Shadows of the Past

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"], [member="Tegaea Alcori"], [member="Delila Castillon"], [member="Hevana Martin"], [member="Anemone Nivalis"]


Firemane Hospital, Kaeshana
After battle of Alderaan


Step by step she awoke from her slumber as she gradually drifted out of the realm of Morpheus. Her slumber had been confused but now the dreamlands no longer held her. The light was too bright, far too much and so averted her eyes as it invaded them. Still feeling tired she tried to rub the sleep from her eyes as she gradually adjusted to her surroundings. Her limbs felt a bit numb when she tried to stretch, but otherwise she felt alright. More importantly she was still annoyingly tired. As her vision cleared her surroundings soon solidified and she found herself looking at...a hospital room. That in itself was nothing new. She had been in these so often that it would probably behoove her to start grading them by now. Doubtless a nurse would soon enter and make some lame quip about her having lost limbs again. Her hands quickly travelled down her body, checking every part of it. All limbs accounted for, nothing lost.



That was good. What was far less easy to answer was the simple question of why she was in the hospital in the first place. Her head still bloody hurt, which for some absurd reason made her consider the possibility that she might have spent last night partying for too long...but then she'd be lying in her bed in her home. Siobhan was not the most observant person but she liked to think she had a good memory. Yet as she tried to search through the depths of her mind she drew...a blank. For a moment an irrational fear filled her. Had something happened to Tegaea? But the thought was ridiculous. Kaelin was long dead after all, her wife was recovering and they had left the Protectorate behind them. Then why was she here?


Outside the sun was shining, birds chirped happily, as if driven by a desire to troll her, and the warm sunlight invaded her room through the window, the silk curtains having been parted. It was clearly daytime and she was reasonably certain she was on Kaeshana, being able to catch a glimpse of the mountain tops and of the gleaming city of Santaissa in the far distance when she cocked her head to the side slightly. A frown creased her features but thoughts were interrupted as she suddenly heard noise coming from outside the room...

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

"Are you saying she didn't lose a leg or an arm this time?" Tegaea was saying incredulously.
"Amazingly, yes," Doctor Osway said with a grim smile. "However the reality might be worse. She seems to have sustained some sort of mental trauma. I suggest memory loss or confusion may be symptoms. Try not to overstress her."

Tegaea nodded and pushed open the door. Inside her wife lay on the bed, and she crossed to her to kiss her and hold her tight. "Oh Siobhan...why do you keep doing this?" she asked rhetorically. "How do you feel?"

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"]


Siobhan leaned into the kiss and pulled her wife closer to her, accepting the loving embrace. However, an expression of confusion crossed her features when she heard her words. Tegaea was probably not saying anything about her wild partying. Sure, she had had a drinking problem once, but was long gone.


"I'm good, thanks. Just a little tired," she said, planting a soft kiss on Tegaea's cheek. Then she withdrew, examining her wife as she gave her a one-over. Tegaea looked in better health than she remembered her. Likewise the cane was gone, which made Siobhan happy but also increased her confusion. "Why am I here? How are you feeling? Are your injuries still bothering you?" A feeling of concern was evident in her words.

 

[Mirien Valdier]

The news came across Mirien's desk, though it was little surprise that Siobhan had been hurt. What did surprise her was the manner in which it was done. Memory loss was the most unpleasant thing she could imagine. Twenty years of her own life were still missing, and may never be recovered. It was just the cards she was dealt, and like them or not, Mirien was going to have to play them. If she ever got her paws on who did this, she'd tear them limb from limb. And if anyone knew how Siobhan was going to feel, it was Miri.

With a heavy sigh, she put off her meetings for the day, packed her bag and headed off for the hospital. Truthfully it was the very last place she wanted to be. Hospitals carried perhaps one too many bad memories for her. The scent of disinfectant, was just the start bringing with it more pain than she wanted to recall as she entered the building, her own prosthetic feeling rather itchy in response to that familiar smell. Soon enough her feet carried her to the door of Sio's room, where she lightly knocked. "Mind if I come in?" She asked, not wanting to disrupt anything that might be going on inside.

[member="Tegaea Alcori"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Mirien Valdier"]

Tegaea paused, confused. "Injuries? No...not that I'm aware of," she said. As others so (un)helpfully pointed out, she wasn't a frontline soldier any-more. She was a CEO and businesswoman now. The last time she'd been injured, badly injured, had been during Kaelin's kidnap and attempted murder. She didn't bring that up, partly because the memory was too painful still, and partly because she didn't want to say aloud her fears.

