An Age of Iron (Siobhan)

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"], [member="Tempest"]


"You do. Like it or not, you do. What if the next time it's not just a glass you break? What if you hurt someone?" Siobhan said...very firmly. There was a time to be loving and sweet, but not now. Many people seemed to forget that Siobhan had commanded armies and conquered worlds. Likewise the grip on Galina's shoulder was very firm. Not strong enough to hurt, but Siobhan's bionics were not just for show.


"You're afraid of turning into those mages, let me tell you something, the Galaxy is full of evil force-users like that who'd love to get you into their paws. The potential you have is like a beacon to them. Untrained, you'll have no chance against them. You'll either end up dead or...just like them. Go out of that door and you're throwing everything away because you're afraid."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina took in a few short quick breaths, feeling on the verge of a panic attack as her tears started to fall. "Mummy, I'm so scared. I ... I do not .. trust myself." She tried to slow her breathing down a little to calm herself but it didn't seem to help much. "Alone ... on island, exile. I .. I can't hurt anyone but .. but me." She attempted to sound more confident in her words, trying to show she'd given some thought to this.

"Mummy, I'm scared of me. I terrify me and and ... so does this curse." She managed to sniffle out through her tears. "Please mum, I don't want to hurt anyone ... much less you or mum, but but ... but I could." She shook her head slowly, "Please I do not want to do this. Want to pretend never happened. Do not want ... to be this ... Please mum, let me go before someone I love ends up hurt." The young redhead attempted once more to pull away. So very much wanted out of the situation and never have to face it again.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Tempest"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"], [member="Tempest"]


"No. No, I'm your mother, you're my daugher. I won't let you go throw for your life away. Certainly not out of fear," Siobhan spoke firmly. At no point did she raise her voice, but there was steel in her words. Likewise she did not release Galina from her grip."You've come so far and you want to throw everything away out of fear? You trusted a complete stranger who, you might remember, was using magic powers to fly because you wanted a better life. Your parents risked everything to get you off Sigma because they wanted a real life for you. One that's not alone on an island in the wilderness."


There, some perspective was always good. "Tempest and I have the same powers and you said you trust us. Hell, you live under the same roof as a force-user. You can also be sure that we won't let you hurt anyone. So...you must trust yourself. Because I certainly do."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

"Mum! Mum! Let go of me!" The redhead pulled harder as her sobs grew later. "Mum, please! Let me go!" She was shouting now through her tears, using both hands to try and free herself from her mummy's cybernetic grap. Her tears and sobs soon progressed into a complete panic attack as the girl couldn't breathe, desperate for air and barely able to speak at all.

"M-m-mom..." She managed to whisper between frightened breaths as her body seemed to be failing her. Her knees growing weak as she finally collapsed to the floor in a sobbing shivering and trembling heap. "Mu-mm-y ...." She spoke against between gasps for air, "Mum-my.... I'm ... afr-aid." She managed between ragged breaths and heavy sobs. In no way did she want to do this. "Afraid." She repeated as she buried her head between her knees and continued to sob. "And ... I ...d-do ... tru-st ... you. Tem-pest. Just ... afraid .. of .. me. Of what I ... I ... I will ... become." Whispered so quietly as she kept her head hidden from sight.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Tempest"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"], [member="Tempest"]


"I can't let you if you're just gonna run off and hurt yourself. You're too precious for that," Siobhan insisted, though she loosened her grip a bit, seeing how terrified and frightened her daughter was.


Seeing Galina collapse to the ground felt like the stab of an icy knife to the heart. This had been...the last thing she had wanted. Never had she wanted to cause her daughter pain, never see her struck by fear and terror, yet here she was. Siobhan quickly knelt down and pulled her daughter into a gentle hug. "I believe in you, dear. I always have. This power...does not have to be a curse," she spoke softly, taking a breath as she pondered.


"You believe you're doomed to follow in the footstpes of the Mages, you don't believe your power can be used for good...but...my past shows how it can be. Adril's past. You remember her, don't you? If you let me, I can show you how she saved my life long ago on Nar Shaddaa. How her powers saved me...and so she saved you as well because otherwise Tempest and I couldn't have found you on that horrible island. I can make you see what happened through my eyes, by using the Force. I'll only do it if you give me permission." Thanks to Mirien Siobhan had a handy skill called memory transfer.

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

"Mum, pleeaase..." She cried, desperate for her freedom, but not strong enough to truly fight to free herself from her mother's grasp. At least not at this point in time. "Please... let go." Freedom only seemed just a few feet down the hallway. So close but so far.

The young redhead kept sobbing in the floor, panting for air between her cries. She didn't look up, didn't move, just let her mother hold her. "But ... it is curse." She muttered so softly, the fear more than clear in her tone and trembling body.

