The beginnings
Garazeb Orrelios had almost never left Kanan’s side once he was basically accepted into his family after his parents died. They would do everything together. Kanan would use his brains to get what he wanted, and Zeb would use his muscles. During their very early twenties, they had got an apartment together. Then Kanan met Hera, a young pilot. Zeb thought it was the end of his life around Kanan, but that wasn’t particularly true. About a year later, Kanan and Hera had practically adopted a mess of a teenager who would spend most of her time in her room, and Zeb got less and less time with Kanan and more and more time thinking about how lonely he was, without a family of his own. When Zeb turned 25, he got a job as a truck driver. Sure, by separating himself from the only family he had known, he was subjecting himself to many hours of feeling alone, but he’d rather feel alone than feel like he was intruding. Hera had her own small jet at this point and would sometimes meet him at the towns that he was heading to. During one of these trips, Zeb met Ezra, another castaway that needed Kanan and Hera’s parental love. Zeb got along well enough with the kids but traveling constantly would sometimes ruin their bonding time.
Alexsandr Kallus was a workaholic that didn’t bother with the warning of his father dying alone by working just as hard as he was. The only difference between Alexsandr and his father, was that his father had loved someone at one point in his life. Kallus was just too busy for unnecessary pleasures. He worked at a large business firm in the big city. He was never called to do anything but sit in his office and follow orders. Needless to say, he was more than surprised when he was asked to take a business trip. He accepted and was even more surprised that they made him take his small car that was not suited for long drives on the highway. With a deep breath, he threw his suitcase into the trunk and started his electric car with just the press of a button.
The driving was never the hard part. Sure, it was difficult, especially when the truck ahead of him was driving slower and he would have to pass them, annoying every small car on the highway. Even though that was the case, he loved the freedom. He might not have chosen where he was going, but he could listen to whatever he wanted, and eat whatever he wanted without getting judged. As he drove along the far-right lane, he saw a car on the side, so he changed lanes to give them more room. As he passed though, he couldn’t help but laugh to himself at the city boy kicking at his - no doubt electric - car that broke down. He sighed and figured he could spare a few minutes. He was always ahead of schedule, anyway. He pulled over a ways ahead of the smaller car and approached with a wicked grin.
“There’re no charging stations in the middle o’ the highway, son,” the man spoke as he approached. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing his tiger-tattoo-ed forearms. Kallus rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his car. The man stepped in front of him. “Need a lift?”
“Not from you, thanks,” he glared. He knew who this truck driver worked for. Those pesky “Rebellion Appliances” were his work’s rival. He never really understood why his company wanted to own the Rebellion Appliances, but he never asked questions before, so why start now?
“Alright, where ya headed? I could call you a tow,” he offered. Kallus couldn’t refuse a tow truck in his state. He turned around with a glare, and the man raised an eyebrow. “Well?” Kallus sighed.
“Fine. I was trying to get to Detroit, Michigan, but I clearly didn’t charge my car enough-” the man huh-ed. “Excuse me?”
“Sorry, it’s just that, well,” he began to chuckle. His voice was already deep, and his laugh only echoed that. “It just so happens that I’m headed down to Michigan as well.”
“Well, would you look at that,” Kallus stated dryly.
“Suppose I ought to give you a ride now. Come on, hop in, and I’ll call a tower to bring your car by Michigan.”
“You couldn’t just drop me off at the nearest charging station?”
“Can’t, sorry. I happen to be on a schedule, just like you I assume, with your ‘high and mighty’ suit and tie, so I ain’t leavin’ you at no gas station. Especially on the highway.” Kallus groaned.
“Fine.”
“Alright.” The man led him back to his truck and opened the door for him, helping him into the passenger seat. After climbing in himself, the man began his interrogation.
“So. If we’re gonna be spendin’ the next few days alone in this truck, I might as well know your name.” Zeb watched the man patiently as he merged back onto the highway.
“Kallus.”
“Just Kallus? No Mr. Kallus? ‘Insert first name’ Kallus? Or Kallus ‘insert last name’?” the Kallus groaned.
“Alexsandr Kallus, but I much prefer Kallus. Thank you.” He spoke sharply, not giving away any personality traits. Zeb huh-ed to himself. “And you? I’d like to know the name of my potential kidnapper.” Zeb laughed.
“No need to worry about that, Kal. And it’s Zeb. Garazeb Orrelios.” Kallus glared at him.
“It’s Kallus. ‘Zeb’.” Zeb raised an eyebrow at him.
