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kyoshiwarrior1997 · 2 months

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SABEZRA DAY 2024

Prompt: Speaking Love Language/Free

@sabezraweek

*My AU; Ezra looks to communicate his feelings in a way Sabine will instantly understand. If only his sources of guidance weren’t butting heads.*

“This right?”

“Almost. It needs a bit more of a curve around…here.”

“That’s exactly where you pointed last time.”

“And it’s not right yet.”

“Why didn’t you say so before?”

“Do you want my help or not?”

“I’m seriously starting to wonder if I do!”

Throwing up his hands, Ezra marched away from the work bench, resisting the urge to smack the other man in the mouth. He had been working on this for the past week, every second of his precious little spare time dedicated to making it perfect. When preparing a gift for the woman you love, you naturally feel compelled to make sure it is just that. On paper, consulting someone familiar with the designs you are tying to replicate would be an ideal situation.

In practice, the fact that the only one available is the brother of the object of your affection, a brother who seems to relish in being as annoying as possible, makes the situation a bit more complicated.

Tristan laughed at Ezra’s dramatic distress. “If it makes you feel any better, it’s a lot closer than it was when you started.”

“Yeah?” Ezra replied sharply, “Well maybe, next time, get the big details right on correction #1, not #17.”

“I didn’t correct it that many times.” Tristan protested.

Ezra rolled his eyes. “Wanna bet? I’ve been keeping track.”

“What’s all the commotion?”

Turning to the new voice, Ezra saw three men walking into the rec room. One of them, garbed in a pilot’s fighter jacket, was only familiar to Ezra by reputation. The other two, a second Mandalorian in blue armor and an officer with a dashing cape across his shoulders, were far better known.

“Hey, Lando, Rau.” Ezra greeted his friends. He turned to the other two. “Lt. Janson, right?”

“That’s me, sir.” The pilot responded with a light salute.

“At ease, at ease.” He turned back to Lando. “Not much. Tristan’s just being difficult.”

“For the love of-“

“Relax, Tristan,” Fenn Rau reprimanded the younger Mandalorian. “You should know better than to be baited by his teasing by now.” Rau turned to the bench. “Ah,” he realized, “still working on this little pet project for Sabine?”

“If I meet Master Wren’s exceptional standards,” Ezra flamboyantly gestured to a pouting Tristan, “it should be done soon.” He held up his work for the others to see. “What do you guys think?” he asked.

Lando nodded. “Not bad. Though I think working on it out here in the open might be risky. In my experience, the best gifts come with an element of surprise.”

Rau groaned. “Really, Calrissian?”

“Just giving him some pointers.”

Janson snorted loudly. “From you? That’s rich.”

“Like you’re one to talk,” Tristan shot back. “Wasn’t it that Mirialan on Onderon that you scared off by eight parsecs?”

Janson’s face went red. “it was one time, Wren, one-“

“Okay, enough.” Ezra cut in before an argument about Wes Janson’s love life could break out. “And to answer your question, Lando, don’t worry. Everyone in this room is sworn to secrecy.” He turned to the far side to the man in commando fatigues watching a holodrama. “Isn’t that right, Dameron?”

Dameron paused his show and raised a hand. “Silent as the grave, Commander!”

Sadly, Ezra’s attempt to avert conflagration were futile. Janson regained a measure of his flair and turned to the commando. “Oh,” he said in a slow, sarcastic tone. “So he rejects our sage advise, but turns to you?”

Dameron got up at the challenge. “He doesn’t ask anything. If he did, though, I’d happily offer him tips.”

“Oh, so you’re an expert on romance?”

“Well, considering I’m the only one in this room who’s married, yeah, I’d say I am.”

“So what? I’d actually be able to-“

“He didn’t want Calrissian’s schmoozing tips,” Rau cut in, “why would he want yours?”

“Schmoozing?” Lando blurted out in mild offense. “I’ll have you know-“

“Oh, give it a rest.”

“I don’t see you adding anything, Wren.”

“Maybe because I don’t have anything to compensate for.”

“Why you little-!”

Whatever the conversation had turned to was thankfully muffled once Ezra slid the door to the rec room shut. He considered putting the project on himself for a little extra filtering.

“Romantic advise isn’t that helpful tonight, is it?”

Turning around with a jolt, Ezra instinctively hid his gift behind his back, but relaxed when he saw the Twi’lek standing there. He let out an exasperated breath. “You have no idea.”

“You’d be surprised.” Hera grinned. She turned to look at what Ezra was holding. “So that’s what you’ve been slipping out to work on.”

Ezra nodded and looked down at it. “I wanted to do something up her own alley, you know? Show her how I feel in a way she can understand the best.”

Hera looked at the gift. “I think it’s beautiful.” She smiled warmly. “Sabine’s going to love it.”

“You sure?”

Hera shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Positive. Besides,” she murmured as she walked off, “it’s not like she can’t already read you like a datapad.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll see.”

Ezra just shrugged.

A few hours later, there was a knock on the door to Sabine’s cabin. Setting her airbrush down, she walked over to answer. She was greeted by the sight of her smiling boyfriend, who was holding a hastily wrapped mass in his hands.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” she answered brightly. She gestured to the package. “What’s that?”

“Let me in and I’ll show you.”

“Hmmm,” Sabine mused, “I don’t know. Strange men coming to my door bearing unexpected gifts. I think my mother warned me about such things.”

Ezra’s face warmed a bit. “Strange? Lady Wren, I must protest.”

Sabine let out a laugh. “Come on, get in here.”

Regaining his composure, Ezra smiled and strode into Sabine’s quarters, the door closing behind him. The two sat on her bunk and Ezra passed her the present.

“Go on,” he said. “Open it.”

Normal, Sabine would have been happy to play hard to get. Even all these years later, that light teasing they engaged in hadn’t faded away. Experience often allowed one to see things others would not be able to perceive so easily, and the two of them had a knack for wrapping their earnest remarks in layers of sass, a little puzzle to piece through. Now though, her curiosity got the better of her. She quickly tore the flimsi off in one swipe.

