Private Dust in the Wind [Complete]

[Queen of Devit]

Location: City of Devit - ROYAL MANSE
Tags: Caelan Valoren

Anavi stood at the edge of the grand courtyard, the bustling sounds of Devit's royal palace muffled by the weight of her thoughts. The palace, nestled on the golden hills of Lazerian IV, gleamed beneath the sunlight. Despite the grandeur around her, her focus was solely on the thoughts of her childhood friend, Caelan, who she had not seen in nearly two years since she had started her training as a padawan in the New Jedi Order.

Caelan, now King of Devit—though Anavi still couldn't quite reconcile the title with the boy she once knew—had changed in ways she hadn't anticipated. At the coronation, something in his eyes had shifted, a distance she hadn't noticed before. It was as though the weight of the galaxy had settled into his very bones, altering his youthful spirit. His smile, once a constant companion, had been more restrained, shadowed by loss and the responsibilities now thrust upon him.

Anavi chewed nervously on her lower lip as she approached the entrance. She was excited to see him, to catch up, but there was a knot in her stomach. Caelan had always been her anchor, her closest friend since they were both children, when they would play in the palace gardens while their parents talked of politics and war. But something had changed. The liberation of Devit from the hands of the Obsidian Syndicate had cost him dearly—his parents, the heart of his kingdom, lost in the chaos of war.

She could still remember the last time they'd spoken, just before she left to complete her training on Coruscant. The look in his eyes that day had been filled with so much hope, so much optimism. Now, all she saw in him was the heaviness of a crown that didn't quite fit.

Taking a deep breath, Anavi stepped through the palace doors. She couldn't help but wonder if the friend she was about to see was still the same Caelan who had once dreamed of exploring the stars. Or if, like the planet itself, he had been irrevocably altered by the trials of war. Her bright blue eyes searched the grounds around her as if there might be some answer to the questions racing through her mind. The last time she had seen her friend he was a boy but the coronation ceremony had made him look different. Something was off an Ana intended to find out what.

 

[Caelan Valoren]

The royal manse was busy.

People were coming and going, moving things around, working, cleaning. A new King had been crowned and that meant changes, although Caelan himself wasn't making that many of them. This was his home and he liked things mostly the way they were. The only real change he'd made was in changing out everything in the King and Queen's bedroom because anything that his parents had owned reminded him of them and he couldn't bear to be around those things. The memories were just too painful.

Already he was busy trying to get things done, not that he hadn't been before. There was much work to do on Lazerian itself. The planet was still recovering from the months long occupation by the Obsidian Syndicate and Caelan himself was still trying to reconcile the fact that someone else had been controlling the leadership of the kingdom from the shadows. Plus he had to appoint someone to represent their world in the Alliance senate.

As he crossed through the main hall, he noticed a shock of red hair amongst the crowd and paused, a smile touching his lips. While he did have work to be doing, sometimes it was necessary to take a moment. That red hair, see, belonged to a childhood friend, someone who he had grown up spending time with as their parents had known each other. He and Kita had played with her and her siblings as if they were cousins themselves. In fact, he knew her better than he did his own cousins, whom he'd never actually met.

"Anavi!" he called, crossing the room towards her. "I thought I saw you at the coronation, but I didn't get a chance to say hello."

When he neared he immediately invaded her personal space and wrapped her in a hug. She was basically family anyway.

"How are you? Seems a long time since we've seen one another."

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace)

TAGS: Anavi Vandala ​

 

[Queen of Devit]

As soon as she saw Caelan she wanted to giggle at his facial hair and tease him, but years of royal upbringing had taught her to be a lady when greeting a king. They were childhood friends but the ranks were different now and any smart politician would test the waters first... that is until he swooped in and hugged her like a big brother. They had spent so much time together as children they were basically family and she was happy to see his new title had not changed that. She hugged him back and when he let her go she rubbed the fuzz on his face and grinned.

"You've gotten scruffy since the last time I saw you kid." She then eyed him up and down. He was taller than her now! "Though not such a kid anymore! You look like you've aged five years already. Is being king that bad?" She elbowed him teasingly but there was genuine concern in her bright blue eyes.

Caelan Valoren​

 

[Caelan Valoren]

He made a face when she rubbed the scruff of a beard on his chin. Nobody had done that to him yet and it felt kind of funny. He didn't know what he'd expected it to feel like, but it kind of itched afterward.

"Comes with growing up," he said, the smile still present until she mentioned him aging.

When those words came out of her mouth, the smile faltered and he looked around for a moment to see how many people were in earshot. They were in the entry lobby of the manse, so that was quite a few. Not the ideal location to discuss what had happened to him. If he took her to his office, that might be best, but he thought what might do better would be to take her to where it had all happened and let her see for herself what he was left to deal with.

