Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Sub Sio's holocron. It's been ages since I originally subbed it, and holocrons have moved from Factory to Codex. Besides, she's changed a lot as a person.
Image Credit: Here. Here.
Canon: N/A.
Permissions: N/A.
Links: Order of Fire, Kerrigan Holocron, Adril Tythorin, Tempest, Elpsis.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Holocron Name: The Kerrigan Continuum.
Alignment: Dark aligned, but it is more concerned with a user's character and membership in House Kerrigan-Alcori than alignment.
Origin: Siobhan Kerrigan.
Affiliation: Siobhan Kerrigan, House Kerrigan-Alcori.
Gatekeeper: The gatekeeper takes the form of Siobhan Kerrigan herself. It shows the Lady in her forties, with an an attractive but scarred face and a long firemane. What outfit she wears depends on the gatekeeper's mood and/or the topic being discussed. She may appear wearing a regal dress, a women's business suit, her battle armour, her Order of Fire robes or a Firemane uniform. The gatekeeper has a will of her own and her personality reflects that of Siobhan. Indeed, it contains a sliver of her soul. Commanding, haughty and arrogant, she will only relinquish knowledge if she deems the seeker worthy. She is also very cynical. Stern maternalism is a good way to sum up her character. Her mood can vacillate between compassionate, stern, and plain acerbic. Moreover, she is sexist.
Even if she accepts the user, the gatekeeper can be idiosyncratic. Some days she might answer any and all questions and even show a gentler, caring side. Perhaps even crack jokes, which can get quite bawdy. A different day might find her in a grim, chilly mood. Sometimes she will critique the user's sartorial choices or interrogate them about their love life. Users must expect to be questioned about how they have contributed to the family or intend to do so. Giving the gatekeeper a positive impression in this regard is important in order to get access to anything juicy. She has a habit of presenting the user with scenarios from various topics, and makingg them to formulate a response. The topics can range from warfare to business to rulership.
The gatekeeper will also question the user about the state of the family, contemporary warfare, economics and the general situation in the Galaxy. This questioning can be quite extensive. It allows the gatekeeper to expand her knowledge and also influences which topics she talks about. Furthermore, it serves as a test of character. Siobhan is multilingual, and the gatekeeper takes advantage of this. She may sometimes start talking in Eldarai, Prosabia, Ryl, Zandri etc. She shows a softer side with very young members of the House, but is a lot more stern with adults, especially if she feels they are not living up to their potential.
Description:
Dramatic music plays when the holocron is activated. The music varies, but the gatekeeper is particularly fond of this song.
Rather than having a pyramidal or cuboid shape, the holocron has a hexagonal one. It is crafted from alchemised metal and has intricate symbols carved into it. Siobhan has imbued the holocron with a piece of her own spirit. She created the holocron to, as she sees it, pass on her wisdom to her descendants. Needless to say there is a heavy dose of self-aggrandisement, though it also has plenty of useful things to say. Siobhan is extremely protective - and perhaps more than a little obsessed - with her legacy, so the holocron is one of the ways she intends to secure it, thereby ensuring the prosperity of her family when she is no longer alive.
Thus the holocron is designed to only respond to a recognised member of House Kerrigan-Alcori. Members who have been banished or disowned are excluded. The holocron contains all the knowledge Siobhan has accumulated over the decades, providing teaching not only on the Force and lightsabre combat, but also on history, governance, business, weapons as well as military leadership. It is supposed to provide guidance for the next generation. Siobhan is a Dark Sider and so the holocron is dark aligned, but it is not particularly concerned with the colour scheme of an individual. Broadly speaking, it does not like extremes of light and dark and will have cutting remarks for both. Character and family loyalty are viewed as decisive.
DEFENSES
Accessibility: As with any holocron, the prospective user must be Force-Sensitive. The holocron only responds to one of the recognised members of House Kerrigan-Alcori. Former members of the family who have been disowned or banished are not given access. A small drop of blood must be provided. The gatekeeper is able to discern the alignment and skill level of the user, and it will tailor its commentary and the content it grants access to accordingly. Generally speaking the holocron will not share knowledge with the sadistic, chaotic or anyone it deems unworthy. Jedi, Imperials and Sith alike are rebuffed.
