A/N: This one is really short but quite frankly all my previous drafts were even shorter so this version is the final. Hopefully after this I can dive more into the plot. This is the much-awaited meeting of Faith and Sabine. Hopefully, it seems reasonable to all of you. They will certainly have more interaction next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Starwars rebels and I'm really excited for Ashoka coming out.

Chapter 10

Fifty-Eight days after leaving Sabine

When Sabine envisioned seeing Ezra for the first time in nearly two months she did not imagine it would be with a different mandolarion.

Ezra had been allowed access to the Knowrest with little resistance, but when he had landed and suddenly stepped off with a different Mando whom Sabine had never seen, it came with a little bit of a shock factor so to speak..

Sabine couldn't help but stare at the newcomer, but she focused on her surprise at Ezra's arrival in the first place.

"Ezra…" She started glancing between the two. "What are you doing here?"

A brief silence held in the room and the tension only rose before Ezra broke the silence.

"Thrawn ambushed us on Atolon."

Gasps followed his words and Sabine suddenly forgot about the new Mandolorian, a million thoughts flew through her head. Was everyone ok? How did Ezra escape? Who was left? How did he find the base?

"We were lucky to escape with our lives…" He contuined motionig to him and his new friend. "You are the last chance we have for help…" He finished crossing his arms.

Sabine wanted to immediately assure him he had come to the right place but Rau beat her to the punch.

"You have poor timing Bridger." His voice carried sympathy to it, but sympathy would'nt free her friends. Her family. Before anybody else could comment Sabine's mother interrupted,

"We are in the middle of a civil war. Clan Saxon has the Empire's backing and our forces are stretched to their limit just to protect what ground we have."

Ursa made good points but Sabine would not relent, not that easily. Shooting another wayward glance at the two rebels.

"Mother." She started carefully, "there must be something we can do?"

"Please." Ezra interjected motioning to himself and the mandalorian whose helmet remained on and had yet to say a word.

"We risked everything to get here, at least hear us out."

Everyone waited with baited breath as they watched Ursa Wren think it over her stone gaze coming between the two before she nodded sharply and Ezra released a sigh of relief.

Chopper who up until now had been silent rolled forward into the group, his holo projector flashed on displaying a Imperial fleet as Ezra slowly briefed everyone on the situation and how the battle had come apart Sabine spaced out watching the new comer. Her amour was interesting, painted much like Sabine's it was hard to regonize a particular clan. The amour was smaller and based on her curves Sabine was able to firmly guess it was a women. She realized she was staring when the mandalorian coughed, shooting an apolegtic glance she refoucesd on the brief in time for Ezra to finish by pointing out the Interdictor cruiser blocking the ground force's escape route.
"That is the problem, the Interdictor cruiser." Sabine said as though she had been paying attention the entire time.

"If not for Commander Sato there would be two." He added crossing his arms.

"With Thrawn in command you should count your losses and consider yourself fortunate to have escaped."
Sabine wincied at the harsh reality but he wasn't wrong. It was the Mandolorian's reaction next to Ezra. She seemed to be glaring at Rau but it was just a work of her imagination.

"Like I said, without your help they're trapped." Ezra repeated an edge of desperation in his voice. Tristan beat Sabine to any sort of response she might have had.

"I wish we could offer it… But we just don't have the resources. We can barely take care of our own." Another fair point Sabine noted with a grimace. Yet she didn't feel any less dissuaded to go with Ezra to help the crew.

"If no is your final answer then we'll go back alone." Ezra motioned to him and his Mandolorian friend.

With that both turned on a heel and made for the exit. "Goodbye Sabine," he said. The words stung, and Ezra's eye contact did little to stop the hurt.

Something snapped within her heart. Maybe a little off put by Ezra's rudeness she put a hand on his shoulder stopping him.

"You're not going alone." She decided to ignore the newbie and stood straighter.

"I'm coming with you."

Ezra's eyes immediately affirmed her decisions was the correct one. Where there was previously irritation and maybe a twinge of hopelessness had been replaced with a calmness.

"I appreciate the loyalty you have for your friends Sabine but this mission is impossible… a death sentecne if you will."

Sabine had alot of comments to make but none of them were said before Ezra's Mandolorian friend spoke up.

"You think this mission impossible…" No one spoke for a brief moment before she continued.

"I'm not sure if you have looked outside as of late but you lot are currently up against a force who has a numbers advantage and the backing of an entire galactic Empire." She laughed. "Your fighting an impossible war. We all are. The key is to make it possible." She crossed her arms.

Everyone was stunned silent for a moment, the girl who had previously said nothing had turned out to be quite the speaker. It was Sabine's mother who recovered quickest and responded.

"Who exactly are you? What clan are you apart of?"

Ezra immediately looked worried but the girl didn't hesitate and immediately ripped off her helmet. Her neat ponytail fell into place and her piercing green eyes darted around to everyone in the room.

"My name is Faith. One of the last remaining members of the protectors."
You could hear a pen drop.
No one dared speak a word, Ezra looked as though he was dreading this exact scenario, but it was Rau who truly stood shocked.

His face switched between, fear, recognition, guilt, shame, anger, then finally settled on a medium between fear and anger.

But no one spoke.

Until finally Ezra broke the silence.

"She happened upon one of the star destroyers we were infiltrating and after we picked her up it was a little difficult to quote on quote put her back."

