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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Saga Tales of Lasan: Short Stories in the Lasan Series

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by The Lasan Series, Dec 27, 2017.

  1. Seldes_Katne

    Seldes_Katne Force Ghost star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2002
    Am enjoying this series a great deal. One of the big draws in Star Wars for me are the non-human characters (Chewbacca is the main reason I went to see the original film...). I really appreciate depictions of a well-thought-out alien culture.

    I'm curious about how you're choosing what to add to the Lasats' culture. Do you base your ideas on any known Earth culture, or are the ideas completely made up? Do you research anything at the StarWars.com database or Wookieepeidia?
     
  2. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
  3. Seldes_Katne

    Seldes_Katne Force Ghost star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2002
    Thank you, Ewok Poet. I actually have that page bookmarked. (I also recognize the Bryce Canyon reference. :cool: )
     
  4. Raissa Baiard

    Raissa Baiard FFoF Artist Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 22, 1999
    @Seldes_Katne Thank you! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the series! @Findswoman and I have really enjoyed creating this world and filling in the blank spots in Zeb's history. The fanon has kind of grown from the needs of the stories we've been writing;when I started writing "The Beginning of Honor", we started with the worldbuilding, since there's next to nothing about Lasan, and family structure and naming conventions. I'll let @Findswoman speak to the religious aspects, but I haven't really had a particular Earth culture in mind, except that the Royal Honor Guard has been heavily influenced by the United States Marine Corps (Semper Fi!).I think we've both tried to let what we've created for the planet of Lasan shape the direction of the culture; it's very "rock-based" with the towering spires and mining being a main industry, so that lead to things like climbing the spires as a rite of passage and giving rocks as courting gifts (and the courting and marriage customs continue to develop as Zeb and Shulma's relationship does :D)

    We did research the Wook and the Databank, as well as the Alien Encounter Sourcebook, as well as the Bryce Canyon website, the USMC, various sites on dust storms, etc.

    Hope you continue to enjoy the stories and thanks for the wonderful comment! :zeb:
     
  5. Seldes_Katne

    Seldes_Katne Force Ghost star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2002
    Excellent. I've got this thread on my Watch list, so I'll catch updates in a timely fashion.

    [Edited to add:] I look forward to any insights on the religious/spiritual developments for the culture, as comparative religion is one of my favorite topics.

    Write on! :)
     
    Last edited: Jun 20, 2018
  6. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Much thanks and appreciation to readers old and new! @};- First, a welcome to one of our newest readers:

    Good to meet you, @Seldes_Katne! :) It’s wonderful to have you here, and I’m so glad you’re enjoying the series; @Raissa Baiard and I have really enjoyed writing these stories and coming up with the fanon around them. I too have long been drawn to the alien characters and cultures of SW—my own RL background is in cultural history—so coming up with fitting lore and fanon in that area has long been one of my main fanfic interests. Raissa pretty much exactly summed up what our process has been in coming up with fanon on the Lasat; it’s been largely dictated by the needs of the stories so far. For shamanic and religious elements, I’ve taken the mystical elements portrayed in the episode “Legends of the Lasat” as a starting point; that’s where the chalking of glyphs comes from, as well as the manifestation of the Force (or Ashla) in lightning or sparks. (Which isn’t in evidence in the series much yet but will be more later on—we think of Force lightning as an evil, Sithy thing in most of SW, but I kind of liked the idea of turning that around.)

    Comparative religion is an interest of mine, too, and in developing Lasat mystical lore and texts I’ve drawn bits and pieces from Jewish and Christian mysticism of various eras (which is why the tomb statue of Osthi recalls the two sculptures linked to by Raissa—see quotes below). Also, in placing the the shamans’ temple/academy on a mountaintop I think I must have had on the brain not only the “rock-based” elements of Lasat culture alluded to above by Raissa but also the Vulcans’ Mount Seleya from Star Trek III (another pointy-eared species! :D ). And, of course, there are plenty of things we’ve just plain made up. :p

    So, I hope that answers your question, and that you will continue to enjoy these stories—it’s really been a joy to write them! :) (And not to unduly self-promote or anything—but don’t forget the multichapter stories that are in their own threads, too! :D )

    Thanks so much, as always, Ny! [:D] I’m so glad you’re continuing to enjoy the series, and I’m so glad I could send a little of that saxophone effect your way with this little vignette. These two do the same for me, if I do say so myself! :zeb: @};-

    Well, thanks so much, as always, and thanks again for goading me to get it public at last. @};- Again, this story was born from my desire to make things right for Shulma. She and her Zeblove both deserve this beautiful time together—and even if Zeb is “just a simple Lasat” who is out of his depth in terms of anything mystical, it seemed totally in keeping with the character’s keen sense of honor, commitment, and respect that he would go out of his way in that way for someone close to him.

