Lyra Erso. The dead mother. Cassian knows all about dead parents, and he's not about to start shit over that as much as he wants to. "Perhaps I am following what my father would have wanted too."
He feels prickly, and it's not an act. His head lifts up, and he fixes her with his own hard stare. He is, in a way, following in his parents footsteps, just not necessarily in the academic sense.
"You assume I have not been to any of these planets, and you assume I don't know how to do my own work." He says this coolly, any amusement gone from his face. "Not that I need to explain myself to you, but I do not dive in blind on context for the works I choose to study. There are themes I focus on, homeworld similarities, and the circumstances of displacement - all of which I would never dream of ignoring."
"Then don't call my major rocks." You piece of shit.
This was a great idea, on the part of their fathers. Put the two most stubborn humans in the same room together for an indeterminate number of weeks or months and expect them not to fight.
Galen, of all people, should know better. His daughter didn't inherit his pacifist nature.
"I asked why and you asked why I studied rocks." Admittedly, she looked disgusted by his pretentious field of study, reasonably considering the type of people she goes to school with, but he could have swayed the unspoken distaste from her expression and he followed it up with being a dick so he forfeited that right. Fuck him, he started it.
Quickly, she stands and yanks the curtain between them, blocking him from her view before she grumpily starts shoving clothes in drawers and clearing off her bed.
Cassian knows he should let it go, especially when she does the equivalent of a door slam. Instead he just takes in a breath and counts to five to stop himself from spitting out some hot reply. At the very least he needs to be her friend, not create a foe.
He's never been more annoyed with Bail though.
"You asked me why with derision." He keeps his voice calm, though he's not sure it'll help. "Anyone would have gotten defensive."
She doesn't answer. Not just for a long time, but at all, the only sound that of her moving around and opening and closing drawers. Just because he's right doesn't mean she has to admit it, because she refuses.
Eventually, the silence is broken by Galen calling out from the hall as he makes his way toward their newly shared room. "Stardust, Stardust..." When he comes into the doorway and sees the curtain already shut there is a fleeting flash of something like regret on his expression, the knowledge that this is a terrible mistake, but then Jyn pokes her head around the curtain, pushing it back to step forward, and his expression immediately softens. It's obvious there is nothing he loves more in the galaxy than his headstrong and rude daughter and he will do anything to protect her, even if it makes her unhappy.
"Stardust, take Mr Andor to dinner in the city."
Her forehead wrinkles, confusion rippling across her face. "But Papa... we were--"
"Jyn. The city, please." He cups Jyn's cheek, kisses her forehead. "Orson is coming to go over some of the plans. Please take our guest to the city for dinner."
He's not surprised she doesn't answer him, based on the minute impressions he's already getting. With a quiet sigh, he starts to unpack himself, putting away his clothes and locking away his blaster. And his knives. Just because he's here on a less deadly mission doesn't mean he won't be armed ok. In the awkward silence, he settles on the bed with his datapad and skims through newsfeeds and encrypted files.
When he hears Galen, Cassian listens in. It's not like the curtain is a sound blocker. He hears the name Orson and immediately follows it with Krennic and knows he does not want to ever be here when that man is. His living here is perfectly legitimate in the eyes of the Empire but - it still puts him on edge. He's going to have to factor that in to his time here and keep away whenever Krennic shows, just in case.
He steps out from his side of the curtain and shoots Galen a grateful look. Jyn clearly doesn't want to do this, but his need to leave the house is strong, so he voices his agreement. "I haven't eaten much of anything substantial since I left Alderaan, and I think it's finally catching up with me."
"Papa," Jyn hisses, vibrating with indignation even under Galen's soft touch. "I hate it when he comes here."
She hates everything about Krennic, admittedly, his presence just brings it all up to the surface. He still refuses to address her by her name. She's always Galen's daughter or the Erso girl. She doesn't get to be Jyn, no matter how many times her father corrects him.
"I know, Jyn." Her releases her, nodding at Cassian. "Leave quickly."
Breathing out a sigh, her head jerks in a nod, as she moves past him out into the hall. She still has to grab her shoes, but they're at the front door so it's on the way. "Come on, Andor. If you get lost because you're too slow I'm leaving you to get mugged."
