#Zeb Cook

[oldschoolfrp]

Unexpected orb (Fred Fields cover for the AD&D 2e Book of Artifacts by David "Zeb" Cook, TSR, 1993) This volume includes many of the classic OD&D and AD&D artifacts, plus universal versions of some that had been introduced in specific settings, like the 12 Orbs of Dragonkind inspired by the 5 known from Krynn.

[dndhistory]

400. David "Zeb" Cook - AC3 (but really AC8): The Revenge of Rusak (1985)

First of all let's address the elephant sized typo on the cover, this is not AC3 (which was The Kidnapping of Princess Arelina from 1984) but AC8 which can make it a bit confusing. Interestingly, and even more confusingly, this is a direct sequel to AC3 in terms of the adventure that comes bundled in with the models.

The idea of this AC (which stands for accessory) module is to provide players and DMs with some 3-D modules that can be used in play, in this case specifically for wilderness adventures. AC3 did something similar but with dungeon 3-D models then. This tradition comes all the way back from the beginning of D&D with the Dungeon Geomorphs and remains to our days with the Terrain Campaign Case that came out a couple of years ago.

Bundled together with these models is a mini adventure for you to make use of the cardboard constructions, and that is a direct sequel to the earlier set of 3-D models, so you could buy them both and play through it. Fun stuff. Also, we got to entry 400 in this blog! Only 39 years of coverage to go! 

[a-corndog-named-schibbs]

Headcanon that Lasat food in the Star Wars universe has kinda the same reputation as British or German food irl.  At its best, it’s simple and homey, made to fill you up and get you through the Lean Times without being fussy about flavor.  Unfortunately this means it also has a reputation for being really bland and kinda nasty, so whenever it’s Zeb’s turn to cook on the Ghost, his food gets…mixed reviews.

Kanan and Ezra don’t mind it.  Kanan spent a good portion of his life surviving on pub grub, which is essentially what Lasat cuisine is in spirit and Ezra was homeless for too long to ever turn down a free meal, especially if it makes him feel full too.

Hera and Sabine cannot fucking stand Zeb’s cooking.  Sabine comes from a culture whose dishes are known to smack you in the face with spice and Hera grew up a) rich and b) French, so some of the dishes that Zeb makes seem like they should be considered a war crime from her perspective.  They both love Zeb far more than they hate his cooking, so neither will ever say anything, but whenever it’s Zeb’s turn to cook, Hera takes the opportunity to practice her sabaac face and Sabine drowns her plate in hot sauce the second Zeb’s not looking.

The only person who completely, unironically loves Zeb’s cooking is Kallus, fittingly enough.  He spent most of his adult life eating nothing but ration bars, so most normal foods are too rich for him.  Zeb’s cooking gives him the comfort of homemade meals without being totally overwhelming for him flavor-wise.  The crew is wary about having him join them, until they all realize they can just give their leftovers to him whenever Zeb cooks, and then he’s suddenly the most popular man on the Ghost.

[mymblesbuir]

somewhat cracky fic idea which I'm not gonna write but anyone else is free to play with lol

cryptid au where Zeb is basically bigfoot. the human rebels are people dedicated to protecting cryptids from the government, who sees them as subhuman objects of scientific curiosity to be brought in dead or alive, and the morally bankrupt hunters who work for them

but when notorious cryptid hunter Kallus ends up trapped down a gorge with the bigfoot he's been chasing, they have to help each other get out alive, and he realises "it's" not the big dumb beast he thought.......

[theoutcastrogue]

"The second edition of AD&D was finally released in early 1989. Many of the changes turned out to be cosmetic. One of the biggest was that the sizes of the Player’s Handbook (1989) and Dungeon Master’s Guide (1989) were reversed. Back in 1978 Gygax had decided that it was best if the players did not know the rules, and so the original Player’s Handbook was a skeleton that didn’t even detail combat. Now the entire roleplaying industry had accepted the fact that players and gamemasters were united in games — not adversaries — and the new rules reflected this. [...]

Perhaps most surprisingly, the rules were once again presented as “guidelines” — a reversal from Gygax’s original goal for the AD&D lines. Finally, the character classes were indeed cleaned up, with Arneson’s assassin and monk eliminated.

Though Cook had said that assassins were removed due to problems of party unity, their excision has always been seen by the public as part of TSR’s well-documented attempt to make AD&D more public friendly — TSR’s only allowance to the religious hysteria that had shadowed the game throughout the 1980s. Half-orcs were similarly removed as player characters, and demons and devils were eliminated entirely.

James M. Ward, who had instituted the removal of demons and devils, explained in Dragon #154 (February 1990) that “[a]voiding the Angry Mother Syndrome has become a good, basic guideline for all of the designers and editors at TSR, Inc.” Apparently, TSR had received one letter a week complaining about the demons and devils since the original Monster Manual was printed, and those 624 letters, or what Ward called “a lot of letters,” had been the reason he’d removed the infernal races.

The readers were not amused, and to his credit Ward printed many of their replies in Dragon #158 (June 1990). One reader stated that the decision “becomes censorship when an outside group dictates to you … what you should print.” The release of the Outer Planes Appendix (1991) for the Monstrous Compendium assuaged some of the anger because it restored demons as “tanar’ri” and devils as “baatezu,” but some fans left D&D entirely as a result of this decision."

