Defiant | Star Wars/Rogue One

Part II

Mirax watched through the small ship's viewport as the jungle of Yavin 4 flashed past in a blur of green. In the sky, the gas giant Yavin had appeared as a massive orange sphere. She slouched in her seat with her feet propped up on the edge of the console. She personally wasn't fond of the moon's humid weather—she would rather be with her parents on Naboo where she could feel the cool breeze coming off of the lake—but knew that cold-natured Moria enjoyed it more than she would ever admit. A miniscule smile tugged at one corner of Moria's mouth, the only sign that she felt anything about their return to the Alliance's current base.

"How long do you think it'll take for the tracker to start transmitting?" Mirax asked. What she really meant was, how much of a break do you need before we deal with the smuggler?

Moria shrugged, the almost unnoticeable smile disappearing. "If he knows what he's doing, he'll make random hyperspace jumps until he's forced to land to refuel. That'll probably take three or four more days."

So, she needs a break for at least three days. Mirax nodded like she agreed with her sister, but she was just agreeing with her own assessment. Now she just had to figure out how to convince Moria to take that break without making it seem like a break.

After the ship landed, Mirax and Moria gathered their weapons—Mirax feeling much more comfortable with her blaster and staff in their rightful places at her hip and strapped to her back—and disembarked. They walked side-by-site, Mirax's braids lightly brushing against her back with every step she took. A few mechanics and pilots greeted them as the two passed by, Mirax returning the greetings with a bright smile and Moria half-heartedly nodding in reply without looking at them—all except, Mirax noted, a dark-haired pilot that greeted Moria by name as they passed each other. Instead of staying focused ahead, as with the others, Moria's eyes darted towards him as she nodded in reply. Mirax wasn't certain, but she thought she saw a flash of something akin to happiness appear in Moria's eyes, lasting no longer than a heartbeat.

Mirax couldn't help but smile. Moria Jade, the woman with the heart of stone, had taken a liking to someone.

Moria noticed Mirax's grin and gave her a questioning look. "What?"

Mirax shook her head, her smile growing even bigger. "Who was that?" she questioned.

Moria, realizing why Mirax was so amused, shook her head and looked ahead again. "Wipe that grin off your face. You're imagining things."

"I don't think I am," Mirax replied.

"Mirax, drop it," the elder Jade ordered. "Now."

"You wouldn't be this defensive if I wasn't right," Mirax pointed out.

"One more word," Moria warned, "and I'll slap you so hard Kirra will have a bruise."

Before Mirax could reply—even though she knew Moria's threat wasn't idle—a voice cut her off. "Jade!"

"Yeah?" the sisters replied simultaneously, turning towards the source of the cry. A woman with cropped black hair walked towards them; Mirax recognized her as one of the Alliance's intelligence operatives, but couldn't recall her name.

"I was instructed to give this to one of you," she explained as she handed a datapad to Mirax, who happened to be standing closer than Moria. "General Draven didn't specify which one. I assume he wants you to choose for yourselves which will be carrying out this assignment." Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and marched back the way she'd come.

Mirax looked down at the datapad, quickly reading over the assignment. She realized this was the perfect chance to get Moria to take the break she obviously needed. "Draven wants one of us to go with Cassian to find an Imperial defector," she summarized, leaving out all the parts that would make Moria refuse to stay on Yavin 4. "I'll go; you'll have better luck dealing with the smuggler than me."