Chapter Text
September 26th, 2016
PARIS, FRANCE
UNKNOWN LOCATION
UNKNOWN TIME
Jyn was fucking lost.
She blinked her eyes slowly backing to life. Her head hurted and her hands were tied behind her in the chair. She was breathing hard, like she was punched in her stomach. She could taste blood in her mouth.
She was alone, in a dark room, somewhere in France, she thinks.
Years of training were her only resource since she couldn’t feel the earrings that served as her communication with Cassian, and made her head weigh, right now.
Cassian. Fuck, where the fuck is Cassian?
Where was him??? Did they get him??? Was he alive?? Her head ached with questions.
That’s when Orson Krennic enters the room.
“Bonjour, Jyn. Are you having a good time?”
And that's how she knew she was going to die tonight.
February 14th, 2016
LYON, FRANCE
INTERPOL HEADQUARTERS
02:17 PM, GMT
Name: Jyn Erso
Status: Alive
Age: 22
Nationality: British
Height: 5 ft 2/1,60m
Languages: English, French and German
Strengths: Hand-to-hand fight, camouflage, anonymity, quick learner
Weaknesses: Following orders, respect authorities and working with partners.
The words on her file made her laugh a little bit, she was the best spy in the Interpol, was raised and trained since 16 years old to be a killer machine, dismantled entire prostitution rings around Europe at the age of 20 and they still had the audacity to say that she didn't follow orders?
It was a bittersweet joke. No fun at all and still it makes her grin.
She looked at the window mirrored in front of her wondering what Mon Mothma, the chief of the organization, would say to her this time. Her bet was "Jyn, you need to stop doing that, these people are useful to other operations" and let her go with a warning.
As if she was going to let a rapist such as the one she killed, and the reason she is sitting here waiting for a scold, get out alive as if his crimes were negotiable as a money transaction. No, she didn't infiltrate herself as a whore, spent the most humiliating six months in her life with this man just so he could be "useful for other operations", he was going to pay for his sins in hell, where she had lived all her life.
As many other intelligence organizations, Interpol recruited its best spies in reformatory, where she was after her godfather Saw suddenly disappeared. After beating the shit out of a man who was harassing her, she spent three months in a reformatory, where Draven found her. He said back then Jyn could've use her "self destructive powers" as he called, "as a weapon towards bad people". Also, she would have a payment and a house, if she didn't die, it was a job offer that an orphan like her couldn't deny.
Now, 6 years later, 3 operations completed and more than 100 of people arrested for sexual exploitation, she was the best spy in Interpol and even so they were designing a babysitter for her.
"Excuse me, what?" she said, her ears were listening but her brain didn't accept it. "I'm gonna be what?"
"Watched." Mon Mothma sighed, it was as hard for her as it was for Jyn, "All your missions from now on will be watched by one of ours desk staff, they will accompany you with a security camera and a listening device on your ear. I know it's not the best option but your last action didn't gave us much of a choice." she said firmly.
"So, someone is going to babysit me? Is that what I get from dismantle the biggest prostitution ring in Paris? Listen, Mothma I thought I was better than that!" she could feel her anger on her tone.
"Jyn, that is your only choice, the alternative is for you to spend a whole year in desk duty, would you prefer that?"
"I rather die!” Jyn breathed heavily “Okay, who's gonna be my nanny?"
Mon Mothma didn't look quite convinced but gave her the file anyway.
Name: Cassian Jeron Andor
Status: Alive
Age: 26
Nationality: Mexican
Height: 1,78m
Languages: Spanish, English, Italian, Russian and Korean
Strengths: Excellency at invading and creating softwares, reprogramming codes and hacking systems.
Weaknesses: Making connections, networking, acting.
And that's how Cassian Andor became literally the voice in her head.
