Contact
Chopper always had to ruin a moment. Banging his manipulators on the door and cursing in doridspeak.
"Yeah, Yeah, we heard!" Sabine shouted visibly irritated. Ezra, still there standing in the same spot, still holding her hand. She turned to face the padawan.
"Hey… look Ezra... we need to..." Sabine saw his eyes, they were growing dull his gaze moved down to the floor as he let go of her hand,"Oh...Right...Yeah...". It hurt her, Sabine wanted to hold him more, she couldn't take him there and then, it wouldn't work, Not now. She placed her hand on to his chin and looked up into his eyes. "Ezra… I Promise." she said with a small smile. He looked back at her and a small smile crept back onto his face. "I need to go to Hera..." trying to find something to him so he can understand "...what'll we do if she kicks us out?" she said delicately joking. "Yeah, I almost forgot it was your fault" Ezra cracked with a heavy emphasis on the your. He was smiling again, though not for long before he got a sharp punch to the arm "Oww" Ezra whimpered. Sabine let out a sigh while struggling to keep down her smile.
She leisurely picked her gloves and rolled them on as she stepped through the door, she shot him a look from across her shoulder "The things you make me want to do to you Ezra Bridger…" she sighed and walked off towards the bridge "... and don't stay in there too long" she playfully snaped.
So what now? Preoccupied Ezra mind as he sheepishly lead the brand-new-yet-former imperial engineers to command center. Leaving them in some other lieutenants hands. Ezra wandered out of the pyramid and was met by the giant cresent of Yavin as stared up into the night sky. The ghost was a no go, all he was left with was to wander round with his thoughts, his thoughts of Her.
"What are we now?" He thought aloud. He was stuck, his thoughts beating around the bush. This is what he'd always wanted yes, but yet? He hadn't a single clue to do now this was real. " 'course I know what I want to to do but…" he continued to think aloud. His boyish fantasies had become real, but this loth-rat didn't have the first clue on how to make the real thing work, if he could at all. He knew without a shadow of a doubt when he and Sabine met next, something would happen. "If that's how far hand holding gets us who knows where a hug will go…" he rambled on.
He had wandered off to a quiet part just off the base and found a huge solitary block and sat up against it. He was tempted to meditate, but knowing where his mind was and his heart flustered the way it was there was no way he'd ever get the breathing right to begin with. Left where he started again, thoughts of Her.
Ezra had dodged a blaster bolt with Hera now Sabine volunteered herself, They knew Hera wouldn't kick them out but lectures chores came a close second to worse. Sabine approached the bridge slowly. Hera's lekku were hanging behind her as she was reclined back into her chair. "Hera…" Sabine said timidly. Without so much as moving Hera spoke. "Come...sit" as she lazily motioned towards the seat next to her. Sabine still slow, took the seat next to the captain. Hera's gaze was near blank as she stared out through the cockpit window seemingly unaffected by sabine presence.
Finally Hera drew breath "Sabine I should apologise…" the Twi'lek turned to meet Sabine, " You didn't need to be talked down to that way… I got so mad at the thought of you and Ezra being hurt or worse..." Her gaze now less distant Hera continued, "all things considered the mission went wrong and you stepped up..." But Hera still wasn't comfortable with her words "I forget that you and Ezra have grown sometimes, and we're fighting a war." "it's hard to fight and hold onto things at the same time, I know...".
A heavy sigh rolled off Hera's form "Sabine, What I'm trying to say is, we're family." Sabine tried to interject with her own apology, but Hera knowingly halted her with a raised hand. Hera Now stood up, took gentle steps to bridge the distance between them, "I know it seemed like Ezra was the only one who had your back but… the rest of us are here for you, I'm here…" Hera said as she knelt to embrace the seated Mandalorian. Sabine took Hera's embrace deeply, she felt safe, and she felt Home.
The truth was Sabine Had come into the cockpit half ready to fight, That was simply her mandalorian side. The deeper truth was she came into to fight to protect, not her own skin, But she had a speech readied to defend Ezra, From what? She wasn't quite sure herself.
