Friends… Something odd has just happened inside Uncle Hondo's head. Maybe I take a break from the explosions today and talk more about Ezra settling in? Yes, that sounds good. Uncle Hondo does not want to risk an existential crisis. I will not let little Mira down! Onward Mando Girl! We have the true account of Ezra Bridger to tell!
Interlude I
"Look him in the eyes and ask. Are you here because of your skills as a thief? Or your potential as a Jedi? Because it sure aint' your charming personality, kid…"
"Whup! Whup! Wampa! Whimp!"
Chopper's uninterpretable but likely rude remark temporarily pumped the brakes to Ezra and Zeb's heated back and forth, and frankly Ezra was was grateful for it. He didn't recall when Zeb and he had gotten into each other's faces but the sight of the Lasat's ugly mugl was rivaled only by the disgusting stench emitting from that purple matted hair that covered the kriffin' furball from head to toe.
And if Ezra never heard Zeb's endless griping and complaining it'd be too soon!
"No helmets," Zeb insisted after the momentary truce had passed. "Kanan and Hera never said anything about helmets! Bah! They never said anything about you sleeping in my cabin!"
Ezra crossed his arms and shrugged at Furball. "Hey, I didn't get a vote on where I was hanging by lightsaber at the end of the day."
"Lightsaber? What lightsaber?" Zeb taunted. "So you opened some Jedi puzzle cube. Yeah, look at you. Real special."
"Pfft," Ezra said and turned away from Zeb and hid the hurt the furball was causing by playing on his insecurities. "Like you know anything. And my helmets are hanging right there," Ezra pointed to an empty space on the wall. "And you'll make a space for my stuff in the drawers."
"Right. Orange, orange, and more orange. Don't want to get any of your precious outfits mixed up." Ezra began hanging his helmets, wishing he had kept the Cadet helmet from the Lawbringer Star Destroyer. "Better stock up on that blue hair dye you like so much," Zeb jabbed.
"Hair dye?" Ezra whipped his head around and ran a fingerless gloved hand through his midnight-blue locks. "This is my hair you walking rug!"
"Whuta! Whoop!"
Ezra turned his attention to the orange astromech, enjoying the show from the corner of the room. He snorted and shook his head. "You've been with this ship how long and you never learned to speak astromech?"
"He's Hera's problem not mine," Zeb replied. "Wish I could say the same for you!" Zeb growled but finally turned to his bottom bunk and began shifting through his clothes and other items.
"Yeah? Well as I understand the vote to bring me aboard was unanimous," Ezra pointed out. "You someone to be mad at, try looking in the mirror."
Zeb turned his head and gave Ezra a piercing stare. Ezra held it a few seconds and when it was clear the boy wasn't backing down Zeb sighed and continued making room for Ezra's belongings.
"Thought you'd be bunking with Kanan," Zeb muttered grouchily. "Not like I asked you to join us. Not like I will be the one teaching you to move stuff with your thick head." Zeb shoved some clothes down into another drawer and then stood up, backing away from the bunk. He gestured to the empty drawer and sneered. "There you are, your Majesty. Your turn."
Rolling his blue eyes Ezra began unpacking his meager belongings, doing his best to ignore all the orange in his wardrobe. The clothes were coarse in his hands and could do with a good washing. But for now they would do.
"Doesn't change things. Kanan asked and you said yes. So did Sabine," Ezra added and a small smile curling his lips at the thought of the lovely girl. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Zeb.
"Vote? What vote? If Hera and Kanan want something they'll do it. Made it perfectly clear with the other vote didn't they?" Zeb watched and waited as his words sunk in.
"Other vote?" Ezra stated and frowned at this news. "What other vote?"
"Why whether we'd rescue you from those buckethead Imperials of course." Zeb answered. Cheekily he added. "I voted to leave you there."
"You left me behind to begin with," Ezra replied. "Like any of the others would do something like that." As Ezra focused back on his clothes he missed the scheming grin on Zeb's face. But there was no missing the joyful glee in the Lasat's tone.
"Oh is that what you think? It was just me who didn't like rushing to rescue our Loth-rat damsel in distress?"
"Whaaaa," Chopper wailed out, and if Ezra wasn't mistaken it sounded almost like the droid was warning Zeb off.
"Chopper got a vote?" Ezra smirked. "Well that's not surprising he'd want to risk his logic circuits for me."
"Oh?" Zeb grinned and a feeling of wariness took root in the pit of Ezra's gut. "So you think it was Chopper who was against risking our lives by boarding that Star Destroyer." Zeb tsked his tongue and shook his head. "Figured you'd of. No, that tin can casted the tying vote! For some reason he thought playing chicken with a Star Destroyer was a good idea."
Ezra paused his unpacking and tilted his chin and turned his head to face Zeb, the big furball still leaning against the wall of the cabin. "Nice try," Ezra said, refusing to believe the bothersome Lasat's outlandish claim. Only Ezra's denial caused the corners of Zeb's mouth to further curl upward in joy.
"Fine, don't believe me," Zeb said with a hapless shrug. "Just thought you should know that I wasn't the only one who realized that leaving you behind on that giant ship and its army of bucketheads was the right choice."
He's full of it, Ezra thought. And there's an eyewitness right here.
"Okay, Chopper," Ezra said and stood up from the drawers and smiled at the droid. "We can't understand you, but I know how much you care about Hera. So on Hera's honor. Lift your left arm and confirm that Zeb is full of it and failing to get under my skin."
"Yeah, Chopper," Zeb smiled smugly. "You heard him. On Hera's honor."
Ezra and Zeb waited. And waited. And then waited some more. But as seconds passed and all Chopper did was stand there unmoving, that wariness building inside Ezra grew turned to doubt.
"I'm no Jedi, or a teacher. But you want to hear some good old fashioned advice?"
"From you?" Ezra spat and raised his hand in a rude gesture at Zeb.
"Too bad, you're gettin' it anyhow. You know what hurts more than any insult? Hearing the truth."
"Chopper, raise your arm!" Ezra said, his voice raising.
But the droid didn't. Instead he gave some form of a morose warble and then wheeled out of the cabin leaving Ezra alone with Zeb.
"Chopper!" Ezra called before the droid disappeared but it just continued to roll away from the feuding rivals.
"He wouldn't lie," Zeb lectured. "Not on Hera's honor."
"You talk too much," Ezra shot back and then kicked the clothing drawer closed.
"Hey! Watch it!" Zeb growled, displeased with Ezra taking out his emotions on the roomates' clothing drawers. Ezra ignored him and after a moment of thought walked to the open doorway.
"Kanan will tell me," Ezra said simply. "And afterward you'll be sleeping on the couch in the lounge."
"Hahah!" Zeb cheered. "Sure, kid. Keep deluding yourself that everyone's happy to have you here. You also might want to ask him the other thing your too scared to ask."
