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Chaptered A Ballad of Crowns and Beasts

skira

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A 30 Part Story detailing the backstory of Lilith Kira-Sunka, later known as Darth Vasirion, told from various point of views. The final parts will be posted inposted in June.
 
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skira

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Prelude
Jaax Antis - I
605 ABY

Far outside the walls of the great city of Iziz, screeches could be heard echoing through the thick forests surrounding the Wildland tribes. The shadows of rupings cascaded down from the clouds covering the sky as the beast riders’ training continued on from the morning, a sight that wasn’t in the least bit uncommon.

Above the clouds, Jaax Antis flew calmly on the back of his ruping. Many of the beast riders had said that above the clouds was where they found their clarity, and he was inclined to agree. Onderon’s Wildlands could be vicious and cruel, but above all of that, the purest form of beauty could be found.

But beauty could also be found below them.

Taking the reins, the young man tipped his weight down to guide his ruping downward. As they broke through the clouds, they were met with a squadron of other rupings, all of them finding their place in the v-formation as they flew as one collective unit. This was one of the most essential tests, one to prove you could not only fly your beast, but fly it in a team effort as well.

The flying creatures slowly began their descent, easing down from the heavens in a vortex of the large wings. Jaax landed with a soft thud, and was quick to dismount the beast and guide him into the stable.

“Jaax,” A voice came from behind, and the young man turned to see who had called him. He hadn’t expected it to be Lord Sunka, and his son, Lewys.

“My Lord,” He said, tilting his head forward slightly out of respect. The Wildlands didn’t have the same formalities of those in Iziz, though they did try to use some.

“You’re doing quite well, much better than others your age,” Lewys commented, walking over to help him tie the beast’s reigns. Jaax smiled slightly out of appreciation, his hand moving to his chest.

“You honor me. I’m very grateful for my early training from my mother, I know everyone isn’t granted the same opportunity.”

Lord Sunka chuckled, moving to put a hand on Jaxx’s shoulder.

“We’re sending you to Dxun, boy. You and a few others. My son Louka needs recruits, and you’re one of the best we have. The transport will leave tonight, that should give you plenty of time to get your things together.”

That pure happiness and pride radiated from the boy for the rest of the day, even through his goodbyes with his family. Thoygh they were all filled with pride at the honor bestowed to their son, they knew how dangerous and deadly this war had become, especially in recent years. But even if they hadn't wanted him to go, they knew there was little to be done about it. And before he knew it, he was aboard a transport and already entering Dxun’s atmosphere.

The ship almost immediately reached just above the treetops of the thick jungle moon, its approach slowing drastically as they began their descent. Jaxx was already to go before they reached the ground, and after that, it was a whirlwind of activity and chaos.

All around him, he could see soldiers, riders, different tribes, all of them converging into one camp. Though in reality, they weren’t all really that different. The only difference he seemed to be able to notice to distinguish between all of them was the colors of their tunics. Some wore a dark green, others wore a deep red. Few wore black, though he only was able to spot two of them.

“You must be Jaxx,” A voice came from behind the boy, and he turned to see a man standing close behind him. He took a step back, and tilted his head forward once more. Though he had never met him, he already knew this was Louka Sunka, the twin of Lewys and second son of Lord Sunka. He looked identical to his brother, though he was a bit more slender in his arms than Lewys.

“Come on, I’ll give you a quick tour and show you the officer you’ll be reporting to,” He said, turning in his heel and making his way to the thick of the camp.

“I won’t be in yours?” Jaxx asked, and Louka chuckled from ahead.

“I’m a General, I handle more of the planning than the riding itself,” He explained, and though he didn’t look to see, he knew Jaxx nodded.

“That tent down there is where we eat. Each group has different meal times during the day, most of us eat at the same time at night. Your officer will tell you when your times are,” He pointed down a dirt path to a larger tent, where a few of the green colored shirts were walking out and the blue were walking in.

