(A/N) Somehow I don't imagine this is what was meant by a grand gesture. Everybody else had been doing proposals, which was lovely to read, of course, but me? I'm ended my run on wholesale slaughter. Because they are a battle couple, after all. :D (Yup. That's me. Also, let's just say Kallus has either made or acquired a new bo-rifle at this point because of reasons.)

Grand Gesture

It was odd.

One would think that, captured by stormtroopers, disarmed of one's bo-rifle, and with a blaster pressed against one's head, the emotion one might feel would be something along the lines of fear or anger or hatred.

One, however, was not Garazeb Orrelios, and he felt none of those things.

Well...maybe a little hatred. That was normal with bucketheads. But what he mostly felt was embarrassment over having been caught.

Everybody had bad days, apparently.

"Word just came through," the commander said to the trooper holding him at blaster point. "Summary execution. Spectre Four's too dangerous to be left alive."

"I've been looking forward to this one," the woman said as she primed her blaster.

"Hope the Ashla has pity on you bucketheads," Zeb said with a sneer as he looked up at the stormtroopers. "Because my husband won't."

Almost as if on cue, the sound of blaster fire sounded from somewhere in the barracks, followed quickly by an explosion and several screams.

"Reinforcements!" Zeb heard shouted over someone's comm. "We need reinforcements! We're taking heavy fire up here!"

"How many intruders are there?" the commander asked.

"How many?" the voice on the other end of the comm repeated in disbelief.

"One," Zeb said quietly, smirking to himself.

The trooper tried to speak again, but was cut off by a fairly hideous scream. The troopers surrounding Zeb all began to fidget and chatter nervously, wondering what exactly it was that was happening out there. They had their answer soon enough when the blast doors blew apart.

Several volleys of blaster fire rained through the smoke-filled entryway before a blur of motion shot through it, taking the wary stormtroopers by surprise. All Zeb could make out was the distinct golden streak of Kallus' hair, along with the similar gold flash of an ignited bo-rifle.

Alexsandr Kallus swept the room, nearly as quickly as Kanan or Ezra might have. He cut down swaths of troopers with ease and precision, his Imperial training in play against the very people who'd given it to him.

It was only when his husband finally made his way to the knot of stormtroopers surrounding him that Zeb got a good look at the expression on his face. His amber eyes burned with an unbalanced rage, tinged with terror. He didn't even give their enemies a chance to use Zeb against him. With an enraged roar, he laid into them, taking each trooper down with exacting prejudice.

Once he'd finished them all off, he was left standing before Zeb, breathing hard and trembling with a shattered look of relief on his face.

"Are you all right?" Alex demanded as he collapsed to his knees before him, throwing his arms around Zeb's broad shoulders. "Are you all right?!"

"I'm fine, love. I'm fine," he reassured him, nuzzling the side of his face against his husband's. He felt a little bad to acknowledge the fact that he hadn't considered just how badly Alex might take his capture.

"Stars. If I'd been even a second later...if I'd waited a moment longer, they- they might've-"

"It didn't happen. We're okay," he soothed the ex-Imperial, wanting to envelop him in a hug, but still unable to. "Gotta say, though, I wouldn't mind gettin' outta these binders."

"Right. Of course," his lover agreed, struggling to shake himself off as he went to remove said binders.

"Guess we'll be wantin' to get outta here pretty quick, before more reinforcements show up."

Zeb caught a glimpse of Alex shaking his head as he retrieved Zeb's bo-rifle from one of the fallen troopers. "Don't be silly, ni ashkerra. There aren't any more soldiers left in this installation."

The Lasat stared at his husband's back a long moment, watching Alex steel himself to face him again. They weren't done with this. He knew. It was something the human would need to talk about later, but for now...

"Where are the others?"

"Still back at the crash. I...I knew they would try to stop me," Alex answered, still facing away from him.

"Alex...are you tryin' to tell me you just obliterated an entire Imperial garrison...just to save me?"

"That is exactly what I am trying to tell you," he said as he finally turned back to him, handing over his bo-rifle with a heavy set to his shoulders.

"Whoa. I mean, I know you're probably gonna get a complex over it, but karabast. That's more'n a little hot," he said as he slung his weapon onto his back, and to his relief, his slightly aroused levity did manage to draw a small smile from his lover.

"Well, I'm glad you approve, dear, but we really ought to be getting back to the others. They'll be worried about you," he said as he started to lead the way out.

Before he could take more than a step, though, Zeb grabbed his arm, pulling him back into a fierce kiss, and for several moments, they remained like that, just relieved to be together again.

"Thanks," Zeb whispered against his lips when they parted for air.

"Always, my love," he returned, fingers reaching up to trace briefly along the side of his face. "Please...don't ever get captured again. I might not come save your sorry hide next time."

"Deal," Zeb said, even though they both knew not a word of it was true. Kallus would always come, just as Zeb would always come. No matter what might try to stand between them or tear them apart, they would always come for each other.

The Empire had better watch its kriffing back.