Bio:"So you wish to hear a tale? A story of heroism, love, and hope? A story where the Hero struggles through hardships only to come out stronger and more successful than ever before? I have such a story for you amio. What story might this be you ask? Why that would be my story. Now pull your chair closer, toast for bona sort with me. This story begins much like any other. It all started with a man who fell in love..."
-The Circle
Many say the
Vencejo is the most beautiful ship in the Acosta house. It was within its belly above Empress Teta that the Rios family received three new members. Pasha Rios Acosta deVela and Lalita Rios Ispi deFe were now parents to a set of triplets. Two girls and one boy, the girls were named Carina and Camilla, and their son would be named after Lalita’s father- Lalo. The birth did have some complications, and little Camilla would be paralyzed from the waist down. But despite that, all three children were healthy and happy. The triplets early years would be full of music, both Pasha and Lalita were beautiful vocalists, and it wasn’t long before the kids were humming along with them. Seemed that both parent’s musical talents had indeed rubbed off on them.
From an early age, both parents did their best to start teaching their children the family trade. The Rios family was well known for their talents within the worlds of art, music, and dance. As Lalo and his siblings began to talk and grow older, it quickly became apparent what child favored what. Camilla leaned more toward instrumental talents, which lead Lalita to teach her how to play the lute, her family’s instrument. Carina showed an aptitude for the flute, and from an early age easily picked it up. Lalo always seemed to have too much energy to just sit and play the instrument- it seemed he was truly his father’s son. Lalo always seemed to do little jigs and wiggles to music, even as a baby, and as the children learned their instruments, Pasha began to teach Lalo both how to dance, and play the castanets- the instrument of his family.
Lalo would be a talented student, and his favorite thing quickly became the evenings he spent with his family and clan. Music would ring out, people would dance and sing, and all would know just how blessed they truly were. To live free out among the stars, tied to nothing but what they wanted. Pasha and Lalita knew they were both blessed, despite Camilla’s disability. Lalo and Carina were both very good to their much littler sister. As they kids grew older, it became clear that Camilla was the runt of the trio, but neither Lalo or Carina were ever anything but loving and kind to her.
Near their sixth birthday, something amazing was discovered. Lalo and Camilla always had seemed to outshine Carina in their musical studies, especially Camilla. However, Carina began to develop something even more outstanding: She had begun to receive visions of the future. Lalita’s own grandmother had been a very talented Vident, and it was known that the ability tended to skip generations in her family. But it seemed that she had it. After much discussion, it was decided that Carina would leave for her anys ombra, but she would not be the only child to leave. The Rios family had long standing allies with the Inez family of House Visio, and it was common for the two families to arrange marriages between each other. It was known they had a daughter only a couple years younger than the Rios triplets, so Lalo was sent to the Inez family to apprentice under Bonagat Inez Gaspar deVisio, renowned tattoo artist, and uncle to Anisa Inez Gaspar deVisio- Lalo’s future betrothed.
Bonagat was a vast man. Not fat per se, more like every part of him was tall and broad. Barrel chest, wide back, massive arms, and all completely covered in traditional Humani artwork. Even the man’s mustache was broad and fancy looking, with perfectly waxed curls to them. Lalo would spend much time with Bonagat, the man easily filled in for Pasha as a father figure, and as much as he missed his family constantly, Bonagat and his family were a good substitute. Bonagat was unmarried and had no children, so when the burly man wasn’t with Lalo, the boy spent much time with the other members of the Inez family. It wasn’t for a few weeks that Lalo met someone that would become his sole purpose for existing, Anisa.
At their first meet, Lalo didn’t know who she was yet, and had she noticed him, probably would have been amused by how often Lalo would drop stuff around her. He didn’t know why, but for some reason Lalo would simply find himself more awkward feeling around the girl. The boy would often get whacked upside the head whenever Bonagat caught him staring at her and not practicing, for over the years the man had been teaching Lalo how to draw, in the hopes that he may learn of his future wife’s family, and their trades. Lalo didn’t really like the practice, it took a lot of willpower for the boy to sit still throughout his time at practice. It showed in his art too, as much as he practiced, he never quite got good enough for Bonagat to warrant practicing making tattoos.
During these years Lalo never stopped practicing what his father had taught him. He got plenty of practice, thanks to the Inez family being so similar to his own. Evenings were spent telling stories, accompanied by song, music and dance, which Lalo was more than happy to throw himself into the mix. He always seemed to lose himself into the flow of everything, the sound, the body heat, the feel of his bare feet upon the floor as he danced. The boy never cared who watched his display, after all, all he was doing was showing off his people’s heritage through the dances that had been done since the days of Gol.
It wasn’t until around the time that Lalo would be turning thirteen that he would see his family again, at the Junta. However, he wouldn’t be returning to the Rios family alone. With him were several kids around Anisa’s age, including Anisa herself, to return to the Acosta vessels. It seemed luck would push the two together, as they sat next to one another on the shuttle there. Lalo and her talked nearly the entire trip, much to his surprise Anisa just seemed to
get him. Like they had known each other their entire lives, the two chatted pleasantly, laughed, and got to know one another better, still had no clue that their destinies were intertwined.
Lalo’s reunion with his family was the happiest he had been since he left them. He was amazed at how much his sisters had grown up, or how much the two looked like one another. Apparently over her time with the Fe clan, Carina had proven to be quite the fortuneteller. Likewise Camilla proved even more that she was a prodigy with the musical arts, already on her way to learning other string instruments. A big joke that developed that day was how inept Lalo was at his drawing skills, but he put them all in their places when later in the night, he demonstrated some of the dances from the Visio clan, and even some from the Fe clan. He might have not become a tattoo artist, but he still showed that he was every bit the prodigy as his sisters- just in the realm of dance.
