Sabine and Ezra were told by Hera to spend some time outside of the ghost, to 'Get some fresh air' or something along those lines. The two kids sat on a rock overlooking coral and rocky horizon of Atollon. The moment was near picture perfect, till the Mandalorian flopped on her back and shouted, "I'm bored!"
Ezra turned to see Sabine just gazing into the sky, waiting for perhaps a Tie Fighter to fly by and kick adrenaline into the day. He noticed the Darksaber on the back of her belt, it's been a few days after her training with Kanan, but there was still room for improvement on the forms and figuring out Sabine's preferred style of dueling after she had her first experience handling it.
Before Ezra could think any further, Sabine sat up and reached for the Darksaber and pulled it out in front of her. She then began to swing it around, but not activating its blade.
Ezra looked at Sabine Inquisitively, "So, what are you thinking about?"
Sabine laid the Darksaber next to her. "This whole training stuff is swell and all, But I think I'm ready for a challenge."
Ezra raised his eyebrow to wonder what Sabine was suggesting. She then her head and looked Ezra right in the eyes and smiled. "You know, Mandalorian are big on blasters, and I'll just be out there with a lightsaber. I was wondering if you could teach me how to defect blasters bolts!"
Ezra's eyes widen as his early years of Jedi training flashed by him in near Nanoseconds. "I don't think you can really do that Sabine."
Sabine's smile was quickly wiped off her face. "What do you mean I can't do it?"
Ezra realized those were not the best choice of words to tell a Mandalorian. "I mean, it's really a Jedi thing, a blaster bolt goes over two hundred and twenty kilometers an hour, and we use the force to know where to move our lightsabers to deflect the bolts. It's almost impossible for a non-force user to do it."
Sabine looked towards her Darksaber, and was silent, Ezra believed he had convinced her of the facts, and she understood, until he heard her quickly stand up and say; "I bet you five credits I can deflect a blaster bolt."
"But, but Sabine, you know you won't be able to do it!" Ezra said frantically.
Sabine started to smirk "You bet I can't, I bet I can. Five credits, do we have a deal?"
Ezra took a good minute to think about what could happen, he could hit Sabine and she would toss him off the base, or Hera would find out and would have them clean the entire floor of Chopper Base with their Toothbrushes. But he knew for a fact that Sabine won't stop until she gets it her way.
"Alright, Deal."
Ezra stood up and reached for his blaster, he started to adjust the power to its lowest possible setting, once he got that set up, he set himself at a distance from Sabine, she was stretching her arms and legs, and bounced around a few times to stretch mussels. Ezra waited for Sabine to stop warming up, when she stopped, she ignited the blade and took a ready position.
Ezra, still reluctant, wanted to make sure she was fully prepared. "Are you Ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Sabine replied
"Are you set?" He said.
"I have been." She said.
"Need a count." He said.
"No thanks…" She said.
BLAM!
Without warning, A yellow blaster bolt caught Sabine completely off guard and hit her directly in her beskar chest plate. Sabine felt the kick and surge of energy numbing her nervous system as she flopped backwards onto the ground behind her.
Ezra just stood there, like a loth-cat in headlights, with smoke coming out of the barrel of his blaster pistol not being lowered from the position when he took the shot, waiting for the worst.
Before he could consider the option to hide himself in the wilderness, Sabine sat back up and shook her head. "Did I do it?"
Ezra was kicking the dirt "Would you want to know the partial truth, or the whole truth?"
Sabine's eyes drilled into Ezra.
Ezra started to scratch the back of his head and turned away from Sabine. "You really should have asked for that count. But I'll take those five credits now."
Sabine rolled her eyes as she stood back up, she walked towards Ezra and reached into one of the pouches on her belt and pulled out five credits. But before she gave Ezra a chance to count his winnings, she pulled out five more credits.
"Bet you five more if I can deflect it."
Ezra chuckled, "Alright, just make sure you are actually ready this time"
The two got back to their places, Sabine held the Darksaber more like a baseball bat this time to try to swing it at the blaster bolt.
Ezra brought his blaster to the firing position, Sabine tried to swing the saber, but the bolt flew right past her.
Ezra lowered the blaster. But before he could holster it and collect his money, Sabine checked her pouches for more credits.
"Five more for another try." She suggested
Ezra just shrugged and prepared for another shot, Sabine stood ready.
Ezra fired his blaster, Sabine tried to angle it just right, it was in the wrong spot, the laser bolt flew unopposed till it hit Sabine right in the forehead. She fell down as the sudden shock shut down her nervous system again.
When she came to, she saw Ezra right next to her, counting the credits.
"Easiest fifteen credits I ever made." He said, tossing the chips in the air and back into his hand.
Sabine started to knock on her head to see if her nervous system was working again, and reached for five more credits, she showed Ezra the additional credits she had, and without saying a word, Ezra went back to his position.
Sabine had the Darksaber ready, she could really feel this was the moment.
Ezra drew his blaster and fired a bolt, Sabine swung the saber but to early, exposing her shoulder pauldron to the shot, not stunning her, knocking her back a few centimeters.
