Starfall. It’s all in the timing. (Sio)

[Glade]

Starfall. It’s all in the timing. (Sio)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFEAzP1Zm-A​

​

T-minus 2 Hours till the Planet Killer's Impact.

Location: Temple of the goddess Ashira, Santaissa Capital of Kaeshana.

From above it was as if a growing shadow was cast across the surface. From below it was impossible to miss the orange sky on fire, burning debris plummeting to a city in chaos, rioting, looting and people falling to their knees screaming for help or a savior who had never come to their aid. Burning buildings matched the orange glow above, dotted with mass religious gatherings of people sacrificing whatever they had. Screeching through the air with a thundershock behind them, the splinters of the planet killer were ahead of the main mass, as they streaked down toward ground in fiery blows to its surface.

This was hell, turned upside down, and coming to meet them.

The Temple of the goddess Ashira, not so pristine anymore, it was littered with sacrifices some even still breathing, armed with turrets and other surprises. The tunnels underneath held the prisoners, rigged to blow in one final fiery sacrifice to their goddess. From below an Echani child watched through cellbars of a dungeon at the fires above, dirt rags for clothes, bruises and bumps where she’d been mistreated. Beside her Nato lay cradling her body around her, she looked like she’d taken a few for the child, because she had, cut lip and dirt across her face, they’d been feeding her less than nothing, the taste fowl. Months now she’d lost count, but she smiled because they’d not take that from her. "It's o.okay, d.don't look," Nato kissed the forehead of the girl.

The cities homeless and elderly were locked up with them, numbering about a thousand, almost all offworlders or those despised by the cultists. Nato had been building shelters, bunkers, caring for them doing everything she could for those that were staying behind. Then they’d come, she’d been blindsided and tricked into a trap, ever since then her family had been lied to about her location, till today.

Sinqualri, Herald of the Order of salvation.
​

Standing proud atop the highest point, staff in hand Sinqualri stood with her golden armored guards, a religious zealot she believed herself immune to the effects of the incoming disaster, because she had the largest sacrifice to make, at the very final hour, and best of all she was going to come right to her. They would be cleansed of offworlders and their taint!

In her hands she held a copy of the message she had sent, her daughter's false messages had stopped, and this had been sent in its place.

“Your daughter was always ours.” One message, one location, unmistakably the temple, it hinted at who had really set this up but didn’t betray the name of the Uos. “Raise the temple’s shield, and prepare the temple's sacrifice, just as we planned, I believe we are about to have our guest.”

Spoiler

Anyone related can join, feel free to NPC all the cultists as you like.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"]


The Apocalypse was at hand. Well, for Kaeshana at any rate. Santaissa, once the proud capital city of the Eldorai, was a mere two hours away from destruction. The sky above was red with fire as the flames of despair consumed the city. Below an orgy of rioting, looting and slaughter was taking place as the one so highly prized obedience and faith of the Eldorai gave way to despair, collapsing like a weak dam before a massive flood of despair, fear and hatred.


Even at this late hour, thousands upon thousands were desperately trying to escape the planet, even though the last ships were already leaving. Millions of trapped natives, willing to do anything for a chance to survive the cataclysm that no one, not even their Goddess, could prevent.


The metaphorical shadow cast by the looming asteroid of doom, was not the only one being cast across the surface. A far more immediate one swept across Santaissa. One that likewise came with the promise of destruction and desolation. But whereas the asteroid was a force of nature, one that had no say in its course, this was a very human one fuelled by righteous fury, guilt and a mother's love. To anyone on the ground it would have appeared like a tiny spec in the sky, barely visible.


A tiny spec clad from head to toe in battered, but still imposing beskar'gam. Siobhan Kerrigan shot through the air at a truly absurd speed. Her destination was quite clear: The Temple of Ashira. Her physical disabilities, her manifold war injuries, all these things did not matter at this point anymore.


The same applied to the fact that burning debris, fragments of the massive planet killer, were raining down from the sky. Or that planetary turbolaser cannons were blasting orange and scarlet beams of light upward into that same sky to blow the aforementioned fragments to pieces. The impact had the sound of a thunderclap and the earth shook as if struck by quakes.


A fragment missed her by a few inches, crashing down into a building and causing devastation. On another rooftop deluded zealots were raising their arms to the sky and singing praises to Ashira, for them to the apocalypse was her judgement and all true Eldorai would ascend in the rapture, but she paid them no mind. Blasterfire and missiles came shooting her way, perhaps fired by zealots, perhaps by loyalists who had mistaken her identity, but she pressed on. Nothing and no one would stop her from getting her daughter back. She could imagine the setup: Terrified refugees deemed impure, locked inside the basement of the temple. Presumably with the place stuffed with explosives because nothing could prevent the rapture. A horde of religious zealots...all of whom would die. You did not mess with her little girl.

 

[Glade]

Two Rooms, Two problems and no time for either.

T-minus 1 Hour 30 minutes, till the Planet Killer's Impact.

