Aaand this one contains a little Kanera, because it's cute, fits the situation, and surprisingly enough, will actually drive the plot forwards. I love it when love makes other love possible; it's just lovely, isn't it?
Disclaimer: Not enough fluff. I can't own a series and NOT stuff it FULL OF FLUFF. Rebels isn't mine.
"Here you are: one data-chip with all the recipients-to-be of the best sub-standard ores on Lothal." Hera smiled at Ezra, taking the proffered card with a raised eyebrow.
"The 'best sub-standard ores on Lothal?'"
"Well, you know. This was a civilian mine for a long time, so that tells you the Empire didn't have much interest in it for all those years. Maybe now they're starting a huge project or something?"
Kanan shrugged his shoulders, eying the chip Hera was inserting to the Dejarik board/information display. Honestly, they used the holotable for just about anything. "If they are, we'll find out soon enough where they're building it- and so will Fulcrum, once Hera makes her call." Their captain nodded absent-mindedly, scanning the data that came out and frowning just slightly.
"It's coded... not heavily, but basic information like shipping locations shouldn't even have this level..."
Sabine hummed, tucking her helmet underneath her arm and scanning the wavering text with a practiced eye. "It should only take me a minute or two to decode it, so it's no biggie."
"Yeah, but the fact remains that it is coded in the first place..."
Zeb shrugged his massive shoulders. "Just means the info we got was more important to the buckets than we thought... which is a good thing." He moved out of the commons, most likely to his cabin. He never liked nighttime missions and he never would. And, knowing him, he wouldn't move from his mini-hibernation until the middle of the next day. Or when Chopper decided he would.
"Well, whatever's in there better be worth it. My heart did not need that mini-attack when those guys came in..." Ezra sighed theatrically and plopped down onto the rounded bench, gripping the left side of his chest as though it pained him. Sabine smirked, while Kanan huffed.
"Oh, it wasn't that bad. You could feel them coming, couldn't you?"
Ezra's playful pained expression turned sheepish. "Uh, yeah..." Kanan raised an eyebrow, prompting him.
"I'm sensing a but here."
"But I kinda wasn't paying attention, so they may have caught me a little off-guard." Kanan sighed while Hera smirked, attention momentarily taken from the data hovering in the air.
"Don't I always tell you to be aware of your surroundings?"
"Well, yeah, but at the time you were also distracting me by telling me not to get blown up."
"You act like that's a bad thing to say..." Kanan grumbled, and Ezra grinned widely at him.
"Well, it worked out in the end, right? We got the data, completed the op, and Tama can get back to his precious Eilene and have his father pester him for grandkids."
Sabine raised an eyebrow. "What, did they tell you their entire life-story as you were running for your lives?"
"No no no, not when we were running for our lives- when I was suspended up in the vents, waiting for Kanan to come up with a plan. And believe me, some of that stuff I did not want to hear. Though bits of it were kind of interesting..." His grin grew mischievous, eyes volleying between Kanan and Hera.
"Like when the guy's dad was talking about the 'signs of love.'"
The way Kanan's face briefly contorted as he tried to mask his shock and keep his cool made Sabine partake in the wicked grin Ezra was displaying, half-tempted to go and drag Zeb out from bed so he could see what was obviously going to be an... entertaining show.
"Well, that's nice, but I'm pretty sure that we need to follow Zeb's example and go to bed, so-"
"Ezra, what did you hear Tama's father tell him about love?" Sabine interrupted Kanan, smiling over at the smirking teen. He was obviously enjoying himself.
"Oh, quite a bit, Sabine. He said there were several key factors- and I can list them all to you right now, if you want."
"Nothing would give me greater pleasure." Sabine noticed Hera was suddenly very busy in deciphering the data again.
Ezra's smirk grew deeper. "Well, for one, you have to feel like 'there's no one else like them'. I don't know, a rogue Jedi gunslinger and a fiery Twi'lek pilot seem pretty unique, don't you think?"
Sabine chuckled. "Go on..."
