This should be the third to last chapter in this story then I'll probably get started on a sequel in the coming weeks. The story I really wanted to work on is the sequel and this was the backstory to get to that one where things will be much happier after a time. I do appreciate everyone feeling so passionate about this too, even though there was near anarchy at one point, it's nice to know people enjoy it. Just a heads up!

Earlier that day…

Ezra didn't think he had ever run from anything so fast in his entire life. The image of the nurse running his hands up Sabine's legs burned into his retinas unwilling to go away. She looked like she was in complete bliss as he trailed his lips down her collarbone down towards…Ezra leaned up against the wall of the temple as he tried to catch his breath. After he and Leia had spoken Ezra felt completely confident about going to speak to Sabine about the time he was away; was he a fool to think that things would have worked out for just once in life?

Shivers rippled throughout his body though the hot, humid temperatures of Yavin IV never changed. Seeing the girl he had literally dreamed about, the same one he'd saved a place in his heart for, willingly give herself to a man who barely knew her killed him. Dramatic it may have been, but he felt like he was being swallowed up by the growing unease in his stomach. The feeling demanded him to move farther away from that place, to seek refuge in the expansive jungle that encased the entire planet. There he could find solace and at the very least be alone.

Dusk's sunlight tickled into the hallway from the open hangar it led into, and it beckoned to him like a savior. Ezra paced himself when he walked towards the light that filled him with a slight sense of safety until he thought about what was going on in the room he longed to be in. Too many times had he dreamed of being in the nurse's place after Sabine and he confessed their hidden affections for one another, the moment would have been a scene straight from a cliché video shown for others to live out vicariously. It was all planned out in his head, each step they would take until the tension was unbearable for them and their lips would meet tenderly. Mentally, he planned out where his hands would linger or trail as hers would snake around his shoulders before the night became even more magical. A dream he had been waiting to live out for years now lay shattered in the healer's wing after several heartbeats of watching someone take his place.

His feet knew what he needed so they moved quick from the hallway to the hangar then right out of the open doors. None of the people working on ships or moving cargo really stuck with him nor did those who stared at the teenager sprinting through, he just took off without seeing anything but the scene he wanted so badly to forget.

Trees encircled him as he entered the jungle; snapping sticks and chirping animals were the only noises that accompanied him on his sojourn. The only thing that guided him further into the jungle was a place that had been calling to him since he stepped foot outside. Ezra followed the path laid out for him in his mind and absentmindedly stepped over obstacles until he found himself on the edge of a clearing. A simple field of grass that was lined by the jungle around him sparse of any features with the exception of two logs and a stone standing up behind them.

After closing the distance to the logs Ezra sat down at them and let all of the emotions he had been pushing off come back to him. Before long the overwhelming sense of loneliness washed over him bringing with it tears. It felt ridiculous crying over a girl he'd never been with, but in a lot of ways he felt like they almost were together. Countless hours aboard the Ghost were spent in her presence laughing, talking, caring about one another, and he thought that meant something more. As he buried his head in his hands he realized how much of a fool he had been to think that.

As if to add insult to injury a raindrop fell on his shoulder followed by an endless amount on the rest of his body. It seemed that the Force began to weep along with him for what could have been had he made it to the room earlier. Had he opened his mouth before he'd gone with the Skywalkers then it could have been him loving Sabine when she woke up from her recovery. A conflict raged within him at that time between the side that felt he owed Leia's family and the part that would always be with Phoenix Squadron.

"Ezra, where are you!" Hera's voice called out from the jungle around him. Ezra could sense her presence along with Leia's as they began to search for him among the cast wilderness. They each called to him multiple times with their voices coming to him easily over the soft rain. He kept his mouth closed as they came closer to him, should they find him then they would have to do it on their own.

Ezra didn't change his slouching position when he felt Leia break out into the clearing. "Hera, he's over here!" she cried out while jogging over to him. The brunette noticeably hesitated for a moment as he felt her check over him and take notice of his shoulders moving in synch with his crying.

