The Tragic Jedi | Anakin Skywalker

𝓢𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓮 𝟕𝟗

❈✱❉✤❈✱❉

Astrid stood in the shadows inside the U-wing starfighter as she watched Jyn riffle through Cassian's duffle bag before taking out a blaster gun pistol from within it. Astrid didn't think Jyn knew she was there, watching, which was good since Astrid was trying to find out how much she could truly rely on Galen's daughter. 

Judging by the actions playing out before her eyes, Astrid knew she couldn't trust or rely on Jyn. 

Suddenly, K2-- short for K-2SO-- clomped into the U-wing starfighter they were using for this mission, and he caught sight of the pistol in Jyn's hand. The security droid let out a tsk of disapproval, but before he could say anything, Cassian walked up from behind him and said, "Alright everyone. Buckle up because we're flying out of here." 

"You should know that Jyn is armed," K2 spoke up in a matter-of-fact tone. 

Cassian's eyes lifted to where Astrid stood ahead of him but to the left, behind Jyn. Their eyes locked for a moment before he whirled towards Jyn and K2. Jyn gave K2 a sharp look before she hid the hand holding the pistol behind her back. The movement was too quick and jerky to miss, and Cassian's eyes narrowed. He held out a hand. 

"Give me the pistol, Jyn." 

"No," Jyn argued. Before he could protest further, she added hurriedly, "Trust goes both ways." She gave a pointed look at the blaster pistol on his hip. 

Cassian sighed, his dislike at allowing her the gun evident through the Force and in his eyes. He studied Jyn for a moment before relenting, "Fine. Keep it." 

He turned and began walking towards the cockpit past Astrid as K2 protested, "But Cassian--" 

The droid's protests trailed off as Cassian disappeared around the corner behind the wall separating the cockpit and the space they were currently standing in. Astrid turned and poked her head around the wall to see into the cockpit, where Cassian was firing up the engines and raising the boarding ramp.

 She told him, "I'm going to sit with Jyn and K2 so I can watch over Jyn." 

Cassian gave her a look of approval before he replied, "Okay," and then he twisted back around to face the controls. 

Astrid eyed the control buttons with envy, wishing she could be the one to pilot, before she turned and strode into the space behind the cockpit. Astrid slipped into one of the the seats lining the wall across from where Jyn sat. She crossed her arms over her chest. 

"So why are you so unwilling to help the Resistance?" Astrid asked as their ship began lifting off into the sky. 

Jyn shrugged as she replied, "My parents paid the price for helping the Empire; they killed my mother and took my father from me when I was young. When Saw Gerrera picked me up and raised me, he, too, abandoned me when I was sixteen. I've learned not to put too much faith in people." She leaned forward as she told Astrid, "You can only rely and take care of yourself, or else you'll wind up dead." 

Jyn leaned back in her seat and regarded Astrid with a mixture of wariness and thoughtfulness. Astrid couldn't help but think the opposite of Jyn. As a Jedi, she'd been raised to always help others, even if it meant her or her friends' deaths. It was her job. She couldn't imagine abandoning a cause with a mission to help free people and take down tyranny just to save herself. 

But something else in Jyn's speech bothered Astrid. 

Astrid frowned as she asked, "Are you telling me that you and Saw Gerrera aren't... friends anymore?"