Title: Birthday Surprises
Author: Keira Halcyon
Rating: G
Pairing: Keira/Wedge
Summary: Keira gets a gift for her birthday that she never expected.
Archive: Sure…go ahead.
Spoilers: The Wraith novels by Aaron Allston
Status: 100 COMPLETE.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of this…with the exception of the original char, Keira Halcyon. She is mine. The other chars are not. They belong to George, Michael, Aaron, Tim and the rest of the gifted authors of the Star Wars universe. Me…I wish I was one of them, but alas, I can only do this for fun.
I had been walking around on eggshells all day wondering when that band of reprobates known as my friends in Rogue and Wraith Squadrons were going to spring some surprise birthday party on me. I specifically told Wedge numerous times "No parties" but he ignored me using the claim that because he outranked me, he could do whatever he wanted. Hehehehe…that's quite all right, Wedge dear. I know where Wes keeps Lieutenant Kettch…and I can borrow him anytime I like.
I'd gone half the day with my Jedi senses on full alert and felt as jumpy as a twitchy 3P0 droid and finally had had enough. After lunch I went to my quarters and took a quick shower before heading down to the briefing room for the group afternoon briefing being conducted for both the Rogues and the Wraiths. Feeling much better, I firmly decided to put all thoughts of friendly treachery behind me and concentrate on what was most likely a mission ahead for us.
Walking out of my quarters I was accosted by Colonel Tycho Celchu, the second-in-command of Rogue Squadron and Captain Garik 'Face' Loran, the CO of the Wraiths. "Good afternoon, Lieutenant Grayden," Face smiled congenially, taking my arm and walking alongside me, Colonel Celchu walking on my opposite side.
I frowned up at the taller man. "What do you want, Face?" I asked suspiciously. I knew that Face Loran was a notorious comedian, and it wasn't all that many steps beyond to 'prankster'. Besides, he hung around Wes Janson during the formation of the Wraiths, so I had ample reason not to trust Face any further than I could throw a Wookiee and live to tell about it.
Face put his hand to his chest in mock outrage. "What makes you think I want anything from you, Storm?" he asked, using his considerable acting skills to affect a wounded expression. I was having none of it.
"Because, my dear Face, you are a consummate liar…you have been hanging around Wes and Hobbie too long for anyone's good…and you forget…I am a Jedi-in-training. I can spot a liar at fifty paces," I replied with a saucy grin.
Face ran down the hall, approximately seventy-five to a hundred paces away from where Colonel Celchu and I stood. "Now can you tell if I'm lying or not?" Face called out.
"Hardy har har, Captain."
"No, seriously, we just want to escort you to the briefing, that's all," Face said. I glanced over at Tycho, who wore a guileless expression. "All right, but if anything weird happens, I'm holding you responsible."
We continued on to the briefing room and were about twenty paces from it when Major Derek Klivian, known affectionately and not-so-affectionately as Hobbie to the rest of us, came walking up, a troubled expression on his normally dour face.
"What is it, Hobbie?" Tycho asked him.
"Wedge cancel the meeting and give us all leave?" Face asked hopefully.
"It's worse than that," Hobbie groaned. "He needs us all in the hangar immediately…something about practicing some emergency maneuvers."
The four of us took off running for the hangar and skidded to a stop once we all got in there. Cubber Daine, the Wraiths' mechanic, was hip-deep in a Lamba-class shuttle we'd captured a few weeks ago, trying valiantly to repair it. His progress was defined by the profligate and colorful use of Corellian curse words that could be heard wafting out of the shuttle.
We were met by Wedge, who smiled. "Thanks, Hobbie. You and Tycho and Face can leave now. Tych, would you conduct the briefing in my place, please?"
Frowning in confusion, Tycho nodded. "Uhm, sure, boss. Whatever." The three men walked away, muttering amongst themselves.
Wedge raised his voice. "Cubber, that'll be all. Take a break for a couple of hours, would you?"
Cubber wiggled his way out of the area of the shuttle he'd been repairing and sputtered. "But Commander, it's not even anywhere close to flight capable. It's worse than useless right now."
Still smiling, Wedge said, "That's all right, Cubber. The shuttle as it is will serve my needs perfectly. You're dismissed."
Cubber grumbled but put down his tools and left the hangar.
The sudden quiet of the hangar was unnerving as I mock-glared at Wedge. "All right. What are you up to? I told you no parties."
"And I told you I can and will do whatever I want. Now, come with me," he said, as he gently put his hand on my elbow.
He led me into the cargo area of the shuttle, where there was a table set up with a birthday cake smothered in chocolate, several pizzas, and party hats. Three chairs were set up at the table, one of them already occupied.
I smiled, nodding at the stuffed toy Ewok that looked for all the world like he was going to dive into the food set in front of him. "Three's a crowd, you know."
Wedge held out a chair for me. I gracefully accepted the chair. Wedge took his own seat and poured me a glass of Whyren's Reserve Corellian whiskey. "True, but at least it keeps him out of trouble." We touched glasses in a silent toast and took sips of our whiskey. Then it occurred to me.
"Uhm, Wedge, aren't we on duty?"
"Nope," he grinned, reaching out to pluck my comlink off my flightsuit collar and making slight adjustments to it and his own that temporarily disabled them.
I gestured to the party hats. "We don't have to wear these, do we?"
"Not all evening, but I did promise your brother a holopic of you with yours, so we will for just a moment while Gate takes a couple of shots," he answered.
"Whoa. Back up there a minute. My brother? Galen Grayden died when Alderaan was destroyed. What are you talking about?"
"Luke contacted me several days ago. He didn't want me to tell you until he was sure but now he is. He has found your biological family. The only one left, though, is your twin brother."
"And since you said he wants pics of us in these silly party hats, that means he's someone here on base?"
"Yeah. Can you guess who?"
I thought for a minute. Wedge had said "twin brother" so that let out the reprobate triplets, Wes, Face & Hobbie. I scanned the names and faces of all the human males on base in my mind. There was only one who was the same age as me, as far as I knew.
I could feel my face lighting up. This man was my best friend. I smiled. "Corran. Corran is my brother."
"Yeah, that's what Luke tells me. Apparently you and Corran were split up for much the same reasons as he and Leia were. To protect you from the Emperor's Jedi hunters. After you were given to the Graydens on Alderaan, Rostek Horn used his CorSec connections to erase all records of your existence."
"Does Corran know?" I asked.
Wedge grinned. "Nope. Want to tell him?"
"You bet."
Wedge reached for his comlink and turned it back on. "Lieutenant Corran Horn, report to the hangar immediately." He thumbed the comlink back off and grinned at me again. "Happy birthday, Storm.'
"Thanks, Wedge. This has been the best birthday present I've gotten in a long time."
He reached across the table and took my hand. "Anytime."
The hangar doors opened with a whoosh as we exited the shuttle. Wedge winked at me. "Let me know how he takes the news."
"Sure thing, boss." I winked back as Wedge walked out, exchanging greetings with Corran on his way out.
"Happy Birthday, Corran!" I greeted my friend.
"How did you know it was my birthday?" he asked, the typical CorSec suspiciousness creeping into his voice.
I waved him toward the shuttle. "Oh, a little bird told me. Come on over, have some food and I'll tell you all about it."
THE END