Aftermath of Twilight

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tempest waited impatiently. It was unfair, she knew, to expect Siobhan to be up and around quickly. She had almost died after all, but still Tempest was bursting with things she wanted to say, wanted to do. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to hug Siobhan or slap her more right at that moment. Perhaps both would come.

She’d heard the operation had gone well, and whilst she’d been invited to be there she couldn’t handle that. Rather, she’d stayed at home and only now just come to a waiting room. Tegaea had told her that Siobhan would be released soon…they had much to discuss.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"]


Given the way Siobhan was wired, she would probably like being both slapped and kissed!


In any case Tempest did not have to wait much longer before a couple minutes later an Zeltron nurse - who, by the way, actually wore a proper nurse uniform and not some sort of stripper outfit! - came in. "Lieutenant Tempest? You can see Lady Kerrigan now. Please do not stress her too much," the nurse said and led Tempest along.


In the room Siobhan was lying in bed, propped up on a pillow. Her room was a bit crowded with bouquets of flowers, magazines and get-well-soon cards. Apparently the Countess was popular! She looked a bit tired but a good deal healthier than when she had woken up and was reading through a magazine. Assuredly the literary materiel was of a most stimulating nature. Either that or about fashion. Anyhow she looked up and put her magazine aside when Tempest entered.


A tired but genuine smile crossed her lips. "Hey, it's the life saviour in person. Hi, Tempest. It's good to see you," she said with genuine warmth.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Tempest glowered at the nurse and followed her. Does she expect me to pounce on the poor woman right there in her sickbed? Tempest wondered sourly. It was probably just as well that brute Eyrecae wasn't around. That'd be exactly something she'd do.

"Hi...Sio..." Tempest said hesitantly. It was always so awkward, she never knew what one was supposed to say here. "It's good to see you too. Are you alright? How are you?" Stupid question. The woman looked like she'd been through a mincing machine, what possible answer could there have been?

"So...uhh...what do the doctors say?" she continued. The trifecta of awkward questions.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"]

In defence of the poor nurse, it would not have been the first time an attractive woman pounced head-first into Siobhan's cleavage while she was lying in a hospital room. Of course...Siobhan had plenty of space there!


Anyhow, awkward city currently had two inhabitants. "Like I was just spat out of a sarlacc," Siobhan said sarcastically, then sniffed. "Well, I like to think I smell better than that!" As usual her jokes were on the tremendously lame side of things. She had probably missed the fancy aristo perfume she usually had.

"A hell of a lot better than I felt when I was being blown up and frozen. Doctors say I should be out soon. Won't be able to throw tanks or something like that for a while. But...I'm alive. I, well, would like to thank you for what you did for me...I wouldn't be alive without you," she spoke feelingly, stretching out to pat Tempest's hand, though the motion made her grimace.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Tempest took the hand and stroked it gently, looking down at it and not meeting Siobhan’s gaze.
“I should have done more to help you,” she mumbled. “I should have been with you. I should…” she trailed off. Of course, if she’d been with Siobhan both of them would likely be dead. It was only Tempest who had kept the pirates on station to pick up Siobhan when she was spaced. Her going with Siobhan would have gotten them both killed…but logic was not the issue here. Logic and the facts didn’t matter. What mattered was that Tempest somehow felt responsible too, guilty even.

“Is there anything I can do?” Tempest asked, not quite meeting Siobhan’s gaze.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"]


"Tempest, stop that right now. You did nothing wrong, understood?" Siobhan said sharply. "I shouldn't have gone there in the first place. Hell, screw that, I should've just taken a couple warships and blown the place to hell." That insight came to her very late. At least she was not moping for a change. It was extremely likely that by the time the next confrontation happened she would have forgotten this small tidbit of common sense.


Either that or some Sith lady would seduce her because Siobhan was thoroughly incapable of looking past a pretty face. In all likelihood she would end up making the same stupid mistakes again due to her ridiculous belief in her own invincibility...despite actually being far less effectual than her own hype, which she had swallowed wholesale, implied. Perhaps the universe would be less forgiving then.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Tempest looked uncomfortable at the raised voice, as she always did when Siobhan was stern with her. It trigged an involuntary, ingrained response.
She looked at her feet, very contrite. “I’m sorry,” she said. She almost added ‘Mistress’, but she’d managed to shake off that much of her conditioning.

“I know, I just feel. I don’t know. Seeing you hurt, you’re my friend, my teacher. I feel bad that you’re hurt and I’m untouched.”
She was ignoring the multiple injuries she’d also suffered including almost asphyxiating from a shattered visor. But still, she’d not been nearly killed.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"]


Perhaps to her credit Siobhan picked up on the effect her raised voice was having on the girl and looked guilty. The last thing she wanted was to remind Tempest of her life as a slave. "It's ok, Tempest. You've got nothing to apologise for. I'm...sorry for snapping at you."


At Tempest's next words she sighed. Siobhan was not one for pep talks or that good at offering comfort, partly because this required that little thing called empathy, but she had to try at least. "You almost suffocated. Besides, almost getting killed isn't a badge of honour. I was foolish, I paid the price and am lucky to be alive. That's all there is to it. You made me proud. Never think anything differently."

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Tempest looked embarrassed and shuffled her feet a bit, feeling a bit silly.
"I know...well, thank you, Sio," she said warmly, stroking Siobhan's hand gently.

