That dress would look just as good on my floor as any other.”

Jyn rolled her eyes at his overdone performance, but appreciated the moment of levity giving her a respite from her embarrassment. “You’re ridiculous.”

He let her go as Leia and Luke walked up. “You look good, kid. Anyone with eyes would agree. Accept the compliment and move on.”

“Of course she looks good,” Leia said confidently.

“I’m going to go change,” Jyn said attempting to sidestep the small princess trying to thrust a drink into her hand.

“And ruin my hours of work?” Leia asked dramatically. “Sit down and have a drink, Sargent. No one here has forgotten you can kick their ass even in a floor length dress.”

“Actually,” Kay piped up. “The dress might prove to be a real impediment. It decreases the chances of self defense by a significant amount rendering the legs useless for running or kicking.”

Leia laughed setting the drinks down on the table and reaching for Jyn’s hip turning her so a length of bare leg was exposed up to her thigh. “That’s what a slit is for. Give me a little credit. What’s the point of a bodyguard who can’t defend? Added bonus is distractible men get caught off guard. Isn’t that right, Captain Andor?”

Jyn looked at Cassian, but he was resolutely staring down at his hands by the time her gaze found him. “I suppose it could help,” he grumbled.

Leia laughed at her own joke and shoved Jyn into the seat next to Cassian. “You look fine, Jyn. Calm down, and have a drink.” Jyn nearly tripped over her skirts and fell out of the chair, but a warm hand that seemed to burn through the thin material caught her at the waist and kept her in place. Cassian moved his hand back just as quick as it had shot out.

“I really think I should change,” Jyn tried again. “I look silly.”

“Then I must look silly too,” Leia said challengingly. “I must look silly pretty often. Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

Jyn froze. Of course that isn’t what she meant. “No! But you’re a princess, you’re supposed to be beautiful.”

Leia smiled. “Stop while you’re ahead. Have a drink, relax. That’s an order.”

Jyn frowned, but knew a lost cause when she saw one. She grumbled a complaint, but reached for her drink all the same. “How’s Rogue?” she asked as Han settled in across from her desperately reaching for something to change the subject.  She’d left the loth-cat in his care, much to the smuggler’s annoyance.

“You’d have to ask Andor, I haven’t seen that monster in days.” She frowned at that and Han held up his hands. “Hey, I tried. The thing wouldn’t ever come when I called, and I let it out of my room to roam on the first day and it never came back.  Took me hours to figure out it followed Andor home, and then when I tried to remove it it tried to claw my skin off and he said it was fine to leave it.” Han jerked his head in Cassian’s direction.

“I’m sorry!” Jyn said to Cassian.

“Really? You’re sorry to him?  That monster didn’t try to flay him.”

“Yes, but I didn’t ask Cassian to take care of him,” Jyn defended. “You said you could do it.”

“It’s not my fault the loth-cat likes Andor better than me.  He said it was fine!”

“It was,” Cassian broke in, “It is.  Rogue was really no trouble.  He mainly just slept in my quarters or hunted around base like he is now.  No problem.”

“Well, thank you,” Jyn said. “Next drink is on me.  Seriously though, can I go change first? This dress isn’t very warm. How do you stand it, Leia?”

“I run hot,” the woman replied with a shrug.

Han opened his mouth to comment and Jyn kicked him under the table in his healing leg.  He gave a yelp and glared at her, but she was pretty sure he’d thank her later for cutting off whatever argument-starting statement had been about to fall out of his mouth. Jyn gave a start as a warm heavy weight fell around her shoulders and she looked away from Han only to realize Cassian had removed his parka and draped it over her.  “Oh, I couldn’t.” Jyn started pulling at the coat. 

He waved her concern away.  “It’s fine. I’m overheated from the drinks anyway.  One more and I’m headed to bed.”

She’d argue further, but she really was rather cold and he seemed comfortable in the chilly air and still had warm layers underneath.  She smiled at him and pushed her arms into the sleeves curling into the heat of the too big parka, before standing up again and asking him what he wanted to make good on her offer of a drink.

They stayed and chatted with their friends for almost an hour before Cassian yawned and stood to go.

“I’d better head out too,” Jyn said pushing her empty glass away.

“Aw, come on, Jyn, the night is young,” Han begged across the table having quickly consumed more than his fair share of the alcohol and clearly having been starved for human attention with her, Leia, and Luke away. “And we haven’t seen nearly enough of that dress yet. Stay out and play with us. I’ll buy you a drink, and if you play your cards right, let you get handsy on the dance floor.”

Jyn snorted. “My lucky day. Another night, Han.”

“Like you’ll wear that dress again,” he argued.

“Maybe if you ask really nicely,” Jyn teased. She had no intention of ever wearing this dress again.

“Don’t waste it on a moof milker like him,” Leia advised.

“Hey, I’m worthy of a nice dress,” Han argued and Jyn rolled her eyes as the two of them geared up.

She gave an already exasperated looking Bodhi a wave, as Kay had lumbered off a half hour ago muttering about having better things to do, and grabbed Cassian’s arm dragging him towards the exit with a whispered, “Quick, while they’re distracted.”

Jyn dropped her hand from Cassian’s arm when they reached the hall, but continued to bask in the feeling of being warm, tired, safe, and in good company. She still hadn’t gotten used to that feeling again. In a weird way she hoped she never did. They wandered down Hoth’s hallways slowly, bumping into each other comfortably without ever intentionally touching – a hand graze there and a shoulder knock here.

Not for the first time, Jyn wondered where she’d gone wrong with Cassian. It still occasionally seemed like he might be interested, like the way he’d looked at her in the dress tonight, even if it was only for a moment. But if Lieutenant Awn wasn’t a thing she couldn’t figure out why Cassian didn’t ever try to make a move other than she must be reading him wrong and all he wanted was friendship. She wasn’t willing to risk the easy camaraderie between them just to fill physical desires. She’d never had someone like him in her life before. Her childhood had been a series of moving and hiding with only her parents to depend on, and Saw certainly hadn’t encouraged friendship anymore than he’d encouraged romantic relationships. To have someone who cared about you just simply because they cared and not because they thought they could get something in return was a novel idea to her. Still, it’d be nice to have this and something more.

They rounded the corner for his room and found Rogue sitting outside his door. The loth-cat gave a happy welcoming meow and Jyn knelt down to scoop him into her arms nestling her face against his warm furry neck. She really was getting soft, which only meant she had more to lose. She stood up with the fur ball in her arms and then realized she still had Cassian’s coat on.

He seemed to read her mind. “Keep it. You can return it tomorrow. You’ve got the longer walk.”

She flashed him a smile of thanks. “Well, I’ll see you in the morning then?”

He nodded and turned for his door, and she started off down the hallway only to pause when Rogue wiggled in her arms and bolted. She turned just to get a glimpse of his tail disappearing into Cassian’s room as the man looked on surprised. “Sorry!” she said as she hurried back and squeezed past him following the loth-cat. Rogue had hopped up on Cassian’s bed and made himself comfortable. She tried to pick him up, but he squirmed away and planted himself on Cassian’s pillow. “Well, kriff you too,” Jyn said feeling rebuffed.

Cassian laughed behind her. “He’s just gotten used to staying here.”

Jyn narrowed her eyes at the loth-cat. “How quick we forget who saved you from the animal fighting rings. Rogue, come on.” She reached for the cat again and it jumped to Cassian’s desk and stared her down. “I’ll leave you. Don’t think I won’t. We’ll see how much you like it when Cassian gets sick of you.” She stood and headed for the door, but the loth-cat just blinked at her.

“He can stay,” Cassian offered. “If you want him to.”

“You’re fond of him,” Jyn accused. He’d tried to pretend like he had no interest in a pet, but she’d caught him slipping Rogue food more than once or scratching the cat’s ears when he thought no one would notice. It was stupid to feel jealous of a loth-cat, right?

Cassian shrugged. “I’m just tired, and he usually gets his way in the end.”

Jyn was displeased with the situation, but didn’t want to impose on him further so she agreed. She left the room and started down the hallway only to have him slide the door open a few moments later and call after her. “Now he’s meowing at the door.” The loth-cat moved and sat practically on top of Cassian’s feet at the doorway and gave a meow as if to reiterate his statement.

“What do you want?” Jyn asked turning back. Rogue mewed at her and she felt like a sucker for getting taken by it. “You either get to stay here or come with me.” The loth-cat looked unimpressed and wound his way around Cassian’s legs before going back into the room and then popping back out to meow at her.

“Looks like he wants you to stay,” Cassian said and then seemed to think about what he said and added, “Maybe he takes after you and likes the attached ‘fresher.”

“That or he’s just a brat,” she said glaring at the animal. She started for the loth-cat again and he retreated back into the room. “This is ridiculous. I’m sorry we’re disrupting your rest.”

Cassian moved to help her catch Rogue, which just resulted in them colliding in the middle of the room and the loth-cat slipping under the bed. He caught her before she could fall over from the impact. His hands lingered and she didn’t push him away. If she leaned up and in they’d be perfectly set for kissing. “You ok?”

She nodded her head and glared as the loth-cat bound out from under the bed to weave his way between their legs. She moved away from Cassian to grab Rogue and he bolted for a shelf. “Make up your mind! You either stay with Cassian or come with me.”

Rogue meowed at them from his perch. “He’s probably just confused,” Cassian offered with a small smile. “I mean he did stay in this room with you for a while and then with me while you were gone. He probably just thinks it’s his now.”

“You’re such a softie,” Jyn chastised dragging his desk chair over towards the shelf.

Cassian snorted. “I have many contacts who would disagree with that assessment.”

Jyn started to crawl up on the chair and grumbled as her skirts got in the way, hiking them up to stand up in the chair. A chair leg lifted and tilted ominously as she threw it off balance and warm hands steadied her once again. He really had a knack for that this evening. She shot Cassian a grateful smile and reached for the loth-cat, which immediately jumped down to the floor and darted under the bed again. She gave a growl of frustration as Cassian laughed. He offered her a hand, and she debated batting it away, but decided with the dress it wasn’t worth risking an embarrassing tumble as she jumped down and so accepted it.

“You could stay,” Cassian said and she looked up at him in surprise. “I mean we could watch a holoshow or something until he comes out.”

“You said you wanted to go to bed.”

Cassian shrugged. “I just wasn’t in the mood for heavy drinking. I’m not dropping on my feet.”

Jyn knew she shouldn’t impose, but he offered and there was no capturing Rogue when he didn’t want to be captured. “If you’re sure?”

Cassian grinned and gestured to the bed, setting up the holoprojector. She dropped his coat on the back of his chair and kicked off her shoes, diving for the covers as her body shivered in the cool air.

Cassian laughed as she struggled under the blankets with the fabric of the dress that had bunched uncomfortably around her legs. “That dress isn’t very practical for Hoth. Leia could have at least gotten you something fur lined.”

“I plan on burning it for heat at the next available opportunity.”

“That’s a shame. Despite its impracticality, it does look nice on you.” Jyn froze and stared at him trying to gauge his seriousness. Damn his stupid neutral spy face. She couldn’t tell if, like Han, he was joking or not.

