Chapter Three
Cassian's mind raced a mile a minute. He had only faintly registered Jyn's musing. He was too focused on his pain.
He had endured so much on this mission. Although Jyn could only see his silhouette, he could clearly see her in the shaft of sun that fell upon her face. Despite the fact her face was marked with weariness, Cassian saw it was almost serene, her luminous jade eyes glowing with a new sparkle, hair loosely framing her face.
Why had he felt a desire to save Jyn? Going to great lengths to climb the tower a second time. Was it simply just because he had to see the mission through? That must have been it. He couldn't leave without finishing the main task. Furthermore, Jyn wasn't a damsel in distress. She was more like a volatile bomb that could go off any second. As he pondered this question, he noticed her looking at him quietly.
Her eyes searched his, looking for any trace of the hardness that had occupied them before. None of it existed. Instead, they were penetrating, as if Cassian could see what lay inside her soul.
Unconsciously, he had taken a step towards her, both of them drawn towards each other by an unknown force.
She didn't know what to do, confined within the walls of the elevator in this cramped space. Cassian's gaze was gentle, hesitant, as he slowly leaned in towards her for a few seconds. She could feel her heart pounding irregularly, off-beat from her breathing, too loud in the quiet. She wasn't ready for this. Jyn's mind registered the action, but she couldn't move, frozen in time. Her and him. But then the clock rapidly spun forward, and Jyn found herself withdrawing a step.
The sunlight that had illuminated Jyn's face was gone as her form disappeared under the wing of darkness. As she took a step away from Cassian. What was he doing? Cassian's expression flickered with a moment of uncertainty before it was quickly concealed under an unreadable expression - a barrier that hadn't existed before hovered in the space between them. Cassian leaned back, and didn't look at her again.
The initial silence between the two deepened as the atmosphere between them changed. For better or worse, no one knew.
The elevator doors slid open and a white light pierced through the opening. The devastation outside was immediately noticeable. Embers dying out, the smell of charred metal wafting alongside the sea salt tang. Bodies littered the ground - were any of them Chirrut, Baze, or Bodhi?
It was difficult to see who was who. Jyn's mind was filled with regret over her lost comrades. She had lead them here to this end. She was sure Cassian felt the same, as she heard a surprised gasp escape his lips after having seen the same bodies. They could have been foe or friend.
Feet scuffed the ground, sandy particles crushed under the 2 pairs of shoes moving, the only ones moving at this point. Cassian's legs gave out from underneath him as he collapsed on the sand. Although underfoot it seemed hard and grainy, the sand he now touched with his hand was surprisingly soft. Jyn joined him on the ground.
The waves of Scarif ran towards the two individuals on the beach, pulsating at a certain distance before receding back into the wide expanse of ocean. The blue sky was devoid of clouds, and no creatures called. A loud rumble heralded the appearance of an emerald light, shot suddenly out of the blue, striking the top of Citadel Tower and continuing through the building into the molten earth of the planet. The cloud mushroomed from its center point, growing ever so wider.
Jyn and Cassian knew with the Death Star here, there was nowhere to run. Cassian turned to Jyn, his voice gaining strength: "Your father would have been proud of you, Jyn."
She looked at him for what seemed like a long minute, and nodded, a smile emerging from her lips. Despite what had happened earlier, Jyn's hand inched towards his and gripped it with a gentle strength.
As they looked towards the mushroom cloud, Jyn's memories flashed in her mind. She had spent her whole life fighting - Always against the nightmare from the very beginning, then the one she had believed would never betray her, once even to the man kneeling beside her, whose hand was in hers. She could have blamed the whole world for the events that happened in her lifetime. But she chose instead, to accept her plight and feel content with her lot. Jyn hesitated at first, but slowly reached over with arms outstretched, to wrap them around Cassian's lean frame. They were only partners, brought together by war. There was nothing more to the hug.
The shockwave got closer and closer every second. There was no time to get to know the woman he had worked with on this mission. He would never get the chance. Before he could react, Cassian picked up the scent of her hair, felt her arms around his neck, the kyber crystal she was wearing digging into his chest. What made Jyn act differently now as compared to earlier? Was it the fact that death was heading straight for them? Maybe this hug was just reassurance, a way for her to feel at peace instead of other dark emotions. A form of human comfort in a cruel world that had shut both of them out before. Cassian tentatively embraced her back, closing his eyes as he held Jyn in his arms, deciding that he would focus on what he had in the last few moments of his life. He did not fear death now and temporarily felt free of everything that had haunted him in years past.
It was inevitable that the shockwave of the Death Star's laser would envelop the two individuals kneeling on the beach. While beautiful against the reflection of ocean water shining up into the sky, (one could mistake it for a brilliant sunset) the powerful blast raced towards them with a sinister menace, ready to add Jyn and Cassian to its list of others that already perished within its radius. But as the raging heat began to encircle their silhouetted forms, a golden glow burst out, deflecting the shockwave's force and gray clouds, causing them to curve away from the light.
The strength of the golden glow, whatever it was protecting, would be tested against the Death Star's immense power.
On the isolated world Scarif, (initially a base, now a ruined world) all was silent. Nobody knew what had become of the team named Rogue One. What remained of the planet was yet to be seen.