A meteor impacted a dozen kilometers away, and the rush of air knocked several off their feet, some of the city's outermost buildings crumbled under the shockwave, and many people were simply knocked over. The weather was beginning to cause the storm clouds the planet was well known for, and ever turbulent winds as more of its natural balance was upset, Kaeshana was not going quietly into the night.

Below one guard looked through cell bars, at what looked like this broken little Kiffar girl, restrained, cradling her young to shield them from further harm. Nato had not just sat here and taken abuse, pausing to admire her prisoner’s legs, they’d really made sure Nato's leg couldn’t run again, not far, or so they thought.

What was above was felt below inside. Eyes slowly opened through fire and pain, torment and hurt, flying downward. ~MUM~ Although she shouted through their force, she was faint, pain in her voice, buried underground in their holding area. Maybe there was something else, hard to put your finger on inside her daughter. She might look broken in places, or beaten but all she needed was: ~b.bombs on our doors, just, just kinda need a sec mum… power please, cut our power.~

Somewhere at the top of their temple, bunkered and holding power generators, lay Nato's hope. Pretty little room all shiney and glittered, at least Nato’s mind said so as she sent the image to Sio, because she'd been picturing that room for weeks. A colorful image that came with an outpouring of love for her mum, and hurt, and tears for being away so long before fading to grey. The absence had hurt, more than the broken legs.

If power was cut, far underground her daughter would be out, just like that, and so might a thousand stampeding refugees. Something else would be out too, bad... badness... Nato rocked lightly, several months of watching those she cared about tortured. Something inside her daughter was twisted and snapping to get loose. As above so below things were stirring, storms that needed an outlet or grounding, while stars above poked their planet with jagged little pieces, memories colliding to make new ones, her head hurt with every piece.

Dust around Nato blew lightly as she stirred, winds blowing across her eyes, her limp body coming to life, and shackles beginning to strain against her current, “Saeria,” Nato kissed the girl’s forehead again, “hang on to me tight Sae'y.”

Elsewhere a women sat with their finger on the big trigger…. just waiting to have Sio in place, two rooms, two problems, how could her mum be in both at once? Could Nato help her mum? "Countess...." Sinqualri called raising her staff to a sky on fire, focusing through on Sio's small dot, her rushing ship, retreating downward away from her approach to prepare, "welcome home."

Saeria's Bio

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"]


A storm was brewing. Ever turbulent winds were raging across the city, strong enough to make air traffic an increasingly hazardous affair. Buildings were crumbling under shockwaves as asteroid fragments rained down upon the planet, causing devastation. Anyone sensitive to the Force could feel the fever, the rage, the desperation that was like a flood. It was like a million voices were crying to the heavens in a crescendo of despair, but there would be no deliverance for them.


She was the harbinger of destruction. Or the shepard of salvation, depending on who you asked. Perhaps she was both as well. The Bando Gora, a savage death cult ironically hellbent on plunging the Galaxy into chaos to sate the bestial appetites of their Dark Gods, had named her a Chaos Goddess once. Well, Chaos had come to town.

​

~MUM~ Three letters, faint, shouted through the Force. Three letters that meant the world to her. Her daughter was down there somewhere in the Temple. Siobhan could not precisely track her, for she lacked the omniscience some Masters cultivated and in any case there was far too much interference to centre herself in the Force. But she must be down there in the basement. I'm coming, angel. Yep, she was coming...and anyone who got in her way would die.


The image of the generators was planted inside her mind and she swept through the air. The sky was lit up with red beams as a hailstorm of blasterfire came her way, splashing against her armour. From hiding spots on the rooftops Eldoria zealots produced missile launchers and fired. The smartest among them resorted to bolters, for these had the advantage that an attempt at deflection resulted in premature detonation. The Force wrapped itself around her in a protective cocoon as she accelerated her speed. Missiles were deflected by her power, though as bolter rounds impacted she was shaken by the sheer force of the detonation and pain surged through her body. Briefly she was seemingly falling through the air, descending downward in what might look like a parabolic descent into the depths of hell. But then she caught herself and surged upward. Something or rather more than one might be broken...but that did not matter. They could resist her and they would die because her wrath had become a supernatural force of its own.


A nearby building from which rebels were shooting was simply torn asunder when her her rage manifested in such a manner that it demolished the roof. The air was twisted into strange shapes and the power of the Force unleashed thundered towards rebels like an invisible hammer. Some found their bodies ripped apart by the collision, with body parts, blood and innards splattered around. Others were simply hurled through the air and tossed down to the ground. Baked in sweat beneath her heavy, imposing armour, she surged towards the top of the temple, tossing aside flak cannons.


A blazing stream of flames swept towards, for one of the rebels was a Sciian and was channelling her fury. At this point Siobhan did not even make the effort to manifest a barrier, but simply swept through the flames. The ground itself seemed to shake when her boots touched down upon it. Agonising pain surged through her as the rebel tried to make her blood boil, then her telekinetic willpower wrapped itself around the rebel's heart and crunched down, causing cardiac arrest. What seemed to be the generators were in view. Gritting her teeth and trying to blot out the pain, she focused her power upon them. The gauntlet of one of her hands retracted and an arcing current of purple, ionic energy leapt from her fingertips, jumping from generator to generator as she focused her power upon disabling them and cutting the power supply.

