my gift for @alshatano as part of the @starwarsfandomfests Halloween exchange – the Ghost crew prepare to go trick-or-treating with Ahsoka and Rex!
rating: general || 1.8k words || also on AO3
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In some ways, life on Garel was very similar to life on Lothal, but in others it was very different. At first, Ezra had found the change exciting; there were so many new sights and sounds and smells, it was nothing like the boring sameness of Capital City. But then he’d got used to them, and the never-ending noise and bustle of traffic and people wasn't as fun.
He mostly kept to the hangar where Phoenix Squadron was based, preferring to stay near the familiar faces and ships. It was also nice having the option of retreating into the Ghost whenever he needed to; his home, where his family was.
That was where Sabine found him – in the cargo bay, practising the lightsaber forms Kanan had taught him.
She hopped up to perch on a nearby empty cargo crate, watching him move from stance to stance.
"Have you seen those posters for the festival that’s happening tomorrow?" she asked.
He didn’t stop working his way through the familiar patterns of Form III as he responded. "No, I haven't been out of the spaceport much recently. Is it a local thing?"
"I think so. The name translates as ‘Spirits’ Night’. Apparently everyone dresses up as spirits and gives gifts to each other."
"So…" Ezra furrowed his brow, his concentration split between his saber swings and Sabine's words. "Like Life Day, but in costume?"
"Not really, they go door-to-door in groups, and the gifts are usually small things like sweets. And they really go all-out on the costumes – it sounds like something fun for us to do as a family." He was starting to hear the excitement in her voice – Sabine did love a project. "Even Ahsoka could come, if she’s dressed up enough no-one will recognise her!"
"I guess…" It did sound fun – but what would he dress up as? "Hey, could I be a Jedi?"
"No, laserbrain, the Imperials would probably lock you up for promoting treason," Sabine said with a roll of her eyes.
"Oh. Right."
"But I bet I could make us all some great costumes. I’m going to ask Hera if we can go."
She slid off the crate and jogged over to the cockpit ladder, clearly already deep in thought. Ezra smiled and continued his forms, his mind returning to the meditative place it usually fell to when he did this, the conversation quickly fading from his mind.
He didn't think of it again until the following afternoon when Zeb called him into the Ghost's common area. When he arrived, it was to find it already full; the whole crew was there minus Sabine, including Ahsoka and Rex, the latter of whom was wearing only his blacks.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"Dunno," Zeb replied. "I think Sabine's been working on some kinda project. Yesterday she went around the spaceport picking up junk and today she's been locked in her room all day."
"Oh good, you're all here!" Sabine's voice cut over the low murmur of chatter in the room as she entered. "So I've already mentioned this to a few of you, but tonight is the Spirits' Night festival here on Garel and I convinced Hera to let us all go. I've been working on everyone's costumes, so before you decide anything I just want you to see them, because I'm pretty sure you're going to like them. Ahsoka, you're first!"
With a small smile, Ahsoka stepped forwards and allowed Sabine to lead her from the room.
"Why do I get the feeling mine's going to be a Wookiee costume," Zeb grumbled.
"What's wrong with being a Wookiee?" Ezra asked.
"Yeah, you'd make a great Wookiee," Kanan added.
"But I'm always a Wookiee."
"Just wait and see what she's got planned," Hera said with a smirk.
Kanan turned to her. "Wait, do you know what she's dressing each of us as?"
"Not everyone, but she showed me some of her sketches, and you know how creative she is."
It didn't take long for Ahsoka to re-emerge. Sabine had certainly done a creative number on her; her face and montrals were covered in red and grey paint, and she wore a strangely-stuffed oversized flightsuit that made her look like–
"You’re a Devaronian!" Ezra exclaimed.
Ahsoka grinned at the recognition. Sabine had painted her montrals to look like horns, and the red face paint covered up her white markings. It certainly looked convincing.
Hera was next, which meant Chopper was too as the droid refused to put on a costume unless Hera was there with him. He trundled back into the room wearing a tiny cloak with a hood, and Sabine had fixed a pair of small lights to his dome that made him look like a rather squat jawa.
He waved a manipulator arm that had been threaded through one of the sleeves and played a recording of Jawaese to complete the effect.
"Utinni!"
Hera came back after him looking more like Ahsoka than Ahsoka now did. Sabine had used some kind of insulation foam along with blue and white paint to give her a pair of striped montrals and a third lek, and with the yellow face paint Hera looked like a distant Tano cousin.
"Someone's going to need to warn me if we go through any low doorways," she cautioned.
Ahsoka laughed. "Just follow me – if I fit, you'll fit."
Sabine called Rex through next, telling him that his armour was dry, much to his apparent relief. Ezra realised that was why he wasn't wearing it; Sabine must have turned it into his costume.
The old clone took much less time to change than the others since he only had to perform the everyday task of donning his armour. There was no face paint or prosthetic limbs in his costume, and even Ezra was impressed at the change Sabine had made to the Phase II helmet.
"You make a pretty good Mandalorian," Zeb commented when he saw it.
"Not just any Mandalorian," Ahsoka said slowly, apparently recognising something in the blue and grey paint.
"Jango Fett," Kanan supplied, sounding surprised.
Rex nodded. "It's an honour to remember his spirit today."
The three of them seemed to share something for a moment that Ezra didn't understand. He'd never heard of Jango Fett, but the name apparently meant something to them.
Sabine stuck her head in and called Kanan through before Ezra could ask him about it.
