Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to post the last chapter, work has been quite hectic as of late, and my holidays was made even more busier with visiting family during this Lunar new year.
The chapter ended up being longer than I expected, and honestly, I'm not too sure if I like where it is right now.
I'll probably come back to edit it once I feel up to the task, but for now, I hope you enjoy the ending to this 5 + 1 fic.
And also wish me luck to going back to working on the Imperialverse fic! Feeling a bit worried that I may hit another writer's block, but hopefully I won't!
"Tell me again why we're here?" Sabine asked, kicking the ground as she turned to look at Ahsoka. "We're nowhere near the coordinates your contact gave us, and there's no way we're going to find Ezra here,"
The older Togruta let an amused smile form on her face. "There's something we need to do here first," She replied mystically. "Just the usual business for us,"
"Please don't tell me it's the Force," Sabine said with a roll of her eyes.
But Ahsoka merely smiled, giving Sabine the same knowing look she had given her throughout their journey.
Letting out another groan in frustration, Sabine muttered something to herself before begrudgingly relenting to the more magical ways of the all knowing Force.
"You think maybe we shouldn't trust the Force so much next time?" Sabine grumbled, falling in step beside Ahsoka. "All we've managed to do so far is jump from planet to planet, and we're still no closer to finding Ezra than we were ten years ago,"
"We have made some progress," Ahsoka calmly insisted.
"What progress?" Sabine nearly snapped. "Five years, Ahsoka. I waited five years for you to come and tell me that it's time to bring him home. And then I wasted another ten years following you around to Force knows where. And now, you're purposely taking us away from where we're supposed to be going, all because you said you were feeling something,"
"You need to be patient Sabine," Ahsoka replied, dropping her jovial tone. "Everything we've done so far is for a reason,"
"Then tell me what those reasons are!" Sabine spat. "Fifteen years of my life was wasted without Ezra, I deserve answers,"
Sabine's anger rode off her in droves. And Ahsoka, the seasoned Jedi she was, felt all of it. Yet, her posture never changed. Her calm demeanour remained all the same as she took all the irritation her companion was sending towards her.
"Why do you think our time was wasted?" Ahsoka questioned, turning to Sabine.
"Because we haven't found him," Sabine stated simply. "Because after all we've done, and after all the time we spent looking for him, Ezra's nowhere to be found. And we know absolutely nothing about where he could be, or if he's even alive,"
"Just because we haven't found Ezra doesn't mean our time was wasted,"
Sabine crossed her arms. "Then enlighten me. Tell me why you don't think fifteen years of no Ezra is considered time well spent on a mission to find him,"
Ahsoka stopped in her tracks, mulling the question for a moment. "Why do you think I only came to find you after five years?" She asked eventually.
"I don't know," Sabine shrugged her shoulders harshly. "I just thought it was one of your Force things," She sarcastically replied.
Despite the snide remark, Ahsoka let out a soft chuckle. "Well, you're not entirely wrong there. But that's not the only reason,"
Sabine narrowed her eyes in curiosity, her apprehension towards the topic dropping a little.
"What did Ezra say to you before he disappeared?" Ahsoka prodded at her silence.
The memory of his last words to her flashed in her mind. In the moment, Sabine felt her eyes drop, hearing his voice in her head as if he was right there next to her.
"I'm counting on you," She repeated as she closed her eyes. "He said… he said he was counting on me,"
"Did he tell you what he was counting on you for?"
"No, but I always assumed that it had something to do with protecting his home. But the Empire never attacked, and our most dangerous threats only came from some small time criminals,
"I'm sure protecting Lothal was one of the things Ezra had in mind for you," Ahsoka explained. "But I don't think that was all he expected you to do,"
Sabine furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"
"What did you do during your time on Lothal?" Ahsoka asked with a genuine curiosity in her voice. "I never asked, but I couldn't imagine you just spending your time moping around in his tower, hoping that one day he would come back by himself,"
"I didn't mope," Sabine hastily replied. "Ok, maybe I did mope for a little bit," She eventually admitted. "But let's get one thing straight, I didn't act like some lovesick girl. I had things I needed to do, things that Ezra needed me to do,"
"What kind of things?"
"Well, like I mentioned, I helped protect Lothal. We always expected the Empire to attack, and we couldn't always rely on the Rebellion to keep them out. So Ryder asked me to help train some people to join his newly formed Lothal Defence Force, but since the Empire never came, they were mostly used to deal with pirates and small time crooks,"
"Well, a small army shouldn't have too much trouble doing something like that," Ahsoka hummed. "What else?"
"I guess I also helped repurpose the Imperial Academy into an art school. Once the militia had enough experienced people, it didn't need my help anymore. So I decided to help out somewhere else. I chipped in here and there, did some heavy lifting when they needed me to. But most of my time was invested into being a teacher,"
"Couldn't get out of bossing people around huh?" Ahsoka joked.
Sabine laughed in agreement, her mind momentarily drifting back to her time on Lothal. "I guess I just wanted to give them the chance to become something else instead of a soldier. I've spent my whole life fighting the Empire, and I was never given the chance to think about what else I could have become,"
"Regardless of who won, the war was going to end one day. At least this way, the next generation could grow to become something else," Ahsoka added.
Sabine nodded. "I didn't want those younger than me to go through what me and Ezra did. We didn't have a choice, it was my job to give them one,"
"Anything else?"
Sabine went silent for a moment, her eyes glossing over as she recalled one of her latest memories.
"I… I visited Ezra's home," She eventually replied.
"The tower? I thought you stayed there?"
"Not the tower," Sabine shook her head. "His old home,"
"What was the occasion?"
