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Before you and Cassian left the ship, Cassian told Kay to give you and him an hour. An hour to get in, find Tivik, get the information, and head back. If Kay didn't hear that you were on you way back in an hour, he was to assume that you were dead or captured and leave without question. The droid seemed to accept this easily. He bid you and Cassian goodbye and the two of you set out together the same as you had done just yesterday. 

At the heart of the city was pure chaos. It was exactly like the settlement on Mordu but far larger. The buildings were higher, the crowd was larger, the sights, sounds, and smells were amplified. You were overwhelmed the moment you and Cassian started your trek through the alleyways. People begged for credits on the sides of the street. They attempted to persuade you to take a glimpse into their shops. They offered you tons of things you didn't recognize, like spices they hid in the inside of their coats. 

Cassian put his arm around your shoulders as you moved in deeper. "I told you this place was dangerous." 

"You did not tell me that," you muttered. 

"I must've just thought it to myself then," he said. He glanced around suspiciously and lifted the comm to his lips. "Kay, do you copy?" 

"I copy, Captain," he replied. "Your timer is currently counting down at forty-two minutes, twenty-seven seconds and---" 

"I don't need the exact time, Kay," Cassian said. "We're nearly at the cantina. I'll keep you posted."

"He's meeting us at a cantina?" you asked. 

"Yes," he said. "He typically chooses somewhere in the open, where he doesn't look suspicious. There are plenty of cantinas here in the city. No one will question what he's doing, that's for sure."

Someone bumped your shoulder. You gasped in pain and turned, finding yourself locked in the unforgiving glare of a man. You opened your mouth to form an apology, but you couldn't forge one. Cassian's hand was still on your shoulder. 

"We're terribly sorry," he said quickly, easily. As he spoke with upmost sincerity, he pulled your body away from the man and started off in the opposite direction. "Terribly sorry."

Stumbling forward, you became more aware of the eyes that were on you. Even more than that, you became aware of the Imperial stormtroopers that were here. They were scattered all over, browsing the shops, stopping citizens and asking for ID, standing on the rooftops to keep watch over the people below. There were more of them than there were citizens, and there were a lot of citizens. You felt dizzy. 

Cassian made sure the man wasn't following him, just as he had done on Mordu. When the coast was clear, he leaned close to your ear. "Are you all right?" 

"Fine," you whispered. "Just... on edge." 

"It'll be quick. I promise." He gave your shoulder a quick squeeze. "We're doing just fine." 

It was true that this mission was going far smoother than you'd expected it to after Cassian gave you that lullaby. You'd assumed you'd be fighting your way through it all. But so far it was calm. And that is what worried you most, because there was this feeling inside of you that something just wasn't right. 

"Keep on high alert," you heard one of the stormtroopers say. 

"Roger that." 

You watched them out of the corner of your eye. Cassian turned a corner, spotted a cluster of troopers, and jerked his chin upward, telling you to go to the left. A suffocating feeling made your chest tight. Cassian dropped his hand from your shoulder. He fell slightly behind you. You did not like this. 

Your fingers brushed against the hilt of your lightsaber from where it was concealed beneath your poncho. You glanced up from the cover of your hood, eyes swiping across the rooftops---

And your blood went cold. 

You did, you slammed to a stop, the heels of your boots digging into the dirt below you, your left arm shooting out to stop Cassian from stepping any further. Because right where you stood, you could see it. A single stormtrooper pointing his blaster directly at Cassian's chest. 

"I see them!" 

Panic swarmed inside of you, clouding your better judgement. You shoved Cassian away and ducked to the ground, whipping your own blaster out and firing directly at the stormtrooper. Half a second later, the street was in chaos.

Citizens ran, terrified for their lives. The stormtroopers piled into the streets, firing at random, taking out innocent lives that got in their way. You watched in horror as blood spilled on the streets. Someone's blood splattered against the tops of your boots. You blinked at it in shock. 

"There's the Jedi!" 

Your eyes raised to meet the end of a blaster. Cassian's hands were on your arms and he was dragging you away, his name spilling out of your lips. You turned and ran with him, your hand grabbing his because you didn't want to lose him. If you lost him in this crowd, you knew you'd lose him forever.

The ground began to shake. You and Cassian slammed to a stop, confused, and turned. As soon as you turned, you watched as a ball of flames exploded in the middle of the street. You and Cassian were blown back. He clutched you tightly against him as he hit the ground first. You heard the pained screams of those that were wounded in the bombing and that encouraged you to stand up quickly, dragging him up with you. 

You looked at him with horrified eyes. He didn't waste anymore time. He was pushing you forward, pulling out his blaster, desperate to protect you from all the dangers around you. And you were equally as ready to protect him. 

And this was more than just keeping Cassian alive for the Rebellion. This was you keeping him alive for yourself. Because selfishly, you needed him. Selfishly, you loved him.

You pulled out your lightsaber because it was easier for you to use. As you ran alongside Cassian, you cut through every white-armored soldier you saw. The crowd was thick and the people were in a terrified frenzy. Every single body that collided with yours knocked you further away from Cassian until you could hardly see him several feet away.

There were more stormtroopers than citizens still and you were killing every single one that you saw. The crowd was growing in numbers. Some people ran from you. Some people ran toward you. They either screamed in your face or pleaded for you to protect them. You were suffocating as you crossed the street, staring at the reflection of your blue weapon in the whites of their eyes. 

You reached your hand above the heads of the citizens in desperation. 

"Cassian!" you screamed. "Cassian!" 

"___! I'm---" 

I'm coming, I'm here --- you wouldn't get to know the rest of that sentence. Because as you saw him through the crowd and reached for him, your hand outstretched, your fingertips brushing against his, an explosion hit from your left. You shouted in pain as it threw you up in the air. The flames engulfed you. And you were grateful nonetheless, because you'd managed to block Cassian from the hit.

And that was all that mattered.