Chapter Title: History of the Landspeeder
Series Title: Unlikely Brothers
Ages in this chapter: Tanner (14) Dashen (20)
POV: Colton
Chapter Summary: Takes place after the events of Chapter 69 - 'Landspeeder'. Colton finally shares memories about his old landspeeder.
Pester, pester, pester. The kid was good at that, I admit.
Kid. Not so much a kid anymore, was he? He was when I first tried to reach out to him. Not long after his brother died. He was a mess. Worse than that, he was a major wreck, complete with repetitive suicidal tendencies. But there was a connection there. One of loss. He didn't know it at the time and I never really talked about mine, but I'd reached out to him the way a few had reached out to me. But that was in the past, wasn't it?
This whole recent landspeeder incident brought it all back to light. He wanted to know what my connection was to the ancient thing. Why, when everything else I owned was immaculate and new, why was this archaic landspeeder was still a thing.
I leaned against the kitchen bar having finally decided to give up the ghost. "It belonged to Cayne, my father," I began. "Long before he got sick. Hardest working person I ever knew and he didn't have much in his life other than his family, but he had that damn speeder. Flew it everywhere, all over Terra. It was almost like a third arm, he was so connected. When he handed it down to me, he made me promise that I'd keep it and take care of it until the thing fell apart. Other than take care of myself, it was the only thing he asked of me before he passed. It's why it's important. It's why I let Tannerlin behind the controls."
"And not me." Dashen said matter-of-fact.
"The boy is careful and respects the old and ancient. You've seen how he takes care of those paper books of his. Treasures then, like they are the most delicate objects in the galaxy."
"They are. To him." Dashen responded with a knowing shrug.
"And therein lies my point about the speeder. No offense, Dash, I trust you, I do. Just certain things…"
"Trust me, Colt, I am perfectly okay with not flying the thing. Just wondered why it was so damn important to you. I get it now. You never talk much about your father or your family, so we had no idea. Just seemed like this weird obsession you had with this crappy old speeder."
"I admit, I've not taken the best care of it, but it was in bad shape when my father had it. He wasn't the best at keeping things up and operational, though the speeder always seemed to get him from point A to point B."
"You know once Tanner finds out about this, he loves that sentimental stuff. He'll offer to polish and clean it and find replacement parts. Whatever you need and he won't even worry about wanting to fly it."
I smiled at the thought. Dashen was right and I did owe it to the younger of the pair to spill the tale on the speeder's history. He was a sentimental kid and he would do all those things to get the vehicle operating at full capacity. I wouldn't ask him to, he'd just volunteer. I probably should share a bit more with he and Dashen about my father too. About all my family. Losing them. Stars knew they'd shared enough about their own, including the pain that came with it. I'd worry on all that later though. For now…
"Go get your brother," I told Dash. "I'll give you both the full history of my old landspeeder friend."
An hour and detailed tour of one landspeeder later, these two annoying, stubborn, damn kids that wormed their way in to my life, had the entire history (as I could remember it) of the old gal, along with a history of my father's attachment. Not every detail was offered. Some portions of the past would forever remain with me. A few memories though, those I could share.
"The final time my father flew his beloved was a year before he died. Somehow he knew that was the last. Don't ask me how, but he did. Of course, it was only the two of us left in the family, and I'd been well established in my current line of work, we took the longest day trip of my life. I put the business on hold, set Sy in charge for a time and disappeared with my father."
"Where did you go?" Tannerlin asked, sitting at my side on the rooftop terrace where we'd moved during the conversation. My father's favorite place to watch the world. Tannerlin sat just close enough to be comforting and supportive without being clingy. An act he'd perfected long ago, though he could cling with the best of them.
