Doubt, Dinner, and Dessert:

Ezra walked over to where everyone else was gathered around Chopper, who was projecting the schematics of a Star Destroyer. He was basically in a daze over the concept of having kids sooner than later, so he didn't contribute to the conversations, but he did manage to more or less listen.

Alrich was speaking as Ezra stopped beside Kanan. "Saxon has worked hard to keep the weapon secret, so he likely has it aboard his Imperial Star Destroyer outside of Sundari. Needless to say, it will be very well guarded."

Sabine was next. "Once we get inside that ship, we'll need two teams. One to find the weapon and one to wipe out every shred of data on the Imperial computer systems." Ezra suppressed the urge to smile like a dork from listening to her voice. It was sweet and commanding at the same time. How she did that, he didn't know, but he sure was a sucker for it.

"This weapon. Is there any way it could be turned against the Empire?" Fenn asked Sabine.

Sabine blinked twice at the suggestion, because it was actually something she'd thought of many times in the dead of night. And unbeknownst to her instructors at the Academy, she had done preliminary research on calibrating her weapon to focus on other types of armour. The problem with changing the parameters of the Duchess meant that it would then be her who was the one with questionable methods of destroying her enemies. And if the Duchess was left intact, it could always be changed back. That could never be allowed to happen.

She gave her curious audience the short version of her thoughts. "I've studied stormtrooper armour, and, while the thought has crossed my mind, that isn't our mission," she replied. But I wouldn't mind if Saxon felt the power of the Duchess.

No. Bad Sabine. Don't talk yourself out of this.

But…

I said no!

Fine. Vengeful Sabine pouted and retreated to the back of her mind. Mostly.

Moralistic Sabine had the final say with her rapt audience. "No. No, we have to destroy it."

Ezra and Kanan caught the hint of something in her voice that said conflict was brewing at the back of her mind. Ezra wouldn't be surprised if Sabine did something completely unexpected during the mission. She was good at that; coming up with new ways to destroy things on the fly. I bet if the opportunity presents itself, she WILL tinker with her weapon. She won't be able to resist.

She could practically feel Fenn's disappointment in her answer. Too bad, Fenn. I'm not mass murdering stormtroopers to win this war. They're not the one's running the show. It's the leaders we need to eliminate. Also known as Tarkin, Thrawn, and that skeevy Palpatine.

What happened when I invented the Duchess, anyway? How did a simple science project turn into something so terrible?

"If I can get to the weapon, I can make sure it's destroyed," Sabine finished with, radiating determination.

"I'll get you there," Bo-Katan said, just as determinedly.

"Ezra and I will take Chopper to the data core," Kanan volunteered for them. Ezra hid a frown. He would rather be with Sabine's team, but he didn't oppose his Master.

"All right. Let's go over our infiltration plan." Sabine became more animated and hopeful as she talked about her plan and the schematics of the Star Destroyer and the most likely place the weapon would be located.

Ezra's attention divided as Fenn and Bo-Katan stepped away from the group and started talking quietly to each other.

Unobtrusively studying the pair for a moment, Ezra opened his bond to Kanan up again. "Hey, Kanan."

"What?"

"Look at Fenn and Lady Kryze. Is it just me or is his signature softer and yet more lively than I've ever seen it?"

Kanan didn't have to turn his head to do as requested. His incredibly detailed Force Sight went around him three hundred and sixty degrees. Ezra had been practicing, but his Sight still only showed him what he was more or less pointing towards. And he was sure he didn't get even a fraction of the details Kanan did. He couldn't read with it like Kanan did, that was for sure.

After a few seconds, Kanan replied. "Nope. Not just you. Fenn definitely fancies her. A lot."

Ezra hid a smirk by rubbing his nose. "And what about Kryze? Does she like him back?"

"She's not sure yet. Her emotions are curious but cautious."

"That's what I thought too. I hope for his sake that she gives him a chance. He deserves to be just as pathetically lovesick as the rest of us."

Kanan's mouth quirked up, mentally chuckling as he nudged Ezra with his elbow. "You're bad."

Ezra elbowed him back. "I know."

Ezra found it quite amusing that Fenn seemed to have fallen so quickly for the woman. He could see the appeal... if you like beautiful badass female warrior types. Which I do. And I fell just as fast for mine, didn't I?

