Saga Shadows Cast (Pre-RotS) OCs - drama/adventure (Part Eleven updated 8/4!)

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Shadows Cast
by KrystalBlaze
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Summary: On the eve of the Clone Wars, a Jedi Knight is sent on a savior mission whose outcome will determine the course of the war.
Characters: OCs; Syfer Helis, Daravan Duilio
Timeframe: Clone Wars

Important Author Notes:

a: This story was written over the course of five months and is the first of a trilogy. I have completed this novel and am deep into the writing of the second, so I will not ever be without anything to post.

b: This story is entirely original characters. Although several important canon characters will indeed make an appearance here, this story is OC-centered.

c: Most important of all... there will be a point down the road where I may no longer be able to post this story here. I warn you now, this fic deals with a slash relationship. I may or may not be able to clean it up, or contain everything to PM chapters. I hope I can, because although this relationship is minor, it is integral to the characterization and to the plot.

d: I hope you enjoy.

And I leave you with this mantra, which is always in my mind when I write this fic:

Wars teach us not to love our enemies, but to hate our allies.--W. L. George

 

Part One

Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see-

- Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen

---
There was a canon somewhere.

There wasn?t any way around it. The sound that seeped through the ground and vibrated throughout his bones came from the kind of weapon power that was only associated with the kind of machinery the Separatists had.

The kind of machinery they lacked.

Daravan knew the battle was doomed. He had known from the moment they had seen the Separatist army advance. He had made out a canon, an older model, but the GAR trooper in command had not trusted the eyes of a civilian, even one who had a commission in Crodai?s own army. The GAR worked alone.

Still, it was not Daravan?s place to doubt the trooper. He had no right to cause trouble. But as he sat safely on one side of the hill as droids and troopers battled on the other, he wanted to scream. He heard shouts, moans of agony. He heard the canon blast again and again.

Someone was crying.

If the trooper had listened, if they had retreated (in GAR lingo, ?advance to the rear?), lives could have been saved. They were dying needlessly.

Needlessly.

Daravan held his hands over his ears, trying to drown out the shouts and sounds of death. He could smell the blood, the sweat. He thought he could see the sorrow in the gray overcast sky. He could almost taste the tears.

But yes, actually he did taste tears.

His own.

Silent, he moved from the hill and ran.

-----

?Is there a report?? Clio asked. ?You must have a report.?

Daravan moved aimlessly through the parlor. His hands had not stopped moving since he had left the field. Vaguely, he wondered if the Separatists had stopped their advance there. He wondered why he didn?t really care. He walked along the wall, moving his hand along the cool edge as he did.

?Daravan!? Clio said harshly. ?I need the report.?

When he came to the rocker, Clio?s rocker, he sat unceremoniously. He just sat. He didn?t recline, or lean. His back was stiff. Heat was pounding in his veins. How many had died out there? How many were dead while he was sitting here, being shouted at? Albeit it was annoying and uncomfortable; albeit it was better than being dead.

?Daravan!? Clio demanded.

?They attacked from the southeast,? Daravan said tonelessly. He took out his blaster and laid it on the floor. ?They had laser canons, and more than we thought. We weren?t properly equipped. Flint told me to go. I had seen the report. I report a zero survival rate. I report a hundred percent casualty rate.?

What color had been in Clio?s face after seeing Daravan now drained completely. His head fell to his hands and his fingers moved through his hair. The other men in the room were silent; Daravan heard some gasp. In the rocker, Daravan sat still, straight.

Silent.

?If they continue,? Daravan said, ?they will be here at the capital in less than thirty-six hours. It took me a day to get here on the roda. If they took this day to rest and refinish and call in back-up, they?ll be in less than thirty-six hours.?

Clio stared at him sadly, his eyes masked and drawn.

?If they took the day,? he said almost in a whisper. ?If.?

A man standing in the corner said loudly, ?We must contact the Chancellor! He must send back-up! Our ARC unit is not enough! Half of them are dead, and the other half are scattered. We don?t have the power now if they move in everything on the capital.?

