@beskarbuir​ // Din Djarin

@naboospage​ // sache

Saché didn’t like any of this one bit. This new reality was coming back at her, way too quickly for her liking - she would have stayed in the shadows forever if she could. It would have been too easy if her peaceful life at the orphanage lasted that long, though. Her alternate had a lifetime here - friends, loved ones. More importantly she had a real network in the Alliance, that Saché had no clue about. Well. She knew what her alternate shared with Yané. Anything else was a complete void. When the holo-message ended, luck was with her. Sabine Wren was more friend than just another member of the Alliance, and Yané actually knew about them. The basics, at least, which where pretty useful anyways. After a quick briefing, Saché had sent a positive reply. She always made time for friends - and apparently that old habit hadn’t died in thirty years. Today was the day her friend was supposed to come, and Saché wasn’t ready for it at all. She had to be, though, because EP - the protocol droid aiding her at the orphanage - opened her office’s door to warn her of Sabine’s arrival. She left her office to find Sabine in the hallway, and greeted them with a warm smile, letting her nervousness aside. “Hello, Sabine,” she said simply. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”It had been a stiff reply, sent with a smile that conveyed more courtesy than amity. Sabine’s mind filled with panic, thoughts racing a system a second through her head. Haar’chak, they were stupid! How long had it been since they had tried contacting Sache? Months? Years? Out on the fringes of the galaxy, Sabine had focused only on herself and her own thoughts. What if her old friend had needed help? What if she had tried to reach them and found nothing but radio static? Did she even want to talk to Sabine? 

It was a stiff reply riddled with a smile that conveyed more courtesy than camaraderie. An influx of emotions swept over the Mandalorian. Haar’chak, Sabine had been stupid! How long had it been since she had tried to contact Sache? Months? Years? Had her friend tried to contact them, only to find radio static? Did she think they had forgotten about her? Did she even want to talk to Sabine?

Still, an invitation had been extended. So, it was with a nervous gait that they slipped through the building into the hallway outside Sache’s office. On the flight through hyperspace, Sabine had run through dozens of conversations in her mind, replaying the scene ahead of them time after time. None of those phantom words could have prepared them for what was actually said, though.

It’s nice to finally meet you. 

Surely this had to be a quip, a retort about how long it had been since their last correspondence. Sabine had been ready for tears, for an embrace, even for a slap in the bucket. But they hadn’t been ready for...whatever was happening here. It caught them off guard. She knew Sache would have changed over time, but how much had truly happened since they last spoke?

“Uh. Er, well.” They couldn’t seem to find the words to match the unease that had settled in the air. “Nice to see you, too, Sache. I-I’m sorry it’s been so long. I really don’t have an excuse, but I’m glad you’re okay, and happy to see you again.”

This was going to be an...interesting reunion.

cravked​ // Trilla Suduri

the raise of their brow did not go unnoticed, but trilla was not in any kind of position to elaborate. it had nothing to do with the quasi-relationship that trilla had with sabine, but instead, more to do with the fact that they just didn’t know what to say. they didn’t know what was going on between herself and cal, or how to deal with that stupid, warm feeling in their chest that he gave her.

“at least avoiding food and alcohol is easy,” she offered with a shrug of one shoulder. they had been hesitant to even drink water here, but thus far, it seemed to be fine. “oh?” a slight question of disbelief. “you don’t seem like the diplomatic type.”

A chuckle escaped her lips, though not without some degree of acidity. It wasn’t the remark about the diplomacy that bothered them (she could handle negotiations and political affairs if it really came down to it). It was the gravity of the situation, the pull of the artifacts just hours away from liberation. 

“Not that kind of business, I’m afraid.” Now, they pressed one hand to the glass, fingertips cold against the pane. Finally, her gaze focused on Trilla’s, meeting their eyes for just a moment before flitting away to the decorated sarcophagus. “If you know what I mean.” It was ambiguous, but Sabine was sure their friend would understand. (Somehow, she wasn’t worried that they would tell.)