    Thanks so much—and hooray for art geekery! [face_dancing] The Bernini “Ecstasy of St. Teresa” was definitely one of the inspirations for the tomb sculpture of Osthi and for the motif of the blade of the Ashla, as indeed St. Teresa of Ávila herself (also other early female mystics like Hildegard of Bingen and Mechthild of Magdeburg). I hadn’t known about his Blessed Ludovica Albertoni sculpture before, but yes, that too is exactly the sort of thing I was after—so thanks so much for teaching me something new! ^:)^

    Oh yes, I know you know who the fourth figure in the red window is! More on that in future stories, of course. ;) Isn’t that the effect a hallowed and beautiful place can have on all of us sometimes, especially for someone as decidedly nonmystical as Zeb. Having the right person nearby makes such a difference—and having that person’s love to strengthen and encourage one does’t hurt, either. <3

    Oh, thank you so much, and I’m so glad you found this effective. @};- I wanted to explore how a more rough-hewn sort like Zeb would approach such a spiritual moment, and the phrase that became the story’s title kept coming to mind. Of course, I too love liturgical texts and have nothing against those who know them and use them sincerely; in this scene Shulma is no doubt chanting something extremely beautiful and poetic that she knows very well and is completely sincere about. But I’ve always found something very touching and inspiring in the stories I’ve heard about impromptu prayers by people who don’t know the texts (e.g., the boy who recites the alphabet so that God can form the letters into the prayers). Besides, even just the whole concept of going the extra mile to come up with somethin’ appropriate to the setting and situation, even when it’s into unfamiliar territory, just seemed like such a Zeb thing to do. (As did “Orrelios out”! :D )

    She can tell—whether through the Ashla or just from knowing Zeb closely, or both—that a prayer of some kind went out from him, that he made that effort because of where he was and who he was with. How could that not touch her heart deeply too? Another of many reasons she loves him so much. And, of course, this is one of those spots I love to write where spiritual and romantic love meld into each other...

    ...which Zeb picks up on as well. Hey, it’s never a bad thing to keep one’s eye on priorities! :D

    Thank you so much once again—I can’t tell you how much your encouragement in this has meant to me ever since we started this series. Having a collaborator like you makes everything better! :zeb: @};-
     
  7. Raissa Baiard

    Raissa Baiard FFoF Artist Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 22, 1999
    This next entry takes a bit of a different tack: it's about Garashai "Shai" Orrellios, Zeb's younger brother, who first appeared in The Beginning of Honor.
    ———

    Title: The Lost Prince and the Captive Knight
    Author: Raissa Baiard
    Genre: drama, introspection
    Timeframe: Saga, circa 6 BBY
    Characters: Garashai “Shai” Orrelios (OC), Prince Ludovek Argorfiros (OC), Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios
    Synopsis: Four years after the Siege of Lasan, Shai Orrelios, now a prisoner in an Imperial work camp, calms a traumatized child by remembering the stories Zeb told him as a boy. Written for the Mods' Underrepresented Challenge.

    Many thanks to @Findswoman, lover of all things purple and stripey, for beta-reading. :zeb: @};-
    -----------------

    “Mmmph? Wha—?”

    Shai shot up to a sitting position, startled out of sleep by someone insistently tugging at his arm. Four years as a slave in the Imperial work camp on Coloma had taught him to sleep lightly and warily, because you never knew when the overseers would roust you out of bed to work in the mines. When the Empire had a quota to fill, petty things like their slaves’ health were of no concern. Shai took a deep breath, reminding himself that the overseers were more likely to prod you awake with the butt of their rifle or blare their air horns into the night until everyone clambered groaning from their cots. Whoever had woken him, then, was a friend—or at least friendly. He rubbed his eyes, blinking in the darkness of the men’s slave quarters.

    A Lasat kit was standing by Shai’s bed, his green eyes impossibly round, cowering as if he was afraid that Shai would strike him for disturbing his sleep. Some of the others might have—rest was a precious commodity when you were being worked to the breaking point mining doonium and processing the ore--but none of the few surviving Lasat would ever have harmed a hair on the boy’s head, and Shai least of all.

    “Ah, Ludo…,” he sighed. “You had the dreams again, didn’t you?” A wonder that he hadn’t woken screaming like he had so many times before.

    The kit nodded mutely. Ludovek was seven, still an unstriped kit with a kit’s full thatch of black-purple hair which his captors had hacked short after the last round of lice. He could speak, but hardly ever did. Shai couldn’t blame him; he’d been through more in his short life most of the old duffers who’d hung out swapping war stories the Guards’ Posts back on Lasan, more than any child should ever have had to. Ludo had watched as his grandmother, parents and older brother were torn apart by Imperial disruptor rifles and then seen Shai bury his belt knife up to its hilt in throat of the ISB agent who had been about use that same hellish weapon on the kit.

    That desperate act had won them both life. The ISB commander leading the assault on the palace had decided that the raging beast who killed with just a belt knife deserved worse than an “easy” death from the disruptors, and that the last surviving member of Lasan’s royal family would make a wonderful prize for the acquisitive Moff Belphagor, who populated his work camps and slave quarters with members of subjugated species. However, the life it bought them was one of captivity and servitude. Hard enough for an Honor Guard to stay sane, but for a traumatized kit...?

    Shai scooped the boy up and settled him onto the narrow cot next to him. “It’s okay; I still have nightmares about it, too. You want me to tell you a story?”

    Another nod.