Jyn hates Krennic. Another unsurprising thing, but good to file away. After Galen nods at him, Cassian ducks into his room quickly just to get his blaster and tuck it into the holster in his (leather) jacket (of moral ambiguity), which he also tugs on.
"K2," he calls out, because he's not about to leave his droid here either. K2 clangs out of the kitchen, muttering something about insufficient nourishment.
He follows Jyn towards the doorway, antsy despite how swiftly he's gotten himself ready to walk out. "I won't have trouble keeping pace."
Jyn tugs her boots on, cute but serviceable, and yanks a black coat on before sweeping a purple scarf around her neck, the only pop of color in her all black outfit. The looks the picture of Imperial 1%, aside from her unhappy expression. Shoving the door open, she veers right down the hall, opposite the direction Galen had brought Cassian up. They're taking the turbo lift in the back.
Under her breath she mutters, "Tell your droid not to stomp." If his lumbering droid somehow makes Krennic notice them and she has to speak to that man, she will melt him down.
She glances behind them once, reaching up to curl her fingers against the sleeve of his jacket, nudging him to turn once they reach the end of the hall. It's only once they've reached the lift that she lets go to basically punch the call button. She really doesn't want to see Krennic.
She looks so Imperial right now that Cassian almost bristles. Fortunately time and experience are on his side and there's no sign of it. If there's any good impression he's gotten about Jyn, it's that she might have been raised under the Imperial thumb but she doesn't seem to care for them.
K2 answers her first, dropping his voice like he's trying to be quiet. "I do not stomp."
He looks at her sharply when she grabs his sleeve, but doesn't yank away. It'd be too much of a scene. "Listen to her, K2. Walk quietly."
The droid does his best, which is enough to get them to the lift unnoticed. Cassian is almost too still while they wait for the doors to open, but he moves like lightening when the lift arrives, pushing both K2 and Jyn in the elevator first.
He presses the door close button quickly and thinks he's really going to need to talk to Galen about knowing exactly when Krennic usually shows. If he's learned anything about the Empire, it's their obsessive scheduling tends to be mostly predictive.
Jyn relaxes once they get into the elevator, leaning against the wall. It's not glass like the one in the front and it shudders before it starts moving slowly down.
"There's no cameras or bugs in this one," she mentions softly. "An oversight." Oversight sounds like a lie and she looks up at Cassian carefully. Does he know that she and her father are still often surveilled because Krennic is a creep? Now he does. "Krennic doesn't trust me because I'm too much like my mother."
Her chin tips up, defiant and proud. Damn right she is too much like her mother, fury and loss brimming in her bright eyes still after all these years. She has forgiven her father for bringing her here, she understands that, but she will never forgive Krennic for murdering her mother. She's not exactly subtle about how much she hates him, either. "And now Papa's taken in a student from the Organas home."
Every single thing she says in this elevator is a very good sign, but Cassian has only just got here and he's not about to burst at the seams with his secrets. Bail seems to trust Galen and by extension Jyn. Cassian has kept himself alive by being more cautious.
"Everything I have heard of this man leaves me wary about meeting him." Or staying in his company for extended periods of time. Still, he wants this from Jyn's perspective. She might not like him much right now, but it doesn't mean she won't be a useful ally in avoiding Krennic. "How often does he come by? Do you usually have time to prepare?"
K2's eyes make a whirring sound, but the droid keeps stationary as the lift moves downward.
"I'm not particularly interested in discussing my work with the man."
Just because she said it's not bugged or watched doesn't mean he's going to be anything less than the Model Student. At least until he feels confident enough in the security.
"Papa tries to warn me, but sometimes he comes to see me after class. As Papa's friend." Jyn's loathing is plain. It begs the question if she can keep it from Krennic himself, but she also hasn't liked him since she was baby so maybe he is just used to her disgust by now.
Her head tips back against the wall, eyes closing. "Just take your time in the fresher when he shows up. You'll turning into a wrinkle, but it's better than talking to him, trust me. Papa always distracts him with work and they go back to the office."
