Chapter Ten
“How are we going to approach them?” Baze asked Chirrut. He had been excited at first, but quickly realized they couldn’t barge in and expect a happy reunion. It would be too sudden, and more likely, the two would surely be puzzled at first, shocked as to how Baze and Chirrut even survived the Death Star's shockwave. Both Baze and Chirrut had no idea how the two would react upon seeing their faces. But fate would lead their paths to once again cross. "There is a way....." Chirrut murmured. He cleared his throat, then continued - "We can send them a message. I know what to do.
But first, we need to get out of here."
Baze and Chirrut slipped away, just as quickly as they had come. Nobody would have known that while two individuals had snuck into the building and then left, another two people had been watching the base's every move, in anticipation of seeing their team members emerge after days of thinking they were dead.
Once Chirrut reached a relatively empty clearing, he clasped his hands together. Chirrut summoned all of his will to channel his message. She would hear it.
Through the crystal, there would be a connection.
"We are here," Chirrut whispered.
We Are Here.
_________________◇____________
Jyn had been holding in her frustration. She needed someone to take her anger out on. Guess who was the only person she could rant to?
"We were THIS close!" Jyn held her hand up, index finger and thumb forming a narrow arc as she emphasized her point. "This close! I can't believe it! I thought they would have all evaporated into nothing, but no-!" Her arm fell to her side as if it were just a dead-weight, rather than a useful appendage of her body. She felt like she was going to have a headache.
Cassian listened to her angry tone, her feet pacing rapidly across the solid ground. He understood she was upset. He too, felt sorely disappointed.
But Jyn seemed too wound up, and he had no idea why.
There was tense silence before he spoke.
"What are you worried about? If we couldn't find a ship this time, there are other parts we can try---"
He tried to reason with her, make her see sense, but she interrupted. Her tone of voice, filled with anger before, was grave now - "Cassian, there is no time left." She looked at him, green eyes piercing - "We have to get back. We transmitted the plans, but the Death Star's still a threat. As much as I dislike the Alliance, they're going to need our help. The Empire's going to be on their guard, even more so now that the plans have been sent. If they come to find out we're still here, they won't show us any mercy. That ship was our best chance out! And now....."
Cassian watched her silently, not saying anything.
He was surprised she still wanted to return to the Alliance, when previously her displeasure of the organization had been clear through her "rash" actions and the almost constant maintenance of a scowl during her time on the base. She hadn't seemed to show much respect towards the authority figures of the Rebellion: General Draven, the other council members. It had been fire against fire during the meeting round back at Yavin - shouting had escalated into chaos, a cacophony of noise that ceased to end, Cassian recalled with a grimace. At least there was something to show for Mon Mothma, whose quiet air of confidence among the panicking group had earned her a place among those Jyn could trust. It had been difficult for Cassian himself to show Jyn he could be relied upon as well. He counted himself lucky to be on the other side of her flames. He knew they wouldn't burn him, or the other members of Rogue One.
Jyn's voice removed all thoughts of the Alliance out of his head.
"I don't want to be stuck here while there are other places we should be!" Her voice once again rose in a crescendo.
She lowered her head, thinking back to the time her father's last words echoed in her mind.
It must be destroyed, Jyn....
Cassian saw Jyn's shoulders shake as her head was bowed. His face was impassive at first.
Knowing she was agitated, he strode over to Jyn's side, standing in front of her. As she raised her head to look at him, he placed his hand on her shoulder, the firm touch a steadying force. It almost took Jyn's breath away - her heartbeat pounding fiercely, but starting to slow from the frenetic pace it had adopted before. In a low voice:
"Jyn. We're going to get out of here.
We just need to think again about a better approach to this."
His eyes, they brought her back from a whirlwind of emotion. The rising storm diminished, weakened as she processed his words.
You'd be better be right.
"What's wrong?"
The icy feeling was replaced by burning now. This was familiar. When had her crystal reacted like this before? Her mind sifted through a lifetime of memories, most of them filled with pain that she wanted to forget. One memory stood out among the rest, with precise focus:
Jedha. The planet with orange-brown clouds that housed a diverse group of individuals, many of them spiritual. Her getting jostled and shoved among the rowdy crowd of strangers hurrying to get to their destinations. Hearing a patient, prompting voice in her head that drew her towards a blind man that knew more than any other....
"Chirrut!" Jyn gasped.
"What?" Cassian looked at her like she was crazy, raising an eyebrow in response to her outburst. But then he saw how a bright spark seemed to return to Jyn.
Her expression had a 180 degree turn. Jyn's motivation had returned - The fire, a new intensity, rose like a legendary phoenix from the ashes.
Was it true? Chirrut was alive? If so, was Baze there with him? He had to be. Those two fit together like salt and pepper, yin and yang, two peas in a pod. One could not go without the other.
Grass stalks and dirt turned into sand as Jyn dashed out past Cassian towards an expanse of water, almost child like in her enthusiasm, her eagerness. She never thought she'd need other people around, but right now, where darkness was starting to once again manifest itself along the imaginary cave in her mind, Jyn wanted to see Chirrut and Baze again, if they were here. Anyone who had shared her burden, who had understood her and stayed with her when they could have left.
Cassian followed her out onto the sand, small waves washing up towards his shoes.
Where?? Where are you? Jyn questioned in her mind.
Look for the Force and you will find me.
She felt a tug, and an invisible compass in her beating heart telling her to look North. She faced in that direction, covering her forehead with her hand as she squinted as far ahead as she could see.
There, in front of the horizon among the jungle of trees and pools of water, stood the pilgrim, the calm monk with the staff and the lightbow. Beside him was the man who had dubbed Jyn as his little sister, gruff on the outside but warm hearted inside, with his generator unit, red armor, and ornate bowcaster by his side.