"You know I figured it out." Ezra said and looked over his shoulder at Zeb. "It's part of my training. Rooming with you. A Jedi patience thing."
But Zeb ignored him, and again targeted Ezra's weak spot. "Look him in the eyes and ask. Are you here because of your skills as a thief? Or your potential as a Jedi? Because it sure aint' your charming personality, kid."
"Kanan won't lie to me," Ezra said and left, but before he got out of earshot he heard Zeb's last remark.
"He wouldn't lie to me. But you and your fragile feelings? I wouldn't bet on it."
Ezra ignored Zeb, but that didn't help that seed of doubt the Lasat's words had planted. He needed to find Kanan.
Only when he turned a corner to check the lounge or common room or whatever they called it. He came face to face with Hera who smiled at the sight of him. She lifted her arms and showed Ezra a small bag of tools.
"There you are," Hera said. "I was just coming to get you."
Ezra glanced at the tools and then to Hera. He wondered about the timing. "Did Chopper say anything to you?"
Hera frowned and tilted her head at Ezra's odd question. "No. Should he have?" Hera asked, feeling as though she was missing something. Something important. When Ezra didn't elaborate Hera decided to let it go - for now. "I need your help. On a task you are uniquely suited for."
"Oh, umm, I was sort of hoping to find Kanan. There's something I need to ask him about."
"He's busy in the galley, it's his turn to cook." Hera said while still holding up the bag of tools. Her face twinged. "Sorry in advance by the way."
"Sorry?" Ezra questioned.
"Part of being on the Ghost means sharing duties, one of them is cooking dinner. While Kanan is great with a lot of things. Cooking leaves something to be desired."
Ezra blinked at the news and then turned this over in his mind. "So if everyone cooks then does that mean?" He let the question dangle and waited for Hera's response.
"There will be a new schedule next week, including you."
"Great." Ezra responded. His tone was anything but cheery and wondered just how long it would take until there was a new contender for Worst Cook.
"Is it an emergency?" Hera asked. "Your question for Kanan?" She clarified at Ezra's look of confusion.
"Oh. Eh, nothing that can't wait." Ezra flashed his boyish smile. "And I wouldn't want to interrupt him and risk ruining dinner any further." He could tell Hera was far from assured but the Twi'lek shook her head and handed Ezra the tools.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Ezra asked after closer examination.
"Hmm," Hera said and placed a finger on her chin. "Maybe because it's that innate Jedi sense of yours telling you that for the next hour you're going to be giving the vents a thorough inspection."
Hera turned on her heel and made way to the nearest access point, with Ezra quick on her heels.
"Wait!" Ezra said as he caught up with her. "I don't know anything about spaceships and how their ventilation shafts work."
"And that's why there's a tiny camera in there and a comlink Sabine created for you to wear only your wrist. We've been in a lot of situations where a guy your size and your talents would have made some of our plans a lot less risky. Here we are," Hera said and opened an access panel in the common area. "I'll be watching your progress with this," Hera said and lifted up a datapad. "We'll be in communication the whole time."
He looked into the small bag and found a battery operated headlamp with a small camera attached. And in the bag was a nifty wrist brace that would make staying in contact with rest of the team a lot easier, particularly in small spaces.
"And here I thought I'd be doing Jedi stuff," Ezra muttered quietly, but loudly enough for Hera not to miss it.
"Is that what you needed to talk with Kanan about?" Hera asked and Ezra could hear the motherly worry in her voice and look of concern on her face. Hera definitely voted to save him. But that meant her and Chopper and one other were for him. And if Zeb wasn't lying, that meant either Sabine or Kanan thought it best to leave him there.
That kriffin' self-doubt kept growing.
"I'm guessing there's a tracker in the bracer as well?" Ezra said, ducking Hera's concern. Hera's concern remained but she decided it best to let Ezra's worry slide for now.
"More like an emergency SOS," Hera explained. "There is a tracker that can be activated remotely by the wearer or from a team leader but that's only in cases of emergency. Sabine was insistent she would not include an active tracker to keep tabs on you at all times."
"And who thought it was a good job to track me 24 hours a day?" Ezra said and looked at Hera carefully.
"Chopper," Hera said and shrugged with indifference. "He thought it only fair since he doesn't get privacy."
"And since this doubles as my comlink, ditching it for some privacy would be like a cardinal sin or something."
"The tracker is only for emergencies only. Key word emergency. Sabine was insistent on that and I completely agree. And so will Zeb and Kanan once they're informed."
"Sure they will," Ezra said and rolled his eyes. As he made himself ready with the wrist communicator and the headlamp camera he saw a chance to ask the Ghost's Captain a certain question. "So whose brilliant idea was it to room me with Zeb and not say someone like the guy who theoretically will be training me?"
His tone was spiteful but Ezra didn't care at this point. The "conversation" with Zeb had drained him and now he was about to be crawling around in the vents for an hour.
"My ship, I assign who bunks where," Hera said pointedly. "Firstly, Kanan's the leader so he gets his own space. Secondly, and more importantly, you and Kanan will be spending a lot of time together. If this is going to work, you two will need some time apart as well. And just as importantly you and Zeb will have to get used to each other. To trust each other even."
"Trust him? The guy who left me behind?" Ezra balked at Hera's logic but she wasn't about to back down.
"Is this what you want to talk to Kanan about?" Hera said, deliberately refusing to get drawn into a session of Ezra complaining nonstop about Zeb.
Ezra shook his head and approached the access grate leading into the shaft. But Hera was nothing if not persistent.
"I mean it, Ezra. We're a team and we need to work together. Which means trusting each other. Better to tackle your problem head on than let it fester. And I believe in you. I know you'll make it work." Hera hesitated then sighed. "And sorry in advance about Zeb's snoring."
"Wait! He snores!" Ezra said and looked back at Hera with wide eyes. Ezra shook his head and opened the vent. The thought of asking why not her or Sabine briefly flickered through Ezra's mind but he dismissed it immediately.
Aside from the both being women. It was Hera's ship and, also, if he was to have a chance with Sabine then the last thing he wanted was to be sharing a room with her. They were still getting to know each other, the last thing he wanted to do was to mess up by moving too quickly. And rooming together was definitely too fast!
"Comm check, Spectre-2 to Spectre-6. Can you hear me, Ezra?" Hera's voice sounded from his comlink.
So many buttons, Ezra thought. Maybe they should've spent some time going over how this thing worked exactly? He took a guess and pressed the big green one.
"Spectre-6 here, I read you," Ezra answered and then smiled when Hera responded back with an affirmative that she heard him as well. Of all the cool things he had experienced since officially joining, having his own callsign was the coolest.
"Turn on your headlamp and camera, Spectre-6. There's a lot of area to cover and I don't want you in there longer than needed."
