Rebel Resolve; post galley scene

[explosive_artist]

Sabine hears Hera’s orders, which condemn Kanan to the Imperials, and can’t believe her ears. It’s not that the orders are wrong exactly–tactically they’re sound–but she never though Hera could be so disciplined.

Ezra freaks out, of course, and makes a scene as he nearly storms out of the galley. A large part of Sabine agrees with him, but she’s still conflicted. There has to be a reason for the order.

Soon after, Zeb mumbles some excuse and heads for the Phantom or the cargo bay, Sabine isn’t quite sure. Which leaves her alone with Hera, as Chopper seems to have made himself scarce as well.

Takes a steadying breath, she breaks the silence. “I take it the mission is important, then? More important that any of us?”

Comments

[for_everyone]

Hera, meanwhile, has moved to the table, leaning over it and switching the holo of Imperial troop movements back on. Not to try to determine where Kanan is being held, but to note likely TIE flight patterns, in case they need a quick route off Lothal.

She looks up when Sabine speaks, listens without interruption, and then takes a breath before she answers.

"This is what it means to work for something bigger than yourself. You have to put yourself second to it."

[explosive_artist]

Sabine notes what Hera's looking up and lets her words sink in. It makes logical sense and she did once vote to leave Ezra behind when they'd first met him, but this feels different.

"I know it makes sense, logically, but it still doesn't feel right. The Empire leaves people behind." She's careful to keep her voice calm and matter of fact, despite the twisting in her gut.

[for_everyone]

She shakes her head, turning her gaze back to the holo. "There's as difference between leaving abandoning others because you don't care, and doing what you need to so you can live to fight another day. Sometimes survival is the brave choice."

[explosive_artist]

Sabine nods. "Good point."

She looks at the holo as well, more to have something to do than to see anything new since she's been studying it so long now. "I think there's some odd clustering here. Not sure they're up to something or just bad flight control."

Leaving Kanan behind still bugs her--she knows what being left behind feels like, kriff it--but she's not sure how to argue better than Hera like has with herself.

[for_everyone]

"Can you pull a signal out? We should be able to hear the difference between those two options -- some of their flyboys get panicky when things don't go to plan."

And maybe . . .

No.

[explosive_artist]

"It's not just their flyers, and sure. Just give me a minute," she says while picking up her datapad. She works quietly for a few moments before venturing, "I take it there's no help from your 'friends'?"

[for_everyone]

Hera's eyes flicker down from the holo.

After a deep breath, "Not this time."

[explosive_artist]

Sabine manages the comm tap and listens in on the chatter for a few moments.

"That's...disappointing. Hard to have faith with someone you've never met who isn't there to help when you need it." Echoes of the old argument are there, though she doesn't mean them to be. "If we stumble on intel, can we act on it at least?"

[for_everyone]

"This was our mission, Sabine."

Hera looks back up. "We decided to do this. They can't be expected to take that kind of risk in something they never agreed to be a part of."

With a sideways glance at her, "And if we stumble on something, we can discuss it then."

But it's hard for her to imagine what intel would really change their situation.

[explosive_artist]

Nodding to the stumbling point, Sabine works at the datapad for a few moments before letting go of a breath and shaking her head slightly.

"It's just...we've helped people who've made bad choices. People who were complacent with the Empire until it turned on them. How are we different? Yes, we made our choice, but we need help now."

She's still careful to keep her tone calm and reasonable. She knows shouting isn't going to help here, and unlike Ezra, she does trust Hera's judgement.

[for_everyone]

"It's not about the choices we've made," Hera says, her voice still patient, for the moment. "It's about the risk to us, and to them. There are so many suffering under the Empire, people we haven't helped, we can't help because if we risk everything and lose..."

She shakes her head. "The last time we broke into an Imperial prison, it backfired and we were lucky to get out alive. The whole thing was a set up, and we just put Ezra in danger by exposing him to that Inquisitor. Now his voice is all over the holonet. What do you think the Empire will do to him if they catch him now?"

Hera's eyes turn back to the holo. "You must have some idea of what they do when they want to make an example."

[explosive_artist]

The corners of Sabine's eyes tighten at that and she breaths in slowly.

"Yes. I do know. Which I know what they are likely doing to Kanan right now." Her voice has finally grown tense and she doesn't bother to hide it. Things Cassian said about surviving torture until your team can get you fly across her mind and horrified, she wonders if Kanan is trying to hold out for a rescue that isn't going to come.

There is also guilt gnawing at her for leaving him behind. She owed him for saving her when she was left behind and now here she was, leaving him behind. How was that right?!?

[for_everyone]

Hera stays quiet for a moment, her eyes still on the holo.

"This is what this fight is. Every choice we make has a cost, can get people killed. Every job we've run could have ended in any or all of us dead. If –"

But she breaks off. She is not entertaining what-ifs today.

"I will not throw your lives away on a futile rescue. And Sabine?"

She looks back again, bracing herself, as she knows this part might not be well-received. "I've known Kanan longer than any of you. I can tell you he wouldn't want me to do that."

[explosive_artist]

Sabine hears but doesn't react. Staring at the holo instead and blinking until her eyes stop burning.

Finally, regretfully, she says, "Yeah. Not like there's much choice in it, is there?" Her tone is back to being calm, as concession to the pain she knows Hera is feeling, but she grabs her helmet and stands. "I wanna run some diagnostics on my targeting system."

A transparent excuse if ever there was one, but she's not sure how long she can hold out and she doesn't want to crack in front of her captain. The thought causes an echo of concern--she should be Hera, not captain--but Sabine isn't in a place where she can think about that.

[for_everyone]

Hera turns her gaze away again. She considers saying something else, something more comforting, even apologetic. But she's not changing her mind, and she doubts that anything else really matters in this moment.

So she only nods, and answers, "All right."

[explosive_artist]

Sabine doesn't stomp out but tension is clear, even if she's too careful to show much of it. As she makes her way to her quarters, her thoughts spar with each other; one side disciplined military, the other impassioned defiance. Yes, leaving...no deserting Kanan makes a certain about of sense, but they are not a true military unit, they were more a family; or so Sabine thought. And you don't leave family behind.

When she gets to her quarters, Ezra is there waiting for her. He has that look on his face, the one that is ready to get in trouble.

She doesn't even stop, just opens her door and holds up a hand to silence him when he begins to speak, but pulling him in. Once the door closes, she hisses quietly, "If this is about Kanan, I'm in. If not, I am not in the mood."

Ezra gulps. "Actually..."