You're Mine Now
D3/1 BBY, Bo-Katan's camp, Mandalore
Kanan relaxed deeper into his borrowed bed, the image of Hera his calm center in the storm that was life.
Ezra's Force signature was already dormant, his mind untroubled with their action filled day. Like Kanan was in the process of doing, the boy had already released into the Force any negative emotions he'd had about having to injure or even kill their enemy during the day's battles.
The other three occupants of the tent, though, were anything but peaceful.
Fenn's signature was still bubbling with energy after what must have been a very successful first attempt at courting. He was nowhere near settled enough to get some necessary sleep.
And the Wrens were both shrouded in dark and miserable energy; their sorrow over the day's losses eating at their souls.
Sabine's was even worse than Alrich's because she was also swimming in a sea of shame and self blame. The girl was bound to explode sooner than later. But Kanan trusted in the Force to help her when the time was right. Probably in Ezra's arms. Which he will undoubtedly appreciate to the fullest possible extent. The thought brought the faint twitch of a smile to Kanan's mouth.
Let's see if we can help them get some sleep, at least.
Kanan purposefully made his breathing just loud enough to hear while he settled into his calm center and began to push it outwards. He used his connection with the Force to radiate a sense of serenity into everyone around him that even the non Force Sensitive should be able to feel.
Within minutes, both Fenn and Alrich had unconsciously matched their breathing to his and their signatures settled back to a more normal state. Sabine… not so much, but a few layers of the seething dark did peel away, so Kanan called that as good as it was going to get until she was ready to release the emotions on her own.
Confident he'd done as much as he could for the time being, the blind Jedi Knight withdrew most of his focus from the Force and let his mind go black and empty except for the imagined sensation of Hera in his arms.
He was asleep five breaths later.
As the last rustle of bodies settling down for the night brought their tent to peaceful silence, Alrich closed his eyes with a quiet sigh, the drying tear tracks itching on his skin. But he left them, not wanting to move and disturb the serenity of the moment. He found himself matching his breathing to the bearded Jedi on his right, the rhythmic, deep breaths somehow the most calming thing he'd heard in a long time.
He floated in the moment, letting his mind go blank of all emotions much like he imagined it would be like when one was meditating.
A blank canvas, ready for a fresh view of the world, that's what I am. No past. No future. Just this moment of quiet. And if I can live within each moment, then I'm sure to make it the next.
Alrich's hard earned peace was soon disturbed by the sounds of footsteps, laughter, and rumbling conversations, but he was close enough to the welcome oblivion of sleep that it didn't prevent that final fall into heavy limbed paralysis that takes you just before the conscious mind shuts down for the night.
Fenn was reliving every moment of the day that had featured Bo-Katan within it.
And he felt nearly electrified because of it.
Every millimetre of skin felt alive in a way he'd never really felt before. He was aware of even the most mundane locations that hardly ever got noticed, such as the back of his knees or the tips of his ears. And there was one particular part of his body in the middle that was clamouring for more attention than it had demanded since he was a horny teenager.
Fenn felt like he'd been given another shot at life. He felt decades younger. Like all the cynicism and wars and prejudices had become meaningless because only what he did from here on out mattered.
It was incredibly freeing and cathartic. Not to mention kind of funny.
He'd known she was The One from the moment she'd first taken off her helmet on top of the Imperial facility that turned out to be a decoy. He'd seen her image before on holos, of course, and always thought her beautiful in a detached, scornful kind of way, since she had been the enemy more often than not over the course of their lives. Thank the Manda that's no longer a problem I would have to overcome. But seeing her face in real life had thrown her into an entirely new light.
She was breathtakingly stunning. Holos of her didn't even begin to capture the way her pale skin glowed like opalescent pearls. Nor how her green eyes sparkled like the purest of emeralds or dimmed to expensive jade depending on her emotions of the moment. Her vibrant red hair fell like a waterfall of silk down to the strong line of her jaw, held off her face by a silver headband that was more functional than aesthetically pleasing. And her mouth, while set in a determined line more often than not, looked entirely kissable when she smiled.
