Prologue: The Strongest Metals

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Charlyra Araano"], [member="Tempest"]


"Tempest, go talk to the villagers. Find out what they know about the attackers," Siobhan ordered. She used her boot to roll over the body of one of the hideous greenskins. "We're taking the corpses with us. I want their bodies, weapons and armour analysed."


Having said that she turned her attention towards the little girl. It was no surprise that the sight of a little waif and stray pulled at Siobhan's heartstrings. Same applied to the sight of Charlyra trying to comfort her. "Hey there, sweetie. I'm Siobhan. Don't be afraid, you're safe now." There was a soothing, motherly quality to her voice. She reached out with her hand and stroked the girl's head and back, giving Lyra an encouraging nod.

 

[Ria Misrani]

The little girl immediately shifted from Charlyra to Siobhan. Her grip was tight around Sio's neck, the poor thing was so scared. Charlyra felt her own cold heart shifted with feeling. She moved the girl's hair out of her face, to which the girl replied. "Your hands is cold."

The dark padawan looked at her metallic hands and then to the girl. "My apologies, miss...?" Still asking for a name.

"Riona," There was the small voice of an answer, Riona buried her face into Siobhan's shoulder.

Charlyra smiles and it reflects in the warmth of her voice. "Miss Riona, are you alright?"

Riona shook her head, her lips began to quiver.

"Alright Miss Riona, alright, we're leaving okay?" She soothed, and the girl turned her head holding ever tighter to Siobhan. Charlyra looked over and found Tempest collecting evidence and information, and thought it best to go and accompany her master. She'd give Siobhan a look over her shoulder but it seemed that her master was more than capable of handling a young girl. A smile as she looked forward to Tempest it seemed Master Kerrigan was a natural with children. "What can I do to assist, Mistress Tempest?"

When the metal-armed lady had walked away Riona's little body relaxed, and before she knew it the baby was fast asleep.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Tempest"]

 

[Tempest]

[member="Charlyra Araano"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tempest nodded to Siobhan. “On it. Lyra, come with me. I want you to record and make notes from the villagers. Got to get the things they know whilst it’s fresh. I’m going to collect the weapons and other objects, get them tagged and bagged for our science folks to look at.”

She started with the armour, weapons and equipment of the slain. The burned up ones in the shuttle naturally had less useful things, but the ship itself would yield useful information once it was taken apart.

Hopefully they could learn more about these raiders and stop them before their threat grew worse.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"], [member="Charlyra Araano"]


Meanwhile, Siobhan was mothering over the little child. Little did she know that she was more intimately connected to the girl than she could have possibly imagined. "Riona, that's a lovely name," she said sweetly. Her tone could only be described as motherly and she kept stroking the little one's head and back.


"No one will hurt you. I'll get you clothes, food and we'll get you a home." There was a soothing, melodic quality to her voice. By the time she'd said these words, Riona had fallen asleep. Siobhan craddled the little one in her arms, holding her close as if she were something precious. It was obviously a bit awkward while you were wearing beskar armour, but she managed well enough. With the little one still in her arms, she went off to look for Tempest and Charlyra and see how far they'd come.

 

[Ria Misrani]

There was a breeze, it was soft but firm enough to pick at hair and loose-leaf items. Charlyra nodded with acknowledgment and moved to record statements, and take notes. They weren't so forthcoming at first, but with time and patience, one by one those that had survived came forth. Explaining the sudden attack, accompanied by their fear - all had explained what a peaceful planet their home was. None knew why they had been targeted, and unfortunately, the only thing Charlyra could offer were her condolences. Some needed time and that much was understandable.

She turned to survey the damage and reminded herself that much of the galaxy had suffered such fates, from warring civilizations, crusading factions and the ilk that craved blood. Had no one any sense to make it stop, to simply live? Her eyes went to the young girl in her master's arms. Made an orphan by a senseless attack, made to feel terror and for what purpose? What purpose would there be? None that the padawan could comprehend anyhow. Turning toward Master Tempest, Charlyra handed her notes over. "I'll begin collection of evidence and weapons." She stated mostly to inform her Master of what she would be doing next.

What Charlyra began to pick up had not just been evidence or weapons, they had been part of a life. Someone's life, or in the case of corpses, a life. Again, nothing she hadn't already seen in her twenty-nine years of being alive in this galaxy. Still, it didn't make the task any easier. Kneeling down Charlyra picked up a small toy made from the local stockpile of wood, a primitive material but no less essential. The toy was in the shape of a canine-like creature, it was charred from the battle and her heart sank. How young did one have to be to find this toy of value?

Collecting what she could, covering who she could. She marked off what was to be collected by Firemane's teams. Walking toward Tempest she held the toy in her hand. "How small would a child have to be, to play with this?" Charlrya wondered her eyes watered. "How young?" Closing her eyes she took a long hard breath, the tears rolled down. She was not familiar with these villagers but it did not mean that she did not feel their pain. That her life had been so senseless as to have stripped her of her own empathy. Lives had been destroyed on this day, and it would be something she'd be likely to forget any time soon.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Tempest"]

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Charlyra Araano"]

Tempest glanced at the burnt toy. “Probably three or four,” she stated matter-of-factly. She wasn’t much of one for toy knowledge, but she’d played with something like this at that age.

She was about to ask Lyra why she was asking, but saw she was quite upset. She had become quite desensitised to war and death and this showed that. Civilians were dead, it was terrible, but it wasn’t something Tempest could get too upset about.