"'You know each other inside and out, 'you trust and respect each other's abilities,' 'their boundaries are yours,' 'their pain is your pain,' 'you tell each other everything,' 'you keep each other safe,' 'not everything's perfect,' 'they know how to make you laugh,' 'you hate to see them uncomfortable in a serious situation'... I don't know about you, Sabine, but I think that all this perfectly describes our captain and her favorit-"
"That's lovely, sweetie, but it's late. We should all head to our cabins." Hera interrupted, and Sabine chuckled loudly at the less-than-obvious conversation changer the Twi'lek employed. Ezra joined her, though she had a feeling it had more to do with the sudden look of relief that was hidden as soon as it came onto Kanan's face.
"But it makes Kanan so uncomfortable! Oh- wait-" He grinned again. "that's why it makes you nervous as well: 'their pain is your-'"
"Bed!"
Ezra shut up, but the grin was still there. Sabine's, too, but she didn't push them- Ezra had made his point. Kanan scowled lightly, frowning at his apprentice as he got out of the bench. "Why would making me uncomfortable be a good thing?"
Ezra looked at his Master with a completely neutral expression. He looked at Sabine, her face mirroring his. They both turned to face Kanan, simultaneously saying, "Because it's funny to watch." Hera smiled. Kanan scowled. Ezra and Sabine giggled. Kanan turned a mournful look over to Hera.
"I think Chopper's finally brainwashed them, Hera."
The Twi'lek looked up, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Oh dear. Looks like we'll have to find another bombs expert and vent-crawler, then. You know how volatile Chop can get- and if he's got these two under his control, we'll just have to replace them."
Kanan shook his head sadly. "It's a real shame, too."
"The only shame is that you can't admit you love each other!" And then Ezra ran from the room, his cackling echoing through the halls. Sabine snickered. Watching the disapproving look on Kanan's face blend with just a tinge of amusement. Just a dash.
"I am so going to make him regret that in training tomorrow..."
Sabine cocked an eyebrow. "I thought revenge wasn't the Jedi way?"
Kanan nodded. "Yeah, but neither is that," he shrugged in the direction of where Ezra had vanished. Sabine thought she heard a small chuckle from Hera.
"Yeah..." She couldn't resist. "And I thought loving wasn't either?" Sabine didn't say anything else, instead taking her chance to quickly- but calmly, collectedly, -walk out of the door, chortling when Kanan called out behind her,
"Not you too!"
Sabine distinctly heard Hera mumble, "Just be glad Zeb decided to go to bed now instead of hanging around."
"No, Zeb would let it go after a few days... those two are going to keep this up for weeks, I guarantee it."
"Yeah... oh well. I'll get Sabine to decode this in the morning, we should head to our cabins as well." The Jedi hummed in response. Sabine grinned, giving a high-five to Ezra- who'd not run to his bunk, as Kanan and Hera had assumed, but stayed just outside the door to listen to Sabine's further teasing.
"They are so totally space-married."
"You don't have to tell me, 'Bine, I can see it clear as day. And they're not wrong about being teased for weeks."
"Nope. I might even paint them something in the commons, just to taunt..."
"You should totally do that- maybe with the water-proof paint so they can't clean it off?"
"Nah, then Hera'd clean over all my other works as 'discipline'..."
"Ah, can't have that happen. Then you'd be living in a colorless environment, which you obviously can't do, so you'd have to start all over- which, of course, would take days until you were content."
"You know me too well. 'Night, Ezra."
"'Night Sabine. I just hope I don't wake Zeb..." Sabine chuckled.
"I'll pray for you."
"Good- I might seriously need it..." They retreated into their respective cabins, though Ezra with quite a bit more caution than Sabine. She paused as the door closed behind her, looking around her room for a rare blank stretch of the wall before deciding to start on her sketching pads instead. She should probably be getting some sleep- but who in their right minds would sleep when they were right on the edge of thinking up a beautiful master-piece? She smiled to herself. Ezra had opened up a whole different aspect of art for her- one that she knew would drive Kanan and Hera insane.
But hey- that was what family was for, right?