"He had been gone for three years by then," Sabine answered. "It was the anniversary of Lothal's liberation. Every year, Ryder holds a celebration to remind us of Ezra, and to make sure we remember what he sacrificed to give us. I attended the celebration each year and gave a speech every time. But for some reason, I just wasn't feeling it that day,"
Lowering her head, Sabine took a sharp breath in, fighting the tears forming in her eyes. "I got tired of listening to stories of him. I thought about him every single day, and every single time I would listen to the tape he left me, just so that I wouldn't forget his voice. But that day, I just couldn't stand it. Hearing how he did what he did, it just hurt more than usual. So I left, skipped out on the speech that year, and wandered around elsewhere,"
"And then you eventually ended up at his home," Ahsoka finished. "What did you do when you found it?"
"Nothing at first," Sabine replied. "I just stared at it. Despite all we had done, the place was still abandoned. Covered in the filth and waste the Empire left behind. I don't know why, but seeing Ezra's home left like that, it hurt more than losing Ezra himself. It made me feel like the Empire never left,"
"It didn't feel right," Ahsoka guessed, and Sabine nodded.
"I couldn't stand seeing it like that, so I decided to clean it up a bit. I started out by removing what I could. Anything which remotely could be classified as garbage, I took and moved them elsewhere. When I was done, I decided to start making the place look livable. First, I painted the outside. Using the supplies Ryder gave me, I was able to at least make the place look less like a dump and more like a home. When I was done with that, I worked on the inside. Using my own credits to buy furniture and other necessities to refurbish the entire house,"
"So you renovated Ezra's childhood home?" Ahsoka asked.
"I did more than that. I even rebuilt the entire block,"
"In one night?" Ahsoka exclaimed.
"What? No. That project took up all of my time for the next two years. I was just done finishing up on the final touches when you came along,"
"But you did all that on your own? Did Ryder even know about it?"
Sabine nodded. "He did, and he offered to help quite a few times. But I wanted to do this on my own,"
"It's a shame I'm not there to see it," Ahsoka replied, feeling a bit regretful that she left Lothal in such a rush. "What's it being used for now?"
"Last I heard, Ryder's using it as an orphanage. He puts any lost children he finds in that place, and does what he can to find them a new family,"
"It's nice to see Lothal being able to come into its own as a planet," Ahsoka placed an arm on Sabine's shoulders. "I'm sure Ezra would be happy to know that you played such a big part in it,"
Sabine shook Ahsoka's hand off. "You still haven't made your point. There's no reason for me to improve Lothal if Ezra's not there to see it,"
"You're right!" Ahsoka smiled. "But you couldn't just leave Lothal to its own devices now could you? It was his home, Ezra's home, and you did everything he expected of you and more. You helped the planet grow, gave it a purpose, and gave it its own means of defending itself in the battles which are yet to come,"
"You're saying Ezra wanted me to babysit his planet for five years?"
"I'm saying that when Ezra wasn't around to protect his home, he needed someone to do it for him while he was gone, and he needed someone he could trust, someone he could count on,"
"Ok, so maybe those five years aren't wasted," Sabine admitted. "Maybe they were necessary, and Lothal needed some guidance to grow. But what about now? Lothal is fine, and I'm not even there anymore. What have we been spending these ten years doing if we haven't even found a clue of where Ezra could be?"
"What do you think Ezra would do in your situation?"
Sabine stared confused at Ahsoka's question. "You mean what would Ezra do if I disappeared for years and I had to ask him to find me?"
Ahsoka nodded.
"Probably the same thing like I would," Sabine replied. "He would do whatever the equivalent of rebuilding my home is, and then once everything was stable enough, drop everything and come and find me,"
"Would he ignore everything in his quest to find you?" Ahsoka continued. "The helpless people, those struggling in the aftermath of the Empire. Would he ignore them, just to find you a little bit faster? Would he expect you to do the same in this situation?"
Sabine went silent, already knowing the answers to Ahsoka's question.
"In these ten years, we've seen and met so many different types of people, and they all had one thing in common," Ahsoka turned to Sabine. "They were all still suffering from the grip of the Empire. There are people like these, all over the galaxy, Sabine. People who celebrated the fall of the Empire, but were too hurt by them to prosper under the New Republic. I know that the New Republic is doing what they can, but they can't help all of them. Which is why we need to step in and do our part. We can't leave these people alone the same way the Empire left them. What good will it be to find Ezra if we bring him back to a galaxy no better than the Empire?"
Sabine lowered her head, letting out another frustrated groan.
"I just miss him," She admitted, staring hopelessly at the ground.
"I know," Ahsoka placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "The path we're taking might be long, but it is a necessary one. And we have to follow it word for word if we want to find Ezra,"
"I get it, I really do," Sabine replied apologetically. "But sometimes I wish that we don't have to go through such a roundabout path to get what we want. I've lost so much already, can't I just get the one thing that's important to me back?"
"We'll find him, I promise," Ahsoka pulled Sabine into a hug. "Besides, if there's one thing I know, is that the Force tends to give us exactly what we're searching for when you least expec-"
A figure suddenly flew right past them, smashing the stall beside them into pieces.
From the cluttered pile of wood, a masked figure clad in what looked like a suit of armour pulled itself out, rubbing its head in pain as it tried to regain its bearings.
"Hey!" A voice called out from the opposite direction.
Sabine and Ahsoka turned to the source, finding that a group of bandits was approaching.
"Hand over what you stole from us, and I'll make your death quick," The leader said, stepping forward. "I'm not going to ask again,"
"Never," The figure replied, pocketing something away from the bandits.
"You sure you want to challenge us, thief?" The leader questioned. "Because if you do, you've got more than a handful of blaster bolts coming your way," He snapped his fingers, and the rest of the group pointed their blasters at the figure.
What sounded like a snicker resonated through the figure's mask.
"I think you're the ones who would get more than a handful of bolts coming your way," The figure taunted.
The bandit shrugged candidly. "Suit yourself,"
Now, being a Jedi and a Mandalorian, there was no way Sabine and Ahsoka could sit and watch idly by as a lone stranger was being fired upon. But before either of them could draw their weapons, the figure did something which neither of them expected.
The familiar sound of an igniting lightsaber could be heard the moment the first bolt left the blaster, surprising the duo. But even more surprising was how efficiently the figure was able to deflect each and every one of the incoming bolts. Doing so with such skill as if it had received proper training.
