THE MANDALORIAN AND THE JEDI - I
ACT 1. SABINE.
PART 1.1. Igyah Kah.
Hey, Sabine. I'm sorry for disappearing on you. I made this recording because, more than the others, I need you to understand. As a Jedi, sometimes you have to make the decision no one else can. So that's what I did to defeat Thrawn.
The holorecording seemed to move and talk in slow-motion as she watched, despite her having done so countless times over the past decade.
We've been through a lot. Grew up together in this Rebellion.
"Yes we have", Sabine thought. Memories of the immature boy Ezra had been flashed in her mind. She remembered witnessing how he would eventually become the kind of person he would turn out to be - one capable of such selflessness, bravery, and strength. It was enough to thwart an entire fleet of the bygone Empire. Her thoughts drifted towards the dozens of battles they fought together, side by side, and how she wasn't given the chance in the end to see his last one through.
And we're not really family, but you're like a sister to me.
"You'll always mean the world to me as well, my friend", her thoughts answered, as she smiled. She remembered the moments that deepened their relationship throughout their years as comrades on the Ghost, like her gifting him a hologram of his parents that she restored herself, and him helping her realize the importance of making peace with her family and people; her and Kanan helping him keep to the right path on his journey with the Force, and him standing by her when it seemed like everyone else doubted where her heart and loyalties truly were. Eventually they became practically inseparable, but then, all of a sudden, he wasn't there anymore.
I know your fight isn't over, and now I won't be there to help you.
"It wasn't", she reflected. The truth was, protecting Lothal in his absence was the easy part of the past decade since he disappeared. "And yes, you weren't", she further mused, sadly. Though she eventually repaired her relationships with them, both her family and Ketsu did abandon her - on the other hand, the family she found, the Ghost crew, never did. Of them all, she'd become closest to Ezra, to her everlasting surprise. So close that she thought they'd always be there for each other, like they had been in their years together after he first joined them as nothing more than a street rat all those years ago. Sabine thought he'd finally be the one that stayed, after the war was through. Despite the nobility and necessity of his sacrifice and how it ultimately contributed to the defeat of the Empire, part of her still wished, intensely, that he'd chosen differently. Ever since, she had struggled to deal with losing her best friend. It weighed on her so much that - as she had done so many times before - she buried it, afraid to admit just how much it pained her, even to herself. Then came The Night of a Thousand Tears.
In the years following her friend's disappearance with Thrawn, Sabine had taken it upon herself to at least try to train under Ahsoka in the Jedi arts, despite the odds of her even turning out to be force-sensitive was infinitesimal at best. She wasn't sure why exactly, just that she felt that it was the best way to strengthen her capabilities in pursuing the only thing that mattered to her at the time - honoring her friend's sacrifice by protecting Lothal and, whenever that interest required it, fighting for the greater Rebellion. But Ahsoka, for some reason or other, surprisingly accepted and took her on as her Padawan. The training was hard, and while her fighting skills and instincts - particularly with a lightsaber - did improve as she hoped they would by undertaking this impossible endeavor, she was no closer to touching the Force than she was at any inkling of Ezra's ultimate fate. Even still, her master continued to instruct her in the ways of the Force.
That all changed when Mandalore was destroyed by the Empire in the closing days of the war, along with her people and entire family. Ahsoka said that she sensed the turmoil in her, the anguish, the thirst for revenge and anger - who wouldn't feel these things after everything she had been through? Despite that, her master was gone as well.
"How would things have played out if you were here, Ezra?", she questioned in silence as she continued watching the holorecording, as agonizing images burned her mind : Of walking through landscapes filled with gigantic glass shards, and of sifting desperately through blasted ruins while the shadows of her family surrounded her - burned onto the very walls.
As she spent the days after the war in an aimless daze, impotently wasting away, she would question herself as to why she couldn't have at least paved a path for them away from their eventual fates instead. In her dreams she would relive the events of the past, showing endless scenarios of how she could have done things differently so that they - her family, and Ezra - could have all still been here with all of them that remained, enjoying the peace they'd all worked and fought so hard for together. In her weakest moments, she often failed to stop herself from wondering if things could have been at all better if she'd gone away in their place instead.
