#parental kallus

[ms-erin-kallus]

Girl Dad

Kallus gets absolutely played by his three year old.

“Daddy!” a small voice rang through a warm summer’s, bright blue sky high above the bustling marketplace that wound its way up and down the crowded streets of the quaint island, Pabu.

Kallus had decided to retire there after the war ended because of its remote location, eclectic population, and simple way of life. They had decided that it would be the best place to raise the three year old girl that was barreling toward him at full speed, impervious to any and everyone that had the misfortune of finding themself in her way.

“Daddy!” she screeched the second she spotted her father as he looked around erratically for the source of his instant and crippling panic. “Daddy,” she said again completely out of breath as she stopped short of the tall, imposing, and suddenly petrified man, totally oblivious to what she had just done to him.

Instantly Kallus dropped to his knees in front of the little girl and grabbed her tiny shoulders that heaved heavily as she struggled to catch her breath. “Are you alright?” he barked unintentionally from fear, which startled her. “Did someone try to hurt you?” he asked as he looked around, ready to erase her potential threat and however he deemed fit. “What happened?” he asked again more sternly to a child that simply did not care.

“I’m fine,” she huffed as she theatrically strained to pull away from him while he furiously checked over her to make sure that he didn’t miss any small injury.

Tangled, dark brown curls bounced in her face as she tried, unsuccessfully, to escape from her father’s grasp. “What happened?” he asked her as calmly as his trembling voice would allow. Bright, amber eyes stared up at him with sincere confusion as his heart continued to slam hard against his chest.

The little girl in a pale pink dress, somehow already stained by whatever it was that small children always found to mysteriously ruin perfectly good clothes, leaned in close enough that their noses almost touched. “Look what I found.” she said as seriously as a three year old could as she pulled out the mysterious brown item that had been alternating between flailing in the air and dragging on the ground behind her as she sprinted up to him. Pride beamed across her tiny face as she excitedly held it up for him to see. “Incredible,” she said more to herself than him, but also incorrectly as she left out the <em>r</em> like she did with most words. It was one of his favorite little things that she did.

Kallus cleared his throat and blinked away the trauma of the previous ten seconds as he looked at what he realized was a costume of some sort. Before he could comment she pulled it away from him to hold up at her side and stare at in literal awe.

“It’s a spaceship driver suit, daddy,” she said to him as she looked back at Kallus with an expression of childlike wonder. “The driver,” she informed him quietly and with utmost seriousness one more time as if he hadn’t understood her the first.

“It’s-“ Kallus began before another loud commotion pulled everyone’s attention in the direction that the little girl had come from a minute prior.

A very angry ugnaught came running toward them as fast as his squat body would allow, his finger pointed straight at Kallus’ young daughter. “You better pay for that, you little brat!” he threatened her hostility, which Kallus did not take kindly to regardless of the child’s now obvious crime.

Silence fell over the crowd as they watched Kallus stand and subsequently tower over the unfazed store owner. The little girl instinctively hid behind her father’s leg when he did before she peered around it anxiously. “I’m sorry,” Kallus began to apologize. “I’m sure that she didn’t intent-“

“I don’t care!” the shopkeeper screeched. “You better consider yourself lucky I didn’t call the guard on her to teach her a hard lesson about the law!” he threatened as he stepped forward and glared at her menacingly.

The pressure hugged around his leg by tiny arms tightened and was more than enough to set off Kallus’ protective instincts. His hand reached back and pushed his child completely behind him, intentionally making a formidable barrier between her and the man that was about to learn a lesson of his own. “Listen,” he growled, “she’s three. She meant no harm. I will talk to her and make sure that she understands what she has done and why it was not okay to do so.”

The agnaught huffed, “she should already know.”

That was a mistake on their part.

Out of nowhere, and with concerning ease, ISB Kallus came roaring back to life from where they had been meticulously locked away for years upon years. The darkest side of him took a step forward with fatal intent before rationality preventatively took back control and quickly re-sequestered him. With his volatility under control, he knelt down in front of his very concerned daughter. “Sweetheart,” he began carefully as he pushed a wayward curl behind her ear, “you can’t take other people’s things without asking first, remember how we’ve talked about that?”

“I’m sorry, daddy,” she squeaked out as her bottom lip began to quiver hard. “I just wanted to be a rebel like you,” she nodded as she turned the sleeve of the costume over and showed him a patch with a very familiar orange and purple insignia embroidered onto it.”