It was decided not long after that Lalo’s next apprenticeship would be with a fellow dancer. A young family had been welcomed into the Acosta clan, and part of their agreement to settle in, was to take Lalo on and teach him the dances of Fe and Obra. The husband was called Sol Vilaro Lobo deObra, and his bride was Lluna Vilaro Ispi deFe. Lluna also happened to be Lalita’s niece, which helped bring the couple to the
Vencejo. His sister’s would end up departing; they left to rejoin their mentors again. Little did Lalo know at the time, but that last kiss he parted on each of their cheeks, would be the last he would see his beloved sisters for many a year.
Lalo would stay though, the Vilaros lived in the same ship as his family, but several levels lower. He was able to see his family a couple times a week, either for simple visits or for more lessons and homework from his father for his castanets. The young man would end up spending more time visiting Anisa than his parents, the Visio girl quickly became the best friend he ever had, the two getting into hijinks rather often. It wasn’t uncommon to hear cries of “Fote you Lalo and Anisa! Go back to your Mare and Pare!” echo through the
Vencejo. Which would normally be followed by the pair running away full tilt while they giggled and laughed the whole time, and left behind the person they pranked. Besides their hijinks, Lalo began to teach Anisa what he knew when it came to dancing, the pair a natural duo it felt. Always in tandem, always trusted one another to move right, and always had fun. It was on one late, warm night, that Lalo felt something he had never felt before as he clasped a sweaty and out of breath Anisa to his body. Butterflies rocked his core as he looked deeply into her rich eyes, both panting and exhausted.
He nearly kissed her that night out of impulse. Nearly.
Whenever the teenager wasn’t with Anisa, he could be found with the Vilaros learning. He was especially fascinated by the dances of the Fe clan. Their movements were so controlled and fluid, and Lalo even learned to belly dance from Lluna- something she assured that would get Lalo a good wife. He found it odd that his mind strayed to Anisa after she said that. Lalo always felt like he got along with his distant cousin more so than her husband, Sol was a nice man, but something always bothered Lalo about him. When he sent Carina a message about it, she told him he was trying to play vident again, and that he was probably just beginning to feel over protective of their cousin. She always was the most level headed of the triplets.
But Sol taught the Obra clan dances brilliantly. His method was more mathematical in its approach, more planned out than a freestyle form. Lalo learned the different dances and songs, but they didn’t quite click as well as the other three. Sol and Lluna laughed when he approached them with this, and explained that it wasn’t uncommon considering his family history. Apparently the Acosta clan and the Lobos were once rival clans many generations ago. Lalo chalked that up as one possible reason why Sol gave him a bad feeling.
Had the young man paid attention to history and his gut, he may not have taken the path he did. However, his mind was often distracted. Often, it resided with Anisa, whom around Lalo’s seventeenth birthday, would become more than just his best friend. It was then that he talked to his parents, told them he intended to pursue Anisa. They all had a good laugh when Pasha and Lalita revealed the news: Lalo and Anisa were supposed to wed already as is- and the fact that it was obvious to
everyone except Lalo that he loved Anisa, and that the whole ship had many a good laugh about it behind his back. The boy couldn’t take it personally, he would have laughed at himself too had he been in their shoes.
It was that night, that Pasha and Lalo contacted Bonagat, and Lalo would receive his first tattoo: A solid black ring across his upper back, the symbol of the Rios family. Pasha had the exact same one, and explained it was tradition for all male Rios to receive the mark of continuity when they declared whom they would pursue. After the tattoo was finished, Lalo ran to Anisa, shirtless and still bleeding a little to show her. He explained what it meant to his family, a coy smile on his face. It was then that Lalo told Anisa that he loved her, that he had loved her since her first met her. And was elated when she returned his love…
"Like I said, all rather standard for a Rios. Es seu sang, no? Ah right, you are not all too familiar with the Humani dialect. But I digress, there are things we Rios are just naturals at. Dancing, singing, making love... the three things that make life worth living, we have long been known for. Well... there was one more thing that made my
life worth living, something that had been there for years, but I didn't realize before just how important she really would be to me. If it wasn't for Anisa... I wouldn't be the rugged sample of a man you see before you!"-The Name
The last year and a half of Lalo’s apprenticeship under Sol and Lluna was nothing short of bliss for him. His days and evenings were always full of mirth, Anisa and him would often sneak away from the large gatherings to have little parties of their own. A private room, a bottle of stolen wine, music, dances, touching and sensations it was all he needed… Lalo was lost in his Anisa and he loved every second of it. It wasn’t uncommon for the pair to spend the night together, they had secret spots where they would meet up and celebrate one another. Most days, Lalo would be late to meeting up with his cousin and her husband. But the two would always share a knowing smile whenever the young man showed up disheveled and flustered. Never once did they speak about it though, only would giggle about it when Lalo wasn’t around.
He spent much of his free time teaching her the different dances of their people, the young woman was quite adept at her learning, and kept pace with him as if she was meant to all along. Anisa began to teach him some stories of their folk, which naturally Lalo would often put them into song, and not long after have a dance to accompany it or a beat for his castanets to play. At night when the families would gather, the duo often gave shows together, song and story accompanied by their dance and the Rios family’s music. Life was so blissful for Lalo, he considered himself the luckiest man in the whole fleet.
Over the next couple years, Lalo truly learned to depend on Anisa, it was becoming rarer and rarer to see him away from her during his free time, and around the time he turned eighteen, Sol and Lluna had decided that they could teach Lalo no longer, he knew everything they knew. He would be declared a man. In celebration, once more, Lalo contacted his old mentor Bonagat. That day, he received his second tattoo, Anisa’s name etched in elegant lettering across his lower arm, a brand that promised himself to her.
He began to do what work he could around the fleet for credits, Lalo wanted to purchase his own space soon. A man couldn’t start a family without a home right? As much as he wanted to ‘steal’ Anisa away, he took his father’s advice to wait until he supported himself- for only then could one support another. Pasha had never failed him before, so Lalo listened to his father. It was during this time that he learned to pilot space craft of moderate size, the young man often worked freight and supply delivery, which was a great amount of exercise on its own. Lalo eventually got into the best shape of his life between his dancing for the Clans and working for a distant uncle within the
Vencejo’s docking bay. Lalita often praised Lalo for working such a job, as long ago on Gol, her family descended from dock workers on the planet.
