"I hate this…" Wes groaned, uncomfortable and wet from the Endorian rain. He'd already done this more than he cared for, back in his own galaxy. Going through patrols on the forest was not what he called fun…
Bonus points: If he was already complaining, Tycho must have been miserable about it since the first minute!
He cracked a smile remembering the incessant whining the Alderaanian made on their first patrol on the Sanctuary Moon. He'd always hated the slow pace of patrol rounds, preferring by far the thrill of flying a starfighter!
Not that he liked this any better…
"Not what you'd call enjoying your last day here, right?" The counterpart Wes sniggered at him.
"Not really, no." He agreed. "I also don't understand why I wasn't allowed to do this with Tycho, instead of with you… Not that I'm complaining!"
The other Wes laughed openly. Both of them had been paired together for the patrols, just like his husband had been paired with this Wes' Tycho.
"That was probably a way to make sure you wouldn't get distracted…" And he knew damn well what he was talking about! They had always been able to maintain an absolutely professional appearance, but that didn't mean they hadn't taken advantage of less dangerous duties, to occasionally take sometimes for some light make-out!
These two? They were just him and his Tycho on the early days: All passion, no common sense!
"I can't believe we already have less than twenty-four hours, until we get to take the Blackhole Express back home!" Wes murmured.
"I'm pretty sure the correct expression is Wormhole… Not Blackhole!"
"Same difference!" Wes snorted, with a lopsided grin. "I know it's technically a wormhole. I just like the word blackhole better! I mean, when i get to tell this story to the guys, I'm not going to go like, - And then, we inside this supermassive wormhole! - don't you think?" Wes stared at his counterpart. "The term Supermassive Blackhole is so much more...uh…"
"Imposing?"
"Yeah! That's it!" He snapped his fingers. "Imposing!" Wes nodded. "So, you're really gonna keep monitoring these suckers?"
"That's the plan!" The counterpart Wes told him. "The higher-ups wanna refurbish some old satellites, to patch up this surveillance belt of theirs… And the permanent garrison means someone will have to remain in Endor, and we don't have many volunteers for now!"
"Bugs and Ewoks…" Wes winced. "Not the best combination to attract volunteers."
"The Ewoks are alright." The counterpart Wes added.
Wes rose an eyebrow at him. "I guess we do have some differences!"
"It couldn't all be the exact same...But you're getting there!" The counterpart smiled at him.
Wes shook his head, letting out a chuckle.
He was right about that. This surreal experience had changed both his and Tycho's lives forever!
On another part of the forest, and just as Wes had envisioned, Tycho was having a miserable morning, complaining about everything from the weather to the bugs…
"I'd much rather be stuck on the Home One, let me tell you…" He huffed, swapping a bug from the tip of his nose. "How can you handle it?"
The other Tycho snorted in amusement. "I never said I liked it. I just learned not to complain as much." He said, as he advanced steadily through the forest. " I would still prefer to be in my X-Wing, but boring jobs like this have to done by everyone…"
"I'm aware of that…" Tycho rolled his eyes, huffing. "I just… I guess I thought by now we'd be doing more interesting things than never-ending patrols…" He stopped and turned to his counterpart. "I thought that after Palpatine died, we would already have a steady new government. But most of all, I thought New Alderaan would be a reality by now…" Tycho sighed, frustrated.
"I know what you mean. But you know what, I don't feel that need to live in another world and call it New Alderaan, because I'm not sure I could accept naturally the concept of New Alderaan!" The counterpart said. "It will never be the same!"
"You say that because you have a family. You've got your husband and your kids…" Tycho shook his head, taking a deep breath. "Your notion of home as surpassed that need of a homeworld… They are your home now. And you'll accept wherever you end up, be it Taanab or someplace else, as your physical home!"
The counterpart Tycho looked at him with a bemused expression.
"So do you!" He reached for the other man's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Even before you and your Wes got together, you already had a family! How many times have Wes, Wedge, Hobbie and Luke been there for you when you needed them? How many times did any of you risk their lives to make no one was left behind? That's family too, last time I checked! And now, you have a whole new road in front of you, to travel with Wes! But even on the old road, you were never alone!"
Tycho seemed to be standing still in time…
He was right! Through his darkest times and brightest moments those four men had always been there… for whatever he needed! Be it solitude or company. Buy more than anyone, Wes had been there! He'd always been his true companion one way or another…
"So, does he know..?"
"It would have been difficult not to notice it, don't you think?" Tycho chuckled.
"That's not what I meant. I was talking about if you told him you want kids… and that you'll always end up with twins…"
"The first thing, yes! The other one…" Tycho winced. "Not yet."
"You should tell him."
"I will…"
"When the time is right…"
"Exactly!"
"Uh-uh!"
Tycho looked sideways at his counterpart, and both men broke out in laughter.
Later that day, Tycho and Wes were unceremoniously dragged into the makeshift RecRoom, so the Rogues could give them an appropriate send off!
After many lums and a couple of unlucky hands at Sabacc, Their squadmates counterparts said their goodbyes, wishing the two of them a safe journey back home.
In the end only the two versions of Wes and Tycho walked out together into the night.
"This was short." The counterpart Wes announced, his fingers firmly locked with his husband's.
"But it was interesting!" Tycho admitted.
"What's your plan when get back to your side?" The other Tycho inquired.
Tycho glanced at Wes, his arm wrapped around the Taanabian's waist. "We don't know yet. I guess we'll to report to General Cracken, once we get there. After that they'll deal with it the way to see fit! As for both of us… I guess it's my responsibility to look after this knucklehead."
Wes sticked his tongue out, pretending to be offended.
"You're sleeping with the Ewoks tonight, mister…"
"I would like to see that." Tycho dared him.
The counterpart Wes smiled.
"It's no use… they can see through our bluff." He said. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"
"I wouldn't say nervous. More like, apprehensive." Tycho explained. "No offense to you guys, but our home is the other side, and we miss it."
The four pilots looked up at the sky.
"Tomorrow by this hour, you'll already be with your friends, in your home…" The other Wes spoke softly. "One day we'll try telling this story to our kids, and they ask us if we're insane!... Probably…"
"We'll never forget about this!" Tycho guaranteed them. "Thanks… For everything!"
They returned their gaze to the dark skies, as a streak of light passed by.
When he was a kid, Wes would have automatically believed it to be a shooting star! But it was probably the residual light of a Starfighters going by at full throttle.
He looked at Tycho's face, serene and beautiful as he gazed upon the heavens above… he had no need for shooting stars!
He had Tycho!
