Fy-Laa

A prominent character in a flashback who goes unmentioned in the present day? I'm sure he'll have a long life and appear in many issues.

Every college romance story needs a third wheel to be best friends with the male lead. ForRomandLivia,that third wheel isFy-Laa.AVelovianliving onElonia,Fy-Laa was a university student when theDire Wraithsinvaded and joined the ranks of theSolstar Orderat the same time as his fellows and became one of the firstSpace Knights.

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

Fy-Laa was born onGranzol-326.He attended theElonia University of Arts and Sciencesas an exchange student, where he befriended Rom K'atsema and Livia.Rom profile

When mysterious meteors crashed on Elonia, Fy-Laa was digging for samples with his friends. The three set out to examine the meteors at Rom's homestead and arrived in time to see it explode in a spectacular manner. WhenShah K'atsemawas pulled from the wreckage and taken to theSolstar Academy Medical Centerfor treatment. While waiting for news, Fy-Laa went to get snacks. When he returned, Shah had turned into a Dire Wraith and Fy-Laa approved ofDiavod's instructions of fleeing. After Rom had impressed Diavod with handling aNeutralizer,the three were brought before ImperatorCaraxwho explained what the Dire Wraiths were and offered them all a chance to join the Solstar Order to fight them. He graduated at the same time as his friends and expressed disgust at their sexual urges for one another.

(Fy-Laa is the one in the middle.)

The group's first posting was an unfortunate one. TheBlue Mountainswhere Rom's home had been. When Fy-Laa began offering Rom advice from Velovian religion, he was knocked out from behind by a Wraith. When he came to, Livia had lost an eye and Rom shattered the ground beneath them as an escape route. The three landed in awatery cavernwithout any escape until Rom picked up aninconspicuous rockthat soon enveloped both him and his Neutralizer morphing into a suit of armor. Sucking up his claustrophobia, Fy-Laa merged with the ore gaining his own armor. Soon after he'd merged with the rock, Rom slew the Wraith that had once been his mother and Fy-Laa noted his claustrophobia abating as though the armor were an extension of him and praised Rom for his quick thinking that had led them to the ore.

Back at the military headquarters of the Solstar Order, Fy-Laa drew attention that despite the many boons of the armor, they knew very little about the ore it was made from and whether or not it might become as lethal to them as it was to the Wraiths. WhenOrphionmade large boasts about the armor's potential, Fy-Laa noted that there were only three of them wearing armor before Orphion soon announced his intent to procure a suit and begin the order of the Space Knights. While Rom went to pay a final tribute to his family, Fy-Laa returned to the test site to discover more of the armor's capabilities.Cold Fire

Fy-Laa eventually became Rom's partner. While flying through space, Fy-Laa reshaped his armor to a more bulky and menacing appearance before the two Knights arrived at the planetVerdulun-5.Breaking out theirAnalyzersthe two discovered the Wraiths were both everywhere and nowhere. Fy-Laa landed to try and get a clearer reading only for the gelatinous ground to spring to life and cleanse his armor of impurities. When Rom tried for a clearer reading, the blob revealed itself to be a Wraith as was every other lifeform on the planet who proceeded to surround the two Knights.Battle Scars, Part 1The Knights took flight only to realize the planet was no threat to them. The uni-mind of Verdulun-5 explained why it was giving off a Wraith signature. While Fy-Laa was overjoyed to find a potentially peaceful resolution to the Wraith war, Rom insisted the planet had to be destroyed. Fy-Laa however made an impassioned plea on the planet's behalf but his use of the word "we" made Rom realize that Fy-Laa had been assimilated into the uni-mind.Battle Scars, Part 2

Using Fy-Laa as an avatar, Verdulun-5 beat Rom to the groundBattle Scars, Part 3so it could assimilate him and use the Space Knights to spread its influence across the galaxy. Rom managed to unleash a powerfulNeutralizerblast that shattered his restraints and briefly freed Fy-Laa from the mind control. His mind temporarily clear, Fy-Laa revealed that he had become dependent on Verdulun-5 for life and could not leave. After making Rom swear not to destroy any more beautiful planets, Fy-Laa unleashed his own Neutralizer on the surface while Rom fired his own from above, destroying Verdulun-5. Fy-Laa perished in the resulting explosion but several parts of his body were claimed by aWraith Sorcerer.Battle Scars, Part 4

Despite the long war against the Wraiths forcing Rom to abandon attachment, Rom marked the anniversary of Fy-Laa's death each and every year.Battle Scars, Part 1Solstar protocol was that Rom should have requested a new partner after Fy-Laa's passing,Reinforcements, Part 3but for unknown reasons, Rom declined to do so, instead continuing his mission alone.Earthfall, Part 3

Fy-Laa's arm was transferred to a facility onEarth,allowing the Dire Wraiths to study his Energy Analyzer. However, it was later stolen byRuan SablikandDarby Mason.Long Roads to Ruin, Part 1Though Sablik perished in the theft, Darby was able to use Fy-Laa's Analyzer.Long Roads to Ruin, Part 2

Notes

• Though heavily hinted at in the2017ROMannual,it wasn't confirmed untilROM#11that Fy-Laa became Rom's Space Knight partner.