#darius serapis

[eldanseeker]

Darius are you compensating for something here

He’s actually not

[fantasticfriends]

Greetings from Libertalia - Departure

Previous Greetings from Libertalia posts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

It was a grim several hours worth of waiting before Commander Serapis paid a visit to our heros contained within the Revenant’s holding cells. An offer was made - Seeker and Jeremy would be staying on board the ship, the mordesh would be executed, and the rest of the crew would be free to go. A rejection was given - along with several taunts and threats from the understandably belligerent captives. The Commander’s response was to have his soldiers present them with the gruesome sight of a pair of draken horns and a severed tail - all of which undeniably belonged to Bhadra.

Furious, Rook attempted to lash out at Darius from her cell - only to have him turn around and slice into her arm with his sword. He departed without another word, leaving the crew horrified and heartbroken. Desperate to help his friend, Elrabin spent the next few minutes attempting to force his espernetics past the cell’s suppression field to try to send healing energy to Rook. This was a maneuver that backfired as the power went out. Suddenly, the cells were open, and like an exploding can of shaken protocola, the energy backfired on Elrabin, rendering him temporarily unconscious.

As the crew made to retrieve their weapons and take advantage of their unanticipated freedom, Jeremy came careening around the corner from the lab - literally glowing with primal life energy. Being hooked up to the relic had given him the ability to fry its internal circuitry, and the force of its destruction had been enough to cause the power outage. As he made the realization that Seeker was not among the crew, the question was raised as to whether they should bother to retrieve him at all. Elenia in particular was very clear about her opinions on the matter - for it was unclear where Seeker’s loyalties truly rested, and Kaamos’ condition was in fast decline. Without quite understanding what he was doing, Jeremy discovered that he was able to transfer some of the primal life energy he carried to Kaamos - effectively restoring the potency of his vitalus. Though when Jeremy tried to use this same ability to heal Elrabin, he was unsuccessful.

It was time to use the chaos of the power outage to escape. Jenny and Bron went looking for Seeker while the rest of the crew legged it to the hangar, meeting only minor resistance along the way. An rather beat-up Seeker was found chained to a wall on one of the upper levels - and Jenny was quickly able to free him with the use of her tool kit.

The hangar itself was mess - full of rushing technicians and scattered soldiers. The power outage had reached there too, leaving the bulkhead doors jammed shut. With Elrabin’s help, Jeremy was able to channel the primal life energy once more - this time using it to jimmy open the hangar doors. Jenny, Seeker, and Bron met them at the ship just in time - though as the crew prepared to make their escape they made the horrifying realization that Commander Serapis was headed for the door panel - aiming to destroy the controls and lock them in.

This time, Seeker rose to stop him. Throwing himself between his brother and the controls, Seeker was not only able to shield himself with his espernetic powers, but also create the illusion of Darius’ sword shattering. The blowback of force from the shield was enough to knock many of the hangar’s occupants off their feet - including an unprepared Kaamos, who suffered a concussion from the resulting fall. Rook and Elenia rushed to his aid, and though Seeker still sustained injury from his deflection, it bought the crew precious time. Jenny and Jeremy helped get Seeker back to the ship, and Bron was able to safely pilot everyone out of the hangar, away from the Revenant, and back towards home.

[eldanseeker]

Seeker Files: Life’s Worth

Seeker’s neck was prickling as though someone were sliding a razor back and forth across his skin as he led Darius away from the crash house, away from the ships, unconsciously searching for a spot that wouldn’t be spoiled by the memory of his brother’s presence there. Darius’ steps behind him were strong and light for someone of his bulk, contrasting sharply with Seeker’s own wavering path.

Eventually they came to a low hill that climbed up to the valley’s grassy rim. Seeker stopped, drew a deep breath, and turned. Darius had halted as well, and was regarding him now with hard expectancy.

Seeker closed his eyes for just an instant, bracing himself, and then met his brother’s cold gaze. “You know what I need.” This time, he was able to keep his voice level.

Darius rolled his jaw slightly. “And you know what I need,” he returned. “Unfortunately, the two seem to be quite incompatible.”

Seeker’s brows drew together in wariness. “What are you talking about?” he said harshly. His entire body was on edge, and already he could feel the subsequent exhaustion gnawing at him.

Darius’ lip curled. “You are a stain on everything I value, Caspian. A stain that must be removed.” He paused in consideration, and then continued on without remorse. “It was a relief, you know, to receive word of your imminent death. It meant that I need not expend further effort in hunting you down. That you would cause no further damage to everything I have built. And yet.” His voice turned pointed. “Here you stand... and I, it would seem, remain the only hope for your continued survival.”