    “All right.” Shai tucked the thin blanket around Ludo, who pressed up against him, quivering like a lost prongbok fawn. He tousled the kit’s short hair fondly. “Lay down and I’ll tell you a story my brother used to tell me when I couldn’t sleep…”

    ———-

    “Zebby! Zebby!” Shai tugged at his older brother’s hand urgently. The nightmares were still swimming around in his mind—all monsters and teeth and claws—and his heart was pounding in his throat. But Zeb was twelve whole dust seasons old, five seasons older than Shai, and the bravest person Shai knew, except their mother. If anyone could keep him safe, it was Zebby!

    “Mmmph? Wha—!?” Zeb grumbled, struggling against his blankets as he sat up in bed. He blinked groggily at Shai in the darkness of the room they shared.

    “Zebby, I can’t sleep! I had that dream again, where the joopa was chasing me!” He pulled at Zeb’s hand again for emphasis. “It was gonna eat me, Zebby! And it had all these teeth and horns and it could fly…”

    Zeb gave a disgusted grunt and flopped back down on his pillow. “Joopas don’t fly.”

    “This one did!” Shai insisted. It had been really scary, too, the way it had swooped down on him, its huge cave of a mouth wide open, all those freaky claw-finger-mouthpart-thingers reaching out to pull Shai in, ready to crunch him into a million zillion little pieces, ’cause everyone knew that Lasat were joopas’ favorite snack! Just thinking about it made his stomach feel all crawly inside. He clambered up onto Zeb’s bed and wriggled over towards his brother. “Zebby…could I…?

    “No.” Zeb rolled over with another snort, reaching backwards to shove Shai away. “Go back to bed, Shai.”

    “But… please…?” A whimper crept into Shai’s voice. He wished he could be brave like his big brother, who was gonna be an Honor Guard Captain someday, just like Ma, but right now, it was too dark and the joopa had been too scary. All he wanted was to curl up next to Zebby and be safe.

    “Oh, all right.” Zeb heaved a sigh. He turned back over and pulled the blankets aside, “Get over here. You want me to tell you a story or somethin’?”

    “A story?”

    “Yeah...I guess...huh, I guess I could tell you one of the stories about the Lost Prince of Lira San.”

    Shai had never heard the story before. He listened raptly as Zeb told the tale of Prince Garatharan. An evil wizard had killed his parents and taken over Lira San, but a lone knight named Adalben the Brave saved the prince, fleeing to a tiny village where he’d be safe. Adalben, disguised as a roving tinkerer, watched over the prince, now the village goat-boy, until Garatharan was old enough to defeat the wizard and reclaim his kingdom.

    By the time his brother had finished, all thoughts of joopas had vanished from Shai’s mind, replaced by valorous knights and hidden princes. “Zebby, is a knight like an Honor Guard?

    “Yeah, sorta. Knights served the Royal House, too, and they had a code of honor, just like we do.”

    “So Adalben was kinda like an Honor Guard captain?” No wonder he’d been so brave, then. That was what Honor Guards did, after all—protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. Shai propped himself up on his elbows as a sudden thought occurred to him. “Would you be my Adalben, Zebby?”

    “You’re not a prince, Shai, and you’re not an orphan. Nothin’ like that’s ever gonna happen…”

    “I know, but if anything does happen, will you be my knight and take care of me like Adalben took care of Prince Garatharan?” Maybe he didn’t really have to worry about flying joopas or evil wizards or anything like that, but there was still lots of stuff that could happen: dust storms, rock slides, wildfires, bantha stampedes… You just didn’t know and it would be awfully nice to know he had his own knight, just in case.

    He could see the outline of Zeb’s smile in the dim light that filtered through the shuttered window. “I’m already your big brother, ’course I’ll take care of you.” Zeb reached over to tousle Shai’s hair in that big brother way he always did and tucked the blankets around him. “Right now, though, you better get to sleep before Ma finds out we’re still awake.”

    Shai snuggled down next to him. “G’night, Zebby. I love you.”

    “Yeah, love you, too, kid.”

    ——

    Ludovek fell asleep while Shai was telling the story.

    He looked down at the kit— his sleep-softened features made him look even younger and more vulnerable—and wondered if Ludo knew he was the Lost Prince, toiling away in the work camp’s scullery day after day, laboring for one of the men responsible for destroying his kingdom. Did he remember living in the Royal Palace with his grandmother, Queen Ingruna, and his father, Crown Prince Rendoval? Or was it all nothing more than a faint dream to him now?

    Shai smiled. He supposed if Ludo was the Lost Prince, that made him the stalwart knight, protecting his young charge—except that there was no kingdom for Ludovek to return to in triumph. Even so, somehow, someday he’d find a way out of this nightmare of a life for Ludo. The kit deserved so much more than a life spent being broken, body and spirit, for the Empire’s benefit, and if freedom meant being nothing more than a goat-boy...well, better that than a captive prince. Until that time…

    Shai tousled the kit’s spiky purple-black hair. “Don’t worry, Prince Ludovek, I’ll be your Adalben… just like Zebby was mine.”