She'd been defensive of Ezra for a while but she didn't come in to make excuses for him, not this time. She knew now what she wanted from Ezra and felt a bit off about it now she thought about it. Not that it was wrong what was going to happen between them, more that she in the short time that she had to think about it, The "what now?" Was growing bigger and it left her feeling unprepared, and unarmoured. Certain death for a Mandalorian. With Her thoughts collapsing in on themselves as they had, she needed to talk them out, somehow and somehow now or she wouldn't bare to face Ezra, though of course she'd want him more with every second now the gates between them had opened. "Kirff this" she thought, she knew Hera was the answer, she had to let go of her shame and speak now.
"Hera…" Sabine whispered as the embrace loosend. "...I need you". Hera peeled off sabine gently, she'd heard what sabine said. The Twi'lek was prepared to deal with something else. Not what she met on Sabine's face. There was fire in the young Mandalorian's eyes, if it wasn't for the nervous tilt in her posture. Even Hera would have been terrified. Sabine's nervous lip shook as spoke "I'm going to kiss Ezra." Hera's mouth went wide.
Of all the revelations she'd received inasmuch as she could remember Hera, Never once was thrown of balance by a single sentence. Sabine turned away from Hera's gawking expression, embarrassed for the both of them.
Hera who was now only barely out of shock found that her kneel had collapsed into her heels, She slowly took herself back up and into her pilot's chair. As she sat, she wrung her neck and took a deep breath in. She tried to keep on her best straight face, and tried even harder to show Sabine that she had her attention.
The Mandalorian was fidgeting where she sat. Hera cut the silence and took the lead "So…" Hera now had a million and one questions, she couldn't possibly ask them all, but as tactfully as she could, picked out one. " ...You come this far with him already?" the captain sounded off wisely. Sabine gently noded. Hera was even more stirred by the slight affirmation. When did this happen?, right under my nose? and Does Kanan know? Were thoughts that rushed past her mind. They flew past but didn't land anywhere. In front of Hera was someone she cared for, someone she cared for struggling. She Had more heart to pay to Sabine than attention for those questions. The compassion flowed out of her and Sabine could sense it.
Sabine was right, she needed Hera, But it was only fair she helped Hera understand. "Me and Ezra had a moment…"she peered deeper "...no It was more than that" sabine said more adamantly. "Look, we had something... something that made me feel good" sabine now red at the face "No.. No… he felt good too, I think…no wait, I know he did" her face now in her palms. The twi'lek understood and cut Sabine's spiral. "I see, you're both into each other and you're going to take it to the next level." It was embarrassing to hear it laid out so simply like that, but Hera understood well. Sabine couldn't help but nod. " Hera... I want him, I need him, like in ways I don't even get" strength returning to her voice again. "I'm going to kiss him, just doing it out of nowhere isn't...", "it isn't your style" Hera interjected. Again all Sabine could do was a gentle nod.
Hera Now had a clear picture, she assembled the words in her head and was ready as she could be.
"Sabine, I know what I'm going to say may not make the most sense, But I know where you're now and I know you'll understand." Sabine focused in on Hera. "I know what you feel right now and I know what it's called, it'll take you a bit before you realise it yourself. But for now your half-in something you want more of and your not familiar with it, nobody ever is at first." Hera noticed Sabine following her words. "I can promise you that you two have something now, once the fire is lit you don't have to worry about the spark now. Yes, you're going to kiss him and don't worry it there'll be more, and don't be afraid to set your own style". Sabine seemed mostly settled but still as firey in the eyes.
Hera couldn't help add on "I know my way around a Jedi". A pulse of shock ran through Sabine's face on the last word, "Jedi…" she repeated. Oh right Ezra belonged to a set of religious monks who swore off attachments. Hera could practically read her mind and with a tinge of guilt, tried to defuse the mine she'd set. "Yes, Jedi. We both know Ezra and I can safely assure you he's wanted to be with you the entire time and I know he'd be stronger with you than without. He isn't your typical Jedi y'know" with that Hera shot Sabine a knowing smile.
Sabine slowly relented to Hera's borderline mind-trick and cracked a smile for the first time in this conversation. After all Hera was the one with Kanan, hide it as they might. Sabine leaned back into the chair relieved, her panic swept away. She didn't get the whole Jedi thing but she knew Ezra, and she knew how Ezra felt now. "That aside I wouldn't have quit anyway…" she told herself, her Mandalorian pride showing.
