Research Time (Siobhan)

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Phylis Alince was hard at work. Her research area and workshop were deep beneath the Ossus Temple. The Jedi Master very much got into her work, not noticing that hours had passed whilst she tinkered with her formulas and processes.

However, she had a note to remind her!
Siobhan, 4pm, today.

Unfortunately, during her experimentation on the properties of kinrath venom she had spilled some of it over the note, partly dissolving it.

So when a nervous Padawan approached her she wasn't expecting it.
"Master Alince, your guest has arrived upstairs?"
"Hmm? What guest?" Phylis asked, not really listening.
"A Siobhan Kerrigan, Master."
"Oh really? Oh! Siobhan! I'll come up at once, lead the way, Padawan," she said, gathering up her outer robe and slipping it on.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


So far Siobhan had come up with a variety of ways to murder the Jedi Knight in front of her. It would be so simple to just snap his neck by merely thinking about it. Or she could make his heart stop with her mind. Alas doing so would be...counterproductive. The same applied to removing his tongue. Or ramming one of her leather boots into his groin. Once again she was reminded of one of the many reasons she had left the Jedi.


"The rehabilitation programme will cleanse your mind and purify your body. It will show you the path to the Light and thus to a fulfilling, virtuous life in service to the greater good," the Jedi droned on, speaking with the certainty of the righteous who had probably never faced his inner darkness before.


"Look, Jedi, cut it. I'm not here for your phony rehabilitation programme or to join your Order. I'm here to see a friend. Master Alince," Siobhan said gruffly with as much patience as she could muster.


However, the Jedi was not buying it. She had the feeling that she could see pity in his eyes. "The Dark Side inevitably corrupts anyone who uses it. 'Once you walk down the dark path, forever it will dominate your destiny.' Its slaves do not have friends and Master Alince woul never associate with a darksider. Now, you only need to sign here and then we can take you to temporary confinement in a ysalamiri bubble while the council reviews your case. Then the council will interview you and as part of your rehabilitation you will be assigned to the AgriCorps to pursue..."


Siobhan held up her hand, breaking the flow of words. "Wait, that's your programme? For every rogue no matter whether she's a willing defector, a Dark Jedi who has committed no real crimes or a heinous Sith who had a 'change of heart' after being captured? It's crude, self-defeating and easily fooled. Never mind the ridiculousness of letting someone stew for a week before actually questioning them. And AgriCorps is a waste of time. If someone has important intel or skills, you want to use it, not let them waste time ploughing the fields and growing crops. Never mind the fact that AgriCorps is the dumping ground for failures. Caring for an animal for a couple weeks does not magically make you good." After all, Siobhan was the happy owner of a Jester!


The Jedi puffed himself up, clearly displeased at her lack of insight. "You...there is no emotion, there is peace. Our goal is to redeem the Fallen and make sure any darksider who claims to turn a new leaf really has had a change of heart. The Jedi Order must remain a strong dam to stem the tide of darkness..."


"Yes, and have you wondered why so many people have left you? Fourth Great Schism. Putting them all in the same box as Daella is not winning you any favours. Same applies to the circus you call the senate. Save your sanctimony for the choir," Siobhan said with a shrug. The urge to just choke the Jedi was strong but...Phylis would not like it and Siobhan was just a bit obsessed with her. Likewise Tegaea disliked random darkside murder acts as well. There you go, dear reader, entirely self-interested reasons for restraint! After all, Siobhan was inherently selfish, not stupid. "Anyhow, I have a friend to visit," she said and without a further word gripped her cane and simply walked past him.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Phylis arrived soon after, dismissing the Padawan.
“Siobhan, I’m so sorry, got a bit caught up. Please come with me.”
“Master Alince, I hope you understand that this guest is under your care whilst she is here, and that you take responsibility for her actions.”
Phylis sighed. “Yes, yes, Jedi Krook, it is understood. Now please, leave us.”
The Jedi flounced off.
Phylis let out a customary ‘hmmph’, but it sounded more exasperated than actually annoyed.

