Lako Serrad
Overview
Lako Serrad is a middle aged veteran, about the same age as Herman Raskel. He once served as a soldier and fought beside Herman in bloody campaigns and received benefits as a veteran. Unlike Herman, however, his soul remains burdened by the scars of war.
Personality
Lako is rough and hardened and carries a permanent anger and bitterness within him. He is honest to excess and cannot keep secrets. He speaks openly about things others prefer to leave unspoken. Deeply scarred by carnage and violence, he finds no comfort in farm life or family as Herman Raskel does.
Relationship with Herman Raskel
The bond between Lako Serrad and Herman Raskel is a brotherhood forged in the furnace of war. Yet their friendship is tested by the different ways they carry the past. Herman seeks oblivion in the stability of the countryside while Lako is left with nightmares and unrest.
Role in Story
Lako Serrad brings to light the truth of a massacre on a distant planet where their army exterminated a people with unusual political traditions including forms of self government. He confesses the mental wounds he carries, not only from that atrocity but from war in general. Through his confession he indirectly reveals that he saved a family from that tribe who now live in hiding and follow him.
Special Feature
The family he protects has only four fingers which marks them as descendants of a different evolutionary line.
Symbolism
Lako Serrad represents the voice of guilty memory. He is a living reminder that the history of the military contains not only glory but also shame.