A second pair of footsteps thundered through the wet grass signaling Hera's approach. The elder of the three immediately sat herself down next to him and wrapped him into a bearhug that sucked the air from his lungs. "Ezra, what's troubling you? Why are you crying?"

Rather than answer right away he simply leaned into the twi'lek's embrace and tightened his grip on her as he lightly sobbed into her shoulder. The woman loosened her grip in surprise until she clung to him like she had the day before, letting him use her shoulder like a mother would for her son. "Let it out" she whispered in his ear, "let it out".

Leia sat to his other side and he felt her hand placed on his back then rub small circles in a soothing manner. The emotional turmoil that had been plaguing him for however long he had been out here started to fade. Normal, rational thought returned slowly to him until he was able to put off the heartache long enough to breath regularly once more.

"Hera and I were talking when I felt the distress coming from you" Leia told him softly as the rain came down around them. "It was overpowering and so sudden. What happened, you can tell us?"

"Please, Ezra. Let us know what's wrong so we can help you".

"I – I" he stuttered as he continued leaning into Hera's hold. The elder woman pulled him out of the embrace then looked him dead in the eye with a look that told him to get on with it, but also held a great deal of compassion. "I walked in to tell Sabine…how I felt, but…."

"But what Ezra?"

He clenched his eyes tight to shut out the fresh image that had been tearing down his heart since he saw it happen. Hera's hand brushed back the long, wet hair that had been matted down on his forehead and the touch felt calming. Feeling a surge of confidence Ezra finally pushed it out, "she was with her nurse. They had their hands all over one another, kissing, and…"

"She what?" Leia yelled in his ear, but making both Hera and he flinch. Both Phoenix members glanced toward the Jedi who was standing down at them in fury. Ezra saw that her hands were clenched tight and the scowl on her face couldn't be forgotten either. In his short time knowing her Ezra had never seen her so irate.

"It's my fault" he said hanging his head, "I wasn't there soon enough to tell her how I felt. We just assumed wrong Leia, there's no one to blame but me. Dammit, I could have told her before we left for that mission on Lothal; had I been confident enough then maybe she wouldn't have found comfort in someone else".

The crazed look in her brown eyes only intensified while she growled out, "that's wrong! She was awake when we spoke about her. I sensed that she was awake the moment I walked into that room which was why I thought it would be best if we brought it up, just so she could know. Sabine knew what she was doing".

"That can't be right" Hera said looking between the seething Skywalker and the crestfallen boy who she took back in her arms to protect. "She wouldn't do that, not to him".

"From what he's told me I wouldn't think so either, but I guess none of us know her well enough to make that guess" she told them as she began to walk back to the base. "You two come back inside to get warmed up. I shall meet with you both in your quarters once I speak to the girl". Before either of the Phoenix members could voice a protest or another inquiry the girl had disappeared into the woods. A

An involuntary shiver shook the teenager's body earning him a look from Hera that told him it was time to go. She took his arms in silence then led him through back through the jungle with the rain and the wind being the only noise. Humidity still plagued him, but he still felt cold and angry from that day's events. If what Leia said was true then he wasn't sure if he'd be able to face Sabine again without feeling like his heart had been stomped on.

"You'll be alright" his guardian told him as she led him down the hallways of the base he didn't realize they entered. Ezra's eyes were unable to look up from the floor, he didn't want to find the eyes of anyone that would be able to see right through him. Hiding away in a bedroom seemed like the best option for him, keep himself from prying eyes until he returned to Lothal the next day to face his destiny.

The pair entered a sparse room with no decorations with the exception of several chairs, some lights, and a second smaller bed and bathroom. It wasn't what he would associate with Hera, however after everything he had seen with the rest of the crew nothing much would surprise him anymore. Though, he did have one question, "where's Kanan's room?"

