Chapter 31

Ezra wiped off the sweat from his forehead after setting down the last box in the smaller space compared to their last home. It's been a couple weeks since his fight against the last of the Inquisitors and Sabine was already feeling just fine. He watched as she and Mira opened another box and began unpacking, replacing any things they didn't need in the process. As he watched, he smiled at the memory of Sabine still trying to keep fit, her typical stubbornness she inherited as a Mandalorian.

...

*Flashback*

"Sabine, the doctor said you need to rest for a while. Which means you shouldn't be pushing yourself like this right now," he protested.

"I'm fine, Ezra," Sabine had said, drawing a sharp inhalation of air. She clenched her teeth and fist, trying to push the pain away from her back.

Ezra carefully made her sit back down and uncovered the bandage on her back, spraying just a little bacta on the healing wound.

...

Sabine caught Ezra staring and stopped unpacking the box, maneuvering around the boxes to get to him. She placed her hand on his arm, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" she asked.

"It's nothing," he replied with a smile. "Is that box empty?"

"Almost," Sabine replied. "Just some more of Mira's toys." She picked up a small, metal grip and inspected it. It was something Ezra had made for Mira with spare lightsaber parts that Sabine forged. Of course, there was no kyber crystal inside, but there was a very durable, plastic-like tube that could be attached. "At 5 years old... do you think she's ready?"

Ezra glanced over to Mira, who unknowingly used the Force to pull the toy lightsaber from her mother's hand. "Yeah, I think she is."

Sabine smiled and called Mira over, who happily skipped up to her. Sabine then knelt in front of Mira and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Sweetheart, do you know what you did just now?" she asked.

Mira looked confused, her head slightly tilted. "What do you mean?"

"That toy lightsaber in your hands was just in mine," Sabine said.

"Really?" Mira asked.

Ezra could sense she was still confused.

"Mira," he began. "I think it's about time we start training."

"Training for what, daddy? Are the bad people here?"

Ezra chuckled, "No, they are not here. Remember when I told you about your gift?"

"Yeah."

"You just used it. Can you try that again? Maybe with that ball over there..." Ezra pointed to a training droid sitting on a shelf just across the room.

"I don't know how..." Mira complained.

"How did she get that sword from me then?" Sabine asked Ezra.

"Sometimes, Force-sensitive children use a particular skill from the Force with little to no knowledge about it. She probably just didn't know she did that," Ezra explained.

"So I pulled this from mommy's hand and to mine?" Mira asked, eyeing the toy lightsaber in her hand.

"Exactly. I'm going to teach you how to use it, and how to control all your abilities," Ezra said.

"You mean I have more?" Mira asked, her eyes sparkling.

"In time you will learn everything, yes," Ezra said.

Mira cheered and ran around the small room, ranting about how she's going to be a Jedi.

Sabine laughed and wrapped her left arm around Ezra's right, setting her right hand on his arm.

"She's definitely growing up," she said.

"Maybe we could also get her a sibling," Ezra suggested.

Sabine gasped, her face turning a bright red. "E-Ezra..."

Ezra grinned, trying not to laugh. "I was only kidding... unless you really want to."

Sabine thought about it for a moment, looking back at Mira. The 5 year old girl was playing with her fake lightsaber again, using the loft supports as targets.

"I... I don't know," she said. "Maybe we could try sometime soon. After all, I've always thought about having more than one kid. Maybe two or three."

Ezra turned red this time. "Well... uh... two or three would be a handful... would we have the space?"

Sabine giggled, "We can make some space. But for now, we'll just have to wait."

She pressed her index finger into his chest and pushed herself away from him.

Ezra gulped nervously as Sabine turned to Mira, grabbing the training sabers from the corner.

"Come on, Mira. Daddy's going to start his lessons pretty soon," she said.

"Coming!" Mira replied, following close to her mother.

Sabine winked at Ezra as she walked past, but also gripped his arm to get him to follow them out the door.

"What's wrong, daddy?" Mira asked.

Ezra blinked and stared at Mira, her blue and brown eyes shining.

"Nothing, ad'ika," he said with a smile. "Just thinking of where to begin."

...

A few minutes later, Sabine was leaning against the base of the tower while Ezra taught Mira how to control the Force. He was starting with smaller objects like a small rock or a stick, just simple things that wouldn't cause any difficulty for the 5 year old.

