Set during season four (During 'Heroes of Mandalore')
Summary – Sabine undergoes an emotional experience alongside Ezra as he helps her to finally reunite and reconnect with her father after years apart... (BF/GF)
In the past day, many great and weighty events had taken place. It had begun as a simple rescue mission, the aim of which was to save Sabine's father from the clutches of the Empire. Battles were won, and lost, and the nightmares of her past returned once again to haunt the Mandalorian rebel. But with the help of her friends, and her family, she overcame these evils, destroying the weapon that she had unwittingly created so many years before. A number of brave Mandalorian freedom fighters had fallen to the Duchess during its demonstration, but by sheer luck alone, Sabine's family had avoided the blast. One might assume now that everything was resolve, but the whole experience had brought to light a stark realisation for Sabine; she could not lead the fight for Mandalore. Instead she left that mantle to Bo Katan, and her blood family, preparing to honour the vows she'd made to the Rebellion and once again fight alongside the Spectres. All that remained was the farewell, but that was the hardest part. How do you say goodbye to a family that you're terrified of losing but forced to leave? This very question was preventing Sabine from getting to sleep, no matter how hard she tried...
Sabine laid on her bunk, eyes wide open, with her hands behind her head, just staring up at the ceiling as if it would grant her answers. The crew were leaving for Yavin 4 in the morning, she'd have a few minutes to say her farewells and then she likely wouldn't see her family again in person for months, maybe years. She had worked so hard to rebuild the bonds she'd broken when escaping the imperial academy years ago, worked so hard to reconnect with her family. Maybe if there was no Empire, no all-consuming fight, then she'd stay on Mandalore forever. But that was a fantasy, real life was tough and unforgiving, it always had been. With a shake of her head, Sabine let out a long and exasperated sigh, realising in dismay that she wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. It was just one of those nights, it didn't matter how exhausted she was, her mind was just too active. Rubbing the dishevelled hair away from her eyes, she glanced over at a nearby clock, disheartened when she saw that it was almost three in the morning. She stood up with a stretch, and quickly got dressed into her armour, intending to take a walk outside of the Mandalorian camp and clear her thoughts. Little did she know, she was not the only one losing sleep that night...
The force works in mysterious ways, Ezra had lost count of how many times he'd been taught that. It was such a vague statement, used to describe any irregularity connected to the force, and in times gone by it had irritated the young Jedi. But he was a little older now, perhaps even a little more mature, and he understood that nothing was certain with the force. It was the oldest concept in the galaxy, studies for millennia by Jedi and Sith alike, and yet it was still almost completely a mystery. Tonight, though, the force had decided to keep Ezra from sleeping, giving him horrific visions that he could only hope weren't premonitions. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw a shining figure, cloaked in white light, standing against an army of shadow. He didn't know how, but he sensed that the figure was a Jedi, and for some reason he felt an emotional connection towards them, even though he couldn't discern their features, much less recognise them. And every time, the vision ended with the Jedi falling to an explosion. Ezra kept telling himself that it was the product of an over-active imagination, but in his gut he was sure that the force was trying to tell him something. Regardless, he too had found himself devoid of sleep, and had also walked out into the cool breeze of the Mandalorian night to take his mind off things. In no particular hurry, he strolled out away from the camp, ensuring that he would not wake anyone else up. And each step faded away as his mind wandered into thoughts of the vision once again.
Ezra did not know how far he had walked, or for how long. He could have been strolling for two minutes, or an hour, he had been in such a trance that he couldn't tell the difference. The dawn had not yet arrived, though, so he still had time to kill. He stopped when he reached a series of small stone pillars, naturally formed but reaching a perfect height to act as training dummies. With a small smile, he unclipped the lightsaber from his belt and ignited its emerald blade in the night. And then, he trained. He span on his feet, carrying the blade skilfully through the air so that it darted between the rocks, never actually slicing into them. His body flowed like a dance that he'd done a thousand times, beginning with a pirouette before darting forwards in an attack stance. He fought a hundred invisible foes, completely entranced by his own movement, and began to imagine that the rocky pillars were stormtroopers. One by one he slashed through them, elegantly slicing the lightsaber through rock with a hiss. Within seconds, all of the pillars were gone, sliced into pebbles on the ground as Ezra stood panting above them.
