Hello everyone! Specter7 here. Now, I know I took awhile on this chapter but it's a pretty good one! And it's gearing up toward our next milestone in this story... Ezra meeting Kanan! And even though it's been, like, two weeks since Christmas, I'm still in a happy mood! So merry late Christmas and a happy New Year and all that jazz:)

Okay, in all seriousness now, I wanted to write a little something in honor of the late Carrie Fisher who passed away on Tuesday, December 27th. As most of you know, she played the great Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars. So, before you read this chapter, I'd ask for you to keep the Fisher family in your prayers as you go throughout your day. Princess Leia was an inspiration to us all...

May the Force be with you, Carrie Fisher.

Sabine was screwing a testy bolt back in under a car, her combination wrench not doing the trick. She pushed most of her body out from under the car, reaching for an adjustable wrench. Sabine still held the bolt in place, not wanting to let it go as she stretched her arm out. So close, she thought as her fingers were just a centimeter away from her tool...

"Need some help?" a voice asked, handing her the wrench.

Sabine jumped, hitting her head on the car's bumper. "Ow," she muttered, a hand on her forehead. Sabine looked up through squinted eyes to see the boy in her painting. The one who said his name was Dev Morgan.

"Sorry about that," the kid apologized, offering her his hand and pulling her up.

"S'okay," Sabine said breathlessly. "I'm... I'm surprised you came. Almost thought you were a no-show."

The kid bent over and did a mock bow. "Dev Morgan never disappoints!"

Sabine turned her back to him and walked to the dirt bike. "Except yesterday," she said, trying not to let bitterness creep into her voice. "You told me you were coming. You never did."

The kid quickly walked over to her. "You were disappointed I didn't come?" he asked, looking at her with a slight lopsided grin.

Sabine glanced at him. "Disappointed my money didn't come in," she lied, "the money you were supposed to give me," she said, trying hard to be angry.

Dev Morgan seemed to stiffen. "I got you're money now," he said finally, opening an old, black-leathered wallet and pulling out her eighty-five dollars.

Sabine took it from him gently, getting no joy as her fingers touched the cold, hard cash. "...Thanks," she said awkwardly.

The kid just leaned up against the wall, crossing his arms. "The day before yesterday, you said I'd have to pay you daily, right? And that we would decide on the prices later?"

"I did," Sabine confirmed, wincing inwardly. She had wanted to toy with Dev about all the money he was paying before, but he seemed to be taking it more seriously than she thought.

"Well?" the kid pressed. "Name your price."

Sabine arched an eyebrow. That was unexpected. He seemed pretty confident that he could pay any amount Sabine threw at him. "Thirty-five dollars a day," she said finally.

"Twenty," Dev immediately bargained.

Sabine narrowed her eyes, a slight smile playing at her lips. "Twenty-five."

"Deal," the kid said and they sealed the price with a handshake.

Sabine looked at him for a moment longer and then set to work on his dirt bike.

"So," Dev said from behind her. "What've you been up to?"

She shrugged with out turning. "Welding," she answered. "Fixing cars. Painting. Tagging public property."

Sabine could her the surprise in his voice as he exclaimed, "Tagging? Like, with graffiti art and stuff?"

"That's what tagging is, kid."

He came and crouched next to her. "You know that's illegal, right?"

Sabine stared hard at him, holding up an old, black-leathered wallet. "So is stealing," she said.

The kid's eyes bugged. "Hey!" he exclaimed, searching his pockets. "I-"

Sabine opened the wallet. "You stole from Mr...'Garazeb Orrelios,'" she said, reading the driver's license. Sabine narrowed her eyes at the name. It seemed awfully familiar.

Dev snatched the wallet away. "Sabine!" he scolded. "You can't thieve a thief! That goes against the natural order of things!"

She hid a smile and suddenly noticed a small, folded, white sheet of paper on the garage floor. It must have fallen out of the wallet. Sabine picked it up and opened it but before she could read it, the kid grabbed it too.

"What was that?" Sabine asked. She didn't usual care about this kind of stuff but she felt like the paper was important.

"Nothing," Dev said, obviously lying. "Just a little side job."

Sabine shrugged inwardly and turned back to the bike.

"Hey," the kid said casually. "Do you know what a, uh, an operating number is?"

"Sure," she said easily. "It's a string of numbers that represents an individual person who works in the military. They're very important. Very rare." Sabine looked at Dev. "Why'd you ask?"

"Well," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. "My little side job I was talking about? I'm trying to find someone."

"Really," Sabine said, turning around. "Can I ask why?"

Dev shrugged uncomfortably. "It's just out of curiosity."

"Mm."

"Anyway," he continued, "this person I'm trying to find, they work in the military, I think."

Sabine turned and continued fixing the bike. "They'd have to if they have an operating number," she said.

"Yeah," he agreed. "So, I'm wondering, is there a military base or something like that nearby?"

"'Course," Sabine said. "About twenty miles from Lothal County is a U.S. Air Force base. I hear they're transferring a lot of recruits over right about now."