Seeker’s chest was tight, his mouth very dry. “And you would let me die. Just like that, just so I would no longer be an irritant.” Anger flared, unexpected yet bright. He snapped his teeth together, glaring at Darius.

“I haven’t gone near you. You know what happened on your ship was a fluke.  I’ve wanted nothing to do with you, nothing! All I want is for you and the rest of the almighty fucking Dominion to leave me alone!”

Darius’ eyes narrowed. “Now that is most amusing, because the Caspian I remember was quite intent on open heresy,” he growled. “Taking his admittedly considerable skills and twisting them to blasphemous ends, purely out of spite. In the beginning I thought you were merely misguided, perhaps overwhelmed. But you have made it quite clear that everything you have done was with deliberation. And so I ask you - why should I risk everything of mine to save the life of a brother whose only aspiration in life is the destruction of the empire I serve, and all its citizens?”

Seeker’s breath caught somewhere below his throat. He struggled for several moments to speak.

“I don’t.... want that,” he said thickly, and part of him didn’t know why he was saying it, or even if it was true. He felt Darius’ sceptical gaze boring into him; he swallowed hard and went on, “Maybe I did, once. But - I don’t, now. I can’t.”

“No?” Darius tilted his head, and took a step closer to him; Seeker fought the urge to draw back. “And why this change of heart?”

Seeker’s lips twisted. “You try spending three years on the run,” he snarled, “and then you won’t ask that. I’m tired, Darius.” His voice was clipped in his anger, each word deliberate. “I’m tired of looking over my shoulder, of dodging questions, of hiding. I just want to live my life on my own terms, without anyone else telling me it’s wrong.”

The flat, unyielding expression on Darius’ face slowly gave way to something more like careful scrutiny. He studied Seeker openly in silence for several moments. “None of us has that luxury,” he said quietly. “You should know that by now.”

Seeker got the impression that Darius was playing for time as the other man glanced unhurriedly around them, scanning over the valley. “Who was that insolent Diwali man? I don’t recall playing host to him during our last meeting.”

Seeker’s jaw tightened. “That was my fiance,” he said flatly.

This took Darius by surprise, though he quickly got a hold of himself. He faced Seeker again, staring him down rather oppressively. “You would really go down that road again?” he said softly, after several moments.

Seeker’s face grew warm, but he pushed his jaw out, holding his brother’s heavy gaze. “I told you. It’s my life.”

“Indeed. You have certainly made a most... interesting one.” Darius canted his head, continuing to study Seeker, looking vaguely disconcerted now. “I admit, I never anticipated you finding your way into the good graces of such a well-known celebrity....”

Seeker released a sharp breath through his nose. “For fuck’s sake, stop changing the subject!” he ground out. Darius arched a mild brow at the interruption, but Seeker ignored this. His self-control was hanging by a thread, his hands turning to shaking fists again at his sides. “You’re the one who wanted to discuss this, so just - just tell me what your answer is.” He lifted his face a little, his eyes raw. “I’m not going to beg. Not this time.”

Darius’ steely eyes narrowed fractionally, and for a wild moment Seeker thought he could detect something like approval in his brother’s gaze. But then it was gone, and Darius was regarding him with his customary neutrality.

“I’m afraid I shall have to... think about it,” he said evenly, almost offhandedly. 

He didn’t even deign to continue looking at Seeker as he said it, and this more than anything dragged a thick whine of frustration from Seeker’s throat. He glared at Darius through hot eyes. 

“And what if I just take your blood?” he breathed savagely. Though he hadn’t consciously willed it, the air around them both was suddenly taught with unformed energy. He struggled to hold it there, caught between the effort of manifesting anything at all and the too-easy desire to form something potentially deadly.

Darius’ eyes flickered, glancing around at the shivers of energy. Though he was unarmed, he seemed only the faintest bit on edge. “Then you will have your cure, and I will leave,” he said steadily. “And I will know exactly where to find you, and all your friends, and even the Galactic Federation will not be enough to protect you.”

The threat hung between them, more palpable than Seeker’s espernetic veil, and after several moments Seeker could do nothing but drag his gaze away. The space around them thinned again to nothing but air. 

“You’d better think fast,” was all he could manage, his lips twisting.

Darius had relaxed again in a sort of knowing, easy triumph. He dipped his head; whether it was in acknowledgement or merely disdain was unclear. He turned to make his way back down the hill. 

“If you would be so kind as to have a security escort meet me below... I’m certain the good Captain wishes to avoid any unfortunate incidents on either side.” With that, he set off, leaving Seeker standing on the grassy hillside and feeling more helpless than ever.