His sharp features tensed, Clio shook his head. ?We can?t do that. We are not beggars.?

?Beggars?? the man said. ?We won?t be alive if we don?t!?

Daravan stood abruptly and walked past Clio.

?Am I needed?? he asked.

At the blank look he received, Daravan left.

-----

Fire.

His dreams were of fire now that he had truly seen what fire was.
He knew that fire was destruction, that it was burnt ashes and debris.

Now, though, he also knew that it r

 

Looking forward to seeing where you go with this! And wonderful OCs!

Fire.

His dreams were of fire now that he had truly seen what fire was.
He knew that fire was destruction, that it was burnt ashes and debris.

Now, though, he also knew that it receded in hearts and in minds and in nothing but eyes.

Hearts burned.

Lives burned.


Nicely done!

 

I feel like a sinner, making this post to reply to one reader, but I can't stop myself. Too much of a habit, I guess.

VLR: SOLE READER! Mi amore. I'm glad you like these OCs; they're going to be around for a long, long time.

Well, next post in a few. I know you're all hanging on the edge of your seat.

-Krystal

 

Part Two

Far beyond the road
Between your house and home
There is a churning storm
Of hailing burning bones

- Beyond the Wheel, Soundgarden


-----
Soft, filtered light and the sound of shouting woke Daravan from his nightmare-filled sleep. He was curled in a ball in his bed. He had not bothered to change; his blood-stained battle outfit remained. He had paused only to take off his boots before collapsing. Groaning, he sat up.

Hard knocks pounded on his door.

?Daravan!? Clio shouted. ?I?m coming in.?

Clio was in a state of anxiety. His hands were never still, but now they moved without cause or restraint.

?We have decided to contact Chancellor Palpatine,? Clio said. ?I will not allow my people to die needlessly while we sit here debating their death.?

Clio sat on the edge of Daravan?s bed, his face coming into his hands again. He took a long, shuddering breath. Daravan almost reached out a hand to comfort him, but held it back. Where had been Clio?s hands when Daravan had sat up nights and had other nights lain shrieking for the memories? Where had been Clio?s hands today when he heard the moans of the dying troopers?

Had Clio?s hands ever erased his pain? Had Clio?s hands ever erased any pain?

As he watched Clio sit there and stifle his own pain, Daravan felt his anger return. He was angry a lot these days, and he didn?t need to see the Healer to know it was the constant battles that caused it. It was an aimless anger, one directed at forces he could never reach and vent upon. Never would he have a chance to stand next to Chancellor Palpatine and shake him until he realized the war was accomplishing nothing.

But the anger remained. It festered and grew and multiplied in intensity.

It burned.

When he looked at Clio, though, it was easy to find a source to vent his anger. Here his leader sat, head in hands, rocking back and forth like a sacred child. Irrational thoughts tumbled through his head. He has no reason to fall apart. He does not hear their cries at night, does not see their deaths. He does not sleep with a blaster in his hands and one his boot. He does not know what it is like to see death.

?Daravan,? Clio whispered, ?I need you again.?

The words were expected, not words he was flinching from. His sabbaticals here did not last long. He was easy to send, easy to lose. He doubted many would miss him. Although the clone troopers always worked alone, a scout was usually needed to survey the area for anything amiss. Daravan was usually that scout. He had not been in battle, but close. So close.

Daravan said nothing, waiting. Words were meaningless; they filled up space for thinking and action.

?I requested a Jedi be sent,? Clio continued. ?He will help lead the troopers. I need you to guide him.? There was nothing to say, and so Daravan remained quiet. ?In the meantime, I am going to send you away from here.?

That piqued his interest. Away from capital? Although Daravan had traveled all through their state, he had always returned to the capital. His orders came from Clio, and Clio alone. He listened to no one else.

?If a Jedi is sent, I will not allow him to come here,? Clio said. ?It is too dangerous in case he is intercepted. I am sending you to Brigin where you will meet him. You?re going to be staying with Theian.?

