We're too tired to congratulate each other. As the ship takes off over the sand, all we can manage are nods to each other.

That run exhausted me.

I hate sand.

It slides around so much that you can't get a good grip on it. Give me snow and some solid spikes any day.

But we're safe and on our way home.

Kubamanu passes Ciara and I each a canteen, which we accept gratefully.

I sip and swish the water around in my mouth, letting it wet my tongue before I swallow it. I take another sip and do the same.

My heart rate slowly decreases, and my chest stops heaving.

Finally, I lean my head back on the bench and stretch my legs out along the ground.

When we land, Ciara and I run to our respective ships and the tiny fleet heads home.

I sit in the copilot's seat as we hit hyperspace.

"How'd it go?" Linami asks.

"Two kills."

"No sightings?"

"None.  That we know of.  Nobody pursued us."

"Good."

"We can paint an extra few TIE-Fighters. I shot down six more out there." I lean my head back with a smile.

"Does it count if you shot them on a different ship?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should just do my sniper shots and the ones I hit from here then."

"So two more Imperial symbols, then how many TIE-Fighters?"

"Let's say five.  I don't remember."

"Five it is."  A light flashes and she glances over.  "We're coming up to Dantooine now."

"Alright."

"Hear that, Perl?" Linami calls behind us.  "We're coming out of hyper speed."

"Thank you."

She pulls the lever and we slow.  The farms come into view, and then the landing pad, and then we're home, after another successful mission with no rebel casualties. I climb down before Linami and turn to her. "I'll report for our team."

"Thanks. Go get some sleep." She smiles and squeezes my upper arm.

I didn't realize how late it is until now. I'm starving. Maybe I can get some stuff from the mess hall before bed. But first, reporting.

I walk with the Admiral and Ciara to the main meeting hall.

Inside the room, Senator Bail Organa and Mon Mothma are looking over a hologram, while a young girl sits beside the senator, trying her hardest not to fall asleep.

The three of us salute. The two adults salute back, standing.

"Report?" Mon Mothma asks.

Akbar speaks up first. "Mission Team 418, nine total TIE-Fighters, six of those shot by Sniper 510 from our ship, and one officer by Kubamanu."

"Five TIE-Fighters from ours," I say, "And two officers."

"Four TIE-Fighters, one officer," Ciara finishes.

Mon Mothma enters the numbers into a holopad.

The girl stands and touches the Senator's arm.  "Baba?"

"Yes, Leia?" he asks, turning.

"Is it time for bed yet?"

"I told you that if you wanted to, you could go to bed."

"But is it?"

"Yes.  These are the last of them."

I've been distracted by the exchange and didn't notice that we were dismissed.  I play it off that I was eager to meet the girl.

Extending a hand, I step forward, bending down to her level.  She's probably eleven or so, and short with very long hair.  "Sergeant Cassian Andor," I say with a smile.

She straightens and takes my hand, very diplomatically.  "Senator Leia Organa."

Bail laughs.

Leia blushes.  "Well, not yet anyway.  But soon.  Right, Baba?"

"Yes, when you're Cassian's age."

"How old are you?"

Bail answers.  "Old enough to be a senator."

"Then why isn't he?"

"I'm not high enough on the social ladder," I explain.  "Plus the Empire doesn't like me very much, if we're honest.  And I don't like them either.  That's why I'm here."

"That's why I'm here too." Leia raises her chin proudly.

I laugh and ruffle her hair. She scowls at me and hurries to put it back into place.

"Good night, Cassian. Get some sleep," Senator Organa says, resting a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Goodnight, Senator." I give him a short salute. "Goodnight, Senator Leia."

She salutes me jauntily and I return it, nodding to Mon Mothma before I leave the room in search of food.

The mess hall is closed, and none of the night guards will open it, even while my stomach interrupts me with an earth shaking roar.  So, instead of eating fresh food, I go back to my barracks, hang up the bag with my rifle, and rifle through my drawers until I find a packet of rations, left over from the last mission.

I try not to eat the rations.  They may be full of nutrients and protein and the likes but they taste worse than the manure piles smell.  I barely choke down the disgusting bar, and drink a gallon (at least it feels like it) of water.  Of course, that was a bad idea because now I have to pee.

So I don't sleep for a while, and by then it's already morning.

And I do not want to miss breakfast.

Ah!  Real food!