"He…he doesn't stay with me" Hera told him when she sat down on one of the cushioned chairs. A lingering depression hung over her presence in the Force, and drew Ezra to her side. A single tear fell from her cheek which she quickly wiped away with the palm of her hand. A sniffle escaped her before she elaborated slightly, "after you were gone we fell apart. Like I said, they all blamed me for it so I got my own room. Apart from mission specifics we haven't spoken at all in the past couple weeks".

Ezra shook his head and spoke quietly, "this isn't right. They should be here to help you and you should be able to help them too. Ignoring one another isn't going to solve anything, just make things so much worse. This was the last thing I was expecting to find when I came back, but at least you have me now".

"I won't let anything else happen to you" she told him placing her hand on his cheek with a sad smile gracing her face. "You're the closest thing I think I'll ever have to my own child and I'm not leaving you again, I promise". The elder woman exhaled and collected the rest of her emotions, drumming a quick melody on her lap while she did so. "Why don't you go use the shower and get cleaned up? I think Leia should be back in few minutes with her family to talk about tomorrow. While you do that I'll find you some new clothes".

Ezra watched Hera leave the room in her own soaked clothing, but she didn't seem to notice or care much about that. The woman had a one-track mind with him as the primary focus, knowing that fact made him feel a little more at home. It was relaxing to know that even with so much wrong there was still Hera around to try suffocating him. She made it clear that he wasn't going to be allowed out of her sight for a long time – probably for the rest of his life – so with the ache in his chest that new policy of hers was quite alright.

Warm, fresh clothes were placed on his freshly clean body and he felt cozy sitting in Hera's living room while she took her turn in the shower. Softly lighting from the room's lamps gave the quarters a home-like atmosphere making him feel more at home. He wondered if he could convince the twi'lek to add more furnishes to the room since he had a feeling this would be his permanent living place for some time. This was better than having no one to stay with him for sure, yet it wasn't complete without everyone.

The door slid open before he had a chance to answer the knock and in walked the Skywalker family minus Padme. Anakin looked a little off put, Luke offered him a shy smile, but Leia looked even more frenzied than she had when she left them in the forest. The group took their seats across from his own then offered a sympathetic smile to him, and he sighed at the gesture. They all knew about what happened no doubt.

Unwilling to sit around with the elephant in the room Anakin had to break the ice, "will Hera be joining us as well?"

"Any moment now, she wanted to shower before we got things going" he told them.

"And what about your own Master, will he be here as well or are there other things that he's attending to?"

"I..don't know Anakin. We haven't spoken since we've come back to Yavin, so I'm not entirely sure where he is or will be. Kanan said he'd be coming on the mission with us, that much I'm sure, whether or not he'll be here with us or even knows about our meeting I'm not entirely certain. I'm actually not too sure about if Zeb will be joining us either even though I was hoping we'd have both crews working together".

Leia opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but Anakin placed a firm hand on her shoulder then shook his head to emphasize whatever point he was making to his daughter. The girl scowled and nodded to her father, knowing that her displeasure about Phoenix Squadron had been noted by everyone. The brunette chose a spot on the wall and tried to stare a hole into it as they sat there for a short time until Hera came into the room looking like a new woman.

"It's nice to meet you face to face Master Skywalker" she said extending a hand to the Jedi who gladly returned took the shake. "You have my eternal thanks for taking care of Ezra, it's something I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to repay. I've had the chance to meet your daughter as well after the greetings last night, you should be very proud of her".

"Thank you General Syndulla, I'm a very proud father of both my children. Taking care of Young Mr. Bridger has been an absolute pleasure and a wonderful young man to get to know" he said sending a warm smile to the teenager in question. "In case you haven't met, this is my son, Luke".

"We've heard many great things about you General. Ezra has told us a lot of good things about you, and it's nice to meet someone with your reputation for kindness and skill" the younger Skywalker said with a polite bow.

"Well then, shall we beg-" Hera tried to begin when the sound of the door opening interrupted her. Five sets of eyes turned to the entranceway to see Kanan standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. The man looked at ease on the outside, but each of the Jedi could feel his hesitations about being in the room with them all. Ezra spared a glance towards Hera who looked away from the man, biting her lip in uncertainty.