Emotion flared in Daravan. He had not seen Theian in over three years? since Thea had died. He doubted Theian?s emotions had died since that day, and voiced the concern to Clio.

A small, sad smile took his features. ?You must stay safe, Daravan, and Theian is the only one in Brigin I even remotely trust. He has no love for me, but he loves Crodai. He will help save her, even if it means harboring you.?

Unease took Daravan. He felt jumpy, ready to move. He was rested. It was time to leave.

?You will get more information when you get to Brigin,? Clio said secretly. ?It should arrive gradually in over a few days.?

The few months of war on Crodai had already caused Clio to become paranoid.

 

-----

Part Three

Anchor the night, open the sky
Hide in the hours before sunrise
Pray for me not, I won't lose sight
Of where I belong and where you lie

-Heaven's Dead, Audioslave

The trip was long, arduous and cold. Daravan was always cold. Even now, when he was in seeing distance of Brigin, he was cold. The sky was cloudless, crisp and fresh. His wet clothes stuck and sent striking waves of new iciness through him whenever he moved too much. His pants were the worse; soaked entirely from the knee down. He could feel the dampness that closed around his feet and knew he had to get them dry soon or risk injury.

It was the blasted query group. He had been making damned good time; if the query group had not come through, he would have been in Brigin last night rather than early this morning. It had taken everything out of Daravan not to bellow in rage to the sky.

He had been in the midst of crossing the road when he had heard the query group. He had not truly wanted to believe it at first. After all, the fighting was to the south of them. North on this state did not hold much political importance or many towns, Brigin being even one of the lesser ones. He wondered what the query group could possibly be doing.

His soaking, though, was also partially his fault. His guard had been let down. His feet had been aimless and tired as he crossed, not fast and sure as he had been taught. He had been in the middle of the crossing when he heard the query. The ground was flat, with relatively few trees and brush. Also his fault. He knew better than to cross in the open and at a bend, no less!

When he had heard the query, he hadn?t thought. He had raced forward, leaping over a ledge of the road, around a tree, and into a marsh pit.

The query group had passed without incident. From his view, he could see the droids and their mobile revitalization unit. They did not stop or look around at all. He had stayed prone for three minutes after their departure, then for five more crouching.

And now, because of that happy accident, he was soaked from head to toe. He needed a shower and a good sleep. Yesterday had brought about an hour of real sleep and about three of rolling and tossing before moving on.

Well, at least I don?t look like Theian remembers me, Daravan thought sourly as he entered the town.

Little dwellings lined the main road, which forked occasionally into smaller roads that also forked into even smaller ones. It was green here, with a lot of grass and trees. It was a typical Crodai town. Daravan checked his bearings again for the address, just to make sure it was the same. Indeed. Theian still lived in the same home he did three years ago. He had not found the strength to move.

He passed dwelling after dwelling, taking the first right. Although the war had not yet reached these parts, the beings were subdued. When Daravan had been here last, children and adults had mingled and laughed and gossiped. They had shopped together and worked. In the distance, maybe fifteen miles away, was the port. Most of the town worked there. He wondered what these people were doing now that was port was run by the Separatists.

When he passed the home, he did not immediately stop. Even though he was freezing and longed to find somewhere to warm up, he still wanted to stall. The dwelling looked the same, a bit shabbier: it was cozy, painted blue and made of the same things his manor was made of. There was a square window in the front covered by a sheet that looked dirty and unclean. The home just gave the impression of unkemptness and bad usage. Thea had been the one to take care of things like this; Theian did not really care.

A breeze descended upon him and he hugged himself. It was time to go in.

Awkwardly, he made his way over, steeling himself for the approaching storm and knocked.
-----
When Daravan was sixteen, he killed a woman.

It had been an accidental death, the kind of death you could do nothing about. But Daravan knew that Theian did not truly believ

 

Wow, Krystal. This is amazing. Your characters are so alive, so fleshed out and real. Daravan is such an interesting guy, the way he reacts to things. And the little bits of history about him you hint at are very intriguing. He tries so hard to hold himself aloof from pain, but it's obvious he can't do it forever.

