Chapter Five
"Wait." With immense effort, Cassian managed to find purchase on the ground, his stance unsteady. Only, a few moments later, he fell to the ground. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, face pale.
His voice, strained, questioned, "Do you know why we're still here? Alive?"
That was a somewhat stupid question to ask her. She had just recovered her bearings and he was expecting her to know the answer to something she herself couldn't even comprehend?
Jyn crossed her arms and replied bluntly, " I don't know."
"I saw a light. A golden light." Cassian countered. His expression was puzzled as he spoke the words, however, and she doubted whether he knew exactly what he was talking about.
She had been aware of the light with its strange warmth enveloping her, but knew no answer to the phenomenon that had occurred. She didn't respond to Cassian, only nodded in assent. Heading towards Cassian, Jyn knelt down next to him. "You're still injured," she spoke quietly.
Cassian felt her poke his side and he jerked, letting out a hiss and a word of caution. While he sat there, his elbow propping him up, he saw her take out a series of bandages and medical gauze from a pouch in her vest. He hadn't even seen it before.
"Here." She took his hand and slapped the medical supplies into his palm. Not moving afterwards, she gestured to the equipment and to his injury silently. She expected him to dress his own wounds?
He thought he saw the corners of her mouth lift up slightly but he wasn't sure. Well, he'd show her. He wasn't going to reveal his weaknesses. Cassian rolled up his blood soaked shirt and fumbled at the tape, ripping off a few sections and working to attach them to his side. It would have to do.
A few moments later, the bandage was wrapped securely around his waist. His arms had been accounted for, treated with some kind of spray Jyn happened to have. He could at least stand now, but he'd have to rest.
Jyn told him she was going to search for any debris that remained on the island. There would be several items they could use to help themselves, and food was a necessity at this point. They hadn't eaten all day. He was to find them some shelter-- somewhat hard to do on a beach. He wondered if she had assigned him that task just to give him a hard time. She trotted off, leaving visible footprints in the sand as she headed for a line of palm trees. He watched her go for a few moments, then looked behind him. Cassian had lost all sense of time since the battle on Scarif, but right now he could tell night was approaching. He needed to hurry or else he could suffer under the wrath of a certain rebel.
Cassian let out a huff and ruffled his hair. It was going to take him awhile to get used to this, if he and Jyn were the only survivors here.
Might as well get myself some sleep. Find some shelter. Let's get moving Cassian. he thought to himself.
~~~~~
Jyn found Cassian curled up underneath a rocky overhang.
She took a glance at the spot he chose. The walls surrounding the area were rough, hardened from the years it had existed without any life in it before.
It was shaded from the sun, cool, and provided a good amount of cover. If she hadn't been intently searching and looking out for him she wouldn't have found the spot.
Not too bad for an intelligence officer.
Jyn set down the items she had picked up on her excursion. There wasn't much after the explosion vaporized pretty much everything. There were communicators for her and Cassian to talk (so they wouldn't wonder where the other went), 2 flashlights she swiped from the dead enemy troopers on the ground, and blasters.
Jyn was going for a walk. Cassian offered to go with her, but she refused, saying she wanted to be alone. He needed rest anyways, with an injury that severe. Jyn brushed off the remains of the fish, and left Cassian by the fire. He would douse it out later.
Jyn sighed, stuffing her hands into her pockets and looking up towards the clouds. She should be sleeping, especially since the events of the day had left her still reeling from their impact, but her mind was still active, against the protest of her body. With the quiet around her, thoughts about Galen Erso drifted towards her consciousness.
Her father. Jyn's heart had thawed from the shell it had been encased in, when before her, her father was dying, struggling in his last rasping breath to redeem himself in her eyes. His Stardust, he had called her, before his eyelids remained shut forever.
His voice, strained, questioned, "Do you know why we're still here? Alive?"
That was a somewhat stupid question to ask her. She had just recovered her bearings and he was expecting her to know the answer to something she herself couldn't even comprehend?
Jyn crossed her arms and replied bluntly, " I don't know."
"I saw a light. A golden light." Cassian countered. His expression was puzzled as he spoke the words, however, and she doubted whether he knew exactly what he was talking about.
She had been aware of the light with its strange warmth enveloping her, but knew no answer to the phenomenon that had occurred. She didn't respond to Cassian, only nodded in assent. Heading towards Cassian, Jyn knelt down next to him. "You're still injured," she spoke quietly.
Cassian felt her poke his side and he jerked, letting out a hiss and a word of caution. While he sat there, his elbow propping him up, he saw her take out a series of bandages and medical gauze from a pouch in her vest. He hadn't even seen it before.
"Here." She took his hand and slapped the medical supplies into his palm. Not moving afterwards, she gestured to the equipment and to his injury silently. She expected him to dress his own wounds?
He thought he saw the corners of her mouth lift up slightly but he wasn't sure. Well, he'd show her. He wasn't going to reveal his weaknesses. Cassian rolled up his blood soaked shirt and fumbled at the tape, ripping off a few sections and working to attach them to his side. It would have to do.