    +++++

    Notes:

    Zeb’s story is loosely based on Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain, a fantasy series based on Welsh mythology. In it, a boy named Taran, who is, unbeknownst to him, the missing prince of the land, is “assistant pig-keeper” in the care of Dalben the Enchanter. There’s also a dash of Arthurian Legend thrown in, as well, in the story of Gareth of Orkney, who works at Camelot disguised as a scullery-boy.
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2018
  8. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Awww! ^:)^ =D= =D= Loved the flashback and how it echoed in the present, with Shai's warmth and compassion and SWEET promise. @};-
     
  9. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    Ha, I knew it. The source of your story, but you made so much more out of it.

    When Disney picked this story up and made a family movie out of it, it was considered too dark and too cruel.



    But well, that is the thing with Celtic legends and fairy-tales. They show the two faces of nature and, hidden in it, the four aspects of the mother goddess. Some say its three aspects (= maiden, mother, crone). But I say death, woven into everything else, is the forth one.
    There is never creation without the sacrifice of death.

    Your fic makes that clear. In a working camp, the last place of hope, a strong bond is forged. Against all the fear and agony that there is.

    Thanks for this thoughtful contribution to the Mod! challenge.
     
  10. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    SHAI! Sweet, sweet Shai! [face_love] love: [face_love]

    Oh, you know I've been eager to see this story ever since you first mentioned the idea to me—and now it's here, and it's wonderful! The plucky, exuberant kit of The Beginning of Honor is all grown up now—the unspeakable tragedy he’s experienced has mellowed him somewhat, of course, but the tender care and protection he gives little Prince Ludovek shows him to be a true Honor Guard. My heart really goes out to the poor little guy; the thought of such a tiny kit having to see and lose all that he saw and lost is just heartbreaking, and I don’t blame him for being so traumatized by it all that he barely ever speaks. =(( It says so much for Shai’s character that even now, in the slave quarters with barely any rest, he so readily welcomes little Ludo to his side. He has not let the “every man for himself” attitude that slave labor has engendered in so many keep him from protecting those who cannot protect themselves, in true Honor Guard fashion. And really, this says so much:

    …the fact that a child would have this kind of fear says more about the horrors of the slave experience than any lengthy description of tasks and atrocities. Though there too you give us just the right amount of detail: the necessity of sleeping only lightly, the rifle butts and air horns used to brutally wake the slaves (and the way you describe the air horns being used sounds almost like a form of sound torture), Ludo’s hair shorn short “after the last round of lice,” and of course the images seared into the poor kit’s mind of his family members’ deaths.

    And Shai’s response to this brutal situation? He doesn’t push Ludo away, he doesn’t despair. Instead, he calls to mind his own model of courage from long ago—a big brother whom we all know. :zeb: And oh, Shai’s flashback and Zeb’s story of the lost prince and his knight are so beautiful, so much the heart of this story! Very cool idea to translate the Chronicles of Prydain into the GFFA—it resonates so wonderfully with Shai and Ludo’s current situation and really fits with the Lasat ethos (I want to read these in earnest now!). The name Garatharan made me smile, and I love the way you combined Taran of Prydain with a familiar name prefix—Garazeb and Garashai are following in the same tradition of courage and devotion. Sweet Shai of course immediately sees the brave knight Adalben in his big brother, and this whole exchange just made me melt:

    I just love these two bros. so much. [face_love] There’s an added touch of bittersweet here, too, because we know that something like that—something even worse than that—DOES eventually happen. :_| But a little bit of a smile, too, because we know of a time when Shai’s brave knight of a brother does indeed save him from a dust storm.

    So now, years later, how amazing is it that Shai has the chance to be that kind of big-brother-knight figure to someone who needs it! He passes on the same inspiring story that his brother told him; he even ruffles little Ludo’s hair the same way his brother used to ruffle his, and makes the same beautiful promise:

    Just absolutely perfect, gorgeous ending there @};-

    Finally, I have to say I love that this became your Underrepresented entry. :cool: We see plenty of mentions of slavery and forced labor and the like in various parts of the SW universe, but there’s not a lot in the way of actual depictions, or at least not in a very believable way. (E.g., I call bantha poodoo on Shmi and Anakin, who live in the comfiest, most spacious, best-appointed "slave quarters" I’ve ever seen! :p ) So an extra big thanks to you for this heart-tugging tale, and bravissima for bringing this very new, very important dimension to our series! =D= =D= =D=
     
    Kahara and WarmNyota_SweetAyesha like this.
  11. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    (My mistake—wrong thread!)
     
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2018
  12. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    So, I have to admit that I am very guilty of having read this entire series in its entirety . . . and yet haven't left even a word of review where praise is certainly due. So, I will begin rectifying that now! :D (I hope you don't mind me spamming this thread the next few days as I chip away with my efforts, that said. ;))


    Sleeping Honor - Oh, this is such a beautiful coda to The Beginning of Honor that I just can't even. Shulma is such a dear, and absolutely one hundred percent adorable as she navigates the rocky ways of love for the first time. As is Zeb, for that matter! [face_love]

    It was wonderful to see this scene from Shulma's POV; she was as single-minded in her attendance as Zeb was. And there's nothing superficial or flighty about her attraction. I really appreciate that she noticed that something was wrong here. She really is wonderfully in tune with Zeb already.