 

[Glade]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4XGnL0PRM0​

T-minus 1 Hour 10 minutes till the Planet Killer’s impact.

Darker still now the coming clouds taking on an orange glow. More significant parts of the planet killer were falling, the atmosphere burning and heating up above as they exploded into the denser layers, thunder wasn’t what you heard, just a wall of sound, people had to hold their ear drums as the noise wave itself did damage, for some even that wasn’t enough. For others, impact shards split and bounced off the atmosphere forming tiny raining pellets moving kilometres per second downward at them, and scything through anything like butter, right through buildings, and through the ground after them.

That was the good part.

Sio was a force of nature, some panicked, these oh so sure cultists were afraid some of them anyway, and Nato was crying with joy, she couldn't help herself, just feeling within reach again. Lights went off, and on, red emergency ones flickering in the tunnels. Then Sio was in pain, and Nato was the cause, “hold tight and don’t look sae’y” Her small friend with her climbed up on her back, so much torment came about her, memories of being down here alone again, and separation from those she cared about, amplified by the child.

Wind whipped up to raise her, breaking her ankle chain, Nato’s legs were broken and limp but the force didn’t care, raising her up to her tip toes as they trailed behind her, the guard was shouting something but she couldn’t hear her, eyes cloudy like the atmosphere. Ahead of her, her captor’s head literally shook, memories were shattering inside, growing air pressure forming inside the guard, a strong and growing temperature difference, and the pain must have been unbelievable. Losing all sense of who or what she was, thankfully quickly before the pressure inside was too much and she fell over unconscious.

That was the bad part.

One cell door blown off its hinges, thrown into the wall in a heap, nearby more cell doors were pushed at with the same wind, gushing rolling down the corridors, another door was blown at, and blown at, eventually giving way, so others began to help. Nato was doing them one at a time, but she just didn’t have time to, about twenty refugees made a run after each one, seeing the condition of some of them and given her mental state… any guard who got in the way, mind attacks were a nice way to describe her response. Their memories were turned into pressured weights inside their mind, expanded and ballooned into a building air pressure till they began to just pop.

That was the really bad part.

Hyper sensitive with how much energy was flowing through her and saeria, she slowed, the women about to press the button to send them into the sky, Nato sensed her and froze in place. Wrestling with the desire for the woman to end the sacrifice, she was out of her reach upstairs, so Nato was specific, focusing in on one memory to hold her still.

“Kinda hurt…s sio, dunno how long I can stop them, sorry mum.” Hand stretching out and shaking, her nose started running red, she was a distance away from their bomb room upstairs, trying to confuse the woman she was focusing on, she hurt because the Eldorai with her finger on the bomb's trigger was also force sensitive, and fighting back, that and she heard a stun baton coming up behind her. Keeping her hand out even while she was struck, ~Gotta go, sorry, love you, sorry.. lov...~ weak, she sent sio a happy memory of being in their house of kitchen defenders, of feeling so loved when she met her family with her, of wanting Galina to be happy at uni, of their connections and time, and a fainter one of feeling content, not upset or sad, a smile.

Not too far from Sio somewhere upstairs that bomb finger was about three inches from the big button. "What are you waiting for our time is at hand!!" Sinqualri screamed into her communicator loudly to their bomb operator, slowly the force adept's senses were coming back to them, as Nato began to lose her hold, hopefully she'd given her mum valuable seconds enough.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"]


The bomb operator's fingers were just inches away from pressing the button and sending everyone inside the building into the fiery pit of hell in an act of suicidal, insane self-immolation. Such was the nature of the faith that drove these zealots, to whom the end was not something to be feared, but embraced.


Three...two...just as the Eldorai's fingers were about to press the button her entire hand was suddenly gripped by an unnatural, invisible force that violently yanked it away with a grip like an HRD's. An anguished scream of pain was heard, sounding like a cry of despair and agony to the heavens, as Siobhan balled her gauntleted fingers into a fist and quite literally ripped the elf's hand off. The now useless limb fell to the floor, leaving her with a blood-covered stump of an arm.


The elf had dropped down to one knee due to the pain, but, with an Eldarai curse and a hymn to Ashira on her lips, raised her one good hand to blast Siobhan with a stream of blue-white lightning, then launched herself at her. The unexpected electrical blast made Siobhan stagger as it impacted upon her, for though her armour was fancy it lacked something as useful as a Faraday Cage. The Force wrapped itself around her in a protective cocoon, shielding her from the worst. Only when the elf was almost upon her did she see the belt of explosives that she wore. Reacting quickly she wrapped her willpower around the woman and hurled her from the building, letting her fall into the metaphorical and physical abyss she so craved. The fall would be very long...and painful. She had wanted to embrace death and welcome the apocalypse, now her wish had been granted. A blast of ionic energy disabled the detonator, making it a useless piece of trash.


