firebrand, chapter 20

jynirso:

so sorry for the delay! hope the content makes up for the wait. next two chapters should be up soon, hoping to finish this fic before i go back to school in january 🥰

As soon as Cassian leaves the car, a wave of calm washes over Jyn, almost all of her anxiety leaving her body with a single, slow exhale. Now that the mission has begun, there’s no time left over for nerves or anticipation. She’s sunk into that cold, unfeeling state that Saw had taught her to best focus on getting the job done. Her true feelings can wait until she’s finished; often then, it feels as if the dam in her mind bursts all at once, an emotional aftermath that she struggles to get a hold of when she’s all alone. 

(Saw had taught her to be a soldier, but he’d never taught her how to stop being one. She doesn’t know how.)

She watches Cassian enter the front door and disappear from her line of sight, watches the building long after he’s gone inside just to ensure his safety. There’s not much she can to do protect him sitting inside a car, but she’s not against blowing her cover just to come to his aid if necessary. Though she knows he’s a professional and has been doing this just as long as she has (if not longer), that fact alone doesn’t eliminate her worry. 

“Jyn Erso. It’s Kay.” 

Her earpiece crackles, static turning into Kay’s familiar drone. Her heart races as she reaches her hand up to press the side button so she can be heard. “Has Cassian signaled yet?” 

The signal is simple – a fake text to the nonexistent person he’s supposed to be meeting. Kay, who’s watching from the security cameras (having hacked into them with Bodhi’s help earlier that day), will let her know when that happens. If he adjusts his tie after texting, then she’s good to go; if not, then something hasn’t gone to plan and she’s on standby. 

“No. But I wanted to let you know that he has made it inside and spoken to the receptionist.” There’s a pause on the other line that has Jyn apprehensive, chewing her bottom lip as she waits for Kay to elaborate. He’s not supposed to comm them more than necessary so as not to arouse suspicion; the Empire has much better computer technicians than a single hacker in a Rebellion safehouse a few miles away, even if that human seems more robotic than most. 

“I thought it might…bring you comfort to know that he is all right,” Kay says finally, sounding as uncomfortable as she’s ever heard him. “I know the two of you are…involved.” 

read the rest on ao3!

from Tumblr https://leaiorganas.tumblr.com/post/189797706542