    In the end, it looks like he impressed her more than if he would have scaled the Warrior all the way to the top! (And his humility later in just admitting that Shai never should have been in that situation to begin with only sealed it for her, I bet.) Such courage, such fortitude, and those stripes! Shulma is a lucky lady. :p [face_love]

    Is that what the kids are calling it these days? [face_laugh] Too cute!!

    I just ADORE the prose you always add to Shulma's inner monologue. Once again, I get a wonderfully Emily Dickenson-ish vibe from her with the combination of her appreciation for the natural world and devotion to the spiritual, and I just adore the voice you've made for her. This Song of Solomon throwbacks in this and the next update were just too perfect for words, as well. =D=

    Once again, I love how unique all of the voices are! Zeb is still . . . well, Zeb, even in the throes of young love. These two trying their best to admit their attraction, and observe propriety, and SHAI! Yep - this was such an entertaining and enjoying interlude!

    Shair really knows best - and, honestly, Zeb, you owe him, so . . . [face_whistling][face_mischief][face_love]

    [face_laugh][face_love]

    This was such a beautiful, heartwarming and endearing piece - I can't tell you how much I enjoyed every word of it. =D=



    Purple Prose - Dear goodness, I don't know how you managed to keep Zeb so . . . well, himself, even while tackling the tricky schematics of writing poetry. I especially love the double meaning in the title. So much fun! :D

    Oh! I just loved Zeb's thoughts here. He's really got it bad, doesn't he? But Shulma is more than worthy of his high regard, and I adored his attempts to put his admiration down into words. Just so endearingly beautiful! [face_love]

    [face_laugh] Between this and Shulma's worries over propriety, they are just too cute for words in this early stage of their courtship. Well done, Zeb. Mama Orellios would be proud of you. ;) [face_mischief] [face_love]

    [face_laugh][face_laugh]

    I laughed out loud at that last line - what a very Zeb thing to say, I can't even stand it.

    You know, the kid has a point. [face_thinking][face_whistling]

    SHAI!! The little scamp! But I love how much he loves his big brother - helping him with Gross Romantic Stuff because he loves him, and wants to see him happy. I love how much characterization you were able to add with details like the chewed up stylus, as well. :p

    [face_laugh][face_love]

    SHAI!!!! Well, out of the mouth of babes, right? What an endearing note that Shulma will no doubt treasure as much as the love letter from Zeb. [face_love]

    Exactly! Of course Shulma would appreciate the heart behind the words, rather than the verbiage itself - even though it sounds like Zeb didn't do half bad with his 'purple prose' in the first place. :p [face_thinking] [face_love]

    That's what brothers are for! [face_love][face_love] Another excellent addition to your series. =D=



    Letter Perfect - What another great coda!! Zeb and Shai really are too endearing a dynamic, and this was a great moment to capture in words. [face_love]

    [face_laugh][face_laugh] First off - go, Shulma! That's some first rate romantic prose, even if Shai isn't at an age where he can appreciate it, yet. :p Zeb's horror and embarrassment was perfectly captured here, and led to such a wonderful encounter!

    If this isn't Ezra and Zeb down the line, I'd eat my own shoe! The similarities hurt, but in the best of ways.

    Nice job censoring yourself, little one. [face_mischief]

    THE FAMILY DYNAMICS HERE ARE JUST KILLING ME DEAD. GAH!!! [face_love][face_love] :D

    Aww! Mothers really do know best - especially in this case. I love that she shared her own letters, and her words of wisdom were spot on accurate. For both of her boys. Just beautiful. [face_love]

    Truer words were never spoken! And it's more than true in Zeb's case here. He really does have deep currents running underneath his rough and gruff exterior, and I truly appreciate how much time, love, and effort you two have invested in exploring that. [face_love]

    Just so perfect. He has something to fight for - and to inspire him to honor, and it's beautiful that he allows himself to embrace that, rather than eschewing his love as something 'un-manly.' What a beautiful, soft moment to include at the end of a delightfully fun vignette. [face_love]=D=



    Again, keep up the fantastic work on this series, guys! Each entry in this collection has been more than wonderful. =D=[:D]
     
  13. Kahara

    Kahara FFoF Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2001
    The Lost Prince and the Captive Knight:

    This was such a bittersweet story to read after The Beginning of Honor and the other pre-Empire tales in the series. On the one hand, it turns out that Shai didn't perish in the battle after all -- but on the other, he's nowhere near safe and has endured so much hardship to survive and protect Ludo. :(

    It's awful to think of him being so accustomed to mistreatment that even in his sleep he expects to awaken to some form of punishment, either by noise or being struck with a weapon. And even worse that Ludo has likewise learned to be afraid of awakening his fellow prisoners -- even though he obviously knows that Shai will be kind, he's had those fearful reflexes beaten into him and that is heartbreaking. It's a horribly grim situation for both of them, and the matter-of-fact way that Shai thinks of all these awful things (the lice, yikes :eek:) just makes it all the worse because it's become their normal.