“We all wear different colors depending on where we belong. It helps keep things organized. Most generals will wear more formal leathers, and not colored tunics under them. The red shirts are people from the northern tribes that ride the drexls. The greens are people from the Southern tribes that ride the drexls. The yellows are people from the southern tribes that ride the rupings. You’ll be a part of the blues, they’re the ruping riders from the north. The browns are the people from the north and south that aren’t riders at all, just ground fighters,” He stopped then, turning to face the boy. He really wasn’t much older than them, he supposed. Louka always thought he and his brother looked much older than they were, but that was partially because of how quickly they had to grow up. At 18, it was rare to head a camp or be the second in command to a Beast Lord, but such responsibilities came with their family name, and with a war where they were already losing fighters by the hundreds, age didn't matter.

“Listen, boy. This camp can be brutal, and cruel. I suggest you keep your head on straight, and find some people around your age. They’re all pretty welcoming, but they’ll cast you aside the moment you cross them. Find a few people, they’ll show you around. If you have issues, come find me. You’re young, younger than most people that have come through here. I don’t like losing soldiers quickly…” He paused, placing a hand on his soldiers. Jaxx gave him an appreciative smile, and nodded.

“Thank you, General.”

Louka sighed, stepping back and looking at the tent near them.

“That’s yours. Do you have any questions before I take you in?”

Jaxx seemed to pause, looking around. He repeated back quick points of what he had been told, going over it in his head a few times before speaking.

“What about the people that wear black?” He asked, and Louka grinned, patting his back as they walked towards the tent’s makeshift door.

“The Sith.”
 

skira

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Final Triumvirate
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I
The Sith of Dxun
Reed - I
605 ABY

“Hold your approach,” A voice called out through the comlink, causing the entirety of the Sith battalion to hold their breath. Reed had been the one to speak, his accent thick despite being away from his tribe for over 3 years. He had been the scout chosen to lead his fellow Sith into today’s plot, and had been nearly 3 kilometers ahead of any of them.

Reed peered out past the tree line of the forest that concealed the 8 warriors behind him, spotting the first of the Dxun patrols they had seen that day.

“How many are there?” Derru said into the com after a few minutes of silence, causing the others around to make a shushing noise towards him. He gave them all a look, but said nothing else.

“About 20, I think. That’s how many I see so far, anyway. Continue on,” Reed spoke finally, and the other Sith started to walk once more. Each step they took was careful and precise, none of them wanting to cause any attention to come their way.

The easiest way to do this was silently, until the last moment.

“Should the beasts begin their flight?” A voice came through the comlink, this time one much more feminine.

“You and you witches, always wanting to fly. Never get your hands dirty,” Another warrior, who was known as Gad, though no one knew his true name.

“You’re just jealous we don’t have to walk 5 kilometers in the damned humidity, Gad. What beast could fly with your heavy-,” Kela continued, but was suddenly cut off.

“Will you both shut it? My elderly grandmother on Onderon can hear you both bickering,” Taulie, one of the only Sith Assassins on Dxun, cut through with a harsh whisper. Opposed to everyone else, she was a mere 20 feet from the patrolmen, perched in a tree thick with leaves to conceal her. Though, she didn’t really need the tree, did she?

And then, they were all silent. So silent, one would only be able to hear the sounds of the wilderness surrounding them. It had felt like it lasted an eternity, and the warriors’ hearts began to thump loudly in their chests. Had Taulie been found? Had they been found already? Were the beasts coming? Was it too early for them?

All of those thoughts ceased, though, the moment a whistle could be heard from ahead. A whistle, and then the distant sound of screeches. And finally, Taulie’s voice came through their comlinks, like the cry of a trumpet indicating the sign that the battle had begun. And in truth, it had.

“Now!” She shouted, and the warriors began their sprint through the forest. It didn’t take them long to reach where Reed had been, though he hadn’t waited for them and began his sprint to the enemy’s camp. They ran and ran, their lungs burning with adrenaline as the force flowed through them, picking up their speed and doubling it. And just as they reached the camp, the large winged drexls and rupings dove over their heads, attacking the camp head on. Fire lit the camp’s walls ablaze as one of the beasts flew around the perimeter, their riders unleashing hell upon the Dxun soldiers.