But I'm counting on you to see this through. May the Force be with you.
"I did see it through", she thought as the message ended. She was in her friend's roost, surrounded by all of the things she remembers him by. After he disappeared, she decided to settle here, more symbolically than anything else at first as the new protector of Lothal in his stead, but also as a way to ensure that he would always have a home to return to if he ever found his way back. How many times had she come back after a mission - on the planet or away with Hera for the Rebellion - and felt her heart flutter at the sight of the tower, wondering if he'd finally managed to get back there in her absence? How many times has she caught herself hesitating before opening the door, half-expecting him to be inside, only to be greeted by silence?
It has been more than five years since she came back here for the last time, when Ahsoka decided to abandon her training, and she hasn't left it since. She tried to make sense of and move past the overwhelming sense of loss she felt - for her father-figure, Kanan, for her lost people, for her father, mother, and brother, and for the sense of purpose she had when she still had something worthwhile to accomplish, a thing to fight against and something to fight for, until it all ended with the Rebellion's victory. Hera visited as often as she could, but despite her best intentions even she, her "mother" as she regarded her, couldn't quite understand her the way Ezra could.
He was the only one who could get through to her out of all the people she knew - the unique, unbreakable bond between them was why he was the one whose loss her heart ached for the most. And so, she felt the years rushing around her like a rock in a river : as she saw the people of Lothal rebuild and build a better future, and while she cheered Hera and Zeb on as they both embarked on new military careers for themselves and established their own families, she couldn't quite bring herself to progress in the same way with her own life. While everything and everyone has moved on, she is still here - shackled to her past.
"I did see all of it through", she whispered to the shadows forming in the room as she put away the holorecording, preparing herself to go through yet another sleepless night.
PART 1.2. Rededication.
The only time you are wasting is your own.
Huyang's words rang incessantly, and quite annoyingly, in her head. That droid can be an absolute pain to talk to, that much she can take against him; but he also speaks the truth, no matter how hard it is to hear. She wondered if droids experienced emotions in the same way organic beings like her did - whatever the answer, she felt sure that the reason why he said what he said was because he truly cared.
"It's time to shake yourself out of this, Sabine", she told herself quietly as she put on her body glove, her gray suit, boots, and armor surrounded by things that had become, she now realized, harmfully familiar - Ezra's former home, and the place she now regretted allowing herself to wallow in her misery.
She remembered rushing towards the city after seeing a familiar red and white ship being escorted there. She had prepared herself on the way to pay her former master back for abandoning her, all those years ago - what she got from her instead was altogether different.
I think I know how to find Ezra.
That was what she said to her on their first meeting after everything that had transpired. She felt her heart stop at the mere memory of it - just like it did when she first heard it from Ahsoka. She felt energy rushing back into her veins as she focused on that thought. She felt her will finally come back alive, stoked intensely rather than put out by her defeat against a deadly enemy and the lightsaber that had run her through and nearly killed her just a couple of days before.
As she knelt in front of her vibroblade, she meditated on Ezra's memory. She remembered him trying to steal the booty their crew had arranged to do so themselves from the Empire, way back on the very first day they had met him. She had found herself amused by the hubris of this boy, negligibly younger now but significantly so at the time in terms of maturity as they had still been in their teens, but piqued by his cunning and daring. Even then she knew right away that he was no ordinary person, having survived in the kind of life he led, similar to their own, alone. That day she took a chance and gave him her name. She felt she had found a kindred spirit - though an annoying one because of his all-too-obvious infatuation with her back then - especially when it came to her issues with her biological family. From there the seeds of their relationship were sown, which, in time, blossomed and grew into something that inspired in both of them a deep sense of connection, commitment, and loyalty. How she longed to get him back, she wouldn't even dare consider.
"This isn't about me", Sabine said, shaking her head and interrupting her own thoughts. She focused on the pragmatic and set aside any distractions, as she always had done best. "This is for Ezra, for everything he went through; everything he deserves to return to", she told herself, as if it was a solemn oath. It was all or nothing. Taking the vibroblade to her hair, she cut it in one clean movement; she laid her tresses in place of her weapon, just like how she had found Kanan's a decade ago after he let himself be consumed by fire to save them all.