It was Kallus’ turn to tear up at the sweet, though illegally acquired, intention of the small girl. “How much is it?” he asked through the small knot that had formed in his throat. A smile crossed her face as she held the fabric closer to her chest and looked up at him with pure adoration.

The vendor snorted, “fifty credits.”

“Fifty!” Kallus exclaimed in shock, instantly killing the sweet moment, as he shot up and turned to face the man that had obviously increased the price dramatically due to the circumstance.

“You heard me,” he retorted with a smug grin.

Still silent, the crowd that had grown and watched the battle of wits before them waited in tense, yet entertaining, anticipation of what would play out next.

Begrudgingly and without breaking eye contact with the alien, Kallus reached into his pocket and a handful of metallic currency was passive aggressively exchanged which settled the matter for good.

A somewhat perturbed father turned to unexpectedly see his very aggravated wife that had been standing behind him for an undetermined amount of time. Her glare shot what felt like literal daggers at him as she crossed her arms and sighed loudly.

His daughter stood between the two silent and frozen with half of her new outfit already pulled up to her waist.

“I told her no.”

[carcassarkis]

Looking through a sketchpad I drew in earlier this year and found gold

I’m hilarious (I am my own audience)

[seth-shitposts]

Random defectors bits that have crossed our mind the past few days:

---

Ezra [17]: Ally, would you still love me if I were a worm??

Kallus: yes. My answer has not changed in eight years.

Ezra: just checking :]

---

Ezra, 7 y/o and just opening up to Kallus: how old are you????

Kallus, internally: [I could tell him what my forged papers say. But I don't want to start this off with lies. He's just starting to trust me.]

Kallus: I am 23.

Ezra: *immediately brings his palms up/looks down at his hands to count*

Kallus: ???

Ezra: you were 16 when I was born!

Kallus, thinking that this is the most adorable thing he's ever seen: I was.

Ezra: I thought that Tua said you were closer to her age?

Kallus: because that's what my file says. It's a secret.

Ezra: a secret? Why?

Kallus: because I had to lie to be allowed to enlist on the academy on coruscant.

Ezra: so everyone thinks you're older than you actually are?

Kallus: most of them. It was harder to keep a secret when I was younger, but as the years go on its less noticeable.

---

Kallus consistently reassuring Ezra, encouraging him. He tells him how great he's doing at something, how quick he learns, how clever he is, highlights his strengths, and soothes his insecurities.

It all encourages Ezra to do more, to be more confident and comfortable. Ezra looks forward to showing Kallus all the things he does, telling him about what he did.

Sometimes it's Ezra seeking Kallus out when he's unsure or feeling dread. Kallus is always so gentle with him and kind. Warm and soft; safe.

---

Morad, near the beginning of getting to know Kallus and trying to figure out how much he can trust him: I've noticed a few things and was wondering if I could ask you a question?

Kallus, finishing up a case before putting the tablet away to continue watching Ezra run and play in the Sumar fields: most certainly, Mr. Sumar.

Morad: you aren't the most patient person and I've heard how you temper can grow shorter.

Kallus: something I'm working on yes, but I assure you, at no point will Ezra be receiving such from me.

Morad: that's what I wanted to ask about. I've also seen how you put much more effort and intention into keeping calm and level headed with Ezra. And I know for quite a few months he wasn't making that easy.

Kallus: Ezra’s entire world as he knew it got turned around and he is only seven. Angry outbursts are the least of what's to be expected.

Morad: even still, some of the best people I know don't always have that type of control over their anger or patience.

Kallus: When I was around Ezra's age, i... *pauses to gage how much he's going to share* was a very difficult child in a difficult situation. I didn't trust anyone and most people had no sympathy for me.

Morad: so you're trying to be who you didn't have?

Kallus: I'm trying to be the one person I did have. There was this miralukan chef from a few levels up. They made consistent efforts to try and gain my trust.

-Morad realizes that Kallus was most probably from the lower levels of coruscant rather than the upper crust.

Kallus: I can't tell you how many times I lashed out at them and fled. I thought they were going to hurt me. But. They kept trying.

-Morad pieces together that Kallus grew up on the streets, but unlike Ephraim, most people weren't kind to him.

Kallus: and eventually, I did trust them enough to accept the food and clothing they brought me. I would follow them sometimes to see where they were going, where they came from. I sought them out and they would help me.