"This is hard," Mira grumbled as she kicked the dust.

"It always starts off hard, sweety, but you'll get better. You're stronger in the Force than you might realize," Ezra said.

"But how do you do it, daddy?"

Ezra thought for a moment and shrugged. "It's become natural for me, but I've been at it for years."

He then sat down on the ground and motioned for Mira to do the same.

"Now, close your eyes. Empty your mind of any thoughts. Just concentrate on the Force."

"How do I know if it's working?" Mira asked.

"Trust me, you'll know," Ezra answered.

Mira closed her eyes and emptied her mind as best as she could. After a few minutes of silence, she started complaining again.

"I'm not feeling anything different," she said.

"You're expecting it," Ezra said, not opening his eyes. "Let go of your thoughts. You won't be able to feel it physically, but you will feel it flowing through you. You see, the Force is in all living things."

As if that was some sort of cue, a Loth cat jump out of the tall grass and slowly approached Ezra, who finally opened his eyes. The Loth cat sat in front of him and meowed, tilting its head at Ezra.

"Clearing your mind can lead to more than most would think," Ezra said. "You really don't have to do much."

"Okay," Mira said, closing her eyes again. This time she kept her mind clear of everything, even stopped trying to predict when she'll feel the Force.

After another minute passed, Mira's eyes shot open and she looked around.

"What is it?" Ezra asked, though he already knew the answer.

"I thought I felt something. Everything was quiet, then I thought I felt the wind," Mira said.

Ezra smiled, "Think deeper to what it felt like."

Mira squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds.

"As if there was something flowing..."

"Through you," Ezra said, finishing Mira's sentence when she paused.

"That's what that means?" she asked.

"Yup. It feels pretty good, doesn't it?" Ezra asked.

Mira nodded, "Uh huh! But is it normal to feel a bit sleepy?"

"Yeah, but you'll get used to that. Now that you can get a feel for the Force, I want you to lift up this small rock," Ezra said, referring to a stone the size of his hand.

"How?"

"Concentrate. Feel the Force, but this time, picture this same rock in your mind. But don't expect this to work the first or second time. This will take a lot of practice and concentration."

"Don't forget discipline and patience," Sabine tacked on.

"Mommy's not sensitive, is she?" Mira asked.

"Well, no. But living with me all these years really taught her something. In fact, I even helped train her to use a lightsaber," Ezra said.

"Really?" Mira asked.

"Really."

"Can I watch?"

"Watch us train?" Ezra asked.

"Yeah."

"Well," Sabine began, "We haven't sparred in a long time."

Ezra grinned, "Are you sure you're up for it?"

Sabine returned the grin, "You should know me better than that, lover boy. I bet I could beat you in my sleep."

Ezra used the Force to grab the two training sabers, since Sabine didn't have her darksaber anymore. She has given that to Kryze long ago.

"You might want to back up, sweetheart," Sabine said to Mira, who scurried several yards away, close to the tall grass.

Ezra and Sabine both stood at ready position.

"Watch carefully, now," Ezra told Mira. "You might pick up a thing or two."

Mira nodded and didn't notice the small group of Loth cats sitting next to her, curiously watching the friendly showdown.

Sabine made the first move; a downward strike to the head which Ezra easily blocked. They wanted to go all out, but they also wanted to make sure Mira could see their movements clearly.

Sabine then attempted a strike to Ezra's right side, but he blocked that just as easily. Sabine then remembered she was wearing her gauntlets.

"Let's make this interesting, shall we?"

She wrapped Ezra with the energy cable and sent him sprawling on the ground. He managed to get back up in time to dodge a downward slash from Sabine.

Their duel went on for another few minutes before Sabine managed to hold Ezra in a blade lock. She swiftly leaned forward and kissed Ezra, stunning him long enough for Sabine to kick his legs out and bat his training saber away. She leveled the end of her saber to his throat, a winning smile on her face.

"I win!"

Ezra pushed the point away from him and got back up. "You cheated."

"No, I just took advantage of the situation," Sabine countered. Mira ran up, a huge grin on her face.

"That was awesome!" she said.

"And soon you'll get to do that," Ezra said. "You think you're up to it?"

"Yeah!"

...

Mira was struggling to get the rock off the ground, and she started getting frustrated.

"It's not working!"

"Patience," Ezra said. "I've been in your position before, so I know how you feel. It's ok to be frustrated, but don't let that take you down."