March 3rd, 2016
MILAN, ITALY
PASTICCERIA CUCCHI
10:15 AM, Local Time
She always wanted to visit Italy. That was the country where her parents spent their honeymoon, "the most romantic place on earth" her mother used to say, "you could see all the stars in th the universe on the italian sky, Stardust, one day we will take you there" her father told her once. But that was a long time ago, her parents were gone a long time ago. Memories from a life that was taken away from her. Now she is here for business which she's already late for because her alleged partner Cassian Jeron Andor hasn't appeared it yet.
They haven’t met yet but she would make it very clear that his punctuality wasn’t very professional. At least the coffee shop she was in was very calm and the coffee was delicious, so she would go easy on him, if she scared the man, Mothma would definitely put her in desk duty.
Distracted by the view of her window she didn't realise when he finally arrived.
"Scuzi! Il pericolo è più nei tuoi occhi che in venti delle loro spade*" looking at the ground and smiling a little bit.
And when she looked at him she knew she was fucked. There was something in his brown eyes and easy smile that crawled under her skin, almost making her shiver.
Christ sake, Jyn, you are a highly trained spy, won't fall for the stupid hot hacker they trapped you with just because he quoted Romeo and Juliet in italian.
He kept looking, waiting for her to answer the code but... Shit, which language should her use now?
She tried to remain impassive, forced a smile. "Que ton œil me soit doux, et je suis à l'épreuve de leur inimitié*"
His smile got bigger, making his eyes wrinkle a bit and she could feel her heart pounding on her chest. Shit, she hated it.
"Perdoname, señorita... pero no hablo francés, puedo sentarme aquí?*"
"Fühlen Sie sich frei zu*" she answered pointing the free chair in front of her. While he seated and started to laugh.
"Well, I guess we're going with the old english anyway... nice to meet you Ms. Erso. I'm Andor, Cassian Andor." he offered his hand.
"Erso, Jyn Erso." she gave him a handshake "But you can call me just Erso, no need for Ms." she tried to sound polite. “And you’re late, Andor”.
He laughed again, making her want punch and kiss him, at the same time.
Okay perfect, he is prettier than in the picture on his file, is dressed with a cute white button t-shirt and black jeans who makes him look like any leading role in a rom-com, but he still an agent like her, who is here solemnly to babysit her during this mission and that still is pissing her off. So, he shouldn't look as this relaxed in front of her, he should be frightened right now.
"Listen, I know this is not the most comfortable situation in the world but…” he went closer to her, lowing his voice, she closed the part in her brain that made her think about his mouth in her ear whispering other things to her “I just want you to know that I'm not gonna screw you. I've read your file, you were right, that man shouldn't make out alive. In your place, I would've done the same, I think."
Okay that's enough. Handsome, smart and agrees with her? He's clearly faking it.
She sniffed.
"I mean no disrespect, Mr. Andor, but I didn't ask your opinion on previous missions. We're in this temporary arrangement but that doesn't mean we're friends."
She didn't know how that was possible but his eyes seemed to bright even harder with her answer. This man was dangerous.
With his hands on each side of his head, he simply said it "Okay, the person who said it it's not here anymore, shall we discuss today's meeting?"
She looked around. Even if the coffee shop was lovely, they wouldn't be safe in a crowded place.
"Uhm, I don't think here is a good place to do so..."
He seemed embarassed, as if he supposed to know that, it was annoyingly cute.
"Giusto! Uhm... have you ever been to Milan before?" he said while grabbing his single strap bag.
Jesus, he really looked like the leading roles of the rom-coms she used to secretly watch when she was 14.
"Not really, why?"
"Would you like a tour while we speak about the most secret mission in Interpol?"
She would not give in to him so easily. Was he dumb? Milan is full of people at this time of the year.
"Isn't that counterproductive? Every place in this city is crowded." she tried to sound bored, but all she could feel was excitement.
"Not really, I think you're going to have to trust me." He winked at her as he put on his sunglasses. "So.... let's go?" he offered his hand.
Jyn stared at his hand and then at his face again, suspiciously. She didn't know why, but she trusted him. She took his hand and got up with him.
And that's how she spent the best afternoon in her life in years.