Security: For starters, the gatekeeper shares Siobhan's personality. It is extremely willful, possessing impressive willpower to resist intrusion and illusions. When the gatekeeper determines a would-be user to be a threat to it or House Kerrigan-Alcori, it will cause powerful blasts of lightning to spark out at the user. Poison concealed in the casing can also be activated.
CONTENT INFORMATION
Broadly speaking the content can be split into the following chapters: Force Powers & Philosophy, Lightsabre Techniques, Combat and Duelling, History, Governance & Economics, Military Technology & Warfare, and Family. Obviously these categories are quite broad and can often not be neatly separated. Indeed, the gatekeeper will seek to connect them where this is appropriate, but it is a helpful way of categorising the information stored inside the holocron. The user obviously has the ability to request access to this or that, but the gatekeeper is very willful. Broadly speaking, she will only grant access to advanced techniques to those she deems ready, loyal and whose achivements have impressed her enough. Learning about the strongest Force techniques will also require what the gatekeeper considers to be an appropriate ideological and political mind set. This is supposed to prevent abuse and ensure the user does not act to the detriment of the House.
The Force:
"The Force is a tool. An inner flame a few can tap into. Nothing more, nothing less. The Force is not some mystical journey and connection, it is a tool one uses and trains just like physical education, weapons or piloting. Ascribing a will to it is just superstition."
The gatekeeper elaborates on Siobhan's Force beliefs. She is dismissive of the idea that the Force is a duality separated in Light and Dark and treats it as a tool, rather than an energy field that binds all life together and has a will of its own. The Force simply exists. It guides her, when she tells it to, it empowers her, when she grasps it and bends its power to her will. The gatekeeper discusses Jedi and Sith Force beliefs, and finds both wanting. She also spends some time discussing fringe Force cults Siobhan has had dealings with over the years, such as the Zeison Sha, Angelii and Vashyada priestesses. The gatekeeper postulates that all Force-Users should be required to receive training in order to learn how to control their abilities. Needless to say the holocron provides extensive instruction on a variety of Force techniques. Siobhan is an extremely powerful Telekinesis Master, so this is the technique the gatekeeper focuses on. It can provide instruction from anything ranging from basic to extremely advanced applications of Telekinesis and its various derivatives.
Moreover, the holocron can instruct the user in energy manipulation, including thermal and electrical energy. This is commonly called Tutaminis. The gatekeeper focuses on defensive applications. She also elaborates on Force Barriers, Protection Bubble and so on. Likewise, there is a lot of information on mental protection, Crucitorn and Control Pain. The gatekeeper does not have much to say about Force Healing, as Siobhan lacks the talent to use the Light to heal herself, though she can provide instruction on dark side healing.
Furthermore, there is plenty of information on Ionise, Force Lightning and Force Drain. The gatekeeper cautions against overuse of Drain, warning about its addictive qualities. Siobhan treats it as something to be used sparingly. Siobhan lacks the talent to use elemental Force abilities, but has a profound theoretical knowledge since she has often trained with, commanded or fought elementalists. Thus the gatekeeper can talk about elemental powers at length. The gatekeeper talks at length about how to use Force powers as a force multiplier and incorporate them into the battle plan of a squad, platoon and company sized unit. The gatekeeper discusses essence transfer in a theoretical sense, but does not teach it.
Lightsabre Techniques, Combat and Duelling:
"Talking is not a free action in combat. If you cannot stop running your mouth in the midst of battle, you might as well spare the family the embarrassment by falling on your sabre. Don't prattle, don't gloat. Don't bother respond to a Sithling when they throw childish taunts at you or babble about how they are not the bad guy or possess 'unlimited power'. Get the killing done, and move on."
Instruction on Soresu and Makashi. Siobhan is far more of a ranged fighter than a duellis. She is a solid duellist, but not an exceptional one, as her preference lies in using the Force or a rifle. Thus the gatekeeper has less to say here, though the teaching she can provide is still useful. She gets more talkative when she speaks about combat on the level of small units. There she imparts some useful lessons about how Force-Users can incorporate their preternatural skills into an overall unit structure and avoid getting themselves killed.
