#the rebelcaptain network
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Tethered (to The Story We Must Tell)
For @therebelcaptainnetwork Secret Santa
WC: 3400
A/N: Merry Rebelcaptain-mas @mistressorinoco !! I hope you like this glimpse into a magical world with everyone’s favorite tragic heroes!
It was a quiet life Jyn had made for herself, tucked into the whispering woods, far from the irksome hustle and bustle of the nearby village. Nothing greeted her in the morning except for the sun and the birds as she floated to the well to draw her water each day. No other beings disturbed her as she foraged in the afternoon, finding herbs to dry on her windowsill, save the rabbits and squirrels whose noses would twitch in a secret language she had come to understand over the years. They were all she had to talk to after the loss of her parents left her achingly alone in the world, with not much else to do than listen to the Earth as She groaned. None of the townspeople would come within twenty feet of her on the days she had to venture in for the supplies she could not grow on her own. It was just her and the forest, and she liked it that way.
The truth was, nobody liked witches. But she had always thought that maybe they just didn’t understand them. Her father was one of the most powerful warlocks of their time. Jyn had spent every second she could in his presence, soaking up his knowledge. She would peek over the bannister at night as he communed with other powerful men of the great age, straining her ears to pick up bits and pieces of their hushed conversations. Galen Erso was well regarded across the realm for his deep rooted wisdom and power. With him gone, she knew she had to carry out his legacy. Mix balms and potions to heal the sick, care for the spirit of the wood, bless the grounds to yield plentiful crops.
For months now, she had been so busy preparing for autumn that she almost forgot about the prophecy, the legacy of the Erso family that her father had told her of long ago. One day, their magic would save the entire kingdom. One day a man would show up on her doorstep and beg her for help. She just didn’t expect that day to be today.
Her focus was on the pot in front of her, simmering over the fire. A rich, earthen smell filled every corner of the room, breathing life into the old beams. Jyn’s nimble hands were carefully dosing out dried petals and crushed up stems to add to the bubbling mixture when her cat started to weave itself through her legs, getting tangled in her skirts, and mewling loudly.
“Alright, alright. One second,” she sounded annoyed, but when she lifted her eyes, a light caught her eye from the other side of the room.
She quickly wiped her hands on her apron and rushed to the old crystal ball that stayed perched on its ornately carved base in the main room. Deep red rubies decorated the solid gold pillar showing long forgotten constellations charted out by the witches of old. The very center showed the phases of the moon carved out in opal, an homage to their guiding light. Jyn had used the ball from time to time when she was in search of a hard to find root as her father had taught her— and she certainly didn’t use it to get tangled up in the affairs of men, so this would be the first time it had shown her something unprompted.
Jyn watched the orb in front of her with an amused smile twitching at her lips. Deep smooth glass revealed hazy images of a dark haired man scrambling over roots and briars, falling several times in quick succession only to get up and keep going. He looked panicked, but determined. Competent but a wild card. He was following the path that was marked out for him long ago, he just didn’t know it yet. Outside her cabin, a strong wind swept through the trees, rustling the leaves loudly, signaling the man’s impending approach. Chills danced up her own arms in anticipation, and beside her on the table, an inky black cat hopped up to stare into the ball with deep green eyes mirroring Jyn’s own.
“So it begins, Pollux.”
——
Pounding. His head was pounding in sync with his steps. Each heavy footfall echoed through his body and made his head ring. For a moment, Cassian was afraid he would pass out. He didn’t have time for that though. Lord Vader’s ghouls were on his tail. Cassian was zigging and zagging through the trees, trying his best to shake the ghastly figures. Occasionally, he would hear their groans and see a flash of white, and it was like a fresh wave of adrenaline in his veins to keep going.
They weren’t dangerous from a distance. In fact, they were a lousy shot. But he didn’t want to know what would happen if he got within arm’s reach of them. Long slender fingers jutted out of the tattered sleeves of stark white robes. They were a gruesome mix of bone and metal, the result of a dark magic no sensible person would ever tamper with.
Cassian saw a clearing ahead and pushed into one final sprint. The ghouls came from several directions at once, screeching and wailing as he stumbled out of the tree line, tripping over one last root. He rolled to his back to accept his fate, having spent every drop of strength to make it this far. Cassian clamped his eyes shut and waited, but was surprised after a few moments that nothing happened. He tentatively peeked to see the crowd of ghostly figures pounding against an invisible wall that he happened to be on the other side of. His head swiveled to see an entire circle of pale blue light that sparked bright cerulean as they beat their eldritch fists against it, their distorted voices muffled by the barrier.
They were deterred almost instantly, fading back into the tree line while Cassian took the time to catch his breath. He had been chased for several kilometers and feared that his lungs would always feel that stab of fire when he breathed too deeply.
Having been given time for his thoughts to settle, he frantically patted his body until he felt the familiar lump in his pocket and gave another sigh of relief. With everything on his person intact and accounted for, he really started to take in his surroundings. He had landed next to a short stone well when he fell. Any farther, and he probably would’ve busted his head against the jagged base. And what the heck was that blue thing that stopped the ghoul troopers? He furrowed his brow and scrambled to his feet, slowly approaching the edge of the property. Cassian stuck a tentative hand out and was met with nothing but the chilled fall air. No pushback, no wall of energy, just a light peaceful breeze.
The cottage behind him stood humbly, weathered boards and a shingled roof not even cresting the nearby treetops. Vines of deep green ivy climbed two trellises on each wall, mirroring each other. Tendrils of heart shaped leaves spilled over the awning covering the door like a tuft of bangs, making the house seem almost human. The wide mouth of the door was stained a deep brown and hung on brass hinges so tarnished they were a dull, ashen color. The back of the house was almost flush with the treeline, leaves and branches seemed to hold on to it tightly, as if it belonged there. It was perfectly nestled in the wild of things, set apart from the rest of the kingdom.
A gust of wind brought a cocktail of new smells to his nose. Sweet things, earthen things, ancient things. Cassian took a deep breath. Something about the energy there felt like a lightning bolt through his bones, addicting, unfamiliar, and yet, like coming home, a feeling he had searched for his whole life. Along his arms, the hairs stood on end with anticipation as he approached the door, a hesitant knuckle reaching out to knock.
He gave three sharp raps and waited. Though there was no peephole, he couldn’t shake the feeling of having eyes on him, almost as if the trees had their guard up, ready to strike should he try anything with whoever stood on the other side of the door.
An eternity passed in the seconds he waited to hear the click of the lock, followed by the muffled sound of several chains and latches, before it finally swung open to reveal a girl. She came up to about his shoulder with green eyes wilder than the forest engulfing them. She had layers of lace and other thin fabrics covering her. Each piece turned into long, flowing sleeves or skirts of a different length cinched with a belt and a leather vest atop of stockings and knee high boots. Almost every finger and knuckle was adorned in silver rings of varying thicknesses, and on her neck sat a collection of necklaces on chains of different lengths, but the one that caught his eye, was a pale white crystal hanging low on her torso. It was shaped like a tear drop.
“Hello, Cassian Andor. I have long awaited your arrival,” she spoke with an almost sultry voice and a sly smile.
Suddenly, his mouth was dry and his palms were wet. Cassian was worried that if he spoke, it wouldn’t come out as more than a squeak. How did she know his name? What did she mean she had been waiting for him?
Thankfully, she ushered him inside before he found the nerve to speak. He took a second to take in the large open space they now stood in while she re-fastened all of the latches. The walls were lined floor to ceiling with shelves holding all sorts of odds and ends. Stacks of books, magnifying glasses and other gadgets, jars that held what he hoped were animal bones, more books, candles, and all sorts of loose papers. From the age of the cottage and the wear of the leather spines closest to him, he guessed it did not all belong to her. The living area was connected to the open kitchen with a staircase and small storage room at the back of the building. A wide window over the sink shed hazy light on bundles of herbs and flowers carefully wrapped and hung to dry in the sun. Every wall was wood, save for the back one adjacent to the sink that housed the large stone hearth currently holding a large pot over lazy orange flames.
Cassian recognized it as the same smell from outside, and wondered what it was that she was making. A black cat appeared seemingly out of nowhere and rubbed his leg, purring loudly.
“I’m sure you must have a million questions,” Jyn continued, turning to face him after drawing the curtains in the den, “And it is my goal to have a million answers. Shall we begin? My name is Jyn. Jyn Erso.”
Cassian was intrigued by her eccentricity. Even now, she was continuing over to the hearth to tend to the pot on the fire as if his coming there had interrupted her daily routine.
He watched her move with precision and intent. She never hesitated, never second guessed herself. She was everything he wasn’t, and he began to feel quite small.
“What brought you to me?” she asked over her shoulder.
Cassian took a few steps forward, being careful to not trip over the very affectionate cat that was now glued to his side.
He tried to collect his thoughts in a coherent way, knowing he needed to do his best to make his story a believable one. He prayed she would have pity on his urgency and point him in the right direction.
“I work for the king. Well, not exactly. I just work in the stable. But the king, see, he’s sick, so his council sent me to find a sorcerer. They said there was a man in the woods who could heal him. Do you know who they’re talking about?”