"A Jedi?" Ahsoka exclaimed, finally sensing the aura behind the figure.
Sabine's ears immediately perked up. "Ezra?" She asked hopefully, her eyes glued stuck to the figure.
Before she knew it, Sabine was already back on her feet, ready to rush in and embrace the one person she missed so dearly. But Ahsoka thankfully stopped her, sensibly pulling her back to the ground and away from the barrage of bolts.
"Hang on," Ahsoka insisted, staring at the figure. "I don't think that's Ezra,"
"Of course it's Ezra!" Sabine exclaimed. "Look! Who else would be this far out from the galaxy, is able to wield a lightsaber, and can easily manage to deflect all those blaster bolts?
Ahsoka wasn't convinced by Sabine's argument. "You'd be surprised," She replied. "But we should at least be careful. Because whoever that person is, it doesn't feel like Ezra,"
"The Force?"
Ahsoka nodded.
Despite finally regaining her senses, Sabine still found herself tempted to just ignore Ahsoka's warning and rush in.
"So what should we do?" Sabine asked, turning to Ahsoka.
Mulling over the question, Ahsoka eventually decided. "Whoever this guy is, it might not be too much of a stretch to say that they might know something about Ezra," She stood up. "I think we're going to have to talk to this guy,"
Sabine hummed in agreement. "Finally, something we both agree at,"
The last bolt sailed right into the leader's chest, knocking him down and taking him out for good. With their leader dead, the remaining bandits seemed afraid, no longer as confident as they were before.
"Had enough?" The figure taunted. Her only response was a shocked eep, and the immediate scattering of the rest of the bandits.
Relaxing slightly, the figure let out a tired groan. At least she had gotten what she came for. She just wasn't expecting a fight to result from her actions.
Better not tell Master about this, she thought, not wanting to worry him anymore than necessary.
"Hey! You!" Another voice suddenly called out.
Immediately, the figure stiffened, and shifted back into battle mode. She pointed her lightsaber at the unfamiliar source, ready to defend herself once more.
"Woah woah," Sabine quickly raised her hands up "We're not with those guys," She explained, hoping to de-escalate the situation.
Glancing between both Ahsoka and Sabine, the figure relaxed its stance slightly, but still kept the saber up. "Who are you?" The figure asked, eyeing the two strangers up and down. "What's a Mandalorian and a Sky-walker doing so far out in this area of space?"
"Skywalker?" Ahsoka's ears perked up at the mention of that.
"Users of the Sight," The figure explained, but Ahsoka was still confused. "Powers which extend from the mind,"
"You mean the Force?" Ahsoka guessed.
Tilting its head, the figure lowered its lightsaber. "My Master called it that too,"
"Master?" Sabine repeated. "Does your Master by any chance have blue hair, about this tall, and eyes which looked like it would have nothing to worry about at all?"
The figure nodded her head, not just in agreement, but also finally understanding the situation. Sheathing her lightsaber, she brought her hands to her head, removing her mask.
"Master said that someone would come for him," She replied, shaking her head in relief once she was freed from her mask. "But I never expected to be the one to find you first,"
Sabine took a step back as her eyes were met with the sharp red gaze of a Chiss. They reminded her of another Chiss, someone who Sabine wasn't as friendly with.
"Who are you?" Ahsoka asked.
The Chiss turned to Ahsoka. "I am Dapra'en'nuorsa, Learner to the one you call Ez'raBri'dger. He lives among us, a human on Csilla,"
Sabine could barely contain her excitement. "Ezra's your Master?"
The Chiss nodded to her.
"Can you take us to him? Err… Dapa.."
"You may call me Rae'nnu," She quickly corrected. "And yes. It is my Master's wish to be reunited with his old friends. But we must leave now, I have in my possession information vital to my people, and I must deliver it to them,"
"Ezra has you delivering a holocron?" Ahsoka asked, sensing the object.
Somewhat surprised, Rae'nnu quickly flashed the object to her two new companions. "Master has reason to believe that this holocron contains information which could shift the tides of our war. And I have no reason to doubt him,"
"Woah woah, hang on, what's this about a war?" Sabine exclaimed. "Is Ezra involved in this fight too?"
Rae'nnu narrowed her eyes impatiently. "Master is not only involved in our battle. He is also our only hope at victory,"
With a soft clack, a small device ejected itself out from the console of the main computer. Its sound drew the attention of a young Chiss officer, whose bleary red eyes immediately pulled over to it. The Chiss carefully grabbed the device from its port, pulling it out and tucking it into the palm of his hands.
Not intending to delay his task anymore than necessary, the Chiss quickly made his way out of the room. He wasn't in any rush however, just merely concerned with meeting the expectations which had been set on him by his commander. Noone wanted to be the one who disappointed the second in command of the entire Chiss Defence Fleet after all.
Scanning his ID badge, the Chiss eventually made his way into the command room. His eyes scanned through the sea of his fellow Chiss officers, searching for his commander.
Unlike most of the people on his planet, his commander was a little bit different. He wasn't a Chiss to begin with, instead he was an outsider. Someone which the Grand Commander had brought in personally. Secondly, he also acted and looked very differently from everyone else, mainly thanks to the lack of blue in his skin and his extremely emotive facial expressions. So it wasn't too difficult to find him amongst the crowd.
"General Ra'bri," The Chiss greeted once he had found his commander. "I have acquired the data you have requested,"
Turning in his chair, the familiar face of none other than Ezra Bridger stood up and smiled at his subordinate.
"Qha'nin!" Ezra replied, cheerfully taking the drive from his hands. "You're a lifesaver! This is going to help with my presentation with Thrawn later on,"
"It is no concern, General," Qha'nin slightly bowed. "But perhaps next time it would be wiser of you to prepare this information beforehand,"
Ezra sheepishly smiled to himself as he rubbed the back of his head. "I guess if you're the one telling me, I should probably wisen up,"
"Please do General, for all of our sakes,"
"But there's just so much else I'd rather do! Like look at this!" Ezra pointed to the flowing data on his screen. "It's an entire archive filled with Jedi knowledge!"
