Ezra was equally as puzzled when he woke up the next morning to find a note on Sabine's door. It stated succinctly that she had gone hunting with Chopper.

He wondered what was up with her. Maybe Hera would know. For now, he'd have to wait until either Hera woke up or Sabine returned.


The sunlight dotted the verdant forest floor where Sabine forged a new path in these unknown woods. The morning's humidity and heat promised a hot day. Chopper followed closely behind, zapping weeds and complaining constantly.

"I told you," she replied to the droid, "I just want to map out a new hunting area. We're going to exhaust the old one soon."

Chopper questioned her logic again.

"I need you to map out the ysalamiri in this area in case I ... I get sick and Ezra needs to take over the hunting." it was a lie, but it was the best she could come up with.

The truth was, she'd been kicking herself for last night's failure. She couldn't believe how hard it was for her to admit her feelings to the one she loved. Hard or not, she was determined to fix her mistake. But it seemed inadequate to just blurt out how she felt to him now. She wanted it to be special. Ezra deserved it to be special.

Out of good ideas, she went trekking through the forest in search of inspiration.

She came to a giant wall of dirt.

Chopper sarcastically complimented her on what great hunting grounds she had discovered.

Sabine ignored him and gazed up several meters, trying to find the top. Igniting her jetpack, she rose up to the plateau's edge, just above the trees. The next level sported a large, grassy plain, dotted with olbio trees. Sabine landed on a bare spot, just as Chopper did the same next to her.

When she didn't answer his question, the droid examined her. Sabine was staring at the grasses off in the distance with an expression that humans sometimes called 'sentimental'. Chopper took this to mean that Sabine was intent on making this her new hunting grounds. Gazing around, he decided he'd better double check the viability of these grounds and burst her bubble quickly if they were unacceptable before she got too attached.

The droid swiveled his head to get a good look across the field. It was wide, and eventually bordered by forest on all sides. Other than the tall grass, there were very few places for a human to hide and stalk prey. There was also no prey big enough for humans. Finally he turned back to Sabine and reported his scan; some ysalamir in the scattered olbio trees, and no other game animals. It was a bust.

"It's perfect." Sabine said.


"... At first, I thought it was me." Ezra rambled, "But now, I think there's something going on with her. I mean, why was she acting like that yesterday?"

"Remember what I told you?" Hera inserted gently.

Her advice was ignored as Ezra continued, "Last-minute squirrel steak? That's not like her. She hates cooking."

"I'm back!" Sabine called from the hallway.

Ezra halted mid-sentence, wondering if she had heard him.

Sabine and Chopper entered the galley where Hera was cooking.

"That smells good," Sabine commented. Then she spotted Ezra behind Hera. She immediately averted her gaze as her blush returned.

Ezra did the same, "So, uh ... did your hunting trip go well?"

No, said Chopper.

"Yes," said Sabine at the same time. Her face flushed with embarrassment, but she steadied herself. She needed to do this. Running away from her feelings wasn't helping. "You ... still have your new jetpack and helmet, right?" Sabine asked him.

"Yes ..." Ezra stated, confused and curious as to where this was going.

"Good," Sabine responded.

Ezra looked from Sabine to Hera. His eyes rested on Hera, as if asking for a clue as to what Sabine was talking about. Hera shrugged with an amused smile. She had no idea what Sabine was planning nor did she want to get in the middle of this.

Sabine interpreted their exchange as evidence they had been talking about her behind her back. Chopper voiced this same suspicion. The droid still had no clue how deep her feelings ran for Ezra. Sabine made sure to keep Chopper in the dark by veiling her explanation to Ezra, "Because ... there's a new area in the forest that I want to show you." she blushed a shade deeper.

"O ... K ... " Ezra replied hesitantly, looking to Hera to see if she'd forbid it again.

They both watched her expression change as the conflict within Hera churned. Finally Hera ended it with a sigh, "I'll allow it," she pointed a spatula at Sabine and Ezra, "only as long as you stay well within the ysalamir ranges at all times, stay out of sight of anyone, and don't do any heavy lifting of starship parts."

"Will do." Ezra promised, pleased that he'd get to explore the forest again. Even more excited that he'd get to with Sabine, "Let me get my jetpack."

Don't waste your time, Chopper complained, rolling away to the cockpit, there's nothing there.

Ezra moved towards the cabins, when Sabine stopped him, "Let's go there after dinner." she suggested.

"Why not now?"

Sabine considered it a moment, then shook her head, "The lighting won't be as good."

Ezra raised an eyebrow, "Are you painting with the sky now?"

"Something like that."


Ezra had all day to wonder what secret she had planned. Whenever he could, he reorganized his chores so he could work side-by-side with Sabine, trying to glean out any more information with smooth inquisitions that she expertly deflected. He was used to this behavior. What caught him off guard was the shy smile she kept throwing his way. It had replaced her typical eye-roll in these situations. Ezra still felt uncertain without the Force confirming her emotions, but it seemed she was no longer annoyed with his persistence. In fact, it seemed like she was enjoying his company more than she ever had before.