"Right, copy," Ezra said and flipped on the light and camera. He wondered why Hera was insistent on hurrying this along.
Fifteen minutes in and already his back was killing him. But there was a lot to learn as he traveled the vents and checked on things like wiring or any wear and tear. He could see Sabine or Hera being able to do this, and maybe even Kanan. But there was no way Zeb had ever been assigned this job.
"You're doing great, Ezra," Hera said, her voice full of encouragement. "We've just about cleared the entire top deck of the forward area."
Ezra frowned and then keyed his comlink. "That's it? One floor of half the ship!"
"Yup. Don't worry it won't always be you. Sabine and I will each take our turns. There's plenty of work to be done on a ship, and a lot to learn. The quicker you learn the less time you'll spend in the vents and will be able to handle other tasks. You're being here will really help us even out the maintenance work and have time to take on more jobs. Do some more good."
Ezra couldn't argue that logic. Tarkintown still weighed heavily on his mind. At the same time Zeb's comment was still lingering. He checked the time on his wrist, or chronos as he learned, and saw he still had another twenty minutes. He knew he wouldn't get through the entire ship but then Hera never expected him to. It was too much work and just too cramped. An hour at a time felt about right.
And as he went along the less and less Hera had to point out for him. There wasn't really any big mystery for vent maintenance. There were a few places where repairs were needed and he handled those okay with the tools in the bag Hera provided.
"Fifteen more minutes, Spectre-6," Hera said. "So, you going to tell me what's really bothering you? Or should I spend the last fifteen minutes pestering you?"
Ezra sighed. Figures. He should've known she wouldn't have let it go that easily.
"It's nothing," Ezra said into his comlink. "I'll get over it."
"Remember what I said earlier about trust, Spectre-6."
Ezra stopped his crawl and sighed. She had him there.
"It's just us right now on this frequency?"
"Yup."
"And you'll be honest, even if the truth hurts?" Ezra bit his lip. This last part was especially difficult to ask. He liked Hera. But at times he felt like she was holding back. Keeping things from him, especially if she felt it was for his own good.
The long moment of silence coming from her end didn't help either. "Spectre-2?" Ezra said.
"I'll try my best. What is it?"
"Spectre…4 said some things," Ezra began. "Most of it was space crap. But some of it made sense. Especially when Chopper didn't say he was lying."
"Seems like I'll be needing to talk with them both. Talk to me, Ezra."
Here goes.
"Would you have taken me on if I didn't have the Force? And what's this about a vote to rescue me?"
Hera's sigh was so loud it came through over the comlink.
"Sithspit. Damnit Garazeb."
Ezra remembered what Zeb said about truths versus lies, and questioning which hurt more in an argument. Ezra had his answer.
"So you and Chopper were for rescuing me. Zeb was against," Ezra said and shook his head - accidentally hitting on the side panel of the vent. He continued. "So Kanan and Sabine were the holdouts?"
"You shouldn't have had to find out about it like this, at the same time it's not that simple, Ezra. Really."
"Were you ever going to tell me?" Ezra insisted.
"When the time was right," Hera answered. "Once you were more settled in. More certain of your place here."
That knot of doubt was growing and now it felt like it was punching his self-esteem over and over. What about the other thing Zeb said? Am I really here just because I can use the Force?
"And my ability with the Force?" Ezra said, repeating the second half of his question.
"You listen to me. Force or no Force, when you came into the cockpit and told us about the Wookies and said you were coming with? That was when I made my decision. I still had to run it past the others but make no mistake, I wasn't about to just leave and forget about you."
"Run it past the others?" Ezra asked.
"We're a team, Spectre-6. And like you said you're not against sticking it to the Empire. We needed someone like you. And you deserve to be someplace where others can appreciate you not just for your skills, but for your value as a person." Hera paused and Ezra found himself able to imagine her, wherever she was, with a look of both sadness and anger on her face. "The only thing I regret was not seeing this coming. Zeb never should have-!"
Kriff, she's about to go Mama Bear for me!
"Okay! Okay! I believe you!" Ezra hurried and clucked his tongue, trying to figure out a way to handle this himself. "I'll handle Zeb. He needs to know not to mess with me."
There was no initial response and Ezra could tell that Hera was thinking his words over. But really there wasn't anything to think about. This trust thing wouldn't work if Hera had to step in and play referee everytime Zeb (or himself) got into it.
"Copy that, Spectre-6." Hera didn't like it, but she respected Ezra's decision and understood the logic behind it. "Ezra? You're still holding back. Who else made you feel like we were just… Using you?"
"That Agent Kallus guy," Ezra responded. "When he had me captured, it was how he tried to break me. Heh, oh right, apparently you guys are now officially Rebels in the Empire's eyes."
"I think you mean WE are rebels in the Empire's eyes, Spectre-6," Hera corrected, but her voice held only warmth. "Rebels, huh? Why'd he say that?"
"I mean it makes sense. This isn't the first time you guys have pulled jobs on Lothal and elsewhere. Thieves wouldn't bother with places like Tarkintown or Wookies. Plus Sabine's artwork has been drawing a lot of attention. And when you came back for me? I think that sealed it."
"Hmm. I'll have to talk about this with Spectre-1. Good work Spectre-6. Not just with the Wookies but getting some valuable intelligence. Kallus may be dead but he certainly couldn't be the only Imperial recognizing our pattern. We may need to adjust tactics."
The rest of the maintenance was uneventful and ten minutes later Ezra was crawling out of the vents, and not looking his best. While Hera did her best to keep her ship tidy, the vents still caught a lot of dust and grime and Ezra was covered in both. Hera patted his shoulder affectionately and despite his appearance went in for a hug.
"You're family, Ezra. No matter what anyone says. You'll always have a home here."
He hugged her back, and decided then and there that Hera's nickname would forever be Mom or Space Mom he supposed. "Jeez, Hera. Laying it on thick," he teased.
The two separated and after another look at him Hera sighed. "Go get washed up, Spectre-6. Then tell Sabine I want her to give you an introduction to the guns."
"Wow," Ezra said. "From vent cleaner to gunner all in the span of an hour."
"Think about it, Ezra," Hera interjected. "If we were ambushed by the Empire right now. Would you be more useful in the vents or in the turret?"
She made a pretty good point. Learning to fly one of these ships would probably take a lot of time. Days if not weeks. And it wasn't like learning to fire lasers at TIE fighters wouldn't be fun, especially with Sabine teaching him.
If only there wasn't the vote thing hanging over his head. Almost as if she could read his thoughts Hera gently pressed her fingers under his chin and raised his head until his eyes met hers.
"It was Sabine who figured out the way for us to rescue you," Hera said. "Hear her out." Then Hera became more hesitant. "Or maybe tell her that when you're ready to listen to her explanation."