    The horror of being enslaved and confined hasn't changed Shai's core though, and he is every bit the knight and champion that Ludo needs in this dark place. I love that he has been able to pass forward the story that Zeb told him when he was young and scared by nightmares, giving hope and strength to his own little brother. I get the feeling that Ludo is true family to Shai, just as Ezra is to Zeb. Shai's determination is unshakeable and that, hopefully, will make all the difference when the chance arises for him and Ludo to escape like their legendary counterparts.

    By the way, thanks for the endnotes on the source of the story -- I did recognize bits of Taran's story in there, but the legend of Gareth was a really interesting addition. (I enjoyed reading through part of the Prydain series many times over the years and finally listened to all of it a couple of years back. Avoiding the last book for as long as possible makes the story last, right? :p ) Anyway, I really liked how you tweaked those tales to fit with the Lasat; it's a really good match!
     
  14. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    Nice little story.

    I was in a roleplay with a Lasat Honor Guard, once, so it was nice to get a bit background information, and in in a different perspective(?) than that offered by a dry character bio.

    C'Boath on a bike, no wonder the little guy wanted reassurance, and company!
     
  15. Raissa Baiard

    Raissa Baiard FFoF Artist Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 22, 1999
    Thank you so much! Zeb and Shai have such a strong bond, and such a strong commitment to honor that they’ve been able to hold onto it and find ways honor that bond despite the hardships they’ve been through. Both of them take the Honor Guard’s motto literally, and have dedicated themselves to protecting those who can’t protect themselves.
    Thank you! I loved the Chronicles of Prydain when I was in school (And I bought the whole series for my niece when she was old enough). And goodness, The Black Cauldron, is nowhere near as dark and cruel as some children’s fare! As you say, there is a a certain darkness to Celtic mythology (and myths and folklore in general) but it is reflection of life. Terrible and tragic things happen in stories, but they’re ultimately about the triumph of good and hope. That’s what I wanted Shai’s tale to be about—how he holds onto that hope despite everything, so I am very glad that came through.

    Aw, thank you! And thank you for your enthusiasm and encouragement for this story, and for helping me bring to life for the challenge. I know that you too, have experienced some trepidation about what we’ve had to put our Lasat characters through. It isn’t easy, sometimes, to tell the survivors’ stories, because even though they’ve lived through the slaughter, there’s still so much that they have to face. That’s definitely the case for Shai and young Ludo, but Shai has managed to retain his Honor Guard ethos and he’s able to be the light in the darkness that Ludo needs.

    That was one of the most difficult things about writing this story, because Shai has surely seen and gone through unspeakable things, but I didn’t want his story to turn into a litany of atrocities. Again, I have to say thank you, because your Shaman, Traveler and Oracle, with its depiction of the Seige’s after, is a model of how to convey the magnitude of horrible situation with a few well-chosen details.

    Zeb truly has been a model of courage,honor and brotherly love to Shai. Zeb might be rough around the edges, but his heart has ever been true. Protecting those who can’t protect themselves is the heart of being an Honor Guard, and it’s also one of the basic tenets of the code of chivalry, so it seemed like a perfect idea to work in a tale of knights and princes. And like Dalben in the Chronicles of Prydain, Zeb can be a little gruff and Stern, but he’s more than what he seems. It also seemed appropriate to use the Gara- prefix; it’s also another little nod to Prince Gareth of Orkney. (And I do wholeheartedly recommend the Chronicles to you and the Findsboy, too!)

    How could he not see his Zebby in that wise, brave protector? Zebby is the bestest person in the world to little Shai. Okay, so he’s got a bad case of hero worship, but he could have picked a far worse target for his adulation, because we know that Zeb does co e through for his little brother when he needs a hero, protecting him from that dust storm...and doing his best years later to keep him safe during the Seige.

    Aw, yeah...that brotherly love that Zeb always showed has profoundly affected Shai, and now he’s able to pass it on to Ludo. [face_love] (And I hear you on the Tatooine “slave quarters”. Also kind of odd that they don’t live anywhere near their owner, but hey, I guess the “slave chip” that will explode if they go too far keeps them in line?)
    Thanks! I loved Shai so much that I just couldn’t kill him off (If I could have plausibly saved the whole Orrelios family, I would have, but I figured even one of Zeb’s relatives surviving was pushing the bounds of coincidence). Unfortunately, the possibilities for survivors were still pretty grim...one being the Imperial work camp. It wasn’t pleasant to contemplate what he and Ludo have been through up to this point.

    Shai’s really internalized the Honor Guard Code, even as Zeb has. It was so much a part of their family and their lives, that it’s really become a part of who they are. And I love your point about Ludo being true family to Shai [face_love] I think you are spot on with that. He cares for Ludo on a level that goes beyond just a duty to protect him, the same way that Zeb cares for Ezra.

    You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed them. I encountered Gareth when I read The Once and Future King in college; he always seemed like the best of the Orkney brothers to me :D
    Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.:) Zeb is such a great character on Rebels, and he has such a strong sense of honor. I’ve enjoyed working with @Findswoman to build on the bits of background from the show and create a culture and a family for him. Fleshing out those missing spots is definitely one of the fun parts of fanfic.