The Guardians had found who they were looking for.
But first, we need to get out of here."
Baze and Chirrut slipped away, just as quickly as they had come. Nobody would have known that while two individuals had snuck into the building and then left, another two people had been watching the base's every move, in anticipation of seeing their team members emerge after days of thinking they were dead.
Once Chirrut reached a relatively empty clearing, he clasped his hands together. Chirrut summoned all of his will to channel his message. She would hear it.
Through the crystal, there would be a connection.
"We are here," Chirrut whispered.
We Are Here.
_________________◇____________
Jyn had been holding in her frustration. She needed someone to take her anger out on. Guess who was the only person she could rant to?
"We were THIS close!" Jyn held her hand up, index finger and thumb forming a narrow arc as she emphasized her point. "This close! I can't believe it! I thought they would have all evaporated into nothing, but no-!" Her arm fell to her side as if it were just a dead-weight, rather than a useful appendage of her body. She felt like she was going to have a headache.
Cassian listened to her angry tone, her feet pacing rapidly across the solid ground. He understood she was upset. He too, felt sorely disappointed.
But Jyn seemed too wound up, and he had no idea why.
There was tense silence before he spoke.
"What are you worried about? If we couldn't find a ship this time, there are other parts we can try---"
He tried to reason with her, make her see sense, but she interrupted. Her tone of voice, filled with anger before, was grave now - "Cassian, there is no time left." She looked at him, green eyes piercing - "We have to get back. We transmitted the plans, but the Death Star's still a threat. As much as I dislike the Alliance, they're going to need our help. The Empire's going to be on their guard, even more so now that the plans have been sent. If they come to find out we're still here, they won't show us any mercy. That ship was our best chance out! And now....."
Cassian watched her silently, not saying anything.
He was surprised she still wanted to return to the Alliance, when previously her displeasure of the organization had been clear through her "rash" actions and the almost constant maintenance of a scowl during her time on the base. She hadn't seemed to show much respect towards the authority figures of the Rebellion: General Draven, the other council members. It had been fire against fire during the meeting round back at Yavin - shouting had escalated into chaos, a cacophony of noise that ceased to end, Cassian recalled with a grimace. At least there was something to show for Mon Mothma, whose quiet air of confidence among the panicking group had earned her a place among those Jyn could trust. It had been difficult for Cassian himself to show Jyn he could be relied upon as well. He counted himself lucky to be on the other side of her flames. He knew they wouldn't burn him, or the other members of Rogue One.
Jyn's voice removed all thoughts of the Alliance out of his head.
"I don't want to be stuck here while there are other places we should be!" Her voice once again rose in a crescendo.
She lowered her head, thinking back to the time her father's last words echoed in her mind.
It must be destroyed, Jyn....
Cassian saw Jyn's shoulders shake as her head was bowed. His face was impassive at first.
Knowing she was agitated, he strode over to Jyn's side, standing in front of her. As she raised her head to look at him, he placed his hand on her shoulder, the firm touch a steadying force. It almost took Jyn's breath away - her heartbeat pounding fiercely, but starting to slow from the frenetic pace it had adopted before. In a low voice:
"Jyn. We're going to get out of here.
We just need to think again about a better approach to this."
His eyes, they brought her back from a whirlwind of emotion. The rising storm diminished, weakened as she processed his words.
You'd be better be right.
Suddenly, as if to distract Jyn from the current situation and her thoughts, the kyber crystal at Jyn's neck felt icy. She hadn't even been aware of it in her panic, but the sensation was so strong she looked down at where her necklace lay. Cassian noticed Jyn's attention was elsewhere.
"What's wrong?"
The icy feeling was replaced by burning now. This was familiar. When had her crystal reacted like this before? Her mind sifted through a lifetime of memories, most of them filled with pain that she wanted to forget. One memory stood out among the rest, with precise focus:
Jedha. The planet with orange-brown clouds that housed a diverse group of individuals, many of them spiritual. Her getting jostled and shoved among the rowdy crowd of strangers hurrying to get to their destinations. Hearing a patient, prompting voice in her head that drew her towards a blind man that knew more than any other....
"Chirrut!" Jyn gasped.
"What?" Cassian looked at her like she was crazy, raising an eyebrow in response to her outburst. But then he saw how a bright spark seemed to return to Jyn.
Her expression had a 180 degree turn. Jyn's motivation had returned - The fire, a new intensity, rose like a legendary phoenix from the ashes.
Was it true? Chirrut was alive? If so, was Baze there with him? He had to be. Those two fit together like salt and pepper, yin and yang, two peas in a pod. One could not go without the other.
Grass stalks and dirt turned into sand as Jyn dashed out past Cassian towards an expanse of water, almost child like in her enthusiasm, her eagerness. She never thought she'd need other people around, but right now, where darkness was starting to once again manifest itself along the imaginary cave in her mind, Jyn wanted to see Chirrut and Baze again, if they were here. Anyone who had shared her burden, who had understood her and stayed with her when they could have left.
Cassian followed her out onto the sand, small waves washing up towards his shoes.
Where?? Where are you? Jyn questioned in her mind.
Look for the Force and you will find me.
She felt a tug, and an invisible compass in her beating heart telling her to look North. She faced in that direction, covering her forehead with her hand as she squinted as far ahead as she could see.
There, in front of the horizon among the jungle of trees and pools of water, stood the pilgrim, the calm monk with the staff and the lightbow. Beside him was the man who had dubbed Jyn as his little sister, gruff on the outside but warm hearted inside, with his generator unit, red armor, and ornate bowcaster by his side.
The Guardians had found who they were looking for.
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