In the hyperspace similar to layered space, the white body of the U-Wing fighter was flying alone through a bizarre and surreal rift tunnel.
Endless ripples in hyperspace shimmered like the light on the surface of water, gradually blending into the outside world and casting through the sealed porthole into the cabin.
These soft yet unpredictable lights and shadows danced within the cabin, as if silently narrating the depth and unknowability of this space-time.
However, these magnificent sights failed to soothe the restlessness of the people inside.
They had just narrowly escaped the destruction of the Holy City, but instead of feeling the joy of temporary safety, they were instead engulfed by a heavy sense of oppression, shrouded in a doomsday-like gloom.
Wearing a communication headset and standing behind the pilot's seat, Cassian was using the U-Wing fighter's onboard communication system to contact the rebel alliance stationed on Yavin IV.
Baze Malbus leaned against the cabin wall, his head down, gently stroking his heavy energy blaster, his expression filled with frustration and anger.
Chirrut Îmwe sat nearby. His face showed no anger, and he appeared unusually calm, but it was not hard to see a trace of sadness in his demeanor.
This "Force-sensitive" individual seemed to have already foreseen the destruction of the Holy City but still clung to a glimmer of hope. He repeatedly asked Baze, trying to confirm whether the Holy City was truly destroyed.
After receiving confirmation, his expression completely "dimmed."
Bodhi Rook, on the other hand, seemed to have lost all will to live, his gaze hollow, as if he had distanced himself from everything around him.
As a former pilot of the Galactic Empire, Bodhi had once been a cog in the war machine, but in his fight for justice, he had chosen to become a traitor, hoping to free the oppressed galaxy as soon as possible.
However, the destruction of Jedha's Holy City seemed to have caused Bodhi to question whether his betrayal had truly changed anything.
As for Jyn and Leon, Jyn's hands were clasped in prayer, her eyes closed as if still mourning the loss of "family."
Meanwhile, Leon, accustomed to various scenes, stood by the door of the U-Wing fighter, his arms crossed in front of his chest, seemingly watching the shifting ripples in hyperspace outside the window.
The view outside flickered between brightness and dimness, like the pulsing heartbeat of the galaxy's depths.
Yet, these beautiful sights did not truly catch his attention—
Though his gaze was fixed outside the window, his thoughts had long since immersed in a far more complicated "battlefield."
In fact, Leon was carefully reviewing the latest intelligence data and situational analysis obtained before the communication with the forward base was cut off. He was viewing it through the holographic glasses he was wearing.
These data, files, and materials "floated" in front of him.
Each piece of information was presented in precise, eye-catching fonts, accompanied by simple three-dimensional models and icons, glowing with a faint blue light.
Among these pieces of intelligence, several key items caught his attention.
The first was a project marked as "Scarif."
This codename, or the name of the planet, was frequently mentioned in the intelligence department's analysis and represented a highly classified Galactic Empire base.
According to the intelligence department's speculation, there was a high likelihood that the Death Star's schematics were stored there.
The second was the "Rebel Fleet," indicating the possible movements of the rebel alliance preparing for a large-scale military operation.
Combining the available information, these projects interwove to form a tactical blueprint centered on "plundering the Death Star schematics" and "assassinating Galen Erso."
Another part of the intelligence was a situational analysis.
If Leon could successfully rescue Galen Erso and gain the initial trust of the Rebel Alliance, the First Division of the Scourged Children and the Rebel Alliance might collaborate to raid Scarif in order to obtain the Death Star schematics.
This would be a key action in altering the "One-Seven" galactic structure, not only exposing the fatal flaw of the Death Star but potentially crippling the Empire's military power, providing the resistance with a valuable strategic advantage.
However, the intelligence department pointed out that even though the Rebel Alliance now knew that Galen Erso was a resistance fighter against the Empire, there was still a high probability that they would stick to their original assassination plan.
This was because the operations of the Rebel Alliance were sometimes "incomprehensible."
For this reason, Leon chose to consider the worst-case scenario and take the current situation and the attitude of the Rebel Alliance with a degree of caution.