"Come with me."

He offered her his arm, and when she took it would, start leading her through the house. They would descend a level, then another, probably deeper than she'd ever gone before. Friends or not, her family hadn't been privy to access to the vault, and they were on that level now. Though, he had no intention of taking her to it. Instead, he found that seem loose spot in the wall he'd discovered before and pressed on it, revealing a hidden door, which led to a corridor and another door. Inside of that space, a several cloning chambers with now deceased clone bodies in them in various stages of development, and one preservation chamber with the decapitated head of, well, a Caelan that looked more like what she would remember.

"It's horrid, I know. I found this chamber shortly after we reclaimed the world. I was... attacked by the one without a head, pushed into this chamber," he indicated the aging chamber, "and when I came out of it I was four years older. Then I had to kill that one. After I did, well, you can see the results."

His face was pale and he was wringing his hands as he stared around the room.

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace)

TAGS: Anavi Vandala ​

 

[Queen of Devit]

She caught that his smile faltered and she could sense something deeper that he did not want to discuss around others. Part of being a noble was realizing that people were always around and like it or not they were listening to you and watching you. It came with the territory of being in the position their families were in. He was probably thrust into an even brighter spotlight because he was now a king, and an orphan, which would mean more people wanted to get a look at him. She took his arm and together they descended downwards, further than she had ever gone before when her family had visited his.

"This isn't where you keep the bodies of friends who beat you at hide and seek right?" She laughed a little nervously as they continued down. She had never been to this part of the royal house, though it expected there would be parts of the place that were off limits to outsiders.

Soon they stepped inside a secret room and its contents were enough to make her gasp. There were bodies floating in cloning tanks, some of them did not have heads, others were not fully developed, but they all resembled her childhood friend. She felt her arm pull away form his softly, almost protectively, as a shudder ran up her. She walked slightly closer to the chamber as he spoke, but she found after a few steps that she did not want to get any closer. Anavi was still a Jedi but she did not have as much experience as Caelan did. She was shaking slightly at the grotesque display and found she could not approach any closer. Instead she turned to her friend, her expression softening.

"Oh Caelan... I cannot imagine... " She didn't know what to say. To find out you were a clone had to be an identity crisis in itself, but to also be suddenly forced into adulthood, and to lose your parents, wait were they even his parents if he was a clone? All of that and to be thrust onto the throne... it was so much.

"You've been through so much." She said softly, stating a fact and feeling an overwhelming urge to hug him and comfort him. She restrained herself, reminding herself he was a ruler now, and instead she pushed her long red curls out of her face.

"Did you find out what all this means? "


Caelan Valoren

 

[Caelan Valoren]

He watched her, waiting to see how she would react to this. It was one thing to see a dead body, another to know someone you cared about had been the cause of one of them. She didn't seem repulsed by him, more so worried than anything, and he found himself letting out a sigh of relief in response to that. It was always hard to say how someone would feel, but at least he could feel relieved in knowing that he hadn't just lost a friend.

"To an extent I understand it, yes," he said.

Walking over to where the containment chamber was with the beheaded body, he placed a hand upon it, but turned his eyes to her. He didn't want to look at what was inside.

"This is the real Caelan. That is to say, the one that was born to my parents. He was taken by someone, I don't know who yet, because my father favored Kita more than him. They replaced him with me. I was the Caelan you grew up with, the one you have always known, but not the one born to my mother. I was made in one of those tanks."

He motioned to the tanks where the dead bodies now floated, preserved in the liquid within.

"They taught the real Caelan the dark side of the Force with the intent of using him to control Lazerian completely, preferably in a manner that benefited them. To what end, I don't know. I tried to get him to stop and just go away, but he refused, claiming it was his right to do so. I had no choice but to kill him lest he assume the throne and destroy this world. I couldn't let him do that. He didn't know the people as I do. He didn't know our family as I do. He was no longer really a Valoren."

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace)

TAGS: Anavi Vandala ​

 

[Queen of Devit]

As he explained the entire story she breathed a sigh of relief to find that he was still her friend and the boy she'd grown up with. Their families had been getting together for summers as far back as she could remember, probably in the hope that some of the children would fall for each other and unite the kingdoms. Royals tended to do that sort of thing without realizing that it could backfire if everyone involved felt more like siblings than anything else. At least she knew the boy standing in front of her was the same one she had grown up with, and yet he was also different. He'd aged in the blink of an eye. It was comforting that he was still himself but also shocking to hear that he wasn't his mothers son. It was a lot to take in and she couldn't imagine how he felt about it all.