Her eyes widened at the sight before her. It was a shoretrooper helmet, but decidedly non-regulation. The tan helm was now a vivid magenta, with blue markings along the jowels and orange stripes across the nose. The forehead was adorned with a pair of purple arches, with a bright green spot right in the middle. It took only a few seconds for her to recognize the markings. The Nite-Owl, just as what her own helmet bore. And looking closer at the blue markings, she saw them clearly. The jaig eyes, the mark of honor for courage. A little stylized and not in the traditional place, but jaig eyes all the same.

“Wow,” she said in genuine wonder. Ezra wasn’t exactly the artist type, yet she could see dedication a parsec away. He had clearly gone the extra mile to do something in her own style. Not quite as complex as her own work, but the care he had placed into this was undeniable. “This is…Ezra this is amazing!”

“Thanks,” he said as he placed a hand behind his head in a bashful look. “The helmet came from that mission to Valo a couple months back. I asked Tristan about how to do the symbols right, though the hard part was finding the right shades of paint.”

Sabine’s eyes snapped back to the helmet at that last word. Paint. Color. Ezra wouldn’t have chosen just anything. Taking a careful look at the gift, she began to unpack what she saw.

In Mandalorian tradition, certain colors held significant meaning. Many warriors were known to paint their armor with specific colors to represent their chosen undertakings and causes. While Sabine had never been picky enough to stick to one hue for a mission, she knew the significance of these shades by heart. She checked off what she saw.

Blue jaig eyes on the sides. A green center to the Nite Owl. The orange nose stripes. The pink and purple base.

Blue, for reliability. Someone who you could always count on come hell or high water.

Green, for duty. For a person driven to uphold whatever they believed in and see it through to the end.

Orange, for a lust for life. Someone who treasured every day, every experience, and everyone they shared it with.

Purple and pink had no explicit meaning to Mandalorians. But they didn’t need one. Those colors spoke of something more specific. Someone more specific. Someone who considered those colors her personal favorites. Someone who exemplified all the other colors on the helmet, yet was something all her own. Someone the creator of this masterpiece loved above all else.

Ezra had been babbling on about his ongoing work for the past minute, but the deep kiss she quickly pulled him into shut him up. No other words were needed. He could tell exactly what she was thinking.

#sabezra #sabezraday2024 #sabine wren #ezra bridger #star wars

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kyoshiwarrior1997 · 2 months

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Sabezra Day 2024 🧡💜 @sabezraweek

I can't decide if this is 'free' or 'confession'. Maybe it's pre and post confession.

@sabezraweek

#sabezra #sabezraday2024 #ezra bridger #sabine wren #sabezra day 2024 #star wars

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kyoshiwarrior1997 · 2 months

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Sabezra Day 2024 - "Speak My Language"

Title: Speak My Language

Fandom: Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka

Rating: K+

Pairing/Relationships: Ezra/Sabine

Character(s): Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios

Genre: Romance/Drama/Comfort/Fluff

Summary: All the little ways Ezra and Sabine tell each other "I love you."

AO3, FFNet

@sabezraweek

---

Physical Touch

For all his skittish avoidance of them, Sabine observed, there was a part of Ezra that seemed to crave touch.

She saw it in the way he gradually stopped flinching at Zeb's shoulder thumps, once he realized the gesture was affectionate, once he realized he wasn't being hit. She saw it more readily in the way he lit up whenever Kanan or Hera put a hand on his arm or shoulder, how light would practically beam out of him.

She even saw it in how he would pat Chopper's dome at odd moments—ostensibly to annoy the droid, who would slap him off and screech in binary and chase him around with his shock prod as Ezra ran away laughing, but aside from her and Hera no one else had dared to touch the cranky C1 unit with any kind of affection, and Sabine could only conclude that Ezra must, on some level, enjoy it. No matter how badly Chopper bullied him on the regular.

Sabine herself? Was not a particularly "huggy" person. She kept people at arm's length, both literally and figuratively, but understood the paradox of not wanting to let her walls and guard down and yet longing for intimacy and affection. She related to Ezra in that fashion. Sympathized with him.

She was looking for him now, actually. He was doing that thing where he would pretend he wanted to be alone to mope but he really wanted someone to keep him company and seek him out to comfort him—another painful similarity between them she understood. Today's Jedi lesson had not apparently gone well. There'd been some yelling. Kanan had walked into the living room where she'd been painting, radiating frustration.

Sabine had quietly put down her paints and gone out to check on Ezra.

She found him sitting curled up on a little hillock, staring out towards the waving grasses. His shoulders were hitched, and his bangs were falling into his face.

Sabine plastered on a smile and came to sit next to him.

"Rough day, I'm guessing?" she quipped lightly, as she plopped down.

He gave a noncommittal sound and a shrug, curling up tighter.

Heart panging, Sabine lifted a hand, then hesitated. She remembered a bit of holovideo from the disk she'd cleaned up for Ezra—just a fragment really, too corrupted to be any good-of Mira gently stroking Ezra's hair.

The blue-black strands shifted with the breeze now, fluttering around Ezra's head. It looked soft and fluffy and she found her hand drawing towards it.

Carefully, she let her fingers slide into his hair, tenderly combing up through the strands.

Ezra gasped softly, eyes widening, stiffening with a bit of shock.

Smiling more genuinely this time, Sabine used the hand in his hair to tug his head gently into her shoulder, again, like she'd seen Mira do in the brief holo clip.

Ezra melted, leaning into the touch with a kind of shuddering sigh.

Sabine let her fingers keep brushing through Ezra's hair, almost hugging him to her side as she played with the ends.

"Thanks," she heard him whisper, so quietly she almost missed it.

***

Gift Giving

After seeing how Sabine's eyes had popped with delight when he showed her the TIE fighter, Ezra had tried very hard to recreate that reaction.

And it turned out Sabine liked getting things.

It took a bit of experimentation to figure out what things, specifically, Sabine liked getting the most. Despite all that he'd managed to learn about girls from trashy holofilms and the drunken advice of his fellow homeless vagrants, Sabine wasn't particularly into flowers or jewelry. Sweets were slightly better, but Sabine had an allergic reaction once to a bit of kopa nut Ezra hadn't realized was in the chocolates he'd bought her and he'd avoided repeating that mistake since.

Art supplies were an obvious choice, but being in the Rebellion meant he was only slightly less broke than he'd been on the streets, so getting Sabine anything of actual quality, that suited her standards, took a bit of saving and scrimping.