    And yeah, if I had that nightmare, I’d need a bedtime story too! :eek:
     
  16. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Author: Findswoman
    Title: Since that dear kiss...
    Era: Saga—PT and Saga—OT
    Characters: Shulma Trilasha (OC, later Shulma Trilasha Orrelios), Zeb Orrelios
    Genre: One-shot; introspection, romance
    Summary: Memories of shared tenderness before and after calamity and exile. Sequel to Romance among the Stones, referencing its events.
    Notes: Written for the Songs of the Restoration Theater (1660–1715) challenge. I received Henry Purcell’s “Sweeter than Roses” as my prompt; its words are in the epigraph given below, and a video is below this spoiler cut.

    This story belongs (unsurprisingly) to the Lasan Series and ties in to both Three Strands and Shaman, Traveler, Oracle as well as Romance among the Stones. Following the lead of Three Strands, I’ve used regular vs. bold font to distinguish the characters.


    Sweeter than roses, or cool evening breeze
    On a warm flowery shore,

    Was the dear kiss, first trembling made me freeze,
    Then shot like fire all o'er.
    What magic has victorious love!
    For all I touch or see

    Since that dear kiss, I hourly prove,
    all is love to me.

    * * *​

    Then

    The pretty young second-degree shaman with the long hair sat in her study chamber at the Academy of Shamans on Mount Straga. The Fourth Tractate of Prophecy, one of the foundational sacred texts of Lasan, lay open before her, and she was supposed to be studying it. But her thoughts and heart and senses kept going back to the day before, to the kiss amid the mazna flowers in the charming clearing beneath the Warrior. Her beloved Guardsman had just pledged his eternal fidelity to her with the gift of a betrothal stone, and he had taken her in those strong, stripe-swirled arms of his, pressed his lips to hers—and oh, how it had been like the sacred lightning shooting all through her, making her entire being spark, tremble, and glow! How she longed to feel his touch again…!

    She opened a drawer in her desk. There was the stone, her stone, in all its crimson, crystalline glory. She picked it up and pressed it to her lips. Till I see you again, my mighty bristlecone, my love...

    * * *​

    The young, muscular officer of the Lasan High Honor Guard stood beside his gear locker, fully armored, with his bo-rifle slung behind him. Soon he would be out on the parade grounds, briefing the men of his subunit on their assignment for the day, but there was still a moment or two before that. And he needed a moment or two, because he still couldn’t get that incredible day out of his head—the day his lovely shaman had said yes to him in the shadow of the Warrior. She had looped her arms around his neck in that way of hers—like she was gonna wrap him up in her beautiful stripes—and he had taken her in his arms, too, and kissed her with all his might… and it was like his whole body had caught fire, inside and out. Aw, there was nothin’ like her, nothin’—the feel of her, the scent of her—those eyes, that hair, those stripes, that sweet form pressin’ up against him…

    Karabast! Honor Guard or no Honor Guard, just thinkin’ of it made him all warm inside!

    * * *​

    Now

    She sits alone in the small, drafty apartment on a world far from home, a world to which she did not choose to come. The holoimage of that same beloved Guardsman lies before her. Here, too, her mind wanders to him—to his kisses, his embraces, to all the times his warm strength has ever enfolded and filled her. To the sweetly tingling shivers, the fiery-icy sparks...

    But they can be no more than a memory now. She must no longer deceive herself: her mighty bristlecone has been cut down. By now his spirit must be wending its way through the Maze toward the ancient homeworld, never again to return to this galaxy of pain and gloom. Besides, it is now time to head to work…

    A tear falls on the beloved image as she rises to go.

    * * *​

    Karabast, why does he have to remember her? Why couldn’t he have just forgotten her like everything and everyone else? Why does he keep seein’ her gorgeous green eyes in his dreams? Why does he keep feelin’ her and smellin’ her next to him wherever he goes? Why does he keep wantin’ her when he knows she’s gone?! It’s too much! It’s torture!

    And why, oh why, did he have to find that old holo of her that had slipped down behind the storage locker?! Insult to injury, that’s what it is!

    He throws down the holo with a loud oath, then grinds it into the floor underfoot—then buries his face in his hands.

    And so help him, if that kid comes in here and finds him like this, he’s really gonna get it…
     
  17. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    @Findswoman
    SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! That is one gorgeous lovely song!
    "Then": melty melty melt for both of their baskings in that spectacular day/proposal! ;)

    ****

    "Now": Ow! Ow! I just wanna hug them both! [:D] [:D] Especially wonderful Zeb! There's a reason she keeps appearing in those dreams of yours, not just wishful thinking either. ;)

    A beautiful, heart-tugging addition to this superlicious series!

