Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars Rebels that goes to Disney, Lucasfilm and Dave Filoni.
On Atollon, Chopper was pushing a loading dolly with several supplies in front of the Ghost as A-wings flew around Chopper Base as Rau, who has joined the Rebellion, wore his Mandalorian armor and had a jetpack on his back as he had his helmet to his side as he walked towards the Ghost's ramp. Sabine noticed this as she stood in front of the Ghost holding a datapad as Chopper transported the loading dolly past her as she looked at the protector. Chopper grunted as he noticed that she was staring at Rau.
"All right, all right," she said to him.
"You wanted to speak with me?" Rau asked Kanan as he entered Kanan's room and saw Kanan sitting on a stool-like object with his legs folded.
"I've got something to show you," Kanan confirmed as Rau sat on a bench across from him.
"What's this about?" The Protector asked as Kanan grabbed the Darksaber which was on his lap and showed it to him, "A lightsaber?"
"Not just any lightsaber," Kanan confirmed before igniting the Darksaber as a black colored blade appeared from the hilt and tilted it around a bit.
"It can't be," Rau muttered in disbelief and shock.
"So you recognize it?" Kanan asked him.
"That I do," Rau confirmed, "It is the Darksaber, a symbol for the leader of House Vizsla and later, the group known as Death Watch."
"I didn't know Mandalorians developed a type of lightsaber," Kanan admitted as he deactivated the Darksaber and handed it to him.
"We didn't. This was one of a kind. Legend tells that it was created over a thousand years ago by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order," Rau began as he held the Darksaber in the air, igniting it, "After his passing, the Jedi kept the saber in their temple. That was, until members of House Vizsla snuck in and liberated it including Shae Vizsla, Manda'lor the Avenger when the Temple was attacked by the Sith Empire at the end of the Great galactic war when they sacked Coruscant before the start of the Galactic Cold War. They used the saber to unify the people and strike down those who would oppose them. One time, they ruled all of Mandalore wielding this blade." He then deactivated the saber, "This saber is an important symbol to that house and respected by the other clans. I imagine that either Ezra or Sabine was excited to recover it."
"It was Sabine who recovered it," Kanan said before he huffed, "But you wouldn't know it. After we got back from Dathomir, she gave it to me for safekeeping and hasn't brought it up since."
"She doesn't want the responsibility," Rau realized before standing up, "Kanan, if Sabine can wield this saber, she can unite one of the most powerful houses in all of Mandalore."
"You're talking about raising an army," Kanan stated.
"With Sabine leading it and Ezra as her second-in-command," Rau confirmed.
Hours later, Sabine was sitting on her bed as she stared up at an artwork that she created a while back that included everyone of her team, including her sister when her sister suddenly came in.
"Sabine?" Ezra called.
"Yes, Sis?"Sabine asked.
"Everyone's in the common room including Rau," Ezra informed her, "They sent me to get you."
"Alright. Let's get this over with," Sabine said as she followed to the entertainment center, "I won't do it."
"So you do know what the Darksaber is," Rau realized.
"I know it caused my and Ezra's family nothing but trouble after Maul took it," Sabine explained.
"Maul used it to divide and conquer our people. You can wield it to do the opposite," Rau went on.
"Wield it?" Sabine repeated in disbelief, "You're crazy. Kanan, tell him he's crazy."
"Consider what he has to say," Kanan offered.
"What?!" Everyone in the room asked him at the same time.
"I don't think it's a coincidence this saber came into your possession," Kanan began as he held the Darksaber in his hand.
"Yeah, but, Kanan, that doesn't mean she can fight with it," Ezra spoke up," No offense, Sis."
"Go on," Sabine urged.
"What I mean is…" Ezra began, "Look before my transformation it took me a while to learn, and I mean, I use the Force."
"She might not be able to fight like a Jedi, but she can learn to be proficient with the blade," Kanan continued.
