Firemane Corporate Headquarters was an incredibly busy, hectic place. The corporation paid well but it demanded excellence. The schedule was punishing at the best of times. These were not the best of times. Not with the whiff of scandal, corruption and treason was so rank in the air. To be both a galactic megacorporation and what amounted to a corporate state was a delicate balancing act. To be sure, exerting governmental as well as corporate authority over the citizen-worker-consumer provided one with an effective shield from external scrutiny. Its arkstations were floating cities, and its ringworld was a miniaturised planet. But it was easier to answer to a few shareholders than to millions of citizens.
For a long time things had gone reasonably well. Not anymore.
As Elpsis marched through the hallways of the Corporate Headquarters, aides, officers and bureaucrats rapidly stepped aside, though not without curses, not eager get between her and whoever had aroused her wroth. She moved with single-minded purpose, flaming red hair framing a viciously scarred face with glowing cracks etched inside it. She wore her green service uniform. The Phoenix Cross, First Class, hung from her neck on a ribbon. The Wounded Badge was pinned to the lower left breast of her uniform. Inferno hung on her belt. The whirr and click of servos was audible with every step the cyborg made.
She didn't break her stride while passing through numerous security checks, until the inner sanctum loomed before her. The offices of the inner circle. She could already hear animated voices coming from inside. "…as I was saying the Battle Destroyer concept offers great potential to revolutionise our naval strategy. These vessels are fast and furious. With their incredible speed, they can shed excessive armour for an incredible amount of firepower…," Admiral Jacinda Fleischer was speaking.
"Ah, Admiral, this is all very well, but I am greatly concerned by armour profile amidships. You've reduced armour by 24% which leaves it vulnerable to..."
"Speed is their armour, Director Samasarth. If we dictate the flow of battle then we won't need to be weighed down by leaden barriers. We can focus more on weapons and speed! Ir will be an excellent addition to our other next generation warships."
"A lot of that money's coming at the cost of the army," Devotion, Chief of Army Staff, commented in an annoyed voice, her Dahomian accent thick.
"My dear Devotion, the army and the fleet are a team. Your job will be a lot easier once these vessels leave the shipyards. Space dominance is battlefield dominance."
"And someone still needs to put boots on the ground…"
A pair of armour-clad bodyguards – each a Force-User armed with a lightsabre and a Cylix bolt pistol – stood at attention on either side of the huge doors. Mechanically, they moved to the side to open them. Inside, the inner circle was seated around a massive conference table made of wroshyr wood, each of them seated in shiny leather office chairs. If Elpsis had not been physically blind, she would have seen that there was a fancy looking digital presentation on the wall facing the conference table, displaying various battleships and other weapons' systems. Her boots made little noise on the expensive carpet.
Of the assembled inner circle members, Royal was the first to speak. The elegantly dressed Chiss majordomo flashed her a smile that the blind soldier could not see, but would've immediately rejected as insincere. The Chiss had gotten up and walked over to her. At first it looked she wanted to take her hand, but when Elpsis remained unmoving and made no move to take it, she put it on her shoulder instead. "Elpsis, so glad you could join us."
"Captain Kerrigan reporting as ordered," she said tersely, pointedly not looking at Royal. She clicked her heels and saluted with bone-cracking efficiency. "The Sith traitor Nils is dead, his artefacts aren't a threat anymore."
"Congratulations on ridding us of that Sith scum," Royal said effusively, voice as sweet as honey.
It made Elpsis' skin crawl. She considered how easy it would be to break the other woman's blue skinned neck.
"At ease, Captain," spoke High Admiral Jacanda Fleischer, a woman in late middle age with short blonde hair that was starting to grey and steely blue eyes. She wore an immaculate blue uniform with gold lace, brocade and numerous medals, as befitting her position as Chief of the Great General Staff. The Admiral was standing and holding a remote control. "Or should I say Major?"
"Just made Captain, ma'am," Elpsis pointed out flatly.
"And by all rights you should've been one ages ago. It won't be official for a while. That will have to wait for a big ceremony where we elevate some of our most promising young officers. Otherwise people might get the wrong idea. But it's well-deserved."
You mean it's a bribe. I should force your stupid medals down your throat, and watch you choke on them, Elpsis thought, but said nothing. Her features remained stone-like. Her posture was so rigid and straight she might as well have been a statue. "With the traitor Nils dead, we're one step closer to dismantling Soteria's network," the High Admiral continued.
"Congratulations are in order. It's a bit unfortunate none of the artefacts were recovered. They might've been worthy of further study," Samasarth, the Eldorai head of the science division, commented.
"They were Sith artefacts. There's nothing to study," Elpsis said sharply, glaring the Eldorai.
"I'm sure brave Elpsis exercised her best judgement. We know how vile the Sith are. Barbarians all. Lady Kerrigan would've done the same." Royal declared, taking Elpsis' arm.
"Just a thought. Controlled circumstances. Mainly to find out how we can counter these appalling creations," Samasarth said a bit defensively, raising her hands. "Anyway, don't hold things up on my account."
"Indeed," Kaylah Danton said. Dressed in a grey pantsuit, the dark-haired, pale-skinned woman sat at the head of the table in the CEO's chair. Siobhan's chair. At least in terms of position. Siobhan had insisted on having a throne-like chair that was a good deal bigger than everyone else's. Director Danton had replaced it with something less grandiose. A portrait of Siobhan hung on the wall behind her. "Good to have you back, Elpsis."
"Perhaps next time we can bring you in earlier. It's important you attend such meetings as the last Kerrigan, and representative of the Order of Fire," Royal added, ignoring the dark look Kaylah shot her. Truly she was only thinking of her young charge's well-being.
"General Varkathras runs the OOF," Elpsis remarked bluntly. But the Cathar Force Master wasn't here. It made her uncomfortable.
"And you're her strong right arm," Fleischer said grandly. "You've more than proved your prowess and leadership ability. Just the person we need to lead a special task force that will be the tip of the spear in our struggle against the Sith. You're wasted on the Forge, I've got just the ship for you. A next gen stealth assault frigate."
"Major Kerrigan's an example to everyone of sacrifice," Admiral Taelon Far added.
"Don't let us detain you any longer, Major. There are some matters I will need to discuss with you and General Varkathras," Devotion said, sounding a bit impatient. She started to rise from her seat.