    =D=
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2018
  18. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Thanks so much, Ny! :) Yes, that song is truly a gem, isn't it? Just so sultry-sweet, such a beautiful depiction of those emotions... Purcell at his best. :D I pretty much knew from the start that I would apply it to these two; how could they not bask at least a little in the beginning of this new phase of their relationship? And given the way things necessarily turn out for them, it seemed logical to put a more wistful twist on the song: they undoubtedly still remember those tender touches even after fate separates them so brutally. You are right, it's no mistake that he still sees her and feels her everywhere he goes... definitely not just wishful thinking! ;) Thank you again for reading and commenting and for all your support, as always. @};-
     
  19. Raissa Baiard

    Raissa Baiard FFoF Artist Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Nov 22, 1999
    I apologize for taking so long to comment!

    What a beautiful, bittersweet story; there’s so much emotion in this brief tale, and I think it hits even harder for that brevity.

    First, the sweetness as Zeb and Shulma both bask in the memory of that dear kiss, and not just any kiss, but the kiss that seals their betrothal and stands as their pledge to one another [face_love] It’s so cute to see them still glowing and starry-eyed from the events of Romance Among the Stones, so much so that it distracts them from what they're Supposed to Be Doing—yep, even out stalwart Honor Guard, because the strongest warrior has the tenderest heart! You've done a beautiful job capturing the feeling of your Restoration song here as they remember the Kiss and how it was like lightning, like fire, even like the sacred spark of the Ashla that made them "first trembling made me freeze/ Then shot like fire all o'er." And I love how very Lasat they are as they reflect on each other's stripes:
    and of course:
    A recurring sentiment in this series! :D (And Zeb, don't worry, you're still within the bounds of Honor Guard propriety even if you are thinking of Shulma's sweet form against. It's okay, really... ;) )

    And then the bitter--remembering those sweet kisses after the Siege when they've been separated by years and lightyears and believe each other lost. =(( Both of them are looking at a holo of the other, but while it seems that Shulma gazes at Zeb's picture regularly, probably daily, Zeb has hidden her picture in an unsuccessful attempt to put her out of sight and out of mind. Finding the holo by accident only brings a wave of fresh pain. There's a contrast in their grief in that Shulma is alone in a drafty apartment, while Zeb, on the Ghost, has a family he could turn to (even that kid) but chooses to bear it alone. Again, I get the feeling that Shulma treats Zeb's holo reverently as the last she has of him, while Zeb, in his grief and anger throws hers to the floor and grinds it underfoot (though I also think he instantly regrets it). He tries to convince himself that it doesn't matter, that she doesn't matter to him anymore, that he's forgotten everything and moved on, when it's plain that it all still matters terribly to to him. (I don't believe for one second that he's "forgotten...everything and everyone else" either). However, they're united in their tears and longing for each other, and like Ny, I just want to hug them and tell them that it's going to be okay, their beloved is still out there, somewhere thinking of them!

    Bravo on this heartfelt story; another moving chapter in the Lasan Series.:zeb: [face_love]
     
  20. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Oh, no worries at all! I'm always glad to receive them, and RL hits us all. @};-

    Thanks so much! Less can often be more when dealing with intense emotion, methinks. And the text of the song packs so much into such a short and epigrammatic space that I wanted to try to achieve the same thing in story form.

    That kiss was a huge moment for them in Romance among the Stones, not only because it marked a new stage of their romance and commitment but also because it came right after such a huge calamity, with the Warrior collapsing and Zeb almost falling to his death. It was a very existential moment for them, in a way, as well as an intensely sweet and intense one—so no wonder even its memory affects both of them so strongly! And as you rightly say, it is down to the fact that they both ultimately have tender, loving hearts. [face_love]

    Oh, indeed! Strrrripes are definitely where it's at! [face_love]

    Absolutely! ;) No shame in it at all—the strongest warrior, etc., as you rightly said. Of course memories of that kind of closeness will make their later loss of each other all the more bittersweet. =((

    All very good observations and absolutely spot on—you've said pretty much all I was trying to for the way both of these two are dealing with their grief (plus some). I don't believe either that Zeb has really "forgotten... everything and everyone else," or that he's really trying to put his wife and his past out of his mind, not in a permanent way. And in a way Shulma is less alone than she thinks, even in that drafty little apartment: she has her memories, she has a source of employment, and she of course has the Ashla. @};- And I guess writing stories like this is kind of my way of hugging both of them and telling them that things will be all right, in some small way! :D

    Thank you, as always! Your support and input on these stories mean so much to me. :zeb: @};-
     
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  21. Oddly_Salacious

    Oddly_Salacious Jedi Grand Master star 1

    Registered:
    Dec 5, 2005
    @Findswoman - Letter Perfect. I liked the way you contrasted and paralleled the brothers' careless chase throughout the house with their obedient "chase" after their mother to the study. This story also helped to better familiarize me with the Lasat. Not having watched Rebels, I'm more apt to now.
     
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  22. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Just realized I never responded to this very kind comment—thank you so much, Oddly, and I'm so glad you enjoyed this story and found it fun, even without knowing Rebels! I'll always be grateful to that show for introducing this character and his species to me, and I'm grateful to you for taking the chance on this goofy little story I wrote with him just for fun. Thanks again, always great to see you here! :)
     
  23. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    After being tickled and touched by "A Private Place", I had to reread "Sleeping Honor" and "Purple Prose." [face_laugh] As delightful this go-around as the first. [face_love]
     
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