"So what do the doctors say? Will you make a full recovery? Did you still want to be my teacher?" she asked, clearly still feeling a bit uncertain of herself.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"]


"Just speaking the truth. Nothing to thank me for," Siobhan said softly. "Prediction is recovery, in time. Apparently I won't need artificial lungs. Just no throwing tanks for a while...well, I imagine lifting more than pebbles will be a chore for a while." She felt annoyed about that, though she seemed calmer and more composed than the last time she had been deprived of her powers. There had been a good deal of moping then.


There was a pause before she continued. "I'd still like to be your teacher...if that's what you want. I know I've been...very pushy when it came to you learning about the Force."

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tempest shook her head. "No, you were only trying to make me learn what was best," she replied confidently enough that Siobhan probably wouldn't see her hesitancy. "But you have helped me a lot, Siobhan. Thank you."

"So what now?"

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"]


"You're welcome. Glad I have." Siobhan cocked her head slightly, scrutinising Tempest, but then seemed content with her response. Or if she picked up on the hesitancy, she did not push. Whether this was due to being tired or trying to be less pushy was left for the reader to decide.


"Well...right now I would not mind some lunch. And going home! I was supposed to get a cane - better be a nice one! I'm afraid worship of the Goddess Ardarvia will have to wait a bit. But I'd like to help you when it comes to enhancing your skill with the Force. Might not have my powers at my beck and call, but I still have the knowledge. You're right not to rely on it except when needed. Many forcers end up depending on it as a crutch. I don't...amount to that much without it by now. But you have great potential...especially with lightning."


There was a pause before she continued. "I believe that one day you could create storms if you wanted."

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
"Lunch and home, that can be arranged."

She listened, a little disturbed by Siobhan's downcast attitude. She didn't know how to react to that. Giving suggestions was something she wasn't entirely happy about with someone who was her teacher.
"I'm sorry, but yes, that's fine. I don't want to come to rely on it though." Not like you was what she didn't want to say. Tempest had a certain pride in being self reliant, only using the Force when she wanted, not all the time.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"]

This writer does not quite see what was downcast about Siobhan's attitude.


"Not like me, huh? Blindly charging into every skirmish and throwing buildings around more or less effectually? Well, if I had a minion who just wanted to imitate me in everything I do and just said 'Yes, Mistress' to everything I guess it would get terribly dull after a while!" Siobhan joked. And people said she did not have a sense of humour!


"Seriously, I'm not asking you to become like me, Tempest. It's already crazy enough here with just me!" She gave Tempest's hand a gentle squeeze and, despite the strain it was causing her, managed to sit upright in her bed.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tempest looked a bit suspicious. She wasn’t used to Siobhan being that good with humour, and usually her teacher thought irony was a type of metal.

Still, it made her laugh, even if just from relief. “Well, OK. Thanks. Uhh…can you walk? Do I need to get you a wheelchair?” she asked anxiously.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"]

"Well...there's one way to find out," Siobhan had gotten that look on her face. The one she had when she was about to do something she really should not. She had already managed to sit up and now she tried to...get up and stand. This was easier said and done, and she almost collapsed, a surge of pain shooting through her, but she managed to hold on to the railing, gripping it tight.


"See...works pretty well," she said, though the strain she was feeling was evident on her face. Feeling proud, no matter how pained she looked, she managed to take one step forward, then another. But then she slipped and collapsed! Presumably the impact hurt a lot.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Fortunately, Tempest was there and grabbed Siobhan before the latter could face-plant onto the floor.
Immediately alarms went off, and a very angry Doctor Osway entered the room. Her lekku were rigid with fury.

“What are you doing, Ms Kerrigan?” she demanded. “You are in no fit state to be anywhere but in that bed. And you, you were here to visit, not participate in this foolishness!” she scolded Tempest.

Meekly, Tempest helped Siobhan back into the bed. “I guess we’ll have to take a raincheck on going home for a while,” she said.

“You will indeed. Ms Kerrigan has almost died, she cannot go running around like a gizka after only a few hours! I shall be submitting a report to your wife about this,” she said warningly and stalked out of the room.

“Wow…have we ever asked her to be in the Order?” Tempest said when they were alone.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"]


"She's refused all my advances to have patient and doctor games," Siobhan muttered as she lay back in bed, wincing as a sensation of pain shot through her body. She sounded tired and sleepy. "Did you know that Chesna is...very good at creating extremely realistic illusions that look and sound just like the real thing?"


How exactly these illusions were employed could not be revealed her because kiddies might be watching. Of course, if it was a scene involving maiming and unpleasant experiences like that said kiddies would not be harmed at all. And to think that people wondered about why violent crime rates on various core worlds were so high.


"Well...guess I'll have the pleasure of staying here a bit longer. Oh, joy."

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

"I'll get you a magazine," Tempest said flippantly. Then, she seemed to feel bad because she gave Siobhan a kiss. "Want me to send Chesna around? She might be able to take away the pain if you wanted."

Chesna had many skills not just in crochet.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tempest"]


"Aww, you're such a sweetheart. Please send her over," Siobhan said, already sounding tired again. Chesna had...many skills, which went beyond crochet and worship of the Goddess Ardarvia.


"I'll see you tomorrow, Tempest. Do keep up your training. When I'm out there'll be a thorough test in the Ardarvian Mysteries." Clearly she took her student's religious education very seriously.