"They fought valiantly, but in the end they were no match for the mighty Ezra Bridger!" a familiar voice shouted through the night. Ezra turned in shock, his face softening as he locked eyes with Sabine. She was stood a few metres behind him, her arms folded as if she'd been watching the entire display. The Jedi deactivated his lightsaber, catching his breath before crafting his reply.
"Do you often watch me train? I guess you like to see these muscles at work" he joked, pulling an embarrassing pose that caused her to shake her head with a grin.
"I guess I do" she answered with a smile, and the two tightly wrapped their arms around one another. They shared a close embrace for several seconds, eventually separating with warm hearts and genuine smiles.
"You know, there was a time you'd have denied liking me" Ezra commented, thinking back to the days when he'd hopelessly flirt with his Mandalorian friend, only to be shrugged off repeatedly.
"Not anymore" she answered sincerely, causing him to slowly nod his head. They shared a different relationship now, much closer than friends. In their shyness and hesitation, they hadn't really put a label on what they had, but everybody else knew. They were a couple, and they always had each other's backs.
"So...you can't sleep either, huh? What's bothering you? Is it to do with your family?" Ezra questioned, assuming that the fact they were leaving for Mandalore imminently was causing Sabine some stress. He was right, of course. Even without the force, he could always sense what was wrong, and he always knew what to say.
"You guessed it. I don't know what to say to them, Ezra. It might be the last time I see them in years...I just...I don't want to leave with any regrets" Sabine answered, sitting down on the ground with a sigh. Ezra understood her at once, there were so many things he wished he'd gotten the chance to say to his parents before they were taken. Granted he was only eight at the time, but he was sure he'd give anything for a chance to see them again, one last time.
"I don't think your family would want you losing sleep over it. I'm sure if there's something you want to say, you'll say it. You don't need to plan a speech" the Jedi remarked, sitting down next to her and putting an arm over her shoulder. He gently pulled her closer, their heads resting atop one another as they looked out over the rocky dunes of Mandalore.
"I know, it's just...what if I forget something? You may have noticed that I have a...let's say fiery temper. I do things, I don't think about the consequences. I don't want to rush through this farewell, and regret not saying something later" Sabine explained, causing Ezra to snort slightly when she mentioned her temper. He quickly turned serious again when he realised she needed comforting.
"I understand...but I think when you're stood there, looking up at your family, you'll know what to say. Besides, I'm sure we can set up an encrypted channel on the holo-net for you to talk to them. I know it isn't the same, but still, it's something" he said. Sabine remained silent, but soon let out a long and contented sigh.
"Thank you" she said simply and in a soft voice, causing Ezra to smile widely. Getting Sabine to open up was often so difficult, it always made him feel good to know that he'd helped.
"Anytime 'Bine" he answered. The two of them remained sat there for a long time, neither of them bothering to check how close the dawn really was. Both of them were comfortable enough to wait until sunrise before heading back if need be, they didn't need nice beds or a roof over their heads, they just needed each other.
"What about you? Why were you out here?" Sabine asked eventually, not wanting to dwell solely on her own problems. Ezra had helped her, and she wanted to try her best to help him too.
"Oh-uh, well it was nothing really. Force stuff, nothing major" the Jedi stuttered in response, he was in no particular rush to talk about his troubling dreams.
"You've been having visions again, haven't you?" Sabine concluded within seconds. Ezra couldn't help but chuckle at that, she was always so quick to discover him.
"You sure you're not force sensitive? You always know what I'm thinking. Ah...it was nothing major...a vague dream of what looked like a Jedi dying. I can't explain it but I felt like I knew the figure, even though I couldn't see his face. I'm sure it's nothing, just overthinking things" he explained in full, he had no desire to hide anything from Sabine now that she'd figured him out anyway. The Mandalorian remained silent for a moment, clearly thinking about how best to respond. As always, though, she came out with smart advice.