A user is taught some basic, but essential rules. Such as not running in front of her unit and charging off on her lonesome, not violating the chain of command, not assuming that the Force blind should treat her with reverence because she is a Force-user and the apprentice of an important Master of the Order, not playing mystic in front of her troops and not carelessly activating her lightsabre while advancing on an enemy position. They are also instructed to find ways to integrate their mystical powers into a squad structure. The use of healing and Force barriers is probably self-explanatory, but even physical enhancement and telekinesis specialists can find ways to be helpful for the group as a whole, such as by removing or creating obstacles, flushing out enemies, or pooling their powers to unleash powerful blasts of concussive energy. She also strongly recommends wearing proper armour.
This section also includes commentary and instruction in Anti-Force-User techniques, both as training and as a warning against thinking that possessing magical powers makes one invincible, as hypocritical as that might seem considering Siobhan's own recklessness. Among other things it includes instruction in the use of Bolters, Ion Paddle Beamers, sonic weapons, combined arms tactics against Force-Users and appropriate counters. Examples are drawn heavily from her own experiences fighting Sith and Bando Gora. There is also an account of Siobhan's most important duels. This includes a detailed section on the Witch-Necromancer Matsu Xiangu and Siobhan's fights with her.
History:
Focuses mostly on post-Dark Age history, though prior event are touched upon if the gatekeeper considers them to be of interest. It provides a history of Omega Pyre and the Omega Protectorate, focusing on Siobhan's time with both. It comprises detailed accounts of the battles she fought in, from the skirmishes on Dahomey and Vandelhelm to the zombie outbreak on Denon, the great battles of Roche and Metalorn to the Bando Gora War from start to finish. Siobhan is honest about the own often brutal methods she has employed, seeing them as necessary sacrifices to attain victory. This includes hers and Tegaea's term in office as rulers of the Protectorate. Furthermore, it incorporates a history of Firemane. The gatekeeper has less to say about the Protectorate after she left office. But her impression of Tegaea's successors is negative.
There are also sections on Kaeshana, the Eldorai people as well as their cousins on Tygara. Likewise, she also goes into detail about the Kar'zun. The gatekeeper can be quite negative on the Eldorai, but is quite sympathetic to the Kar'zun and the Tygaran elves. She spends quite a bit of time on them, with a particular focus on how they have dealt with first contact and being thrust on the galactic stage. She also discusses past and present rulers of note, such as Lady Tylania, Queen Liavondra and Shahbânu Semiramis. In addition, it provides information on the history of Dahomey.
Needless to say the gatekeeper puts Siobhan's efforts as a ruler in a very good light. It is, after all, also an egotistical puff piece. There is also a special section on the lost history of Kaeshana and Tygara, detailing the true origins of its natives, but access to it is extremely restricted and password-protected. The gatekeeper discusses the One Sith War and the First Galactic Alliance-First Order conflict.
Governance & Economics:
"If any diplomat begins to defend to the death a 'peace conference,' you can be sure her government has already placed its orders for new battleships and bombers. Or she is really that foolish."
The gatekeeper has a lot to say here. She draws on Siobhan's own experience in government, both in the Omega Protectorate and Firemane. The following is an exerpt about her thoughts on 'uplifting' and governing a colony.
"I uplifted Tygara, a planet that was isolated from the rest of the Galaxy for centuries. Three riven races inhabited it, and warred against one another. Slavery was the norm. Some called them primitive because they did not have any of the technology we take for granted. They were foolish to think so. With the right education and access to the appropriate tools, the locals were as good as any human. Better even, because they had to work for it. Now they've moved into the stars. I didn't impose a racial caste system that would promote warlordism or deceive the people about my intentions. I'm afraid ruling is a bit more difficult than conquest. I learned that as Exarch, much to my annoyance.
Don't give natives the pretense of democracy if you're never going to turn it into a reality. I'd keep a small core of my original group at the top of the administration and military, but make sure they become well versed in the customs of the natives and learn their language. Where possible, I'd delegate authority to local leaders. Will they all have the expertise? Probably not, but that's why I'd give them 'residents' or governors to make sure my decrees are carried out in the provinces and departments.
Petitions would go directly to my chancellery. To aid myself or whicher viceroy I appoint, I'd create an advisory council. Where possible, a protective dependency is to be preferred to direct rule. It is cheaper, simpler, less wounding to native self-esteem and gives them more career as public officials. I'd found a force of native sepoys who are trained and instructed according to my standards and officered by my people. Eventually I'd give them native officers if they prove themselves.