"I believe the Major has earned some R&R. The last thing I'd want to her at her age is sit in a bunch of a tedious meetings. Hell, I barely it now," Kalcha, the Zabrak general in charge of industrial production, said with a chuckle.
"By killing Soteria's lackey, we're not only one step closer to avenging Lady Kerrigan, but to cleaning up Firemane," Royal opined. "It's evident that the corrupt vermin who sullied Firemane's good name by engaging in trafficking were Sith agents."
"I'm sure your mother would be proud of you," Vivian flashed Elpsis a smile. For a moment there was silence. One could have heard a pin drop.
Elpsis' dead eyes narrowed. "Sio didn't love me and I didn't love her. She was a pompous despot, and Tegs is pathetic holonet celebrity trash. I don't give a fuck about what they think. But I guess the whole lot of you have to blather about Sio because she's the reason you're sitting in these cushy chairs. As much as a jerk as she was, agreed on one thing: killing slaving scum. So what the hell have you been doing to get rid of the scum inside Firemane. My Tygaran sisters want answers."
"Major, you're out of line," Admiral Far said icily, in a tone as frigid as a snowstorm on Hoth.
Destiny whispered something in Devotion's ear. The Dahomian General cleared her throat. "She is. But the Major has a good point. What is being done about this? I notice it has not been on our agenda and every time I mention it I am batted aside."
General Kuwahara, a severe looking Atrisian woman in her mid-forties, said nothing as the inner circle descended into bickering. She just picked up a pen and wrote something down in a notebook.
"The matter is under investigation," Kaylah stated. "This sordid, despicable affair was the result of...inadequate oversight. Grievous mistakes they were made, they will be rectified. But this isn't the forum or the time to discuss it. It's an internal matter, not a military affair."
"It concerns our relations with the Asuran races," a Qadiri woman dressed in the traditional sari of her people said in slightly accented but flawless Basic. "Who, I should note, make up a substantial portion of Firemane's work force and its ground forces. I don't wish to cast stones, but I cannot help but notice little empathy is being shown to them. When I travel to Tygara and meet Firemane's vassals, what am I supposed to tell them?"
"That, as the Director said, the matter is being handled in accordance with the law. The enquiry is proceeding as we speak. Our evidence indicates the guilty parties are senior officials in the branch offices, aided by corrupt Tygaran nobles and some mid-level personnel in the centre. But I will not politicise the issue by pressuring the commission to submit a verdict before the job is done," Roshana, a Mon Calamari lawyer, retorted calmly.
"Just as long as you get results fast!" Vivian threw in. "It will...help the unfortunate souls who suffered unjustly get closure...and protect the brand."
"The entire matter is political. I've spoken to some of these...workers. Quite a few of them were former slaves, who flocked to Firemane seeking a better future," Shazora spoke.
"This bickering is pointless. The matter will be discussed and handled, have no fear, Major. But these things take their time. You are skilled at dealing with enemies in your sphere, allow us to deal with this issue," Wicasa Tahoka, the Togruta treasurer interjected.
Shazora can cut in, "I would be more agreeable to this is if I thought the issue would be handled swiftly, rather than designs for new battleships we do not need."
"Battle Destroyers, and I argue we do!" Fleischer declared indignantly.
"We need...a radical overhaul of how this investigation is being conducted. Elsewise there will be...," Shazora began, but was cut off.
"Strikes? Rebellion?" Admiral Fleischer snapped. "Convey to your people how ill-advised that would be, and how much they've benefited from our protection. Good soldiers follow orders, so do good workers."
There was an almost imperceptible tightening of Shazora's jaw. "My Master thought the same."
"Admiral, that was uncalled for. I will not tolerate such talk in this council, especially not against a fellow board member," Kaylah interjected sternly. "Major, you're dismissed."
"I was already done," Elpsis spoke through gritted teeth, pure contempt written over her face. Her milky-white eyes darted towards Devotion and Destiny. "Heard you fought against slavers. Funny how you're breaking bread with them now. I guess it's okay if it's not your people being chained. I'm done with this farce, I'm done with being your pet kath hound."
"Go home, think things over before you do anything rash," Kaylah said.
"Get out of my sight, Kerrigan, and report to my office tomorrow! Or I'll cashier you myself, right here, right now," Admiral Fleischer snapped hotly, evidently not caring that she was technically committing insubordination against her boss in the process.
"I'll save you the trouble." With her metal hand, Elpsis reached for her rank bars and tore them off her uniform. They fell to the floor. Then she tore off her Phoenix Cross. The metal glowed red-hot in her hand as she poured all her fury into it. Behind her the door burst open. But she didn't even bother to acknowledge the trademark snap-hiss of the guardians' lightsabres igniting. In her grasp, the medal melted. She tossed it to the floor, then stomped on it to keep it from causing a fire. The smell of charred carpet filled the air.
A wildfire you are, but a much needed one. To wash away the vile and decadent, and promote new growth by burning away the old. In the fire of creation, all life is unmade and remade. You will burn out young, but when your light fades, know that death is not the end.
Now at long last, she saw what the Burning Lady had meant. She saw clearly who and what she was meant to be. She would have vengeance; she would have blood and fire. Her path would be lined with the corpses of traitors, collaborators and their enablers. "I resign," she spat hatefully.
"Elpsis, wait! You're making a mistake! You can't throw it all away," Royal shouted, looking flustered, troubled and angry. "Admiral, Director, say something!" The Chiss hastened after her, but before she could catch up the Kerrigan heir had slammed the door shut. "Damn it!" she angrily balled her hands into fists. "That arrogant, foolish brat."
"Well, that got heated. Guess it runs in the family, eh?" Kalcha commented after an uneasy silence had descended upon the now slightly diminished group. "Anyway, let's get this show back on truck."
"She's popular," Antilles pointed out, looking up from his datapad. The head of sales might have spent the meeting searching for job ads. Surely a more tranquil company was hiring.
"Only because of my marketing campaigns. There's more than enough ammunition to tear her image down. Her being front and centre was tiring people anyway," Vivian countered confidently with a dismissive shrug. "The people will believe what the media tells them they believe."
"Well I don't believe what you tell me, Vivian. I will be investigating this matter personally tomorrow, and I think I have the support of a majority of this group to do so."
"It doesn't work like that, Shazora, it is being handled by myself, Roshana and Kalcha," Tahoka said wearily.
"Then handle it as you will, but given you have not done anything with it for months what assurance do I have you will expedite this?"