She was somehow even more beautiful when she smiled. Like her entire being lit up from the inside out.
Fenn wanted to be the reason for her smile for the rest of their lives.
Bo also possessed a lithe body under her armour that made him drool to see her without it. Even just a bodysuit would probably be enough to stop his heart and send all of his blood rushing south in a permanent exodus from his brain.
And shabla, could she ever fight. If Sabine was the kickass princess of warrior females, then Bo-Katan was the Queen. Watching her easily deal with her opponents today had cost him a few extra hits that he could have avoided or blocked if he hadn't been so distracted by her. But they were sooooo worth it.
Even watching her fly made him think of avenging goddesses of the old lore; the kind that could fly with only a thought and commanded the skies and legions alike with just a flick of their slender fingers or a flash of their swords of pure sunlight.
And watching her lead tonight… The way all of the other clans respected her and listened without protest… It made him want to kneel at her feet as well and worship her until he had no breath left to give. (Preferably with her hands gripping his hair and her cries of satisfaction ringing like the sweetest music in his ears.)
Fenn was more than pleased with how things had progressed tonight. He'd definitely caught her attention and she'd been very receptive to his not-so-subtle hints of desire. He didn't see any point in playing it safe with her; who knew how long he'd have in her immediate vicinity before duties pulled them apart again? If she didn't want him back, she was the kind of person who would have rebuffed him from the very first slide across the bench into her personal space. Thank frag she didn't. I would be rather devastated right now if she had; even more heartbroken than Ezra when Sabine decided to stay on Krownest.
And now Ezra has his girl and is over the moon about it. Lucky brat. I think his luck might be catching because Bo sure seemed just as turned on as I was at the end there.
Maybe tomorrow I'll get the chance to kiss her.
Fenn smiled in the dark, releasing a quiet sigh of contentment.
That was the point when he realized his body wasn't buzzing anymore but felt languid and sleepy. Hunh. Weird. I guess I'm tired after all. I suppose it's for the best.
Closing his eyes, he drifted off quickly, a smile playing on his lips, a hand on his heart, the other resting just above his semi-aroused crotch, and visions of a naked Bo kissing her way down his chest sending him into the most relaxed yet erotic doze of his life.
Sabine had stripped off her armour, belts, gloves, and boots, but left everything else on, and had all but fallen into the cot, exhausted from the long day, but too agitated to sleep.
Now, half an hour later, with her hands folded over her stomach and her sockinged feet crossed at the ankles, she stared up at the ceiling of the tent while she listened to the breathing of the men turn regular and deep. The lump in the darkness that was Fenn was the first to start snoring. Within minutes, her father joined in and they were snoring in harmony. Then Kanan and Ezra added their own, fortunately softer, versions of proboscis harmonies. Normally, it would have been either comical or annoying as hell, depending on her mood, but tonight, Sabine was mostly just numb.
She'd spent a lot of time thinking at dinner.
Thinking about everything that had gone wrong today; from attacking the wrong facility, to almost losing Ezra, to finding out the hard way that the Duchess was back. Every new thought was more depressing than the last.
So, to distract herself, she'd started mentally digging up her research on the plastoid armour that Imperials wore, pulling it out of a mental file that had been buried more than five years ago. The more she thought about the properties of the plastoid, the more she was convinced she could adopt the Duchess to target it. By the time dinner was over, she'd come up with all of the necessary formulas and calculations on a datapad and then transferred the codes to the computer in her vambrace. Just in case.
Ezra's affectionate touches had been just distracting enough to prevent her from completely getting lost in her mind like she did sometimes. The first one had nearly startled her, because she wasn't used to him being that forward with her person. (Or anyone, for that matter.) But after that, she welcomed them. Even though she knew the reason she was craving touch so much was because she was in an emotionally vulnerable place right now, and she normally would retreat from the world to protect her tough girl shell, Sabine wasn't going to push Ezra away. His gentle touches and sweet little kisses were exactly what she needed to help her remember that she had something worth living and fighting for.
