A New Dawn (Siobhan)

[Tegaea Alcori]

@[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Siobhan would not believe that. For a moment she just stood there, trembling, uncertain. "Anyone else...except you," she said almost in a whisper. "I'm...not giving up on you, not now, not ever. I believe in you, always have. You fixed me when I was broken, were there for me when I was in pain," moving closer she pulled her wife into a hug, ignoring the cold metal that she would touch, likewise the fact that for all she knew there might be more miniaturised weapons or failsafes hidden inside her that could take her out any minute. "There's no Kerrigan without Alcori."

Whether this sweet metaphysical confrontation was some sort of lesson for Siobhan, or if it was just what happened sometimes, the two embraced.

There was a gentle feeling of warmth between the two of them, and then the two faded from the ruins of Mandalore, their own personal little story arc completed….

In their villa on Kaeshana, overlooking the gleaming city of Santaissa, Tegaea Alcori jerked awake. Blinking, she stared at the ceiling for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts.
“That…was not a nice dream,” she said aloud. She held up her arms and found to her relief they were flesh and bone once more. An examination of her legs confirmed the same.

She looked over to see if Siobhan was awake, and to make sure it really was her wife who was there.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

Siobhan took just a little longer to awake - she tended to be a heavy sleeper. But then she shot awake, blinking once, twice, looking confused as she gathered her thoughts, shaking slightly as realisation washed ov her. "It was just a dream," she muttered, relief evident in her voice as she turned and pulled her wife into a deep hug, finding to her relief that she was flesh and bone more.


"That was..creepy. I thought I'd lose you," she said aloud as she embraced her. As usual Siobhan had not worn any clothes when going to bed. She was no stranger to bizarre, even disturbing dreams...one might recall the one where she fought her Bando Gora alt self. But it had seemed so real, so painful. She took a deep breath. But none of it had been real...Tegaea had not been abandoned by her and twisted into the slave of a mad god. She had not hurt her. None of it had happened. Everything was fine, as it should be.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

@[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Unexpectedly Tegaea suddenly pulled Siobhan close and hugged her tight. She placed a kiss on her wife’s cheek and held her close for a moment, as if she never wanted to let go.
After a moment she replayed their conversation in her head and pulled back. “Did…you have a dream about…the future as well?” she asked awkwardly.
It was bad enough that she’d had this horrible dream. The prospect that Siobhan had it too was even worse. What was even worse was…where was she now? Was this reality, or was this a fevered dream in some far distant hell-future?

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

"You mean where everything went to hell and...and we f-fought?" Siobhan asked awkwardly, her lip trembling, though she already new the answer to that. She took a breath, wanting to be near her wife. "Yeah....I've had mad dreams before, just...never together with you as well."

Like that one vision where she was in a doomed, post-apocalyptic city and fought her Bando Gora alt self, which was very ironic considering how the Reavers looked upon her these days. Or the one where the Omega Protectorate was the Omega Empire, which was the Eldorai Matriarchy on steroids, Tegaea was in perma dominatrix mode and Siobhan was a force goddess wholly subservient to her. She had liked that dream a great deal! "Tegs...listen please, it was just a dream. It's gonna happen to us. This is real, I'm here," she spoke softly, trying to sound more confident than she felt, as she pulled her wife close, stroking her hair.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

@[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

The revelation that they had shared the same terrible vision opened a pit in Tegaea’s stomach. This was far worse than a dream, this was a vision of what might…what could happen. Were they fated to follow this dance to its bitter end, or was this just a nightmare they could avoid?
“Siobhan I…what happened was very bad. I saw everything that happened, and you vanished. I…betrayed you. I’m sorry.” She started to cry.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

"Love, please...that's not true," Siobhan hugged Tegaea tightly, like she never wanted to let go. Unlike many a Jedi she did not have the power to use the Force to soothe the pain, though now that she saw her wife like that she wished she had. Her being in pain was like the stab of an icy knife to the heart. One of her hands gently wiped away the tears from Tegaea's cheeks, cupping one of them.

"You went through hell...and you still fought it. I know you were. What happened...wasn't your fault. It was you who said what I did while Shadow was in my head wasn't my fault. So please listen," she spoke, trying to stay calm. Of course, deep down Siobhan thought that everything she had done while possessed by Shadow was her fault, but that was another matter.

"I should've been there...I don't know what happened." She felt horrible, how could she have abandoned Tegaea like that? Though outwardly she tried not to let it show she could not help the fear that this might not just be a dream, but a vision of what would happen, but she could not let that show. "You know there's no fate, that's just mumbo-jumbo people use to find excuses. It won't happen to us...and if things get crapsack I won't abandon you. I promise."

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

@[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tegaea’s tears subsided under the gentle reassurances of her wife.
“Just…hold me, please,” she pleaded, burying her neck in her wife’s hair and staying close to her.
The whole thing had been a terrible shock, but now it had revealed uncomfortable questions.

