Chapter Text
The bar was dark, smoky, and loud with garish music as different alien species entertained each other for the evening. Seth – covered in a thick, pale brown coat against the cold, like a number of other thinner-skinned patrons – walked past a few drunken parties and at least one orgy as he followed Isis.
Isis was an old contact of his from back before the Jedi Order fell. When Seth was still a Jedi Master, she used to send him tips, that he used for his investigations. Now, he was calling in a big favor, albeit with quite a bit of the funds he kept for emergencies. Osiris had taken Anubis captive, and Seth needed to rescue him. It was almost certainly a trap of some kind, but Seth couldn’t leave Anubis in Osiris’ hands.
But Seth needed a ship. One piloted by someone reckless enough to walk into the lair of one of the most dangerous politicians in the Galactic Empire.
Isis wore a finer coat than Seth’s, but which could still be lost among the many casual pieces of travelwear sported in the bar. As an information broker, she’d done well for herself since the rise of the Empire. But a bar like this was typically filled with the curious. To be a bit more inconspicuous, she wore no decorations in her short dark hair, her earrings were absent, and she’d even lessened her usual make-up.
Their destination was a booth in a darker part of the bar. The booth in question was round, covered with half-empty plates of food and some drinks, and had two occupants who looked up when Isis and Seth arrived. The one by the booth edge lounged with his right arm over the back of the chair. He had light brown skin, and shoulder-length, wavy brown hair. Unlike Isis, he wore quite a bit of jewelry on his wrists, ears, and neck, but was otherwise outfitted like a well-off smuggler, with a dark leather coat that accentuated his broad arms. His white-toothed grin under his dark stubble was dangerous. He eyed Seth up and down with no shame whatsoever, and Seth already hated him.
The other booth occupant sat a little in the darker part of the booth, with his arms crossed over his chest. He wore a blue coat, with the hood over his face, and his expression was unreadable.
Isis sat in the booth across from the first man, somewhat nearer the hooded one, and Seth followed her. “This is Horus and… what name are you going by now?”
“Apollo,” the grinning man said, his eyes still on Seth.
“Apollo,” Isis repeated, sarcastically. She looked at Seth. “They pilot a fast, good ship that should get you where you need to go.”
“And where is it you need to go?” Apollo asked, his brown eyes glinting as he watched Seth.
Seth glanced at Isis, who nodded and pulled up her wrist comlink and typed in something.
Apollo and Horus looked at their own comlinks. Apollo whistled. Horus frowned.
“Is that going to be a problem?” Seth asked, eyeing them both and not particularly caring for their reactions. “The goal is to get in and get back out. But if you can’t manage it…” Time was of the essence and he didn’t have much to waste on arguing. He’d rather find someone else who was interested if he needed to.
“Oh, we can manage it,” Apollo said, sitting back again. “We’re the best pilots around, and we’ll keep you nice and safe on your dangerous little mission. As long as you have the money.”
Isis scowled at him. “You know I wouldn’t give you a commission that would fuck you over.”
Apollo grinned. “Times change. Empire patrols have increased lately.”
“Stop it,” Horus said, quiet but firmly. “You’re trying to pick stupid fights again.”
Apollo raised his left hand lightly and leaned his head back.
Seth looked at Horus, who was watching him, too. Horus met Seth’s gaze with bright blue eyes. As Seth’s eyes adjusted to the dark, he noticed there was gold trim on the edge of Horus’ hood. “What’s the goal for this mission? Are you taking on cargo?”
Seth grimaced. “I’m rescuing someone. They were captured by the Empire.”
Apollo raised his eyebrows.
Horus’ expression remained unchanged. “Okay. We’ll do it.”
“Horus—” Apollo began.
“You already thought the idea sounded good when Isis brought it up,” Horus said. “Besides, we could use the money.”
Apollo scowled.
“Welcome aboard,” Horus said, giving Seth an oddly warm smile.
“You can trust them,” Isis said as she and Seth watched Horus and Apollo prepare their questionably safe ship, which looked a bit like a dinner plate had taken a vacation in an asteroid field. “Well… you can trust Horus, anyway. He manages Apollo well. And he’s the better pilot.”