However, she had the sense not to voice this, and laid a hand on Lyra’s arm.
“We didn’t get here in time, but next time we will. Next time we’ll stop them before this happens, then we’ll find where they live and punish them for this.”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"], [member="Charlyra Araano"]


At this point Siobhan was rather desensitised to war, death and slaughter. It wasn't that she didn't care, but she'd fought on so many battlefields, seen so many ruined cities and caused so many deaths that while she understood what had happened was ghastly, she could not feel that strongly about it. War was hell, bad things happened to good people for no reason other than greed, bigotry and hatred.


The strong do as they will, and the weak suffer what they must, she thought with a strong sense of melancholy. Being the Sword of the Protectorate had wiped away most of her idealism. She still remembered liberating concentration camps on Eriadu and coming across mass graves, where men, women and children had been dumped after being shot in the backs of their heads.


Perhaps her immersion in the Dark Side, though it was not as deep as that of a Sith Lord, was also a reason for her attitude. The civilians were dead, she could not help them anymore. Except by finding those responsible and killing them before they hurt anyone else. However, she could help the little girl she was presently holding. She gave the tragedy a, for want of a better word, human face. Perhaps it was Siobhan's ability to still form these bonds that kept her from losing herself in the dark abyss.


"We'll find them and kill them. Then they cannot hurt anyone else. Justice will be served," she said, having stepped in just after Tempest gave her little speech. However, her features softened a bit when she saw the effect the massacre had on Charlyra. Reaching out, she patted the younger woman's shoulder. "What have you two found out? We're taking Riona with us. At least until we can find her next of kin."

 

[Ria Misrani]

Maybe it had been because she'd been just a child when she was taken from her family. Maybe it had been because she could never stand the bullies of the Galaxy. Or maybe, just maybe it had been because Charlyra Araano could never be used to the idea of a child losing their life to senseless violence. She suspects this is more or less shell shock having returned to such a life after three years of a rather mundane existence. Years ago, she most likely would've treated the object with the same regard as her masters. Unfortunately, that day may once again come around, she merely set the toy into a bag to be collected.

Justice, vengeance the lines were going to be blurred. And for once, there would be no one to object. Charlyra looked to the child in her Master's arms. Riona who now rested so peacefully, "villagers say it happened fast, their warning system had been cut so they had no idea, and if the other villages had tried to warn them - it never got through." She squinted trying to keep the sun out of her eyes. "Didn't seem like they were looking for anything, but one of the villagers mentioned that things had been taken along with people."

"Won't know yet until we've gotten a full work up." Charlyra commented. "They said that items taken were a bit odd? Utensils for eating, trinkets that the villagers held dear - textiles, musical instruments." She just shrugged and gave a look like she was just as puzzled as they were. "Weapons, of course, were taken but that seems to be a given, but." The padawan scratched the back of her head. "Nothing else, really. Although, one of the other villagers said that some of the weapons were heirlooms, so." Another shrug as she let her hand fall to her side.

A smile as Charlyra heard her master mention taking the girl. "Where will she stay?" She asks curiously.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Tempest"]

 

[Tempest]

[member="Charlyra Araano"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tempest frowned at Lyra’s words, puzzled.
“Random items huh? Why would they take those?”

A pause as she thought, idly rolling an item around in her hand. “Unless they want to learn about us…study us for our strengths and weaknesses.”

Another thought. “Or maybe they take trophies?” she added.

Both were behaviours known to her, but which it was gave some clue as to the species’ beliefs and views. Trophy takers valued personal glory and skill highly whilst those who took items were more analytical.

She smiled at the little girl Siobhan held. “She’s sweet. She’s got no other kin here?”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Charlyra Araano"], [member="Tempest"]


Siobhan frowned slightly, looking a bit puzzled at the list of items. "Trophies, intel gathering about us, I guess our anthroprologists at Firemane will have a field day. And nerdgasm about having a new species to study."


She looked down at the little girl. "Far as I can establish, she doesn't have anyone left here. She'll be staying with me till we can find her next of skin. We'll run some DNA testing." Oh, Siobhan, you know nothing.

 

[Ria Misrani]

TABAQUI, THE SIGHT OF A DEVASTATING KRAAL ATTACK NOW LEADS THE FIRE ORDER'S MASTERS​

SIOBHAN AND TEMPEST TO PLAN A COUNTER-ATTACK. MEANWHILE, FIREMANE TENDS TO THE YOUNG GIRL​

FOUND IN THE WRECKED VILLAGE. RIONA HANARI, THE SOLE SURVIVOR OF HER FAMILY, CLINGS TO THE FIRE ORDER'S​

GRANDMASTER, SIOBHAN. CHARLYRA MEANWHILE HAS NOW BEGUN TO REALIZE HER FULL POTENTIONAL WITHIN THE FORCE​

AND ALL AT THE GUIDANCE OF HER MASTER TEMPEST. FROM HERE THE MEMBERS OF THE TYGARAN ALLIANCE WORK ​

TO LEND THEIR AID AND LIGHTSABERS TO THE SILVER SANCTUM COALITION WITH THE EIGHTH BATTLE OF RUUSAN.​

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- END PART TWO -​

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- ELSEWHERE IN THE GALAXY -​

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DARTH SAPRUS MAKES HER MOVES TO SECURE HER PLACING ON A DARK COUNCIL​

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