Days Go By

[Mishel Kryze]

Riona had been exhausted from the day and slept until the next morning. She had tossed and turned in her bed, shifting this way and that. Her governess Bo'Sara checked in on her often and reported back to the Countess that the young girl was still asleep. Bo checked the younger Kerrigan's files as she wanted to see when her birthday would be. As it turned out, the young Baroness would have a birthday in at least three months from now.

She would turn five, and would be leaving the world of toddlerhood behind and moving into her childhood. Riona was still a small thing, even for her age group she was considered tiny.

Georgie, Shiri and TomTom were scattered along the young Kerrigan's bed. Riona woke with her head toward the foot of her bed, she rubbed her face on her mattress and slowly sat up in her bed. Blinking for a moment or two she rubbed sleep from her eyes. Swinging her legs over her bed she cautiously set herself to the floor.

Bare feet on the floor, she turned and gathered her three toys and a small blanket and left the comfort of her room.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Riona Kerrigan-Alcori"]


While lil Riona enjoyed a peaceful nap, her mother was still up and about. Alas, being the CEO of a megacorporation meant that sometimes you had to do paperwork. Sure, she had a lot of staff, but it seemed to her that she had just as much work to do as during her time as an Omega Protectorate Exarch.


Siobhan was as diligent as you could imagine someone who disdained bureaucracy could be, but she was probably better at being a businesswoman because she actually identified with her work. Firemane was hers in a way the Protectorate had not been.


However, Siobhan would not spend the whole night navigating the stormy seas of bureaucracy, for she had a visitor. While she finished a call with the council of Freetown on Arkas, a shiny sedan, enclosed by curtains, came to a halt at the villa's entrance.


Out of it, stepped a pretty, young Qadiri noblelady, using the back of one of her man-servants as a stepping stone. Of course, 'young' was relative, for she was almost twice Siobhan's age in actual years. However, the human was about ten years older in experience, worldliness and common sense.


Lady Taneya, dressed in an elaborate emerald gown loaded with sparkling gems, entered the villa. She found the human waiting for her. "Greetings, Lady Kerrigan. You have a most lovely home," the bronze-skinned Qadiri spoke, using her native language.


"I do indeed. And you are late, pet," Siobhan said sternly, putting a book aside. "The Goddess does not tolerate indolence or tardiness. Come with me at once. You shall do penance. As your slaves pleasure you, you shall pleasure me."


The noblelady flushed slightly. Her darker skin colour meant this was not very visible, though. No one else spoke to her like this, but the exotic alien had a magnetism that drew her in. "I...yes...Mistress," she whispered excitedly.


Leading the way, Siobhan grinned. Blue bloods act so superior, but slap a collar on them, and they're the best submissives, she thought to herself. It would be a very good night. Suffice to say Lady Taneya received a very thorough lesson behind the fade to black curtain.

 

[Mishel Kryze]

Riona padded up and down each hallway, servants greeted her and Bo'Sara finally met up with her on the second floor where she was taken to the kitchen to be fed. While Bo was turned to begin serving Rio's meal, the little one slipped away and decided to explore the home a bit. Wandering this way and that, the toddler was looking about mostly out of curiosity but then after a certain point she started to wonder.

Where was mum? Mama wasn't home she knew that but mum was around, but where could she be? Rio decided to check the third floor but mum was not there. She checked in the offices on the ground floor, mum was not there either. Where was mum? Rio decided there had to be more places, and so she checked back in the kitchen where Bo was still working, no mum here, she thought to herself.

Rio managed her way to a new area of the home, one she had not been to, one she had not seen, and one she should not have access to at this age. Still, she began to check for mum calling, "mummy? Are you there? Where are you mummy?" The little one was getting concerned and then she could hear voices and sounds from one room in particular. Rio knows no shame as we've learned and was quite dramatic is swinging open the door and shouting about into the room with excitement, "mummy!"