The warriors’ sabers sliced through the remaining people in the camp, until only a few of the generals remained. A true slaughter, one they had brought upon themselves by waging the war in the first place.

And with one last cry of the beats, the battle for the land that small camp held ended. As bloody and torturous as they had promised.
 

skira

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Final Triumvirate
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II
The War is Just Beginning
Louka Sunka - I
605 ABY

Louka smiled as he saw the Sith return from their most recent victory, all of them seeming to scatter into different areas of the camp. Many of them walked towards the dining area, where the Southern drexl riders were eating. Though it was expected that most ate at different times during the day, the Sith were often exempt from this rule after returning from their various victories. And since the Sith were a mix of the different regions of the Wildland tribes, it was easy enough for them to mingle amongst the other groups. The General went to greet the ones in the dining hall, but was stopped before he could reach the tent.

“General Sunka,” Gad approached him, and he smiled at the man. Gad was a few years his senior, but they had often trained together as young boys. Even after the Sith invited him to their temple, they still remained close.

“Gad! I was happy to hear of the Sith’s swift victory, the territory will be essential in us gaining access to more supplies and information moving forward,” Louka stated, embracing the man in a quick, brotherly hug. Gad patted his back, smiling down at him.

“It wouldn’t have been as easy without the rupings. Bringing them in last year has helped us tremendously,” He replied, and they began walking slowly away from the dining area. Louka spotted a few of the Sith leaving the tent and heading towards the stables where the beasts were kept, though he didn’t call out to greet the ones he recognized. There would be plenty of time for that later, and they wouldn’t be leaving again for a few weeks.

“Convincing my Father wasn’t easy, but it was necessary. And having them come at the same time as I allowed me to oversee it personally, and ensure the safety of everyone.”

“You mean your sister,” Gad pointed out, to which Louka almost sheepishly grinned. Gad sat at a nearby seat as they entered the tent, though the General chose to remain standing by the small makeshift door.

“How is she?” He asked, still not being able to see or speak to his sister since the Sith had left for the battle a few weeks prior. It had been one of the longest periods of time they had gone without speaking, and though he wouldn’t admit it outloud, he did miss her. As did their other twin, Lewys, though he was even less likely to admit such a thing. But when he spoke to his brother, she was always one of the first things he asked about.

“She seems to be alright. She only had two of her… episodes, coming back. Neither were particularly terrible,” He said, saying the last bits more quietly. Not everyone knew of the girl’s problems, and though they weren’t ones that occurred often now, Gad had known her when she was younger as well. Back then, some wondered if she was possessed, or demented, or simply insane. Their parents had done their best to keep the whispers about her quiet as she grew older, and as she gained more control of the episodes, the less people whispered about her.

“Good, good. I think the Force has helped her more than anything, when she began her training they became less…” Louka paused, searching for the right word. But Gad was quick to speak, finishing the sentence for him.

“Intense?” He asked, and the General smiled and nodded.

“I should go see her, if I don’t tell my mother and father we spoke they may fly to Dxun themselves to chastise me,” He said with a chuckle, and Gad laughed as well.

“Your mother on Dxun would be a sight to see, General. In more ways than one,” He replied with a smirk, causing Louka to punch his shoulder lightheartedly. Gad held his arm dramatically before laughing deeply, shaking his head.

“You know, I’ve noticed she’s gotten a bit close to a Southern rider. Jahdiel, I think.”

“Have they? We knew Jahdiel well when we were younger, our mothers were close friends growing up. I haven’t gotten to see him much since I arrived here, I suppose I’ll have to change that,” Louka said, eying the tent where Jahdiel must have been. He had noticed his sister had been sitting with the Southern riders a few times in the past few months, but had assumed she was simply making friends with people other than the Sith.