"You are out of line, Vahal," Roshana retorted stoically. "Stick in your lane."
"That is Jai Vahal, and I will not stick in my lane. I will begin a full examination of this matter tomorrow with or without your permission. Destiny, Devotion, do I have your backing?"
The two Dahomians shared a look, then nodded. "We need clear results soon," Devotion replied.
"Antilles, Samasarth, Far?"
Antilles, looking like a nerf in the headlights, didn't find his voice, but nodded tentatively. Samasarth for her part had gathered her things. "I agree, but can we keep down the noise...I am developing a migraine."
The Eldorai Admiral frowned. "I do not feel it is appropriate to be undermining the roles like this. I think we need to give them more time and to present their findings. If this doesn't yield results, corrective action will be taken."
"They will present their findings tomorrow, if I am dissatisfied I will do my own discovery...."
"That's hardly a quorum and this is not a vote," Fleischer fired back.
"Admiral enough. Your feelings are noted, Shazora," Kaylah stated, getting up. "I call this meeting to a close. Let's all simmer down and reconvene tomorrow with clearer heads and get these issues resolved."
Wordlessly Shazora rose to her feet. She sported a burgeoning bump beneath her dress and she held on to the table, momentarily feeling a bit dizzy. As the inner circle dispersed, she caught a glimpse of Kuwahara walking towards Kalcha.
Meanwhile, Elpsis had left the corporate offices behind her. Firemane Headquarters was a massive building, but she knew the way to Leonina's office. Fortunately, the guards did not hold her up. "Yes?" a deep, female voice with a Catharese accent spoke when she knocked.
"Cap...Kerrigan here to see you, ma'am," she responded, narrowly catching herself. At least she hadn't introduced herself with the rank she'd just rejected today. An invisible tug opened the door, and she stepped inside.
Leonina Varkathras was seated behind her desk, evidently dealing with plenty of paperwork. The Cathar scrutinised her subordinate, intense yellow eyes staring at the human. "Your uniform is incomplete, Captain."
"Not Captain anymore, ma'am. I quit."
"The Cathar's expression was hard-faced and unreadable. "Things went poorly with the board."
"I told them to fuck off. Figured I'd tell you in person before it spreads along the grapevine, ma'am. You were one of the decent ones."
The General tilted her head, studying her. "I see. Close the door," she spoke, then added in louder voice, "there'll of course be paperwork to process. I want your resignation in writing first thing tomorrow."
"Of course."
"You rendered an important service to Firemane by investigating the recent string of...unfortunate events. You will, of course, provide me with all the information you have. It's classified, and you no longer have a security clearance."
Elpsis blinked, then nodded curtly.
"Given recent events, certain strata of society may decide, for whatever reason, to be more forthcoming with you than the actual enquiry. Doubtless they'd be provocateurs spreading misinformation. Should you become privy to any such information, you will pass it on to me immediately. Failure to comply will have consequences. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"That'll be all. Dismissed."
"May the Lifeweb surround you, ma'am." Snapping to attention, Elpsis saluted. Turning on her heels, she opened the door and walked out.
Alone in her office, Leonina leaned back in her chair, the paperwork forgotten. "May the Force be with you, soldier," she muttered to herself.
Elpsis' path took her away from Firemane Corporate Headquarters. Outside, there was a grandiose martial statue of Siobhan Kerrigan. Soon she had left the absurd monument behind her and vanished in the hustle and bustle of the Arx. The massive space station was no longer Firemane's biggest stellar construct. That title had gone to the worldcraft, which would in turn yield it to the ringworld once it had finished construction. It was all absurd vanity. She wondered how many worlds had been pillaged.
In any event, the Arx was packed and, so she was told, incredibly bright. That alone made it an advantage that she was blind. All the bright neon lights could not take her sight away. Thousands upon thousands of sentient beings filled the commercial area of the Presidium, all worshipping the temple of materialism. Thoughtlessly consuming. She wondered how much of this wealth had been funded through corruption and forced labour. Many years ago, she'd been seduced by the glamour. She would atone in blood. She did not break her stride until she was well away from the better part of the city. A seedy, dingy bar beckoned. The bouncers were smart enough to let her through, despite the suspicious look they shot her. They didn't want to end up incinerated.
Inside the air was rank with smoke, sweat, booze and various other odours. There was the usual collection of low-lifes, along with scantily clad dancers. She made a beeline for the counter. The barkeep was a muscular, scarred Ithorian. Her right arm was a crude looking cybernetic prothesis. "Firemane," she greeted Elpsis laconically.
"Not anymore," Elpsis sat down.
"Uh-uh, so what'cha want. If it's me listenin' to a sob story, that costs extra."
"Just some booze."
"Corellian whiskey?"
"Not strong enough. Make it Yazgid's Bite."
The barkeep pushed a bottle and a glass over. Elpsis knocked back a shot as if the strong liquor was water, then promptly refilled her glass. "Just so you know, you cause trouble, I'm going to have your arse, Fire Princess or no," the Ithorian warned, then shrugged and went off to fulfil the next order.
Undaunted, Elpsis kept drinking. Suddenly her comm beeped. Retrieving it from her jacket pocket, she found it was a text message. Fortunately, the device had been set to display those in braille. 'Backroom'. Without a word, Elpsis slipped some credits over the counter. Both for the drink and a little extra so they'd be left alone. She picked up her bottle and got up. Passing mismatched chairs set up in front of battered and scarred wooden tables, and passing over the occasional bloodstain, she walked to the backroom.
Natalie Dorne was sitting behind a stained table, boots propped up, and cigarra in hand. The lighting was dim, and smoke was in the air. "I did a sweep, there's no bugs," she said without preamble after Elpsis had shut the door.
"Nice to see you, too, Nat."
"What brings you to the dregs of society? Tired of rubbing shoulders with the great and good of society already."
"I quit," was Elpsis' laconic response as she sat down, and promptly proceeded to drink from the bottle.
"So Firemane lost its media darling. Better find a new on real fast."
"Don't call me that," there was a sharp edge to Elpsis' voice.
"Hey, look on the bright side: you've caused Vivian no ends of work." Nonchalantly, Natalie took a deep drag. "I'm going to make an educated guess and assume it has something to do with that farce of an investigation."
"You'd be correct. They're burying it."
