Any Port In A Storm

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Phylis Alince"], [member="Coryth Elaris"]


"But I don't want to get to know her," Kaida insisted, tone firm. No, she was not trying to make lame innuendo. Nor was she being slightly childish. Finally she relented and followed Coryth out. However, on the way she gently gripped the redhead's shoulder and turned her around, though she took care not to be rough.


"You know I like it when you get bossy. Alright, I'll play nice, if she does. Still think she's a pompous queen," she said quietly, before stealing a kiss from Coryth's lips after bending down. Then she released the smaller woman and likewise exited the ship. Presumably they would be heading to Kerrigan's suite that was located in the upmost level of the Skyport, quite close to where the Queen resided.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Kaida Taldir"] [member="Coryth Elaris"]

Phylis chuckled at Kaida’s description of Siobhan. It was certainly accurate to one on the outside. Phylis however liked to think she knew Siobhan a bit better. She certainly had many flaws, but she had equal or even stronger strengths too.

Passing through the Spaceport they looked an odd trio; a Jedi Master in brown robes, a shorter redhead more casual and an Eldorai Angelii. It even sounded like the start of a crass joke!

When they reached Siobhan and Tegaea’s penthouse apartment Phylis rung the bell. She did feel a little bad for neglecting Siobhan before…even if it had been unintentional geeking out with Coryth. She had brought along a present for Siobhan in a box she carried in her robe.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

"But you will, tonight, for me." She gave Kaida a playful wink, "And I'll make sure to repay you later." Hinting at things to come with crochet and much less clothing.

A beautiful smile spread across her lips, "This is true. And who knows maybe tonight might start to change your mind." Or so Coryth could hope. After all she wanted her dear friend and girlfriend to get along. The kiss Coryth sweetly returned. She then reached out and entangled her fingers in Kaida's and gently squeezed her hand as they walked to the suite.

Phylis rang the bell and now they just had to wait to be let into the suite for dinner. Coryth was still holding Kaida's hand, seeming so happy and content.

[member="Phylis Alince"] | [member="Kaida Taldir"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Coryth Elaris"], [member="Phylis Alince"]


"Not in her bed as one of her sycophantic harem girls though," Kaida muttered to herself. No, she did not like Kerrigan much at all. Why? For starters her pompous, arrogant personality rubbed her the wrong way. The other reason was...Coryth. Fact was that Kerrigan knew the tiny redhead a lot better than she did and the frost elf was half-certain she had a thing for her.


However, she fell in line alongside Coryth and her bad mood soon seemed to dissipate when Coryth took her hand. This took her a bit by surprise, but, smiling a bit shyly, she gave the Jedi's hand a squeeze in return. Then soon they'd reached the penthouse.


It did not take long for the door to open after Phylis rang the bell, revealing...Siobhan Kerrigan. The Countess was wearing a magnificient purple dress that, unsurprisingly, accentuated her voluptuous bosom and hugged her body in all the right places. Her glorious firemane fell down past her shoulders, a beautiful necklace graced her neck and she was wearing a pleasant scent. Her bad mood had passed since Hestia and Harmony were very good at distracting her.


So she greeted Coryth with a smile when the door opened. "Coryth, darling. So glad you could come," she drawled and bent down to hug the tiny redhead and give her a kiss. It was then that she noticed the bracelet. "That bracelet looks lovely on you, dear," she added before turning to Phylis. "Nice to see you again, Phylis. I hope you two had lots of fun?" The Jedi also got a hug, though the kiss was on her cheeks as opposed to her lips.


It was only then Siobhan noticed Kaida or bothered to acknowledge her. The Countess tensed, a frowning creasing her forehead. "Lady Countess," Kaida spoke, formally...stiffly. Clearly they would not be talking casually with one another at dinner.


There was a pause, then Siobhan spoke. "Seraph." Clearly the distinction in rank was important. Another pause, as she glanced from Kaida to Coryth. Out of all the elves, why did Coryth have to choose the one that's as dull as dishwater? She could do way better! "You will be joining us?"


"Coryth invited me, yes." Kaida did not bother with 'but I don't want to impose' nonsense. Kerrigan would just have to suck it up.


