Sorry for the wait- social plans and registering for school got in the way a little.
Fair warning- most of these chapters are going to be from Sabine's point of view, with Ezra chappies few and far between. It's not that I have anything against writing guys in a romance- it's just I have no idea how they start things, so I'll write the parts I know how a guy would act in his view, and the rest that I don't in Sabine's. Plus the overall story kind of hinges on that style, so... :3
Disclaimer: Why on Earth would I be resorting to FanFiction to fulfill my inner story-plots if I owned Rebels? Seriously, I have so many ideas in here I could practically do an entire season... and wouldn't that be interesting...
"Okay... six, you ready?"
Concentrating in the half-meditative state that he was in, Ezra simply grunted quietly to signal he was. He could picture the two cameras in his head; one on the far wall, and one above the door-frame. All he needed to do was deactivate them...
"Three... two... go!"
With a flick of his wrist and his mind, the cameras shut down, separated from their power lines. Sabine's distraction must have been big, because the two men- one of which had called the other by the name Tama -suddenly exclaimed, the chairs scraping on the ground as they sprang out of them and ran towards the window.
Wait just a bit-
The guard was gone. Not sensing anyone else in the hall, nor any warning in the Force, Ezra shimmied to the grate which he'd been just a few inches from. It popped open next to noiselessly, swinging down on two hinges and very nearly banging onto the metal roof. Taking advantage of the two men still being distracted by whatever Sabine'd blown up, Ezra slithered through the opening, landing crouched on the floor. They were both standing at the large window, where the remnants of one of the Mandalorian's signature bombs could be seen dissipating.
"Who in their right minds would attack a mining facility?!"
"Full of stormtroopers as well- must be some desperate, tactless farmer who's gotten his hands on a few second-hand explosives." Ezra held his tongue, barely resisting the urge to snap that they had a definite tactful plan, and that the explosives used were hardly secondary.
Instead, he padded to the computer terminals, pulling out the data-chip from one of his many hidden pockets, and plugging it in without a noise. He hoped to whatever deities there were that the transfer was fast, because he didn't want those two to turn around see him crouched over what was most definitely restricted equipment. While the absence of the trooper right outside the door meant an outburst from them wouldn't be heard, Ezra wasn't that cocky. He just had to follow the plan...
"Or her hands, Tama- you wouldn't want Eilene to hear you-"
"Implying that women don't work, I know." Ezra groaned internally. During the wait when Kanan and Sabine had been coming up with a plan, these two miners had been talking about nothing but this 'Eilene', who was apparently Tama's wife. He'd learned more about this woman that he'd would ever, ever have a desire to, and some sappy stuff from the old man about 'the signs of love.' Honestly, he'd have preferred silence.
Focus- 63% downloaded. Just keep looking at the pretty explosion for a few more seconds...
"You know, sometimes she's as sweet as can be, but other times I swear she's as ferocious as a Gundark. Never lasts long, just enough to remind me that she does not like to be babied..." The old man chuckled, and Ezra cast a nervous glance at the pair of them over his shoulder. He'd prefer not being revealed to them hunched over a government terminal, obviously downloading secrets... while these two were clearly no supporters of the Empire, once again, he wasn't that cocky...
Done.
"That reminds me of how your mother was- she was wild, feisty... pickpocket once tried to run off with her credits, and ended up with a broken nose." Ezra smirked along with the younger, picturing both Hera and Sabine... they'd probably have the same reaction if someone tried to take away the hard-earned credits they managed to scrape by. Well, maybe not Hera, she'd probably just hunt them down and let the guy off with a warning... but Ezra feared for anyone that got on Sabine's bad side.
You're in a building infested with bucket-heads and bombs alike, and you're standing there grinning like an idiot. Brilliant.
Bracing himself for at least two cries of shock, Ezra stood up, pocketed the data-card, and cleared his throat. The two men whirled around to face him, Tama's hand flying to the blaster strapped to his hip, and Ezra raised his hands in a peaceful gesture.
