(A/N)- Hello dear readers! Here I am with that promised light-hearted chapter I mentioned.

This chapter was originally the only one I had planned for this fic, which was meant to be a one-shot, at first conception. Ha ha ha ha yeah predictably I had ideas continue multiplying until we wound up here. Go figure.

It is still one that I had been looking forward to writing and I hope you all enjoy it too. I'll let you get to it.

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Star Wars. That sounds like it would be fun. A lot of work, but fun.

Pressing Questions

Kallus's face was pinched as he strode across the landing pad, heading purposefully for Zeb as the Lasat barked sharply at a stray astromech droid.

"No, no, no! I already told you, we don't need another tune-up of the landing struts!" he grumbled at the red and white R4. "And besides, the only droid as gets to touch Hera's ship is Chopper, and he'll bash you to pieces if you put one manipulator on her freighter," he added.

The R4 unit swiveled down with a forlorn beep.

Zeb waved his paws in a shooing motion. "Now get," he barked.

Sadly, the astromech turned on its wheels and rolled off, moaning a lonely beep as it departed.

Kallus raised an eyebrow as he came up to stand next to Zeb, who only huffed and brushed off his hands with a casual shrug.

"Droids," he said only in explanation.

Kallus gave a single understanding nod. Then his features wrinkled again and he called to Zeb as the Lasat picked up a data pad from the nearby stack of supply crates.

"Zeb? I wondered if you might shed some light on something for me," he asked. He glanced across the field towards where Ezra and Sabine were walking companionably, laughing at something private on their way to the mess hall.

Zeb set down his data pad at once, turning to face him with a grin. "Sure. Whadda you want t'know?" he asked.

Kallus's features twisted with chagrin and distress. He gestured helplessly with open-palmed hands as he spoke.

"Ezra and Sabine... they're in love, aren't they?" he plied.

There was a long silence between them for a moment.

Zeb burst into loud laughter.

He doubled over slightly as he guffawed, sides shaking, braying out his amusement to the confusion of several Rebel passerbys.

"Wha-wha-wha-what's with that question all of a sudden?" he stuttered out, breathlessly, between chortles.

The ex-ISB agent's mouth had flattened into a sour frown at not being taken seriously.

"It's been bothering me," he said through gritted teeth, vaguely irritated.

Zeb leaned back up with a wide, teasing grin, baring wily teeth. "Oh, we're suddenly interested in the love lives of teenagers now?" he snickered, his shoulders still quaking with laughter.

Exasperated, Kallus gestured with sharp motions. "Look it's only way I can reconcile how they act around each other."

Finally calming down from his laughing fit, Zeb's shoulders settled and now confusion began to steal over his features. "How d'you mean?" he asked.

"Their whole... everything!" Kallus cried. He started pacing in place a bit as he explained. "They're rarely apart these days and they seem to go everywhere together, to meals, for training and debriefings, she's been accompanying him to all his medical checks since we got him back; they're practically glued at the hip!"

"Uh, yeah?" Zeb said, unimpressed. "They are friends you know."

"Friends who are extremely protective of each other and worry about each other to the point where they fall apart if something bad happens to one of them," he pointed out. His agitated pacing stopped a moment and he wrung hands through his messy blonde hair, looking upwards. "At least, that's been my observation when it comes to Sabine." He gestured again, lightly, meeting Zeb's eyes in earnest fervor. "With how she reacted when that Zabrak kidnapped him... it did make me start to question some... things," he trailed evasively, grimacing at the memory of his and Sabine's extraordinarily awkward conversation in the Alliance's listening room.

Zeb had sobered, and was now thoughtfully stroking his beard, looking pensive.

"Come t' think of it," he mused, "Sabine has been pretty fussy over him lately." He dropped his hand, looking at Kallus. "Like... worried girlfriend sort of fussy," he clarified.

Kallus squinted at him. "What do you mean by 'lately', exactly? Since after we rescued him?" he asked.

Zeb shook his head. "Mmn. Earlier. After the Chimaera, I think."

He mentally ran through the interactions between them he'd borne witness to since arriving on Yavin, and nodded to himself. "That does track with what I've observed," Kallus muttered.

"But why are you asking me about all this for, anyway?" Zeb said, scratching at the fur on his head.

"Well you've known them far longer than I have."

"Yeah but..." Zeb protested. "I don't, like... involve myself in everything they do on a day to day basis."

