Alright guys- this time my lateness has an actual excuse.
My family's packing our things and yardsaling like our lives depend on it because we're going to be moving this Saturday to a completely new household. Things are and are going to remain frantic for a few weeks at least; until we get settled in updates are going to be a little hectic as well. I am writing what I can in school in this little notebook I carry 'round, so I'm still working and developing ideas throughout the days, but the time I have available for putting those ideas down into full-fledged writing is gradually shrinking.
Everything will get back to normal in two weeks or so, though- who knows, I might even be able to get back to the two-day schedule! ...okay probably not, but just know that I am trying. :)
And thank you to all you readers, for sticking through your frustration- have an extra-large chappie to make up for this delay and most likely for the future ones as well. Be warned though, there is a dialogue scene that can be very confusing if you don't keep your wits- but it's cute and so like them so it's staying in here. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Well, I've rambled on enough above, I don't think you guys need an extra-long disclaimer as well. After all, the scrolling text opening for Star Wars don't go on and on about the difficulties of the writer's personal lives, do they now?
"You've got some visitors, Kaerin." Sabine looked over at the Rakata nurse she'd threatened earlier- Ja'lan, she'd come to learn was her name -and blinked.
"Is it Tama? Uh, my dad?"
Saying that someone else was her father irked her a bit. Still, she couldn't just continue to call the ex-miner by his name- what child did? It still felt weird though, and she had to mentally remind herself that it was necessary.
Ja'lan looked at her holopad and nodded, small smile still in place. It was probably mandatory that they wear those smiles, because no one in the galaxy would naturally keep their mouth locked in the same position for so long. Especially around the sick and injured. "Yes it is- as well as your mother and brother. Isn't it nice that the whole family came to visit?"
Just how old does she think I am?
Though Sabine did respect Ja'lan for keeping her cool while Sabine had assaulted her (not many lifeforms could), she was finding that the alien woman was increasingly getting on her nerves. Probably because she was more mature than most girls her age were, and the nurse wasn't seeing it.
"I guess. Will I be able to leave soon?"
Sabine stilled her body and her facial features into an inquiring and polite mask, hiding the anxiousness that had slowly been building. Even though she was under a different name and the Empire didn't have an exact match of her face (she hoped), with her peculiar set of circumstances and the very odd nature of her wound, it wouldn't be long before the bucket-heads put two and two together and figured out it was her.
Normally, she wouldn't be so pessimistic, but with commander Morden more than likely out for their blood and possessing the intelligence that he did, he would have warned the Imperials in Jhothal to stay on the lookout for anyone of either her or Ezra's characteristics. And with his reputation, Sabine knew that those under him would do everything they could to carry out his wishes- her time here was limited.
After catching up and planning with Ezra about their next move, Sabine wanted out of the hospital as soon as possible- she could handle a bit of pain, especially now that she'd let the doctors and nurses actually tend to her abdomen.
Well. She didn't really have much control over their actions when she'd been unconscious, but that wasn't the point.
Ja'lan blinked at her, and Sabine was momentarily stunned as the nurse dropped her smile, opting for a blank look instead. "Ms. Oriena, your abdominal cavity and small intestine were pierced. Even with successful surgery, your muscles and organs still need time to heal- at the very least, you must stay here for another two weeks!"
Sabine frowned, biting her lip subtly as Ja'lan re-affixed her smile to her face, though now it was slightly incredulous. She shook her head, tutting slightly, and Sabine resisted the urge to stand up and walk out just to prove she could.
She had to, really. Within two weeks the Empire would most definitely match her records to 'Kaerin Oriena,' and then there would be trouble.
"But anyways," the fact that the Rakata was still smiling like Sabine's question was absurd made her gut curdle slightly- or was that just her injury? "they'll be here in a few minutes. After what you've gone through, I'm pretty sure a few familiar faces will be wonderful, don't you?"
Sabine's heart twinged.
"Yeah."
Ja'lan checked the various monitors Sabine was hooked up to, nodding when she apparently saw the right statistics. Sabine's thoughts was far away, though, trying to pull together the string of events that had been nagging the back of her head for a while now.
Something had happened in that bay.
