Hello. This is my last chapter for this season. *starts sobbing dramatically* I am really going to miss you all so much, but it does give me time to work on myother stories, so there's an upside. I intended this chapter to be longer, but it didn't really turn out that way. This takes place after The Mystery of Chopper Base.
Kanan came in after spending a long time outside with Hera. Hera came in a few moments later. They looked…torn. Devastated.
Sabine sighed. Oh, how far we've come. We all went from being lonely, deserted beings fleeing from the empire and struggling for survival with no one else to depend on, to a close and caring family that we can't bear to live without.
Kanan walked past Sabine, not even glancing at her. She felt hurt for a moment before quickly shaking it off in realization of his stress.
The Mando' walked up to her leader to get his attention. "Uh, Kanan?"
"Oh. Hey, Sabine." He said with a fake smile and a sad look in his eyes.
"Hey. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm glad you told me to go talk to Hera. She really needed it. What about you though?"
"Me? Uh, I'll be fine." She lied. Truth was, she was terrified. Terrified of what might happen, terrified of what she might lose, terrified of being alone again. If she lost Ezra or Kanan or possibly both, her life would never be complete again.
"Are you sure you're alright? You look a little down."
"So do you tall guy but we've gotta live with depression sometimes."
"Tall guy?" He raised an eyebrow.
Dang it, he's not buying it.
"Sabine, you can tell me. This might be our last chance to talk." He said casually, not really thinking what he was saying.
"Don't talk like that." She said, her voice cracking and eyes suddenly hot with tears.
Don't break down, don't break down, keep it together.
"It's fine." He whispered, pulling her into his embrace as she couldn't help but let the tears drip lightly down her face. "It's okay. It's okay to cry and it's okay to be scared. You're right, I shouldn't have said that. I'll come back, I'm sure of it."
"But, how do you know?" She choked out.
"Well, I don't. But I can say that it is very likely that I will come back absolutely fine." He assured.
"Are you sure?"
"Posative." He pulled away with his hands on her shoulders and looked at her compassionately. "Be strong while I'm gone, okay? Don't give Hera a hard time and try to stay out of trouble."
"Alright." She nodded slowly.
"Mind if I see some of your paintings before I go?"
The teen nodded again and led him to her room. She showed him everything she'd done on her walls and furniture. From letters to landscapes to bounty hunters to birds, she showed him all of it, explaining each one in detail with pride and passion.
"This one I painted a few months ago. I got the inspiration for it when Zeb and Chopper almost opened the airlock while we were in hyperspace. The blue is supposed to look like the stars, but I decided to do the stars white with blue streaks which turned out a lot better."
"Very impressive." He smiled proudly.
"Oh, and one more. Believe it or not, I got this one from Pypey. He spilled applesauce on Ezra's head one time, and I just had to recreate the moment on canvas. I like the yellow, don't you? It's kind of a nice golden-tan sort of color."
"It's beautiful, Monster. I'm proud of you. I love seeing your artwork."
"Thanks Kanan. You should probably go prepare though."
"Yeah." Then, a little more qiuetly, "I'll come back, I promise."
With that, the older man left, leaving the door open behind him.
"Don't make promises you can't keep…" She mumbled sorrowfully.
Turning back to her wall, she grabbed her paint gun and started to spray the symbol that was on Kanan's shoulder pad.
There was something about a painting that intrigued her. Something about the way they could capture a moment and preserve it forever. It could make the past the present… Until the end of the universe. They lasted forever. Never changing, never wavering… They were the only things that didn't change when life took an unexpected twist or something happened to a loved one. They sealed that very second and then kept it the same for eternity.
Right now she wished she could cease the moment. She wanted to simply stop time, stop the Empire, and stop her friends from leaving to fight the inquisitors. They were happy! They had a base and the Empire didn't know where they were. Why were they leaving? They we're all safe.
No, stop it. Don't make up excuses. This is their decision not yours… But why? Why do they have to go? She wondered desperately.
It wasn't fair. The Empire had already taken her first family, and now they were taking the second. She banged her fist once on the wall before she quickly pulled herself together.
Stop throwing a tantrum! Things happen in life. Get used to it! She mentally scolded.
"You okay?" Ezra asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Oh, yeah. I'm fine." She answered glumly. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I-I thought I heard a crash."
"Oh, right. No, that was just…"
Me throwing a tissy fit because I'm not getting things my way. Yeah, that sounds real mature.
"I just dropped a paint can, that's all."
"Oh, okay good." He nodded in relief. What a sweet brother, to come and check on her because he heard a possible threat. What would life be like without him?