“How do you know them?” Seth asked, watching Horus clearly move around the ship like he knew what he was doing. Apollo was arguing with some of the mechanics.
“I know Horus better,” Isis said. “He’s my son.”
Seth blinked and looked at her in surprise.
Isis’ expression was distant, and perhaps a little sad.
“I didn’t know you had a son…” Seth said.
Isis shrugged. “I kept it quiet. In this business, it’s important to do that.”
Seth nodded. “I’ll try to make sure he stays safe.”
Isis smirked. “With you on his side, I imagine he’ll be fine. But he can take care of himself, anyway. He’s only spent years reminding me of that. And showing me.” She reached out and patted Seth’s left arm. “Good luck. Come back safe. Your money’s always good with me.”
Seth gave her a small smile, and wished he could be as honest as she was with him. Maybe when he came back with Anubis safe and sound. Then they could talk.
“Welcome aboard, Your Majesty,” Apollo said as he led Seth onto the Falcon. The hallways were narrow and not the prettiest, but Seth had been on worse ships. “The royal quarters are this way.” Apollo indicated a recessed room that Seth glanced around. It was small, but it had a comfortable-looking cot, a clean bathroom, and a door he could shut. There was even a small window he could look out from, though all he saw now was the space dock.
“Does it meet your standards?” Apollo asked, still with the sarcasm.
“It looks good, thanks,” Seth said, restraining himself from getting snippy with one of the people who’d be piloting the ship. He lowered his hood and breathed in. He was already a step closer to rescuing Anubis, and that was reassuring.
“If you want company…” Apollo said.
Seth had almost forgotten the man was there, but glanced at him and noted that the man’s face had lit up with interest and lust. It was probably Seth’s hair or something. Strangers were always drawn to that. It was why Seth kept his long, bright red hair covered most of the time. He’d dye it, but dyes never worked. And he didn’t want to cut it off unless he had to. He’d lost so much when the Order fell. It was hard to give up even that bit of himself, too.
“I won’t,” Seth said, frowning at him.
Apollo grinned sunnily and put a hand up. “Your choice. Offer’s still open though!” He waved as he left Seth alone. The door shut behind him.
Seth sighed and looked back at his quarters. He was worried about Anubis, about what Osiris and his people were doing to him. Anubis was still young – barely 16 – and already jumping into trouble, which was how Osiris found him. Seth also remembered Nephthys’ teary face as she’d asked him for help. Perhaps Seth and Nephthys hadn’t dated in years, but he could never say no to her, even now.
I’ll find you, Anubis, Seth thought, sitting down on the cot as he felt the engines start up. I’ll bring you home.
The trip was pretty quiet early on, and when Seth went down to the lounge to eat lunch the first day, he was surprised to find Horus sitting at a table and reading on a tablet. Horus looked up at Seth in surprise, then nodded at him. What was most startling about Horus was that the blue hoodie was gone, and Seth could see Horus’ dark brown skin, and his short, spiky brown hair. His eyes were still a bright blue, and he had dark make-up around his eyes, similar to what Seth often wore. Although Apollo clearly liked to make his presence known, Horus was no less tall or muscular, particularly now that he wasn’t hidden in a booth at a shady bar. His shoulders were broad, and his pilot’s outfit framed his thick limbs well. He wore a soft blue sweater, which framed his broad chest quite neatly, and made Seth force himself to look elsewhere.
“There’s some stew if you’re interested,” Horus said, his voice still quiet but firm. “You’re welcome to anything in the pantry, and the dishes and utensils are in the cabinet."
"Thank you," Seth said, moving to get himself some food. Not knowing where else to sit with his food, he sat by Horus at the table, but not right next to him. “Don’t let me bother you.”
“I don’t mind,” Horus said, not looking back to his tablet. He had a soft smile on his face. “The news will unfortunately still be there after we finish lunch.”
Seth almost wanted to ask, but he knew it’d be nothing good, and he had more pressing issues. “Do you think there’ll be any issues getting to our destination?” Seth asked, spooning his stew, which smelled quite good. It was awkward, but he wanted to know if there were any problems ahead, outside the patrols. He’d seen the weapons the ship sported, but he hadn’t seen them in action.
