The following is the result of a “snippet-challenge” on Crais’ Cohorts, to create a Crais-story in a 1,000 words or less: When Crais meets his father…

Reunion

by GitonCrais

He had arrived on his home planet, purely by chance. After that it was not difficult to find his father's farm. Being dressed as a civilian had helped.

He found his father behind the house as he always had been around that time, waiting for dinner. But now there were no sounds coming from the kitchen.

He observed his father who basked in the dying daylight.

He stepped out of the shadows, "Father!" His voice had been soft.

Xandor Crais turned around and looked at his eldest son.

For a brief moment joy was written on his face but it was soon replaced by anger and disgust.

Crais had stepped closer but stopped when he saw the expression on his father's face change.

"How dare you come back," his father thundered.

Crais swallowed. This was not the homecoming he had dreamed of, expected... maybe.

Crais looked at the man in front of him. Crais was taller than his father but not so broad. His hands were big and strong as was his father's but they had the delicate form of his mother's. His own face, similar to his father's was not as coarse or as wide. His nose not as broad and his hair was still raven black whereas his father's was starting to show grey.

"Father, I have returned," Crais said softly.

"I can see that," his father's voice was sarcastic, "You should have stayed away. You brought shame on the name Crais and you didn't protect your brother."

Crais flinched, found a need to defend himself, "I did protect Tauvo. His death was an accident."

"You are irreversibly contaminated," replied his father

"Yes, I am," Crais replied proudly.

"You are a son of mine no longer."

"Father..."

"Don't call me that. Your mother had hoped to see her sons back, as proud Peacekeepers but her worries drove her to an early grave when she learned of your fates."

"I am sorry to hear..."

"Sorry? You don't feel sorry," his father's eyes became angry slits and he moved closer to his son, "You abandoned a great career. You let your brother die. You blew up a Command Carrier with fifty thousand of our finest on board. Sorry?" He swung his fist.

It would have connected hard with Crais' face had he let him. Crais arrested the fist in midair, could feel the force behind the punch. He kept it there, both men were straining.

"No more, father," Crais said softly. His calm belied the turmoil and rage inside. Even after all these cycles his father's answer was violence against his favourite target in front of him.

While he held his father's fist he could recognize the anger. The same anger that coursed through his own body so often. It had sustained him and his brother after their conscription, helped them survive. He had nurtured it in his rise through the ranks. It had fed his ruthlessness and made him one of the youngest Commanders in the fleet. It had helped him in his quest for knowledge and to be a success with his Leviathan project. It had been his downfall in his obsession for revenge when his brother died. It had been passed on to Talyn.

He had learned to control and channel it at various stages in his life but it had always remained with him, lurking in a dark corner of his mind.

It had been his link to Talyn, which made him realize that he had to change. Not to suppress it but to control it completely. Crais and Talyn had learned.

When Crais felt the strain lessen in his father's hand he let go of his fist. Xandor Crais learned in that brief moment that his son, though not as robustly build as himself, was a strong man and could easily take him out, yet, he had not done so. His son had grown up.

Crais stepped away from his father. Neither spoke a word.

Xandor looked at his son, "You are not what I expected."

"I'm, not a boy anymore."

"No."

The silence became uncomfortable.

"I have to go back."

"Whereto?"

"My Leviathan."

"I see. You will not come back?"

Crais felt hurt, rejected, "Is there anything for me to come back to?"

It looked as if Xandor was going to answer but he looked away and shook his head.

Crais had seen his initial reaction, "We don't have to part like this."

Xandor looked up, reluctant to give in to the weakness of caring for his only living relative. Why couldn't he have been Tauvo?

Crais remembered the look and swallowed.

"It is better that you go."

Crais nodded, not trusting his own voice. He turned around sharply and walked away slowly. Without turning he said, "Farewell... father."

~Did you find your parents~ Talyn asked when he returned.

"Yes, I found my father. My mother is dead."

~Is that why you're sad?~

"No. I had expected a different home-coming."

~I'm sorry Crais~

"It's nothing Talyn."

~Your father doesn't love you?~

"He is ashamed of me."

~Why?~

"Because I'm not a Captain in the Peacekeepers anymore."

Talyn was confused ~But isn't that better?~

"Yes but he doesn't see it this way."

~I am sorry Crais~

"So am I."

Xandor Crais sat behind the house. The gathering dusk wasn't so pleasant anymore.

He had lost his mate due to worries about her sons. Tauvo was dead. Now he had lost his only remaining son too.

He had been pleased to see him again but his anger and grief had dictated his actions. Now Bialar was forever lost too.

His anger had made him loose so much. It was too late to change what had happened.

He stood up to go inside and was startled to see a dark unmoving shape in the shadows. Was this Dargoth, the Messenger of Death? He didn't feel frightened. There was nothing left for him to continue, he would go willingly.

The dark shape detached from the shadows.

"Father..."

The End

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FanFiction on Captain Bialar Crais