It was so worth it, though, when he presented her with the fancy pastels kit she'd been eying in that Garel shop window for forever.

She gasped, almost snatching the box from him in her eagerness. Ezra watched her read and re-read the brand name across the front several times.

"Ezra..." she breathed, and Force how he loved when she said his name like that. Her eyes lifted, joy tugging at every corner and wrinkle of her face. "Is this—?" She couldn't even finish.

Ezra ducked his head, bashful, hiding a grin. He tried to play it cool, rubbing a hand behind his head. "I know you've been wanting them for a while and I had a little extra so..." he trailed.

Sabine flung arms around him, almost bowling him over. Her teal and blue hair was tickling in his face and Ezra forgot how to breathe for a moment as he tried not to freak out about the fact that Sabine was hugging him—hugging him—and ruin things by making it all weird.

She had finally gotten used to him, she let him in her room without turning him away at the door with a mumbled comment about wanting to be alone, she joked with him on missions now and even sometimes laughed at his bad jokes, he didn't want to spoil things by making this about his lingering crush on her.

He was just being nice to a friend. That was all.

He still liked how good she smelled as she pulled back out of the hug, though.

Sabine was grinning from ear to ear, mischievous twinkle in her amber eyes. "You realize I'm going to have to test these out right away?" she quipped, tone implying something conspiratorial.

"Guess I should make a point to steal another TIE fighter for you," he joked back.

She was shaking her head. "Pastels wouldn't stick to the titanium alloy, would be a wasted effort."

"Then it's a good thing I also swiped this," he said, producing a clean white Bike Trooper helmet and presenting it with a 'ta da!' gesture.

"Oh ho, you do know how to treat a girl," she laughed, reaching for the helmet and balancing it atop her box of pastels. "Well c'mon, who knows how long we've got before Zeb and Kanan get back." She tilted her head towards the hanger doors, through which the mostly-empty Ghost could be seen parked, and Ezra followed her eagerly, heart warming at the praise.

The two of them tramped up the ramp like quick shadows.

***

Words of Affirmation

"Sabine said I should wear the Scout Trooper armor more often, makes me look mature and grown-up," she heard Ezra bragging to Zeb from the hallway.

Her door was cracked open just a bit—for both ventilation and privacy—and Sabine heard his preening, and chuckled a bit at how annoyed Zeb sounded when he countered back, "Don't let it go to yer head, kid."

Ezra just laughed in response. Sabine knew he'd be riding the high from her compliment for days.

In fact, she should probably go fluff his ego a bit more, keep his spirits up. He was still bummed out about not getting Hera's kalikori back. Hera had dismissed the loss with relative ease but Ezra was taking it like some kind of personal failure.

He took everything so personally, now...

Shaking off that somber thought, Sabine picked up her cloth and wiped her paintbrush off, setting it down on her easel.

Pretending she hadn't just been eavesdropping she stood up from her stool and walked to the door, cracking it open a bit more and leaning on both edges of the frame.

"What are you giving him grief about this time, Zeb?" she said, teasing, grinning wide.

Zeb rolled his eyes, but Ezra turned towards her.

"I was just telling Zeb about how much you loved the Scout Trooper uniform," he said.

She shrugged. "Well, they say clothing makes the man, but I think it was the other way around this time. That armor definitely wouldn't have looked as good without you in it."

She might have struck him speechless with that one. Was he blushing? He looked dumbfounded and Sabine swore she saw his cheeks reddening.

He was adorable.

With a small cough she cleared her throat. "Hey, glad you made it out okay," she said, changing the subject. "I was really worried when I heard that you and Hera were captured."

He glanced away, eyes lowering. "Wasn't anything to worry about," he dismissed. "Just the usual kind of danger we get into."

"Still would have kicked myself if anything had happened to you," she argued, reaching across to grab a pinch of his sleeve, draw his eyes and attention back. "You mean a lot to me, all right? I care about you." Her eyes squeezed earnestly as she tried to make him understand. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Their gaze held a long moment, blue looking wonderingly into amber, as Ezra took her words in, something in the depths of his irises seeming to glow brighter.

"Err... should I give you two a moment?"

Both teens broke eye contact immediately at Zeb's awkward comment. Sabine brushed her bangs back, hiding her face, her own cheeks flushing now.

Ezra coughed heavily into his fist, very deliberately looking forward and not at her. "I'll uh, see you tomorrow then?" he said.

"Right," Sabine blurted, fleeing at once back into her room and sliding the door all the way closed.

She could still hear Zeb's voice, muffled behind the door, making teasing comments that Ezra replied to with inaudible muttering.

***

Acts of Service

Mandalorian history was full of heroes who performed great deeds. Feats of strength, of valor, of honor. Fulfilled oaths. Last stands.

They weren't all that different from Jedi, honestly. A life of service to others was a Jedi's calling and goal, requiring much of them, demanding the fullness of their dedication even to the point of ultimate sacrifice.

So this, his last great act, his wild ploy to upend the chessboard and sweep away the Seventh Fleet, leaving her his lightsaber as a token, might as well have been a blaring love letter to Sabine's Mandalorian sensibilities.

I love you, I love you, repeated sadly in his head, as her last words—begging him to get off the ship—echoed in his ears. I'm sorry. I have to do this.

She was going to be so angry at him. When she found him she would probably kick and scream and cry.

But he knew she'd understand. After all, she was a warrior herself. She would know the kind of personal sacrifice he was making, giving up everything he'd ever known and loved for the chance that she and everyone else could live free.

It was the kind of noble, larger-than-life task that defined so many Mandalorian epics.

Ezra steeled his jaw and held his head high, diving deeper into the Force as purrgil song filled his ears and hyperspace began stretching out white through the atmosphere. Thrawn cursed and spat but nothing could stop the young Jedi now.

He would do the task that only he could. Ezra Bridger, son of Lothal, Jedi apprentice...

...The boy who loved Sabine Wren.

***

Quality Time

She needed to be next to him like she needed to breathe.

Sabine still couldn't believe it, that she finally had her lost Jedi back, that he was alive and real and whole and he wouldn't leave her side.

They had barely spent a moment apart since she and Ahsoka had rescued him from Peridea.

The journey home had been full of drinks and laughter, so many drinks and laughing so hard her sides hurt. The ship lights spun and twinkled in their eyes and when they finally retired for the night she just latched onto his wrist and pulled him onto the blankets on the floor.