She led Siobhan down to her workroom. She had left in such a hurry that whatever she had been melting in a crucible had bubbled over and wasted itself.
“Oh…poot,” she said with a sigh as she turned off the heat. “Anyway, take a seat, Siobhan…not there…that chair.” The first chair had a collection of jumbled, sharp objects on it which would have been unwise to sit on. The second one had only some papers.
“So, what can I do for you, Siobhan?”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Siobhan's mood seemed to improve when her favourite Jedi Council member showed up, though she did not like the way Jedi Krook spoke to her. Fortunately he left and so she did not have to punch him. Instead she followed Phylis down into her lab, wisely avoiding the chair with the sharp objects on it.


After all, while Siobhan was kinky, she drew the line at getting her shapely butt pierced by sharp objects. "I heard about Telti and that you fought there. I wanted to check-up on you. You came out of it alright?" Siobhan asked with genuine concern while she gave Phylis a one-over. Now, Siobhan had not given up on her desire to bed Phylis, but for a change her look was not characterised by lust while she looked for injuries. "I brought you something from Tygara. Old scroll from the Amikarese Empire."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“Hmm, yes, I was at Telti. A confusing spectacle all around. Have you ever heard of a Sith Lord named Darth Veles? Hmm, well, I fought him to a draw there. It was very odd. He had the strange notion that he was an honourable Sith and he had not fallen to the Dark Side. Even that he was able to use the Light in some measure too! Hmmph, sounds like kindly Sith to me,” she groused.

She winced though. “Still, he got a slash in at my leg. Makashi…” she added as if that explained anything. “On the plus side I shorted out his mechanical eye and eradicated the Dark Side from him…but as I said that did not stop him.”

Phylis took the scroll eagerly and looked it over. “Hmm, interesting. I can’t read the language, but I see this is a list of some form. Well, hmm, different things being catalogued, ascending numbers I deem from this. Names, titles, here? As a passing guess I’d say this was a kings list…or queens list I guess if they’re like the Eldorai. Was I close?”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


"A Sith Lord who thinks he uses the Light? That's so fething absurd. How comes I can't use light side healing and get burnt by Force Light then?" Siobhan asked incredulously. "Kindly Sith are the stupidest thing I've ever heard of," she scoffed at that. Siobhan's views were pretty simple: If you were a Sith you were bad. If you did not recognise that, you were deluded.


"Glad you're ok." She gave Phylis a concerned look when she mentioned her injury, but then smiled slightly when the librarian started to nerdgasm over the scroll. "Yeah, there's a list of rulers on it. Fifth Dynasty, I think. They do actually have kings as well. The Qadiri - that's the name of the elf race we made contact with - are a bit less matriarchal than the Eldorai. Enactic-cognactic succession" Needless to say this was something Siobhan would like to change because absolute enactic succession was the way to go.


"Tech is ancient by our standards, they're just about uncovering gunpowder and they still have slavery," she held up her hand. "Firemane wants to get them to gradually abolish it. As you can imagine, giving all slaves freedom isn't as easy as simply saying they're free. Unless you want to leave them destitute and working in sweatshop conditions for their former owners. We have a treaty with the Shahbanu Semiramis, basically the empress."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
The subject of Sith using the Light was one which made her shrug. “There are two sides to every story, but one cannot serve two masters. To be a Sith one must do things which makes adherence to the Light impossible. It’s different with you and Mirien, you’re not serving a messianic Dark Lord whose policy is invasion and conquest.”

She handed the scroll back. “Kings as well, hmm? Well that’ll have to change!” Phylis said with a knowing look at Siobhan.

“Fascinating, a nearly intact pre-contact race. The studies which could be made between them and the Eldorai could be extraordinary. I would like to come to Tygara soon and start to collate information before some of it is lost. I do hope you have prepared inoculations for the populace so they are not decimated by disease!”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


"Oh, don't worry. I'll use all my powers of persuasion to make them embrace absolute enactic succession," Siobhan said with a chuckle. They were very different in a number of ways...but she liked Phylis and considered her a friend.


