Waking up on the Ring of Kafrene after his last memories being the searing heat of the encroaching destruction of the Death Star on the sands of Scarif had been disorientating -- at the very least. The breakneck change of the burning heat against his flesh to the stark cold of the barren alleyways was enough to make a chill climb down his spine and make the man shiver as he pulled himself together.
He hadn’t had enough time to piece together just how much time had passed since the Battle of Scarif before he was pulling himself together just via instinct; without a blaster or weapon to call his own, he managed to find his way to an abandoned and banged up Imperial ship -- hijacking it and setting his course for Yavin IV ; not even aware that the Rebellion had moved their base of operations not too long after The Battle of Yavin, a battle that was almost in direct correlation with The Battle of Scarif.
So, the intelligence officer stood in what did remain of Yavin IV’s base -- looking mildly shellshocked as he tried to mentally piece together how long it had truly been since he had been wrapped up in the warm destruction of Scarif and now -- Yavin IV missing the brustling of rebels and officers alike that he had been expecting.
DIEGO LUNA // have you met CASSIAN ANDOR yet? HE is a 26 year old CIS MALE HUMAN. they’re originally from FEST and now show loyalty to THE REBELLION. they are best known for being an INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, and i hear they’re pretty LOYAL yet also COLD at times; i hope they survive the galactic civil war. (LUCY, EST, 27, SHE/HER )
TROPES: Anti-Hero, Child Soldier, Good is not Soft
THE PAST
Cassian Andor was born on a small, industrial planet on the Outer Rim called Fest. Early into life, Cassian learned what war looked like – what bloodshed and death looked and felt like first hand.
Cassian Andor was born to a human mother and father on a small, industrial planet on the Outer Rim called Fest – born shortly before the infamous Clone Wars. When the Separatists were forced outwards towards Outer Rim planets, bringing the impact of the war closer to home, everything became more real for the young boy.
His father was a solider against the Republic – a Major – and his mother used to be a General before she gave birth to Cassian. His father was on and off Fest during the beginning of the war, so that his mother could try and raise their small son without the shadow of the war looming above him ; to shield him from the bloodshed and to prevent from scarring his innocence as long as they could help it.
The Confederacy set up a research center on their small, icy planet ; and Cassian’s mother – a brilliant woman, with beauty to match her sharp brains – joined the research team so that she could still assist in the efforts without leaving their son either on the planet to fend for himself, or to prevent dragging him into the war. Albeit, ten months into the Clone Wars – the Omega Squad, a elite squad of the Grand Army of the Republic, raid and destroyed the research center. His mother was killed as a result of a fire that was started, the fierce Andor matriarch not even able to get the chance to fight for her life.
Following the death of his mother, his father’s initial hatred of the Republic grew with the passing of his wife. Cassian left Fest in 20 BBY, when he was only six years old – and both father and son joined an insurrectionist cell backed by the Confederacy of the Independent Systems. It was in this cell that he saw his first battles – even if it wasn’t up close as personal. The young and angry child solider throwing bottles, rocks, and whatever else he could get his hands on at Republic walkers and clone troopers.
Near the end of the Clone Wars, in 19 BBY, Cassian was seven during a protest at Cardia Academy – this marking the first time Cassian truly used a blaster during a battle, one that his father had given him ( as scratched up and old as it was ). They were outnumbered severely, and the intricate plan that had been made by his father and another fell through – resulting in the deaths of many Separatists; including his father.
From the age of seven, Cassian bounced around outer rim planets; harbored by Separatist planets that would eventually become part of the Alliance — the young boy, now a barely a teenager, reckless and headstrong. But he had all the makings of a good solider when he meet Davits Draven.
Cassian was only thirteen when he was taken under the wing of Draven, and his skills were quickly honed in on and developed from the moment that the cool durasteel of a blaster was planted into his hands and his the hatred for the Empire sewed onto his heart like a stitch. From that moment, he sealed his fate – in both body and soul – that there was nothing else that he wanted to do with his time in this universe than to fight to keep the skies from the flag of the Empire.
Over the years, Cassian bred himself into a veteran spy and soldier – positive that what was slowly becoming the Alliance to Restore the Republic would’ve been something that both of his parents would’ve followed themselves. Even if his methods were likely something he knew that they would not be proud of ; his father would’ve understood that the ends justified the means. Cassian grew good at words – good at weaving himself into a tapestry where he shouldn’t have belonged under fake names and on lewd planets.
He became an almost expert marksman ; able to gauge the vulnerable points of a person, even through armor, and know the best ways to penetrate said armor as a result. Even without proper schooling, the male was extremely intelligent – and everything he learned about flying, droids, and fighting he either taught himself, or one of the other rebels saw his potential and took him under his wing to teach him. Cassian was – in fact – always a quick learner.
For a good number of years, under the alias of The Fulcrum, Cassian traveled around well known Separatist planets – as well as known sympathizers – in order to recruit.
As he grew in rank to Captain, it was obvious that Cassian was able to kill without blinking – able to take down enemies, and well as those who may be considered a liability, without hesitation ; no one but Mon Mothma even stopping to think what kind of effects it might have on his mentality.
He specialized highly in espionage and sabotage. Despite his cold demeanor, the Captain was an asset because he could feign anything between indifference to sympathizer in order to get what he needed. He could slip himself so easily into the skin of an alias that it was sometimes a wonder on how he could rip it back off.
He did all of this under the colors of the Rebellion, even if it was soaked in the crimson of the deaths on his shoulders – because he knew that the ends had to justify the means.
THE PRESENT
The last thing that Cassian Andor remembered was being at peace with himself on the sands of Scarif. For the first time in a very long time, there were no thoughts of the next mission, and the next mission-- There was no lingering apprehensions on missions of the past. All that mattered in that moment was the life of himself, and the life of Jyn Erso, caught up in fate in that one moment. Everything in his life boiled down too that one last moment and allowing himself to be at peace with merely the hope that someone somewhere out there was listening ---
What he didn’t quite expect was to wake back up after the events of Scarif. He had no connection to the elusive Force, and he had expected to drift into oblivion in peace with the hope that his and Rogue One’s sacrifice had been worth it.
He didn’t expect to wake up in a back alley of the Ring of Kafrene -- groggy and disorientated. He could only attest his quick reaction time to his years measuring and tapering his expression; snapping himself into action long enough to hijack an abandoned ship marked as Imperial and set course for Yavin IV - not even aware of the changed tides of the war.