— Shannon Appelcline, Designers & Dragons: The ’70s

[theranilord]

S3E14 - Warhead

• Kallus trying to buy the rebels time...

• AP-5 isn't gonna give up his position so easily

• Chopper to Droid: Hey!, I'll make your face obsolete.

[rebel-hunk-enjoyer]

#it's like throwing a barbie doll against the wall and laughing when its head pops off#is that weird to say (via @mydogatemymotivation)

Not weird in the slightest, I definitely just threw this Kallus doll against the wall.

And now I'm deeply fascinated with what was going on while Kallus was getting the four lights treatment. 👀👀

kind of craving some later in the rebellion kalluzeb where they're just incredibly obsessed with each other, romantically and sexually and conceptually?

where they're just feral for each other and how they fit together and how the universe had to unfold in a very specific way for them to get to the point that they are (because lol Star Wars is a rube goldberg plot machine, how can anyone in love in this universe be normal about it???), with a level of trust and depth of connection that borders on something almost telepathic and maybe they even play that up to be more intimidating, kallus is exactly that kind of bastard and zeb loves that about him.

with each of them so intense about the other to a scary degree, where it's not even a secret and it gets to the point that the empire tries to use it against them because it's seen as a weakness that can be leveraged but OH MY GOD IT REALLY ISN'T because kallus knows every single lie the empire is spinning about zeb while trying to turn them against each other (fuck all his self-doubt about everything else, he KNOWS zeb and zeb is a constant and there is literally nothing anyone can say to prey on that) meanwhile zeb knows exactly where kallus keeps a hidden blade and how much imperial torture he can withstand and also they have a plan for this contingency and it involves making every imp involved regret all of their choices.

like idk real battle couple obsession hours mixed with spy intrigue and 'fuck the whole universe if it tries to keep us apart' shit. 🥰🥰

[pretchatta]

Family Dinner

After Ezra builds his lightsaber, the Ghost crew introduce him to the celebratory tradition that has evolved over the years, growing with each new member that joined the Spectres. It's one they're all too happy to add Ezra to – and he has a perfect addition of his own.

I wrote this three years ago (!!) for the @legacy-rebelsfanzine fanzine and was waiting to post it until after I received my copy. Unfortunately that never happened so I never posted it, but (spoiler alert) I'm coming back to writing and right now have a couple of pieces I'm sitting on for exchanges. This means I'm chomping at the bit to post something, so I figured it was finally time I shared this outside of the zine. Enjoy!

The delightful illustrations were all drawn by @wachie

you can also read, kudos and comment on AO3! ->

---

Ezra held his breath as he waited for his master to pass judgement on his newly-built lightsaber.

"Well, it's different," Kanan said finally, "but that seems about right for you. Go for it."

He handed the unorthodox hilt back to his Padawan and, holding it apprehensively out in front of him, Ezra ignited the blade. With a snap-hiss, the blue beam of energy came to life, its glow illuminating the Ghost's common area and reflecting in five pairs of awestruck eyes. The whole crew gazed at it and the boy holding it with a mixture of pride and reverence.

"I think this deserves a celebration," Hera murmured, breaking the silence.

Kanan gave her a knowing look, a grin playing at his lips. "Our usual?"

"Let's see what Ezra wants," she said, mirroring his smile. She turned to Ezra to explain, "It's become a tradition on this ship to mark special occasions with a particular meal, but since this is your achievement, is there something you would like? Something to celebrate the day you built your lightsaber?"

"Well..." Ezra stared thoughtfully at his still-lit lightsaber for a moment, a crease forming between his eyebrows. He seemed to come to a conclusion and thumbed the switch to retract the blade, dimming the light in the room back to its usual levels. "When I was a kid and my parents were making their broadcasts, there was a stew we'd have after each one. I remember it had these dumplings on top and when we made it, they'd let me make the dumplings. It was our tradition."

"A traditional stew, huh?" Zeb asked with a grin. "I think we're having our usual, Hera."

Ezra quirked an eyebrow at him. "You have the same thing?"

"Not with dumplings."

"Not yet," Sabine corrected, a glint in her eye.

It's our own special kind of stew," Hera explained to him. "It's changed a lot over the years, but it started when I first set out to fight the Empire. Whenever I had a few spare credits I'd treat myself to fresh  produce – whatever the local market had. I'd slice it up and fry it to add some flavour and texture to the usual rations. Each time someone joined my crew, it changed."

"It always went cold quickly, so I turned it into a broth," Kanan said.

"And it was vegetarian," Zeb added with a grimace.

Hera turned to him with a frown. "We couldn't afford meat regularly until you joined us," she pointed out.

"Somehow it was still lacking flavour when you picked me up, so I was the one to add spices," Sabine chipped in.

Hera smiled. "It improved each time."

"And your dumplings will make a great addition," Kanan told Ezra. "They should cook in the broth, and with them we won't even need to supplement it with rations any more."

Hera picked up her datapad and moved to stand in front of her crew. "It sounds like we need to make a market trip."

There was no need for everyone to go, but no-one wanted to stay behind – not even Chopper. Once everyone was out, Hera locked up the Ghost behind them as Zeb led the way to Kothal. Kanan hung back to walk with her behind the kids, and she slipped her hand into his and gave him a smile of thanks. The soft look he gave her in return warmed her heart.

