Author's Note: Some of you may remember me finishing Acceptable Outcomes and stating I had to be done with Fan Fiction for a while to spend more time on "real world" projects. Well, I think I found the solution. Serious stuff at day, then stay up FAR too late at night writing. I think I have a sickness. Please send help. :)

Anyway, Rebels ended, and the ending was actually happier than I thought it would be. We only seemed to have lost Gregor. And being the hopeless Sabezra nerd that I am, the ending gave me hope for the future. She has his lightsaber people. And seemed to move into his house...

This story will be published in three or four parts. It's completely written just like my last one (I'm not kidding when I said I stayed up late...) and just needs edited passes.

I'm doing my best to be Canon-friendly here. The things that are canon are things I just don't know. I don't know for sure how far after Rebels ANH occurs exactly for instance. It's soon. I just don't know how soon.

I hope you enjoy and I look forward to feedback!

Star Wars Rebels: The Guardian of Lothal

The Day Lothal was Liberated

Sabine slumped into her bed, more exhausted than she had ever been. Not just physically, though the day's fighting had taken its toll on her, but emotionally and spiritually. Somehow, against all odds, they had won the day, and the Imperial presence on the Lothal was effectively zero. Sure, there were a few holdouts that would need to be dealt with in the coming weeks, but most of those that hadn't made it to the dome in time had immediately surrendered.

Lothal had woken up and knew that it was strong. At least strong enough for now. Sabine was terrified of what would happen when the Empire figured out just how extensive their losses at Lothal were. Right now High Command was probably still trying to contact someone, anyone from the 7th Fleet or the Lothal garrison.

Sabine grimaced. They wouldn't be happy; not in the slightest. Losing a sector capital was unprecedented and something the Empire could neither ignore nor allow to be publicly known. So they'd be back. In overwhelming and absolute force. This time Lothal would be crushed. Probably bombarded from orbit. Part of Sabine wondered if they had merely doomed all the Lothalians to death by their actions.

And then she thought about how confident Ezra was.

A twinge of pain rippled in her gut. She'd been doing her best not to think about the Loth-rat all day since... well whatever it was he'd done. What had scared her was that he had that insufferable confidence Kanan had had before he died. As if suddenly he'd become all knowing, seeing all futures. Looking back Sabine knew beyond any doubt that Kanan had known he would die that night. The way he had acted when he parted with Ezra and her to save Hera. He had known.

Ezra had known something too. Sabine sensed it when she had placed a hand on him as he meditated. That sudden change, as if he were suddenly wise beyond his years.

Sometimes it was hard not to hate the Force, the way it had guided Ezra and Kanan to their destinies. It never asked her opinion before taking away her mentor and her best friend. What good was a free Lothal if her family was gone?

But Ezra had been confident in a way different than Kanan had been. Kanan had known he would die, and Ezra had known that he was going... somewhere? His message was sad but hopeful, hopeful that he would see them again. Sabine wasn't sure how that could ever happen. He'd been magically Purgil-hyperspaced to who knows where with the entire 7th Fleet. Supposing the badly damaged Chimera survived hyperspace, Ezra was going to be stranded with a lot of very angry Imperials.

Sabine pushed the thought aside angrily. She chose to believe he was still alive, that his dumb confidence was justified. It was easier that way. It put off grieving, and the soul-crushing pain she knew was coming.

"Haar-chak, Ezra, you could have just told me," Sabine murmured at her walls. She wasn't sure what difference it would have made. She still would have let him go; she had had no right to make his decisions for him.

But she could have at least told him goodbye. And maybe hugged his neck. And... She didn't really know what else.

Their friendship had been a strange one. Once, it was awkward and strained from a younger Ezra's unfortunate attempts at flirting. Then contentious as their radically different personalities learned to coexist with the other.

Finally, at some point, they clicked. Thinking back Sabine never really could place when that happened. But when it happened, it was final. Like two sides of a coin, they were a pair. Partners, friends, allies in battle. And in a moment he was gone whisked into the wild unknown leaving her alone.

Sabine chastised herself. He was alone too. Somewhere out there and surrounded by enemies, Ezra was alone. She muttered a few Mandalorian curses under her breath. The strong ones that Hera didn't like. It made her feel a little better, and she rolled over, pushing all thoughts from her mind, trying to sleep.