Ezra's attention returned wholly to his own badass female warrior and he couldn't help the small smile as he watched her animated face as she brainstormed over her plan of attack with her father and the assistance of Chopper's holo display. Alrich, despite being an artist, seemed to know an awful lot about the layout of Star Destroyers and the postings of the troops on the Destroyers and in the city. I wonder if he's more like an undercover spy? Sabine certainly isn't surprised by his input.

She was so good at this, and really was a born leader. Ezra was more than happy to stand at her side and let her make the big decisions, protecting her back as necessary. He could lead when he had to, but he enjoyed watching Sabine take control of things more. When it came to her, Ezra was just happy to spend whatever time he could with her.

As Sabine started her planning with her Jedi, Bo pulled the Protector away from the group. She was very curious about him. And had many questions. Like, why was he was working with Rebel affiliated Jedi? Why was he working with the Wrens? What had really happened to the Protectors of Concord Dawn?

But those were all questions that could wait.

First, she needed to know more about what was driving her distant cousin.

Fenn, for his part, had no problem whatsoever with being dragged anywhere Countess Kryze wished to take him. He didn't even care why he was being pulled away from a rather important meeting. The woman was bloody gorgeous and made his heart race just by looking at her. No female had ever done that to him before. He'd found many attractive, yes, but not to this extent. Not like his very existence might hinge on whether or not they smiled at him.

He had yet to see Bo-Katan smile, but he just knew it would be glorious. His new mission in life was to please her enough so her face would fill with joy and not this stern frown of displeasure or concentration or whatever was going on in her head.

By some miracle, he remembered rather quickly that he should inquire as to why they were moving away from the group. "Is there something I can help you with, Countess?"

Bo nodded stiffly. "Yes. I need you to tell me truthfully that I can trust that girl."

He was surprised by the question, but nodded quickly. "Of course you can. Is she not your distant kin? I know she's House Kryze and she claims it proudly."

Now it was her turn to be surprised. "She does?"

"Of course. She may have made mistakes when she was young, but she has always been a loyal Mandalorian."

Bo continued frowning in the direction of the girl. "She doesn't wear her Clan colours."

Fenn had to give her that one. "True. But that's because her mother cast her out. She made her own identity during that time and I don't think she's willing to give it up and become just one of a crowd again. You will notice the wren symbol on her shoulder, however. She also wears a symbol for the Rebellion, which she designed by the way, and a symbol of her other family, the Ghost crew. The girl is extremely loyal and trustworthy to those she cares for."

Bo found her opinion of her little cousin softening with every one of Fenn Rau's words. "At first I wanted to destroy her for the harm her mistakes have caused," she admitted, not able to look at the man she was talking to, afraid he would judge her harshly for her initial opinion.

You're not the only one, Fenn thought with a wry quirk of his mouth, openly studying her since she wasn't looking at him.

Bo continued. "But I find myself reluctantly admiring her courage. She has come back to face her past, and her bold initiative has impressed me. From what I have seen so far, she is also a courageous and brilliant leader. At least, with Ursa's passing, her clan may be left in capable hands."

"I believe it has been," Fenn assured. "Sabine has worked her shebs off the last few months proving to her clan that she deserves to be there. I don't have to tell you this, since I'm sure you're aware, but under the guise of her clan operations, she's done more to inspire open rebellion against the Imperial occupation of Mandalore than anyone else has in the last fifteen years."

"I have noticed," Bo said wryly, glancing at Rau and finding him looking at her intently, almost admiringly. Surprisingly, it didn't make her feel uncomfortable like most attention from males did. "But Ursa let me think all of their hits were her idea. Was that deliberate?"

Fenn nodded. "Most likely. Sabine would have been trying to restore her mother's loss of honour that she had caused."

"Hmmmm. As she should. Another admirable quality."

"The girl has many," Fenn said matter-of-factly. "She reminds me of the best of who we were, and could inspire us to become more than we have been of late. I will not allow her efforts to be wasted."

Bo turned and looked at Rau intently, seeing the determination in his surprisingly beautiful glacier blue eyes. After a moment, she nodded once. "Than I shall not as well."

