Smoke billowed from the mangled and destroyed starfighter. Streaks of crimson red against the gleaming white showed the path of the crash. Flames flickered within the ship, its mutilated wings and body creaking and groaning as supports gave way to the fire. Grunts of pain and heavy breathing were the only human sounds that came from ship. Cassian slowly, painfully climbed out of the wreckage, carrying Jyn's still body as best as possible. Once outside of the ship and safely away from the burning ship, Cassian set Jyn's body down and collapsed beside her. He felt sick to his stomach as he desperately scanned Jyn for any sign of life, an overwhelming feeling of deja vu overcoming him. She couldn't be dead. Not now. Not after all they had been through.
There! Jyn's chest rose the slightest bit and fell again, her breathing coming in short, shallow breaths. Cassian's heart soared. She's alive! A smile broke out on his face as he let himself sink to the ground, propped up on one elbow. With his thumb he caressed her cheek and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Then, a wave of black washed over him and Cassian went unconscious.
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There were shouts.
"We found the ship!" The voices were close, but faraway, ringing in his ears.
"It's an Imperial ship!" He tried to open his eyes, but couldn't.
"Is that... Captain Andor?" Excited shouts filled the air.
"It's Captain Andor and Jyn Erso!" Jyn...
"They're hurt badly. Get 'em to a medic, quick!" He could feel himself being lifted from the ground. Oh, it hurt so badly. The tidal wave of unconsciousness took over him once again and all faded to black.
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Jyn woke slowly, blinding light forcing her to shut her eyes again. She sat up, gingerly moving her wounded leg so that it hung off the edge of the cot.
"Excellent, you're awake." A gentle, female voice spoke quietly to her left. Jyn turned her head. A nurse in a rebel uniform greeted her with a smile. "I was worried you wouldn't wake."
"Where... am I?" Jyn asked.
"You're at the Rebel base on Crait."
"Crait." Jyn whispered. "We're alive... again."
"Yes, the biggest question circling around here is how you two are alive." The nurse watched Jyn carefully.
"I guess that's a question that will forever be unanswered, because we don't know how." She replied wearily. "Where is Cassian? Is he ok?"
"Captain Andor is undergoing emergency surgery. His injuries were far more life threatening. We simply hope he'll make it through the surgery." The nurse answered matter-of-factly, continuing to mark medical supplies and organize them. Jyn couldn't speak. "...hope he'll make it through the surgery" repeated itself over and over in her head.
Suddenly, alarms went off, the screeching trills echoing in every corner of the base. Jyn jumped to her feet.
"What's that for?!"
"An attack!" The nurse screamed. The nurse took off running with other non-fighting personnel, likely to a bunker. Jyn snatched the blaster she had stolen from a stormtrooper off of a counter and ran to a man ordering soldiers around.
"Tell me what to do!" She demanded. The officer sized her up.
"I want you in one of those fighter speeders." Jyn gave a quick nod of her head and rushed over to one. Leaping in, she turned it on, the engines revving. One by one, the speeders spilled out of the base and rushed over the ground, plumes of red dust billowing into the air. Within an instant, the battle escalated. Screaming TIE fighters zipped around, firing at the speeders and rebel starfighters that battled in the sky. X-wings and Y-wings fought in the air, every now and then dealing a blow to the AT-AT walkers that trudged across the landscape.
Jyn dodged blast after blast, zooming towards the massive walkers. She destroyed one of their legs, and it fell to the ground with a thud that shook the earth. Seconds later, it exploded. "YES!" She screamed, pumped with adrenaline. The battle quickly favored the Empire. Rebels were picked off one by one, their starfighters destroyed and the speeders in pieces. Suddenly, a stray blast exploded next to Jyn's speeder. The speeder tumbled across the ground and skidded to a stop. Groaning, Jyn climbed out of the wreckage.
An Imperial transport landed in front of her. The door opened dramatically, steam spilling out and dissipating into the cool air. Jyn clenched her jaw, ready for the pain of blaster fire. But no stormtroopers or officers were behind the door. Jyn gasped. Darth Vader! He held out his hand, it clenched into a fist. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. Jyn clawed at her throat, but it was no use. Involuntarily, she began to move closer and closer to the terrifying, towering figure of the Sith lord himself. The breathing apparatus distorted his breaths in a horrifying way, his face a mask void of emotion. Then, Darth Vader spoke.
"You are just what we need."
YOU ARE READING
A Second Chance
Fanfiction*COMPLETE* Cassian didn't expect to wake up. He had prepared himself once again for what seemed like inevitable death, although his final moments were filled with much more heartbreak than he'd ever experienced. He had looked into Jyn's eyes for wh...