Jyn smiled at the floor, a sad smile full of longing, and turned to face Cassian, “They sent you in search of my father.”
“Is he here?”
“He died last winter.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” his voice came out thick with sincerity. He barely knew this girl but he could see how deeply the loss had struck her. Cassian hesitated before asking, “Do you think you could help us?”
“Of course,” she almost scoffed, “He taught me everything he knew. Well, close to everything. Anything he didn’t have time to is written down in one of these journals,” she gestured to the walls lined with books. “I’ve read them all cover to cover. Tell me what troubles your king.”
Cassian leaned against the kitchen counter, and the cat hopped up beside him, “He’s being poisoned by Lord Vader. He’s been deteriorating, wasting away. He fell ill a fortnight ago, but none of our best doctors have been able to cure him. We don’t think he has much time left. It’s like Vader is draining the life out of him somehow. His name is the only world he’s spoken in days.”
Jyn listened intently as Cassian spoke of the king’s mind and body slipping away from him. The table of her mind had journals and papers spread out as she combed through her archives to figure out what kind of enchantment he might be under. She could feel the warmth of her father’s hands on her shoulders, and for a second, she almost reached out to grab one.
“And they gave me this,” Cassian paused to fish something out of his pocket, offering a white teardrop shaped crystal identical to the one around Jyn’s neck, “They said it would lead me here, and it did. I’m not sure how to explain it. Its like I could hear it—“
“Talking to you,” Jyn finished with a smile on her lips. Her arms wound around her own neck and she undid the clasp to the necklace with ease. She plucked the other half from Cassian’s hand and held the two pieces together. They fit seamlessly and began emitting a pale blue glow, as it being one again filled the stone with some sort of power.
“The Kyber heart has been passed through my family for generations. This half belonged to my mother. She gifted it to the king many years ago as a blessing of protection. His taking it off is what led to his mind being poisoned. The two halves long to be together. Though they may separate for a time, they will always come back as one,” she finished softly, this time looking deeply into Cassian’s dark eyes.
“The other half belonged to your father,” he said gently, not breaking the gaze, and Jyn nodded.
“Keep it,” he smiled, reaching his hand forward to close her fist around it, but she shook her head.
“It’s yours now. It chooses its master. Some people are said to be born with Kyber in their own hearts. The stones are drawn to certain auras. They particularly like those who possess great courage within their hearts,” she explained as she reached around his neck to fasten the necklace.
A heavy weight settled in his chest, something akin to honor. The moment was quickly broken by the cat yowling loudly in Jyn’s direction.
“I know,” she said to the small creature as she smiled and leaned down for it to head butt her, “This is Castor. He was my mother’s cat. It seems he approves of you as well. She died when I was very young. I don’t see him come out often.”
Cassian smiled and reached out a hand for him to sniff while another cat hopped up beside Jyn. Sleek and black, identical to Castor.
“This is Pollux. He belonged to my father.”
Identical crystals. Identical cats. All this talk of fate had Cassian questioning his role in this story. If what she was saying was true, the gravity of this place was always going to find him. He would always find himself back in Jyn’s orbit. He so desperately wanted that to be true.
Against all odds and presumptions, Cassian began to feel at home, in these walls breathing the same air as her. He tried to shove it down, but it was like a geyser erupting in his stomach, a warm feeling spreading through his limbs. He had never believed in fate, but she spoke as if the cosmos were pulling the strings to his life and led him here, and it had never sounded more convincing.
He couldn’t let himself get caught up in this, not yet.
“Now what?” he asked, “I don’t mean to sound in a hurry, but I’m afraid the King hasn’t got much time.”
“Now, we search for the spell to break the enchantment,” she crossed the room to a stack of journals and plucked them from the shelf, “Luckily for you, I remember reading about this very thing recently. Tell me, Cassian Andor, is this a coincidence as well?” she spoke as if she could read his rambling thoughts and a flush crept into his cheeks.
Her lips held a knowing smile as she cracked open the journal on top, an aged leather with thick gold threading around the border.
“What we’re looking for is called ruptor vitis, more commonly known as a weed killer,” she explained as she began to thumb through pages, handing Cassian the next journal in the stack to aid in the search.
Pages turning, fire crackling, cats purring. Their eyes and hands worked quickly to find the information they needed. It was a race against time. The old grandfather clack across the room ticked ominously as they searched.
Cassian saw recipes for healing potions, hexes for confusion, spells for protection. A quick scan of that particular page confirmed that was what he encountered when he stumbled onto the property. They were designed to keep out everyone but the pure of heart. Another odd tug in his chest as he continued to cautiously approach the idea that he might be more than a lowly stable boy. The gem around his neck chose him. Castor chose him. The king’s court chose him to be the messenger.
All his life he had been nameless. All his life he had been alone. Now he was standing in a warm cabin a mere two feet from someone who looked at him like he was worth something. She said his name with confidence. She listened intently as he spoke, taking in every detail, every stumble, every hesitation in his breathing. His apprehension had been palpable, but he could feel it melting away.
A few more flips, and he saw himself staring at the words Ruptor Vitis in thick, neat writing.
“Jyn,” he called, drawing her attention to the aging book in front of him.
She scanned it with careful eyes, her lips parting almost imperceptibly as she read each line to herself. With a nod, she closed the journal and tucked it under her arm. She snapped her fingers, and the fire in the hearth snuffed out, a wispy trail of smoke drifted into the open room while she grabbed her cloak from a hook by the door.
“We’ll need to pick up a few things in town, but I know how to make it work,” she explained, tucking the book into a basket along with a few candles.
Cassian stood frozen, not knowing what to do next.
“Are you ready?” she reached out to give his hand a squeeze, and he felt that aforementioned courage flood into his veins. Suddenly it all became crystal clear.
He nodded.
“Lead the way,” she smiled.
And something in him must have changed, because when Cassian pushed the door open with no hesitation to trek back out into the forest, and the kyber around his neck hummed a melody outside of time, he didn’t stop to question why a powerful enchantress like Jyn would defer to someone like him.
#rebelcaptainsecretsanta#the Rebelcaptain network#rebelcaptain#rebelcaptain fic#rcss 2023#jyn x cassian#cassian x jyn
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Yours to Hold
For Fluffbruary Day 13 (Choice)
To be perfectly honest: my brain is still not quite with it these days. But, I'm holding out hope that the fog will clear at some point soon (plz) and in the meantime here's a little one-shot I managed! Hope it's enjoyable 💜 (Click above to read on AO3 or see below the cut)
It had been months since Scarif. Most of it he had spent recovering from his injuries. All of it, he had spent wondering why he could face death more easily than he could face life, face her and all she represented. Hope. Happiness. Home.
He had come outside to think, hoping the bracing cold might clear his head and deliver an answer. He knew how he felt about her, knew what he wanted. What he was searching for was the courage to try–to choose a future that extended beyond the next mission; something permanent and lasting and full of possibilities. Something not for the Rebellion, but for himself. Something to be shared…
Of all the planets Cassian had been sent to during his time with the Rebellion, Hoth was by far his least favorite.
Maybe it was because it was frigid as hell.
Or maybe it was because the loose snow sliding beneath his foot had a tendency to remind him of sand…
Or because sometimes, when a storm blew in, the horizon disappeared, a blinding white, returning him to the awful edge of oblivion; a planet devoured before his very eyes…
Already, dark clouds were beginning to encroach upon the brief glimpse of blue sky he had managed to snatch. By his estimate he had maybe fifteen minutes left in the fresh air before he would need to retreat back into the gloom of Echo Base. He dreaded the thought, his head aching in memory of the harsh halogen lighting, chest tightening as he pictured the maze of tight, winding tunnels leading to crowded and too-small ‘rooms’.
Sure, on Yavin 4 he had been forced to check his bed every night in case a poisonous Yavinian centipede had wandered in, but it had also offered places to turn to when he sought solitude–jungle trees that he could lean against instead of the frozen rock wall at his back now.
At best, Hoth could offer him a barely habitable tundra to wander onto that–conditions permitting–would host him for maybe thirty minutes before the threat of frostbite drove him back into the Rebellion’s cramped quarters.
“Cassian?”
Even through the harsh whispers of the rising wind he recognized her voice–three, barely audible syllables and suddenly the icy air didn’t seem quite so cutting.
Jyn marched towards him, head ducked low against the wind, arms crossed over her chest, hands clutching her elbows in a tight self-embrace. A gray hat covered her head and a scarf to match was wrapped around her neck, the end of it tucked into the parka she wore–standard-issue blue, and seemingly at least a size too large–the sleeves hanging well-past her hands.
She stopped when she reached him and peered up at him, cheeks turned scarlet from the burning cold, loose strands of hair blowing across her face and over her brilliant green eyes.
He’d come out here to be alone. To think. And yet, suddenly all the thoughts in his head seemed out of reach, as did any semblance of speech.
“What are you doing out here?” she asked incredulously.
Cassian cleared his throat and gestured upwards. “You just missed it.”
“Missed what? I didn’t know there were any new arrivals scheduled today…”
He shook his head. “No, not a ship. Sky.”
Jyn tilted her head back, eyeing the infinity above them skeptically. “Pretty sure it’s still there, Cass,” she commented.