One Week after the Liberation of Lothal

Sabine loaded the last of her belongings onto the speeder in the hold of the Ghost. She had more than she realized. Apparently, she had collected a lot of equipment and art supplies over the years.

Hera stood watching her silently, one hand on her stomach, the other on her shoulder. She'd been doing that for the last week. It wasn't a gesture that Sabine understood or had seen her use till recently.

Finally, as Sabine finished securing her equipment crate on the speeder, she couldn't stand it any longer. "Look Hera I know you're going to try to talk me out of it, so just go ahead. Let's get this over with."

The green skinned woman looked at her knowingly. There was a sadness in those eyes now that never left. Sabine hoped that someday she'd move past her grief. But Hera smiled. "If you think that's why I'm here, well you're wrong. I know that your place is here. Until... Until he returns."

Sabine let out a short laugh. "I thought for sure you'd beg me to stay. Wasn't sure you wanted more of the family leaving at this point."

Hera let out a long slow sigh and closed her eyes. "Oh it's hard for me, after losing Kanan, and with Ezra gone. I really, really want you to stay. I'm just not sure our paths are quite the same anymore after all that's happened. I know why you want to stay. For him." She shook her head. "No, I'm mostly just worried about you Sabine. Worried about what happens when you're alone. Worried about when the grieving starts. I know how close you two were."

Sabine bit her lip and leaned against the speeder defiantly. "He's out there. Alive."

"I hope you're right, though you'll have to forgive me if I don't quite have your faith. I just... At some point Sabine you'll be honest with yourself. Just call me if you need me."

Sabine frowned. She never really liked when Hera pried into her inner thoughts. Not because of Hera, but because of Sabine's stubborn barriers that she kept up to keep everyone out. Even herself. Some things in life were just easier if you didn't deal with them.

"Look Hera, I know you had secret hopes for Ezra and me, but it never happened. Doesn't seem like it ever will now either, so please don't worry about me. We weren't ever any sort of couple or lovers or whatever. Like..." she cut off knowing that she probably shouldn't complete that thought.

Hera finished it anyway with a sudden mischievous smile. "Like Kanan and I?"

Sabine decided to back the conversation up quickly. "I'm sorry Hera. I didn't mean to pry or bring that up again."

Hera dismissed that with a hand wave. "It's fine. But I think I'm going to let you in on a little secret."

"Okay..." Sabine said cautiously. She wasn't sure where this was going, but the mention of Kanan and that mischievous smile suddenly made Sabine afraid Hera was about to divulge way too much information...

"I'm pregnant," Hera said with a wink.

Sabine blinked quickly then looked down at Hera stomach's where her hand still rested, the pieces clicking into place. A slow smile crept across her face. Sabine wasn't much of a hugger, but she'd make an exception right now. She walked to Hera and pulled her into a soft hug, or as soft a hug as one can give in armor.

Hera began to cry softly. "You're the first person I've told. I've known since... since the morning of the battle. I just wish I had been able to tell Kanan."

Sabine thought about this for a moment and stepped back. "I think he knew."

"What?" Hera said wiping at her eyes.

"I think he knew. He was acting so strange that night we saved you. Like he knew everything that was going to happen ahead of time. Like he'd seen it all or already lived the night. I don't think there was much he didn't know at that point."

Hera looked at her stomach. "Hmm," she hummed softly. "Maybe so. He kept acting like he had something to tell me." She sighed thoughtfully. "Oh, Kanan." She started crying softly again.

Sabine pulled her back into a hug. The women merely stood there in each other's arms for several minutes. Hera finally broke the embrace. "Sabine, just promise me you'll be careful. I know you want to protect Lothal. For Ezra. But I want you to live. I can't lose more of my family so soon. Do what you can for Lothal, but if the Empire comes back in force, live to fight another day."

Sabine looked out the open ramp of the Ghost across the sweeping plains of Lothal. That wasn't going to happen. When the Empire came back to retake Lothal, she would be here helping to lead the resistance forces. Ezra had promised he wasn't leaving Lothal no matter what, but that changed. Now she would have to stay in his place. And this time there wouldn't be any hope of winning. Or survivors. She wasn't going to tell Hera that right now. "I'll be careful," Sabine said evenly.

"That's my girl. Stay in touch. If you need me, call."

"I will, Hera."