She hedged her bets. “It’s not like I have anywhere to wear it.”

“There’s the occasional formal event or party on base,” Cassian said with a shrug. “You could keep it just in case, and our base won’t always be on Hoth. Maybe the next planet will be warm like Yavin IV.”

“You’re really selling it,” Jyn noted.

He glanced away and almost looked embarrassed. “Of course you don’t have to. It was just a thought. Besides Leia might kill you if you set it on fire.”

“True,” Jyn said wishing he’d stop fidgeting with the holoprojector and look at her again. “It’s good advice. Guess I’ll have to keep it.” And maybe if he was the one who asked she’d even wear it again.

He nodded and settled in next to her on the bed after wordlessly putting on a show where they’d left off. She tried to set her twist of confusing emotions aside and just savor the warmth radiating off him. After all if it was no big deal to him then it was no big deal to her. Jyn relaxed and focused on the show. There were worse ways to spend an evening.

She woke up a few hours later only to find herself snuggled up to Cassian’s side as the soft blue light of the holoprojector playing on without them flickered over them. She shifted and realized Rogue had curled up half between and half on top of their legs. A warm hand had also worked its way under the slit in her dress and rested comfortably on her thigh. She should probably be offended, but she found she wasn’t, it’s not like he’d done it on purpose anyway. Jyn debated getting up, but it was sure to disturb both the man and the loth-cat, and she was so deliciously warm and still half asleep. What was the harm? She nestled back down and fell asleep to the sound of Cassian’s deep calm breathing and Rogue’s rumbling purr.

Chapter Text

Cassian grit his teeth and tried not to let his annoyance show through to his face. After all Joreth Sward liked men like Andali Pathos. Pathos was well to do and had the right money and connections. He was also a frivolous asshole.

“Come on then, you’ve really never slummed it?” the man asked glancing back at him.

“I’m married,” Cassian replied casually.

“So what? It’s not like it was a love match. Who’s dumb enough to do that?” Pathos said waving him off. “I know your wife has been ‘sick’ for some time now, but honestly Sward she’s probably home banging the help now that she’s bored with the honeymoon tour, and you know it. Might as well have a good time. You’ll like this place. I’ve been trying to get the cute little bartender into the sack for days.”

“Most people go for the strippers,” Cassian observed dryly.

“Where’s the challenge in that?” Pathos asked clapping him on the back. “This one is a tiny feisty thing.” Cassian followed the man to a ragged little strip joint in the lower sector. He’d frequented enough of them on missions, but never entirely gotten the appeal. What was the point of staring at naked women who only feigned interest in you? He liked his naked women writhing and enjoying themselves by choice instead of for a sweaty credit chip.

Pathos chose a table near the main stage and Cassian settled in wishing he had an excuse to leave, but knowing he had to get on Pathos’ good side to get an invite to a very particular party where a certain Moff would be in attendance. Distractions from within would let an assassination plot unfold unnoticed if he and Ali played it right. As it went, he’d spent worse evenings in Imperial company than watching poor women in a shitty sector strip for money.

“Kaya,” Pathos greeted in a syrupy tone that Cassian wondered if women ever actually liked. It’d clearly worked for Pathos over the years if he kept with it though. Given it could be his uniform that was doing the heavy lifting especially in a poor sector like this.

Cassian glanced up at the waitress and thanked years of training for his lack of outward reaction. Internally he felt his gut clench up and he wanted to reach out, grab her wrist, and drag her out of there and away from Pathos’ leering eyes. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her baring quite so much skin and that included the handmaiden dress a few weeks back. His hand seemed to burn at the memory of her skin under his palm as he thought of how he’d woken up with his hand shoved under the slit in her dress. At least she’d been asleep and hadn’t witnessed him shame-facedly removing his hand.

“Andali,” Jyn greeted more curtly, but only looked at Cassian. Cassian lifted an eyebrow when she stared at him just a bit too long to remind her of the game. He knew she shouldn’t have been sent in undercover. She needed more training. For all her false identities they’d always been Jyn underneath. Had Draven sent her alone?

“See something you like?” Pathos asked sourly next to him, clearly noticing where her gaze lingered.

Jyn shook her head and gave the man a little smile. “Nope, your friend just looks an awful lot like an ex-boyfriend I had once. The bastard ran off with another woman and left me with his gambling debts. Thought it was him for a minute and was going to ask you to kill him for me.”

Pathos laughed and relaxed now that Jyn’s attention was focused back on him. “I would have done it for you too.”

“The usual?” Jyn asked.

“If you would, he’ll take the same,” Pathos said motioning towards Cassian with the air of someone who wasn’t used to taking other people’s opinions into account when they ranked lower than him. Jyn nodded and darted off again.

“She’s lying,” Pathos remarked casually staring at the woman onstage who was shimming a short skirt down her legs. Cassian hummed a question, but otherwise didn’t react. “About the ex. She didn’t look angry staring at you.”

“So?”

“So are you going to fuck her?”

Cassian laughed and pressed a credit chip into the dancers g-string. “I’m married.”

“That old song and dance, give it a rest. Don’t pretend you’re better than the rest of us or believe in the bounds of marriage. You forget I was at that party were you fucked the senator’s wife in the coat closet.”

Cassian gave an easy cocky Joreth smile at that comment. The senator’s wife enjoyed getting back at her husband for whatever wrongs he’d done her by fucking lower level Imperials. Her personal datapad also had all sorts of sensitive scheduling information on it about her husband and was easy to steal out of her purse when the encounter was over. She no doubt blamed the theft on the staff. “You saw her first,” Cassian allowed.

“You think you can compete with me?” Pathos demanded.

“I’d never dream to try,” Cassian soothed. He was saved from laying on more flattery with Jyn returning with the drinks. It was some musky tasting concoction that Cassian wouldn’t have ordered for himself, but he forced himself to drink it.

“Where are you off to so fast?” Pathos asked shooting an arm out to wrap around Jyn’s bare waist revealed by a thin crop top. It was something she could have easily avoided if she wasn’t trying to be someone else and Cassian saw her trying to control her own natural reaction to being grabbed unwantedly.

She gave a forced laugh and said, “Whole club to serve.”

“They can wait a bit can’t they?” Pathos dragged her closer to his seat pulling her so her legs straddled the edge of his knee. Cassian wasn’t sure he’d count the tiny strip of fabric she was wearing as a skirt and had to wonder if she could conceal even the small holster and blaster Han had gotten her underneath it.

“You know I would,” Jyn said placating, “But my boss would get angry.”

“Send him over,” Pathos encouraged. “We’ll have a talk about treating his employees right.”

Jyn gave a forced giggle and twisted out of his hold. “You’re going to get me in trouble.”

“Would you stay if my friend, Sward, asked?”

Jyn flicked her eyes over to Cassian and back to Pathos. “Don’t be silly. I’ve got to get back to work.”

She flitted away and Cassian felt Pathos’ mood sour. It was going to be a long night. “She’s playing hard to get.”

“Two can play that game. I’ll buy you a lap dance,” Cassian offered jovially, Joreth Sward always anxious to make his superiors happy. He signaled to a stripper who looked as much like Jyn as he could find in the vicinity and she started over. Pathos grinned at that and relaxed some.

“Find someone for yourself, Sward. You can’t tell me a lap dance will upset your delicate marriage vows.”

Cassian snorted and made eye contact with a stripper that looked the opposite of Jyn in every way. There was no harm confirming his disinterest. The key to Joreth Sward was that he was non-threatening in just about every way. The busty blonde smiled as she made her way over to him and settled herself more firmly in his lap than he expected. No wonder Pathos liked this place, it was clearly not like a high end club where the no touching rule was strictly enforced.

They passed the next few hours easily enough. Pressing credits into stripper flesh and downing drinks. Pathos was well on his way to plastered and Cassian could only be grateful that after the first one Jyn had started watering his own down. He’d have to thank her when they were back on base.

Jyn came back with the fifth round of drinks and Pathos, drunk and bold, reached out to stroke a hand over her ass as she leaned across the table to give Cassian his drink. Cassian gripped his knee under the table in order to keep himself from jumping across it and causing a little damage. He expected Jyn to lose it. After all she was the one with the stated ‘grab my ass, I punch you in the face’ rule. He had to admit he was a little disappointed when she kept her cover and simply jerked away looking flustered.

“You might have had enough,” Jyn commented dryly.

“Come on, Kaya, loosen up,” Pathos commanded snatching his drink up. “I could show you a really good time and I have no gambling debts to speak of.”

“Is there a problem?”

Cassian craned his head to see who had spoken and caught a bouncer approaching the table. He instantly recognized him as Godin Leeson, an intelligence officer two years his senior. The man was heavy muscle and as far as he knew good at his job. They’d never worked together, but from the stories he’d heard the man was strict and brutal. It was probably a terrible fit with Jyn, but at least Draven hadn’t completely ignored him.

“No problem,” Pathos said holding up his hands. “Kaya here was just flirting a little. No harm, I’m not offended.”

He could tell Jyn barely refrained from rolling her eyes as she took another step away from the table. “We’re all good,” Jyn said giving a fake little smile before heading back to the bar and Godin towards the door.

Pathos spent the next half hour bitching about overly restrictive bouncers and women who couldn’t take a joke. Cassian sipped his watered down drink and nodded along. If his eyes occasionally slipped to Jyn delivering drinks and greeting customers he hoped Pathos was too drunk to notice.

She slipped behind an employee’s only door and Pathos made an excuse to run to the ‘fresher. Cassian got a bad feeling as soon as the man left the table. He waited a minute or two watching a woman gyrate in front of him before standing up and casually walking towards the door Jyn had disappeared behind. He slipped down the hallway with no one the wiser and paused around a corner when he heard voices.

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Pathos crooned. Cassian tilted his head slightly so he could see around the corner and felt a low noise rising up his throat at the sight that greeted him. Pathos has cornered Jyn and was using an arm against the wall to cut off her exit.

“It’s against the rules,” Jyn said biting her lip and looking down. She looked scared and intimidated in just the right way that got men like Pathos really going. Maybe she was a better actress than he’d thought, but it was certainly the wrong angle to play here.

“Come on,” Pathos cajoled. “A shit hole-in-the-wall place like this? No one cares about the rules. Not for the right price. Cut your boss in and you’ll be fine. I know the other girls do.” Jyn glanced up at the man and seemed to hesitate. Pathos pressed closer and dropped a hand to her throat running a thumb down the exposed skin there in a possessive way and Jyn flinched away turning her head to the side. “What? Am I not good enough for you? Like something a little darker do you? Bet you’d be gagging for it if Sward was back here offering.” Pathos’ hand tightened on her throat.

Jyn better kill the asshole soon or he was going to do it. “500 credits,” she said quietly, but with a steel behind it that booked no arguments, and Cassian wondered where the hell she thought she was going with this. If she was trying to scare Pathos off with a high price she hadn’t gone nearly high enough.

Pathos laughed. “I could have any girl out there for a fifth of that.”

“Didn’t think you wanted any girl out there.”

Pathos ran a hand down her side and slipped a leg between her thighs before pausing. “Do you have a blaster under there?”

