I don't own Star Wars obviously.
I wanted to write a Zeb story since their really aren't that many anyway, I hope you like it.
When the Ghost landed, the crew walked out and met with Kanan's friends. There was one difference from last time, Izanmai wasn't out to greet them.
"Where's Izzy?" Kanan asked.
"She went into town to get some supplies. Come inside and rest guys. She'll be back soon." Ahsoka told them.
The Togruta got them something to drink and sat down with them in the living room. Rex sat beside her.
"So, hows the rebellion?" she asked.
"You know, stealing supplies, getting shot at, fighting the Empire, the usual." Kanan replied with a smirk.
"Funny, but seriously, how are things?"
"Not the greatest." He sighed.
"The last few missions out intel was wrong so we…" Hera began.
"Had to fight the Inquisitor." Rex finished.
"Yeah."
They began talking and catching up on things. Zeb wasn't paying attention but he tried to. There was something off about the smell in the house. He knew it was Izzy's but there was something else there, he just couldn't place what it was. It was effecting him too. He sighed as quiet as possible and looked over to Sabine and Ezra. They were sitting closer together and he was happy for them and that he recently got his room back to himself.
The Lasat took a deep breath but noticed that was not a smart move. The instant he did, he noticed the scent he had been smelling was stronger. Zeb looked over to see Izzy had come back and had a smile on her face.
"Hey guys." She greeted before she went to put away the supplies she bought. She came over to them a few minutes later and sat down. She was across from him but he could tell there was something different than the last time.
They group kept in conversation for a while before Kanan noticed something. "Izzy." She looked up at him. "Where's Fives?" the demon looked down trying to hold back tears. Ahsoka and Rex looked at each other before turning their gazes on their friend.
"He was killed when we went to save a village from the Empire. It was on another planet and we got there later than intended and he sacrificed himself to save the villagers." She told them sadly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know." He quickly apologized.
"Don't be. You didn't know and he didn't die in vain. That planet is safe from the Empire." She said with a watery smile. Rex touched her shoulder and she smiled at him. He lost his brother too. "Excuse me." She said getting up and walking into her room.
"I didn't mean to upset her." Kanan said feeling really guilty he even brought it up.
"Don't worry about it." Rex told him.
"When did it happen?" Sabine asked. She was a little sadden since it was a fellow Mando.
"A couple weeks after you guys left." Ahsoka told them.
Zeb watched Izzy as she sat down and told them what happened to her mate. He watched her as she left the room and went down the hall. Even after the door shut to her room he kept his gaze trained that way for a bit longer. He needed to ask Ahsoka what was wrong with her but he would wait until the others weren't listening.
It was night, Izzy had satyed in her room since the discussion about Fives. Zeb walked out of his room he was staying in. He could hear Ahsoka and Rex talking in the kitchen. He need to ask the Togruta about Izzy.
Ahsoka and Rex were talking when she stopped and looked to the entrance of the kitchen. She could sense the Lasat before he even got close. She looked at him as he stood there awkwardly.
"Did you need something Zeb?" she asked.
"Yeah, um, I need to ask you something." He said rubbing his neck.
She patted the chair next to her and he walked and sat down. "What did you need to ask me?"
"Well, is something wrong with Izzy?" he asked. She and Rex looked at each other.
"Why?" Ahsoka asked. She knew Lasats had an excellent sense of smell like her species did.
"The house smelled different than last time and when she came back, it was stronger and I cant place it."
Ahsoka sighed before answering. "Zeb, Izzy's in heat." She told him. Zeb's eyes widened. He forgot she wasn't human.
"Oh." He didn't really know what to say.
"It's her first one without Fives." Rex told him.
"It's been difficult for her." Ahsoka said sighing. "I know you can smell it like I can." He nodded. "I know its effecting you too." He didn't say anything knowing she was right. He was about to ask something else when Rex looked over the Lasats shoulder.
"Where are you going Izzy?" The former 501st captain asked. The demon Jedi looked at him with sadness in her cobalt gaze.
"Somewhere." She said then she was out the door. Ahsoka and Rex knew where she was going. Zeb looked a little confused.
"She's going to the graves of our fallen brothers." Rex said once Izzy was out of ear shot. Zeb looked at the clone for a minute then decided to get up and go after her. He knew what it was like to lose your mate.
Zeb walked outside and sniffed the air. He could smell her scent going to the east, so he started that way. It only took him a couple minutes to find her. What he saw made his ears flatten in sympathy. When he heard her, his posture sunk a little.
Izanami knelt in front of Fives' grave, letting tears fall silently from her eyes. She was trying to be strong but it was slowly fading away the longer she was in heat. "I'm sorry Fives." She began crying. "I'm not strong enough to do this without you." She cried burying her face in her hands.
The young demon was openly crying into her hands. Her will was breaking and she didn't know how to stop it. She needed to help her friends as much as possible but it was getting harder. She was crying so much, she didn't notice someone coming towards her till they were right behind her.
Zeb watched her for a moment before sighing and walking towards her. She needed some support and for some reason he couldn't figure out why it had to be him, but he knew why. He was the only one that was here that had actually lost their mate. He knew the pain that came with it. It was a connection that humans didn't understand. Ahsoka could but she still had hers. The Lasat stopped a few feet behind her when she noticed him.