All across the streets fragments and pellets of the asteroid were falling from the sky as they passed through the atmosphere, with enough force to drop buildings. The roof itself shook and Siobhan had to stabilise herself by grounding herself in the Force in order to avoid falling, though her helmet protected her somewhat from the wall of sound. Through her power a door, leading down from the roof, was suddenly sent flying through the air, crashing into Eldorai rebels who had been hidden behind cover.


Cries of pain were heard, her bolter leapt into her hand and she fired. She could not be sure whether more explosives might not be hidden, so rather than explosive rounds she resorted to APE rounds. No area of effect, but perfect for eating through armour. BAAAM BAAAM BAAAM. Implacably she advanced, scything down opponents with her bolter or crushing them with telekinesis. When the onslaught of blasterfire and grenades became too much, she simply used her power to pull out chunks of wall and throw them up as improvised cover before driving them towards her opponents in a whirlwind of debris. Clouds of smoke billowed up into the air, the ground shook and she advanced, racing as fast as she could.

 

[Glade]

T-minus 50 minutes till the planet killer’s impact??

Hands twitching, closing eyes, heart slowing. Death was standing over Nato, and Sae was shivering, resting her chin on Natoline’s back pushing the girl a couple of times , she wasn’t moving, and so Saeria stood watching clutching her teddy bear for help.

Were seconds or minutes going by, upstairs almost everyone was hiding from Siobhan, jumping out only with desperation, no bold declarations now. While below people were running free, or opening cell doors, others outpoured up toward the stairs in their hundreds. In a palm someone twirled a silver holdout bolter around her neck, a faint little song somewhere humming something, whispering hope for better days a long way from here, force carried her whisper, one of her favourite singers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzAuCjw15CQ​

Spilling throngs of people poured out upward gushing forward in sheer numbers, everyone was helping each other get free! Surge toward Sio and then out doors or scaling walls, in the middle of Armageddon there was joy, there was hope and there were families reunited, hugs and tears. Among them all familiar faces, a usually gorgeous blonde space elf met Sio’s gaze and just shook her head, she didn’t look quite as pretty dirty and torn as she usually was, but she knelt by Sio like always, as if to say she was sorry, defeated.

Then… nothing happened, people settled a bit, stragglers came upstairs, because a certain someone was waiting till the end of the surge forward, letting everyone go before she did.

A certain someone named Saeria. Who ran up to Sio and pulled on her hand, couple of times tugging her finger trying to get her to look, teddybear held out toward.

A bigger girl pulling on her other hand…

“Heya,” her voice was choked up, “kinda got lost their a'lil bit,” her daughter was crying, their sky was falling, their roof coming down in parts around them, and people were still happy, cultists didn’t know what to do, everything was the opposite to their plans, so right way up in Nato’s world. She was being helped out by two of the refugees she’d been working with, an older eldorai couple, one arm around each of hers to keep her legs off the floor.

“Thank you, for letting us be together,” the couple opposite said to Sio, not all the Eldorai hadn’t accepted their fate, some knew they would end up here, and were just happy to be here together, that’s what her daughter had been doing all this time, trying to let them have that.


Saeria was tugging on Sio's finger again about something, her teddybear looked restless.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"]


Chaos was probably a good way to describe the scene she found before her. The maddened cultists were in disarray and had been thrown into a state of confusion. Throngs of prisoners, intended to be sacrificial lambs on the altar of Ashira while her world was set ablaze, were streaming out of their prison cells, helping each other get free.


Her chronometre beeped, informing her that less than an hour remained until collision. A gourgeous blonde space elf met her gaze, before kneeling. Feeling a bit awkward Siobhan gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder before urging her to get up. Ere she could do anything more a little girl had run up to her and gripped her hand, holding a teddybear. Taken a bit aback but wanting to comfort the poor soul, Siobhan lowered her smoking bolter and removed her helmet.


The features of her face were scarred, but compassion could be seen in her eyes. "It's ok, dear. You're safe now," she said in an as soothing tone as she could, petting her head a bit. "Have you seen..." Before she could complete the sentence when suddenly Nato pulled at her. Her little spitfire. Time seemed to stop all around them and for just a moment she ignored the incessant beep of the chrono that heralded the countdown to terminus.


"Kind of got lost? You were supposed to be of the fething planet days ago!" Siobhan declared, letting loose with emotion, before she abruptly pulled Nato into a hug. "Don't you bloody well do this to me again, you hear me?" the Dark Jedi took a deep breath as she tried to get her emotions under control and calm down. "I'm...sooo glad you're alive. I'll always find you. Come on." But the little girl with the teddy bear was still tugging on her finger about something. "What is it? We need to go...now." They were, quite literally, on the clock.

 

[Glade]

Jumping off the couple supporting her, Nato hugged her like she hadn’t hugged her before. You couldn’t hear much wildlife, nor anyone shouting outside, nobody was moving anymore. “Won’t, promise, promise mum.” She hugged, and kept hugging, her legs below her limp, what fury had been funneled through Saeria to levitate her had passed. She wanted to hold her mum and just stay there, any attempt to remove Nato's arm would just make her squeeze a bit tighter.