And he seemed to be get a kick out of annoying the other warriors with his displays, which had almost been enough to make her laugh at one point. They were going to have to get used to Ezra in her life whether they liked it or not because she wasn't giving him up for anything.
Her mouth quirked up in a temporary half smile as she remembered how Ezra had risked death to get her a second piece of cake before it was all gone. So incredibly sweet. But he'd always been like that. I just chose not to see it for what it was.
Ezra's cake snatching had inspired near chaos from the pack of grumpy Mandalorians but Bo-Katan had swiftly nipped their anger in the bud.
She certainly has a way with people. Everyone respects her. Everyone looks up to her.
I wonder…
Is she the leader I've been looking for to give the Darksabre to?
Sabine decided to see how the mission went tomorrow before deciding for sure, but in the back of her mind, she was pretty much already decided. With Korkie Kryze deceased, Bo-Katan was now the rightful heir to Duchess Satine anyway. And she'd almost been the Mand'alor right after the Siege. She should be ruling the planet right now, not Saxon scum.
The Darksabre had found its new Mand'alor.
And it wasn't her.
It never was meant to be, but the thought of giving up the weapon that she'd trained so hard to master hit her harder than it should have. Like Kanan said, she'd connected to it in some fundamental way that she couldn't exactly feel mentally because she wasn't Force sensitive, but her heart knew.
She was going to miss having the lightsabre hanging on her belt. Reaching down a bit, and fumbling blindly at the pile of things beside her bed, she unhooked the lightsabre and clutched it gently in her hands, holding it over her heart, wishing she could hear the subtle hum that Ezra said the black Kyber crystal emitted.
One more mission.
We'll avenge Mother, Tristan, and my other clan members together. And then I'll give you to your new human. You'll like her. She's fierce and proud and every bit as badass as a Mand'alor should be.
She's exactly what Mandalore needs right now.
And with the Darksabre in her hand, none will question her right to lead again.
Not like they'll question me. I don't know if I can be the Countess of my clan. So many people hate me.
Why? Why did Mother have to die?
Sabine was grateful to have her father back, but at the cost of losing her mother and brother just made it agonizingly bittersweet. If I had known this was how it was going to play out, would I have done it again? Could we have done things differently, or was it all a setup by Saxon? Is he even smart enough to orchestrate all of that? How does one choose between the father that you adore and the mother you respect but can't ever love again because of what she did to you? And what about my beloved baby brother? Tristan didn't deserve this. He was only seventeen for frag's sake. None of my clan deserved to die today.
As her thoughts fell into the realm of depression again, her eyes started leaking bitter, frozen tears, the tracks running down into her ears uncomfortably.
Hating herself right now, Sabine rose silently from her cot, keeping the Darksabre in her hand, then grabbed her boots and gun belt and ducked out of the tent. She shoved her feet into her boots, buckled on her belt, hooked the lightsabre to it, and walked with crossed arms holding her together through the nearly silent camp. The guard at the perimeter wall peered at her but didn't say anything as she walked past him out into the desert and just kept walking.
When the camp was just a speck in the distance, she sank to her knees in the sand and let the sorrow take over but held back the screams, not wanting to wake the camp that would hear her, even as far out as she was, since sound carried well on the barren, cracked, and desolate land.
With her head bowed and her shoulders shaking with the force of her grief, her eyes closed and the sound and sight of the Duchess doing its evil work assaulted her mind, memories taking over from today and years ago.
Some forty-five minutes after dozing off, the seasoned warrior's rest was disturbed by the sound of the tent door opening and closing softly, the sound of a zipper impossible to do silently no matter how hard one tries. (Fenn would know, because he had.)
Fenn's eyes popped open, muscles tensed in a state of battle readiness that came with decades of warfare. He turned his head slowly when there were no further sounds from then tent that didn't belong, mainly being the soft snores of the three other males. Eyes scanning the dark, and breath held, he perceived no threat. Breathing again, Fenn peered at the cots and found the furthest one from him to be empty.