"Wow. That's a lot." She let out a low whistle, the only way she knew of really expressing the magnitude of the situation. As her eyes traveled over the tanks again she could tell he was nervous about how she was going to take all this. Admittedly it was freaking her out more than she was letting on but he was also still her friend and she wanted to let him know that hadn't changed.

"So wow you are older than me now. You can sneak me into R rated movies because you are an adult!" She smiled, teasing him but trying to reassure him they were still friends and could still have adventures just like they used to.

Caelan Valoren

 

[Caelan Valoren]

"It was a lot, yes," he agreed. "You know I hate fighting unless I have to. I really didn't want to kill him. I wish the other clones hadn't died as well."

He walked over to look at the tanks where the clones floated. These he didn't mind looking at. He hadn't killed them, they'd been killed by whoever was responsible for all of this. It made him angry. They hadn't done anything wrong. Never mind the fact that none of them should ever have been created, himself included. If the real Caelan had been left with his parents he would have turned out just fine, but that hadn't been the case. Now everything was screwed up and there were secrets a plenty. Secrets that only Anavi and three others knew.

Turning back to her he shook his head.

"That would be irresponsible and you know I can't do that now."

The implication was there that he might have if circumstances were different and he was still just a prince. But he wasn't, and a King didn't take a princess into situations that they had no business in doing.

"I have to ask that you keep this all a secret. You understand that, right?"

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace)

TAGS: Anavi Vandala ​

 

[Queen of Devit]

"That would be irresponsible and you know I can't do that now."

“Don’t be a buzz kill.” She stuck her lip out, pretending to pout but she was really only teasing him. Caelan had always been a rigid person. It was an admirable trait but also one she hated. Some people were rule followers and some were rule breakers. She wondered which she was? She’d have to ruminate on that.

"I have to ask that you keep this all a secret. You understand that, right?"

“Of course. We can lock it away in the friendship vault and never speak of it again.”

That was another thing about being a noble, secrets. You could never avoid them.

“So do you have time to hang out? Or do you need to get back to running the planet your majesty?”

It felt weird that he was suddenly an adult with all of this responsibility. Ana of course had her own responsibilities but she had always imagined she would grow up first and answer his questions like a little brother. This was going to take some getting used to.

Caelan Valoren

 

[Caelan Valoren]

Caelan rolled his eyes. Twice. The first time he rolled his eyes was when she pouted about him saying he wouldn't be irresponsible and take her to things he shouldn't. Of course he wouldn't. Even before he was King he was a stickler for following the rules. They existed for a reason, so it was important to follow them. The second time he rolled his eyes was when she called him majesty. They were friends and the way she said it was a teasing tone, but he still didn't like it when a friend referred to him that way.

"Don't call me majesty," he said, grabbing her hand and tugging her towards the door.

He wanted to get out of the hidden room. The place gave him the creeps. He only preserved it because of the fact that he still hadn't resolved the whole of the situation behind it. So he led her back out and into the corridor and then back up, only releasing her hand when they got to the main basement level and were heading back up the stairs to the main level.

"What did you have in mind for hanging out? Time is limited these days, but I do have some since today was coronation day. I don't think anyone expects a lot of me today."

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace)

TAGS: Anavi Vandala ​

 

[Queen of Devit]

Anavi was glad to leave the room behind. It was creepy but she didn't want to say so in case she hurt his feelings. Figuring out you were a clone had to be traumatic enough without your friends calling the technology that created you creepy. They headed back upstairs to the normal part of the palace and then he asked what they should do with themselves.

"We could head to the park and take a walk, or go to the Neon District, or we could go swimming. You are the king. You should know all the fun things to do in your own kingdom." She smiled at him, but did not call him majesty again, noting that it upset him.

Caelan Valoren

 

[Caelan Valoren]

"A walk in the park would be nice," he said, as he turned towards the entrance to the manse.

The manse was situated within the forest that made up the park, so they didn't have to go far, and he wouldn't be far away if someone should need him for something. There were several ministers filtering through the building to do this and that. A lot of reconstruction was underway within the city itself. There had been a lot of destruction wrought upon it by the people that had killed his parents. It was an ongoing task, but one that was slowly nearing completion. Time heals all wounds.

He opened the doors for them and let her through first before following. They headed towards one of the pathways that would lead them into the park proper.

"How are your parents? Your siblings? It's been a while since I've seen any of you."

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace)

TAGS: Anavi Vandala ​

 

[Queen of Devit]

They decided to take a stroll through the park, which was always nice this time of year. Anavi liked to see all the birds singing and flying around and the park was an excellent place for that.