"I am proficient, with many types of blades and blasters and explosives, but that is a lightsaber," Sabine argued.
"The combat training is not as important as what that blade represents," Rau stated.
"Right, right, you want me to lead my clan with Ezra as my second-in-command. I don't know if you realize this but I'm not that popular with my family these days and don't know about Ezra and if they did they wouldn't accept her as a Mandalorian like we have," Sabine stated.
"That can change," Rau assured her.
"No, it can't!" Sabine snapped, "You don't know what you're talking about."
"I know that family is important to the Wrens just like to all Mandalorians," Rau said as he walked towards her and placed his hand on her shoulder, "And besides you accepted Ezra as your sister after she transformed into a look-alike of you."
"I have a family, here on this ship here besides Ezra. Me and Ezra don't need them," Sabine continued as she crossed her arms.
"But we do. If there's a chance that you can rally an army of Mandalorian warriors to our cause I have to ask you to do it," Hera spoke up as she stood up.
"Hera," Sabine said in disbelief as Hera walked towards her.
"Family history can be painful. Believe me, I know. But we can use those warriors for our attack on Lothal," Hera stated.
"Hera's right. We need you to do this, but that doesn't mean you have to," Kanan told Sabine as he held the Darksaber out, "You can walk away and forget about it."
"All right. I'll do it," Sabine relented as she went to grab the Darksaber from him, "Just give me the saber."
"Listen. Once people know you have it, you will be challenged," Kanan warned her, "You need to be able to defend yourself."
"OK, I'll try my best," Sabine reassured him.
"First lesson, don't try. Just learn," Ezra told her.
"Give me the sword," Sabine told Kanan "I'm gonna learn to kick your kriffing-"
"Sabine," Kanan said, calming her down.
"OK," Sabine said as she calmed down and took the Darksaber and held it in her hand.
A while later, Sabine was sitting in the back seat of a landspeeder with Ezra in the front piloting the speeder with Kanan next to her.
"Hey, why can't we just practice back at the base?" Sabine asked as they flew through the planet's coral mesa on the speeder.
"It's better out here. Fewer distractions. Keeps your mind focused," Kanan explained.
"And it's safer for everyone else, Sis. You'll do less damage," Ezra added.
"I'll damage you if you don't shut up," Sabine threatened in a teasing tone.
They soon arrived at one of the Bendu's hiding places where Kanan met him with three tents and a communications system in the area as Ezra and Sabine carried a box before setting down as Ezra sat on it while Sabine sat on another box and sighed as she spoke to Kanan, "When you said you're going to be training me I thought there'd be more sword fighting involved."
"Hey, it's always like this, Sis," Ezra told her, "He was the same with me. Even before my transformation."
"Yeah and look how well you've turned out," Kanan remarked sarcastically as he walked past her from behind.
"Are you being serious?" Sabine asked Kanan before turning to her sister, "Is he being serious?"
"I can never tell," she admitted.
"We should get started," Kanan said as he picked up two wooden sticks from the ground.
"Uh, try not to sound so excited," Sabine muttered sarcastically as she stood up as Kanan threw one of the sticks at her which she caught, "Hey, what's this?"
"Training saber," Kanan answered.
"Really?" Sabine said in disbelief.
"Before we start with the real thing, I want to see your technique," Kanan explained as Sabine approached him as Ezra stood up, placing her hands on her hips.
"I already know how to fight with a stick," Sabine stated.
"Then this should be easy for you," Kanan told her as she stretched as she placed the stick behind her neck as her neck made a cracking sound. She then charged right at him with the stick only for him to evade her and Force pushed her back.
"Oh!" Ezra exclaimed.
"That might work on a stormtrooper but not me," he taunted, causing her to grab the stick and charge at him again to for him to evade yet again as he grabbed the edge of her stick as he kneed her in the stomach and elbowed her as she went to attack him again, causing her to drop her stick as she soon fell down to her knees before hitting her down in the back with the stick before placing the stick at the front of her neck as he moved it upwards as she looked up, panting, "And that's your head. Every mistake is a limb lost. The blade is never at rest."