“There probably will be issues,” Horus said, neutrally. “But we’ll deal with them. For all he’s full of bluster, Apollo is a good co-pilot. And particularly good with the weapons systems. And I can get us anywhere we need to go, without being spotted by patrols.”
Seth raised an eyebrow. “So you’re the main pilot?”
Horus grinned. “Yeah. Apollo’s good enough, but he doesn’t really connect with ships. He sees it as a job on the way to his next score. I just like flying them, and money is mostly good for keeping me in the air to keep doing it.” Horus grimaced. “Sorry, that’s probably kind of strange…”
“You’re passionate,” Seth said with a smile. “That’s not a bad thing.”
“What about you?” Horus asked, watching Seth again with clear curiosity.
“I just do odd jobs,” Seth said. “I’ve done some mercenary work here and there. Tracking down bounties sometimes, that kind of thing.”
“But you’re not a bounty hunter?” Horus asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m not that competitive about it,” Seth said with a shrug. “Mostly when someone needs hired muscle, I’m there.”
“I imagine you’re good at it, then,” Horus said.
When Seth raised an eyebrow at him, Horus’ cheeks turned pink, which amused Seth.
“I mean… Well… You look like you work out or… Well… You carry yourself in a way trained fighters do, is all.”
Seth let himself smirk a little. He knew Horus had been watching him walk, and he couldn’t quite say he minded. “Oh? You noticed?”
Horus smiled. “I’ve been raised around warriors a lot of my life. It’s easy to spot.”
Seth softened his smile and said, “Ah well. There goes that surprise. What news are you checking?”
“Oh, banned materials and the like. The latest Rebel Alliance newsletter.”
Seth raised an eyebrow. “And you’re telling me?”
Horus grinned. “You came here on Isis’ recommendation. You’re one of her old friends. I doubt you’d turn me in.”
Seth blinked and felt a bit of a chill down his spine. “How much did she tell you about me?”
Horus’ expression grew more serious. “Just that I can trust you. That you and her go way back. And to make sure you get out of this okay.”
Seth felt a hand around his heart at that, too. His relationship with Isis hadn’t always been good, but they were still old friends. He was sad he knew so little about her, relatively. At least so little that he hadn’t even known she’d had a son. Even with his travels, he should have kept a better eye on her. But that was in the past. He could only go forward. Now he looked at Horus and said, “Well… tell me what the latest is, then.”
They chatted amiably, for all the talk was a bit gloomy. Raids, arrests, protests, tracking troop movements… It was a lot. Seth wasn’t a member of the Rebel Alliance, at least not formally, but he tried to keep track of things as he could, and help where he was able. He’d been debating his position with the whole matter for years. Everything was just so dangerous, and his presence could sometimes attract unwanted attention, particularly if he used any of his special abilities. But looking at Horus now, he wondered about all the young people getting involved, hoping to make the universe a better place, risking their lives for a cause.
Seth had been like that once, too.
Horus eventually got up to clean his plate, “Time for me to take over from Apollo. We should be there in about three days, if nothing difficult pops up.”
“Thank you,” Seth said. As Horus put his dish away, Seth added, “My door is open, by the way.”
Horus looked back at him in surprise. “Sorry?”
Seth gave him a look that he could tell made the man’s cheeks blush beautifully. “You heard me. My door is open.”
Horus slowly smiled, a glint entering his blue eyes. “You didn’t take Apollo’s invitation…” At Seth’s confused look, Horus explained, “He was complaining about it earlier.”
Seth snorted. “I don’t ever plan to, either. But… I like you. And three days is a long time on a ship like this.”
Horus smiled warmly. “I’ll take that into consideration.” He nodded and left.
Seth watched Horus’ leave, taking note of the way his pants framed what looked like a very good ass. It had been a while since Seth was with anyone, given his schedule and lifestyle, though people in their trades often had quick and brief affairs. Since finding out Horus was a pleasant and friendly companion, he found he didn’t mind the idea of getting some comfort while he could.
He didn’t know what awaited them at their destination, after all.
It was late when Seth was flipping through the last few days of messages Anubis had sent him before he went silent, whereupon Nephthys had showed up at Seth’s door to say that Osiris had captured him. Anubis sounded happy and excited in his messages. He’d been learning to become a pilot, and Seth hoped he’d be safer that way. Maybe working for a merchant fleet or something.