Sabine left. Probably just to use the fresher. Chillax and go back to sleep.
Exhaling slowly, Fenn rolled onto his side so he had a better view of the tent door and then closed his eyes again. Practice allowed him to fall back into his doze again, but now the faint hint of worry for Sabine kept him from enjoying any more lusty thoughts of Bo.
Not even ten minute later, The Protector's eyes flew open again as Ezra practically jumped off his bunk. He watched the shadow of the boy dress in record time and disappear out the door so fast he didn't even bother to close it behind him.
Looking at the two empty cots, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Ezra was going wherever Sabine was. But judging by the boy's urgency, Fenn assumed that he'd had some sort of Jedi epiphany that indicated the girl was in need of help.
But not too serious, or Ezra would have woken Kanan.
Probably an emotional breakdown, then, which I'm sure Ezra is more than capable of handling. Sabine's entitled to one, I suppose, after the day she's had. Poor girl.
I doubt they'll be back anytime soon.
Wish I could wander off into the night and give my girl a long hug.
And more besides.
Rolling around on a bed with Bo sounds like a wonderful idea.
Or pushed up against that cliff wall would work just as well. In broad daylight. Then everyone would see she was mine.
Doubt she'd go for that, though. Probably a little too caveman-like. Maybe I can get her to cry out loud enough to make my point.
I think I just challenged myself.
Challenge accepted. Gonna make Bo scream my name within hearing of other people.
Fenn smirked to himself, tucking an arm above his head as he rolled onto his back. Wish there were two more evacuations of the tent right now. I could really use a wank. Seriously haven't been this turned on for such an extended period of time for longer than I care to think about.
He reached down and gave his ambitious package a bit of a rearrange within the confines of his bodysuit into something more comfortable. Settle down there, buddy. You aren't getting any action tonight. I promise I'll stop giving you suggestive thoughts to feed on until a more appropriate time.
Like a petulant child, his cock twitched under his hand, all but telling him to 'frag off' for getting him excited in the first place.
Crossing both arms over his chest, Fenn resolved to think about nothing but battle strategy until he fell back to sleep.
Ezra had been asleep for maybe an hour when jolts of pain and sorrow woke him up, feeling like they came from within him, furrowing his brow in surprise and consternation. He glanced over at Kanan and saw that his Master was sleeping soundly and quietly, the bond between them quiet. Kanan had had his share of bad nights, but this wasn't his grief. So who...? What?
Ezra looked to Sabine's cot next and found it empty. Understanding dawned as he realized he was feeling Sabine. Holy frag.
Jolting off his cot, he stuffed his feet into his boots, buckled on his weapons belt, and shoved his arms into his orange jacket, having gone to bed in just his t-shirt and trousers. He hurried through the camp, sensing that Sabine needed him. NOW.
Ezra went to pass the guard but paused when the man called out, "She went that way."
The guard wasn't surprised by Ezra appearing shortly after the new Countess had left. He'd seen how protective the young Jedi was of her and had observed them together during the evening meal. The two were clearly close and rumours had been flying around the camp that the new Countess had picked a Jedi as her consort. No one knew quite what to make of that, but no one dared insult her choice now. Not after Countess Kryze had all but endorsed the match. After the Wren girl had retired for the night, Fenn Rau had told the tale of how she had defeated Gar Saxon with the Darksabre and everyone's opinion of her had increased a notch or too. Rightfully possessing the Darksabre also made her one of the most powerful people on Mandalore right now. If she chose to be the next Mand'alor, some would oppose her, but not many.
Ezra gave a quick nod of acknowledgement, not actually needing the help, but was glad the warrior was being friendly. Had something changed since dinner?
He took off at a run, beelining for where he felt Sabine's presence off in the distance, his path lit by faint moonlight. As her sorrow built and built to something he wasn't sure even she, with all her innate strength, could survive, Ezra pushed his legs into moving faster, calling on the Force to lend him the speed of the wind.