Any warning is better than none, and Cassian knows he's quick on his feet. There's already a running list of reasons to keep out of Krennic's way should he be there when the man stops by. He likes to imagine a world where they don't exist in the same space, but the galaxy is not that kind.
Like he understands entirely more than what the surface conversation carries, his tone is dry: "I suppose he is checking up on just how his dear friend's daughter is doing."
She is so openly disgusted by Krennic. Cassian approves. "There's always feigning a nap as well."
"Especially now that we share a room, you might not sleep well with someone else in there. Naps could be necessary." At the very least, a reasonable ploy.
Eyes fluttering open, she turns her head to look at him, sadness creeping in to dispel some of the anger. Krennic always puts her in a bad mood because she can't help but think about losing her mother. It always feels like he's rubbing it in, gloating. "I know why I don't like Director Krennic, but why don't you like him? Most people that I've met are jealous that I know him. They want an introduction. You want the opposite."
He likes conspiring with her to avoid Krennic way more than arguing with her over a fake thesis. He can sleep in a shared room, but he's not about to counter that. "And research is conducted at all hours. A regular sleep pattern tends to be unattainable with grad work."
K2 is surprisingly silent, and Cassian hopes that maybe he's taken the warning to be seen and not heard far better than anticipated. It's a stupid hope, but it's great right now.
"He is not so fond of my adopted father." It's true enough, even if that's not the complete reason why he hates Krennic. Imperial reasons is why. But Jyn looks as sad as she does angry with the question, and he feels like he can use that to smooth things over.
It's not a very nice thought, but it is a spy thought. "Bail as good as raised me as his own. I'm not about to make friends with a man who hates Organa."
Jyn doesn't answer at first, though her expression softens the slightest bit at the mention of Bail raising him. Galen had explained, eventually, that the plan was for Saw to take care of her and her mother -- the plan had not worked out, but sometimes she imagines what it would have been like to have grown up with the fierce Onderon warrior she'd met when she was very young.
It makes her wonder what happened to his family but she doesn't ask him, not yet.
Instead she pushes herself away from the wall, moving into his personal space and looking up at him. Her bright eyes are calculative and wary under her dark fringe. "My father trusts your father, but why should I trust you?"
She's kind of easy to read, but Cassian has always been good at reading people. He makes a note when she softens to use his relationship with Bail too and hopes the man might forgive him for it.
Cassian doesn't react when she steps into his space; if anything, he leans in more and meets her gaze, looking downward with curiosity. She's trying to figure him out, much the same he's working on her. "I suppose I'll have to give you reason to earn my trust first, won't I? It would be presumptuous to assume I can just have it."
It's definitely got elements of a non-answer because he hasn't figured out what to do to earn her trust yet, except maybe become ride or die for her father. Which isn't happening. It's not even the answer he'd give if he was 100% being himself, but he's still working on what part of himself would get along with her best. "You can ask me things. That's usually how you stop being a stranger. But I would not be here without your father's approval."
He has a scar under his chin, she briefly wonders when and where he got it, but doesn't bother asking, it's unimportant in the long run.
"My father isn't known for his impeccable judgement, Mr Andor, or haven't you heard that he married someone critical of the Empire?" Her father is very smart and he learned to be a very good liar, but he does everything to protect Jyn. Her father's approval or plans don't exactly make her feel better.
Seeing her eyes up close suddenly explains her nickname of Stardust.
Cassian raises an eyebrow, answering her question with one of his own. "How much do you know about Alderaan, Miss Erso?" He's not about to openly discuss the planet's deep involvement in the Rebellion, but it's well known that Alderaan is not exactly one of the most Pro-Empire places. Bail totes a fine line since his days as a friend to the Jedi. "Do I need to discuss my own father's former tumultuous position as a Senator?"
He's relieved she hasn't been indoctrinated by the Empire. The files on Lyra Erso were minimal, but from what he's read and heard from Jyn, she very much takes after her mother.
"No. You've answered enough." She steps back, out of his personal space, tucking her hands into the pockets of her coat just in time for the lift to whoosh open on the ground floor.
