CASSIAN WANTED to kick the U-wing into pieces. He’d gone outside to inspect the ship in the violent storm and darkness, by himself, and he hadn’t liked a single thing he’d seen. The landing—if he could call it that—had smashed not only the landing gear but other parts of the craft. They weren’t going anywhere in it.

Now he needed to find and assassinate Galen Erso and also somehow steal a ship big enough to carry all six of them safely off the planet. If they wanted to survive, anyway. He didn’t need K-2SO to tell him that the chances of Jyn trying to kill him after he murdered her father approached a hundred percent.

The only bit of good news he could find was that the storm had covered their approach so well that the Imperials in the base didn’t seem to have noticed their crash at all.

The worst part, though, was that the ship’s communications array had been destroyed in the crash, too. That meant Cassian couldn’t call for help. He couldn’t even signal General Draven that they’d made it to Eadu and found the facility where Galen Erso supposedly worked.

Because of that, Draven would probably think Cassian and his ragtag team were dead. What would he do then?

Cassian didn’t know for sure, but General Draven wasn’t one to sit on his hands and hope things would work out in his favor. He preferred action.

When it came down to it, Cassian had to admit he was much the same way.

He went back into the ship, and all eyes turned to him. He knew they were waiting on him for some kind of plan. He just had to come up with one that wouldn’t get them all killed—at least not until he finished the mission.

“Bodhi,” he said. “Where’s the lab?”

“The research facility?”

Maybe he needed to give the kid a break. Saw had tortured him, after all. But he didn’t have time for this right now. “Yeah. Where is it?”

His tone seemed to shake Bodhi awake. “It’s just over the ridge.”

“And that’s a shuttle depot straight ahead of us? You are sure about that?”

The pilot nodded. “Yes.”

As shaken as the man might be, Cassian decided to believe him.

“We’ll have to hope there’s still an Imperial ship left to steal. Here’s what we’re doing.”

He glanced at each of the others to make sure they were listening. They hung on his every word.

“Hopefully the storm keeps up and keeps us hidden down here. Bodhi, you’re coming with me. We’ll go up the ridge and check it out.”

The pilot jumped to his feet with a sharp nod. He was ready.

Jyn unfolded herself and stood next to him. “I’m coming with you.”

Cassian shook her off. “No. Your father’s message. We can’t risk it. You’re the messenger.”

He realized how thin that sounded as an excuse, but he didn’t have anything better. He couldn’t just say, I can’t have you around, because I might have to kill your father.

“That’s ridiculous,” she responded. “We all got the message. Everyone here knows it.”

She could obviously tell he was trying to protect her from something. Cassian could only hope she didn’t guess what.

He was about to explain that none of them would remember what she said with as much clarity as she did. Then K-2SO spoke up.

“‘One blast to the reactor module and the whole system goes down.’ That’s how you said it. ‘The whole system goes down.’”

“Get to work fixing our comms,” Cassian snapped at the droid. He didn’t know if that was even possible, but it would keep K-2SO out of trouble for a little while at least.

Cassian turned back to Jyn and tried to seem casual. “All I want to do right now is get a handle on what we’re up against.”

He’d lied to so many people over the years. Why did he have trouble lying to her? Maybe it was because she was on his side now and he didn’t want to betray her.

He turned to Bodhi. “So we’re gonna go very small and very careful up the rise and see what’s what. Let’s get out of here.”

Jyn crossed her arms and frowned at him, still suspicious, but she didn’t object. I’ll take that, Cassian thought. At least for now.

Bodhi followed him out into the storm, and Cassian cast about for which way to go. He spotted a route that led lower and one that climbed higher. He started for the lower one, but Bodhi stopped him.

“No, no. We’ve gotta go up.”

Bodhi led the way from there, and Cassian followed.