His diminutive Adam's apple bobbing, Ezra swallowed hard. He wondered whether he was seeing things. The walls of the Ghost appeared to be closing in on him all around. Stuffy didn't begin to describe how close it felt in these cramped quarters. Yet, he had no desire to escape, made no move to extricate himself from this uncomfortable situation. Staring Sabine down, Ezra blurted, "I-I th-thought you... How many times have I heard you say making any sacrifice for the Rebellion isn't too great? I'm just following through on what you've said. Right? Thought you'd be proud of me."

He'd chosen now to remember what had taken time to impress upon him.

He had her there, making her mark her own words, accepting what, fundamentally, she knew to be right. No sacrifice was too great, but...but... This came down to something that touched her personally. Someone, more to the point. Did she have the right to go back on, or at least modify what they believed? "You'll be a great pilot." Injury had crept into her voice. Choking back sobs, Sabine turned away, her vision blurred.

"Are you serious? You'd kill me if I went off to become one?" When he walked around in front of her, intent that she see him, Ezra could see that she was on the verge of tears. A troubling sight. He reached out to touch her arm, but she pulled back. "Aw, Sabine-don't."

"Go, then. Just go! Turn your back on us-your family. On people who took you in, not just into the crew, but into our hearts!" With that, she took flight.

Ezra, adroitly using Jedi speed, barred her way. "No you don't. Not before we talk about this."

Snidely, Sabine shot him down. "Oh, so now you want to talk." Sidestepping, with equal nimbleness, she eluded him, only to have him restrain her.

His grip firm on her arm, he said, "Yeah. Let's talk. I can see that you want to."

"Not so much," she lied, breaking out of hold, but didn't take off. Why did he have to be that much more appealing all fired-up like this?

Settling an ironic look on her, Ezra inveigled, "Yes, much. Come on." He made himself comfortable on the common room couch, confident that she'd soon join him. Once she had, he continued, "Now...tell me. What's wrong with me training to be a pilot to join their ranks?"

Sabine searched his earnest, youthful face for several moments before any semblance of a logical reason could fill her mind. She thought about how much actions spoke louder than words, so she acted, throwing her arms around him, then forcibly taking his head between her hands and pressing her lips into his. Not surrendering them until Ezra gasped that he needed to breathe. Panting as though he'd never stop, he just gawked at this female, always up to new tricks. But, this wasn't one of her tricks. This was she, being who she was with him. In love...

Silently tortured.

More emotional than sensible, she croaked, "I don't want you to go. I want you here, being close to me. I couldn't bear your being away, Ezra. I'd worry about you every moment. I don't want to worry about you. I want knowing you're all right. Safe-with me. Us." Biting her lower lip, worrying it between her teeth, then sighing, she listened to the ragged beating of her heart. She thought she heard his beating just as irregularly, and hoped he could understand even if she wasn't making sense in her usual clear-cut way. She wasn't herself...she had fallen for him hard.

But was too Mandalorian and skittish to admit it.

"Sabine..." was all that Ezra could think to say. What had come over her, her being like this? So unlike herself. Was it? Could it be possible that? He had no problem meeting her problematic eyes. "You don't want me to go-"

Cutting him off roughly, she snapped, "That's what I said. You heard me."

"Yeah. I did, but what are you really trying to say?" If it was what he hoped had her like this, at last, he wanted it coming from her. No coaching from him. It would have to be all her.

"If you go, I'll kill you," she growled; her tough façade crumbling.

"And if I don't go?" Ezra anted.

"You live."

He threw her an unbridled look of placation laced with bemusement. "Thanks," he fumbled, not sure what had just happened. Where was her confession of undying love for him?

"Oh, and..." She rose to stand, pulling him up with her. She threw in his face, "If there's anymore talk of your running off to become a pilot, I know just how to shut you up." Overpowering him again, she kissed him with even greater determination this time. "Take that as a warning." When she made to walk off, Ezra perpetrated some of her own treatment on her, wrangling her back to himself and kissing her until she was the one begging for air.

"Take that as a promise," Ezra murmured against her cheek. "Where you go, I go. You stay. I stay."

"I like the sound of that," she softly whispered into his ear, then fondly raked her fingers through his blue-black hair. "I like it very much."

Zeb broke up the tender moment the couple shared, they separating from each other abruptly, when he boomed, "Hey, you two, I've got to get this off my chest. Now's as good a time as any. It's about Agent Kallus. Could be I gave him lots to think about when we were stranded. If he joins us, it'll be because of me!" He strode deeper into the common room like he owned the entire ship.

"Drunk?" Sabine submitted, mouthing the word.

With a shrug, Ezra followed up, "Guess we should hear him out. Then, we'll know for sure."