A/N, so I hope you're all doing well, I read a PM from Amber1058 and I want to say thank you. The messages I get from you guys keep me going. Enjoy.
Chapter 9: Long Time No See
It's been about a month now since Riley joined the crew and he seemed happy to be among them, but he seemed to drift off, get aggressive or have more frequent panic attacks in his sleep. Everyone thought that it was because Marcus had gone with Fulcrum but that was eliminated since the two talked to each other often. Sabine got fed up, she never spoke to him since this happened and asked him about it.
Riley was sat in the common room cleaning his weapons for an upcoming mission, at the same time he was looking through the photos, but not any phot it was just one. The photo was of the day the two Mandalorians split paths.
"Do you do this often?" Sabine walked into the room and sat down.
Riley didn't respond.
"It'll be 6 years next week, but you can't dwell on that because we're both here now"
Still no response.
"Riley tell me what's wrong if not us splitting paths" Sabine hugged him then Riley changed the photo.
The photo was a storm trooper helmet in the end of a weapon, the weapon was stuck in the ground like it was tradition. It then hit Sabine, he's thinking about the storm trooper he killed.
"It wasn't your fault" Sabine hugged him tighter.
"I shot him and when we ran into his wife, I realised I murdered him" Riley replied weakly.
"You acted in self-defence, and besides why do you still kill them today"
"To protect you, I don't want to kill but it's necessary" Riley put down a weapon part and rested his head on his sister's.
"He would of killed you" Sabine saw that he was about to get angry so she let go of him.
"And if he did kill me, you would be at the academy with all your friends, Mum and Dad would still be here. If I died then there would have been less chaos and death" Riley calmed down. "I'm sorry, your birthday's not an easy day for me. Tell you what, I'll take you out again but this time hopefully nothing will go wrong"
"Sounds great" Sabine saw the sadness in his eyes. "Now come on, we have a mission to complete"
The two siblings got up, Riley reassembled his weapon while Sabine got her gear. They met back at the Cargo bay.
"Why are you so happy?" Zeb snickered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Riley joked around.
"You've been moping all week" Zeb walked towards Riley and shoved him a little in a playful manner.
"It's Sabine's birthday next week" Riley shoved him back.
"Sabine's birthday is next week?" Ezra took of a helmet a put it on a crate next to him.
"Yeah, didn't you know?" Riley was puzzled, did Sabine not tell them?
"She never told us" Kanan walked over to Sabine. "And she won't tell us why"
"I think I know why but when she's ready, she might tell you" Riley put on his helmet. "Sabine you ok?"
No-one noticed the tears in her eyes, the last birthday she celebrated resulted in the only person who stood next to her to run away.
"It's about the day me and Riley never forgave ourselves" Sabine also put on her helmet. "But that's over now"
The doors opened onto a field of Mandalor, but Riley and Sabine looked un-easy when they exited the Ghost.
"You should have told us Kanan" Riley walked over to the left of the drop site towards something on a hill.
The crew followed him up the hill to a storm trooper helmet, below the helmet was a small grave. They watched Riley kneel down to the grave.
"This was where it happened wasn't it" Kanan kept his distance.
"Yeah, I usually bring something" Riley turned around to face the crew.
"Let's go home" Riley walked with Sabine. The crew followed.
"We should look for her" Riley looked at the colourful Mando.
"She'll be at her house, or should be" Sabine pulled something out of a small bag on her belt. It was a small piece of metal.
"Who might I ask?" Zeb caught up to them.
"A friend" Sabine smiled lightly towards Zeb.
When they reached a large house, the door was already open. Riley drew his large weapon and walked inside, there was a blonde girl next to a small shrine. Sabine barged past Riley and into the living room taking off her helmet.
"Anne!" Sabine dropped and hugged the girl.
"Sabine?" the blonde girl turned and hugged Sabine. "What are you doing here?"
"We're on a mission but decided to stop by the house first" Sabine let go and stood up with Anne.
"Did you find your brother?" Anne hoped she did.
"Yes! Riley come here" Sabine called over Riley.
Riley walked over to Sabine, he clipped his weapon to his belt and removed his helmet.
"I'm Riley" holding out a hand.
"I'm Anne nice to meet you" she accepted the offer. The first thing she noticed was Riley's grey eyes. "I heard a lot about you"
"Same, thank you for looking after my sister during the academy" Riley noticed all the pictures. "Why all the pictures?"
"I missed Sabine, we've been best friends for years and I hoped she would stay safe" Anne smiled at Sabine. "Things haven't been good here since you left"
"What's happened?" Riley was worried, he still had friends on Mandalor.
