Ezrabine's Goodbye, Part 2:

D26/1 BBY, Lothal

With Governor Pryce sitting in a gunship like a ticking timebomb, guarded by Ryder and a hungry looking lothwolf, Ezra and Kallus jogged in two different directions to change into outfits a little more... Imperial.

But first, Ezra was taking a minute for a necessary private moment with his wife just one more time.

With time ticking past much too quickly, Ezra scrambled up the ladder of the Ghost and then down the hall to Sabine's cabin and knocked on the door. He knew she was in there, changing for their next mission into the scout trooper armour they'd stolen at the Jedi Temple mission. A moment later, her door opened and she appeared, wearing just the black bodysuit that went under the white armour.

Holy kriff was she ever hot like that. Once upon a time, back when he was still fourteen, Ezra had had to force himself to keep his eyes on her face, before he got a smack for blatantly ogling. Now, four years later, and feeling a lot more confident as the secret husband, he let his eyes trail down and up her body appreciatively, knowing exactly what was under that bodysuit but finding the tight material an incredible turn on. He'd seen her without her armour attached to her usual bodysuit more than a few times over the years, but it still gave him a shock of delight and desire that he now had to suppress. Nothing was as sexy as her bare skin, of course, but these bodysuits were a very close second. And to make it even harder, this all black getup was somehow even more formfitting than her black and grey outfit. This wasn't really the time for that line of thought, but that didn't mean he couldn't indulge in looking even as he reined in his libido with some determination.

Sabine raised a brow at his blatant once over, a little smirk forming as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Is it time already?" Sabine asked, but then shook her head as she saw he was still in his regular orange and brown outfit and didn't give him a chance to reply. "No. Then what?"

Ezra smiled. She might be his girl now, but she was still all no nonsense. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossing over his chest as well, and tried to look nonchalant. "What, can't I just come by to see you?" he asked with a small playful wiggle of his eyebrows.

Sabine rolled her eyes. "Normally, I'd say yes. But today is not normal. I know time is tight. What is it, Ezra?"

He sighed. She was too smart for him. He pushed himself off the doorframe and changed his expression to a serious one. "I know this is a strange request, but can I have a sheet of paper?"

Sabine looked at him with curious eyes for a moment, but then just shrugged, turned, and rummaged through her desk until she found one of her sketchbooks and tore a page out from the back of a half filled one. Ezra wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a page with a drawing of him and Kanan side by side, meditating in the grass of Lothal. That one glimpse was enough to tighten his throat in sadness which he tried to push aside. Not the time to be sad either.

Sabine came back and handed him the paper. "Dare I ask what you could possibly need paper for?"

Ezra shook his head, smiling ruefully. "Nope. Although I can say you'll find out one day."

Sabine rolled her eyes at him again. If he had a credit for every time she did that, he'd be a millionaire. She glanced out into the hallway and seeing no one, grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him closer. "You're frustrating sometimes, Ezra Bridger," she whispered, not wanting anyone else on the ship to hear her. "But you're mine, and ridiculously cute, and I love you, so you're forgiven." Still holding handfuls of his shirt, she stood on her toes and kissed him hard and quick, then pushed him away. "Now get. I know we're short on time and you haven't even changed yet."

Ezra grinned at her like an idiot, and stepped back into her personal space. He tugged off a glove with his teeth, then tucked it into his belt before raising his bare hand and brushing his fingers through her hair, letting the silky strands play over his skin. "You are so beautiful," he whispered with his usual awe, staring into her eyes and grinning wider as she blushed. He leaned down and gave her his own quick and hard kiss that morphed into something quite a bit longer and nearly had them both moaning.

Finally tearing his mouth from hers, he feathered his mouth over to her ear. "Love you," he breathed into it, then turned and went into his room across the hallway. As his door was closing, he looked back across the hall and found her still staring at him with wide, tear filled eyes, her hand over her mouth as if to hold his kiss in forever.

He nearly collapsed then and there. Frag it all to hell and back. Ezra's forehead thunked against his closed door and he closed his eyes, hands fisting, crumpling the precious paper, breathing deeply as he forced himself to calm down before he did something stupid like tear his room apart in a fit of rage.

After a minute, he was back in control enough to turn to his messy desk. He had another painful note to write. He now knew what the first note he'd written her about half a year ago meant and he'd thought about trying to covertly get it back, but decided against it. He knew it was stupid and not really accurate at all, but he felt like Sabine would need that first note and draw some comfort from it. Hopefully this one would be just as helpful. With some digging, Ezra found a pen and started to write.

Three furiously scribbling and agonizing minutes later, he looked at his finished note, hoping he was doing the right thing. He folded the wrinkled paper into a tiny square and tucked it into its hiding place, where it would stay for quite a while. He knew Sabine would find it when the time was right. Ezra sighed and glanced around his and Zeb's room. Despite the smell, he was going to miss this place. After a few seconds of mourning, Ezra kicked himself back into motion, pulling off his second glove while pushing a boot off his foot with the toe of the other. There was still way too much to do to sit still.

