[he pauses at the counter, ignoring the way raddus paps at his pants. he turns around just in time to watch the toy float, and raddus decides her floating toy is far superior to whatever food her dad brought home. she trails after the toy excitedly when rey moves it around, trying to pounce at it once it reaches the couch. there's mild surprise on cassian's face, the proof of her powers right in front of him.]

I have never doubted they were real. I remember them. [he was seven when the clone wars ended, old enough to know the jedi existed, to know he hated them at the time simply because they were fighting for the republic.] The jedi and the Force have just never... been on my side.

[until now. the rebellion used to whisper may the force be with you, like a mantra, but cassian never found much use for it himself. he believes in the force as real, but he's never believed it cared about him at all. the coming together of anti-imperialists and former separatists into the alliance has been a very interesting process the last twenty years.]

[but rey gets the smallest of smiles. his own feelings on jedi are murky, but rey has nothing to do with the jedi of old. she is good and kind and probably everything the jedi should be.] I always thought there was something you were keeping quiet. It's quite a lot for you to hold in for so long.