Actions

Work Header

The Other Side

Summary:

It's been a year since Ezra was stranded in exile, he laments the painful anniversary and longs for what he's lost, and who he's lost. Ezra has a hallucinating Force dream where he feels he can connect to Sabine and the life he left behind. But is it just a vision, or is this real.

Or

Sabine finds out where Ezra is after only a year, rather than letting the poor blueberry unnecessarily rot in exile for a decade.

Notes:

So this is a random little three part series where Sabine finds Ezra after a year rather that than a decade, because that's so kriffing unnecessary and I hate that the Ahsoka series had to do that to him! Honestly if everyone else can have a happy ending, why is it denied to our hard working Ghost crew? Nope, not cool, not on our watch. I mean, if Ezra was so strong in the Force and had nothing else to do, then why couldn't he train and grow his powers?

Anyway.... I've been wanting to write these stories, and a few other series, but I've been so busy and was so focused on Ezras journal I never was able to, so that's why I decided to pause it for a bit. But then last month my o senior cat (not my black kitty) got very sick with these weird infections out of nowhere, I was giving her meds and taking care of her for weeks but she wasn't getting better, and then came home one night and found that she had a seizure. I was able to get her into an er vet and even after an hour they couldn't stop the seizures. They said she probably had a brain tumor, so I had to put her to sleep.

I was very sick with grief for weeks, I couldn't eat or sleep or think or barley move, I didn't want to do anything, I felt empty, it felt so strange, I felt awful. Plus my allergies were so bad from the weather and my asthma has been so out of control. During all that I didn't really have the time or energy or even desire to write anything. I just was too sad to care. Since I had today off after so long of not having a day off, I'm hiding from the heat inside and decided to write that first instalment if this little trilogy I had in mind. Probably not my best, but frankly, ehh.

I really love Bruno Mars and after my last Andor story featured one of his songs, I decided to use another one of them, and this one has always been one of my favorites. When I heard it I thought of Ezra being on the other side and trying to reach out to Sabine, and so that idea for this story was born. The last instalment will be a song fic too but I have another artist in mind for that one for Sabine. The second one will be more of a comedy and focus on Ezra, I'm gonna try and do one of those 5+1 type stories. But anyway, on with the show.

Chapter 1: It's Better If You Don't Understand

Chapter Text

Truth of the matter is, I'm complicated,
You're as straight as they come.

Ezra lay on his back, staring up at the stars that night was not having the same tranquil effect that it usually did. He couldn't sleep, tossing and turning on the bushes and grass he used to try and make a comfortable bed to sleep on rather than the hard ground. His physical discomfort and unrest was only part of the reason why he couldn't sleep this night. It had officially been a year since he liberated Lothal and was exiled to parts unknown. He quickly escaped Thrawn and the star destroyer as soon as he could. The chimera was still inoperable, but his legion of troopers was constantly working to try and expedite repairs. They had long run out of their food supplies. Ezra had tried many times and had finally given up on trying to sneak in and steal anything salvageable. He was living off the land like a hermit, eating what he could find, and after learning the hard way, what was and wasn't safe for human consumption.

The chimera was always within sight. Ezra knew he would have to try and sabotage any attempts at escape, otherwise what was the point of all this? This last ditch effort? Could there have been another way? A better way? Sure. But, it was complicated. He was complicated. Tonight, like many nights, when he thought of his home, his family, he thought of Sabine the most. His final message to her. He wondered if she was looking up at the stars too. Was it night back home? Did they even see the same stars? He scoffed at himself and his delirious delusions and closed his eyes, finally falling into exhaustion.

He dreamed of her, as he often did. But this time though, this time the dream seemed real. It felt like he was watching a holo vid, a holo about Sabine and her life, the life he left behind for her. The sunrise he fought for and yet would never see.

You go about your day, baby, while I hide from the sun.

Sabine was walking in the capital city, she was standing tall, looking proud, a true Mandalorian now and forever. The center square was alive and bustling, busy with vendors and patrons and children running around laughing and playing without fear. Sabine walked up to a booth selling fruit and picked up a meiloorun and smiled. Ezra laughed to himself. Sabine gasped and whirled around.

