The Essential Guide to Force Exile/Kavlis Burke

"I can let him go, because I know he’ll come back for me."

- Rhiannon Kraen on Kavlis Burke

Kavlis Burke was born to Samstris and Landra Burke in the wilds of Yanibar in 11 BBY. His parents were farmers, living in the rugged and inhospitable outlands of Yanibar. In 6 BBY, a pair of representatives from the Yanibar refuge came to visit the settlement near where the Burkes lived, offering sanctuary in a newly-established refuge to all who were willing to accept their hospitality. The reception they received changed Kavlis's life forever.

The community that the Burkes lived in had never been on good terms with the native Zeison Sha Force-users who lived on Yanibar. The additional influx of Force-users into a much more sheltered location inside the Tusloni Basin did little to allay suspicions and envy. Thus, the two representatives, Selu and Milya Kraen, received quite a frosty reception. They stayed the night at a local house at the invitation of some of the leaders, but Samstris, along with a group of others that had vehemently objected to their presence, decided to take action. They attempted to kidnap Milya during the night, but Selu intervened. When Samstris drew a vibroblade, Selu cut off his hand with his lightsaber.

The encounter left both parties aggrieved and resentful. Selu and Milya were furious that they had been accosted after being offered hospitality. Samstris and the other would-be attackers felt once again that the Force-users were imposing them, wielding their power recklessly. Samstris himself harbored a deep bitterness against the Force-users for the loss of his hand --and rejected their offer to replace it with a prosthetic.

Instead, Samstris turned to alcohol and became both depressed and abusive. He lashed out at his family, driving his mother to a premature death five years later. A year after that, he passed away from a heart attack, leaving Kavlis orphaned. He inherited his father's farm, but it was placed in the caretaking of another family, the Davinors, who gladly appropriated its resources for their own use until he came of age.

At first, Kavlis did not mind, as their son Henroff was about his age and a good friend. However, the elder Davinor, Churzen Davinor, seemed more interested in acquiring as much use out of the Burke's farm as he could, even appropriating equipment and supplies that had once belonged to Samtris for his own use. Kavlis bore the injustice quietly until he was seventeen and legally an adult in the eyes of Yanibar. He confronted Churzen and demanded his inheritance. They negotiated that Kavlis would regain ownership of his farm and land, but as he could not prove any of the equipment was his aside from an old hovertruck, Churzen retained possession of it.

Nevertheless, Kavlis made do, applying his hard work ethic and care for the land into farming. He was well-liked and known for his integrity with his neighbors, and his friends, particularly Henroff, helped him as much as they could spare, hoping to make up for the injustices he had suffered.

However, Kavlis was largely a loner, content to remain on the periphery of the local social scene due to spending as much of his time as possible on his farm. He was easy-going and affable, but with a terrible temper if provoked. He was also known for being quiet, somewhat shy, but with a strong sense of integrity. Several young ladies tried to attract his interest throughout the years, but despite a few short-lived relationships, none left a permanent impression in him. The loss of his mother likely influenced his social life and self-image. Some of his friends' parents encouraged him to "find a girl and settle down," but Kavlis always politely shook his head and said he wasn't ready yet.

Unbeknownst to Kavlis, in 18 ABY, the daughter of the two people who had attacked his father had started venturing out from the refuge with her droid J7-A0 to take long speeder rides in Yanibar's wilderness. She and J7 would journey kilometers out into the wilderness just so she could experience something different, though the droid disapproved of her adventurous habit. On one such occasion, a sudden storm blew in and a bolt of lightning struck J7 and the speeder. Unable to see or find her way back, she was stranded in terrible weather.

Fortunately for her, a Kavlis Burke saw her and took pity upon her. He brought her to his farm to find shelter from the storm, showing her hospitality. Her father and some of Yanibar's military came to bring her back and he thanked Kavlis for his charity. When asked if there was any reward he wanted, Kavlis said no reward was necessary, impressing Selu.

