Author Note: Just a reminder that you can read this chapter on my website daultonfics[.com], where I also draw crappy images for chapters and insert them in the story for your enjoyment. This particular chapter had three images created for it, two of which are pretty hilarious I think! As always, whether you love or hate the story, I'd love your feedback on how you feel it is turning out! Also, shout-outs to rebels fanfic author SweetSinger2010, whose week old fic After Everything is breaking records in this community. Just give me time Singer, I'll beat you with this fic one day!

Chapter 4

"Rise and shine, Sabine." Ezra's voice called out, though his phrasing was a bit unsuitable as there was no shine from any sun when it came to hyperspace travel. Still, it certainly felt like morning as the wonderful aroma of freshly brewed coffee floated into Sabine's nose, perking her up enough to open her eyes.

Sabine's vision was greeted with an outstretched hand holding a mug of the coffee she now adamantly desired. Moving her gaze upwards, she found Ezra's smiling expression directed right at her, and suddenly she was reminded of the matter she had been thinking about last night.

Make sure its real.

Managing to get her hand out from under the blanket, Sabine took the mug Ezra offered her with a quick "Thanks" before taking a careful sip of the delicious drink. Mmmmmm. If this is what a morning with Ezra was like now, then maybe her evaluation of her feelings wouldn't need to last too long.

"Oh, hey. I think you got a message?" Ezra mentioned.

"Through the ship's link?"

"No. A Holocomm in one of your boxes." Ezra procured the item in question and handed it off to Sabine. "Seems like it got received when I came out of hyperspace to make the second jump."

"You made the second jump without waking me up? Impressive."

Ezra threw her a confused look. "What are you talking about? Didn't you tell me to 'make sure' the coordinates were right?"

"Hmm?" Sabine looked at him quizzically, canceling the sip of coffee she was about to take.

"Well I thought I could do it without waking you. But when I came out of hyperspace I could hear you mumbling at me to 'make sure it was right, make sure'."

Sabine sat very still, trying her best to hide her nervousness as the guy she learned she may have feelings for repeated the very instruction she had given herself to keep things from getting needlessly complicated. Well, it was almost the same instruction. Thankfully the last word was lost in translation leading Ezra to believe she was giving him piloting instructions.

"Mmm, yeah I think I remember now." Sabine awkwardly nodded her head, looking over to the instrument display showing the designated coordinates. "Aaaaaand it looks like you listened. Good job, Bridger. Way to go." Still nodding, Sabine averted her eyes from Ezra's as she took a large gulp of coffee to ease her discomfort.

Ezra gave a suspicious look but quickly shook his head free of it. "Yeah, so, we'll be there in a few more hours." Ezra took his seat in the co-pilot's chair. "I think we both overslept quite a bit."

Sabine gave a gentle laugh. "Well, I'm sure the lack of needing to be ready to fight the Empire had something to do with that." Sabine set her coffee aside and started to check out her Holocomm that Ezra had brought her. Sure enough, the display showed that there was a new message queued for playback.

"Let's see who it is."

Readying herself, Sabine started the message, prompting the device to project a hologram of the message's sender over itself. It was Sabine's mother, standing firm with her hands held behind her as she seemed to always do.

"Sabine. Your presence is required immediately on Mandalore as a member of clan Wren. This matter is of the utmost urgency."

Sabine immediately felt uneasy and looked worriedly over to Ezra whom by the look on his face was having similar thoughts. He gave her a comforting nod though, signifying that no matter the trouble, he'd be there to help her through it.

"Your brother is getting married. To a member of the Soldrin clan. You may remember them as one of our clan's larger enemies during the war, but seeing as the second anniversary of the treaty is coming upon us, both clans have decided—with the permission of Tristan and his bride-to-be—that a marital union between the firstborns of clans Wren and Soldrin is the perfect maneuver to fortify all of Mandalore's confidence in this treaty and improve relations between the previously warring sides."

Sabine and Ezra exchanged glances once again, this time both surprised.