"We've got inoculations prepared, no worries. Tegs and Coryth are seeing to that. Would suck if first contact ended with mass deaths due to smallpox. You'd be very welcome to come to Tygara any time. Firemane's set up a base there and Tegs and I have a place. I've pretty much been commuting between Etti and Tygara. Could even set up an alchemy workshop for you."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“Hmm, it would be interesting to visit. Perhaps I could do so soon. Let me show you my latest designs!” she said enthusiastically.

Going to a locked cabinet she produced a blade of burnished steel so bright it seemed to glow. Holding it in one hand she ignited her lightsabre and struck it several times, with no effect.

“It’s my first blade I’ve managed to approach the resistance of Sith Alchemy with!” she said excitedly. “You can hold it, it’s not Light infused, it’s more what I’d call a ‘Grey Alchemy’ item. It has no additional properties, but it’s a useful stepping stone.”

“See, the problem is, I’m finding it hard to replicate some of the alchemical processes with Alkahest. Obviously I’ve not had anywhere near as long to do it, but my key issue is that I need a more efficient method of transference than the crystals. I need a way to infuse the metal directly with the Force, but my efforts so far are proving unsatisfying. I can make a the metal resistant, I cannot make it infused with properties as easily.”

Phylis’ arms were bandaged quite heavily from many small cuts and nicks in various stages of healing. She needed the blood from somewhere after all!

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Siobhan took the blade into her hand and to her relief it did not burn her hand! "Grey alchemy, huh? What does the old guard say to that? Is Master Kolar still around?" Kolar had been the sort to make Vrook look like a hippie. Among other things he had one of those who exiled Siobhan to Bartusk after that incident where she got possessed by Shadow...and later argued for her exile to be upheld. The blade seemed to glow, casting her tanned skin and firemane in a bright light.


However, she listened with evident interest while Phylis spoke, giving the blade an experimental swing. Needless to say she made sure that she was not swinging the blade anywhere close to Phylis! "It's very good work, Phylis. Well done. Glad to see you're making progress," she said sincerely, though she frowned when she saw all the bandages. "Though I'd like it if you didn't cut yourself up all the time. I like you intact," she joked.


She thought for a moment when it came to Phylis' problem at replicating the alchemical processes with Alkahest and how she needed to infuse the metal directly with the Force. "I'm afraid I can't help you with the alchemical stuff, but I know some Eldorai priestesses are into it. Come to think of it, maybe you could have a chat with Mirien. Her alchemy is...a lot darker, but once you take the dark rituals out the principle is not that different. Laywoman's opinion."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“Hmm, I remember Mirien. I will talk to her when I go to Tygara…and to the Eldorai too. I know they are able to imbue their blades, so I may be able to learn from that.”

She pulled down her sleeves to cover the bandages. “It’s necessary,” she said absently. “There can be no progress without sacrifice.”

Pausing a moment she shook it off and went to the next item she had developed. “Now this one I think you’d best avoid handling. It’s an item which conceals the wearer.”

The Jedi Master produced a richly embroidered silver and blue mantle and slipped it on. Closing her eyes, she…vanished. Well, more or less. If Siobhan really concentrated she would see Phylis there, but mainly because she was not moving and she knew she was there.

Phylis shimmered back into view. “This one was hard to get right, but it’s quite effective from my limited tests.”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


"That's true, but don't sacrifice too much. You're important to me." Siobhan frowned slightly when Phylis muttered something about progress and sacrifice. In the light of her own experiences...she could not really argue with the woman. Greatness always came at a cost, but still. Then the librarian vanished from sight by using a cool mantle and then came back again.


Her Phylis was so cute! "Wow, that was cool. How extensively have you tested it and how long can the wearer stay concealed? You should have a chat with Mirien or Coryth. They're both very much into illusions and stealth. Testing it against either of them would also be a good way to gauge its efficacy," she said with a smile.


"Keep coming up with more toys like this and I'm afraid we'll have to keep you on Tygara," she joked after putting the blade down.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“Hmmph, I would ask how you would keep me, but I fear I wouldn’t want to know,” Phylis said with a smile.