Finally dinner came, and Ezra found Sabine sitting a little bit closer to him than usual. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but he liked this new direction. He ate his meal a bit faster than usual. Once her plate was clean, Ezra asked if it was time with a simple glance and Sabine acknowledged with a smile. They both got up from the table.

"That was fast. Are you going for seconds already?" Kanan asked his padawan.

"Actually we're full." Sabine answered, not realizing the question was for Ezra.

Kanan raised an eyebrow, "Wait, where are you two going at this hour?"

Ezra scratched the back of his head, "Just a new place in the forest."

"Into the forest at night?"

"I told them it was ok," Hera informed.

Kanan seemed even more surprised.

"Don't worry, Sabine and I will be armed." Ezra assured.

"And I've downloaded a map of the ysalamir ranges from Chopper this morning." Sabine followed Ezra down the hall to retrieve their jetpacks and gear.

Kanan turned himself towards Hera, "And you are ok with this?"

Hera confirmed, "Yes, as long as they're careful." she said louder for the two to hear.

"We will be." Ezra called back from his cabin door.

Kanan looked pensive for a moment, then he quietly commented to Hera, "You don't think Ezra is trying to start something between Sabine and him again, do you?"

"No, love," Hera said, "This time, I think she is."

Kanan raised both eyebrows.


Ezra followed Sabine out the cargo bay and onto the trail. The sun had already begun to set, sending out the last bit of light poking through the trees.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yeah," he pulled on his helmet and adjusted the strap on his own jetpack, "Hey, wait, how will I know where the ysalamiri bubbles are?"

She reached out, "Just hold my hand. I'll keep us in range."

Ezra looked from her helmet to her extended hand, hesitating only for a moment. He took her hand in his own.

Their jetpacks ignited, and together, hand-in-hand, they flew through the air, just above the tree canopy. Ezra had thought he'd never get to use his jetpack again. This was wonderful. Reaching out with his free hand, his fingers briefly brushed the top leaves of a tree as they raced overhead.

Over their short range comm, she heard him give a hoot.

Sabine smiled. She was enjoying this flight as well, "Having fun?"

"Yeah," his voice was breathier now, as if he'd seen something beautiful. Part of her wanted to tear her eyes away from the path overlay and look at Ezra to examine what he was gazing at. For safety, she kept her eyes on the overlay instead.

He must have sensed her question (hopefully not through the Force, ... perhaps he was getting better at reading her like ordinary people do), for she felt his thumb rub a reassuring circle across the back of hers. Heat traveled through her arm all the way to her cheeks. She sped them faster to their destination.

The sunlight-kissed plateau came into view, and Sabine flexed her muscles to angle them into a slower approach. They landed gently on their feet, and cut their engines.

The stunning sight before them caused Ezra to let go of her hand to take his helmet off so he could examine the familiar colors with his own eyes.

Sabine removed hers as well and watched as he stepped closer to the lone olbio tree on the plain.

He gazed beyond it, at the long, feathery grasses swaying in the warm breeze. The dusk's light bathed the wide field in a very familiar hue. A sentimental expression graced his features, "It's like the plains on Lothal." he breathed.

Sabine moved to stand beside him, and gently reached for his hand again. He looked at her, but she shyly averted her gaze to their joined hands instead, "I ... wanted to give you this. Something to remind you of your home."

"You were painting with the sky," Ezra understood, smiling at her shy blush and their joined hands. He tried to tame the hope currently fluttering in his chest. Just in case there was a sliver of a chance that he was reading her all wrong.

"I wanted it to be special," Sabine found the courage to look up at him. Her heart started pounding when his blue eyes locked with hers, "Because, I ... I wanted to tell you how I feel about you."

His fluttering heart began pounding at her affirmation. Still not sure what to do, but realizing he should do something in response, lest she thought he was rejecting her, Ezra shifted his stance so he could carefully reach for her other hand. He held it.

They were face-to-face now, gazing into each other's eyes. Both unsure.

A gust rustled the olbio's trees, messing Sabine's hair and sending rays of filtered sunlight dancing across Ezra's face. Delicately, Sabine reached up to touch one of the sunbeams on his cheek. Her fingers wandered and began to trace the outline of his jaw.

Ezra took this as an invitation, and moved closer.

When she felt his breath on her cheek, Sabine's own breathing hitched in surprise.

This caused Ezra to stop, mere centimeters from her lips.

Sabine took in this moment. There were things she had wanted to say. But with his proximity now, the words were impossible to recall. She decided the rest of what she wanted to tell him could come later.

Lifting herself up to close the gap, her lips met his.

Their kiss lasted until the last ray of sunlight dropped below the horizon. The colors left the sky and the stars came out.

Pulling apart for some air, Sabine and Ezra gazed into each others' eyes. Then the mirth and nervous energy of it all caused both of them to chuckle.