"How are your parents? Your siblings? It's been a while since I've seen any of you."

"Everybody is doing well for the most part. My mom is really involved in a charity project. Dad is... well dad. I don't see much of him. All of my siblings though are as well as can be expected considering they are all fighting for a crown."

The kingdom of Kashir was a lot different than the one on Devit. The king took multiple wives and would choose the next ruler out of the many children he had with each woman. That meant that there was a lot of animosity among the siblings and even between all the wives. The family never felt very inviting to Anavi. She was used to it by now of course, but growing up she had secretly envied Caelan's family. They seemed like a stronger unit full of love and appreciation for each other. Of course she'd never say that now, considering the death of his parents.

"Honestly crime is still a problem on Kashir and I seem to be the only one concerned about it. The rest of the galaxy views us as thieves because we let the crime syndicates run things. " She sighed and looked up towards the sky, watching for birds. He had enough on his plate without her complaining about her own kingdom.

"How are things here? Really? Being a king must be stressful?"


Caelan Valoren

 

[Caelan Valoren]

"I'm glad they are doing well."

He was. It might not seem like he was with how quickly he said it, but he was actually glad her family was well. It was hard, knowing her family was alive and doing alright and his own was gone, but that was life. Her family was a much different one from his anyway. Multiple wives. It was a strange thing, the way her world worked. The idea of multiple wives just seemed odd to him. How did one give them each the attention that they deserved? How did any of the kids get the attention they deserved as well?

Come to think of it, why did his parents legitimize that sort of marital system by being friends with them? Seemed odd.

"Why do you let the syndicates run things? Don't you have the capability of taking care of the issue by now?"

They wandered down the path at a slow pace. It was a leisurely stroll, not a rush to get anywhere. The woods were calm, and there weren't a lot of people about, which was kind of nice given how much he'd been accosted lately. It seemed at every turn someone was asking him for something or he was having to rush off to deal with some situation or other.

"I just became King today, but ever since we retook the world from the syndicate it's been no shortage of needs and wants for me to handle. I try to handle it, but there is no help for me here. I wish I knew where Kita was. I could use her help, at least."

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace)

TAGS: Anavi Vandala ​

 

[Queen of Devit]

"Why do you let the syndicates run things? Don't you have the capability of taking care of the issue by now?"

Anavi bit her lip as they walked, her eyes still glued to the sky to see any birds. Bird watching had always been a hobby of hers. "I wish I could but ..." She trailed off, not wanting to voice her secret suspicion that her father might be involved with the syndicates. Even worse she worried his wives, including her mother, were involved in criminal activity as well. It was just shocking to her that her complaints fell on such def ears. Her father cared for his people and made sure they had what they needed, so should he turn a blind eye towards the blight of crime that was undoing that progress? Part of her worried that her parents had sent her to the Jedi to shut her up about this topic as well.

"I just became King today, but ever since we retook the world from the syndicate it's been no shortage of needs and wants for me to handle. I try to handle it, but there is no help for me here. I wish I knew where Kita was. I could use her help, at least."

"Still no leads on her whereabouts?" Anavi frowned and finally let her eyes depart the sky and study his face. She had known Kita for almost as long as she'd known Caelan so it pained her to know the other girl was out there... somewhere.

Caelan Valoren

 

[Caelan Valoren]

She wished she could?

"I didn't mean you specifically, Anavi," he said, trying to assuage her fears. "I meant your family. Surely they have the ability by now to take care of the issue."

The idea that her family might actually be involved with the syndicates hadn't even crossed his mind. Perhaps if he hadn't been so preoccupied with everything going on around him, he might have considered a deeper dive into her world and its issues, but at the moment he could only focus on it from a superficial level. Besides, he knew her family, and the idea that they might be criminals just wasn't something he would consider on a normal basis. They were all nice, decent people. At least to him.

When she asked about his sister, he shook his head.

"The leads I had dried up. Most of them were traps laid by the same people that were trying to kill me here."

He stopped walking and looked up at the sky.

"I know she's out there somewhere. I can feel it. I just don't know where and I don't know where to look. It's a frustration with no end."

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace)

TAGS: Anavi Vandala ​

 

[Queen of Devit]

"I didn't mean you specifically, Anavi, I meant your family. Surely they have the ability by to take care of the issue."

"Oh." She felt her pale cheeks flush and tried to hide it with a grin. "When did you get so wise? Did that aging machine make you more mature too?" She nudged his elbow teasingly but the truth was Caelan had always been very mature for his age. He was stoic and straight forward in a way that most children weren't.

