Star Wars Rebels: Teenage Response

Preparation

"I'm sorry, Kanan...but I'm not involving anymore people than I have to" Sabine said into her comlink as the sat by herself in the cargo hold of The Shadow Caster. "And besides, I don't think it's wise...considering your disability"
It seemed to Kanan that Sabine didn't understand that The Force allowed him to see without his eyes. It wasn't perfect, and it sucks not having actual vision...but Kanan remembered his teachings of how eyes could deceive you. In this case, Sabine's eyes were deceiving her to just how useful this otherwise typical blind man could be.
"He's my Padawan, Sabine" Kanan reminded her. "Tell me where you are and we'll come help you out, I don't care what Sato would say. Please, he's our friend too"
But Sabine wasn't convinced. Yes, she understood that Ezra meant a lot to the rest of the crew too...but this wasn't their fault, or their fight. Sabine had caused this problem, and she intended to solve it.
And when I have, I'm coming up with a solution that will prevent this from ever happening again.
Whatever that might be.
"Have faith in me, Kanan" Sabine asked of him. "I'll handle this"
"You know that's not what I meant, Sabine" Kanan told her. "I know fully well that you're a capable young lady, and I'm glad to have you in our crew"
Oh, the flattery.
"But we all need help some times, Sabine" He went on. "You're no different...look, I know that you feel you have some things to atone for...or maybe you just want to remind yourself of what you can do, but-"
"I've done nothing but screw up lately, Kanan" She muttered over him.
Sabine last year or so has been filled with so many feelings of regret...these were probably the most complicated months of her life.
Even more so than the months after Ketsu abandoned me.
Those feelings of pain were fading...but not that much. They were scars, and they were meant to mark her forever...to mould her as a person. But she was tired of it all...there were some nights were she wished she could go back to the days before Ezra, as horrible as that sounded.
At least things were simple, then.
And she wasn't just referring to the fact that they weren't involved in a larger Rebellion. Ever since being raped, and that alone was a pickle of a situation to recover from, Sabine's whole life was turned upside down...from a certain perspective.
For the first time I was...normal.
She had feelings that she never knew she had, come to life. She grew to love Ezra in a way she never knew she was capable of...and now she was in a relationship. If Sabine thought of these possibilities a year ago, she'd have thought it was ridiculous.
"We all screw up, Sabine" Kanan said. "You, me, Hera, Zeb...we all learn from them"
Lesson on life: number one.
"I don't learn" She sighed.
"You do, more than you know"
She sighed again. If she was learning, she had a funny way of showing it.
"I'm sorry, we'll talk later" Sabine finished their conversation, standing up. "Preferably when this is all over with"
But Kanan still wasn't done. He didn't know where Sabine, she had went off with Ketsu again...probably to search for Ezra once more. The difference however, was that they had apparently found him. Sabine wanted to break the news to him, but didn't want him participating in whatever she had planned.
"Sabine, plea-" He tried to speak.
"I'll bring him back, Kanan" She told him. "I promise. Spectre Five out"
She turned off her comlink so she couldn't receive another call. She wiped her forehead and looked down at her feet...it was going to be see relieving to Ezra again...if Ketsu is a reliable source, and she often was.
Her shady connection have some benefits, it's seems.
Sabine didn't know how she was going to react to seeing him after all the pain of him being gone, and the rumour from Ketsu of him willingly leaving her. Would she pounce him and smother him with kisses? Or punch him in the jaw for being so problematic?
Probably the latter...though the former is a possibility.
Nah...punching him wouldn't help anyone.