“Clear sky,” Cassian elaborated. “Blue sky. Remember that?”
“I’ve heard of it,” she laughed, and the sound was meant for his ears (as all sounds are), but somehow it wasn’t something he heard so much as felt–winding its way through him, leaving warmth and energy in its wake, before settling somewhere against his heart.
“Cass? Hello?”
“Sorry.” Cassian blinked, snow from his eyelashes melting against his cheeks and blurring his vision. “What did you say?”
Jyn rolled her eyes. “I asked if it was worth it, but I think I have my answer. The cold’s clearly gone to your brain.” She turned her back to the wall and leaned against it beside him, looking at him expectantly.
It wasn’t the cold making him so addle-minded, Cassian knew it wasn’t that. No, it was something far more daunting, far more potent, and definitely not as easily shaken.
Jyn looked away from him, out onto the increasingly hazy landscape. “Were you really just out here to look at the sky?” she asked quietly.
She knew the truth, or at least part of it. She always did. He didn’t know how, but she did, the same way he knew he didn’t have to answer her–that she didn’t expect him to. His silence would say enough.
“It’s suffocating in there,” she murmured. “Not enough light, not enough air.”
“Too many people,” he added quietly.
She nodded. “Too many,” she agreed. “But out here it’s…”
“Quiet. Gives you a chance to think.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Sometimes.”
She peered at him from beneath frost-covered lashes. Lips quirked in a pensive, knowing smile. “What about today?”
Today? Today his eyes had been drawn to Jyn the moment she entered the mess hall; had followed her every step with a sort of dizzying wonder that was at once exhilarating and terrifying. Today Chirrut, sitting beside him, had nudged him pointedly and asked, ‘What are you waiting for, Captain?’
But there wasn’t a single answer, there was an entire swarm of doubts that continued to plague him.
It had been months since Scarif. Most of it he had spent recovering from his injuries. All of it, he had spent wondering why he could face death more easily than he could face life, face her and all she represented. Hope. Happiness. Home.
He had come outside to think, hoping the bracing cold might clear his head and deliver an answer. He knew how he felt about her, knew what he wanted. What he was searching for was the courage to try–to choose a future that extended beyond the next mission; something permanent and lasting and full of possibilities. Something not for the Rebellion, but for himself. Something to be shared…
“Today, it was a good thing,” he said at last. It was a good thing because having Jyn in his thoughts, even if they were anxious ones, was still having Jyn there, with him–a sudden, strange, and unexpected source of strength and light.
She pushed herself off the rock wall and stepped in front of him, so close he could see the individual hairs that were caught up in her eyelashes, fixed in place by her hat and the wind. “Tell me about them,” she said. “The good thoughts.”
Waking up in the infirmary to find her there, resting at his bedside, arms folded beneath her head…
Hearing her laugh for the first time, a proper laugh as he and K2 bickered over something inane; he’d forgotten the fight the moment he heard the sound, caught himself automatically smiling in response…
Her surprising patience during his recovery, tempering his own frustrations; the way she’d always been there to sit with him in silence after a particularly trying day…
A quiet corner of the galaxy, somewhere verdant and warm and free of war; Jyn standing beside him, always beside him…
Instead of answering, he found himself pinning the fingertips of one of his gloves between his back and the rock and tugging his hand free. His breath caught in his chest as he slowly reached towards her face, gently sweeping a finger over the surface of her forehead, sliding the hair away from her eyes.
He should have dropped his hand after that, should have pulled away, but instead, his palm moved instinctively to cup her cheek, the softness of her skin serving in stark contrast to the bite of the air around it.
Jyn stared at him, something unreadable in her eyes as she searched his face. “Your fingers are cold,” she said softly, even as she slowly removed her own gloves and reached for his hands, tugged his remaining glove away. “Let me warm them up…”
Time seemed to slow down as she folded her hands over his own, squeezing lightly, before bringing his fingers to her open mouth and breathing onto them, the warmth of her seeping into the chilled surface of his skin, setting fire to his stuttering heart.
“Jyn…” he murmured, but anything he might have thought to say to her stuck in his throat, forgotten and useless.
He leaned closer, till the breath that had been warming his hands was ghosting across his lips instead. And for a moment, that was all there was, just the sound and feel of their breathing: a whispered question so powerful, it blocked even the howl and bite of the rising storm.
Their eyes locked and held, the beginning notes of a song hanging in the air between them…
Cassian answered the call, tilting forward to press an eager kiss to Jyn’s lips.
A pleased hum buzzed against his mouth, matching the pull of her forming smile. She released his hands and leaned her weight against him as she rose to her toes, reaching to wind her fingers around his neck and into his hair.
He wrapped his arms around her, tightened the embrace, a wild melody tearing through him like thunder through spring air, full of promise.
When they parted, they did so slowly, scattering short kisses across cheeks and noses, and unable to resist one last deep, lingering kiss, before finally leaning away, just enough to clearly see each other’s faces.
The smug grin Jyn was giving him forced a soft laugh from Cassian. “What’s this look about?” he asked.
“Took you long enough,” she said softly as she stepped backwards, dragging the start of a trail in the deepening snow. “Now come on, you’ve been out here long enough–and I’ve got some ideas on how we can get warm.”
The plummeting temperatures didn’t seem capable of reaching him–not with the shadow of their kiss persisting on his lips–but Cassian didn’t bother to resist.
Jyn tugged gently on his arm, and he gladly followed
#rebelcaptain fluffbruary#rebelcaptain fanfic#rebelcaptain#jyn x cassian#b writes#is this fluff? maybe? idk? this is probably as close as i get anyways#the rebelcaptain network
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This is my gift to @tonyvornskr for the 2023 Rebelcaptain Network Secret Santa! Happy belated holidays (sorry about the delay, tis the season for my lungs to be screamin').
okay so lol I really wanted to write partisan!jyn but it was an Endeavour I was not ready to take on so I went with a bit of fake dating, drama and a bit of silliness, miscommunication and I also love feral ratgirl jyn but it was more the aesthetic of feral ratgirl than the substance.
ps I also love vornskrs and please know if I write a sequel to this about them doing the [redacted] I will be including [redacted] in it lol.
#rogue one#cassian andor#jyn erso#my fic#rebelcaptain#rebelcaptainsecretsanta#therebelcaptainnetwork#tonyvornskr
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For the au question: rebelcaptain in the hunger games
jyn was originally from district 2; her family lived inside the military complex known as the nut, and her father developed weapons for the capitol. somewhere along the way (or maybe it was true all along, no one knows!), both galen and lyra became connected to an interdistrict underground network of rebels, and were killed when their involvement came to light. jyn was taken in by family friend saw, and taken out of district 2 into district 5. they thought that's what would keep her safe — but of course, the capitol has spies everywhere, and so jyn's name was a target to be pulled in the reaping.
cassian is from district 3 — at least, that's what he's told everyone all his life, where the family he lives with is from, and where he's reaped as tribute from. this, of course, is not the whole truth; cassian was the (apparent) sole survivor out of what was once district 13 before the district was (apparently) wiped off the map. and the capitol knows; again, they have spies everywhere. his name was also a target for the reaping to keep district 13 covered up once and for all.
so how do two tributes from two different districts that don't have communication with each other because the capitol keeps them deliberately apart, who are supposed to kill the other in the arena to save their own lives, come to work together? not easily. there's a great deal of animosity in training between them and in some of the pre-games events where the tributes have contact, but when they get into the arena — they make an alliance, because they each have skills and knowledge that are useful; jyn with combat training from when she lived in district 2 and with saw, cassian with extensive knowledge of electrical systems courtesy of living in district 3, as well as scarily good aim. and they come to find that they have a lot in common. they come to like each other — really connect with someone for the first time.
and here's the thing, everyone knows that alliances are going to be temporary; there will be a point where they'll end, because the games only have one victor, right? wrong. they point blank refuse to end that alliance, refuse to turn anything on one another when they're the last two left. they, instead, rig an insane plan to blow up the arena together, even if it means taking themselves out with it. no more fucking hunger games. so they do. and —
in the chaos that ensues, saw and some band of people working with him as rebels get them out of the arena before the whole thing blows up. was this planned ahead of time? not that jyn knew; saw was just counting on his baby girl. anyway, hoo boy is the capitol pissed now, everyone involved is now very explicitly a fugitive, and welcome, in earnest, to the rebellion. and other stuff happens but this was dangerous enough getting me thinking about a hunger games au and i'm not going any further right now ghfjdks
send me a potential au, and i'll tell you five facts that would happen in a story!
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Hello @grexigone!
I'm your rebelcaptain secret santa :)
Just to let you know your gift is already uploaded on Ao3 but I'll leave the link here just in case.
I had so much fun working on your prompt and I hope you enjoy it.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
“This is gonna sound controversial, but I think that went well.”
It was a bold thing to say after a six-hour delay in their flight was the cherry on top of their trip. But of course, leave it to Bodhi to always be this optimistic.
“Well… no one ended up in the hospital this time,” was the only positive Jyn could muster to say. Visiting their parents -and extended family- always left her feeling drained and irritated.