Ezra sighed again, and upon seeing no one interject continued.

"Not that I or any of the other crew would want too. She has been an instrumental part of our team and it is hard to say where we would be without her. Infact I may be dead."

Silence persisted and this time Sabine studied Faith's reaction. She seemed shocked and maybe a little impressed by Ezra's display of loyalty. Sabine felt a pang of jealously that this newcomer who meant alot to Ezra had gone completely unmentioned. At lest until now.

"I don't know what to say." Rau finally said. His voice was shaky and clearly he wasn't the strong confident mandolorian Sabine knew him to be.

"Well you can say it on the ride to lothal." Ezra said making for the exit.

"That is assuming you are still all coming?" Ezra posed the question as he turned around.

"Of course." Sabine immediately answered. The more hesitant affirmation of her squad mates happened behind her.

"Great. Lets go, there is no time to waste.

—-

"So Spector seven huh?" Sabine asked, she leaned against the wall next to Faith.

The Nightbrother had taken off sometime ago and Sabine estimated very little time before they were on the drop zone, but she still had some things she wanted to discuss with the newcomer. If only briefly.

"That is my tittle yes." Faith answered looking up from her blaster with a smile.

"Spector five." Sabine said sticking out her hand, "We were never formally introduced." she added as an afterthought.

"Ezra has had quite alot to say about you." Faith said returning her focus to her blasters.

Sabine barely had time to process that let alone respond. She couldn't explain the flutter in her heart at the mention of Ezra having things to say about her but she quickly shoved those thoughts away as Faith continued.

"They all have as a matter of fact." She looked up again making eye contact with Sabine.

"You set a very high standard for a new member of the crew." Faith said shooting her fellow mando a smile.

Sabine paused before returning her smile albeit a tiny bit forced. "Why thank you, but if I heard correctly, you have left quite the impression yourself no?" Sabine said mostly digging for information but also genuinely thankful someone was there to look out for Ezra when she was unable to.

"Nothing anyone wouldn't have done." Faith said blushing, "besides the only reason he was in danger was because he and Kanan hadn't been using any jedi abilities since at the time I hadn't been able to prove that I was worthy of such a secret."

Sabine nodded in understanding.

"How you'd take that information by the way? I always find it interesting." Sabine continued conversationly.

"It was weird." Faith admitted. "Especially after I learned it was the same rebel cell who had a part to play in the descruttoin of my clan."

Sabine didn't agree with her, but decided not to cut her off mid sentence.

"But eventually I realized that it wasn't you guys who killed my clan." Faith gripped her blasters tighter. "It was the Empire."

Sympathy filled Sabine's expression and she suddenly felt a wave of guilt of ever being jealous of Faith. She had never intended to replace her, she was lost, and looking for ahome. Of course she found that home in the Ghost crew. This was afteralll, the same place she found refugee when no one else would take her in.

"We'll make them pay. For all there wrongs." Sabine said placing a hand on Faith's shoulder.

She gave her a grateful look before her expression changed and she made a motion to change subject entirely

"Hey I have an odd question for you?"

"Shoot," Sabine said back rasing a brow.

"Is Ezra like, open to the idea of a relationship?" Faith asked simply a genuinely curious expression on her face.

If Sabine had been drinking water she would've spit it out.

"W-what. Well I-I… I don't know, why?" Sabine finally stuttered out drawing a confused expression from her fellow mandolorian.

"I don't really know." Faith admitted, "I just think he is cute, understanding, and we work well together, I see nothing wrong with seeing if maybe something further could develop. I mean sure it is a long shot and maybe a bad idea but what is really the worst that happens? I feel confident in both area bilites to keep it professional and not let feelings getting in the way of a mission."

All of Fatih's points made sense. And yet Sabine still hadn't responded.

"Sorry if I was forward, I just wanted to know what you thought. I've seen the way you look at him and from what I heard you two are pretty much brother and sister so I figured if anybody had advice it'd be you."

Sabine, was still unresponsive and she cleared her throat in attempt to respond, but Faith's eyes suddenly went wide and her expression immediately shifted to apologetic.

"Unless you were interested in Ezra!" She quickly said putter her hands up, "I didn't mean to overstep any boundaries, I'm very sorry I presumed-"

Sabine quickly put an endto that train of thought.

"Me and Ezra are just friends." Sabine paused before adding. "Good friends but just friends." Sabine thought of what had been a childhood crush but since Ezra had long since outgrown it she decided not to mention it.

"Sorry maybe I was just to forward." Faith said defeat in her voice.

Sabine patter her on the shoulder. "I wouldn't say the possibility is completely void. I just can't guarantee it." She paused as Faith stood back up.

"I haven't seen Ezra for close to a month in a half he could've changed alot." Sabine mentioned.

"Right, Right. Sorry if that question over stepped any boundaries." Fully recovered from the original shock Sabine was able to comfortably lie to Faith.

"Its ok. I'm not bothered by it at all."

Before either could continue Ezra peeped his head in the room glancing at the two mandos.

"We are approaching the space battle, wanna go over the plan one more time?"

"Sounds good." Faith quickly responded when the out presented itself.

Sabine followed shortly behind her. It boggled her mind how much Faith's comment still sat with her but she pushed any further thought down. Ezra was her friend. Nothing more.

"I'm right behind you guys."