So my husband's been playing Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order and well my hand slipped:
4 ABY
Zeb and Alex sat in the kitchen of their home on Lira San enjoying a quiet cup of caffe before their children woke up for the day. Zeb watched his husband over the rim of his mug as he took one last large gulp.
Swallowing he asked, "Anymore ships stopped in at the new transit hub that just got built you know of?"
Alex shook his head, "Not since that monstrosity from Latero came in the other day."
Zeb laughed gruffly, "That 'monstrosity' is a Lateron luxury yacht."
Alex drained his mug and shrugged, "It's ugly."
Zeb stood and took both of their mugs to the sink, "You're just hung up on freighters."
Alex crossed the room to join his husband, slowly wrapping his arms around Zeb's waist, "And whose fault is it that I'm so fond of a certain freighter? Hmm?"
Zeb leaned forward pressing their lips together and kissing him before grinning, "Hera's?"
Alex leaned back and swatted Zeb's chest playfully. He was about to say something else but a shrill cry rang through the house suddenly.
Alex sighed, "Ziri's awake. I better go get him up before he drives his sister to distraction."
"Good thinking," Zeb smiled stroking his husband's cheek quickly, "I'll start on breakfast."
He watched his love turn and walk out of the kitchen before setting about preparing his children's meal. Just as he was finishing chopping up some fruit, there was a knock at the front door. It wasn't loud, but it was persistent, grabbing Zeb's attention.
Wiping his hands he called, "Comin'! One minute!"
He entered the main room at the same time as Alex who was carrying Ziri, their year old son. Hearing the continued knocking Alex mused, "Who could that be? Ziri did you invite friends over?" Alex tickled the kit's stomach eliciting a chirping giggle. Zeb grinned at the kit before moving across the room to open the door.
"Hul-lo?" Zeb greeted the empty porch. He moved to look out the door and nearly fell as a droid darted through the doorway and between his feet.
Alex instinctively stepped back and moved Ziri away from the droid despite the kit's insistent attempts to grab at it.
"No baby," Alex cautioned before turning to his spouse, "Garazeb? Where did this...BD unit I believe it is...come from?"
Zeb shrugged scratching his head as he watched the droid circle his mate and his child, all the while beeping frantically. At that moment their daughter entered the main room rubbing one eye and yawning. "Morning," she yawned. Addressing Zeb she beamed, "Papa I dressed me!" As if to emphasize this, the kit spun in a circle, holding the edge of her dress out in front of her. Before Zeb could do more than grin, she stopped spinning and caught sight of the droid, "Oooh! He's so cute! Dada can we keep him? He's just like Chop-Chop!"
Alex huffed from his spot where he was still being circled by the droid, "We most certainly are not. Chopper is bad enough when he's here."
Zeb laughed gruffly, "Aww c'mon! I bet Chop would like a little buddy." No sooner than Zeb had finished speaking, the droid stopped its investigation of Alex's feet and dashed back out the door Zeb had left open.
The toddler immediately followed after giggling, "Wait for me!"
Zeb just failed to grab her as she scampered past him. Looking back at Alex and Ziri he sighed, "I'll get her, one minute." Running out after her he yelled, "Lydal Wren Orrelios you get your behind back here!"
He needn't have yelled though. Both the kit and the droid had stopped just a few yards from the edge of the porch. The BD unit had begun spinning in circles again, this time emitting a patterned series of beeps. Lydal stood by watching and giggling. Both Zeb and Alex, still holding Ziri, watched from the porch for a few moments.
Suddenly a voice called out from down the dirt road, "There you are! I wondered where you'd gone!"
The BD unit sped off to meet the owner of the voice, a human of average height and build from what Zeb could see, with reddish brown hair. When he'd come a bit closer the droid proceeded to scale his back where it settled hanging on to the poncho the man wore.
"Comfy?" The man asked. The BD unit chirped in response. "Good," the man grinned.
He turned to the kit and was about to address her when Zeb called out, "Lydal, come inside love."
This drew the man's attention up to the house. Raising an arm in greeting, he smiled at Zeb who'd stepped down from the porch, "Good morning! Could you possibly help me with something?"
"Depends," Zeb responded skeptically as he scooped up his daughter, "What is it you need?"
The man nodded slowly, "I'm looking for someone. Mr. …?"
"Orrelios," Zeb supplied.
"Captain!" Lydal chirped and both adults smiled.
"Once upon a time my little love," Zeb agreed rubbing her back continuing, "Both my mate and I, but we're retired now. We have a family," Zeb nodded to indicate Alex who was coming down the path to join them, but the man didn't seem to notice.
"You were both captains?" The man asked clearly getting excited. Zeb nodded as the man continued, "Rebellion captains? Then you definitely know the person I'm looking for."
"Well if you give me a name I can try to help you out," Zeb answered as he turned and walked up the path to meet Alex and handed Lydal off to him.
The man followed and seemed about to respond until he stopped in his tracks, eyes glued on Alex. Zeb turned to look at him and then, taking in his expression, turned to Alex. To his surprise Alex appeared to be in a similar state of shock staring back at the man. Neither moved or spoke for several moments.
Finally, Alex found his voice asking, "Cal? Is it really you?"
Cal smiled nodding, "Hey big brother. Long time huh?"