"OK, let's go again," Sabine sighed as she got back on her feet.
"No. You better practice with your sister first," Kanan sighed as he gave his stick to Ezra who also held Sabine's stick.
"All right," Ezra said as she began to walk towards Sabine.
"Why?" Sabine asked him as he walked away.
"Ezra, walk her through the form," Kanan told Ezra.
"Kanan!" Sabine called out to him.
"OK, ready position," Ezra said as she went into the stance of Ataru lightsaber style also known as Form IV, "Sabine! Ready position?" Sabine stood next to her as she went into the stance as her, "OK, great. Yeah, that's ready position. Now we go one, two…" She then moved it left and right as she slowly stepped backwards with Sabine doing the same, "Hey, slow down, all right? You're not gonna learn this in one day."
"Sis," Sabine said.
"Ready," Ezra repeated, "One… two… three…"
Days later, the twins began swinging the sticks around as Kanan watched them from above the hill when his comlink beeped.
"I read you, Hera," Kanan said as he took his comlink out.
"It's been a couple of days. I wanted to see how things are going," Hera said on the comlink.
"Ugh, slowly. Ezra's still taking her through the basic forms with the training sabers," Kanan answered.
"Training sabers?" Hera repeated as she sat in the seat of one of the Ghost's turrets, "You mean those sticks you and Zeb made?"
"I'm being careful," he responded.
"Were you careful with Ezra before her transformation?" Hera asked him, "I don't recall her fighting with a stick back when she was still male."
"Well, maybe I'm trying to do things differently this time," he answered.
"Or maybe because unlike her sister, she doesn't have the Force you don't believe she can do this?" She asked him.
"No. The Force resides in all living things. But you have to be open to it. Sabine is blocked. Her mind is conflicted. She's so expressive and yet so tightly wound. Like her sister, she's so…" Kanan went on.
"Mandalorian," Hera finished for him.
"Uhh! Very," he said, agreeing with her.
"I'll be sending out supplies," Hera told him as she watched as Rau walk towards a speeder bike with supplies on it from the turret, "Is there anything specific that you need?"
"Patience, understanding," Kanan listed.
"Hmm. I'll see what I can do," she said as the call ended.
Hours later, Sabine and Ezra continued to clash their sticks together with Kanan watching as Sabine pushed her stick towards her. "That's not going to work," he informed her.
"Working so far," she replied as she went to strike her stick at her sister.
"I think you're doing well," Ezra told her.
"Opinion noted," Sabine stated before punching her in the shoulder before continuing to clash the sticks together as Rau appeared on his speeder bike with the supplies and stopped next to Kanan and took his helmet as he hopped off the bike and placed it on the bike's seat.
"I got your supplies," Rau told Kanan as he walked up to him as they watched Ezra and Sabine clashing their sticks together before Sabine jumped towards her only for her to fall on her knees before turning around and saw her sister pointing her stick at her. "You overcommitted."
"Oh, good. Anyone else have an opinion they want to share?" Sabine asked as she got back on her feet.
"Let's take a break," Kanan suggested as he walked forward as Sabine threw her stick to the floor in anger, "Ezra, help unload these supplies."
"What? I won," Ezra said in shock, "Shouldn't I get the break?" She then began doing what her master told her to do as Rau picked up a box from his speeder bike and began approaching Sabine.
"Word is, it's been tough going. I brought you something and something for your sister for later since you're partially in this mess on my recommendation," Rau stated as he handed the box to her.
"I'm sorry. Partially?" She repeated, "How about completely?"
"To make up for that, you can have these," Rau said, taking the lid of the box off and took out Mandalorian Vambraces.
"Whoa! Mandalorian Vambraces? Where did you get these?" She asked him as she took them from him before looking in the box and saw a second pair of Vambraces, "And why are there a second pair of Vambraces?"