Still she cried on, listening to Siobhan's words. "Am ... so ... afra-id of me. So, scared." After all she'd seen, experienced ... Who could really blame her for her fears. For a moment she got quiet, returning to her sobs as she considered her mother's words. "O-kay." She finally spoke after a few moments of just her crying, shaking. So much fear in such a young woman. "Don't want be like Mages. Don't. Can't." She whispered as she wiped away a few of her tears with her sleeve. "Show me?" Her voice trembling as she spoke, uncertain of what would happen next, and a little nervous of her mother showing her such a memory though the force. "Will ..." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, "It ... hurt?"

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Tempest"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"], [member="Tempest"]


"You'll be fine, dear. I promise. I won't hurt you. It'll just be...a bit confusing and shocking at first, since you'll be seeing things through my eyes," Siobhan spoke softly as she held her daughter, using one hand to gently stroke across her back. Her free hand cupped her girl's cheek, wiping some tears away.


"I'd never hurt you. I'd never use my powers to hurt you, angel. Just trust me. You don't have to be scared with me. I will show you if you let me in."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina nodded slowly, still shaking terribly. Finally she shifted her position, wrapping her arms around her mother, trying to get as close as she could possibly manage. Truth be told, she wanted to sit on Sio's lap right then if she could manage it. "As long as it doesn't hurt..." She managed as she sniffled some more.

"Let you in?" Galina slowly shook her head, "I'm not sure ...I .. know how."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"], [member="Tempest"]


"Just be calm and relax...I won't hurt you," Siobhan spoke soothingly as she raised her hand and placed the open palm of it onto Galina's forehead. She took a deep breath as she drew upon the tangled web of the Force, sucking its power into her. Truth be told, her breathing was rather laboured because she was no mentalist and thus had to make an extra effort to make the procedure as smoothly as possible for the little wildling. Then abruptly she would seek to enter Galina's mind, trying her best to make her entrance painless and swift, the opposite of the brute force approach she normally took.


Concentration was etched over Siobhan's features, sweat was dripping down her face as she poured the memory into Galina's mind. There would be a flash and suddenly the wildling would find herself in a dark, gloomy alley on Nar Shaddaa. The air was filled with smog, smoke and decay, the streets were dirty and squalid. Then she would hear a cry and shouts before suddenly a much younger Siobhan, dressed in dirty clothes, ran past her, followed by thugs. For a moment it seemed like she would shake her pursues before an obstacle presented itself in form of a fence, which she quickly climbed up, but then a blaster shot brought her down.


Within moments the thugs were upon her, all attempts at struggle proving futile as she suffered beating after beating. But then as the scum had their way with her, they were suddenly struck with the power of fire as flames ignited them. Out of the darkness Adril Tythorin had emerged grimly, putting an end to their wretched existence with the power of fire and lightsabre.

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina nodded slowly, trying to will herself to be calm when her whole body seemed to fight against her. She still was having a hard time breathing, still crying heavily but she clutched at her mother none the less.

When Siobhan lifted a hand to her head, Galina tensed nearly frozen in place. Relaxing certainly wasn't easy for her. Not right then. After first feeling her mother try to enter her mind, Galina tried to push back, afraid. It took more than a moment to calm herself enough to let go, to stop pressing against Siobhan's foreign presence in her mind.

And there it was, Galina seeing through the eyes of her mother's memories. Feeling what she felt, and for a moment the redhead cried out, terrified as the thugs caught up with her mother. Each blow, painful Galina tried to resist the memory and the emotional pain it brought with it. It felt like it was happening to her.

And then at last Adril came and saved her. Saved Siobhan. It was most confusing. Opening her eyes, she instantly wrapped her arms even more tightly around Siobhan. She couldn't speak yet, still trembling a fair bit and trying to sort her mother's memories from her own.

She took a few ragged breaths, still most definitely not calm and fearful. The idea of training frightened her more than she wanted to admit. Learning to use something that so very much scared her the way it did ... wasn't something she wanted to think about. Finally she spoke softly, "I .. I ... confusing. But I .. I think I understand." She bit nervously at her lip, "Still afraid mummy. Still afraid."

She rubbed at her eyes, trying to push away the tears. "I guess, Tempest is waiting. Isn't she?" They'd kept the woman waiting a long while now, while the two of them had argued and Galina had attempted to make her escape. Sadly reality was going to come crashing down on her, like it or not she was going to have to face this. Her mother wasn't going to let her walk out the back door and run away from it all. "Do I really have to go?" One final time, the young firemane had to ask.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Tempest"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"], [member="Tempest"]


"Yes, I'm sorry, sweetie, but you have to," Siobhan spoke, gently stroking her daughter's hair before helping her up. "Have faith in yourself. You're strong, stronger than any girl your age I know. Your powers won't turn you to evil. Evil is a choice. Adril used her powers to help people, so can you." Siobhan's tone had softened considerably, but she was clearly still not budging.