Ezra bit his tongue and quickly hid in an alley, peeking around the corner after a moment, fearing Sabine had heard or seen him. He sighed with relief as she crouched down and greeted a familiar white Lothcat, scratching him behind the ear. Ezra let out the breath he was holding. Who was he kidding, he was being silly, this was a dream, she couldn't see him. Sabine stood up and turned to head out. The white cat however didn't follow, he turned his head and looked directly in Ezra's direction. Ezra froze, the blue eyes meeting his. After a beat the cat turned and trotted off, but Ezra could feel his heart racing. Had the cat seen him? This was a dream, right....?

It's better if you don't understand.....

Ezra felt his heart jump to his throat. He had only had a few lucid dreams before from the Force. Was this his chance? Could he reach Sabine? Was she dreaming too or was this actually happening back home right now? He didn't care, he had to try, this may be his only chance, his chance to get back home, back to her.

Cause you won't know what it's like until you try......

Sabine was heading out of town. She must've only come to get a meiloorun for Hera. That meant she wasn't with her, nor was Zeb, or anyone else. Ezra felt bad he wouldn't be able to see the rest of his family, but at the same time, it also seemed to be better this way. If only she could see him. He wanted to tell her so many things! But how much time did he have left until he woke up or the Force broke his connection? What if he was never able to dream and connect to her again? This was a once in a lifetime chance, a chance to save his lifetime so he could spend the rest of it home, with his family, with her.

Ezra followed Sabine as she headed towards the outskirts of town where her speeder was parked. He was hiding and following along in a long abandoned building, he honestly couldn't remember what the building had been. Was it storage, or used by imperials? What was it before that, before he was even born? It was dirty and dusty and covered in cobwebs. The windows were cracked and broken and looked dingy. Whatever it was, it was a perfect way to hide and follow Sabine and not be noticed, just in case. She was parked behind the end of the building. Ezra tried to take in a deep breath but it caught in his throat, suddenly he didn't know what he wanted to say to her. He froze, watching her put the fruit in the compartment on the back of the speeder and grab her helmet to put on. Time was running out, Ezra knew he couldn't follow her, it was now or never. He had to say something.

"Sabine!"

She froze. She removed her helmet that was already half way on. She put it back down on the seat of the speeder and glanced around. Had somebody just called her name? She surveyed the area. It was quiet, save for the gentle breeze that kicked up some small plumes of sand. She finished looking around and shrugged to herself. She turned back to the speeder but heard a thud come from behind her. She tensed and whirled around, looking at the abandoned building. Curious and cautious she slowly walked over, one hand on a blaster as she approached. Ezra felt his heart flutter with excitement as he stepped forward, still breathless from seeing her. After all this time, she still left him speechless. He put a hand up on the dirty glass and Sabine finally was close enough to see.

She gasped. Her body shaking. Tears filling her eyes. She lifted a trembling hand and put it on the window on top of his. Was this real? Was she really seeing this ghost of a specter in the window? She finally found her own voice as the tears fell down her cheeks, matching the ones falling down his. It was hard to see the muddled reflection on the dirty glass. He looked terrible and it made her heart ache. He was thinner, if that was even possible. His hair was growing out scraggly, his eyes were tired and his face was worn and scratched up. His clothes were dingy and torn, he seemed to hang his shoulder awkwardly like it was hurting. Franky, he was a hot mess. But even as a hot mess, he was still....

"Ezra....?"

We would live forever, who could ask for more?
You could die if you wanted. But baby, what for?

"You can see me. You can actually see me!" Ezra choked between sobs, the tears pouring down his face.

"I can see you. I can hear you. How Ezra, how? How is this possible?" Sabine stammered, overcome with such powerful emotion she honestly couldn't understand it.

"Anything is possible with the Force."

It's better if you don't understand.....

Sabine scoffed and rolled her bloodshot eyes playfully, "Ok now I know this is real and not a mind trick, only Ezra could make such bad jokes."

"I don't know how I got here or why, I'm just so happy to see you, and that you can see me."