The whole thing so far has been like a novel, like I picked it off the shelf of a bookstore and started reading. Your writing is concise and memorable and always affecting. I found a lot of sentences that I re-read, I liked them so much. I'm glad I found this early. I can't wait to see what happens next.

 

Wow. I love your work, and am I glad I walked in on this. Your OCs are perfect. Daravan is exactly what he's supposed to be - young, filled with conflicting emoitons, and now, things are only getting worse. Loved the description of the planet, and the situation getting from bad to worse. Poor, foolish Clio, with all his schemes of grandeur. His son had more foresight than he did. And Theian (have I got it right?), with his undercurrent of hate. Wow.

And there's a Jedi now. The scene's all set. brilliant. Eagerly waiting for more.

PS: a little something about that sea-green eyes story on Before... you wouldn't happen to remember it, would you?

It's locked, now.

 

You're writing too fast for me to keep up! AARGH!

I'm supposed to be getting ready to leave, but I just had to check this out. LOVELY additions to the story! I can't wait for more. Could you PM when you update again so I don't miss a post?

 

Can I just say how touched I am by replies? Its not a lot, but totally surpassed my expectations over what this story was going to get, and for that I thank you and hope you stick around.

LE - welcome to the story. This is amazing. Your characters are so alive, so fleshed out and real. Daravan is such an interesting guy, the way he reacts to things. And the little bits of history about him you hint at are very intriguing.

Oh, thank you so much. I started this story with only him in mind, and although it change to allow for another main character, I have to say its still really Daravan I want to figure out. I hope you do stick with it for the long run, because its really a character study.

The whole thing so far has been like a novel, like I picked it off the shelf of a bookstore and started reading. Your writing is concise and memorable and always affecting. I found a lot of sentences that I re-read, I liked them so much.

Thank you!

P_A - you made me Thank you so much for the praise, and I'm glad Daravan was to your liking.

Loved the description of the planet, and the situation getting from bad to worse. Poor, foolish Clio, with all his schemes of grandeur. His son had more foresight than he did.

I heard a quote somewhere that said when the son taught the father, then something was wrong with the world, but I think it means the world is finally right. I like to think of that's what happening with Clio and Daravan. I'm glad you mentioned the planet; a funny conincidence is that the name of the planet in my story is one letter off of a world in a JA book. And I think I did mine before she did hers.

Thank you so much for your review and reading, and I hope you stay, too.

And about the sea-green eyes story... *le sigh*

I suppose its only fair that I post what I have. I have about four or five posts worth of material that I haven't posted yet, although I'm not done with the story. I can post that, I guess. Since you reminded me.

VLVR - You're writing too fast for me to keep up! AARGH!

I find nothing funny with this.



I hope I didn't make you late. And yes, I will PM you. Thank you for staying with the story.

next story in a few minutes

 

Part Four

It's not who you are it's who you know
Others lives are the basis of your own
Burn your bridges build them back with wealth
Judge not lest ye be judged yourself

- Holier Than Thou, Metallica

An hour later, a wet Jedi Knight and an angry Crodain stomped into Theian?s dwelling, startling the maid and causing Theian to shout, ?Who in the blazes is that??

Charis put on tea, and Syfer excused himself to the ?fresher to change.

?What did you do to him?? Theian asked Daravan angrily. ?Who is he? I won?t hold him!?

Daravan took the envelope that had arrived for him in his absence and tore it open, ignoring his host.

You have the Jedi, then. He may have already told you ? he needs to be taken to see Chair Javis. You are to be his guide there. Once there, Chair Javis should have your next orders. You will also receive more information before you leave tonight concerning the path I think is best for you to take to Catharan.
- C

Daravan crumpled the note. His father. His poor, dead, stupid father.

?I would appreciate an answer,? Theian said.

Making sure Charis was out of hearing, Daravan leaned in and whispered, ?He is a Jedi Knight.?

