Lt. Kilos: the Sidekick
November 23, 2011
Lt. Kilos is the consummate sidekick in The League of Elder series. A Brown peasant from the city of Tusck on Onaris, Ki has been at Captain Davage’s side for over thirty years. She’s been a part of every LoE book so far.
"Kay Fights Lt. Kilos in a Bar" by Carol Phillips
As the focus of the League of Elder shifts from Captain Davage and Countess Sygillis to their son, Lord Kabyl and his cousins, it seemed natural to me to send Ki down the line to Kay’s side. There is a comfort factor that comes with Ki, and I wanted her there with Kay. Ki brings a lot to the table, she’s got her massive SK pistol for devastating firepower, she has her infallible Tweeter bird familiar and she has her amazing husband, the mysterious Professor A-to-Z who can find answers to virtually anything.
The problem with Ki is her very nature. She’s loyal, yet she’s skeptical and slow to give her loyalty. She loves being part of a group, yet she generally dislikes people. Additionally, Ki still considers Kay a child. She was his childhood mentor (Kay recalls he had a long-lasting “crush” on Ki), and even now that Kay is a young man she still views him as a child.
With Ki, she can like you, be fond of you and all that, however, she’ll really not respect you much, that’s just how she is.
The key to securing Ki’s services goes back to one of her most basic character traits: Ki is, at her heart, a brawler. She grew up fighting in Tusck, was a wreck in the Marines and was a well-known troublemaker in the bars dotting the Blanchefort village wharf (her association with Lord Blanchefort gave her immunity from the village magsitrate). As such, Ki will never truly give respect until you’ve bounced your fist off her face a couple of times. Captain Davage challenged her to a fight upon their first meeting in order to gain her respect. Likewise, Countess Sygillis and Ki were in the gym settling their differences constantly after Syg came aboard the Seeker. So, in order for Kay to win Ki over, it was inevitable that he take her on.
So, in a wharf-side bar, Kay and Ki duked it out, and after it was over, Ki saw Kay in a new light, and, as she did for his father, she stood at his side and entered the Temple of the Exploding Head.
copyright 2011, Ren Garcia and Carol Phillips
The Temple of the Exploding Head 
A woman of constant contradictions–it is what makes her so much fun: )
Read the first two books, both excellent. Plan to read the rest soon.
Read the first two books, both excellent. Plan to read the rest soon. Posted a review at http://shadowsofhistory.wordpress.com .
Wow! Way cool and thank you so very much. It’s still amazing to me that all those late nights of sitting at the monitor and pacing around on the patio listening to Clannad and Cobra Starship produced something enjoyable to someone besides myself. You always have to wonder: “I think this is pretty cool–will anybody else??” You never know until you throw yourself out there and see what happens.
I really appreciate the note and allowing my odd characters a bit of precious headspace. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
Ren