Chapter Text
The ice was cold, something that Kallus did not notice until his ass hit it with a loud THUMP. The rest of his teammates stared at him in horror- last week, their team captain Thrawn fell on his back during their scrimmage and was paralyzed from the waist down as a result. Kallus, being the top assistant captain, was forced to step up. If he injured himself today, right before their championship game, the Germanium Genocides were screwed.
The Germanium Genocides haven’t won a championship trophey since 1999, when Anakin Skywalker led them to victory alongside his captain, Sheev ‘The Palps’ Palpatine. Although Anakin had quit the team after that, Kallus still idolized the man; his room, filled with Anakin posters and bobble heads, was evidence enough of this.
“You okay there?” Kallus’s assistant captain, Levi, asked. Levi, while short, was a surprisingly good skater. Once, Kallus asked her what her secret was to skating so quickly. Levi merely blew smoke in his face and smiled.
Kallus nodded quickly, even though his ass was on fire. Although he liked Levi, he didn’t respect her, and would rather die than see her become team captain in his stead. That’s what Levi gets for calling his side-burns ugly last Fall.
“I’m fine,” Kallus snapped. Levi spit, the saliva gliding through the bars of her helmet and landing right beside Kallus’s left skate.
“Whatever, bro.”
Before Kallus could fire something back, Coach Grievous blew his whistle. “Suicides!” he yelled, to which every single player groaned.
-
“Did you hear?” Sheila asked Kallus in the change room after practice.
Kallus shook his head. He didn’t typically bother speaking with Sheila, who possessed neither speed nor power, but the excitement in her voice gave him pause.
“The Rebels lost their captain yesterday.”
“What?” Kallus’s head snapped up. Kanan was gone?
Sheila nodded, a smile creeping up her face. “A stick accident. Apparently he’s lost sight in both eyes and can’t play anymore.”
Kallus couldn’t help it- he smiled, as well. “He’s the Rebels’s best player by far.”
“I know.”
A well of hope burst from within Kallus’s chest and leaked through his ribcage and down his thigh. The well water was sticky and gave Kallus an uncomfortable feeling. “This is great news. Who’s their replacement captain?”
The smile dropped from Sheila’s face instantly. “Umm…”
“What? They haven’t announced yet? The game’s tomorrow.”
“It’s Zeb.”
Kallus paused. “What?” His word came out as more of a statement than a question.
Sheila wrung her hands together, fingers weaving in and out. “Zeb’s their new captain. For now, at least.”
Kallus’s eyes went black.
Garazeb Orrelios. ‘Zeb’. Number 69. The sexiest man Kallus had ever seen, and also his worst enemy.
~ FLASHBACK ~
It was the first game of the season, and Kallus was ready to slaughter some people on the ice.
Thrawn was doing the face-off against Kanan, and Kallus was on right wing alongside Ezra Bridger. The Runt. As soon as the ref blew the whistle, Kallus hit Ezra in the knees with his stick. Ezra went down like a fresh egg in water. None of the refs saw Kallus do this, so he escaped the penalty box, leaving Ezra to weep on the ice. Kanan nearly tripped over him as he skated after Thrawn for the puck.
Zeb was on left wing, glued to Gabby’s hip. At first, Kallus paid her no mind. He was not on the left side, after all; that was Gabby’s territory to worry about.
Until.
Until the puck went flying toward Kallus and Zeb, out of nowhere, threw himself in front of Kallus.
“What the fuck?” Kallus hissed. He made an attempt to high-stick Zeb, who had caught the puck, but failed. “You’re left-wing, you hairy beast!”
Zeb growled. It was a low, throaty thing that affected Kallus physically more than he would like to admit. “I’m a Republican,” he said, before skating away. The smell of his sweat lingered in the air and Kallus stuck his tongue in the air in order to taste the scent on his tongue.
After the game- which they lost, five-seven, Kallus lined up for the handshakes with a snarl. “Leave the sulking to the change room,” Thrawn whispered to him. “The cameras are rolling.”
But Kallus couldn’t help himself. Right after he shook hands with a still-weeping Ezra, he looked Zeb right in his purple face.
“You shouldn’t exist,” Kallus said lowly.
Zeb’s confusion was evident. “Huh?”
Kallus slapped Zeb instead of shaking his hand before saying again, “you shouldn’t exist.”
“Is this because I’m a Republican?”
“Kill yourself,” is all Kallus said in return, “before I kill you.”
Zeb’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You are now my enemy,” Zeb said, to which Kallus smiled.
And if Kallus licked his glove in the change room because it had touched Zeb’s, well. That was between him and the good God above.
~ FLASHBACK OVER~
Kallus shook himself out of his memory only to see Sheila still staring at him. “No worries,” he said. He was surprised with how calm he managed to sound.
“No?”
“No,” Kallus echoed. “I will destroy that animal if it is the last thing I do.”
And this… this he meant with all his heart.
END OF CHAPTER ONE.