Theian?s eyes widened, then returned to their blankness. ?Ah. That?s interesting.?

Daravan squirmed in his chair, the bruise at the base of his spine stinging. Yes, very interesting considering what I had to go through to get him here.

Syfer came into the kitchen, now dry. He bowed to Theian and whispered, ?I am Jedi Knight Syfer Helis. I am told I can trust you and it would be beneficial for no one to know I?m here.?

Theian raised an eyebrow but then nodded. ?Sure.?

Syfer lounged into one of the chairs, glaring at Daravan. ?You can thank Daravan for the wetness that now is in your ?fresher. I?ll clean it before we leave, but I though it better we discuss our departure now.?

Theian just shrugged. ?The sooner you?re out of here the better for me and this town.?
?We have to leave tomorrow morning,? Daravan said. ?I?m getting more information tonight.?

?On what?? Syfer asked.

?The path we?re supposed to take,? he said. ?The safest path.?

?You don?t know it?? Theian asked innocently. ?Clio told me you knew these parts like the back of your hand.?

Daravan breathed in for a count of five and then out for a count of five. His father had taught him the exercise five years ago when Clio made his son take self-defense training for some reason Clio had never given. It had been useful the past few months, but Daravan would never let Clio know that?

He never would have. Clio is dead.

?He insists he knows the best route,? he heard himself say.

?Insisted,? Syfer said. ?He insisted he knew the best routes.?

Theian was not stupid. He looked at Daravan?s pale face and Syfer?s somber one, and said, ?he?s dead??

Syfer nodded; Daravan felt the emotions build and start to leak. He closed his eyes and supported his head with hands supported by elbows on the table. So much support for his head, his mind. He only now realized what real support could truly be.

Clio had never doubted his methods. Clio had trusted him.

Who, really, did Daravan have left? His mother was gone, and now his father was, too. His brother had not spoken to the family in years after claiming he needed to find himself and setting off for Coruscant. His aunts, his uncles? Who knew? He did not know where his friends were; his duty as scout for the clones had not allowed him downtime. They had fled when the capital was evacuated.

So, then, he really was alone?

The thought petrified him, and so he pushed it away, sealed up the leak in the dam he had built, and looked once more at Theian and Syfer.

?We need to wait for the message,? he said.

Syfer?s nod was barely perceptible. ?We will.? He breathed deeply. ?Theian, if you?d allow us to, we?d like to take the bike. I assure you you?ll get it back.?

?I have your assurance,? Theian said. ?Yours and not Daravan?s??

?Do you wan

 

This is a pretty cool story if you have a PM list please add me to it!

 

That was a great ending to the post. Daravan and Syfer clash a lot, but they don't seem to quite hate each other. Of course, that could change. I felt so sorry for Daravan in this chapter, trying to block thoughts of his father's death, laughing until he could barely control the tears of a hidden pain. There's so much going on in this story. I love it.

 

This story has layers and layers. I'm feeling very sorry for Daravan right now. He's on the edge of hysteria about his father, and though he keeps telling himself that he doesn't care, it affects him obviously. That, and the fact that now he's alone. And how awful is it that he has to go and ask the help of a man who hates him? Syfer's caught in his own mission and can't be asked to lend a shoulder to cry on every planet (that differs by a letter from JA), of course.

I'm intrigued by the fact that they clash so much. Of course, I'm looking forward to the time when it won't be so. -

You know, I'm so glad you've finished this novel. That way, I can read more. Soon.

Brilliant.

 

A great update!

The lake was a sad place. Once it had been a popular family outing, but now leaves and other messes cluttered the surface. The war had taught people to stay inside their dwellings and leave only if necessary. The surface was reflecting the sky and allowed one to see all the filth below the surface.

It was also clear enough for Jedi Knight Syfer Helis to be able to wade through the water and search for his dropped items quite easily.

Daravan stopped abruptly, almost falling over himself. Syfer was soaked, his long robes trailing and dripping. His long, faded orange and brown hair was falling in tendrils across his face, shielding Daravan from receiving the coldness and violence of Syfer?s dark brown eyes.