"The ceremony will take place in twelve days, but we will need you to be present for the standard, pre-celebratory events in the days following up to it so plan your arrival to Sundari accordingly. And also…"

"…"

"…congratulations on the rebellion's victory over the Empire. I've been waiting a long time to see our family together outside a time of war. It will be good to see you when you arrive. Safe travels, my daughter."

Sabine's mother finished her message with a courteous bow before her hologram figure dissipated from view.

"Wow, Sabine. Your brother is getting married!" Ezra cheered.

Sabine didn't respond though. She sat silent as her gaze remained fixed on where the image of her mother had been until a moment ago—the last bit of her words ringing in Sabine's mind.

"Sabine?" Ezra nudged, jolting Sabine from her thoughts.

"Hmm? Yeah. That is big a surprise. I don't see the guy for two years and now he's engaged. I guess that thing you said about people getting married after wars is true." Sabine forced a laugh, trying to keep her emotions in check from the reality that she was finally coming home to a peaceful Mandalore. It had always been a dream of hers, and though she didn't realize it until now, it had been a dream of her mother as well.

"Marriage huh? This isn't gonna make things weird, is it?" Ezra wondered aloud, reigniting his crewmate's anxiousness concerning her personal revelation from last night.

"Wha- Why would things be weird?" Sabine asked as calmly as possible, finishing off with a calculated sip of coffee.

"I mean, we agreed to travel to Mandalore in the first place even though we didn't really have a plan on what we'd be doing. But now you've got Tristan's wedding to deal with. Will I just have to stay put somewhere while you go and attend all the wedding functions?"

"Oh. Well... I wish I could say it was my decision. Because then you definitely wouldn't be invited..." Ezra failed to contain an abrupt laugh at Sabine's joke which she was quite proud of now. "But… it's probably up to Tristan or my Mother. But don't worry, I'm sure that with some input from me they won't invite you either." Sabine joked again, this time catching Ezra in the middle of drinking his coffee which he was now choking on from laughter.

"Damn it, Sabine," Ezra said through his laughter. "I'm drinking hot coffee over here!"

Sabine herself started to giggle at Ezra's clumsy display and was once again overcome with that curious, pleasant feeling she had been getting whenever he laughed or smiled around her. Well, perhaps it wasn't so curious anymore since last night, but it was pleasant nonetheless. However, a part of her still thought that this wasn't enough to settle the issue. But then a question arose in Sabine's mind… if this wasn't enough, then what would be?

Sabine kept her eyes fixed onto Ezra as he was distracted from wiping off the coffee splatter on his shirt. He had been wearing a jacket almost all of yesterday so Sabine didn't notice then, but Ezra had developed quite a bit of muscle since she last saw him. The short sleeves of his shirt were stretched and taught against his biceps, and the subtle protrusions of his chest and abs were barely visible through the wrinkles of his slim shirt. And then—as if the universe was playing off of the girl's desire—Ezra lifted the bottom of his shirt to help wipe himself off, consequently revealing his toned stomach to the intently focused girl beside him.

A hot sensation began to fill Sabine's stomach as she continued to watch her unsuspecting teammate. At first, she didn't think to much of it, but as the feeling began to travel further down she instantly shifted her gaze away from him trying to get ahold of herself. The warmth kept going lower however, and now the panicked Mandalorian considered escaping the cockpit before things got too hot down there. Her mental planning was interrupted, however, as Ezra called out to her.

"Uh, Sabine. You're spilling coffee all over yourself."

"What?"

Sabine glanced at her mug and then down at her lap. Sure enough, while she had been… "admiring" Ezra's assets, she lost focus on holding her coffee mug and tipped it towards herself, spilling it onto her stomach where it continued to flow down into her lap. Sabine's face became red with embarrassment, though not for the reason Ezra figured.

"Ugh! Damn it, Ezra!" Sabine yelled as she jumped up from her seat and booked it towards the ship's bathroom.

"How is this my fault!?"

"It just IS!" The flustered girl yelled one more time before disappearing out the door.

"Finally approaching Mandalore," Ezra mumbled to himself alone in the cockpit.

