This is a rewrite of an old fic I started, but never finished, about three years ago. I sort of let it falter and never got very far with it, but I'm still pretty fond of the concept, so I'm rewriting what I had and attempting to continue it. I hope you enjoy it!

Family Ties

Chapter One

King Ladekahn of Diadem rose from his throne and greeted Queen Corellia with a sweeping bow, his long hair falling over his shoulders. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Queen Corellia," he said in his warm voice, taking her hand. Corellia smiled, allowing him to kiss her hand lightly, and inclined her head.

"The pleasure is all mine, King Ladekahn," she intoned. Though their meeting seemed to be one of a friendly nature, there was other business at hand, and it reflected in the serious light in Corellia's eyes. "I trust that you received my letter, Your Highness. The problem of which I wrote is quite urgent in terms of our internal affairs. It's become quite distressing to my people, and I need your help. You know how it is in Anuenue… The people are live idyllic, peaceful lives. We have little in terms of law enforcement, because we have rarely needed it."

"Of course." Ladekahn nodded. "You know that we are always willing to help our sister Anuenue. Your letter mentioned numerous child kidnappings. You have no idea who might be behind it?"

"An idea is not solid enough," Corellia said regretfully, shaking her head. "I don't believe it to be anyone from inside Anuenue. An outsider to be sure, trying to steal away the children of the Rainbow Nation." There was a quiet anger in her voice as she spoke, but it was well-contained, just like everything about her. "A few children have turned up recently, having managed to escape, but they were small and never saw their captor's face. But from what they told their parents, I fear it may be slave traders."

"Slave traders?" Ladekahn's surprise showed clearly in the knit of his white brow. "I didn't know such a market still even existed. How can you be sure?"

"The world is ever a dark place, Ladekahn," Queen Corellia said sagely. "One can never be aware of all that goes on, especially in its darkest, remotest corners."

Ladekahn sighed, looking contemplative. "That is indeed troubling," he murmured. "What can Diadem do to help? What resources do you need?"

"We need people with experience," she answered, and though she had said very little thus far, a knowing light twinkled in her eyes. "People to track down the kidnappers and return the missing children to their families. Savyna has already offered her help, but we require further aid." She paused, the words hovering on her rouged lips. "Might you perhaps spare me two of the finest men Diadem has to offer?"

Ladekahn smiled softly in response, nodding his head. "Anything for you, dear Queen Corellia."

Savyna was already waiting at Anuenue's port when the Mindeer rolled gently in, sending a soft breeze in her direction. She shielded her eyes against the sunlight as Lyude and Gibari stepped onto the port, the grass rustling against their feet welcomingly.

"It's about time you two showed up," she said, stepping back and allowing her arm to fall to her side. "I was beginning to think that I'd have to go it alone."

"Nice to see you too, Savyna," Gibari snorted, though good-naturedly. "King Ladekahn told us all about the problem here. You really think it's slave traders?"

"Queen Corellia seems to, but I'm not convinced," Savyna said briskly. "And now all of the families of the missing children are even more distraught over it. Anyway, come now; we mustn't waste time. There are children missing from many villages. I've already spoken to Queen Corellia and most of the children who managed to escape. There's one last one, though, in Ihe Village. We're heading there now." She started walking as she spoke, setting a swift pace, and Lyude and Gibari hustled to follow. "Slave traders or not, those children are going to be returned to their families where they belong, and their kidnappers are going to receive their comeuppance."