Naturally I would not give them the most modern equipment to start with. In time, all positions would be open for them, even the highest. Before I came, the Tygarans knew nothing of spaceflight, blasters or lightsabres. Dahomey had regressed to a pre-modern state, in which warlordism and strife were endemic. Yet now people from both worlds have entered my inner circle and hold some of the highest offices in Firemane's military and civilian leadership. Integration was not a mere vanity. It was a necessity. I would have been a fool to waste the fantastic materiel on the planets. An indivdual's worth is not determined by their genes or by what their ancestors did millennia ago, but by thrift, skill and determination.
Will there be resistance? Assuredly. You cannot make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. There will be those who resent a foreign ruler no matter what. Some will cling to failed regimes out of tradition and stubbornness. But I'd show the common folk my regime is better through palpable improvements: Education, jobs, free healthcare, freedom of worship, law and order. Do not trust your administrators and officers when they tell you everything is fine. Leave the office, visit your colony, talk to the people on the ground, be they townspeople, farmers, soldiers or clerics. Preferrably in their native tongue. Attend their festivals and ceremonies. Take on wards. And care for your employees, both during and after their service has ended. You have have a responsibility to ensure their health needs are met and they receive pensions in old ages. This especially applies to your Sepoys because they are the most vulnerable."
The gatekeeper has little time for debate, views parliamentarianism and separation of powers as inefficient at best. Siobhan identifies democracy with plutocracy at best and mob rule at worst. Despite working with her share of hereditary monarchies, she is disdainful of a system of government where power is based solely on birthright. An adoptive monarchy or a Republican Dictatorship suits her views the best. She believes that low level autonomy is important, but is firm in her conviction that there must be a strong central authority. To illustrate her point, she examines major governments she had dealings with.
Interestingly, she critiques the idea of galactic government. Her argument is that such a regime is only possible by imposing tyranny or by pandering to the lowest common denominator. In either case, government operates on a scale a common citizen cannot comprehend or influence. A tyrannical government will meet resistance, an appeasing, liberal one will produce gridlock and stagnation. Her view on interstellar relations is a Realist one. Based on it galactic politics are driven by competitive self-interest. The ordering principle of interstellar relations is anarchic, as there is no central authority. Every sovereign player acts based on the principle of egoism, pursuing their self-interest. The driving force is their own survival, as it is a requirement for other goals. This forces them to buildup their own offensive capabilities. Because one can never be certain of another player's intentions, one must guard against relative losses of power, which leads to a security dilemma. The gatekeeper is opposed to speciesism and classism. She is extremely disdainful of Human High Culture and Core World snobbery.
"The Force is a source of strength, but not of wisdom, understanding of military strategy, business or statecraft. Overreliance breeds addiction. Recognise its shortcomings, educate yourself if you find yourself in a position of power, surround yourself with good counsellors. A counsellor with the courage to voice a contrary opinion and state their case is more useful than a yes-saying lackey who plays it safe. The former may stand by you in a crisis if treated well, the latter is a fairweather friend. Give counsellors autonomy within their spheres, but leave no doubt from where the power flows. When it comes to choosing advisers, generals, ministers and so on, Non-Force-Users are preferrable to Force-Users because they will have had to work for their position and on average be more qualified. Moreover, they can be removed more easily if needs be."
"When your enemies defy you, serve them fire and steel. But when they bend the knee, help them back to their feet. Otherwise none will submit to you. By the same token, crush those who remain obstinate and give no mercy to traitors. Ideally, a ruler will be feared and loved. The strongest ruler will not disarm herself by trusting in the love of her subjects. She will ensure that they fear betraying her. The strongest can balance both aspects, the next strongest is one who can be feared, the weak will rely on love alone. The worst of all possible outcomes is hatred. The ability to lay waste to population centres or a planet may inspire fear - in the short-term. Long-term it breeds hatred and resistance. Furthermore, a wasteland is not productive. Dead men do not sow, build or pay taxes."
Siobhan believes in a meritocracy of capitalism, preferring a free market over a command economy. She believes social securities are needed to help the less fortunate and provide a safety net. Veterans' care is of paramount importance to her, as providing employees with a comprehensive healthcare package. But on the whole she has a rather by your bootstraps approach. People should be given an education and the tools they need, but they must succeed or fail on their own merits. The gatekeeper is extremely opposed to slavery and talks about Siobhan's abolitionist efforts at length. She makes clear that simply setting the slaves free is not enough.