Something had changed in him since he'd taken Ezra to that Temple, and something had changed in Ezra too. They had both come back different – calmer, more sure of themselves, more comfortable in their roles as Jedi Master and Padawan. She'd always done her best to support Kanan, but she knew Ezra and the Jedi Temple could give him something she had never been able to. However, the look in his eyes reminded her that she gave him something just as important.

The market wasn't overly busy this late in the day. They split up in order to find everything – and therefore get back for dinner – faster. Zeb went to a local butcher's stall with Chopper not far behind, and Sabine said something about running low on a few of her spices. Ezra seemed to be looking with interest at a selection of baking ingredients, so Hera left him to it and went to her favourite fresh produce stand.

Hera knew she was here for vegetables but the display of imported meilooruns did look good… She turned to ask Kanan if they had the credits for one, but he wasn't behind her where she had expected. A search of nearby stalls found him only a few metres away, wearing–

"Kanan," she called, incredulity colouring her voice, "is that a 'kiss the cook' apron?"

"What do you think?" he asked, giving her a roguish wink.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hold back a grin. She allowed herself one meiloorun as she bought the vegetables, and then went to round up her crew.

Surprisingly, Chopper was the first she came across, and he seemed to be in a very good mood. She assumed he'd been looking at the displays of mechanical oils again. Zeb was next, who had managed to haggle an extra steak into his bag, and then Sabine, who had been about to wander over to a dye stall. Kanan fetched a suspiciously flour-covered Ezra and then she was leading the way back to the Ghost after yet another successful supply run.

Cooking began as soon as they returned, with everyone eager to eat. Kanan made a start on the broth, with Hera by his side slicing the vegetables. Sabine brought the pestle and mortar out to start grinding her spices as Zeb sharpened his steak knives. Kanan helped Ezra get ready to make his dumplings, and Hera saw what looked like a pang of nostalgia pass over the boy's face as he laid out his bowls in a very specific way.

The sounds that filled the galley were almost like music; the steady chop of Hera's knife, the sizzle of Zeb's pan, the scrape of Sabine's pestle and the gentle simmer of Kanan's broth. It didn't take long for some amazing smells to start wafting around the small space either.

"Hey, Ezra," Sabine called over the noise. "Have you ever had bisawa paste before?"

An array of jars and pots were open on the counter in front of her, the contents of which she was carefully measuring into a bowl. The one currently in her hand was filled with a bright green paste.

"Nope," Ezra replied, looking at the contents of the jar with interest. "What is it?"

Instead of replying, she used a spoon to scoop some out and offer it to him. "You should try some!"

Behind her, Zeb's ears pricked up with interest as he started to carefully transfer the contents of his pan into the broth. "Yeah, kid, try some, it's really good!"

"Okay," Ezra said, shrugging as his curiosity got the better of him.

He let Sabine feed him the mouthful of paste. It was as she removed the spoon and her eyes lit up with mischief that he realised his mistake – his tongue was burning. It was too late to stop himself from swallowing. The heat spread throughout his mouth and down his throat. Ezra felt his face flush and his eyes start to water.

He let out a pained groan. "Sabine!"

She tipped her head back and cackled with laughter. He lunged towards her, intending to wipe his floury hands on her in retribution, but Sabine was too fast. She ducked nimbly under his outstretched arms, still laughing. The galley wasn't very big, and as his vision blurred with tears he stumbled into the back of someone.

"Hey!" Zeb complained as Ezra knocked him.

Ezra started to wonder if his vengeance on Sabine could wait until after he found some water, but was distracted by the sight of the perfect white handprint on Zeb's back. Sabine noticed too, and they both burst into laughter together.

Zeb realised he was the butt of their joke, but fortunately for all Hera stepped in before the situation could escalate.

Ezra, get yourself a glass of water," she said calmly, "and Zeb, now's a good time to lay the table."

She wasn't sure if it was her or their hungry stomachs that made them obey, but her crew did as they were told. She left Kanan to stir the last of the vegetables into the broth as she went to check on Ezra. He was mostly recovered from his first encounter with bisawa, and while she had sympathy from him, every crewmember had at some point been subjected to Sabine's "taste test". It was part of the tradition now.

Soon, they were all sitting down together, rubbing elbows in the cramped space of the galley. Kanan served them each a bowl of warm, rich stew, but remained standing.

"Congratulations, Ezra," he began with a smile. "Finding a kyber crystal and constructing your lightsaber is an important step on your path to being a Jedi; we're all proud of you."

Ezra's face warmed at the attention. "Thanks," he mumbled. "Though I wouldn't have even made it this far without you."

"He's right, love," Hera said. "This isn't just about Ezra's achievement – you're a great teacher for him."

"The best," Ezra agreed.

"To Ezra and Kanan!" Sabine toasted.

"Yeah, yeah," Zeb said. "Can we eat now? The smell is making my mouth water."

With a laugh, they all set about eating their stew. It was delicious. As they ate, each person found themself thinking the same thing: sure, the meal had been perfect before, but just like their crew, it was even better with Ezra's addition.