Ihe was a tiny village, mostly consisting of small huts made of mud and jungle foliage around one beaten, dusty road. It was so small and set so close to the southeastern edge of the Holoholo Jungle that Lyude wasn't surprised that he and his friends had bypassed it completely when they'd first come to Anuenue a few years back, on their quest to defeat Malpercio. It had been two years since they had all returned to their homes…but Lyude had had no home to return to. The Alfard Empire had been in ruins, and despite his part in saving them all, Skeed and Vallye had been none too welcoming to him. He had tried to return home, to rejoin his family, but his brother and sister had refused to allow him to find the comfort in his homeland he thought he could. He had long since been exiled from the Alfard Empire, and he had always felt he could never return there, especially after completely renouncing his allegiance to his homeland. Lyude knew that he must return someday, but he realized after his last confrontation with his brother and sister that it was too soon for him – and for them, as well. King Ladekahn had been so generous as to grant him Diadem citizenship. Ladekahn could see that Lyude cared deeply for the people of Diadem, and had grown to love the country, and so Lyude's former status as the ostensible Ambassador to Diadem had been changed to the actual and legitimate position of Statesman of Internal Affairs. He served at King Ladekahn's court with all of his colleagues, now, having been assimilated into Diadem. He had a new home now – at least for the time being.

"…so many of the men and women go hunting in the jungle," Savyna was saying. Lyude snapped out of his brief reverie and started paying attention. "Those who are less suited for such physical activity serve as healers and caretakers of the children when the hunters are away, giving them the most rudimentary of educations. They depend largely on the hunters to bring in a source of income. Most of them are little more than humble villagers, and less than civilized by most standards, but they seem to be contented with their lot."

A few small children dressed in simple but sturdy smocks were playing in the beat dirt path. Three women of close age were sitting at a stooped table with an older man of late middle age, talking with him in quiet, desperate tones. They all looked distraught and red around the eyes, all bathed in red and orange under the setting sun.

"I've arranged for us to speak with the village chief, but it looks like we won't have to go far to find him." Savyna nodded at the small crowd around the outdoor table, speaking in a low voice. "That's him, and those are some of the mothers of the missing children."

"Those poor families," Lyude murmured, mostly to himself. The village chief noticed them as they drew closer and stood, raising one hand in salute.

"Ho, Savyna!" They could now see he was a sturdily built older man, with a jolly but age-hardened face. His voice was a warm one. The women around the table all hushed immediately, turning to see the outsiders as they entered the village.

Savyna raised her hand in return. "Ho, Chief Halget!" she bellowed out back at him in her strong voice. "We're the ones sent by Queen Corellia to help find your children – might we have a word?"

"Of course." The chief pardoned himself from the group of women, though they looked after him with great anticipation. Brushing back his grey-streaked hair, Halget approached them. "Who are your friends?"

Savyna introduced Gibari and Lyude in turn, moving briskly back to the subject at hand. "We have a couple of loose leads from the other children who've returned, but the more information we can get, the better, Chief Halget. One of the escaped children resides in this village, correct?"

Halget nodded, tossing a glance over at the crowd of women. "Yes, that'd be Tyr. Son of Migur and Arlo. Let me show you to them now."

The three of them trailed Halget to a home a few huts down the road. The huts were three-walled, with a large, heavy curtain serving as a huge doorway where the fourth wall should have been. Halget rattled the bell-chain hanging from the curtain's rod. "Tyr! Come on out! Some outside folk need to talk to you!"

A moment or two later, a quiet-looking boy poked his head out from behind the front curtain. "Outside folk?" His eyes were a dull grey, calm and sleepy-looking, but they held the faint light of curiosity.

Halget waved him outside. The boy's bare feet kicked up a small cloud of dust as he shuffled out. "Tyr, these folk are here to find the other children that were taken away. You need to tell 'em everything you know about where you were so they can find them."

Tyr nodded, looking thoughtful for a moment. The boy couldn't have been older than six or so, and yet he was remarkably calm about it all. Lyude thought it peculiar.

"Moved us around, place to place," he said at last. He seemed to speak only in fragmented sentences, and his voice matched his eyes – dull and sleepy sounding, like jungle fronds sliding over dried mud. "Only at night. Put cloths over our eyes, couldn't see." He covered his face with his hands, to demonstrate.

"Makes sense," Savyna murmured to Lyude and Gibari. "It matches up with what one or two of the other children have said. I imagine that's why no one's found the kidnappers yet." She looked down at Tyr. "Where were you when you escaped? Do you remember any of the other places you were at?"