"So, um, Ezra… Before you go, maybe we should…"
"Say goodbye?" He looked up tearfully.
"…Yeah." She nodded, voice cracking with equal sorrow and fear. "I've never actually said goodbye before… I think because I had nothing I was upset about leaving."
"Well, then lets make this first one important." He declared, opening his arms for a hug. She let out a small breath of relief at his gesture and ran in for the hug.
"I'll miss you." She whispered.
"Yeah, me too."
All too soon, they had to pull away.
"Bye, Ezra." She mumbled, fighting the tears that she knew he could see.
"Bye, Sabine. My best and only sister."
She hugged him again at the response and whispered through tears, "You're the best brother I've ever had."
After relishing the embrace for a few more moments, they pulled apart and started to walk, as though reading each other's minds, to the common room. Kanan and Hera were at the table holding each other. They pulled away slightly and put on a fake smile of contentment when they saw the two teens come in.
"Don't even bother." Sabine muttered. "We are fully aware of what's happening."
Hera's smile faded, but Kanan kept his. The Twi'lek patted the spot next to her in a motherly gesture. Sabine sat down next to Hera and Ezra sat next to Sabine.
"You kids okay?" Hera asked.
"Not sure." Sabine admitted, looking down. "I've never…really felt this way before… About anyone."
"That's a good thing though." Kanan told her. "It means you care."
"Caring makes everything so much harder." Ezra mumbled. Hera responded by draping her arm as far out as she could in an attempt to hold both of them. Sabine leaned in to the touch and rested her head snugly under her neck as the minutes passed.
"We should probably go now." Kanan said quietly. Ezra stood up to retrieve his light saber from his quarters while Kanan stayed to wait for his return.
"Hera, Sabine, I just want you to know that you are the two most important ladies in my life. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. But that's why I have to go… To protect you."
"We know." Hera frowned.
"Kanan, I don't want you to die." Sabine persuaded.
"Oh, Monster, I'm not gonna die." He playfully scolded.
"You don't know that Kanan…" She said, her voice dipping. Hera shook her head in agreement.
The older man took a breath in and gently squeezed her hand. "You're right, I don't. But, I love you -both of you- very much. And I would hate for you to live without me… And you're right; I can't promise that I'll survive. But I can promise that I will do everything in my power to come back home to you."
Doubt churned in her stomach as she forced a small smile.
"Kanan, Ahsoka's waiting." Ezra told him as he came back.
"Alright. We've gotta go." The Jedi uttered as he stood. Sabine and Hera stood as well. Ezra ran up to Hera and gave her a silent hug before he turned to Sabine and gave her a hug as well.
"I love you." Sabine whispered in Ezra's ear.
"I love you, too." He breathed before pulling away.
"Oh come on." Zeb's gruff voice came, breaking the calm of the room. "Big group hug."
He walked in and wrapped everyone up in his big arms.
"Later, kid." Zeb said, punching Ezra's shoulder.
"Bye, Zeb." The teen replied with a genuine smile on his face.
The rest of the crew followed Ezra and Kanan to watch as they left. Zeb went inside once they entered the ship to leave. But Sabine and Hera stayed out since they, as females, were more emotional and knew it. They stayed out, simply staring at the sky even after the ship was long gone.
"Sabine?" Hera addressed quietly.
"Yeah?" The Mando replied, voice barely more than a whisper.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"…Ready to go in?"
"I guess."
Sabine took one last moment to look at the twilight sky, with stars still in the process of appearing, as they draped the desert planet in a blanket of a delicate glow. Kanan and Ezra were out there somewhere… Somewhere. Beyond the horizon and beyond this system somewhere amidst the maze of suns, moons, planets and asteroids. Somewhere where no one else would see but them. Somewhere far. Far from her touch and her sight and all her other senses.
Basically, they were gone. Completely out of her grasp. They were separated, and it could stay that way for a long time if not forever. Seperation was never something that had bothered her before. But now she was facing the biggest obstacle she had ever come across.
Under the faint light of twilight, Sabine could almost feel like she could see them. Perhaps if she looked through a teliscope she could see Malachor, or even their ship, in the midst of all the other things in space. When she closed her eyes she could almost picture herself, up there with them, making the journey and preparing for victory or loss as they raced across the sea of endless stars…
*Sits there crying* It's so sad! Why did they have to- Oh, we're on? Oh. *Clears throat* Well, that was it. I cried like the whole time I was writing it. I'm going to miss the rebels and I'm going to miss all of you. Please review. I'll see you all next season. Bye!