He thought little of the incident, but Rhiannon was intrigued by him. Based on news she had learned from J7, she sought to meet Kavlis again in the Outsider city of Draskar. She "accidentally" ran into him at the market there one day and asked him to show her around, which he did. Upon her return to the refuge, though, her parents confronted her about it and instructed her not to meet Kavlis Burke at his farm or in Darnak again. They told her about previous history between them and Kavlis's father and pointed out that Kavlis's worldview looked dimly at Insiders, or those who lived in the refuge. Rhiannon was upset, but after her parents apologized for impugning Kavlis's character, agreed to not seek him out again.

This left her morose, though, and she confided to her best friend Jasika about it. Jasika agreed to help her circumvent her parent's dictum and brought Kavlis to meet Rhiannon at a picnic outside Draskar. After hearing her sing and listening to her talk about the need for both Outsiders and Insiders to have mutual respect, Kavlis began to be drawn to the strange Insider girl. She also liked him, despite her parents' decree, and Jasika agreed to help her woo Kavlis.

Jasika next arranged for Kavlis to take Rhiannon riding on his new thak. She enjoyed the thakback rides and continued to meet with him over the next five months, sometimes for meals, but usually for riding across the open plains of Yanibar. Their attraction deepened during those months, but another matter began worrying Rhiannon as the year waned into autumn.

She usually attended the Harvest Ball with a man whom her parents had picked out, but this year, Rhiannon desired to go with Kavlis Burke. After talking with J7 about it, she resolved to ask him to go. He agreed, but insisted that she get her parents' permission as well. This concerned her due to their earlier vehement insistence that she not see him again. She did confess the night before the ball and asked their approval. To her surprise and delight, they agreed, but told her that they would talk with Kavlis afterward.

Rhiannon met Kavlis inside the refuge after her date was brought in by J7 and the two had a wonderful time with Jasika and Bryndar at the ball. Kavlis was amazed at the relative splendor of the refuge and the sight of Rhiannon all dressed up dazzled him. After several dances, they retreated outside for a breath of fresh air. Kavlis tried to tell her that she couldn't leave the comfort of the refuge to live with him, but she insisted that she would go with him wherever he was and confessed her love for him. He returned her affection and asked her to marry him, pending the approval of her parents. She gladly accepted and the two danced the night away until the ball ended.

A week later, Rhiannon and Kavlis met with her parents to discuss their relationship. Her father spoke with Kavlis and told him that he could marry Rhiannon only if he first took a full year away from her in order to provide the means to support her and evaluate his commitment to her. Kavlis agreed to the terms, and though Rhiannon was saddened to be separated from him, she understood that it was for the best. She and Kavlis shared a passionate kiss before they departed.

Thirteen months later, due to a delay in bringing in the harvest, Kavlis finally returned for her, having made significant improvements to the house and bringing in enough money to support them. Her parents gave their blessing to the marriage and Rhiannon happily began planning her wedding to the love of her life.

They were happily married, though much of Rhiannon's memory had been altered to protect the Yanibar refuge as required by law. She did not care, though, moving in with Kavlis Burke. Her biological family grew more distant from her, as her altered memories pained them whenever they were with her. In 19 ABY, she and Kavlis welcomed their first child, a son named Tameron Burke. Two years later, Rhiannon's second child, another son named Tavin, was born. Her experiences with her younger brother Ryion helped her raise the two boys, and Kavlis helped as much as he could. The boys did their best to mind their gentler mother, knowing that their father would not hear of his wife being disrespected. In 23 ABY, Rhiannon had her third child, a daughter named Aurelise, whom she treasured, as Aurelise took more after her than the rambunctious boys, both of whom took after their father, especially Tamaron.

In 28 ABY, Rhiannon's mother contacted her via a secret comlink and told her to activate the pendant Selu had given her to restore her memory, as Yanibar had been attacked by the Yuuzhan Vong and the altered orbit of its moon meant that the entire planet would soon suffer.

Behind the scenes
Kavlis Burk was created by Atarumaster88 for the short story Through Her Eyes as a love interest for Rhiannon Kraen. Atarumaster88 had planned to pair Rhiannon with an Outsider, both to explore the culture of those living outside Yanibar's refuge as well as thematically amplify Rhiannon's departure from her parents' home. When writing Kavlis, Atarumaster88 drew on influences from the character of Almanzo Wilder in the Little House on the Prairie series, as well as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings.

Appearances

 * Through Her Eyes