Fortunately, Rex caught Ezra's confused look. "Jango Fett was the original template all us clones were created from," he explained. "He was a Mandalorian, even oversaw the training of the first few batches."
"So you're in costume even under the helmet?" Zeb joked.
Rex laughed. "I guess I am. Probably means I shouldn't take it off when we're out tonight."
"Hey, is that a jetpack?" Ezra asked, pointing to his back.
"Yeah, Sabine made it out of old junk from around the spaceport," Rex said, turning around proudly to show them. "Pretty good, right?"
"Does it work?"
"Of course it doesn't work," Zeb said scornfully, giving Ezra a playful shove.
Hera's gasp turned everyone's attention to the door.
"Oh."
Kanan was back, and he looked very different now. Sabine had painted him completely blue, and used more of the foam to give him a pair of rather stiff-looking lekku. She'd also given him some forehead ridges Ezra suspected were made out of painted scrap metal. He wasn't sure how she'd attached it all, but it looked very smooth.
Hera certainly seemed taken with Kanan's Rutian Twi’lek appearance.
"What do you think?" he asked, preening himself for them.
"You know, you make a very attractive Twi’lek," Hera murmured.
"Oh yeah?" Kanan drew one foam lek forward over his shoulder.
Behind him, Sabine rolled her eyes. "Zeb, Ezra, you're next."
"Both of us?" they said in unison.
"Yep, both of you." She turned, beckoning them with a hand. "Come on, you're gonna like this."
Ezra followed her to the crew quarters, his curiosity growing. Sabine’s room was even more of a mess than usual, with bits of costume material and splatters of paint everywhere. Next to her bed was something hanging under a sheet.
She caught Ezra looking and waved a hand in front of it. "No peeking. That’s my costume."
"What is it, a ghost?" Zeb joked.
"You'll see," she answered with a grin. "Now, Ezra, get on Zeb's shoulders."
"What? I have to carry him around?" the Lasat protested.
"Trust me on this." She started rummaging in one of the piles of material.
Still grumbling, Zeb hefted Ezra up. His shoulders were surprisingly soft, and reassuringly solid under Ezra's legs.
Sabine returned with what might have been a very large cloak. "Now, put this on."
With Sabine's help Ezra eased it over his head and put his arms through the armholes. Then he realised there was a second set lower down for Zeb. That was why it was so large – it went over both of them, the hem just brushing Zeb's clawed feet.
"And now, Ezra, put this mask on."
She passed it up to him, and Ezra realised what their joint costume was.
"We're a Besalisk!"
"I can't see a damn thing!" Zeb complained from below.
"I cut some eyeholes in the robe for you… Here!" Sabine adjusted something in the material and Zeb made a noise of triumph. "Now get out while I change!"
Navigating the doorway took a fair bit of co-ordination, and Zeb still didn't duck low enough. Ezra was fairly sure it was on purpose and grumbled about it as he rubbed his sore head, but the reaction they got when they returned to the common area was worth it – a series of gasps and impressed noises.
Hera made them twirl, and then adjusted Ezra's mask and the neck of the robe so that none of his skin was showing. She needed a boost from Kanan to reach, which was made complicated by both of their new foam limbs, but they managed just in time for the door to swish open a final time.
"I am S-4B1/N3, human-cyborg relations." Sabine spoke in a clipped monotone, and as Ezra turned to look he saw why.
Sabine had painted her armour shiny metallic silver. It was jarring at first, seeing the familiar shapes with none of the usual patterns and colours, but then the pieces all clicked together with the shapes painted on her helmet and it became clear what her costume was.
"Wow, if I didn't know you were a Human under there I'd really think you're a protocol droid!" Rex exclaimed.
"So what do you all think of your costumes?" Sabine asked them excitedly in her normal voice.
"Everyone loves them, Sabine," Hera told her.
"Beautiful work, as always," Kanan added.
Ahsoka smiled at them all. "I think we'd better get going if we're going to join the festivities."
And so, laughing and talking excitedly in their multicoloured costumes, the crew of the Ghost joined the people of Garel in celebrating Spirit's Night.
I saw this on Tiktok and thought it needed to be passed on. Pololū Valley is sacred land currently at risk of being developed into yet another "scenic tourist attraction" for profit. Activists like @/melemaikalanimakalapua on Tiktok are fighting to have this petition seen by as many people as possible in order to prevent the senseless destruction of this land.
Note that the petition says not to donate to change.org--donations to change.org do NOT protect Pololū Valley.
I hope that by spreading this to tumblr, I can help it reach more people. Please sign this and reblog it if you can!
The basics: submit any ships or found families you like along with at least one summer themed setting— road trip, beach day, summer camp, pool party, you name it!
Fanfiction, fanart, playlists and/or photo edits are all welcome in this event🎨
Dates:
Saturday, June 12: sign up closes
Thursday, June 17: prompts and pairings distributed
Saturday, July 10: check in date
Saturday, July 24: share date!
General requirements:
All gifts will be related to Star Wars. This includes all three movie trilogies, all television series, and any games or Legends related content.
No NSFW content is allowed. This event is open to all ages.
Gifts can be one of the following formats:
Fanfiction (500 words minimum, not set maximum word count.
Fanart: traditional or digital.
A Spotify playlist: 2 hours minimum runtime
Photo edit or aesthetic: a minimum of 3 images
SIGN UP HERE!
Full fest info and rules can be found on this document
we’re here, we’re queer, and too confused to pick one of those other labels so you better fucking get used to us because we’re not gonna get less messy, bitches.
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