And Thrawn was getting closer by the second, if the sense of doom sitting like a deadweight in his chest was anything to go by.

The flight from their mountainside base on the other side of the planet to Capital City was relatively short, only fifteen minutes or so, but it felt like an eon to Sabine because the tension in their stolen gunship was thick enough to choke on.

Zeb was concentrating on flying and occasionally chatting at Kallus.

Kallus mumbled a reply or two, but for the most part seemed to be in his own little world; probably dealing with the demons of his past as he faced returning to the place where he hadn't exactly been the nicest of people.

Governor Pryce was all but sulking because they had outsmarted her.

Ryder was essentially gloating as he kept a watchful eye on his prisoner, but was too tactful to rub it in out loud.

And Ezra... Ezra seemed lost in his own world as well, and very much unwilling to look at her. There were no flirty smiles when no one was looking like there normally was in such a situation. No hidden touches that would have been explained away as simply maintaining one's balance while standing up in a flying ship if anyone had cared to notice. No casual chatter or rehashing of the plan that everyone knew too well. Her husband of only hours was beside her, but felt lightyears away.

If Sabine had been worried about him this morning, she was nearly petrified now.

By the time they were flying in the correct hemisphere of Lothal, she couldn't take his silence anymore. Wishing they were alone so that she could wrap her arms around him for some much needed comfort for herself and him, Sabine nudged her white armour clad shoulder into his. "Hey. You okay?"

His face looked paler than normal inside the white scout trooper helmet and his blue eyes looked bigger than normal as well, a fathomless apology in their depths as he turned his body and actually faced her.

She seriously considered exposing their relationship then and there just to give him that hug. She honestly wasn't sure who needed it most.

Ezra felt like he was drowning in guilt as he looked at Sabine's worried expression. His first thought to her answer was no. No he wasn't okay. All he could think about was the dreams that had haunted him through the night and the matching images that had flashed through his mind while he was meditating this morning.

Thrawn.

Purrgil tentacles.

Sabine's voice begging him to save himself.

Hyperspace.

The Dome exploding in a sky free of Star Destroyers.

Hera, curled in on herself in her bunk.

Sabine sobbing in his tower.

An endless turquoise ocean.

Sabine, looking exhausted, as she sat in the cockpit of the Gauntlet that was surrounded by a sea of scorched grass.

What looked like a planet exploding into a billion pieces into the cold black of space.

Capital City, glowing white in the sun, and bigger than it was now.

An unknown male voice saying, "Four years away from your mate. I'd have gone insane by now."

Ezra almost despised the Force and his visions right now.

He was the galaxy's worst husband for the burden he was about to place on her. But... He had no choice. What was about to happen was the will of the Force and there was no way around it. His visions had never been wrong. Only the way he interpreted them had. He doubted he had interpreted his visions incorrectly this time. His fate was essentially sealed with Thrawn's, and they were going far far away for a very long time.

Kriff, he felt like the worst kind of scum as he replied to Sabine's question, hesitantly saying, "I know... I can always count on you."

Despite being taken aback by the statement, and even though it hadn't been phrased as a question, she answered it as such. "Of course. Always." Her gaze was piercing as she tried to figure out what was going on in his head. For what had to be the hundredth time, she wished she was sensitive enough to the Force so their bond worked both ways and she could read his thoughts the same way he read hers. Instead, she was stuck using words and hoping he actually answered her. Lowering her voice so that hopefully only he could hear her, she asked, "What's wrong, Ezra? Is it what you told me this morning?"

He suppressed the urge to visibly cringe and look away again. Sabine deserved better than that from him. This was quite possibly some of his last minutes with her and he was wasting them by dwelling on the inevitable. "Yes. I'm sor..."

The chiming of the commlink on her belt interrupted him and Hera's voice emerged from it when Sabine picked it up. "We're coming up on the capital. Better get ready."

Startled, Ezra glanced forward and saw the familiar skyline of Capital City for himself. Kriff, I've wasted even more time than I thought.

Sabine answered the comm. "Copy. Head for platform zero delta."

That caught Pryce's attention, tearing her eyes from the floor where she'd been studying it intently, avoiding Ryder's gaze. "The Command Center? Why...?" Her eyes narrowed as possibilities zoomed through her unfortunately logical and always scheming mind. She smirked as she figured it out, giving Ezra and Sabine a haughty look. "You're going to attempt to launch the Dome, aren't you? Your plan is worse than I thought."

Not one to let anyone insult his truly epic and grand plan if he could help it, Ezra corrected her. "Mmmm, bolder. You mean bolder than you thought."