"Ezra...we face deadly danger every day. I'm sure it was a horrible vision to have to watch, but every second we're out there fighting the Empire could be our last. You can't be fixated on visions like this or you'll lose focus. I'm not a Jedi, I-I don't really know how I can help...just...don't let dreams like this consume you. It was nightmare, nothing more" she stated, causing Ezra to think deeply. Sabine was right, of course, they did face danger every single day. There was no guarantee that this vision was a premonition, it was probably just a nightmare. The Jedi and the explosion was no doubt just the latest in the long line of tricks that Ezra's mind was playing on him, as worthless as the others.
"You're right...thanks. We...we should probably head back now, shouldn't we?" Ezra suggested, he didn't want to leave Sabine's side but the sky certainly seemed to be looking a little less dark than it did a minute ago. Sabine shuffled closer to him.
"In a minute" she whispered.
The morning came, and the rebel duo swiftly returned to the Ghost shortly before dawn to prepare themselves. They each took quick showers, getting dressed again as if they'd had a full night's sleep. And before she knew it, it was time for Sabine to bid farewell to her family. A golden glow shone over her as the sun began to rise in the distance. Sabine stood on the docking ramp of the Ghost, flanked by the Spectres with her family assembled in front of her. She took a deep breath, nodding her head and calmly approaching Tristan.
"Look after yourself, little brother. I'll miss you..." she stated simply, not bothering with a long speech to convey her emotions. Tristan had considered saying something witty, but when met with Sabine's heartfelt sentiment, he found himself unable to speak and simply nodded. Sabine then moved across to her mother, hugging her tightly for a moment before separating again.
"Be safe out there, Sabine. Give the Empire hell and...if you ever need us, you know where we'll be..." Ursa said, lowering her cold demeanour for a moment and revealing the loving mother that existed beneath the freedom fighter.
"I will...and I promise, when all this is over...I'll come back" Sabine replied, provoking a nod from her mother. Both of them had to prevent themselves from crying, and scarcely managed to do so. With another deep breath, Sabine finally moved in front of her father, who carried that consistent warm smile of his. She was going to miss that smile.
"Sabine...you have made me so proud. And I know that you'll continue making me proud, wherever the Rebellion takes you. You have your mother's ferocity and her loyalty, and I'm sure you'll become a far better artist than I could ever hope to be. Go...and know that I'll always be thinking of you" Alrich promised, causing Sabine to stutter. The tears that she'd held back so far welled in her eyes, and she couldn't help but cry a little as she looked up at her father's face. She hugged him tightly, and he embraced her in response, and then they shared one final nod before Sabine boarded the Ghost once again. As Sabine disappeared into the depths of the ship, Alrich put his arm around Ursa, both of them so unimaginably proud of who they're daughter had grown up to be. Ezra, still stood on the docking ramp, gave one last small smile towards Alrich, who nodded in return, before the ship took off. And with one final blast of the engines, the Ghost soared into the early morning sky, leaving Mandalore for the last time in a long time.
Minutes passed, and the Ghost continued to zoom through hyperspace, now set to autopilot by Hera. With a casual stroll, Ezra walked down the main corridor of the ship, unsure what to do with himself. Everybody seemed to be busy with something; Zeb was playing dejarik with Kanan, Chopper and Hera were busy with minor repairs in the cockpit, and Sabine...well Ezra hadn't seen Sabine since they'd taken off from Mandalore. He frowned, suspecting that his soulmate may have taken the farewells of her family quite badly. He presumed she'd be curled up in her cabin, closing herself off from everybody else, but he was very wrong. When he reached the dormitories, he saw her stood outside his, a pleasant smile on her face. She didn't seem to be depressed at all, in fact she seemed quite jovial. Of course, Ezra was happy that she was happy, but he couldn't help but wonder why.
"Ezra...there you are. Listen, I wanted to say thank you, for all of your help last night. I've always known that I can rely on you, but you always surpass expectations. You're the best...boyfriend...that I could ever wish for...thanks" she remarked as he approached. His heart stopped at that final statement, 'boyfriend'? They had never truly decided what they were to one another, of course they'd kissed and shared romantic moments but they'd never wanted to lock themselves into anything specific. Ezra felt overrun with joy as Sabine, his girlfriend, smiled so genuinely at him. They shared a brief kiss in the hallway, cementing their relationship, before embracing one another tightly. And as they separated, Sabine walked away, probably to go and paint to take her mind off things. As she walked away, Ezra watched her, beaming widely. See you around, girlfriend...