"Well, after you left the academy, the Chairman thought I had something to do with it. My brother helped me escape" Anne looked at Riley. "He hates me coming here"
"What's your second name?" Riley was curious, he might know her brother.
"Pamly" Anne replied simply.
"Oh no, your brother is Jack" Riley sat down with his head in hands. "He hates me after the day our parents were taken away"
"Unfortunately" Anne at Sabine with a saddened face. "We're on the run"
"Why don't you come with us?" Sabine's face lit up.
"It depends on what Jack says" At Anne looked a Riley.
"What depends on me?" Everyone turned to see a man just smaller than Riley, blonde hair, green eyes in black clothes.
"Jack, they want to help us" Anne knew his answer.
"Not with him" pointing at Riley. "He's a danger"
"I know what I am" Riley stood up and passed his helmet to Zeb in the doorway. "But by old rules?"
"If I kick your ass again?" Jack walked towards Riley.
Jack threw a fist but Riley ducked and hit Jack in the stomach, Jack jumped backwards putting Riley out of his range. Riley charged and jabbed Jack in the throat but Jack got a lucky hit on Riley's temple knocking him down.
"Stop!" Anne tried to intervene but Jack told her to stay out of it.
Riley jumped to the left of Jack, and threw a fist at Jack but was caught by Zeb. Zeb threw the two into different walls.
"Can we sort this out later? We have a platoon of storm troopers on the way" Zeb snarled angrily.
"Jack, I know you want to protect your sister but come with us until they stop searching" Riley jumped up and received his helmet from Zeb.
"Fine" Jack walked to Anne and pulled her through the door.
As the group left the house, Riley called Hera for pick up but was interrupted by a bolt to fly past him.
"Take cover in the house!" Riley pushed everyone inside. "Go through the back"
"Not without you" Sabine protested.
"Calm down, you're not leaving me" Riley fired at the trooper around the corner. "I'll need to loose follow"
"We can help" Ezra pulled out his saber- blaster hybrid.
"No, they don't know we're here, only Riley, Anne and Jack" Kanan gave Riley a stern look. "But you better be there"
"Just go" Riley fired some more.
The group ran off, Sabine leading and Jack in the back. They ran through the fields for about ten minutes until they saw the Ghost landing, they heard the shooting stop.
"Where's Riley?" Sabine looked worried, hoping the worst didn't happen.
"We have to wait" Anne was also worried.
"No, we need to leave. He can slow them down" Jack suggestion earned a punch from Zeb and faces from everyone else.
"He made sure we would get out, now we make the same promise. If you suggest that again then you can fight of the storm troopers" Zeb turned back as the firing started again as an orange figure ran over the hill.
"There's Riley, jump aboard" Kanan ordered.
Riley caught up but a blaster bolt grazed his arm and travelled into the ghost. Riley hissed in pain and closed the doors, the saw blood trailing across the floor. It wasn't his, he looked at everyone until he couldn't see Anne. She was on the floor bleeding from the chest.
"Anne!" Riley ran over and picked her up. "You're not dying on me!"
"I feel cold, and tired" Anne drifted into a sleep when they reached the med bay.
Riley checked her pulse, it was fading. Her breathing slowing. Riley knew he needed to work fast, Hera got the monitoring equipment, Jack grabbed supplies and everyone else let them work.
Sabine, Ezra and Kanan we're in the cockpit while Chopper and Zeb took out the ties. Sabine was crying heavily, everyone else tried to calm her but they had no effect.
"She can't die Sabine, Riley will look after her" Ezra slouched in his chair. "Kanan, get us into hyperspace!"
"Trying!" Kanan snapped. "Zeb I need some help"
"Got an opening, GO!" Zeb screamed down the comms.
The ship went into hyperspace and the crew who weren't helping Riley gathered in the common room. Jack walked out as he wasn't really helping.
"Why are you here?" Ezra scowled at Jack.
"I shouted at Riley saying 'You better save my sister or else I'm gonna hunt you down' so they kicked me out" Jack sat in the corner of the room.
"He's trying his hardest, she won't die!" Ezra still trying to cheer up Sabine.
Hera then walked out, she next to Kanan.
"Do you have news?" Sabine was hoping her best friend was still alive.
"No, I've done all I could so it's up to Riley" Hera yawned. "He told us to go to sleep, he'll should be done by morning and will shout if he needs us"
With that everyone went to bed, no-one slept well but they had faith in their newest member.
A/N, this was the best one to write since this was an accident, I just started writing then this came to mind. Please suggest new ideas and Goodbye