“A girl has to take care of herself,” Jyn said with a defiant little look and a shrug that made her look like a girl who would carry a blaster, but have very little knowledge of how to use the damn thing.

Pathos groaned and pressed his face into her throat. “300.”

“500,” Jyn said more confidently like she wasn’t negotiating to fuck someone. She was playing the wrong hand. Pathos would give her the money and then what would she do? Lie back and think of the rebellion? Cassian might have once, but he certainly wasn’t going to let Jyn do it. He’d blow his cover first if necessary. Draven might have been right about not putting him in the field with her. And where the kriff was Leeson?

“400.” Cassian stepped out from behind his cover and made eye contact with her. Jyn’s hand came up to cup the back of Pathos’ head and keep him buried in her neck. She gave a tense shake of her head that wasn’t about the amount and was clearly aimed at Cassian. He frowned.

“I’m not going lower than 500. A girl has to have her standards, and I don’t do this for just anyone, but I like you so I’ll cut you a deal. If it’d been your friend out there it would have been 1,000. I don’t fuck people who look like my exes for any less.” She glared harder at Cassian and he held up his hands and retreated again. She better have some sort of plan.

Pathos grunted in dissatisfaction, but ran a hand up under her skirt all the same. Jyn glared death down at the top of his head, but held herself still. “Wear the blaster, sweetheart, and you’ve got a deal.” She directed him to the other side of the club where there was a room for those sorts of things and said she’d meet him in a few once she got someone to cover for her and spoke to the boss. Cassian walked away quickly and slid back into his seat near the stage. A minute later a heavy hand fell on his shoulder and he turned to see Pathos grinning drunkenly down at him.

“I’m going to fuck the waitress,” Pathos slurred proudly. “Knew she wanted me.”

Cassian stood and clapped him on the shoulder. “In that case, I’ll see myself home. Enjoy yourself.”

“Sure you don’t want to find a ride for yourself?” Pathos said spreading his hand wide to indicate the other women in the room. “The blonde over there will deep throat you for the cost of a drink. Spice heads are always cheap.”

“I’m-”

“Married, I know,” Pathos finished for him. “Marriage has made you much less fun. Alright go home and comfort yourself with your hand.”  

Pathos ambled off and Cassian made for the door furious that Leeson still stood there like he had nothing better to do. He walked down the street and doubled back as soon as he was sure he wasn’t being tailed and found a back entrance. He slipped inside and narrowly avoided being spotted by a stripper going backstage for a costume change. He slipped around a corner and saw Jyn headed for a staircase. He reached out to catch her arm only to have a small strong hand clamp down around his own wrist and drag him into a ‘fresher.

“What the kriff are you doing?”

“Jyn,” he breathed out. She was dressed in a robe and looked furious.

“Why are you here? You’re going to get caught out.”

“What was I supposed to do?” he demanded. “Walk out?”

“Yes,” she hissed. “I have it handled.”

“He’s going to know that isn’t you.”

“She fooled you for a minute.”

“From away and behind,” he argued.

“Trust me, with what I slipped in his last drink, Quailawin will fool him easily enough in the dark.”

“And she’d do this for you why?”

“She’d have slept with him for 50 credits, which would have been her half of the take. She’s going to get 450 out of this without the boss any the wiser. That’ll take care of her and her daughter for at least a month.”

“If he figures it out,” Cassian started to argue.

“He won’t. He’s drunk and drugged and men like that hardly ever really look at the women they’re with anyway. They just pump away till their done, trust me. He thinks he’s gotten something other men couldn’t get, he’ll sleep easy enough tonight, and hopefully not come back here now that he’s gotten what he wanted.”

“Leeson should have done something.”

“Leeson is committed to the rebellion, not me. I’m here to get information. He doesn’t care if that means I need to suck a cock along the way. He’s a right ass. I’d have rather done this on my own. Thanks quite a bit for that.”

“It was supposed to be me with you.”

“Then we’d have gotten no information at all with your hovering,” she hissed.

“I’m good at my job, Jyn,” he said coldly. “We’d have done fine and you wouldn’t have had to be felt up by some asshole Imperial in a back hallway.”

“Yes, because your job is so difficult playing about and getting lap dances all night. You must have swapped stories with female agents and have some idea of what they put up with,” she said sharply. “If you’re female it’s just something you deal with. It’s not like men haven’t tried to have their way with me before. I didn’t travel in the most seemly of circles. I can handle myself in the field just fine.”

He pushed the anger down that rose at that statement. Of course she was right, he knew that a sixteen year old girl didn’t make her way on her own through the galaxy without putting up with a certain amount of harassment. Still, she shouldn’t have to. He was torn between wanting to punch something and wanting to pull her into his arms and never let go. He sighed and dropped his head. “I’ll stay just till I know you’re in the clear.” He interrupted her when she opened her mouth to argue. “Not because I think you couldn’t kill the bastard if he came for you, but because I care about you and want you safe.” She still looked set to argue. “Please don’t make me leave not knowing,” he said quietly.

She sighed. “You’re risking yourself.”

“Not if your plan works,” he said. “Pathos will leave when he’s done and never be the wiser. Let me stay.”

“Draven would be so disappointed in you.”

“Kriff Draven.”

She laughed quietly at that and he saw some of the anger leave her body. “I am a bad influence on you, Captain.”

“Kay says my flagrant disregard for authority has increased exponentially.”

Jyn smiled and tugged on his collar. “I hate this uniform.”

“You and me both.”

“I’m going to have to burn that thigh holster,” Jyn said mournfully. “I really quite liked it.”

“I’ll buy you a new one. How long have you been here?”

“Only a week,” she said perching herself on the dingy ‘fresher counter. “How much longer will you be under?”

He shrugged. “I’m hoping no longer than a month. If it does go any longer I can make an excuse about not being able to be away from my sick wife any longer.”

“Such an attentive husband,” she teased. “How does she stand to be away from you?”

“Ali better be enjoying her leave with that boyfriend,” he said with a smile. “Without her I have so few excuses to get out of less than enjoyable evenings.”

“You should take a mistress,” Jyn advised. “That way you can always have a woman on hand for your excuse.”

“Want to apply for reassignment to intelligence?”

She snorted. “I thought you thought I sucked at it.”

“You do,” he said with a shrug. “If he weren’t drunk Pathos would have definitely known how badly you wanted to kill him.”

“Murder shoulders,” she sighed.

“What?”

“Han calls them my murder shoulders,” she explained. “He says it’s how he always knows I’m about to blow a mission to hell.”

“Han knows you well,” he stated trying to ignore the tight feeling in his chest at the admission. He could be happy that someone he cared about was happy. He was capable of that. At least, he hoped he was. “You two are good together.”

“Well, we’re successful if nothing else,” she conceded. She shifted and the robe slipped down to bare a naked shoulder. Cassian raised an eyebrow and tugged the fabric back up to cover her. A flush played across her cheeks and she pulled the robe tighter around her. “Quailawin wasn’t exactly wearing much when we exchanged clothes.”

“I hope Han knows what he has in you,” he said softly and as earnestly as he could. Loving her meant letting her pick what was right for herself. It wasn’t like a man like him deserved her anyway. He wasn’t that foolish. He just wished she’d chosen someone like Bodhi who he couldn’t possibly find reasons to hate. Accepting Solo and all his easy flirtations and cavalier swagger was much harder. “He’s a lucky man.” It was the nicest and truest thing he could find to say about the smuggler.

She furrowed her brow at him and reached for his hand. “Cassian, what–” Footsteps down the hallway had her jumping down from the counter and shoving him into the stall adjacent. He had enough sense to crouch atop the toilet as the door to the ‘fresher banged open.

“He came and then passed out,” a woman’s voice said. He could only assume it was Quailawin. The woman giggled. “Well after moaning for a bit and asking, ‘is it good for you, baby,’ without ever waiting for a response. They’re all the same.”

“Thank you, Quailawin. I’ll wake him in an hour and call an air taxi for him,” Jyn said.

“You really don’t want any of the money? Boss takes half usually.”

“No, you keep it. You earned it. Give boss the 50 you promised and you keep the rest. Just don’t let him find out.”

“You’re a blessing, Kaya,” the woman said and Cassian heard the sound of clothes being shuffled for a few minutes. “You coming?”

“In a minute. Get back out there, you’ll be wanted onstage in a few.”

Jyn pulled the stall door open a minute later redressed in her previous outfit with the thigh holster dangling off one finger and the tiny blaster in her other hand. “You should go. Mind keeping my blaster for me? There’s not really anywhere to hide it now, and I won’t have time to buy a new holster.”

“You shouldn’t be unarmed.”

She smirked at that. “You and I both know I’ll be just fine without it. Besides Leeson is an asshole, but I think he could crush a man’s skull with his bare hands. Come on, smuggle it home with you? You can say it’s a gift for your wife.”

Cassian laughed. “Proper Imperial ladies don’t carry blasters.”

“Then perhaps Mr. Sward just likes tiny blasters?”

“I’ll figure it out,” he said. “You just make sure you get yourself home.”

She handed the blaster off and tossed the holster into the trash. He tucked it into his waistband and she squeezed his arm. “I’ll see you there.”

He knew that was as close to a promise to be safe as he was going to get from her. He pushed some hair that had escaped her bun behind her ear and said, “Thanks for watering down my drinks,” before slipping out of the ‘fresher and the club unseen.

Chapter Text

Jyn handed Bodhi the hydrospanner and grinned at his story of adventure. He’d just gotten back to base this morning and Cassian should be arriving back any day now if his prediction of a month more was true. She was looking forward to getting her tiny blaster back, and perhaps also curling up with a holoshow and him. She may have camped out a bit in his rooms again while he’d been out, although she’d moved her things out again a week ago to avoid another round of embarrassment. His quarters were simply more comfortable and Rogue preferred them as well.

She glanced up at raised voices across the hanger and rolled her eyes at the familiar sight of Han and Leia fighting. “Have they not gotten together yet?” Bodhi asked following her gaze.

“They ran some mission together while I was on Coruscant collecting information,” Jyn said with a shrug. “Not sure what they were doing, but they came back worse than ever. They’re idiots.”

“Speaking of idiots,” Bodhi started with a smile, “what’s up with you and Cassian?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Well you confirmed he’s not seeing his partner,” Bodhi said with an impatient wave of his hand. “So?”

“So, nothing,” Jyn said fidgeting with a tool. “Just because he isn’t dating her doesn’t mean he wants anything to do with me.”

“Jyn, that man is crazy about you. Everyone knows it.”

“We’re friends,” Jyn sighed. “He’s never done anything to imply he wants anything more.”

“You mean besides the way he’s constantly at your side whenever you’re both on base, or watches holodramas he doesn’t even like with you, or lets you take over his quarters and sleep in his bed?”

Jyn felt herself blushing and kicked at Bodhi’s foot halfheartedly. “Yes, you’d think in all of that he’d have found an opportunity to ask for more if he wanted it. It’s not like I’ve ever threatened to punch him for invading my personal space, and I certainly am not seeing anyone. The door is wide open.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that maybe he’s waiting for you to make a move?”

