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The noise hit him first.
Stepping off the transport shuttle onto the ground of the forest moon, Cassian was bombarded with the din of merriment. All around was a jubilant jumble of drums and other musical instruments, interspersed with cheerful whooping and singing from both Rebellion troops and the native Ewok tribes.
The second Death Star was gone. Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader were dead. There had been heavy losses and there was still a lot of work to do, but tonight was a triumphant celebration nonetheless.
Casting his gaze around as he moved through the groups of merry-makers, Cassian kept a watch for any sign of Jyn or her crewmates. The Pathfinders had been instrumental in the mission to take control of the command center on Endor and disabling the shield around the new Death Star, which allowed the fighters lead by Calrissian and Antilles to make the final blow and destroy the superweapon.
Cassian had been recalled from his latest intelligence mission when the structural plans for the second Death Star had been found, but had only returned moments before the fight began. The delay in his return meant that he was unable to join the ground crews, so as soon as the destruction had been confirmed, he joined the crew of the nearest relief shuttle headed down to the moon – he needed to find Jyn.
Jyn had joined the Pathfinders not too long after her official enlistment in the Rebellion. The tactics they used suited her well and she flourished with them. With Cassian returning to Intelligence as soon as he was healed, their schedules were rarely aligned for more than a day or two, but they made do with what time they had. Soon after they returned to duty, they assigned each other as their next-of-kin in Rebellion records. Not too long after that, the treachery of a possible mole inside the Rebellion resulted in them revealing the depth of their feelings for one another as well. While the end result of that debacle was positive, Cassian didn’t like thinking of how easily the Rebellion had believed the false information.
Shaking those thoughts from his mind, Cassian continued through the forest and soon came the first campfire. A few Rebellion soldiers were seated around it, chattering lively and passing canteens between each other. One noticed Cassian and stood to attention.
“Major Andor, sir!” the soldier greeted, causing the others to stop their conversations.
Cassian nodded in return. “Private Dertil. Good to see you in one piece. Have you seen any of the Pathfinders? Dameron’s team, in particular?”
Dertil turned to the others, who all shook their heads no before turning back to Cassian and shaking his own head. “No sir, but the fighting was fierce out there. I don’t think I fought beside the same group for more than five minutes.” He gestured further into the forest. “There are more campfires that way – I think there might have been some bonfires down in the Ewok villages, too. Sorry we can’t be more help.”
Cassian nodded again, this time in acknowledgement of what the private had told him.
“Thank you for your assistance, anyway,” he said, before heading off the direction he was given.
Two more campfires proved just as fruitless as the first before Cassian reached the heart of the Ewok villages and came across the largest fire yet – a proper bonfire compared to the first campfires. The larger fire meant more people as well – Rebellion soldiers and Ewoks alike. Cassian even caught a glimpse of the Princess and General Solo talking quietly in the near shadows of the trees.
“Andor!”
Cassian turned and saw Frell, one of Dameron’s Pathfinders, waving him over.
“You looking for Erso?” she asked as he drew close. He winced internally.
“Am I that obvious?”
Frell laughed. “Only to someone who knows you two. She’s fine, by the way – a little banged up, but fine. Our group was lucky; worst injury was a broken ankle thanks to the Ewoks’ trapping skills.”
The relief he felt must have shown on his face, because Frell laughed again. “Last I saw, she was two fires in that direction,” she said, pointing to the left of where they were standing, “She was teaching some of the locals how to use her truncheons – they seemed enamored with her fighting, so she offered to show them how.”
Smiling to himself, Cassian took off in the direction Frell indicated.
***
Soon, Cassian heard the tell-tale sounds of Jyn’s truncheons hitting something solid and as he drew near, he saw his quarry.
Jyn was surrounded by four Ewoks, all watching avidly as she worked through drills he recognized; although, the large tree she was using as a target was admittedly much sturdier than her usual targets.
With one final turn, Jyn finished the drill and faced the Ewoks. “There you go. They’re quite handy once you know what you’re doing,” she said, showing them the undamaged batons in her hands. The Ewoks made sounds of amazement and immediately began comparing their weapons to the truncheons, obviously beginning to determine how to craft their own.
“Here,” Jyn said, handing one over so they could examine it closer, “Just make sure it gets back to me, okay?” The closest Ewok nodded and eagerly took the baton before rushing off with their companions.
“I’m surprised you gave that up,” Cassian said wryly, pulling Jyn’s attention to him. She grinned widely before coming to his side.