A few moments later, the bandage was wrapped securely around his waist. His arms had been accounted for, treated with some kind of spray Jyn happened to have. He could at least stand now, but he'd have to rest.
Jyn told him she was going to search for any debris that remained on the island. There would be several items they could use to help themselves, and food was a necessity at this point. They hadn't eaten all day. He was to find them some shelter-- somewhat hard to do on a beach. He wondered if she had assigned him that task just to give him a hard time. She trotted off, leaving visible footprints in the sand as she headed for a line of palm trees. He watched her go for a few moments, then looked behind him. Cassian had lost all sense of time since the battle on Scarif, but right now he could tell night was approaching. He needed to hurry or else he could suffer under the wrath of a certain rebel.
Cassian let out a huff and ruffled his hair. It was going to take him awhile to get used to this, if he and Jyn were the only survivors here.
Might as well get myself some sleep. Find some shelter. Let's get moving Cassian. he thought to himself.
~~~~~
Jyn found Cassian curled up underneath a rocky overhang.
She took a glance at the spot he chose. The walls surrounding the area were rough, hardened from the years it had existed without any life in it before.
It was shaded from the sun, cool, and provided a good amount of cover. If she hadn't been intently searching and looking out for him she wouldn't have found the spot.
Not too bad for an intelligence officer.
Jyn set down the items she had picked up on her excursion. There wasn't much after the explosion vaporized pretty much everything. There were communicators for her and Cassian to talk (so they wouldn't wonder where the other went), 2 flashlights she swiped from the dead enemy troopers on the ground, and blasters.
The cuffs of her pants were wet - She had succeeded at catching a few fish from the ocean, and dropped them on the hard floor. Jyn saw there was a small pile of wood lying next to the rocks. Either he brought them in prior to sleeping, or they were already there before he arrived. She suspected the former. Good. They'd be able to light a fire. Leaving the fish in the rocky outcrop (Cassian would surely reek later, but then he was already grimy enough),
Jyn gathered the wood in her arms and stepped outside into the cold air.
Only one star was out in the otherwise pitch black sky. The night shrouded her figure as Jyn sat on a tree trunk abrasively rubbing two rocks together, cursing when she couldn't get a fire started. After a few more hard strikes, sparks flew onto the pile of wood and kindling, and a blaze illuminated the night, providing her warmth on the beach island.
Jyn fetched the fish and skinned them. The smell of smoked meat soon wafted out into the cold air, whirling away towards the sky and land. She was ready to eat.
Cassian awoke to the smell of something aromatic. He sat up with a groan, straining to see who was out there, wisps of smoke playing tricks with his eyes. Must be Jyn. He yawned, then stood up slowly. His side was feeling better, at least.
Jyn gave a start as she heard footsteps behind her.
"Oh, it's you."
He sat next to her on the log. "That definitely looks good."
Jyn passed him a leaf. "It's clean. Washed it with water. You can use it for a plate." Cassian took it from her, using a stick to spear the fish, setting it on top of the makeshift plate. He was ravenous, digging into the fish, tearing into it as if he were a wolf eating a carcass. He didn't care who saw him, not that there was anybody else there but Jyn.
Having finished her dinner, she watched him eat, and proceeded to ask curtly, "Better after sleep?"
He nodded, swallowing down a bite of the meal.
"I didn't know you could cook. It's good."
She shrugged. "I learned from Saw. His training required us to learn survival skills. There's nothing to it."
Throughout the meal, it was mostly silent. The echoes of war rang in their heads, and neither felt ready to speak. Both had hidden parts of themselves they weren't willing to reveal to the other.
Jyn was going for a walk. Cassian offered to go with her, but she refused, saying she wanted to be alone. He needed rest anyways, with an injury that severe. Jyn brushed off the remains of the fish, and left Cassian by the fire. He would douse it out later.
Jyn sighed, stuffing her hands into her pockets and looking up towards the clouds. She should be sleeping, especially since the events of the day had left her still reeling from their impact, but her mind was still active, against the protest of her body. With the quiet around her, thoughts about Galen Erso drifted towards her consciousness.
Her father. Jyn's heart had thawed from the shell it had been encased in, when before her, her father was dying, struggling in his last rasping breath to redeem himself in her eyes. His Stardust, he had called her, before his eyelids remained shut forever.
The present caught up to her as she snapped out of the reverie. Jyn noticed suddenly her cheek was wet, and she hurriedly wiped away the tears fiercely with her sleeve. Hide away your weakness, she chided herself. She needed to return. Head down, Jyn trudged back, her shadow trailing behind, following its owner steadily.
A half hour later, Jyn arrived at the rocky overhang. Cassian, once again, was fast asleep. Dinner with him hadn't been horrible, she admitted. She was careful not to sleep too close to him. She was still wary of him and unsure of his intentions. There was a lot she didn't know about him.
She had a plan in mind - The next day she would try to find another base. She knew the blast hadn't affected the whole of Scarif. Surely there was a ship somewhere else she and Cassian could use to escape. With that last thought in mind, Jyn fell into a dreamless sleep.
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