“I’m sure they’re just friends and nothing more,” Gad said, with a bit of sarcasm to his tone. He smirked at his friend, causing him to roll his eyes.

“I’ll have to leave you before I punch you again, my friend. I’ll see you at dinner,” Louka said, nodding his head once towards the warrior before turning on his heel and leaving the tent. He looked down at the path towards the stables, then to the dining tent, before deciding to see his sister before his old friend. She was able to make her own decisions about who she spent her time with, he had just wished she would have told him first. But, then again, Gad could definitely be wrong.

But as he reached the edge of the tents and the stables, and his sister came into view, a firm grip on his shoulder stopped him.

“Louka,” A familiar voice said from behind him, and he turned only to see his brother, Lewys. Along with Lord Lera, who was Lilith's royal advisor, and two royal guards standing beside him, dawned in the Kira family’s blue cloak and gold armor colors. His brother pulled him into an embrace, a sign of affection he only showed when they were alone, or something had happened.

“Lewys? What are you doing here?” Louka said, stepping back from his older brother while keeping a hand on his shoulder. He almost hadn’t believed it was really him. Though Lewys had wanted to join his siblings on Dxun, his Father had named him his second in command on their 18th birthday. After that, he knew his place was in their Tribe, and gave up his wishes for fighting.

“Where’s Lilith?” He asked, his face stern and voice serious. Louka’s brow furrowed, and he took a step back from his brother, looking between him and the guards.

“Visiting Carys at the stables, I think,” He started, the guards and Lord Lera walking past the two before he could finish speaking.

“Lewys, what’s going on?” He continued, and his brother stepped towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He leaned towards the side of his younger twin’s ear, whispering so quietly that if someone had been walking by, they wouldn’t have heard a word coming from the young Beast Lord’s mouth.

“There has been an incident in Iziz, Lilith needs to return home immediately.”

“What kind of incident?” He whispered back, and Lewys coughed to cover what seemed to be a rush of emotion, blinking away any tears threatening to fall from his blue eyes. Louka knew it had to have been especially terrible, then. He had been surprised to see his brother, but crying was something he hadn’t seen him do since they were very young.

“The King has died,” He paused, coughing again. Louka gasped softly, confusion spreading across his face. But before he could ask even one of the thousands of questions coming to his mind, his brother continued.

“Ronan is missing,” Their cousin, the Heir. The only child the King and Queen had been able to conceive.

“And… The rest of them, any remaining person with Kira name. They’ve all been killed. Every… every single one of them.”

“Who? Who would have done such a thing? Or even have been able to? There were… at least a hundred. They were spread out across the city. And Ronan? How is he missing? Where were the guards in any of this?” He only was able to get a few of his many questions out, before Lewys put a hand up to stop him from speaking. They both looked down towards the stables, seeing the back of their sister’s head as she closed one of the gates to the inside. The guards were only now approaching from behind her, Lord Lera calling out her name once they were close enough.

But before they could speak, before Lilith could even turn to see who it was, her hand raised up to her head, signaling for the three walking towards her to stop their approach. Her head dropped, and with only silence between them, with no explanation said aloud, the young woman let out a sob.

And with the Crowns all but extinct, the Snakes rejoiced, the Rupings screeched, and the throne of Onderon fell to the Beasts.
 

skira

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Staff member
Administrator
Final Triumvirate
Dark Council
III
A Funeral Fit for a King
Ton Rash - I
605 ABY



Funeral services for over one hundred people, all carried out within a week. Such chaos had sent the city into a deep state of mourning, one that hadn’t ever been seen in the planet’s history. The Kira Family’s legacy was one that stretched across centuries. Thousands of years had allowed them to secure their hold on Onderon, and its throne. They were descendants of not only the Kira’s that had freed Iziz from the captivity of their Dark Sided Queen and King, but had also come from that same line, leading all the way to Freedon Nadd himself. Such luck in bloodline was not one so easily found in the galaxy, and their name had become infamous. And now, after thousands of years of ruling, both on the throne and as nobles assisting the monarchs in their rule, it all had come crashing down in a singular night.