Where had my father and I gone? Where hadn't we gone on that trip? "We hit every place he'd ever been and more. Anywhere that had been special to him or my mother and sisters, we were there. The trip extended into four days. Perhaps the best time I'd ever had with my father. Not long after, he became sickly and unable to engage in activities he'd always enjoyed. Mostly confined to the house for that last year or so of his life, the healers thought it best for him to be more comfortable. We did get out on occasion, but not in his speeder. He had to be warm and covered. Eventually he stopped leaving the house all together, it was just too much. Too painful for him. I'd parked the speeder safely away by then. Sy mostly keeps charge of it. Gives it some exercise a few times a year." My voice quieted some, my words suddenly melancholic. "I've not flown it since my father passed."
I don't always agree with what comes out of Dashen's mouth, but I really couldn't argue with his next thought, even if I didn't offer a response. "Damn, Colt. You're as broken as Tanner and me. No wonder you let us in."
I had let them in. Into my home. Into my life.
Thankfully Tanner recused me from response by redirecting. Another talent of his; knowing when one was uncomfortable with the conversation and pointing it in another direction. I didn't know if it was his Force abilities or just him being him, but I was grateful.
"I can exercise it for you if you'd like, Colt. Sydenious probably has his hands full with security stuff. Actually, I would like to explore some parts of Terra I've not seen. This would give me an excuse. Master Ayden used to instill how important it was to not only watch the landscape but appreciate it even when you couldn't stop to enjoy its beauty. There is beauty everywhere if you look for it."
This kid and his seeing the beauty and the good in everything, it never ceased to amaze me.
"I also promise to make Dash sit I the backseat with a disguise on so none of his former angry clients see him to try and kill him."
He also had an honest ability for truth and humor when it came to his idiot brother.
For his own part, Dashen – the idiot – protested.
"You know," he said, "Still not my fault that all that happened. Wilsurian Teb is a madman, madthing, madcreature, whatever they hell he is. He always hated me, not my fault he decided to go all psycho and chase me down on Tanner's maiden voyage. The man has wings and he's not afraid to use them for evil."
With Dashen on the other side of me, I moved a hand to annoyingly muss his hair before letting it sit quietly on his shoulder. "Teb is quite remarkable in his determination to kill you. When Sy and Kishel escorted him away from the chase, he apparently spent most of his time cursing your name."
"Great. I don't suppose they talked him into leaving me alone, did they?"
"They did not."
"Good days ahead, I guess."
The hand I held on his shoulder wrapped around his back to pull him close for a brief second. The no-longer-a-kid that had come so far in the years I'd known him. From dedicated brother to broken teenager to reliable employee, good friend, rounding back to dedicated brother… to family. Huh. All in the span of about ten years.
"If I can help it, Dash, nothing will happen to you on my watch. From Teb or anyone else. Got it?" I reassured.
He nodded a thanks while from my other side, Tannerlin redirected again. Good kid.
"We should go on a vacation together."
Okay, maybe not such a good kid. Did I just hear him correctly?
"Vacation? With you two? You live in my house. I see you every day. Vacations are to get away from people, not spend more time with them."
The younger one gave me a look that said I was the stupidest person on the planet. "That's not what vacations are, Colt. Vacations are spending time with your family or friends away from home and work and school and crazy clients like Dash's friend, Teb."
"Not my friend!" Dash chimed in.
But a vacation. With these two? Stars help me!
But… maybe... ah, what the hell.
"All right, you find a place off-planet that's safe and not completely controlled by anyone who would enjoy putting a blaster up your nose, we will… go on a vacation. Together. And
do not say Hoth. I will modify my statement by saying safe and warm. If I'm going to suffer on a vacation with you two, it won't be anywhere near cold or trying to dodge the Empire's goons." Then an idea. "Wait… wait… wait…" I had this. I knew this. All this talk about my father… "Coris. The planet Coris. It's always been neutral, mostly because their rulers keep a intensely powerful and planet-wide-armed-to-the-teeth army on hand.
We were there once. My father's idea. I was about your age, Tannerlin. Fourteen or so. They are famous for Blurrg races.
It's quite the high wager game on race days."