She steeled her resolve as she trimmed her hair short, more to make sure that they wouldn't be an impediment to her marksmanship than anything else, and to make sure that they would easily slide in her helmet as well. She put on the rest of her equipment, most especially her blasters and lightsaber, and made her way to Capital City.
It's time to bring you home.
PART 1.3. Peridea. - 1
Sabine peered out into the darkness, trying to look out for any sign of trouble that could be scurrying around behind the undulating terrain and boulders. Only starlight and the glow of this planet's ring illuminated the landscape, which made the barrenness of it all seem even more bleak. A short distance away, the howler she'd been given was slumbering against a rock to shelter itself from the cold, dry wind.
Back in the Eye of Scion, as she now knew the ship on which they made the journey between galaxies was called, she didn't even know where exactly they were headed to until she overheard snippets of the talk between the Force-wielders that resonated in the halls. A name was mentioned a few times whenever Thrawn's was brought up : Peridea.
Her thoughts wandered back to the star map. She vividly remembered how she agonized about letting her grip go - almost like having to struggle to pry her hand open - in order to hand it over to the elder, the one between them who was the master, of the dark Jedi. She felt him probe her spirit before that and found exactly what he needed to convince her to do so, even after seeing what he did to Ahsoka; she felt shame piercing her heart like a shiv at the thought.
"I'm sorry Ahsoka", she said in a hoarse whisper, "but I had to find him, at any cost." Guilt gnawed at her, knowing full well the gravity of what she did - she had all but doomed the galaxy to another period of war by allowing Thrawn practically an open window through which he could return; she betrayed her master's trust just moments after her demise; she had gone against everything that the Ghost had stood for; now, she had also negated the essence of her dearest friend's sacrifice. And yet, all of her actions had served their purpose : she was finally here.
Sabine.
A warm voice had called to her, bringing her back to her senses. She felt the gentle touch of a calloused hand envelop her shoulder. "You'll get cold out here", it said with the slightest tone of concern, as if tentatively testing the waters. She felt a blanket being wrapped around her shoulders and back from behind her.
"Oh", she answered, startled as though she was afraid that her thoughts had been heard while she was so carelessly dwelling on them only a few moments ago. "You shouldn't have", she said as she smiled, adjusting and pretending that she was surprised at the gesture of thoughtfulness before adding, "Thanks, Ezra."
"Don't worry about it", he said with a chuckle as he handed her a steaming cup. He settled beside her on the grass. "You don't mind, do you?", he asked. He looked at her with concern, a nervous smile showing through his beard.
"He's still the same person", she thought to herself, more relieved than anything else.
"Of course not", she said with a soft punch on her friend's shoulder. She smiled back at him. He looked so weathered and rugged after a decade in this forsaken place, and yet he still had the same light in his eyes that she'd come to welcome over their years as a duo. He looked wildly different from when she last saw him, of course - who wouldn't be after this long in the wilderness - but somehow she'd recognized him without even a second's hesitation. Sabine had always wondered how this moment, when she finally managed to find him, would play out. Now that Ezra's right in front of her, she couldn't quite describe whatever it was she was feeling - just that it was unlike any of the scenarios that she played in her mind these past ten years. "That beard and mop definitely needs a shave and buzz", she quipped to lighten the mood.
"Oh, these?", motioning to his entire face. "You don't know the half of how much I've wanted to", he said as he laughed, adding, "Is there a chance that you brought a pair of scissors with you?"
"I have my vibroblade right here if you're feeling desperate", she answered. They both laughed out loud at the same time, Ezra putting his hands on Sabine's hair to mess it up.
A few seconds of silence fell between them as they gazed at each other, which was more comforting than it was awkward. Despite finding him seemingly unchanged, Sabine was finding this new experience of seeing Ezra for the first time as an adult as interesting and unexpected as it was familiar, and she felt sure by his demeanor that her friend was just as perplexed by her. If anything, what seemed to be making things feel as if they were on ice between them was definitely about a strangely disorientating sensation felt between childhood friends finally meeting as adults rather than any lost synergy between them after so long apart.
