Author's Note: Tonight's chapter, for your reading pleasure. I hope this one is as much fun to read as it was to write.

I was worried I wasn't going to be able to publish this, with how unreliable has been today, but it looks like it's cleared up in time.

Chapter 7
The Clouds Burst

By the time the meal was over, and the drinking began to get more serious, Sabine was bored of the feast. She had spent most of the evening, when there weren't well-wishers coming by her family's table to drink to her health, trying to catch up with Tristan and her father. Her mother seemed pretty preoccupied still from their earlier conversation. Sabine was fine with this. She wasn't ready for the back half of her plan yet, and the more she thought about it, the worse it was starting to sound in her head. Maybe she didn't have to be so drastic about things and maybe she could talk her mother into letting Ezra stay without, well, all the fireworks.

Sabine was also starting to believe that actually talking to Ezra about how she felt wouldn't be as difficult as she imagined. He already knew anyway. He'd be blind at this point if he didn't. The fact that he seemed to be so gracious in letting her work things out was even starting to annoy her. Frag it, Ezra, she thought to herself, if you'd just be pushy like you used to be, this wouldn't be so hard. We'd have everything out in the open.

She had kept a close eye on Ezra worried he would be suffocating in the foreign culture, but he seemed to be doing okay. Ezra was knee-deep in a story describing one of their fights with the Empire, and it looked like the table was enjoying it. Thankfully Ezra was an excellent storyteller, and he had his audience hanging on his every word. She had managed to catch Ezra's eye a couple of times. Once, he had made a goofy face at her. She laughed, but desperately hoped that her mother hadn't seen that.

It was Tristan that made the fatal mistake. He asked Sabine innocently enough. "What's Ezra plan now that the Empire is off his trail?" Sabine's eyes widened, and she shook her head at Tristan.

But it was too late. Ursa had heard the question and took it up herself. "I'm curious too, Sabine."

She paused carefully. "Ezra has a ship. We're going to trade our shuttle out for it soon. We were thinking of retrofitting it for shipping. But, well that changed when we had to come back to Krownest."

"Smuggling Sabine, really?" Ursa said disappointed "That's what you were going to stoop to doing? You're a daughter of Mandalore, not some spacer scum."

Tristan silently mouthed sorry to Sabine. She just patted his hand. He wasn't privy to all the details of what was going on, and it wasn't his fault.

"Now, now, Love," Alrich jumped in. "I remember Ezra's ship. It was a clone war era Kom'rk, one of the finest models ever produced. It would be perfectly suited to, say... smuggling Medical Supplies right past the Empire."

Ursa softened a little, and Sabine silently thanked her father. He had quickly thought through the situation and managed to paint it in the best light possible. "That was one of the options we were discussing yes, but that's kind of out the air-lock at this point. I don't think you'll let me leave Krownest anytime soon, mother, will you?" She phrased it as a question and turned to her mother. Maybe there was a glimmer of hope.

"Sabine we need you here. You're our daughter and an important member of the clan."

"I know," Sabine said quietly, dejectedly. It hadn't been a command, but it may as well have been. If she questioned her mother on the issue, it would quickly become an edict.

There was a moment of silence before Ursa asked another question. "Another thing I can't understand, Sabine, is why you even bothered to bring him to Krownest with you at all. You know he can't stay, and even though our clan will hold to their oaths, the fewer people that know he lives, the better. Bringing him here only added to your troubles and his."

Here it is, Sabine thought. Her mother just had to keep pushing, and now she had Sabine cornered. "Are you sure we shouldn't talk about this later? I thought tonight was supposed to be a celebration," she tried to stall, hoping her mother would get the message: not now, please.

"I don't understand why you can't just answer a simple question," Ursa said.

Tristan must have felt the air being sucked out of the room and tried to get up from the table. "I think I'm going to go..."

"Tristan, stay," Ursa commanded.

He sat back down and looked at Alrich for help. Alrich didn't say anything. Sabine knew he could sway her mother, but he always picked his battles carefully. Tristan's presence wasn't worth spending the capital that he had with Ursa.