"Well, then my favourite healer gets what she wants," Siobhan said, though she would rather chew on a razor blade than say that. "Please come inside. Table's about to be set," at that she stood aside so that three could enter.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Coryth Elaris"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Phylis was hardly the most socially aware person, but even she could clearly see that Kaida and Siobhan went together like oil and water.
Looking between them she smiled a bit nervously.

“Thank you, Siobhan. That is a very nice dress. I hope I’m not imposing by coming along?” she asked. Even she could guess what the answer would be; a denial from Siobhan but with a barb aimed at Kaida.

As they entered the penthouse she unearthed a small box from her robe and handed it to her.
Inside was an Alkahest necklace…but one which was neutral rather than Light Sided. Obviously she wasn’t going to give her friend something harmful. She’d consulted various people for an idea of what she should make as the design.
Finally she had settled on a silver design set with a ruby.

“I thought this might be useful for you. It uses the Force to, hmm, decipher language. A bit more accurate than a mechanical translation machine because it gives a better clue to, hmm, context. It’s neutral, not Light, so you shouldn’t have any trouble with it.”

 

[Coryth Elaris]

"I'd never expect such a thing. I only want you with me tonight." Coryth whispered back to Kaida. Feeling Kaida's skin against hers and the Empathic vibe she got back in return was plenty reward for Coryth.

"Siobhan, you look lovely tonight." Coryth then wrapped her arms around Siobhan and hugged her in kind. A sweet little kiss followed. The compliment about the bracelet just had the tiny redhead grinning, "Kaida got it for me today." Cheery as ever Coryth really seemed fond of the little bracelet.

Stepping back, Coryth wrapped her arm around Kaida's waist. Just a sign to let Kaida know she was here for her, and she cared about her happiness. A simple gesture, but a big one for Coryth to make to her significant other.

"Yes, I invited her. I hope you don't mind." Not that she was going to let that small detail get in the way of getting some time with her favorite Elf. "Thank you, Sio." Well, she certainly was happy about Siobhan not raising a fuss about Kaida and more than happy to be getting her way this evening. Coming inside, Coryth headed for the dinning room and pulled a seat out for Kaida first before she took a seat herself.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"], [member="Phylis Alince"]


To say that Kaida and Siobhan went together like oil and water was quite accurate. Kaida tensed slightly during the conversation, feeling uncomfortable. Even from the entrance, the opulence and ostentatious wealth of the apartment was plain to see. It all seemed tremendously wasteful to her and made her seme out of place.


Oh, and she did not like Siobhan kissing Coryth. Now, Kaida tried not to be the jealous type, especially since she was not 'saving herself up' either, but something about the woman set her teeth on edge, though she was too reserved to make a scene. However, those thoughts seemed to vanish from her mind when Coryth wrapped her arm around her waist. Simple gesture, but meaningful. She probably had a silly look on her face.


Siobhan for her part looked a bit surprised and slightly flustered. "Thank you, dear. Your bracelet...looks lovely."


"Not nearly as lovely as she. Only looks nice because of who's wearing it." No, Kaida had not just said that. Nor was she looking sort of dreamy. It was way too sappy.


"Yes, Coryth is very lovely," Siobhan agreed. There was a flicker of something on her face, though it was difficult to make out. A feeling of loss perhaps? Maybe. Either way, then Phylis presented the small box and Siobhan opened it, happy for a distraction, especially if it was a gift from her favourite bookworm. A radiant smile crossed her features when she beheld the necklace.


"Oh, thank you, Phylis. That's very kind of you. It's beautiful, and should be very useful. Mechanical translators lack so many nuances and I do get into many first contact situations." Somewhat impulsively, she pulled the librarian into a hug. For the record, there was no groping. For her part Kaida sat down on the seat Coryth had pulled up for her, giving the redhead a thin smile.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Coryth Elaris"] [member="Kaida Taldir"]

Phylis was a bit surprised by the hug but returned it, smiling.

“Well, do let me know the efficiency of it. I’m concerned that it might start translating everything going on around you and cause a feedback loop. Hmm, we’ll see.”

She noticed the tension between Siobhan and Kaida. A love triangle? It all sounded so…messy…to Phylis’ mind.

And so, she took the initiative and walked on through to the dining room, making the others follow to keep up. Presumably there was a maid there to guide them to their places.