Seeing all this, and remembering Syfer?s duty, Daravan burst out laughing.

Syfer made no sound. Casually, he reached over and fished from the water his rebreather and a case of food supplements. He mopped his hair out of his face and wadded over to the edge of the lake. He took off his robe and tossed it on the ground.

Daravan was beside himself. He ranged from hysterical giggles to crazy laughter. Part of his mind realized he had tears building that had nothing to do with humor. He shook them off, laughed harder and louder. He crouched down, trying to calm down

Loved it!

 

Uppies.

 

Peagis: Why, thank you, and you're added.

LE: Daravan and Syfer clash a lot, but they don't seem to quite hate each other. Of course, that could change. Yes... alot does change. But I'm sure you already knew that. Thanks for the reply.

P_A:
And how awful is it that he has to go and ask the help of a man who hates him? Syfer's caught in his own mission and can't be asked to lend a shoulder to cry on every planet (that differs by a letter from JA), of course.

Daravan is... complex. Honestly, I'm not even sure I have his character down to a tee. That sounds bad, but it's true. Syfer changes in his own right as well, and a handful all by himself. I hope you like the next part, because I think it highlights some of those changes.

I'm intrigued by the fact that they clash so much. Of course, I'm looking forward to the time when it won't be so

And thank you for the up.

VLVR: Thanks so much!

Next post in a few minutes!

 

Part Five

I?m so full of purpose, but void of means
I can?t be certain of anything

-Answers, Faktion

The envelope was slipped discreetly under the door around the evening meal. Charis had already left for the night, and Syfer excused himself from the hard silence that had fallen. Syfer was still young enough to know he was not good at basic conversation when the wounds between the other two men ran so deep. He let them have their hatred, and went to once again shift through his datapad.

This was not going to be an easy mission, but rarely were they these days. Syfer was a young Knight, only twenty-five. The circumstances of his Knighting as such an early age had been? forced. He had passed the Trials, of course, when he had been administered them, but if his Master had not been maimed as he had then he probably would not have gone through them for another year.

His Master had lost one arm and one leg in an explosion shortly before Syfer?s knighting. Syfer had been with him at the time, and still suffered pain from his own broken leg and severed displaced lower vertebrae. The dive into the lake had been painful, but Syfer was not one for complaining and would never let Daravan know that even now his lower back was crying in pain.

Syfer felt for his master, who was still learning how to use his artificial limbs. He doubted Njuan Tali would ever truly be able to get back to where he had been before. Before the accident ? and Syfer loathed using the word because it had been planned by the beings the team had hoped to catch ? the pair had been very active in field work. Master Njuan was a an insightful man, and his gift for reading emotions was well used.

And Syfer? Syfer just liked to fight.

He knew it was his weakness, but he couldn?t help liking it. And he wasn?t even sure one could call it liking. He enjoyed it. He enjoyed the physical exertion, of being completely spent and exhausted. He knew many Jedi would shake their heads at that, but Syfer couldn?t fight the feeling. And besides, it wasn?t like he actively pursued battles. They just happened a lot.

He felt a pang when he thought of Njuan. Syfer would be the first to admit he was entirely green in working without the aid of his master. This was only his ninth mission after being knighted, and it was quickly shaping up to be the most difficult at that, the least of his problems being Daravan.

And with the other mission? well, Daravan was the least of his problems.

Syfer couldn?t get a sense of the man. With his master being what he was, Syfer had quickly learned to read facial expressions and with the help of the Force, he could also read emotions quite easily. It made it easy to pick out lies and deceit.

But for the life of him Syfer could not figure out Daravan. Theian was easy enough: he was disgusted with Daravan, disgusted with some past action Syfer wasn?t sure he wanted to know, and he was mainly disgusted at himself for still being able to have Daravan in his dwelling without killing him. Theian wasn?t a puzzle, not like Daravan. Theian?s emotions went from disgust back to disgust to hate to confusion back to disgust. Syfer knew disgust well.

