Private Communion

[Anya Venari]

[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"]

It was never comforting to receive a summons from your boss unexpectedly. That discomfit was only heightened by the fact it was also from one of her mothers. Perhaps fortunately for Elpsis though it was Tegaea who had requested her presence, rather than Siobhan. Still, it was written as a military order and Elpsis would be expected to appear in full uniform for the meeting.

Time had passed since Elpsis’ return to the Arx from her adventures on Tephrike and in that time some things had changed for her. However, beyond her other things had changed. For one, the skeletons of several large stations were being constructed alongside the Arx. One of these was almost complete, and that would be where Elpsis was instructed to head.

The letter also mentioned that the meeting had another purpose, but did not disclose what it was. She was to bring her squad with her to the meeting however.

Calana, who had delivered the letter, had nervously stood at the door until Elpsis had read the letter. Someone, presumably Tegaea, had thoughtfully prepared it, Rosetta style, with the bottom half being in braille and the top being standard print.

“Is all well, Lieutenant? Shall I tell my Lady that you will attend?”

Two very different paths would soon be opening for Elpsis, a mission first, and then perhaps a sojourn on the Worldship.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Anya Venari"]

"Ten...nine...eight," Elpsis spoke as she walked past the ranks of the trainees. They came from all walks of life and various races. Each of them was strong in the Force. Their reasons for being part of the Young Flames were as varied as their origins. Nonetheless, it was her task to form them into a cohesive unit.

Presently, this meant teaching them the basics. They had disassembled their blaster rifles, now they were reassembling them. While wearing blindfolds. Her lifeless eyes travelled from trainee to trainee. Her words were punctuated by the noise generated by her combat boots. "Seven...six...five...four." Some of them seemed so young. An odd thought, given that she was in her early twenties. Yet when she looked in these idealistic auras, she could not think of them as otherwise. She had to do right by them. It would be her way of making amends.

"Three...two...one...you're done." By now her eyes had settled on one recruit in particular. "Take off the blindfolds," she ordered, then headed to the recruit in question. This one was an Eldorai by the name of Celaena Eilris. One of the Eldorai Firemane and the Matriarchy had left behind on Kaeshana, but later evacuated after the battle against the First Order. The Forsaken still resented both for abandoning her people in the wasteland. This was something Elpsis could understand.

"You think that rifle is ready to fire, soldier?" she asked, or rather demanded, from the tall, blonde-haired Eldorai. She did not raise her voice. Partly because it agitated her throat.
"Yes, ma'am," the Eldorai stated, sounding a bit surly. There was defiance there. Elpsis could tolerate wilfullness, within certain bounds. She liked it a lot more than fawning.
"Would you bet your life on that? And the lives of all your buddies?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Elpsis took ahold of the gun barrel with her hands and pointed it at her chest. "Then fire your weapon." They were so close that the barrel of the A280 was pressing against her heart. There was no reaction from the Eldorai.
"It's loaded," Celaena pointed out in a 'are you nuts' voice. "Is this some kind of game?"
"I said fire your weapon," Elpsis replied in a sharper tone. "Now." She squeezed the trigger, and nothing happened. She sensed emotion swell up inside the Eldorai. Surprise, relief, anger, embarrassment. Without missing a beat, Elpsis picked up the missing component, the energy cell. “Remember, blasters aren't slugthrowers or stasers. They have two ammo types.“ She inserted it, then handed the rifle back to Celaena.
“Yeah, fine. You could've just told me,“ the Eldorai sounded annoyed.
“Showing's better than telling. Your weapon is your life. If it's not oiled, not cleaned and not assembled right, it won't work. And then you die. Your friends die.“
“I know that. I've fought in battles before...ma'am. On Kaeshana it was fight or die. Those who weren't fast or strong enough died,“ Celaena retorted fiercely.
“Then you more than anyone will understand why I'm running you through this.“ There was some laughter in the background. Immediately Elpsis spun around. “Something you find funny, Tahoka?“
“No, ma'am...I just...“
“Remind me, how well did you do during the forced march? Not very. Eilris made a mistake because she was handling a weapon she's not that familiar with. When a comrade makes a mistake, we show them how it's done and make sure they remember. Because when you're in a fight, you can be the baddest motherfrakker around and it won't mean a damn thing if the whole unit can't work together. When one of us fails, we all fail. Again.“ She ran them through the same drill a few more times until they all got it right.