For the past few hours Sabine had been out of sight after cleaning herself up from the coffee fiasco. Though she assured Ezra that she wasn't mad at him in any way, he still had the suspicion that she was being distant. It was particularly noticeable when he ran into her a couple times while strolling the ship. She'd smile and give a quick "hey" but then continue on without any further discussion. Of course, after their little "making up" moment from last night, he did believe that she wasn't mad. But if that was true then what other reason could she have to avoid him?

Ezra knew better than to try to figure out Sabine. There was always more to her than he could learn, even when they were younger. The only thing he knew right now was that she had been painting in one of the empty cabins all this time. That was apparent from the sounds of her paint guns and the familiar odor coming from the room. Was she making another mural? Or maybe she was re-designing her armor patterns for the ten-billionth time? Well, either way she would have to pause and finally interact with him so they could land this ship.

Bracing himself, Ezra picked up the mic that was connected to all the speakers onboard the ship and spoke into it.

"Sabine, we're coming up on Mandalore. I need you in here."

"Coming!" Sabine's voice sounded through the same speakers, reminding Ezra that the ship was outfitted with intercoms in most of the rooms. A moment later he heard the door open behind him followed by the sight of Sabine taking her seat in the pilot's chair. She was wearing her armor now, though it's design was unchanged. Still, the sight of some stray blue and yellow paint on her face confirmed to Ezra that she had indeed been doing some artwork.

"How's your painting coming along?"

"Excellent. We might need to keep one of those cabins empty permanently."

"Hmm, you're getting awfully comfortable in there. It's still my ship, Sabine." Ezra said playfully. "Well, maybe I can let it slide if you promise to get us through Mandalorian airspace."

"Poor, Bridger… always needing me for help." Sabine teased.

"Ha. Ha." Ezra gave a dry laugh. "I can try to do it if you want, but I can't guarantee we won't get blown out of the sky in the process."

"That's probably true. You seem to attract a negative disposition from all Mandalorians that makes us want to target you."

Ezra rolled his eyes at Sabine's joke before handing her the outgoing communications mic. Happily, she took it from his hand—taking notice of the brief moment where her fingers brushed his palm. Though she had closed herself off from him for the past few hours, Sabine's anxiousness towards Ezra hadn't lessened much at all. Still, she managed to keep a composed face as she began to speak into the mic.

"Attention Sundari airspace control, this is Sabine Wren. Daughter of Ursa and Alrich Wren, requesting permission for immediate landing."

Sabine and Ezra waited for a response—the silence in the air hanging between them. As the wait dragged on, Ezra threw Sabine an unsure look while the girl herself waited intently for the response she was sure would come. Both of their focus was then broken after a buzzy noise of static cracked from the ship's speaker.

"*BZZZT*… Copy that, Miss Wren. We've been expecting you. Just give us your transport's information and we'll guide you into one of our hangars."

"Copy, control. Call-sign is Second Dawn, unit is a gray-colored YT-1390-"

"1930," Ezra softly interrupted.

"huh?"

"It's a YT-1930. You said, 1390. Actually, you said it when we left Tatooine as well, so… just thought I'd clear that up." Ezra finished his interruption, taking in the unimpressed stare his Mandalorian partner was directing at him.

"Right... the unit is a gray-colored YT-1930," Sabine finished, throwing one more sarcastic glare at her beloved co-pilot.

"Copy that, Second Dawn. You are clear for landing at East Hangar #3-Q. A representative from your clan should be there to greet you upon landing."

"Thanks, Control. Over and out." Sabine finished before shutting the mic off. "Wow, Mother must have some major pull within Mandalore's political society now."

"Why do you say that?" Ezra asked.

Sabine turned her attention to the boy, flashing him a smirk. "Most level three hangars are private, and all of them feed directly into Sundari's uppermost level—it's where clan leaders and diplomats typically reside during summits. Of course, if I remember the naming system correctly… the one we're being directed to is a shared hangar, so there'll be maybe one other ship in there with us. But still, it's pretty rare for someone outside the high-political circles to be invited to land in one of those… not a luxury you'll get to experience every day."

"Well, I don't think anyone in the galaxy lands their ship in the same hangar every day."