The Essionian shrugged. "Corpos don't like their dirty laundry aired anymore than governments. They've executed a bunch of middle managers, time to pay some token compensation and get back to business. I'm sure a couple decades down the line a CEO will step up, say they did wrong and feel very bad about, and blame the people who were in charge back then but are long dead. Some keyboard warriors will cry about it on Spacebook, and business will continue as usual."
"If they get away with it."
"Jedi get away with Force nuking cities, babe. Imperials still get billions to stan for them no matter how many genocides they commit - or how many times they lose. Look at all the big fashion brands who use slave labour. Everyone knows. Doesn't make a dent in their profits."
"Give me the hell on earth speech, Nat. I know the score. The galaxy's shit. Most people are pathetic, shallow, selfish cowards. Nothing I do will change that. There's tons of people involved in an op like this. Guards, conveyers, company people taking the payouts, native collabs. But I have to do my duty. And my duty's to burn the scum," Elpsis retorted sharply, leaning forward. Apathy's death. Her white eyes flared, and Natalie was half-certain that for a moment the other woman's hair had been truly flaming. "Find the names, cross them out, publicise their crimes. I need your help. Are you in?"
"Last time I said yes, my apartment was ransacked by HRDs" Natalie pointed out, running a hand through her blonde hair.
"I have to do this, Nat, and I can't do it without you," Elpsis growled. "Look, I don't need you to storm Firemane HQ. All I need is...intel on the board. And...for you to set up a deadman's switch or something. Something happens to me, everything you got from New Horizons goes viral."
Natalie stared at her as she slowly exhaled the smoke she'd been holding in her lungs. "You better be ready for Firemane bringing the heat down. They'll hit hard."
"How much do you want?"
"A lot, Red. But as a matter of fact, I was actually talking about you. I know how to stay below the radar, you don't. They treated you with kid's gloves because they needed a propaganda mascot whose name is Kerrigan. That's over now. All that fancy hardware, all those goons turned against you. You sure you're ready for this?"
I am wildfire, she thought. When Elpsis spoke, her voice was unyielding, just as her gaze might as well have been carved from granite. "This is what I'm here for, Nat. What I'm meant to do."
"Alrighty. Who do you want me to look into? Think carefully. I'll only have a limited window before I have to go dark. By the way, you really should move some of the Kerrigan fortune around before your former bosses cut you off."
"Can you help with that?"
"Yes, but it's going to cost you. Will need some hired help. Mara. She's dependable. Hmm, need some place to host the money."
"Vari," Elpsis said. "Varisanthra Lycaeni. We met. She's okay...for a banker. And no Firemane lackey."
"So Nova Bank. Fair enough. So, names?"
"It's a viper's nest, Nat. They're all guilty as hell of something. But some are better than others. Some are getting fed up by the inaction. Some wouldn't be involved with this shit. And some are just so bland that they wouldn't do anything. Shazora, Destiny, Devotion, I think they're pretty clear. Shazie is making waves already, sincere about it. Samasarth and Antilles are just eggheads and do their jobs. Taelon Far's a jerk but probably not involved in this. Who the hell knows with Danton, she could be doing anything, but probably not this. Then the ones we need to worry about, the ones with the worst stench of crime and corruption. Tahoka, Vivian, Royal. Kuwahara and Fleischer...not sure where they fit in but they'll do anything to keep their power I bet. They wouldn't care if the Xio were getting enslaved so long as their little games weren't affected. Hmm, Kalcha was didn't make any waves. That was odd."
"Long list. I'll see what I can dig up."
"Thank you, Nat."
"Don't expect to hear from me after you get your intel. If you want to death charge FM HQ, you're on your own. I'm your partner, not your minion."
"Nor am I." Elpsis spun around when she suddenly heard a heavily accented, feminine voice. Karrigan'Xalda seemingly materialised from thin air a few metres behind her.
"You been following me?" Elpsis asked, sounding irritated. Inwardly, she cursed herself. She should have been able to sense the Xioquo' presence in the Force.
Not that Elpsis would be able to see it, but the Xioquo did not look contrite in the least. "Yes. I saw you in the grand bazaar. You were being careless."
"No, I wasn't...whatever. Guess you heard everything."
"Many, many moons ago, I swore I would be ready to plunge my blade into the heart of the corrupt should the sky people bring my people to ruin. Then you aided me in freeing my sisters and brothers from the new chain."
"Yeah, I remember."
Without further ado, Xalda drew her dagger. "It is my wish to fight alongside you. With me go the Daughters," she said earnestly. "Let us rip out of the hearts of the guilty, let us drown them in ash."
Once Elpsis would have considered the Sio-worshipping Xio warrior to be incredibly annoying and weird. A lot had changed. Well, she still considered her terribly weird...but there was a good deal more to her than that. So she nodded. "The guilty must burn."
Xalda placed the dagger over her heart. "I swear by the spirits and the stars, by my blood and my blade that I will battle wickedness and destroy the corrupt! May the spirits cast me into the burning light for me to suffer eternal anguish should I speak false."
Elpsis momentarily looked a bit taken aback. "I...accept your pledge. We'll get it done, I promise."
Natalie looked from one to the other and broke the solemn moment by saying: "Excellent, your audition for 'Days of our Stars' has been successful. At least you'll have a backup job when this is over...if you live. So do we get a team name? Knowing Elpsis, it's going to be something cringey with way too many fire references."
Elpsis glared at her. "My names aren't cringey."
"Let's see," Natalie made a show of counting on her fingers. "Inferno? Armour of the Shining Flame? Gauntlet of Emberslight?"
"What's wrong with them?"
"I like those names," Xalda interjected.
"At least Xio sis agrees with me," Elpsis muttered without thinking. She couldn't see the smallest of smiles tweaked the corners of Xalda's mouth.
"I'm just going to call us the Justice Squad before you come up with something even dumber."
"That's a terrible name, and..." Elpsis protested, but was cut off when Natalie suddenly leaned forward, grabbed her by the collar and kissed her hard. It didn't take Elpsis long to reciprocate, with a searing look written across her features. She tasted the sting of whiskey on Natalie's lips.
When they finally departed the backroom, the Ithorian barkeep jabbed a finger at Elpsis. "Fire Princess or not, if you two made a mess, that's an extra charge," she bellowed warningly.
Xalda, meanwhile, had already left the backroom and was conversing with a Qadiri waitress. She had affectionately rested her hand on the desert elf's arm. "Naralka, I will come by and see your girls tomorrow, yes?"
"That'd be great, they've missed their Auntie Xalda!"