That had been two hours ago. Now she had just received a message from her mother, who was also one of her superiors. Awkward. Elpsis took the letter from the nervous looking Vashyada. She was not sure whether she was the one making the wood elf nervous or not. The upper half of the message meant nothing to her, but the bottom half was written in braille.

She gave it a good read, then looked up. “Yeah, it's fine. I'll be there,“ she said simply, handing the letter back. She scrutinised the girl. It felt strange thinking of her as that. Strictly speaking, Calana was older than her, yet it felt like they were worlds apart when it came to life experience. Elf aging was weird that way. The girl still had an innocence about her that Elpsis had been cruelly robbed of. “So how're the stars treating you?“

 

[Anya Venari]

[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"]

Calana looked a little surprised at being asked. She cleared her throat.
“Well, thank you, ma’am,” she said the last part uncertainly. It wasn’t clear what, if any, position she actually held…other than messenger from the Lady Tylania. “My friend Purity has been showing me how to use the machines. It’s actually quite fun!” she said enthusiastically. “But…I should get back and let my Lady know you are coming.”

Elpsis had been instructed to go to a conference room overlooking the construction yards. It would mean little to Elpsis for the most part, but it would provide a clue as to her potential future.

As Elpsis would approach she would hear the back and forth of voices. Voices she would recognise well; Tylania, Leonina, Semiramis…Tempest. She would not hear Tegaea, but she would sense her adoptive mother’s presence.

One of the Granite Guard was standing watch outside. They nodded to Elpsis and opened the door.

The room would fall silent. Semiramis seemed to be in something of a passionate speech, but stopped and sat down as Elpsis entered.

Tegaea finally spoke, rising from her chair. “Enter, Lieutenant, stand at ease. Report your combat readiness and that of your unit,” her mother ordered.

Tempest flashed a brief smile at Elpsis which the blind woman would not likely see, but said nothing.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Anya Venari"]

Given all the bigwigs in the room, Elpsis was probably underdressed. Not in the sense of being lacking in clothing. She wore a proper uniform, not a stripperific one, after all. However, it was utterly lacking in adornments, insignia or decorations. Instead it was a simple olive green Private's uniform with her rank stitched on to it.

Her milky-white eyes travelled across the room. Tylania she knew, Tempest she obviously knew very well, Semiramis she had met at the Summit, but not really interacted with. However, it had not take the pyromancer much to conceive a dislike of her. Absolute monarchy did not sit well with her.

She noted that Xalda was with her mother. The Xioquo seemed to be standing as far away from Tylania as was polite. Discomfort rolled from the drow warrior. Her aura reminded Elpsis of a tamed Nexu that really wanted to be let off the leash to sink its teeth into a threat, but was too well-trained to just pounce.

Regardless, she greeted her mother with a salute. "I'm ready for duty, ma'am. As for the unit, skill's there and the people we picked up from Tygara and Tephrike are gettin' used to our tech," she paused for a moment, "but cohesion's an issue. We got a core of people with experience under their belt, but they're still adjusting to the way we do things. And the rest are green and naive. I'd like to take the group out of the barracks and some time in the wilds with 'em. Couple weeks in the wilderness can teach a lot about teamwork and survival. Better than all the spars and fire exercises. Right now there's some I'd take into combat, but not the whole bunch."

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"]
In all fairness it had to be stated that adornment and badges were few and far between in the room…with the exception of Semiramis. The Queen wore a red and golden dress with numerous jewellery adorning her. The others though were much more plain; Tegaea wore a business suit, Tempest her uniform and Tylania a plain white dress with no jewellery.

Regardless, Tegaea considered her words carefully. “Thank you, Lieutenant. I appreciate honesty rather than bravado in these situations. It also concurs almost exactly with Colonel Varkathras’ analysis, does it not?”
“It does, ma’am,” Leonina replied.
“Good. Two matters of discussion then. The first is some information obtained by your ‘compatriot’ Natalie Dorne. She has located a former asteroid mining base at Kriselist which has branched into building and supplying weapons for the First Order remnants. Due to the distance from us a full assault is not practical, but a small infiltration team should be able to disrupt or destroy operations there.”
“You may be wondering why we are interested in something on the other side of the galaxy,” Leonina put in. “The answer is simple; Dorne’s report mentioned sliced info that they are developing stolen Firemane technology, and that they have Qadiri ’workers’ on site.”
“Yes. Therefore it is important that we at the least destroy all Firemane blueprints and prototypes on board and rescue the hostages. This is a dangerous mission, Lieutenant and if you feel you are not ready for it no one will judge you ill.” It was curious that Tegaea, after nearly having lost her on Tephrike, was prepared to send her into this mess. This might be because she trusted Elpsis’ skills, she felt that someone close to the family would look good helping the Qadiri, or that orders had come down from Siobhan…even if she wasn’t present. Possibly all three.
"These Qadiri are scouts from one of the...unaffiliated...world ships," Tegaea continued to explain.