The past two years of his life with Anisa would continue to be amazing, and as Anisa reached the end of her apprenticeship, he was working late hours planning and budgeting, making sure he’d be ready to surprise her with his proposal. No matter what, he was going to take her as his bride after his twentieth birthday…
"Ah... what a woman! I've always said that men could search the stars and never find a better woman than a Humani woman. How rich their accents and supple their curves... I've met many women of many races in my travels, but none have ever bested the hot, sweaty nights spent dancing and drinking with her. She was a creature of exquisite beauty in everything she did. I loved her fiercely. Still do you could say, but alas... been many a year since I last saw those mahogany eyes of hers... Let us have another round amio, this story is long but worth the wait..."-The Numbers
Anisa finished her apprenticeship, but Lalo’s work schedule prevented him from enacting his plan sooner, and as the next Junta approached, Lalo told Anisa that no matter what, she would meet him at the observation deck one a certain night, and together they would run away. The entire week leading up to the Junta was the longest of Lalo’s life. Naturally, a couple days before the ships would depart to reunite with one another, Lalo would be asked to go on a longer delivery trip. Once more, had he known what was to come, the man would have held his Anisa close, told her exactly how much he loved her, and promise her that no matter what, they would be together.
It was over Muunilist that disaster would strike. Lalo’s little cargo ship was no match for the corvette that disabled him. In a panic Lalo tried to hail the Humani fleet, but instead a runtime was activated, and an automated message would sound through the speakers. It was Sol, laughing. The man had been a Lobo through and through, and because of this despised all Acostas, so when he had an opportunity to use one to further himself, he did. The message explained how he hated living with his clan, how the only reason they moved there to begin with was because of his wife. But with Lluna recently becoming pregnant, Sol did what he had to insure his child was not only raised amongst other Lobos, but with enough credits to improve his family’s life.
All Lalo could do was stare out his viewport blankly as his mentor betrayed him, his last words would stick with Lalo for the rest of his life.
“Now Lalo, they’re going to take you. Don’t fight back, my deal won’t go through if they kill you.”
Never before had Lalo felt such pain. It wasn’t even the fact that someone he considered family had betrayed me, it was the fact that in several hours, Anisa would be waiting for him excitedly, only for him to never show. When a boarding squad broke into his ship, they gassed him to knock Lalo out. The last thing he saw, was the name of the emblem on their uniforms: Greencorp.
Lalo awoke stripped nude and strapped to a cold metal table. Several figures in lab coats moved about, some eyed monitors, some jotted notes, and some had eager, whispered conversations with one another. Everything seemed blurry to the man, and voices felt muffled, as did the various needles that would be repeatedly inject him. The boy didn't know what it was, or what was going on, but all he could hear, was Sol's last words to him. And all he could think about, was what Anisa's expression would look like when he never showed up for her. His last memory from that day, was beginning to cry as the strangers pumped more drugs into his system.
He would later come to reality to find himself in a small room with nothing more than a bed, a fresher, and a sink. Everything was stark white, except for the metallic bits of the sink and fresher. Even the simple linen outfit he wore was the same white. It was as he tried to look himself over that he felt an odd, but quickly familiar ache. He ran to the tiny mirror above the sink to inspect the spot that hurt. Apparently his captors had decided to tattoo Lalo while he was in a chemically induced stupor. 'SE-412' Was etched in simple lettering on the right side of his neck. To his surprise he realized that the tattoo was past the bandaging stage, which meant his memory was missing nearly the past week. That wasn't all that was different, Lalo simply
felt better. Like his body's nutrients were perfectly balanced, like it had been flushed of anything detrimental to his health.
It was rare that Lalo saw anybody, and whenever he did, it was always the same cute, curvaceous blond woman. The first time Lalo met her, he said 'benvingut, metge bonic', which she didn't understand. In reality he was cat-calling her, but he instead stated that it was a greeting in his native dialect. Every time the doctor came to visit after that, he would always greet her the same, accompanied by a wink and a smile. Her visits always entailed a strange event. She would ask Lalo seemingly unimportant questions about his life, who were his people, where he grew up, things like that. She was especially interested in his family. Lalo never noticed though, he always got so involved in his story telling, most of the time his talks would drift to Anisa- much to the doctor's annoyance. But she always found a way to turn him back some how, the woman an obviously cunning linguist. And when she couldn't, she would have him injected with some sort of truth serum to make him tell everything she asked.
Whenever Lalo was not being interviewed, he was always being tested. Tests of endurance, strength, cunning, intelligence, sanity: All sorts were given to Lalo, and often left him mentally and physically exhausted. Never once was it explained to him, and anytime he asked there would be no answer. It seemed that no matter what he did to try to get it out of them, they were immune to it. At first it wasn't that awful, the tests seemed to keep his body in shape, and it seemed they were giving him some sort of enhancement drugs, as it became easier and easier to do the tests, even though they were randomized it seemed. Lalo had to admit, he was in the best condition of his life.
He eventually lost count of the days, with no way to record, it was impossible for him to know. The blonde doctor still visited everyday, he was still tested every day, and each night would end the same, with Lalo in a ball missing his family, his people, his Anisa. Nearly every minute of his was spent remembering his beautiful life before captivity, he clung to it like flotsam, desperate to hold onto his last shreds of hope.
It would be a confusing morning that Lalo awoke to await the good doctor, only for her to never show. With the light in his room always being on, he had no clue how long he would wait, but he would fall asleep every several hours it felt. Time would be spent either doing what exercise he could in his tiny cell, thinking about Anisa, or pondering what was happening, and why no one came. His only way of telling time became watching his stubble grow. He was always allowed a supervised shower, where he was allowed to shave and clean himself, but without being let out, he had no way. He watched as his beard started to darken more and more.
