@beskarbuir​ // Din Djarin

“Stand in the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask the ghosts if honor matters. Their silence is your answer.“

Fingers itched to grasp the vibroblade at her waist, but paused. Of all of their interactions, this was the closest Sabine had come to an actual threat of violence. To hatred-- pure and unadulterated.

“Trust, Armitage, that when you join the silence of my ancestors, no one will mourn you, let alone notice your departure. Despite all your efforts to be remembered, no one will feel joy or pain or heartbreak, because no one will have cared enough about your life to waste the energy.”

Anger read cleanly across their face, cool and unwavering. Motionless.

“At least I have a family, even if they are ghosts. Can you really say the same?”

@generally-scheming

@cravked​ // trilla suduri

the sudden quiet that came from her temporary companion was easy to notice, but trilla doesn’t immediately bother to break it with questioning what had suddenly changed her mood. she appreciated the quiet, found it to be more comfortable, even if she did not entirely hate having another person beside her like she might have claimed to. the little witty retort still came as expected after a bit, but something about her demeanor had shifted. perhaps the little mandalorian was more observant about her than the former inquisitor had previously given her credit for. oh well.

“just over an hour, if you walk quickly.” trilla clarified with a simple shrug of her shoulders. “but i’ve got my own speeder about that’s about ten minutes west that’ll get us there much faster.” she hadn’t walked out here on her own, after all, but made sure to keep her own vehicle out of sight, in case the other had been a bit more slippery and would have tried for something like stealing hers.

not waiting for her to give much of a response, trilla began to head east toward her speeder, not saying another word about it. it was not until she reached the vehicle that she spoke again, though she doesn’t look at her companion.

“so what was it that shut you up?”

The crackling of their footsteps was all that filled the silence for a few moments, and Sabine paused in contemplation. She didn’t want to tell the truth, to admit what it was that had changed their attitude. Even though the stranger had been kind this far, she still didn’t know much about what had brought them out here.

“You just, uh, reminded me of my little brother. For a minute there.” They stumbled over their words as their breath became a little more hollow in realization. It was a loaded statement, and not at all entirely untrue. The brother she had grown up with, Tristan, had had a similar sense of humor as Trilla, the same guarded expressions. 

Something caught in her throat, and they had to look away before Trilla could notice the stiffness in her breath. It still hurt, to think about the family she had lost. Not just a mother and father, but two younger brothers for whom she still felt responsible. It was a pain they knew would never entirely fade.

“What about you? Do you have any siblings?”

warscore​ // bo-katan kryze

the figure that stood before bo was familiar, although she had not seen her in many years. she didn’t look much like her mother, that was certain, with dyed hair and brightly-colored armor, where ursa had prefered much simpler things in both regards. it felt as if bo was supposed to know them, as if they had met before, almost, with the other mandalorian’s expression. and they had met, of course, but the confident adult who stood before them had been a child then, not old enough to hold a blaster or fight. but here sabine was, fully grown and with tales of battle and rebellion that preceded her - from satine, from the rebellion, from most who had met them. 

“sabine wren.” she greeted, pulling off her helmet in one fluid motion, a faint smile accompanying the greeting. “it’s been a while.”

.

This wasn’t the Bo that Sabine knew. Something in her countenance was different. She moved with less hesitancy, spoke with a tone lighter and less burdened by war. Their armor was cleaner, paint fresher. This Bo was young. Even younger than her, maybe. 

“Bo-Katan.” They flashed a hesitant grin, unease filling their stomach. What time were they from? What did they remember about Sabine, about Mandalore? Did she know about the Purge? Who else had she found in this new time? “Yeah, it sure has. Su cuy’gar, burc’ya. Glad to see you again.” 

Their words were a little forced, emotions on edge. In another time, they were friends, and Sabine knew where Bo stood on some more important matters of politics and religion. But this older younger Bo, Sabine didn’t know. Did she? Still, they extended an arm in the customary greeting.