Semiramis was getting more and more agitated as this discussion went on. “And what about our problem? We are prepared to handle it ourselves if necessary.”
Tegaea gave the Queen a look which in no uncertain terms indicated that she should be quiet. “One issue at a time, your Majesty,” Tegaea said politely, but using that clipped tone Elpsis would know well as the one she used when she was unimpressed. "We will graciously accept your support, but it will be us who heads this expedition."

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

Slaves, you mean, Elpsis thought realistically when Tegaea mentioned Qadiri 'workers' being forced to toil on the station. Her eyes drifted briefly to Semiramis when the Shahbânu made a scene. She wondered whether the issues were connected. She took note of how Tegaea phrased things when she mentioned the Qadiri being 'unaffiliated'.

Far as Elpsis could tell, the desert elves were hodgepodge of different states instead of bowing to a single ruler. Which, in Elpsis' book, was not a bad thing. Give one government too much power and it would trample on its people. Maybe the Queen was here because she wanted the elves to stop being 'unaffiliated' after nobly rescuing them.

"I don't need much of a reason to shoot Sith or their lackeys," Elpsis said bluntly. An imperialist was an imperialist to her. Ren were just Sith who fanboyed over Vader. Killing imperialists was patriotism. Her left hand twitched, and she clenched it. The lost fingers had been replaced, but phantom pains remained. She suppressed a wince.

"I'm ready. I got some members from the unit who'd be up for it. Useful field experience." She'd hit up Natalie, too. The Essionian had made it very clear that she was not her subordinate, or that of anyone in Firemane. Still, she might be willing to come along. And if not, she was always a good sounding board. "What info do we have on base defences? And what's the op plan?"

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"]
Tegaea held her daughter’s gaze for a moment, analysing her words and stance. Finally she nodded.
“As far as we can tell the asteroid is ostensibly a legitimate mining and trading location. External defences appear to be light, but I strongly suspect that they are heavier on the inside. The message Ms Dorne intercepted which started the whole thing was a transmission between a mercenary group and the base saying they’d agreed to terms and were coming on as additional support.”
“The plan,” Leonina said, “is to rescue the hostages, destroy the stolen technology and shut down the operation. How you accomplish this mission is up to you. Assets will be provided where reasonable and available. The Qadiri will be providing some support also.”
Semiramis nodded. “I will be very happy to discuss your needs and what we can provide, Lieutenant,” the Queen said sweetly, like she was providing a boon to a partitioner.

“I think that concludes for now our business. Lady Tylania, you wished to discuss with the Lieutenant?”
“I did, yes.” Tylania smiled at Elpsis. “When you are finished with the operation planning, I was hoping I might have a moment of your time. Nothing too exciting, but I wanted to discuss something in the future.”

Tempest for her part got slowly to her feet. Her limp was still incredibly pronounced, and her left hand was still missing a finger. It would take time for a replacement to be grown and replaced.
“I’d love to come with you…but I’m going to have to sit this one out. I have got a contact for you though who might help out.”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

Just a few weeks ago, the pyramid ship had been cleansed of dangers and lifted off into the sky. Now Firemane technicians were crawling over it like ants, busy studying and remodelling the latest addition to their titian-maned mistress' arsenal. “And overe there is the bridge,“ Siobhan declared proudly, making a sweeping motion with her hand. Two little ones walked at her side, while a Granite Guard followed at a respectful distance. The Kar'zun's heavy footsteps resonated across the corridor.

