I was writing a mini story post to put a reason my stepping down as Dark Dragoon's Squad Leader. What I intended to be a couple of lines ended up being over a page. Not only that, but gave me the idea of putting my character in a...different mindstate for a while...you'll see what I mean.

Anyways, thought I'd share it with the lot. Might develop it into a story someday when I have the time...

Behold...

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Zafo gazed blankly out his office window. Slowly, he reached for the battered shoulder pad on his stormtrooper armor as the rain splashed heavily outside.

He ripped the metallic piece from its fastenings. The armor where the plate had just been was slightly brighter then the rest of the suit.

Tears on the verge of escaping the Gunnery Sergeant's eyes, Zafo placed the plate on the table in front of him, along with his SL level keycard and dress uniform Squad Leader pin. The very same table that was once his desk.

Abandonning his squad was the last thing Zafo would have ever dreamed of in a most dreaded nightmare.

That was before the thoughts started haunting him. The people, the places, the time...the memories...the agony...his past. He had been successful in supressing his darkest, most painful memories. Memories of a dark, miserable all time low in his life. A low that very few have come close to experiencing. The memories had been cached in the furthest corners of his brain...until a heavy storm on the planet Cepany, during a mission, when a complete stranger (and enemy) un-earthed it all. A minute long conversation was all the scum needed to free those dark thoughts from their slumber.

The immediate effects were disastrous. However, after a couple of days of complete bliss, Zafo managed to pull himself back together. Or so he thought.

During the Dragoon's latest mission to the Galactic games, the very same stranger (some how out of imperial captivity) shattered Zafo's world once again.

This time, recovery wasn't nearly as easy. Zafo spent the next handful of weeks drifting around the army base, performing many pointless, peculiar, basically crazy tasks. The sudden behavioral change had many worried.

Zafo's functionability kept going downhill. The insanity progressed. Avoiding recommendations to have a pyschiatric evaluation, Zafo kept to himself. On one of the dark, sleepless nights, a heavy anvil fell atop Zafo's conscience. He could not bear anymore to hold the title he so dearly treasured. It was not fair to anybody. The Dragoons, amongst other people, were genuinely worried for his well being. They were looking to him for leadership, yet he would avoid most contact at all cost.

And now here he stood, in the empy hollowness of what was once his office. This was the last step. He had sent Rizzit a datapad message explaining the situation, and would be meeting with him afterwards. Hopefully, he would be able to maintain a trooper position. After all, the Dark Dragoons had quite litteraly been his family for the last two years of his life; sheltering him from the perils and darkness that lurked about.

Zafo took one last glance, one last whiff, one last feel of the table.

"Gunnery Sergeant Zafo, reporting for duty."

Zafo said sharply, snapping to attention.

Silence.

"...Trooper, that is...Sir."


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~ZaFo
*DarkDragoons *
+ Advance Recon Commandos {ARC} +

SL/GSG ZaFo/2SQD/1PLT/1COM/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE [BC] [EW2]

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