“Eh, it was a spare,” she said, slipping her arms around his waist, just as his did the same to hers. “I stocked up before we left base, just in case.”
Cassian pulled back from Jyn just far enough to look her over. “How are you? I ran into Frell on my way to find you and she said you all made it through just fine, but...”
“You need to see for yourself,” Jyn finished, smiling fondly. “I’m okay; a few scrapes, more than a bruise or two, but honestly, I’m alright.”
Cassian watched Jyn as she spoke and he knew she was being true and not downplaying her injuries (a failing both of them still worked on to this day) – there were a few visible scrapes around her hands and face, but no tension in her body betraying a deeper wound.
“Come sit,” Jyn urged, pulling him closer to the fire where log stumps had been placed around for seating. She sat on a log before sliding down it to settle directly in front, using the log as a backrest instead of a seat.
Cassian folded his legs under him and sat down next to her. Some part of him deep inside relaxed as they settled next to each other and Jyn lay her head on his shoulder. They both knew the risks of their jobs and they dealt with it the best they could, but there would always be a knot of tension inside Cassian when they were apart, especially when they were on separate missions.
“When did you get planet-side?” Jyn asked, folding her hand in his. Cassian gently squeezed her hand in return.
“Long enough ago to track you down,” he said. “I got back on board Home One just as you all took off – I stayed on board to help communications and took the first shuttle down.”
He laid his head atop hers. “I’m glad you’re alright. I knew the shield generator had been destroyed, but I wasn’t able to get confirmation on the full status of the ground troops before I left.”
“I’m glad you’re okay, too,” Jyn responded. “We were part of the recall when the plans were found, but I guess you were farther out than we were.”
They sat there in easy silence for a few moments, enjoying the peace of each other’s presence while the celebration continued in the distance.
“Oh,” said Jyn, sitting upright and releasing his hand to reach deep into an inner pocket of her combat vest, pulling out something small, hidden in her closed hand.
“Do you remember that mission a few months ago, when we were two days overdue?” Jyn asked.
“Of course,” Cassian responded, “I had to leave just before you got in, which meant we could see each other for another two weeks.”
Jyn nodded. “That’s the one. While we waited out the time, we met with some of the locals. They had this market of sorts – stalls selling food, clothing, trinkets, and whatnot. I didn’t really notice anything in particular, except for this one seller.”
She caught Cassian’s eye as her free hand drifted up to worry at the kyber crystal on her necklace. “He sounded a bit like you, actually. He wasn’t from Fest, but from what I understood when I spoke with him, it was a similar place. He was a jeweler – had some really nice stuff for sale, too. But he also said he did commissioned work.”
She opened her hand and showed him what she had pulled out of her vest. A simple, thick band of bright silver lay nestled in her palm, adorned only with a deep-set white gem. “I know the paperwork was official a long time ago, but I remember the stories you told me of your home. How the men would wear rings just as the women did. I also knew you wouldn’t want anything too ostentatious, so I talked to that seller and he created this.”
Awed, Cassian took the ring and gently examined it. Jyn continued, her voice quiet. “The gem is a small piece from my necklace.”
Cassian’s head snapped up, his gaze zeroed in on Jyn’s necklace. The crystal in her hand was indeed somewhat smaller than he remembered. It wasn’t a drastic difference, but it was noticeable if you knew to look for it.
“I thought, maybe,” Jyn whispered, “that you might want something to hold on to when we’re apart.”
Cassian closed the distance between them in a flash, pulling Jyn close to him once again and kissing her deeply. Breaking away, he rested his forehead against hers. She smiled softly at him. “I take it you like the ring?”
“Of course, mi leona, of course I do,” Cassian rasped, his native accent seeping through with his emotions. “Giving me part of your mother’s crystal...it means more than you know.”
A few more kisses followed before they settled back against the log and watched the fire burn, the sounds of celebration still going strong in the distance.
Both Cassian and Jyn knew they should get up, find the Rebellion commanders, and start determining what the next steps were. But neither really wanted to move and, honestly, nothing would be getting accomplished this night beyond revelry and drunken celebrations across the galaxy.
And right now, in this little corner, a small fire surrounded by fallen trees and the distant, happy sounds of people who knew true triumph for the first time in decades...it was perfect for them. A private little celebration, just the two of them. As they drifted off to sleep curled around each other, using their packs for pillows, Cassian whispered one last thing to a nearly asleep Jyn.
“Te amo, mi leona.”
Her answering sleepy smile said more than words ever could.