"Easy- don't shoot, I'm most likely your best chance at survival right now." Smooth, Bridger, smooth. Why don't you just go ahead and outright threaten them while you're at it?
"How in the devil did you-"
"Sneak in here without alerting either one of you? Probably the same way those 'second-rate' explosives were planted."
Both faces- Tama's smooth one and the old man's salt-and-pepper bearded one -quickly morphed from plain shock to shocked surprise. Tama's hands moved from his blaster to point instead at Ezra, brown eyes wide. "You blew up that transport!"
"Uh, well, no, not really, but my friends di- listen, the bucket-heads aren't going to be distracted forever, and when the ones looking at the camera feeds realize that these two are disabled, they're gonna come in here guns-a-blazing, and I don't think they'll care if they hit you."
More shock and just a little terror crossed their eyes, and Ezra felt a flash of guilt at most probably horrifying these poor people. But he didn't really have time to explain the entire situation, especially when they were still reeling from his warnings. A small thought crossed the back of Ezra's mind that the old man might actually faint- old people did that, right?
"What- why are the cameras disabled?!"
"Uh..." 'Because I can move stuff with my mind' didn't exactly strike Ezra as the right thing to say, so he settled for "Because I'm- a great hacker." Eh, that was mostly true. And as long as he could keep them from realizing he hadn't really been anywhere near a camera access panel, the excuse would hold.
"Listen- I know I just popped in from nowhere and you guys are probably pretty shocked right now, but I need you two to trust me. We both need to get out of here, because when the stormtroopers are done checking out the distraction my friends gave us, they'll turn their focus back to their camera controls- and probably put two and two together, realize I'm in here, and throw a grenade in. I know for a fact they won't think of killing you two as a loss." Oh karabast, where was Hera when you needed her? She at least had negotiating skills... Ezra suspected he was only making the situation worse with his cryptic warnings of doom.
The old man was still standing, though, so that was a good thing. Ezra wouldn't really be able to carry him out the building.
"So why are you here?" Tama asked, and Ezra looked the man up and down. The fact that his hand wasn't hovering near his blaster anymore told him he at least was following the dangerous picture Ezra was painting, which was much better than not believing him at all. "I recognize you from the news- the Empire says you're a terrorist. So why are you warning us out?"
"Because I may be labeled a terrorist by the Empire, but I at least don't want you two blown to smithereens."
"...There are more bombs in this mine, aren't there." The old man sighed when Ezra gave a clipped nod, knowing he probably wouldn't be able to convince them of anything else, or get them out quickly with any other excuse. Oh, how I wish Kanan would teach me that mind-trick thing...
"Three generations my family's been working in this mine. Maybe even four, once Tama here gives me grandchildren." The young man grew flustered, but his father continued on. "And you're going to blow it all away, aren't you."
Ezra bit his lip, but he knew that with the Empire in control of this mine, they'd have access to far more supplies to build their ships with. This place had to be destroyed, or else thousands more would suffer. None of the crew liked robbing the miners of their work, but they liked the prospect of even more citizens being oppressed much, much less. This had to be done- for the greater good.
"We have to. But that doesn't mean you two should go down with it."
The old man sighed again, seemingly resigned to the idea. Ezra could appreciate how... calm these folks were being, especially when he'd just popped in only a few seconds ago. That and, you know, being told the building they were standing in was full of bombs.
"Well, if you want us to get out of here, you're going to have to hack your way through the door, Mr. Terrorist. They locked it." Tama supplied, and Ezra cast a glance at the blast doors before turning a cheshire grin to the both of them.
"Oh, did you think I meant leaving that way?"
The two blinked at each other, then the geezer frowned over at him. "Well, yes, actually, you weren't?"
"No way. This place is crawling with bucket-heads, and they won't take too kindly to me walking around with you two. No- we're going out a different way- much more fun."