Owing to the senator's position in Alderaan, Jyn hadn't thought Cassian would be loyal to the Empire, but she knows the vast majority of populations are very loyal because of how the Empire came to power to begin with. A lot of planets never hear of the violence inflicted on smaller powers, even Jyn wouldn't if Galen didn't personally keep her up to date. It was always a possibility that Cassian would have Imperial leanings, she is glad he doesn't.
She leads Cassian and K2 out of the lift, turning down the hall to the backdoor out of the apartment building. "What kind of food do you like?"
Cassian was in essence anti-Empire before it even became the Empire. He spent the first few years of his life in the Outer Rim, in a Separatist anarchist cell. He sees the potential to even tell her one day. Not in detail - but if she's just as disloyal to the Empire as he is, his childhood will help.
Apparently even that can be weaponized for the Rebellion, but he's trying not to think about it. When she steps back and accepts his answer, he nods at her.
He and his droid follow her out, and Cassian takes K2's silence as a sign of data analysis. A perk of Coruscant being so bustling. "There's little I won't eat. I'm sure this planet has quite the variety. Do you have any favorites?"
It's as true as it is fishing for what she likes to eat.
"There's a cafe near the library." Through the door they go and Jyn tugs up her scarf over her hair, looking up briefly at the cameras that she knows are everywhere, eyes sliding to the storm troopers posted on the corner. Her even expression doesn't change, but her eyes flare with anger and her posture stiffens slightly.
She holds out her hand for Cassian. "I'll lose you otherwise." He can probably keep up, but she is very small, it's easy for her to get lost in crowds. And she's not going to take him to a very nice part of town anyway.
Cafes are great. Cassian loves cafes. He drinks a lot of caf and they're excellent social spots. He can make new contacts, maybe even find some old ones. He doesn't follow her gaze to the cameras, mostly because he already knows where her building's security is. He's got it memorized. He's not surprised by the stormtroopers and doesn't seem affected by their presence either, not like Jyn stiffens.
He can definitely keep up with her, but offering her hand is a good gesture he's not going to pass over. He takes it without thought, because it'll make them more inconspicuous too.
Her hand is very small in his and not as soft as he expected. Probably all the rocks. His own is a lot more calloused than a typical academic. "I know where the library is, but a local's sense of time is best. How far is it?"
K2 decides to chime in with a mutter, especially once he sees their hands folded together. "As if Cassian would lose someone in a crowd."
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He feels prickly, and it's not an act. His head lifts up, and he fixes her with his own hard stare. He is, in a way, following in his parents footsteps, just not necessarily in the academic sense.
"You assume I have not been to any of these planets, and you assume I don't know how to do my own work." He says this coolly, any amusement gone from his face. "Not that I need to explain myself to you, but I do not dive in blind on context for the works I choose to study. There are themes I focus on, homeworld similarities, and the circumstances of displacement - all of which I would never dream of ignoring."
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This was a great idea, on the part of their fathers. Put the two most stubborn humans in the same room together for an indeterminate number of weeks or months and expect them not to fight.
Galen, of all people, should know better. His daughter didn't inherit his pacifist nature.
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This is definitely not winning her over, but there is no way he can cave on this. She was an asshole! About his imaginary field of study!
"I would never assume you were ignorant to your field. Don't do it to me."
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Quickly, she stands and yanks the curtain between them, blocking him from her view before she grumpily starts shoving clothes in drawers and clearing off her bed.
He's not even that cute.
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He's never been more annoyed with Bail though.
"You asked me why with derision." He keeps his voice calm, though he's not sure it'll help. "Anyone would have gotten defensive."
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Eventually, the silence is broken by Galen calling out from the hall as he makes his way toward their newly shared room. "Stardust, Stardust..." When he comes into the doorway and sees the curtain already shut there is a fleeting flash of something like regret on his expression, the knowledge that this is a terrible mistake, but then Jyn pokes her head around the curtain, pushing it back to step forward, and his expression immediately softens. It's obvious there is nothing he loves more in the galaxy than his headstrong and rude daughter and he will do anything to protect her, even if it makes her unhappy.
"Stardust, take Mr Andor to dinner in the city."