Finally someone entered his room. Lalo was asleep as his little blonde doctor drugged him further. Men came in to take him to an operating amphitheater, where he was hooked up to much medical equipment and put into a chemically induced coma- for if he was even a little conscious for what was planned, he'd have likely died. It took many hours, but the intended goal for Lalo was enacted. Heavy ocular surgery was applied to him, which altered his eyes drastically. What was once deep blue was dyed to be a sharp, piercing yellow. His pupils would be altered as well, now structured to expand immensely to allow near-perfect night vision, however when in bright light, shrunk down to slits.
That was not the only surgery done, his inner ear was surgically changed to allow him to hear much better than the average human, and with the surgeries being internal, there was little scarring that would give the ability away. A protein agent would be induced into his muscle fibers, which made them more concentrated to lend him better control of his musculature structure. Not necessarily making him stronger or faster, merely more responsive to his brain's commands.
For nearly a year Lalo recovered in a supervised ward, unconscious and constantly cared for. Greencorp seemed to want him to live, as he was given top services to ensure his survival from the surgeries. After it was deemed he would survive the surgeries, was he pulled from the coma. He wasn't awoken immediately, it would be healthier for him to wake of his own accord. He would awake a couple days later, confused and in pain from how bright the light in his room seemed to be. It looked to be the same room he was in before, but everything felt more focused, and he could hear every rustle of his clothes clearly. When the man stumbled to the sink to rinse his face, he saw what they had done. Lalo actually had screamed and stepped back in fright at his appearance at first. His first thoughts about looking on himself, was that he had eyes of the dimoni.
Lalo could not help but stare at himself in the mirror for a couple hours, still barely believed what had happened. He had no clue that at this point, he had been in captivity for nearly four years. It took him a few days, but after repeated exposure, his eyes seemed to teach themselves to adjust to the light, and was surprised the first time he held his hands up to cover his eyes, and still be able to see the details of his hands. Lalo experienced 'night' vision for the first time. Despite the horror of his appearance being altered, he had to admit he thought that was awesome. A few days after that, he would be visited by his favorite blonde doctor. When Lalo tried to get an answer from her about his surgeries, she always changed the subject. There was nothing the man could do to get her to tell.
Instead she began to ask about his dancing of all things. The different movements, the training involved to be able to perform them right, everything. Of course Lalo went on and on, especially on the subject of the sensual duets him and Anisa would do. And how the pair were perfect at teasing one another during the dance, until the anticipation burned their very beings, and there was nothing but the dance and the desire for one another.
"You have not truly loved another, until you have experience that kind of connection, amia..."
He would whisper often, his face a handsome, roguish reminder of the man he once was. It was a welcome respite from the reminder he saw every time he looked in the mirror. His time within the Humani placed a healthy fear of the dimoni out in the galaxy, and Lalo couldn't stand the sight of those eyes. And despite his many attempts to break the mirror to end it, it seemed that it would not shatter, forcing the man to glare at himself and the futile blood stains on his mirror from split knuckles. In a way, the doctor gave Lalo one of his best coping tools- remembering the way Anisa felt in his arms, her scent, her voice- those memories of the nights spent together always brought a warm, pleasant smile to his face.
Lalo would resume with tests as well, but they would be different from before. Obstacle courses done in both the dark and light, motor response tests, vision and hearing, all done regularly. Lalo had to admit, despite the hated alteration of his eyes, what he was able to accomplish was impressive. He was so pleased by how good he felt physically, that it inspired him to begin to practice his dance moves once more while in his cell. It became the one thing he truly looked forward to everyday. He would tell himself he needed to keep them sharp for when he and Anisa danced again. Some days, he even believed himself.
Once more Lalo fell into that same rhythm of interviews, tests and alone time. For a while, he resented the blonde doctor, but still said her greeting every time she entered his room. However he forgave her in time, he saw no point in holding all that resentment, what good would it do. It would shock him if he knew that he would spend the next three years after the surgery doing that. It was when the visits stopped that he began to fear. Again, nobody came to let the man out at all, he was trapped in a small room with endless light and a demonic version of himself in the mirror. This time he would beat on the door and scream for someone to let him out. He did NOT want to wake up to see further alterations done to him.
Instead he woke up to the sound of his door as it clicked open. It seemed his heightened hearing would finally come to his aid. Lalo leaped at the person who entered, only to find the blonde doctor. She screamed and dropped the box she held, as Lalo pushed her against the wall angrily. All the woman could do was repeatedly gesture to the box. Lalo threw the woman onto his bed and grabbed the box. Within it, to his amazement, was all his possessions from when he was taken. His clothes, his father's pendant, and Anisa's ring she had given him. When he asked what was happening, the doctor told him to get dressed, he needed to leave. Lalo did as fast as he could, and him and the doctor left his room. She began to tell him everything, the reasons for everything that was done to him, the interviews.
He had been chosen to be apart of a dual experiment applied by a pro-human shadow group. The first part was to learn more about the Humani and their talents as Seers and soothsayers, and how common it was. After Lalo had told all about that, his excellent physical condition made him a prime candidate for experimental enhancement surgeries- to help craft a perfect assassin. He was not meant to be one, merely as a test subject for the surgeries. Once it was determined that he could adapt and surpass normal humans, it was decided to dispose of Lalo. However, an offer was made on the man, one Greencorp could not refuse.
She also began to explain that she wanted to help him escape. The woman blushed furiously as she admitted that she had begun to develop feelings for Lalo. It started simply with him just being so pleasant and flirty with her, but it was as she heard his story, and how passionately he could love, that she simply fell head over heels for the man. But she explained that she couldn't keep him away from Anisa, despite her feelings, she wanted more for him to reunite with his true love. Lalo stopped her there to plant a kiss on her cheek, and thank her. It was then that a blaster set on stun rocked his body, and hers as well. The last thing he remembered seeing, was her ID on the ground near his face, her name finally revealed to him: Patience Serafi. He would never see her again.