"So," Dev said slowly, "Would it be possible for me to somehow call this U.S Air Force base and give them the operating number so I can find the person I'm looking for?"

"Ha, you can't just call an entire Air Force base," Sabine said, finding the idea almost funny.

"Well," the kid sputtered, "how would I do it?"

She stared at him. "Is this really that important to you?"

Dev sighed. "Yeah," he said finally. "Yeah, it really is. If I don't find this person, I'm gonna go crazy."

Sabine pursed her lips. "Okay," she said after a moment's hesitation. "Get out some paper and write these directions down."

The kid scrambled for a pencil and paper.

"Alright," she started off. "If you want to exchange the operating number for your person's information, listen.

"You want to call zero-zero-eight, eight-eight-eight, eight-eight-eight-eight. Okay?"

Dev cleared his throat. "How many eights is that?"

"Two zeros," Sabine said impatiently, "Eight eights. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Now, when you get on the line, there will be a computer stating that it's a private line. All you have to do is say the code phrase, 'By the light of Lothal's moons.'"

The kid frowned. "'By the light of Lothal's moons'... That... That doesn't even make any sense!"

"It's not supposed to!" Sabine snapped. "It's a code phrase. Now, are you with me?"

Dev wrote her instructions down. "Yeah."

"Then," she continued, "you ask for Ketsu Onyo. And no matter what, don't let whoever's on the line intimidate you. They'll try to see if you have the credentials to even be on that number, but you have to be adamant. Make sure you have Ketsu on the line before you give any operating number. Got it?"

"Yeah," the kid said, looking down at his paper. "Who's Ketsu Onyo?"

Sabine balled her hands into fists. "J-Just someone who owes me," she said through clenched teeth. Hearing Ketsu's name aloud brought back bad memories. Memories of the Academy, memories of being betrayed, memories of running away...

Stop, Sabine told herself. Stop and focus.

She let out a controlled breath and looked at Dev.

"I'm ready when you are," he said.

Sabine sighed. "After you get Ketsu on the line, tell her my full name, Sabine Wren, and give the operating number over. In turn, she'll give you your person's phone number, email address, spouse's name, probably even their present location. Okay, Dev?"

The kid seemed to flinch at his name. "Uh, yeah. Yeah," he said.

"And," Sabine added. "If Ketsu gives you pushback, tell her I forgive her."

Dev looked her over with questioning brilliant electric blue eyes. "Sure," he said softly.

"Well," Sabine said, shaking off her worries and standing. "That's all." She walking over to him absently realizing that they were roughly the same height.

"You know," the kid said, glancing at the floor, "you didn't have to do this for me."

Sabine gave him a slight smile. "I know," she said. "I guess you owe me one."

"Nah, we're even," Dev said jokingly. "Those outrageous prices for fixing my dirt bike are payment enough for the instructions you gave me."

He gave her another lopsided grin and started to leave.

"It's not all I think about, you know," she said suddenly, feeling guilty. Dev turned. "The money," Sabine continued. "It's not all I think about."

"I know," the kid said with a reckless grin plastered on his face. "You think about me the rest of the time!"

She arched an eyebrow as if to say, Seriously? And Dev gave her a two-fingered salute, walking out the garage.

Sabine stared at his back, watching him leave. If only he knew how much of that were true, she reflected.

Lothal County was so old, so simple, so run-down, so out of date, that it still had those old-timey phone booths.

Fortunately.

Since Ezra didn't have a phone, he stopped at one of them. Ezra dropped a few coins into the slit, pressed the numbers 008-888-8888, and waited. As the phone rang, he had plenty of time to reflect on his talk with Sabine.

She called me Dev, Ezra thought numbly. Sabine told me her full name yet I haven't given her my real one.

He mentally shook himself.

Stop thinking like that, Ezra ordered. I never tell anyone my real name. Ever. It's too big of a risk. If I used my real name, Social Services would know where I've been. Know what I've done. I'd be going to a jail cell instead of an orphanage.

-This is a restricted line,- an automated voice crackled over the phone, making Ezra jump. -Please hang up immediately.-

"I, uh," Ezra fumbled, forgetting Sabine's instructions. He quickly got out the crumpled paper he wrote her directions on.

"By the light-" he read.

-This is a restricted line,- the automated voice interrupted. -Please hang up immediately.-

"By the light of Lothal's moons!" Ezra yelled before the computer could stop him.

There was a whirring sound and then a click.

-Code phrase excepted,- the automated voice said.

Ezra sighed. "Yes," he breathed.

"This is the United States of America, Air Force Base eleven point eight," someone said over the phone. "How may I assist you?"

"I, uh," Ezra stuttered, everything moving really fast. He glanced at the name on the paper. "I need to speak with Ketsu Onyo."

"Ketsu Onyo," the person repeated over the phone, sounding bored. "I'll need your credentials before attempting contact with this person."

"Credentials?" Ezra spat, manipulating his voice to sound like someone in command. "My word should suffice. Get me on the line with Ketsu Onyo."

