Corellia
Galen Zaun frowned at the ruins of the large home before him. It had the stench of death about it, the Force positively trembled with the sounds of her dying.
Emotion welled up inside of him, and warred with itself, until in the end he was just numb.
Death stood silently at his shoulder, his face impassive, the Force cloaked about him to prevent the escape of any emotion.
Galen cocked an eyebrow at him and then moved forward.
He went through the ruined door and into the room. It was dusty, and shabby, all that remained was the droid, its chest still clearly showed the burns that it had received.
But the bodies had been moved years ago.
Their presence in the Force remained. She fought for life well, clinged to it, and even her spirit held to the dead body for the longest time, wanting so desperately to live.
"How can you stand it?" Death's voice pierced the cloud that was threatening to engulf his master.
"Stand what?" Galen's eyes narrowed and he shot Death a side ways glance.
Death hardly blinked. "Oh, I have just seen so much…." his mouth twitched predictably upward… "death in my time. How can you stand it? Don't you want to hunt down the people responsible and seek revenge? I just do not understand it."
"And I hope you never do." Galen said to himself quietly, collecting the robes about him and leaving the room back to the crisp morning air.
Death followed, his reading in the Force spiked as his anger at the injustice boiled over. "So that's it? You are not going to do anything?"
"No, we are not, we are going to head into the city and make contact with the authorities and determine what happened." Galen said smoothly, his stomach turning in hot knots.
"How can you be so cold?" Death said exasperated.
"I am not, I am just trying to find out what happened, and find the answers I seek-"
"How is that good enough? There must be something more we can do here?" Death cut him off.
"There is nothing we can do, it happened years ago." Galen said an edge creeping into his voice.
"There has to be something? You do not even acknowledge her name! I do not even know it!" Death said oblivious to the building danger he was in.
Galen snapped, he spun around in a Force assisted whirlwind. Pivoting on the ball of his feet. Then just as Death registered that, he flung himself at his future padawan.
He caught Death in the midriff and flung him into the rocks and the dirt. Death bashed his head and winced painfully stars sparkling in front of his eyes.
"Ow" Death said.
Galen was enraged, a fire was burning behind his eyes, but his eyes filled with tears, he looked away from the younger man. He released his Padawan and got up, then offered his hand pilling Death to his feet. They dusted each other off.
Galen looked away and moved over to the edge of the mountain, looking out over the valley and peaks in the distance.
"I have to find my son." He moaned out.
"Your Son?" Death replied his eyes widening in shock.
"Yes." Galen admitted, collapsing in the dirt. Now that he had made the admission to his closest friend, his adopted friend, his apprentice, the rest of his emotions came flooding out. "My Only Son!" He wailed, tears pouring down his face as he cupped his hands to hide them.
Death stood behind him, a quiet and solemn sentinel over looking the scene before him. Not at all sure what to say.
Galen sniffed and sobbed, painting the ground and his sleeves in tears. He finally, after several minutes, ceased his weeping. His soul was still tormented, but he knew what would bring it some peace.
"I have to find him Death." He said quietly, trusting the Force to let Death hear him.
Just then a crunching of feet attracted both of their notice.
Galen got up in a rush, springing to his feet and bringing his Lightsaber to hand. Death followed the example and spun his simply crafted Lightsaber to, pressing the button and bringing the emerald blade to life.
A figure crested the hill and came into sight. He was approaching the area cautiously, but with curiosity etched on his face at what was making the tortured noises.
He was old, with long over grown beard and a long gray hair.
He looked at Death and froze in fear, his eyes watching and looking at the Lightsaber timidly. Finally he tore his gaze from Death and looked at the other figure.
He grinned. "Galen!" He said happily.
"Do I know you?"
"Yes sir!" He said."
Galen blinked. "…Walter?" He asked.
The man before him hmped, "No, no, its Ralph."
"Oh Ralph." Galen said curiously. He always suspected that Ralph had a thing for his lover. "What are you doing here?"
Ralph waved his hand absentmindedly and shook off the notion as being trivial. "Oh me and Arkadi grew rather close to one another while you were gone. I helped take care of her, and John, that's your son's name Galen. I was here the night it happened. And every month I make a pilgrimage, to remind myself."
"I see." Galen replied, hoping that Ralph would know the fate of his son.
Ralph's eyes filled with tears. "I am sorry Galen, but I had to take your son to an orphanage. I could not care for him at the time, and had to leave him to the care of the sisters."
Galen brightened, his eyes broke into a grin and his mustache bristled, he ran lightly and tackled Ralph, hugging the living daylights out of him.
Ralph gagged. "Well you are welcome old friend."