With Saeria’s little tug on Sio’s hand, her a teddybear pointed up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gewdcwhwVuI​

Zero Hour​

Clouds had grown thick, black dark as the shadow passed over the world, and now into the atmosphere. Fuel was ignited in the upper atmospheres as the head of terminus broke the expected clock, the mass, systems gravitational forces, even a slight alteration of the speed or a nearby celestial body was all it took. Lightening discharges ignited the night sky, while energy struck below as looked for grounding. From the ruined temple floors, some started to sit and watch, because what else were they going to do, resting their heads on the shoulders of their loved ones, even the wind seemed to quieten down.

How long did they really have?

“Sibby.” Her daughter said whispering, looking, holding on to her, mesmerized by the display of the force.

Areialla picked up little Saeria by their side, and stood up, that was one space elf that was smiling to see them reunited, but she also could see what had to happen, “how many can you take mistress?” Areialla said ready to hand over the little girl, hopeful Siobhan could carry saeria and Nato both in the force.

“Areialla,” Nato said under her breath, pleading, and the two exchanged a quick kiss.

Sinqualri had emerged carrying her staff and was preaching once again trying to agitate, Areialla smiled, gave Nato a wink like she was so fond off, "mistress, I have this,." Firemane's Eldorai staff were not just pretty faces, and fancy maids, the daggers pulled from a dead guard soon would be put to work by the blonde bombshell.

"You have no time my love." Daggers drawn, she would avenge her own honor at letting them be captured, give them time to escape. Nato could do little without being able to stand, except watch the fireworks above coming toward them, and hold on to her mother as her lover probably left her for the last time, if Sio could even carry two bodies plus a little girl in the force fast enough to even get them to a ship in time.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"]


Terminus was at hand. It came with a bang, not with a whimper. The night sky was set alight by discharges of lightning, seemingly every building in immediate vicinity shuddered and quaked. The display of force was both mesmering and terrifying. Academically Siobhan knew that the asteroid would be 'less' destructive now due to the Nova Cannon.


Academically. How could you quantify an apocalypse? Many, many millions would perish when it collided and it was falling now. How much time did they still have? Areialla's words brought her back to reality. Only now did the Dark Jedi realise that her heart was thumping so loudly it felt like she was about to burst, how ragged her breathing was.


She could do this. She would. But she could not stop the asteroid. Even so called 'Force Gods' have their limitations and this was one of it. "I'm...so sorry, dear. Goddess be with you. You've made me proud." The words sounded hollow to her, though her voice was choked with emotions and almost cracked, though she tried to clamp down on the feeling. She could not allow herself to doubt, fear or feel guilt.


The author of this madness in the temple, Sinqualri, had emerged once again, carrying her staff and preaching loudly. The sight of the woman, her madness made Siobhan angry. Very much so. Incandescent fury washed over her like a massive tidal wave and she picked up the woman to slam her into a wall with probably excessive force.


Pandaemonium was breaking out, some cultists were falling upon the refugees, others were fleeing for they had come to their senses, or taking their own life with dagger or cyanide. An impact shard scythed right through a nearby building as if it were butter, sending shockwaves through the street. Enormous clouds of smoke and dust billowed up into the air.


"Hold on...very tight. Never let go!" Holding on to Saeria and Nato as tightly as she could, Siobhan ran. A massive throng of Eldorai was streaming out of the temple, some running for the basement, others outside...anywhere. A few clung to her, as if believing she could be their angel of salvation, but she forced them off.


Reaching the rooftop, passing countless corpses of Eldorai zealots, she found the vision of a nightmarish inferno before her eyes as Santaissa died. No time to catch her breath, no time for any words. Hands both physical and invisible wrapped around the two girls, and then Siobhan shot into the air with both of them. Her body howled in pain at the pressure and the exertion, her leg ached, but she did not care. Nothing else mattered right now.

 

[Glade]

Saeria was happily playing with her teddy, watching the show in the sky, as if flying through the air was the most natural thing in the world, the shout of weeeeeeeeeeeee could be heard whistling alongside, even if it was just a tiny mouth making it.

Natoline put her head sideways on her mum's shoulder, completely forgetting any pain in her legs as they floated, just watching Areialla go off into the distance, she looked so proud, and so fearless and not stopping. Were all Eldorai like that? Nato thought so, she hoped she was so brave too one day.

There was a silent moment where not much was said or thought, outside everything was collapsing, people running, buildings becoming piles of stone again. She felt her mum's pain, not being a healer there wasn’t much she could do, so she left her head there feeling somewhat helpless. “I love you,” she whispered, while the temple finally collapsed in the distance. To Sio and to Aerialla her heart and words went out to both.