She gently wiped away some tears from Galina's face before giving her daughter a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Now let's go meet Tempest."

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina sighed, bowing her head, feeling more than a bit defeated. She certainly didn't want to go. But her mother would not give in. Siobhan would not let her walk away from this. With a sigh she took Siobhan's hands and slowly got to her feet. The young lady feeling a little calmer, but was still breathing fairly rapidly. Still frightened for sure.

With the hug, she clung tightly to her mother clutching at her shirt to hold on for just a little while longer. "Okay." She spoke softly, taking her mother's hand in hers and followed alongside her to the front entrance of the house where Tempest was no doubt waiting.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Tempest"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"], [member="Tempest"]


A long, profound sigh escaped Siobhan's throat. Damn, this had been draining. Even more than commanding armies and dealing with all the paperwork that had come with running an Exarchate. Somehow both seemed dwarfed by the burdens of motherhood. Still she would not have it any other way. Moreover, Galina was a Kerrigan, so she could not be expected to be anything but unruly!



"I love you, angel. Never doubt that," Siobhan spoke, sounding a bit tired, while she led Galina down to the front entrance of the house. Undoubtedly Tempest was waiting for them downstairs.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]

As soon as she’d knocked on the door Tempest knew that things weren’t going to be easy. The door opened and Harmony stood there. She gave her fellow Dahomeyan a look.

“You better come in and take a seat,” she said.
Tempest did so. She could sense some emotional turmoil filling the room like a fog, but she was not sufficiently skilled to know the details of who, where or what. She had a pretty good idea.
“She tried to run?” Tempest asked in her own native language. They’d not be eavesdropped on, except perhaps by Chesna who had the maddening ability to translate things through the Force.
“Out the back door. Mistress caught her. They’re arguing,” Harmony said with a shrug in the same language.
“Not surprised. Girl needs to learn wisdom. Running from trouble doesn’t fix it, only facing it,” Tempest said grimly.
Harmony looked sideways at her friend. “Go easy on her, dear. Not everyone is you. Not everyone is a hero.”
Tempest looked conflicted. “I’m glad someone thinks I’m a hero. I’ll do my best…wait…they’re coming.”

Harmony got to her feet and moved decorously to the corner as the door opened and Galina came in with Siobhan.
Tempest stood, forced as genuine a smile as she could on her face. “Morning, Galina, how’re you feeling?” she asked. She pointedly ignored the tears, ignored the bag the girl had, ignored the confrontation which had just happened. She would not mention it, she would not get into it unless pushed.

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina took in a deep breath, trying to compose herself as she wiped away the last few tears from her cheeks. "Hi Tempest." She managed softly, though her eyes dropped to the floor before she would speak again. "I'm .. I'm okay." Well, she certainly wasn't okay but it wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world for her to admit to. "A little afraid, though." It was the best one could get from the Wildling as she squeezed her mother's hand tightly.

So much uncertainty raced through the young girls mind. A part of her still very much wanted to run away from it all, and never again have to face what she was. It seemed simpler that way. But alas, her parents were not going to let her take the easy way out. They were not about to let her run away, and throw her entire life away just because she was afraid, if not terrified of what she could do.

[member="Tempest"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"], [member="Tempest"]


Siobhan looked from Tempest to Harmony. She had a feeling that the two of them had been talking about the...incident above, though she made no mention of it. "Thank you for taking the time to help, Tempest. I appreciate it," she said genuinely. She wondered whether she should give the Amazon a raise.


She felt the uncertainty radiating from Galina, but she did not let it effect her. Siobhan could understand her fears to an extent, but on a certain level she found them rather frustrating to deal with. It would not stop her from trying to help and understand her daughter, but a line had been drawn. "Galina, Auntie Tempest will take good care of you and show you the right way. Be a good girl and do as she orders. She's been through hell like you, she knows what she's talking about," she spoke, with a measure of sternness in her tone. This was probably not that encouraging but Siobhan had already been sweet and nice before. Iron hand in a velvet glove covered it nicely. "I'll see the two of you later today," she spoke and then turned away. What was certain was that she would not be sympathetic if Galina suddenly broke off training and came back running to the villa.

 

[Tempest]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

"A little afraid, though."
So am I, Tempest thought, though she kept her face friendly, calm. No need to show Galina that she didn’t have much idea what she was doing!

“Come along, Galina, you’ve got nothing to worry about. We’ll see you later, Siobhan.”

Tempest led Galina out to her speeder, dropped her bag and Galina’s pack on the back seat and waited for Galina to get in.

“Relax, dear, it’s not going to be bad,” she assured her.

A quick drive took them to a highland valley with a trickling stream and tall trees. A chill wind blew, but Galina and Tempest at least were dressed properly.