She couldn't remember most anything that'd happened after the bombs went off, though Ja'lan had assured her that a 'little' memory loss was to be expected with the concussion that she'd had.
And Sabine had actually been kind of glad she'd had one, because she wasn't so sure she could pull a convincing cover story for her wound for the nurses right on the spot. There was no way Sabine was ever telling them her true identity, even if they weren't affiliated with the Empire. Playing up her 'memory loss' as to why she couldn't describe how she got her wound was the best way to go, and hopefully Tama had invented something that wouldn't raise suspicion.
Even though she was glad for the excuse it gave her, however, Sabine was frustrated beyond belief because of it. She'd said something- said something important... but that was the only thing she knew. It was the only impression that'd lasted on her befuddled mind before she'd passed out, leaving her with some disjointed images of Ezra's face, blue, the smell of filth and blood, and confusion that was lasting to this very second.
What had she said?
The 'doorbell' of sorts for the small ward chimed, alerting both Sabine and Ja'lan that there was someone outside the door. A moment after the nurse called out 'come in!' softly, a Rodian peeked his head in (Sabine noted he also was smiling and her theory it was mandatory grew stronger) and locked eyes with his coworker.
"Mr. and Mrs. Oriena are here, as well as their son."
Sabine stretched her neck, looking out beyond the Rodian's shoulder into the light blue hall beyond- she couldn't see anything past the door though, because as soon as the Rodian nurse stepped back the doorframe was occupied with a large, muscled man she knew to be Tama. Short, cropped brown hair and brown eyes nodded politely to the nurse before fixing on her inquisitively.
Sabine shifted slightly, uncomfortable with the unwanted direct attention.
She smiled tightly, though. "Hi... dad."
Tama blinked, then smiled slightly, apparently glad she'd caught on to his admittedly smart ruse. He nodded to her, fully smiling now for the benefit of the two nurses present before stepping aside to allow in a blond woman and Ezra.
Sabine let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as she saw he was alright. His eyes were wide and worried, but unlike with the ex-miner, she found that she didn't much mind that he was only looking at her. In that singular moment, Sabine felt everything was okay, now. They were alright, they were safe, they had each other and everything was going to be fine.
That electric gaze shifted after a beat to glance at the nurses, and the illusion broke. They were not safe; far from it, Morden was most definitely still looking for them. Sabine was still injured, she didn't know about Ezra, she didn't know how long she'd been out or how much more time they had, and if they wanted everything else to be fine they had to fight for it.
Sabine was injured. She was injured and lying on a hospital bed, mostly dependent on the machines and the bacta to keep her stomach from rebelling from existence. She looked helpless. Sabine knew Ezra would never view her like that- no one who knew her would dare, she hoped for their well-being, -but she still looked helpless.
"Hey." She called, and her voice nearly cracked. Sabine scowled internally.
"...Hey." His voice did crack. Sabine frowned a bit.
"Just call one of the nurses in if you need anything," Ja'lan said, and she walked over to the door next to the Rodian. "I'll be back in a few minutes to administer another round of bacta, just to warn you." And then the two were gone, the door sliding to a close behind them.
There was a beat of silence, in which Sabine was acutely aware that Ezra couldn't bring himself to stop looking at her heart monitor, before the blond woman clicked her tongue and shook her head. "If you were actually my child, I don't think I'd let you out of bed before two months had passed. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen something this bad in all my time.
Sabine half-smiled rather tightly, trying to distract herself from how Ezra had paled just slightly. He was rubbing his arms like he did when he was uncomfortable. Sabine was a bit irritated with the lack of tact the woman had, but what concerned her was mostly that Tama had narrowed his eyes very slightly, like he was studying her.
"Um." Sabine let her eyes switch back over to Ezra as he spoke up, keenly noticing just how... pained he looked. Not physically, either, which somehow made it worse. "How... how are you?" Sabine blinked and Ezra fidgeted with his arms. Tama smiled gently, the action going mostly unnoticed by the room.
Sabine shifted slightly, gut twinging. "I'm healing. Whatever the doctors did, they did it well; they say I should be able to leave in a few weeks." From the near indiscernible twitch of Ezra's mouth's right corner, he read inbetween the lines that Sabine had her own departure time in mind. "What about you?"