“When are you coming from, Bo?”

sacreficied​ // Kanan Jarrus

so much had happened over the course of their lives together as ghost crew that had been unpredictable, so many things to be grateful for –– and yet, nothing struck him quite the same as listening the others speak about the time that he was dead. kanan imagined that the other jedi he had spoken to must have felt in a similar way, the apprehension tightly wound with gratitude. he would not look at a gift like this with lack of appreciation, though there were things about it that he questioned.

“it’s easy to get caught up in the things that we’ve lost. you weren’t around for it, but you know that i did for years.” the circumstances had been different, but after sixty-six, he’d never stopped to appreciate that he was alive, that he still had his wits about him. it had taken time to appreciate hera, too. “i’m… i’m doing well. seeing the order restored has given me hope that i didn’t know i needed. for ezra, and for jacen. i know that there will be some who don’t approve or understand of… all of this,” he gestured loosely with his hand at nothing in particular, meaning ghost crew as a whole. “but even with the order’s stance on attachment, i think it makes me a better jedi.”

.

Silence weighed between them as Sabine listened to their friend’s admittance of his past actions. He’d never spent much time talking about what had happened before he found Hera, and she didn’t blame him. She didn’t respond to his words, but nodded, just taking time to listen. Years of petty arguments and bickering made it easy to forget how alike the two could be. 

“You know I don’t know much about the Jedi beyond what you and Ezra have shared with me--” she started, combing through words and phrases with caution. “But, it’s almost funny, right? I mean, the core beliefs of the mando’ade are all about family and connection. And the Jedi are supposed to distance themselves from that kind of emotion, right?”

They hesitated, offering a small, sad smile (though she knew he couldn’t see it). They bumped her boot against his, trying to keep the energy from sinking.

“It may be kinda unorthodox, but I think it works. I think we all make each other better...And, for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing. Rebuilding the Jedi and committing to the people you care about. Who care about you. Against our better judgement,” she teased. 

@naboospage​ // Sache

Naboo was a unique world, and its capital was just as unique in its own way. Saché loved Theed, even if she missed the city’s natural look from her childhood. It had been shaped by the Trade Federation and the Empire, now looking like a whole new city compared to what it used to be. Even with that Saché knew the streets by heart and she led Sabine through places that Saché thought the Mandalorian would love to see. There was a lot of ways to go from the spaceport to the house Yané purchased all these years ago. Saché loved nothing more than changing her path every now and then. She also loved watching how guests reacted to it, finding out that her ideas where the right ones. “We have plenty of space for you, don’t worry!” Sabine’s reactions were definitely rewarding, Saché walked silently to let them enjoy some peaceful time for once. “We’re good,” Saché said fondly. “She knows me better than anyone, so we rarely argue. And when we do it’s more a discussion than a real argument.” Saché knew how lucky she was. They’d been so young when they first met, and their relationship could have been crushed easily by the time they spent apart when Saché was too busy at the assembly. But they held on, being friends first and lovers second. It was still the same four decades later. “Did you find anyone interesting while I wasn’t there?” Her voice was teasing, and she winked. Sabine didn’t have to answer if they weren’t comfortable with it, and Saché wanted them to know it.

.

Sabine’s eyes were drawn to the architecture they passed, gaze raising to meet the tops of businesses and homesteads alike. It all looked so delicate, detailed, and intricate. The artists that crafted such marvels deserved praise. It almost reminded them of the towering frescoes of Mandalore. For a place so storied in bloodshed and war, you wouldn’t think it a place as layered with art as any other planet; but, it was there, if only you knew where to look...

Even as they awed, the Mandalorian found themself listening intently to her friend, smiling at the happiness her friend seemed to share with Yane. It was a love well-deserved, after all the women had been through.

“That’s so great to hear, Sache. You’ve always been a fantastic team.”

Her question did tug a bit at their gut, though. Oh, there was someone the Mandalorian had their eyes on, but whether or not she was looking back was the question. Wistfulness passed over Sabine’s face for just a moment before flickering into a smile. They were unsure whether to brush it off with a joke or to be honest. Maybe her friend could help? There was a weird twist in the gut as they responded.