"One time, someplace in the jungle. Know 'cause it was sticky, smelled like the flowers and trees." He chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Escaped, on the hill. Big house fulla old books and dust and ghosts." Tyr waved his hands over his face.

"The Ancient Library of Magic," Savyna muttered, and Halget nodded in confirmation.

"He never made it to the jungle on his own, thankfully. A few of the villagers found him on their way to Komo Mai the next day. He was a lucky one, he was."

"How long ago was that, exactly?" Savyna asked sharply. Halget scratched his bearded chin.

"Three days, it was."

She hissed through her teeth. "We'd better get moving," she said to Gibari and Lyude. "There's no telling if they're still there or not, and if they're changing locations again tonight, we need to catch them before they do. Thank you, Chief Halget."

"No, thank you, Savyna." Halget shook his head, and patted Tyr on the head. "And thanks to you, Tyr. You can go now."

But Tyr stayed rooted to the spot, looking up at Savyna. "Please bring them back," he said. "Jyenka's still there, Lulu too."

"They will, boy, no worries. Come on, now, I'm sure your papa needs your help…" Halget ushered Tyr away, leaving the three of them behind.

"Jyenka and Lulu…" Lyude murmured. "Those must be children of the women Chief Halget was talking to earlier."

"Lulu, yes, but Jyenka is my granddaughter." The unexpected answer came from an old woman who seemed to have appeared behind them, and Lyude turned, slightly startled. The little old woman was dressed just like the rest of the village, modestly and simply, with her wispy white hair tucked under a kerchief. Her voice was like weather-worn stone.

"Oh – I'm…sorry to hear that, ma'am," Lyude said, sincerely. The old woman merely regarded him with sharp, probing eyes. He felt suddenly uncomfortable under her gaze.

"We'll get your granddaughter back to you right and quick, ma'am," Gibari promised.

"Let's go. We haven't any time to waste," Savyna said briskly.

"Wait, Savyna." Halget had returned, followed by a large, well-built man. "Take Migur with you. He knows the way even in the dark, and he can help with the children. You may need it, as nightfall is upon us."

"We'll be glad for the help," Lyude said, nodding. "Thank you, sir."

"Let's move out," Savyna barked.

Migur, despite his size and appearance — he was clearly a hunter – was as silent as they were, and complied with every direction completely. Traveling through the Holoholo Jungle at night, Lyude discovered, was no more pleasant by night than by day. It was still stiflingly humid, and without the penetrating sunlight, it was almost impossible to see where they were going, even with the Landmark Stones that both Savyna and Migur carried. Both Migur and Savyna, though, hunted and lived by this jungle, and it was by their combined navigation that they finally made their way to the eastern edge of the jungle. The trek after that to the hill upon which the Ancient Library sat was easy and straightforward, even in the dark.

Savyna instructed Migur to wait at the entrance once they reached the Ancient Library. There was no telling exactly where the children were being kept – if indeed they were still there – but it was obvious from the tracks in the dust on the floor that a group of people – mostly children – had been there recently.

"No doubt they're further in the library," Savyna murmured in low tones, her eyes following the faint tracks up the stairs.

"The Head Librarian's office?" Lyude whispered as they moved along the tracks. He was glad that as a citizen of Diadem, he no longer wore his Imperial uniform – those boots were impossible to walk around quietly in.

"It's possible," Savyna murmured. "It's just lucky for us that we know our way around in here. I'm sure the kidnappers weren't counting on that."

They crept deeper into the library, winding around bookcases and old dusty texts. As Savyna led them in further, faint sounds reached their ears. Savyna halted immediately, cocking her head slightly with a look of concentration to listen closely. Lyude followed suit, and the sounds slowly sharpened in his ears.

"They're still here," Savyna breathed. The relief in her voice was obvious.

"Sounds like they're in the office after all," Gibari grunted. "Knew it."
 