Fortunately, a distraction arrived in the form of Mirien. "No, please come in, Miri," Tegaea said warmly. "The doctor says Siobhan is recovering well. HK says that Phylis is going to be okay as well, they got to the poison in time," she added the last to Siobhan.

 

[Anemone Nivalis]

Okay. things happen all the time. Bad things, that is. By this point, is to believe that there was anything she hadn't seen or been a part of. And was there when her closet got hurt. Mainly because they always got hurt. It's like they went hunting for it or something. Actually, scratch that. They WERE looking for it. But still, she was with them. And when she wasn't, she still came back. Every holo call and message, every word of mouth after some galactic conflict. It was routine at this point. So, why did this feel different? Siobahn always got hurt. It was her calling card. So, why was her heart racing? Why was she rushing for the same woman who essentially never let anyone other than one doctor touch her? No matter what she told herself, or how much she was sure everything was okay, the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach would not be shaken loose.

The heels of her boots clicked along the floor as she Anemone sped walked through the hall, her datapad and a set of charts held against her chest, like it was meant to stop her heart from pounding. She'd received a message that Siobhan had been hurt..again. This was nothing new, but still she had hurried as if this was the first time. Like something was actually capable of killing that woman....

Her eyes fell upon another as she approached Siobhan's room, stopping at the door and peeking in around the corner, just as the other woman had done.

"Everyone decent in here? Or should I cover my eyes now before I'm scarred?" Her lips curled into a forced grin as she made the dry joke. What else was she to do at that point?

[member="Tegaea Alcori"][member="Mirien Valdier"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Hevana Martin]

As soon as Hevana had heard [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] was in the hospital she made her way there. It meant that the new recruits would have to wait to get their daily dose of tort... er training, but that was just how it would have to be. Still dressed in her duty uniform she paused only long enough to get Siobhan's room number before not-quite-charging her way to, and then into, the room. Since it was a hospital she had taken care not to actually knock anyone over in the process. Not that part of her did not want to when she heard something had happened to her friend.

Inside was [member="Tegaea Alcori"], naturally, who warrented a salute from Hevana. There was also [member="Mirien Valdier"] who she did not recognize at all. She had that cold, controlling beauty to her. Like a Queen Bee who was used to having her way and cared little for the worker bees that fell along the way. Not really Hevana's type. Setting the other occupants of the room aside for the moment she approached the bed. "You know Sio, you spend way to much time in the hospital. It would be nice if you did not need a frequent flier card for them."

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"], [member="Anemone Nivalis"], [member="Mirien Valdier"], [member="Hevana Martin"]


"That's good. I'm glad you're feeling better," Siobhan said warmly, obviously pleased about this, though it also confused her. Just yesterday Tegaea had still been using a cane. This was a weird universe. "Phylis? I have not seen her in years. Since Roche.What happened to her?"


Then a hot brunette entered the room. She had that cold, controlled beauty about her, though there was also something about her that indicated she was uncertain here. As Siobhan stretched out she could feel the power of the Force emanating from her. The fact that Tegaea addressed her as 'Miri' indicated that they were...close. Now Siobhan was not the suspicious type and in any case she and her wife had an understanding. She had her fun, Tegaea had her fun, as long as it was just that. She'd prefer if it was shared though!


Generally a casual love of Tegaea's would not be coming to visit her wife's hospital bed though. Firemane had just started and she knew the face of every employee, yet drew a blank when it came to placing hers. Perhaps she was a former employee of the Protectorate who had just joined...or a Mistress of the Order. "I'm sorry, Miss, I don't want to be rude, but who are you?" she asked the newcomer, glancing over to Tegaea. "Tegs, she's a friend of yours?" The question did not contain jealousy, but a good deal of confusion.


Then she heard a very familiar voice. That of her favourite doctor. Hmm. The last time she had seen Anemone the girl had sort of run off. Granted that had not been Sio's fault...normally people did not get this attached after a roll in the sack, but she still felt bad about it. "Everything's...fine, Anemone. Welcome back," she said a bit uncertain.


And then the human whirlwind Hevana entered, without punching anyone! Siobhan gave up on trying to find out when she had seen her last time, though she wondered how she and Coryth were doing. Perhaps Heavy had come to join Firemane, something that would make the former Exarch happy. Now, Siobhan was not at all complaining about four beautiful women being assembled at her bedside, but some answers would be nice. "Err, hi, Hevana. Nice to see you again. Why am I here?"