"Yes, thank you. We must be off, come Death!" Galen shouted.
Death bowed and followed Galen.
The Order of Mercy Orphanage.
John Zaun had just gotten home from school, he was tired and weary. It was the school physical assessment, he was being bullied by his local arch nemesis, he had to run and hide from him at school. The sisters would not intervene on his behalf.
When they had a quiet time he read history books on the founders of the current Republic and the history of the Clone Wars, anyway he could.
Being distracted by the girl with the blond hair every now and then.
He heard a clamor behind him and turned around curiously. The youngest girl of the orphanage was greeting two men. One was old and bearded and one was smooth skinned and young.
John was curious, he felt a magnetic pull on him, his senses were awakening again as he began to move over, almost against his will to the two men.
"John?" The young girl said interested, "well we only have one John here." she felt a presence behind her and blushed "and here he is."
John locked eyes with the older man. He looked sad and melancholy, but also happy, he was obviously at war with himself.
"Who are you?" John asked skeptically.
"John," Galen choked, and then collected himself. "I am your father."
John blinked at the mere suggestion, he was too stunned for it to even register with him. "Sorry my what?"
"Your father John." Galen said with a sad smile on his face.
John's eyes widened perceptibly. "I am sorry…." John questioned, harboring his reasons and feelings of bitterness over his past and being left alone making him doubt the word of the stranger. But yet the man felt familiar.
And that made it click.
His father was a Jedi Knight. John could hardly believe it, but he felt so familiar, and the more that he probed the sensations shooting between the two of them like solar flares, the more right it felt.
John had to blink back his tears of bitter rage, trying to keep his feelings neutral. "What is your name?" His lip quivered as it seemed a crazy and stupid question to ask your father the first time out.
"My name is Galen, Galen Zaun." He replied touching his chest lightly.
"Well, my name is John. I have things to do." He hastily retorted, remembering his homework that he had to complete.
"I am sorry this will not take a lot of time, I just want to hear about your life." Galen inquired.
"Well that could take a while." John said smiling whimsically.
"Is there some place we can sit, refreshments, a lounge, somewhere we can relax?" Galen asked waving his hand around.
"Yes, this way." John inclined his head.
John led the way to a room off the main hall, it was simplistic but comfortable.
The three men sat around a table and one of the sisters served hot drinks.
John began telling Galen all about his life. Galen sat there, entrapped by his story, Death was bored.
Galen found the story of his son unique, and full of interesting life and promise. And perhaps a rare experience and perspective.
That said, Galen made a critical and hard decision, one whose repercussions he could not have even begun to realize. But it was the only way he could see going about things right now.
John finished his story and then went to go do his homework. His father told him that he was going to be taken away from here, that Galen was about to sign him out once and for all.
That process took most of the night.
Then John moved out into the cool night air, tired, weary, and wanting to go to bed.
They made their way to the space port, John slept most of the way there, waking up only when they got to their destination.
Death and Galen got out and made their way over to the ship that they traveled to Corellia in.
They punched in the commands to the communications array and then punched in the coordinates for the Jedi Temple.
They connected.
"Late you are, Master Zaun." The Grand Master of the order said as the image resolved itself in front Death and Galen.
"We know." Galen said, the long tiring emotional day getting to him.
"We have made the decision about the fate of young Death." The second master said.
"And?" Galen inquired tentatively.
"You can train him. He is now your Padawan." The Second Master reported.
"I have something else to bring before the council." Galen offered nervously.
"Yes what is it?" One of the Council asked bored.
"My son." Galen replied simply.
The Council was shocked into a silence.
"You have a son?" a voice asked off screen.
"Yes."
The Council shifted around uncomfortably, only the Grand Master was unmoving. "Have a request to make, you do?"
"Yes, he is strong in the Force-"
"Then he must be taken as a Jedi." Yet another councilor proposed.
"That, for the moment, is ultimately my decision. My proposal is that he remains in the school, as a social experiment. He has friends, loves, mentors, and is learning good experiences. I will move to Corellia and teach him, unofficially, the ways of the Force. I will also be at the sufferance of the Jedi and continue to run missions with Death and train him as my Padawan."
The Council thought for a second, afraid to make a decision, digesting the information slowly. A look of pure insight crossed the face of the eldest, wisest member of the body.
"Have our permission you do Master Zaun. The Council's authority, this is not, your son he is. Understand though, grave punishment you will face if you fail." The Grand Master proffered.
"I understand." Galen acknowledged bowing.
The Com link clicked off.
Galen looked back at his son, wondering what the future was going to hold for him, what adventures his young, 16 year old boy, was going to face.