***
The setting Lalo would wake up to, would be vastly different. It was dark, but from his ocular alteration, was able to see clearly. He was in a cage of some kind, chained to the bars with his hands behind his back and kneeling. Lalo was not alone either, there was three other men, all chained as he was. When asked where he was, he was shocked to hear a response in the Humani dialect, and only upon looking closer, did he realize that all of them were Humani. Despite everything, Lalo was elated- he was among kin again. They introduced themselves as Nomes, Doble, and Tresve, all of the Fe clan. Lalo found it curious that he, a Vela was with this group, but it didn't take him to realize that his mare was of the Fe as well. It seemed he had been captured by a Fe fan.
When he asked about their captor, the men would only refer to him as 'El Dimoni'. Lalo's blood ran ice cold at the name. It seemed the dimoni were indeed prevelent in the galaxy, just as his mare and pare warned. The more he looked his kin over, the more details he noticed. The first was that they were all shirtless, but they all seemed to still have all their personal affects, jewelry and the like. Lalo had his too, which he was grateful for. The second was the scars. Each man had tally marks that ran their left pectorals, each one had a different number. Nomes had the most, nearly thirty. Doble was in the middle with around fifteen, and Tresve had the least at nine. Each man had one scar that was obviously recent, and looked down to find he had one himself. The men told him they were counters, for the amount of sessions they endured. The third thing he noticed, as that though the men were of all ages, they all had the same milky-white hair. Apparently none of them knew that fact until Lalo pointed it out.
The men said they couldn't answer more of his questions, El Dimoni wouldn't allow it. Lalo respected his kin's wishes, despite his burning desire to solve the riddle. It would be solved sooner than he liked. He would awake one day to hot breath upon him. His eyes opened and the man screamed in fright as the eyes of El Dimoni gleamed down at him. The man was massive, near nine feet tall, and his build was unlike anything Lalo had ever seen, bulky, strong, sheer power incarnate. Each breath from El Dimoni was a deep growl, its bass would rumble so foreboding in his ears. It was then that El Dimoni spoke for the first time:
"Benvigut, Little Cub..."
El Dimoni would always call Lalo this, never once would utter his true name. Whenever El Dimoni appeared, it was for the same purpose. The man would wrap his massive hand around Lalo's skull, and something would happen that the man could barely comprehend. It felt like another presence had entered his thoughts, he could hear El Dimoni's voice within his own thoughts and could do nothing as the man picked and plucked at Lalo's memories, always would dig deepest whenever he would remember anything about his family, specifically Carina. It was only after Lalo mentioned that his sister was a Vident, that the other men said so as well. All of them had sisters, and all their sisters had the Sight.
El Dimoni wanted one. He wanted one very badly.
After every single session, Lalo would feel completely exhausted to the point of collapse. But before he did, El Dimoni would press Lalo against the wall, and use his claw to scratch a fresh scar in sequence. Lalo never stopped trying to struggle free, and his assailant would just laugh at his plight, and dig his claw deeper. Lalo didn't know what species had claws like that, and eventually would be told by Doble that El Dimoni was a Togorian. A massive, predatory feline race. When he asked what it was the Togorian was doing to them, he was told that El Dimoni possessed timo... he could control the Flux, aka, the Force. If Lalo hadn't felt it himself, he would have thought they were just trying to scare him, but his instinct told him better.
El Dimoni visited rarely, and it wasn't always Lalo's turn- though the Togorian did seem to quickly favor him. It was during his fourth session, that El Dimoni spoke to him about how amused he was by Lalo. He could see the man's grace and balance, and like many Humani, his appreciation for felines... except the Togorian, which El Dimoni only found more amusing. But it was Lalo's eyes that were the kicker, his torturer said that he had the eyes of a predator, and such, should know how that feels.
Lalo would be freed every now and then, but there was no way to resist El Dimoni, just from sheer strength the massive man could subdue Lalo instantly. The man would be taken from the cage to a different one, and set free. El Dimoni would stand to block the door, and tell Lalo to escape. Naturally, Lalo tried, but each time the Togorian would just bat him away. Every time. At first Lalo would just try until he gave up, and sit to sulk as his captor watched. It was only after thinking on Anisa for a while, that Lalo tried something different. Instead of going for the door, he went full tilt for El Dimoni. He would punch, bite, claw, anything he could possible do to hurt the man.
El Dimoni would boom with laughter and half-heartily fight off Lalo until the Humani tasted the salty grime of alien blood. It was then that El Dimoni beat Lalo within an inch of his life, and dragged him back to the cell, but not before he raped Lalo's mind with the Force for more information, and not before he gave Lalo another tick scar. From then on, before every draining session, El Dimoni would throw Lalo into the other cell and challenge him.
Lalo would begin to tell his kin stories, ones of his family, ones of Anisa, ones of himself. Anything to help pass the time and heighten spirits. Despite himself nearly always being in despair, he did his best to help the others out. They could see as he could in the dark, and couldn't see that they were wasting away. El Dimoni fed them, but rarely. Lalo hated that for some reason, the Togorian always fed him better than the others, and hated even more how greedily he devoured every bite the monster offered. But no matter how hard he tried to refuse, his more impulsive nature lead him to listen to his stomach over his pride.
It was after Lalo's nineteenth session with El Dimoni, that opportunity rose. He had actually wounded the Togorian, Lalo had gone and tore his hands into one of El Dimoni's eyes, and roared in victory as he held the slick orb in one hand, but not before the Togorian raked Lalo's skin with his claws, which left wicked, curved scars across his chest and back. In a fit of rage and pain El Dimoni merely tossed Lalo back into the other cage with his kin. Despite being bloodied and tired, Lalo was on a high unlike anything he had felt in years- he had won a victory. He instantly ran to Nomes and snagged his necklace. It was a fan of thin metal spikes, an obvious heirloom, but Lalo saw it as something better: Lockpicks. As what Humani worth his salt didn't know how to pick something as basic as the archaic restraints El Dimoni seemed to prefer?
Lalo made quick work of his brethren's restraints. They were markedly worse off than himself, the effects of starvation and dehydration had its toll. They ran from the cage to throw open the door to their chamber to find themselves within a decadently decorated mansion hallway. Regal paintings adorned the walls, and artifacts of varying oddness sat on pedestals. Lalo approached one, and stared at it in shock. A set of castanets, which according to the display were crafted from the wood of a plant on Gol. They were still in immaculate shape. Lalo took the instrument from its display, and slipped them into his pants pocket.