Now that the sun had set, the air was much cooler. A breeze blew past, sending a shiver up Sabine's spine. She placed her hands lightly on Ezra's chest and snuggled close. Ezra wrapped his arms around her waist, maneuvering around the jetpack she still wore. They held each other and gazed up at the stars.

The sky brought him back to a night on a different planet, with a similar feeling of exhilaration. Back when he still had the Force, and sensed something new arousing in the woman that he held in his arms now. Perhaps now was as good a time as any to ask, "So ... back when we were celebrating on Lothal ... did you–were you-?"

Nodding, Sabine read right through his babbling, "Yes ... I was thinking about kissing you." she confirmed.

"I knew it!"

She swatted his shirt playfully. They both chuckled. Then she settled back into his embrace, sharing the warmth. Ezra breathed contentedly into her hair.

"Just wondering; why didn't you? Kiss me back then, I mean?"

Sabine blushed, a little self-conscious, "I wasn't ready."

A moment of realization flitted across Ezra's face, followed by a look of sympathy, "Is this what you were struggling with recently?"

She hummed an affirmative, "I'm sorry if I've been acting strange. I just ... had to be sure that I wanted this."

Ezra smiled, "Well I'm glad you are now."

They held each other a bit longer, and Sabine thought about warning him how she'd been hurt in the past. To ask him to tread carefully. To tell him about her worries. But she decided against saying any of that to him for now. For now, they were blissfully testing the waters. There was no way to use any sort of Jedi fortune telling to predict the future.

Only time would tell if they would work out or not.


Ezra decided there was nothing more thrilling than racing across the tops of the trees at night, hand-in-hand with Sabine. They landed gracefully right in front of the Ghost's open cargo bay. Ezra took off his helmet to flash her a smile as they walked up the ramp. Then he reached for her hand.

And Sabine quickly slipped hers out of his grasp.

"Hmm?" he looked at her, confused.

"Lets ..." she began, "keep a low profile on our new relationship."

Ezra raised an eyebrow, and waved a hand to present their surroundings, "They left the cargo bay door open and the lights on for us. I'm pretty sure they already know."

Sabine bit her lip, "Hera knows. She's been covering for me. I'd like to keep it under wraps from Kanan and Chopper for now."

"Why?"

"Because they'll tell Zeb. Then Zeb will tell everyone," including my mother, Sabine thought, but she omitted it, "And I'm not ready for that. I'm also not ready for Zeb's teasing on a whole new level either."

"Oh ... right." Ezra hesitantly agreed. Still, he was disappointed that he'd have to keep their relationship a secret. At least for now, "... When can we let everyone else know?"

Sabine sighed, "It's all so new. Let's just enjoy what we have now and figure things out later."

"Alright." Part of him was a little disappointed. As soon as she had kissed him, Ezra had felt like declaring their new relationship to every corner of the galaxy. But he understood the prudence of waiting a bit to see if this would work out. That is what responsible couples did. However in Ezra's mind, it would work out. How could it not?

All was quiet as they walked through the common area. There was no sign of Chopper. He was likely charging in the cockpit. Hera and Kanan must have already gone to bed as well.

When they reached her cabin door, Ezra briefly imagined what it would be like to be her roommate again. With their new relationship status, which bunk would she expect him to sleep on? He swallowed nervously.

Sabine's voice brought him out of his daydreams, "I had a great time tonight."

Ezra gave a nod, "Me too."

There was an awkward pause as both struggled to find the next words. Sabine and Ezra started to say something at the same time. Both stopped and gave a small laugh. Who knew it was so hard to say goodnight?

Ezra's eyes darted from hers to her lips. He shrugged. With a quick glance down both hallways, Sabine then reached up to give him a kiss. One kiss turned into two. Then three. Then a much longer fourth.

When they finally parted, Ezra smiled. It was contagious.

"What?" Sabine asked, grinning herself.

Ezra shook his head shyly, "Nothing, just ... this has been the best birthday ever."

Sabine smiled warmly, reaching up for another kiss, "I'm glad." she whispered.

Aided by exhaustion, Sabine finally found the resolve to tell him good night, "I'll see you in the morning?"

Ezra hummed an affirmation, gently letting go of her hands which he had been playing with.

Sabine found herself immediately missing his touch. But morning would come soon enough, "Tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow," he echoed her promise as he slowly moved to his own cabin.

Standing just inside his doorway, Ezra turned to give her one last smile. Sabine smiled back. Then they both disappeared inside their cabins.

Exhaustion guided her to her mattress. Exhilaration kept her awake a bit longer. Best of all, the relief that she had finally let him know, lifted the burden of that secret she had been carrying. Just a little. She still wanted to keep it a secret from Kanan and the others. There was still the apprehension of whether this new relationship would work out, along with other worries. But those could wait. Right now, at this late an hour, she needed sleep. Her bed never looked so welcoming. And tomorrow never looked so bright.