The sound of shuffling footsteps – heavier than a child's – reached their ears as they drew nearer to the door. It sounded like Savyna's hunch had been right after all, and the children were to be moved to a different location again that night. As far as the three of them were concerned, however, the only place the children were going tonight was their homes.

They were close enough to the door now that they could hear the various cries of the little girls and boys trapped inside more clearly. There were at least eight of them inside, from all over Anuenue. Savyna squinted at the door for a moment, as if assessing its properties, and then, without warning, lifted her foot and shoved it through the door.

"You could've just tried opening it," Gibari hissed, clearly taken aback – as were those on the other side of the door, as well. Several little shrieks and cries sounded from the children, and Lyude could make out gruff cursing from someone else – an adult. Savyna retracted her foot and knocked the door in with another swift kick, and the small rescue party rushed in.

There was only one adult among the children, a man clad all in black with his face obscured. At the sight of the three of them, he immediately began backing away from the crowd of crying children with another loud curse. Gibari grinned viciously.

"Nowhere to run in here!" he roared, summoning his paddle from its Magnus, but even as he charged the man with alarming speed, the kidnapper drew out a single Magnus from his cloak and just as soon vanished. Gibari skidded to a halt, nearly slamming his shoulder into the opposite wall.

"Damn!" he swore loudly. "The bastard got away!"

"Gibari!" Savyna said sharply. "Watch your tongue. The children." She and Lyude were crouched among the slowly quieting children, and Gibari came to join them.

"Hey, don't cry, kids," Gibari said in his best soothing voice. "We're here to take you home back to your moms and dads. Nothin' to worry about here."

A pale girl with curly purple hair was comforting a smaller girl with vibrant red hair pulled into pigtails. "Sshhh, Jyenka, hear that? We're gonna go home."

Lyude leaned forward toward the red-haired girl and laid a gentle hand on her head. "Don't worry, Jyenka," he said, kindly. "We'll bring you back to your grandmother, safe and sound. She's waiting for you at home."

The little redhead looked up at him with half-dried tears under her sea-green eyes, hair falling over her face. For a moment, Lyude was paralyzed with a strange feeling, something akin to déjà vu, as if he ought to have known this little girl. Jyenka's lower lip trembled, and Lyude feared for a moment that he had somehow said the wrong thing.

"Papa!" was the muffled cry as the little girl launched herself at Lyude. Caught by surprise, Lyude cradled her in his arms with a bewildered expression on his face. She was clinging to him tightly, obviously still frightened, and Lyude didn't know what to do except hold her.

Casting a look at Lyude, Savyna rose to her feet, helping some of the children stand as well. "Come, little ones," she said. "Let's leave this place."

They guided the children to the exit, where Migur was waiting. Savyna spoke to him in hurried, low tones, and they began guiding all of the children back to Ihe. Not all of them were children of Ihe villagers, but the hour was late; they could be returned to their villages the following day.

The children were exhausted when they finally made their way back into Ihe, and the little red-haired girl was still clinging tiredly to Lyude. The mothers of the children were still awake, waiting by flickering firelight with the village chief, and they all let out a cry of relief as soon as the rescue team entered the village. The chief and Migur immediately took over the care of the children, corralling them to their respective families where they had them, and soothing the ones from other villages.

The old woman – Jyenka's grandmother, whose name they learned was Synthis – hurried to Lyude, looking endlessly thankful.

"Jyenka! You're safe!" Synthis took her from Lyude, holding her close. "Thank you so much – all of you…"

Jyenka smiled. "Look, Gramma! Papa saved me!"

Synthis's eyes came to rest on Lyude, and once again, she studied his features with a peculiar kind of scrutiny. Lyude could only look back at her helplessly.

"Come now, Jyenka," Synthis murmured, her eyes still on Lyude. "You need to sleep now." She kissed Jyenka's head. "I offer you all a place to sleep in our home tonight. You must be exhausted."

The unspoken thanks hung in the air as Gibari, Lyude, and Savyna followed Synthis to a hut closer to the edge of the jungle. Stepping inside, it was easy to see that the place could hold more than just the old woman and the little child, but there was no one else in the darkened home. The only light came from a flickering candle.