"Yeah, you tried to lift Chopper one day and it didn't work," Sabine giggled.

"Only because you told him to lock himself down," Ezra countered.

"Still, it was funny."

Ezra shook his head, but was also smiling. "I guess."

"Can you show me again, daddy?" Mira asked.

"You need to stay focused," Ezra said, but obliged to show Mira what she asked for.

He sat down in a meditation pose and focused on the Force. Pretty soon, every rock within a 10 meter radius began to float.

"Meditation can really help you understand the Force, but to use it, you need to have a lot of training and discipline and focus," he said, opening his eyes. He looked at several rocks floating past his face.

"It's incredible, really," Sabine sighed. "I lost track of how long we've known each other and you still amaze me, Ezra."

"You loved me from the start," Ezra said.

Sabine rolled her eyes, "Not from the very start, but... Hey, you have a lesson to finish!"

Ezra started laughing, his concentration still strong, but he let the rocks fall anyway.

"Remember, the Force flows through all living things. It what keeps the galaxy together."

"When can I start learning how to use a laser sword?" Mira asked.

"Lightsaber, and not for a while, ad'ika," Ezra said. "You need to get through all of this first."

They heard a ship approaching and Sabine looked up to see the Ghost landing not too far from them. The boarding ramp opened just as the landing pads touched down and Kanan stepped out. Once he found Ezra's signature, he began walking towards them.

"Kanan!" Ezra exclaimed, running up to meet his old master.

"Ezra, how are things here?" Kanan asked.

"Pretty good. I just started teaching Mira about the Force not too long ago," Ezra replied.

"I can see that. I presume she's doing well?"

"As well as any other beginning padawan," Ezra chuckled. "It's good to see you. Where's Hera?"

"She's coming. Dawn, too. She's been wanting to play with Mira for a while now, but since she's always training with me, she hasn't had the chance."

"You gave her a day off?"

"In a manner of speaking," Kanan said.

Ezra peered around Kanan and saw the young Twi'lek-human hybrid running passed them.

"Mira!" she called.

"Dawn?" Mira asked, letting loose of her concentration and looking around. When she found her, she jumped up and ran over to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Wanted to play. I haven't seen you since last year!"

"Yes, but I just started training today... Daddy really wants me to focus," Mira said.

Ezra smiled, "You can do whatever you'd like for now. We can always continue later."

Mira and Dawn cheered and they ran off into the field and started playing in the grass. A small pack of Loth cats gathered to watch the two girls play hide and seek in the tall grass.

"It might be a bit too easy for Dawn to find Mira," Kanan said.

"Why's that?" Sabine asked.

"She's already moved past using the Force to lift things. At least the beginning lessons," Kanan replied.

"Quick learner," Ezra said.

"More so than you," Sabine teased.

Ezra shrugged, "When you grow up on the streets, the stubbornness tends to keep hold."

"Not as much as a Mandalorian," Sabine said.

"True," Ezra admitted.

"But what would lifting objects have to do with finding Mira?" Hera asked.

"That means she's strong enough in the Force to detect others signatures rather well," Kanan said. "She's got focus."

"Yeah, Mira just started today so..." Sabine said.

"Hey Mira, check this out!" Dawn called out.

Everybody turned to see Dawn digging something out of a bag she brought with her.

"What is it?" Mira asked.

"One second..."

Dawn pulled out a small container and set it on the ground.

"Watch this," Dawn said as she shut her eyes.

After a few moments, the small container shuddered, then opened. Something that resembled a ball of clay floated out of the container, but everybody could see Dawn struggling to focus.

"What is that?" Mira asked in awe.

Dawn brought the ball of clay to her hand and she grabbed it out of the air, letting out a sigh of relief once she did.

"It's something my mom and dad made. Daddy made a box that can only be opened with the Force. I can put anything in there, as long as it fits," Dawn explained proudly.

"Wow! Is it easy to open?"

Dawn shrugged, "Not really, but daddy says the more I train, the easier it gets."

"That gives me an idea," Ezra said. "Kanan and I should continue our lessons for them, but give it a fun twist."

"What do you mean?" Kanan asked.

"Basically speaking," Sabine began, "he means we make it like a game for them."

"What do you propose?" Kanan asked.

"Since they're both in training now," Ezra began, "We could make it a competition for them."

Kanan shook his head, "Sounds good, but not just yet."