[oldschoolfrp]

The Combat Shield and Mini-adventure for Basic and Expert D&D served the same role as AD&D's DM screen, with art by Jeff Easley facing the players along with the PC experience tables for level advancement, and important tables for the DM on the opposite side (TSR, 1984). This was for the 1983 3rd version of Basic D&D and 2nd version of Expert, to which TSR added Companion in 1984, followed by Master and Immortal Rules in the following 2 years to complete the "BECMI" D&D set.

The 8-page adventure "The Treasure of the Hideous One" by David Cook includes a full page scroll of backstory in tiny italic text, which seems an unnecessarily tedious way to begin a short adventure.

[vintagerpg]

Oh, hey, Vecna. I find it strange how the arch-lich looms so large in the history of D&D. His artifacts — hand, eye — first appeared in Eldritch Wizardry, the creation of Brian Blume. His first real appearance in the game was in this, WGA4: Vecna Lives (1990). It’s interesting.

It is very much in the mode of ’90s, focusing on the story unfurled through a series of interconnected, predetermined Events. There’s some dungeoning and city exploration, but the scenario is far more focused on investigation and explosive narrative happenings. It is not connected to the Falcon modules, though it builds on their use of the City of Greyhawk. Nor does it meaningfully connect to the imminent shake-up of the setting’s status quo that plays out in Wars andFrom the Ashes (though if the players fail to defeat the lich, the note on the resulting horrors of Vecna’s rule do seem to anticipate what actually happens to the world after Iuz triumphs).

I’m not sure in sum the adventure is worth the squeeze, though there are interesting bits. For starters, players take the roles of high level pregens: members of the sorcerous Circle of Eight and their associates. Vecna’s key henchmen are pretty fantastically weird — a humanoid with an eye for a head, and another with a hand-head. That it’s kind of…obvious and cartoonish, maybe, but then Ken Frank’s illustrations really sell the concept for me. They’re great and horrible and I would totally use them elsewhere. Third, I really like this Greyhawk that is full of standing stones and dangerous myths. Gygax tends to get all the credit for making Greyhawk an interesting place, but I don’t think it actually becomes interesting until around now, and I think it is ironic that Zeb Cook, who many at the time viewed as a great Gygax betrayer, was instrumental in this. Oh, and Easley’s cover is pretty great, too.

Vecna, defeated, at least in “canon,” winds up it Ravenloft for a while, and gets a big adventure at the end of that line’s lifespan, Vecna Reborn, but I’ve never read it. Nor have I read Die, Vecna, Die!, which ushered in the transition from 2E to 3E, much the same way as Eve of Ruin did for 5E (I guess that parallel depends on whether you think D&D Forever or whatever they are calling it is a new edition or not).

I don’t really understand where this idea that Vecna is one of the great D&D villains came from, though. He achieves far less than Iuz and even Acererak seems more accomplished. He keeps popping up in sourcebooks across 3E and 4E, but he only really amounts to anything in a Critical Role storyline (is that canon?) and as the source of a nickname for a villain in Stranger Things? I dunno, gimme Strahd any day. 

[never-ending-fanfic]

You did not! Oh you did not...

OH MY, SALAMANDER I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! 🩵💙🩵💙🩵💙🩵💙🩵💙🩵💙🩵

I am holding you so gently and hoping my tears don't stain you too much oh God you made me just want to dance around while sobbing and ohhhhhhhhhh I'm just looking at it and the only thing I can think is "THE BABY"! Like she's just so freaking adorable, you absolutely did her justice! And all the little details I put into my work that you put into yours? The embroidered tunic alone had me squeaking like crazy! I'm so in love with this, I did not expect this in the slightest! Her hair looks so soft and oh you remembered the toothgap and her ear!

And all those outfits for her?! All those stunning, adorable outfits?! You drew so much of her! (But I understand, I also drew her and couldn't stop). That dress makes her look like she's a little lady, but it also gives off 'my dad made me wear this' vibe, the cute comfy fits with vibrant colours, the fancy looking clothes in the middle... And the outfit to school, oh you wouldn't believe the sound I made imagining her on Lira San, Kallus watching her go to school every morning 😭😭😭 and her facial expressions are so good bestie, so good and all the poses and she's just so so so cute!

Allow me to akxnxbnshcjzjsjfisicijxbxhancbbzbhsbcbxbsbxjjajxjznxnnxskxjjxjancbjdbcjxbxhhxbdbxgxgxbbxbxbxbxbzkjzjzjidhfhzjxjjsjsjjsjzjzjzjjxjxkxkksmxxjjsnxjzjnxncjzkmsjdkauhsgxiakxkks-

I'm so happy because of this. I've been very stressed lately and you made my day a whole lot brighter. You're a star, Salamander and I love you dearly ✨💛❤️🧡✨

P.S. Me:

For @never-ending-fanfic, Tala!! From her fic: All my love, which all of y'all should read its so good!! And Tala is just so cute I couldn't resist drawing her <3

And uhhhh.... she was too cute that I couldn't help but draw her in a bunch of outfits ;^^

[anarcoqueer1994]

Also I want cringe, I want Kallus and Zeb to be so embarrassingly in love. They don't always have to be cool guy rebels.