Synthis swept behind a smaller curtain, muffled soothing words barely audible. A few minutes later, she returned to the main area of the hut to join the other three.

"I'm not her father," Lyude blurted out. He was still a little stunned from the little girl's startling insistence. "It's impossible."

"Indeed it is," Synthis agreed. "Her father died years ago. But I'm not surprised that she mistook you for her father."

Gibari leaned forward, resting one large hand on the surface of the table. "Why's that?"

"You look very much like him, ah…" She looked at Lyude, faltering for a name.

"Lyude," he said quickly, "and – this is Gibari, and Savyna." 

"He died…" Savyna echoed Synthis's words. "Doesn't the little one know that?"

"Of course she does." Synthis clasped her spidery hands together. "But her father died rather suddenly, away from home. He was killed by a monster on the hunt, and she's but a little girl, only five years old. She was so young when he died, but they were so close. She just misses him, the poor thing."

"What of her mother?"

"Her mother – my daughter Aurelia…she passed after giving birth to Jyenka," Synthis answered sadly. "They were both devoted parents in the short time that they were with her. They loved Jyenka above all else, and they loved each other just as much. When Aurelia died, Garrell was distraught."

Lyude looked up sharply, alertness surfacing over the tiredness in his eyes. "Garrell?"

"Yes, Garrell, my son-in-law, may his soul find peace."

A troubled look crossed over Lyude's eyes, and he looked over to the curtained room where Jyenka slept. "Garrell…" he echoed again. The name tingled his lips. "Was he a…native of Anuenue?"

Synthis shook her head. "No…he never told us where he was from. He seemed to have a troubled past, so we never asked him…"

"And…he looked like me…?"

"Quite like you. Everything but your eyes…Jyenka has his eyes, you know." Synthis peered at Lyude, who looked as though he'd seen a ghost. "What's the trouble? Are you all right?"

"What's up, Lyude?" Gibari placed a calloused hand on his shoulder, looking concerned.

"I…but that's impossible…" Lyude shook his head, looking slightly dazed.

Savyna looked at him. "Lyude?"

"I…had a brother named Garrell."

"What?" Gibari exclaimed. "You never said anything about a Garrell…I thought your only siblings were Skeed and Vallye!"

Lyude shook his head. "You wouldn't have heard of him…in my home, it was a name I was forbidden to speak. He was executed years ago. Or at least, that's what I was told…"

Savyna furrowed her brow in puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

Lyude sighed and ran his fingertips across his forehead. "Just like the rest of my family, Garrell was in the Imperial Army…he was the first. When I was twelve, he rebelled on an assignment and killed a senior officer in refusal to comply with an order. The officer he shot was well-liked by the Emperor…he was sentenced to death." He closed his eyes. "I was only a boy…I was told by everyone that he'd deserved it…that the Empire had done us a great service. And I…believed them."

"It's all right, Lyude," Savyna told him, perhaps a bit cynically. "Telling people what and how to think has always been the Empire's forte."

"But if he was executed, he couldn't have come to Anuenue," Gibari pointed out, looking at Synthis.

"He must have escaped." Savyna drummed her fingernails on the tabletop. "It's not an easy thing to do, but if you're clever enough…"

"If he escaped, then why were we told he was executed?" Lyude seemed upset about the idea. "Why didn't they search for him?"

"He may not have been a priority at the time. The Empire may have had more important things to do than chasing a fugitive. The guards may have kept it secret to keep their own necks off the guillotine." Savyna shrugged. "There are any number of reasons why it would've been kept secret. It's the only solution I can think of."

"He escaped…" Lyude's eyes became distant for a moment, and he sat down heavily in one of the chairs. "He…really got away? He lived on?"