She pouted to herself as she regained her footing, she was ready to extend the bet when she reached into her pouches to find additional credits but could only find the credits she bet for this round.
Ezra noticed Sabine frantically searching through her pouches as he walked towards her. "Did you check your pockets?"
Sabine grunted "Ezra, these pants don't have pockets."
Ezra looked and noticed the five credits in Sabine's hand he then swiped them out and looked to Sabine. "Welp, it looks like you're out of credits, no need to extend the bet longer."
Sabine began to think frantically. "Wait, what if I bet…" She paused to think further of what she could bet.
"Go on?" Said Ezra as he counted his earnings.
"I bet... I bet my airbrush!"
Ezra took thought into and eventually he nodded. The two went back into position, and once ready, Ezra fired another shot that flew harmlessly past Sabine and her Darksaber.
Sabine turned back to Ezra. "I bet my datapad!"
Ezra raised an eyebrow. "With or without your entire music collection?"
Sabine rolled her eyes and let out a sigh of frustration. "UGH, With my music collection!"
"Does that include your original cover album?" Ezra said
Sabine remembered her attempt to make a music album of herself covering her favorite bands and songs, she never bothered to delete them after learning how awkward they sounded.
"Yes…" She reluctantly replied.
They took their positions again. Ezra fired his blaster, Sabine was not able to swing fast enough, the stun bolt hit her directly in her stomach, Shutting down her nervous system yet again.
When she came to, she thought she heard her own voice, except it was singing a song she loved. She looked and saw Ezra with her datapad listening to her cover album. She felt almost embarrassed to see someone else listening to her sing, even if it was just a recording.
Nevertheless she stood back up and looked Ezra dead in the eye.
"I bet my speeder bike!"
"Deal." Ezra said.
He paused the song, put down his new datapad, and walked back over. Once Sabine was ready, he fired his blaster, Sabine swung the Darksaber in the wrong direction, as the bolt flew harmlessly into the horizon.
Sabine turned back to Ezra "I bet all my sweets!"
Again, Ezra fired, and the bolt missed.
"I bet my tool kit!"
Another accepted and another miss.
"I bet my paint collection"
Accepted and missed.
"I bet all my explosives"
Another miss and a more desperate Sabine.
"I bet my room!"
Ezra paused. "Wait, If I take your room, where will you sleep?"
Sabine paused to think. "Either Hera can let me in her room, or I'm going to be sleeping on the floor in the commons area."
Ezra shrugged. "Yeah, it's going to be the floor."
Sabine took the ready position, when the blaster bolt came, Sabine tried to swing like mad, but it simply flew right by.
Frustrated she yelled out her next bet.
"I bet my wrist computer!"
Accepted and missed.
"I bet my blasters!"
Accepted and missed.
"I bet Chopper!" she shouted infuriatingly
"Wait, Hera told us not to use Chopper for betting, remember?" Ezra said, reminding Sabine the time Zeb lost Chopper to Lando in a game of Sabacc.
"Oh, right." She said.
Sabine began thinking of what else she had to bet, but she began to rely she was down to what she had on her.
"I bet my utility belts!"
Ezra looked confused. "Isn't this going a little too far?"
"Just shoot!" she yelled.
Ezra fired his blaster, she swung too late and to low as the bolt flew past her head. She began to stomp on the ground as she began to remove her belts, once she had them undone, she tossed them towards Ezra's feet.
Ezra could feel Sabine's frustration though the force, and realizing she had nothing left to bet, except everything she was wearing. He decided to make the bet first.
"Hey Sabine, I bet, if you can hit this next blaster bolt, you can have all the stuff you lost to me back."
Sabine looked around. "And if I miss?"
Ezra was thinking of something, not to make it awkward, and he found the perfect solution.
"If you miss, then I get to choose your next haircut and color."
Sabine was frightened to hear his choice. "Deal."
She took her stance, but was shaking, fearing what type of cut Ezra would give her, or worse, what color pallet.
Ezra drew his blaster, and saw the opportunity, as he fired, he swiftly motioned his hand, using the force to pull the Sabine's arms into the right position. And within a split second, the bolt contacted the Darksaber blade, Sabine felt the impact and repulsion of the bolt as it bounced off into the sky.
Sabine looked up and started laughing as the blaster bolt flew into the clouds and out of sight, she began boasting. "Yes, I did it, Sabine Wren is debt free!"
Ezra came up next to her and handed back her credits, her datapad, and her belts. "You sure proved me wrong Sabine."
Sabine could not stop laughing. "I don't know what gotten into me, but from now on, no more stupid bets."
The two rebels stopped their laughter and sat down, they watched the horizon as the sun set on Atollon, the moment was near picture perfect, Till Ezra turned to Sabine and said, "I bet you fifty credits you can paint Zeb a different color without waking him up."
Sabine smirked; "What color?"
"It's all up to you."
The two Rebels stood up, and began their trek back to Chopper Base, to see who would win the bet.
Takes place a few days after 'Trails of the Darksaber'
Does not coincide with 'Beyond The Rim'