"Very good. Until then...."
"You...know her children?" Elpsis asked once the waitress had departed.
"Her husband died in battle, so when she needed to go to the hospital I watched over her daughters until she returned."
"Do you...do this for lots of people?" Elpsis couldn't hide her astonishment.
"Only those who need and deserve it."
For a long time things had gone reasonably well. Not anymore.
As Elpsis marched through the hallways of the Corporate Headquarters, aides, officers and bureaucrats rapidly stepped aside, though not without curses, not eager get between her and whoever had aroused her wroth. She moved with single-minded purpose, flaming red hair framing a viciously scarred face with glowing cracks etched inside it. She wore her green service uniform. The Phoenix Cross, First Class, hung from her neck on a ribbon. The Wounded Badge was pinned to the lower left breast of her uniform. Inferno hung on her belt. The whirr and click of servos was audible with every step the cyborg made.
She didn't break her stride while passing through numerous security checks, until the inner sanctum loomed before her. The offices of the inner circle. She could already hear animated voices coming from inside. "…as I was saying the Battle Destroyer concept offers great potential to revolutionise our naval strategy. These vessels are fast and furious. With their incredible speed, they can shed excessive armour for an incredible amount of firepower…," Admiral Jacinda Fleischer was speaking.
"Ah, Admiral, this is all very well, but I am greatly concerned by armour profile amidships. You've reduced armour by 24% which leaves it vulnerable to..."
"Speed is their armour, Director Samasarth. If we dictate the flow of battle then we won't need to be weighed down by leaden barriers. We can focus more on weapons and speed! Ir will be an excellent addition to our other next generation warships."
"A lot of that money's coming at the cost of the army," Devotion, Chief of Army Staff, commented in an annoyed voice, her Dahomian accent thick.
"My dear Devotion, the army and the fleet are a team. Your job will be a lot easier once these vessels leave the shipyards. Space dominance is battlefield dominance."
"And someone still needs to put boots on the ground…"
A pair of armour-clad bodyguards – each a Force-User armed with a lightsabre and a Cylix bolt pistol – stood at attention on either side of the huge doors. Mechanically, they moved to the side to open them. Inside, the inner circle was seated around a massive conference table made of wroshyr wood, each of them seated in shiny leather office chairs. If Elpsis had not been physically blind, she would have seen that there was a fancy looking digital presentation on the wall facing the conference table, displaying various battleships and other weapons' systems. Her boots made little noise on the expensive carpet.
Of the assembled inner circle members, Royal was the first to speak. The elegantly dressed Chiss majordomo flashed her a smile that the blind soldier could not see, but would've immediately rejected as insincere. The Chiss had gotten up and walked over to her. At first it looked she wanted to take her hand, but when Elpsis remained unmoving and made no move to take it, she put it on her shoulder instead. "Elpsis, so glad you could join us."
"Captain Kerrigan reporting as ordered," she said tersely, pointedly not looking at Royal. She clicked her heels and saluted with bone-cracking efficiency. "The Sith traitor Nils is dead, his artefacts aren't a threat anymore."
"Congratulations on ridding us of that Sith scum," Royal said effusively, voice as sweet as honey.
It made Elpsis' skin crawl. She considered how easy it would be to break the other woman's blue skinned neck.
"At ease, Captain," spoke High Admiral Jacanda Fleischer, a woman in late middle age with short blonde hair that was starting to grey and steely blue eyes. She wore an immaculate blue uniform with gold lace, brocade and numerous medals, as befitting her position as Chief of the Great General Staff. The Admiral was standing and holding a remote control. "Or should I say Major?"
"Just made Captain, ma'am," Elpsis pointed out flatly.
"And by all rights you should've been one ages ago. It won't be official for a while. That will have to wait for a big ceremony where we elevate some of our most promising young officers. Otherwise people might get the wrong idea. But it's well-deserved."
You mean it's a bribe. I should force your stupid medals down your throat, and watch you choke on them, Elpsis thought, but said nothing. Her features remained stone-like. Her posture was so rigid and straight she might as well have been a statue. "With the traitor Nils dead, we're one step closer to dismantling Soteria's network," the High Admiral continued.
"Congratulations are in order. It's a bit unfortunate none of the artefacts were recovered. They might've been worthy of further study," Samasarth, the Eldorai head of the science division, commented.
"They were Sith artefacts. There's nothing to study," Elpsis said sharply, glaring the Eldorai.
"I'm sure brave Elpsis exercised her best judgement. We know how vile the Sith are. Barbarians all. Lady Kerrigan would've done the same." Royal declared, taking Elpsis' arm.
"Just a thought. Controlled circumstances. Mainly to find out how we can counter these appalling creations," Samasarth said a bit defensively, raising her hands. "Anyway, don't hold things up on my account."
"Indeed," Kaylah Danton said. Dressed in a grey pantsuit, the dark-haired, pale-skinned woman sat at the head of the table in the CEO's chair. Siobhan's chair. At least in terms of position. Siobhan had insisted on having a throne-like chair that was a good deal bigger than everyone else's. Director Danton had replaced it with something less grandiose. A portrait of Siobhan hung on the wall behind her. "Good to have you back, Elpsis."
"Perhaps next time we can bring you in earlier. It's important you attend such meetings as the last Kerrigan, and representative of the Order of Fire," Royal added, ignoring the dark look Kaylah shot her. Truly she was only thinking of her young charge's well-being.
"General Varkathras runs the OOF," Elpsis remarked bluntly. But the Cathar Force Master wasn't here. It made her uncomfortable.
"And you're her strong right arm," Fleischer said grandly. "You've more than proved your prowess and leadership ability. Just the person we need to lead a special task force that will be the tip of the spear in our struggle against the Sith. You're wasted on the Forge, I've got just the ship for you. A next gen stealth assault frigate."
"Major Kerrigan's an example to everyone of sacrifice," Admiral Taelon Far added.
"Don't let us detain you any longer, Major. There are some matters I will need to discuss with you and General Varkathras," Devotion said, sounding a bit impatient. She started to rise from her seat.
"I believe the Major has earned some R&R. The last thing I'd want to her at her age is sit in a bunch of a tedious meetings. Hell, I barely it now," Kalcha, the Zabrak general in charge of industrial production, said with a chuckle.
"By killing Soteria's lackey, we're not only one step closer to avenging Lady Kerrigan, but to cleaning up Firemane," Royal opined. "It's evident that the corrupt vermin who sullied Firemane's good name by engaging in trafficking were Sith agents."