He stood in the doorway in noticeable discomfort until he cleared his throat, "Senator Mothma told me where to find you all. Since we're all going to Lothal tomorrow it would be best if I was informed on the plans as well, or so I was thinking. If you'll allow me".

After a moment of thinking Ezra realized who the question was meant for, and after the way Kanan treated her he wouldn't be surprised if Hera kicked him out of the room. However, she was the bigger man in every situation she found herself in. The Rebellion came first over petty feelings, and revenge had no place in the room when lives were at stake.

"That would be best" she said simply and the Jedi at the entranceway came into the room just enough to be part of the conversation. He stood a short distance away from the rest of the group, which made his former padawan feel a little hurt by the motion. The elder man made no movement to speak to Ezra, and the boy just hoped it was because he was still realizing that he wasn't dead.

"Alright then" Anakin began as he leaned forward on his knees. The man ran his hand through his long light-brown hair, passing a glance to the Rebels before he spoke again, "how do you want to plan this out General?"

"Master Skywalker, out of everyone in this room you have the most experience in conflict. Everyone knows about your reputation form the Clone War and how you were seemingly invulnerable along with Master Kenobi. You should be planning this out, not me" Hera told him flat out.

"That may be true" Luke said before his father could speak, "but this mission is based around stealth isn't that right? From what I've heard, that is not exactly a specialty of my father's". Anakin scowled at his son for a moment before nodding his head in approval of the statement. Luke then continued after sharing a smug look with his father, "furthermore, you're the expert of Lothal, not us. We'll trust your judgement on this General Syndulla".

The planning went rather smoothly just like Ezra thought it would be. Anakin and Hera were the masterminds behind the plan making sure every little detail had been accounted for. He had added a few details during the discussion, most of the time though he kept to himself. The two military tacticians decided that forming three strike teams: Hera and Ezra – since she wouldn't allow him to go with anyone else, Leia and Kanan, then finally Luke and Anakin. All three would find their way inside of the TIE factory to observe the shipments or if necessary form a strike team to destroy the potentially dangerous material. The last thing they touched upon was the Sith Lord that waited for them, and if they saw her they were to call for backup at once.

More than once he looked towards Leia who hadn't participated mentally or physically, she just stared at the wall to his left. The conversation she'd had with Sabine must've been weighing on her, and he found himself needing to know what she knew. The girl caught his eye once her brother and father began to make their way to the exit and her gaze held a look of sadness that he hadn't seen before. The pit in his stomach returned worse than before.

Leia licked her lips slowly in preparation then knelt in front of him, gazing into his eyes earnestly. Without a word being said he knew that whatever she had to tell him wasn't going to be good. Ezra nodded to her then braced himself for the information she had to tell him, and when she spoke it came in a sweet, quiet voice that made each word almost casually cruel. "She didn't sleep with him Ezra, it was just for show".

"For show?"

She nodded while her chocolate brown eyes kept contact with his own. "Sabine did it to hurt you. She wanted you to see that because she thought that you deserved to be hurt like she had been when you left and didn't contact them. In her mind this – this disgusting act was justified. For some reason she wants you to hurt since it's how she feels. I'm so sorry Ezra, I shouldn't have said anything".

"You were helping me, don't say sorry. Should I talk to her?" he asked her in a helpless, pathetic voice that sounded so strange to him.

"That's up to you".

Ezra felt it coming, and wanted to stop it. Knowing that the one person you cared for most wanted to harm you in the most cruel way imaginable tore the last of his hear apart. If she loved him like he wanted her to then Sabine would never have done that. In that same position he would have done anything else before hurting her in the most sensitive place. She wasn't the same though, Sabine didn't care about that. Once he finally realized that he all but fell into Leia's arms and cried.

("Let Her Cry" – Hootie and the Blowfish)