"Sergeant Jyn Erso," he said, calmly, formally—with just enough self-awareness of the incongruity of the situation that a bit of warmth finally returned to his voice. "With the authority I hold as captain of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, I promote you to the rank of Commandant."
He simultaneously squared his shoulders—but instead of saluting her (that would be too far), he took her hand again.
"Which means," he said, dropping the ceremony, between just them once more, "you now outrank me.
"So. Next time I start getting delusions above my station. You can remind me whether you want to be near me, what you want to do with me, and how any of that makes you feel, is your choice. Your judgment. Not mine. And if reminding doesn't work… you can command me."
His eyes search hers, letting some of his vulnerability and worry there show, to see if she's comfortable with it. If she understands. That it isn't to create the kind of power imbalance he's been afraid of imposing on her only in reverse. Nor that she is now responsible for him in other ways or always has to be the strong or dominant one. Just that it's a technique. That would likely be unidirectional since he's the one so programmed by military structure; she's more free and fluid than that. And for this purpose, it would help her free him.
Trying to articulate that, he gets near: "Since I can't seem to shake those structures anyway… we can try to make them work for us?"
no subject
They're steady now.
"Sergeant Jyn Erso," he said, calmly, formally—with just enough self-awareness of the incongruity of the situation that a bit of warmth finally returned to his voice. "With the authority I hold as captain of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, I promote you to the rank of Commandant."
He simultaneously squared his shoulders—but instead of saluting her (that would be too far), he took her hand again.
"Which means," he said, dropping the ceremony, between just them once more, "you now outrank me.
"So. Next time I start getting delusions above my station. You can remind me whether you want to be near me, what you want to do with me, and how any of that makes you feel, is your choice. Your judgment. Not mine. And if reminding doesn't work… you can command me."
His eyes search hers, letting some of his vulnerability and worry there show, to see if she's comfortable with it. If she understands. That it isn't to create the kind of power imbalance he's been afraid of imposing on her only in reverse. Nor that she is now responsible for him in other ways or always has to be the strong or dominant one. Just that it's a technique. That would likely be unidirectional since he's the one so programmed by military structure; she's more free and fluid than that. And for this purpose, it would help her free him.
Trying to articulate that, he gets near: "Since I can't seem to shake those structures anyway… we can try to make them work for us?"