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] , [member="Hevana Martin"] , [member="Tegaea Alcori"] , [member="Anemone Nivalis"]


Delila had to be all but drug off Etti IV to come see Siobhan. After their little fallout on Kaeshana their talks had been short and professional. There had been a time the two women were close friends but the redhead was starting to think those days had came and went. Still, Delila wasn't quite sure why she was here in the hospital once more. Yes Siobhan was her superior. However, Dells doubted there would be orders barked from the bedside that couldn't be relayed back via a holocommunication.


It was all very odd.


Naturally, when she entered the room it was already packed to the brim with Firemane employees or just....random women. Honestly most days Delila couldn't tell the difference. She did spot Tegaea and Nivalis -- the only two she knew besides Siobhan. They were chatting about something and Delila choose not the interrupt. Instead she hung around the entrance, watching.

 

[Anemone Nivalis]

Her smile lingered a few moments as she caught Sio's attention, exhaling softly yet deeply. Anemone had a penchant for getting overly attached to people overly easy, just ask Dells and Siobhan. Yet, she also was known for running and hiding from uncomfortable situations, and this was as uncomfortable as could be. She hadn't taken more than a step into the room. Or, it was more like she couldn't. Her body simply wouldn't move forward as she watched the others, one that she knew and the ones she didn't, chat away.

Seeing this as her chance for escape, Anemone began to back pedal, though her she didn't get far. Only two steps back before she bumped into something, or someone. Her head turned slightly, just enough to catch a gaze at the figure behind her. She'd backed right up into the one person she was actually close to, Dells. The false smile she had slowly fell from her face, seeing no point in continuing to hold it. After all, if anyone could see through it, she was it.

She sighed heavily, turning to look towards the others within the room. "So....how are we all doing?..."

[member="Delila Castillon"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Hevana Martin"] [member="Tegaea Alcori"] [member="Mirien Valdier"]

God, she was so awkward...still.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tegaea pieced things together quickly. Memory loss, injuries, Roche. Yes, it was as if Siobhan had lost all her memories since just after Tegaea’s run in with Kaelin.

She took a deep breath.
“Okay, Sio, sweetie, we need to have a little talk. See, you’ve lost some of your memories, the Doctor says. By the sounds of it the last thing you remember was around the time I…uhh…well when we started Firemane. It’s actually a couple of years later now. You’re here because you fought the Sith on Alderaan and one of their cursed mages used a powerful ability on you which tried to wipe your mind…so Phylis and HK says anyway.”

“So don’t feel bad. But this is [member="Mirien Valdier"], she’s just started working for us as head of Intel. [member="Hevana Martin"] you already know, but she’s just joined up to help out with leading an elite squad we’re putting together. [member="Anemone Nivalis"] has been working with us too, and [member="Delila Castillon"] here is one of our agents on one of Firemane’s outposts. It’s alright, we’ll work on getting your memories back, but for now…we’re here for you, love.”

And maybe this would finally stop her death charging….

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Anemone Nivalis"] | [member="Tegaea Alcori"]



Delila didn't see Nivalis trying to escape before it was far too late. The woman could have silently signaled her yet chose to announce her presence to the room instead. Awkward? Yes. Foolish? Possibly so. She merely offered Nivalis a weak smile in return and carefully slid out of the way. Just in case the woman wised up a bit and thought of an excellent excuse to leave or some similar nonsense.


Listening to her fellow redhead it was apparent Siobhan lost a good deal of memories. Delila wondered if it was mercifully for the best. It was a crude thought but it wasn't as if all memories were happy ones. Yes, it was a shame she lost the happy memories with Tegaea. A fresh start could be beneficial though. Delila could certainly use one, although she didn't need or want the side splitting headache that would come along with such a thing.


"Nothing to worry about, Etti IV has been running smoothly. Probably best to take time off and recover under Tegaea's rule."

 

[Mirien Valdier]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Tegaea Alcori"] [member="Anemone Nivalis"] [member="Delila Castillon"] [member="Hevana Martin"]

Mirien blinked as Siobhan spoke, the thought didn't occur to her, that she could be forgotten. "I.. uh..." She stopped as Tegaea jumped in to save her, at least for this moment. "Yes, the new head of intelligence for Firemane." She managed to fake a smile to mask the turmoil beneath. So many emotions and thoughts raced through her mind, all in a seemingly endless stream.

She sighed and stepped forward, laying a hand gently on Siobhan's shoulder. "I know it's a hard pill to swallow, losing memories, it's not pleasant." The smile faded as quickly as it had come. "I'm sure in time you'll get yours back." They'd told her the same thing, in time she might recover hers, a decade later and nothing had changed. But that wasn't a thought she'd voice aloud.