Written for The RebelCaptain Network Secret Santa Exchange 2023
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For @youareiron-andyouarestrong
A very late addition to your Rebelcaptain Network SecretSanta gift. I hope you like it 😊
Can be seen as an illustration for the first chapter of I will always be yours (‘cause we survived the Great War)
I was initially planning on doing a drawing for the SecretSanta exchange, but then I started writing on the fic and I didn't like the initial sketch, so I discarded the idea. But I reworked the sketch and finished it now, so here it is 😄✨
#rebelcaptain#jyn x cassian#rebelcaptainsecretsanta#youareiron andyouarestrong#therebelcaptainnetwork#my art
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS, RebelCaptain shippers!
We’re very excited to start the sixth Secret Santa exchange for this wonderful ship and hope that you’ll all take part in the fun--it’s a great way to get to know more people in the fandom. Each year we welcome both new and returning participants, so come on and join us!
What is this?
RebelCaptain Secret Santa is an opportunity for you to create a gift for a fellow shipper and receive one in return. It’s a way for the fandom to come together and show each other lots of love and appreciation, as well as get all your feels out about Jyn and Cassian!
We’ll be using the tag #rebelcaptainsecretsanta for all posts related to this exchange – info posts, reminders, updates, etc. (This will be the tag for posting your gifts as well.)
The Schedule:
Sign ups are open from now until midnight (PST) of October 28
Assignments will be sent out by midnight (PST) of November 4
The first day of gifts will be December 26, with staggered posting over the course of the following week. This gives you more than six weeks to work on your gift!
December 26 was chosen so that everyone can enjoy their winter break and appreciate their gifts afterward. Sign-ups for a posting date will come in mid-December.
Please see below the cut for details on how to enter and participate!
To Enter:
Please send an email with the subject “RebelCaptain Secret Santa - [YOUR TUMBLR URL]” and the following sign up form in the body to the network email: [email protected]
Username(s): (your username on Tumblr, and AO3 if different)
Your prompt: (just a few sentences, please - give your partner some freedom in creating your gift!)
What your fanwork talents are: (do you write fic, make gifs, graphics, vids? are you multi-talented?)
Would you like your gift to have smut? (please note a rating, if applicable, e.g. I’m okay with smut, but wouldn’t want it to be above M)
Would you be willing to gift smut? (please note a rating, if applicable)
Please note anything else that you don’t want to receive or gift: (please mention any triggers, issues, tropes or types of works you wouldn’t want as a gift, etc.)
Are you willing to work as a pinch hitter? (to create a second gift, in case someone else can’t finish theirs on time - no worries if you can’t!)
The Rules of Participation:
Send in your entry email.
Reblog this post so more people can join you in the fun!
Send your giftee anonymous kindness at least once per week :)
Your gift must be at least 1,000 words or an equivalent amount of effort in another medium.
Your askbox must be opened with anon enabled. (It causes too many problems otherwise, sorry.)
You do not have to be a TRCN member to join.
Finally, if you cannot finish your gift in time, please email the mods ASAP! The sooner we know, the sooner we can work out a pinch hitter so your giftee still gets something.
There is an EXCHANGE FAQ, so look there for further explanations on anything you may be confused by. If you don’t see the answer to your question there, please send a message, so that we can clear up the issue right away.
Good luck, have fun, and Happy Holidays!
#rebelcaptainsecretsanta#dailyrebelcaptain#strwrsblr#thestarwarsdaily#swfandomevents#rebelcaptain#rebelcaptainedit#jyn x cassian#admin: secret santa#mod: cassianserso#mod: incognitajones
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always, someday
for @rebelrainfall
surpriseeee, I’m your RO Crew Santa! I love the fact that you were my Rebelcaptain Network Santa and gifted me Cassian whump just as I’m doing now. I ended up using all of your prompts (Sleep deprived / You’re safe now / Physical affection as comfort), I hope you like this!
there’s a small mention of Cassian’s family in there, but since you didn’t want the Andor background, it’s not meant to be that, it’s just that I imagine him to have a sister regardless. but it’s only one line, and I left it vague for everyone to imagine what they want. enjoy <3
rated T, TW for psychological torture
read here or on ao3
“Cassian?”
Cassian cringes at the voice calling his name but doesn’t move. His breathing is fast and heavy and has been for hours. Days? He isn’t sure. He has no concept of time anymore. How long has it been since they had him? How long has it been since he’s slept?
Sleep… He wants to sleep so badly, but if he does, it means he’s failed. They promised him they’d let him rest if he just gave them the answers they wanted. But that’s not a price he can pay. He can’t betray the rebellion, he can’t give up their secrets, their names, their locations, their weaknesses, he can’t, he can’t, he can’t —
He can’t say anything.
And he can’t sleep. They won’t let him.
“Cassian.”
That voice again. Have they found out his name? That’s not good. He’s tried so hard to not give them an inch, but his memories blur together, and his mind is fuzzy. Nothing feels real anymore, not the harsh white light of the room, not the ground beneath him, not his own body. Had he let something slip without realizing it? Had he already failed?
Is there any point in fighting it then? If he could sleep, even just half an hour —
No. No, Cassian, pull yourself together.
They wouldn’t let him anyway. Even if he told them what they wanted to hear. He knows that. He isn’t leaving this place. They’d just kill him.
That’s a kind of sleeping, he supposes. It almost seems appealing now…
“Cassian, it’s me.” The voice is insistent, and this time, a pair of hands settle on his cheek. The touch is surprisingly gentle, yet Cassian flinches anyway. They haven’t touched him, not once, this whole time. Didn’t need to. Whatever drug they gave him worked wonders, but perhaps they finally ran out of patience.
Would the physical torture start now? He almost welcomes the idea. Anything would be better than this, right? Pain, he’s used to. It’s the standard, it’s almost banal.
But this game they’ve been playing with him, letting him almost fall asleep, then waking him up just a second before to interrogate him again, pumping him full of drugs that wouldn’t let him rest, blasting loud music through the speakers and turning the light up blindingly bright in this white sterile room…
He couldn’t stand it anymore. He couldn’t do it anymore.
It’s too much, and he’s afraid they would break him after all. How much longer till they had what they wanted?
“Look at me,” the voice begs, and Cassian finally complies, peering up at the figure looming above him as he sits slumped on the ground.
It’s Jyn. And Cassian reels back again, pressing himself against the wall.
Another trick. Or perhaps a hallucination.
It wouldn’t be the first time he saw something that wasn’t really there in this place. He’s seen his family, his sister, Mama, Papa, and they’re dead, so he’s pretty sure that wasn’t real. Maybe they’ve broken his brain after all. Or they’ve figured out how to weaponize his weakness, and make him think that he’s seeing something else, that he’s safe with Jyn —
It’s not real.
Cassian shakes his head at her, trying to stay strong, even if the sight of her leaves him a little frail and aching.
“I won’t tell you anything.”
“Cassian, it’s me.” She crouches down and reaches for his face again, but he flinches away. He isn’t sure he could stop himself from blurting out any secrets they wanted to hear if she touched him. If she hugged him and held him close and told him everything would be okay. He’d tell her — them — anything they wanted to hear.
Jyn, or this mirage pretending to be her, lets her hand drop, but her eyes stay locked on his face. The fire dancing in them is both enraged and sorrowful. She feels so real… So true to herself.
The details of her face, the edges of her body are clearer and more defined than any of his hallucinations had been.
“I won’t touch you,” she promises him, though her voice breaks a little at the end. “But we have to go now.”
Go where? he wants to ask. This isn’t how this is supposed to go…
But then a new noise breaks through the haze of his mind. Something loud and sharp and high-pitched. Jyn reacts immediately, her eyes frantic as her gaze darts around the room to make sure they’re still alone. It takes him another second to recognize what’s going on.
It’s the alarm. They’ve raised the alarm.
So that means… she’s really come for him? This is real?
Jyn turns back to him, eyes wide, and Cassian sees her in a new light. “Cassian, please —”
“You’re really here, aren’t you?” he asks, awe coloring his voice. But not relief, not yet. She shouldn’t have come, shouldn’t have risked it… Yet a small selfish part of him is grateful that she’s here.
“Yes. Yes, Cassian, it’s me, of course.” Unlike him, Jyn does sound relieved that she’s gotten through to him, her voice high with emotion. When she reaches for him again, he lets her, his eyes closing at the contact. Her hand cradles his cheek, the other sweeps through his hair. She leans closer, her lips pressing against his forehead.
It’d be so nice to fall asleep now with her hands in his hair and her warmth against his body.
But he can’t. Not just because they’re still in danger; he can’t.
“I’m so tired, Jyn,” he murmurs.
“I know,” she says, though he isn’t sure she really knows. But he welcomes the comfort anyway. “I know, Cass. Just a little more. Just until we get out of here, then you can rest, I promise.”
And she wouldn’t tell him a lie. So he takes her hand and trusts her. Just a little more.
xxx
He can’t sleep. Still.
They’re on a ship now, the ship they flew to find him, Jyn and the rest of the crew. At least he thinks so, he isn’t really sure about the details. Jyn’s here, and K2 as well. He thinks he’s seen Bodhi and heard Chirrut’s voice, and if Chirrut is here, Baze must be nearby as well. But he doesn’t really trust himself anymore, and it’s like his brain is a leaky sponge, information just slipping through the cracks. Everything is fuzzy.