Such a slaughter was not one seen often in history, and had left the Kira’s almost entirely extinct.

Though, some still lurked. Lord Ton Rash being one of them. He had insisted on it throughout his life, reminding everyone that only 195 years prior, his ancestor had been King Juda Kira, the same King the former had descended from. He was less likely to also remind anyone that his line had come from bastardy, but it was something everyone had known. It was why he and his son were not contenders for the throne.

That, and the damned Beast Heir. He had been vehemently against King Dontair naming one after the former had stepped down, but the foolish man insisted. It had been a tradition since the early years of the Dark Ages, he said. One they had to continue, in case something ever happened. But he had also insisted that something would never happen, that the likelihood of it was so small it would never be a problem.

A foolish King indeed. But one he had been great friends with, and one he mourned greatly.

At the beginning of the day, a public funeral had been held for the late King. He had attended it with his family, and the other nobles. But the custom of Onderon stated that before the body was laid to rest, the family would be able to mourn away from the public eye. The Rash’s had not been included in that, much to Ton’s dismay. But there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Not yet, at least.

And so, he sat in his private box in the Iziz opera house beside his only son, Tomin. They had almost not had a show that day, but many of the noble houses insisted on having something to help distract people if they wished to attend. The young man had wanted to remain in the city, to be there with the other nobles when they paid their respects to the new Queen. Tomin had known the girl, after all. But his father insisted that they visit at a later time, and Tomin rarely dared to go against his Father’s wishes.

The feminine singer sang softly on the stage, her voice light and high-pitched as it echoed off the halls of the building and outside into the city. It was a song of morning, with violins waiting to begin their ballad from the pit below the stage.

“My Lord,” a voice came from behind them, and Lord Ton motioned for the person to come closer to him, keeping his eyes on the singer below.

“The Beast has begun her flight,” The person whispered, and a smirk came across the Iziz Lord’s face.

“Perfect.”

Facetune_28-05-2023-14-35-05.JPG
Across the city crowds had gathered, lining the path the new Queen would take. Silence spread across them all, everyone trying to spot the young woman. Some had assumed she would ride in a speeder to the palace from the small royal graveyard, others had speculated that she would decide to ride her beast, continuing with her feral upbringing. But no one had expected what the Beast would decide to do, the singular action changing many of their perspectives on her.

Her family, the Sunkas and Kiras that had married into other families, all stood by the entrance of the cemetery, all making a similar path to that in the city for her. All waiting. Some were able to see into the cemetery, spotting the girl kneeling over her Uncle’s gravesite, holding a singular flower in her hand. After a few minutes, she placed the flower down, and stood. A veil had covered her face during most of the funerals, including this final one. But as she reached the end of her family, she turned towards her Mother, who leaned down to pull the veil up over her head, draping it across her back and allowing everyone to gaze upon the new Queen’s face for the first time since she rose to such a title.

No, she hadn’t chosen to take a way of transportation to the palace. Instead, she chose to walk. She began her slow paced journey through the city, her family following closely behind her in rows. And as she did, the people of Iziz fell to their knees for the new Queen. She kept her eyes straight ahead throughout, though the streaks across her cheeks were evidence enough of her sadness for the day. At 18, at any age, no one should have to face such a thing. The throne was one thing, but having your entire life uprooted, losing half of your family, all in a single day was far too much for any person. But there she walked, with her head raised and the throne laid before her.

It wasn’t until Lilith Sunka reached the bottom of the steps leading to the palace that she stopped, looking over her shoulder to finally look at the people of Iziz. Her people. Many people began whispering prayers, the entirety of the city dwellers that had ventured outside now kneeling for their new Queen.

“Long live, Queen Lilith Kira,” One of them called out, and others followed suit. Soon the chant could be heard all across the city, from the palace steps, to the nearby Wildland tribes. Even inside the opera house, the call could be heard, causing the singer and violinists to cease their melody.

All of them listening as the people of Iziz called out the new Queen’s name.
 

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