There was a knock on Seth’s door and he lowered his communicator. He was laying on his back on the bed, with his shirt off, thinking about sleeping. He stood up and walked over to the door to look out through the peephole.
Then he smiled and opened the door.
Horus stood there, still in the same clothes from earlier. He looked a bit nervous, but when his eyes met Seth’s, they widened, and he glanced down at Seth’s bare chest, then back up hastily.
“Need something?” Seth asked, leaning against the doorframe.
“…Is that offer from earlier still open?” Horus asked, his cheeks pleasingly red.
Seth grinned and gestured with his head into the room before backing up, letting Horus inside. Seth closed and locked the door behind him – he didn’t trust Apollo – and said, “Will your co-pilot know to get you if there’s an issue?”
“Oh yeah, he’ll let us know.” Horus turned in the small room, and Seth realized the man was annoyingly taller than him. But well…
Seth stepped up to him and reached out to touch the soft material over Horus’ left breast. “Anything in particular you’re looking for?”
Horus shuddered slightly under his hands, the hard muscle feeling wonderfully firm. “I’m open.”
Seth smiled and reached up to pull Horus down for a kiss.
Horus’ hands wrapped around Seth’s chest, pulling him close. His right hand traveled down Seth’s spine, before moving below the waistband of Seth’s pants to cup his ass.
Seth moaned into Horus’ mouth and squeezed the mound of flesh over Horus’ heart, feeling the nice give there. His left hand moved down to push up Horus’ shirt, searching hungrily for Horus’ warm skin.
When they released the kiss, Horus pulled his shirt up and dropped it on the floor, while Seth worked at his pants to drop them. Horus quickly followed suit and pushed Seth towards the bed, laying on top of him completely as he kissed Seth again. Horus was heavy and the cot was small, but he moved his legs so as to not entirely crush Seth. He moved his lips down Seth’s chin, over his neck, and then to Seth’s right nipple, sucking on it.
Seth dug his fingers into Horus’ back and tossed his head back on a moan. His cock stirred. When Horus finally gave him a break, he sat up and moved between Seth’s legs.
Seth raised a bottle of lube for him. “Here.”
Horus blinked. “You just… had that?”
Seth felt his cheeks warm. He did, for… emergencies… but it hadn’t been within reach. He’d accidentally force grabbed it without thinking because he wanted Horus inside him so badly. But thankfully Horus was distracted, so he hadn’t seen it. “I thought you’d say yes, so…”
Horus grinned and took the bottle.
Given the space, Seth turned on left his side with his back to Horus to give Horus better access. He moaned quietly as Horus’ wet fingers entered his ass, rubbing gently over and inside his rim before moving deeper and making careful thrusts. It really had been a while…
Horus eventually replaced his fingers with his rather large cock and began thrusting back and forth. Still gentle and careful, but harder and harder as time passed.
Seth grunted on each thrust, feeling deliciously full as Horus moved. Horus was wonderfully warm against his back, and the air smelled faintly of some flower Seth couldn’t recognize. Probably Horus’ shampoo. It was pleasant, and a nice distraction from all the worries in his head.
Horus leaned forward and sucked on the hollow where Seth’s neck and right shoulder met. He increased the pace of his thrusts, making Seth moan louder. When Horus bit down, it was on a particularly powerful thrust, and Seth shouted as he came, splattering the cubby wall with his seed. Horus kept going, pushing for his own release. He mouthed the bite, sending waves of pain-pleasure through Seth, particularly as the overstimulation in his ass increased. When Horus finally came, Seth was still in the aftershocks, and he winced slightly as Horus’ seed filled his ass.
They lay there for a while, breathing heavily. Horus’ right hand rested on Seth’s right hip, and their legs were tangled together. Horus’ hot breath moved through Seth’s hair.
It was nice, Seth realized, to have someone at his back again. Trusting people was hard, and finding the time for quick lays with people he trusted was harder. But whatever happened, at least there was this.
“I’m glad you picked us for your ship,” Horus said, squeezing his hip. “This was nice.”
Seth chuckled and moved his right hand to rest on Horus’. “I’m glad, too.”