His gaze flicked to Tama and then the woman as he moved forwards and settled in the singular chair to the right of the bed while walking. "Better. Tama and Eilene-" that must be the woman "-found us and... helped us." Both adults nodded, the ex-miner gesturing to Sabine.
"We put you in here under our name, as I saw you figured out- but we knew Ezra's-" Sabine's eyebrows raised slightly, "-face is a bit more recognizable than yours, what with your helmet and all. Since he wasn't too badly hurt, though he pushed himself more than would ever be considered healthy," Ezra looked away, face reddening, "we just kept and treated him at our place."
They know his name, Sabine noted with interest. It wouldn't be too hard to look it up, of course, but judging from the fact that Ezra seemed marginally relaxed around these people, and that he'd had little to no reaction the ex-miner saying his name, he'd probably told them. He trusted them, then. To some degree at least.
Sabine looked Tama and Eilene up and down, examining their builds, the lack of the blaster that had previously accompanied Tama when they'd met before, and determining that they looked like trustworthy people. She knew looks could be deceiving- but so did Ezra, and he obviously had some other proof to go on that made it obvious they wouldn't sell either of them out to the Empire. Knowing this, Sabine allowed some of the tension to drain from her body, and her previously rigid abdomen thanked her for it. She turned an eye over to Ezra, raising it slightly.
"Just what did you do that wouldn't ever be considered healthy?"
Sabine was glad to see that he bristled slightly, because she really wasn't liking the fact that so far he seemed rather withdrawn. "It wasn't that bad-" Eilene raised her eyebrows and Tama snorted, making Ezra cut himself off and slide a little further into the chair. "Well, maybe. But how else was I gonna get you out of there?"
Sabine frowned slightly, trying to picture events in her head. She'd gone unconscious after the bombs, she was pretty sure- so what had happened afterwards?
Well, Ezra would have had to carry her out of there. Much as she knew the teen would love to be able to, he was by no means strong enough to simply pick her up and jaunt away, especially with the stormtroopers. Dragging her then? But that would have made her shoulder sockets sore, and even if the doctors had managed to help them before Sabine woke, there was still the matter of Ezra being stubborn and being hurt by carrying her. But why in the galaxy wouldn't he simply drag her? All they had to do was go through the sewer tun- infection. He'd been worried about her wound being infected, so he wouldn't have dragged her...
Sabine clicked her tongue as she figured it out. "Ezra!"
"Well, it was the only way I could've gotten us both out of there!" Not angry. Defensive. And he was rubbing his arms again. Sabine sighed. She hadn't been angry either, but still. The stubbornness of her friend apparently knew no end. The only way he would've been able to get them both out would be if he'd carried her on his back- cracked ribs and all.
"You really are taking after Spectre one." Ezra's eyebrows furrowed, and Tama shifted slightly. He slipped an arm around his wife's waist, and motioned they go outside- a gesture Sabine appreciated once she was left with Ezra and able to talk openly. She might be trusting the miner with Ezra's name so far, but without further information that was all she was willing to reveal.
"What'd'you mean I'm taking after Kanan?" Sabine gave Ezra a sarcastic look, pushing the observation that he looked like he had another question in his head out of her thoughts.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't think it's too hard to imagine Kanan injuring himself while trying to recklessly take care of Hera." Ezra huffed, and Sabine was relieved at the small smile tugging on his lips.
"Just because we take care of the crew doesn't mean it's reckless."
Sabine laughed, pleasantly pleased when she was able to do so with just a twinge in her stomach. "Well, we do all take care of each other. Reckless or no."
Ha- that's one of those signs again. Not surprising, really. After all-
She stopped laughing, eyes sobering and actually widening a bit.
Oh... oh. Well that's... oh.
So she'd finally figured out just how complex her relationship with Ezra was, then. Apparently all it took was a massive concussion and a near-fatal wound. A bubble of amusement floated to her lips, and she grinned toothily.
Though I could do without the injuries next time I have hard question.