"Remember, you already promised me that I'd get first dibs on it when we get back", Sabine further teased.
"Okay, okay - just don't dye it, please", he quipped back with hands propped up in defeat. She couldn't help but smile at him, but not just because of their banter. It all just felt right again. This is why she'd risked everything for a chance at finding him. A few moments of silence passed by before they caught themselves staring at each other again.
Ezra broke the stalemate first, moving a bit closer. "May I?", he asked tentatively.
She scooted sideways towards him in response. Her left arm draped across his upper back, her hand hanging down from his left shoulder; his right wrapped around her waist and rested on her right leg. Both looked straight ahead, trying to brush off the awkwardness of the situation. They both took a sip of bitter tea with their free hands - extremely bitter, Sabine thought - as they continued to gaze out into the darkness, their backs behind the smouldering remains of the fire that one of the Noti had lit for them as a sign of hospitality for their new guest before they all retired into their caravans.
"This is new", she said to him nervously, trying to break the tension in the air, before pausing for a second. "...But it's nice", she finally said with a warm look towards her friend.
"Yeah", he answered with a smile. Their bodies finally relaxed and settled into each other's company. They remained like that, continuing to sip their tea, clasping each other.
She hadn't quite accomplished her mission, Sabine mused uneasily, even in the gentle warmth of her friend's presence. She hadn't thought about how exactly she was going to bring him back, in her haste to adjust to her situation just a few days before. Balancing, well, living, first and foremost - she wasn't bringing Ezra back from anywhere if she had been cut in two back on Seatos - and actually leaving the door towards a path to Ezra open, so to speak, with Ahsoka's more noble wishes had proven impossible to reconcile, given how little time she had to decide in the face of such odds. Worrying whether the dark Jedi was going to keep to his deal with her occupied all of her thoughts during her captivity - that and thinking of some way to escape if he didn't. He ultimately did, and even Thrawn - she put up a brave face when she had been put face-to-face with him, but her heart sank as she thought of the possibility of billions perishing as mere collateral damage in the cold calculations that no doubt were already happening behind those blood-red eyes - upheld it as well, including intel regarding Ezra's whereabouts which ultimately proved to be accurate. "Too accurate", she thought as she bit her lip, anxiety nipping at her thoughts.
She knew she had to fill in Ezra on what exactly was happening - as well as what has already, including what she did to get here - but this time, admittedly, she'd finally let go, at least for now. He was finally here beside her. She found him. "Can't I have just one day of happiness after enduring a decade of despair?", she sighed.
Besides, she can't risk any rift forming between them just yet. She has to keep anything that would affect their cohesion under wraps until she's sure that no trouble would come their way. She knows that Thrawn's and the witches' main priority is to get away from this planet and back to their galaxy, and she's counting on that; will they really expend resources at this hour to get at them when they've probably known where Ezra was all this time? In any case, getting out of hairy situations has been a specialty of the Spectres ever since, and they've done it by being in sync with each other, as Hera so often put it. "Maybe even all of that is still just an excuse to prolong this moment", she questioned herself as she raised her hand slightly to reach her friend's upper arm, squeezing it affectionately.
She remembered the seemingly endless days she spent in his tower. She saw their faces in the dark - Kanan, her mother Ursa, her father, Tristan, and others - and then she turned her gaze at Ezra and felt relieved that she knew now, for sure, that he wasn't just one of the ghosts that haunted her every night. He was here, in the flesh, and she couldn't quite believe it just yet. She felt something entirely new to her : warm and cozy, comfortable, at home.
"Just one day", she said to herself as she turned sideways towards Ezra, embracing him with both arms.
ACT 2. EZRA.
PART 2.1. Peridea. - 2
The warmth from Sabine's embrace filled him with a mix of an overwhelming sense of peace and a flutter of excitement. He felt her burying her face in the corner of his right neck and shoulder, as if she was afraid that he'd disappear on her all over again.
