Jar'kai, Atrisia
To say that this was a humanitarian crisis was an understatement. An ash cloud hung over the planet, the surface had been devastated by Force Storms and volcanic cyclones. Jar'kai, the capital city, lay mostly in ruins.
Everywhere one looked, one saw devastation. Ruined buildings, broken bodies, shattered lives. The very soul of the city had been poisoned by the black magicks used by the Sith in a desperate bid to stop the Coalition of the Willing from toppling their evil regime.
The Dark Side was strong here. Siobhan could feel its power when the Firemane convoy moved across a ruined road. All the mass deaths had created a dark side nexus. She felt a cold chill run down her spine, and the whispers of disembodied spirits clawed at her mind.
The convoy consisted of armoured speeders, trucks and Yazgid IFVs. It was quite explicitly not a conquering force or an occupation one. Rather it would deliver humanitarian aid, medical supplies, food and so on. Ideally, it would be able to help give the locals something that many of them must be terribly lacking by now: Hope.
It did not take long before they were surrounded by a crowd. They were as unruly as could be expected of a people that had suffered hammerblow after hammerblow. In the far distance, one could see mountain slopes and the Imperial Palace. The Sith were long gone, for despite their fancy rhetoric about caring about Atrisia, it had been just another tool to them. Are you any different? one of the voices asked. Siobhan paid the whispers no mind. "Stop the convoy. I want to address the crowd," she ordered curtly.
Siobhan arose and disembarked from the speeder. She'd foregone her beskar'gam and wore only a light suit of armour, while her feet were tucked into practical boots. "My Lady, I don't think this is wise. The crowd could get violent at any time, and there may still be snipers lurking in the ruins," one of her guards, a former Atrisian stormtrooper called Mei-Ling, cautioned her.
The Countess just gave her a beatific smile. "Trust me. People of Jar'kai, my name is Siobhan Kerrigan," she declared when she stepped atop of a pile of rubble, which looked like the fallen pillar of a temple. A long time ago, the Atrisian Emperor had made her a baroness, before Atrisia's misfortune began.
"Some of you may remember me. When the Lords of the Fringe invaded this world and the CIS rained down Lucrehulks upon this city, I defended it. Atrisia is a proud world that has suffered greatly at the hands of tyrants. To my regret, I could not aid when the Sith came, but now I extend my helping hand," she declared. She carried no megaphone, but used the Force to amplify her voice.
"The tyrants that oppressed you have been defeated, at great cost. War has scarred this planet, everyone of you has suffered a loss, but it can and will rise again from the ashes. I've brought food, medical aid and ships that can resettle those who want to a build a new future. Moreover, Firemane will you the tools so that you're never at someone else's mercy again and will be allow any able Atrisian to join our ranks, with full benefits."
"What does full benefits mean?" one Atrisian asked. Siobhan looked upon him and saw that he only had one leg. He wore the uniform of an Atrisian soldier of the Imperial Guard. Due to her history with the planet, she recognised it right away.
"We'd give you a new leg, Corporal," she walked towards the soldier. "I've been through many wars, my employees deserve the best. We're very experienced when it comes to limb replacements, and we don't expect our people to subsist on minimum wages."
"But I don't want to fight anymore. I've seen enough bloodshed."
"So have I. We offer a wide range of services, beyond carrying a bolter and charging across the front. We have shipyards and factories across the stars and our own exploration corps. We'll be setting up factories on Atrisia and building homes and shelters."
"What benefits do you offer employees who have little children? And what if I have no other skills other than fighting?"
Siobhan smiled compassionately. "We have full daycare, and offer educational opportunities for both our employees and their children. I'm a mother myself. At Firemane, we're all a family. We look after one another. Job training is free," she raised her voice.
"You're just another snake in the garden! We've had enough of Force-users! Just look at what they did to our world. Madeline was right," a woman in the crowd suddenly shouted. There was a bit of a commotion, some people roared in approval, others shouted her down.
One of the Firemane troopers seemed to be getting antsy, but Siobhan shot her a glare before she could do something ill-advised. "You're right," Siobhan said calmly. "Force-users have brought great harm to Atrisia. The Sith have raped and devastated this world. Before they came, your rulers believed Forcers must be controlled and disciplined. They were right in that regard, but in their fear they took it too far and Atrisia suffered. My order is neither Jedi nor Sith. My acolytes are taught to obey the law, and those who transgress are punished. I have great respect for Atrisian culture and won't be forcing a cult on you."
Her voice was strong as she approached the throng, seemingly untroubled by the hostility a number of locals were showing her. Somewhere, a little girl was jostled in the commotion, dropping a beloved doll. There was a wail, but it was mostly drowned by all the noise.
However, Siobhan stopped. She glanced around, discovering the source of the cry. She looked down at her boots and saw the doll. At some point it had been a brunette, but the hair was damaged and partly singed. The dress had been pink, but was quite faded. The Grandmistress bent, a bit awkwardly as her injuries flared up once more, and picked up the doll.
She glared at a guard who approached her, then strode towards the little girl with purpose. The crowd parted like a sea. Having reached the sobbing little girl, the Countess knelt, smoothing the doll's hair and dress. The child, who'd been holding on to her mother's skirt, looked surprised and a bit fearful. Realising that the Countess was standing right in front of her, stared at her wide eyes.
Siobhan glanced at the girl's mother, as if asking for approval, then held out the doll towards the girl. Hesitating for a moment, the girl, whose clothes were dirty and whose face was scarred, clutched at the doll with one hand. Her hand was bandaged into a stump. There was a moment of hesitation, then Siobhan gently patted her on the shoulder, whereupon the girl threw herself into the older woman's chest. "There, there, sweetie," Siobhan whispered softly, wrapping an arm around the girl.