Though there was something she wanted to talk to Tegaea about soon. Now didn't feel like the right time to pull Tegs aside and explain that there was a chance that she could very well help mend Siobhan's mind, and repair some of the memories that had been lost. She knew too well it might not even work, but the chance was there.

"Tegs, uh, do you think I could borrow you later. There is something I'd like to discuss, of a rather important, though private matter." She sighed once more. "But it can wait, there are more important things for you to attend right now." With that said, she withdrew from Siobhan and took a few steps back, and leaned heavily against the wall trying to calm her racing heart. Hospitals, memory loss, itchy prosthetic ... Oh, this is so not where I want to be right now.

 

[Darth Libertas]

While Siobhan was absorbing the revelation that she was suffering from amnesia, possibly wondering whether she had slept with Mirien and whether she and Dells were still best drinking buddies ever, a pretty red Twi'lek dressed in a nurse uniform and carrying a tray with food and drink entered the room.


And, yes, by nurse uniform we mean an actual one and not some sort of stripper outfit. See, contrary to the demeaning racial stereotypes perpetuated by a xenophobic media, not all Twi'leks are strippers. Likewise not all attend book club. By all accounts she appeared like your typical nurse, with nothing about her that would make the senses of a force master flare up. So in other words there was no force signature, beyond the presence everyone had in the Force.

Anyhow, navigating her way through the rather crowded hospital room was a bit difficult, considering all the ladies inside it, but the nurse managed. "Lunch for Lady Kerrigan. Please do not strain her too much. Doctor Osway's orders," she said softly to [member="Tegaea Alcori"] as she passed her, putting down the tray on a small table next to the patient.


"We're all glad you're still alive, Lady. I'm sure you'll be fine," she said reassuringly, giving the semi-amnesiac patient a pat on the shoulder before departing from the room. However, as she came close to [member="Mirien Valdier"] she stumbled slightly, though she managed to catch herself before she fell. Given how crowded the room was she could probably be excused a brief moment of clumsiness. "I'm sorry for being clumsy, ma'am," she said quickly in a demure tone. Little about Mirien's past was known, but there had been...rumours. She was not a woman a simple minion would want to piss off. She handed over a small piece of paper that had suddenly appeared on the floor. "Again, apologies. I think you dropped this," at that she put the piece of paper in Mirien's hand, looking contrite.


Then she left the room, and likewise quickly departed the corridor. The piece of paper had the following words written on it: "The storm has scattered the leaves. The nest is broken." The nurse - or rather Naamah Aesham - quickly left the building, vanishing amongst the masses outside. The nurse uniform would be quickly lost as well. This would be so much fun...

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mirien Valdier"], [member="Hevana Martin"], [member="Tegaea Alcori"], [member="Anemone Nivalis"], [member="Delila Castillon"]


While Meg from Supernatural - the original, blonde one - snuck and delivered notes for this or that reason, Siobhan was absorbing the revelations she had just been subjected to. Given all that she had dealt with during her life, losing her memory was not that crazy. Since apparently balrogs, star brat and space vampyres had not been involved.


She grimaced slightly as she felt one of those splitting headaches Dells had just thought about. Semi-amnesia was sort of a queen. "So...you're no longer with the Rebels then? It's really good to have you back, Dells," she said with genuine warmth. Oh, and yes, she was using her normal voice, not the one the explosion-loving Major - oh, pardon, Captain, at least until this writer can finally promote her again - had come to refer to as her Beauty Queen voice. "Good to have you back as well, Heavy. Your missile launcher's been underutilised."


Then she turned her attention to galactic news and her latest 'heroics'. "Sith are on Alderaan? Why am I not surprised? Is the Republic still run by a bunch of pathetic, 'let's be shiny and happy with the Sith' pansies?" At least that had been the way of things when she and Tegaea stepped down from office and moved to Kaeshana, since it had been before Valen. Little could Siobhan know that the Empire had been beaten, the Sith had returned to the shadows, and then suddenly returned and taken over Coruscant. The Republic had gone through three chancellors and Grand Masters by then.


As for death charging, strictly speaking Siobhan had not been alone since Phylis and HK had been with her, then later Coryth. Unfortunately, armies are background noise and so every battle comes down to a few 'champions' duking it out. Moreover, Sith were good at teleporting around. She glanced over to the brunette, who apparently was called Mirien Valdier, feeling the hand she had placed on her shoulder. "I understand. Well...at least I still remember the time before it and my name. I guess it could be worse. I'm sorry I don't remember you," she said, eyes moving over to Tegaea. "We're still together. And I remember you. So...what other craziness has slipped from my mind?"