"What?" Ezra asked, concern chipping at the laughter in his eyes. Sabine looked at him, looked at him and was silent for a beat.
I like you. That's what, you Loth-rat, I like you.
Sabine frowned. That was... relatively simple. But there was something hovering on the edge of her recollections- a haze that she couldn't seem to remember exactly whatit was. A memory? Or just her concussed brain putting her internal revelation into a situation that had never happened? She wasn't a psychologist- she didn't know what the brain was capable of doing when severely addled, or how confusing it could get for their owners to try and interpret what mess it'd left behind after coming back to it's senses. Whatever the 'scientific' answer was, however, Sabine was finding that it was confusing her rather well; at the moment she was desperately trying to remember if she'd told Ezra her answer, or if that was just her head trying to make sense of everything.
"What?" Ezra repeated, eyebrow raised as he noticed her stiffen. Sabine looked at him, curious and questioning.
Do you know I like you?
Sabine frowned a bit, opening her mouth, closing it, and opening it again before shaking her head. This wasn't the time to be asking things like that. Instead, "Do you have any idea where the others are?"
Ezra blinked, frowning like he knew that wasn't what she was originally going to say, but shook his head. "No. Morden busted my comm so I couldn't contact them after I woke up, and there wasn't a whole lot of time for me to meditate to try and find Kanan that way." His eyes went down to the floor, and Sabine guessed he was biting his lip on the inside of his mouth for that second before he spoke again. "I think that's why Kanan hasn't found me either- I've pretty much been unconscious up until now, and Force signatures are a lot harder to pin down when that happens."
Sabine frowned a bit, nodding.
"Three days," Ezra softly answered her unspoken question, and Sabine drew in a deep breath. Three days since the explosion. Not nearly enough time for Morden to give up on them, and just enough time to give the bucket-heads a head start on finding them. The Imperial presence in Jhothal was most likely training their scanners for any ships that passed in their range, keeping a sharp eye out for the Ghost if her crew tried to pull Ezra or Sabine out. That might be another reason why so far the crew hadn't come flying in to save them- it wasn't too much of a leap for the Spectres to make that she and Ezra would end up in Jhothal, since it was the closest settlement to the tower.
They wouldn't even know we- I'm injured as badly as I am. Ezra they know about, I told them in the elevator, but to them it must look like we just disappeared off the radar...
"Where's my gear?" Helmet. Guns. Her communicator, to see if they could make a plan to get everyone out.
Ezra scratched the back of his head. "Tama told me he's got all of our 'incriminating possessions' safely away. I asked about your helmet though, and," Ezra winced, "apparently the explosion and the trauma of... flying..." and coming to an absolute stop after I slammed into that wreckage, Sabine grimly filled in, "combined was enough to damage your built-in comm. It should be fixable, but without your equipment on he Ghost-"
"It'd probably take a while to get to the point where it can contact anyone again." Ezra nodded, and Sabine frowned. More time where the Empire would be able to get a fix on their location. Not good, because it gave the stormtroopers more time and still left the Ghost in the dark about their whereabouts.
Sabine frowned, and Ezra breathed out slowly. Sabine kept her eyes discretely focused on his own electric blue ones as they darted over towards the door, noticing that his face seemed tight as he remembered something. "Eilene was insisting that we stay at their house until we can arrange a rendezvous with the crew."
"Where do they live?"
"Out on a farm on the outskirts. Eilene was a farmer before she met Tama; it wasn't too hard for them to settle into that new life." Judging from how Ezra was pinching his lips in and that Sabine had an uncomfortable twinge in her heart, they were both feeling guilty at that. And it struck Sabine just how lucky they were to have had people as forgiving and good-hearted as the Oriena's stumble upon them. "They wouldn't let the trip here fall silent for more than thirty seconds," Ezra continued, smiling like it hurt him, "apparently they're trying to warm up on their parenting skills before they get kids of their own."
Oh. Well. That explained why he was so drawn.
Sabine cleared her throat after a beat of silence, drawing her friend's attention back to the present. They had serious and dangerous problems to talk about... and she just didn't like seeing him reminisce about the past when it so clearly made him sad.