The only thing he’s sure of is Jyn. How long has it been since she came for him? How long has it been since he slept?
“Cassian,” Jyn says as he’s lying on the cot in the ship’s small medbay, her hand stroking his hair. “It’s okay, you’re safe now. You can rest.”
He shakes his head, his breathing still labored, shivers wracking his body. Why is it so cold in here?
“I can’t,” he tells her, his voice miserable.
Jyn looks up, glancing at someone over her shoulder. Thankfully, her hand never leaves his hair, rhythmically carding through the strands. It offers some comfort.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“My calculations tell me he hasn’t slept in nearly four days,” Kay’s mechanical voice answers her.
Oh, Cassian thinks. So that’s how long it’s been.
Except the number doesn’t say much to him right now. His brain can’t conceive what that means. By Jyn’s horrified gasp, he can at least deduce that it must be bad.
“Four days?! How is that possible?”
“They gave me something,” Cassian says, and Jyn’s eyes snap back to him. The grief on her face is unmistakable.
“How many times?”
“I… I don’t know.”
Once, definitely. Did they give it to him again? Must have… How long did this stuff last? They must have given it to him more than once.
But he can’t recall.
He can’t recall much from his time in that place beside the overwhelming desire to sleep that plagues him even now.
“It’ll pass,” Jyn says, her voice strong as she squeezes his hand. But when she turns back to Kay, she sounds less sure. “It’ll pass, right?”
Kay doesn’t answer right away, which is never a good sign. “We’ll know more when we get back to base.”
“How kriffing diplomatic. Just fuck off, Kay.”
“Would you prefer I told you the chances of lasting brain damage in case of prolonged sleep deprivation —”
“Stop,” Cassian gasps, squeezing his eyes shut again. Kay shuts up immediately. “Don’t fight, please.”
They mean well, but he can’t deal with this right now. Nothing makes sense in his confused, drug-addled brain. The arguing, the frustrated voices only remind him of the people who asked him so many questions, each time more and more impatient, and he has to tell himself again that he’s not there anymore. They’ve escaped. Right?
This is real. This is real, you’re here, you’re with Jyn and Kay, they came for you. This is real, this is real.
No one says anything for a while, but Jyn doesn’t let go of his hand or stop stroking his hair, and he’s grateful. He almost thinks Kay’s left the room already and he missed it until Jyn finally speaks up.
“Can we give him something? I mean to sleep. A sedative, maybe?”
“We don’t know what they’ve given him,” Kay answers, “or how his body would react to another drug. It’s safer to wait until a medic can examine him.”
A frustrated sigh falls from Jyn’s lips. Cassian keeps his eyes closed, only half-listening. He’s focusing on her hands instead. It grounds him somewhat, keeps him from feeling like he’s adrift in space, lost alone amongst the stars.
“So there’s nothing we can do?”
“We can keep him comfortable.”
“Don’t say that!” Jyn snaps, though Cassian’s lost all ability to comprehend why she sounds so angry. “That sounds like he’s — just don’t say that.”
Kay says something that Cassian can’t hear anymore, the words are lost in the haze of his mind. A door opens and closes, and the next thing he’s aware of is Jyn sliding onto the cot next to him and curling against his body. Her head tucked into the crook of his neck, she rests her hand against his heart, while the other cradles his head. She murmurs something against his skin. Something like, “is this okay?” Cassian can’t fathom why the hell it wouldn’t be, but he grunts in response.
“Stay.”
She wouldn’t leave, would she?
“I’m not leaving,” she tells him. “Close your eyes, Cass. Try to sleep if you can. I’ll watch over you, I promise.”
xxx
Time passes, but Cassian isn’t really aware of it. He keeps his eyes closed and tries to rest. Jyn’s warmth and embrace help, and his breathing noticeably slows down, but he never really manages to sleep.
When the ship finally docks in the hangar, they wheel him into medbay where Jyn doesn’t let go of his hand the whole time the medics check his condition. Cassian can’t fully grasp what he’s being told, something about the drug he was given and that they’ll need to keep him for a few days for evaluation, but the part he does understand, the important part is that the effects are already wearing off, and soon he’d be able to sleep for real. Jyn asks about the long-term consequences of staying awake for so long, but Cassian doesn’t hear or remember the response.
Somewhere along the way, his eyes flutter shut.
And when he opens them again, he feels better.
Nowhere near good, but his head is clearer, his vision is sharper, his thoughts are less jumbled. That bone-deep need for sleep that tormented him for so long is gone. He’s still tired, but it isn’t overwhelming or all-consuming. He doesn’t feel on the brink of death anymore.
Now he’s just really kriffing thirsty.
“Cassian?” It’s Jyn’s voice, followed by a gentle touch on his cheek. He blinks up at her, finding comfort in her familiar green eyes sparkling with affection. “Hey. How are you feeling?”
“Better.” His voice comes out raspier than expected, and he clears his throat before continuing. “Thirsty.”
Jyn immediately reaches for a glass on his bedside table and helps him sit up before lifting the glass to his lips. Her hand weaves into his hair, playing with the strands the whole time.
“Thank you,” he says after he’s finished, his voice clearer now. Jyn gives him a weak, slightly wobbly smile, her fingers still carding through his hair. “How long was I sleeping?”
“Nearly a day. Doctor says it’s normal. It’s gonna take you a few weeks to fully recover but…” Her voice wobbles again, but she takes a short breath to steady herself, “you should be fine.”
“A few weeks?” Cassian echoes, his face already scrunching up at the idea of spending so long chained to a bed. He doesn’t do well with sitting still. The thought of lounging around doing nothing while others bleed and suffer and die for the rebellion has always left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.
Useless. If he isn’t serving the rebellion, what purpose does he have?
Jyn gives a tiny reproachful smile like she knows what he’s thinking. “Don’t worry, they won’t keep you here the whole time. You’ll be allowed to move around the base, and I’ll make sure you take it easy.”
Ah, so they’re benching him. Not much better.
“Cassian,” Jyn begins, her voice thin with emotion, but she loses her nerve as soon as she begins. She shakes her head, like shooing away an unwanted thought, and reaches for his hand to press her lips against his palm. “Nothing. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
Cassian thinks back to the blinding white light, the pounding heartbeat in his ear, the faceless distorted voices asking him all sorts of questions that he had trouble interpreting by the end. Okay is relative. But he knows what she meant, and he doesn’t want to be the one who takes this conversation down a darker road. Not today.
“Thanks to you,” he says quietly, staring at their intertwined hands on his bed. From the corner of his eyes, he can see Jyn shake her head.
“I should have found you sooner.”
“But you found me.” He squeezes her hand and looks into her glassy green eyes full of fragile uncertainty. “You found me. And that’s what matters.”
He doesn’t know how to tell her that he’s been expendable all his life. Just another orphan, another soldier, another agent; ultimately unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Even for the people he’s supposed to be fighting for. At best, he’s expendable for the sake of the mission, at worst, he’s a target for the things he knows, the people he can betray. Nothing’s off-limits in the life of a spy, and often, your own allies are the ones who turn against you. He’s had people who tried and failed; with others, he’s been the one who tried and succeeded.
Ultimately, he always figured that’s how he’d go. Stabbed in the back by someone he should have been able to trust. A fitting end for a man living in the shadows, hands dirty with blood he’ll never wash off.
But not for Jyn. Jyn never looks at him like that.
He doesn’t know why or how, but Jyn sees something else when she looks at him. She sees someone worth protecting, someone worth fighting for. Not just cannon fodder, he’s a real person to her in a world where he doesn’t remember the last person who saw him as such.
So it matters. That she came at all, that she tried. She found him when nobody else had even looked for him before. She stuck by him, even now. It matters more than he would ever be able to express.
Jyn leans forward, pressing her forehead to his, her hair tickling his cheek, her hands cupping his face and stroking his skin. “I’ll always find you.”
Always, he echoes in his head. It’s a nice word. Not designed for soldiers like them, children of war. But he wants to believe it could be theirs.
Cassian’s fought for hope so long, so hard, he fought to keep it and believe in it even when everything else was lost. He carved it from a piece of his soul and shaped it with his hands until it belonged to him.
Maybe he could do that with always as well. Turn their home into something lasting, a foundation they could build on.
Maybe always could be theirs someday.
#rebelcaptain#dailyrebelcaptain#therebelcaptainnetwork#rebelrainfall#rogue one crew#rogue one#my fics
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RebelCaptain Secret Santa 2022
Hi @grexigone! I'm your RebelCaptain Network Secret Santa!
I sincerely hope you like this - it ended up being different than I had planned in my head (I think over half of it wrote itself), but I think it still works. It's titled Rest and is also posted on AO3.
The summary is below; full fic below the cut.
*****
While the Rebellion prepares to leave Yavin IV after the destruction of the first Death Star, Princess Leia and General Draven have a particular mission in mind for Cassian and Jyn. Who knows? Maybe they'll actually get a chance to rest on this one.
Three months after the Battle of Yavin and the destruction of the Death Star found Cassian Andor standing in front of both General Draven and Princess Leia.