Wordlessly, Synthis handed him a beaten picture frame. With trembling hands, Lyude took it and held it to the candlelight. Two smiling people gazed back at him. One of them was a woman of plain beauty, with long, dark hair. And the other…the other was his eldest brother Garrell, gazing at him boldly with sea-green eyes. Lyude knew then what it was that he had felt when Jyenka had first looked at him with those same eyes. It had been recognition…blood recognition. It had been like looking into his eldest brother's face again.

The tears came unwilling and without notice, and he could not stop them. He put the photograph on the table, and buried his face in his hands.

Lyude held the photograph in his hands, studying it in the moonlight that streamed in through the open window. Gibari and Savyna had already retired for the night, but Lyude was restless. He still couldn't get beyond the fact that his brother had never been executed at all. Jyenka was living proof of that. Garrell had escaped to Anuenue, fallen in love, and had a daughter for whom he must have cared dearly. It was clear in his eyes in the photograph.

"He was happy," Lyude said softly.

"He was very happy." Synthis entered the main living area, placing a weathered hand on his shoulder. "He never told me where he was from, but it was clear that he had not led a happy life before Anuenue." She smiled wisely at him. "Thank you, Lyude."

"Me? What did I do?"

"Now I know where my dear son-in-law came from," she said. "You've filled a wide gap in the family tree."

He shook his head. "No, Synthis. Thank you. I…I feel happier now, knowing what really became of my brother."

"You're welcome to stay as long as you like, you know," Synthis said gently, and left for bed. Lyude cast a glance at the curtained room where Jyenka slept soundly, thinking her departed father had returned. Lyude knew he had to tell her. He wasn't really her father.

But he was her uncle, one of three of her last living relatives on her father's side. Lyude suddenly felt a surge of emotion. He wanted to be there for her now that Garrell no longer could. She was his only living relative that hadn't shunned him, now. He might not have been her father…but he'd be the best damn uncle he could.

"I'll do it for you, Garrell," he said softly to the photograph, feeling a lump in his throat. Despite the wide age gap, he'd always felt closer to Garrell than to Skeed or Vallye. Garrell had not bore the sense of disgusted detachedness that seemed to dominate his older siblings. And what was more…Skeed and Vallye had disowned Lyude after his exile. Garrell had never lived to know of it, but knowing him, he'd probably have been proud. Garrell had always been a fond older brother…that was the vision of him that had been preserved in Lyude's mind. Though it had been almost ten years since he'd last seen his eldest brother, he felt a strong connection to him now through Jyenka. He was willing to go to great lengths to protect that little girl in the name of his departed brother.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind him. They could have only belonged to Gibari. "You all right there, Lyude?"

Lyude nodded with a sigh. "I am now…" He smiled faintly and put the photograph aside. "I just…it's a lot to take in. My brother lived a happy life, however short…and then he had a daughter. I have a niece. Synthis is her guardian now, but…I feel responsible for her, somehow. I want to protect her, teach her…I want to be her uncle, because I know Skeed and Vallye wouldn't do what I would."

"Ain't nothin' wrong with that." Gibari pulled up a chair for himself. "As far as I'm concerned, you oughta. You've got every right to be a part of her life, and she loves you anyway."

Lyude shook his head sadly. "No…she loves her father. She thinks I'm Garrell."

"Then you'd best get to know her, and let her get to know you." Gibari cracked his knuckles. "Tell you what. Savyna said we're supposed to meet with Queen Corellia before we leave Anuenue, but you don't have any pressing business back in Diadem, do you? So why don't we stick around Ihe for one more day? Spend it with your niece." He grinned. "I know you want to."

Lyude couldn't help but smile. "You're right. Thank you, Gibari."

"No problem, buddy." Gibari got to his feet. "You oughta get to bed soon, too. It's late and it looks like you'll have a busy day ahead of you." Laying a hand on Lyude's shoulder briefly, he shuffled back to bed. Lyude glanced out the window and sighed, smiling, before he got up and pushed the curtain aside lightly. The moonlight fell over Jyenka's sleeping face.

"Don't worry, Garrell," he whispered. "I will keep her safe for you."