Daravan, however, did not have easy emotions to read. The news of his father?s death did not impacted him as Syfer thought one would react to the death of a loving father. So then, Syfer had thought perhaps the two were estranged. But then there was Daravan?s quietness, the pain in his eyes. Perhaps he was hiding it well? But then there was disgust whenever Syfer mentioned Clio. Perhaps he really didn?t like his father?

Analysis, in Syfer?s opinion?

Syfer was confused.

He would enjoy traveling to Catharan with Daravan. The man was a puzzle, and Syfer couldn?t wait to get to the bottom of it.

There was something fastened to his boot. Syfer peeled the envelope off and saw it was another one of Clio?s notes. That also disconcerted Syfer. What kind of man had Clio been to send information in pieces? Yes, it was almost smart, but with the Separatis

 

Whoa.

So Syfer's now beginning to get down to the real problems, as it were. It makes me glad that he can read Theian so well, but not Daravan - because, like you said, D's quite complex. And the why's and wherefore's of Thea's death are slowly, slowly emerging. I can so understand the brother's complete shock - and the rather childish way he keeps repeating that Daravan is the cause. He's so certain that you know he isn't, and that there's something deep and dark behind it. Delicious.

Poor Syfer, 'Force'd to sort old clothes.

Lovely update. The story just whizzes along. More please.

 

Ah-eee! I'm here! And finally caught up, too! *puffs chest out*

This is an incredible cast of characters you have here, KB. So far, this is an amazingly complex character study, with each character having their own distinct set of problems and complexities, and ways with which to deal with each problem. They're beautifully fleshed out, m'dear. I love Syfer--I love his "greenness" and his slight cockiness spread over with a good dose of Jedi non-attachment, as he seems to be peering at everything from his neutrality and analyzing. And Daravan... well, Daravan is our little problem child, with anger management issues and plenty of hurt and way too much worldly sense for his own good. And Thea and Theian... so we slowly find out what happened? I'm sure that there's much more to Theian's childish cries, and I betcha Syfer is just the one to find out. I can't wait to find out more of these characters--they tug at your heart to pull you into their little world, and I love it.

Wonderful stuff, KB. Exquisite characterization, perfectly light angst (is that possible? Angst that is painful yet... just perfectly heavy, without pushing too much?), and intriguing plot line, and that heavy and dank world feeling that just sets the mood. I love it.



Oh yeah. Pm me puhleeze.

 

GREAT update! For some reason, I really liked this passage:

Daravan, however, did not have easy emotions to read. The news of his father?s death did not impacted him as Syfer thought one would react to the death of a loving father. So then, Syfer had thought perhaps the two were estranged. But then there was Daravan?s quietness, the pain in his eyes. Perhaps he was hiding it well? But then there was disgust whenever Syfer mentioned Clio. Perhaps he really didn?t like his father?

Analysis, in Syfer?s opinion?

Syfer was confused.

He would enjoy traveling to Catharan with Daravan. The man was a puzzle, and Syfer couldn?t wait to get to the bottom of it.

Loved it! Looking forward to more!

 

I liked reading about Syfers backstory that was cool and I'm begining to wonder about D here and wether or not he was responisble for Thea's death...

 

Up again!

 

So I've decided I'm going to update every five days. Not exactly a week, but a work week. So I guess this means that although the posts won't be coming on a specific day every week, they will be coming. This is just to give me time to ensure the sequel is at least almost done by tht time I get this one done posting.

Replies!

P_A

Thanks for the up again. And the why's and wherefore's of Thea's death are slowly, slowly emerging.... then you're gonna hate me because poor Thea's death gets pushed to the background by more pressing matters. Have no fear, I'm sure she'll come back into the fold later... I think.

Poor Syfer, 'Force'd to sort old clothes Yeah, well the idiot had it coming for opening cans like that. Honestly. Thanks for reading.

Luna

Luna's here! yay!