“Good to see you on your feet, Captain,” greeted the Princess, “If you are agreeable, we have a few tasks we’d like you to complete.”
Cassian nodded. “Of course. What do you need me to do?”
Draven answered him. “As you are still officially on light duty after Scarif, we would like you to complete a handful of diplomatic visits.”
Cassian blinked, the only outward sign of surprise he allowed himself. “Diplomatic visits, sir?”
“Yes,” confirmed Princess Leia, “The Death Star has been destroyed, yes, but we need to capitalize on this time to strengthen the relationships we have with our allies. Your background in recruiting for the Rebellion and, the fact that, as the General said, you are on light duty, makes you an ideal candidate to accomplish that. While you are meeting with our allies, we will focus the rest of assets into selecting a new base and starting the evacuation of all our forces – now that the Empire knows our location, it is unsafe to stay here any longer than strictly necessary.”
The logic was sound and, Cassian had to admit, it would be nice to get off base again for a while. “When do I leave?” he asked.
“First thing tomorrow morning,” Draven told him, “You may take a partner with you, if you wish. Details will be sent to your datapad within the hour. If you have no further questions, you’re dismissed to prepare.”
Twelve hours later found Cassian seated in the pilot’s chair of a small, but functional, shuttle with Jyn in the co-pilot’s seat. Jyn had been getting a little restless herself and practically jumped at the chance to leave base.
“So we’re just checking in on our allied planets? Sounds boring.”
Cassian raised an eyebrow as he flipped on the autopilot. “I thought after the last time we flew somewhere together that you might want something ‘boring.’”
Jyn grinned. “Alright, so the last time was a bit much. How long do we have to reach the first planet?”
“Long enough to go over the mission debrief information the Princess sent to us,” Cassian said, standing from the chair and walking to the back sitting room of the shuttle. Jyn rolled her eyes, but got up to follow.
What came after was three weeks of traveling from planet to planet, meeting with the Rebellion’s allies on each. Some were openly supportive of their efforts, allowing Jyn and Cassian to accomplish their goals more easily. Most, however, had to support the Rebellion in secret. On those planets, Jyn and Cassian disguised themselves as tourists, newlyweds, bounty hunters, smugglers – whatever would help them to blend in.
Many of the allies were willing to keep supporting the Rebellion in what ways they could, especially after hearing of the destruction of the weapon responsible for the annihilation of Alderaan, but the implosion of Jedha City.
The rest needed more convincing, even with the Death Star’s destruction. They knew that the Empire would strike back hard after loosing their most powerful weapon, against both the Rebellion and any people or places connected to them.
Rebellion Command was pleased with their reports thus far and the trip was proceeding about as calmly as Cassian expected it to. The constant space travel and adapting to different planets, however, was starting to wear on his still healing back and spine. He was very grateful, therefore, to reach Carosi XII, one of the Rebellion’s strongest allied planets.
Carosi XII was openly supportive of the Rebellion, making it a haven for not only the Rebellion troops, but for free traders and those fleeing the Empire. The planet was mostly composed of cold and glaciers, but volcanic activity had formed one portion into an oasis of naturally formed, mineral-rich hot springs, which in turn had attracted tourists and provided for the people of the planet.
All of that meant that Carosi XII was an excellent mid-point in Cassian and Jyn’s journey. Their timeline even allowed them to take two days to rest planet-side before returning to their shuttle to finish their trip. After landing, they met with the governmental leaders of Carosi.
Confirming Carosi XII’s continued support was an easy, quick affair; the planet had been an ally for so long that the meeting was little more than a formality. Soon, Jyn and Cassian arrived at a guest cabin that had been prepared for their short stay before continuing to the next planet.
Jyn dropped her bag on the couch just inside the cabin door on her way to explore the place with Cassian right behind her. As soon as Jyn returned to say the cabin was clear (they may have been on a fully allied planet, but they couldn’t entirely drop their guard), he allowed himself to drop into the nearby waiting armchair and let his head drop back to rest against the back.
“Tired?”
Cassian cracked open one eye to look at her, perched on the arm of one of the other chairs. “Three weeks of space travel on a newly healed back will do that.” He pretended not to notice her slight wince at his mention of the wounds he had sustained on Scarif.
Jyn stood and turned to walk towards one of the back rooms. “Well, I’m hungry – I’m going to raid the kitchen.”
“Can you cook?” he asked and watched her shoulders shrug in answer.
“Well enough. Food is food.”
Cassian’s curiosity about the provisions available to them overrode his exhaustion and he got up to follow her to the kitchen.
The kitchen was very well stocked, as it turned out, and together, they made a hearty meal of noodles topped with a thick spicy red sauce, complete with good sized portions of the local protein and a dessert consisting of a sweetened fruit salad topped with a whipped cream (which oddly enough, was pink, due to the mineral deposits the native milk animals favored).
Afterward, they cleaned up and took turns in the ‘fresher. One perk of being on this planet was a source of seemingly inexhaustible hot water. Yavin IV had good facilities for a force of its size, but there was something to be said for being able to take as long as they wanted (even though neither took very long). Jyn went first and while Cassian was taking his turn, she explored the cabin a little more, including checking into the back courtyard.
When Cassian stepped out the ‘fresher, wearing a simple shirt and pair of pants, toweling his hair dry, Jyn was waiting for him. “Guess what I found?” she grinned.
Cassian raised an eyebrow, but followed her anyway when she turned and walked back through the kitchen and out the door that lead into the back courtyard.
He knew from the briefing that Carosi XII was known for its hotsprings, but he hadn’t thought they’d have time to actually visit one. Apparently, Cassian was wrong.
There, in the middle of the courtyard, was a natural hotspring. The water was steaming as it let off a mild mineral odor; there were just enough stone outcroppings surrounding the pool to allow for easy access and a place to sit while mostly submerged in the warm waters.
Cassian turned to look at Jyn, who was still grinning.
“These springs are supposed to be good for sore bodies,” she said, opening a cabinet nearby. “And look – they even gave us things to wear and extra towels.” She held up a pair of silvery gray shorts in one hand and a thick fluffy towel of the same color in the other hand.
Cassian gave her a small smile in return and took the items from her. They both turned back into the cabin to change. By the time they returned to the hotspring, Carosi XII’s sun was settling itself on the horizon, which meant that it was nearing 2100 ship time, which also meant that Jyn and Cassian had both been up for nearly 24 hours thanks to a restless night of sleep the night before.
Cassian turned to look at Jyn standing next to him in a similar pair of shorts, but with an added, semi-loose fitting tank top in the same gray as the shorts and her own towel slung over her shoulder.
He extended his hand toward the waiting water. “Ladies first.”
Jyn rolled her eyes, but set her towel on the small stool-like table standing next to the pool and slid inside, letting out an involuntary sigh of approval and satisfaction at the heat of the water.
Cassian stepped in next to her and was hard-pressed to not do the same. “You were right.”
“Of course I was.”
Cassian and Jyn settled side-by-side on a submerged stone bench and leaned against the side of the pool.
“This is amazing...I might have trouble getting out of this pool later.”
Jyn grinned. “I know...I wonder if we could convince the rest to add one of these to the next base.”
Cassian huffed a small laugh. “The chances of us being on a base that could support these springs are slim-to-none. Though I could ask to be assigned to come here whenever needed.” He thought for another moment.
“I’m sure I could convince the Princess that the leaders here would like to talk to her face-to-face. Then, of course, she would need a security escort.”
Jyn happily added on to his fictional scenario. “And seeing as she’s a Princess and one of the Rebellion leaders, she’d need more than one escort. Two would be the minimum, I would think.”
“The pair would have to be two people who worked well together and could blend into most crowds, giving the Princess the illusion of being out on her own.”
“You think we could convince Draven to let you go whenever she asked?”
Cassian smiled a little crookedly at that. “If the Princess asked, he’d have to.”
They both laughed at the thought of Draven having to follow the young leader’s wishes (when he clearly didn’t want to), before falling silent and enjoying the warmth of the spring.
Sometime later, Jyn turned to Cassian. “Does your back still hurt?”
He shrugged one shoulder slightly. “The water’s helping, but I think it’s stiff and sore from spending so much time on the ship and not sleeping in a decent bed for more than a few hours.”
Jyn set her jaw. “I could help.”
Cassian turned to her and blinked. “Help?”
She nodded. “I’ve done some reading...there are some techniques for working and rubbing the muscles that can ease stiffness or pain. I know you have the exercises from therapy, but the back is hard to get on your own.”
He blinked again, surprised at her offer. “You want...to give me a massage?”
It was hard to tell with the heat of the water, but he thought Jyn might have flushed slightly. Clearly embarrassed, she shook her head and turned slightly away from him.
“No...well, yes, but obviously if you don’t want me to, I won’t. Actually, forget I offered. This never happened.”
“What if I do?”
Jyn’s head whipped back up to look him in the eyes. “You do what?
“What if I want you to do that?”
Now it was Jyn’s turn to blink. “You want me to give you a massage?”
Cassian nodded slightly, feeling a slight warmth in his own cheeks that had nothing to do with the heat of the water. “If these techniques work, I don’t see why we can’t give it a shot. This water feels incredible, but we won’t always have the option of stopping here when my back aches again, so why not? That is, if you’re alright with it?”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t mean it.”