Her lover gone she could fall to grief, but she hadn’t time, they were not safe yet, Sio wasn’t safe yet. However Nato felt, Sio and Saeria both needed helping, so her tears stopped and she looked up, her voice sharper than usual. “Mum,” she concentrated so hard, trying to forget what she’d done to those people behind them or what was going on, “we are going to make it.”

Great gales began to push Sio faster, currents of air shooting behind them, her daughter had come home, her load was lightened as their air currents stabilized the weight, and the pressure around them became lighter so she was carrying less. Nato’s eyes took on a silvery tint across their surface, becoming like the clouds of this place, causing a bubble of air rather than pure force, Saeria's effect to fine tune her abilities beyond their norm.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"]


And so they floated through the night sky while beneath them the planet was bathed in destruction. The flames of the apocalypse were spreading, seemingly consuming all that lay in their path. Through the power of the wind Siobhan was being propelled through the air. Ironically this actually lightened her burden a bit as the great gales pushed her faster.


The air currents did their part by stabilising the weight, which was good. Carrying two people along with her own weight, which was considerable since she was wearing beskar'gam, was already a big strain on her energy. "I love you, too, angel. Hold on...we're almost there," she spoke as reassuringly and calmly as as she could. Even if she was not feeling anything like calm, she had to at least project it. "Keep on doin' what you're doing."


With a mental gesture she pressed the button on her comm, calling her ship. "Echo One, we're approaching your position. What's your status? Need immediate pickup!" She tried her best to keep the anxiety and fear out of her voice. Not here, not now. She had to be strong.


"About fething time! Eldorai tried to seize the ship, but we're in the air. Ship's damaged from rocks, but still flying. Heading to your position," the Firemane pilot responded. Considering the circumstances, Siobhan could not blame her for not being in the best of spirits! Behind them a massive skyscraper was blasted apart as rocks crashed into it, causing shockwaves. Unfortunately for our three ladies they were inside the impact radius and suddenly Siobhan found herself involuntarily accelerating.


Unfortunately for them, the wave was driving them right into a tower. Try as she might the wave was seemingly too strong, inexorably pushing them forward. "Hold on," Siobhan spoke through gritted teeth before gathering all her power to turn and shoot up, narrowly missing the tower. She was breathing heavily, actually more like panting as she got the forces propelling them under control. Her grip around Nato and little Saeria had grown even tighter, if that were possible. "The ship's close. We'll be there soon," she spoke as reassuringly as she could. In the distance the roar of a ship's engines could be heard.

 

[Saeria Aldan-Keth]

Blinding orange light, the scene bathing them in its luminescent glow. Emerging from their clouds, terminus grew carrying its final journey downward, growing more certain and definite above. Scared at first, buffeted by another Kaeshana born shockwave, a rushing wind pushed a soft cushion around Saeria’s side, with their close impact to the metal superstructure, Nato gave them a slingshot almost of air current… something new for later. Saeria was scared but giggling happily at bouncy air! Walking her teddy bear up and down Siobhan’s arm, little known to her their world was ending, pretty lights in the sky and flying only made things more fun. Her little eyes were like saucers, a bit like when Nato had first met Sio, she’d also taken on her head bobbing. [member="Darth Proeliator"]

“Seeoo” Little saeria didn’t speak much, well she was only three, mimicking a name. Nato couldn’t help but press her lips into one of her tiny smiles, even as they were rocked back and forth clinging on to their hope of making it. Sio her rock one more time.

Nato's control over their elements was peaking, almost dangerously so, as meteors and buildings fell or were torn apart around them. Swirling air of her own swatted debris aside, only focused by Saeria, these small air currents finally coalescing and forming a mini tornado following behind. Nato was losing herself in her memories of the city, bring herself deeper: Their shoe shopping trips, meeting her sister, sneaking out with Fyor, of cupboards, Cory, furry kitchen defenders, memory boxes, trips to statues, and Areia. All these things came to life in their protective wind, their guardian following beside them to help deflect painful splinters or debris.

"Jus' a lil further mum," she was straining too, and her body would shake at times, gales behind them only growing in strength as Nato pushed so hard, jus' a little further, she said to herself.

Spoiler

Skipping Nato for this one.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"]


Don't look at the ground. Don't look. This Siobhan repeated to herself in her mind as if were a mantra. Don't doubt. No, no tears. Woman up for Goddess' sake. Internally she was cracking up as beneath her, Santaissa was put to the flames and thrown into the apocalypse. Meteors and buildings fell or were ripped apart, here and there a ship full of refugees was smashed when asteroid fragments crashed into it.


"We're there soon, girls. Just hold on," she spoke, sounding almost out of breath. The gales behind them were only growing in strength as the winds buffeted. Just a little further...then she saw the Firemane shuttle shoot towards them through the air, like an angel of salvation that had come for their deliverance. She increased her speed, only slowing when they were close and the ramp opened, revealing a Firemane soldier standing there.