Her forehead wrinkles, confusion rippling across her face. "But Papa... we were--"
"Jyn. The city, please." He cups Jyn's cheek, kisses her forehead. "Orson is coming to go over some of the plans. Please take our guest to the city for dinner."
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When he hears Galen, Cassian listens in. It's not like the curtain is a sound blocker. He hears the name Orson and immediately follows it with Krennic and knows he does not want to ever be here when that man is. His living here is perfectly legitimate in the eyes of the Empire but - it still puts him on edge. He's going to have to factor that in to his time here and keep away whenever Krennic shows, just in case.
He steps out from his side of the curtain and shoots Galen a grateful look. Jyn clearly doesn't want to do this, but his need to leave the house is strong, so he voices his agreement. "I haven't eaten much of anything substantial since I left Alderaan, and I think it's finally catching up with me."
More like since he left Yavin, but whatever.
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She hates everything about Krennic, admittedly, his presence just brings it all up to the surface. He still refuses to address her by her name. She's always Galen's daughter or the Erso girl. She doesn't get to be Jyn, no matter how many times her father corrects him.
"I know, Jyn." Her releases her, nodding at Cassian. "Leave quickly."
Breathing out a sigh, her head jerks in a nod, as she moves past him out into the hall. She still has to grab her shoes, but they're at the front door so it's on the way. "Come on, Andor. If you get lost because you're too slow I'm leaving you to get mugged."
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"K2," he calls out, because he's not about to leave his droid here either. K2 clangs out of the kitchen, muttering something about insufficient nourishment.
He follows Jyn towards the doorway, antsy despite how swiftly he's gotten himself ready to walk out. "I won't have trouble keeping pace."
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Under her breath she mutters, "Tell your droid not to stomp." If his lumbering droid somehow makes Krennic notice them and she has to speak to that man, she will melt him down.
She glances behind them once, reaching up to curl her fingers against the sleeve of his jacket, nudging him to turn once they reach the end of the hall. It's only once they've reached the lift that she lets go to basically punch the call button. She really doesn't want to see Krennic.
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K2 answers her first, dropping his voice like he's trying to be quiet. "I do not stomp."
He looks at her sharply when she grabs his sleeve, but doesn't yank away. It'd be too much of a scene. "Listen to her, K2. Walk quietly."
The droid does his best, which is enough to get them to the lift unnoticed. Cassian is almost too still while they wait for the doors to open, but he moves like lightening when the lift arrives, pushing both K2 and Jyn in the elevator first.
He presses the door close button quickly and thinks he's really going to need to talk to Galen about knowing exactly when Krennic usually shows. If he's learned anything about the Empire, it's their obsessive scheduling tends to be mostly predictive.
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"There's no cameras or bugs in this one," she mentions softly. "An oversight." Oversight sounds like a lie and she looks up at Cassian carefully. Does he know that she and her father are still often surveilled because Krennic is a creep? Now he does. "Krennic doesn't trust me because I'm too much like my mother."
Her chin tips up, defiant and proud. Damn right she is too much like her mother, fury and loss brimming in her bright eyes still after all these years. She has forgiven her father for bringing her here, she understands that, but she will never forgive Krennic for murdering her mother. She's not exactly subtle about how much she hates him, either. "And now Papa's taken in a student from the Organas home."
Discuss.
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"Everything I have heard of this man leaves me wary about meeting him." Or staying in his company for extended periods of time. Still, he wants this from Jyn's perspective. She might not like him much right now, but it doesn't mean she won't be a useful ally in avoiding Krennic. "How often does he come by? Do you usually have time to prepare?"
K2's eyes make a whirring sound, but the droid keeps stationary as the lift moves downward.
"I'm not particularly interested in discussing my work with the man."
Just because she said it's not bugged or watched doesn't mean he's going to be anything less than the Model Student. At least until he feels confident enough in the security.
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Her head tips back against the wall, eyes closing. "Just take your time in the fresher when he shows up. You'll turning into a wrinkle, but it's better than talking to him, trust me. Papa always distracts him with work and they go back to the office."
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Like he understands entirely more than what the surface conversation carries, his tone is dry: "I suppose he is checking up on just how his dear friend's daughter is doing."
She is so openly disgusted by Krennic. Cassian approves. "There's always feigning a nap as well."