Have Zeb going on a mission with the Ghost crew to somewhere cold, and Kallus has to stay behind, but he stayed up all night before they left knitting his alien boyfriend a sweater, saying something cheesy like "Now I get to keep you warm this time." And he like tried to knit a picture of the meteorite on the front too. And it just looks like a yellow shakey circle and the arms are a little uneven and the neck hole is a little too big bc Kallus did not know how to knit until last night. But through holo videos and a nice medic who had a pair of knitting needles he could borrow, he did it...kind of. And Zeb wears it the entire mission even if his fur would have been more than enough to keep him warm. Even if the kids, Kanan, and even Hera poke fun.

Or like have Zeb and Kallus in the Kitchen of the Ghost together, maybe Kallus is cooking, and Zeb is being a distraction by trying to dance with him or making a mess with flour. And someone walks in on them playing house and dancing to some old timey song with water boiling over in the background.

Or maybe a little tipsy Kallus convinces Sabine to tattoo a little stick and poke on his leg that is a heart with Zeb's name. Of course Zeb does the same when he sees it with "Sasha" in the heart.

Have them bringing each other up to people when the other isn't around. Be annoying and loving.

Give me that. Thank you

[solrika]

Food-related thoughts, courtesy of chatter with @mystical-salamander:

Parts of Coruscant, especially in the extra-dense areas, don't have any cooking implements in the apartments besides a microwave and small fridge. (Hot plates are a fire hazard.) Instead of cooking for themselves, residents visit food vendors or buy microwave meals. Prepackaged snacks that don't require refrigeration are also common.

You know those 'microwave hacks' and 'MRE hacks' and 'prison food hacks?' That's the kind of "cooking" that Kallus knows.

In contrast, Zeb learned how to cook both at home and at school, and had an abundance of fresh food to work with. Lasan's dominant government put out standardized cookbooks of healthy, easy to make meals for the home ec classes. These standard meals often vary, changed to match regional tastes, in individual schools.

The Wookies, being close allies and intellectual partners with Lasan, have these cookbooks saved as part of their Lasani Remembrance Archives. Alderaan also made a habit of trying to preserve at-risk cultures, and had copies in their own archives.

There's a big part of the holonet devoted to saving old recipes and adapting them to new circumstances--the Lasani diaspora is just one of many peoples trying to cope with being away from 'home.'

Zeb looks for Lasani recipes and subsitutions for Lasani spices, of course, but he also searches for recipes from Ryloth, Mandalore, and--the hardest to find--the Jedi Temple. When a Spectre is feeling particularly down, Zeb will make them something from their home to cheer them up.

[shastafirecracker]

I’ve got a Kalluzeb AU cooking right now over on AO3, in which a Kallus who left the Empire shortly after Lasan seeks out and rescues the last surviving member of the Honor Guard from gladiatorial slavery. Kallus and Zeb then form an unlikely mercenary partnership in which their primary work is dismantling slaving operations and searching for surviving lasat. Eventually they start working the odd mission alongside Spectre cell, slowly becoming infected with the spirit of rebellion and also moving from a toxic codependency into a true and deep sense of caring for each other.

I’m not writing every word of that because that could be a million-word slow burn epic and I just can’t do it, but I have been poking at assorted scenes! First, the initial rescue, and then a smut sequel of their first time. Stay tuned for the third, which will be a retake of Honorable Ones with that canon divergence twist.

Second Nature to Love You, First to Die

Rating T, gen & pre-KZ, ~7k; Zeb is a gladiator slave on Ordo Eris and a mysterious guard arrives to break him out.

The Cost of Our Desired Wrongs

Rating E, KZ, ~8k; During an op gone wrong, Zeb questions the growing mutual attraction between him and Kal. They have an ill-advised first time in the filthy depths of Coruscant that they both then try to decide if they regret or not. (They don’t.)

[jessicas-pi]

[i am sending Multiple. Feel free to only do the ones you want to do]

Sabezra in a band au!

the ideas are still cooking on the other one but you bet i'm doing them all kazzy

---

Zeb slouched back on the neatly-made hotel bed, scowling. He had wanted to watch his film in peace, but his bandmate was making that completely impossible.

When Ezra had said that Sabine was coming over to their hotel room to "chill," Zeb had thought it was a good thing, because that would mean Ezra would be occupied and not bothering him.

Boy, had he been wrong.

The two kids were lying on their stomachs on the other of the two neatly-made hotel beds, side by side, their heads together as they looked at something on Sabine's phone. Occasionally, they burst into giggles or shared a conspiratorial grin.

Finally, Zeb turned the TV off and looked over at them.

"What are you two even doing?" he demanded.

"Pinterest," they replied in unison, and Ezra added, "We have a fandom!"

"Huh?"

"There's headcanons and everything," Sabine explained. "And fanart and fanfic and incorrect quotes..."

"The fandom joke is that Kanan and Hera are secretly married," Ezra added. "But they think Sabine and I hate each other, which I don't get. Is it some kind of classic rivalry between a guitarist and a drummer thing? Is that even a thing at all?"

Sabine giggled, then paused, as if thinking, and recited dramatically: "Two artists, both alike in melody, in fair Wisconsin, where we lay our scene..."

She trailed off, and when neither of them laughed, she rolled her eyes.

"It's a play on a Shakespeare quote, you uncultured heathens."

"Okay, Ivy League," Ezra snarked back, and she punched his shoulder.

"And you wonder why everyone thinks you hate each other," Zeb huffed, rolling his eyes, as the two of them began squabbling.