"I know she's out there somewhere. I can feel it. I just don't know where and I don't know where to look. It's a frustration with no end."

"It will be okay. If anybody can find her it's got to be the Jedi." She wished she could comfort him more on this issue but she didn't know what to say. She could only hope that some Jedi would have a vision and guide them in the right direction or maybe The Alliance could use its resources. There had to be benefits to joining the faction after all.

For now she could personally try to cheer him up and get his mind off it, so that was what she attempted. "Hey in a few months it's my birthday and now that you are a king I'm expecting a good gift. Better not leave me hanging." She grinned at him, hopping he would at least smile.

Caelan Valoren

 

[Caelan Valoren]

"Well, technically, yes?" he answered her. "One typically matures as they age, after all."

He hadn't really thought about that. And sure, he hadn't been one to get into a lot of mischief as a kid, but he did get into some trouble now and then. But a lot had happened since the last time they'd seen each other, more than just his being aged so many years. He'd been through a heck of a lot between the countless battles, trials, teaching, missions, and everything else. He'd been forced to mature faster than he should have been. His childhood had effectively been cut short at a moment's notice.

If anyone could find her... That was the key phrase. He doubted if anyone could find her. It was a huge galaxy out there, and if she was in hiding, and hadn't come back when they retook their world? Well, then she wasn't coming back. Worse, if she was captive somewhere, it was likely they'd never find her at all. It was a painful subject and he honestly didn't want to talk about it further so he was glad when she brought up something else in the form of her impending birthday.

"I make no promises. Gifts aren't my specialty."

He smiled as he said it and then reached over to ruffle her hair.

"You having a party or just a family gathering?"

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace)

TAGS: Anavi Vandala ​

 

[Queen of Devit]

She was glad she got him to smile and seemed to take his mind off of things for at least a moment. He ruffled her hair and she squirmed to get away as the red curls flew everywhere. Her hair had always had a wild mind of its own, even without the ruffling.

"You having a party or just a family gathering?"

"Oh I'm sure my mother is going to want a party. You know any chance to get the high society together." She rolled her eyes but secretly she was hopeful for a party because it meant she'd get to see her dad. With several wives and kids he didn't always have time for everybody and that hurt more than she would admit.

"She's already started dropping hints about color pallets and drink specialties. I think it might give her a heart attack if I asked for a quiet family dinner instead."

They rounded a corner and crossed a little bridge area that had pleasant lighting. The garden was even more beautiful than she had remembered from years earlier.

"I was hoping for some type of dinner so I could talk to my parents... they really are pushing me toward the Jedi path but I don't know if it's right for me. My mom has had all my training done on Kashir so I've barely even met other Jedi at this point."

She didn't want to drone on and on about her issues but she sensed he didn't want to think about his own.

Caelan Valoren

 

[Caelan Valoren]

High society. Yeah, he knew how that went. A member of royalty? You were expected to attend the events held by other royals and expected to hold parties and invite other royals to it. Honestly, he didn't really care that much about it. He knew enough to know better than to shirk it, but he deep down it wasn't something he would prioritize over his people if it came down to it. Not like some others would. He wasn't a despotic narcissist like the leaders of Ukatis, for example.

The idea of a quiet family dinner made him snort. Even he wasn't allowed such things when he didn't have family. Coronation? No, he was going to have to have a party at some point to celebrate it or people would get mad at him. Birthday? Had to be a whole kingdom ordeal or people would get upset they didn't get to celebrate with him. Yeah, he understood her desire, but he knew they couldn't have such things.

"No such thing as private life for a royal," he reminded.

The news that her mother was pushing her to be a Jedi was new. He hadn't expected that of them. They seemed content to have her married off to some other royal for the purpose of political ties. How curious. She didn't seem too excited about the endeavor, though. He could understand that. The life of a Jedi was a difficult one. Add in the responsibilities of royalty and it became extra difficult. His sleep was fitful and often disturbed, and his days were full between training and his duties. He was lucky they had time to talk.

"Sometimes I wish I hadn't been forced into it by circumstances, but other times I recognize that I perform well in the role of a Jedi and it has assisted in my performance as ruler. I don't think I would have been ready as quickly as I was had I not become a Jedi. But it isn't for everyone and you should choose the path that best suits you, not the one your mother wants. I'm not saying to shirk your duties as royalty, but I'm saying to set your own path on how to complete them."

He rubbed a thumb at his chin.

"What do you enjoy doing outside of your home?"

---

ATTIRE: Link | WEAPON: Lightsaber | COMPANION: BD-F8 | OTHER: Sigil Bead (Necklace)

TAGS: Anavi Vandala ​