“Okay then,” Cassian said, twisting away from her to present his back to her.
“I-I don’t think I can do it here. The water will make it hard to move properly.”
Cassian turned back to her. “Then we go back inside.”
With a little reluctance, Cassian and Jyn left the soothing waters of the hotspring, wrapping themselves in their towels before heading inside.
Cassian let Jyn go ahead of him once more to ensure the back door was locked after they entered. He padded through the cabin to check the front door lock and turn off the lights. He stopped in the bathroom to change back into the pants from earlier before heading toward Jyn.
He found her in the larger of the two bedrooms, dressed in a soft-looking, deep green sleep shirt and pants, standing next to the bed and staring at it.
Most Rebellion bunks were furnished by either barrack bunks or, for officers and those who required a single occupancy room, a bed that was little more than a cot. None of the beds were very large, barely enough for one person, though Jyn was small enough that they could share Cassian’s ever-so-slightly larger-than-a-bunk bed, which was useful on bad nights when neither could sleep and they just laid together, passing the hours in companionable silence, grateful for the presence of someone trusted.
The bed in this room, however, was nearly three times the width of the bunks on base and at least half again as long. The ivory sheets were a soft, slightly fuzzy material and felt as if they’d be the perfect weight. The blanket was an intricately sewn quilt of variegated shades of blue and green and the pillows were filled with a soft material that gave gently under his touch but felt as if it would be supportive enough to not cause a neckache.
All in all, the bed was the most luxurious thing either of them had seen in quite some time.
And neither of them quite knew what to do with it.
“Well, how do you want me?” Cassian asked.
Jyn blinked out of her daze. “What?”
“Do you need me to stand here, sit on the bed, what?”
“Oh,” she said, “I suppose you should lie down. On your stomach. It’ll be easier for me to reach that way.”
Cassian hesitated for the briefest of moments, less than a second. Exposing your back to someone and lying in such a vulnerable position could, in his line of work, be a risk that ended your life. But this was Jyn. If he couldn’t trust her, he couldn’t trust anyone.
He stepped to the head of the bed and pulled down the blanket and top sheet. He then laid down, grabbing a pillow as he did to rest his head and shoulders on, curling his legs underneath it.
Cassian felt the bed shift as Jyn climbed on and knelt next to him, followed by the feel of her cool hands against his shoulder blades. He flinched and the hands disappeared.
“Sorry – did I hurt you?”
He turned his head just enough to look at her. “How are your hands so cold after we just got out of that hotspring?”
She grinned sheepishly and rubbed her hands together to warm them. “Let’s try again.”
Cassian turned his head back to the pillow and let Jyn do what she wished. Her hands were still cool, but a little warmer than before and soon warmed up even more as she kneaded and pulled and pressed her way up and down his back. She paid special attention to the areas around his lower spine and ribs, where he had surgeries to correct the damage.
As Jyn worked, Cassian felt himself relaxing more and more until only the absence of her hands woke him from his doze. He looked over just as Jyn slid off the bed and reached to turn out the light.
“Where are you going?”
“I was going to let you get some sleep.”
He reached out a hand and she took it. A small tug and she toppled back into the bed next to him. “You need to sleep, too, you know,” he said, voice low with the pull of sleep.
She looked at him softly. “You sure?”
He just pulled their joined hands closer to him in response. Jyn gave him a gentle smile before slipping her hand from his long enough to turn off the bedside lamp and pull the blanket up over them.
Cassian turned onto his side in the bed and reached his hand into hers again, tugging her closer to him.
“Sleeping on your side like that might aggravate your back again,” Jyn whispered, but, judging by the way she was relaxing in his arms, she wanted him to move about as much as he wanted to.
Cassian settled further into his pillow and tucked his arm around her waist.
“Worth it,” he mumbled.
#grexigone#rebelcaptainsecretsanta#therebelcaptainnetwork#fanfic#star wars#rogue one#rebelcaptain#secret santa 2022#cassian andor#jyn erso
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Eyes That Know Me
read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/hc298r0
by lucie
Gift fic for lollercakes for the Rebelcaptain Network's Secret Santa Exchange.
In which neither of our heroes has a very good day.
Words: 6317, Chapters: 1/2, Language: English
Fandoms: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Andor (TV), Star Wars - All Media Types
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Categories: F/M
Characters: Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor
Relationships: Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso
Additional Tags: Rebelcaptain - Freeform, Gift Fic, Mission Fic, Post-Battle of Scarif (Star Wars), Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Andor S1 compliant, Angst with a Happy Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Not Beta Read, The Rebelcaptain Network's Secret Santa Exchange 2022, idiots to lovers
read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/hc298r0
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Chapter 2 of Bed Peace is up
And yes, I know you all want an update to Heartbeats, it’s in the pipeline as well. I’m procrastinating on studying for finals this week by updating my fics instead.
If you’d like to read Chapter 2 of Bed Peace on AO3, you can find it here
#my fics#fanfic#star wars#the rebelcaptain network#RebelCaptain#rebelcaptainmay4#dailyrebelcaptain#rogue one: a star wars story#my OTP#cassian andor#jyn erso#jyn x cassian
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Pure fluff alert
New short fic for rebelcaptain appreciation week 2019!
The stars in your eyes.
Jyn and Cassian’s little boy and the things he loves.
#rebelcaptainweek#pure fluff#with just a tiny touch of background angst#because he's smart and he understands a lot but he's still only 5#rebelcaptainappreciation#my writing#day one prompt: Stardust#the rebelcaptain network
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The Rebel Captain Appreciation Week 2017
Writing Prompt- Day One: Family
Posted to Ao3 (Here)
-----
Taara stood out on the hill and looked out into the distance. Fest had been her home for so long and from where her house was she could look out at the vast space around her family’s farm and see for miles. She always came here early in the morning, looking at the suns rising over the horizon. The lush forests in the distance were a reminder of a world beyond this one. A system. Other worlds. The New Republic.
She pushed her hair out of her face and turned to see a red light beckoning her home. Her parents would be waking up and getting ready for their day now. She moved and started back down the hill where her speeder was waiting for her.
The suns continued their ascent as she made it back to the farmhouse buried into the side of a hill and several droids were already starting their work for the morning. Taara hurried to put her speeder away before she heard her name.
“Mi hija!”
“Si, Papa,” she called back, hurrying into the front door, finding her father looking for her.
“Where have you been?” he demanded, and her mother came from the kitchen.
“Just at the hill,” she said, hurrying to sit down at the table and ignore her parents’ silent looks at each other. She was almost nineteen, she was curious about the world. Luke Skywalker was nineteen when he became a Jedi! She’d heard the stories. Well, she may not be a Jedi but she still had potential.
“Taara, how many times have I told you not to go up there?” her father demanded, looking worn.
“Papa, please, I promise, nothing happened. I just like going out on my speeder!”
“Cassian,” his wife said in a low voice, reaching out and taking his hand. He instantly calmed down and looked at her.
“Mi amor,” he whispered back and she looked at Taara.
“We’re just worried about you. You have been talking a lot about the New Republic and wanting to go there.”
Taara looked between them and knew that they were just being parents. They had never hid the fact that they used to be soldiers or had been a part of the Rebellion. She was old enough when she was four and found her dad shouting and crying in his sleep and her mother had to explain why she wasn’t allowed to go into their bedroom when they were sleeping anymore.
The things they had seen must have been worse than any one person should bear so Taara never pushed or asked anything about their time in the Rebellion. But she was always up front. She wanted to go to the New Republic, she wanted to travel amongst the stars and see the galaxy.
“I just… Fest will always be home and you guys are always going to be my parents, but I want to see what’s out there.”
Jyn looked at Cassian and they had another one of their silent arguments before Cassian relented and looked at Taara.
“I think that there might be a ship heading out tomorrow- heading to the New Republic, if you want to go.”
Taara stared. Her father? Letting her leave? Really? She beamed.
“But you are going to take K-2 with you,” he said, more of a demand than an actual request and she sighed. That droid hated her. He often referred to her as Cassian #2.
“What?” she groaned and Jyn smiled.
“It’s the only way your father will ever let you out of his sight,” she said and Taara nodded.
She didn’t know about the world beyond Fest, or the future that awaited her, but at least she knew she could always come home if she needed to. Her parents would always be there, waiting for her.
-----
A/N: Taara is the Hindi word for “Star.”
#the rebelcaptain network#rebel captain appreciation week#rebelcaptain week#rebelcaptain#cassian andor#jyn erso#taara andor
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Hello @youareiron-andyouarestrong, it´s me, your Secret Santa 🎅🎁🎄 I hope you had nice holidays and you are well 😊
Here is your gift for The RebelCaptain Network Secret Santa Exchange 2022.
Your prompt was a song lyric “my hand was the one you reached for, all throughout the Great War”/homecomings, return, reunions.
The whole story was inspired by "The Great War" by Taylor Swift, because I listened to it more times than I can count when writing this.