Qha'nin rolled his eyes, unable to find it in himself to hide his exasperation.
"If I may be frank General…" Qha'nin began. "I don't quite understand your fascination with the Jedi. You are a great leader among many other things, but I feel as if your obsession with them is holding you back from achieving greater heights."
"Aw shucks, you flatter me," Ezra joked.
Qha'nin frowned. "That was not my intention, General,"
A smile worked its way up Ezra's face. "Ten years we've worked together, Qha'nin, and I still can't get you to laugh at one of my jokes,"
"We Chiss do not partake in humorous activities lightly, General. Only in front of those we hold dear do we indulge ourselves,"
"You mean like family and close friends?" Ezra asked.
But Qha'nin shook his head. "Around our mates, General, or people we are attempting to court," A rare mischievous glint crossed the Chiss's eyes. "Like you and your apprentice, Rae'nnu,"
"Ok, now I think you're getting ahead of yourself,"
The thin line of Qha'nin's lips curled ever so slightly into a smirk. "Tell me, General, besides your apprentice, has anyone else ever laughed at your dry attempts of humour?"
"Well yea sure. There was…" Ezra began, but stopped himself when he realised that there was literally no one.
"I rest my case," Qha'nin declared triumphantly. "I guess all that's left is your wedding,"
"I can't tell if you're making fun of me, or flirting with me," Ezra huffed.
"Believe me, General. If I was flirting with you, you would know,"
Shaking his head at the preposterous statement, Ezra decided to change the subject.
"Speaking of Rae'nnu, any news from her yet? She should be back by now,"
Qha'nin subtly perked up. "I was just about to inform you, General. Rae'nnu called in just a while ago. She was successful in her mission to acquire the holocron. She should be back here any minute now,"
"She was?" Ezra nearly jumped out of his seat. "She found the holocron?"
"I believe so,"
"Then what are we waiting for! Let's go greet her immediately!" Ezra declared before rushing out of the room, leaving behind a slightly irritated Chiss.
With a heavy sigh, Qha'nin resigned himself into following his commander. He knew better than to try and stop him from running off and skipping out on his own work. It hadn't worked before, and it wasn't going to work now. Looks like his presentation to the Grand Commander was going to be delayed for yet another time.
"General, I don't think you should go out of your way to greet your apprentice," Qha'nin chastised, eventually catching up to Ezra.
"She has the holocron Qha'nin!" Ezra countered. "How can I not go and greet her?"
"But your proposal to Thrawn…"
"Can wait!" Ezra finished. "Centuries of lost Jedi texts are about to be unveiled right before my eyes! I can't just leave it for later!"
Qha'nin's eyes twitched at Ezra's easygoing attitude. His antics were starting to irk the Chiss, although he would never openly admit it himself. Of course, when the pair eventually arrived at the docking bays, there was no one there, as no one had arrived yet. So, Ezra was yet again given another excuse to procrastinate and put off his own responsibilities.
"If I may ask, General," Qha'nin began, hoping to convince his superior to return to his duties. "What do you expect to learn from gathering all these ancient Jedi texts?"
"Everything," Ezra answered simply. "Whether or not you are gifted with the sight, there's plenty for us to learn from the Jedi,"
"More than anyone, the Chiss understand the importance of learning from our ancestors. We absorb the knowledge of both our own failures, and our successes, using each of them to help us grow," Qha'nin answered before narrowing his eyes. "But with all due respect to your people, how much more can the Jedi actually teach us? As we've discovered, the Jedi nearly caused their own extinction by letting their pride impede their own judgements. They allowed the enemy to slip into their ranks, and perished because they refused to believe that their order had been infiltrated,"
"I do not mean to question your decisions, General. I merely want to understand them," Qha'nin quickly added.
Probably sensing the quiet turmoil in the Chiss's mind, Ezra turned to his subordinate, offering him an understanding smile.
"I know. Among all the Chiss I've worked with, you're the only one who questions me without any malicious intent," Ezra replied. "The questions you ask me are genuine, and are meant to help you be a better subordinate,"
Qha'nin nodded.
"But, I do understand your concerns, and I apologise for not being so open in sharing the full reason as to why am I so obsessed over these texts,"
"Have you been withholding things from Chiss high command?" Qha'nin asked. His tone sounded accusatory, but Ezra merely smiled at the allegation.
"Thrawn knows what I'm doing, if you're wondering," Ezra replied quickly. "But he insisted that the knowledge of what I'm doing be kept extremely confidential,"
Qha'nin furrowed his brows. "What is it exactly that you are doing?"
"Well, I'll tell you one thing, you're absolutely right in saying that there isn't much we can learn from the Jedi of old," Ezra began. "We've learnt all we could from their failures, and there isn't much we can take from their successes. All we can learn from them is how we can each play our part in making the galaxy a better place. That on its own, is quite the lesson, but what I am looking for is a little bit more… practical,"
"Are you perhaps hoping to hone your skills as a Jedi?" Qha'nin guessed.
Ezra shook his head. "The teachings of the ancient Jedi Order are a little bit too radical for me to use properly,"
"Then why?" Qha'nin asked. "Why do you hunt so feverishly for these artifacts?"
"Because their existence in the unknown regions proves the one thing I have suspected for the past few years," Ezra turned to his subordinate. "The Jedi who travelled here have discovered the secret which our enemy has spent so long trying to hide. They uncovered the truths behind where our enemy has come from,"
Qha'nin widened his eyes. "They've uncovered the homeworld of the Grysk?"
