Thinking about how in S1E7 Maarva expresses the empowerment she felt from learning about the Aldhani heist to Cassian, without even knowing he was a critical piece of it. That it was him that was there, with the blaster in his hand and his life on the line.
She thinks Cassian doesn’t care about the Rebellion and he doesn’t give her any reason to think otherwise, but he’s already in it even if he’s unaware of that (“there are whole armies, battalions that have no idea that they’ve already enlisted in the cause”). He pretends to himself that he can find peace someplace the Empire can’t reach him, but everywhere he goes it follows.
And then also thinking about how in Rogue One Cassian tells Jyn that her father would’ve been proud of her. It’s as if he was saying what he wanted to hear, that his mother didn’t know the extent of his bravery against the might of the Empire and how she would’ve been proud of him, too.
That’s why Vel told Cassian that “everyone has their own rebellion”. Everyone is trying to soothe an ache they’ve been carrying. Everyone is wounded. Cassian learns throughout Andor that he can no longer pretend that his wounds are only his own when everyone around him has also lost as he has lost.
In Rogue One he is so cogently aware of this that he is prepared to die (“fight these bastards for real”).
(gif credit: @sseditorialmagazine, @jack-abbot)