Ezra nodded and wordlessly removed the camera and headlamp, but kept the wrist bracer comlink that Sabine had made for him on his wrist. He thought back on the SOS option she built in as well as the emergency tracker. She had put a lot of thought into this, and how she was able to put it together with just the stuff lying around the ship was impressive.
"I'll do that," Ezra said.
"Promise me, Ezra" Hera said, her green eyes peering hard at him.
"Yeah, of course," Ezra promised Hera. Hera's defense of Sabine had caught him off guard but he supposed Hera had her reasons. She wasn't just Space Mom to him after all.
"Sorry again," Hera said as she stepped away.
"I can handle Zeb," Ezra said, meaning what he said earlier. He didn't want Hera going Mama Bear for him. Or at least not for something like this.
But Hera laughed. "I meant about his snoring!"
"Oh right," Ezra said and arched an eyebrow at her. "Yeah that is pretty evil, Space Mom."
Her eyes widened, realizing that Ezra had bestowed her a nickname at last. And it was one she couldn't have been happier with. Seeing that light in her eyes had Ezra smiling as well.
"Put those tools up and go get yourself cleaned up. I'll let Sabine know you'll be dropping by for gunner training - knock first."
Ezra gave her a nod and then parted for the utility workbench. Hera went in the opposite direction, to inform Sabine and then do whatever else a ship's Captain was responsible for. Ezra imagined it had to be a long list.
Twenty minutes later he was cleaned up and in fresh clothes and standing outside Sabine's door, which ironically was the cabin directly across from him and Zeb's. Zeb hadn't been in the room which had been a nice change of pace. It gave Ezra time to think.
Hera had set most of his doubts to rest, but Ezra didn't miss that she evaded both Kanan and Sabine's involvement in "the vote." She didn't seem too worried about Kanan's reaction to such a line of questioning but given her fierce protectiveness of Sabine, Ezra knew he would have to handle that conversation with care.
And what did that say about Sabine? Ezra wondered as he raised his hand to knock on her door and announce himself. She wasn't scared of anything. Right?
"Whamu! Woot! Whamabam!"
"Shoo!" Ezra scolded Chopper who decided it fun to eavesdrop from the door leading to the cockpit. Chopper shot something back at Ezra, not that he understood anything that came out of that domed head of his.
Regrouping himself, Ezra gathered his wits and remembered Hera's words from earlier.
Knock first.
Ezra knocked on the door and waited a moment, then spoke. "Uh, Sabine? It's Ezra."
"One minute," he heard her say from the other side of the door.
"One minute," Ezra whispered and he looked back up the corridor to see that Chopper had rolled off somewhere else. Good riddance.
Continuing to wait, Ezra shivered. Fresh out of the shower and in clean clothes, despite being in the heart of the ship it was taking some getting used to how cold space could be. That would take some getting used to along with just how hard everything was around him.
The deck, the walls, the ceiling. He smirked, realizing he was now referring to the floor as a deck. At least that was going his way. But the hardness of the durasteel walls and bulkheads. He understood the reasoning, but it was just another thing to get used to.
The same could be said of the silence. He hadn't noticed it at first but now as he stood here in this hallway, it really hit him just how quiet a spaceship could be. He was used to sleeping in his tower and if he needed to go out and maybe look at the stars or hear the wind brushing across the plains it was just one doorway away.
It was taking some getting used to.
"Hey," Sabine said as the door to her cabin opened. As always she was in her armor albeit without her helmet, showing off her flashy blue hair with orange tips. He didn't know why but the color combination spoke to him. And then there was her olive skin and her eyes.
Stunning.
She cleared her throat and it was then that Ezra realized he had been staring. Well, he hoped it was staring and not gawking. His mouth was closed at least so that had to be a positive sign. What was he here for again?
"Hey," Ezra managed to get out and then something obtrusive filled his nostrils. "Oh," he said as his nose identified it. "Fresh paint?"
"My helmet," Sabine said. "I did my other armor pieces earlier. Nothing ruins art quicker than blaster fire."
"Oh yeah, I get that," Ezra said.
He absolutely did not get that but the thought of having to clean and paint over the carbon scoring from blaster fire sounded like a real pain to Ezra. He couldn't imagine how many times Sabine must have done it. He also wondered between that and all the artwork she must have decorating her wall space, did Sabine always smell like paint? Hmm, maybe she likes the smell of paint fumes?
Ezra grinned and took a deep breath. "Wow, that smell."
She coughed and looked away, her eyes focusing downward at the deck. "Yeah."
"It's just so you," Ezra said, and smiled broadly. When Sabine glanced up and saw his smile she studied it for a moment then rolled her eyes at his antics.
That wasn't the reaction Ezra was hoping for. And kriff, did I just make it all uncomfortable?
"Hera said you needed gun training. Let me grab a few things here and I'll meet you up in the dorsal turret." Before she turned to head back into her room she saw a look of confusion on his face. Sabine replayed her last sentence and then it hit her. "Right, first time aboard a spaceship. Dorsal means the top. Ventral means… You know what? Never mind. Just meet me at the top turret."
"Right!" Ezra exclaimed, smiling even wider. He so had this.
Fighting the urge to whistle Ezra headed backwards - aft! To a ladder leading to the top turret. Why she wanted to start him out here, Ezra didn't understand. The front turret when he first saw her take off her helmet was a lot more roomier. But then, maybe she didn't want roomier?
The teen liked that line of thought and began to whistle as he climbed the ladder and took his seat in the turret. As soon as he looked out the bubble transparisteel canopy his eyes widened. He had seen the blue tunnel of Hyperspace before but to see it everywhere he looked was something else entirely.
It was so vivid and enormous that it bathed the turret and Ezra himself in a soft blue light. But it seemed kind of odd. When he thought of turret training he didn't think they'd start out in Hyperspace. Could a turret even fire in Hyperspace?
As if on cue he heard a shift in the Ghost's engines and the blue tunnel disappeared and an even greater field of view greeted Ezra as the stars, too many to count, filled every square inch of the canopy. "Whoa," Ezra said, utterly mystified.
"Yeah," Sabine said as she swung up the ladder and then climbed up to join Ezra. There wasn't much room but Sabine found a ledge to lean against as she too looked at numerous fields of stars surrounding them. "In the future we'll do most of the training in the front turret but for your initial introduction it's important we begin here."
"Okay," Ezra said and he glanced from the beautiful stars to the turret control. "Nothing really to shoot at."
"Well we won't really be doing much shooting this session," Sabine said. "There's a few jobs Hera and Kanan are trying to line up so we have to get back into Hyperspace soon. But we have thirty minutes, which is enough time. Now, before we get started let's cover the basics."
"Okay," Ezra said and at last pulled his attention away from the stars and really big guns to look at Sabine.
"If I said this turret could turn a full 360 degrees, what does that tell you?"
"Oh," Ezra said and frowned. "360? Isn't that a hoverboard move when a guy on a ramp flies up and spins around?"