"I'm sure your mother would be proud of you," Vivian flashed Elpsis a smile. For a moment there was silence. One could have heard a pin drop.
Elpsis' dead eyes narrowed. "Sio didn't love me and I didn't love her. She was a pompous despot, and Tegs is pathetic holonet celebrity trash. I don't give a fuck about what they think. But I guess the whole lot of you have to blather about Sio because she's the reason you're sitting in these cushy chairs. As much as a jerk as she was, agreed on one thing: killing slaving scum. So what the hell have you been doing to get rid of the scum inside Firemane. My Tygaran sisters want answers."
"Major, you're out of line," Admiral Far said icily, in a tone as frigid as a snowstorm on Hoth.
Destiny whispered something in Devotion's ear. The Dahomian General cleared her throat. "She is. But the Major has a good point. What is being done about this? I notice it has not been on our agenda and every time I mention it I am batted aside."
General Kuwahara, a severe looking Atrisian woman in her mid-forties, said nothing as the inner circle descended into bickering. She just picked up a pen and wrote something down in a notebook.
"The matter is under investigation," Kaylah stated. "This sordid, despicable affair was the result of...inadequate oversight. Grievous mistakes they were made, they will be rectified. But this isn't the forum or the time to discuss it. It's an internal matter, not a military affair."
"It concerns our relations with the Asuran races," a Qadiri woman dressed in the traditional sari of her people said in slightly accented but flawless Basic. "Who, I should note, make up a substantial portion of Firemane's work force and its ground forces. I don't wish to cast stones, but I cannot help but notice little empathy is being shown to them. When I travel to Tygara and meet Firemane's vassals, what am I supposed to tell them?"
"That, as the Director said, the matter is being handled in accordance with the law. The enquiry is proceeding as we speak. Our evidence indicates the guilty parties are senior officials in the branch offices, aided by corrupt Tygaran nobles and some mid-level personnel in the centre. But I will not politicise the issue by pressuring the commission to submit a verdict before the job is done," Roshana, a Mon Calamari lawyer, retorted calmly.
"Just as long as you get results fast!" Vivian threw in. "It will...help the unfortunate souls who suffered unjustly get closure...and protect the brand."
"The entire matter is political. I've spoken to some of these...workers. Quite a few of them were former slaves, who flocked to Firemane seeking a better future," Shazora spoke.
"This bickering is pointless. The matter will be discussed and handled, have no fear, Major. But these things take their time. You are skilled at dealing with enemies in your sphere, allow us to deal with this issue," Wicasa Tahoka, the Togruta treasurer interjected.
Shazora can cut in, "I would be more agreeable to this is if I thought the issue would be handled swiftly, rather than designs for new battleships we do not need."
"Battle Destroyers, and I argue we do!" Fleischer declared indignantly.
"We need...a radical overhaul of how this investigation is being conducted. Elsewise there will be...," Shazora began, but was cut off.
"Strikes? Rebellion?" Admiral Fleischer snapped. "Convey to your people how ill-advised that would be, and how much they've benefited from our protection. Good soldiers follow orders, so do good workers."
There was an almost imperceptible tightening of Shazora's jaw. "My Master thought the same."
"Admiral, that was uncalled for. I will not tolerate such talk in this council, especially not against a fellow board member," Kaylah interjected sternly. "Major, you're dismissed."
"I was already done," Elpsis spoke through gritted teeth, pure contempt written over her face. Her milky-white eyes darted towards Devotion and Destiny. "Heard you fought against slavers. Funny how you're breaking bread with them now. I guess it's okay if it's not your people being chained. I'm done with this farce, I'm done with being your pet kath hound."
"Go home, think things over before you do anything rash," Kaylah said.
"Get out of my sight, Kerrigan, and report to my office tomorrow! Or I'll cashier you myself, right here, right now," Admiral Fleischer snapped hotly, evidently not caring that she was technically committing insubordination against her boss in the process.
"I'll save you the trouble." With her metal hand, Elpsis reached for her rank bars and tore them off her uniform. They fell to the floor. Then she tore off her Phoenix Cross. The metal glowed red-hot in her hand as she poured all her fury into it. Behind her the door burst open. But she didn't even bother to acknowledge the trademark snap-hiss of the guardians' lightsabres igniting. In her grasp, the medal melted. She tossed it to the floor, then stomped on it to keep it from causing a fire. The smell of charred carpet filled the air.
A wildfire you are, but a much needed one. To wash away the vile and decadent, and promote new growth by burning away the old. In the fire of creation, all life is unmade and remade. You will burn out young, but when your light fades, know that death is not the end.
Now at long last, she saw what the Burning Lady had meant. She saw clearly who and what she was meant to be. She would have vengeance; she would have blood and fire. Her path would be lined with the corpses of traitors, collaborators and their enablers. "I resign," she spat hatefully.
"Elpsis, wait! You're making a mistake! You can't throw it all away," Royal shouted, looking flustered, troubled and angry. "Admiral, Director, say something!" The Chiss hastened after her, but before she could catch up the Kerrigan heir had slammed the door shut. "Damn it!" she angrily balled her hands into fists. "That arrogant, foolish brat."
"Well, that got heated. Guess it runs in the family, eh?" Kalcha commented after an uneasy silence had descended upon the now slightly diminished group. "Anyway, let's get this show back on truck."
"She's popular," Antilles pointed out, looking up from his datapad. The head of sales might have spent the meeting searching for job ads. Surely a more tranquil company was hiring.
"Only because of my marketing campaigns. There's more than enough ammunition to tear her image down. Her being front and centre was tiring people anyway," Vivian countered confidently with a dismissive shrug. "The people will believe what the media tells them they believe."
"Well I don't believe what you tell me, Vivian. I will be investigating this matter personally tomorrow, and I think I have the support of a majority of this group to do so."
"It doesn't work like that, Shazora, it is being handled by myself, Roshana and Kalcha," Tahoka said wearily.
"Then handle it as you will, but given you have not done anything with it for months what assurance do I have you will expedite this?"
"You are out of line, Vahal," Roshana retorted stoically. "Stick in your lane."
"That is Jai Vahal, and I will not stick in my lane. I will begin a full examination of this matter tomorrow with or without your permission. Destiny, Devotion, do I have your backing?"
The two Dahomians shared a look, then nodded. "We need clear results soon," Devotion replied.
