Built on Hope (Cassian Andor FF)

21. Infiltration

Kalla yelled out from the cockpit of the stolen Imperial ship, "Almost at Triple Zero. Be ready."

Coruscant.

Anxiety built up so much within everyone that it emanated into the atmosphere of the ship, so thick it could be cut with a heated knife. The volunteered rebels sat silently, staring at the ground and lost in their own thoughts. Worries. Prayers of love, hope, and success. Some clutched drawings that their kids had made to their hearts. Others held onto old jewelry, molded to fit the shape of their hands perfectly.

Talia wrung her gloved hands steadily, her brown eyes trained on the wall ahead of her. Her brown hair was stuffed up into a bun, hanging just below her Imperial cap. Cassian's infiltration team wore Imperial officer garb, while the rest dressed as dignitaries or highly civilized citizens of Coruscant. She wasn't sure if having Kay-Tuesso was more soothing, or a huge mistake. The droid assisted Kalla in piloting, but kept muttering how ridiculously unsuccessful this plan will be. Accidentally thinking out loud, she whispered, "It never gets easier...does it?"

Halron, who sat next to her in the same Imperial garb, questioned as he adjusted his coat, "What?"

"Fighting the Empire."

He glanced at Talia with his dark eyes, wondering what prompted the question in the first place. The job was rough. It's what they signed up for, after all. Then again...it really could get easier. This mission could be the turning point of the entire galactic civil war. Halron played with his short red hair for a moment, weighing the situation's outcomes in his mind. "Maybe after this it will."

Cassian racked his mind for any contingency plans. Wounds. Death. Survival for some, not all. The possibilities racked up in his mind. Get the Senators, go back through the maze, and out the door. No other entrances were ever constructed. If there was a lower floor that the rebellion knew about, then maybe. All the intel said was the maze. No one ever came back to tell what was after it. He rubbed his fingers together, toying with the pads of his thumbs unconsciously. Second ship. Need a backup ship.

When he focused in on what he was staring at, he averted his eyes. Talia and Halron spoke lowly. Cassian didn't want to draw attention to himself. He had enough to think about already. No distractions. The cogwheels in his mind turned. Any vehicle will do. Transport to a hangar somewhere. Hijack a ship. Get out.

With the odds against them, that backup plan was all he could think of.

The ship took a slow descent, guiding into one of the hangars nearby the palace. The other rebels looked up in fear. Hopefulness. Courage. Or, nothing at all. Almost in sync, all of them turned their gazes to Cassian.

He shifted in his seat before he stood up, his hand grazing the bar above his head. What was he supposed to say? All of his inspirational words had flown out on the winds of Dantooine like a Brith. But...looking around the ship at all of their faces, their worn out body postures, and their conflicted expressions, words wouldn't soothe them any more.

All they needed now were orders.

Determination took control of Cassian's features. Serious expression. Fire in his eyes. Words were short, simple, and to the point, just like his mother taught him. "Kalla stays here for our exit. Halron, Talia, Kaytoo, and I will go in. Sadako and the rest of you will be standing by in different positions within the palace in case things go wrong." He grabbed a few communications devices from the bag near the cockpit. Fumbling with them for a second, Cassian began to hand them around. "If any of you see or hear anything, no matter how minor, let me know. Push the button, but do not speak. I will respond when we're in a safe location. One little action can mess the mission up entirely."