@swishycapes​ // Lando Calrissian

sabine was a lot of things, that much had been immediately certain upon meeting them –– he liked that kind of person, really, even if they weren’t so precisely aligned with his motives, like they had been at the time. but the way that she stuttered over her words, struggled to get through a sentence, that didn’t seem like her. so the little mandalorian wasn’t the best at holding her alcohol. that was cute, in the kid kind of way.

“i do like to gamble,” he clapped them on the back. “if i didn’t know any better, i’d say that you’ve already been gambling with something. or is that just the alcohol?” he grinned, his smile all friendly teeth. he took the pastry from her without hesitation, taking a bite out of it. “alright, your turn. why don’t you go for… this one?” he picked up one of the purple cupcakes on the table, handing it to them.

A hearty slap on her back, and she nearly choked on the drink they were holding. They hid the growing smile behind her hand as giggles racked their way up her throat. Maybe this scoundrel wasn’t so...scoundrel-ey after all! Force, the music was so loud in their ears! She bobbed up and down on their feet, body pulsing with the rhythm of the performers. Is this what f r e e dom felt like? Hell, not even the Empire could catch up to them now! Her friend’s face was blurry when they turned to face him, almost everything moving too slowly. With a snort, she mouthed a laugh, but no sound came out. Well, none she heard.

“Wha-what you don’t get,” they hiccuped, then reached haphazardly for the dessert they were extending so temptingly towards her. 

“Is that I don’t gamble, Lando” She stressed the last syllable, almost as if singing a song. “I win!”

It wasn’t true, but they didn’t need to worry about that just right now. Ignoring it was just too much fun.

What We Lost Along the Way

| open starter |

Sabine stared up at the endless expanse of galaxies around her, watching as two little suns’ rays peeked their way over the horizon, honey interrupting the amethyst twinkling of stars above. This planet, for all of its dangers, was beautiful, that much was true. The hues above blended seamlessly, and all Sabine could do was stare in awe and silence up at the universe around them, a still wonder about the teeming nature of life filling the background of their mind.

Mud that had crusted over into dirt specked the underside of her boots, and they picked it away aimlessly. Their mind was somewhere else this sunsrise. Again, she nodded to herself in pensive silence. 

Don’t worry, Ezra. I haven’t forgotten you. 

And, it was as true as the air rushing through their lungs. Months had gone by since he had passed away, but they knew, somewhere inside, that he was watching over them even now. With that dopey grin and a quip on his tongue, he was there. It was a dull ache, a constant hum in their bones, that had kept her from giving up amid the stressors of war (like so many others had done before her). A heaviness pulled at their heart, a biting doubt that if only she had been a little faster— or had they been more communicative—

But it was no good to blame themself. Ezra was lost, and then he was found. And then he was lost again, but this time, with more permanence. It wasn’t her fault. Or, at least, that’s what their family had said. It’s not your fault. If only they could believe that.

So, they waited. They waited, and wondered if she should contact old friends for the first time in weeks. Those friends were not lost to time and space, just at a different point within it, after all. It had been lonely the last few weeks, chasing a lead of information that turned out, after all, to be nothing. Maybe it was time for them to reach out again, to return to community again. It was a task for another day (Sabine had stayed up all night repairing the speeder bike she borrowed and the weariness had finally caught up to them), but one that should come to pass nonetheless.

Sabine let their eyelids, heavy with the weight of all they still had to accomplish, flutter shut. Before passing into dreams, they remembered the way his crooked smile twisted up at the corner of his mouth. Sabine let themself grin, too. 

I will never forget you, vod’ika.

(Image Description under the cut)

(Image Description: A mountain range in the distance, enveloped in shadow. It is sunrise, and the sun’s orange rays blend into a sky of deep purple. Constellations of stars dot the sky en masse. A shooting star burns through the center of the image as a single, thin, white streak.)

“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

beroyafett​ // Jango Fett

Jango raised a brow at their name “Clan Wren? Any relation to Ursa?” He asked curiously. He hadn’t had many dealings with Clan Wren, but he knew of them. He could tell she was entirely sure who he was. He couldn’t deny that it amused him a little.

“Jango Fett. And I’d prefer talking over a fight anyway, so I have time.” He chuckled, reaching out and gripping Sabine’s hand in greeting.

“I assume you’re wanting to know how I ended up with the saber?” He asked, taking another sip of his drink.