“This is amazing, Mum,“ Adril said eagerly. “Did you fight a Rakata dark lord here?“
Siobhan chuckled a bit. “No, dear, there was a would-be dark lord in a tomb, but he was a couple millennia too late. There were zombies and droids though.“
“Oh,“ Adril looked a bit disappointed. “But you fight those all the time.“
“Are you saying your Mother's adventures are boring?“ Siobhan asked.
“No, no, they're fun. Your stories are great,“ the girl said quickly.
“Mother is teasing you,“ Livia interjected. “I find the manner the Rakata used illusions as a security system intriguing. It is more dangerous than a horde of monsters.“
“Real warriors wouldn't need to play hide and seek,“ Adril insisted. “It just shows they were cowards.“
“Not everything is about swords and bravura. Auntie Coryth was a great illusionist, and she was no coward. She saved Mother many times,“ Livia countered.
“That's true,“ her twin conceded a bit reluctantly. “But it's different. Coryth was a hero. The Rakata are evil.“
“Girls,“ Siobhan sighed. “It matters not what type of weapon you use, just that you do it effectively. The Rakata were quite ingenious in their reality warping. That said, knowing them, they probably powered it with blood sacrifices or something like that.“
“Evil monsters,“ Adril said disgustedly.
“How would things have been if they hadn't...wasted their gifts like this?“ Livia asked rhetorically. “They had so many advantages. They ruled the galaxy once.“
“We're lucky they don't anymore.“
“And there were are,“ Siobhan spoke up as they entered the bridge. Technicians were busy adjusting it to Firemane specifications. However, the most crucial feature had remained untouched.
“That's one huge throne,“ Adril remarked. “It's bigger than the one in your office.“
“Now that you mentioned it, she'll want a bigger one made of solid gold,“ Livia whispered a bit cheekily.
“I heard that, Livia Kerrigan-Alcori,“ Siobhan said sharply. She was quite fond of the big throne. “Contrary to what you may think, this throne serves a useful purpose. It allows me to control the entire ship.“
“You always say you hate flying ships,“ Adril pointed out innocently.
“And with this one I only need to use my mind. It is a mental interface. I see a course of action, picture it in my mind, and then it happens.“
“Oh, that's cool. Can I fly it?“ Adril asked excitedly.
“Me too?“ Livia joined in.
“No,“ Siobhan responded firmly. “But if you're good, I'll show you the guns and we can blow some things up. If you're good,“ she added...just in case.
She led the girls to what passed for a window. “Livia brought up an important point earlier. You can have nigh-unlimited power at your fingertips...but what do you do with it? What makes you worthy of command?“ Adril and Livia shared a look. They knew where this was leading. “Your mother showed you around a flying pyramid. Humour her a bit, will you?“ Siobhan spoke in mock exasperation. “What makes a good ruler?“
“The one with the strongest Force!“ Adril exclaimed.
Siobhan nodded slightly. “Power within one's self certainly helps, but it is no guarantee of good rule. Palpatine was strong in the Force. Perhaps the strongest Force-User to have ever lived. But he forgot that while a ruler can be feared, he should never be hated.“
“Intelligence and knowledge,“ Livia put in next.
“Hmm. Perhaps. No one can doubt that back in the day the Rakata were knowledgeable and intelligent. They traversed the stars, terraformed worlds and created entire species. Then they were undone by their own arrogance, and turned into savages."
“Well, what about being a genius strategist with the best fleet?“ Adril countered.
“Something which might help. Thrawn was a great admiral. He almost single-handedly turned around a war the Empire was losing. Yet he was so focused on his grand plan that he forgot what was right in front of him...and so he was killed by his guard.“
"Justice," Livia insisted.
"Yes, a leader must be just and look out for the little people," her sister agreed.
"It is good to see you two agree on something," Siobhan commented, causing Adril to roll her eyes. "Valorum was just. A good man who followed the laws and tried to restore honesty to the Senate - right until he was deposed by someone who did not."
“Well, then what do you think?“ Livia asked, giving up.
“Think. What did all our examples lack?“
“Wisdom?“
“Yes. Ideally a ruler will have all of these qualities. Few do. To be a good ruler you must know your enemy, and know yourself. A good ruler is smart enough to have counsellors who complement her. She gives them room to operate, but always keeps the reins in hand.“

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

"Yeah, I'm sure," Elpsis muttered in a somewhat undiplomatic manner when Semiramis 'graciously' offered her aid. "I'm sure the Qadiri slaves appreciate your concern." That was probably no more diplomatic than her first remark. Perhaps she was being unfair. She barely knew Semiramis, but she found her patronising. The fact that she was close to Siobhan did not endear her to the pyromancer either.

Regardless, the meeting was being wrapped up. Elpsis glanced towards Tylania. She had wondered why the Vashyada was present since the matter being discussed did not concern her people. "I'd like that, Lady. I'll come to you once the op planning's done," she gave her a nod.