However, then her expression darkened and she turned serious. "Do you know which Sith tried to mess with my mind? Was it...Shadow?" she asked grimly.

 

[Hevana Martin]

"That's what I'd like to know," Hevana said when Siobhan asked why she was here. As Tegs explained things, Hevana looked at her friend with a raised eyebrow. Memory problems huh, well that was certainly a serious problem. Not that Hevana knew anything about such matters, as far as she could remember she had never forgotten a single fact in her life. The fact that this would be true even if she had forgotten something was entirely beside the point as the existence of a brainwashing ISB agent from eight-hundred years prior was unclear in this time continuity.

"Oh, trust me it's seen some good use. You just don't remember. Which on that note..." Walking over to the bed, Hevana gave Siobhan a light (for her) slap that should only leave a minor bruise. "That help any?"

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Mirien Valdier"] [member="Delila Castillon"] [member="Tegaea Alcori"] [member="Anemone Nivalis"]

 

[Anemone Nivalis]

Watching the others around the room treat Siobhan as if nothing had happened caused Anemone to sigh silently. Sure, it was good that she had people around her who acted as if nothing that happened. That bit of regularity was good for the woman, who had hopefully learned her lesson. But, for the young doctor who had been with them for so long, her heart wouldn't allow thing to simply remain as they were. Her arms clutched the chart and data[ad against her chest as she exhaled deeply. There was something she needed to do...

"Uh... Not that I want to interrupt this wonderful reunion.. Tegaea, could I speak to you? It will only be a moment, I promise." With no other words, she circled around Dells into the hall, making sure to walk a few feet away from the room and down the hall. The least thing she needed was others reading her expression..

[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Anemone Nivalis"], [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Delila Castillon"], [member="Mirien Valdier"], Hevana Martin

“No, not Shadow this time, though you’ve recently had a run-in with him. Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything when we’re alone together.”
Healing through the power of ‘crochet’? Probably not. More like a diary and a datapad timeline.

Looking to Anemone she nodded and drew the doctor aside. “What is it you need?” she asked.

She also beckoned Mirien closer. “I’ll talk to you after Doctor Nivalis. I’m going to be staying with my wife for a while, so you’d best all talk to me now.”

 

[Mirien Valdier]

As the nurse entered, Mirien was ever watchful. Something seemed off to here though she could not quite place it just yet. Call it a gut feeling, or perhaps it was far too many years in the intelligence community making her just a wee bit paranoid.

Her eyes narrowed upon the twi'lek as she stumbled in front of her. "Not to worry." She said softly, but inside her mind the gears were turning. As the note was 'picked up' and handed back to her, dark brown eyes fell to the paper. "Thank you, miss."

But Siobhan spoke before she could read it, throwing the Intelligence head off for a moment. "It's alright Siobhan, just give it time. And yes, it could be much worse. At least you have your name, and aren't still missing twenty years of your life, like I am." She said quickly, as she unfolded the note.

Glancing down her eyes widened a bit taking in the message for what it was, a code. "If you'll excuse me, I need to see to something." Her heart already pounding in her chest at what this one singular piece of paper meant for both her and Firemane.

As she started for the door, Tegaea only briefly paused her, looking back over her shoulder, she gave a quick nod. "Alright Tegs, I'll be back. I've really got to take care of this first though, but I will be back." Right now, just eager to get out the door and get on the trail of that nurse. Too much hung on that woman.

With that, not waiting a second longer, she was out the door, and off looking for the mysterious redhead. This a woman, she desperately needed to find. As it seemed, her past might just be coming back to haunt her much sooner than she'd expected.

[member="Anemone Nivalis"], [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], [member="Delila Castillon"], [member="Tegaea Alcori"], [member="Hevana Martin"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Mirien Valdier"]


Mirien was good - very good - but the red Twi'lek, or rather the woman purporting to be one, was gone, having vanished inside the throng of people. Presumably the brief distraction unwittingly provided by Siobhan had helped in this regard. However, Mirien should come across her nurse uniform, not at all subtly tossed into a garbage can that the intelligence chief was bound to come across during her pursuit.


The uniform contained nothing even remotely of note except, well, a note. Lame pun fully intended by this writer. The aforementioned piece of paper contained yet another cryptic message. Clearly it was some sort of code that the former Grand Inquisitor would be able to decipher. "The blizzard has passed, the snowflakes have melted. The nest is small, but the terrible swift sword is still sharp. Durga calls Kali. At the blooming rose, when the cock crows three times."


Clearly Moira Skaldi and Cora Passek were not the only ones who liked cryptic messages with vaguely plagiaristic meta references.