They were out almost immediately, tangled up in each other, but woke up sometime in the wee early hours and just whispered more stories to each other, getting caught up, telling each other everything that had happened in the gap between then and now.

Sabine curled a hand around his, marveling at the strength in the rough brown fingers. Stars how she'd missed this! Just sitting and talking, being in each other's company. It made her think of movie nights and sleepovers in the living room on the Ghost, talking long walks around the perimeter of Chopper Base, sparring in the cargo bay, that one night they'd stayed up watching a meteor shower on a blanket just like this.

"What is it?" he asked her, noticing she'd gone quiet.

She sighed happily, bringing his hand up to kiss the back softly.

"Just happy we're together again," she told him. The empty space left unoccupied, where he should have been all these years, was full again. "I missed this," she said aloud.

"Missed you," he whispered, leaning in for a stolen kiss against her cheek, beard tickling her skin.

She giggled, happy tears threatening at her eyes. "Stay with me a little longer?" she begged.

"Of course," he assured her.

It was a long trip home, but she got to spend it with the man she loved.

Nothing else could have made her more content.

#sabezra #sabezraday2024 #ezra bridger #sabine wren #ezra and sabine #star wars rebels

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kyoshiwarrior1997 · 2 months

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All Mine

A Sabine Wren & Ezra Bridger Story

Story Summary: A mission for the Ghost crew takes an unexpected turn when Ezra Bridger reunites with a childhood crush, Shana Tavorri. Sabine Wren, his close friend and partner, must deal with newfound feelings of jealousy - and possibly more - over their relationship.

For Sabezra Day 2024, @sabezraweek

Prompt: Confessing

Bright Jewel System, Mid-Rim Territories

"Look lively," called Hera from the Ghost's cockpit. "Just picked up the Phantom II signal."

Sabine was sitting with Ezra in the Ghost's communal area, playing a game of dejarik. At Hera's call, Ezra sighed and turned the game off. "Well," he said regretfully, "looks like duty calls, Sabine."

She smirked at him and replied, "Lucky for you that it's calling. I was about to bulldoze all over your pathetic defense there at the end." Sabine knew that she had him on the ropes at the game's end. Much as she respected her friend's prowess in battle, Ezra never was much of a tactician.

But, then again, his powers as Jedi certainly did give him options that weren't available to an average combatant. His strategies tended to fall outside the usual box of combat thinking, as Captain Rex - a veteran of the Clone Wars and no stranger to Jedi tactics - put it mildly one time.

It's probably why we work so well together as a team, Sabine reflected. She was one of the only people who could keep up with whatever crazy plan Ezra developed on the fly.

Ezra scowled at her. "My defense was solid, thank you. I was actually about to achieve victory. You're the one who is lucky."

That elicited a laugh from her. "Whatever makes you feel better, goober."

He opened his mouth to further argue the point but was interrupted as Hera emerged from the cockpit followed closely by Chopper. Sighing at the sight of them bickering, she planted both hands on her hips, her expression exasperated.

"Come on, you two," she said. "Let's be good hosts and greet the guest."

Ezra threw Sabine a 'we'll settle this later' look and followed Hera towards the Ghost's stern where the Phantom II had docked. Sabine replied by cheerfully sticking her tongue out at him, as she fell in step behind.

This 'guest', as Hera put it, was a Rebel spy part of the Fulcrum agent network. Three days ago, the Ghost crew had received a transmission from an unexpected source: Princess Leia Organa, the daughter to Senator Bail Organa. She had asked them to rendezvous in the Bright Jewel System where this spy had requested backup to make a trade with an Imperial informant for a data disk containing crucial information to the Rebellion on the nearby planet of Ord Mantell.

Being familiar with the Ghost crew and their capabilities, Princess Leia had requested them specifically for this mission. Once they arrived in system, Kanan and Zeb had then piloted the Phantom II to secret coordinates in deep space to transport the Rebel spy onto the Ghost from an undisclosed location.

As they approached the Phantom II docking bay, Zeb was the first one to disembark, the hatch hissing open to make way for the Ghost crew member. The big Lasat stretched as he emerged, wincing at the crackling noise his joints made. He greeted everyone and, upon seeing Sabine and Ezra, asked with a big grin, "Who won the dejarik game?"

"Me," said Sabine at the same time as Ezra. They turned to each other with bemused looks as Zeb guffawed at their expressions.

"I'll take that to mean that Sabine was about to win it then," Zeb chuckled.

Ezra pouted. Sabine grinned but gave her partner an affectionate pat on the back.

Hera sighed again. "Kids, please behave," she said.

Kanan's voice drifted out from the open hatch, speaking softly to someone. "Watch your step here," he advised, his hand outstretched to the guest.

The Rebel spy stepped through. She was young, around Sabine's age. Lustrous black hair that fell slightly past her shoulders and a beautiful, statuesque face that belonged in holo-dramas. Her eyes were a light gray that shone with a cool intelligence, taking in the Ghost crew with a swift look. The white combat suit she wore was Rebellion standard uniform but, somehow, looked perfectly tailored to her slender body. The holster on her belt had a mean looking blaster tucked inside and judging from the marks on the weapon, it had seen use plenty of times.

Beside her, Sabine heard Ezra take a deep breath in surprise. Frowning, she looked to him - and noted the look of dumbstruck recognition flashing in his piercing blue eyes.

Before she could ask him what was up, Kanan introduced the spy to the crew. "Everyone, this is the Fulcrum agent we've been assigned to escort. Her name is Shana Tavorri."

She nodded in greeting. "Hello, everyone. Pleased to meet you all. I'm grateful for the assistance in this mission. Princess Leia has given you the highest of recommendations."

Shana smiled as her gaze fell upon Ezra. "Especially you, Ezra Bridger."

Sabine narrowed her eyes at Shana. There was an intimate familiarity with how she said Ezra's name . . . and, for some reason, it bothered her.

Ezra took a cautious step forward. "It really is you," he said in amazement. "I can't believe it."

Sabine crossed her arms and leaned against the bulkhead. There was an odd, pinched feeling emanating somewhere inside her chest. Grimacing, she watched her friend practically float towards the new arrival.

Shana's smile widened into an easy-going grin. "Been a while, Ezra. You've certainly grown up from the little street thief I remember back on Lothal."