"You ok?", he asked her, as he took her unfinished cup of tea aside together with his, then adjusted the blanket he draped over her back earlier that had fallen to the ground during her sudden motion.
"Yes", she answered, her voice muffled by his body. "Far better than I've been, I think", as she continued to embrace him.
He leaned his lower back against a nearby stone so that he could cradle her with his left arm slightly to better support their weight.
"Looks like she needed this", he thought to himself, sadly, as he tightened his grip around her and pulled her in, wondering what had happened to her in the years when he couldn't be there for her.
Their first meeting in a decade was happier than he could have ever imagined was possible after he arrived on this barren planet. He had felt a familiar, warm presence a couple of days ago stirring somewhere on whatever world he was - he didn't even know if this world had a name in Basic, despite surviving on it for ten years - but he initially dismissed it. At first, he suspected that it was again a product of his hopelessly homesick mind - most probably affected by the curiously strong Force energies present here - which had often conjured apparitions in the intervening years of his exile. He also had another reason to be on guard : the awakening of the Witches quickly brought a very real aspect of danger and horror to these phantoms - most of them could have ended him easily if he hadn't been lucky or had taken additional precautions, and they were being sent more and more often even though he and his band of Noti stayed further and further away from the Tower. Just a few days ago, he actually had to bring himself to contemplate how long he'd be able to keep them at bay, and how he'd leave some message of farewell to anyone who would come looking. Then she suddenly showed up in the camp, having been brought there by his comrades.
He remembered trembling as he used his powers to feel out any signs of trickery - this latest apparition, he thought, was different. It looked unfamiliar; it was nothing like any of his memories. Instead, it showed what a grown up version of his dearest friend could look like back in the known galaxy. Then he probed its spirit; it wasn't empty. His doubts evaporated. There she was.
He was mischievously, and in hindsight also quite childishly and foolishly, thinking of startling her as he watched her scan her surroundings intently with a look of dejection in her eyes. Then he froze when he had a good look at her. She was a fully-grown woman now; she looked different. She had become far more beautiful, but also more beaten down with her cares of the past years. Her eyes were sunken, and despite her dyed hair, he could spy that many - too many, he thought to himself with increasing concern - of the roots were white. He settled on allowing himself a couple of minutes to admire the sight of her. Finally, he called out to her, and they engaged in banter much the same as they always have - strange though it was, especially between dear friends long separated, even to themselves in hindsight - but this time ending with a long-overdue hug.
Later as he questioned her about how she found him, he immediately sensed the conflict inside his friend. She wasn't at peace, far from it. He couldn't get a straight answer from her which even someone not skilled in the Force would see plainly as a sign that she was troubled. He knew her well enough to give her the space and trust to tell him at her own pace and time, and while part of him was of course anxious to know the exact circumstances of her arrival and successful search - for practical reasons more than anything else, as he now felt sure that some trouble was brewing because of it - his trust in the Force and in the strength of his and Sabine's bond in the face of anything that may come was complete. He survived this planet on his own, with the Force his only ally; now that she was here as well, they could accomplish and withstand anything.
What concerned him far more was the deeper and older turmoil he felt around Sabine - something she didn't have when he left - which seemed now to feel darker and heavier the more he tried to probe it, even now that their embrace had given her a calm he felt sure she hadn't known for quite some time now. It was as if it had been a thing that enveloped her and had stuck its claws into her soul, and had been gnawing at her and feeding on her for a long, long time.
All that he could do now while he waited for his friend to be ready to open up to him was to content himself in the knowledge that just being with him seemed to make things better for her. Whatever caused it, he sensed something deeply broken inside of her; finding him was the first step for her to put together the shattered pieces. He was thankful for that - she had carried this burden long enough, that much he was absolutely sure of, and whatever he could do to make it lighter for her, he would.
"I'm here now, Sabine", he whispered into her ear as he felt her finally break, her tears wetting his shoulder. He affectionately pressed his lips onto her temple, then he rested his own temple alongside hers as he tugged at her poncho to better cover her back from the cold of the night.