“Looks lovely, Siobhan!” she said enthusiastically.

 

[Coryth Elaris]

The tension between Kaida and Siobhan, Coryth just couldn't miss. Especially not when her gifts in Empathy were as strong as they were. Still she was just as happy to be at Kaida's side, even if she might have sensed a bit of jealousy from Sio. Perhaps she was going to have to have a chat with the two of them, and get them to settle the differences so that she could have both her favorite women.

"Awww, aren't you two sweet." Coryth said sweetly, complimenting them both at the same time. The redhead then squeezed Kaida's waist lovingly, to show her support.

Then taking her seat at the table, she waited for Kaida to join her. So much contentment was written across her face. She glanced to Siobhan and Phylis and smiled brightly, "It does look nice on you, Sio."

[member="Phylis Alince"] | [member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"], [member="Phylis Alince"]


Siobhan seemed to end up in love triangles a lot of times!


"Uh, thank you, dear. You're so sweet," Kaida said a bit awkwardly, flushing just abit. She obviously ignored the fact that Coryth had been praising Siobhan as well! Anyway, she gave the lovely redhead and then sat down. Maybe she could make it through the night without punching Kerrigan.


Oh, come on, stop sounding like some lovestruck teenager, Siobhan thought to herself. She was totally ignoring the fact that she sounded like one as well. Seriously, who called their body 'a vessel for your joy'? Someone who read awfully corny, romance novels. "Thank you, darling," she beamed happily when Coryth said how great her necklace looked on her!


At the very least, Coryth was getting lots of attention. So the four ladies sat down and after a moment or two, pretty servant girls were carrying in plates of food along with drink. In deference to the fact that Coryth and Phylis were more reticient about such matters, the attire of the maidens was slightly more covering than usual.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Coryth Elaris"] [member="Kaida Taldir"]

Phylis looked suspiciously at the ‘maidens’, but was finally convinced they would not start flaunting themselves whilst she was there. Having ladies remove their clothing was about the only thing which could make this meal even more tense.

When one of them bent down by Phylis to server her the Jedi Master was given a close up of cleavage. She sighed and looked the other way.

“So, how is the settlement on the surface going?” she asked to give both Kaida and Siobhan something to discuss other than their evident mutual loathing. “And Coryth, how is your medical studies and research progressing?”
Try to keep everyone in the conversation so no one had a chance to argue!

 

[Coryth Elaris]

Coryth smiled, "It's going well. There's always a new species to study and learn their physiology to be able to better assist them when they take on injuries. There's a couple of interesting plants that I've been looking into lately. One appears to be a powerful antibiotic for most humanoid species. So, I'll have to see if I can actually get my hands on some and put it to the test. Otherwise, I've just been refining the surgical techniques I already have and keeping my skills up to date."

Reaching under the table, Coryth gentle squeezed Kaida's knee to encourage her, as well as let the Eldorai know she was there for her. And with the food served, the redhead took her fork and slowly began to eat, waiting to hear from Kaida and Siobhan. With luck they won't kill one another before this dinner is over.

[member="Phylis Alince"] | [member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"], [member="Phylis Alince"]


And so food and drink arrived. Kaida got a close up of cleavage when a maiden served her, but looked indifferent. Instead she glanced over to the lovely redhead. The beautiful, awesome, sweet one, not the pompous queen. "It's important work you'redoing. We wouldn't want the natives to suddenly die of smallpox," she commented.


"Settlement is going reasonably well, all things considered. We've stopped having food riots, though overcrowding is a problem. We've had to recruit new Sciians to make up for Angelii casualties. Many are the sort we'd have rejected out of hand before, but they'll learn." It went without saying that Kaida was not a nice trainer. Some officers had suggested recruiting native Sciians to bolster their ranks.


"Firemane's building a rail to connect the settlements with New Santaissa. There'll be more dwelling space when the Xioquo are subdued. An idiot Mirza sent her army on a death charge to Underrealm and got spanked. Drows are a lot cannier than we thought, but we'll be ready soon," Siobhan threw in, cutting herself a piece of steak with her knife.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Coryth Elaris"] [member="Kaida Taldir"]

Fortunately for the Qadiri the Eldorai would not be sending them blankets infected with smallpox!