"You know Ezra?" asked Kanan in surprise.

Shana nodded. "We go way back. Our families were close, and we were childhood friends . . ." Her expression turned sad. "That was before the Empire took over. Ezra - did you ever find out about your parents?"

Ezra went still, a pained expression briefly passing over his face before smoothing into a neutral look. "They died some time ago," he said.

Shana's face fell; she reached out and gripped his hand in sympathy. "Oh, Ezra. I'm so sorry. I was always hoping that they met a better fate than my own family."

Ezra looked down at his feet. "No such luck, I'm afraid," he said. "It's okay. They died helping people."

"It's not okay, Ezra. It'll never be okay. Look - come here," she said and suddenly pulled him into a deep hug. Ezra's face went red in surprise, and he glanced at Sabine with an odd look - like he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to.

She just frowned at him and felt another uncomfortable twinge in her chest. Sabine rubbed at the spot, wondering why she felt this way looking at Ezra and his old friend embracing - and became aware of Hera, looking directly at her, with an amused look on her face.

I don't like this, Sabine thought. I've got a bad feeling about this.

She coughed loudly, interrupting the tender moment between Ezra and Shana. Stepping forward, she stuck out a hand at the Rebel spy. "I'm Sabine, by the way," she said. "Sabine Wren. Ezra's partner."

Shana released a flustered Ezra from the hug and turned towards Sabine. The Fulcrum agent's gray eyes glinted with amusement as she took in Sabine's blunt manner and colorful appearance.

Shana replied coolly, "I've heard all about you, Sabine Wren. You have quite the reputation." The spy took Sabine's hand and gave it a tight, yet amiable squeeze in acknowledgement. Her grip was firm and steady, Sabine noted; her hands, while looking delicate, were calloused. It meant that Shana was not unaccustomed to hard work, despite her model appearance and elegant demeanor.

Normally, that would have impressed Sabine. But, for some unknown reason, it made her dislike the spy even more.

"Good or bad?" asked Sabine as they shook hands.

Shana gave a polite smile as she responded. "Depends on who you ask."

Hera clapped her hands together. "Right. Well, seems like our guest and Ezra have some catching up to do. Ezra, you'll have the honor of giving Shana the tour. Kanan and Zeb, you can go rest. I'll punch in the coordinates to Ord Mantell and get us on the way. And Sabine . . ."

"Yes, Hera?" She was staring at Shana who had already sidled away to speak with Ezra.

"Go freshen up your room. Shana will bunk with you for the night."

Sabine felt her stomach drop out from her abdomen. "Seriously?" she asked. "She's in my room?"

Hera arched an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

Sabine gritted her teeth. "No," she replied. Shana had slipped her arm through Ezra's and was walking with him towards the Ghost's communal area. Ezra said something to her, and the young woman let out a peal of laughter that rang through the corridor.

Sabine felt her heart twist viciously as she watched Ezra give a shy smile at Shana.

"No problem at all," she said and went to clean her room, doing her best to ignore the turbulent feelings buzzing inside that were saying something else entirely.

Hyperspace, Mid-Rim Territories

It had been a long day, despite the relative lack of activities, and Sabine was ready for bed. Ezra had given Shana an in-depth tour of the Ghost at her insistence; at the end of it, Sabine had the amusing thought that their guest now possibly knew the Ghost's interior better than any of them. Once finished, Ezra and Shana had lounged in the Ghost's communal area, chatting about various things that had happened in their lives while they had been apart.

Sabine had spent that time lurking nearby, working at a nearby computer station - or, at least, pretending to be working. She was trying to get a better read on this mysterious Shana Tavorri; a Fulcrum agent, after all, was a notable position within the Rebellion, especially for someone so young. There were many of them, she knew, scattered throughout the galaxy performing various missions of critical importance to the Rebellion. The only other one she knew personally was a Jedi Knight, much like Kanan and Ezra, named Ahsoka Tano.

Shana was clearly no Jedi, but she definitely had exhibited skills that the Rebellion deemed worthy enough to put her in the same position that a Jedi had previously held. That made her dangerous.

But Shana's conversation with Ezra failed to disclose any of those potential skills, despite Sabine's best efforts to listen in. She was, however, embarrassed by her response whenever she did hear her name mentioned by Ezra, which came up more than a handful of times in their discussion; a warm, fuzzy feeling that left her feeling pleased.

After a while, both Ezra and Shana wrapped up their chat with a hug (Sabine felt her jaw clench so hard that she could hear something creaking) and retired to their respective bedrooms for the night. Sabine finished her work at the computer station half an hour later and followed suit.

Checking a nearby chronometer, she registered the lateness of the hour and stepped inside her room, deciding to spend some time maintaining her weapons before sleeping -

Only to find Shana laying in the top bunk, reading something on a data pad. Sabine winced, having forgotten that she wouldn't be alone for the night.

"Don't mind me," said Shana amiably, almost as if reading Sabine's thoughts. "Just pretend I'm not here."

Gladly, Sabine thought. But she said, "Hope I didn't disturb your reading."

Shana chuckled. "You didn't. I was just finishing up, actually." She rolled over in the bed to get a better look at Sabine. Her gray eyes took in Sabine's casual appearance, glittering with an almost feline interest.

Sabine, uncomfortable with her gaze, settled down at her desk and reached for her blasters and maintenance tools. "Anything interesting?"

"Oh, plenty," replied Shana. "I was reading about this superweapon developed by the Empire called 'The Duchess'."

Sabine froze, her hands twitching on the grip of her blaster. Her heart began to hammer away, a thousand beats per second. Slowly, she turned towards Shana, finding her sitting at the bed's edge, her feet dangling. There was a slight, polite smile on her face, but her gray eyes flashed again with that cool intelligence.

"You have led quite the life, Sabine Wren," remarked Shana. "Tragedy after tragedy. Does anyone in this crew know about any of that?" She cocked her head at Sabine. "Does Ezra? What would the gallant Jedi think of his friend if he really knew her?"

It was a thought that had kept Sabine up through the night on several occasions.

She crossed her arms and stared at Shana. "You've been reading up on me."

Shana shrugged. "On everyone, really. Princess Leia recommended you all so highly, so I couldn't help but take a peek at your files and histories. Quite the achievements you've pulled off for a crew so small."