Tempest sat on a large boulder and patted it to indicate Galina should sit next to her.

“So, let’s start just by talking, Galina. What do you know about the Force? Not the people who use it, but the thing itself.”

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina anxiously rubbed at her forearm, listening to her mother quietly. "Okay, Mum I will." Easier said than done but she would try. For her mothers' sake she would try. "I love you." She added before letting Tempest lead her from the Villa. The redhead just had a small feeling if she came running back to the Villa without Tempest with her, and her first day of training completely over that there would be hell to pay. She'd pushed the line enough as it was today, upset her mother a few times already with how she felt about all of this. The result undoubtedly would be a very furious Siobhan. That was something young Galina did not want to see, at all. Ever, if she could avoid it.

With a sigh she settled into the speeder, saying nothing on the journey but stared out at the countryside as it passed them by. Coming to the valley, the smell of a fresh breeze in the air, the calm trickling of the stream, and trees ... It felt like home to her, helping to easy away some of her stresses. At least the place Tempest had chosen helped in that.

Biting nervously at her lip she sat down beside Tempest, drawing her knees up to her chest and lightly rested her chin upon then. Her eyes down, with her attention keenly drawn to an insect upon the ground.

She'd heard Tempest and for a moment she just thought about it, making no movement on her part for the moment. Quite strange when she thought about it, this thing, that terrified her so much, she knew next to nothing about it. "Not much, I guess." She said finally with a sigh, her interest still more on the insect on the ground than anything else. "It's kind of like magic." Softly spoken, not liking to admit when she knew so little about anything at all. "Saw it used a lot, for show. To impress or intimidate. Never really wanted to know anything about it. Didn't think, didn't know I could use it." It had been sheer dumb luck that she'd never been caught with it back then. Otherwise her life would have long ago ended.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] | [member="Tempest"]

 

[Tempest]

[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"] | [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

Tempest nodded at Galina’s observations. “I grew up on Dahomey, Galina. My family were quite poor, we didn’t have much technology, we didn’t know how everything worked. Invaders from off-world came, took me as a slave. I escaped by using the Force, but I didn’t break a vase, I broke my owner’s spine.” It was said simply, without judgement, a fact as she stared ahead at the distant mountains.

“As I stood in the wreckage I looked down at my hands. Had lightning really come from them? How was that possible? What sort of monster was I? I didn’t know anything of the Force at all, it was magic, and it was inside me. What would happen if I attacked someone again by accident?”

Tempest turned to Galina. “I was very lucky that I was found by Siobhan, your mother. She taught me that it is as much a part of me as my voice and my breath. She taught me that the Force is not bad or evil by default – it’s now you use it. Look at your bow. When used right it gets you food, it protects you. But you could use the same arrow to kill someone. The same with the Force, but until you learn to govern the Force in you, you will be an arrow waiting to be set off…and it will end in tragedy one way or another.”

“Do you understand now why it’s important to teach you? The Force is in you forever and it will not stay hidden. But if you control it, if you govern it you need never use it, but that then will be your choice. For me, I care not whether you use the Force or not, but what I care about is keeping you and my friends safe.”

 

[Galina Kerrigan-Alcori]

Galina glanced to Tempest, frowning deeply as she listened to the woman's story. "I'm sorry." Spoken softly as she felt her reaction had been so much off base. It had been relatively harmless other than frightening her. No one died because of it. Terribly foolish to be so upset over something so small. Still it wasn't the vase, or the glass that she cried over. It was having something she knew would have gotten her killed, the chance that she might even be close to the Mages back on Sigma.

She sighed heavily, not saying a word as she considered Tempest's words. She did have a point and the redhead knew it. It all came down to a choice. She made choices with her bow, friend or foe, food and protection over harming another. She could have just as easily killed another being with the bow. Her mind did drift to the moment on the island where she did kill another. When it was a choice between life and death. His life, or hers. It wasn't much of a choice and it was done with no malice at all. She might have won that battle but it still left her uneasy with the choice she had to make. Was it really as simple as his life or hers? Either way, it didn't matter. That choice had long been made, and she didn't consider herself evil or a monster for it.

She nodded once more, her first only real reply to Tempest. It took her a moment more to really pull herself from her thoughts to speak. "I understand now."

Evil had surrounded her on Sigma at every turn, she didn't have to be unless she chose that path. "I don't want to hurt anyone, not like I had to in the past." She sighed again, "There wasn't much choice then, be a soldier even as a child or die defenseless on streets. I don't like not being in control. Didn't get to choose this being part of me. Really don't want mums hurt because of me." She sighed heavily, "Because of what I can't control. This freaking curse."


One last sigh, this part she didn't want to say, didn't want to have to do. "I guess ... I have to learn control of it. I don't want to learn, this ... thing scares me. A lot. Not much choice, I guess."

[member="Tempest"]