The Knight • Jassian AU {ON HOLD}

Chapter 1

A/N: so I'm jassian trash as well as AU trash so I combined both and decided to write this

It reeked and Jyn hated it. The smell seemed to burn the inside of her nose as if it was a deadly fire. The unfortunate soul next to her was currently throwing up the crap her captives had served earlier this morning. She simply watched as the sounds of hacking filled the chamber. It wasn't an unusual sight for the food often served was practically garbage.

"Stop staring at me, would ya?"

"Sorry."

Jyn soon found her hands to be interesting. Cuts were slashed across her knuckles in crisscross patterns and dirt covered her hands, making them tinged a dark brown. Under her nails, dirt seemed to linger, most likely a result from one of her escape attempts.

The Empire had their methods of keeping her captive. Deciding on chaining her torso and legs up instead of her arms. A newer decision due to the fact that Jyn loved to trip the passing guards. Also it was quite a nuisance to keep unchaining arms from the wall whenever food had come for the prisoners.

She liked her hands. Sure they weren't perfect, with their cuts and callouses but that's what appealed to her the most. Jyn liked to think of them as tattoos. Like the ones she recalls seeing at the central market. It was quite popular for knights or merchants to get their adventures written on their bodies in permanent ink. Her finger traced along the biggest cut. It was a bright inflamed red, with areas of purple tinging the outer-rim.

That cut was her favorite. It was a morbid thought, but after going from dungeon to dungeon and fighting constantly for survival, worrying about how morbid something was, wasn't in Jyn's usual train of thought.

The sound of hacking had stopped. From the corner of her eye, Jyn watched as the same unfortunate prisoner paled, sitting in their own pool  of bile.

"I said stop looking at me."

Their voice was low and quiet. Strained with defeat.

"I was never looking at you."

"Yes you were, I-I saw you." A coughing fit soon followed the accusation.

"I never did look at you, don't flatter yourself."

It was with that when Jyn looked in the opposite direction. Avoiding the hard gaze of her dungeon mate. Then the sound of coughing came up again. They most likely had influenza, cholera, or some other dirty disease. A fair share of these sicknesses have appeared in her lifetime. She often watched as the many around her succumbed to disease and hunger.

Jyn never stayed too long. It was better to wander the world alone rather then watch as the lives who touched you, parish in front your eyes. Lingering meant catching the feelings of caring. Caring meant crying a lot more when you return the next day to find out they died due to smallpox. Jyn couldn't risk it.

Maybe that's why she was often so reckless. Often finding herself in dungeons or in basements as a captive. She wanted to make her life mean something, but all Jyn had to fight for was herself. So she fought for herself, in many different ways. It wasn't a matter of survival but instead a matter of making sure she didn't go insane.

"Dinner time, prisoner scum."

Two trays slid from under the door. Jyn quickly reached for hers.

"C-can you get mine?"

She nodded, reaching for the decor tray and sliding it towards the prisoner.

"T-thank you." Another coughing fit ensued.

Jyn sighing  picking up the tray of "food" and scanning it over. The bread was a small portion, dry looking, and probably had some mold somewhere on it. There was also a small slice of meat. It felt as hard as stone and as dry as the desert.

Then there was a small glass of water. It was tinted a slight brown but that was a common occurrence.

Jyn brought the water to her lips, only taking a few small sips before grabbing at her food. She never finished the whole glass or tray in fear of getting a fatal sickness. A few bites of both the bread and meat will do. And that's what she did.

Her eyes scanned over the room. It was dimly lit and damp. Water dripped from the corner wall landing onto the ground in a steady patten.

Jyn tuned into the sounds of the dungeon. Listening to the cough of her neighbor, listening to the sounds of struggle, listening to the sounds of panicked screams.

"Why is there screaming?"

"I-I don't know."

She tried to hear what was going on but her chains didn't seem to make it possible. Soon the shouts became louder and through the chaos there were cheers and pleads as well. Maybe it was another one of the Empire's enemies barging into the dungeon to take captives. It wasn't a common event but it's happened before.

These raids usually ended with guards being kidnapped and prisoners being killed for being a burden to their mission. During these raids Jyn liked to stay quiet.

But that didn't seem to help for soon enough the door opened with a bang. And she was met with a group of knights holding bloodied swords. One cut at her chains.

Jyn ran out the door, shoving past the knights who had came in. But soon she was abruptly stopped.

It was another one of the knights. He held out his arms causing her to smash into him.

"Ouch, damn that hurt!"

"You know you're being rescued." He held out his hand for her to take.

"Well now I know that...why are you here?"

"Apparently you're the key to restoring piece to the kingdom. And before you ask, I don't know why you would be, a prisoner commits crimes disrupting the peace not helping it."

Jyn narrowed her eyes, staying silent.

"Well are you coming or not?"

She was reluctant to move.

"Who are you?"

"Sir Cassian, now if you want to leave this place I suggest you come."

Nodding Jyn followed him out the dungeon door.

A/N: so welcome to the first chapter to my jassian story! I hope you enjoyed it so far lol