Built on Hope (Cassian Andor FF)

28. Among the Stars

The ride back had been quiet, except for the soft hum of the ship's engine. The ship rocked a bit from traveling through hyperspace. Flashes of blue and white passed by in front of them. Kay-Tuesso watched the ship's readout, making sure everything was stable. He then switched his attention to hyperspace, taking in the colors of the lights. Cassian sat in his pilot's chair, head back and eyes closed. He drifted off into a light, and much needed, slumber.

Talia tiptoed over to Kaytoo as much as she could and tapped on his shoulder. She motioned towards Cassian and attempted to draw an outline of a box in the air. They never made a code or a signal for what they were going to do. Kaytoo still managed to understand her motions. Talia glanced at Cassian, who still hadn't opened his eyes.

The ship jerked out of hyperspace and started to drift. It was dark all around them, leaving nothing to view except the numerous stars that twinkled. They slowly seemed to dance around together, even though it was just the ship moving.

Cassian opened his eyes and leaned forward. He looked over at Kaytoo, and without wasting another second, he questioned, "Why have we stopped?" He took a moment to sniff the air, and his eyebrows knit in confusion. "And why does it smell like food?"

"We have a surprise for you," Kaytoo spoke first.

Talia peered over at Kay with wide eyes. She exclaimed, "Kay, it's not a surprise if you tell him that!"

Kaytoo motioned his hands upwards. He would shrug if he could. "I do not understand your excitement about this."

With a sigh, Talia continued her grand plan, "Well, now that Kaytoo has made that oh, so amazing, starter, we can really begin." She pushed a few buttons on the holographic display on the communications panel. It lit up, revealing a decorated tree. Talia danced a little bit out of excitement as she reached for a hot bottle she had hidden. She handed it to Cassian before going back for a small container and handing that to him as well. "Happy Life Day!"

Life Day? That was a blast from the past. Cassian has never celebrated it himself for the longest time. With the ewoks, they've adopted something similar and always celebrated on Fest. His family would partake, but that was so long ago.

A smile broke out on his face. He took a long drink, realizing it's hoth chocolate. His hands then shook lightly out of excitement while he opened the container. Wookie-ookies? The best cookies in the galaxy! Maybe it was the nostalgia, or the fact that it was one of the happiest days of the year across the galaxy for some species, but no matter what, the cookies always tasted the best. They were even decorated to look like wookies and presents. Cassian lost his breath. All of this to celebrate with him? "Life Day? How do you know about that?"

"There were a few wookies enslaved by the Empire that worked on the ships at the orbital Kuat Drive Yards. I would see them celebrate, and I'd ask a droid about it. Every year, without fail, they would do what they could to spread at least some cheer amongst themselves, even though they missed their home dearly. I sometimes snuck them food or tiny gifts."

Cassian noticed Talia's soft smile as she spoke and he melted on the inside. His dark eyes met hers as he spoke quietly, "That was kind of you."

"I couldn't free them, but I had to do something," Talia admitted. She rested her hand on his shoulder and squeezed a bit. She wanted to celebrate Life Day with him, and hopefully many more. It was just a question of if he'd like to as well.

"I'm sure they appreciated it." Cassian set the lid of the container on the ground. He reached for a cookie and looked at it for the longest time. "I haven't celebrated it for years. No one really knows what it is on the base, except for maybe a handful of rebels."