Fenn smiled rather brilliantly at her in approval and Bo found herself returning the gesture, if not quite so enthusiastically. But still, it was the first genuine smile that had crossed her face in a while and she was grateful to him for it.

Stars, I was right. Her smile IS glorious. Thank you, Manda, thank you.

Bo blinked at the look in his eyes. It wasn't lust, not exactly, but he looked as though he'd happily devour her from head to toe. For some reason her body thought that might not be a bad idea and started to tingle with awareness. Seriously not the time or the place, she told herself. We have work to do first.

After? her hormones begged back, suddenly feeling incredibly neglected.

Bo all but rolled her eyes at herself for her ridiculous mental conversation, but somehow found herself thinking, Perhaps. If you're lucky, and Mr. Hot Stuff over there doesn't turn into a dud.

Yaaaayyyyy!

To distract herself from her apparently teenage level urges, Bo asked, "You don't happen to know how she came to be in possession of the Darksabre, do you? I'm sure I saw her using it earlier and I nearly died of shock."

Fenn laughed, the spell that had temporarily overcome him as he gazed at her stunning emerald eyes broken. "I do, in fact. I'll tell you later when we have more time."

"I'm holding you to that," she said as she moved to rejoin Sabine's group, stopping beside her cousin and giving him a nudge of greeting with her shoulder.

Alrich smiled at her warmly, not interrupting Sabine's mostly-talking-to-herself chatter. They hadn't seen each other in well over a year, but the affection would always be there.

Bo interrupted the girl. "Your plan sounds solid, Sabine. We'll inform everyone when they gather for dinner. Your group is welcome to join us, if you like."

Sabine nodded, smiling gratefully. "Yes, thank you. We would love to. I, for one, am famished. And if I am, that means that Ezra's twice as hungry." She shot the boy in question a teasing glance.

Ezra grimaced, playing along, putting a hand on his flat stomach. "I wasn't going to say anything, but since you mentioned it, I think my stomach just ate my spleen."

Bo snorted in amusement, along with the rest of the group. The boy is funny, and cute, in a puppyish way. I can see the appeal, I suppose. "Come then. With any luck someone's already organized dinner. We have about six hours to eat and rest before our next mission."

Dinner was interesting.

Ezra sat between Kanan and Sabine while she picked at her food, frowning at it absently. His appetite was fine, but he hadn't lost a chunk of his family only hours before. He spent most of his time observing the Mandos around him as they chattered away in Mando'a. Every once in a while, he'd catch a word that he thought he recognized, the most common of which was 'Jetii', the Mando'a version of Jedi, or some of the swear words that Sabine was fond of. If their emotions and barely civilized looks were anything to go by, the Mandos were not in love with the idea of having Jedi in their camp.

And they were even more displeased by the fact that Ezra was attached to one of their females, completely disregarding the fact that Sabine wasn't exactly their favourite person either.

Ezra discovered this fun little snippet by accident when he refilled her cup for her and she'd given him a half smile in thanks, her eyes far away and sad. Hoping to bring her back to the here and now, and restore a proper smile to her face, he'd brushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her cheek the same way that she had his; soft and lingering, before whispering that she should try and eat something to go with her mead or she'd end up woozy.

Sabine had blinked at him, smiled for real, and actually put a bite of food in her mouth.

The rest of the hundred or so warriors seated at tables around them had basically stopped breathing and the tent had gone silent for a good ten seconds. The temperature in the big tent had dropped like a sudden attack of winter. And their emotions had gone from displeased to outright repugnance.

For the sake of entertainment, Ezra had found half a dozen more excuses to touch Sabine while encouraging her to actually eat her dinner. The tent sizzled with tension every time.

It was hilarious, if somewhat alarming for Ezra's life expectancy.

Sabine was somehow oblivious, but she seemed to be working through things in her mind, so Ezra let it slide.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Kanan whispered to him after Ezra put his free arm across her shoulders and snuggled her a little closer into his side. Their displeased audience all but gasped in outrage.

Ezra grinned at him when Sabine hummed in a happy but still distracted way and then forked in another bite of salad. "Worth it," he whispered back smugly.

Kanan shook his head at him, amused resignation trickling down their bond.

Fenn, who was sitting across the table from them, smirked into his cup of mead. "Can you blame him, Kanan?"