Sabine took a sip from her drink. "I thought that, perhaps, in spite of what you said earlier, maybe Ezra could stay here at Krownest." She was committed now. It was only a matter of time until her parents worked through the implications. So much for abandoning her plan. Suddenly she felt very foolish. How could she have ever thought this was a good idea?

"Sabine, you know that's not appropriate. Mandalore is in the middle of a civil war. I've already made a huge exception by accepting Fenn Rau's help, but that's only on account of his legendary reputation with the Protectors. Having a Jedi here would only invite scandal and would be a serious political liability. I know that he's your friend and you care deeply for him, more than you're willing to tell me, but it's simply not possible. You know this, and I'm ashamed you would even ask."

Sabine spoke very slowly and evenly to keep down the rising panic. "What if he were to join clan Wren." It was more a statement than a question.

Ursa looked slightly taken back at first. "Sabine I admire the effort you're making here, but no one is going to adopt a Jedi into their family. We're eternally grateful for his help on Mandalore, but it's not going to happen. "

"Well," Alrich said with a chuckle, "I'd adopt him if he asked, but I get the feeling you and he want to be something other than brother and sister." He stopped suddenly with the sudden realization of what Sabine intended. "Oh."

Ursa got it too, and she looked away, completely silent.

Here we are, Sabine thought. At the edge of the abyss. Better to dive in than be pushed in. "There are other ways to join a Mandalorian clan than adoption."

She'd said it. There wouldn't be any doubt now about her intentions, and the storm was about to hit. Her courage was refreshed now that there was no turning back, and she looked over at Tristan and winked. He just looked horrified.

Finally, Ursa spoke quietly, a hurt tone in her voice. "You haven't already... You didn't... It's not done already is it."

"No, it's not."

"Then were you lying earlier when you promised me you two weren't romanticly involved?

"Nope told the whole truth. Still am."

"Then what you propose is irrational."

"It's complicated," Sabine said simply.

"I couldn't stop you if I wanted to."

"I know that. But you'd never forgive me. I just got you all back a few months ago. I'm not burning that bridge again so soon if I can help it."

Ursa stared at her daughter. "Then what is it that you want?"

"Permission and no scandal."

Ursa put a hand to her forehead and was quiet for a minute. Alrich put a hand on her back affectionately. For a moment Sabine hoped that there would be no storm.

But Ursa's face suddenly hardened to durasteel, and she stood. "Ezra Bridger!" she roared.

Ezra heard Ursa shout his name, but it took a moment to realize what was happening.

"Ezra Bridger, stand before me at once!"

The hall went utterly silent. Ezra stood and moved to stand before the Countess. Using the force to relax his nerves he stood before the Countess' table with his hands behind his back in a relaxed posture. "How may I be of service, Countess."

Ursa drew her blaster and pointed it at Ezra. In one swift motion, every warrior in the room stood and did the same. Fenn Rau thankfully didn't, but he did step aside so that he wasn't in the line of fire. Alrich and Tristan also remained seated and unmoving. Ezra managed not to flinch or even twitch a muscle. It had been harder not to smile. He had been expecting something like this from the moment he landed at Krownest.

Sabine tried to intervene, "Mother this isn't..."

"Be quiet Sabine. Do not speak again until I am finished with Ezra." Sabine looked at the ground, face emotionless. Ezra mostly felt shame radiating from her, shame for what was happening. Alrich moved to stand behind his daughter and put a reassuring hand on each shoulder.

"Ezra Bridger, are you and Sabine hiding a romantic relationship from me?"

Ezra paused. Okay, this was going to be awkward. He thought Sabine had dealt with this issue earlier this afternoon. Sabine had asked him to trust her though, so he would. He hoped whatever her plan was, that it was working.

"No, my lady, we are not."

"Then why do I feel that my daughter is lying to me? Why do I feel you are lying to me this very moment? Every time I turn around I see more evidence that you two have been going behind my back."

"My Lady, Sabine is my closest friend. And while I've hoped for more than that since we first met, Sabine's desires have never lined up with mine. In spite of that, we are usually together, on and off the battlefield. It seems to have led to some misunderstandings. Assumptions have been made that aren't quite accurate."

"I'm not sure I believe you. Do you know why this is so serious, Ezra?"

"She is the daughter of a Countess. If something happened to Tristan, she might someday lead Clan Wren after you."