"That is what I hope for at least," Ezra replied. "The ancient Jedi documented all of their findings about the Grysk, yet most people in the Empire or Republic knew close to nothing of them. What this tells me is that the Grysk knew that they were being observed by the Jedi, but didn't want to act against them to prevent being seen as a threat. So they allowed some information about them to be recorded, but acted only once the Jedi learnt too much,"
"That would explain why all the holocrons you've found previously contain the same set of information!" Qha'nin exclaimed. "The only thing the holocrons we've found so far mention about the Grysk is their physical features, and when or where they appeared. But we never found any mention of where they could have come from, or how they arrived,"
Ezra nodded. "I believe the holocron that Rae'nnu has found to be the one which holds that missing information. It was the only holocron we found coming from the last millennia, and it is also the only one which was still in the possession of an ancient sith cult, one which has devolved into a group of third rate bandits apparently,"
"But how could knowing where the Grysk come from help us in our war against them?" Qha'nin asked.
"It would be a start at least, to better understanding our enemy," Ezra continued, too engrossed in his explanation to notice that a ship had just landed in the hangar. "But one thing's for certain. Rae'nnu finding that holocron marks a turning point in our battle. And it's going to only be a matter of time befor-
Ezra wasn't even able to finish his sentence before the heavy weight of a full armoured Mandalorian came crashing onto him.
"Found you, you Loth Rat," A familiar voice whispered affectionately as it wrapped Ezra in a bone crushing hug.
"Sabine?" Ezra managed to sputter out as he was tackled into the ground. "What are you doing here?"
The young woman straddled the poor man as she stared at him with teary eyes. Sweet memories of her time with him flooded her mind. But just before she could succumb to the temptation to simply blurt out how much she loved him, the years upon years of loneliness, pain, and sorrow resurfaced. And in place of her undying affection, came a furious rage.
"You!" Sabine screamed out, fists clenching his shirt. "You!" She repeated again, her eyes blazing in anger.
Ezra recognised that look on her face, and he knew all too well how dangerous it was. He quickly put his hands up, hoping to get the opportunity to defend himself.
"Ok, I know you're mad, but- Ow! Hey!"
Her fists flew at his face before he could even say a word. Sabine pummeled him relentlessly to the ground, punching his head, beating his chest, doing all she could to release her anger.
"Do you know how you made me feel?" She shouted as her fists drummed his chest. "All those years, not even knowing if you were alive. Alone, without my best friend, without my partner! And then you told me that you counted on me! For what? You didn't even tell me what you wanted me to do!"
"Sabine I-" Ezra began but again Sabine cut him off.
"What if I messed up? What if I did something wrong? What if I did the exact opposite of what you wanted?"
"Sabine!" Ezra exclaimed as he finally grabbed hold of her fists. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel that way. Can you forgive me?" He said, giving her his most charming smile.
But instead of calming her down, it only made her angrier.
"You can't just smile this all away!" She said as she ripped her arms out from his grip and slapped him hard across the face.
"Ow! Sabin- I- Wait, not the hair, not the hair!"
With a hand on her mouth, Ahsoka tried her best to not let her laughter slip out. With all the emotions Sabine had repressed over the years, she wondered how it would look once she saw Ezra again. But nothing could have prepared her for the hilarious and chaotic mess which was the two of them.
On Sabine's side of things, more and more of her anger was starting to dissipate as she beat Ezra up. She could tell that it was only going to be a matter of time before she moved on from attacking his face to full on planting her lips on it.
But before that moment came, she felt herself being lifted up. Her body suddenly hovering inches away from Ezra's, not close enough to keep hitting him, but far enough that it was as if she was being taunted.
"Ezra Bridger! Don't you dare use the Force on me to try and get out of this!" Sabine warned, her rage flowing right back.
"Uh, I'm not," Ezra replied, looking as confused at the situation as she was.
It was only then did the two of them glance behind, and notice that Rae'nnu was watching them with her hands stretched out.
"I would feel very much grateful if you do not harm my Master any more than you already have," She said as she floated Sabine a short distance away and unceremoniously dropped her face first.
"Ow," Sabine groaned, shifting her anger towards Rae'nnu. "What was that for?" She demanded.
But the young Chiss simply ignored her, choosing to instead tend to her master with more affection than one would normally expect.
"Ra'bri, are you ok?" Rae'nnu asked, running her hands across Ezra's body so as to check for any visible injuries.
"Rae'nnu, I'm fine," Ezra insisted, embarrassed. "You know she wasn't going to hurt me right? And you didn't have to drop her like that,"
Rae'nnu turned away from him. "She wasn't being very friendly," She reasoned, casting a sidelong glance towards Sabine. "And I didn't like the way she was treating you,"
Ezra responded by smiling softly, somewhat understanding the protective nature of his apprentice. "Well, I think I deserved some of that treatment," He admitted, casting an apologetic look to Sabine. "But I do appreciate the fact that you jumped in to try and protect me, despite not knowing everything about the situation"
Avoiding his gaze, Rae'nnu darted her head away in order to hide a blush which of course, everyone but Ezra managed to catch.
"So, I see you guys have met Rae'nnu," Ezra said, turning his attention back to his old friends.
Ahsoka nodded in response, ignoring the look that Sabine was giving her for not offering to help her up. "We met her when she was in action back on Dexdel," She replied. "You've done well to train her for someone who has yet to be officially knighted,"
"Thanks," Ezra sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "But if we're being honest, Rae'nnu is just that good of a student. We went through all of Kanan's teachings in half the time it took him to teach me,"
Once again, Rae'nnu tried to hide her blush at Ezra's praises.
"I only learn fast because you teach so well, Master," Rae'nnu insisted, not willing to be the sole bearer of any compliments. "If it was anyone else, it would have taken me much longer to digest the information,"
"Well, if it was anyone else, you probably wouldn't be as interested," Qha'nin whispered to himself from the side, earning himself a glare from Rae'nnu.
"Either way, you shouldn't downplay your achievements," Ezra continued, "You've done well learning from someone like me, I'm proud of you," Ezra smiled earnestly, causing Rae'nnu to beam at him in response.
There was a little bit of an uneasy feeling forming in the pit of Sabine's stomach as she watched the two interact. It was weird seeing him after so long, but it was even weirder seeing him getting so close with someone else. For a moment Sabine wondered if her place in his life had been taken over, that she had been replaced by someone else just because it took her so long to find him. But the look on his face when he turned to look at her washed all those feelings away.