Kallus: it didn't take long after that, they took me in but I was still so temperamental. I still lashed out. But they always kept patient. They never lashed back at me.

Kallus: in fact, it stuck out to me that they never turned their anger to me, their impatience. I've seen them get angry at other people. Yell at them, scream at them, even have physical altercations. But...

Morad: they made it a point to be patient and gentle with you.

Kallus: Yeah. And for the longest time I thought they were just being the kindest person in the universe. But when I met Ezra, it struck me just how young I had been when I was in such a position.

Morad: kids have a way of realigning how you perceive things.

Kallus: that they do.

---

[watermelonolemretaw]

@starrz-n-waffl3-fries @burntmarshmallowqueen what do you think our characters' most important flaws are?

for kyete, it's definitely his self-doubt-- he's internalized this idea that because he's killed or otherwise hurt so many people, his own thoughts and feelings don't matter anymore because he's basically irredeemable

i think that's also why kyiro is so important (at least for kyete, might be a different story for hiro) because hiro is one of the people most affected by kyete's actions, and not only is he willing to live with him, but he also proves to kyete that he does matter and is worthy of love

[not0a0mundane]

Watching Back To The Future and thinking of a Rebels au based on it.

Idk of it would be 1950's aesthetic like in the movie or what (clone wars aesthetic?) But nonetheless it would be funny

[ecmlol]

A show about zeb and Kallus is the only show in the Star Wars universe that it make sense to have orgies and sex scenes lol it would be about repopulating the his new home world and what's the quickest way to do it beside orgies . Could you imagine how crazy that show would be . One minute zeb is doing his ranger thing and the the next Kallus reminds s him that they have a breeding ritual they have to go to on the next day off. We see Kallus working and then you see them going on dates. And all the females that like both or just one goes to the rituals. Then babies are being born then one comes out looking to human and then have to save it from being thrown off a cliff or something . It would be a wild show but a show none the less . The world building would be epic . We would get to learn so much more about zeb and his cultures. We see the progress to their relationship. What the strain on their life is because of the rituals and the dating. There reaction to becoming parents . Some time they are very hands on and some time they aren't. Ect ect

[nicki0kaye]

'parental (name of a main cast member)' should not fall into this category, AND YET

humbling

[cameoliob]

i just saw your anya kallus art and would very much like to know more 👁️👁️

OH MY GOD YES ITS FINALLY TIME FOR ANYA TO SHINE

Okay heres her lore:

She was born to two young, but loving and financially stable parents in Coruscants mid-levels.

When she was 16, her mother became pregnant with her baby brother, Alexsandr. She graduated high school two years early, set to go to a prestigious university in the upper levels.

Shortly before after she graduated, her father died in a work-related incident. Her mother couldnt handle the stress of a newborn and a dead husband and prompty fucked off after Alexsandr was born.

Anya, the kindest, most hardworking, and tender soul to ever have lived, took it upon herself to raise her baby brother.

She dropped her university acceptance to pick up jobs (THREE OF THEM) to support them. Coruscant isnt kind, and eventually price-gouging and ever-increasing rent forced them down to the lower levels just before Alexsandrs fifth birthday.

So Alex grew up with a half-mom half-sister who dedicated her life to raising him. She sent him to a mid-level school, refused to let him get a job until he was 16 so that he could focus on his studies.

The pair were as close as they couldve been, even though Alex was a little shit.

Alex helped out where he could (pickpocketed the rich looking people during his commute home from school) but Anya worked tirelessly to give him a good life.

Just before Alex's 16th birthday Anya got sick, just like everyone in the lower levels do at some point.

They didnt have the money to get her help, and even if they did it wouldnt have stopped anything-- it would have just prolonged it.

She died shortly before Alex's 18th birthday. She was thirty four.

Alex didnt make enough money on his own to keep their shoebox apartment and turned to couch hopping.

It was no question for him to enlist in the empire; free room and board, and a near guarantee that he could get the hell off of Coruscant.

Alex never really got to mourn her. Not until nearly 18 years later after defecting and knowing that Anya would have been proud.

Proud of him for leaving Coruscant.

Proud of him for defecting.

Proud of him for doing the right thing.