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Eyes fluttering open, she turns her head to look at him, sadness creeping in to dispel some of the anger. Krennic always puts her in a bad mood because she can't help but think about losing her mother. It always feels like he's rubbing it in, gloating. "I know why I don't like Director Krennic, but why don't you like him? Most people that I've met are jealous that I know him. They want an introduction. You want the opposite."
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K2 is surprisingly silent, and Cassian hopes that maybe he's taken the warning to be seen and not heard far better than anticipated. It's a stupid hope, but it's great right now.
"He is not so fond of my adopted father." It's true enough, even if that's not the complete reason why he hates Krennic. Imperial reasons is why. But Jyn looks as sad as she does angry with the question, and he feels like he can use that to smooth things over.
It's not a very nice thought, but it is a spy thought. "Bail as good as raised me as his own. I'm not about to make friends with a man who hates Organa."
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It makes her wonder what happened to his family but she doesn't ask him, not yet.
Instead she pushes herself away from the wall, moving into his personal space and looking up at him. Her bright eyes are calculative and wary under her dark fringe. "My father trusts your father, but why should I trust you?"
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Cassian doesn't react when she steps into his space; if anything, he leans in more and meets her gaze, looking downward with curiosity. She's trying to figure him out, much the same he's working on her. "I suppose I'll have to give you reason to earn my trust first, won't I? It would be presumptuous to assume I can just have it."
It's definitely got elements of a non-answer because he hasn't figured out what to do to earn her trust yet, except maybe become ride or die for her father. Which isn't happening. It's not even the answer he'd give if he was 100% being himself, but he's still working on what part of himself would get along with her best. "You can ask me things. That's usually how you stop being a stranger. But I would not be here without your father's approval."
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"My father isn't known for his impeccable judgement, Mr Andor, or haven't you heard that he married someone critical of the Empire?" Her father is very smart and he learned to be a very good liar, but he does everything to protect Jyn. Her father's approval or plans don't exactly make her feel better.
He works with Krennic, everyday, to protect her.
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Cassian raises an eyebrow, answering her question with one of his own. "How much do you know about Alderaan, Miss Erso?" He's not about to openly discuss the planet's deep involvement in the Rebellion, but it's well known that Alderaan is not exactly one of the most Pro-Empire places. Bail totes a fine line since his days as a friend to the Jedi. "Do I need to discuss my own father's former tumultuous position as a Senator?"
He's relieved she hasn't been indoctrinated by the Empire. The files on Lyra Erso were minimal, but from what he's read and heard from Jyn, she very much takes after her mother.
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Owing to the senator's position in Alderaan, Jyn hadn't thought Cassian would be loyal to the Empire, but she knows the vast majority of populations are very loyal because of how the Empire came to power to begin with. A lot of planets never hear of the violence inflicted on smaller powers, even Jyn wouldn't if Galen didn't personally keep her up to date. It was always a possibility that Cassian would have Imperial leanings, she is glad he doesn't.
She leads Cassian and K2 out of the lift, turning down the hall to the backdoor out of the apartment building. "What kind of food do you like?"
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Apparently even that can be weaponized for the Rebellion, but he's trying not to think about it. When she steps back and accepts his answer, he nods at her.
He and his droid follow her out, and Cassian takes K2's silence as a sign of data analysis. A perk of Coruscant being so bustling. "There's little I won't eat. I'm sure this planet has quite the variety. Do you have any favorites?"
It's as true as it is fishing for what she likes to eat.
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She holds out her hand for Cassian. "I'll lose you otherwise." He can probably keep up, but she is very small, it's easy for her to get lost in crowds. And she's not going to take him to a very nice part of town anyway.
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He can definitely keep up with her, but offering her hand is a good gesture he's not going to pass over. He takes it without thought, because it'll make them more inconspicuous too.
Her hand is very small in his and not as soft as he expected. Probably all the rocks. His own is a lot more calloused than a typical academic. "I know where the library is, but a local's sense of time is best. How far is it?"
K2 decides to chime in with a mutter, especially once he sees their hands folded together. "As if Cassian would lose someone in a crowd."
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