"But enough about me, you guys are actually here!" Ezra declared cheerfully. "It might have taken fifteen years, but man, I still can't even believe you guys managed to find me!"
"It wasn't that easy you know," Sabine chuckled. "The amount of places we had to visit, people we had to meet and help to get us here. Did you know that there's another Jedi order now?"
"No way!" Ezra replied excitedly. "There's so many things I want to ask you! How's Hera doing? Did we win? Are we still called the Rebellion? Has Lothal changed much?"
The flurry of questions made it seem as if everything had returned to normal, and a grateful smile formed on Sabine's face at the thought. But before they could go on and share more about their stories, Rae'nnu decided that now was the time to remind Ezra why he was actually here.
"Master," She called out, tugging his wrist. "I think it would be best if you were to delay your reunion for now," Rae'nnu reached into her pocket, pulling out the holocron she stole. "I've found it Master, and from what I can tell, this is exactly what you have been looking for,"
Ezra's eyes immediately perked up at the sight of the old Jedi relic. He palmed the object in his hands, feeling the surge of knowledge rushing through his mind.
"You did it!" Ezra declared, finally remembering why he came here in the first place. "This- this changes everything! I- I," He cut himself off as he turned to look at Sabine.
While it had been years since Sabine last laid eyes on Ezra, it didn't take her long to understand the look he was giving her. It was a look of conflict, one which was very familiar to her mainly because she gave him the exact same look once before.
Much like how Sabine had to struggle in order to choose between the two important families in her life, now Ezra was struggling to choose between the two important priorities he now had.
Sabine remembered what Ezra told her that day when she confided in him, how he supported her when she told him she was considering leaving. There was nothing Sabine wanted more than to finally be with her friend, to confess her feelings to him and live happily ever after. But she was damned if she wasn't going to be there for him the same way he was for her.
"Go on ahead," Sabine said, trying to hide the disappointment behind her smile. "We can always catch up later,"
"Sabine, you're the best," Ezra said, smiling apologetically. "There's going to be a party later on tonight. Well, maybe more like an annual gala of some sort. We're celebrating the anniversary of Thrawn's return to Csilla,"
"Thrawn?" Sabine asked. "Why are you celebrating anything related to that blue freak,"
Ezra smiled sheepishly. "Well, that blue freak happens to be my boss,"
"You work for Grand Admiral Thrawn?"
"Yeah!" Ezra replied. "He's actually not that bad you know!"
"And you trust him?" Sabine quirked an eyebrow.
"I guess so," Ezra shrugged. "I mean, I'm training his daughter after all,"
"Thrawn has a daughter?" Sabine nearly shouted. "And it's you?"
Rae'nnu merely narrowed her eyes before turning to Ezra. "Master, I don't think this can wait,"
"Right, right, Qha'nin, would you mind helping show my friends to one of the empty quarters? I think they could use some rest before tonight's party,"
"Of course General," Qha'nin bowed.
"Great! Well, I guess I'll see you tonight!" Ezra declared before running off with Rae'nnu.
Sabine watched as the two left her sight, the strange feeling in her stomach rising once more.
"Soo…" Ahsoka prodded, cheekily poking Sabine's face. "Looks like you have another rival,"
Sabine turned to Ahsoka. "What do you mean?" She innocently asked.
"Hera told me all about all the other girls who Ezra has managed to charm," Ahsoka smiled slyly. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how jealous are you feeling right now?"
Staring at the older Togruta dryly, Sabine replied. "You have got to stop talking to Hera,"
Boring, bland, colourless, plastic. These were probably the words anyone would use when describing a party hosted by the infamous blue skinned beings known as the Chiss. Their extreme lack of emotions was a very well known fact amongst the individuals who were aware of their existence. And even to those who did not know of them, only a single glance was needed to know how inexpressive they could be.
Even Sabine herself has expected the event to be quite drab. The only Chiss Sabine was familiar with was that of Thrawn. And anyone who saw him would expect that events hosted in his name would look more practical in nature instead of celebratory.
It was safe to say that Sabine's expectations were completely cleaved in half the moment she entered the grand hall.
A large chandelier that looked like it was made of pure light hung proudly from the ceiling. Multiple rays of lights flickered off of it, illuminating the room with a vast array of colours. The colourful display was further accentuated by the pure white porcelain floors, making Sabine feel as if she was walking on clouds. Soft fluffy clouds with a colourful glow radiating from behind them. For a species who was supposed to keep their emotions under wraps, they sure did know how to impress.
"Amazing," Sabine whispered to herself. Her eyes were constantly being treated with a desert of colours. The inner artist inside of her held an even greater appreciation for the sight before her. It was quite difficult to imagine Thrawn or one of his own people being behind something like this.
"Breathtaking, isn't it?" A familiar voice said from behind her. One which sent shivers down her spine, but not in a good way.
Almost instantly, Sabine leapt backwards. Instinctively reaching to the side of her belt in search of her blaster.
"Thrawn," Sabine hissed, hands firmly stuck around the grip of her weapon. More than anything, Sabine wanted to pull her blaster out and fill the former Grand Admiral with as many bolts as possible. The amount of pain this man had brought to her and her family was reason enough to take him out.
"Miss Wren," Thrawn greeted in his usual cold voice, undeterred by her show of aggression. "I was told by General Bridger that you had arrived just this morning. Allow me to take this opportunity to congratulate you on successfully finding your lost Spectre. As Bridger would most likely say, better late than never,"
Sabine stared blankly at what she guessed was an attempt at a joke by Thrawn. The thought of him even trying to tell one sounded so foreign to her, especially when you considered the fact that they were enemies before.
"Did he actually say that?" Sabine asked eventually.
The lips of Thrawn curled ever so slightly downward into what looked like a frown. "I was told that such statements would elicit emotions of humour, and help break the ice between us,"
"Uh… it didn't," Sabine blinked awkwardly.
