oooooooooo #10 with Brexkit? (Yes, I absolutely did that)
Lololol, naturally 🤣 Sorry this one took so long. Enjoy!
“Why, exactly, are we up so early?” Kit asked.
Bacara raised a brow.
“It’s Windfall,” he repeated.
Kit knew he was clearly missing important context for that.
“It’s one of the holidays we’ve created for ourselves,” Rex chimed in. “Originated with the Forward Companies, but the rest of us adopted it too. There’s no way to fit all of Nova, and Torrent, and my brothers all here at once and its too cold for an outdoor party. So, we go to Nova for firstmeal and part of the morning. Torrent is midmeal and the afternoon. Then its back here for the Shebse for latemeal and the rest of the evening.”
Kit blinked slowly.
“Why not just make it several days?” he asked. “That’s a lot in one day.”
Bacara’s voice was incredibly quiet as he explained.
“We didn’t think we’d make it,” he said. “Supplies were low, and the weather was terrible. We didn’t think Winder was going to pull it off that time. It was nothing short of a miracle that Jet managed to get through.”
Rex nodded solemnly.
“Afterwards, Jet freely admitted he was going to get through or die trying. We were losing the rests of the Forwards literally over his dead body, he said,” the blond added.
Kit took a slow breath, releasing the sadness the explanation brought into the Force. They had survived. They were here now. That’s what he needed to focus on for the moment. He could think about the rest later.
“And so connecting with as many of your men and your brothers as you can on that day is important?” the Nautolan asked, wanting to make sure he understood.
Bacara nodded.
“Yes.”
Kit inclined his head.
“Then we have some visiting to do,” he said.
~*~
The Novas were still reluctant to truly relax and open up with him present. Kit couldn’t blame them. He might be in a relationship with their former commander, but he was still a Jedi. He did his best to stay out of the way and stuck with Rex while Bacara moved through the crowd of his men.
Torrent had no such problems. That’s how he found himself teamed up with Anakin and Ahsoka in a game that set them against all of Torrents ARCs, their Captain included. Not that Kit had the faintest ideas what the rules were. Assuming there were any. No one else seemed to know either. He supposed the fact they were having fun was all that mattered.
A few times throughout the afternoon, he caught just the tail end of a teasing comment directed at Rex, most noticeably from Jesse. But Rex seemed relaxed and happy, so Kit assumed it was good natured.
He hoped the evening with Rex’s brothers went as well.
~*~
“It’s nice that you were able to be here for this this year,” Cody said.
Kit could feel in the Force that he meant it. That was good. Cody was another awkward situation in many ways. He was Rex’s brother, but he was also leader of the Vode. Kit still hadn’t found the right way to interact with him.
Of course Cody seemed to notice.
“I’m not the Vod’alor tonight,” he said. “I’m just Rex’s ori’vod, happy to be spending the holiday with my brothers.”
Kit inclined his head.
“And I’m trying to be a boyfriend, not a Jedi master. Still feel a bit out of my depth. As you might imagine, our training doesn’t exactly cover things like this,” he admitted.
Aayla had been within hearing range and couldn’t help but laugh.
“But improvising is what we are supposed to do best!” she teased. “Have a drink. Relax!”
Cody’s lips twitched with an amused smile.
“Stop hovering, Rex,” he ordered.
Kit turned to see the blond standing a few feet away.
“I was not hovering!” Rex protested.
Cody snorted, but it was Bly who answered.
“Of course not, Rex’ika. You were just standing there to test their situational awareness,” he teased.
Rex’s outraged look was more hilarious than intimidating.
“Ponds is officially my favorite!” he declared.
Ponds crowed in victory from across the room.
“I have no idea what’s happening over there, but I approve!”
Kit wasn’t sure he had any idea what was happening either, but it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as he expected.