"The second pair is for Ezra but try your pair on," Rau told her as she placed her pair of Vambraces on her wrists, "Grappling line, paralyzing darts, repulsor. All designed to combat the abilities of the Jedi."
"How about Ezra's?" She asked him.
"Mainly the same, for when she can't use the Force. But she can add some features that a Mandalorian Jedi like her should have later on," Rau answered, "Go take her down a leg or two."
She picked her stick as she began walking towards her sister who was talking to Kanan before she turned to Sabine and noticed her vambraces on her wrists and scoffs, "Shat have you got there, Sis?"
"More than you can handle without your own," Sabine answered as she pointed her stick at her.
"Oh, yeah?" Ezra said as she walked towards her with her stick behind her neck, "Well, maybe I won't go easy on you this time." The twins then went into a ready stance with Ezra rushing towards her as she clashed her stick at her with the sticks clashing before Sabine activated her left Vambrace, causing a shockwave to come from the Vambrace pushing Ezra backwards a bit as she stumbled backwards and fell on her back as Sabine pointed her stick at her.
"And that's your head," Sabine chuckled.
"Hey! Not fair! Where did you get those?" Ezra asked her, "I want a pair of my own!"
"Special delivery," Sabine replied, causing Rau to chuckle.
"Hey!" Kanan called out to her as she turned to face him, "Is this a game for you?"
"No game, just outsmarting my sister," Sabine answered, "Care to take a shot?" She asked as she aimed her other Vambrace at him, activating it as a grappling line ejected from it and wrapped around him, surprising Ezra and Rau. Kanan then ignited his saber as he grabbed it and slashed it against the grappling line, breaking free from the line wrapping around his body and grabbed the end of the grappling line, pulling her towards him and placed his saber in front of her neck.
"History lesson. The Jedi led by Revan won the war with Mandalore. These tricks will amount to something, maybe save you from time to time but they won't keep you alive in the long run," Kanan began scolding her, "Only training… and discipline will do that."
"The only thing I'm learning is that Ezra must be a really gifted Force-Sensitive Mandalorian to learn as much as she has from a lousy teacher like you!" Sabine yelled as she got up after Kanan deactivated his saber and she dropped the training saber as she stormed off.
Sabine kicked a rock-like structure as she went to contemplate what Kanan told her as she sat on the rock-like structure and sighed as she looked at the sunset in the distance when Ezra slowly approached her, "Hey," Ezra called out to her.
"Not now, Sis,," Sabine told her as she wanted to be left alone..
"Look… I just wanted to say I know what it's like. Believe me, Kanan's not the easiest teacher to have but… he means well," Ezra assured her.
"Does he? Do any of them?" Sabine scoffed, "I know how to fight. I believe I can learn to use that sword. I just don't want everything that comes with it."
"You mean our family?" Ezra asked as Sabine stood up.
"I'm a disgrace to tem, Sis. A traitor," Sabine told her.
"But that's not true," she argued.
"To them it is," Sabine explained, "You don't know, yet, even though we're sisters. No one knows." She went on before turning to her, "I don't want to talk about these things. How can I lead our people with you as my second-in-command? How can I go back to face them with me suddenly having a sister?"
"I'm sorry, Sis," Ezra said as she walked away, "Hopefully they'll be able to accept me as one of their own."
Sabine kicked the rock like structure as she walked away but unbeknownst to her, the rock-like structure was the Bendu as he regained consciousness and looked in the distance.
"Teaching Ezra wasn't easy but you did it well. I'm sure you'll find a way to get through to Sabine," a hologram of Hera assured Kanan as he used a holocommunicator to contact her back at the camp.
"It's not the same. Ezra was eager to learn," Kanan responded before chuckling, "Sometimes toon eager. I was the one who was holding back."
"And that's not what you're doing now?" Hera asked him.
"No," he answered.