"What the hell is a Blurrg?" Dashen blurted out. "And if you tell me it's an animal that can chew me into pieces, no thank you." Arms folded, he sat emphatically shaking his head.
Tanner started bouncing in place. "Oh, Blurrgs. Yes! Blurrgs are weird looking things, they're like giant, fat swamp frogs on two legs and you can ride them, Dash. They don't usually have a taste for humans, but they can be nasty until you tame one. Yes, let's go there. Ben Kenobi told me about riding them when he was an apprentice. He and his master were on a mission that lasted for months where they were not permitted to use motorized transport. They had to use Blurrgs. Now, I want to ride one too!"
Apparently, I'd just started this. And no doubt the kid would con me into riding one of the damn things too. My father had tried the same when I was young. Even then I was big for my age, but I'd never had a thing for riding and being body sore for five days after was not my idea of enjoying time away. But now, the combination of long ago memories and a pestering Jedi kid had managed to convince me.
Giant, fat swamp frogs on two legs…
"Come on, Dashen," I nudged the older one with a shoulder. "Sign on with us. I swear that your brother will not make you ride a Blurrg if you think it would rather eat your face than carry you. Coris is relatively safe and warm and well, you won't be bored."
Outnumbered. Yup, he was outnumbered. And he relented.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm in. You can keep the weird giant frogs, I'll watch. Although I'd pay money to see Colton try and sit on one."
"He might dwarf it and his legs might reach to the ground." That was Tannerlin. Was he giggling at me now? He was. He most definitely was. More memories flashed by. My sisters, riding the creatures. Brave they were, and adventurous. But they laughed the entire time. That trip was important and fun and all things that made me love my family growing up. The ache I felt seeing their faces in my thoughts right now… it was worth it.
Time off was needed. Tanner had days off from school upcoming and I could schedule another runner in Dashen's place at any given time. I'd leave Sy in charge here. I'd send security ahead. Two of them. Kishel being one, since she was part of the inner circle now as it concerned Tannerlin's Jedi past. Another I'd assign to the job soon enough. Not one that was part of that same inner circle, but devoted to the job and keeping me and my current family safe. I didn't think we'd need either of them, but with the galaxy the way it was, there was no harm in it.
"All right then, boys, I may regret this at some point... we have a vacation to plan. But first, I'm hungry. Let's go eat."
Then another thought…
I smiled.
"Oh, and we will take my father's speeder."
First time since…. Yes. Had to get back into the game at some point. May as well be with these two.
The bickering idiots.
"Dashen sits in the back, right?"
"Tanner, wait until you fall asleep tonight. Revenge against little brothers is quite the satisfying dish to serve."
"I can stay awake all night if I use the Force to help me."
"Cannot."
"Can too."
"Cannot."
"Can too."
So help me, I may kill them before this vacation even takes place. "Hey! Squabble on your own time in your own apartment. You are grown eh, well, maybe not so much. Shut up! Both of you."
"He started it."
"Damn it, Dashen." I threw a swat at his head.
"Well, he did." He ducked and tossed the same swat at his brother.
"Did not." Tannerlin, so not helping.
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
I grabbed the idiot by the scruff of the neck. "Dashen, you say one more word, I will have you frozen in carbonite and sent to Hoth."
There. Done. Finally. That would shut him up.
I put arms around them both, escorting them off the terrace and out the door to stand next to my father's speeder.
"You're both in the backseat, so zip it." They sat. "Though I have to say, my father would probably actually appreciate the both of you for vastly different reasons. I'll have to tell you more about him one day. I'm sorry you never got to meet him, Tannerlin. And Dashen, that you never really got to know him." I sighed, pushing back emotion. "He was a good man. A good father. And I guess it's a similar thing that links us all together. So, let's enjoy a meal out, then plan a vacation."
So we did.
I knew with all that I was, I would regret this vacation decision. I also knew it was the best thing for the three of us.
Perhaps I'd even share a few more stories of my past.
END