“To be honest, I’m not sure. There’s one person, but.” She exhaled, carding a hand through her hair. “It’s hard to tell if she likes me back. And I don’t know how to tell her...I mean, I don’t know how you and Yane did it,” they laughed, then exhaled heavily. It was weird to talk about, but they knew Sache was a good listener, knew she cared.

generally-scheming​ // Armitage Hux

Hux peered down his nose at his glass, following the proper steps of savoring a new wine as he considered her comment about destruction. They must know about Starkiller, then. Good. Let her spill more and more of her intel in the guise of gloating. The comment about Rens wrinkled his nose, a gesture he hid behind sniffing his wine. And if the absurd pretense of a date meant they were suggesting anything other than professional history, Hux studiously ignored the implication.  “The Knights of Ren are an entire group which I’ve had the misfortune of associating with. You’ll need to be more specific.”  And in doing so, show exactly which cards were in their hand.

Her flirtatious behavior set him on edge.   (And that was exactly the point, wasn’t it?)   He had no doubt the individual across the table would sooner kill him than kiss him, and that, at least, was mutual. Every suggestive whisper or raised eyebrow was met with a narrow-eyed glare or a tightening of his well-practiced emotionless mask. But the mention of his father Brendol cracked the facade, a flash of raw fury lighting up his eyes. Hux smothered the fire and considered his options.

“To disappointing our parents,”  he answered instead, raising his glass to meet theirs. Weighing his words carefully — he had selected this bistro for its acceptance of an Imperially-aligned clientele — he met her gaze with singular intensity.  “Such a decorated figure in his field, my father. I can only imagine how pleased the New Republic would be if anything were to happen to him.”

.

There it was, the flash of emotion behind a facade of indifference. For just a second, this man let go of the carefully crafted mask. Then he quickened back to the haven of professionalism and dug at them, asking her to share what they knew of the Rens. Sabine understood the game. And she knew that he did, too. Perhaps better than anyone they’d had the pleasure of dining with of late. Information could be traded and turned like pawns in a game of chess. And it simply wouldn’t do to lay their playbook out for him to read at his lesiure.

“No, I don’t think I will. You seem like a man who just loves a mystery, Armitage. Besides, a girl’s gotta have their secrets.”

Instead, they zeroed in on his discomfort (anger? hatred, perhaps?) with her casual aside about Brendol. So, they’d guessed right. His name was like a spear, offering a chink in the armor of apathy. She took the gateway with greed, digging a foothold in the injury.

“Oya.” They took a sip of the wine. It would have been pleasant if it didn’t carry so much baggage. But, there wasn’t time for that. The game was in session, and it was Sabine’s turn to move. “I won’t disagree with you on that front. He is quite distinguished and respected, isn’t he? I can only imagine how hard it was for you to grow up in the shadow of such a dignified man. But we’re not here to talk about him, Hux.” They made sure to address him this time by the name shared with his father before echoing his words back at him, “If anything were to happen to him...how would you feel?”

“That’s because he inherited Hera’s good sense,” they joked, with a gentle nudge at his ribs. She could tell there was a lot on his mind, but there was no need to pry. Their language had always been one of silence, of emotions unspoken. It was...well, they were beyond grateful to have him back. Sure, she was older and (hopefully) wiser than the last time they’d met, but it was still him. Still Kanan. They’d done nothing to deserve their family back, but goddamn if she was going to let anything happen to them again.

“Ka’ra, it’s good to have you back. I was starting to miss making fun of you. Even if I can’t exactly call you an old man anymore.” The flash of a smile, marked only with a small caliber of sadness. It was a gift to see him again, but something still stung with a phantom of guilt.

@call-me-spectre-five​   //   sabine wren.

“jacen seems to be rather fond of you.” there was a warmth to his tone, even if his expression was somewhat contained. most of the results of the emperor’s rift would have been overwhelming to the average person, and it was to him, despite that he had been able to swallow much of it while maintaining his dignity. fatherhood, the restoration of the jedi order, what had happened to ezra… he was trying to follow his master’s teachings, controlling his emotions so that they did not control him. “you’ve been a good influence for him.”

sacreficied​ // Kanan Jarrus

“thank the force for that,” kanan agreed with an easy smile. it was overwhelming, the kind of pride that jacen brought him. it was also difficult to balance his drive and desire to protect both him and hera along with his commitment to the force, the rebuilding jedi order. it was a precarious balance, one that he was hesitant to speak to any of the older, more experienced masters about. ahsoka would understand, he was certain of that much, but she was not the only approval that he would have liked to have.

a deep breath pulled in through his nose, nodding his head. “it’s good to be back. i never thought i’d live to see a day like this. i mean, i guess i didn’t, but…” beyond his own sacrifice, the beginning of a new republic and new jedi order was monumental. “we’re lucky nonetheless.”