He had endured so much on this mission. Although Jyn could only see his silhouette, he could clearly see her in the shaft of sun that fell upon her face. Despite the fact her face was marked with weariness, Cassian saw it was almost serene, her luminous jade eyes glowing with a new sparkle, hair loosely framing her face.
Why had he felt a desire to save Jyn? Going to great lengths to climb the tower a second time. Was it simply just because he had to see the mission through? That must have been it. He couldn't leave without finishing the main task. Furthermore, Jyn wasn't a damsel in distress. She was more like a volatile bomb that could go off any second. As he pondered this question, he noticed her looking at him quietly.
Her eyes searched his, looking for any trace of the hardness that had occupied them before. None of it existed. Instead, they were penetrating, as if Cassian could see what lay inside her soul.
Unconsciously, he had taken a step towards her, both of them drawn towards each other by an unknown force.
She didn't know what to do, confined within the walls of the elevator in this cramped space. Cassian's gaze was gentle, hesitant, as he slowly leaned in towards her for a few seconds. She could feel her heart pounding irregularly, off-beat from her breathing, too loud in the quiet. She wasn't ready for this. Jyn's mind registered the action, but she couldn't move, frozen in time. Her and him. But then the clock rapidly spun forward, and Jyn found herself withdrawing a step.
The sunlight that had illuminated Jyn's face was gone as her form disappeared under the wing of darkness. As she took a step away from Cassian. What was he doing? Cassian's expression flickered with a moment of uncertainty before it was quickly concealed under an unreadable expression - a barrier that hadn't existed before hovered in the space between them. Cassian leaned back, and didn't look at her again.
The initial silence between the two deepened as the atmosphere between them changed. For better or worse, no one knew.
The elevator doors slid open and a white light pierced through the opening. The devastation outside was immediately noticeable. Embers dying out, the smell of charred metal wafting alongside the sea salt tang. Bodies littered the ground - were any of them Chirrut, Baze, or Bodhi?
It was difficult to see who was who. Jyn's mind was filled with regret over her lost comrades. She had lead them here to this end. She was sure Cassian felt the same, as she heard a surprised gasp escape his lips after having seen the same bodies. They could have been foe or friend.
Feet scuffed the ground, sandy particles crushed under the 2 pairs of shoes moving, the only ones moving at this point. Cassian's legs gave out from underneath him as he collapsed on the sand. Although underfoot it seemed hard and grainy, the sand he now touched with his hand was surprisingly soft. Jyn joined him on the ground.
The waves of Scarif ran towards the two individuals on the beach, pulsating at a certain distance before receding back into the wide expanse of ocean. The blue sky was devoid of clouds, and no creatures called. A loud rumble heralded the appearance of an emerald light, shot suddenly out of the blue, striking the top of Citadel Tower and continuing through the building into the molten earth of the planet. The cloud mushroomed from its center point, growing ever so wider.
Jyn and Cassian knew with the Death Star here, there was nowhere to run. Cassian turned to Jyn, his voice gaining strength: "Your father would have been proud of you, Jyn."
She looked at him for what seemed like a long minute, and nodded, a smile emerging from her lips. Despite what had happened earlier, Jyn's hand inched towards his and gripped it with a gentle strength.
As they looked towards the mushroom cloud, Jyn's memories flashed in her mind. She had spent her whole life fighting - Always against the nightmare from the very beginning, then the one she had believed would never betray her, once even to the man kneeling beside her, whose hand was in hers. She could have blamed the whole world for the events that happened in her lifetime. But she chose instead, to accept her plight and feel content with her lot. Jyn hesitated at first, but slowly reached over with arms outstretched, to wrap them around Cassian's lean frame. They were only partners, brought together by war. There was nothing more to the hug.
The shockwave got closer and closer every second. There was no time to get to know the woman he had worked with on this mission. He would never get the chance. Before he could react, Cassian picked up the scent of her hair, felt her arms around his neck, the kyber crystal she was wearing digging into his chest. What made Jyn act differently now as compared to earlier? Was it the fact that death was heading straight for them? Maybe this hug was just reassurance, a way for her to feel at peace instead of other dark emotions. A form of human comfort in a cruel world that had shut both of them out before. Cassian tentatively embraced her back, closing his eyes as he held Jyn in his arms, deciding that he would focus on what he had in the last few moments of his life. He did not fear death now and temporarily felt free of everything that had haunted him in years past.
It was inevitable that the shockwave of the Death Star's laser would envelop the two individuals kneeling on the beach. While beautiful against the reflection of ocean water shining up into the sky, (one could mistake it for a brilliant sunset) the powerful blast raced towards them with a sinister menace, ready to add Jyn and Cassian to its list of others that already perished within its radius. But as the raging heat began to encircle their silhouetted forms, a golden glow burst out, deflecting the shockwave's force and gray clouds, causing them to curve away from the light.
The strength of the golden glow, whatever it was protecting, would be tested against the Death Star's immense power.
On the isolated world Scarif, (initially a base, now a ruined world) all was silent. Nobody knew what had become of the team named Rogue One. What remained of the planet was yet to be seen.
HERE IT IS #TEAMCASSYN I LOVE THEM TOGETHER!! i love this chapter, it has PHENOMENAL imagery ((im thinking of them on the beach & its so cute)) haha (:
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