AS LONG AS THE STARS ARE ABOVE YOU [A CASSIAN ANDOR x READER STORY]

CHAPTER THREE: RESCUE OF THE CAPTAIN

2.1k words; edit by sondercoyfish

It was the first time that you hadn't come to him when he called for you. The very first time.

It hurt you so deeply. But you couldn't stop. Every part of you felt alive. You felt pulled --- as if something was physically pulling you. You imagined an iridescent beam of energy, connecting you to the Captain that was located Force knows how far away.

You always thought your first journey out of Tatooine would be one with your father by your side. This wasn't at all what you had thought it would be. For the first time, you were with the stars, journeying away from your home, about to experience more than you ever had dreamed of.

You'd only heard tales of Mos Eisley. Your father always told you it was full of scum. You had a feeling that, like everything else he had ever told you, what he had said was true.

You had enough credits in your bag to last you a while, and you hoped that they would be enough to bribe those you encountered to help you, but people were scared in this galaxy. They were terrified of doing things wrong. But you were somehow not too afraid, driven by this intense desire to restore hope.

You kept your lightsaber concealed beneath your grey poncho and kept your hood up. Your eyes were always open, your mind always alert. You were aware of the stormtroopers that made their rounds around this tiny planet you had arrived on. The people looked terrified. They hid in their tiny homes the moment the sun went down. The stormtroopers stood at their doors with guns, making sure all of the lights went out at a certain time.

You remained in the shadows on the edge of the town, watching.

"You are going to get yourself killed, child," a voice said.

Your head turned quickly. A human male sat a few feet away. He looked filthy and tired, with a half empty bottle on his lap. "I'm not a child. And I'll be fine. Thank you."

But if you were being honest with yourself, you were a little nervous. Here you were, concealed only by a cast of shadows, in a city full of Imps. No one was allowed out of their homes at night. No one was attempting to fly out of the city. You were trapped here.

The stranger shook his head and laughed. "None of us are going to be fine. You thinking otherwise is what makes me know you're nothing but a child."

You tried to ignore him. A group of troopers marched by. You squatted down, your hand pressing against the wall of the hut you were leaning against. You let your eyes trail after them.

"A couple more rounds about the perimeter and we are clear to head back," one of them said.

"Alright, sounds good with me," the other replied. "You know, I never considered being grateful for being stationed solely on the Destroyer until we started getting sent out here every night. This place is a dump."