So yeah thats the Anya lore. Lots of headcanon-y mumbo jumbo but we ball

[never-ending-fanfic]

More of my sweet little baby✨

Warning: she's too cute

Tala in a variety of fits I couldn't resist but put her in

Explanation of the fits under the cut, from the top, left to right

Tala at the beach in the cutest cherry swimsuit, grumpy at the sand castle having the audacity to collapse

the blue dress is her outfit as a flower girl at Hera and Kanan's wedding (and he's alive and well and def not dead in this AU, she's also gonna be the best older cousin to Jacen)

the green overalls were embriodered by Sabine and given to Tala as a birthday gift at some point and she just loves them so much she could wear them everyday (and sometimes refuses and pouts when Kallus suggests something else)

Tala in Kallus' rebel captain jacket, cause it's so wholesome when kids try on their parents clothes adbsgxgsjbx

Tala after spending a day with auntie Sabine, they spent their time painting and making jewelry (Kallus was horrified at the hair and ready to strangle Sabine before she assured him it'll wash off)

Tala in a dress that just screams "fr my mom put me in this when I was a baby" vibe to me personally

The last one is my favourite, she's so freaking cute in the yellow dress, I just cannot believe how sweet she looks

[inafieldofstarflowers]

Today’s thoughts are about Rebels and the theme of home, and more specifically about Ezra Bridger.

One thing I love about Rebels is how each of the characters has their own reasons for choosing to fight the Empire—Hera grew up in this fight, Zeb is responding to his past inability to protect his people, Sabine is trying to make amends for her past decisions, and Kanan is just trying to survive after Order 66, figuring out what it means to be a Jedi. They’ve all had to, in some way, leave their people behind to pursue this fight, and that’s where we are when we meet them—when Ezra meets them.

And the thing about Ezra is that he doesn’t want the fight. He doesn’t want to join the rebellion, he wants to fix his home. But, when he gets dragged off anyway, he hears about the wookies being taken from their home, and it resonates with him; and because Ezra is, at his core, a good person, he helps them—and then he can’t stop himself from helping, and with his new family by his side, he doesn’t want to.

During the show, each of those characters faces reckonings with their past, not just once, but repeatedly. Not only does Zeb help the Lasats they meet, he is constantly coming encountering Kallus, who puts a face to the loss of his people. Hera has to work with her father, and then Thrawn steals her Kalikori. Sabine has to fight against her people, and then fights for them. And Kanan trains Ezra, immersing himself back into that life he had to run from, in many ways, with Order 66. In episodes one and two, the troops are shocked to see a Jedi, but he and Ezra slowly become well-known—he stops hiding.

In the midst of all of his family reencountering their homes is Ezra, refusing to leave his behind. Ezra never falters in his commitment to Lothal, and to its people. It’s Ezra who saves the governor, it’s his voice that gives the people hope, it’s him who pushes for the rebellion to act. He never gives up on it, never loses sight of his home, and I think that’s a big part of what draws the others back to their own homes.

By the time you reach the final moments of the battle on Lothal, Ezra has made peace with his decisions. He’s resisted the pull of the dark side, overcome the devastation of losing a master, and even denied Palpatine’s temptation for him to be reunited with his parents. In the rebellion, Ezra has grown into something more than he was before, and this time he chooses to rebel, and to do it in the name of Lothal. And he does it by using the force, not to fight, but to flee—except now, he’s not running from something out of fear, but out of determination. This time, Ezra makes the choice to leave his home behind, so that he can make the galaxy a better place for its people.

And his final message to Sabine was that he was counting on her. He didn’t say what for, but he didn’t have to, because she knew. He was counting on her to bring him back to his home, just like he helped bring the rest of them back to theirs.

Ezra Bridger is the heart of Rebels in so many ways, but this is and will probably always be my favorite.

[martianbugsbunny]

I LIVE for Kallus interacting with the other Spectres, yes Zeb is his bf but there's so much potential everywhere else too. I bet the second Hera noticed how much Kallus appreciates Chopper she was like yes.this is a new friend.we must consume caffeine together.

Someone requested for Hera and Kallus to hang out and drink some caf

[heyclickadee]

Okay, to try to explain why the Bad Batch finale is driving me crazy

Imagine if Rebels ended at season three. (Thought experiment time!)

Not that it got cancelled; no one is saying it was cancelled, everyone is saying that this is where they wanted to end that chapter. And the entire season plays out exactly the same as it did in the real world*. Zero Hour, exactly as is, ends up being the series finale.