I love Syfer--I love his "greenness" and his slight cockiness spread over with a good dose of Jedi non-attachment, as he seems to be peering at everything from his neutrality and analyzing.

*does dance. You got it, dear. That's Syfer to a tee, I think. Thank you so much for your review, it really just made my day. Glad you stumbled into this little fic, and I'll make sure you get that PM, since you're so kind to PM me every week. And thanks again for the great, great review, I'm just really bad with this reply thing.

VLVR - Thank you, Miss Vader.

Peagis

So you think Daravan was responsible for Thea? Hmmm. Questions, questions, but no answers.

Next post in a few minutes!

 

Part Six

Cause I'd rather feel pain
Than nothing at all

- Pain, Three Days Grace

Daravan had resolved not to speak with Syfer when the Jedi handed him the envelope. Daravan wanted to open it right then, but he sensed Syfer would not leave unless he did. Refusing to give the Jedi that satisfaction, he walked out of the kitchen and slid outside through the back door.

He went as far as the combined light from the moon and the back window allowed him to. He placed the envelope on the ground and sat next to it, as if the letter contained something of his father. He lay back, staring up into the night sky. The incarnation of his father also lay back and joined him in his vigil.

He wasn?t sure how he felt about Clio?s death. He did indeed feel sadness; he wasn?t that hard. He didn?t feel grief. He felt loneliness, a sense of unreality. He had yet to let the dam spill, and he wasn?t going to let it. He opened it a bit, though, in a sense to sort out his emotions somewhat.

Shifting through the emotions wasn?t hard. He labeled easily his sadness and loneliness and unreality and guilt. He looked for grief, but could not find it. Even his sadness was soft, detached at best. It just wasn?t there. Nothing was there.

Something?s wrong with me, Daravan thought with a cringe. I don?t even miss my father. Something?s wrong with me.

When he truly thought about, he had what healers might call a ?stress? syndrome. He could understand that. He even understood that in all possibilities he was still blocking, and it was the war that was causing him to do that.

To his heart, however, and in the deepest cores of his mind, he just couldn?t accept that. Accepting that would be the easy way out, as an excuse. There was no excuse for not caring for your own father, no matter what he had done. No matter what deeds Clio had done, no matter that he had chosen no death, no matter that perhaps Clio had not truly him either,

Daravan was his son. And Clio was his father.

There was no forgiving that.

Daravan contemplated the stars for a long time, feeling vertigo seize him. Crodai was a small world. The average year there was slightly shorter than a standard year, meaning that Crodai was not big enough to adapt to all Republic commodities. It did not have a monarchy; no, but it was the habit of the leader?s son to be elected the next leader. The Republic did not approve.

The Duilio had ruled Crodai almost since its formation. There had been a handful of instances where the public had not elected the son Leader. They were what historians believed to be happenstances. There was a bad crop that year, so many didn?t vote. The weather was off and had thrown the voting machines. The historians refused to believe in Crodai without a Duilio dynasty.

Daravan was aware of the weight upon him. He did not seek to rule. He didn?t want to. Chair Javis was acting Leader now, but when the next election came around ? if they had one ? Daravan would be expected to run and to win. His reputation wasn?t exactly clean. The media had never truly forgiven him for what had happened with Thea, and they had not approved when he took his job as scout with much vigor.

He had taken the job with vigor to annoy them. Now, though, with his father dead and the thought of ruling overtaking him, he wondered if it had been the right thing to do.
He wasn?t sure yet if he would run ? to honor his family?s legacy, of course ? but he wasn?t throwing out the option entirely. He didn?t want to run, but the guilt of his father?s death hung like an ominous cloud over his head. He could imagine his mother?s voice saying Uphold the family honor.

Honor. Yeah, right. Wars had been fought on honor, for honor. It was pride given a better name. It was needless.

He continued to star gaze for a while longer, completely forgetting the envelope beside him. If he closed his eyes and stilled his thought, it was like he could feel the planet moving. He felt dizzy, weak. When he opened his eyes, it was like coming o