One month after the Liberation of Lothal

Sabine hated her job. As reinstated Governor of Lothal, Rhyder Azadi had reopened the old Lothal Senate Building and set up his new administration there. One of his first tasks had been forming the Lothal Civil Defense Force, a citizens militia that began to train immediately. He had tried to appoint Sabine overall command of the group, but that was not a roll Sabine was about to take on. She did accept a position designing training curriculum for the new soldiers. It was every bit as boring as she expected it to be, but her Mandalorian background ensured the program would be effective.

And in truth, the LCDF would be a powerful force. Between Mandalorian influence from Sabine and the leftover Imperial equipment, Lothal would have an excellent, if small, military.

Rhyder had also set her up with an apartment in the government building, a dull four-walled room she had quickly coated in as much color as the walls could take. Today though she had no duties and meant to spend it wandering Capitol City, Ezra's city. She clipped Ezra's lightsaber to her belt. It was her most cherished possession, and she was never without it. Holstering her blasters, she left her room and weaved through the maze-like complex to its front courtyard.

Her eyes widened in shock. They'd already finished the statue. Rhyder had commissioned a fifteen-meter sculpture of Ezra for the government square. Originally he had wanted it to be of the whole Ghost crew, but Sabine had protested violently, unable to bear walking past a giant likeness of herself on a daily basis. The governor had relented and settled on one statue of Ezra at the government building and another of the Ghost itself in a different market square.

Sabine walked over to the statue and stared at it in awe. It was a good likeness. Sabine had supplied the hologram it was based on. It lacked the touches that a master artist might have been able to give it, but the size made up for it.

That face so high above her own. She missed that face and its goofy smile. "Haar-chak, Ezra. Why didn't you tell me what was going to happen? I could have... I could have..." Sabine turned away angry as tears suddenly started streaming down her face. She was glad she was wearing her helmet so no one would see this. Sabine Wren wasn't a crier, and crying just made her angry.

"I could have stopped you. Or gone with you. Or something, anything but this. We were a team. Inseparable. You had no right to go off alone like that. Look where it got you. Kriffing Loth-rat."

Sabine stalked to the motor pool and checked out a bike, deciding she didn't want to be in the city today. She didn't know where she was going. Just somewhere away. Away from the statue. Within minutes she was speeding away across the bright grasslands of Lothal under a far-stretching blue sky.

She smiled. Lothal already seemed healthier now that the Empires ore crawlers had stopped and the factories repurposed for rebuilding Lothal. Lothal's endless plains were undoubtedly different from the snowy forests she had grown up with on Krownest, but she loved them anyway. They had even begun to feel like home. Every time they had left Lothal, she missed it a little more. And now she was here to stay.

Without even realizing it she had arrived at Ezra's tower. Of course, that's where she had directed the bike. She sighed and walked up to the base of the tower put a hand on its grimy surface. There would be too many reminders of Ezra inside. She wouldn't go in today. Some other day perhaps.

A solitary loth-cat stalked out of the grass. "Hey, there," Sabine said, squatting. "You a friend of Ezra's too?" The brown and black feline regarded her for a moment, then approached cautiously. Carefully she scratched behind its ears. It immediately began to purr and sat down. "Well I don't know if you ever met Ezra, but you would have liked him. Apparently, all you fur-balls liked him."

She sat down, and the Loth-cat deposited itself in her lap immediately, demanding more attention. "Fine," she said and continued scratching its head. She stared up at the sky, wondering for the hundredth time when the Empire would darken those skies with Star Destroyers again.

No, she wasn't leaving Lothal. Lothal was home now. Home until Ezra came back or the Empire burnt them all to dust.

Five Months after the Liberation of Lothal

Sabine had hit rock bottom about a month ago. She'd finished developing the Lothal Civil Defense Force's training regimen months ago and overseen its implementation. Then she'd done nothing. Rhyder had tried to get her involved in other projects with the LCDF, but Sabine had refused. She wasn't interested in some desk job or officers position. Sabine was a Mandalorian. She was a fighter.

She was mad at the Empire for not giving her that fight. They'd be back. She knew that. The thing she couldn't understand is what was taking so long. Lothal was a sector capital. What was going on that the Empire was accepting its loses and moving on?

She was mad at Ezra for disappearing, disappearing and leaving her alone when she needed him most. Disappearing and not even getting to see the fruits of his labor, this new free and happy Lothal.