It was then that the security alarm for the mansion began to go off, and the group began to search for a way out. Little did they know an enraged Togorian rapidly approached. He exploded from a wall into the group, and instantly killed Doble. Nomes and Tresve were injured as well, but Lalo and them were able to flee some before El Dimoni continued his hunt. They ran for what felt like hours, and sometimes their captors voice would boom from seemingly nowhere. The memory of their escape from the mansion was a whirlwind of similar looking halls, detached voices, and unadulterated fear. Somehow Lalo and the others stumbled upon El Dimoni's garage, and were nearly at a small patrol craft when Tresve was shocked to death by lightning thrown by El Dimoni. Lalo tried to turn back for him but Nomes stopped him.
"Run! Go find your Anisa, meva sang!"
Was the man's last words as he thrust Lalo onto the shuttle, and turned to attack El Dimoni. All Humani follow the words as spoken, and Lalo was no different. It would have been worse for him to disrespect Nomes last wish, than to die at his side in vain. Lalo ran as fast as he could to the cockpit, and lifted off and out of the hangar. He had no idea what planet he was on, only that the mansion was within a large metropolis, and Lalo turned the ship to leave off world.
However, some people just waited for a ship from one of those fancy mansions. One such group was the crew of the pirate vessel,
The Tattered Sun. The large ship waited for Lalo to exit orbit before they quickly disabled his ship, and began to board.
That was the first time Lalo met Captain Vana Baltas...
"Memories were all that kept me alive. All those years spent in captivity... either under El Dimoni or Greencorp, Only one thing held my insanity at bay: Anisa and my family saved me. All I needed was the nostalgia of remembering them. Their love was the most staunch defense I had. Vents recollir! After all, both captors stripped me of all other defenses... but through their tinkering of my mind and body, they too ended up saving my life, for after my escape, is when I sailed with The Tattered Sun...
"–The Lady and The Sun
Lalo was rather stunned at the site of the swashbuckling Captain Baltas. She was nearly as tall as him, with stark white curly hair and blue eyes. The woman held herself with a confidence that Lalo had never seen before in anyone. It was like the world moved around her, and not her through it. He was even more shocked when she called off the order to kill him, and greeted him as 'brother'. Lalo had no idea what she had meant. He introduced himself, and explained his plight.
Vana had one of her men knock him out and lock him up in their brig. And then they sacked the patrol craft for all it's valuables.
He woke up later to find himself within a shock-cell stripped of all his possessions. And nearly all his clothes. His wounds had been tended to, and he wasn't bound at the wrists or anything. Lalo wasn't alone either. The woman from before him introduced herself as Vana Baltas, legendary Echani Pirate of the D'Aelgoth Hyperlane. He had never heard this name, and tried to explain that he had been in captivity for some time- in fact, he had no idea at all. Vana told him the year: Lalo had been in captivity nearly ten years...
Lalo had to sit and process that for a while. Vana had left him to his thoughts, and the only time he saw anyone was when a funny little Chadra-fan would bring him his meals, which were devoured instantly. For a week Lalo did not speak to anyone, not until Vana made another appearance, and bluntly asked if he was Echani. He told her no, and inquired why she thought so. It was then that she handed him a mirror, and a different man looked at him. His face was so much older, tired looking and bearded. To his shock, that beard, as well as the rest of his hair, was now the same milky white of his three dead kinsmen that El Dimoni had taken. Combined with his strange, yellow eyes... Lalo's heart sank. Even if he ever saw Anisa again, would she still recognize him, let alone love him still after all that time?
Vana snorted at his obvious depression, and called him a pitiful excuse for a man before she left. It wouldn't be the last visit from Captain Baltas, as a matter of fact, she would come every day to check in on Lalo, and each visit would end the same way. She would insult him and just walk away after he had revealed something personal, or important to him. It didn't take Lalo long to begin to get angry at the woman. Only after he finally snapped at her as she turned to leave, did she turn and look at him differently. Lalo glared at her with predatory anger, his fists clenched and his muscles taught. It was then that the Captain made an offer: If he could defeat her in a fight, she'd release him.
Of course Lalo agreed. He was done being a prisoner by this point. The man had stood up to the massive and monstrous dimoni, he could handle this woman. Or so he thought. When Vana deactivated his shock cage, Lalo sprinted at her full tilt and attacked wildly, his strikes at her fast and elegant. However, Vana simply drew a thin blade and swiped her sword once at Lalo to cut him across the face. That was the day he received the scar over his left eye. He was surprised however, when Vana began to tend to the wound herself. She used one of her handkerchiefs to stem the wound as she took him to the medbay.
Lalo would be amazed at how every single person they passed on the ship always snapped a salute whenever Vana walked by, and several times the woman calmly warned Lalo that if he tried to attack her again when she wasn't prepared, that she would cut him down without a second thought. Lalo did not want to die, so he didn't try anything, instead he observed the ship he was on, and tried to figure out what was up with the good Captain. She stayed with him as the ship's sawbones patched him up, but did so to make sure it still scarred. When Lalo protested, Vana told him to hush, a facial scar was a sign of a fighter. Handy out in space. Lalo still had no idea what this woman had intended for him.
After he was patched up, the woman didn't take him back to the cell, instead he was taken to her chambers- much to his surprise. The man was even more surprised when she handed him a sword. The woman explained that she had to test if he had the right spirit, as those under her were only allowed to stay
because they had that spirit. Nearly all of them had started right where Lalo was- a mere confused captive. It was that day that Lalo began to learn the art of swordplay, from what he didn't realize was arguably one of the best swordsman in that part of the galaxy.