Ezra pulled his lightsaber off his belt, leveled it between Tama and his father, and shot the window behind them. Sometimes Kanan's plans worked out alright, he guessed.
"There- I see them." Sabine pointed a gloved finger over at the far side of the complex, where the shadowed figures of Ezra and two older men could just be seen hopping through a window. That was good- within a few seconds they could get out of here and back to the Ghost. Maybe Hera's pick-up wouldn't be necessary after all.
"Great- though I think the search party's gonna get here faster than they do." That was not so good. While not un-expected, the bucket-heads had sent out the guards to do a search of the perimeter, to try and find the culprit that'd bombed their ore-hauler. Both she and Kanan had retreated a little ways the the outskirts of the mine, just outside the western gate. It had been guarded before by two bucket-heads, though some quick and hushed blaster shots had taken them out when they'd started their operation. The two were still out cold, which let Sabine and Kanan station themselves at the gate to wait for Ezra and the two civilians.
"They're making good enough time, but they'll definitely get here after the bucket-heads. Though they're a little slow... I think one of the civilians might be in his older years." Kanan grunted, his eyes straining to see in the dark what Sabine's helmet's night vision gave her a clear view of. The three of the silhouettes were making their way across the grounds, but Sabine switched her gaze back to the search party.
She'd kept close tabs on the group of eight ever since they'd come into her helmet's range, and they'd steadily made their way closer and closer to her and Kanan from the other side of the facility. They were just coming into unaided visual range now, and the way that Kanan suddenly stilled beside her told the Mandalorian that he'd spotted them as well.
"Maybe head in the guard's station and surprise them when they get close enough?" Kanan suggested, though Sabine shook her head.
"No- our only firing angle would be through the windows, leaving us essentially trapped in a square room. I don't care how fast your fingers pull that trigger, eight against two in an enclosed space aren't good odds." Kanan hummed, then gestured with his chin towards the two ore-haulers just outside the gates.
"In-between and on top of those, ambush style?"
Sabine grinned. "Now you're talking."
The two of them snuck over to the two vehicles, which were directly in the path of the search party. The bucket-heads might even search inside the haulers... or plan to, anyway. As soon as all eight were close enough, both she and Kanan would take them out- as quick and silent as they could. Sabine jumped onto the top of one, briefly considering hiding in the vehicle's open-box bed for the ores. She quickly shot down the idea. While it'd be perfect for hiding, the high walls would hide the stormtroopers from her vision as well as it would hide her from theirs. She settled for crouching on the top of the vehicle, laying low as to not make an obvious silhouette. Kanan leapt atop the other, though the way he was crouched showed her he'd be jumping down for hand to hand as soon as the troopers were in range. That'd be fine- Sabine would stay up top, picking them off.
Sabine glanced over at Ezra and the two civilians, who still had some distance before coming up on them, and then drew her two pistols.
The eight troopers were a few yards away, and they naturally split between the vehicles. Two headed in-between, and three on either side. Standard separation tactic. Kanan picked himself up, then volleyed over the side of his vehicle to deal with the three that'd gone that way. Sabine aimed at the two in the middle, and fired as soon as she heard the first shot from Kanan's side.
With a shout, one of the troopers went down, the other only managing to turn around in surprise before she shot him too. Quickly turning to the other side, Sabine saw two soldiers running to the ends of the vehicle; directly into Kanan's waiting sights, and both he and Sabine shot them down.
Wait- weren't there three?!
She whipped around just in time to see the third stormtrooper (who'd been smarter than his comrades and climbed up the hauler like her) level his blaster at her- and get shot down by a whizzing blue blast of energy.
Smiling under her helmet, Sabine holstered her pistols and turned around, seeing Ezra jog up to their ambush site still holding his lightsaber. "You're getting rusty, Spectre five- he almost had you!" She cocked her head, eyes on the two civilians as they came in behind Ezra, but responding anyways.