.

Two stood in quite repose as she listened to Kanan’s words soft-spoken. They nodded at his notion of gratitude. A few years ago, there was no way she could have hoped for any of this. There was a time when the pain felt like it would never subside, and it had driven them away from the people that cared about her most. 

“We are. When I-- when we lost you, Kanan, and then Ezra...well, everyone took it pretty hard. Then when the Empire came for Mandalore? Fuck, I thought I’d lost everything. I lost sight of the fact that I still had Hera, Zeb, Kallus, Jacen, and Chopper. And now,” they sighed, uncomfortable with the wellspring of emotions in her chest. “You’re here. Ezra’s here. And that’s more than I could ever ask for.”

She settled back into silence, realizing that this was a lot to put on him. That wasn’t the intent, and they hoped Kanan knew he didn’t have to carry her grief and guilt.

“But, uh. That’s enough about me. How are you holding up?”

@naboospage​ // Sache

There was a lot of things Saché was worried about but just this once, it wasn’t the government. She served enough governments for a lifetime, and spending the war in hiding had been… a hard earned break. It was easy for her to recognise the look on Sabine’s face, who was apparently searching for signs of fatigue that Saché, for once, did not feel. “I always do,” she answered. “When Panaka gave me his job, I rearranged the furniture in his old office so that I could see the window while working.” The best view of Theed wasn’t there, though. But in the Queen’s chambers. “How long are you staying? Yané’s working, but she’ll be back in time for dinner.”

As they walked, the Mandalorian found themself beaming. It was so good to be back among the company of an old friend, and in such a picturesque place no less. The garden they treaded was nothing short of breathtaking. As they talked, small avian creatures fluttered above and around, and flora arrayed by hue bowed gently in the wind. It was a peaceful place, and exactly what someone as kindhearted as Sache deserved.

“I’m glad for that, my friend. A landscape as beautiful as this deserves to be admired.” And Force knows Sache deserved someone to admire it with.

The two passed a group of schoolchildren weaving each other’s hair into intricate braids and laughing at a tooka cat darting between carven statues. One of the children ran up to them and complimented the colors on her armor, and suddenly it struck her. This is what the Rebellion had fought for. She had bled and cried and lost family members so these kids (and so many others across the galaxy) could have the life she never did. They thanked the child and handed them a flower from a nearby tree, smile cracking a little at the tide of emotion.

“I’d love to stay a few days, if you can spare a room. How are things with you and Yane?” They asked, careful to tread the waters on this one. Relationships weren’t exactly her forte, but she cared about these two, cared about their happiness. After all, they had been nothing but gracious to Sabine for years now.

cptfulcrum​ // alexsandr kallus

“  I  have  a  request,  if  you’re  up  for  it.  “  His  face  is  neutral,  but  there’s  a  nervous  way  that  his  eyes  twitch  to  the  datapad  down  at  his  hands  that  would  show  to  someone  that  knows  him,  like  Sabine,  that  the  request  is  not  simply  work  related.  “  If  not,  I  am  hoping  you  can  point  me  in  the  right  direction  of  someone  who  can  help.  “  

@call-me-spectre-five​​ 

.

With a youthful smirk that her mother would have chided at, Sabine rolled their eyes. “Kallus, how long have we been friends?” But instead of waiting for an answer, she proceeded with the same humor. “Years, di’kut. You’ve been a pain in my ass for years.” Then, noticing the anxiety he carried, the fluttering of eyelashes, fingertips-- she stilled, reaching to place their hand over his own. Hoping to provide some fraction of reassurance. Voice quieter and slower, they answered, eyes never wavering from his gaze. “Hey, you’re my friend. Of course I’m gonna help you. What can I do?”