The intelligence department also provided Leon with information that Galen Erso was currently at "Idu."
"Understood."
After finishing his communication with Yavin IV, Cassian removed his headset, his expression heavy due to the orders he had received.
Cassian paused for a moment in thought before turning to K-2SO at the pilot's seat and spoke in a low, yet commanding voice:
"Set the course for Idu."
K-2SO turned its head and, in its mechanical yet human-like tone, repeated the order:
"Set course for Idu."
Afterward, K-2SO skillfully operated the U-Wing fighter's control panel, rapidly inputting the course data.
The atmosphere in the cabin remained tense, with a bluish glow reflecting on everyone's faces, especially Cassian, whose brows were furrowed with deep concern, seemingly weighing the next steps.
Jyn Erso, upon hearing "Idu," was about to ask if her father was there.
At that moment, Leon, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.
He walked from the door towards Cassian, his voice soft yet inwardly calm:
"Captain Andor."
Hearing this, Cassian looked up at Leon, his gaze carrying a hint of wariness. Before he could respond, Leon continued:
"I never properly introduced myself."
With that, Leon extended his right hand toward Cassian in a gesture of sincerity and calmness:
"Leon S. Kennedy, Senior Investigator of the Main Universe Empire's Investigation Department."
"Empire?!"
That word exploded like an alarm in Cassian's mind.
It immediately caused Cassian's gaze to sharpen, halting him from reaching out to shake Leon's hand. Instead, he turned his attention to the holster at his waist, instantly slipping into combat mode as if warning Leon not to make any sudden moves.
However, in the face of this hostility, Leon remained unusually calm.
He lowered his right hand, offering a faint smile as he explained in a tone devoid of tension:
"No need to be alarmed, Captain Andor."
Yet, there was an undeniable authority in Leon's smile, and he added:
"The Main Universe Empire has no connection with the Galactic Empire, and based on the current situation, we are essentially hostile to the Galactic Empire."
Leon paused for a moment, seemingly allowing Cassian and everyone else in the cabin to digest his words.
Then, he raised his hand and touched his holographic glasses, causing a light blue projection to expand from the lens.
The cabin was instantly illuminated by the glow of the holographic imagery.
The projection showed a brief but detailed video, clearly presenting the concepts of the Main Universe Empire, as well as its policies and core military strategies.
The footage displayed the Imperial Legion in perfect formation, and the atmosphere was markedly different from the cold, oppressive demeanor of the Galactic Empire.
The video also showed several civilian communities, orderly cities, and happy, prosperous residents, a stark contrast to the oppression and poverty Cassian was familiar with.
"As you can see, Captain," Leon's voice resounded again, this time with a guiding tone:
"Our Empire aims to ensure the prosperity and strength of humanity, which is completely different from the tyranny of the Galactic Empire."
As he spoke, Leon pulled up more data about the Main Universe Empire, including some footage of battles and actions against alien civilizations from other universes.
"My mission in this universe is to gather more critical information about your universe and find like-minded human compatriots, as well as aliens we can cooperate with."
Leon's gaze never left Cassian's eyes, his attitude sincere yet firm.
He knew that Cassian, having been through countless assassinations and betrayals, would not easily trust him. But Leon had to make him aware of his sincerity.
However, Cassian's hand remained on his gun, his eyes locked on Leon, his expression complex, as though weighing something.
Cassian was not easily shaken. He was an experienced veteran who could still remain calm after countless life-and-death situations.
But this man, claiming to be from "another universe" and offering what appeared to be detailed information, was causing Cassian's thoughts to become chaotic.
Most importantly, the concept of "another universe" was far too beyond Cassian's understanding.
Such a claim raised suspicions—was the man out of his mind, or was he engaging in some kind of complex but childish deception?
Thus, Cassian analyzed whether the information provided by Leon was real, silently pondering how to act if the situation escalated.
"Captain," Chirrut suddenly spoke as the tension in the atmosphere grew.
