The Artist and the Jedi - Sabezra Oneshots

Lothalian Whispers

Set during season one:

Summary – Whilst crawling through the vents of the Ghost for the thousandth time, Ezra discovers something he wasn't supposed to hear, leading to an embarrassing confrontation.

The Ghost. A VCX-100 light freighter, heavily modified by Hera and named for its remarkable ability to slip past imperial sensors without detection. It was the perfect vessel for a small band of freedom fighters, boasting more than a couple of unorthodox surprises. For instance, on its rear there was a permanently docked auxiliary starship called the Phantom which was often used on more stealth-based missions. Additionally, the Ghost boasted powerful frontal cannons which, if the need arose, could go toe to toe with an Arquitens-class imperial cruiser.
All in all, it had very few faults...but not none at all. Because of the chaos of their work, the spectres were unable to settle in any one place, instead calling the Ghost their home. And while this freighter dwarfed standard starfighters, it was pretty small for a six-person house. Keeping a secret on board this ship was just about impossible as each of the spectres were almost never more than a few feet away from their comrades. And with a vent system large enough for Ezra Bridger to crawl through, privacy was...well it was non-existent. This caused problems, as the young Jedi was about to discover...

It was a normal day on board the Ghost. Earlier on, the crew had taken a job from Vizago to 'liberate' a shipment of proton torpedoes from the imperials. Hera had wanted to keep the spoils and arm the Ghost with them, but credits were incredibly short at the moment and proton torpedoes incredibly valuable.
A successful mission often meant getting the afternoon off, which was exactly what had happened today. As he often did, Zeb had claimed his bunk and begun to snore like a fyrnock. To avoid such a racket, Ezra once again ascended into the ventilation system of the ship, sighing in relief as he felt the walls close around him. His new family had been more than welcoming, accepting him as one of their own within days of his arrival. But even now, after they had fought so many battles and shared so many laughs together, he couldn't help but feel like something of an outsider. He was the new kid, and everyone often reminded him of that. The vents were the only place he felt truly at home, their claustrophobic tightness warding off everyone else. Here he could be alone, if only for a little while, and contemplate his thoughts. And, on occasion, spy on other members of the crew.
"Ah...new day, what's going on this time?" he muttered to himself as he crawled his way through. Every now and then a blast of air would hit his face as the ventilation system cycled down, but it didn't bother him.
Even here, in the underbelly of the ship, Zeb's deafening snoring could still be heard. Ezra rolled his eyes, continuing to move in the opposite direction. His intention was to spy on the crew, maybe learn an interesting secret or two, but right now he'd settle for getting out of range of that droning sound.
As the noise finally died down, Ezra let out a quiet sigh of relief, savouring the silence. But his serenity was soon broken when he heard a voice emanating beneath him. He glanced down through a barred panel and realised he had made his way above Sabine's room. This feels wrong, he thought to himself. Sabine had always been a very private person and from here he'd be able to spy on her at all times, which just felt unfair.
But as the Jedi prepared to turn in the other direction, the voice became louder and he recognised it as the Mandalorian herself. Curiosity overcame him and he stared downwards, realising in an instant that Sabine was conversing with someone on the holo-net. She has friends? That's...new, he noted with a confused frown. With great concentration, Ezra attempted to listen closer and began to make out some words.
"Imps...purple starbird...idiots...awesome" he heard her say in a seemingly excited tone. Who else could she be talking to who wasn't already on board? He heard a response.
"Good job...really are an artist..." the reply came, and Ezra widened his eyes as he heard a male voice. Who was this guy?
"Anyway...I gotta go get changed...later" Sabine remarked, and with that the blue hologram in her hand disappeared. Ezra watched her disappear into her bathroom and lock the door behind her, hearing a shower activate a few moments later.
With a quiet cough, he snapped himself back into reality and began to crawl away at speed. But as he made his way back towards his own cabin, and Zeb's droning returned, he couldn't help but wonder about the guy that Sabine was speaking with. Was he a contact? Someone who the spectres worked for from time to time? She seemed especially friendly with him. This was worth investigating...