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Ezra had started learning Mando'a as a way to impress Sabine and maybe get her to go out with him. But eventually when he decided to just be her friend he kept learning it so he could learn her native language and know it just in case he ever needed it.
The mission started off perfectly as they usually did, but somewhere along the way the Empire figured out they were there and before long the stormtroopers were closing in on them.
“I can't keep them back much longer Spectre 6! I'm running low on grenades!” Sabine yelled as she flung one down the hallway before ducking for cover.
“I know! Spectre 2 said she's almost here with the Ghost so we need to get to the ship bay. It should be a few floors down if I am remembering correctly” Ezra replied and he repelled blaster bolts back at the troopers with his lightsaber.
Slowly the duo made their way to the docking bay. The last hallway was clear, which was suspicious but they were too focused on getting out of there.
Suddenly a death trooper appeared from the shadows knocking Sabine down with its electrostaff. Before Ezra could react another trooper rounded the corner and got off a shot with his blaster just barely missing the beskar on Sabine and shooting her leg.
“KRIFF!” she screamed, curling in more on herself. The trooper was taking aim again but Ezra quickly took out both troopers with a precision that Sabine hadn't seen. At least she was sure it was Ezra. Everything was slightly fuzzy now.
Once the troopers were dealt with Ezra scooped up Sabine and commed the Ghost. “Spectre 5 is down. Hera! Where are you?” He tried not to let the panic show but it was hard knowing Sabine was injured.
“Landing in 2 minutes Spectre 6. Be ready to jump in!”
Ezra picked up Sabine in his arms and began to sprint to the docking bay. She was mumbling in Mando'a.
“Gaa'tayl it kadala gedet'ye” (help it hurts please)
“Ni ganar gar Sabine” (i have you sabine) Ezra replied back hoping he was getting the words right and providing her some comfort.
“Ke'gaa'tayli ni, gedet'ye” (Help me, please) she whispered. He could tell she was beginning to lose consciousness. Thankfully they were in the docking bay and he could see the Ghost landing.
The moment the landing ramp was open enough he leapt on and yelled at Hera to take off. Setting Sabine down he finally had a chance to look at her injury.
The blaster had left a decent sized wound on her thigh, which thankfully had stopped bleeding for the moment. He also saw the mark on her neck where the electrostaff had made contact.
She was unconscious at this point but still breathing and Ezra could feel her pulse beating strongly. Her Force presence was also still there, just dimmer than usual.
Zeb and Kanan were now at their sides with the med kits helping to get Sabine more stabilized until they could get to an actual medical bay. It was at this point the adrenaline rush started to leave Ezra and he slumped down on the floor and began to actually process what had happened. He let Sabine get injured and it was all his fault because he wasn't fast enough.
The crew got back to base where the medical team was awaiting their arrival and whisked Sabine away immediately. Ezra followed behind and as soon as he was allowed he was sitting at her bedside holding her hand.
“I'm so sorry Sabine. If I had been paying better attention you wouldn't have gotten hurt. I should have been faster and noticed those troopers” Ezra put his head down and didn't notice when she began to wake up.
“Don't be a di’kut Ezra, it wasn't your fault. Also, were you speaking Mando'a? Or was that just the blood loss?” Sabine said as she tried to sit herself up in the bed. Suddenly she was enveloped in a tight hug.
“Sabine! Oh thank the force. I was so worried” Ezra said into her hair as he hugged her, “you really scared me this time.”
She wrapped her arms around him and returned the hug. The pair stayed like that for a while. “You still didn't answer my question about the Mando'a Ezra”.
Ezra pulled back and rubbed his neck, looking slightly embarrassed. “Well yes I was speaking Mando'a to you, but only because you were speaking it and you wouldn't really respond to anything else”
“Ok, but how in the galaxy do you even know Mando'a?”
“Um well see…. remember when I kept trying to do anything to impress you?” Sabine nodded, “I decided to learn Mando'a so I could win you over but then decided to actually just be your friend. But I still learned it just in case I needed it and because I wanted to know more about your culture.”
Sabine sat there for a minute digesting what Ezra had just said. This boy, or she guessed young man now, had learned the language of her people because he cared about her. And that was making her heart do some funny flips. Mostly because she may have been developing a bit of a massive crush on him but also because she had done the same thing.
“Well, I guess I should probably tell you that I may have learned Lothali for you,” Sabine said quietly, not looking him in the eyes but instead picking at the blanket. He looked at her with his mouth agape. She had done the same for him? He hadn't heard his language spoken in so long.
“Would you mind saying something to me?”
“Thank you for saving me, Ezra. You are the most special person in my life” Sabine said to him in Lothali as she grabbed both his hands.
“Ba'gedet'ye, Sabine,” he replied in. Sabine pulled on his arms to bring him closer until she could touch their foreheads together. From his research Ezra knew this was a keldabe kiss. He also knew the significance of the gesture.
“Uh Sabine? Are you still feeling the pain medicine?” He whispered.
“No, why?”
“Um because you're um doing the keldabe kiss with me and um that's how do I put this ....pretty intimate” Ezra was turning every shade of red and trying not to look directly into her eyes.
“I know. Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum Ezra Bridger”
“Oh” he was too stunned to say anything else. He had not expected this development. But thankfully the Force was on his side and cleared his brain quickly.
“Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum balyc Sabine Wren” and with that confession the two finally shared their first real kiss. Only to be interrupted but a rude warble from Chopper in the doorway.
“Get a room you nasty meat bags”
The two jumped apart as the rest of the crew came into the room. The silence was incredibly awkward.
“Well, Sabine I am so glad to see you are doing better” Hera said, finally breaking the tension. She came over to the bedside and set down some of Sabine's favorite snacks.
“Thanks Hera. It's all because of Ezra” she replied, finding his hand again and giving it another squeeze.
“Gross, no one here wants to know what Ezra did to make you feel better” Zeb commented from the corner. Chopper snicked at this comment. Kanan just sighed and shook his head.
“What Zeb is saying is we are all glad you're better Sabine” Kanan said, “and Ezra we are thankful for you getting her out safely”.
There were a few more snickers from Chopper and Zeb but otherwise the teasing died down. The crew fell into quiet conversation and before long Sabine began to drift off to sleep, finding it difficult to stay awake.
“Guys, how about we go get some food? Maybe we can find some nerf nuggets for Sabine?” Hera suggested after noticing how tired she was. The crew agreed and started to leave. Ezra started to get up also but Sabine grabbed him by the arm.
“Can you please stay? I appreciate your company Ez. At least for a while longer” she asked in a sleepy voice.
“Of course Sabine. Whatever you need” he replied. The rest of the crew said their farewells and left them behind.
Once they got resettled Sabine grabbed Ezra’s hand again. “Hey Ezra? Can you tell me all about learning Mando'a? I think it will be a nice story”
“Well it all started after we ran into Ketsu honestly……”
A while later Hera stopped back by and found Sabine fast asleep with Ezra half leaning on the bed also asleep. She smiled at the duo, remembering similar times between her and Kanan. She dropped off the nerf nuggets and put a blanket over Ezra and then left the room.
She gave the two one last glance. A Jedi and a Mandalorian, she thought, who would have thought they'd end up together.