The Heart of the Galaxy: A Star Wars Story (with Legends)

Chapter 18 - The Mind of a Child

The singing woke Ezra early the next morning, just as the sun was rising. He lay perfectly still, gazing out the window of the room they had borrowed from Jai Malreaux, watching the sun's rays light the colossal kyber. The music grew louder and more beautiful, taking his breath away. Careful not to disturb Sabine and their infant son, he rose and padded softly to the little bed where the two toddlers slept contentedly, thumbs in their mouths. He bent down and patted Violet-Meadows and Grogu gently on their heads. Crossing the room to his traveling bag, he quickly dressed. He scrawled a brief note to Sabine, in case she woke before he returned, and left the house.

Soon he came to the Hill and knelt with closed eyes to meditate. In this place, he barely had to reach out. The Force was so close. Slowly, he became aware that Whie had joined him but he continued to meditate, letting the Force flow through him. At last, he opened his eyes.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you. I know this is your Hill."

"It is the Force's Hill, Ezra Bridger. All who seek the Will of the Force are welcome here."

"Thanks. I had a great meditation, but I should probably go check on Sabine now."

Back at the house, both men helped their wives get ready for the day and helped them to the breakfast table. Ezra guided Sabine to a seat, absently stroking her hair with his eyes fixed on the planet that was visible through the open doors.

Sabine huffed as she took her seat. "Ezra Bridger, I wish just once that you would look at me the way you look at kyber crystals!"

Startled, Ezra pulled his gaze from the doorway to stare at Sabine. "What are you talking about, Coco Bean?

"I think you love kyber crystals more than you love me." Sabine crossed her arms and glared up at him.

"Sabine! How can you say that? You know I love you."

"Then how come you can't take your eyes off this giant kyber crystal that we're on long enough to kiss the mother of children good morning?"

Ezra glanced over his shoulder to where Tallulah sat holding Cerulean-Skies, with Violet-Meadows and Grogu sitting beside her. The floppy-eared toddler was happily munching something blue and yellow, but Violet-Meadows had stopped eating to watch the unfolding scene with wide eyes. Guilt stabbed Ezra's heart. Had he been so enamored with this wondrous world that he had been neglecting his precious family?

"I'm so sorry," he murmured, deflated. "I didn't mean to...Oh, Bine. I love you so much more than all the kybers in the Galaxy."

"Are you sure? Really sure? I know how you feel-"

Her words were cut off as Ezra dropped beside her on the bench and drowned her in a kiss. He felt the air leaving her lungs from the force of his kiss and he pushed her gently, inexorably against the chair-back, kissing her harder, more powerfully. For several long, blissful minutes, he ignored the stares he could feel on the back of his head. At last, as Sabine began to struggle slightly in his grasp, he slowly released her and sat back, the taste of her still lingering in his mouth.

Sabine drew a deep breath as if she had been diving underwater. "You win."

Ezra couldn't help grinning. His demonstration had been successful, but leave it to a Mandalorian to see his kiss as an act of conquest.

"I accept your surrender. We'll discuss the terms tonight."

"Yes, I'm afraid we have more urgent things to discuss right now," interrupted Luke. He had that look again, Ezra noted, the look that said he thought Ezra must be from another galaxy, far away, with life forms that appeared to be normal humans but were something else entirely.