The Empire's Snare: A Rogue One Fanfiction

Welcome Home

After they had helped the red clan win that small but essential victory, they left that planet behind and finally made it to Yavin 4. Yet the fact that the Death Star was looming right on top of it, with a firefight surrounding it, told them they weren't far from danger.

Blaze took this reveal as the perfect opportunity to speak up for the first time in a while. Jyn and Cassian had almost forgotten that he was in the shuttle with them, he had been so quiet. "I want to fight for the Rebellion now. I can't stand to watch more innocent blood shed as I sit idly by. Rau's last words to me were that the galaxy should be free. I want to do what he couldn't live to."

Cassian patted Blaze on the shoulder and simply said, "Welcome home, kid."

They landed and rushed to the base's command center. People were bustling to ships and taking off faster than you could say Jabba the Hutt all around them on their way. Cassian got multiple waves from pilots and soldiers who knew him, and walked on with confused faces due to him being officially dead on Scarif. A particular female freighter pilot smiled at him in a curious way. Cassian's nervous smile and wave back gave Jyn something she hadn't been in possession of for a long time. She didn't know what it was she felt for a brief moment. Or did she?

When they entered the command center Princess Leia was there, surrounding a battle that was being charted on the large holo table. Only a couple officers were standing alongside her. Most had left. The princess of the planet Alderaan looked stressed. Cassian pulled her quickly aside. They seemed to know each other.

She quickly relayed the terrible news of Alderan, when Cassian asked how her father was. The Death Star had destroyed an entire planet.

"What is going on?" Cassian asked, gesturing to the table that was charting a trench run.

"We've sent a few squadrons to take out the Death Star. One of my good friends is up there." Princess Leia said thinking of her friend who she had first thought to be a little short for a stormtrooper.

    "Who?"

    "You wouldn't know. A new kid."

    Cassian scratched his head. "I see. I'm so sorry about your home."

    "There's no time to think of that now. But thank you. The plans that your team stole, those are being used today." The princess said.

    "You're joking. You only just got them recently? We nearly died days ago trying to get them too you. We launched a suicide mission to get those." Jyn said, cutting in, her tone laced with cynicism.

    "Scarif was only three days ago. And I'm sorry to say I got held up. I had to send a droid I hardly knew to a planet I'd never heard of to keep it from the empire. I even got myself captured and imprisoned on that very battle station." Leia pointed to the sky, and the Death Star. "So don't lecture me about nearly dying. Were you tortured and interrogated by Darth Vader?"

    Jyn fell silent for a second, then took a step forward, and was about to respond back with unkind words when Cassian stepped in front of her.

"Don't lecture us on their torture technics. We've seen them worse than you have ever. Up close and personal princess." Cassian shook his head. "On the battlefield, when your comrades die besides you and you're the only one left, you begin to beg for the empire's torture droids. Or the imperial prison camps and the striking ends of stormtrooper's blasters on your face. Don't presume to know what we've been through."

The princess was taken aback by his words and the truth in his eyes. "I'm sorry Captain."

Jyn just shook her head in triumph, and she looked to Cassian with admiration.