And the initial reaction is, “Great! They’re alive! They made it out, no one else besides Ahsoka died, we’re so relieved,” except—

What about Lothal? We built up to trying to save Lothal even in the third season—are we really just forgetting about it? What about Ezra becoming a Jedi? The whole sequence with the Bendu was really cool, but what about that foreshadowing line he gave to Thrawn in the end? Where is that supposed to go? Why did we waste a whole episode on space whales? Why didn’t Ezra’s talent for connecting with animals ever go anywhere? What about the side episodes about the Rebel Alliance? The episodes in the season were very good on their own-in fact, a few might be close to the best episodes in the show—but because there’s no payoff and nothing goes anywhere, it all sort of falls apart. Kallus’s redemption arc was fine, but what’s he going to do now, or is he just going to feel bad about what he did? I’m glad they’re all alive and all, but that’s it? Theres no real victory except survival? Why did we spend multiple episodes in the temple on Lothal if that wasn’t going to go anywhere besides getting Ahsoka killed?

Speaking of, Ahsoka really died, and we never dealt with it? Thirty seconds of Ezra crying, everyone looking sad, a sorrowful look from Rex, then we never discuss it, and the only time she comes up is when we’re discussing her job as Fulcrum? It was ambiguous enough to begin with, then we never really got confirmation or any processing on screen at all. We had a whole episode for Ezra to process learning that his parents died, and we never even really met those characters! But nothing for Ahsoka? She’s a fan favorite, and she means so much to a lot of people in the audience. She seemed like she was Dave’s favorite, even! It’s not like her death affected anyone either—all the character motivation was driven either by Kanan’s blindness, the fallout with Maul, or Ezra being tempted by the holocron. It was noble and tragic, sure, but narratively, they just killed her for shock value. If she’s even supposed to be dead! We don’t know for sure!

So you’re thinking through all of that, trying to figure out what the hell happened here and how a show that was otherwise very good only resolved two or three subplots, none of which was the main one, never really dealt with a main character’s death, and never fully 100% resolved anyone’s character arc, all while the showrunners refuse to say that this is the last time we’ll see these characters and insist on using the word “chapter” to refer to the end. So you’ve got a sneaking suspicion that the story isn’t actually over, that there’s something weird going on, but you don’t know for sure, and you can’t just let things lie because it’s not that it’s just a bad ending, it’s that it’s bad in a particularly insane way that would come back around to being incredible if there ended up being any follow through for a series that was somehow 99% set up and no payoff.

Anyway, this is where I’m at with The Bad Batch right now.

* For the purposes of this thought experiment, we can add a except that there’s a little epilogue at the end—not the epilogue we actually got at the end of season four of Rebels, but an epilogue where a fifteen-year-older Ezra has a conversation with Hera (no one else, and no Jacen around, no sign that Jacen even exists) about needing to go do something, and then hopping into a ship that looks a bit like the Phantom and has little mementos from various members of the ghost crew family around. Ezra mentions Zeb, Sabine, and Chopper, so we at least know they’re alive, but he doesn’t mention anyone else, and neither does Hera. Something with Ahsoka’s fulcrum symbol is sitting on Ezra’s dashboard. We learn nothing about what anyone does in the meantime. It’s completely open.

[incorrectpizza]

speaking of modern aus idk if i've ever posted about my rebels journalism au which exists solely for my own self indulgence.

hera's a journalist with the phoenix press, an underground anti-establishment newspaper. ahsoka's the editor, bail's the publisher. she lives in an apartment above the newsroom, which has a front as some sort of coworking space.

chopper's the cat who showed up as a tiny angry kitten and just never left. cat distribution system, all that. now a grown up angry cat.

sabine's the "receptionist." say the right words, you get in, say the wrong ones, you get a death glare. her parents are furious that she's pursuing anything other than a military career and so when she switched majors from military science to art and photography, she got kicked out, dropped down to part-time enrollment, took on a job and ended up moving in at hera's.

zeb's a good cop in a world full of bad cops. kallus is the worst of his bad cop coworkers. he feeds hera intel on the injustices and helps out whenever he can, til he gets caught doing something too nice and has to flee (to hera's apartment).

ezra's a runaway foster kid who kanan finds and rescues from getting involved in black sun (drug running gang) and tells to go to hera for a job. hera hires him to deliver papers, and when she learns the truth about him...he ends up moving in, too.