[eldanseeker]

If your estranged family member asked for reconciliation on their deathbed what would you do?

Darius’ neutral expression hardly flickers, but something in his eyes darkens in scrutiny. “That is a most unlikely scenario,” he says deliberately. “However... I would not be averse to it. Family ties should be tended, not broken. If there were a way to reconcile with this hypothetical family member, then yes. I would take it.”Seeker stiffens, his jaw tight as his lip curls angrily. “Nothing,” he says, with an effort. “It’s too late for that. And he knows it.” He looks away, tense and uncomfortable, and says nothing more.

[eldanseeker]

7. What’s holding you back from doing what you really want to do? - this one for Darius

Darius offers the merest arch of one eyebrow. “You’ve already made one mistake, in assuming that I am restrained in some way. Never assume.”He lets that sit for a few pointed moments before continuing, “Protocol, perhaps, would be the nearest thing to an answer. Protocol, and patience. There are certain matters I wish to deal with - immediately would be my preference - but in the end I can wait. The proper circumstances will present themselves.”

[eldanseeker]

One minute.

That’s all it took.

That’s all it would take -

Are you satisfied now? - for him to wreak havoc on all we have built.

You smiled, and and watched as my world burned.

He is a dangerous man.

You took everything from me.

Brash, chaotic, defiant to the last.

My home. My work. My friends. My lover. He follows a disturbing path. He could cripple us.

You sought to break me.

But he is vulnerable as well.

Do you know how close you came?

He cannot be made to relent. But he can be made to fall.

I won’t let you come that close again.

I cannot seek him openly.

But I can’t even expose what you’ve done.

To do so would destroy -

It would mean her death.

- my family.

You know that too.

But you can.

Just let me go.

Find him.

I won’t stop.

Find him.

I’ll never stop. Find him.

Not until I find - Before he finds -

The truth.

[eldanseeker]

The eldest son of Lysander Serapis, the influential senator, and Mercia Serapis, popular costume designer for Cassian theatre, Darius is a well-known figure within the Dominion military. Though he bears only the title of Commander, he is widely acknowledged as one of the finest strategic minds currently serving, and has been decorated with honours numerous times over the span of his career. The Serapis family, represented on Nexus by the Commander, is credited with spear-heading many of the Dominion’s efforts to acquire and integrate Eldan technology for military and research purposes, and for the continued prosperity of the empire. Since accepting this responsibility approximately two years ago, Commander Serapis has played a crucial role in the success of these ventures, overseeing a wide variety of operations requiring a more subtle stratagem than simple combative force. Darius currently serves as commander of the battleship Revenant. When not on duty, he can often be found paying his respects in the Revenant’s magnificent chapel. He enjoys herbal tea, fine weaponry, and the occasional Guy Fantastic film.

[eldanseeker]

Seeker Files: This Shattered Masquerade

Do not turn. Do not look back.

The echoes of the whispered words pulse warningly through Seeker’s numb mind as he walks beside Darius. He can almost feel the shock of his crewmates slamming like waves into his back; but Darius’ arm is still there around his shoulders, a cunning shield that presses him forward. He wants to cringe from the touch of it. But there is no escape this time.

Darius steers him easily into a small room, unadorned and unfurnished. The door closes gently behind them. In an instant, Darius has him against the wall, his hands anchoring Seeker’s outstretched wrists to the cold metal.

“So good of you to drop by,” breathes Darius. His face is inches away. “I’ve been waiting for you, Caspian.”

Seeker’s features, previously rigid with shock, now contort. He struggles against the other’s iron grip, spitting, “You fucking - let me go!” Darius brings his face closer. “If you want your friends to even make it to the brig without an unfortunate accident, you’ll speak the way you were born to.” His tone is too light for the obvious menace it holds, and laced with disgust.

Seeker feels his throat twist, but he makes no reply. This seems to satisfy Darius, who leans back again; but the calloused hands that lift from Seeker’s wrists leave magnetic binders in their place, tethering him to the wall.

“How do these things usually go, then?” Darius watches Seeker carefully. “Ah - I believe you should start with, ‘How did you find me?!’, or some such cliche.”