[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Riona Kerrigan-Alcori"]


There were certain things you really did not want your kid to do. Such as walk in on you and one your lovers when you were in a very intimate situation. Especially since Siobhan's habits tended to be rather unconventional.


Luckily, things were comparatively tame this time. Taneya was what Siobhan disparagingly called a level one. In other words, a girl who was fervent in her devotion to the Goddess, but was too delicate to undergo her most arduous rites.


Alas, Siobhan was in a very considerable state of undress. Abruptly the games came to an end when the little toddler crossed the threshold and entered the room. Clothes and some other stuff lay around. Where was her mother?


Well, Siobhan had heard her fast enough and taken flight, finding refuge behind a sofa. This had the beneficial side-effect of obscuring her nakedness, lest the innocent mind of a child be corrupted. "Rio...you're up already? I'm...just getting changed...I'll be with you in a moment. Just give me a moment." Siobhan's entire body was lobster red from embarrassment. As for Taneya, she'd been pulled behind the sofa, too, but quiet. "Bo...could you come over here and see to Riona?" she spoke more loudly.

 

[Mishel Kryze]

"Yeah," Rio answers casually as she takes a step into the room, looking around her little eyes grow wide in wonder. She has no idea what any of these things are. Bo'Sara is still making her way down, and is moving as fast as a twi'lek of her age and size can go, which unfortunately for mum, [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]. Isn't quite fast enough, "what does this do, mummy?" Rio asks and then looks around giggling, "mummy are you hiding?" The toddler giggles some more, and then claps, oh she loves to play hide and seek!

It's one of her favorite games and Chesna and Bo are so good at it! Good at letting Rio win that is, and Harmony's a rather good sport as well. "I find you, otay, mummy?" She does not know that there is another person here, and so Rio decides that she will count, "otay I countings, one, two, three, four, five! I findings you, now!"

Rio had had her hands over her eyes and then removed them so she could go to the sofa, her little shadow could be seen, but then the voice of Bo'Sara was heard. "There you are Baroness Riona!" Bo moves in and tries her best to keep her blue on her and not blush. She knew exactly what this room was for, she and Harmony often... uh, well, they oftened. "Come along dear I've made you a lovely little snack, and when your mum and- uh well when your mum is ready there is something else for her to eat too." She couldn't help herself as she scooted the young one out of the room, and shut the door behind her.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Riona Kerrigan-Alcori"]


Goddess, shoot me now, Siobhan thought to herself, wondering whether she'd so lucky and fall into a hole now. "I'm not hiding, dear. I'm just...preoccupied. We can play later," she protested vainly when Riona suddenly wanted to go on a hide and seek tour. Fortunately in this moment Bo'Sara, bless her heart, appeared and scooped up the little Baronness.


Siobhan breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Bo. I'll be with you soon," she spoke with as much vestigial dignity as she could muster at the moment. The door to the special room slammed shut, and she glared at Taneya. "Are you laughing at me, slave?" she demanded sternly in the Qadiri tongue.


As a matter of fact, Taneya had alternated between being remarkably embarrassed and being incredibly amused by Siobhan being so flustered. "Uh...no, Mistress. Of course not!" she insisted. "You...have a lovely daughter."


"I do. A very nosy one. You stay here. Chesna will show you your...quarters. We shall continue later."


"Yes, Mistress."


Siobhan quickly gathered her clothes. This took a while because they were strewn across the room. You see, worshipping the Great Goddess Ardarvia was a very intense business. Anyhow, she got dressed and made a note to get better locks and sack someone.

 

[Mishel Kryze]

Riona had been taken up to have a snack, Bo prepared a glass of cold blue milk, a fruit salad and a fresh loaf of honey almond bread. The kitchen was relatively still, Bo was now cleaning it up and had prepared the Countess a little snack as well. "Tell me all 'bout ta Zoo, m'lady," she says to the wee one as she cleans up.

"We saw da dollfins!" Riona exclaimed with a smile with a blue milk mustache on her lips, "and da big cats, and da otha animals, but mummy took me to see 'Shira!"