“Like hell I will,” Jyn said fiercely. “I’ve only just found the both of you. If all he wants is friendship, I’m certainly not going to kriff that up. It’s enough for me, having the two of you here just like we are. More than I ever thought I’d get really.”

Bodhi squeezed her shoulder and plucked the tool out of her fingers. “You’re not going to lose us, and I still say Cassian would be more than interested if you’d risk it. He barely knows anyone else exists when you’re in a room. You’re both just too emotionally stunted to deal with it.”

Jyn rolled her eyes. So she and Cassian weren’t the best with talking about their feelings one way or another. It’s not like they’d had mentors or lives that encouraged that kind of thing. Still. “He did say something the last time I saw him that had me a bit confused,” Jyn admitted slowly. It’d been weighing on her mind for weeks the way he’d looked at her when he said it.

Bodhi perked up. “Yeah?”

“He just said that he hoped Han knew what he had in regards to me.”

“Well, you do work with Han more often than not,” Bodhi said. “For a second there I thought it’d be something interesting.”

“It was more the way he said it,” Jyn clarified feeling foolish. “It almost sounded like he thought Han and I might be together or something. And then he said Han was a lucky man to have me.”

“He thinks you’re sleeping with Han?” Bodhi’s eyebrows rose towards his hairline.

“I don’t know. It’s stupid. I don’t know why he’d think that, but it was just so weird the way he said it.”

Bodhi glanced over at the couple still arguing near the Falcon. “But look at them,” he gestured. “The whole base knows Han is head over heels for the princess. Cassian’s job is literally to be observant. How could he have missed that?”

“Exactly. It was a stupid thought. Forget it.” She went back to digging in the toolbox to distract herself.

“I suppose Han does flirt with you, but he flirts with everyone,” Bodhi said thoughtfully. “Although Cassian would have to pay attention to someone else in the room besides you to note that. Well, there’s an easy solution then. Just tell Cassian you aren’t.”

Jyn snorted. “Yes, when he lands I’ll simply walk up to him and say, ‘Just in case you were wondering, Cassian, I am not now nor have I ever been sleeping with Han Solo. Do with that as you will.’”

“You could be a little more subtle,” Bodhi laughed. “We could have another drinking game. Never have I ever had sex with Han Solo.”

Jyn chuckled. “It’d be better for everyone if the princess would just admit she has a thing for moron smugglers. Then the base would get some relief, so many betting pools could be closed, and I wouldn’t have to say a thing.” The only thing that would be more embarrassing than having to tell Cassian she wasn’t sleeping with Han directly, would be telling him and having him look at her incredulously and state that he already knew that and why would she be telling him?

“Some people might say the same about you and Cassian.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “There is not a betting pool on that.”

“I’m telling you everyone knows you’re crazy about each other except the two of you. Even Kay seems to have come to terms with his fate.”

“That fate being?”

“You’re going to be around long term whether he likes it or not. I overheard him instructing the mess crew on the proper amount of nutrients for Cassian and you based on body mass and gender needs. He only used to do that crap to Cassian.”

“He just likes that I’ll protect Cassian if I can,” Jyn said shaking her head.

“Whatever you need to tell yourself. The point is, Jyn, you’re both idiots. I’d also be grateful if you banged on the third of the month as it would get me quite a substantial pot.”

She smacked his side. “You did not bet on us.”

“Of course I did. I don’t care what you say, the two of you will definitely end up together.”

“You’re reading too much into it,” she defended. “We went through a traumatic experience together.”

“I know,” he countered, “I was there. Still doesn’t mean I want you naked underneath me screaming my name.”

“Bodhi,” she shrieked surprised and fake scandalized.

“That’s another option,” Bodhi continued blithely. “You could just be naked in his bed when he returns and see where that goes? Given you’d have to time it pretty well as no one wants to be naked and not having sex for very long on Hoth.”

“Bodhi!”

“I’m just saying, he probably wouldn’t mind. More than likely he’d be enthusiastic about the whole thing.”

“Would you stop?” she demanded punching his arm playfully. “You watch too many holodramas. I have patrol in fifteen. I have to get going.”

“Be safe out there,” Bodhi said with a grin. “And remember, the third of the month. We’re only two days away. This could be your month.”

Jyn rolled her eyes and jumped off the crate she’d been sitting on. She’d had more than enough of this conversation.

So she was a little less safe than Bodhi probably would have liked. Jyn stifled a grunt as the tauntaun came to an abrupt stop in the hanger jarring her forward against the other rider. It was some sergeant she’d worked with a few times, but kept forgetting the name of. She’d worked with the woman just enough to make asking her name again awkward. Jyn debated the best way to get off the tauntaun without injuring herself further.

Suddenly a warm gentle hand was on her ankle. “What happened?”

“You’re home,” she said stupidly.

Cassian frowned harder up at her, which she didn’t think was entirely fair. “What happened?”

“Wampa attack, Captain Andor,” the woman in front of her answered. “Killed her tauntaun and swiped her in the process. I think she also injured her arm when the tauntaun fought and bucked her off. The wampa took the tauntaun, but didn’t bother us further after a couple blaster shots.”

“It’s not that bad,” Jyn clarified.

“Here,” Cassian said reaching both arms up to latch around her waist. “Gently.”

Jyn would fight him, but she wasn’t sure how to get down without help and it seemed less terrible to accept his offer than faceplant off the tauntaun. She reached out her good arm to brace her hand on his shoulder and awkwardly let him half help half drag her off her ride. She stumbled into his arms and he steadied her.

“I’ll help you to medical.”

She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“The blood running down your leg would argue otherwise,” Kay said dryly from Cassian’s side.

“Seriously, Jyn,” Bodhi added hovering nearby. It warmed her a bit inside to think they’d been waiting for her to return. “Do you think there’s any situation in which we don’t drag you down to med bay?”

She sighed and made a show of pouting, but knew he was speaking the truth. “Fine, but I’m ok. It’s just a scratch and a sprain.”

Cassian snorted. “We’ll let the medics be the judge of that.” He tucked an arm around her waist and took on a good portion of her body weight as she limped down to medical on her good leg. She was glad he didn’t make any sort of sweeping gesture that she’d have had to kill him for like trying to carry her through the base. As it was she waved sarcastically at gawking onlookers as they made their way. By the third one she worked a small laugh out of Cassian. “Would you stop? They’re just concerned.”

“They are not concerned. They’re being nosey and will probably gossip about it later,” Jyn corrected. “Or are planning to start up a new betting pool.” She shot Bodhi a glare. “I don’t have to be nice.”

“What in the world would they be betting on?” Cassian asked, and she knew he was just trying to distract her from any pain she might have, but played along gamely.

“Whether or not I’m going to die.”

“That would be a stupid bet to take,” Kay said. “You obviously are not going to die. You are conscious and moving under mostly your own power. Also the blood loss has slowed down significantly implying clotting at the wound.”

Jyn stuck her tongue out at the droid. “Fine, they’re betting over whether or not I’ll fall down before reaching med bay.”

“Also a stupid bet,” Kay noted. “Cassian would not let that happen.” Bodhi snorted next to them and if Jyn could have moved fast enough she would have elbowed him in the ribs hard.

“Maybe they’re betting on which one of the three of you drives me to violent outbursts first.”

Kay seemed to analyze that for moment. “The most likely bets would be on myself based on historical evidence or Cassian based on your temperamental mood swings and his tendency to push back. Bodhi Rook is usually exempt from your more violent expressions.

Cassian sighed quietly next to her as they neared the med bay entrance. “Kay maybe you should go tell Solo what happened.”

Jyn tore her glare away from Kay and glanced at Bodhi at those words. Bodhi lifted an eyebrow and made a go on motion with his hand. “Why would he tell Solo?”

“It would be pointless,” Kay interrupted. “Han Solo does not value Jyn Erso’s wellbeing.”

“Kay,” Cassian chastised. “That isn’t true.”

“It is,” the droid said and despite no change in inflection it sounded petulant to Jyn’s ears. “I have noted it many times on missions. He allows her in most dangerous situations. He and the wookiee prioritize each other above Jyn Erso in nearly all scenarios. The chances that he cares in this particular situation where she was not injured under his command, it is not life threatening, and it has no effect on a mission outcome are very low.”

“Kay,” Cassian snapped looking embarrassed as he helped her over to an available medical table. “I’m sure that’s not true,” he comforted as he helped her up on to it.

“It is true,” Kay argued. “I’ve done extensive observation and run many such scenarios. He would care even less because you are present. Whenever you are around he foists any caretaking duties for her on to you without asking, as if she is your responsibility, which she isn’t. You are not her direct superior.”

“Kay, I’m begging you to stop.”

“I do not know why you find statistical analysis so distressing.”

“Because it’s rude to tell a person that someone they care about doesn’t care about them like they should in return,” Cassian growled. “You’re also wrong. Whatever your observations are you know you often find human emotions difficult to navigate. Keep it to yourself.”

“It’s fine,” Jyn interrupted wishing she could reach across the open space and slap the shocked looking Bodhi upside the head. She felt a bit triumphant that for once she hadn’t completely misread a human interaction. “I know Han cares about me, but we don’t have the type of relationship where he’d rush down to med bay because I have a scratch. I certainly wouldn’t for him. I’d assume he was doing something dumb and had deserved it. We’re just not like that.” There – fixed. How could someone misread that?

Bodhi rolled his eyes and she wondered what she had gotten wrong. “Either way Kay is being rude to theorize,” Cassian said glaring at the droid. “People’s personal relationships are their own business.”

A 2-1B droid interrupted them stopping Bodhi from making whatever comment he’d clearly wanted to make. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Wampa scratch and a sprained wrist,” Jyn answered promptly. She wanted to get the hell out of there.

“I will need to run a blood test.”

“Why?” Jyn shied away from the droid. She really did not like medics poking and prodding her, never had. She also hated needles.

“Jyn, let the droid check you over,” Cassian directed firmly.

“I don’t know why they need blood,” Jyn said. “Just slap a bacta patch on the leg and wrap the wrist. Good to go.”

“They probably want to check for infection since you were just mauled by a wild animal.”

The droid started to come at her with the needle and she scrambled back. She would have fallen off the table, but instead ended up huddled back against Cassian’s front.

“What’s wrong?” Bodhi asked as Cassian braced her instinctually.

“I’d like to formally pass on the blood test,” Jyn said tightly. “There’s got to be some sort of form I can sign, right? Like I waived the medically advised procedure and if I die it’s on me, not on them. I’m fine with that. Bring on the form.”

“Jyn, this is ridiculous. The wampa could have had all sorts of diseases. We don’t know what’s communicable. You need to do the blood test,” Cassian argued and Jyn muttered a response. “What?”

“I don’t like needles.”

There was a significant pause. “Are you serious?” Jyn glared up at Cassian, but quickly shifted it to Bodhi when he started snorting in laughter.

“Jyn, you’ve seen and had all sorts of disgusting injuries full of blood and guts and you’re scared of needles?” Bodhi asked between his chortles.

“Shut up, you nerf hearder,” Jyn growled. “It hurts.”