And you won't know what it's like until you try......

"Ezra!" Sabine suddenly gasped as she was knocked back to her senses. "What happened? Are you ok? What happened to Thrawn? Where are you? I need to find you!"

"Ah, right!" Ezra shook his head, snapping back to reality. "Sabine, I don't know how much time I have. We ended up on a planet called Peridia!"

"Peridia?" Sabine twisted her nose in confused thought, she had never heard of that planet before. Ezra did sound muffled behind the cracks in the glass. Had she heard him right? How far away did the purrgil take them? "Where is that?"

"I have no idea. I'm honestly not sure. I don't even know how I've survived so long, but Thrawn and what's left of his crew is here trying to fix the chimera. I'm trying my best to stop them, but I haven't no way to escape. This planet is like a graveyard. All I feel with the Force is darkness, I haven't run into any other people."

"I'm going to have to do some research, but this is great! I've been trying so hard to find you! We haven't had any luck. I'm trying so hard not to give up. I knew you weren't dead, everyone was so sure you were and....." Sabine couldn't finish, the tears began to fall again.

"I'm not. I may look like a spirit right now, but unless I'm actually in hell, I'm not dead."

"I will find you Ezra." Sabine spoke with such conviction as she pressed her hand firmly on the glass.

Ezra smiled softly as he began to fade, "I'm here. I'll be waiting...." And he was gone.

You know I, I'll be waiting on the other side.
And you, all you gotta do is cross the line.
I could wait a whole lifetime, but you just gotta decide.
You know I, I'll be waiting on the other,
Waiting on the other side.

Ezra woke back up in his body. The sun had yet to rise. He sat up and rubbed his face, the tears still wet and fresh. He smiled. It wasn't a dream, it was real. He looked down at his hand and clenched a fist with new found determination. Sabine knew where he was, she knew he was out there. They would come find him, he could go back home. The rays of light began to break the horizon and lit up his face. Until then, he would continue to try and reach them in his dreams. His dream was about to come true. He stood tall. He was going to go home. He didn't care how long it would take, he would wait. He would be waiting here, on the other side, of a galaxy far, far away.....

Sabine rode the speeder back to the Ghost, her mind still trying to wrap around what had just happened. She had to tell Hera, Zeb, Ahsoka, everyone! But would they even believe her? They had given up on trying to find Ezra, believing he must be dead. They had to get back to the rebellion, the war was not over. So much had happened in a year, and yet for Sabine it felt like nothing happened. She got back and frantically began to tell Hera about her vision.

Hera put the fruit down and put a hand gently on Sabine's shoulder, "You are still clinging to the idea that Ezra is still alive. I don't know how that Force works, but perhaps what you saw was a ghost of his spirit? Maybe he came to find you? Or maybe it was a hallucination." She let out a sad sigh. "I had the same thing happen to me after Kanan died. After a while I started to feel like I didn't know what was real or not anymore. Sabine, this may be a sign that you have to accept it and move on."

"No! You don't understand! I spoke to him, he spoke to me! He told me where he was, that Thrawn is still alive! If nothing else, we have to investigate this for the threat of Thrawn's return!"

"Sabine. I'll look the other way, but you can't keep going on like this. It's not healthy for you."

"If you won't help me find your son, then I'll have to do this on my own."

Hera paused and then spoke back up, "I won't stop you. I just don't want you to get hurt, again."

Hera turned and walked away. Sabine was shocked and disappointed. She sat down at the dejarik table in defeat. She looked down and saw a holo pad. No, she gripped it, not defeat. She could hear the howling of the loth wolves in the distance, confirming what she had experienced was real. That her path and decision to find him was correct. She had hope, everything was built on hope. Coming to Hera was a mistake, she should've gone to Ahsoka. She knew Ahsoka would take her seriously. But first, Sabine had some work to do. She would find this planet, find her Ezra, and bring him back home. Nothing else mattered. Nobody else would understand. And you know what? Maybe it was better if they don't understand. Sabine understood, and maybe that was all that mattered....

It's better if you don't understand.