"And yet you still won't let her train with the Darksaber," Hera went on.
"Look, Sabine is a capable warrior. In some ways, more so than her sister, but she can't… or won't or find balance within herself," Kanan continued, "Until she does, wielding an actual lightsaber is far too dangerous for her."
"By letting her pretend with that stick you're only encouraging her not to commit to this," Hera added.
"You're not listening to me. If I let her use the Darksaber, she will get hurt," Kanan went on.
"She's already hurt. Her family on Krownest hurt her more than any sword could. You don't see that because she doesn't want you to," Hera told him.
"But you can?" He asked her.
"Because I know what it's like when people you love don't believe in you when they let you walk away," Her answered, referring to her father, "Remember how hard it was for her to trust us."
"Hmm. So what do you want me to do?" Kanan asked as he sighed.
"Give her the sword," Hera answered, "Let her own it and who she is. Help Sabine face her demons."
"I don't know," he sighed.
"I know you don't. But this isn't about you," she reminded him.
Hours later, it was dark as Kanan sat in the center of the camp with the Darksaber placed in front of him as Ezra and Rau sat near each other drinking a form of coffee, "I didn't think she'd be gone this long," Ezra told Rau, "Believe me I'm her sister, I wouldn't expect her to be gone this long."
"She'll return. Then we'll see. But aside from that, I have something for you," Rau replied as he grabbed the box containing the Vambraces he intended for her and took them out.
"What are those?" She asked him.
"Mandalorian Vambraces," he answered as he gave them to her, "I gave some to Sabine earlier."
"Oh, so that's what meant by 'Special delivery,'" Ezra said as she placed her Vambraces on her wrists, "But I know she can do it, but it just seems like Kanan is asking her to learn everything at once. She just needs more time."
"Time is a luxury, one the galaxy seems to be running out of," Rau stated as he went to drink his coffee when Ezra turned around and saw her sister on the top of the hill.
"She's back," Ezra announced to everyone as Sabine slowly walked towards Kanan.
"I owe you an apology," Kanan told her.
"I can say the same," she responded as he stood up as he grabbed the Darksaber and held it out for her, "Uh, maybe I should practice more first."
"Take it. It's yours," he said as she took it, "Ignite the blade."
"Whoa!" She muttered as she ignited the Darksaber's black blade and moved it around, "It's heavier than I thought."
"Energy constantly flows through the crystal. You're not fighting with a simple blade as much as you are directing a current of power. Your thoughts, your actions, they become energy. They flow through the crystal as well, and become part of the blade," Kanan explained before grabbing his lightsaber and ignited it with Ezra and Rau watching, "The blades will be drawn to each other." He then went to strike the Darksaber, "Block high. There's pull. Can you feel it? That sword is old, heavy, but powerful. Respect its strength." He then moved his saber downwards, "Block low." The sabers clashed downwards and clashed with each other again as they intertwined in the direction, Kanan directed her to, "High. Middle… high. Low… middle. Good. Let's work on a series. Are you ready?"
"Yes," she confirmed.
"Remember the forms your sister taught you," Kanan reminded Sabine as he took ready position, "Take ready position." She then took a ready position, "We'll start slow." They began to strike their saber against one another as they swung at each other in different lightsaber forms, "One… two… three… four...five...six… Faster. One, two, three, four, five, six." They begun clashing the saber at one another at a faster pace,"One, two, three, four, five, five, six." She then fell on her back as the Darksaber deactivated itself as he pointed his saber at her, "You're making it easy on me. Ready position." She stood back as she reignited the Darksaber's black blade as he went to strike at the Darksaber again, "One, two, three, four, five, six."
"The blade feels lighter," she told him.