_

The conversation was one surprise after another. Just when Sabine thought they had a grip on the history, the shared experience of the Mando’ade...an anomaly would hurl towards her from out of left field. Against their will, her calm demeanor was splintered with all of this new information.

“Yes, she’s my buir. You know her?”

Immediately, Sabine wanted to jump to defense. She’d not been a fanatic of Death Watch (as their mother had once been)-- wasn’t a supporter of the needless violence and discord-- but from what she’d heard, this man had done a fine job in his tirade against them. It was with caution that they proceeded, steeling their gaze as she took the drink the bartender placed before her.

“Jango. Pleasure. Please, I’d love to hear how you came by such a... symbolic weapon of our people.”

“Do I look like the kind of man who dies?“ ( from poe )

“If your flying is really as good as half of the Base makes it out to be, then death shouldn’t even be a concern of ours. Besides-- this mission is supposed to be a piece of cake!”

Still, the shuddering of turbulence gave her reasonable pause. Surely everything would go smoothly on an operation as simple as this...right?

@galaxywon

mvchinery​ // Depa Billaba

admittedly, depa wasn’t at her most clearheaded, distracted by scanning the shelves behind her, looking for a specific file that should have been right around here, somewhere. she hadn’t always been the biggest fan of spending hours in the library as a youngling, but she knew the value of some good research, wanted to catch herself up on both some things she had missed & some ancient history.

she took a step back as they stumbled into each other, wincing apologetically. “it’s quite alright, it’s my fault — “ she leaned down to help them pick everything up, then tilted her head slightly at her question. “i don’t think so, no ? i’m depa billaba.” perhaps that would jog their memory, though she did not know them.

The woman had a kind demeanor, handing the Mandalorian back the few items she’d been careless enough to let drop. When question met its answer, their dawning realization was met with a gasp.

“Depa? Kanan’s master?” 

The handful of stories they’d heard on nights huddled around dying embers, nights full of laughter and guilt and regret and love-- the little she knew of Kanan’s past before meeting Hera...it’d been etched with admiration for the person that stood before Sabine now. Quickly, they shuffled the research materials into her bag, extending a now-free hand in greeting.

“Osi’kyr, it’s wonderful to meet you! I’m Sabine. Sabine Wren.”

@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.

spectreoflasan​ // Zeb Orrelios

Smouldering ruins had gotten to be too familiar a sight to Zeb these days.   (Hapes. Invisec. Sernpidal. Lasan. Always Lasan.)   He’d numbed himself to this kind of devastation years ago—nothing could ever compare to seeing your homeworld reduced to a lifeless, burned-out shell. But Lothal had been as good as home, too, for a time. Seeing it like this again—worse even than what the Empire had inflicted on it—made him that much more grateful that his family had escaped the devastation this time.

“Yeah,”  they agreed, placing a steadying hand on Sabine’s shoulder.  “Good thing they’ve got us, right?”  Zeb didn’t let too much levity into their voice—wouldn’t be right—just enough to let her know that things could get to be okay again, even if they weren’t now.  “Same place as always. With the survivors. Always seem to be a few hard-headed nerf-herders who are just too damn stubborn to die.”   (Like us.)   He squeezed their shoulder gently.  “So, let’s find ‘em. Get ‘em some shelter, some of these rations… then we’ll see about this comms business.”

_

Sabine felt the familiar weight of her ori’vod’s hand on their shoulder, the words of assurance giving her something steady to focus on. The thought of how many friends they’d lost the last few years...it made her stomach churn. Looking in their green eye, Sabine knew Zeb could feel it, too. The sickness of losing a planet, of losing a people...gods, the losses never seemed to stop. But, they had to try, right? That’s what it was all about, what their rebel family had convinced the young Mandalorian of in times like this.

“Yeah, you’re, uh. You’re right, Zeb. Lothal has always pulled through. This time isn’t any different.”

But it was-- the last few weeks, Sabine couldn’t shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. First Hapes, now this...and similar attacks across the galaxy, if word-of-mouth could be trusted. It was terrifying, even to someone who was raised in the creed of war.

“We, uh. Should we start with stabilizing the injured?”