"Thank you Hera" that was all she could say. Neither of them would have dreamt this talk would have come but both were glad with how it turned out save for the excruciating awkward moments that were sure to be swept under a thick rug from Naboo. Sabine rose out her seat with a kick and smile on her face, "I promised". Hera smiled back at her, their eye contact was broken as Hera turned her gaze back through the window of the cockpit still wearing her smile "when you're ready…" she chuckled, " ...Go get him" the captain playfully ordered.
Ezra's micro-rambling stopped. He sensed a presence approaching his block which he now found himself laying on top of. he shifted his body round so he could better see who was coming, preemptively attacking them with a killer stare. Out from the dark as a light met his face and he intensified his glare, came "Crikey! I'd hate to be the mere mortal who dare approach your unorthodox not-meditation-meditation style, oh Master Jedi". It was Rex.
Unlike the usual, Ezra didn't have a come back to throw, in fact he never seemed to have comebacks for old captain Rex. Rex was simply too good at dealing with sass," wonder what kind of people he was around back in his day." Ezra grumbled in his head, as he was left with nothing but to pout. Rex continued to approach the padawan's block and set the small generator on the top as he sat on the ground and set his back up against the block.
"So, wanna talk about it?" Rex led. "Talk about what?" Ezra slowly whipped. Rex let out a sigh " How about... since you came on to base, you look like someone slipped something stronger in your caf, then you proceeded to walk about in circles around the entire base several times and finally walked out to find an altar to chant your wizard incantations on?" That sunk in, "Is that how it looks like?" Ezra mouthed wide eyed. The old trooper heard a shuffling atop the block, hook, line and sinker now he had Ezra's attention now.
"So what's got you like this?" Rex chimed. Ezra was in no position to shrug off The soldier now, "ummmm… y'know, boy stuff...?" that was the worst articulated string of words to come out his mouth yet and boy did Ezra feel it.
It wasn't long before the older clone trooper burst laughing, a hearty strong laugh. Ezra could only hope to bury his buring head now. And almost as soon as it came it went, the laughter had died out. "I see, you have girl problems now?" Ezra remained silent. "Hmmm, y'know it'd make feel better if you talked it out now than let eat you?" Rex replied to the silence.
After two, three seconds later the silence broke, "You know I'm not supposed to… and it's not like you'd understand". His words came out heavier than he wanted, he'd been dodging around it, but he knew what the Jedi code said about these attachments. He expected more silence. "Y'know clone troopers have hearts too right?" Ezra blinked in surprise "There's also no shame in those feelings even for Jedi…" Rex continued. Ezra sat up and and looked down on the Clone trooper beside his block. "...Lemme tell you a story kid, but don't get too comfy it'll be short"
"See, back in the Clone war, I was in the 501st and I served with the Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, no doubt you've heard about". "Yeah Ahsoka's master?" Ezra answered. Rex noded "The very same,and thing is he was married." a small smile was on his face "Well it was supposed to be secret, though everyone close to him knew". Ezra let out a small "how". "Oh, how? Well it seemed that not all the Jedi were hardliners or some turned a blind eye. It's funny, if Cody was right Anakin's own master, Obi wan Kenobi also fell for someone once." Ezra gave a knowing look that Rex couldn't exactly read into, he continued anyway. "In fact a Mandalorian, just like you…"
Ezra was taken aback. Was it that obvious? "I'm old, but I'm not blind kid" Rex chuckled. It was that obvious. "I don't know how far you're, but I can tell you're far enough to ask the what now" the old trooper deduced. "you know how far you've gotten, you know how far you've come from. If I can tell you anything, it's don't give yourself excuses not to take it by the horns. Not because your a Jedi and not because you don't know the specifics out of a manual right now" Rex couldn't help laughing a bit more " you only have to look at your own master for the former and the latter just do what comes naturally".
Ezra got it, he didn't get how he got it, but he got it and was now awestruct and a wide smile to boot, he could barely mutter "Thank you" as Rex stood up and postured up into a salute "lieutenant commander!" Ezra returned the salute. Rex cracked him one last smile before marching back towards the pyramids.