Sabine smiled in relief. "Yes! Exactly that. Okay and if a hoverboarder were to fly up and only spin halfway around, what would that be called?"
Silence. "Umm, I really don't know much beyond the 360 thing," Ezra said and looked downcast. He wondered if this was something kids his age who went through normal schooling were supposed to know. He felt Sabine's hand on his forearm and when she spoke her voice was gentle.
"Hey, I get it. No judging here. We'll take this step by step."
Ezra nodded but the ever present reminder that he wasn't as good, or even average, when it came to simple things like math stung at him. He knew it wasn't his fault. No teenage scavenger on a backwater planet with no parents or education could possibly understand the intricacies of space travel. It was ludicrous.
He wondered how it was that Sabine figured this out about him. He'd only told Hera, but then Sabine was pretty insightful. And he didn't make it a secret he was stealing to survive.
But at the same time Sabine wasn't pressing for answers but instead respecting Ezra's privacy. And boy if that didn't make him like her all the more.
"Okay, we'll keep the 360 degree hoverboard metaphor in mind," Sabine said, continuing the lesson. "What about if I said TIEs at twelve o'clock. Where would you turn the guns?"
Oh! This he knew!
"Directly ahead, the front - uh - bow of the ship!"
"Right!" Sabine said and patted him on the shoulder. "And six o'clock!"
"Well that's behind me. I've snuck into enough holo-cinemas to see plenty of vids about fighter battles."
"Good to know," Sabine grinned. "So like the face of a clock. If I'm in the cockpit looking at the sensor board and I'm picking up TIEs on the port - left - side of the ship. TIEs you can't see yet but I can because of the Ghost's sensors. Which direction would you turn the turret? And remember. Think like a clock."
"Okay," Ezra breathed and imagined the face of a clock. "Left side of a clock - so that would mean something like nine o'clock?" He turned to the left but the amount of stars in the sky was just a bit overwhelming.
He had a sudden memory from yesterday, sitting in the cockpit beside Hera waiting on the others when that feeling snuck up on him. That something was coming. And then exactly where he was looking the Star Destroyer appeared. Was that the Force?
"Ezra! Please pay attention."
"Can Jedi sense these things through the Force?" Ezra asked. When he saw Sabine tilt her head at hand he waved with his hands. "Before the Star Destroyer showed up, I sensed this feeling that something wasn't right. Something was wrong and I looked over at the - uh - one o'clock direction. And then a few moments later blam! Star Destroyer exactly where I was looking."
He focused on Sabine who had a thoughtful look on her face. "Well, I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen Kanan used his lightsaber. But I have seen him make some pretty impossible blaster shots. And he has feelings, gut feelings he would say, of dangers he couldn't possibly know. But then in a few moments that's exactly what happened. So maybe? Mandalorians and Jedi don't really mix."
"Mandalorian? That sounds so familiar." Ezra asked and he looked at Sabine, seeing her struggle to keep from laughing. "What? What did I say?"
"You have a lot to learn, Ezra, especially if you're going to become a Jedi. But for now? Let's stick to learning where to aim. So like you said one o'clock? If I said from the cockpit there were TIEs coming from two o'clock, where would you aim? Just point with your hand."
Ezra really wasn't sure where Sabine was going with this but he followed along and pictured the clock again in his head, then pointed to his right.
"Okay, but where specifically?" Sabine pressed.
"Oh, just somewhere over there," Ezra said and circled an area of space with his hand. The clock hands were simple but not really helpful. He would need more than twelve hands on a clock to know where to aim his gun. Especially if it was a matter of life or death with only seconds to act.
If Sabine was disappointed she didn't show it, in fact she looked almost as if she was expecting that answer. "Exactly. So if I said TIEs at 180 degree, or Point One-Eighty. Where would you turn the turret?"
Kriff. The 360 thing again. Well like Sabine said half of twelve was six. Ezra wasn't great at math but isn't half of 360, 180?
"Umm, directly behind me?" Ezra asked, though it was clear he was far from certain.
"Your six o'clock, exactly," Sabine nodded. "That's actually how we call out targets in space," Sabine said. "Because of just how massive it is, the gunners really do need to know where to look. So let's forget the clock for a second and imagine a compass."
Ezra grimaced. "I don't know how to use a compass."
"Well it's the same premise as a hoverboard. To spin around completely, that's a full 360 degrees." Sabine said and made a circle gesture. "Zero degrees being right in front. So if I said fighters mark Point Zero that would just mean dead ahead, which is probably what I would say. But if they fighters were a little way off to the left, halfway between twelve o'clock and three o'clock. That would be fighters Point Four-Five. Shorthand for 45 degrees - and I lost you again didn't I?"
Ezra winced. "Sorry," he mumbled.
"You'll get this," Sabine promised. "We'll work on your compass skills later. For now we'll stick to the twelve o'clock stuff. Okay?"
Ezra smiled and nodded. And then followed along with Sabine's instructions on how the gun itself worked. But as time passed he found himself beginning to dwell and his focus shifted. Zeb's words and Hera's non-answer haunting him. Sabien noticed and he felt something flick his ear.
Sabine!
"Hey-"
"Hey, yourself! Pay attention."
"Sorry, just distracted," Ezra said and crossed his arms in front of him.
Sabine was silent for a moment before saying something in some language he didn't know and shook her head. "I'm going to kick Zeb's ass when we're done here. This is about that stupid vote isn't it?"
"Hera," Ezra said in realization. "She told you?"
"She hinted at. Hinted Zeb had a big mouth and knew how to get under a person's skin. She was worried you'd be distracted."
Well she had him there. But it didn't change the fact that she sided with Zeb. Or was it Kanan?
"I sided with Zeb, initially," Sabine said once it became evident that there was no skating around the issue. "Kanan had the deciding vote."
"So it's true. You guys really were just going to leave me there!" Ezra exclaimed. He didn't mean to yell but this was just too much.
"Look around you, Ezra. If a Star Destroyer dropped out of hyperspace right now and was headed for us. What would you tell Hera to do? Charge in, headed directly for the hangars where the Imps are waiting and hope we're fast enough not to get blasted away by the Destroyer's gunners? Or would you think of another plan? A safer plan that would get not just you but all of us out of there alive."
"Is that what you think would happen?" Ezra asked testily. Kallus was confident they would come rescue him, and Ezra got the impression the Agent wouldn't order the Ghost's destruction. He wanted them - the Rebels - alive.
"No," Sabine said. "He would order the gunners to hit the engines until we were crippled. Then he'd just come in with a tractor beam and scoop us up." Sabine shook her head. "Maybe he'd let you go but Hera and Kanan and Zeb?"
"And you?" Ezra asked. "When we first talked you said the Empire did something to your family."