"Oh, not everyone," Ezra said, looking over his shoulder at Zeb. "We actually have a small but dedicated ship fanbase—umph!"

Sabine cut him off by hitting him with a pillow, and Zeb sighed deeply. He should probably intervene before they caused property damage... again.

Why did he always get stuck babysitting, anyway?

[illuminatedquill]

Story Summary: Settling into his relationship with Sabine, a curious Ezra seeks stories far and wide the galaxy over about Jedi-Mandalorian romance for advice . . .

Author's Note: For Sabezra fans, new and old, regardless if you just liked a post about them or if you created art/fanfics/creative works featuring them; I thank you all for keeping this small, yet mighty fandom alive throughout these long years. You know I can always count on you, right?

This story is from my heart to yours. See you for the next one and Happy Valentine's Day.

@sabezraweek

Evening on Lothal, once upon a time, used to fill Ezra Bridger with dread. He remembered an uncertain time in his life as a child, shortly after the Empire had taken his parents: scavenging on the streets of Capital City and begging from those who still held an ounce of decency to take pity on another orphan. Only the brave and reckless or just plain lucky survived the increasingly mean streets during the days of Imperial reign. There were nights that he came back to his comm-tower with nothing to eat, forced to hunker down in the empty, dark interior, draped only in thin sheets of fabric cobbled together that were the best he could do during the colder nights.

Hunger had been a constant, uncomfortable companion to him at all times. The very first hot meal he could remember after years of isolation was onboard the Ghost - that first night, after joining the Spectres. Hera had come to his room - well, his and Zeb's room which caused all sorts of hilarious friction during those early months - since he had been too shy to join them in the communal area with a bowl of hot porridge, freshly made.

She didn't make any requests for him to join them at the table; Hera understood that it was still too early, and that Ezra would settle in at his own pace. "I'll come back in thirty minutes to check in on you," she said kindly. "Don't scarf that down all at once, okay?"

Being the dumb teenager he was - and a hungry one too - the moment the door sealed shut, he did immediately just that.

Taking a few gulps of the bottled juice that had been provided to soften the burning pain afterwards, he blew gingerly on the meal for a minute straight before eating another spoonful. Ezra was glad that he was alone in that moment because the warmth and delicious meal brought him to tears. Food had always been plentiful at the Bridger home, made with love and care. In hindsight, the porridge wasn't on the same level as one of his mother's home-cooked meals, but it didn't matter - for that one night it tasted just as good, just as savory, just as full of love and affection on the Ghost and it made Ezra cry that someone cared enough to make a meal for him when he was hungry.

He resolved to never take food for granted after that; he always ate whatever was offered without complaint.

Being in a relationship with Sabine Wren, however, tested that resolve some days. His long-time partner and best friend, recently promoted to girlfriend, had decided to try her hand at making them a home-cooked meal from one of his favorite Lothal recipes.

Hustling over from their makeshift kitchen inside the newly renovated comm-tower they now used as their permanent home, she plunked two bowls of thick, steaming seafood chowder onto the table in front of Ezra. He leaned forward from the couch, letting the rich, hearty smell of fresh soup waft over him.

Smells good, he observed privately. Nothing looks burned either, so that's an improvement from last time.

Sabine sat down next to him, still wearing her mechanic's overalls stained with grease and oil from a day full of routine repair work on their speeders. She gave him a nervous glance.

"Well?" she asked. "I followed the recipe precisely."

Raising his spoon, Ezra gently probed the bowl's contents. The lumps of seafood - a mix of shellfish, clams, and assorted veggies cut into thick chunks - looked cooked. Under Sabine's watchful gaze, he spooned some of the chowder into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.

Sabine huffed impatiently and poked him in the ribs. "Hey," she said. "I need a reaction, goober."

Ezra swallowed his food and gave his girlfriend a small smile. "Sweet," he replied.

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? Let me get a bite." She grabbed her spoon, dipped it in her own bowl, and chomped down eagerly -

Sabine's expression turned dour to Ezra's delight. She turned towards him, eyeing him grimly.

"Sweet," she repeated. "You meant literally."

He burst out in laughter. She glared at him but without any real heat behind her eyes.

"Did you use sugar or salt?" he asked, after settling down.

Sabine folded her arms. "We should think about adding labels to our condiments," she said in a terse response.

"We do have labels on our condiments," Ezra sighed. "It was your idea after the first cooking mishap. It seems like you were in a rush again."

She fidgeted in her seat. He could practically see the guilt radiating from her in waves. " . . . I wanted to get this right. It's one of your favorites."

Ezra reached out and took another spoonful of chowder into his mouth. "It's an interesting twist on it, I'll admit. I never said it was bad, cyar'ika."

"You don't have to eat it to assuage my feelings," Sabine protested.

"I know," Ezra reassured her and continued eating.

His girlfriend's cheeks turned slightly pink; from the corner of Ezra's eye, he could see her fighting back a fond smile. In grateful silence, she resumed eating her own meal.

When they were finished, Sabine laid back on the couch and patted his stomach. "Since you liked it so much, I'll have you know that there's still a big pot of it leftover."

Ezra winced. "Why don't we save some of that for Kallus and Zeb when they come to visit tomorrow? I'd hate to keep this dish all to ourselves."

She snorted. "Spread the love, eh?"

