SYZYGY
/ˈsizijē/
(n) an alignment of celestial bodies
Orona Erso was never ashamed of herself, until who she was shattered before her very own eyes.
Cassian Andor was ashamed of unspeakable things he had done, and spent most of his time convincing...
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After Orona peed and Iksene threw up—far away from the crash site—the rebels walked to find some form of civilization among the sea of dunes.
Orona decided she didn't like sand; it squished under her feet and trickled away, sinking her when she tried to climb. With Cassian's added weight—she and Kes were switching off helping him—her thighs were burning and her heart thudded in her head. Oh, the things I would do for a bed and a glass of water.
Cassian looked up at the suns, raising his hand to shield his eyes. "If we don't find anything soon, we'll have to head back to the ship. We don't want to be out here after nightfall."
Orona watched her shadow, which was far more elongated then it had been an hour ago. The suns were setting, and they were running out of time. She turned her head, taking note of the endless desert and the few rock formations around them.
"What is after nightfall?" Iksene asked in a timid voice.
"I'm not sure if you want the answer to that," said Orona, shuddering at the thought of the sand people. "Come on, we have to pick up th—"
Orona stopped when a pounding pain seized her head, and she cried out. Her vision crossed with images, clouded with a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. They faded in and out, as if battling for the forefront of her mind. A war reality versus distortion.
The group halted, watching her. Cassian spoke first, limping to her side, "Rona, what is it?"
She barely heard him over a ringing that grew stronger in her ears. An idea surfaced, and she closed her eyes.
A canyon of rock, orange and rust coloring the valley. The air was cooler down here, between the peaks.
Though her eyes were shut, they were open in this reality. The valley drew her in with an undeniable magnetic pull. She strode in its direction, feeling each and every stone beneath her feet. This is where they had to go.
Orona gasped for air like she had been underwater, and stumbled in the direction that pulled her.
"Rona, what was that?" Jyn grabbed her arm and whipped her around to face the confused group.
Orona could barely catch her breath as Jyn dropped her arm, wheezing out, "we need to—to go this way."
Jyn and Cassian exchanged a glance, both at a loss for words.
Orona kept walking, and Cassian limped to catch up with her. "Hey, hey, what's going on?"
She turned to face him, a distant gaze still lingering in her eyes. "You have to trust me."