"I'm here for you", he said intently. They remained like that for a good while, her crying her heart out all the while - he had never seen her act this vulnerable before, let alone in his presence. He felt troubled at how much he had missed during the past decade he had spent away from her.
She must have gone through a lot.
That was all he could think about, as he stroked the back of her head to calm her down. He felt her dig her fingers deeper into his back now, almost painfully so, as if she was determined to not let him go.
Suddenly, he felt her release her grip on him. He relaxed his own in response as he moved to assist her in sitting back up again, assuming that she was going to do so, but she stopped him in his tracks. One of her hands was resting on the back of his neck, touching him earnestly. She gazed deep into his eyes, their noses nearly touching.
The sight of her face, tears still welling out from her eyes and streaming down her cheeks, broke his heart. Moments passed by as they remained like that, unmoving; suddenly, he felt her hands slowly move up, her eyes seeming desperate to maintain eye contact as though she was in a trance. He felt them rest on either side of his face, gently cupping his bearded cheeks.
"Sabine?", he asked, flustered at how uncharacteristically intimate this moment had suddenly become for them - but before he could say anything else, she closed the gap between them, pressing her warm lips straight against his with a sudden passion and fury that took him back.
All of the years he longed for her, and this moment, came flooding back into his mind. Barely containing himself, he pressed his own lips against her mouth, reciprocating her seemingly panicked movements. Their lips entwined awkwardly, not having known how to engage in this way previously, but it didn't matter. He felt the same hot blur clouding everything inside himself from within Sabine. He wrapped his arms around her as he felt hers envelop his neck, stroking the back of his head and ears. They were lost in each other like that for what seemed like an eternity, both of them giving in to their emotions.
When they finally calmed down, he felt her resting her forehead against his, gasping for air.
"I'm sorry", Sabine blurted out suddenly, physically jerking away as he felt her withdraw from him when the realization of what she had just done got to her. "I don't know what came over me", she added weakly, as a silence fell between them. He tried to look into her eyes, but she averted her gaze in shame, as if she had somehow wronged him.
"Hey. Don't worry about it", he reassured her. He had to summon every ounce of self-control that he still had when he said those words, barely containing his basest instincts within - and resisting the urge to take things further. You could have your way - any which way you want - with her right now, they called out to him, tempting him to take advantage of her vulnerability. It's so close now; all you have to do is take it. It would be so easy. But in that instant, he was relieved - and equally as surprised - to find that the depth of his care and love for this person had, in a heartbeat, allowed him to conquer these selfish desires.
She deserves better than that, he thought. He gently pulled her back in, trying to ignore the whirlwind of emotions he too was feeling. He took her hand in his and pressed on it, but she seemed hesitant to answer.
As he felt the fear and fragility in her ebb away, he leaned upward and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek to make her feel, somehow, how much he cared for her, first and foremost, even now with so much left unexplained. She wasn't the one being unfair; the world was, for giving them so little time.
He felt her finally return his gesture, bringing her gaze back to him and taking his hand to entwine their fingers. She brought her lips together with his again, this time fully conscious of what she was doing; softly and slowly moving her mouth around his, then ending with a tender gaze. They found themselves lying on the ground now, her on top of him, having probably ended up somehow in that position earlier during their entanglement. He gently moved her so that she now lay by his side, moving his free arm to cushion her head against the ground and making sure to maintain their embrace.
She brought her gaze back to him, and looked straight into his eyes. "Thank you", she said, tears again starting to fill her eyes, before stopping them from flowing and smiling at him. "I'm sorry for being such a mess," she whispered sheepishly. "I was just...", she added, trying to explain herself, but she couldn't find the words.
"We'll talk about it some other time", he said, gently touching her neck, looking at her affectionately. As he felt her loosen up and get comfortable with his presence again, she raised their entwined hands and rested them between their chests.
"Aaanyway...", he said teasingly, smiling from ear to ear, which made Sabine laugh and lightheartedly hit Ezra's chest. In spite of the tenseness of the situation only moments ago, they were now giggling like teenagers, embarrassed but feeling happy and secure - more than they have ever felt since they parted. When things finally settled down, Ezra began by asking, "What can you tell me about back home?"