Within moments, he was sinking down to the sand beside her and drawing her into his lap, hugging his arms around her shaking body. He knew she hadn't had enough time to grieve properly earlier, and so wasn't too surprised by this, but his heart near broke for her anyway.
"Shhhhh. I'm here, cyar'ika. I'm here," he murmured.
Sabine buried her face in Ezra's shoulder. "Ezra," she managed to sob out. "It hurts."
He kissed the top of her head and rocked her gently. "I know, Sabine. I know. Just let it out. It helps. I promise," he whispered in a voice almost as haggard as hers. "Kanan would tell you to give the pain to the Force, if he was here."
Sabine clenched her hands on Ezra's shirt and tried to give the pain away, but she didn't know how. It was all just so built up in her. Years and years of holding it all in, culminating with the loss of her family, and it was just too much. All she could do was cry harder, which didn't seem possible, but she did.
Ezra desperately wished he could help her, more than just being there to hold her. He wanted to take her pain away. Make her feel better. Make everything right for her again. Turn back time even. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. So very very sorry," he whispered into her hair.
He didn't know how it happened but he was pretty sure he now had a mental bond with Sabine much like his with Kanan. He was feeling her much too clearly for it to be anything else. He was practically drowning in her grief. Maybe because she'd decided to open her emotions to him earlier today?
Not sure if she would hear him, but deciding to try it anyway, Ezra closed his eyes and pushed his thoughts into Sabine's mind, her despair leaving her naturally shielded mind more open than usual. "Give me your pain," he thought clearly. "I can take care of it for you. Let me do this for you."
Sabine nodded slightly against his chest and opened her mind wider, sending her pain to Ezra instinctively, because she trusted him to take care of it.
Ezra almost gasped as she opened the floodgates, but he breathed through it, deep and slow, and started siphoning it out into the Force like Kanan had taught him so many years ago, basically going into a meditative state to do it. He didn't know how long it took for Sabine's grief to slow down, but he dealt with it. When the last trickles of sorrow had been given to a better place, Ezra squeezed her a little tighter to his chest and kissed the top of head again. "Are you feeling better now?" he asked in her mind, not wanting to give up the deep connection that they'd established.
Sabine nodded again, scrubbing her face against his soft jacket, and suddenly noticing how hard his body was underneath of it. "Ummm hmmmm, thank you, Ez'ika."
Ezra smiled gently into her hair, loving the feel of the strands against his cheek. It was so silky and smelled like the sweetest of flowers with the permanent undertone of paint that clung to her. "You're welcome."
This is nice. I like being on Ezra's lap. And his voice is so soothing. It's like melted butter in my mind.
Wait. In my mind? He hasn't been talking out loud?
Now hold on just one nerfherding minute! Sabine's eyes opened wide and she reared back in his arms. "Ezra Bridger, are you talking in my mind?!"
Ezra shrugged and one side of his mouth quirked up and he returned to talking out loud. "If I say yes, will you be angry?"
Sabine narrowed her eyes at him and thought about it. It was a rather serious invasion of privacy, but on the other hand, he did help me feel better. "I'll let you get away with it this time, Bridger. But you better not make a habit of that. My mind is my own."
Ezra smiled and pulled her closer again. "I know, Sabine. I would never dare to intrude unless it was important. This felt important."
Sabine relaxed against his chest again, finger tracing the line on his jacket where two different colours met across his collarbone and up his shoulder. "You're right. It was justified." She looked up at him, eyes taking in the line of his jaw from that angle. It looked very kissable all of a sudden. "I know you can do the whole Jedi Mind Trick thing, but I didn't know you could actually be telepathic with other people."
Ezra looked uncomfortable all of a sudden and his eyes no longer met hers. "I can't, not usually. Only to people I have a Force bond with, like Kanan."
He and Kanan mind speak to each other? That explains a lot. No wonder they're so in sync with each other sometimes.
