A Different Path | STAR WARS Rebels

5 | stranded

For a moment, it was as if everything worked out perfectly.  The Wookies would be safely taken back to their home and we would meet the pirates to exchange the payment.  

But the moment was taking too long, why wasn't the cruiser exploding?  

Ezra gave me a nervous look.  And then the world exploded.  I blacked out.

---

Sabine...   Sabine!

Someone was calling my name far away... he sounded worried.  Why was it so cold? And why was I shaking? Was there an earthquake..?

Sabine!

"Ezra?" I croaked as my eyes flew open. 

"Thank the force, you're okay." Ezra was kneeling over me, his face ashen and scared.  There was dried blood all over his forehead.  

"What happened?" I gasped leaning up to touch his wound.  He winced.

"I'm fine, it's just a scratch," Ezra said.  It looked far worse than a scratch.  I would have to examine that later, after I figured out what was going on. Relief washed over Ezra's face as he looked at me.  

"The explosion..." I looked around and all I saw was hills and snow.  Where was our shuttle?

There.  A small speck on the horizon.  Smoke escaped the wreck and swirled in the wind.  

"No..." I muttered.  I got up and began running toward what was left of the Dusk.

"Sabine, wait!" Ezra trailed after me.  My body ached all over and I felt bruised and weak.  But I didn't stop until I reached the ship.  The entire thing was split in two.  Wings were crushed, glass broken, and thousands of little pieces were scattered in the snow. It was beyond repair.  

"How did this happen?" I asked no one in particular.

"I don't even know," Ezra sounded lost, and distant.  "I think the explosion was more powerful than we anticipated, and it cost us."

I thought about Markus, the Wookies and Crynn.  Would she know what to do without me leading her?

We didn't even know what planet we were on, and the light was fading.  As the sky grew darker and darker, the temperature dropped.  I spotted my helmet lying in the debris.  Maybe if it still worked I could pick up a nearby town or village to help us.  

"What are you doing?" Ezra asked.

"Seeing if my scanner picks up anything."

It worked, but there were no life forms within twenty miles.  I sighed.  "Nothing."

"Look, there's some trees over there.  If we build a fire we can rest tonight and keep looking in the morning," Ezra said.  I nodded, begging myself not to give up hope.  We could get through this together.  

But why, of all people, did I have to get stranded with Ezra Bridger?

---

I shivered, hugging my thin jacket around my chest. Ezra threw a couple more sticks on to the fire. I noticed he wasn't exactly unhappy with this predicament. Why wasn't he freaking out more?

Well I was upset. The Dusk was destroyed, and we had no where to go. Not to mention this planet was cold, and it was only going to get colder as the night went on. We didn't even have a way to send a message to Crynn, assuring her we were okay.

"This is all your fault," I grumbled, agitated.

"My fault?" Ezra asked, smirking a little. Ughh I hate it when he did that. It made me want to--

Never mind.

"Well not really, but it's easier to put all the blame on you, now quit fiddling with the fire and let me see your head."

Ezra leaned down to my level and I could feels his deep blue eyes staring at me.  I avoided eye contact while I evaluated his injury.  Well there wasn't much blood, but with head injuries that could sometimes be worse.  If Ezra was bleeding internally we wouldn't have much time before he had permanent damage.  

"I'm worried about this, Ezra.  It may be worse than it looks," I quivered, taking a deep breath.  

"Sabine, everything will be alright," Ezra sat down next to me.  

"Couldn't you have seen this coming? Predicted it with the force?" My voice cracked as I used some snow to clean his wound.

"That's not how the force works!" Ezra laughed. "In the morning we will keep moving forward and find a village. We can get help from there."

"I know everything will be alright," I huffed, scooting farther away from Ezra. "I'm just annoyed. Crynn is probably worrying and I don't want her to freak out, that's all."

I looked over at Ezra. He smiled, but it was a sad smile. "It's nice to have people worrying about you," he sighed.

A shooting star above us caught my eye. "You have people worrying about you. Ahsoka, Hera, even Zeb and Chopper." I watched the star fade away. Memories came to me from when the crew was all together.

"What about you?" Ezra grinned and inched back towards me. I felt myself heating up and my fingers sweating.

"Me?" I gulped. Ezra was torturing me and he was enjoying it.

"Do you worry about me?" He was so close, I could see the stars' reflection in his deep blue eyes. I tried not to pay attention to his hand right next to mine.

Yes, I always worry about you because I love you, and I thought you loved me too.

I swatted the thought away as if it was an annoying fly. There was no way I would ever tell Ezra the truth.

"I did. Once. For four years," I mumbled. I laid down and turned away from him, willing myself to fall asleep. "Goodnight, Ezra," I said forcefully.

I heard Ezra sigh and turn over. "Goodnight, Sabine." His whisper echoed in my sleep all through the night.

---

When my eyes met the light the next morning, a strong scent of eggs cooking announced itself. I looked up and saw Ezra poking at some scrambled eggs on a piece of metal over the fire. He even laid out pieces of bark to use as plates. I couldn't help but giggle a little. He was so cute, focused on the eggs like that.

"Oh, you're up," Ezra blushed as he noticed my snickering. "Why are looking at me like that?"

"I'm just impressed," I muttered, licking my lips and wishing I had a toothbrush. "Where did you find all this stuff?"

"I went scavenging this morning, you forget how I got on before I met the crew," Ezra smiled, very pleased with himself. He slid the eggs on the 'plates' and handed one to me.

"Thank you," I said. I spotted a twig nearby and grabbed it for my fork. It was sweet, Ezra getting up early and making breakfast for me. I could get used to this. And the eggs were actually good.

"Oh, I found some water, too." Ezra tossed me the canteen. "I already had some, you can have the rest."

My throat was parched and my tongue was dry. This was the most refreshing water I had ever had.

"Did you find an oasis, or something?" I asked after chugging the water down.

Ezra laughed, finishing his eggs. A soft breeze blew his hair over his eyes. He tucked the thick strands behind his ear. "Better than that. There's a stream about a mile east."

He stomped out the fire and grabbed our bag. "Come on, we've got a long way ahead of us." Ezra extended his arm to me. I sighed and let him pull me up. And could have swore there was a spark in his eyes that wasn't there before...

"Can you tell how far off we are?"

Ignoring my hopeful suspicions, I grabbed my helmet and scanned the area. "There's a large reading of life forms about 10 miles northwest. There should be an outpost there, and we can get help."

"Good, let's move."