"Antilles, Samasarth, Far?"
Antilles, looking like a nerf in the headlights, didn't find his voice, but nodded tentatively. Samasarth for her part had gathered her things. "I agree, but can we keep down the noise...I am developing a migraine."
The Eldorai Admiral frowned. "I do not feel it is appropriate to be undermining the roles like this. I think we need to give them more time and to present their findings. If this doesn't yield results, corrective action will be taken."
"They will present their findings tomorrow, if I am dissatisfied I will do my own discovery...."
"That's hardly a quorum and this is not a vote," Fleischer fired back.
"Admiral enough. Your feelings are noted, Shazora," Kaylah stated, getting up. "I call this meeting to a close. Let's all simmer down and reconvene tomorrow with clearer heads and get these issues resolved."
Wordlessly Shazora rose to her feet. She sported a burgeoning bump beneath her dress and she held on to the table, momentarily feeling a bit dizzy. As the inner circle dispersed, she caught a glimpse of Kuwahara walking towards Kalcha.
Meanwhile, Elpsis had left the corporate offices behind her. Firemane Headquarters was a massive building, but she knew the way to Leonina's office. Fortunately, the guards did not hold her up. "Yes?" a deep, female voice with a Catharese accent spoke when she knocked.
"Cap...Kerrigan here to see you, ma'am," she responded, narrowly catching herself. At least she hadn't introduced herself with the rank she'd just rejected today. An invisible tug opened the door, and she stepped inside.
Leonina Varkathras was seated behind her desk, evidently dealing with plenty of paperwork. The Cathar scrutinised her subordinate, intense yellow eyes staring at the human. "Your uniform is incomplete, Captain."
"Not Captain anymore, ma'am. I quit."
"The Cathar's expression was hard-faced and unreadable. "Things went poorly with the board."
"I told them to fuck off. Figured I'd tell you in person before it spreads along the grapevine, ma'am. You were one of the decent ones."
The General tilted her head, studying her. "I see. Close the door," she spoke, then added in louder voice, "there'll of course be paperwork to process. I want your resignation in writing first thing tomorrow."
"Of course."
"You rendered an important service to Firemane by investigating the recent string of...unfortunate events. You will, of course, provide me with all the information you have. It's classified, and you no longer have a security clearance."
Elpsis blinked, then nodded curtly.
"Given recent events, certain strata of society may decide, for whatever reason, to be more forthcoming with you than the actual enquiry. Doubtless they'd be provocateurs spreading misinformation. Should you become privy to any such information, you will pass it on to me immediately. Failure to comply will have consequences. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"That'll be all. Dismissed."
"May the Lifeweb surround you, ma'am." Snapping to attention, Elpsis saluted. Turning on her heels, she opened the door and walked out.
Alone in her office, Leonina leaned back in her chair, the paperwork forgotten. "May the Force be with you, soldier," she muttered to herself.
Elpsis' path took her away from Firemane Corporate Headquarters. Outside, there was a grandiose martial statue of Siobhan Kerrigan. Soon she had left the absurd monument behind her and vanished in the hustle and bustle of the Arx. The massive space station was no longer Firemane's biggest stellar construct. That title had gone to the worldcraft, which would in turn yield it to the ringworld once it had finished construction. It was all absurd vanity. She wondered how many worlds had been pillaged.
In any event, the Arx was packed and, so she was told, incredibly bright. That alone made it an advantage that she was blind. All the bright neon lights could not take her sight away. Thousands upon thousands of sentient beings filled the commercial area of the Presidium, all worshipping the temple of materialism. Thoughtlessly consuming. She wondered how much of this wealth had been funded through corruption and forced labour. Many years ago, she'd been seduced by the glamour. She would atone in blood. She did not break her stride until she was well away from the better part of the city. A seedy, dingy bar beckoned. The bouncers were smart enough to let her through, despite the suspicious look they shot her. They didn't want to end up incinerated.
Inside the air was rank with smoke, sweat, booze and various other odours. There was the usual collection of low-lifes, along with scantily clad dancers. She made a beeline for the counter. The barkeep was a muscular, scarred Ithorian. Her right arm was a crude looking cybernetic prothesis. "Firemane," she greeted Elpsis laconically.
"Not anymore," Elpsis sat down.
"Uh-uh, so what'cha want. If it's me listenin' to a sob story, that costs extra."
"Just some booze."
"Corellian whiskey?"
"Not strong enough. Make it Yazgid's Bite."
The barkeep pushed a bottle and a glass over. Elpsis knocked back a shot as if the strong liquor was water, then promptly refilled her glass. "Just so you know, you cause trouble, I'm going to have your arse, Fire Princess or no," the Ithorian warned, then shrugged and went off to fulfil the next order.
Undaunted, Elpsis kept drinking. Suddenly her comm beeped. Retrieving it from her jacket pocket, she found it was a text message. Fortunately, the device had been set to display those in braille. 'Backroom'. Without a word, Elpsis slipped some credits over the counter. Both for the drink and a little extra so they'd be left alone. She picked up her bottle and got up. Passing mismatched chairs set up in front of battered and scarred wooden tables, and passing over the occasional bloodstain, she walked to the backroom.
Natalie Dorne was sitting behind a stained table, boots propped up, and cigarra in hand. The lighting was dim, and smoke was in the air. "I did a sweep, there's no bugs," she said without preamble after Elpsis had shut the door.
"Nice to see you, too, Nat."
"What brings you to the dregs of society? Tired of rubbing shoulders with the great and good of society already."
"I quit," was Elpsis' laconic response as she sat down, and promptly proceeded to drink from the bottle.
"So Firemane lost its media darling. Better find a new on real fast."
"Don't call me that," there was a sharp edge to Elpsis' voice.
"Hey, look on the bright side: you've caused Vivian no ends of work." Nonchalantly, Natalie took a deep drag. "I'm going to make an educated guess and assume it has something to do with that farce of an investigation."
"You'd be correct. They're burying it."
The Essionian shrugged. "Corpos don't like their dirty laundry aired anymore than governments. They've executed a bunch of middle managers, time to pay some token compensation and get back to business. I'm sure a couple decades down the line a CEO will step up, say they did wrong and feel very bad about, and blame the people who were in charge back then but are long dead. Some keyboard warriors will cry about it on Spacebook, and business will continue as usual."
"If they get away with it."