“You all are doing a great job! Making a new home for these people is not easy at all, but you’ve all worked very hard.”

She smiled in what she figured was an encouraging way.

“If there’s ways I can help you, please tell me. Siobhan, please tell me about these Xioquo raiders. Are they an offshoot of the native Qadiri?”

 

[Coryth Elaris]

Coryth glanced to Kaida and smiled sweetly. "Indeed, we would not. Or any other type of plague. I'm just glad to be of assistance, and able to help."

"Glad to hear things are going well. And I'm sure we could always use a helping hand with the sick and injured, Phylis. There's always something that needs to be done, and someone that needs help. So I've no doubt there would be plenty for you to do, if you wanted."

[member="Kaida Taldir"] | [member="Phylis Alince"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Phylis Alince"], [member="Coryth Elaris"]


"Our other lost cousins," Kaida commented. "Not evil per se, but their culture's barbaric. Lady Cadalthor would probably fit in among them." For her part Siobhan wondered that this was a dig at the fact that she sort of got on with the aristo.


She's more fun at parties than you, she thought to herself. "They're another Eldorai off-shot. Think space elves crossed with the Sith species. Slavery, blood magic, backstabbing. We suspect their 'Goddess' is one of the Paragons, like Eyrecae," Siobhan elaborated before helping herself to a piece of meat.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Coryth Elaris"] [member="Kaida Taldir"]

“I would love to help out if I can, Coryth,” Phylis said brightly. Now divorced from the Jedi Order proper, she had few opportunities to do such work to help people.

Listening to the description, her eyes flicked to Coryth. She wasn’t sure if she knew about the Eldorai’s history, and even if she did she wasn’t sure it was politic to bring up. Even though Kaida was clearly realistic and atheistic about the Eldorai pantheon she didn’t necessarily want it rubbed in her face.
Phylis might have been wrong here, but she’d let one of the others mention it first.

“Ah, I see. Most curious. Hmm, have they proved to be a problem yet? I don’t suppose there is any hope of accommodation from them?”

 

[Coryth Elaris]

Coryth quietly cut away a piece of her meat, munching on it slowly, and listening to the conversation between Sio, Kaida, and Phylis. She smiled at Phylis, "I'd be happy for the help, and I'm sure they won't mind either. Plus it will be nice to have another lightsider around."

The redhead for her part, hadn't really inqired too deeply into the history of the Eldorai. She'd only picked up on what Kaida had told her, really. And she did feel a little out of place in the conversation now. But thatwas alright. She was bound to pick up a thing or two.

"Well, I've been working with a couple of them. Slaves that have come into my care, trying to help integrate them back into a more normal and less violent society. We'll see how that ends up. I can only hope that it will work out. Though it Seems even they were quite traumatized by the actions of their own people."

[member="Phylis Alince"] | [member="Kaida Taldir"]

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Coryth Elaris"], [member="Phylis Alince"]


"There can't be an accommodation with them till they're defeated," Kaida responded. She was blunt about it, but her tone was soft. She was trying to be polite and, moreover liked Phylis. "Their culture's a barbaric, fracticidal mess that glorifies slavery. We'll have to defeat them, then reintegrate and civilise."


Siobhan took another sip from her drink. "Right now they're the elf equivalent of the Sith species. The common people aren't any born evil, but their culture's all about and they think their goddess has returned to lead them to glory. I don't want to follow in the footstpes of Pultimo and commit genocide, but we need to win the war first." Pultimo was a Supreme Chancellor who, after the conclusion of the Great Hyperspace War, ordered Republic troops to exterminate the Sith species.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Kaida Taldir"] [member="Coryth Elaris"]

“Hmm, yes, it’s a delicate balance. I agree though that they must be defeated before you can reconstruct them. Nothing is born evil, but culture and leadership becomes entrenched over centuries. The Dark Side becomes a habit, and with it comes the need for power by any means.” She raised her glass in salute to Siobhan, “…usually becomes a habit, with some exceptions.”

“I am not, hmm, the best negotiator, but if I can help at any stage then you may call on me.”

Dessert was brought in when they had finished, and Phylis was especially delighted by the thick fruitcake which she got second helpings of.

“An excellent dinner, Siobhan, thank you all for inviting me!”