He pulled Sabine close into a warm embrace, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. "Oh, always," he said cheerfully, already envisioning the expressions on their old friends' faces when they sampled Sabine's latest cooking. He added then, quietly, "Thank you for the food, Sabine."

"Hmmm," she replied drowsily. "You're welcome."

Then, suddenly, his comm-link chirped. Ezra blinked at it and then, with his free arm, reached out to where it laid on the table to accept the call.

A hazy, blue, six-inch tall figure emitted from the holo-projector embedded into the device. After a few seconds as the signal grew stronger, the figure resolved into sharp focus: the smiling visage of Luke Skywalker, a fellow Jedi, legendary hero of the Rebellion, and, more importantly, a friend.

Ezra sat up. "Luke!" he said, feeling flustered. He remembered then that he was supposed to be expecting this call. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot that you were calling tonight."

Next to him, Sabine popped open an eye at Luke's image. "S'up, Luke," she mumbled in greeting.

The Jedi Knight grinned and bowed in response. "Hello, Sabine; hello, Ezra. Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"We just finished dinner," Ezra said. "Have you found what I asked for?"

His friend's smile dropped a few degrees perceptibly. "Unfortunately, not," he replied. "I've looked all over, Ezra - even called in a few favors with Han and some of his crew. There doesn't seem to be any records anywhere that exist."

Ezra slumped into the couch. He felt Sabine shift in his embrace, rousing herself from near slumber with new interest in the conversation. "What records would that be?" she asked.

The image of Luke glanced at Ezra for permission before answering. He gave a small nod in acknowledgement.

"Ezra was asking about any records of Jedi-Mandalorian relationships," Luke explained.

Sabine whipped her head towards her boyfriend. "Why?" she asked curiously.

"Ah . . . well," Ezra started, trying to find the right words.

Luke beat him to it. "For advice, Sabine," he said, smiling slightly. "He wants to ensure that the love you two share goes smoothly."

Sabine stared at Ezra. He began to sweat in response, feeling the beads of moisture welling up on his forehead. "Well, if that's all Luke, then I'll leave you be. I'm sure you have a lot to do with your Academy."

"I do," his friend responded. "May the Force be with you both."

The call cut out. Sabine continued to stare at Ezra.

Finally, unable to stand the silence any longer, he turned to meet her stare. "Are you mad?" he asked, dreading the answer. "I just - look, you are the most important person in my life and our relationship and I - I just wanted to make sure that things go well for us. I don't want to make any mistakes."

She stared at him for a few more agonizing seconds - and then eased into a soft smile. Ezra felt the tension slip out of his shoulders, feeling like an immense weight had been lifted off them.

Sabine reached out to cup his cheek affectionately. "I'm not mad, goober," she replied. "Just . . . surprised. You never conveyed anything but confidence when it came to us."

"You always make me nervous, Sabine," he replied. Then, he added hastily, "In a good way. Butterflies in the stomach kind of way."

She cocked her head at him, her smile sweet. "Me too," she said quietly.

"It does seem unfortunate, though," Ezra said. "You'd think there would be at least some stories of a Jedi-Mandalorian romance somewhere in a galaxy this big."

Sabine frowned, thinking. "There's a couple myths I've heard. One of them from my own clan."

"Really? What's that?"

"One of my ancestors, Eurydice Wren supposedly fell in love with a Jedi named Orpheus. This was way back during the Old Republic era - way, way back."

"Oh, I remember that one," Ezra realized. "Learned about it - when was that? - oh, it was during that one time I got lost in that blizzard on Krownest."

"Yeah," Sabine said. "You said you had a weird force vision while sheltering in that cave or tomb or whatever it was. Not to mention you almost died."

He shrugged. "Eh, it was fine. You found me in time, like you always do."

She snorted. "One of my specialties, it seems. Finding lost Jedi who are too dense to follow perfectly fine landing instructions."

"Yes," Ezra said approvingly. "And this formerly lost Jedi appreciates that. Any other myths or legends you might have heard of from the Mandalorians?"

She tapped her chin, deep in thought. "Only one other. Bo mentioned once that her sister had feelings for a Jedi."

Ezra raised a curious eyebrow. "Bo's sister? That was the former Duchess who reigned during the Clone Wars, right? Her name sounded similar to yours."

"Satine," answered Sabine. "Never found out who the Jedi was, though."

Ezra shook his head. "Speaking from experience, it takes a certain kind of crazy to get involved with a Mandalorian."

Sabine grinned. "Well, good thing for both of us, we Mandalorians are attracted to crazy."

"True," he agreed. He gave a wistful sigh. "Wish there were more stories."

His girlfriend hesitated for a moment. "Well . . . there are. Sort of."

He blinked at her. "Oh? About whom?"

_ _ _ _ _

Sabine hovered over his shoulder as he scrolled through the web page she had pulled up on her personal data-pad. The Holo-Net provided a wealth of resources that he had often perused at his own leisure, but this one particular source was new to him.

"Well," she said. "What do you think?"

He glanced up at her. "Explain this to me one more time."

She sighed, exasperated. "It's called 'The Archive', Ezra. A place where people all over the galaxy can contribute creative works - "

"It's fanfiction, Sabine," Ezra pointed out.

Her cheeks flushed pink. "Well. Yes."

"Fanfiction," Ezra repeated. "About us."

