Sleep report with Matt

[childofrebellion]

In the morning after sleeping with Matt's spell under his pillow, Cassian wakes up with a start and realizes that he feels rested.

His dreams were full but not nightmares, he can't recall many times when that's happened. After stepping into the 'fresher, checking his wound that's healing cleanly and rebandaging it, he starts typing a report for Matt. He debates how deeply to describe the difference between the nightmares he usually has, so many of them are full of times he's had to kill for the Rebellion or missions that went wrong.

In the end, he keeps it simple and knows that Matt can ask for details, many of his reports to Draven are that way in case anything is intercepted and because Draven chooses to pick and choose what intel he shares. Its not ideal and he knows some missions have gone wrong because of missing pieces, ones he hadn't found and didn't know or someone didn't know, but lives have been saved too. No one can break and tell something they don't know. When he reaches the counter, he orders a caf and looks around for Matt and asks for the latest news on his pad.

Comments

[childofrebellion]

"Yes, I can do that. Most of what I dream of is from my missions, I work in Intelligence. And I have spent my entire life fighting with the Rebellion. The dreams last night were of times when plans actually worked. People were extracted, no one disappeared or was got by 'troopers,"

As he talks, he focuses on his mug, he doesn't want to use his reporting voice for this, that's not a fair thank you to Matt. Its just not easy to speak about any of this, he tries not to, that's what Draven taught him. What matters is what he does and accomplishes for the Rebellion.

[semicharmed]

'Extracted' doesn't have a very pleasant resonance to Matt. But then, neither does 'my entire life fighting.'

He nods, thoughtful.

"So everyone was--safe, in your dreams? Or how would you describe it?"

[childofrebellion]

"Yes, as safe as they could be. On ships away with no tie fighters after us or safe at the base with food. It was nice,"

Its a feeling he's had a few times, it doesn't usually last but he knows it. He's better at creating it for other people; finding a way for an informant to get what they need, putting the pieces in place for a rescue or defection, stopping someone.

[semicharmed]

"Mm," he agrees. "Yeah. Okay."

He's quiet a moment, as if listening to something a long way off. (What he's actually doing is trying to make sure he doesn't forget an important question.)

"And how'd you feel when you woke up?" He peers down at the pad. "Is that on here?"

[childofrebellion]

"Yes, there," He points to a part of the report,"I felt refreshed though I woke up how I always do, quickly."

[semicharmed]

"Ah, sorry." Matt gusts a soft, self-deprecating laugh. "I know you said you'd do a full report, but I don't think it registered that you meant a real one."

[childofrebellion]

Cassian laughs and relaxes, "I've been well trained. My general and the Council would never be happy with piecemeal intel."

[semicharmed]

Amused, "Well, I'm flattered you wasted your training on me. Piecemeal intel's the only kind I know."

[childofrebellion]

"Then you need to be firmer with who you make your spells for. And its not wasted, I had a good night's sleep."

[semicharmed]

He scrubs a hand through his hair, expression still amused but a little softer now.

"Which was the point of the exercise, it's true. I'm glad it worked."

[childofrebellion]

"It did. Thank you. Do you often make spells for strangers you meet here?"

He can understand getting better at something with practice but that spell was powerful and Matt only met him last night. Its rare that an informant or new connection would be so generous with him. He would have to gain their trust and figure out what they wanted.

[semicharmed]

"Whenever I can," he admits with a crooked smile. "I started off doing them for friends, and it kind of went from there."

[childofrebellion]

Cassian smiles as that gives him hope, those times when he can help instead of hurt are the best moments of his job. Over the years, they've become harder to find as he's needed for other types of assignments,

"I can understand that."

[semicharmed]

"And no lie, you're benefiting from them being my first test subjects," he adds, grinning. "My early attempts at amulet-making were kinda lumpy, ugly disasters."

[childofrebellion]

"How long have you been making amulets?"

[semicharmed]

"Ummm."

His fingers drum the countertop.

"Well I did try a few for myself in college, but I didn't really get into it until my early 20s? So, couple years now."

[childofrebellion]

"So its only one part of your magic?"

He doesn't know anything about magic but but he knows it takes time to learn and refine.

[semicharmed]

"Yeah. The underlying thread, I guess, to everything I do is that I conceive of my body as a channel for power, or energy, and then it's just about how to direct it."

[childofrebellion]

"That sounds like stories of the Jedi. Did it take a lot of training?"

It would seem like it would, anything that's about changing yourself does. Cassian had to learn how to be able to do his job.

[semicharmed]

"I think it varies?" He shrugs. "I didn't really have any formal training myself."

Little does he know that that's how you become Darth Vader.

"But I read a lot, and I practiced a lot--messed up a lot, too."

[childofrebellion]

"I didn't either, someone taught me but you learn from your mistakes," And hope the cost of them isn't too high.

[semicharmed]

"Taught you, like--how to be a spy?"

If Matt sounds bemused, it's only because he's aware he would be the worst intelligence officer in the multiverse.

[childofrebellion]

"Yes, General Draven trained me how to use my other skills and shift them to be better at gathering intelligence,"

None of those lessons have come easily, he sometimes wonders what would have happened if another member of the Rebellion had taken him on. Its not worth thinking too much on now, he's one of the best intelligence officers and that's what the Alliance needs him to be.

[semicharmed]

"I've never been clear on exactly what constitutes intelligence," Matt considers. (He's pretty sure James Bond isn't a representative sample. Mostly because Q told him so, repeatedly, with increasing levels of exasperation.)

His fingertips drum the counter. "I mean, I'm sure it's dependent on the situation, but--what do you look for?"

[childofrebellion]

"Weaknesses in the Empire, sometimes that's people with information to share or ones thinking about defecting and putting together the pieces of what I find to understand what the Empire's planning. Other times its an opening for sabotage or doing some good. I find the ways in for the rest of the Rebellion,"

If he does his job well, no one can trace what he's done.