"Very good. You understand then why lying to me on this matter would be a grave breach of propriety. Do you know why Sabine brought you here?"

Ezra frowned. "Not really?" he said unsure of himself suddenly. Honesty, he thought. Full disclosure. "Sort of, though I'm not exactly sure how this relates to the last question."

"It's irrelevant whether or not you understand. Answer the question," Ursa said firmly.

Ezra continued. "The truth is, we weren't even planning on coming to Krownest at first. That changed suddenly, as I suspect you know. Sabine was explaining to me that I would not be allowed to stay here when I asked if it was possible to join Clan Wren." Ezra hoped that wasn't an inappropriate thing to say aloud. There may have been a lot of etiquette about the current situation that he wasn't aware of. "Sabine suddenly had an idea that she refused to tell me. I gave her the night to think about it. By morning she had committed herself to the decision and told me that it would only work if I was ignorant of it." He glanced at Sabine who briefly caught his eye. "That's all I know."

Ursa seemed to waver for a moment. "So you don't know what Sabine intended by bringing you here?"

"No more than I've said. Sabine asked me to trust her. So I did, and here I stand before you, ignorant of what's going on," Ezra looked at Sabine again. "And placing my trust wholly in Sabine."

The silence was absolute. Ursa seemed to be considering what Ezra said. She put her blaster away. The rest of the warriors did the same and sat back down. Ezra had to make a conscious effort not to sigh in relief.

"Sabine I'm sorry, but I have to tell him. I will judge by his reaction if he tells the truth."

Ezra felt the tidal wave of embarrassment from Sabine as she put her helmet on and slumped into her seat. He'd have to comfort her later. He wasn't out of the fire yet, and, well, he was getting curious. Ursa stared at Ezra one last time, long and hard.

"Sabine brought you here intending to marry you. If you were married, you would become a member of Clan Wren and would be allowed to stay at Krownest."

Ezra blinked. Blinked again. That surely couldn't have been what she'd just said. He looked around the room. It seemed everyone else had heard what he had and were watching to see his reaction. Surely that's not why Sabine had... It did make some sense. Surely not though. Sabine had just told him yesterday how sacred marriage was in Mandalorian culture. This didn't... this didn't...

He suddenly realized he was being lifted off the floor. How did that happen?

He heard Fenn Rau's voice. Apparently, he was the one that was helping Ezra up. "He's fine. He's fine. Probably been locking his knees in panic. Countess, I think you have your answer, he obviously had no clue this was coming," Rau laughed.

Ezra groaned. His head hurt when he tried to sit up all the way.

"No, keep your head down for another minute. Even Jedi need to have their blood flow properly."

"I'm never going to live this down am I?" Ezra muttered.

"Ha," Rau laughed again, but Ezra heard no mockery in his voice, only mirth. "If you think you're the only young man to have locked his knees over a beautiful woman, you're only fooling yourself. But no. No one in this room will ever forget this moment," he smiled.

Ezra groaned, then realized the Countess had approached him. He looked up at her, too embarrassed to meet her eyes.

"Ezra," Ursa said simply. "I can see that you do not lie, and I judge you innocent. You are free to enjoy your evening. Sabine, go to my conference room. We will talk there in private"

Ursa turned to go, paused, then turned back. "I'm sorry Ezra. I didn't handle that as I should have. I brought you to shame and in so doing brought the greater shame upon myself." She looked sad for a moment and then left.

Ezra, feeling a bit better, tried to get to his feet again. A hand offered help to him, and he took it. It was only after he stood that he realized the hand belonged to Alrich. "I have a hunch you're not going to be up to sticking around in the Hall. Feel like a walk?"

"I'm not sure I can say no," Ezra said quietly.

"Oh don't worry I don't bite. Just be glad you'll be with me and not Ursa. Sabine is beyond either of our help now." He chuckled. "Don't look so morose, son. I'm kidding. My wife overstepped and will now retreat. The worst is past, and I think we'll all like how this goes from here."

Ezra didn't even know what to think anymore. Had Sabine brought him here to marry him? He was just beginning to come to terms that maybe she returned his feelings. This was too much to believe. And very. Very. Weird.

"Come," Alrich said gesturing toward the door. "Let's go."