"We can't stay here two weeks. I can't." Ezra nodded, and Sabine smiled soberly as he caught on to her trail of thought.
"Yeah- body and injury descriptions like yours are bound to draw some eyes. Not to mention the fact that while you could pass for their offspring, I most definitely could not." He ended by pointing to his mop of raven-blue hair, in stark contrast with Tama's brown and Eilene's blond. Sabine had different features and such, to be sure, but nothing that the doctors could immediately point out, not when they'd been operating on her without either 'parents' face to compare to. Ezra, all it took was one glance to see that he wasn't theirs... their excuses wouldn't hold forever. Might not even hold for another few days.
"I guess color does have a few negative repercussions..." Sabine said with a small smile, one that only grew as Ezra shot back an incredulous one of his own.
"Who are you and what have you done with Sabine Wren? Because she would never admit color can give you away like this. Ever." Sabine laughed as Ezra elaborated his point, making wild gestures with his hands.
"She had to take a vacation, but I'll be more than happy to take a message."
"Well, tell her this- she better not try and take on any shocking conduits without me, because that's my job." Sabine gave a hearty laugh, enjoying the relief it brought to the tension that had yet to melt inside her. It felt good to laugh and it felt good to see Ezra laugh because oh God, if they didn't laugh now they probably wouldn't have another chance until they were back on the Ghost.
They took a moment to savor their mirth, before Sabine reluctantly cleared her throat to continue.
"In any case, though, a few days is likely the most amount of time we're going to get before the Imperials notice us."
"And if we're still holing in with Tama and Eilene-"
"-the stormtroopers would most likely take them into custody-"
"-if they don't just shoot them there on the spot."
"Right... which means we'll have to leave their hospitality before the Imperials spot us."
"But your stomach-"
"Will be fine," Sabine growled, unwilling to become a burden in their plans. Ezra hesitantly nodded, seeing that he wouldn't change her mind in that regard.
"So," he continued, "how many days do we have until we have to move?"
"Probably somewhere around four. What with commander Morden on the case-"
"-it's doubtful that the bucketheads will slack as much as usual, you're right. So, stay low and don't move for maybe three more days, then take our stuff back from Tama and Eilene and disappear into Jhothal?"
"Hmm. If we do that the best bet is to fix my helmet or buy a new comm-"
"-no, we shouldn't buy a new one. That'll automatically attract their attention; Morden personally smashed mine, he'll know I need a new one and'll probably have his soldiers monitoring purchases."
"Alright, so we focus on trying to fix mine- that'll still take a day or two, though, right?"
Ezra nodded, sucking in a breath through pursed lips. "Yeah, Tama said it was pretty bad. But by the time we fix your helmet-"
"-the Empire would have probably caught onto us, and any attempts to get out of the city and rendezvous with Hera and the Ghost would be ten times harder." Sabine bit her lip, trying to think a way out of the situation. They could leave earlier- but though she was convinced her wounds wouldn't be a problem once they were on the move, if they left today or tomorrow they most definitely would be. So they had to leave in at least two days, but that still left a huge gap for the Empire to find them.
"Wait." Sabine looked at Ezra, and was surprised to see him staring off into nothing with a slowly growing grin. She felt one sprout it's way into her facial expression as well, though she still had no idea about what the teen was planning.
"Do you have some great and wondrous plan to solve all our problems, oh Mighty Loth-rat?"
Ezra turned a dazzling grin over to her.
"Yes indeed, Mighty Mando- assuming you'd still have a connection to the bombs that we planted earlier?"
Sabine frowned. "In the tower?" Ezra nodded enthusiastically, and Sabine wondered just what was going through his head. "Well, yeah, it's a unique signature. But the bucketheads will have taken down all the explosives in the tower; even the ones you put in the vents."
Ezra shook his head, smile still plastered on his face, and Sabine wondered how there weren't more people infatuated with it. You could learn a thing or two from this kid right here, you fake-smiling nurses.
"Not all of them."
Sabine raised an eyebrow, lips dancing as they twitched to whatever amused rhythm was pouncing around in her head. Trust Ezra to pull the unexpected from his sleeves and make it interesting- and in this case, lifesaving.
"Do tell..."