Kanan sighed in an exaggeratedly forlorn fashion. "I suppose not. Girl's been making him wait for four years. I guess he's earned the right to a few death defying displays of affection."

Ezra grinned wider when Sabine actually focused on the people around them long enough to lean around Ezra and smirk at Kanan. "Yes, he has." She then kissed Ezra on the jaw before poking at her salad and mentally going elsewhere again.

Alrich raised a brow. "Four years, huh?"

Ezra shrugged. "More or less. She was worth the wait, though."

Kanan barked out a laugh. "Even when she was telling you to go take a flying leap off the top of the Ghost again because you wouldn't leave her alone?"

Ezra flushed lightly. "I was fourteen," he said defensively. "I had no self control back then. She hasn't told me that in years."

Fenn paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. "Wait, why does it sound like you actually did take a leap off the Ghost at some point?"

Both Ezra and Kanan winced. "Ummmm. That's a long story," Kanan mumbled.

Alrich stopped eating too, sensing a really good story. "You must tell it. We have time."

"Uhhh. Well," Ezra started. "I was just learning how to be a Jedi…"

"And I was just learning how to teach him to be a Jedi…"

"And I wasn't very good yet…"

"And I overfaced him…"

Sabine huffed in exasperation, her attention caught again in the present reality. "You two are terrible story tellers." She looked across at Fenn and her father. "Kanan was trying to teach Ezra how to use a lightsabre by having Chopper throw empty water bottles at him. Chopper went a little nuts and threw too many all at once. Ezra tripped on one and fell backwards off the Ghost. We happened to be hovering about a kilometre above the ground at the time."

"Shabla hell!" Fenn exclaimed.

"How did you survive?!" Alrich asked with wide eyes.

"Kanan caught me with the Force and pulled me back up," Ezra said proudly. "It was amazing."

The other two men gawked at the bearded Jedi in admiration.

Kanan flushed under his mask. "It was nothing."

Sabine snorted. "Kanan's had to rescue Ezra from falling to his death more than once. I think today was the first time that Ezra more or less saved himself."

"Hey!" he protested out of principle, even if it was true. "I've gotten better at not getting myself into precarious situations in the first place."

"That's true," she admitted, patting his arm consolingly.

Ezra decided to call that about as good as it got in terms of praise from her and dedicated himself to finishing his dinner.

Now up to the dessert course, Ezra took his and Kanan's empty plates and Sabine's half full one away and returned with three small plates filled with a deliciously gooey looking chocolate cake. Where they got chocolate cake from, he had no idea, considering they were in the middle of a rather large, covert operation against the Empire. But then again, Bo-Katan was the Countess of one of the wealthiest and most influential clans on the planet. If anyone could afford to buy cake for a hundred people, it would be her.

Somehow, while Ezra was gone, Sabine had acquired a datapad and was typing at lightning speed on the touchscreen with a focused dedication that indicated all of her previous thinking had produced something interesting. "What ARE you working on?" Ezra asked curiously as he set a plate in front of her.

"Just… things," she said evasively.

"Evil weapon things?"

"Maybe." She frowned at him then focused on her datapad again.

Ezra dropped it, sensing she wasn't going to talk about it.

Deciding to focus on something more pleasant, Ezra took a forkful of cake and placed it into his mouth, nearly moaning in taste bud delight. "Karabast, this is good. We never get cake like this at Chopper Base."

Kanan forked in a bite and quickly nodded in agreement. "Heaven."

Fenn was inhaling his cake like he'd never get another piece. Probably so he could go back for seconds before it was all gone.

Sabine was still typing away, cake untouched.

Knowing how much Sabine loved chocolate, Ezra frowned at her. He picked up her fork and stabbed some cake for her and then held it to her mouth. "Open. This is really good and I'm going to eat it for you if you don't."

The warning got through to her occupied brain enough for her to her open her mouth for his offering.

Then her eyes closed and she actually did moan in taste bud bliss. "Stars, that's good," she said after swallowing. She snatched her fork from him and immediately put all of her concentration into savouring her cake, pushing the datapad away and pulling the plate closer, curling over it possessively. "Mine," she all but snarled at Ezra.

Alrich chortled into his napkin as he wiped away cake crumbs. "Never get between a girl and her chocolate cake."

Ezra grinned to himself, forking up another bite for himself. Mission accomplished.