“Yes sir,” he rolled his eyes. He pulled out his phone and dialed the towing company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Before the other line could pick up, Zeb turned his attention to Kallus. “You were really trying to travel through four states in your big-city car?” Kallus only nodded, and his (mostly Ezra’s) friend picked up.
“Garazeeeb!!” the man on the other line cheered drunkenly at no one.
“Hando.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I need you to send someone to pick up an electric car off of the highway.”
“Electric? On the highway?” Kallus scoffed. “I’ll see who is available. Why do you need a Michigan tow-truck? Aren’t you in Georgia?”
“Yeah, but I trust you to break enough laws to make it here and back double time. I’ll be extra slow.” Kallus wasn’t entirely sure if the man next to him was joking or not.
“Ahead of schedule again?”
“Only by a few days.” Kallus let his eyebrows raise only slightly. He didn’t expect a truck driver to be so early. He always figured they would just show up when asked.
“Aaaahhh, Garazeb! I will be right down! And personally! I’m sure Ezra will be glad to hear I am helping out such a friend!” Zeb scoffed.
“Yeah, I’ll tell him you were just doing your job. Don’t be late, Hando.”
“Am I ever??” Hando hung up and Zeb laughed to himself.
“He’s a character, that’s for sure.”
“I hope he won’t destroy my car.” Zeb chuckled again. He seemed very used to laughing, one thing Kallus would rarely ever do.
“Nah, Hando’s good with cars. He’s just not trustworthy with brainless teenagers who don’t know good friends from bad ones.”
“Oh. Is that ‘brainless teenager’ the ‘Ezra’ he mentioned?” Zeb nodded.
“Yeah. Ezra Bridger. Hell of a nuisance, but a damn good kid. Takes after his adopted father, Kanan.” Kallus looked at his hands, unsure how to respond. “Aw, it’s a’right. He did know his parents. Enough, at least, that he can accept new guardians without disrespectin’ every livin’ thing on the planet.”
“Did you know your father?” Kallus asked gently.
“I did. But only for a little while. He and my ma died before I was a teenager. Kanan’s folks let me move in ’cause we were always so close. We did practically everything together.” Zeb stared at the road ahead of him, a thin line forming on his lips. Kallus fumbled with his fingers, trying to think of something to say.
“If you were so close to Kanan, why didn’t you choose a job that wouldn’t separate you?” Zeb glanced at him and huffed a small laugh.
“He got married.” Kallus’ eyes widened only a little. He almost thought that Zeb was married to this Kanan. With a small glance, he did notice that there was no ring on Zeb’s left hand. “Hera is a beautiful gal, and he is very happy. I began to get – only a little – jealous of his family. They are the guardians of a teenager who ran away from her family. That agreement was rather difficult, getting her parents’ permission to be her new guardians was not easy. And I told you about Ezra’s family. Ezra was actually trying to steal from them when they met him. Hera’s maternal instincts kicked in though and invited him in for dinner. He kept trying to run away, but Kanan got him to stay. As for me, I spent too much time by Kanan’s side to find someone for myself.” The silence in the truck grew long, and Zeb chuckled. “Alright, enough about my sorry ass, what about you? Did you know your father? Got a gorgeous model wai’in’ for ya back in, uh, where ya from?” Kallus didn’t expect the topic to turn to him, but then again, he figured it was only inevitable.
“The only thing I know about my father, is that he was a workaholic, and died doing the only thing he knew how to do. Work. My mother would disgrace him any chance she got. She only put food on the table and clothes for me to wear. She never gave me a mother’s love. And I never got to meet my father.” Zeb’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
“Damn.”
“Heh. Yeah. And I’m from Jacksonville, Florida.”
“Your business just expect you to go all the way to Michigan in your small car?”
“I guess they’re finally spending their money on things they need rather than plane tickets for workers like me.”
“Hey, unless you’re driving across the state, or a truck driver like me, your business should have to pay for a plane ticket. Especially if where you’re going is five states away!” Kallus huffed a laugh. “Hey, I got you to laugh,” Zeb smiled wide and turned his attention back to the road. Kallus didn’t know why he was blushing. Yeah, he laughed. So what? His face didn’t need to heat up at that. “What were you supposed to do in Detroit, anyhow?”
“I was supposed to pitch an idea.” He didn’t have the heart to tell him that it was to buy Rebellion Appliances. “I only hope it actually benefits both sides.”
“Oh? Don’t trust your boss-man?”
“Not particularly. Whenever someone goes to pitch an idea, the other side ends up going bankrupt, and all we do is take the name.” Kallus cussed to himself.
“Sounds like you know this isn’t right…” Kallus looked at Zeb.
“It isn’t.”