Izzy didn't need to look back to know who it was. She could smell him. "Zeb." She said his name quietly.
He stood there, still behind her when he spoke. "I know what you're going through." He told her. "I lost my mate to the Empire when they came to Lasan." Izzy still didn't look at him. She didn't need to, he knew she was listening. "I went crazy. I couldn't believe she was gone and there were only a few Lasat left. The pain is unbearable." He said moving to stand next to her.
Zeb looked at the graves. There was ten and they each had a clone trooper helmet as a head stone.
"his brothers died doing the same thing he was." She spoke softly. "Tup, Jesse, Hardcase, Waxer, Boil, Jinx, Snap, Woolly, Typho." She repeated their names and pointed out their graves to the Lasat. He didn't need to know whose grave she was in front of. "They fought for a Republic that they weren't even considered part of and they were betrayed by their own. They fought to bring peace from the Empire and this is how their former superior repays them." She said sweeping her arm across the line.
"This pain will never go away. I know you know that." She said looking up at him. His green eyes met her cobalt. He nodded still looking at her. "I've accepted that Fives is gone." She said as she pulled herself up to stand in front of Zeb. He had to look down at her, since she was only over a meter and a half tall (5'6"). "It's this damn heat I'm in." she grumbled crossing her arms.
Zeb smirked at the pout she gave before it fell. "How long have you been like this?" he asked.
Izzy looked up and met his eyes. "About two months." She sighed. His eyes widened at the thought. Males usually didn't go through a heat but he knew from the females he had been around, it never stayed this long.
"Are you going to be alright?" he asked concerned for her.
"I think so. The only thing is it should have stopped a long time ago. I don't know if its just my body trying to accept the fact my mate is gone or what." She took a breath and her mind and body instantly went haywire.
She could smell the pure male that was in front of her. Osik. She cursed as she felt the flood of the heat running through her. Izzy knew that Zeb had a great sense of smell just like her and Ahsoka and was sure he could smell he body reacting to his scent.
The Lasat watched as her eyes dilated slightly after she took a steadying breath. It didn't take his mind long to figure out why. Not a moment later he could smell her heat running rabid through her. Shit. He thought as his body began reacting to her scent.
They both watched the other for a minute as they tried to calm themselves. Zeb took a step back to create some distance between them. The couple of feet apart wasn't helping. Izzy noticed and knew what he was doing but her mind was fogging up and she stepped towards him on instinct. He went to take another step back but her hand on his arm stopped him.
Her hand grabbed his wrist to stop him from moving away. She felt him freeze in his spot and she met his gaze.
Zeb knew he shouldn't do this but he wanted to. Kriff he wanted to. He watched as she stepped closer to him. Her hand moved from his arm to his chest as she stepped just inches from him. She was so close now and it was driving his senses crazy. His eyes never left hers as she grabbed a fist full of his shirt and pulled him down. He was shocked once he felt her lips touch his.
Izzy felt him tense once she kissed him. It seemed to snap her out of her haze and she pulled back. She could see the surprised, shocked expression on his face. She looked at him with surprise and a little fear at what she did.
"Z-Zeb, I'm sorry. I didn't-" she didn't get to finish her apology before his large arms pulled her smaller form back towards him and kissed her.
He didn't know what came over him but once she kissed him, his mind went blank. Once she pulled away and tried to apologize he made up his mind. He pulled her back into him, bringing their lips together once more.
This time, the kiss was different. It wasn't the firm press of lips, it was deeper. Zeb let his textured tongue move pass her lips and explore her mouth. Izzy released her tension and fear as she moved her own tongue with his. Their tastes mingled with the other. They both tasted alien to the other but it wasn't a horrible thing to them.
Zeb pulled away from her mouth to move down her jaw to her neck. He was hunching over since she was so much shorter than he was, but he didn't mind. She tilted her head sideways to allow the Lasat more access. Her hands lifting up to scratch his furry neck with her nails as she let out a soft moan from his ministrations.
When he pulled back to look at her, they were both breathing heavily. They stared at one another for a moment before Izanami spoke.
"Not here." She told him. He nodded and reluctantly let her out of his grasp. He felt her nails slide down and out of his fur as he stood up. She took his hand and began walking with him back to her home she shared with Ahsoka and Rex.
It only took a couple minutes to make it inside. She checked to make sure no one was awake before they made their way to her room. Just before she got to her door, a little twi'lek hybrid stood in front of her.
The little girl was rubbing her eyes and it looked like she was crying. Izzy and Zeb stopped in front of her. Izzy knelt down.
"Luma." She touched the little girls arm lightly. "Are you alright?"
"I had a bad dream." She told her. Izzy looked over her shoulder at the Lasat. Her eyes telling him that it would have to wait.
"It'll be ok. Go lay down in my bed and I'll be right there." Luma did as she was told and Izzy turned and faced Zeb. "I'm sorry. I forgot we were babysitting for Aayla and Bly."
"S'alright. I understand." He told her with a small smile. She stood on her tip toes, still having to pull him down a bit. She kissed his lips gently before pulling away.
"Tomorrow." She told him before she disappeared into her room. Zeb stood there for a minute before he retreated to his own room.