"Oh?" Bo asks warmly, "you went to Cathedral did you? How lovely, did you like it?"

"I wove it!" She answers back while Bo leans over and wipes the young Baroness's face with a clean napkin. "Dey singings and dancings, and da pwetty lady wit red hairs was kissings mummy like dis." Rio kisses the air as if it were a person cheek to cheek.

The twi'lek continues to smile and the nods acknowledging, "and I am glad to hear that you enjoyed it so Miss Riona."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Riona Kerrigan-Alcori"]


Eventually, Queenie deigned to show up in the kitchen after...making sure that her guest had found the way to her quarters. Siobhan was, after all, a very good hostess and strove to make sure that her guests were well-cared for.


By now, Siobhan had put some actual clothes on and was wearing a purple kimono robe that looked very fetching without being too revealing. One always had to think of the kiddies, of course. Hopefully Riona would not ask any embarrassing questions about the basement.


"Hey, you two. Thank you, Bo," she said happily when she stepped inside, ruffling Riona's hair slightly. "Did you sleep well, angel?" she asked, walking over to the kettle to make herself a cup of Atrisian green tea. It always helped make Siobhan feel more awake and was a good deal healthier than stimcaf.

 

[Mishel Kryze]

"Yeah I sleepings," Rio answers her mum after eating a little more of her lunch. "I, I tellings Bo bout everytings!"

Bo chuckles, "yes, yes you have told me, I'm so glad you enjoyed the Cathedral m'dear."

"Yeah!" Excitable Rio is excitable, her little feet swing in and out as she continues on with her meal, taking a sip of blue milk that turned into her nearly chugging half the glass. "Ahhhhh," she says mimicking the way Acolyte Araano drinks her glass of blue milk. Fortunately for Rio's mum, she was not going to ask questions about the magical basement, at least not now, soon yes. You see Rio was now focused on telling Bo all about her day and had quite forgotten about her trip to this magical place downstairs. "An dey singings all de songs to 'Shira."

"They did? Did you sing too?" Bo asks as she wipes down a counter.

Rio got a little shy and blushed, answering softly, "yeah."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Riona Kerrigan-Alcori"]


"You're telling Bo about everything," Siobhan corrected. She did not raise her voice, but kept it firm. No one took someone seriously who shouted all the time. Maternal authority in a velvet glove summed up her parenting style. She'd booked a tutor to give Riona some speech lessons.


"After you've learned Eldarai, maybe you could join the choir and sing songs about Ashira, too! I'm sure Eileithya would help you. The language is different from Basic in many ways, but easy to learn once you get the hang of it." Siobhan had managed and she was not a linguist or an academic.

 

[Mishel Kryze]

"Yeah," Rio replied and then smiled at the idea of learning the language, "yes I wanna do that."

And it would be good for her, and at her age picking up additional languages would be quite easy. It's also possible that Riona had inherited her other biological parent's keen ability for learning languages easily. Only time would tell if she had this ability, or not, either way the toddler was eager to learn Eldarai. It would make not only singing that much easier, but listening to the sermons and understanding the majority of the people here. "I like da choir lots, yes."

"I can'a see it now m'lady Riona singing in the choir, oh it will be a beautiful sight I'm sure, and did yew make any friends when you were there in the Cathedral?" Bo asks as she looks at the menu for the evening meal.

Riona nodded, "yes, I mak-," she looks at her mum, "made," another pause as she tries to put her thought together, "made lots of friends."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Riona Kerrigan-Alcori"]


Siobhan was not a natural linguist or academically inclined, but she learned surprisingly fast on those occasions when she actually chose to apply herself. She was fluent in Eldarai and could communicate well enough in Huttese, Qadiri and Xioquo.


It made communicating with her native servants and Tygaran aristocrats a lot easier if you actually knew their language. Many Eldorai did not bother, believing that the onus was on the natives to learn the language of 'their betters'. It was an upsetting mind set and rather hypocritical, but sometimes change moved at a snail's pace.