“I’ve not tested it much. The issue is that you have to concentrate to make it effective, like all my Alkahest items. Perhaps in time I will be able to make the effects permanent, but for now…it’s more of a display piece than an actually usable operations piece.”

“Finally, I have something which is entirely experimental. Coryth’s encounter with Sith poison showed that there are few effective treatments. What I am trying to do is find a way to distil the Light into a form where it can be used to combat such afflictions.”

She showed Siobhan a small glass box inside which a brightly glowing mass. Siobhan would feel an uncomfortable sensation as she got closer.
“I suggest you don’t get too close, Siobhan,” Phylis said kindly. “I’ve not tested it yet, but I think with some refinements it could be a powerful counter!”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Siobhan's mind had almost instantly dropped into the gutter, though to her credit she tried to keep her lust under control. She did have some rather interesting ideas of how to 'keep' Phylis! Thanks to her connection to Coryth Siobhan had developed a rather unrefined form of empathy, so a fraction of her emotions might have bled over to the hot librarian.


But then they got back to the list of Alkahest toys. As Siobhan approached the small box she almost instantly recoiled, feeling a rather uncomfortable sensation creep up on her. It was less severe than when Phylis had Force Light'ed her, but then again that had caused her to feel like her skin was on fire, but it was enough for her to take a step back.


Once she had composed herself she smiled thinly. "You could cure Sith Poison with this? That's great. I saw how much...Coryth suffered from what that monster did to her," she said, shuddering. The truth was, Siobhan had not only seen how much Coryth had suffered and almost died during the quest to find a cure for the malignant affliction and defeat the evil box. She had also seen the torment Xerexes put her through years ago...as a matter of fact she had 'felt' it herself because she had taken a trip through Coryth's memories while helping to construct a holocron to store them in.


She gave Phylis' shoulder a gentle squeeze. Yes, nothing more than that! "Jedi Council supporting your research? I'd be ready to help out with funding and Mirien does have access to some alchemical resources and I do know some Eldorai Sciians who are into the craft."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Phylis picked up something from her rather more lusty friend and coloured slightly. She was happy for a chance to move on.

“Hmm, well, it’s no secret that things have not been going well with the war. We’re losing, Siobhan, have been for a long time. I’m a historian, and usually it’s the Sith who break up and part defeat themselves through infighting and wrangling for power. This time, I fear, it is the Republic and the Jedi who are divided. In that light, allocating resources to my ‘esoteric’ researches is not high on the priority list. I understand that, but if we become a solely militant order there will be consequences.”

Phylis sighed and sat at her desk. “Honestly, Siobhan, I’m not sure what to do anymore. Telti proved I’m not a warrior, not a great champion of war. I’m a researcher and archivist born for a time of peace in a time of strife. I can’t be what I’m not, so I guess I’ll just keep doing what I can.”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Siobhan fell silent while Phylis spoke. It had not escaped her that the war was going bad. After all, she did watch the news. In her younger days she would have joined the war effort but now...she no longer felt like it. She was still powerful, but not getting any younger, had a wife, two daughters and a company to look after.


Moreover, she had a planetary exodus to oversee and to help organise setting up a new civilisation on Tygara. More to the point, she was plain disillusioned with the Republic. Her recent chat with their PM had only confirmed that. Never mind the fractious bickering in the Senate. Did that make her selfish? Perhaps. On a certain level she had come to regard the Republic as a meatshield. Not a very humane view, but there was a reason she was a Dark Jedi. However, she cared about Phylis.


"Yes, I've been watching news. The Senate is a circus that's probably packed with double agents and the Council seems mired in debate - no offence meant.. I do think some of your research could have direct military applications given the stable of Sithspawn monsters the Sith like to throw around. Couple years ago I'd have joined the fight...but things have changed," she sighed, uncertain of how to proceed, then approached Phylis.