Somehow, Ezra found himself braving the wild herd of Mandos for a second piece of cake for his ladylove.

She'd finished her cake in record time for someone who was clearly savouring every bite, and then she'd looked at the lineup to the buffet table assessingly. When she sighed and let her shoulders drop in clear defeat, Ezra couldn't stand it.

So he shoved the last quarter of his cake into his mouth all at once, just to make sure he actually got to eat it lest someone else decided it was fair game while he was gone, and then he was leaping up from the table.

"Where are you going?" Sabine asked as she dragged her datapad back in front of her.

Ezra swallowed down the massive bite with effort before answering. "To get you more cake, my beautiful cyar'ika." And then he was gone, sliding around tables and people with swift ease.

Sabine gawked for a moment before a very soft smile that might be interpreted as loving appreciation crossed her face and she turned around fully to watch her Jedi perform what should be an impossible feat.

Bo, overhearing, actually felt her heart melt a little at the boy's devotion. Jedi or not, that one's a keeper. And would you look at that; not entirely the bumbling buffoon I thought.

Their whole table watched in avid curiosity as the lithe Jedi boy literally slithered around and under the bigger warriors. Not a single person seemed to be aware of what he was doing because he didn't touch any of them. "How is he...?" Bo started to ask, with wide eyes.

"Former street rat." Kanan said as his only explanation.

That was enough. Bo got it. Orphan, then, most likely. She also concluded that he was probably older than he looked because nearly every street rat she'd met had been half starved and smaller than they should be. But they did make fantastic spies and informants.

Ezra grinned to himself in triumph when he'd maneuvered his way to the front of the jostling and impatient line without any exclamations of protest. He arrived just in time, too, because there was only five plates of cake left.

He snatched one up and that's when someone finally figured out he'd just cut in front of about forty people.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" a very large warrior with dark skin and purple eyes growled at him, prompting more protests of a similar nature to erupt down the entire line.

Ezra smirked at the young man who reminded him of Ketsu for some reason. "I'm taking a piece of cake. What does it look like?"

"I don't think so, Jedi." The warrior moved to snatch it from his hand but Ezra was faster.

He jumped backwards, balancing the cake carefully, and assessed the situation. The warriors were all but salivating like rabid mookas as they closed in on him menacingly. In his mind, Kanan was laughing again, curse him.

"How are you going to get yourself out of this one?" Kanan teased unmercifully.

"I take it no help is on its way?"

"Not a chance. This is way too entertaining."

"Thanks," Ezra replied, layering on the sarcasm.

Making a decision based on his will to live, Ezra gathered the Force around him and leapt, flying right over the heads of the shocked warriors. Thank whomever that the ceiling on this tent is generous, he thought as the top of his head scraped the material.

"Now that's just cheating!" the first warrior called across the tent as Ezra landed beside his table.

Ezra turned his head over his shoulder and yelled back, "All's fair in love, cake, and war!"

Amidst the rumbles of discontent and even a few chuckles, Ezra presented the slice of cake to Sabine with a flourish. "For you, My Lady."

Sabine took the cake graciously, grinning widely. "Thank you, Kind Sir."

Beaming with pride, Ezra sank back down onto the bench beside her. She snuggled in close and then shoveled in a bite of cake, moaning in pleasure again.

Ezra couldn't have been happier. Or more turned on.

"Smooth, kid. Real smooth."

Ezra smiled across the table at Kanan as he snuck an arm over Sabine's shoulders again, and she turned to kiss his cheek between bites of cake. "I thought so."

The warriors were still grumbling and giving Ezra dirty looks, which he was blithely ignoring, but Bo had had enough of their childishness.

She stood abruptly drawing every eye to her and silence quickly filled the room. "Get over yourselves already! Jedi or not, the boy won that cake for Countess Wren. Although not exactly in the fairest fashion, but it's done, so shut up or get out."

No one moved.

No one said a word.

No one dared.

Nodding in satisfaction, Bo sat back down again, smiling to herself.

Her tablemates gave her grateful smiles and Fenn winked. Bo had the sudden urge to fan herself.

"I like her," Kanan thought to Ezra.

Ezra laughed back. "Don't let Hera hear you say that," he teased.

Kanan kicked him under the table.