and kanan? kanan's hera's top informer, the one with the shady connections outside the government, who she meets with every single friday morning. they get coffee. it is not a date, no, strictly business. he's a mostly recovered alcoholic but one day, he relapses hard, winds up in the police station, and calls hera to pick him up. she does. he never leaves.

and that's how hera ends up with everyone in a tiny apartment with sleeping arrangements that make no sense to literally anyone involved (ie she and kanan don't share a room until they've been "secretly" married over a year and she's several months pregnant with jacen), living the dream (overthrowing the government with words), trying not to die (there's a few car chases and at least one motorcycle crash (rip the phantom)).

highlights include 14yo homeless ezra coming in and applying as dev morgan, a 17yo who lives in the empiree state building; chopper drawing blood on numerous occasions, especially zeb and kanan; and the time a tabloid publishes an article about their drama and hera gets FURIOUS ("they claim i'm kriffing my informant in the newsroom! i'm making love to my husband in the apartment above the newsroom").

is there a plot? not really. will there ever be a fic? almost certainly not. does it still live rent free in my head? yes. yes it does.

[gffa]

Why does Sabine think Ezra is the only family she has left? Hera and Jacen and Zeb are still around

For me, I've been reading it as a few things sort of overlapping: - Sabine and Ezra grew very close as Rebels went on, they bonded a lot, and she probably still feels guilty that she knew Ezra was going to leave the dome to go to Thrawn's ship and helped distract the others to give him time. With the Wrens having died on Mandalore, it further makes her feel guilty about her part in this war, and Ezra's the only one she can really fight to get back, that she feels she can still do something for him. - Hera and Jacen and Zeb all seem really busy. They're still her family, but Hera's helping set up the New Republic, she has Jacen to look after now, Zeb is gone on Lira San with Kallus a lot of the time or out helping the New Republic, it probably feels like there's not a lot of room for Sabine in their lives anymore. - For the same reason that Ezra was tempted to bring back his parents, despite that the Ghost crew is also his family. Sometimes you miss someone so much you get kind of tunnel visioned about them. I haven't been viewing it as a slight against her relationships with Hera or Zeb, but more that Sabine is feeling purposeless and left behind, even Ahsoka left her behind, too, so part of her feels like Ezra's the only one who still needs her, the only one she has left to give herself meaning with.

[lost-in-derry]

Oh my god what if their kids do the same thing? Zeb is holding Kallus who is holding the kits. Like an adorable Lasat human turducken.

On yet another ice planet:

Hera: Alright everyone, we got the stuff, let's get out of here.

Sabine: Um, Zeb, why do you have a vaguely Kallus shaped lump on you?

Zeb: Oh, you know how he is.

----earlier----

Kallus: *walks out of Ghost, looks at snow*

Kallus: No.

Kallus: *walks up to Zeb, unzips his jumpsuit*

Kallus: *steps into suit with Zeb*

Kallus: *zips suit back up*

[illuminatedquill]

Worship Me

A Sabine Wren & Ezra Bridger story

Story Summary: Tucked away inside their watchtower during a snowy night on Lothal, Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger ponder the future and their relationship.

The beverage dispenser whirred and deposited the last of its contents - sweet, sweet hot chocolate - into the mug; Ezra watched the steam waft up from the dark brown ambrosia, bringing with it the tantalizingly sweet aroma that made his mouth water.

Even with the heating unit at max, the watchtower's interior was still chilly. Outside the temperatures were approaching near freezing and bringing with it fresh concerns of an early, bitter winter with its sleet and snow. But, for now, the snow was harmless and provided an endless frosty wonderland for all the children - and not an insignificant number of adults - to enjoy. Ezra took the fresh mug of hot chocolate in one hand and grabbed another less recently filled one in his other and moved to the watchtower's balcony.

His partner, Sabine Wren, was standing there. Wrapped in a comfy gray shawl - a gift from her departed master, Ahsoka Tano - she leaned against the railing, watching the snow drift lazily down. Just beyond, lit brightly against the snowfall, was Lothal's Capital City with its gorgeous array of spires and skyscrapers. Ezra smiled wistfully, thinking of all the families living in those towers, their children's faces pressed against the glass to watch the snow come down.

He remembered with a pang of melancholy of doing just that with his own parents, Ephraim and Mira, many years ago. Waking up to see the snow, riding a sled down the hills of Lothal's fields, scampering after the loth cats to find their hidden burrows . . .