Sabine rolled here eyes. "Ugh, you know what I mean."

Shaking her head at her partner's inability to keep from cracking a joke, Sabine accelerated their ship down into Mandalore's atmosphere. Breaking through a thin layer of clouds, the gigantically-domed Mandalorian city of Sundari came into view—its enormousness becoming more and more apparent as they drew closer.

"This thing is a city?" Ezra said in awe. He'd never seen such a sight in all his life.

"That's right. Pretty neat, huh?" Sabine responded with a delightful smile.

Seeing Ezra's reaction, Sabine was reminded of her own similar response when she first came here two years ago for the treaty signing. Her first thought then—and still now—dwelled on how awesome of a canvas the dome's dull gray surface would make for her artwork. Maybe she'd sneak out sometime before the wedding and tag something near the very top. If she could avoid getting caught, then surely anything she put up there would remain undetected for a long time. The idea excited Sabine, but her daydream was broken as she set her sights on an array of large, yellow-painted letters that seemed to stretch around the entire dome.

"The level three hangars…" Sabine confirmed to herself. "T… S… R…. Q! That's us."

With the skies clear, Sabine performed a wide turn toward the city, perfectly aligning their ship for a smooth ride through the hangar's entry.

Sabine shut off the rear engines, their loud hums fading to whispers as the Second Dawn came upon the hangar's magnetic shield. With a flash of white light, the ship slowly eased through it, revealing the small but luxurious interior of the hangar residing behind it. It was another fantastic sight the two teammates weren't used to seeing. Everything from the floor to the ceiling was sleek and polished—nothing like that dumpy, public hangar back in Mos Eisley. There were even long rows of planters lined along the back wall which doubled as water feature—trickling water down from its top before disappearing behind the plants at the bottom. The entire display was a clear sign Sabine and Ezra that this place was meant for people of a completely different social caliber.

The hangar space was split into two sides—verifying Sabine's claim that this particular private hangar was meant for sharing. For now, though, theirs was the only ship inside… not that it mattered to the two young adults. Sabine could picture some pompous diplomat who landed here huffing at the idea of sharing with another ship, or at least having their favorite spot taken—a thought that irrationally annoyed her.

"Does it matter which spot we take?" Ezra asked.

"I… don't think so?" Sabine hesitated. Thankfully, though, her attention was drawn to a man running into view and flagging them over to the left side. Sabine immediately felt embarrassed. The man's face clearly showed that he was expecting them to pick a spot themselves, only having to flag them down when it looked like they wouldn't and instead crash into the rear-wall.

"Is he our greeter?"

"No, Ezra. He isn't." Sabine sighed as she gently landed the ship and began flipping the necessary switches to power it down. "Mother will probably send a formal proxy. With a wedding this important, I doubt anyone from the clan has time to meet with us."

"Uh… I wouldn't be too sure about that…"

Sabine threw a confused glance at Ezra whose shocked expression was fixed ahead outside the cockpit's window. Curious, she joined her gaze towards the same direction, only to find herself in shock as well.

"M… Mother…?"

Sabine's eyes didn't deceive her. On the maintenance walkway they had landed in front of… postured as straight and strong as always… stood her mother—a gentle look in her eyes. In an instant, Sabine leapt out from her seat, nearly forgetting to release the ship's loading ramp before booking herself over to it. Reaching it before it could fully descend, Sabine dropped into a slide, slipping through the tight opening the ramp currently allowed. With a loud thud, the flexible Mandalorian landed into a roll, using the momentum to bring herself back up into a run on the hangar floor. Spotting the base of the walkway's stairs, Sabine ran under the ship towards it; and as the ship's hull cleared from her overhead view Sabine froze at the stair's base—spotting her mother at its top. The old Mandalorian woman gave her daughter an endearing smile which Sabine returned before sprinting up to meet her—the both of them closing the final distance with a deep embrace.

"Sabine…"

"Mother…"

In that moment, Sabine held onto her mother tighter than she ever remembered doing; and the warmth of the embrace reminded Sabine that for the first time…she had returned home to her family in peace.