“You’ve been shot clean through before!” Bodhi argued amused. “This is a tiny little prick.”

“It’s different! All those things I was actively trying to avoid and keep my blood inside my body. Just sitting still while they stick needles in you and steal your blood is different.” She’d always hated needles since she was a little girl. Some phobias were hard to kick. “Can’t they just scrape some blood off my leg?”

“It needs to be fresh and uncontaminated by outside sources or they might get false readings,” Cassian said calmly. He grabbed her hand and shuffled even closer to the side of the table. “Just look away and it’ll be over before you even know it.” He nodded at the medical droid and Jyn crushed his hand in her grip, sure her knuckles were turning white.

The droid moved closer and she was grown up enough to admit that she may have possibly released a small whimper as it pushed up her sleeve. She got one look at the needle and blanched twisting to bury her face in Cassian’s chest. She didn’t care if it was stupid. She hated needles. His hand, the one she wasn’t currently mangling with her own, came up and cupped the back of her head and she focused on that instead of the feeling of the needle slipping into her vein. The next wampa she saw was getting brutally murdered.

“It’s over,” Cassian murmured dropping his hand to her neck and giving it a quick gentle squeeze before falling away. She heard the droid walk off to run the test, but still took a moment before extracting herself from him. She glanced down at the arm the droid had quickly bandaged up and tried to ignore the queasy feeling she still got even thinking about what had just happened.

“Thanks,” she said quietly.

“Anytime.”

“So if a stormtrooper came at you like brandishing a needle, would he win?” Bodhi asked and she made a rude gesture in his direction.

“He’d probably die a whole lot quicker,” she corrected, “So that he couldn’t get near me with the damn thing.”

“I find this fear of needles entirely illogical and detrimental for your health,” Kay said. “How did you receive medical treatment in the past?”

“It rarely required needles,” Jyn said. “And if it did it usually meant I was already unconscious from some injury or another. I never argued it was logical. I just hate it.” She shivered and didn’t knock Cassian’s hand away when he rubbed her arm comfortingly. “I still say it was unnecessary.”

The 2-1B returned and attention shifted back to it. “Well?” Jyn demanded. “Do I have some sort of cosmic space rabies?”

“Congratulations,” the droid answered clearly not understanding the joke. “You are pregnant.”

For a minute you could have heard a pin drop in the med bay. “I’m WHAT?”

“Pregnant,” the droid repeated unperturbed.

“I AM NOT!”

“The blood test confirmed-”

“Then run another one, because that’s impossible,” Jyn demanded. She was willing to take another needle stick to shut down this nonsense. The only thing scarier than a needle was a baby.

“Contraceptives are only effective 98% to 99% of the time,” K-2SO said sagely. “And that is only when used correctly. There is a low probability that you are the type of person to fully read and follow instructions.”

“Yeah, well abstinence is effective 100% of the time,” Jyn spat.

“How far along is she?” K-2SO asked addressing the 2-1B.

“I’m not along anywhere!” Jyn yelled.

“You cannot be sure unless you have been abstinent for longer than nine months, which seems unlikely considering how often humans like to mate,” Kay stated, while Cassian and Bodhi just looked on seemingly stunned. “It only takes one mistake, Jyn Erso.”

“It’s been since before Wobani, so yeah, I’m in the kriffing clear,” Jyn raged. “Unless I have some sort of creepy ass force baby growing in there then this womb is still blissfully empty.”

“Most scientific minds do not believe the legends of babies conceived by the force without a father. Many believe it’s mothers trying to hide unfavorable paternity in morally strict societies,” Kay lectured.

“So no baby on board,” Jyn said to shut him up. “Run the test again.”

“What’s going on over here?” a human medic asked obviously having been drawn by her shouting.

“I’m not kriffing pregnant.”

“I’m sorry?” Then the medic glanced at the 2-1B droid and groaned. “Not this again. Really sorry about this. This droid has something knocked loose in its circuits. It keeps running blood tests and telling people they’re pregnant for some reason. The men have been the most surprised. Engineering keeps telling me it’s fixed, but the damn thing keeps breaking. If we could just get a new one I’d retire the kriffing thing, but they haven’t been able to secure one for us yet.”

“You mean I didn’t actually have to have a blood test?” Jyn demanded outraged.

The medic took a step back in surprise and Cassian squeezed Jyn’s wrist warningly. “Let’s focus on the good news, shall we? No unwanted pregnancy on your hands.”

Which just made her realize that Cassian had, if only for a moment, really thought she was pregnant. She could feel herself flushing. How embarrassing.   Had he thought it was Solo’s? Who would be stupid enough to let that idiot knock them up? The kid would definitely be a terror.

“Look, I’m sorry about the mix up,” the medic tried again. “I can see to you personally.”

“Fine,” Jyn said happy to get away from the topic of pregnancy. “Let’s get this over with.”

The medic glanced at the two men and the droid standing expectantly around her. “Uh, you all might want to wait in the waiting room.”

“They’re not going to faint at a wampa scratch and a sprained wrist.”

“It’s just that you’re going to have to remove your pants for me to tend to the wound.”

“We’ll go,” Bodhi said starting to back out.

Cassian looked reluctant to leave her side. “No more blood tests, right?

“No, shouldn’t need it,” the medic answered. “It’d be too early to check for signs of infection anyway.”

Jyn shot Cassian a glare over that, not that he would have known, but she would have fought the test a hell of a lot harder if he hadn’t made it sound necessary. The things she did for this stupid man. He just shrugged her glare off. “You’ll be ok?”

“I’m fine,” she huffed waving a hand at him.

“I can stay,” Kay added.

“What? No you can’t!”

“I am not human. What do I care about human nudity?”

“I care,” Jyn hissed. She was not dropping her pants with some pervy droid hanging around.

“I do not know this medic,” K-2SO said. “Which means he is new, which means I have not logged his job history or assessed his level of competency. An incompetent medic can make minor injuries worse. There should be witnesses.”

“Kay, if Solo can figure out how to apply a bacta patch any idiot can do it. This guy can’t be dumber than Solo,” Jyn argued.

“If all you require is field level first aid, Cassian is perfectly suitable,” the droid countered.

And like hell the first time she had her pants down with Cassian was going to be for some first aid. “Andor, if you don’t get your droid out of here I’m definitely going to cause more injuries to myself trying to kill him.”

Cassian sighed. “Come on, Kay. It’ll be fine.”

The droid looked between them. “If it is not fine, you may scream. We will be able to hear you from the waiting room.” Kay looked at the medic. “It would be best if she didn’t scream.” Then he turned and exited the room with an exasperated Bodhi and Cassian on his heels, leaving a shaken medic behind.

Jyn wasn’t sure if the droid being protective of her was better than whatever antagonistic relationship they used to have. “I’m not going to scream,” she comforted the medic. “Let’s get this over with.”

Chapter Text

“So,” Bodhi started after about five minutes of silence in the waiting room. Cassian lifted any eyebrow at him, but didn’t rush to fill the reinstated quiet. “You know Han and Jyn aren’t together, right?”

“You say that like it should be obvious,” Cassian answered. Of course he’d thought they were together. Who wouldn’t? But then again, he didn’t think Han or Jyn were the type of people to be in a relationship and not be sleeping together so the most recent revelation blew that belief out of the water.

“Because it is obvious,” Bodhi said gesturing to punctuate his point.

“And I would not have allowed it,” Kay stated.

“What?” both men asked in unison looking up at the droid.

“Kay, do I even want to know what that means?” Cassian asked already tired before the droid even replied.

“I have calculated that if Jyn Erso were to fall in love it could adversely affect how much effort she devotes to keeping you healthy and alive, especially if the subject of said love was Han Solo, as he has very little affection for you. As such, I have advised her against doing so and stopped more than one sexual advance from men on base towards her.”

“Are you serious right now?”

“I didn’t kill anyone, Cassian,” the droid said clearly annoyed. “A few subtle threats were generally enough to ward them off.” Cassian winced. He doubted Kay had been subtle or unintimidating. There were enough people on base who still scurried away when the Imperial droid even looked in their direction let alone warned them off something. “One man was quite persistent, but I applied a strategy I had seen other women use successfully to ward off suitors implying that Jyn Erso was very anxious to get married and have children.”

“Kay, that isn’t a method for warding people off,” Bodhi argued.

“It seems to work quite well on a lot of men,” Kay said tilting his head. “And it definitely worked on this one.”

“Kay, Jyn has the right to date and sleep with anyone she wants. Stop scaring men off on her behalf,” Cassian chastised. It felt like the right thing to do despite the fact that he was elated she wasn’t sleeping with Solo or apparently anyone else for that matter.

“I will do no such thing,” Kay said. “I did not scare them off on her behalf. I scared them off on your behalf. It is in your best interest that she not date other beings.”

Bodhi snorted a laugh at Cassian’s side. “Well, he’s right about that at least.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You want her dating Han Solo?”

“I have confirmed multiple times that she is not,” Kay interjected.

Cassian twisted around to stare at his robotic friend. “And you never thought to mention it to me?”

“I thought you didn’t care who she dated,” Kay countered, and whoever said droids couldn’t be sarcastic had never met Kay. “I have also confirmed they are not married if it matters to you.”

“Kay shouldn’t have had to tell you that,” Bodhi said. “No one on base besides the two of you are dense enough to think Han Solo has any romantic interest in Jyn or vice versa.”

“They’re together all the time,” Cassian argued. “He makes her laugh and she doesn’t shy away from his touch or his flirtations. I also saw him leaving her room very early one morning. Not to mention the time I walked in on them arguing and him saying he was protective of things he loves. What was I supposed to think?”

“They’re together all the time until either you or Princess Leia enter a room. Then they immediately redirect their attentions. Also Jyn has slept in your bed! She’s not exactly pushing you away from her personal space. I don’t know why Han was coming out of her room, but it was more likely from dropping her off from a late night drinking session or helping her home with an injury than sex, obviously. As for the love thing, you must have misheard him. Han Solo doesn’t strike me as the type of man to openly tell people he loves them anyway.”

“I think I would know if I misheard,” Cassian argued. He’d definitely heard Han say it because he remembered the feeling of his stomach dropping out and the struggle to hide if from showing on his face. Although he’d missed the rest of the argument so maybe the man hadn’t been talking about Jyn? “Wait, what does Leia have to do with any of this?”

Bodhi groaned and knocked his head into the wall behind him. Cassian was honestly a little offended that Bodhi was being this dramatic about the whole thing. He and Kay were definitely not the only people on base who thought Jyn and Han were dating. Were they? “Han is crazy head over heels for Leia. The whole freaking base knows it. Honestly most of us think she’s crazy over him right back. Emphasis on the crazy.”

“All they do is fight,” Cassian said.

“Ever hear of foreplay?” Bodhi asked. “Because that’s all that is between them. Jyn could strip naked in a room Leia is in and Han wouldn’t stop fighting with Leia long enough to even notice. Same with Han stripping if you were around for Jyn. Well, Jyn might stop to mock Han a little, but other than that her attention would come right back to you. It’s sort of annoying actually, when you’re trying to get her to focus on something else.”