"You made lots of friends," Siobhan repeated gently. "See, Rio, you're improving. All you have to do is take your time," she reached out to pat the little one's head a bit. "Eileithya will be coming over later this afternoon. You remember the nice lady with the red hair?" There were so many lovely redheads in this place. It was a bit like a redhead convention.

 

[Mishel Kryze]

Riona smiled as she finished up her lunch. "Yeah de priestess," she comments from her observation. The young girl would head off for a bath soon, Bo had already gone to prepare the water for her. Her meal complete, the Twi'lek walked over and held out her arms for Rio.

"Are we ready for a proper bath, now?" She asks and Rio nods, "well then we shall be back," Bo tells Siobhan taking Rio into her arms.

"Bye Mummy!" Rio waves to Siobhan, as she's taken up for a bath.

---

---

---

Meanwhile...

Avalonia, Dosuun
Imperial Captiol Complex

Ambassador Brentioch motions for Gunther to close the door as she sits at her desk. Having a moment to breathe, Valessia prepares her own letter. One that had been in the wings for quite some time. Taking a deep breath she began to write out her thoughts on the holo.

Dear Siobhan,

She stops there, not knowing what to say or how to express what it is she's looking for. Valessia was doing this against her better judgment, against the alarms that went off in her head that told her this was a bad idea and she should leave well enough alone. She should, she could - but she wouldn't, thinking to herself she conceded.

I wish I had known that it had been you, all those years ago.

Why was this hard? Valessia shook herself of any past emotion and steeled herself.

But that was then - nearly five years ago, on Gallos.

There's not really a proper transition for this, is there? There's no soft entry, Siobhan was more than aware of why Valessia was writing to her now, but she didn't want Siobhan to worry...

I don't want to interfere, Siobhan, but I do have a request and I hope it isn't too much to ask. I'd like a photograph.
That's all, Siobhan - all I want is a photo whenever it is feasible. Once a year, once every three years - please.

She looked at the holo and decided it was enough, Valessia signed it and dispatched it to [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"].

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Riona Kerrigan-Alcori"]


Siobhan received the message when she was in her private office, looking at her holomails and checking up on the paperwork that had piled up since yesterday. It was always amazing how big the pile was, even though only twenty-four hours had passed.


She frowned when she received the message. Her fling with Valessia had been many years ago and she barely remembered her. If Riona had not suddenly entered her life on Tabaqui, they would not have had cause to contact each other again. By now, she also knew who exactly the Brentioch Scion worked for. It disgusted her. She considered just deleting the message and not replying, but something stayed her hand. It was not affection for Valessia. Just the simple fact that she was Riona's birth mother.


"Valessia,


I hear you're working for the Space Fascists and Sith friends now. I hope you're having a good time helping them subjugate and butcher people in the name of Fascism and 'Human High Culture'. It'll fall just as the absurd cult that preceded it. The First Order is morally reprehensible. I'll be supporting its enemies.


I want to make one thing clear: There's nothing between us. I feel nothing but disgust for your friends, and I'm not making exceptions for you. I'm sending you this pic purely because you're Riona's birth mother, even though you lost any right to her when you gave her up.


Riona will be getting the best of care from me. She'll be loved. I'll tell her about you one day, when she's old enough. But you won't be welcome in my house. It is best for everyone involved if we never meet again."

 

[Mishel Kryze]

Valessia did not reply to Siobhan, she clicked off of it and continued about her business.

---

---

---

Riona had completed her bath, and in the process had gotten her governess Bo'Sara wet as well. "Miss Riona if you wanted to go for a swim perhaps we should have gone to the beach," Bo told her, "next time we shall keep our splashing to a minimal and keep the water inside the tub, are we clear?"

"Yes Bo," Rio acknowledged with a smirk as she stood up in the tub, Bo with a towel wrapped the young Baroness up and took her to dry off and change. "Is de priestess here yet?"

"Soon, Riona - you must wait and be patient."

"I don't wanna wait," she complained, and Bo gave Rio a look, "no, I don't wanna."