Ezra flipped himself of the the block and onto his feet. "She promised" Ezra realised. Considering how much time had passed, Sabine's probably out of Hera's lecture he pondered. "Don't stress the specifics and do what comes naturally" He laughed. Ezra saw no point in making it difficult for Sabine to keep her Promise hiding out here. With his new found confidence, he peeled of his gloves again. The feeling of her still lingered in them. Less than a second later he was already moving. Ezra set off to find her. He was definitely going to kiss her.
Sabine was out of the ghost. A surprising sight to see her without any of her armour, not even gloves. She felt only less than naked without them, but took them all off in a rush minutes ago after considering how much even hugging chaffed her and How uncomfortable it'd be for Ezra on the receiving end, but the was for Ezra. It only felt right. Scoping around for Ezra without a viewfinder was hard, Next Sabine had a laughable attempt to use the force to find him as she walked about the hangar. "Hey kanan said the force is in everyone" she thought.
After asking around the hangars and getting lots of odd answers about him passing somewhere twice or thrice and him muttering things. Sabine was growing desperate, Part of her being angry at him for not being still and easy to find like a tree waiting for her. The other part of her, the bigger part was briming. Brimming with longing for him, getting worse every passing second. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, But this Mandalorian might Have a heart attack in a few.
"Hey there" that voice came from behind sabine just as she entered the next hangar. Sabine couldn't contain Herself anymore, she swiveled round on the spot and lunged towards him.
Ezra couldn't have messed that bad right? It caught him off guard and even his force enhanced reflexes couldn't keep up. All he couldn't move to save his life now. Thankfully Sabine's charge collapsed into his chest and turned into a constricting hug. She aggressively nuzzled her face deeply into his chest and growled. Ezra was somewhere between perplexed and getting turned on. Sabine bit her lip as she slid her face up to him, "The things you make me want to do to you Ezra Bridger…" she said constricting him even tighter. Ezra was instantly taken in by her fiery Hazel eyes. Her eyes drifted off to the side as she heard a Sharp cough. There was Rex he shook his Head quietly and gestured behind them, "Right, there's a hangar full of people right behind her" she wanted Ezra, But more importantly she wanted him all to herself. No interruptions this time. She slowly pulled her arms from him and took his hands. Sabine held them, she turned about with him and she began to pull him away from the mouth of the hangar as she backed up. Looking over Ezra's shoulder she saw Rex mouth "goodluck". That now shrinking figure was thoughtful, though Sabine thought It was odd, but she didn't pay it that much attention as she dragged her tugged her padawan away.
Having dragged Ezra away from other eyes, They'd found themselves in a quiet part of the base. The whole time walking hand in hand. Their hands tightly intertwined. There was a silence, but it wasn't that bad. They they could feel each others warmth and pulse through their hands. It wasn't talking but with their hearts beating faster they were communicating. On this stroll Sabine realised, Ezra as much as he wanted her wasn't going to make the first move. "It wasn't his style, he reacts to things...", drifted through her. The mandalorian had come too far now and they were well out the way of distractions. She nimbly let go of Ezra's hand and slowed her step to get behind him reaching out as swiftly. Ezra had barely registered her hand leaving until he felt an ever so slight tug on his jacket. Sabine had halted the Jedi, she drew breath as he turned about. His eyes lit by the glow of yavin above, those sapphire eyes knew, they knew what came next.
She took his face into her hands, It was hot but so too were her hands. To Her surprise she felt a pair of hands gently land on her hips drawing her in as they settled. Chest to chest now, She didn't know whose heartbeat was whose, it didn't matter. The drum between the was only driving her senses more mad as she licked her lips and shut her eyes. Unlike last time when she was slower, Sabines fingers moved into the sweet spot behind his head spontaneously, It wasn't long before Ezra moved his towards her, she already beat him to it going on her tip toes to close that annoying gap between them. Before they knew it, there was contact. Their lips met and it wasn't long before they locked leaving only the smallest crack. A that crack vanished as their tongues edged out to mingle, soon their mouths were a single environment as their tongues danced around each other, accompanied by moans of pleasure and approval from both sides. Their minds blank but relishing in the sensation, cut off from the night on Yavin 4 but attached at one point of Contact.