Seeker tries to control the shallowness of his breaths. “The exo-lab,” he says, with difficulty. His voice now is deeper and more elegant, the highborn accent obvious. “Correct.” Darius smiles thinly. “See, you are intelligent. If prone to rash decisions.” He clasps his hands behind his back, half turning away as he continues speaking. “I’ve been hunting you since twelve hours after you disappeared, brother mine. I must give you some credit for eluding me for so long. Though not all. You never thought to consider the consequences of your actions.” His voice hardens to a slight edge. “The favours I had to call in, to cover your defection…” A reckless need to goad his brother takes hold of Seeker. “Good thing you’ve kissed so many noble arses, then. I’m sure you had plenty.” His brain is still spinning, lightheaded with disbelief. Darius regards him out of the corner of his eye, his expression darkening briefly. “You have no idea of the damage you caused,” he growls. “Very nearly the finest Eldanologist the Dominion had on Nexus, gone without a trace, threatening the security of dozens of operations. You set our research back by months.” His voice lowers deliberately. “Did you think about that, Caspian? The lives that could have been saved by that research? How many did you so easily condemn through your own selfish actions?”

Seeker clenches his teeth. “Don’t you dare put this on me,” he snarls. The need to taunt has vanished, replaced by a horribly constricted feeling in his gut.

Darius rounds on him again, so swiftly that Seeker flinches back in spite of himself; he had forgotten the speed that came with his brother’s anger.

“This is on you,” hisses Darius. Lashing out, he forces Seeker’s head back so that their eyes lock. “You can’t just walk away from this. No matter what you pretend, this will always be your legacy.” Seeker glares up at him, chest heaving slightly. He jerks his head away and strains again at his bonds. “My legacy will be with better people than you and the fucking Dominion.”

“Ah, yes, your Exile friends.” Darius’ voice is laden with contempt as he straightens. “Erratic imbeciles, flouting reason and authority simply because they can, tripping into great discoveries and then crushing them in their ignorance.” “And how is the Dominion any better?” demands Seeker. “The Exiles only want a home where they can live without being hounded by an empire hellbent on utter conformity!”

“They’re anarchists!” Darius says furiously.

“And you’re dictators!” retorts Seeker, his breaths coming quickly now. He meets his brother’s eyes defiantly, shoving away the realisation that some of their views might not be so different after all. “They are godless heretics,” says Darius, in tones of heavy finality. His words are almost a recitation. “They deny the destiny of the human race, and spurn the truths of the Vigilant Church. If they choose to turn their backs on the light, then it is up to the Dominion to carry out the will of the gods, and -”

Something snaps within Seeker. “They - were never - gods,” he forces out, and his voice shakes with the emotion of it. “They never ‘ascended’ to some divine plane, just -”

But he doesn’t get the chance to finish, as Darius backhands him viciously across the face. Seeker feels his nose crack under the impact, and warm blood wells there, wending over his panting mouth.

“How dare you,” whispers Darius, and his hatred in that moment is all the more terrible for its softness. He grips Seeker’s jaw mercilessly between thumb and fingers, pulling him forward even as he bends slightly. “I should kill you now, for all that you’ve done. Father would. But he would also hate to miss your execution.”

Seeker doesn’t close his eyes, but stares with equal hatred at his brother, as the taste of his own blood sullies his tongue. “Do it then,” he taunts thickly. “Kill me and preserve your precious family reputation, and may you die with it intact!”

He watches Darius’ lip give an ugly sort of twitch, but with enormous effort, the other pulls back. “You’re making this very difficult, Caspian,” he says. He looks momentarily unsettled, but speaks with deliberate steadiness. “For everyone. But that will change.” He examines the back of his hand with interest for a moment. “I will not allow the corrupted views of the Exiles to hold you as they do now.”

Seeker licks blood from his lips, his eyes boring into his brother’s. “Do your worst,” he challenges in a harsh whisper. “But I’m too strong for you, Darius.”

“Oh, don’t fear, brother.” Darius turns his back, barely a pause in his voice. “If I have to break you before I can help you, then by the Scions, I will.”

There is a long pause as Darius walks to the door, then -

"Let them go, Darius." There's something close to submission in Seeker's voice, just for an instant, but it's enough to make Darius stop and half turn back.

"Well," he muses softly. "That depends entirely on how cooperative you are."

He resumes his steps, then halts in the doorway, as though struck by a thought. "Ah. And I meant to tell you. I spoke with Alena yesterday.”

Seeker freezes, and then drags his head up slightly to stare at him. “Don’t,” he chokes out immediately. The vise in his chest tightens mercilessly, and twists.

Relentless, Darius continues speaking. “Every day she prays for your soul, and your safe return,” he murmurs. His tone is soft with disbelief, and chiding. “And every day you disappoint her.” A lingering pause. “I thought you cared more than that.” Darius turns away and slips from the room. The clang of the door as it closes mutes the strangled, animal-like cry that bursts from Seeker’s throat. His entire body strains desperately at his bindings for several moments, and then he sags, panting, and watches the blood that drips from his lowered face.

I’ll return from darkness and save your precious skin I will end your suffering and let the healing light come in