Rogue One- Alternate Ending

Chapter 6

~Cassian~

The instinct to jump in front of Jyn when Elle raises her blaster is one I have to suppress.

She would hate me if I tried to protect her at all and would probably push me out the way- she's stubborn like that and likes to shoulder pain so others don't have to feel it.

I subtly draw my blaster and hide it behind my back, stepping an inch closer to Jyn.

Jyn has frozen with Elle's gun pinpointed on her- her hand is millimetres away from waist sheath but she makes no move to pull her blaster free.

My eyes flick between Jyn and Elle. Her willowy figure is entirely stiff and her hand is tightened on the simple gun, finger just over the trigger.

A mask of determination and hate crosses Jyn's face and she raises her hands.

"Elle?" Is the only word that comes from her mouth, it's more of a plea than a question.

"Don't move an inch!" Elle shouts in an unnaturally high pitched  voice.

She steps up to Jyn and pushes the barrel of the gun to her head. This time I visibly move towards Jyn in a desperate move but Elle draws a second blaster and points it at me. Jyn goes rigid and I noticed her hand drop to clench a knife strapped to her belt.

"There's a price on your heads, one I intend to claim," Elle announces, her voice wobbling.
"I didn't want this but it's desperate times-"

Elle's excuses are cut short by Jyn.

"After what they did to us, to you- you'd turn as in?" Jyn rages.

This woman never ceases to amaze me- even with a gun at her head she can talk back.

A communicative look flashes across Jyns eyes as she carefully looks over at me, I realise she's only buying us time.

"I didn't want to do this!" Elle shouts- almost hysterical. "That place broke me and it broke you- the empire has already won!"

"That's why we fight- to take back their victory," I say, following Jyn 's lead.

"Your all delusional, you're rebels!" Elle is visibly distressed now, her eyes have taken on a sheen of tears.

"We're fighters." Jyn says proudly and I catch the word to; we're.

"Your idiots," Elle says, tightening her grip on the blasters.

The one pointed at me shakes but the blaster Elle has held to Jyn's head is steady against her hairline.

"You where a rebel!" Jyn exclaims.

"I was a prisoner, a prisoner to a cause that would never win. A prisoner to hope." Elle almost wails. "I'm taking you to the cargo hold of the ship, and then to the empire." She states, regaining some composure.

Jyn moves.

Her dagger slashes across the pistol aimed at me in a split second before I can duck.
I misdirected beam flies into the wall of the freighter we're flying, denoting the metal.

Drawing my blaster, I try to get a shot of Elle but Jyn is a whirlwind of metal and skill- her dagger knocking the second gun out of Elle's grip.

I notice Elle backing up but Jyn doesn't stop. Her knife flashes in her hand as she twirls and slashes at Elle, cutting her across the face.

Jyn ducks to the side and screams- I don't realise why until I see Elle with a blaster in her hand.

I lurch forward in anger and shock but Jyn is faster than me, I realise with a crushing sense of relief the bullet hit her side.
Nothing fatal but still painful- how the Hell is she still on her feet?