Cassian stared at him. Was he trying to say? That same flickering feeling of hope he’d felt when they’d confirmed she wasn’t pregnant with someone else’s child flared up again. “Jyn’s never done or said anything to imply she wants anything more with me.”

Bodhi let out a strangled noise and got to his feet pacing the room. “Honestly both your childhoods kriffed the two of you up so hard I’m not entirely sure how to fix it. If my mother were still alive I’d fly home and thank her and apologize for all the times I was a little shit growing up. Jyn stayed in the Alliance for you, you moron.”

“No she didn’t.” Jyn had given him numerous perfectly sound reasons why she chose to stay after he was released from med bay post-Scarif. She’d decided she wanted to fight and didn’t like the partisan way of counting civilians as necessary casualties. After the Death Star the Alliance had the most momentum of the rebel groups and new recruits were joining daily. If she wanted to bring the Empire down it made sense to stay and help the group that had the most chance of succeeding. Bodhi had decided to stay and he was family at this point. None of that was about him.

“Yes, she did.” And he was surprised it was Kay that said it and not Bodhi. “She told me.”

“She told you she decided to stay because of me?”

“She said you gave her the choice and she chose you.”

That knocked the air right out of him. If that was true – and why wouldn’t it be? He didn’t see Jyn saying something like that to Kay unless she meant it. “She chose me?”

“Yes, that is what I have said.”

Bodhi dropped down into the seat next to him again and patted him on the back. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“This whole time?”

“Yep, you’re both emotionally repressed moof milkers.”

“I do not understand what’s going on,” Kay complained.

“Oh nothing, Kay,” Bodhi said waving a hand. “Cassian, here, is just realizing he could have had everything he’s been pining for and been doing the naked horizontal tango with Jyn for months now if he’d made even the slightest direct indication that he wanted it.”

The droid seemed to think about this for a second. “Assuming the ‘naked horizontal tango’ is a human euphemism for sex, it is the most effective way, Cassian.”

“Effective?” Cassian croaked out of his suddenly dry mouth.

“Yes,” Kay nodded. “If you were to secure Jyn Erso’s love and sexual affections beyond that of friend I would no longer need to waste resources deterring potential suitors and it would secure her need to see to your wellbeing as long as you pleased her. Your previous liaisons have all been suitably satisfied from base gossip and casual observation, so there is no reason to think you would not be sufficient for her needs. It may also make her more pleasant to be around now that we have the additional data on her prolonged abstinence. I would have to inquire about her masturbation habits, but human beings are generally more receptive, calm, and helpful when they are having orgasms regularly.”

“Kay,” Cassian started shaking off his stupor and wondering not for the first time what he’d been thinking when he’d reprogrammed the droid. “You are not to, under any circumstances, ask Jyn about her masturbation habits. Is that perfectly clear?”

“This is one of those matters human prefer to keep private?”

“Yes, Kay, it’s one of those.”

“Fine, but do not blame me if my predictions of her behavior are wrong due to lack of data. It will be difficult to help you in your pursuit of her if I don’t have accurate information.”

“I don’t need help.”

“I don’t know, you might,” Bodhi said clearly stifling a laugh. “You haven’t been doing too well so far on your own.”

“She could have made a move too, you know,” he pointed out.

Bodhi shrugged. “Hey, I’m not defending her. She’s as oblivious as you are. She thought you were banging your partner for a long while.” Cassian grimaced at that. “But after she found out that wasn’t true she thought you must not be interested since you hadn’t tried anything, and she wasn’t willing to risk your friendship. Jyn is always skittish about losing people, you know that. So what are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know.” He could have sworn both Bodhi and Kay groaned, which was impossible because droids didn’t groan. It was obvious he had to make a move, but he couldn’t just shove her up against a wall and kiss her senseless. She’d get the wrong idea. No, he needed to do this right, but Hoth wasn’t exactly a planet with a lot of date options. Hey Jyn, want to swing by the smelly tauntuan pens? Or how about a nice stroll into hypothermia?

“We’re leaving,” Bodhi said pulling on Kay’s arm and ignoring the droid’s protests about incompetent medics. “Jyn should be out soon. Do something about it. You’re a spy, how do you usually seduce people? Just do that.” He pushed Kay towards the door. “Just don’t kriff it up. She’s liable to break your teeth.”

Well, that was an encouraging thought. Cassian got up and paced the waiting room. His usual seduction techniques were not going to work. Jyn wasn’t some bored imperial wife or a criminal contact just looking for one quick good time. Jyn was Jyn. The woman who’d forgiven him for almost doing something unforgivable. Who’d inspired him and men like him, men with terrible deeds staining their histories, to go out against their orders and give their lives in a suicide run. She was the woman who was ready to die in his arms and hold him in hers. She was the woman who made it worth it that they hadn’t died that day. How do you make a person understand how important they are to you? He’d never had to do it before because after his family had died no one had been important to him, just the rebellion and Kay and it was different with a droid.

Jyn entered the waiting room with new loose uniform pants on, a bacta patch clearly secured underneath and a wrap on her wrist, but otherwise looking all right. Cassian froze and realized he wasn’t sure what to do or say.

“You ok?” Jyn asked with a frown.

“Yeah,” he forced out. “I’m ok. You?”

“Like I said, a scratch and a sprain. Nothing serious. The blood test was worse than the initial injuries.” She gave an overdramatic shudder and he tried not to blurt out that he loved her. That was definitely moving too fast, right?

“Sorry about that,” he muttered instead.

She shrugged. “Wasn’t your fault. Although if you get the chance to suggest a run for new medical droids to high command I don’t think it would go astray.”

Cassian smiled at that. “I don’t think it’s high on their list of priorities.”

“Well then send Draven down for a routine physical and make sure he gets that droid. In fact, I think that’s an excellent plan. People would probably pay good money to see that. How do we make it happen?”

He shook his head in amusement. “You’d probably be disappointed by his lack of reaction.”

“Fine, then we send the princess down. Han and I will be sent out for a new med droid the next day.”

“Where are you going to steal a med droid from?”

She waved her hand in a dismissing fashion. “We’d figure it out. No one should have to suffer unwanted pregnancy scares.”

“How was it even a scare if,” he debated how to word it without it sounding like he didn’t believe her or was accusing her of something. He was just genuinely curious. “If it was impossible?”

“Oh, Cassian,” she said stepping forward and patting his arm. “You’re lucky you aren’t a girl. It doesn’t matter if it’s possible, it’s terrifying. Imagine getting shot in the shoulder and a droid telling you they were going to have to remove your balls to save you. It’s clearly not right, but it’d probably still scare the crap out of you at the mere mention of the possibility.”

He laughed at that analogy. “Fine, we’ll petition for a new 2-1B.”

“That’s all I ask.”

“Jyn,” he started and stopped. He wanted to tell her how happy he was that she wasn’t pregnant, that it wasn’t Solo’s kid, that he hadn’t lost her forever, but it got all tangled up and he had nothing. Despite what Bodhi said he didn’t have any right to have any feelings on the state of her body or her relationships. At least not yet.

“Captain Andor?” Cassian spun around to find a young Sargent in the door of the waiting room. “Princess Leia sent me to find you. You’re supposed to be part of this strategy meeting?”

He’d completely forgotten. “I’ll be right there.” He turned back to Jyn and eyed her critically. “Are you ok to get back to your room?” High command could wait if she needed help getting to her quarters.

“Bacta is already working. Even scored some extra because the medic was so terrified of Kay,” she said shooting him a comforting grin. Do not announce that you love her, he chided himself. Definitely too soon. “I can get back ok.”

“Would you tell me if you couldn’t?”

She stuck out her tongue at him, which left him with thoughts better not examined at the present moment. “If only because someone would definitely rat me out to you if they found me collapsed in a hallway, yes. I’ll be fine. Go enjoy your boring meeting.”

“Do you want to get dinner? Later I mean, with me?” Good, ok that was good. Better than other things he could have said. Dinner dates were probably the only real option on Hoth.

“Sure,” she agreed easily. And Bodhi had had such little faith in him. He didn’t need anyone’s help to secure a date. “I’m going to head back to my quarters to finish up a report I’ve been putting off and take a nap. Come get me when your meeting is over?”

“Ok, sounds good.” He gave her one last lingering look that had her cocking her head at him and gave her a weak wave before heading off. Kriff, he must have looked like an idiot.

He entered the meeting distracted and didn’t get much better throughout. He was finding it hard to focus on grain shortages, and electrical outages on base, and a rebel cell that was refusing to continue selling them supplies. All in all, the meeting probably would have gotten more use out of a rock than him. He was grateful when Mothma called it to an end and he darted for the door.

“Captain Andor?”

He did his best not to let his frustration show. “Princess?”

“Are you ok? You seemed off in the meeting.”

“I’m fine,” he answered neutrally. “Just a bit tired and space lagged. Last place I was in it should be around midnight now.” Which wasn’t a lie, but he honestly was too jittery to feel tired right now. “I’m sorry I wasn’t of more use.” Leia’s eyes slid away from him and tracked something behind him. “Princess?”

“Get some rest, Captain Andor,” she said smartly and then moved around him at a fast clip. He glanced down the hallway she’d turned down and saw she was tailing the swaggering gait of none other than Han Solo. He headed his own direction only to hear an argument start up behind him.

Cassian grinned as he went for Jyn’s room. If nothing else could be said for the two of them, at least they were better than Leia and Solo in dealing with their emotions. He knocked on her door and got an answering yowl. A moment later the door slid open and Rogue shot out to wrap around his legs.

“Good meeting?”

“Uneventful,” Cassian said suddenly nervous all over again. This was ridiculous. He and Jyn had shared meals many times before. He reached down to scratch the loth-cat’s ears to distract himself. “You ready to get dinner?”

“Yep,” she said stepping out of the room. “In or out, Rogue?” The loth-cat looked up at her quizzically and sat in the doorframe.

Cassian laughed. “Does he even know what you’re asking?”

“Probably,” Jyn said clearly amused. “He’s just stubborn and confrontational.”

“So he takes after his mother?”

Jyn punched his shoulder. “Don’t you start too. I get enough sass from your droid.” She used the toe of her boot to push the loth-cat further out into the hall and shut the door. “Go hunt some hoth-rats or something, you fat lazy thing.” The loth-cat stretched and headed off down the hall at a languid pace. “Dinner?”

“Yeah.” He almost reached out to offer his arm and then shoved down the impulse. Not an imperial wife and he was not undercover. Still it seemed like he should be doing something more to make this more momentous than any other night. Instead they just paced each other in what would have been comfortable silence if Cassian didn’t feel like he was going to crawl out of his own skin. When had he reverted back to being a sweaty-palmed teenager? They made their way through the food line and he guided them towards a table in the far corner that was a bit out of the way.

“Cassian?”

“Yeah?” he asked glancing back and realizing she’d stopped walking with him.

“Where are you going?”

“To sit?” he said gesturing with his tray.

“Bodhi and everyone are over there,” she said looking across the mess.

“Oh,” and he was sure he was turning red. Clearly he hadn’t been obvious enough. “I thought maybe we’d sit alone tonight.”