"You're connecting with it. It's becoming a part of you," he explained as they continued to clash blades before she rushed past it with the Darksaber reconnecting with Kanan's saber, "But you cannot rely solely on the blade." This comment charged her to rush towards him stabbing the Darksaber forward with Kanan evading her attack as she turned around to face him, "You must use all your skills together. Ready position." They clashed their blades against each other yet again, causing Kanan to knock the Darksaber out of her hand which fell on the ground in the distance. "You'll have to do better." She then used her Vambrace's grappling line to grab the Darksaber.
"Whoa!" Ezra muttered in amazement as she stood up.
Sabine reignited the Darksaber's blade as she and Kanan clashed their blades yet again before he kicked her to the ground with his foot as she grunted out in pain as he slashed his blade against one of her vambraces, damaging it as Ezra tried to go to her only for Rau to stop her.
"You're not fighting me, you're fighting yourself… and losing," Kanan told Sabine as he deactivated his saber after pointing it at her as she picked the Darksaber back up and ignited it as she grunted angrily as she went to strike him only for him to evade her attack, "You're not committed to this. You should quit."
"I don't quit. I never quit!" She stated angrily as she went to strike him, only for Kanan to quickly evade her yet again.
"Really? That's not what it looks like," he commented as pushed her arms back as he evaded her strikes, "You did run, didn't you?"
"No!" She yelled as she went to stab him with the Darksaber only for Kanan to grab her arm, stopping her.
"But that's what your and Ezra's people believe, isn't it?" He stated, she growled as she flipped free from his grasp across from him, "You ran from the Empire. You ran from your family on Krownest."
"LIES!" She yelled, arguing with him.
"So what's the truth?!" He asked in an anger expression as he grabbed his lightsaber again and reignited it as the saber clashed with each other.
"The truth...is that… I left to save everyone," she admitted as she began clashing the Darksaber with his lightsaber as she removed it from saber lock before clashing it with his lightsaber again, "My mother! My father! My brother! And now my twin sister! Everything I did was for family… for Mandalore! I built weapons, terrible weapons but the Empire used them on Mandalore on friends, on family. People that I knew. They controlled us through fear." She then scoffed, "Mandalore! Fear of weapons I helped create. I helped enslave my and Ezra's people!" They then went back into a saberlock for a second, "I wanted to stop it. I had to stop it. I spoke out! I spoke out to save them. To save everyone!" She then kicked him down a hill in front of them and leapt towards him at the bottom of the hill and held the Darksaber up as if she was about to strike him down, "But when I did…" Kanan held his hand in front of his face as she continued, "MY family on Krownest didn't stand with me. They chose the Empire. They left me." She swung the saber down, but not to kill him, "Gave me no choice." She then deactivated the Darksaber as she went to sit next to him as her voice started to break with emotion, "The Empire wanted to destroy worlds. And they did. They destroyed mine and soon to be Ezra's." She then began to cry.
"The Empire rules with fear. And not everyone can be as strong as you've been," Kanan reassured her, "Your and Ezra's family are in a prison, one of their own making. It's up to you to help them out of it as well as both you and Ezra to get them to accept Ezra as your twin."
"But how? Why...Why would they believe me?" Sabine asked him as she stood up, "Why would they follow me and Ezra?"
"I know this might not be what you want to hear," Rau said as he and Ezra began walking towards her, "But for what it's worth… I would follow you." He then bowed down towards her.
"So would I, Sis," Ezra chimed in as she began bowing down towards her, "As your second-in-command. And I mean it."
"You've come a long way in a very short time," Kanan told Sabine, "Where you go from here is up to you. But know that this family, including your sister will stand by you no matter what you choose."
Please favorite and review. Would you like me to continue adding the Imperial scenes or not? This is my favorite episode of the show and the next chapter will be hard to write to have Ursa Wren accept Ezra as her daughter. I'm wondering should I have both Ezra and Ursa shoot Gar Saxon instead of Ursa when Sabine lets him live or not? Also if you don't know what war Kanan was was referring to, it was the Mandalorian Wars mentioned in KOTOR I and KOTOR II: TSLRCM.