She smiled, now completely at ease. "Well…"
PART 2.2. Peridea. - 3 - Push.
"Sabine, there's no time, come on!"
Ezra saw Sabine look back and hesitate. "Sabine!", he added. She started running as fast as she could towards the precipice.
"Don't let go of her", he told himself as he prepared to reach out with all of his will - but instead of sustaining her speed and jumping, he found that Sabine had slowed down.
She was too far away now for him to see her face clearly; all he saw was her standing still, looking out from the top of the witches' tower. The Chimaera was pulling away and preparing to ascend. Just then, he felt a familiar presence reach out to him. He knew that, just like a decade before, they only had a handful of precious seconds to say their farewells.
I couldn't leave her here to die.
"I know", he answered wordlessly back to her, closing his eyes. "Take care of yourself, Sabine. Please", he put out, trying to send her the care and tenderness that he felt for her at that moment.
Don't you worry about me. Go and get at them, like you've always done.
He felt sure that a mischievous smile was on her face because of what she said, as if teasing him one final time, while he felt her joy at feeling the warmth he had just sent her.
"I will", he smiled as he sent his thought forth. "I'll come back for you", he ended, failing to mask his feelings from her as his sadness and bitterness at being parted with the person dearest to him yet again, so soon after having finally been reunited, got to him. He felt her desire to comfort him, as well as regret for not being him - but most of all, perplexingly, he found hesitation.
After a moment, it gave way.
I love you too.
Ezra opened his eyes and looked straight at Sabine as he suddenly felt a decade of longing and heartbreak being allowed to finally gush forth, flowing from her and into him - even as he felt her break off their connection. Though he couldn't make out her face, now turned slightly towards the ground beneath her as if in resignation, he knew that tears were streaming from her eyes. He felt his own heart involuntarily stir in response; old feelings once again surfacing that he had long ago pushed down, painfully, and buried to honor and preserve the boundaries he knew she needed between them back then.
He saw her turn back, rushing back into the fray. She ignited the lightsaber he gave her, clearing her way through and drawing the other enemies towards her just when her master was about to be struck down. She was in deadly peril now, surrounded and fighting for their lives.
Trust in the Force.
He meditated on that thought, trying to contain his anguish as he watched a hail of blaster fire barely miss her or get deflected by her blade. Trembling, he clenched his fists as he watched her, resisting his desire to jump back down with all of his might - the fate of their galaxy be damned. He desperately wanted to lend his aid to her, to save her; to destroy those who would hurt his most beloved, to not be parted with her ever again.
Trust her.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her master's ship swiftly maneuver below them as he saw, with pride, admiration, and hope swelling in his heart, Sabine meld her life-long skills as a Mandalorian with her newfound abilities on the fly to stay the tide of their attackers' offense. Upon finally seeing Sabine fly away along with Ahsoka to safety, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Time to get myself hidden", he thought, willing himself to focus on the task now at hand, made possible by the sacrifice he and Sabine had just made. Somehow, someway, and no matter what, he was going to bring down Thrawn once and for all. He had all the fuel he needed inside of himself now.
I'll come back for you.
"Seven-five-seven here. Copy", he answered back at the dead stormtrooper's communicator after hearing the familiar crackle of Imperial communications.
AUTHOR'S NOTES : This one stuck to canon, or at least what is canon at the time immediately after the end of Ahsoka Season 1. Mainly my motivation for writing this was my frustration at not seeing the payoff after years upon years of mixed signals ( REALLY MIXED if you include Ahsoka Season 1; Rebels was tame by comparison since it's a children's show after all ), expend my renewed obsession with Sabine and Ezra after watching the aforesaid series by writing this as a form of cathartic exercise, and help like-minded ( aka fellow shippers ) to finally move on with their lives by providing some sort of closure for these two characters ( through a story that portrays the development of a truly loving and satisfying relationship between these two, in a similar yet more detailed way to how Hera and Kanan were developed ). I'm a first-time writer, so pardon the quality of this work should you find it unsatisfactory. Thank you so much for reading!