"Jedi get away with Force nuking cities, babe. Imperials still get billions to stan for them no matter how many genocides they commit - or how many times they lose. Look at all the big fashion brands who use slave labour. Everyone knows. Doesn't make a dent in their profits."
"Give me the hell on earth speech, Nat. I know the score. The galaxy's shit. Most people are pathetic, shallow, selfish cowards. Nothing I do will change that. There's tons of people involved in an op like this. Guards, conveyers, company people taking the payouts, native collabs. But I have to do my duty. And my duty's to burn the scum," Elpsis retorted sharply, leaning forward. Apathy's death. Her white eyes flared, and Natalie was half-certain that for a moment the other woman's hair had been truly flaming. "Find the names, cross them out, publicise their crimes. I need your help. Are you in?"
"Last time I said yes, my apartment was ransacked by HRDs" Natalie pointed out, running a hand through her blonde hair.
"I have to do this, Nat, and I can't do it without you," Elpsis growled. "Look, I don't need you to storm Firemane HQ. All I need is...intel on the board. And...for you to set up a deadman's switch or something. Something happens to me, everything you got from New Horizons goes viral."
Natalie stared at her as she slowly exhaled the smoke she'd been holding in her lungs. "You better be ready for Firemane bringing the heat down. They'll hit hard."
"How much do you want?"
"A lot, Red. But as a matter of fact, I was actually talking about you. I know how to stay below the radar, you don't. They treated you with kid's gloves because they needed a propaganda mascot whose name is Kerrigan. That's over now. All that fancy hardware, all those goons turned against you. You sure you're ready for this?"
I am wildfire, she thought. When Elpsis spoke, her voice was unyielding, just as her gaze might as well have been carved from granite. "This is what I'm here for, Nat. What I'm meant to do."
"Alrighty. Who do you want me to look into? Think carefully. I'll only have a limited window before I have to go dark. By the way, you really should move some of the Kerrigan fortune around before your former bosses cut you off."
"Can you help with that?"
"Yes, but it's going to cost you. Will need some hired help. Mara. She's dependable. Hmm, need some place to host the money."
"Vari," Elpsis said. "Varisanthra Lycaeni. We met. She's okay...for a banker. And no Firemane lackey."
"So Nova Bank. Fair enough. So, names?"
"It's a viper's nest, Nat. They're all guilty as hell of something. But some are better than others. Some are getting fed up by the inaction. Some wouldn't be involved with this shit. And some are just so bland that they wouldn't do anything. Shazora, Destiny, Devotion, I think they're pretty clear. Shazie is making waves already, sincere about it. Samasarth and Antilles are just eggheads and do their jobs. Taelon Far's a jerk but probably not involved in this. Who the hell knows with Danton, she could be doing anything, but probably not this. Then the ones we need to worry about, the ones with the worst stench of crime and corruption. Tahoka, Vivian, Royal. Kuwahara and Fleischer...not sure where they fit in but they'll do anything to keep their power I bet. They wouldn't care if the Xio were getting enslaved so long as their little games weren't affected. Hmm, Kalcha was didn't make any waves. That was odd."
"Long list. I'll see what I can dig up."
"Thank you, Nat."
"Don't expect to hear from me after you get your intel. If you want to death charge FM HQ, you're on your own. I'm your partner, not your minion."
"Nor am I." Elpsis spun around when she suddenly heard a heavily accented, feminine voice. Karrigan'Xalda seemingly materialised from thin air a few metres behind her.
"You been following me?" Elpsis asked, sounding irritated. Inwardly, she cursed herself. She should have been able to sense the Xioquo' presence in the Force.
Not that Elpsis would be able to see it, but the Xioquo did not look contrite in the least. "Yes. I saw you in the grand bazaar. You were being careless."
"No, I wasn't...whatever. Guess you heard everything."
"Many, many moons ago, I swore I would be ready to plunge my blade into the heart of the corrupt should the sky people bring my people to ruin. Then you aided me in freeing my sisters and brothers from the new chain."
"Yeah, I remember."
Without further ado, Xalda drew her dagger. "It is my wish to fight alongside you. With me go the Daughters," she said earnestly. "Let us rip out of the hearts of the guilty, let us drown them in ash."
Once Elpsis would have considered the Sio-worshipping Xio warrior to be incredibly annoying and weird. A lot had changed. Well, she still considered her terribly weird...but there was a good deal more to her than that. So she nodded. "The guilty must burn."
Xalda placed the dagger over her heart. "I swear by the spirits and the stars, by my blood and my blade that I will battle wickedness and destroy the corrupt! May the spirits cast me into the burning light for me to suffer eternal anguish should I speak false."
Elpsis momentarily looked a bit taken aback. "I...accept your pledge. We'll get it done, I promise."
Natalie looked from one to the other and broke the solemn moment by saying: "Excellent, your audition for 'Days of our Stars' has been successful. At least you'll have a backup job when this is over...if you live. So do we get a team name? Knowing Elpsis, it's going to be something cringey with way too many fire references."
Elpsis glared at her. "My names aren't cringey."
"Let's see," Natalie made a show of counting on her fingers. "Inferno? Armour of the Shining Flame? Gauntlet of Emberslight?"
"What's wrong with them?"
"I like those names," Xalda interjected.
"At least Xio sis agrees with me," Elpsis muttered without thinking. She couldn't see the smallest of smiles tweaked the corners of Xalda's mouth.
"I'm just going to call us the Justice Squad before you come up with something even dumber."
"That's a terrible name, and..." Elpsis protested, but was cut off when Natalie suddenly leaned forward, grabbed her by the collar and kissed her hard. It didn't take Elpsis long to reciprocate, with a searing look written across her features. She tasted the sting of whiskey on Natalie's lips.
When they finally departed the backroom, the Ithorian barkeep jabbed a finger at Elpsis. "Fire Princess or not, if you two made a mess, that's an extra charge," she bellowed warningly.
Xalda, meanwhile, had already left the backroom and was conversing with a Qadiri waitress. She had affectionately rested her hand on the desert elf's arm. "Naralka, I will come by and see your girls tomorrow, yes?"
"That'd be great, they've missed their Auntie Xalda!"
"Very good. Until then...."
"You...know her children?" Elpsis asked once the waitress had departed.
"Her husband died in battle, so when she needed to go to the hospital I watched over her daughters until she returned."
"Do you...do this for lots of people?" Elpsis couldn't hide her astonishment.
"Only those who need and deserve it."