"I've been reading up on you, too," replied Sabine coolly. Shana arched an eyebrow in surprise, eliciting a rush of satisfaction - clearly the spy had not been expecting that. "You ran with Saw Gerrera's crew for five years before working directly under Princess Leia. Did he kick you out, I wonder? What does it mean if you're too extreme even for someone like him?"

Shana dropped down from the top bunk and leaned against the bulkhead; her arms crossed in a similar fashion to Sabine. She wondered briefly if it was intentional, to mimic her. "Those files are available only to the top brass of Rebel Command," she murmured. "You hacked into the Rebellion's encrypted database at that old computer station? I assumed you were just skulking about, trying to listen to mine and Ezra's conversation."

Sabine shrugged, hiding her humiliation at having been clocked so easily by the other girl. And here I was thinking that was discreet, she thought. "I'm clever like that," Sabine retorted.

Shana grinned. "Your reputation precedes you, Sabine. Gifted prowess in combat, especially for a Mandalorian, and notable demolitions expert - but everyone seems to overlook that you are a child prodigy. I suspect your rough, blunt demeanor disguises that fact well. But you are, without a doubt, an enormous threat against anyone that chooses to go against you."

Sabine rocked back mentally at Shana's high praise of her talents. But all she said was, "Thanks, I guess."

Shana nodded in acknowledgment. "I can't say the same for Ezra, however." Shaking her head, she added, "I'm surprised he's survived this long."

"What do you mean?" asked Sabine.

"He's hopeless," said Shana in an exasperated tone. "I mean, yes, he's a Jedi now - or so he claims. I understand they're in short supply of capable students but to recruit him into the fabled Jedi Order? Desperate times, I suppose. He could barely tie his shoelaces together when I left him last."

"Ezra Bridger," said Sabine hotly, "is more than capable in any situation. Not because of his Jedi training, but because of who he is. He's saved all our lives - and many others - countless times over."

Shana eyed her skeptically. "You don't have to pretend to me, Sabine. I was just like you before. He's a loyal pup to be sure and good for a distraction I admit, but it's a stretch to say that he's capable on his own." She sighed. "I understand that this crew needed a mascot, perhaps, to cheer them up during these dark times but I think it's irresponsible to take someone like him - "

Sabine struck her with an open hand so hard that the other girl's head bounced off the bulkhead. Before Shana could recover, she shoved her against the wall, pinning her with a well-placed forearm. Sabine, through the red haze that obscured her vision, dimly noted the cut lip on the girl's face but found that she didn't care.

"Do not insult Ezra Bridger in front of me ever again," she said in a voice that was barely recognizable. It was a harsh rasp that Sabine didn't know she was capable of. "Do you understand?"

Shana tapped on Sabine's arm, gasping for air. It took a few moments for her to realize that the other girl couldn't reply due to the lack of air. Sabine relented, feeling her heartbeat pulsing rhythmically inside her skull; she looked down at her hands and found them shaking from the rush of adrenaline, now subsiding.

Yet on the inside she felt calm, as though a stream of ice water were flowing through her veins. Many things from Shana had unnerved her tonight, but it was her insults toward Ezra that had pushed Sabine past the edge.

Doubled over, wheezing, Shana gave her an amused look to Sabine's surprise. "So, you do care," she said.

"You didn't answer my question," Sabine said quietly.

Shana nodded. "I understand. You've got this emotional wall up, you know that? Hard to see through - except when it comes to Ezra Bridger." She wiped at her lip, noting the blood. "Nice hit," she observed.

Sabine reached into her desk and took out a first-aid kit. "Patch yourself up," she said, offering it to her.

Shana accepted it with a nod of gratitude. "I hope you don't take what I said about Ezra seriously. I just needed to know where you stand with him."

Sabine sat back down at her desk. "You don't actually think that way about him?"

Shana shook her head and leaned back against the wall, opening the kit. "Not at all. I know Ezra. We used to scavenge together back in the old days on Lothal. Hit up Imperial patrols for food and water. He stuck his neck out for me plenty of times, at risk to his life. I know what he can do. And that was before he became a Jedi."

Sabine watched her apply medicinal gel to her lip, thinking over what she said. "You care about him."

Shana blew out a breath. "Deeply. He was the only bright spot in my life during that time. I think I loved him."

Sabine felt her heart stop at Shana's words, hearing the depth and sincerity of emotion within them. Feeling her stare, Shana looked over at her with a knowing gaze. "You know what I mean, don't you?"

Deflecting the question, Sabine asked, "So why did you leave him? How did you two get separated?"

Shana sighed. "One of our little scavenging operations went sideways. An uppity Imperial lieutenant wanted to make an example of us for humiliating him in front of his troops. The chase was exhausting; Ezra led most of them away but the lieutenant caught up to me. I thought I was dead."

She closed her eyes, reliving the memory. "Saw Gerrera was there. Don't ask me why or how; he never explained. He killed the lieutenant and offered me a choice. He was impressed with my skills, you see. So he said that I could come with him and pay back the Empire for what they had done to me."

"And if you didn't?"

The girl smiled grimly at Sabine. "He would kill me. No witnesses. Apparently, he didn't want the Empire knowing about his whereabouts, should they find and interrogate me afterwards."

Sabine snorted. "Not much of a choice."

"Indeed," Shana agreed. "So, I went with him."

"And left Ezra? You never went back for him?" Sabine didn't mean to, but there was an accusatory tone to her questions.

Shana eyes glazed over with sadness. "I couldn't. He was just a kid. I didn't want to pull him into danger. I could tell Saw was dangerous, even if he was fighting for the Rebellion. The moment I had an opportunity to do so, I jumped ship. Princess Leia found me and offered a new path. I took it."

Sabine was silent for a moment, thinking about Shana's story. Finally, she said quietly, "Ezra would have followed, if you had asked. He would have gone with you anywhere."

"I know. He's silly like that."

"Loyal," she corrected. Shana cocked her head and smiled a little sadly at Sabine.

"Just like you are to him. Is it typical Mandalorian stubbornness? Or something more?"

Sabine did not want to have that conversation with Shana. Or with anyone else, for that matter. She stood up abruptly and said, "Good night, Shana."

Shana's smile became, somehow, even more sad. "A word of advice, Sabine?"