"You know, if things keep going this way, you'd always be welcome on Tygara to carry on your work. And no, I'm not saying this because I can get into your pants if you're on elf planet. You're a very smart, amazing woman and you've always been a good friend to me, even though we're different in many ways."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Phylis looked up at Siobhan.
“You know, it’s weird. Jedi Krook had a point; you and I have remained friends after all these years, despite everything. The script would say that would not be possible. Dark and Light are opposites after all, but I’ve come to learn that Dark is not always evil, and Light is not always good. Negative emotions fuel the Dark Side, but they do not have to do so in a morally wrong way. You and I are more alike than we care to admit. Our general goals and outcomes are similar, though our methods are very different. Hmm, it has come as something of an unfortunate shock to me that the galaxy isn’t quite as black and white as we might wish.”

“I will go to Tygara with you, and I’ll see from there. I cannot abandon the Republic or the Order, but I will not be bound solely to them. When are you looking to head back there? I’ll come with you. For a while at least.”

Phylis stared down at her table, unwilling to meet Siobhan’s gaze.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Siobhan smiled brightly, looking touched by Phylis' words. "You're right. Maybe we aren't so different. There are shades of grey in the world. It's uncomfortable...but they're there," she said softly, then stepped forward and pulled the librarian into a loose, one-armed hug. For the record, hug her was all she did.


No fondling. Though the urge to kiss Phylis right here, right now was strong. "I don't really have anything to else to do on Ossus. As fun as having another theological debate with that Krook guy would be! So we can leave right away," she spoke after releasing the Jedi Master.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Phylis seemed conflicted about something, but nodded her head. “I’ll gather my gear and meet you at the ship. See you soon.”

She got the details of where Siobhan’s ship was, and promised to be there in half hour.

What followed, when Siobhan was out of sight, was a mad rush to tidy up her workroom and pack for the expedition. Her astromech ERP-69 rumbled in to ‘help’.
“Six-nine, send a message to the Council that I’m going on an expedition. I intend to be back in two standard weeks.” She listened. “Yes, you’re coming along. I’ll need your storagebanks.”

Packing a bag, she headed for the door, almost running into Jedi Krook. “Master Alince, I’ve had your ‘friend’ escorted to her ship.”
“Good, I’m going with her to continue my research on Tygara.”
The Jedi looked pained. “You are going in the company of a known Dark Side practitioner, Master?” he asked as though the thought made him ill.
“Remember, Jedi Krook, that the Council allows a Jedi to ally with those who use the Dark Side if they advance the goals of the Republic and the Order.”
“There is continuing debate over that…Master,” Krook replied insolently.
“As always there is. Still, I am going with her.”
“Master, I have heard…rumours…about her.”
Phylis had had enough. “Since when was a Jedi’s task to rumourmonger and gossip, Jedi Krook, hmm? Hmmph, if we alienate all our friends by adhering only to ideology then we will end up alone. I have sent a message to the Council detailing my departure – that should be good enough for you.”
With that she bustled off towards the spaceport, leaving a sour faced Jedi Knight in her wake.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Phylis would find Siobhan at her shiny yacht, which was guarded by amazonian Firemane soldiers. As was well-known, Siobhan had an aversion against men on her staff because she practiced absolute enactic succession at the workplace.


"Hey there. Grumpy old Jedi did not want you to leave?" she guessed. "Can't say I blame him. You are a special snowflake after all. Come on, we're ready to leave," she said brightly before limping up the landing ramp into the interior of the luxurious yacht.


There they would find comfortable leather couches, a minibar and Harmony. Since Phylis was...a good deal more prim and proper than most of Sio's friends, the Countess' 'attendants' had dressed in a way that was more covering than usual. In other words, no skimpy dresses, no skintight leather outfits and such.

However, Harmony was still a big troll. "Greetings, Jedi Mistress Alince. So good to see you again. I'm here to attend to you in any way you desire. Siobhan speaks so much about you. Bit like a fangirl," she snarked.


Siobhan coughed, looking a bit embarrassed. "Harmony...," the servant's behaviour would have to be brought up at the next session of book club. Doubtless this was her intention.


"What? Just being friendly."