Sabine joined in. "More creative than you thought." She smirked at the older woman who clearly wasn't impressed.

Kallus came out of his contemplation of life at the conversation and turned around. He held out a comm unit to the kneeling woman whose teal blue eyes were spitting scorn at her former co-worker. "Now, about those landing codes." The blond man's expression was unforgiving as he added, "And remember, I'll know if they're correct."

Pryce all but rolled her eyes as she snatched the commlink out of Kallus' black gloved hand. "Gladly. The sooner we land, the sooner you will be my prisoners."

Ezra and Sabine shared a smirk at her wishful thinking. "Yeah. That's not going to happen," Ezra said confidently, prompting a sneer from the black haired viper disguised as a human female. For what she had done to Hera and Kanan, he had every intention of making sure that Pryce didn't survive Stage Two of his grand plan. Zeb had orders to knock her out and tie her up if she made any attempt at escaping before the Dome was launched into the air. The lasat was quite happy to make sure Pryce went out with a spectacular bang, and was alive to feel it.

While Pryce contacted the Dome and gave the appropriate landing codes, Sabine pinned Ezra in her gaze again, bringing an abrupt end to his temporary smile. She put her head as close to his as she could get away with without their helmets bumping and murmured, "Is it really going to be that bad?" She could see the deep remorse in his eyes as he nodded slightly.

Ezra's chest ached in the worst possible way. Force, he wished he could start this day over. Maybe live in the early morning hours in an endless time loop of momentary happiness. "I'm sorry. For whatever happens after this. I. Am. Sorry." His emphatic words were like the barest hint of a breeze, meant for only her to hear.

She honestly felt like the gunship crashed out from under her feet, making her sway. With everyone else's gaze on Pryce, Ezra settled the hand that wasn't holding on to the ceiling on the small of her back between plates of plastoid armour. She took a second to close her eyes and find her core of strength again. Whatever happened, which he was being disgustingly vague on, she knew she was strong enough to see it through to the end. Because he was right; he could count on her.

Always.

Ezra deserved every ounce of dedication she had. He'd always believed in her. Stood by her, no matter what she wanted or needed to do. Even when it meant living apart for months. Now it was her turn to support him.

Pryce was sharing insults with Ryder and Kallus now on the final approach to the Imperial Dome. In the guise of looking for something in the packed bag of her normal clothes and armour, Sabine moved to the other side of Ezra and knelt down in front of her bag. He shifted around to keep her in his sight, which is what she expected him to do, prompting a hint of a sad smile to cross her mouth. (His eyes were almost always on her.) In case anyone was watching, she dug through a pocket for a second and then rose to her feet again, pretending to put the imaginary something in her utility belt.

She was now blocked from the sight of the others by Ezra's bigger body, which was her plan.

Sabine raised a gloved hand and traced a finger down his scarred cheek, watching as his eyes softened from remorse to love. He turned his head and kissed her palm, making her heart stutter once. "It's okay. I love you," she mouthed.

Ezra felt like he was nearly drowning in the love and acceptance she was now flooding their bond with. But in the best possible way. He hadn't realized how much he needed that until she gave it to him.

Eyes stinging with emotion, he did something he'd never tried with her before because of how intrusive it was. He and Kanan didn't even communicate like this unless they really really had to, and Kanan could block him out if he chose. Sabine could not. But he felt like he needed to make his point as clear as humanly possible, so, staring deep into her shining amber eyes, he pushed a thought into her mind and his feelings into her soul.

"I love you too. Always."

Sabine's eyes widened and her lips parted on a gasp as his voice caressed her mind and her body was filled with the sensation of being caressed all over in the most sensual way, as if he was demonstrating how much he would love her all at once. She broke out in goosebumps from the neck down. "Ezra, did you just...?" she gasped out on a puff of air.

He smiled bashfully. "Yeah. I did," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as spots of colour darkened his cheeks. (At least he didn't look like he was going to be sick anymore.)

Sabine blinked a couple times, taking in the implications of this new talent that he'd hidden from her. She'd told him a long time ago not to read her thoughts unless it was absolutely necessary, and he'd been pretty good about it, as far as she knew. It had never occurred to her that he could give her thoughts back. But she supposed it made sense; how else did Jedi mind control work?

The question was, did she want him giving her his thoughts? She supposed it would be useful in emergency situations, just like the mind reading. And she was pretty sure he would have done it to her sooner if he was going to flaunt the ability at her and take advantage. Obviously this was a very special occasion and he felt the need to do it. Sabine understood.

"Okay," she breathed, smiling into his eyes.

He lit up. Just lit up like a kid on Life Day morning.

Sabine traced her finger over his upturned lower lip and he kissed it, their eyes locked together, amber lost in the most beautiful of royal blues.

And then the moment was broken as the ship jarred under their feet.

They had landed and it was back to the business of warfare.