Rook listened from a distance as Maul and Ezra talked. She didn't know how to explain it, but she suddenly didn't like it when they both talked...she somehow felt bad for Ezra. This kid, no matter how irregular, was being associated with things that she felt was too complex for him to handle.
"I took him from his friends, but it's not like I had much choice. Maul demanded it."
Though, it seemed that Maul was the dominating factor of every choice she made, now. His return after having disappeared for years was surprising to her...but she'd by lying if she said that his return was as glorious as she once hoped.
"I dunno..." She thought. "...feels like I'd honestly do better in his position"
At least she was sane. Maul had a great mind, but it was unhinged. Something must have happened to him to make him this...mad. At least Rook was a leader that controlled her forces through respect...a lot of the time it felt like Maul ruled through fear.
"We haven't even accomplished anything, he's done nothing except concern himself with his grudges against the Sith"
But Maul was their Mand'alor. He had to concern himself with Mandalore and its people...but instead he focusses only on holocrons and The Force.
"He's unsuitable to rule" She now realised.
It's not like she could challenge him, however...Rook was a skilled warrior, but she had witnessed Maul battle with Pre Vizsla and remove his head from his body. Soon after that, she was bowing before him along with others who would soon become the Super Commandos. That was the man she respected and gave loyalty to...not this hallow shell of whatever's left.
And the discussion she was hearing didn't please her.
"If you believe we are in danger...then I trust you, Ezra" Maul said in his gruff yet soft voice. "It may be necessary to migrate to a different location, preferably a different planet"
They wanted no outside attention, which comes in the form of The Protectors. If Rook didn't know better, she'd have accused Maul of purposefully having her pick a fight with them. Ezra believed they were coming for them somehow...that they knew where they were and it was only a matter of time until they found themselves in a fight they couldn't win....or at least, not without Maul and Ezra.
"But I'm not fighting The Protectors" Ezra told himself. "They are involved with The Rebellion"
Ezra may have abandoned the Rebels but he had no intentions of betraying them...everything he was doing was going to be beneficial, in the long term.
"You and I will leave this place" Maul told the boy. "Rook will remain here, with her soldiers. They will attract attention away from us"
Essentially, they were bait. That thought enraged Rook...who did Maul think he was, to dispose of those he was supposed to regard as his people? HIS people?
But she couldn't bring herself to express her opinion. At least, not now.
"We're just leaving her?" Ezra questioned.
It was like she was barely there.
"She is not important right now" Maul told him in a whisper, despite Rook being a fair distance away. "Now...prepare for our leave, my partner"
But Ezra seemed hesitant. When he thought about it, Sabine and Ketsu coming here to not find him at all may cripple Sabine. How much longer did Ezra need from her? Would she ever forgive him?
"Okay..." He said reluctantly.
He left Maul and passed by Rook, who then followed after him. So they were going to leave her behind to fight a battle that Maul had caused? What was she? Bait?
"So you're leaving, huh?" She said with a certain displeased tone. "With our Mand'alor, no doubt...must be a real honour"
That small hint of sarcasm in her voice told Ezra that she was unhappy. He didn't want things to go down like this...though he wasn't sure how he wanted anything to go right now.
"But I need this holocron" He thought.
He had created a strong attachment to the artefact. He refused to let it go...its hold on him was strong, possibly stronger than he attachment for his friends.
"You're not mad, are you?" Ezra asked, feeling somewhat guilty. "I'm sure you'll be fine without me and Maul"
"I've been fine without either of you for years" She informed him. "It's the fact that you're leaving us to simply cover your tracks that annoys me"
Though Rook was technically the one who pulled the trigger on The Protectors, it was Maul's orders. All this was dangerous thinking, however...Ezra didn't consider himself one of them. He wasn't of Deathwatch, not on Rook or Maul's side...ultimately, he was still a Rebel at heart.
And he did miss his friends.
"They'll never forgive me for this" He said to himself. "Especially not Sabine"
It was obvious to Ezra that Sabine did love him. She had a funny way of showing it, but it was love all the same. What he didn't want, however, was her thinking that he was doing all this because of her...that wasn't true, he was doing this for the betterment of the Galaxy. What he witnessed on Malachor told him that the Sith and the Empire was definitely prone to defeat...Maul had made an example of that.
"I need to do what he can do"
"Sorry" Ezra apologised.
Rook sighed. This wasn't really Ezra's fault...it was Maul's. He had somehow manipulated events to result in this.
"You don't need to apologise..." She told him. "I'm not blaming you"
Rook took Ezra back to their tent, and the boy supposed he best prepare to leave...though there wasn't much to prepare.
"Suppose I go when Maul wants to"
But the more he waited, the more hesitant he grew.