Sabine was quiet, thinking over her words carefully. "They did," she said at last. "And if they got their hands on me again it'd mean hell for not only my family but all Mandalorians. Zeb was a piece of osik for leaving you there. A coward. But we didn't find out until it was too late and we were already in Hyperspace and I'm sorry, Ezra. But I wasn't on board with Hera's plan of charging in and hoping for the best."
There was that word again, Mandalorian. Was that who Sabine was? And if so, why would she be following a Jedi around if 'Mandalorians and Jedi don't mix?' He recalled Hera's advice to go easy on Sabine. It was her plan after all and Ezra remembered the Imperials freaking out over how the Ghost snuck past their sensors, meaning the gunners weren't aware the Ghost was present until it was literally in the hangar.
'It was Sabine's plan.'
Maybe Sabine had a point. If she could figure out a way to sneak past all these super spaceship sensors, who knows what else she could be capable of doing. And if the Empire already knows about this? Ezra was tempted but got the distinct feeling that that was one of those subjects not to bring up with Sabine.
"Are we good?" Sabine asked.
"Almost," Ezra said and glanced at her, managing a small smile.
"We," Sabine began but paused and took a breath.
"I don't leave people behind."
The conviction in Sabine's voice spoke more than her words. These weren't just words to her. They weren't some slogan she picked up somewhere. This was something she believed all the way to her core. No, not just a belief. But a part of her. Part of her very identity.
Who are you?
"We wouldn't have left you, Ezra," Sabine reiterated. "Maybe Zeb would but not the rest of us. We'd have tracked you and when the time was right we'd have pulled you out."
Her words reminded Ezra of his meeting with the Imperial Agent. He had said they had planned to take him back to Lothal. He looked out of the transparisteel canopy and wondered. He heard horror stories of the firepower of those Star Destroyers. Enough to destroy entire cities.
Hera was all heart, which was something Ezra admired. But at the same time that has its downsides. If Hera's plan was a suicide run, then what was different with Sabine's?
"How'd you do it?" Ezra asked. "Not even the Imperials knew what was happening until the Ghost was landing in the hangar."
Sabine had a wry look on her face, amused at the question.
"And here I thought you wanted to fire a gun?"
Ezra leaned forward, took the controls, and squeezed the trigger shooting off several flashes of bright turbolaser fire!
"Cool," Ezra stated. And then both their comlinks lit up as the rest of the crew began shouting questions of who was attacking them.
The best part was Zeb exclaiming how he had been sleeping and when he heard the fire he jolted upward. Sitting up so fast he had hit his head on the bottom of Ezra's bunk in the cabin!
Sabine shot Ezra a scolding look but it was no use. The way the corner of her lips were fighting for control he knew she was just as on the verge of laughing as him.
"Spectre-5 here. Calm down everyone. Spectre-6 was just showing off."
"Damn kids," Zeb's voice said. There was some mild lecturing from Hera and Kanan but gradually the chatter stopped and then it was just Sabine and Ezra again.
"You enjoyed that," Sabine said flatly.
"I'll enjoy it more when there's more than just stars to shoot at. Now come on. How'd you do it? How'd you sneak the Ghost past the Star Destroyer's sensors?"
Sabine smiled and her eyes flashed with mischief.
"Well. I guess it was pretty cool."
"Everybody," Hera said over the Ghost's intercom. "We're thirty seconds out, Chopper double check Sabine's program. You guys okay down there?"
"If by okay you mean regretting leaving the kid behind? I do! I really do! Because this rescue plan is suicidal!" Zeb said.
"It's the only way," Sabine said. Zeb looked at the Mandalorian in disbelief but had nothing more to say.
Sabine already had her twin Wester blasters out and charged; as did Kanan and Zeb with their respective weapons. The Imperials were waiting for them. The odds of surviving a frontal assault were a thousand to one. Which meant whatever plan they came up with meant avoiding a frontal assault. And so the plan, and by plan it was hers and Hera's, there was really only one way to sneak a ship through a Star Destroyer's sensors in deep space.
"Twenty seconds!" Hera called down, no longer bothering with the intercom.
Kanan looked at Zeb and Sabine and nodded. Then looked up the ladder to the cockpit and yelled back. "We're set!"
"Well friends," Zeb said. He looked at the other two and sighed. If this was the end then at least he'd be dying amongst family. "Any last words?"
"We're doing the right thing," Kanan said. Sabine was grateful for her helmet to hide that smirk on her face. Ezra was right, such encouraging words from their wiseass Jedi leader.
"Ten, nine, eight…"
"Haat, Ijaa, Haa'it," Sabine said. Unable to understand her native tongue Zeb looked to Kanan.
"And that means?"
"It means hold on!" Kanan said. He gripped the ladder tightly as Zeb and Sabine found other handholds to brace for the rapid deceleration. Up in the cockpit Hera held her finger on the button that would run Sabine's automated program for this desperate stunt.
"Two! One! Execute!" Hera hollered and pressed down on the button.
Instantly the Ghost dropped out of light speed with a painful lurch that shoved Sabine up against the durasteel bulkhead of the cargo bay.
"EMERGENCY THRUSTERS!" Hera's voice shouted down from the cockpit. The Twi'lek did her best to keep Sabine and the others up to date while concentrating on not getting them killed.
"We're all gonna die!" Zeb cried, as anything not tied down in the cargo bay went flying about and causing damage. And not just in the cargo bay.
"So that's how the caf machine got broken," Ezra said at the conclusion of Sabine's retelling of their surprise landing in the Star Destroyer Lawbringer's lower hangar that led to his rescue. "And what was that that you said? Hat - something?"
"That's what you took away from the story?" Sabine asked. "The broken caf machine?"
"Cut me some slack," Ezra replied. "By now we both know I know about as much about hyperspace and lightspeed as I know about algebra."
Sabine sighed and nodded in consent.
"So," Ezra said and smiled at Sabine. "You were at lightspeed and wrote some sort of automated program to drop the ship out of lightspeed right before it slammed into the side of the Star Destroyer." When he saw Sabine's small smile Ezra shook his head in amazement. "But that was like thirty minutes after you left. How did you even know the Star Destroyer would be in the same place?"
"Well that was more of an educated guess," Sabine explained. "The biggest question was when exactly to drop out of lightspeed. Too soon we end up on their sensors and become target practice for their gunners. Too late and?"
Sabine just shrugged her shoulders. Ezra could tell she really didn't enjoy thinking of how slim the margin had been between success and her ship and family being destroyed.
"Some guess." Ezra said and then let out a long whistle, glancing at Sabine with wonder in his eyes.
"Quit it," Sabine said and lightly smacked his shoulder. "It's really not that complicated," Sabine said. "The Lawbringer had taken extensive damage. It had to still be in the system. While in Hyperspace I wrote the program and estimated where in the system we could drop out of Hyperspace without being detected by the Star Destroyer's sensors. Once in the system we powered down to avoid detection and once I had the Lawbringer's coordinates and heading I was able to calculate down to the tenth of a second where it would be - provided it didn't change course at the last second."