“How…did this happen? How did we get the same dream, or vision, or whatever it was? What could have caused this?”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

Now it was Siobhan's turn to appear uncertain. When it came to mystical and arcane matters she was strongly out of her depth. The one person she knew was an undisputed expert on that was Phylis Alince, but for a variety of reasons she did not feel like turning to her on this!

"I'm...not sure. I've heard the Force sometimes sends people visions and all that, but you know I don't believe half of the mystical mumbo-jumbo the Jedi say about it. And we do have a pretty strong bond, maybe it was because of that" she said, trying to wrap her mind around this.

There were techniques like flow-walking that enabled one to perceive the past and the future, though Siobhan did not possess that power and Tegaea, who had never demonstrated force-sensitivity, certainly did not. However, there were powerful force entities, could they have induced the same dream into their minds? Or even pulled them into a possible future, as a warning perhaps? "But whatever it was - the Force, some force god playing tricks out of boredom - it won't happen. Believe me."

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

@[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tegaea nodded. “Okay…it’ll never happen. Silly of me to think otherwise.” She looked at Siobhan with a look of pleading. “Never leave me, Siobhan…I want you to be my wife forevermore.” She paused. It was a bit melodramatic especially from her. “Well, I mean, I don’t expect you to be in sight every minute, but you know what I mean!” she said with a blush.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

"You're not being silly, Tegs. It's...shaken me as well," Siobhan admitted.

"Well, I wouldn't mind being in bed with every minute," she could not resist making the lame quip, but she caught the pleading look her wife gave her and her voice softened. "I swear, I won't ever leave you, love. There's...no one else for me except you. Nothing will break us apart." One might also that there probably was no one else who would put up with how messed up and damaged she was.

However, that Tegaea felt so strongly for her, wanted her so much meant...a lot. Even though Siobhan felt an urge to find whatever had given her wife a dream of hell and beat that being to death. "So let's the new day together then, shall we?" she spoke now that both of them seemed to have calmed down.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

@[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

“I see that your Mistress will have to keep you on a short leash from now on!” Tegaea said with a bit of her old spark coming back.
“Yes, let’s begin a new day. Anyway, Queen Anya – she hates me calling her that – is coming by later, so we’ll have to be ready!”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

"Ready, huh? Low-cut dress, tight leather outfit, chainmail bikini? Or do you mean a different sort of ready?" Siobhan asked innocently. After all, 'their' little Any had special needs as well! She gave Tegaea a fond look, glad to see that some of her old spark was returning, meaning that Siobhan felt a clear sense of relief wash over her now that it seemed her wife was alright, then got up from her bed to head for the bathroom. Naturally without bothering to cover herself because, well, this was Siobhan and it was not like her wife was seeing something she had not seen anyway!

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

@[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tegaea rose too, and since likewise Siobhan had seen everything her wife had to show, she didn’t bother covering herself.
“I think…today anyway…things are going to be a bit more formal, love,” Tegaea said with a smirk. “Tonight? Well, we’ll see. I believe we’re going to meet her fiancée today. He’s quite nice I’ve been told, and comes from the right sort of family. I’m sure they’ll be fine together…even if they do end up surrogating a child.”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

Siobhan pouted at things being...formal. "Oh, ok. He better know his place and treat her like the Queen she is," she stated with definite finality. The irony was that between the three lovely ladies Siobhan was probably the most femnazi of them all and thus the one who fit in the most in Eldorai society! Adril Tythorin, wherever her soul might have passed on to after death - perhaps into an eternal pleasure garden - could be happy about the fact that her student had absorbed her teachings so well and was proudly holding up the banner of Eldorai femnazidom.

"But I'll gladly take your word on that, love," she added as she sauntered towards the bathroom, unsurprisingly giving Tegaea plenty of opportunity to oggle her as she swayed her hips, but then her rear was rather toned and eye-catching, so the redhead could not be blamed.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

@[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Tegaea gave her wife a smack on the rump to chivvy her on. After all, she had to use the bathroom as well and it wouldn’t do to have her meet the Queen in an unfit state.

After Siobhan finally emerged Tegaea went in and then emerged to dress in a business suit. It was a good outfit, sheer grey pants and a tight jacket made it look very elegant. Just what was needed.
With that done she went to make sure breakfast was ready. Hopefully Siobhan would be ready in time and not wear anything too scandalous!

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

Delivering a smack on Siobhan's rear was probably an incentive for her to be even more tardy! After all, she liked it when Tegaea took control. Regardless eventually she stopped using up all the hot water in the shower and so the redhead could finally refresh herself and get ready for the royal visit!