The pink threatened to shade into a rosy red. "Yes."

He scrolled towards the top of the page. "A thousand works and counting," he murmured. "All of this - people write about us? Really?"

She relaxed. "You're not . . . weirded out about any of this?"

"Feeling a little humbled actually that people seem to find our lives so interesting," Ezra responded. He was actually in awe that people all over the galaxy seemed to find inspiration in his and Sabine's stories.

"Okay. That's good," she said, smiling nervously. He arched an inquisitive eyebrow at her.

"Are you weirded out by this?" he asked.

"No! Not at all. I feel the same as you," she said quickly. "They've been writing about us for a while now. Since the rebellion."

"Makes sense. There were bounties placed on us. Some of the stuff we did probably wound up being covered by the Imperial news cycle, "Ezra mused. "Also, how many teenagers fought in the rebellion? Probably enough to count on one hand - maybe two, at most."

"Yeah," Sabine agreed. "It's just that . . . these stories are personal to me. Other than the fact they're about us."

"How so?" he asked.

She looked away from him, her voice small as she replied softly, "I started reading these while you were . . . away."

He felt a pang go through his chest. While I was stranded in another galaxy, he thought.

"These fanfic authors and artists," Ezra said gently, "gave you hope, didn't they."

Sabine nodded. "It was nice to read about us going on adventures still. Some of them are even about how I would find you. What we would do once we reunited."

Ezra returned his gaze to the data-pad, scrolling through Sabine's profile on The Archive website. Peering through the list of author/artist names that she had bookmarked:

@seleneisrising

@starryjediknight

@jedi-nurse

@dreams-are-paper-thin

@bart1607

@illuminatedquill

@kanerallels

@cursivequestion

@always-shipping

@rebelscum218

@alphaofdarkness

@rancidsugar

@meldy-arts

@glouchyouchy

@black-cat-babe

@ana-cantskywalker

@lady-grey-1993

@ladywren7

@betagurie

@kelbies-fandom-locker

@jedimandalorian

@kazoosandfannypacks

@tarisilmarwen

@sassygirl579

And the list went on and on.

Out of curiosity, he clicked on one of author profiles - 'illuminatedquill' - and brought up one of their stories that piqued his interest: SCAR-CROSSED. He started to read through it -

"Oh," he said, his cheeks warming. "Oh, that's pretty explicit."

Sabine grabbed the data-pad from his hands. "That's - look, I only read that once - "

"Says you have it book-marked," Ezra observed slyly.

"It's a good story!" Sabine said, her voice squeaky. "It's not just about the sex, there's some good emotional stuff in there, too."

"Uh-huh," said Ezra. "Sure. This 'quill' person - seems like you have a lot of their works book-marked."

"Technically," Sabine confided, "illuminatedquill isn't a person. They're a sentient geode."

He blinked at her. "A - what?"

"Sentient geode," Sabine repeated, as if that clarified anything.

"They're . . . a rock?"

"Yeah," Sabine said. "I exchanged some messages with them, complimenting their work."

He thought about that for a few moments. "How do they write their stories?"

She shrugged. "Passionately, I assume."

"Huh." Ezra sat back into the couch, digesting this.

"What are you thinking?" asked Sabine.

"All these stories about us," Ezra said. "If any of these people met us in real life, I doubt we would measure up to the epic versions in the stories they've told."

Sabine snuggled up close to him, perusing through her Archive account at the myriads of stories about the two of them. "Oh, I don't know. I think we'd still impress them - especially you. Does any of this make you feel better, though?"

"About what?" asked Ezra.

"About us," said Sabine. "People seem to have faith that we'll turn out alright. There's a thousand happy endings here. More every day."

Ezra gazed at her, feeling suddenly sad. "These stories - these authors and artists . . . they really meant a lot to you. They helped you get through my absence."

She nodded. "You were still with me in these fanfictions. You never left. Or, if you did, I found you. And we were happy. It got me through, even if it wasn't real."

Sabine went silent for a few moments before speaking again in a soft tone. "We lived happy lives in these stories, a thousand times and more."

"Hey." Ezra put his fingers underneath Sabine's chin and turned her face gently towards his. "You made this happy ending real. I wouldn't be here without you."

Sabine smiled and hugged him close. "I'm impatient," she said. "Got tired of waiting for you."

"Thank the Force for that," Ezra said. "Anyway . . . which one is your favorite story?"

She snorted. "I'm biased but I think this one - the one we're living in right now - is my favorite."

"Really. Even without knowing the ending yet?"

"We get an 'ever after', goober. Not many others get that privilege."

He knew she was thinking about Hera and Kanan. "True," he murmured, feeling the old pain of his lost mentor.

Ezra kissed her on the forehead. "Guess the 'happily' part is up to us, then."

"Always is," she replied. "But I think we'll manage it."

He laid his head back, feeling the drowsiness of a long, productive day with a belly full of good food and even better company beginning to do him in. Ezra knew Sabine felt the same, through their bond in the Force. Sleep would soon be upon them.

"Ezra?"

"Hmmm?"

"I love you, you know that, right? All the way to the end."

He hugged his girlfriend close, her head on his chest so she could hear the beat of his heart - all just for her.

"I love you too, Sabine. For every bit as long."

They fell asleep like that, safe and happy in each other's arms.

And the story continues . . . happily ever after.