"Enjoying the view?" Sabine called to him, jolting him out of his reminiscing. He blinked, re-focusing on her.

Even after all these years, she still took his breath away with her beauty. Sabine's hair had grown a little longer, the dyed orange tips just brushing the top of her shoulders now. He knew she wouldn't grow it any longer, purely for practical reasons, but oh how he yearned to see Sabine with longer hair. Underneath the shawl, she wore casual clothes: a bright orange tunic, yellow combat pants, and maroon boots. Once upon a time, he had teased that her outfit was similar in style to the one he wore during the Rebellion and had received a sharp poke in the side for his observation (but he had noted slyly that Sabine was blushing as she did so).

Playing it cool (ha ha), he replied, "Yup."

Smooth, he thought dourly. Very cool, Ezra.

Sabine snorted and took one of the mugs to sip at. "Charming as always, Ezra."

He batted his eyes at her in, hopefully, a smoldering fashion. "Hey, it's a part of the package. Prince Charming, that's me."

She choked on the hot chocolate.

Using his sleeve to dab at her mouth, he said, "That wasn't meant to be a joke."

In between gasps of air, Sabine choked out, "You're going to kill me with any more of whatever this is you're trying to do."

Ezra sighed and took her gently by the arm. "Let's just head inside."

Once Sabine had settled down, they settled onto the couch and wrapped a large quilt - a gift from Zeb and Kallus (with an apology note from Kallus about the quilt's clumsy construction but Zeb tried really hard, and he hadn't the heart to tell him otherwise) - around themselves. Sabine was sipping at Ezra's mug of hot chocolate, since he was the reason why hers had been spilled. Normally he would have protested, especially since it was his favorite beverage, but Ezra had learned long ago that certain arguments were futile with Sabine, so he gladly acquiesced.

They sat there in silence, just listening to the watchtower's gentle mechanical hum and the occasional mewling from Murley, who had taken up the usual perch at his favorite window.

Ezra closed his eyes and took in the ambience, enjoying the simple feeling of being at home and beside the person he loved the most in this galaxy.

. . . And trying to ignore the fact his hands were shaking ever so slightly.

Sabine set down her mug on the table in front of them. He felt her turn towards him, leaning in close, her warm breath tickling his ear . . .

"Your hands are shaking, cyar'ika," she said quietly.

Ezra's eyes opened as he grimaced. "You caught that," he said glumly.

Sabine arched an eyebrow at him. "You can't hide anything from me, Ezra," she replied. "We're partners."

Ezra shrugged off his side of the quilt, glaring at his traitorous hands. "I don't know why they're doing that," he confessed. "It's been happening more and more lately."

She cocked her head at him, thinking. "Not during our missions," she said. "Only when we're home."

"Yeah," he said. "You think they'd be acting up while we're fighting off pirates or negotiating trade disputes or any number of stressful situations we've been in . . . but no. Just whenever we're home."

Sabine gently grasped his shaking hands. They stilled in her touch. "It's fear, I think," she surmised, studying his face. "And something more."

Ezra frowned at her. "What am I scared of when we're home, safe and sound, alone together?"

"Talk it out. Let your thoughts flow along with your feelings, cyar'ika."

Ezra sighed. "Okay," he replied. Closing his eyes, he reached out to the Force for calm and just . . . listened to himself, breathing in and out. He felt Sabine's presence beside him - a constant fierce light, radiating love and belief and support -

The quiet.

He opened his eyes, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck raise unsettlingly. "That's it," he murmured. "That's what it is."

Sabine looked at him, frowning. "What is it?"

"It's the quiet," Ezra said. "It's the peace. I'm not used to it."

He leaned back into the couch, processing this revelation. After a few moments he said, "Sabine, do you realize we've been fighting for most of our lives?"

Her grip on his hands tightened. Ezra looked and saw the discomfort appear on her face. "It's not something I like to dwell on," she said. "But, yeah. I know."

"I think it's come to the point where I feel more at home in a battlefield than I do at our actual home. The peace, the quiet . . . Sabine, it scares me. I'm scared it could be disrupted at a moment's notice, that it could be taken away."

Ezra stared at her, his vision going blurry. "I'm scared you could be taken away. Or me, taken from you. It all feels false, somehow. I can't truly enjoy it."

Sabine reached out and cradled his face to her chest. He heard the gentle, re-affirming beat of her heart. It calmed him a little.