"You asked for a taxi? We don't have much time!" That was sort of a Captain Obvious moment, but the soldier could be forgiven since it was quite accurate. The hand of the ARGH battle droid was outstretched to pull them in. Gathering every last vestige of energy she had Siobhan guided them towards the dropship, close enough so that the droid could grab ahold of both Natoline and little Saeria. Strong winds made the shuttle shake and shudder a bit but she kept up her telekinetic binds around the two girls, pushing them into the shuttle.


They were safe. Her little girl was safe. Many, many millions were not. "Come on," the droid urged her and Siobhan levitated herself towards it. However, as chance would have it a nearby shuttle was shredded by a nearby blast when a building was brought down by a meteor. As the massive shockwave surged towards them and debris rained everywhere, Siobhan instinctively drew upon her power, shielding their own shuttle. Unfortunately for her, this meant she was distracted when a piece of rock smashed into her head, sending a sensation of pain course through it.


The mini tornado that was raging behind them engulfed her and before she could do anything, she had lost control over the powers that propelled her. Her concentration slipped and then she was falling, descending downward towards the ruined city at an amazing speed. Her mind was spinning as images flashed through her mind.


She tried to call upon her power to pull herself up, but the Force failed her. Perhaps it was simply sheer exhaustion taking over. In this moment she realised two things: Firstly, she was going to impact upon the ground in a matter of seconds. Secondly, she was not going to be able to get up again...Beneath her there was naught but death and desolation. Balls of fire lanced down from the sky and smashed into the city, pieces of wreckage fell into the ground. Dust rose into the air and people died.

 

[Glade]

People falling from their ship, she reached to one, impossibly far and her concentration already stretched all she did was rock them a bit, beads of sweat ran down her temple, a rough texture to Nato’s usually softer skin, she was drying out, exerting everything just so they could...

Taxi, oof they were in! She blew some hair out of her face, ducking, small pebbles were everywhere, whizzing down and one, just one had to hit.

Matchstick moments Fyor called them, there were there, spark and then gone poof. Matchstick moments when you just did, not thought. She jumped out of their ship after her mum, no idea how she was going to save her, into that funnel wind with her. Their tornado slowed with no concentration or Saeria, Nato was dropping like a bullet, you’d never seen a skydiver move so fast with how she manipulated the air around her right now, in their perilous free fall to the ruins and fire below.

“MUM” She was looking right into a boiling city, head first with rock and building approaching fast.

You couldn’t really say Nato thought this through, she just did, because her mums teaching was always, do, just do. With a bump the winds around them started to make them accelerated even faster! Microbursts went the opposite way to a tornado, they went out rather than in, so fast it threw them both off the ground before they got there, completely in free fall though. Swirling about, Nato managed to catch up to her mum, force pulling her in their upswing.

That was her one trick, she wasn’t going to get another one…

Hair flying about everywhere, clothes torn up “Sio,” she clung on, watching their ship chasing them, rotating through the air, spinning about out of control…. “Sio sio sio sio sio….”

And then everything just stopped, they did, just held there and floating. She’d never know why or how she’d done it, she just had, she held her mum which in her mum’s armor and Nato’s condition nearly broke her petite arms. “Kinda heavy,” Nato smirkled, relief biting down, just like she was all the way till their ship pulled up, then she could start fussing over her mums head wound, which anyone aboard surely was, just gotta hold her a bit long, lil bit, lil…. "BE OKAY SIO." Ummm big Nato voice, and she'd just surprised herself, she couldn't lose anyone else today.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"]


She was falling, as if on a downward descent into the fiery chasm of Chaos. The ground was racing before her, closer and closer...then her Nato gripped her tight and raised her from perdition. Clouds of smoke were rising up into the air, making Siobhan cough, but she held on.


She clung to her little girl as if her dear life depended on it before realising that this might be a tad painful for Nato. "Heavy? You didn't just...call me fat, did you?" Leave it to Siobhan to make an incredibly lame joke after almost dying! The shuttle was close by, closing in on them as they pulled up. "I'm ok, angel. I'm ok." Siobhan had neglected to put the beskar helmet back on before taking off from the temple, so blood was streaming out of an open wound in her forehead. But she was alive, which was mattered.


With their combined power, with Nato helping her and with her control over the winds, they were pulled towards the open ramp of the shuttle. The battle droid gripped both of them tight and hurled them into the ship. "Get us out of here," Siobhan called out to the pilot before collapsing upon the floor as the ramp closed. Everything around her grew dark as she struggled to maintain consciousness. Needless to say the Firemane pilot did not need any further encouragement, for a distant, roaring sound could be heard like the roar of a hurricane. Swiftly the shuttle accelerated and pulled up, moving to finally leave Santaissa behind it. Doom had come to Kaeshana.

 

[Glade]

Too busy fretting to think, she was running her hands over her mums head, then double checking the little girl with them, then back to her mum, then Saeria, ripping a piece of the rags she was wearing off to bandage around Sio’s head and excitedly waving off anyone else’s attempts to interfere. She was hyperactive which was good maybe, she’d just lost her lover, her mum and her and just lost their entire planet, she’d lost her legs kinda, and and and and… no time to think about that, no more time to think about that, she wasn’t going to think about that. She wasn’t!