"That's still relying on a lot of luck." Ezra said, and his earlier tone of playfulness had disappeared. "If your calculations were the slightest bit off-"
"They weren't." The certainty in Sabine's voice left no room for doubting. "We fed the calculations into the computer, powered up, and made a quick hop into light speed before we were detected. When we dropped back out of light speed we had traveled to the other side of the system and sitting right underneath the Empire's nose."
Ezra blinked and shook his head at this, barely able to make sense of it all. "Right under the belly of the kriffin' Star Destroyer and outside of its sensors."
"I think the words you're welcome are what you're searching for," Sabine said, her tone short and defensive.
"Sorry I didn't mean it like that. Just a lot to learn, you know?" Ezra said at last. "Starboard is left and port is right. Forward and behind. Then all this other jargon like galley and deck and cabin. And now the Point 360 thing."
"Left is port, starboard is right," Sabine said and gave a small breathless laugh.
"See!" Ezra exclaimed befuddled.
"You'll get it," Sabine said with her own quirk of a smile. "Like starboard? Well just remember in the alphabet R for right is next to S which would be starboard."
Ezra blinked and tilted his head as he pondered her advice. "I think I can remember that. But there is one thing."
"Okay," Sabine said.
"I just wanted to know what those three words you said meant."
"Words I said to who?" Sabine said as she looked at Ezra for clarification.
"In the story you were telling me. Hera counting down the exit from lightspeed. Not knowing if you were going to live or die. Zeb shot his mouth off about last words before you died. And you said Hat- hat - something. Remember? "
"Haat, Ijaa, Haa'it," Sabine said at last. "It's a common phrase in Mando'a."
"Mando'a?" Ezra asked, his brow knit in both curiosity and frustration. He missed Sabine fighting back the urge to smirk as she watched Ezra continue to fumble his way through the pronunciation of the words from her native tongue. "Hat, Ichta. Hat?"
"Mandalorian," Sabine said, with a small smile. "Haat, Ijaa, Haa'it; it means Honor, Truth, and Vision."
And then it was as if a light bulb had gone off in Ezra's head.
"Mandalorian! You're a Mandalorian!" Ezra said and pointed excitedly at her armor.
"You figured that out just now?" Sabine asked.
"Well I've heard stories," Ezra said. "I thought it was a myth until I ran into two Mandalorians this one time. They were pretty serious and neither of them had armor like yours, Paintball. Somehow I get the feeling you're one of a kind." Ezra narrowed his eyes and tried again.
"Habitcha hat?"
Sabine snorted at that, half in amusement and half in derision. Though Ezra could tell she liked what he was saying. "Haat, Ijaa, Haa'it," Sabine repeated. "Truth, Honor, and Vision. Usually said when sealing a pact. Or in this case, final last words."
"Fitting," Ezra said, and tilted his head as he looked at her thoughtfully.
"I thought so," Sabine said, and gave him a smile before checking her chronos on her wrist bracer.
"I get it now," Ezra said quietly and Sabine lifted her eyes to his. Amber brown and azure blue. "Why you had such a hard time figuring out what to do. There was a lot more to that vote, and Zeb really twisted it around on me."
He paused, trying to collect his thoughts.
"I'm sorry for yelling earlier. You never would have left me behind unless there was absolutely no other choice."
"You didn't know." Sabine said and met his gaze with her own. The same way she looked at him when they discussed the hardship of handling directions. The same way when she asked him about his family.
The air was so thick with tension Ezra felt as though he was about to get zapped. But then as quickly as it had come Sabine dropped her gaze and cleared her throat.
"So dinner should be ready soon," Ezra offered.
"Yeah," Sabine agreed and winced. "Although I think it's Kanan's turn tonight."
"Yeah. Hera warned me. She also apologized for rooming me with Zeb given how he snores."
Sabine nodded but remained quiet, her thoughts still on the not-a-moment that she and Ezra had shared. The pair felt a bit of a lurch and the star of Realspace vanished as the Ghost entered Hyperspace once more, the faint blue glow filling the canopy turret.
Sabine cleared her throat and gestured to the turret and its controls. "I think we'll call that a wrap for today. What do you think?"
"Yeah," Ezra nodded. "Maybe I'll spend some time learning about compass stuff."
The Mandalorian grinned and made a scoot motion with her hands. Obliging her Ezra scooted out of the way. As Sabine climbed down the ladder Ezra gave it one last shot.
"Haat. Ijaa. Haa'it."
Sabine didn't reply, but he felt pretty confident he had gotten it right. He then wondered what other Mandalorian words he could learn.
And what was that she said about Mandalorians and Jedi? Not mixing?
Ezra took the seat at the top - dorsal - turret and looked around at the whirlwind blue and white river of Hyperspace. His mind was a jumble of thoughts, mostly centered around the enigma that was Sabine.
'I don't leave people behind.'
The Lothalite street rate gave up any further thoughts. He didn't have anything else to do at the moment, so he just sat there in the turret and took some time out for himself.
Nothing would beat the sunrise over the golden plains of Lothal. Or the two pale moons in its bright night sky. But views like this? Definitely a close second.
Time continued to pass until his comlink beeped and Kanan called the crew to dinner. Giving the beautiful blue one last glimpse, Ezra climbed down the ladder and hoped that Kanan's cooking wasn't as bad as everyone was making it out to be.
An hour later, nestled in the middle of the common room's comfy bench with a dejarik board in front of him, Ezra reflected on Kanan's "dinner." They were all wrong. There weren't words to describe what Kanan had cooked.
It was glorious. The only downside was when Hera slapped Ezra's hand and not so subtly hinted at him to slow down and chew his food. It looked like he would have more than just spaceship maintenance, turbolasers, and Jedi stuff to learn.
'It has everything you need to keep a body strong,' Kanan had insisted as Ezra helped himself to seconds. Seconds! 'Go ahead Ezra, eat as much as you need. You're going to need it.'
Everyone had nodded their heads in reluctant agreement, except for Ezra. His nod was jubilation. Afterward when Ezra passed Hera she whispered not to worry. She'd make sure tomorrow's dinner would be something special.
'Thanks, Space Mom,' Ezra said, and smiled at how Hera's eyes lit up again at his nickname for her.
Still Ezra didn't see what was so bad about Kanan's cooking. Maybe he'd change his mind the more he was introduced to other foods the galaxy had to offer. Until then his mind was occupied elsewhere, and not on the dejarik game he was currently engaged in Zeb with.
And badly losing, which was no surprise. Ezra was still learning the names to all the pieces let alone strategy. And despite Zeb's promise to go easy there was no missing the glee he took every time he captured one of Ezra's pieces.