Next was Tempest. "May be for the best, ma'am. If the imperialists hear that someone who killed a planet killer has come aboard, they might run away in panic without firing a shot and my girls wouldn't learn anything," she tried to joke. Seeing Tempest limp, she felt pangs of guilt, though she tried to clamp down on them. She would have taken her arm, but felt uncertain about how appropriate that would be. "I'd like to hear about your contact though."

She settled on Leonina and Tegaea. "Before I depart, there's a matter I'd like to discuss. It's about the...recent Tephrike campaign." It had been two months since Firemane had pulled out from the war-torn planet. "Won't take up a lot of time."

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"]
Semiramis seemed to take her words at face value. “I’m sure they will, especially as we will help ensure this does not happen again. Do this for us and we will be very grateful….”
She departed.

Tempest chuckled, still maintaining the formal politeness the situation demanded. She at least could see Leonina’s gaze on them to make sure they stayed professional.

“My contact is…well she’s frankly a queen and she’s only doing this for the money, but she’s been to this station so she can give you some insight. Make sure you determine how good the info is before we pay her. She’s not in the habit of making things up, but she can…embellish them a bit.”
She handed Elpsis a datacard with the contact details on it. Also on there in braille was a paper sheet.
‘My place tonight?’ Once she got an answer Tempest would exit.

When that had all been settled Tegaea and Leonina were left. The new Brigadier looked flatly at Elpsis, but Tegaea nodded more enthused.
“Yes, Elpsis, please go ahead,” she said, using her name now there was just the three of them present.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

Oh, frak off, Elpsis thought to herself. Fortunately, she had enough self-control not to say it. Just about. A diplomat she was not. Or rather she could not play nice and smile to people she did not respect. She hated lies and intrigue.

In any event, Tempest steered her towards a different topic. "I'm good at spotting lies," Elpsis remarked. "And I got Natalie." She would have to hit the Essionian up. She took the offered datacard. Presumably the stuff on the screen was written in braille. Or there was a programme to convert it into braille.

Regardless, she read the piece of paper, suppressed a smile, nodded. "Will be there." Now that the Dahomian had departed, it was just her, her mother and her boss. One of them, at any rate.

She cleared her throat. "I'd like to ask about Diona," she began. "She's been with us for a while, doing penal servitude and all that. I've been checking up on her regularly. Has there been a final verdict on her yet?"

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"]
A brief glance was shared.

“We have been monitoring her closely, using various means of observation. However this is a good opportunity I feel. I will be interviewing her so I can obtain my view on her. I will then discuss with Director Alcori and Lady Kerrigan and make a final decision,” Leonina said. Her face was neutral.

“Her service to you notwithstanding she needs to be processed one way or the other. To keep her endlessly in limbo is cruel,” Tegaea added. “We will not kill her, but the options before us are to integrate her, exile her, imprison her or assign her to one of the colonies as a worker. A lot will come down to whether she is a threat, an asset or a liability.”

Leonina looked at her chrono. “If there is nothing else, Lieutenant, I have issues to attend to. Meet me at cell block 18 at 14:00 today.”

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

"I don't want her to die or waste away in jail," Elpsis said quietly. "She won't learn anything then." Death's too easy. For her...and me. So is being locked up, she thought, though she did not voice. What did she want? She had come close to killing Diona the first time she had visited her cell.

But she had been unable to go through with it. After that their conversations had...bordered on being civil The resentment was still there, so was the anger. But somewhere down the line she had started to empathise with her. She could not just see her as an enemy anymore. But she would not forgive and forget.

"Nothing else, ma'am. I'll be there. I'll get on with op planning," she spoke crisply. "Brigadier, Mother," she gave the two a salute. It was not parade ground level, but a proper one. Assuming Tegaea had nothing to discuss with her, she would depart the conference room. Presumably she would get some interaction with her mother at some point in the thread, since there had not been a lot of that on-screen since Tephrike.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"]
“The galaxy is not just here to teach us lessons, Elpsis,” Tegaea said, rising. “We need to put the safety of everyone around you first over teaching cosmic lessons. Still, if nothing is pressing for you tonight after the ‘interview’ would you like to get dinner?” she asked her daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Waiting for Elpsis outside was a pair of Qadiri. One of them were much taller and broader, standing behind the slighter and more well-dressed one. Both were women, both looked experienced, though perhaps in different fields. The older woman was clearly a soldier, her face scarred and her body strong and broad. The front looked more of a noble perhaps or at least a diplomat.