"Slavery is blight on the galaxy. Even if we disregard morality, it is inefficient and self-defeating. Labourers forced to serve you have no incentive, unlike minions who follow you out of choice. The best shackles are invisible - and often your minions place them on themselves because you have earned their faith. But if you set slaves free, ensure they receive jobs, homes and education. Thus they will not be left destitute. In cultures were slavery is a fact life, pragmatic owners may be induced to give up their slaves when they see an advantage, such as a place in the new regime, access to technology if they are from pre-modern worlds, compensation and so on. Those who refuse to join the new world must perish in the old one. Sometimes you must make an example of reactionaries to convince the rest to fall in line. The carrot must always be backed up by the stick. Otherwise it will just be snatched out of your hands."
Military Technology & Warfare:
"War is hell. A cruelty you cannot refine. It is pointless to rage against terrible hardships. It is far more terrible to cower in fear of them and yield out of cowardice. The great issues of today are not decided by speeches and conclaves, but by blood and iron."
"War is politics by other means. Never lose sight of its political goal. You can win every battle, and still lose the peace."
"Do everything you ask of those you command. Never think it is beneath you because of your rank or your power. A leader rises first, and rests last."
"A leader is only as good as those under her command. Warfare is a team effort, not a one-woman show. Without a competent staff, a leader does not have the information she requires, her orders will not be executed properly and, worst of all, the army will be headless should something happen to her. Every soldier plays a vital role, no matter how unglamorous it may seem. If one element is lacking, the chain breaks."
"Fearlessness is a myth. Every soldier is afraid in their first battle. The true soldier uses it as fuel to push harder, to run faster and strike harder. What one must not do is be conquered by it. Face your fears, and you can face anything because you will have already seen it."
Comprises Siobhan's thoughts on military strategy, tactics and the interplay between war and politics. It is pertinent to note that Siobhan is probably a better war and politician than general. She is used to lead from the front. The gatekeeper is cynical and blunt about the horrors of war, but scornful of pacifism. She also talks about how a young Kerrigan-Alcori should progress in the armed forces. She stresses promotion by merit and expects her descendants to rise through the ranks and earn the respect of their soldiers rather than being fasttracked to an unearned command position. A leader, in her view, must lead by example.
She also provides commentary on Firemane military equipment and doctrine. There is a section on tactical leadership, combined arms as well as mission-based tactics. When it comes to combat, the gatekeeper focuses on ground operations. Siobhan is a groundpounder not a fleeter, so space battles are more than a little opague to her. However, there is a lot about boarding operations.
The gatekeeper is very scathing about 'superweapons', regarding them as wasteful and inefficient. She rejects terror bombings and the like, but is blunt about the fact that if an enemy hides in population centres or otherwise uses noncombatants as human shields, a Kerrigan must not be swayed from her course to crush the enemy. She talks quite a bit about the role of Force-Users in the military, stating that they should be directly integrated into the chain of command and schooled in military tactics. The gatekeeper recommends assigning neophyte Force-Users who are strong in the Force but have a poor attitude to particularly gruff, nasty drill sergeant types to knock some sense into them. If they pass, they have what it takes. If not, they get sent home.
She advises lenient treatment of a conquered civilian population as well as of prisoners of war. However, she considers 'enhanced interrogation' to be sometimes necessary, and it is clear that in her view captured Sith and the like should be treated more 'roughly'. No mercy is to be shown to Sith, traitors and foes who refuse to yield. Allied soldiers who commit atrocities are to be punished for their crimes. The gatekeeper is cynical about multilateral agreements and supports waging preemptive wars. She is not that positive about droid armies. She views them combat droids very useful for mundane and vital tasks such as garrisoning, protecting supply lines and carrying out construction duties, but believes the mainstay of any army should be organics. The gatekeeper discusses the use of native Sepoys as combat troops, drawing on her own experience with Qadiri and Xioquo soldiers and acolytes.
Family:
"'Triumph Over Adversity'. Remember our words when things are dire. Live by them. And never forget that a Kerrigan always pays her debts."