"I was going to shoot him a second after you were- I was just giving the poor bucket-head a chance." He snorted, coming up besides Kanan, cocking an eye at her in amusement.
"Eh- he would've missed anyways. You know how bad their aim is." Sabine rolled her eyes, still observing the two miners behind Ezra.
Yeah, one of the citizens was an elder all right. Maybe middle-fifties, though Sabine couldn't exactly tell. She didn't know if Ezra'd gotten the data or not, though she doubted he would have left without it. He was too stubborn.
"Did you get out okay?" Kanan asked as Sabine jumped down, the two civilians watching her movements from behind Ezra. He threw his Master a sideways grin, and even in the dark his eyes were visible as they flashed.
"Course I did, Spectre one! You'd have heard explosions if I hadn't."
"If we heard explosions, you'd be dead."
"Oh- right."
Sabine shook her head, though Kanan settled for just a simple sigh as Ezra scratched the back of his head sheepishly. After all, there were two others in this little conversation of theirs. Turning to face the young man and his father, Kanan asked, not impolitely: "Is there anyone else you know of in the mine?"
It was the father who answered, and he sounded rather wary. "No. No, we were the only ones who returned, to try and get our mine back from them."
Kanan frowned. He looked at the two unconscious stormtroopers at the gate. "Those guards were supposed to stop anyone from getting in. And unless you two are a lot faster than you look, you got in the base before we came. How-"
The youngest man stopped Kanan with a cheeky grin and a finger raised to his mouth. "We, ah, knew they wouldn't exactly let us in, so we made our own entrance a little farther from here."
They blinked at him.
"Oh!" Ezra looked genuinely surprised, mouth making a little 'o' as it hung open. "Tama! And here I thought you two were loyal citizens!"
"Nah, I don't think anyone on Lothal is. Besides, didn't you say it was more fun to break the rules instead of follow them?"
"I was talking about going out the window instead of the door, but sure!"
"Spectre six, we have to go." Sabine didn't want to interrupt, but the absence of the patrol's reports would attract attention. If Tama and his father wanted to get out without being seen, they needed to leave now, as well as the Spectres. Not that they would be traveling together; this was probably the last time they would ever see these two miners. When they blew up their work-place. What a way to leave an impression.
"Yeah... yeah, okay. Um, you two might want to get a fair distance away from this place... in fact you should probably head back to the city. Maybe even move away, since the Empire might suspect you now... sorry." The old man sighed, then shook his head.
"Recruiting young, aren't you?" Kanan's jaw stiffened, and Sabine saw just the slightest tinge of regret in his eyes. "Still, I guess it's better than letting the Empire have their way with them... you lot just don't get caught. Kids don't need that kind of stress."
And on that note, the two parties nodded awkwardly to each other, then started out their separate ways. It was on top of a hill that Sabine, Kanan and Ezra stopped, and where she scoped out any signs that Tama and his father were still anywhere near the mine. Finding no trace of them, she brought up the controls to her little miracles, and hesitated.
They were destroying dozens of civilian's jobs... and saving hundreds of innocent lives. The cost was always worth it if it meant saving even just a single soul- and putting a dent in the Empire's mighty hide. Kanan pulled out his communicator, while Sabine waited for the go-ahed.
"Spectre two- turns out the pick-up wasn't necessary after all. We're heading to the landing site now."
Hera responded through the comm-link, but her voice was muffled and muted to Sabine as the wind picked up around them. Feeling the slightest twinge of regret, she pressed the activation button. A second later, there was a huge fireball coming from the direction they'd come from- signifying their victory and the base's destruction. Sabine imagined she could feel the heat from here, and she focused on the bright colors and patterns the fire and smoke twisted into in the night sky. Really, they were quite breathtaking.
"Come on, let's go." And they headed back to the Ghost, the mine slowly smoldering behind them.