Vana was most known for her unorthodox bastardization of Echani martial arts, instead combining it with the 'dishonorable' use of a bladed weapon. The woman didn't care though, she knew an effective and ruthless tactic, so she used it to her advantage. Out in the fringes of space, Echani honor meant nothing. It literally meant nothing to Lalo either, as he didn't even know about Echani in the first place. Vana however, was once highly respected in their government, and only went pirate during a political coup that left her first husband dead. Lalo would eventually learn of this, as well as many other things from Vana.
She was impressed by the grace that Lalo showed, and he explained that the art of dance was not that much different than the art of the sword, as he knew some talented swordsmen from the fleet, and many of them came to his father for agility lessons. Vana was intrigued by this, and Lalo offered her free lessons in payment for the kindness she showed. That night he spent in the brig. Lalo made a note that day not to mention her kindness again.
But the next day she agreed, and so Lalo got to continue doing what he loved best. It was during these sessions that Lalo would tell Vana of his life and his adventures- whether she wanted to hear it or not. But the Echani woman learned to accept that this was just who Lalo was. She even began to tell him of her adventures and past, but would nick him with one of her swords if he tried to show her any kindness in response to a story. Lalo received many little nicks across his chest, stomach and arms. Never did that stop him from treating her kindly. And even though it was true, Vana would never admit that she began to develop feelings for Lalo.
Lalo did begin to feel the same, but he wrestled greatly with it. He was still utterly devoted to Anisa, in every single way. And in a lot of ways, Vana was similar to Anisa. She had that same adventurous spirit, the fire of someone truly passionate. Even though she may have shown it differently than Anisa, Lalo truly believed the two women were of kindred spirits. Both santi in their own ways. Yet he still could not overcome his love for Anisa, and as much as he desired Vana, he would hold out.
He would do more than just teach and learn under Vana on the
Sun. Lalo put in just as much work into the ship as the rest of the crew- all Humani had a good work ethic, and always worked well in groups. It was a necessity for the space-fairing culture. Lalo never was assigned anywhere, he worked where he was needed, a jack-of-all-trades type, like many Humani. It wasn't long before the entire crew was familiar with Lalo. Many considered the man a friend, and even influenced him one drunken night on Tatooine to get his latest tattoo, a sensual Humani woman to adorn his left arm. Nearly every single one knew his life story, and rumors and whispers filled the ship about the strange-eyed man. Vana heard all these rumors and stories, even the ones Lalo had yet to tell her. She couldn't help but be even more impressed by him, and his devotion to Anisa.
It wasn't until about three years into Lalo's time aboard the
Tattered Sun that things would progress between the man and Captain Baltas. One night over a bottle of wine, and a dance lesson, the two broke down and fell into carnal lust. It had been many years since Lalo had been with a woman, and the first outside of Anisa. He just couldn't hold back any longer. The act would still break his heart, despite his body's pleasure. Lalo would come to care for the Captain quite a bit, and now that he had become more confident with his combat abilities, he would insist on backing up the Captain whenever she left the ship. Like many Humani, Lalo was quite protective of his own, and though the crew were not kin, they were his family.
Lalo would constantly question any more aggressive or violent decisions made by Vana, and though she never listened to him, he still respected her. And as long as he received his cut of the profits, he would be happy. For he was trying to save credits, as much as the
Sun grew on him, his heart still pined for the Humani fleet, for his family, for his Anisa. Lalo still had every intention of making her his bride.
Vana learned to depend on Lalo for many things. One was simply entertainment, the man often led the rowdier get-togethers with the crew, which Vana always attended, but rarely participated. Many of the crew said Lalo was good for their Captain, as over the years, she did begin to soften. She became more approachable, and less likely to cut someone for their idiocy. Vana would even show off her dance skills with Lalo for the crew, she had indeed proven an adept learner, and Lalo could not help but feel some pride towards her development, both as a dancer, and as a person. He cared for the woman a lot, but no where near the same passion that he held for Anisa. Lalo would never admit it to anyone, but anytime Vana and him lay together, he would think of Anisa the entire time.
The entire time he embarked with the Echani Captain, he would keep his ears out for any news of Humani movements. He would only hear a rumor or two a year, but always searched whenever he heard one. Vana allowed him a day to search the port they were at, but always warned that if he didn't return, she would leave. He never once thought to test her word, Captain Baltas had proven time and again that her word was law, and she never faltered. There was only one time Lalo may have come close, on {Insert planet} He heard a rumor of a talented arena fighter who was of Humani origin, and sounded like Anisa by her description. However, when he went to the arena to seek her out, he was disappointed to discover she had already disembarked some time ago.
He wouldn't lose hope though, over the years working, he had saved quite a large some of credits. Not enough to afford a ship quite yet, but maybe after a couple more years. One night he decided it was time to pay homage to the good Captain and her crew. In a seedy part of town on Gargon, around his navel Lalo got a tattoo of an Echani style sun, it's rays would fade out across his toned abdomen. It wasn't common knowledge, but Captain Vana had the same tattoo in fact. Only Lalo was the sole man to have seen that part of her body with no clothing on the ship.
What would become Lalo's last year aboard the
Tattered Sun, he was given a most precious gift. On his birthday, Vana revealed to him her gift. A pair of matching swords, forged by a famed Echani smith. Perfectly measured and weighted for Lalo's body and fighting style. The minute he lay his hands upon them, they already felt like an extension of his body. He immediately knew their names: Ritmo and Alma. Training under Vana had been difficult for the most part, but after years of training, and equipped with such fine weaponry, Lalo had indeed become quite the skilled swordsman himself. He never once beat Vana at a duel, but he was always a challenge for her those days. She was quite proud of her combat protege, just as he was of his dancing protege.
It would be a sad day that Lalo would say goodbye to Vana and the crew. He had saved enough credits for a small ship, and had recently heard a rumor of Humani activity near Yanibar- on the fringe of the Unknown Regions. He took this as a sign that it was time to move on, and embark out on his own into the galaxy. Lalo graciously thanked everyone for everything they had done, especially Vana. She taught him how to defend himself, so that never again would he be a prisoner. Nothing could stop Lalo now in his search, his constant quest to find Anisa.