In case anyone is interested, the 'Conqueror Kerrigan on her skull throne' painting that HK-36 had made for her many years ago after her battle with the Bando Gora Primarch, where Siobhan had been crippled and touched the dark side, had now been joined on the opposite side of the wall by the life-sized portrait her Bando Gora worshippers had painted, for such was their devotion to the great annihilator.

Upon laying eyes upon it the viewer would behold a long-haired creature of absolute depravity and destruction, terrifying and yet eeriely beautiful in her ferocity as she stood atop a pile of defeated enemies, demons that had fallen before her, the head of a dragon being crushed beneath her boot, a powerful blade held in hand. The love of the Chaos cultists for the daemon of power was evident by the fact that they had decided that, her bosom was even more considerable than it was in reality. Behind the daemon a storm of fire rained down upon a doomed city, for all must bend to her might and worship at her feet, lest they cast down into the abyss.

The telekinetic psycho-soldier who was the subject of this beautiful portrait looked tremendously threatening when she finally emerged to have breakfast. Siobhan had been strongly tempted to be a troll and put on something scandalous. Like that shiny see-through dress or that skintight, very revealing black leather outfit. However, in the end she had decided to be decent and chosen a beautiful red dress, contrasting nicely with her dark hair and eyes. She might not have a firemane, but she still looked good in red! Even though Siobhan risked being trolled about being a total femme but then she was convinced that this had been all part of her wife's plot!

"Suits you, love. Very...authoritative," she said as she stepped into the dining room, giving her wife a kiss on the cheek.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

@[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tegaea smiled slightly and returned the kiss before getting back to breakfast. “I see the Jedi are attacking the Graug in their lair. The Sith were stupid to try and attack Coruscant. With luck they’ll entirely bust them up. Doubtless there’s more Sith out there, so we can only hope they get the same treatment. You look good in red!”

She ate quickly, not having much time to linger because someone had spent ten minutes in the shower longer than they should have! At the Order’s ‘Book Club’ meeting tonight this matter would have to be properly accessed.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

"Thanks, I'll wear it more often for you," Siobhan said brightly as she sat down at the dining table, quickly getting to the breakfast a servant girl had laid out for them. "Nice to see the Jedi doing something useful. The scum deserves wiping out. Wonder whether the savages are connected to the Sith I thrashed on Fondor. Wouldn't surprise me if every little sect's claiming they're the 'True Sith' and bickering about who's got the biggest glowstick. Doubt the Sith with brains will be taken down with the Graug savages though. Always seem to get reborn after every purge," she seemed thoughtful at that before she dug into her breakfast.

Obviously Siobhan did not have any special insight in the confusing miasma of Sith splinter groups, but she was sceptical that someone like Shadow, if he was still around, had been killed during the Jedi 'Crusade' or would be killed during the BDZ they were performing on the Graug. For someone who was several millennia old, a couple of years back in the shadows were probably the equivalent of a nap. Obviously the only solution lay in purging them even more thoroughly. But she kept these thoughts to herself and likewise ate quickly, not wanting to interrupt the moment more with her grim thoughts. Besides, it was a nice breakfast!

 

[Anya Venari]

@[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

A short while later Anya Venari appeared. She was dressed in a simple blue dress and a small coronet on her head. With her was a single bodyguard/aide and her prospective consort. Despite it being an obviously arranged marriage she was trying to look natural with him, though her entire upbringing to this point counted against her.

“Lady Alcori, Lady Kerrigan, I hope you are well. This is Lord Malas, my consort-to-be. The marriage will be in just over a week. I trust you will both attend?”

Malas for his part seemed a genial and good natured Eldorai. He shook each of their hands and smiled.
“Pleased to meet you! Her Majesty has told me a lot about you, so it’s good to see you in person, yes!”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

@[member="Anya Venari"]

For her part Siobhan thought Anya - or rather Star Queen Tirathana VII, the regnal name she had taken upon ascending the throne to honour her mother - looked very cute in her blue dress and the small coronet. Besides, she was always cute when she was acting authoritatively. Of course, she might have to be taken down a peg at book club later tonight.

Regardless as the Queen entered Siobhan, being a most obedient subject, gave a polite curtsey. Doubtless Anya liked the sight of her bowing before her. "We are well, Your Majesty, thank you for coming to our home. It's an honour. We will definitely be there at your marriage. I would not want to miss it," she said warmly. Anya better make Siobhan her bridesmaid! She did not care whether Eldorai conservatives would whine about it. As for the formality of her speech, partly it was required, partly Siobhan was just being a troll. Her attempts to imitate what was called High Galactic - basically this Galaxy's version of Queen's English - still made her sound like she had a mental illness!

The man who was 'her' Anya's consort seemed genial and friendly enough though. "A pleasure to meet you, Lord. Contrary to what tales you might've heard, I don't really break that many roofs," she said what she thought was a tremendously witty joke and smiled.