The blind man, who appeared to be Force-sensitive, maintained his seated posture, his face as calm as ever. His voice, however, was deep and powerful, as if penetrating the hearts of everyone in the cabin:
"Agent Kennedy indeed does not belong to our world."
At this, Cassian subconsciously looked toward Chirrut, his eyes filled with suspicion, but mixed with a hint of curiosity.
Chirrut, however, seemed unaware of Cassian's gaze and continued speaking:
"I cannot sense any connection between him and the Force, or more precisely, there is not a single trace of midichlorians in Agent Kennedy's body."
As soon as Chirrut spoke these words, the entire cabin fell silent.
Baze simply shrugged indifferently, looking somewhat detached and uninterested.
In fact, Baze wanted to voice his thoughts, but due to the tense situation, he chose to remain uninvolved.
In contrast to Baze's indifferent acceptance, Jyn and Bodhi's expressions were completely different—shock was written all over their faces.
Jyn's eyes flickered with complex emotions. She tried to read more truth from Leon's face, but Leon simply kept his calm expression, as though he had anticipated this.
Bodhi, on the other hand, appeared even more at a loss. He glanced up at Chirrut and Baze, then looked at Leon and Cassian, his lips moving without forming any coherent words.
K-2SO, meanwhile, rotated its head and scanned everyone in the cabin with its faintly glowing blue electronic eyes. Then, in its trademark deadpan humor, it spoke:
"Cassian, according to some theories by Imperial scholars, the concept of a parallel universe that Agent Kennedy mentioned has a credibility of 76.3%."
Though it sounded like a joke, this only made Cassian furrow his brows even more, and he shot K-2SO a cold glance, his voice equally cold as he replied:
"Imperial scholars? K, when did you start trusting their theories?"
K-2SO turned back to the front, continuing to focus on flying the U-Wing, its tone betraying a hint of innocence and sarcasm as it responded:
"I don't trust them, just passing on the data. If you think the credibility is too high, I can adjust it."
Upon hearing this, Leon couldn't help but smile slightly, shaking his head at this universe's robot, which possessed such "intelligence."
He didn't rush to explain himself, instead maintaining his composed attitude.
Chirrut spoke again, his tone gentle but carrying deep meaning: "Captain, the Force will guide us. Perhaps sometimes, true allies will appear in ways you least expect."
Hearing this, Cassian furrowed his brows, but after a few seconds, his expression slowly softened. Finally, he said to Leon:
"If what you say is true, why risk telling me all this? For a spy, this is rather too honest."
After hearing this, Leon calmly responded with a light laugh:
"Because, under the current circumstances, cooperation is more important than confrontation.
Besides, I don't think you're the type to change your stance just because of a few empty words. That's why I'm proving my position with actions and information—
This is more effective, isn't it? Captain Andor."
At that moment, Leon extended his right hand, palm open.
Cassian's brows furrowed in silence for a moment before he slowly released his grip on the gun, then extended his hand to shake Leon's, saying:
"Since that's the case, do you have any better suggestions, Agent Kennedy?"
"Heh, thanks for your understanding, Captain. Just call me Leon. As for suggestions..."
Leon released his hand and pulled out a storage module from his back waist pack, which contained footage recorded by Galen Erso. He continued:
"The contents of this are enough to confirm that Galen Erso is indeed a resistance fighter against the Galactic Empire. So, Captain, before we get deep into the heart of the Galactic Empire, send this information to the Rebel Alliance and get them to abandon their assassination plan for Galen Erso."
"How did you..."
Hearing Leon speak their true intentions for the first time, Cassian was momentarily stunned. His uneasy gaze involuntarily shifted toward Jyn, who looked just as shocked.
But Cassian didn't waste time. He quickly grabbed the storage module and responded:
"You're right."
With that, Cassian swiftly returned to the communicator and began operating it, uploading the relevant information from the storage module to the Rebel base on Yavin IV.
Jyn, sensing the tension, didn't ask any further questions. She simply turned her head away, not letting others see her current expression.
Not long after, the U-Wing fighter they were aboard completed its hyperspace journey and arrived at its destination: Idu.
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