"The galaxy's a scary place, Ezra. We've already lost each other once. I wish I could guarantee that it will never happen again . . . "

Ezra said bitterly, "You can't. No one can."

She turned his face upwards towards hers. "I love you, Ezra. That's all I can promise you. I'll love you until the stars go cold."

"Is it enough, Sabine? Love doesn't promise anything. It wasn't enough for Kanan and Hera. It didn't save Kanan. It killed him." The mention of his former master, Kanan Jarrus, brought a bitter taste to his mouth. He felt awful for saying it, but it held true. Kanan had loved Hera deeply - enough to give his life to ensure hers and everyone else's future on Lothal.

But he had still died. And he knew Hera still felt that loss keenly everyday.

Yes, the love had been there. But it hadn't changed anything.

Kanan still died. Hera had told him of the regrets she felt; things that should have been said but were put aside in the foolish hope that there would be another time to say them.

"You don't mean that, Ezra," said Sabine sharply. "I know you don't."

Ezra turned his face away, hiding his shame. He shrugged in response.

Sabine grabbed his face and wrenched it back towards her. Her brown eyes, normally bright and compassionate, burned with a fierce anger. "Listen to me," she said. "Do not let this fear turn you into something you're not, Ezra. You're better than this. I know you are."

Ezra let out a frustrated breath, bowing his head. "I know. I just . . . I don't know, Sabine. Will this be enough for us? With the lives we lead? I don't want there to be any regrets between us."

"You mean like Hera and Kanan?" asked Sabine. "I get what you mean."

He looked at her, feeling lost. "So what do we do?"

Sabine looked back at him. Then, with a soft touch, she placed a finger under his chin and titled his face up ever so slightly.

"If the love is not enough," she said softly, "then I will ask you for more."

Ezra stared at her, entranced. "What do you mean?"

Sabine leaned in close; the scent of her, a lilac fragrance, filling his nose, intoxicating his mind . . .

"Adore me, Ezra Bridger," she whispered. "Worship me."

His mind went blank. "I . . . how?" he heard himself ask.

With her other hand, Sabine reached behind his head, running her fingers through his hair. Silvery sensations erupted from his scalp; Ezra could hear his heart pulsing loudly within his ears. The fingers clenched, and she pulled him into a deep, searing kiss.

After what felt like an eternity, she let him up for air. Breathing heavily, she placed a hand on his chest.

"I will worship you too," she said huskily. "All of you."

She leaned forward and kissed his chest. "I worship your heart."

His forehead. "I worship your mind."

Sabine reached for his hands, still shaking but for different reasons now. She brushed her lips lightly against each of his fingers. "I worship your hands."

Ezra shivered at her touch. When she was finished, she gazed deeply into his eyes. "Your turn now," she said with an impish grin.

"Are you sure about this?" Ezra asked. "I haven't . . . I mean, this is my first time."

"Mine too," Sabine admitted.

Ezra's eyes widened. He smiled, feeling surprised - and a little gratified. "You waited for me?"

Blushing, Sabine punched him gently on the arm. "Obviously, goober."

He grinned at her. "So, who will take the lead then?"

"Me," she said bluntly. "Unless the Noti gave you directions."

Ezra laughed, feeling some of the tension slide out of him.

Sabine poked him in the chest. "Hey. Focus. Back to worshipping."

He reached out through the Force and dimmed the watchtower's lights. Sabine quirked an eyebrow at him. "Trying to set the mood?" she asked.

Ezra glanced at his hands - they were steady as a rock.

He slid his hands underneath the quilt, searching . . .

Sabine frowned at him. "What are you - oh."

Ezra gently pressed himself against her and returned her kiss with a fervent ardor that left them both breathless. Blinking at him, stunned, Sabine asked, "Where did you learn to do that?"

"Maybe the Noti did teach me some things," he teased. "Oh, I've got tricks that will blow your mind, Sabine Wren."

A sly smile grew slowly on her beautiful face. "Yeah?" she challenged. "Are you willing to show me some more of these tricks?"

"Certainly," said Ezra. "If you're not busy this evening."

She rolled her eyes. "I've got some free time, sure," she replied dryly.

"Excellent," said Ezra. And he promptly got to work, worshipping her, adoring her.

*Author's Note: One of the craziest lines I've ever heard in romantic fiction is a woman saying to her lover, "Worship me." I immediately knew it was something Sabine would say to Ezra and, well, here we are.