Rey dropped her bag finally, propping it beside another tree before taking a few steps closer. He'd still have plenty of room, she had no intention of cornering him, but this way she could keep her voice down just in case. There were First Order sympathizers out here in the middle of nowhere, after all, and she really didn't want to have to deal with someone overhearing them and asking too many unwanted questions.
"It was one of the first major battles won by the Rebellion in the war against the Empire," she explained, speaking as if she were talking with a friend instead of a complete stranger who anyone else would think was out of his mind. Even the way she looked at Cassian was beginning to take on a bit of wonder, her mind struggling to accept what her instincts knew was true. "It was where the first Death Star was destroyed, in 3277 LY."
Her galactic history lessons may have been rather lacking in her upbringing on Jakku, but everyone knew about the Battle of Yavin. The stories of the Death Star being destroyed by Luke Skywalker were legend now. And, in her rare spare time since joining the Resistance, she'd started to learn more about the Galactic Civil War — because history apparently liked to repeat itself.
He tensed a little as the bag dropped, but this was no longer a battlefield and nothing exploded. Nor did she reach for a weapon. The way she was speaking to him didn't feel like she was techniquing him. She just continued to read as sincere. Either she was one of the most talented liars he'd ever spoken to, or she was sincere. He found the prospect of her lying to him unlikely, just because he was so little of a threat or any importance right now. Why would she bother?
And the way she was looking at him, speaking to him… he wasn't sure he had in him to resist or reject right now… being treated as an ally. (Or a friend.)
And then what she said—
Cassian sank back against the tree, let himself slump and slide down until he was sitting on the ground. His vision actually blacked out for a moment. In a way that wasn't just the concussion.
(Save the Rebellion - save the dream We cannot in good conscience risk entire worlds for our cause We joined an Alliance, not a suicide pact I can't, I'm not hooked in to the communications tower)
He closed his eyes and worked on getting the planet to stop spinning out from under him.
Sefla. Melshi. Basteren. Calfor. Eskro. Farsin. Jav. Pao. Rostok. Stordan.
Rook. Malbus. Îmwe.
He wondered if there was anyone left, back there—back then, whatever—who knew exactly what names were on that list.
(I do. Someone's out there.)
Erso.
He wondered if any of them had survived.
(Closing the vault door now. Goodbye)
Kaytoo.
(I'm sorry. I loved you. I'm sorry.)
But it had worked.
Cassian opened his eyes, was rewarded with the absence of double-vision, and looked up at… Rey.
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"It was one of the first major battles won by the Rebellion in the war against the Empire," she explained, speaking as if she were talking with a friend instead of a complete stranger who anyone else would think was out of his mind. Even the way she looked at Cassian was beginning to take on a bit of wonder, her mind struggling to accept what her instincts knew was true. "It was where the first Death Star was destroyed, in 3277 LY."
Her galactic history lessons may have been rather lacking in her upbringing on Jakku, but everyone knew about the Battle of Yavin. The stories of the Death Star being destroyed by Luke Skywalker were legend now. And, in her rare spare time since joining the Resistance, she'd started to learn more about the Galactic Civil War — because history apparently liked to repeat itself.
no subject
And the way she was looking at him, speaking to him… he wasn't sure he had in him to resist or reject right now… being treated as an ally. (Or a friend.)
And then what she said—
Cassian sank back against the tree, let himself slump and slide down until he was sitting on the ground. His vision actually blacked out for a moment. In a way that wasn't just the concussion.
(Save the Rebellion - save the dream
We cannot in good conscience risk entire worlds for our cause
We joined an Alliance, not a suicide pact
I can't, I'm not hooked in to the communications tower)
He closed his eyes and worked on getting the planet to stop spinning out from under him.
Sefla. Melshi. Basteren. Calfor. Eskro. Farsin. Jav. Pao. Rostok. Stordan.
Rook. Malbus. Îmwe.
He wondered if there was anyone left, back there—back then, whatever—who knew exactly what names were on that list.
(I do. Someone's out there.)
Erso.
He wondered if any of them had survived.
(Closing the vault door now. Goodbye)
Kaytoo.
(I'm sorry. I loved you. I'm sorry.)
But it had worked.
Cassian opened his eyes, was rewarded with the absence of double-vision, and looked up at… Rey.
"Thank you," was all he could say.