“Only a lil heavy mum” Nato smiled brightly and put her hand across her mums head to feel her temperature, “how many of me are there?” She smiled, really smiled as hard as she could, wondering if Sio was seeing double, just looking at her for guidance and comfort, putting her hand on mums shoulder.

Even when the meteor hit, even when the shockwave came up behind them, she didn’t stop, she just watched Sio blinking, clutching her mum's shoulder. “Were gonna be y’know okay?” She asked drowned out by the noise, bright light erupting as far as the eye could see. Suddenly feeling vulnerable, she didn’t mean the blast. Nato could kinda deal with planets blowing up, or broken legs that were really, really hurting about now, near certain death yep no big thing,but she couldn’t deal with her stupidly leavin' and losing her family. She was always running off because of somethin’, never stayin’ in one place, stupid, stupid. Ariella’s smile, stupid stupid stupid Nato, why was she always leaving, feelin' bad about leavin' and then having to hide.

“Hold on!” Came the shout from in front of their ship, they’d got out of the blast but the blast wasn’t moving as fast as the wave ahead of it.

Ooof Mercifully her little brain was thrown against the wall so hard she stopped, got some peace from herself, and just tried to hang on as they began to spin out of orbit. She crawled back as their pilot stablised their ship as best she could, and flopped next to Sio.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]​

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"]


They had survived. Many, many would not. Now that she was aboard the ship, Siobhan could finally catch her breath. Only know did she realise how much she had been pushing herself. Well, her body was doing a good job of reminding her. The shuttle shuddered and rocked and she was pushed against a wall hard. Ouch.


But they had survived. For the first time in a long time tears were dripping down her cheeks. Tears of relief, perhaps, or of sorrow for the home they had lost and for the millions who would either perish today or find themselves in an inhospitable hellhole, forced to suffer while the few escaped. Perhaps it was a bit of both.


"Yes, we're gonna be ok," she spoke once she had managed to catch her breath, hugging her daughter close to her. Her little angel. "We're gonna be ok. We'll be with Tegs soon." Whilst the Four Horsement of the Apocalypse roamed across Kaeshana, the shuttle pierced the atmosphere and made for space. Soon the Ardarvia, Firemane's command ship, came into view, for it had been parked in orbit, and the shuttle slipped into its hangar, touching down upon the ground.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Natoline Kerrigan"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

“No word yet from Lady Kerrigan.”
Tegaea didn’t hear the aide, didn’t even consider their words. She could not feel the Force but she knew Siobhan was alive. She knew it. Or perhaps it was delusion?
What could she have said though? ‘Don’t try and save one of our adopted daughters’? That would not have played well, and she wouldn’t have felt right for saying it either.

The fireball below was getting bigger. Nemesis was coming to Kaeshana and there was nothing Tegaea could do. She had transferred from the Barsen’Thor to here, but the big ship had burned itself out firing on the asteroid. It needed repairs before it would be ready for war.
“Planetary impact in 10…9…”
“Do shut up, I can see!” Tegaea suddenly snapped.
The aide subsided, embarrassed.
Tegaea at that moment wanted to lash out, but restrained the urge.
Below…Kaeshana died. It had been her homeworld for almost a decade, and now it would never be the same again.

The aide checked a panel. “Uhh…ma’am…shuttle coming in. Lady Kerrigan.” The woman looked nervous, like Tegaea would strike her.
“Then that is where I will be.”

Swiftly she descended to the hanger, and as the shuttle touched down she approached with a medical team ready. She’d heard nothing specific, but her wife and daughters never got through an operation completely unscathed!

 

[Glade]

Cuddle Nato was an entirely different Nato to hug Nato, involving absolutely no movement at all, and her smallest nose wiggling, because she’d never be used to being cuddled, not really. Fyor tried but he didn’t really do the cuddling thing well. Pfffflumble, she let her hair know now was not the time to be messy as they landed, even wearing slave rags a girl had to look her best, minus the leg thing 'n all. That was just nato’s way of dealin', with everything, which was a lot.

“Mum, I want to go back.” Nato admitted, for a brief moment there was a thought that she could fly back and pick everyone up again, that maybe she’d could do some force thing and make everything okay, just bazam make all things go away. “But I want to be here more,” a sign of maturity, maybe but that was a lot trouble to get to that state of mind, to be ready to move on. With that their door opened to Tegaea, if Nato could have stood up she would have rushed over, but her legs were a little droopy from being broken, and she didn’t want to leave Sio when she was hurt.

“Ummmm heya,” she nato-waved to Tegaea quietly, but that was hard, and her heart was hard in making her gesture, especially as this was all Nato’s fault, again she realised. “Sio’s gonna be fine, she’s gonna be fine.” Nato repeated, her makeshift bandage of rags from her prisoners outfit still around her mum’s head. She didn’t leave her mum’s side, head bobbing just a little bruise, sio was sio, she was gonna be okay. Her own rose tinted glasses, would never see anything but an invincible hero lying down next to her.

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