"Do you have a better idea?"

"How about they play catch with the Force?" Sabine suggested.

"As in toss a ball to each other with the Force?" Ezra asked.

"That's literally what I said," Sabine confirmed.

"We could do that. It could help them see without seeing, too," Kanan said.

"What?" Sabine asked.

"Looking through the Force," Ezra said.

"Ah, right."

"Let's get started, then," Kanan said.

...

Mira and Dawn stood patiently as Kanan went through the directions for this game, listening intently to every syllable.

"So basically we just toss a ball?" Dawn asked.

"Yes, but you need to use the Force. Don't worry, Mira, the ball is lighter and softer than a rock, so you won't get hurt."

"How did you know I was worried about that?" Mira asked.

Kanan smiled, but ignored the question, "I want you two to stand 10 feet apart to start. If you can't focus on the ball, you're just going to have to learn quickly. Dawn, since Mira just started training today, I want you to go a little easy at first."

"Yes, master."

Ezra coughed, "Master?"

"It makes it a bit more formal for a padawan to call their teachers that, no matter how they're related. Granted a lot of the time she doesn't do that," Kanan shrugged.

Dawn smiled, then got serious again. Mira did the same as they focused on the Force, though she struggled more than Dawn.

"Remember Dawn," Kanan said. "Take it easy on Mira."

"I will."

...

As they tried to pass the ball to each other with the Force, Kanan and Ezra began discussing plans to let Kanan teach both Dawn and Mira at least once a week. They debated the idea for a few hours, occasionally stopping to give Mira and Dawn instructions to meditate or continue passing the ball.

"This has been going on for a long time," Sabine said, yawning.

"It's going to have to if they're to learn anything," Kanan said. "It's a bit cold, but it's true."

By now Ezra had instructed Mira and Dawn to just meditate until he and Kanan came to an agreement.

A little while later, while Ezra and Kanan were talking, Mira finally managed to tap into the Force, drastically increasing her understanding and abilities in the Force. The two Jedi could sense this and watched. Kanan could also sense Dawn tapping into it as well.

"They're quick learners, aren't they?" Ezra asked.

Kanan nodded, "It took me a long time to figure that out. Here they got it just... what in a few hours?"

"Well it is pretty dark out here," Sabine said, crossing her arms. "They should be sleeping now."

"I suppose. I almost forgot they were here," Ezra joked.

"You should probably wake them up," Sabine suggested.

"They're not asleep, Sabine," Ezra said, but he walked over to Mira and placed a hand on her shoulder. He contacted her through the Force, as forcibly breaking their connection to the Force isn't a good feeling.

Mira. It's getting late, we should go.

Mira slowly opened her eyes and she started looking around, her smile fading as she saw the sky was dark.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Late," Ezra said. "You and Dawn finally did it. How do you feel?"

Mira rubbed her eyes, her 5 year old personality started to return after meditating for so long.

"Tired..."

"Good. That's normal after meditation."

"It didn't feel like a few minutes passed," Dawn said, just 'waking up' from her meditation as well.

"That's completely normal. If it only feels like minutes passed, then you did something right," Kanan said.

"How close am I to getting a lightsaber now, daddy?" Mira asked.

"Still not for a while, ad'ika," Ezra replied. "You still need to master everything else about the Force before started the lightsaber training."

"Alright..." Mira said, lowering her head.

"Hey, don't get sad on me," Ezra said. "Tomorrow you can tell me anything you learned through meditation. If anything, you have more patience than I."

"Really?" Mira asked.

"It took me a long time to have the patience to meditate. You seem to have it already. Which means you are a bit closer to learning lightsaber skills than you think."

"Don't get him wrong, Mira," Kanan interrupted. "It will still take about a year or two, but you'll get there soon enough."

Mira was excited again, but she was so tired she couldn't do much. She ran up to Sabine and about fell into her arms.

"And before all that, you need to get to sleep."

A/N: Okay this ending is definitely not what I was hoping for, but school's keeping me busy. I may be taking a bit of a break from LITR until I can get a better vision to what I want in this story. I had a system for all my active stories: DBR, Conflicted, Embers, LITR. As I don't really know where I'm taking this story, I'll just be focusing on whatever story I feel like working on. Also today is September 11th, 2018. I don't remember the towers falling, but I will never forget what happened. All respect to the fallen and to those who have lost friends and family.