Kallus's hands opened palm-outward, exasperated. "I just want to know if you've picked up any..." He made helpless circular motions. "...vibes from them at all." His voice dropped back to a mutter as he glowered at the ground. "Or if I'm going crazy and this is all in my head," he grumbled.

The hand that had been scratching his fur was now rubbing the back of his head, expression a bit thoughtful. "I mean... Ezra did have a massive crush on Sabine back when he first joined," Zeb told him.

Kallus blinked. "Really?"

Zeb nodded. "Oh yeah, followed her around like a lost tooka, flirted at her all the time." He dropped his hands with a snort. "It was a little pathetic actually," he said.

Kallus waited a long moment for Zeb to continue.

When the Lasat didn't he prompted anxiously, "And?"

Zeb shrugged. "I dunno, he backed off. Stopped making obvious passes at her." He brushed something off his arm. "I just figured he'd gotten over it."

"Oh he's definitely not over it," Kallus grumbled, giving a sarcastic skyward sideglance. "He looks at that girl like she's his sun, moon, and stars." He shook his head, muttering. "Can't be without her for a minute."

That prompted Zeb to make a face and reminisce. "Ugh, he was obnoxious when Sabine left to help her family on Krownest. 'When is Sabine coming back? Zeb, I miss Sabine. Let me have a turn at the long-range transmitter so I can call Sabine.'" he said in a whining imitation of the boy.

Kallus stared at his friend incredulously. "And that doesn't ping as a slight step beyond friendship to you?" he pressed.

"I mean... maybe..."

Zeb was now looking off uncomfortably, his mouth flat like he was holding in a comment.

Kallus narrowed his eyes. "There's something else, isn't there?" he said. "What do you know?"

"Well..." Zeb scuffed his toe into the paved stones beneath his feet. "They share a bunk at night sometimes."

The other man's mouth popped open. "They what?!" he blurted in disbelief, eyes wide.

"Ezra gets nightmares, it helps," Zeb rushed to justify the two, perhaps a little too quickly. He crossed his arms grouchily. "I've done it with 'im too, it's not weird," he defended.

Kallus sputtered indignantly. "You just—! But—! They—!"

Zeb relaxed a bit out of his defensive posture, rethinking himself. "All right," he allowed. "He only let me do it once and he vastly prefers Sabine and she's awful skittish about people knowing she does it. So maybe they are a little more affectionate than is probably normal." He grunted. "Still don't see how it's any of your business."

"You aren't the slightest bit curious?" Kallus asked, still incredulous, expression crumpling.

Zeb shrugged. "If they're in love or not, I'm sure they'll figure it out. They don't need my help." The hint of a grin snaked its way back onto his face. "'sides, if you're so curious why doncha just, you know... ask them?"

"I did," Kallus grumbled. "Sabine just about nearly bit my head off."

The grin was wider now, and Zeb uncrossed his arms. "Then I'd say you're outta luck mate," he commented lightly.

"You're not going to help me settle this dilemma at all, are you?" Kallus groaned wearily, a palm pressing to his temple.

"You're the former intelligence agent," Zeb pointed out. He swept up his data pad from the cargo stack and scrolled down it, busying himself with whatever work he had to complete on the device. "Listen, my advice? Don't worry yerself about it. I'm sure they'll work out whatever feelings they may or may not have for each other on their own."

Kallus put his hands down, speaking stiffly. "Thank you, Garazeb, this was a very productive conversation," he droned in a sarcastic wither.

Zeb shot him a cheeky look and a mock salute. "Happy t' be of service!" he chipped.

Defeated, Kallus trudged back across the landing platform, the bustle of the Rebel base like so much background white noise in his ears, vowing to bury himself in enough paperwork to maybe drown out his circular fixation on the exact nature of Ezra and Sabine's relationship for a few more merciful hours.

His brain was trying to kill him with this, he just knew it.

(A/N)- As always, your chapter notes. Brief ones, I don't really have much to say this round.

1. I never realized how much I needed Sabezra-Shipper-On-Deck!Kallus until I started writing him. I like him, he's hilarious, I'm keeping him around.

2. Zeb is, of course, no help whatsoever. Lol.

3. This will have a payoff, I promise. I am in fact setting up for a punchline. In the meantime, please enjoy Kallus being consternated by the ambiguous nature of Ezra and Sabine's relationship. I'm sure he embodies many of you very patient shippers, lol.

Next week we're going to Mandalore to see Sabine's parents! And start the altered Season Four events, officially. Yay!