“Why?” She stood on her tiptoes to get a better look at the table Bodhi occupied. “You get in a fight with someone sitting there?”

“No. I just thought maybe me and you could have dinner,” he clarified. “You know, together.”

“Yeah… we always eat together, with everyone else.”

Just say it, man, he thought angrily. He’d informed people their loved ones were dead. This couldn’t possibly be harder. “I thought it could kind of be a date. You know, as there aren’t a lot of other things you can do that are date-like on Hoth.”

Jyn’s eyes went wide and he fidgeted in the uncomfortable silence. “Are we on a date?”

“I was sort of hoping,” he said looking down at his food tray.

“You didn’t ask.”

He jerked his head up at that. “I asked you to get dinner with me.”

“Yeah, but we go to dinner all the time.”

“Yeah, but I specified with me this time, not the others.”

“That was not at all clear,” Jyn said still looking confused.

“Sorry,” he said feeling like an idiot. “I’m not very good at this. I’ve never actually asked someone on a date before, well not when it was actually me and not a cover.”

Jyn smiled at that. “It’s ok. It could have been my fault.   To be fair, I’ve never been asked out before.”

“Never?” he asked surprised.

“I mean I’ve been asked to do all sorts of things with men, but never like a date date.”

“So do you want to?” he asked stupidly hopefully. “Have dinner with me?”

She grinned. “I’d like that a lot.” She followed him to the table and then said, “Just out of curiosity, what prompted you to ask tonight?”

Cassian faltered and felt himself turning slightly red. He couldn’t tell her that finding out she wasn’t pregnant with Solo’s spawn made him more relieved than some of the near death situations he’d managed to get himself out of. Get it together, man, what would Joreth say? “You were injured and I realized I didn’t want to waste anymore time.” There, it was a romantic lie that also bordered on the truth. Those were the best kind. They settled in at the table and Jyn lifted an eyebrow at him.

“A wampa scratch made you realize that, but not the time Chewie had to carry me to med bay after I got stabbed in the stomach?”

Cassian made a face. That had been a horrible one and it hadn’t even been the Empire. He’d later learned she’d gotten into the middle of a nasty domestic dispute involving a kid apparently. The woman and child were safe and the abusive husband dead by a well-placed blaster bolt by Solo, which was one of the rare times he’d been thankful for the smuggler, but Jyn had taken the brunt of the fight. She’d been nearly unconscious and as white as a sheet when they’d disembarked, Kay unhelpfully running survival statistics and informing Cassian that they’d mainly managed to keep her guts inside her. Looking back, at least she’d passed out before they’d started jabbing her with needles. He’d stayed by her bedside for two days and was grateful the medic was one who had treated him after Scarif and was willing to overlook visitor policy. It hadn’t slipped his notice that if they were married it would have been a non-issue to start with.

“Did you really think I was sleeping with Han?” Jyn asked bluntly, interrupting his internal musings.

Cassian sighed. “It wasn’t a totally ridiculous assumption.”

“I don’t know if I should be concerned that you’re that bad at spying or be offended you think I have such poor taste.”

“You thought I was sleeping with my partner because I said her name once when I was groggy with sleep.”

“Your partner was pretty and competent, besides I certainly never said Han’s name in bed.”

“I saw him come out of your room early one morning and overheard him tell you he loved you.”

Jyn choked on her first bite of food. “I’m sorry, what? When?”

“I mean not at the same time.”

“Han has been in my room before, but I can guarantee he has never said he loves me. Were you on drugs at the time or had a concussion from a mission?”

Cassian looked down at his plate. “You two were arguing after you stayed the night with me. I walked in on it. The love you thing, not the other bit.”

“The only thing I’ve ever heard Han confess his love for is that hunk of junk ship of his. Whatever you heard or saw it wasn’t what it looked or sounded like.”

“Clearly,” he said before he could think. Jyn’s eyebrows lifted. “I just mean-” He cut himself off before he could put his foot further in his mouth by bringing up her newly discovered abstinence.

“It’s fine. I’m not, nor was I ever, fucking Han. I’ve made some bad decisions in my life, but that’s not among them. You do know he’s in love with the princess, right?”

“I do now.”

Jyn grinned at him and despite it’s mocking edge it made his heart skip a beat. “Bodhi told you?”

Cassian gave her a small smile and nodded. “In my defense, when I’m back on base I actively try to turn the spying off. I don’t want to know everyone’s secrets. I can also admit I’m often distracted.” Jyn titled her head to the side in question. “You’re distracting.”

He was rewarded with a pretty flush on her cheeks and a small slightly embarrassed smile on her lips. Cassian made a quick mental note to find other things that made her react that way.

“Bodhi is going to be so pissed,” Jyn said switching the subject and poking at her food.

“Why?” Cassian asked honestly confused. Bodhi had been nothing but encouraging earlier.

“It’s the first of the month and he bet on the third.”

Chapter Text

Jyn woke up warm and comfortable, which was always a feat in and of itself on Hoth. Cassian’s warm body fit snuggly against hers and she was content to lie still under the weight of his arms. Stupid man.

He’d politely walked her back to her own bunk after dinner and stood awkwardly by her door before she’d grinned at him, told him it was an excellent idea and darted inside, coming back out holding her blankets in a ball. He’d simply looked confused before she’d stated they’d need the extra blankets if they were going to get naked and started for his room. She’d always been better at being direct and she and Cassian had spent enough time wondering what the other was thinking.   He’d sputtered after her something about first dates and how he didn’t expect anything, but she’d just ignored him and continued on her way. It wasn’t till she was dropping the ball of blankets on his bed that she had realized he’d actually looked concerned.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” she’d said carefully. It’d never occurred to her that he might not want to. She’d figured if he asked her out then he was definitely interested.

“It’s not that,” he’d answered gruffly. “It’s just. This isn’t what I meant by asking you out. I wasn’t just trying to have sex with you.”

She’d grinned. “Don’t worry. I believe your intentions were pure. Not that I would care if they weren’t.”

“Jyn.” He’d stepped back when she’d reached for him and she’d felt hurt briefly. “I’m not any better at this either, ok? I’ve never asked anyone for anything long term, but I don’t want this to be just a one and done thing.”

“Good,” she’d quipped. “Because I was definitely planning on more than once just tonight. Maybe a bonus round in the morning if you’re very good.”

He’d swallowed hard at that and she’d wanted to jump him then and there. “It’s not a joke.”

“Are you concerned I’m only using you for sex?” she’d asked still amused.

“It was a first date,” he’d said defensively crossing his arms. “I think long term relationships usually have a few more dates before this.” He’d gestured to the bed and made a frustrated noise. “Not that I’m not interested in sleeping with you, it’s just. Look, all I’ve ever known is jumping into bed with women and then walking away. I don’t want that with you.”

That had made her pause and be serious. Neither one of them was good about talking about things that mattered so if he was trying she’d felt she needed to do the same. “Cassian, you’ve always come back for me, like no one else in my life ever has. The alliance is nice, but it’s not home. You and Bodhi and Kay and even stupid kriffing Han and Chewie, you all are my home. I wouldn’t risk that for anything. I wouldn’t risk you for anything. If I just wanted to get laid I’ve had plenty of opportunities that would have had zero repercussions on people I care about, well less so recently as it must have gotten around that I’ve turned everyone down, but that’s not the point. The point is I’m with you all the way.”

It had been the right thing to say, which she so rarely had. Cassian had shoved her up against the doorframe and kissed her senseless. She was sure kissing had never felt quite that good in her entire life. And if she’d shoved him into the bed shortly there after, turnabout was only fair play.

Cassian grumbled something incoherent into her hair and Jyn focused on the present. “That better not be some other woman’s name,” she grouched with no real heat to it as she wiggled back and more firmly up against him. A warm hand squeezed her bare hip and she twisted around to face him. “Morning.”

“Morning,” he rasped back voice still rough with sleep. She smiled and took the chance to nestle her cold nose into his throat and run her hand up his side. “I’m going to be getting shit for saying the wrong name for years to come, aren’t I?”

A warm little thrill shot up her sternum at the word years. It’d been a long time since she’d really planned for the future at all, let alone with someone else, and here he was casually throwing around the idea of teasing each other for years. “I don’t plan on letting it go anytime soon. Good sleep?”

He laughed. “What little there was of it.”

“Poor, Captain Andor. Did some wicked woman keep you up all night?”

“You laugh. Sleep deprivation is a classic torture technique.”

Jyn nipped at his jaw and threw her leg over his hips to straddle him. “It must be very valuable information you have for me to be so thorough. Pity I didn’t get anything good out of you.”

He rolled her underneath him and she dug her fingers into his shoulders at the look in his dark eyes. “You take that back.”

“Make me,” she said with a challenging grin.

The door to his quarters opened and Cassian dropped down on top of her to cover her on instinct even though they were still under a pile of blankets. Still she appreciated the gesture.

“Kay!” Cassian yelled. “Get out!”

“I see you’ve taken my advice,” the droid replied calmly. “Good. I will inform the base you two are consummating the relationship so all potential suitors can cease their current and future plans.”

“Kay, do not do that,” Cassian growled clearly already irritated.

Jyn laughed underneath him. “Trying to keep your options open?”

“He’s talking about your suitors, not mine.”

Jyn laughed again and shimmied up so she could see past his shoulder to the droid. “Ignore him, Kay. Go ahead and tell them.”

Cassian groaned and rolled away from her rubbing his temple. “Jyn, don’t encourage him. Kay, absolutely don’t do that. It’s none of their business.”

“That is inadvisable. Humans are proven to be very bad at monogamy. Now that Jyn Erso has had you it is only natural for her gaze to wander. It would be better if other men did not think she was available.”

Jyn stifled an actual giggle into his tense shoulder. “Kay, you’re going to give Cassian an anxiety attack. You know how he likes his privacy. I swear if someone approaches me I will tell them that I am unavailable.”

“You see,” Kay said. “I told you that humans are more agreeable after reaching orgasm.”

Jyn grinned up at him and Cassian threw an arm over his face. “Get out, Kay.”

“Shall I tell Bodhi you won’t be at breakfast?”

“No!” Cassian shouted at the same time Jyn yelled, “Yes!”

Jyn slipped her hand down Cassian’s abdomen and smirked as she felt his muscles twitch under her hand. “Yes, Kay, tell him we won’t be there, but for Cassian’s sake don’t specify why.” The droid gave a nod and exited plunging them back into darkness.

“I didn’t know what I was getting into with this, did I?”

“Disappointed?” she asked as she moved to attack his neck. She found a mark she’d left last night and ran her tongue over it.

“More like a little freaked out by you and Kay playing the same side.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll fight soon enough over something,” Jyn said pressing closer. “Probably I’ll steal a vegetable you desperately needed or something and be put back on the black list.”

“You’d never steal a vegetable,” he said with a snort, reaching down to brush a ticklish spot on her he’d discovered the evening before. “More likely you’ll get me shot at for some stupid and completely avoidable reason.”

Jyn smiled up at him. “That was mean. Make it up to me.” She gave a quiet little gasp as his hands found more interesting places to be.

“If you insist.”