Sabine's eyes widened as she realized what else he was saying. "And me? You have a bond with me?" she asked very softly.
Ezra looked back at her, his brilliant blue eyes looking almost black in the dark. He nodded ever so slightly. "And you."
Sabine breathed in as she understood the implications of that. They were BOUND. That's incredible. And thrilling. Ezra really is mine now.
Her arms crept up around his neck and her fingers rubbed against the short hairs at the back of his nape. She suddenly wished he'd grow his hair out again so she could play with it properly. (Not to mention the rich dark blue colour was nearly lost when it was this short.) "Ezra," she said softly, invitingly, raising her mouth towards his.
Oh kriff. This is it. She wants me to kiss her for real. Don't panic. I can do this. Just touch her mouth with yours and try not to smash your nose into hers. Simple.
Yeah right.
Just do it, Bridger. Don't keep the warrior goddess waiting.
He took a deep breath and studied her, making sure she was one hundred percent on the same page that he was.
Her shining eyes and barely parted lips said she was.
Ezra's breath caught in his throat at how beautiful her pale face looked in the moonlight. "Sabine." He cupped one side of her face with his hand lovingly and bent down to press his mouth to hers in a featherlight, experimental kiss. The electricity that surged through him at the contact was heady and shot straight to his heart and he wanted it again.
Force, her lips are soft. I could kiss her forever.
Kriff, that was nice, she thought as a faint shiver ran through her from head to toe. Again, Ezra.
Their eyes met for a moment and then shuttered closed as their mouths pressed together again, fitting just right and whispering soft caresses. Sabine opened her mouth a little with a gasp at how amazing this felt and found herself the recipient of Ezra's questing tongue. She sucked on the tip, which made him groan, and soon they were dueling in the most passionate way that made her shake with need and move around on his lap so she was straddling him, wanting to get even closer and feel even more of her body pressed to his hard one. She found herself grinding against the hard length that was in just the right place now to stimulate her senses even more. Jolts of electricity shot through her with every slight movement of her hips.
When she felt like she was going to combust from the fire trying to take over her insides, Sabine pulled her mouth away from his and stared at him in shock, breathing in shallow gasps. "I had no idea it could be like that."
Ezra sucked in necessary air, the bare fingers of one hand buried in her silky hair and his other hand curled around her hip and basically holding her against his hardness. He THROBBED against her and he could swear he could feel her heat through their layers of clothes. It felt like he was about two seconds away from exploding then and there. He gulped as he realized he was holding her butt and was practically forcing her to rub against him. Oops. Maybe a little too presumptuous for a first make out session, there, Bridger. I doubt she wants to know the precise dimensions of Little Ezra so soon.
Speaking of... Settle down, boy, before you strangle yourself to death. There's only so much room for you in there.
Ezra reluctantly forced his hand to move up a little higher to the curve of her waist. He gave her a bashful, crooked smile. "I didn't either. I think I lost all control."
Sabine smirked and wiggled just a little, deliberately teasing him, inspiring a pained groan that rose up from deep in his chest. Oh kriff, let the strangulation commence.
"You're not the only one, babe," Sabine admitted coyly, biting her lower lip in the most sexy fashion that made his heart pound visibly in the pulse at his throat. She rubbed her chest against his, happy she wasn't wearing her armour plating, but wishing her bodysuit was a little less thick. Is it too soon to start striping? That lightsabre in Ezra's trousers seems to think that's a fantastic idea. "I think we need more practice. You wanna do it again?"
Ezra's eyes went wide before a predatory smile settled on his face. "Force, yes."
Sabine hummed a little in contentment as his mouth crashed down onto hers again. How is he so good at kissing already? Not that I'm complaining. Most definitely not complaining. Kriff, do that swirly thing with your tongue again. That move goes straight to my core. Holy nerf. I'm claiming your tongue (and the rest of your more interesting body parts) as my property from now on.
Choosing Ezra as her future husband was definitely not a mistake.