Bo armed with proper clothing for Rio set them down and said to her, "well, no one really likes waiting Miss Riona but we all must wait, it is a fact of life my dear, a true story - if you will, now then arms up."

"No!" Riona whined, she wanted to be downstairs and to have the Priestess there right that moment, and being four meant that waiting was a cardinal sin. Four year-olds did not like to wait, no, they did not and this one in particular did not like it very much. Bo'Sara would have none of her whining and again gave the girl a look. Riona huffed and put her arms up, and Bo began to dress her.

Soon Rio was dressed - at least five minutes later than usual per Rio's huffing and not wanting to help speed the process along.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Riona Kerrigan-Alcori"]


Siobhan went back to her paperwork. While she would not be in the office today, she had a lot of ground to cover. It was boring, tedious and annoying, but necessary. Especially since she was going to have an audience with Shâhbanu Semiramis tomorrow. With the defeat of the Xioquo, the alliance between Eldorai and the Amikarese Empire had become...tenuous. Rumours abounded about the Saoshyant being in poor health.


Semiramis and the League of Krolis, an alliance of Qadiri principalities opposed to her, juggled for power. In short, being a semi-colonial overlord was a good deal less fun and more tedious than the holovids implied. Especially if you wanted to build something more long-lasting than rule through the muzzle of a blaster, even though sometimes Siobhan wondered whether assuming direct control might not be easier! Regardless, time would pass, then the door bell rang, signifying that a certain titian-maned Priestess had arrived on the scene.

 

[Mishel Kryze]

Baroness Riona heard the door bell and rushed down the stairs with her governess not to far behind. "Miss Riona, come now you will be finished quite soon enough," Bo'Sara says as she wags her fingers and directs the toddler back upstairs to finish working on her hair.

Sometime later, Rio was escorted back down. "There we are," Bo says as she motions for the young noble to sit. Her hair was now tamed, combed and put up neatly. "Mummy!" Rio exclaimed as she excitedly greeted her mother.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Riona Kerrigan-Alcori"]


And so the Riona-sized hurricane stormed down the stairs towards the door. Hurricane Riona! All of New Santaissa was on high alert. Especially the minions responsible for looking after Lacey. For if she joined with the raptor, none could stop her. Fortunately Bo'Sara was there.


At this point, Siobhan showed up, taking a break from tedious paperwork. "Hey there, angel. You look lovely," giving the excited toddler a hug. "That must be Eileithya," she added when the door opened.


As predicted, the Priestess stepped into the villa after a servant let her inside. She looked rather similar to how she'd appeared yesterday, wearing long, flowing, homespun robes. They were less bland than Jedi apparel, but not ostentatious. "Greetings, Siobhan, Riona. I hope you two had a good day after church? Siobhan, that kimono suits you. It is...unusually covering," the firemaned elf could not resist joking.

 

[Mishel Kryze]

Riona smiled sweetly as the priestess entered their home. The toddler missed any references to her mother being 'covered.' Mum was always covered up as far as Rio knew! "Hello," she greeted sitting in a cute skirt and shirt, her hair up in a braid. She remembered the priestess very well from yesterday's sermon.

Thankfully, Rio was more interested in spending time with the priestess than she was with Lacey. Plus, Lacey was under tighter security!

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Riona Kerrigan-Alcori"]


Siobhan liked compliments! Especially if they came from pretty ladies. "Oh, thanks," she was vein enough to make a pose. "Tegs told me I can't walk around half-naked anymore since we have kids in the house." Sometimes Siobhan still had chronic foot in mouth disease. A second later, she realised that a kid was standing right next to her! "Uh, and I love Atrisian fashion."


"I'm sure little Riona would look lovely in a kimono," Eileithya added helpfully to cover for Siobhan's embarrassment. The Countess was quite easy to troll, but it was not often her face turned red. "Anyway, why don't we sit down, Rio? We can talk and learn a bit about each other. I brought a book with pictures for you."