“Well, look who finally decided to make an appearance,” Han called as they entered the mess hall for lunch.

“Don’t be jealous,” Jyn said slipping into the seat next to Han bumping him over on the bench with her hip.

“Jealous? Why would I be jealous? You did me a favor, kid.”

“How’s that?” she asked distractedly watching Cassian slide into the seat across from her. She was already contemplating dragging him back to his quarters and finding all sorts of ways to make him make that one noise she liked so well again. It was interesting how badly she wanted him even having had him. Sex had never been like that for her before. He looked up and caught her gaze, and she had to believe it was a bit the same for him.

“I bet on the first of the month,” Han said happily. “You and Captain Lover Boy just scored me a giant pot of money, kid.”

Jyn groaned. The force had a funny sense of humor. “I can’t believe you bet on us.”

“Oh, don’t pretend you’re shocked,” Han said and Chewie roared in agreement. It’s not like she really expected better of the smuggler.

“I’m pretty sure betting on your subordinate’s sex life crosses a few Alliance rules,” Jyn said digging into her food. She was suddenly starving.

“Because we don’t break Alliance rules almost constantly,” Han snorted.

“Don’t listen to him, Cassian. We’re very rule abiding. Nothing to worry about.”

Cassian just gave her a skeptical look and went back to his food. “Even your boyfriend knows you’re full of bantha crap,” Han crowed. “So want to give me insider information on the next betting pool?”

“And what’s that about?” Jyn asked sourly. “When I’m most likely to shoot you?” Chewie answered and the only word she caught was baby. Her eyes narrowed. “Tell me he did not just say what I think he said.”

“If you think he said they’re betting on when Captain Serious will get you knocked up then I can’t tell you that, because they are.” Cassian choked on his food and Jyn glared harder.

“Why knocked up? Why not marriage?”

Han laughed at that. “Because you’re both idiots, but you at least are a reckless idiot. You can’t accident your way into marriage, but you sure as shit can accident your way into a baby.”

“This base is full of assholes,” Jyn raged shoving food in her mouth. She thought about the betting pools and asked something she’d wondered since Bodhi had brought up the subject. “Is there any pool on whether you and I would get together?”

It was Han’s turn to choke as Chewie roared a laugh, and Cassian looked up at her sharply. “Why in the kriff would anyone bet on that?” Han demanded.

She ignored Cassian’s dark look. “It’s just Cassian thought we were together so I’m curious if other people thought that too or if he’s nuts.”

Han turned a wide-eyed look on Cassian. “You thought? Me and Jyn? Why? I mean I get why you’d think she’d be in love with me, but the other way around? All the respect to you, man, I’d be scared she’d rip off my balls if I so much as looked at another woman the wrong way. That’s way too much pressure.”

Cassian’s lips curled into a half smile. “Because you think Leia won’t?”

Jyn enjoyed the horrified contemplative look on Han’s face. Leia would definitely rip his balls off for the smallest offense. Shara slipped into the seat next to Jyn.

“What are we talking about?”

“Ripping testicles off,” Jyn answered evenly.

“Who did what wrong?” Shara asked delighted. “I assume it was Han?”

“Hey, why me?” Han demanded while Chewie rumbled a laugh next to him. “It could have been Andor. He lies and sneaks around all the time. It’s literally his job.”

Cassian remained carefully neutral across the table and Jyn hooked her booted foot around his affectionately.

“Captain Andor wouldn’t commit a ball ripping off offense,” Shara argued. “Maybe a punch to the face or murder offense, but not ball ripping off.”

“That’s sort of a wide range for ball ripping not to be included in the mix,” Han said confused.

“Ball ripping is for sexual deviations,” Shara said confidently. “Captain Andor isn’t the type to sleep around and give you a bad case of pube lice or something.”

“Do I even want to know what we’re talking about?” Luke Skywalker asked sitting down next to Chewie.

“Whether or not Captain Andor is the type of guy who would give you pube lice,” Shara supplied helpfully. “I’m betting on no.”

“And why are we talking about this? In front of him no less?” Luke asked.

“Just looking out for Jyn’s health now that she’s boning him,” Han said flippantly and Jyn threw a protein cube at him.

“Since when?” Shara demanded.

“Since yesterday,” Han crowed.

“I can’t believe you helped this laser brain win the pool!” Shara said dismayed.

“Hey, I didn’t know who had bet on the first,” Jyn defended.

“You could have asked and held off one more day,” Shara groaned. “Anyone would have been better than him.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint, but I really couldn’t have,” Jyn said crossing her arms.

“To be fair to the kid, she’s needed a good lay for a while now,” Han said helpfully.

“Han!” Luke yelled before anyone else could get offended.

“What? You don’t have to work with her. Look at her all relaxed and happy. Nice job, man.” Han clapped Cassian on the shoulder and Jyn hooked both feet around one of Cassian’s ankles when she noted the tick in his jaw that was Cassian’s very own form of murder shoulders.

“Honestly, Han,” Jyn said with a small smile. “If you want pointers I’m sure Cassian would be happy to share. You just have to ask nicely.”

Shara, Luke, and Chewie laughed, and Han sent her a rude gesture. “Like I have anything to learn from how Captain Upright fucks.”

“Thoroughly,” Jyn answered with a grin. “Attentively.” Cassian rolled his eye. “And occasionally upright, but not for long on Hoth. Too cold.” Han made a face at her and Shara gave a low whistle. “Whereas I imagine you’re the sort of guy who gets a blowjob and then asks the girl if she came.”

Chewie rumbled a laugh and something that Jyn roughly translated to ‘she’s got you there’. Han punched the wookiee’s arm and Jyn shot him a victorious little grin.  

“I reciprocate,” Han defended.

“Probably when he absolutely has to,” Shara joked. “Better get used to it if you’re going to go after the princess. She doesn’t seem like the kind of woman who’ll fake it for your pride.”

“Fake what?” Bodhi asked joining the table with Kay trailing behind him.

“An orgasm,” Cassian said dryly, clearly over this conversation.

“Who’s faking orgasms?”

“Probably anyone Han is sleeping with,” Jyn crowed.

“That’s it,” Han said standing. “You and me, kid, right now. Sorry, Andor, but I have to prove some things. You understand.”

The dark look Cassian shot him said he definitely did not understand. Han was either very stupid or very brave for not instantly backing down.

“Ew, I’m not sleeping with you, Solo,” Jyn said firmly.

“She is not allowed,” Kay agreed. “Cassian would not be pleased and it would have the potential of confusing issues of parentage. Cassian will not be helping to raise your subpar offspring. If Jyn Erso is bearing a child it will be his. If you need to prove your sexual virility you will have to find a different female.”

“I do know how to use contraceptives!” Jyn said. “So we can all stop talking about babies now.”

“You don’t ever want kids?” Luke asked.

Jyn sputtered, glancing at Cassian who was looking resolutely down at the last of his food. “I dunno. I never really thought about it.”

“I do,” Shara said happily. “You know hopefully once we’re not definitely going to die everyday.”

“Who said we’re going to die?” Leia asked squeezing in next to Luke. Jyn wondered how they’d even managed to jam this many people into one table. When had she added this many people into her life? Even stranger it didn’t feel that odd anymore.

“You know,” Shara said waving a fork. “Small rebellion, giant evil empire. Probably going to die. I just think having kids needs to wait a little while.”

“Who’s having kids?” Leia asked raising an eyebrow.

“Jyn and Cassian,” Bodhi filled in, which got Leia’s mouth to drop into a perfect little “o” of surprise. “Or potentially Jyn and Han. Haven’t completely sorted that one out.”

“If she’s having Han’s child,” Kay said testily. “Cassian will have to cease dating her.”

“Who would be crazy enough to pick Solo over Andor?” Leia asked looking perfectly innocent.

“Now wait just a minute!” Han shouted.

“And they’re off,” Luke muttered as a new argument started between the pair.

Jyn glanced over at Cassian and, realizing he was done eating, stood with her own tray. “Well, it’s been fun, but we’ve got to be going now.”

“Briefing?” Shara asked sarcastically.

“Something like that,” Jyn said laughing as Cassian got to his feet.

“Gross,” Bodhi said.

Jyn grinned. “Wanna watch The Princess Spy later?”

“Not in any bed the two of you have been occupying,” Bodhi retorted quickly.

Jyn stuck her tongue out at him and pressed herself into Cassian’s side as much as she could while they both bused their own trays. They put the trays away and Jyn melted into him when Cassian wrapped an arm around her waist.

“They’re all idiots,” Jyn said, trying to focus past the distraction that was his fingers running up her side.

“Yeah, but well-intentioned idiots,” Cassian said. They moved together in silence for a few moments.

“It’s nice,” Jyn said quietly.

“Yeah, it is,” Cassian agreed keying the code to his room.

“Dangerous too,” she commented trying to sound like it wasn’t weighing on her.

“Did you ever feel any safer on your own?” he asked her seriously as the door swished open.

“I worried less.” She shrugged and walked into the room.

He snorted at that. “I know the feeling. Anytime you want to be reassigned away from Solo, you just let me know.”

“We’re not that reckless,” Jyn said putting her hands on her hips and glaring. “Everyone exaggerates, but I don’t see anyone complaining when we bring in extra supplies days ahead of schedule due to our ‘unconventional methods’.” She put air quotes around the last two words, which had been Mon Mothma’s description of one of their missions. Just for good measure, she added, “I’m never going to sleep with Han.”

His hands slid over her hips, interrupting her defensive posture, and walked her further backwards into the room. “Obviously.”

“Oh, are we not worried about Han anymore? Look who’s confident now,” Jyn snarked.

“Well, I was met with such high praise in and out of bed that it’s hard not to get an ego,” he said grinning at her.

“Do you want kids?”

He laughed at that. “You really want to talk about that?”

“Well, it seems like the adult thing to do, and if that’s the next betting pool you know all those idiots will never shut up about it so no sense being weird about it.”

“I want you, Jyn,” he replied pushing her into the bed gently. “Whatever else happens I’m happy if I have you.”

She reached up and tugged him down over her before running her tongue up his throat and biting playfully at his ear. “Well, that I’m most definitely capable of providing.” She moved to kiss him and he pulled back slightly.

“If we do have kids I’m marrying you first.”

“Good,” she said with a sharp nod already reaching up to drag him back down on top of her. “That’ll really kriff up their betting pools.”

He laughed into the next kiss. “Yes, of course, that was what I was concerned about. You’re as idiotic as our so-called friends.”

It slipped out before she could think. “And you love me for it.” Her brain scrambled trying to figure out how to play it off, but Cassian just moved his lips down to her neck by her ear.

“I really do,” he said softly.

Jyn felt her heart stutter and then beat overtime. “You’re an idiot too,” she said ignoring him as he made his way down her throat as best she could. “Taking that long to ask me out because you thought I was desperate enough to sleep with Solo.”

“Forgive me?” he asked nipping at her collarbone.

“Obviously,” Jyn said. “That’s what you do for people you love.” He froze for a moment and she smiled, happy that he was just as pathetically in this as she was even if neither of them had said it directly.

He moved up to kiss her mouth again and they were both done needing words.