Thankfully, before the situation could turn even more uncomfortable, Ezra finally appeared.
"Hey! You made it!" Ezra greeted cheerfully, standing right beside Thrawn. "How's the party so far? Do you like the light display? I insisted on having it placed here the moment I saw it. And I see that Thrawn has already come by to see you, hope you guys aren't feeling a little bit weird given what happened the last time the two of you met,"
"I believe our reunion went as well as can be expected," Thrawn answered. "But your suggestion on how to 'break the ice', was not a good one,"
"Well, with how well we know each other now, I hardly doubt that has anything to do with what I told you to say but rather how you delivered it," Ezra replied in an amused tone. "By the way, where's Ahsoka?" He asked, turning to Sabine.
"She decided not to come," Sabine smiled, happy to focus on something else besides Thrawn. "I think the trip tired her out,"
Thrawn rubbed his chin at the response. "Such a shame, I was very much looking forward to conversing with her," He remarked.
"And why is that?" Sabine asked, arching her eyebrow.
"Because I knew her master," Thrawn replied, carefully turning to face Sabine. "And I wanted to know more about him from her,"
"Her master?" Ezra chimed in, interested in the topic.
"I worked under him once," Thrawn explained. "And he was an efficient warrior. Ruthless in his actions, unforgiving in his ways. Despite what he had become, he was a great leader, and he is someone I wouldn't mind working with again,"
Sabine crossed her arms. "It sounds like you're telling the truth,"
"That is because I am, Miss Wren," Thrawn turned sharply to Sabine, slightly glaring at her. "I do not lie, and I show respect to those who deserve it. I would have preferred to share my thoughts on the matter to Miss Tano personally, but I guess it would have to wait,"
"I'm sure Ahsoka would be more than pleased to hear that about her Master," Ezra quickly interjected, preventing any further hostilities. "I'll make sure to pass on your message to her personally,"
"If you would be so kind," Thrawn bowed his head gratefully, before turning to face Sabine. "And to you, Miss Wren. I am not so blind to be unable to sense some remnants of hostility between the two of us,"
"At least I don't have to spell it out," Sabine bitterly spat.
But Thrawn remained undeterred. "There is nothing I can do that can pay you back for all the pain I've caused. All I can offer, is my apologies, and my promise that as long as you do not harm my people, I will work to correct my transgressions,"
Were it anyone else, Sabine could have probably forgiven the man. But no. Everytime she even thought of Thrawn, she saw Kanan dying, burning in the silo he created. She may have gotten over his death, but there was no way that a simple sorry was going to be enough.
"It's going to take more than that to fix what you did," Sabine began, clenching her fists.
Ezra could sense the anger in her. He placed an arm on her shoulder, hoping to calm her down.
"It wasn't personal," He explained. "The only reason he did the things he did was to protect his people,"
"That doesn't change the fact that he caused Kanan's death!" Sabine nearly shouted. "And, he killed and harmed countless people on Lothal, your own home! How could you just forgive him for that?"
"I didn't," Ezra replied, glancing at Thrawn. "I just learnt to live with it. He hurt my people, and he hurt my family. But in the end, he did it so that his people could be safe. How is that any different from us?"
Sabine glared at Ezra, but eventually felt her hard expression soften. "He still killed Kanan," She whispered.
"If I may add, the death of Kanan Jarrus caused more harm to my grand plan than good," Thrawn added, earning him a rightful glare from the pair.
"Sabine, you don't have to like him," Ezra turned his attention back to Sabine. "In fact, I don't even like him. Thrawn is many things, but he's trustworthy. Take it from me. As long as you don't try and hurt his people, he will always have your back,"
Sabine stared into Ezra's eyes. "I don't know if I can trust him,"
"You don't have to trust him. You just have to trust me," Ezra smiled. "Can you do that?"
Letting out a chuckle, Sabine let her hands fall into his. "I won't even have to try,"
Before things could grow more intimate between the two, Thrawn let out an uncomfortable cough.
"Perhaps, you might want to express your emotions somewhere more… private?" He suggested, pointing at the people giving the couple weird looks.
"Oh shut up, Thrawn," Sabine cursed, taking a few steps back. "If Ezra's fine with you, then I guess I'll be fine with you. Just don't expect me to give speeches in your honour,"
Thrawn let out something of a chuckle. "I would expect nothing less from you, Miss Wren,"
Turning his attention from the couple, Thrawn glanced around the room.
"General Bridger," Thrawn called. "I was expecting my daughter to come with you. Will she not be joining us tonight?"
"I think she will," Ezra replied, soothing Thrawn's paternal worries. "After we fiddled with the holocron for a bit, she told me to leave without her. Something about needing more time to get ready for tonight. I thought she would have told you about this?"
Thrawn smirked. "I think this is one of those things where she would very much prefer not to tell me about,"
Before Ezra could ask why, he felt something shifting in the Force. In perhaps what one would consider a dramatic fashion, the doors to the great hall swung open with a bang. The crowd immediately went silent, watching with mouths agape as the elegant figure of Rae'nnu waltzed on in.
She looked extremely different from her previous self. Instead of her robes she wore a long flowing gown, the tips of which danced across the floor in tandem with her movements. The fabric swayed in such a way that it gave her a sort of angelic feel to her. And as her eyes searched for Ezra, her elegance did not diminish. It only heightened as her eyes met his and she made her way towards him.
"Master," Rae'nnu greeted, her eyes shyly rose to his as she offered him a courteous bow.
"Rae'nnu, you look great!" Ezra complimented, smiling widely at his apprentice.
The aforementioned Chiss kept her bashful demeanour, smiling at him softly as her eyes fluttered nervously at him.
"Daughter," Thrawn cleared his throat. "It would seem that you have spent your time wisely in preparation for tonight,"
Rae'nnu narrowed her eyes on her father. "It would seem so, father," She replied bluntly.
"Should I wish you luck in your plans for tonight?" Thrawn asked.