"After that, my time with the Sun
ended. As hard as the good Captain was on me, she was also a great woman. But it was time, The Flux flowed in a different direction from her, so I let go, and let the waters take me. Estiba l'ancla as we say. I cared for my Captain greatly, we were del mateix cor... and though we were lovers for a time, I never felt the same connection
to her as I did my beloved Anisa. When I finally had enough credits saved to embark on my own, I did. She was still out there, somewhere in the vastness of space, Anisa was still out there, waiting for her Lalo to find her..."–The Dragon
Lalo purchased a humble patrol boat from a man long known to be kind to the Humani, a Bith that always gave them decent prices on reliable ships. They were nothing flashy, but Lalo didn't want to be noticed, and didn't want anything fancy, simply a vessel for him to search the stars. The ship was Kuati by build, and named
Blithe Moon. He would immediately buy a ship, and begin to search different space stations around the region for any Humani ships.
His search would continue to turn up with poor results. He did his best not to lose hope, after all the region was large, and he had only been searching a few months. Unfortunately, it would seem the Flux had strange plans for Lalo. He would be pulled straight out of a jump and awoken to alarms going off. Lalo stumbled to the cockpit to switch off the alarm and search for the problem. His read outs indicated a problem with the engines, and when he couldn't find the problem inside, he put on a space suit and went out to check the damage. Even still, his knowledge of spacecraft wasn't the best there was, and he couldn't determine the problem. He returned to the ship's interior. And sat and stared at a wall for what felt like hours. Lalo was stranded in space.
And he had only a month's worth of rations.
Panic would take Lalo for a while. Luckily his life support systems were still working. That didn't stop Lalo from feeling that fear though, he had heard horrid tales of ships stranded out in space, and the slow deaths associated with it. It seemed mala sort had struck the man, and it took days for him to just accept where he was at in life. Lalo did indeed despair, and would sit in the cockpit with a bottle of wine and watch the stars and drink until he passed out in his chair.
He dreamed of Anisa nearly every night, and thought about her constantly. His mind often reminisced about his time spent with her. Just like before, when he was in captivity, his only company was his memories. He missed Anisa so much, missed his family, and even missed Vana and the rest of the crew. Never before had he felt so utterly alone. In a literal sense, he had never been this far away from another being before. Lalo did his best to conserve everything he could, but as the days ticked by, his stocks would shrink more and more. Fear began to sit in his stomach, and wouldn't leave.
Three weeks into his shipwreck, he awoke, still drunk from the wine he was drinking. His ship would rattle and shake, and massive booming sounds could be heard. He stumbled about to try to find the source, but was in too much of a stupor still. When the sounds and shaking stopped, Lalo made his way back to the cockpit in time to see something massive and serpentine moving away from the
Moon. Lalo stared with his mouth agape as what he could only call a drac d'espai fly away. With a sudden massive bang, the ship's readouts told him that the engines were once more operational, and the man cried out in sudden sobriety as he initiated the jump once more, and was soon in civilization again.
Immediately upon landing on Ryloth, Lalo engorged himself and celebrated his survival. He woke up the next morning in bed with two Twi'lek women, and a new tattoo that spiraled down his right arm. A drac d'espai- a homage to his savior. Lalo had barely any memory from the night before, and was grateful for it. He already felt guilty enough by sleeping with Vana, let alone with a couple Twi'leks of all things. Lalo would sneak away before they woke up, and never speak of the night he couldn't remember again.
He would pick up his search once more, the man occasionally would pick up an odd job or two, usually as entertainment. Lalo didn't mind the life, he made just enough to keep sailing, and searched far and wide across the galaxy for his Anisa. He would always seem to just be behind other Humani movements, always a week or so behind groups of them it seemed. The man didn't get frustrated though, it merely hinted that he was indeed zeroing in.
Nearly a year after his time adrift, he finally struck home. A caravan of Humani traders were showing wares on the planet of Woostri, among one of its white sanded beaches. He cried with pleasure, and upon introducing himself, was instantly brought into the group. They cheered and celebrated all night for the return of a long lost brother. Over the night Lalo drank and told his tale to the group. The entire caravan seemed to hang on every word of his, and indeed, other traders from outside the Humani would begin to circle around Lalo as he shared his story. He told them everything, from his upbringing, to his love of Anisa, to his days in captivity, to the pirate crew, and ended with the drac d'espai. As he finished his tale, the caravan would smile coyly to one another, and reveal something that made Lalo's heart soar for the first time in years.
The Junta was to arrive soon, and the caravan would indeed make their way to it.
They invited Lalo to stay with them, and to travel with them until they arrived at the Junta. He readily agreed, and out of sheer gratefulness, gifted them his little patrol boat. They graciously accepted his gift, and for a time, Lalo earned his keep by keeping the group entertained. It felt so amazing to be among his people again. Other cultures just never seemed to have the same
energy as the Humani, each one was unique in some amazing way, yet they all shared that same spirit. He literally counted down the days until the Junta. It had been nearly fifteen years. Fifteen long, anguishing, lonely years. But soon, he would be reunited with those that mattered most. His family. His Anisa.
"That was how I got the tattoo you see here on this arm. I'm still convinced to this day that a drac d'espai is what I saw on my stalled ship. They say the dragons have a special love for the Humani, that we are their favored people. From the stories my Mare told me, to what I can only describe as one repairing my vessel, I can't help but believe that particular rumor. You may scoff and call me a liar, but I tell you now, we would not be sharing this wine nor having this conversation were they not real..."---
"So that is my story. Those are the events that have led to this very moment, to you and I now finishing this wine and me now decanting another bottle. I still dream of my Anisa, as recent as last night in fact. How do I know she is still alive you ask? How do I know she is still out there? That answer is simple amio: What her and I have, is true love - you think this happens every day? No, it does not. If I have come all this way just to find her again, imagine what stories she must hold in her quest to find me! Waiting for me to listen to them... and I tell you, after her and I are done making love, I plan to experience every single moment of hers while I have been away... Now let us drink once more for bona sort!"