"The lone phoenix dies, but the flight survives."
"We have no eternal allies, only eternal interests."
"Elpsis might have been a little brat who needed to grow up, but she is a Kerrigan-Alcori. She is family. So when two-bit Jedi thought they could grab her, I went to war for her. If our rivals that they can murder or capture one of us with impunity, we are finished."
A section on House Kerrigan-Alcori, Firemane and where the user fits in. Reflecting Siobhan's views, family is of pivotal importance to the gatekeeper. Family first. Obey the matriarchs, do not consort with enemies of the family, defend and contribute to the success of the family and Firemane. Loyalty to the family is paramount. By extension, the same applies to loyalty to Firemane. Throughout the dialogue, the gatekeeper will quiz the user and create a profile of sorts, enabling her to determine which role the user should play in the family. Of course, much like the real Siobhan, she is certain she knows best. Thus she tries to guide the user. Her view of the Galaxy is Hobbesian. The stature of nature is defined by an anarchic 'war of all against all'. To protect their lives and livelihood, people accede to a social contract. People in House Kerrigan-Alcori's sphere of influence have ceded authority to it and Siobhan in order gain protection and economic wellbeing.
She stresses the maternalistic views of the real Siobhan. The family has a duty to care for its employees, but they fulfil their end of the social contract. Traitors must be punished without mercy. Duty aside, the gatekeeper also talks about marriage and motherhood. For all her cynicism and arrogance, Siobhan's love for her wife and daughters is still evident through the narration. The gatekeeper reflects on her marriage and motherhood quite a bit, though this depends on her mood and on how much she likes the user. It includes data on family assets, ships, important servants, major players in Firemane so on. Likewise, she discusses religious cults sworn to House Kerrigan-Alcori, specifically the Daughters of the Destroyer and the Cataphracts of the Ascending Phoenix. Given Siobhan's own fixation with preserving her 'legacy', it is no surprise that the gatekeeper talks at length about the succession issue.
"No one is immortal. Vitiate ruled as 'god-emperor' for over a millennia. Palpatine dreamt of conquering death. Both fell in the end. Pursuit of divinity is a fool's errand. Your minions may think you are a deity, but remember you are mortal and that the adoration of the masses is a fickle thing, which gusts and falls as does the wind. If you want what you built to endure beyond your death, set up a succession plan and make arrangements for an orderly transition. Choose a successor on merit."
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
For a long time Siobhan Kerrigan was not the traditional sort of Force master intent on passing on her knowledge. Having herself received little formal training since Adril Tythorin, the Eldorai Jedi Knight who trained her died fighting an eldritch abomination, she was the sort who learned on the job through experience on the battlefields of the Galaxy. A change in her outlook took place after she and Tegaea Alcori retired to Kaeshana after stepping down as Exarch and Lady Protector respectively due to the attempt on Tegaea's life.
While she still took on a very martial role in the newly-founded Firemane Company, often handling mercenary contracts in person and bringing in revenue for the corporation through her combat prowess, she had more time to reflect as she began to adapt to a business role and aristocratic life, the latter probably coming easier to her than the former. She also took on Tempest, a former slave from Dahomey who had been liberated when an Omega Pyre strike force commanded by her and Tegaea toppled the ruling warlord.
At times she provided instruction to the Angelii, the force-using praetorian guard of the Eldorai. Eventually Siobhan began the process of creating a holocron, a repository of her struggles, accomplishments, failures and a testament to her prowess in the Force. A lot of time passed since then. Firemane grew into a megacorporation, Siobhan assumed direct control, and established her own Force Order. She also became a mother and the ruling matriarch of a noble house. She experienced both triumphs and defeats. For a while, she was crippled by a stroke. She had to use a hoverchair for movement and was unable to use the Force. Eventually she was able to recover. Lady Tylania and Chesna helped her restore her connection to the Force.
All these events shaped her. She acquired a steely determination - and sone might say - obsession with securing her legacy beyond her death. The once rather baseline holocron, which had focused mainly on combat and mastery of the Force, was updated to reflect the fact that its creator was a businesswoman, a matriarch and a queen in all but name now. This meant that the holocron's contents would cover far more than just Force powers and lightsabre combat. It was something she would pass on to her descendants. She called it the Kerrigan Continuum.
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