Star Wars Rebels: Teenage Response

Relations

Ezra walked outside, his hands in his pockets and his eyes looking at his feet. He felt terrible, and didn't feel he could sink any lower.
"Damn it, Sabine..." He cursed. "...I'm sorry..."
Talking about Ketsu in such a way really plucked a nerve in the girl, and sent her into a fit of rage, screaming at him to leave her alone...it made him feel bad. He just wanted...to lie down and cry. But he couldn't do that, he was stronger than that.
"She'll get over it..." He hoped. "We've been through too much to just hate each other now"
Ezra supposed that he needed to stop being so concerned about his place in Sabine's life...yes, he would like to be her boyfriend...but did he feel he MUST be? His force-bond with her was telling him that he had to be, but Ketsu was the only obstacle in their way.
"Sabine would be happier with me" He told himself. "I know she would be"
What if Ketsu understood that? Would she be willing to...step aside? Let things be the way they were meant to? Or would she resist? Ezra had a strong feeling it would be the latter.
"Ketsu is a sad individual, she has no one except Sabine...she'd never be willing to give her up"
He couldn't let himself get eaten away by such a subject, not right now. He had to pass some time and not think about Sabine...he decided that he would talk to this Rook Kast, the Mandalorian who had called out his name after surprising the Rebellion with her presence at the base.
"I'm not repeating the predicament I went through when the last Mandalorian bounty hunter got me" He promised to himself.
That would be quite embarrassing...and he believed Sabine wouldn't be as committed to rescuing him a second time, not with how she may feel about him right now.

Ezra entered the holding cell area, where two Mandalorians were sat silently. Fenn Rau had been here for a while now, but he didn't mind for as long as his capture was kept secret...for as long as they did that, the Empire wouldn't swarm all over Concord Dawn's colonies.
Rook Kast looked up at the boy when he entered, and stood up. She approached the metal bars and looked down at him.
"Ezra" She greeted friendlily. "Have you come to check on me? How sweet of you"
Ezra thought back. Did he meet this woman before? During one of his cons on Lothal, perhaps? No...he certainly would've remembered armour like that.
"Do I know you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
She shook her head and chuckled.
"No, but I know a bit about you" She told him. "Just a little. You're pretty important to me, here"
"Are you a bounty hunter?" He interrogated. "Have you come for me? For Sabine? I saw you eyeing her"
The Mandalorian seemed to pause in time briefly at the mention of the girls name.
"No, but I work for someone that you know of" She explained. "I'm not gonna hold too many secrets from you of all people here. I'll make it brief: I'm here for the holocron...I know you have it"
Ezra's eyes widened. The holocron? She knew of it!? But...the only people who could know that was the Empire...then that must mean...
"You're with the Empire!?" He questioned accusingly.
In the cell next to Rook's, Fenn Rau laughed and stood up. He approached the metal bars and smiled at the boy.
"An Imperial? No..." He put his concern to rest. "She's Deathwatch. I'll spare you the details, you don't know your Mandalorian history...but all you need to know is that whatever she's telling you is a lie"
Rook glanced at Fenn Rau and shook her head.
"Deathwatch are long gone, Rau" She told him. "Soon the Protectors will join them...do you really think the Empire will allow us to continue existing in the long run? We Mandalorians are simply too-"
"You're not a Mandalorian!" He interrupted. "You and the other girl are both dar'mandas! You can say all you want about Deathwatch, I know they aren't gone...they're just biding their time, we never destroyed them completely..."
Fenn Rau dared the splinter group to attempt anything against the Empire, or the Protectors. If they did, it would mean war and he would have the permission to finish them off once and for all. If he could take all their members with them, that would be fine with him too.
"Why do you hate Sabine so much?" Ezra asked, looking at Rau with an annoyed expression. "She's as true as a Mandalorian can be, what's your problem with her?"
The man chuckled. Oh, how ignorant the boy sounded...
"Your friend is under House Vizsla, she admitted it herself" He told him. "And everyone knows that House Vizsla are nothing but terrorists who brought upon Mandalores downfall by bringing the Empire upon us...there were even rumours that they allowed an outsider to become our Mand'alor, if only temporarily..."
In his eyes, they were ALL traitors.
Rook looked at him blankly through her helmet, before folding her arms and shaking her head.
"House Vizsla and Deathwatch were two separate things, you fool" She ridiculed him. "The House had many peaceful clans under them, they weren't ALL terrorists...Deathwatch was merely for the extremists, and it just so happened that Governor Pre Vizsla himself was a member"
"Of course you would defend them!" Rau snarled. "What House were you then? Vizsla I'll bet..."
She did not answer. She didn't owe him an answer. Rook ignored him and turned to face Ezra again.
"Listen Ezra...I can help you" She told him, crouching before him. "I'm here for the holocron, if you bring it to me? I can bring you to where I came from, and in return I'll offer full support from my allies to help you here...trust me, they're resourceful..."
Ezra seemed conflicted. He had the holocron on him right now...but it belonged to him. He believed knowledge of the ancient Sith was more valuable than any amount of supplies Rook could throw at the Rebellion.
"It's simple: come with me, with the holocron" She repeated her offer, more clearly and more simplified. "You can come back here if you want, if you don't feel comfortable..."
No, that would be too easy. There had to be some catch...
"I don't believe you" Ezra rejected her. "You want more than for me to just give you the holocron...why do you want me to go with you? Why should I go with you? I don't even know you!"
She nodded. He was right, he didn't know her a bit.
"Yes, it sounded unreasonable to me too when I was told what I was meant to do here..." She agreed with a sigh. "You're not dumb, Ezra...I can see that. But...think about it. I promise you, no harm will come to you...it's all in my Lords wishes"
By who was her lord? Ezra asked, but was told it was the one question she couldn't answer...not here. However, she assured him that he would want to meet them.
"I'm curious too, actually" Rau said. "Who leads Deathwatch now, traitor? Pre Vizsla is dead...so who took his place? Or are you all a little unorganised right now?"
As the two adults engaged in an argument once again, Ezra left them. He was left with even more conflicted thoughts than he was when he went in...it was beginning to get overwhelming.
"Give her the holocron and she takes me to her leader?" Ezra repeated her offer in his head. "How...how do I benefit from this at all?"
Screw that, no way was Ezra accepting an offer by someone clouding all their words with secrets. He'd much rather stay here, with the safety of his friends. What good would a holocron do a bunch of Mandalorians anyways? They weren't able to read it...the only logical option for them was to sell it. Or did they know something he didn't?
"Doesn't matter, I'm not talking to her again" He told himself.
When he returned to the Ghost, he saw Kanan outside his room. The man sensed his Padawan's presence, and turned to face him. Ezra could see that he was...displeased.
"Ezra..." He said quietly. "We need to talk"
And his heartbeat thumped rapidly, as he could tell what he wished to discuss.