That glee came to a full stop when Sabine sat down next to Ezra and began "advising" him on what moves to make with his pieces. That had taken the wind out of Zeb's sails and it wasn't long until the Lasat's lead was diminished and things were evened up again.
Good food. Kicking Zeb's ass. Good company. Traveling the stars. Ezra could get used to this. Except for just that one last thing.
He had talked to most of the crew today, but there was still one nagging doubt. Unfortunately the only person who could settle it had been busy in the galley cooking and was now occupied with a datapad. Hunting down jobs if Ezra had to guess.
"Karabast! Enough, I resign," Zeb grumbled and stood from the table. He looked as if he had a few other things he wanted to say but one sharp look from Hera told him to zip it.
"G'night all," Zeb said and left the room, headed to his bed.
"Does he really snore that bad?" Ezra said, to no one in particular.
"Like a herd of Bantha," Sabine said and shook her head.
"Whaipaa! Woot! Baah!"
"You'll adjust," Hera said soothingly, pointedly ignoring whatever Chopper had said.
"It'll be good training," Kanan added as he continued to look for work.
Ezra didn't think finding work would be that hard at first. But the more Hera explained the more difficult their position was. There was plenty of work and the crew had no qualms about smuggling or stealing, especially when it came to the Empire.
But exactly the "what" of which they were to be stealing was the problem. Slaving. Spice. And apparently there had been some arguments over weapon smuggling too, though Ezra had a hard time seeing what weapons would be so bad to cause turmoil.
If the end goal was to make life hard on the Imps and better for people on worlds like Lothal, then was there really a line too far?
"Whata! Whoop!"
"I don't think so, Chopper." Sabine shook her head. "Maybe once Ezra has gotten the hang of the game."
Ezra frowned. What was so bad about playing Chopper?
"I'm off to bed," Kanan said and rose from the chair he had been sitting in.
"Excuse me," Ezra said to Sabine and squeezed his way out from where he was sitting and hurried to catch up with Kanan.
He had to know.
Ezra caught up to Kanan just as the Jedi was about to enter his cabin. He stopped when he saw Ezra's arrival and let out a breath. "Look. I know I'm not the best cook. So if you were trying to spare my feelings there was no need."
"Huh?" Ezra said and frowned. "Anything is good compared to what I've been getting by on."
Kanan visibly winced and turned to go but Ezra had to know.
"Did you really want me here? Or is it just because of the Force?" When Kanan hadn't answered for several moments Ezra pushed ahead. "You said either I could stay on Lothal or come with you and learn to be a Jedi."
"I did," Kanan said.
"Well what if I don't want to be a Jedi?" Ezra asked. It wasn't true. And Hera made clear that she would've offered Ezra a place here Force or no Force. But with Kanan it was different.
Did his "Master" really want him here? Or was it solely because of his potential to be a Jedi?
"Search your feelings, Ezra." Kanan said.
"What?" Ezra asked, his nose wrinkling.
Kanan shook his head. "When you're strong enough in the Force, you'll know the answer. Get some sleep. We'll have work to do."
A moment later Ezra was left alone in the corridor and wondering about what Kanan had said. Or maybe it was more what Kanan had NOT said? Neither was exactly helpful.
"Goodnight, Ezra," Hera said as she entered the corridor and stood at the door opposite Kanan's, her cabin.
Reluctantly Ezra nodded and headed to his own cabin, or rather one he shared with kriffin' Zeb. Really? What was Hera expecting? With a shake of the head Ezra entered and was immediately greeted by a symphony of snorts, groans, and loud breathing from the slumbering Lasat.
Bantha was right, Ezra thought as he climbed the smaller ladder that took him to the top bunk. Furball might have a new nickname soon.
Resting on his back, Ezra stared up at the ceiling as his mind went over everything that had happened so far. As well as what was still yet to come.
He tried doing what Kanan said. Reaching out with the Force or searching his feelings or whatever Jedi mumbo jumbo he was supposed to be able to do. After several long minutes Ezra had his answer.
"Bantha Furball," Ezra decided and closed his eyes.
The Lasat snored on but Ezra was determined.
He would meet this challenge. Meet it and succeed.
Five minutes later Ezra had stripped the bedding and buried his head between the pillow, blankets, and covers. At long last the snores had reached tolerable levels.
Yup, totally on my way to being a Jedi.
End Note: Hey all, Saranac here. Don't worry I'll let Hondo have his usual spiel in a moment. I just wanted to say thank you for all of the wonderful comments. They are encouraging and most appreciated. This was one of those Interlude chapters I've spoken of, and when appropriate there will be more as the story progresses and I hope they make a nice compliment with the rest of the story.
Once I had this chapter outlined I realized that it would be longer than the others, there was a lot of ground to cover and thoughts to consider. It's also the first chapter that isn't based on an episode. I've gotten some feedback of the similarities between my work and the show itself, which has some truth. But my intention was always for this story (my head canon) to have a similar origin and then slowly diverge more and more as the characters develop and the story progresses. Also for this chapter I've returned largely to Ezra's Point of View to cover some plotholes that were never addressed in the series itself. And should I strictly stick with Ezra's POV or bounce around a bit? Please let me know in your comments.
Lastly, this is for all the digital artists. Thank you for your offers, I am glad I've inspired so many but I already have someone who will be doing the cover art for this story. And if my story is inspiring you to create fanart and you would like me to link it (and it is appropriate for the story's rating) then message me and I'll be happy to link it and promote you and your work. Just be sure to include the appropriate disclaimers. However I won't be reaching out for any paid commissions. I'm not unsympathetic. I know what it's like to be a struggling artist, I've been with one for many years now.
I hope each of you enjoyed this chapter. Next week we'll be back with Rebel's next episode. Oh, and here's Hondo…
Hmm, Hondo thinks he has worked out his existential crisis. Hopefully it will not happen again! Ah! But you See? See the things that get left out in the CEU's "Rebels" animated series? Well not in Uncle Hondo's story! The move Mando Girl made with light speed and sneaking up on the Star Destroyer! Oh how Uncle Hondo applauds! And Uncle Hondo very much enjoyed writing this chapter, though you will understand why I skipped over Jedi Master Jarrus' cooking. It is not that it's bad, it's just difficult to get down - I mean write down! So intricate, yes? Oh and poor Ezra! To be roomed with a snoring Bantha! Especially when the one his heart most desires is right across the hall! Don't worry dear Mira. Your mother and father will figure it out! But right now your father is just a bit lacking when it comes to understanding the heart of his love. And not only him! From what Hondo can tell, your mother too has trouble understanding what her own heart desires. But have no fear, dear Mira. All will come together in due time, Uncle Hondo promises you! Now unless Hondo is mistaken there is a profit to be made from the selling of some droids! Yes? Yes! Our next adventure awaits!