The person on the other side of the phone was silent before replying, "I just checked the databanks, sir. There is no one named Ketsu Onyo in all the archives."

Ezra banged his fist down on the phone booth's glass walls, making sure the sound carried over the phone. "Enough of this game! You will get me Ketsu Onyo immediately. Clear?"

"Sir-"

"You will, underling!" Ezra roared. "Or so help me I will inform your superiors of your insubordination and have you eradicated out of the system! A man of my status and stature should not be made to wait!"

There was a pause and then the a quiet voice said, "I'm transferring you over to Ketsu Onyo's line now."

Ezra sighed inwardly. What a relief. He had started running out of big words.

"Hello?" a female voice said.

"Is this Ketsu Onyo?" Ezra asked eagerly.

"Yes," the lady on the other side of the phone answered. "Who's speaking?"

"Let's just say... a friend."

The female voice sounded cautious when she replied, "Fine, friend. What are you calling me for?"

Ezra hesitated. "I need you to run an operating number."

"Then you've got the wrong office," she said immediately over the phone. "Call someone else."

"No!" Ezra said suddenly before Ketsu could hang up. "Sabine Wren told me to call you. She said you owed her one."

There was a long, long pause. Ezra could practically feel the pent-up waves of emotion getting bigger and bigger on the other side of the phone. "Who. Are. You." Ketsu said slowly, the tension thick.

"A friend," Ezra repeated. "Sabine-"

"Sabine is a traitor!" the lady over the phone roared. "I owe her nothing! Nothing except a blade in her back and knife to her throat!"

Ezra froze. What had he gotten himself into?

"What happened?" he asked. "I-I thought-"

"You thought wrong, boy! And next time you see that snake-hearted turncoat, tell her I should have finished the job!"

"Wait," Ezra said gravely, knowing Ketsu was about to hang up. "You... You tried to kill Sabine?"

"Eh," the lady on the other side of the phone seemed to say with a shrug. "I left her for dead. Not that that's any of your business, friend."

"Ketsu," Ezra said, feeling uncharacteristically unproblematic. "Whatever's happened in the past is the past. You need to let it go."

"Scars don't heal, kid," the lady said quietly. "Some wounds are just too deep."

"True," Ezra conceded. "But you don't have to bleed to death. You can clean yourself up and start fresh. But you have to make that decision, Ketsu."

The words pored out of Ezra. He didn't know where all this good advice was coming from, but he did know it was from somewhere deep inside him. From someplace he didn't know he had.

When Ketsu said nothing, he added, "Sabine told me she forgave you. She let go of her anger and bitterness to help me. Now the only question... Is will you forgive yourself?"

"Ah, blast it, kid," Ketsu said angrily after awhile. "Who are you? And don't say a friend!"

Ezra smiled slightly. "Call me Dev. Dev Morgan."

"Fine, Dev Morgan. I'll... I'll help you out. What did you want?"

Ezra silently pumped a fist into the air. Yes! She was going to help him!

"I need to exchange an operating number for information," Ezra told Ketsu.

"Information on Hera Syndulla Jarrus."

Kanan Jarrus sat on the sofa in their apartment.

He was staring at the rusty-colored dog who in turn was staring at him.

"Hera!" Kanan called, not breaking eye contact. "This dog's giving me the creeps."

His wife glanced at him. "Chopper's just an animal, dear," Hera said. "Nothing to be afraid of."

Kanan wrinkled his nose. "I'm not afraid of it," he said, finally looking away. "It's just... weirding me out."

Kanan stood and walked over to Hera. She seemed distracted. "You okay?" he asked.

Hera looked up, startled. "What? Yeah, I..I'm fine. Just... Thinking about the Air Force base."

Kanan nodded understandingly. "You're going to have to go back to work soon."

"Yes," she answered. "And you have to find a job too."

Kanan put his hands on her arms. "Ah, let's not worry about that now," he said, smiling his troublemaker grin. "It's still not for a few days and-"

Kanan broke off. He looked over his shoulder, eyebrows furrowing in concentration.

"What is it?" Hera asked softly.

"I-"

Another pull. It started somewhere deep in the pit of his stomach. A gut-feeling pull.

"Something's about to happen," he murmured.

"What?"

"Hera," Kanan said distractedly. "I... I don't know but I feel like something's coming. Someone's looking for us."

"What do you mean?" his wife pressed. "Like someone bad? Since I work in the military, I've made a lot of enemies. Maybe it's-"

"No," Kanan interrupted, walking to the fire escape window in the apartment. "It's not like that... I don't know. I just feel like someone's looking for us."

He looked out the window and at Lothal County's rising sun.

"And all I know is that our lives are about to change drastically."

That's all for now people! And I'm really excited about this next chapter. Can't tell you what it's about but you're welcome to guess:)I hope you have a good time playing with all your Christmas gifts (I know I will!)

P.S. Anyone catch that Warriors curse LOL Sorry but I read all the books and I thought for sure being called snake-hearted was a real insult! It isn't. Oh well.

Specter7 out.