The Stormtrooper was afraid as he moved closer to the corner. Alert had ripped him from a peaceful night guarding the empty hallways of the imperial supply depot he was stationed on and the sound of blasterfire and a strange humming sound he could not really put anywhere had warned him, that something was going on...but by the time he came close all noise had ceased. Taking a deep breath from the filtered air inside his helmet the men made a step around the corner, blaster rifle pointing at the intruder wielding a blue lightsaber...then he froze.
“Is...is this a joke?” his voice was muffled by the helmet, but the blue eyed intruder clearly understood him as he gave a little embarrassed smile.
“Nope....” he said...then awkward silence fell. Both trooper and Jedi stood there, weapons ready, but not moving. The young Jedi finally spoke again.
“You...you´re gonna attack?” he asked.
“I...thought you were.” the trooper responded. Silence fell again...then the trooper dared to speak again.
“You...you really put that on for a raid?” he asked, after he hesitated for a brief moment as he had wanted to gesture with his blaster at the Jedi´s face, but then thought it would be wiser to gesture with his helmet instead. The Jedi made a face.
“Do you think that was my idea? I´m just here for your floor cleaner...it´s the only substance that gets her special paint off.” he said. The man blinked under the helmet. But before he could ask a voice from behind him startled the trooper.
“Now there is my little Loth-cat.”
Carefully the troope glanced over his shoulder. The colorful armor ensured that it took him a moment longer to realize that he was looking at a Mandalorian...and the bad end of a blaster.
“Making new friends?” the woman behind him asked and tje Jedi shrugged.
“We were just chatting a bit.” the Jedi said, while the trooper started to understand how the young man had gotten this piece of art into his face.
“Yes...yes...just chatting...” the trooper said and slolwy removed one hand, the one at the trigger, from his rifle to slowly wink at the woman behind him...then he grabbed his rifle at the barrel, still very slowly...and placed it on the floor.
“But you see...I think I have to go now...you should check our cafeteria. We just got a shipment of cakes...a bit dry but still pretty good. And the storage room you are looking for is just down that hallway...last door to the right.” the trooper pointed, again very slowly, down the hallway he had come from.
“Thanks” the Jedi smiled as he deactivated his lightsaber. The trooper took that as invitation and very slowly started to walk past the young man, while the blaster of his girlfriend remained pointed at the trooper´s head. Then as he was past the Jedi he got a little faster...then a little more...when Ezra turned to face Sabine he could hear the man in full sprint, till something clashed and some curses reached his ear. Sabine in the meantime took off her helmet to grin at Ezra.
“You really need to think of another name for me” Ezra complained to her.
“And you really need to realize, that for each time you complain you´ll wake up like this.” she said and gently ran a finger over Ezra´s whiskers. He shook his head.
“You really don´t need to paint me like that each time you want me to help you steal stuff from the Imperium.” he added to his complaint, while Sabine examined the still very intact paint on her boyfriend´s face.
“First you never wake up, so I guess you can´t hate it that much and second.”
She stopped to grab him, pulled him close to place a deep kiss on Ezra´s unpainted lips.
“I didn´t have to...but I wanted to...my little Loth-cat.”