The song felt a bit melancholy to me, so this certainly influenced the tone of the story. I wanted to incorporate the fact that Jyn and Cassian are both very broken people and need a bit more time to get the hang of the whole relationship thing. There is a bit more angst than was initially planned but it has a happy ending. Also the last chapter was inspired by one of your favorite RebelCaptain tropes.
I hope you like it, I certainly had a lot of fun writing it and being your Secret Santa in general 🤗
#rebelcaptain#jyn x cassian#rebelcaptain secret santa 2022#rebelcaptainsecretsanta#youareiron-andyouarestrong#therebelcaptainnetwork#my writing
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Heart Like A Hole
Blink
She’s was running but not making any forward progress. The sand is sucked at her feet, slowing her down. Cassian leaned heavily against her side, throwing her off balance.
“Keep going. We’re almost there,” she yelled, and the wind whipped the words from her mouth.
Just past the surf she saw Bohdi in the Zodiak, basically a raft with an outboard motor, that he’d liberated from an Imperial ship. She was all but dragging Cassian. Her back and arms burned, the muscles in her legs quivered. Just a little farther. Just a little farther.
The shockwave from the explosion threw them forward and she didn’t feel it when she landed.
Blink
The heart monitor screamed and nurses rushed into the room. She fell back from the bedside, into the hallway, out of the way.
Trust in the force, her mother told her. All is as the force wills it, Chirrut said. She hoped the force did exist; that her mother and father, Chirrut and Baze, hell even Kay, were one with the energy of the universe. But not Cassian.
“Charging!” a strained voice announced from inside the room.
It was clear to her now that, it was his drive, his determination, his fucking will, that kept the world spinning on its axis. His sureness of purpose kept the sun rising and setting. There was no universe she could conceive of in which he did not exist. He didn’t have to be in her orbit, he just had to be.
“CLEAR!”
She slid down the corridor wall and wrapped her arms around her knees.
Blink
Almost every morning she ate breakfast with Bohdi in the common room two floors above Cassian’s room. Powdered eggs, heavy pancakes, meatless sausage. Usually mornings were his good time of the day, before the shadows stretched across the floor and reached his mind. Sometimes she brought him fruit, nothing exotic. Today she put an orange on his plate.
He smiled - well, he looked like he might smile, anyway - and told her, “You shouldn’t waste your money. It’s too expensive.”
She leaned over and winked. “It’s not like I paid for it.”
Blink
“What does that mean, Dr. Guerrain?” She grabbed her patience with both hands. That antiseptic hospital smell was forever going to remind her of wanting to strangle someone.
“That all we can do is wait. But don’t give up hope. The swelling and pressure have decreased, his vitals are stable, his incision is healing with no sign of infection. He could wake up in an hour, in a week, a month. . .”
“Or never,” she finished flatly.
Blink
“Listen to this.” She dropped her feet from where she propped them on Cassian’s bed and sat up straighter in her chair. “It says here, ‘Reiki is administered by laying on hands and is based on the idea that an unseen life force energy, called chi, flows through us. If it’s low, we are more likely to get sick or feel stress.’” She looked up from her phone. “Maybe I can find some Reiki, uh, person, or whatever, to come see Bohdi. Get his chi sorted out.”
Cassian remained still and unresponsive on the bed. The breathing tube was out and his bruises finally fading to a sickly chartreuse, enhanced by the fluorescent light behind his bed. His scruffy beard was thicker. He was healing, but she ached to see his eyes. At night, waiting for sleep, she remembered the feel of his dark gaze on her, practically tactile in its intensity.
She slumped down in her chair again and muttered, “Get them to look at your chi, too.”
Blink
Today was not a good day. She could tell by the jittery way Bohdi’s leg bounced up and down already. Usually that didn’t start until closer to noon, then the nurse would bring him his pills and he would turn into an empty vase for the rest of the day. She should’ve checked to see if they had any fruit in the administrators’ lounge. Probably it wouldn’t have helped, but it was something she could do. She was precious little use to anyone here as it was.
“When you get out of here, we are going out for brunch,” she told him. “Omelettes, and french toast with whipped butter, bacon, and strawberries. The real deal. Money is no object.”
She looked out the window at the grey sky and wondered if any of them ever really got off that beach. Bohdi rocked rapidly in his seat, his cereal untouched.
Blink
She rushed off the elevator. The sound of her trainers slapping the linoleum echoed down the hall. Pravyl, the RN in charge that night, met her at the nurses station.
“He was only awake for a few minutes,” he began.
“Did he say anything?” she asked, barely slowing down as she passed the desk.
“Nothing clear, just mumbling.” Pravyl stepped into her path. “Like I said, it’s a good sign, but it could still be awhile until he fully reawakens.”
She waved him off and went to hover nervously just inside the door of Cassian’s room, but he was the same. Unconscious. She blew out her breath and sank into the chair beside his bed. Her chair all these long weeks.
What was she doing here? Praying to the force, willing him to wake up. She was useless. Worse than useless. In fact, she was pretty sure her presence was making Bohdi worse. She nearly got Cassian killed. Succeeded with Chirrut and Baze, K and everyone else. Names she didn’t know until they were corpses. They must’ve been his friends, people he’d worked with on previous missions, known longer and better than some Imperial’s daughter who tried to grow some morals. They followed her because they trusted him, and now they were dead. Likely as not, he never wanted to lay eyes on her again. She would only remind him of people he lost.
And after he left the hospital, what then? When he no longer needed someone to sneak him fruit or cheerlead his recovery. Was she supposed to go begging to the Council for a job? They weren’t exactly beating down her door asking for help. It seemed they planned to make good on their promise and let her go free. Which was for the best, no matter that it felt like a punishment now. She had too many years relying only on herself, responsible for no one but herself, to ever adapt to the Alliance chain of command. Time she got back to it.
She brushed away the memory of “Welcome home” and stood up. Ignored the fact that only other person to visit Cassian was Draven, once, probably to ascertain if he had any future value to the Alliance, and slipped her hand in his. She bent down to brush her lips against his cheek.
“May the force be with you, Cassian,” she said softly.
Then she walked away.
*****************************************************************************************
This is the end, but also posted on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18141167
#rebelcaptain#jyn erso#cassian andor#jyn erso appreciation squad#rebel captain network#it's my first time
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS, RebelCaptain shippers!
We’re very excited to start the fifth Secret Santa exchange for this wonderful fandom and hope that you’ll all take part in the fun! Each year we welcome both new and returning participants, so come on and join us!
What is this?
RebelCaptain Secret Santa is an opportunity for you to create a gift for a fellow shipper and receive one in return! It’s a wonderful way for the fandom to come together and show each other lots of love and appreciation, as well as get all your feels out about Jyn and Cassian!
We’ll be using the tag #rebelcaptainsecretsanta for all new posts related to this exchange – info posts, updates, etc. This is the tag for posting your gifts as well!
The Dates:
Sign ups are open from now until midnight (PST) of October 25 (this gives you two weeks to sign up!)
Assignments will be sent out by midnight (PST) of November 1
The first day of gifts will be December 26, with staggered posting over the course of the following week. This gives you almost EIGHT WEEKS to work on your gift!
December 26 was chosen so that everyone can enjoy their winter break and appreciate their gifts afterward, so nobody’s hard work gets lost in the shuffle. Sign-ups for a posting date will come in mid-December.
Please see below the cut on information on how to enter and participate!
To Enter:
Please send an email with the subject “RebelCaptain Secret Santa - [YOUR URL]” and the following sign up form in the body to the network email: [email protected]
Username(s): (your username on Tumblr, and AO3 if different)
Your prompt: (one or two sentences, please - give your partner some freedom in creating your gift!)
What your fanwork talents are: (do you write fic, make gifs, graphics, vids? Are you multi-talented?)
Would you like your gift to have smut? (please note a rating, if applicable, e.g. I’m okay with smut, but wouldn’t want it to be above M)
Would you be willing to gift smut? (please note a rating, if applicable)
Please note anything else that you don’t want to receive or gift: (please mention any triggers, issues, tropes or types of works you wouldn’t want as a gift, etc.)
Are you willing to work as a pinch hitter? (to create a second gift, in case someone else can’t finish theirs on time - no worries if you can’t!)
The Rules of Participation:
Send in your entry email.
Reblog this post so more people can join you in the fun!
Send your giftee anonymous kindness at least once per week :)
Your gift must be at least 1,000 words or an equivalent amount of effort in another medium.
Your askbox must be opened with anon enabled. (It causes too many problems otherwise, sorry.)
To immediately clarify a frequently asked question: you do not have to be a network member to join in!
Finally, if you cannot finish your gift in time, please tell the mods ASAP! The sooner we know, the sooner we can work out a pinch hitter so your giftee still gets something.
There is an EXCHANGE FAQ, so look there for further explanations on anything you may be confused by. If you don’t see the answer to your question there, please do send a message, so that we can clear up the issue for you right away! ♥
Good luck, have fun, and Happy Holidays!
#dailyrebelcaptain#thestarwarsdaily#starwarsblr#theforcenetwork#swedit#starwarsedit#rogueoneedit#rebelcaptainedit#rogue one#rebelcaptain#jyn x cassian#jyn erso#cassian andor#rebelcaptainsecretsanta#admin: secret santa#mod post#mod: incognitajones#mod: jemmasimmons
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