Sabine was already standing at the door, about to step out. But something in Shana's tone made her pause.

"Don't wait to tell him how you feel. You won't get a second chance. Especially in this galaxy."

She considered Shana's words for a long moment before replying, "Whatever you think our relationship is . . . it's none of your business. That stays between us."

Sabine left before the other girl could respond. Her mind still buzzing with what happened, she wandered aimlessly through the corridors of the Ghost before running smack dab into someone.

"Sabine? What are you doing?" Sabine blinked at the person speaking - and almost groaned out loud.

It was Ezra. Dressed in his sleep wear, holding a mug of his favorite beverage, hot chocolate. His eyebrows were raised in an expression of concern. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Sabine very desperately wanted to be anywhere else right now. Her face was flushed in embarrassment; her heart was thudding a steady tattoo into her ribs at Ezra's proximity. She felt exposed, like a raw nerve, her inner turmoil and feelings threatening to spill out the longer she stayed in front of him.

Racking her brain to find some last second excuse to get out of there, something caught her attention: Ezra's fingers were bandaged. Her fears momentarily vanished as she asked, "What happened to your hands?"

Ezra fumbled his mug, trying to hide the evidence but it was too late. Sighing, he said, "I was working on something."

Sabine arched an inquisitive eyebrow at him. "Working on what?"

Blushing, Ezra said, "Promise not to laugh?"

A small smile curled on her lips. "Nope."

Ezra groaned but led her to the communal table where his "project" laid. She noted immediately the disarray of colored paper strewn about on the table, half folded in various attempts into a familiar shape -

It clicked. "You're trying to make a flower out of these?" she asked. Ezra sat down and nodded glumly.

"Ezra Bridger," she said, placing a hand on her hip. "You've been holding out on me in terms of artistic abilities? That come with your Jedi training?"

He gave her a despairing glance. "I wish. Been up most of the night trying to figure this out."

Stifling a laugh out of pity, she surveyed his work. "It's not half-bad. What kind of flower are you trying to make?"

Ezra rubbed the back of his head, not looking at her. "It's supposed to be a - well, a Lenora flower."

Sabine's eyes widened in surprise. "A Lenora flower? From the fairytale?" Princess Lenora and the Starboy was an old fairytale that she was familiar with - in fact, it was one of her most treasured stories. Memories of her father reading it to her when she was younger, were still vivid in her mind. The flowers from that fairytale held deep symbolic meaning that marked them as her favorite.

"Yeah."

"I see." Sabine studied Ezra's work some more, looking to see where he went wrong - and then felt her stomach sink, as a horrid thought came to her.

"It's for Shana, isn't it." The words tasted rancid in her mouth.

Ezra looked at her, surprised. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, then - oddly enough - a small, relieved smile appeared on his face. He answered in an innocent tone, "Sure. It's for Shana."

There was a part of Sabine, operating from a recent frame of memory, that wanted to sweep the contents of the table onto the floor and stomp on them. She struggled to control her wayward feelings, however, and took a deep breath.

"You want some help?"

Ezra's expression turned amused. "You sure?"

Sabine sighed. "Yeah. I'm sure." He needed her help. Like always.

And she could never turn him down.

He patted the seat next to him. "Thanks, Sabine."

Despite the situation, Sabine managed a smile at her friend. "Anytime, goober."

Ord Mantell City, Ord Mantell

Ord Mantell City was a bustling acropolis, teeming with all manner of people far flung from the distant corners of the galaxy. Tall spires loomed over the city center; a sprawling mass of mis-matched architecture that spread far as the eye could see. Rumor had it that the infamous criminal organization, the Black Sun, operated out of here - a rumor that the Empire was desperate to quash, as it clashed with their image of retaining control over the entire known galaxy. Despite being a haven for ill-gotten gains and profit, it was certainly a far cry from the pits of villainy and scum that other planets were, and the citizens enjoyed a relatively peaceful life despite the tense cold war between the Empire and the criminal organizations that inhabited their city.

The Ghost had arrived mid-morning with time to spare before Shana had to make contact with her Imperial informant. After taking the time to do a quick survey of the locals to ensure that they weren't being watched, Shana revealed her plan to the crew: a simple trade made in the market square and then she would be shuttled off in a separate transport nearby with another Fulcrum agent who was waiting on stand-by. The Ghost crew would act as her escort, in case things got hairy.

It was a reasonable enough plan - except for one, glaring flaw that Sabine immediately noticed.

"Why is Ezra the only one going with you for back-up?" she asked, trying to keep the heat out of her voice. "I thought we were all going with you."

Shana shook her head. "My informant would scamper at the sight of a group approaching. Two is more than sufficient to handle him, I assure you. The rest of you will wait back here, in the Ghost, ready to assist should we need it. The market square isn't far from the landing pad."

Sabine looked to Kanan and Hera. "Please tell me you disagree with this," she said.

Kanan stroked his beard, thinking. "Hera?" he asked. "What's your opinion?"

Hera answered, "She knows the area better than we do. And I know Shana and Ezra can handle themselves in a fight." She glanced at Sabine. "It's her plan, Sabine. And we'll be nearby in case something goes wrong."

"Which it won't," Shana said reassuringly. "I know this informant. He won't be a problem."

Sabine glared at her, then turned towards Kanan. "Kanan?"

Kanan let out a deep breath. "I'm with Hera on this one. We'll leave it to those two. This information is important. We don't want to risk spooking her informant."

Zeb grunted in assent. Chopper whomped his agreement, as well.

Sabine gritted her teeth, preparing to launch an argument -

Ezra interjected before she could open her mouth. "Sabine."

She looked at him. He gave her a serious look and said, "It'll be fine. Trust me."

Sabine blew out a frustrated breath. "Fine. Leave your com-links on, though. I want to hear everything being said. The moment something goes wrong, we'll know."

Shana nodded. "Agreed." Turning to Ezra, she said, "Let's be off, Master Jedi."

Ezra bowed gallantly at her and said, "Lead the way, my lady." They began to make their way down the boarding ramp.

Sabine rolled her eyes. Shana paused at the entrance and turned around to face Sabine.

"What?" asked Sabine.

"He'll be safe with me," said Shana. "I promise."

And she left without another word. Sabine watched her catch up to Ezra, turn a corner on the street ahead, and then vanish into the crowd.

