Star Wars: Saviors of the Broken

Chapter XXVI

"Love can transcend any boundary." - Lana Gatheri, from Collected Wisdom of the Jedi Masters

As Frank launched the Black Mariah, Gerard glanced out the window, at the rebel base, at the ruins of Truwel City, at his little brother, somewhere down there, all alone. Eventually, the surface of Truwel faded from view, but Gerard couldn't stop thinking about what would happen to Mikey. He hoped he'd made the right choice in sending him to Chadhillit with the other Force users, and he didn't even want to think about what might happen if he hadn't. The Empire could find Mikey, they could take him away, they could hurt him, they could kill him...

All of a sudden, Frank took his hands off of the controls and wrapped his arms around Gerard. "Are you okay?" he asked as the Black Mariah left Truwel's atmosphere.

"I can't swim, I can't dance, I don't know karate, and Mikey's out there, all by himself," Gerard said. "Do you think I'm okay?"

Frank held him closer and said, "Mikey's not alone, and neither are you."

Gerard smiled slightly. "You're right. I have you, and that's all I really need."

As the Black Mariah drifted through space, heading for the Mid Rim, Frank and Gerard cuddled, giving each other some much-needed comfort after the Truwel Rebellion's defeat. In Frank's arms, Gerard felt loved and supported. He felt like he had someone who would always be there for him, no matter what happened. He felt like he and Frank could do anything. They could overthrow the Empire, take over the galaxy, and no one could stop them.

Gerard felt like he would be okay, at least for a little while.

A few days went by, and Gerard and Frank could hardly keep their hands off each other. When Gerard had wasted so much time pretending he didn't have feelings for Frank, when Frank had spent the last few weeks telling himself that he and Gerard could never be together, when the Empire could find them at any moment, when any breath could be their last, there wasn't much else they could do. They had to make up for lost time.

In those few days aboard the Black Mariah, Gerard cherished everything he learned about his new boyfriend, from the jack o'lantern tattoo on his back to which punk bands were his favorite. For the Most Dangerous Man in the Galaxy, Frank was surprisingly sweet. He was a strict vegetarian, he loved dogs more than anything, and even though he could be cruel on the battlefield, whenever he was around Gerard, he was kind, affectionate, and loving. When they touched, when they kissed, Frank went slowly and gently, always making sure that he wasn't going too far. Gerard knew he was the only person who ever got to see this side of Fun Ghoul, and he savored every moment of it.

Frank felt exactly the same way about Gerard. He wanted nothing more than to spend every moment with the coolest guy he knew. When he was alone with Gerard, he saw his creativity and his passion. He could be a bit eccentric sometimes, but only in the best possible way. Frank loved it when Gerard held him, when his pale hand grasped onto his tattooed one, when he kissed him like there was no tomorrow. Even more than that, he loved flipping through the pages of Gerard's sketchbook, seeing his art and his stories come to life. He loved seeing the galaxy through Gerard's eyes.

One day, when they were about halfway to Kriselist, Gerard found Frank sitting in the cockpit, quietly reading a book. He stood in the doorway for a moment, watching him carefully turn the pages. For a moment, Gerard envied him. He wished he could lie back and forget about everything that was going on around him. He wished he could block out the hum of the Black Mariah's engine, the sounds of the other ships whizzing past, and simply read.

Slowly, Gerard approached him, and Frank suddenly put his book down. "Hi Gee," he said, greeting him with a soft kiss.

"Hey Frank," Gerard said as he sat down next to him.

"How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess. I could definitely use a cup of coffee."

"I'd make you coffee if we weren't in deep space."

Gerard smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Maybe we can go get coffee when we get to Kriselist. We're not too far now."

"Yeah, that would be great," Gerard said. He paused and then said, "I still miss Mikey."

Strangely enough, Frank missed him too. He'd grown to like the awkward young Force user, even if he much preferred his older brother. "I can't believe that those guys went to Chadhillit, of all places," Frank said.

"You're not making me feel any better, Frankie."

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Gerard said as he came closer to Frank. "What do you have against Chadhillit anyways?"

"I grew up on one of its moons," Frank said. "I haven't been there in years, and maybe it's gotten better since I left, but I doubt it."

"It must be rough, constantly traveling around the galaxy."

"It's not that bad. I like getting to see all sorts of different places, even if I constantly have bounty hunters on my tail. Sometimes, I wish I had somewhere I could call home, but most of the time, I like living my life on the road."

"If you could live anywhere in the galaxy, where would it be?"

"I don't know. Somewhere dirty. Somewhere with plenty of room for a scoundrel like me. And I'd want you there, of course."

"Of course," Gerard said as he leaned in and kissed Frank on the lips one more time.

Frank paused and then said, "I think you made the right decision, Gee. Mikey needs to be around other Force users, even if they're insane enough to go to Chadhillit."

"Thanks, Frank," Gerard said. He reached over and held Frank's hand, admiring his beautiful tattoos. There was a spider, a skull and crossbones, barbed wire, a broken heart. Gerard carefully read the words inked on his hands: Halloween, bookworm, hopeless romantic.

His whole body was a work of art.

"I think I'll get a new tattoo once we get to Kriselist," Frank said, as if he was reading Gerard's mind.

"You know a tattoo artist there?"

Frank smiled. "Sola's a doctor and a tattoo artist. Isn't that amazing?"

"Yeah, it is."

"She'll take good care of Ray. She has lots of experience, and I know she won't tell the Empire anything."

"Speaking of Ray, we should probably check on him. He's been a bit quiet lately."

"Yeah, that's a good idea."

The two of them looked around the ship, but Ray was nowhere to be found. Gerard checked every area of the TIE fighter, every last corridor, but it was like Ray had completely disappeared.

Frank's luck wasn't any better. "He couldn't have gone far, right?" he said to Gerard after he'd searched the ship one last time.

All of a sudden, Gerard realized something. "We have to turn back," he said.

"Why?" Frank asked. "We're halfway to Kriselist already."

"I think we forgot Ray."