"No need, father," Rae'nnu replied. "Whatever happens tonight will not be because of luck,"
Smiling, Thrawn turned his attention to the three of them. "Perhaps it is time for me to take my leave," he decided. "I believe it would be best for all of us if I allowed you young people to… mingle," He said before nodding slightly and stepping away.
"Rae'nnu, you look great!" Sabine repeated, lacking the social skills to come up with something more creative.
"Thank you, 'Bine," Rae'nnu replied, offering a courteous smile. "I also find your attire to be extremely… fanciable," She continued, trying to look as interested as possible.
"Well, you two seem to get along well," Ezra commented, the smile never leaving his face.
But before either of them could make a comment about Ezra's obliviousness, the atmosphere around them suddenly shifted. Lights started being dimmed, and the melody slowed. In its place the music changed tunes into one which was more attention drawing, no longer content with being a simple background piece. And with its changing harmony, came a changing attitude. One by one, people started stepping onto the dance floor. Abandoning their more reserved nature for something more sentimental.
"What's happening?" Sabine said in a whisper, afraid to break the heavy emotion in the air.
"We have no word for it. We simply call it, the dance," Rae'nnu explained to Sabine, but her eyes were mostly focused on Ezra. "It is a yearly ceremony which celebrates the heart, and all the emotions which come with it. It reminds us that we are not beings without emotion. Rather, we are beings which suppress them, only allowing ourselves to express them to the people we hold the most dear,"
"It is a beautiful tradition," Ezra continued, eyes transfixed on the many Chiss who took to the floor. "Even after seeing it for many years, I still feel a bit touched about it,"
With a deep breath, Rae'nnu cast away the doubt in her mind. Losing all of the elegance she held before, she pushed herself right to Ezra, clasping his hand in hers and drawing his attention.
"Master," She started, before shaking her head. "Ra'bri. The ceremony is more than just a simple tradition. It is a declaration. A declaration to remain with the one you love for the rest of your life,"
Rae'nnu quickly pulled her gaze back to the floor. Even someone as oblivious as Ezra was starting to understand the meaning behind her words.
"You have been here for so long that I feel you have already become one of us," Rae'nnu continued, returning her eyes back to his. "But now, I want you to become one with me," She let go of his arm, stepping back onto the dance floor with an invitation for him to join her. "Ra'bri, would you do me the honour of dancing with me?"
Ezra's heart thumped in his chest. Despite his experiences, he still was not used to the idea that someone would want to be with him romantically. Perhaps he was just insecure, unwilling to take that final step and believe that he was desirable. Or perhaps he just never let go of the one who really mattered.
"Rae'nnu, I don't know what to say," Ezra began, sweat starting to pool in his palms.
"You could say yes," Rae'nnu replied hopefully. "Say yes, and see where this goes,"
The moment Ezra's lips parted to give a reply, Sabine's world stopped. Was he going to do it? Was he going to accept Rae'nnu's invitation? Had she lost him just as she managed to find him?
And then he turned to look at her. Casting her a look as if he was asking her for permission.
Permission to dance with someone else? Ezra knew he didn't need to ask Sabine for that.
No, he wasn't asking for permission. He wanted to see her reaction. Because despite it all, he only ever wanted to see her happy. Whether she was with him or not, all he ever cared about was her happiness.
"Wait," She blurted out in response, breaking the spell between Master and Apprentice.
And although only a single word was said, the emotion behind it was clear as day, and that was all the meaning Ezra needed.
"Rae'nnu," Ezra said firmly, clasping her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I never realised that you thought of me this way. But even if I did, I just.." He turned to glance at Sabine, finding strength once more. "I always thought of you as something of a little sister, and I'm sorry I couldn't see you as something more,"
Rae'nnu lowered her head in disappointment. "I understand," She said in a low tone. "If someone has already taken your heart, then I have no right to stay for what remains," Lifting her head, she cast a small smile towards Ezra. "I love you, Ra'bri. And you will always hold a special place in my heart,"
"I'm really sorry," Ezra repeated again, feeling guilty.
But Rae'nnu only smiled at him. "There is nothing to be sorry for. You are a wonderful person, and you have given me plenty of reasons to love you. It should be of no surprise to me that you have also given others the same reasons," She replied, glancing at Sabine. "Perhaps my only regret is not meeting you earlier, as it might have allowed for me to be in a more favourable position,"
"You've always been the more mature one between the two of us," Ezra smiled. "I wish I could make it up to you somehow,"
"There is no need," Rae'nnu bowed. "Enjoy your reunion Master," She said before stepping back and leaving into the crowd.
Ezra stared sadly as Rae'nnu disappeared from his sight. He may not have reciprocated her feelings for him, but it still hurt knowing that he was causing so much pain.
"Sorry you had to go through that," Sabine said, slowly approaching Ezra. "Do you think she's going to be fine?"
"I know she is," Ezra replied, turning his gaze back to Sabine. "It may get a little bit awkward later on, but we'll figure it out,"
"If you want to talk about it.."
"No," Ezra shook his head. "I'm not going to talk about some other girl in front of the one I love,"
It took a few moments for Ezra's words to really click in Sabine's mind. When it did, her eyes widened, and her heart thumped excitedly in her chest.
"You mean… me?" She asked, afraid she had somehow heard wrongly.
"Of course," Ezra smiled. "It's always been you Sabine. And it will never be anyone else,"
Tears welled up in Sabine's eyes. For years she had dreamt of this moment. Years of what ifs, and what could have been. But now here she was, the offer she had always dreamed of, right in front of her.
"We can take it slow, one step at a time. The last thing I want to do is mess things up with you. No matter what happens, I want to do right by you,"
Sabine's eyes snapped at the mention of taking it slow. With a hard grip, she dragged Ezra's lips to hers, before pushing herself firmly against his body.
"I've waited an entire lifetime for this you Sheb. I'm not going to go slow with you anymore," She said, crashing her lips against his once more.
And as the music slowly drowned out behind them, only one thing ran through Sabine's head.
Ezra was finally hers.
Hope you enjoyed the story!
As always, con crit is very much welcome!