She was mad at Hera for leaving. The General had duties with the Alliance that were clearly more important to her than her family. More important to her than Lothal.

But mostly Sabine was mad at herself. She had too much free time. Too much time to wallow in her own thoughts and regrets. She had relived the Liberation of Lothal a thousand times in her mind, and each time she had thought of some new way of that would save Ezra, some way that would keep her friend with her.

Mostly Sabine was lonely, lonely in a way she hadn't been since Ketsu had abandoned her all those years ago.

She painted a lot these days when she wasn't too angry. One day she looked around her small room at her canvases and realized that most of them were of Ezra. The same blue eyes staring back at her from a dozen places. This wasn't healthy. She knew she needed help.

Sabine commed Hera. It had been a couple of months since they'd last spoken, before this downward spiral. "Hey, Hera how are you?" she said, tension easing as she saw the Twi-lek's hologram. Oh boy, was she pregnant now!

Hera looked tired. "Sabine I... I've been better. I..."

There was a hollow look in her eyes, Sabine realized. Something was very wrong. Her own troubles momentarily forgotten, Sabine pressed her gently. "Hera. What's going on?"

Hera looked at her softly. "Sabine I'm... I'm not supposed to talk about it. This is so classified that..."

Sabine rolled her eyes. "When has that stopped us before?"

"This is different Sabine," Hera said, almost short with her.

"I'm not sure how we're supposed to help each other if you're too wrapped up in military nonsense to care." This wasn't how this was supposed to go, Sabine thought bitterly. She had imagined Hera talking sense into her, flying to Lothal, staying for a while. And here they were talking business and war.

Hera stared at her eyes hollow. "Sabine, I want you to leave Lothal. I... I think I know why the Empire never came back. They've got a new tool for dealing with dissent... And it's... It's bad, Sabine. Please."

"I'm not leaving Hera. You know that. What is this about? Some kind of new weapon?"

"Yes. Please. Leave Lothal. Tonight."

Sabine rolled her eyes again. "My place is here until Ezra returns. If the Empire burns this place to the ground, I'll be the last one standing. Now tell me what I'm up against."

Hera stared at Sabine angrily, as if deciding what to say. Finally, she lowered her eyes and whispered. "It's a planet killer Sabine. It destroys whole planets."

Sabine's breath stuck in her throat. "Saw's Kyber crystals," she said as the long-standing mystery resolved itself in her mind.

"Yeah. He was one of its first casualties too. You have to leave Sabine. It's active. I've seen it. I've seen what a low power shot does. I don't... I don't know that the Alliance survives this. We don't really have any options... We lost almost everything in a fruitless battle yesterday..."

Sabine didn't really know what to say or even think about that. Finally, she just said quietly. "I can't leave Hera. If Lothal dies than I die with it."

Hera's skin flushed dark green in anger. "Kriff it, Sabine. I know you loved him, but that's a pointless way to throw your life away. If you think Ezra would want you wallowing in self-pity waiting for the Empire to come finish you, you didn't know him as well you as think you did."

Sabine was shocked to hear Hera curse. She never cursed. "I'll... Think about it." Sabine said quietly. She was lying, or at least she thought she was, but at the moment she just thought to appease Hera. "I never said I loved him either."

"No, but your reckless behavior says otherwise. Look I have to go, I... There's a briefing coming and..."

"Go, Hera, Call back soon. Please."

Hera looked at her with compassion. Sabine didn't have a clue what she was thinking. Hera nodded and cut the transmission.

Sabine looked around her room and in a moment made a decision she should have made months ago. In less than an hour, she had packed her belongings and was gone, never to come back to the Old Senate Building apartments.

A few short days later the galaxy heard the news. Alderaan destroyed in a moment. Thousands of years of history and two billion people gone in the space of a heartbeat. Fear gripped Lothal. They knew their fate, why the Empire delayed its return. Those that could leave the planet did. Most couldn't.

Sabine moved into Ezra's tower, resigning from her position with the LCDF. She began the long task of turning the dilapidated tower into a real home. This meant spending hours hauling away old junk and equipment, most of it predating Ezra's stay. And everywhere she went she found helmets. How he had managed to secure this many as a kid on the streets was mind-boggling.

She didn't throw these out. These were for painting later.

And then the news came. The miracle that changed everything. The Alliance had destroyed the Death Star.