An hour later, they returned triumphant with the data disc in hand. Sabine bounded down the ramp, almost colliding into Ezra. She had been pacing inside the Ghost, listening to the tense conversation exchanged between Shana and her Imperial informant, expecting it to go sideways at any given moment - but it never did.

Shana did her job as expected. Ezra checked in a few minutes later to let them know they were on the way back, and that he hadn't spotted - or sensed - anyone following them.

"Huh," said Kanan. "That's a first for us. A job that didn't have any complications."

Hera glanced at Sabine knowingly. "Well, for most of us, anyway," she remarked.

She bit her lip and double-checked her friend for trackers, despite knowing there were none.

Shana said, "I'm fine, too, in case you were wondering."

Sabine threw her a glare and finished her inspection. "No trackers on you, far as I can tell. All clear."

Ezra raised an eyebrow at her. "That was a very . . . thorough inspection on your part, Sabine."

She punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Shut up, goober."

He grinned briefly at her and then turned to Shana. "I guess this is farewell," he said quietly.

The other girl shook her head. "Don't say it like that, Ezra. I'm sure we'll meet again - "

Ezra interrupted her. "Just say it this once. Please. For me."

Shana looked taken aback for a moment and then smiled sadly. "Good-bye, Ezra Bridger."

And then she leaned forward, giving a soft kiss on his cheek. Sabine looked away.

"Good-bye, Shana," he said softly. He turned back towards the Ghost and walked up the ramp without another word. Which left Sabine alone with Shana.

Sabine gazed at her, not sure what to say. Shana, however, merely smiled and offered her hand. Incredulous, Sabine gripped it and gave a firm shake.

"This has been an . . . experience," she said. "I'm still not sure what to make of it."

"Can I tell you something, Sabine? I'm rather jealous of you. Ezra clearly cares for you deeply."

"And what makes you think that?"

"He didn't say good-bye to you when he left with me. He just asked you to trust him; trust that he would come back." Her smile turned melancholy. "I don't think he'll ever say good-bye to you, Sabine Wren."

Shana's com-link sent out a chirping noise. She checked it and said, "That's my ride. I should be going shortly."

"Well, safe travels. And good hunting," replied Sabine. The Fulcrum agent nodded and turned to go - but paused for a split second and turned back towards her.

"Yes?" asked Sabine, cautiously.

"Remember what I said. About not waiting." She looked thoughtful for a moment and then added with a sincere smile, "And take care of him, will you? He's all yours now."

And then she took a few hurried steps and disappeared into the crowded streets of Ord Mantell City.

Hyperspace, The Way Home

Later that night, getting ready for bed, Sabine came across Ezra sitting alone in the Ghost's communal area. He was studying something gripped in his hand, his expression lost in thought.

Sabine took a step closer and felt her eyes widen in recognition: it was the paper Lenora flower that he had made the night prior.

"You still have that?" she asked.

Ezra jolted slightly in his seat. "Oh, hey. Didn't see you there."

"Shana didn't want it?" Sabine asked. She couldn't imagine the girl refusing Ezra's present. Just the thought of it alone made Sabine wish she had hit Shana harder when she had the chance.

Ezra smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it wasn't for Shana in the first place."

He abruptly offered it to her. Sabine felt her jaw drop in surprise.

"It's for me?"

He nodded. "Hera told me that you were feeling a little neglected since I was focused on spending time with Shana, so I decided to make this as thanks. I appreciate you giving us the time and space to catch up."

Sabine took the flower gently from Ezra's hand. "How did you know to make this one? It's my favorite."

Ezra smiled at her. "You might have mentioned it a time or two during a conversation. It's from your favorite fairytale."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Try that again."

He winced. "Okay, I snuck into your room one time and saw the book laying on your bed. It wasn't for weird reasons, I promise! Zeb ate all my snacks, and I knew you had some stashed away, so I went looking while you were out."

Sabine snorted. "I believe you now." She rolled the flower between her fingertips, admiring the work Ezra had put into it.

All for her.

"You know what this flower symbolizes, Ezra?" she asked suddenly.

He thought about it. "Unwavering loyalty and dedication, right? I can't quite remember the whole story."

And love, she thought.

"Anyway," Ezra said quietly, "I just wanted you to know that . . . well, you're the only one for me, Sabine. No one will ever replace you."

Sabine's eyes snapped to Ezra; she could hear her heartbeat, pulsing loudly in her ears.

"As a partner," he added hastily. "I mean - well, you know - "

She smiled. "I know what you mean, goober."

Don't wait to tell him how you feel. You won't get a second chance. Especially in this galaxy.

He's all mine now, she thought. All mine.

"We should probably head to bed now. Separately. But you knew that." Ezra's expression became increasingly mortified at what was coming out of his mouth. He looked like he wanted to very badly disappear in that second.

Sabine just laughed. "True. It's been a long day."

He shook his head, his expression flustered. "Good night, Sabine. See you in the morning." He began to walk down the hallway towards his room.

Don't wait.

"Hey, Ezra," she called. He turned around.

"Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum," she said softly.

Ezra cocked his head in an inquisitive manner. "Is that a Mandalorian saying?"

Sabine nodded.

"What does it mean?"

"A literal translation is 'I will know you forever.'"

Ezra mulled over the significance of what she said. "Nothing's certain in this galaxy, Sabine," he said. "But I hope that's true for us."

"Me, too," Sabine replied. She followed him down the hallway to their rooms.

"Does that phrase have another meaning?" asked Ezra. "I get the feeling it translates to something else."

I love you.

Sabine smiled at him. "It does have another, more famous meaning. I'll tell you about it someday. When this war is over."

"Ah," said Ezra dryly. "Well, that won't be too much of a wait, then. Between you and me, we've got the Empire on the ropes already."

Sabine laughed.

"Promise me you'll really tell me what the other meaning is?" asked Ezra. "You won't leave me hanging, right?"

Sabine looked at him, gazing deeply into his eyes. How blue they looked, she thought. How they shined like sapphire gems under the right lighting.

"I promise, Ezra Bridger," she said. "No matter what. If the galaxy tries to separate us, I'll find you and tell you."

#sabezra #sabezraday2024 #sabine wren #ezra bridger #star wars #star wars rebels

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