“Excuse me, Lieutenant, might we have a moment of your time?” the warrior asked in fluent but accented Basic.
Tegaea, who had followed Elpsis out, smiled at the pair.
“Ah, Lieutenant, let me introduce Shazora Jai Vahal and Hasana Jai Anhala. It was their scouts who were ‘taken’ by the remnants. They did not want to be around when Semiramis discussed matters.”
Hasana let out a little snort at the name of the Shahbânu.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

((FYI, Shazora is a member of Firemane's politburo.))

"I'm aware. I'm the one who suffered at her hands - and the Dominion's in general, after all." Elpsis stated bluntly. The new fingers of her left hand twitched. Feeling irritated, she clenched them. "Yeah, I'll be there. Sounds good." Outside, two Qadiri were waiting for her. One of them addressed her. She had the build and the demeanour of a warrior woman. Her accent was cute.

"Don't blame you," Elpsis muttered after Tegaea implied that the two were not fond of the Shahbânu. "Semiramis a queen," she spoke in Zandri. Sadly, her command of the most common Qadiri dialect was heavily accented and not very grammatical. Her own accent was embarrassing rather than cute. "Sorry, my Zandri's not great."

"It is no worse than my Basic when I started learning your language," Shazora said gently, giving her an encouraging smile. Her Basic was near-flawless. She stretched out her hand. Elpsis took it. The Qadiri diplomat had a gentle grip, but it was firm. "I would not have expressed it in such...blunt terms, but I agree with the sentiment behind it. Semiramis is an ambitious woman. Her prime ambition is to see all Qadiri bow before her, and she has a mind for what humans call 'public relations'."

She did not make air quotes because that was not a Shazora thing to do. She was too serious and polite. But her phrasing made it clear she was using it as a polite term for propaganda. "I would rather have our people not be exploited for her selfish gain. They did not break the slavers' chains in order to allow invisible ones to shackle them. To this end, we would like to support your venture to free them."

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"]
“I think blunt is good for this situation,” Shazora said with a snort. “I don’t much mind what she does so long as she doesn’t try to make us her joyful subjects,” Hasana added.

Hasana looked at Elpsis dead on. “Specifically, I’d like to offer my assistance, and some of my best warriors to assist. We’re not as skilled with the technology, but we know how to fight, and we can help guide our people when we find them. I’ve got a squad of my best troops ready to go if you want, we can infiltrate the rock from two sides, take out the scum between us.”

Tegaea put in at this point, “Captain Jai Anhala would be in overall command, but you would be free to pursue your operation as you wish, whilst the Captain organises her strike.”

“I’ve heard good things about you, Lieutenant, shall we go and give some slavers the fate they deserve?” she asked almost excitedly.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

"I was assuming I'd be in command of this op," Elpsis stated bluntly. That was what the briefing had clearly indicated. She did not want to show it, but she was just a bit...disappointed. She felt a stab of annoyance directed at Tegs. You could have told me another officer would be in charge. Simple enough. Meting out justice is more important than your ego. Stop being a weakling, she chided herself, looking at Hasana. The warrior woman seemed an honest sort. Someone who was out to do the right thing instead of currying favour with bigwigs.

"We do not want to...slight you. Nor do we doubt your skill," Shazora said gently. "We want our people to be freed and for the slavers to be brought to swift justice. I'm sure you shall make a good team. It will be a good chance for our people to work together."
Mother expects me to frak up, Elpsis thought. Siobhan was not even present in the room. Nor had she been mentioned once. Yet she always loomed over her like a shadow that sought to swallow her any time she tried to step out of it. She can sod off. "Yeah, it's cool. I'm game," she responded. "I'm not turning down help to burn some slaver scum," she responded. "We can work on the op planning together. Let's get started, shall we?"

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"]
“That’s the spirit!” Hasana said with a grin. She put an arm on Elpsis’ shoulder. “I’m not trying to step on your party, I’m just always down for an opportunity to kill those sequarti and all their miserable allies!”
Shazora had coloured slightly at that Zandri word, but perhaps Elpsis’ limited command of the language wouldn’t include insults about people’s ‘preferences’. Not that Elpsis would likely care.

“I’ll assemble my team. We’ll meet tomorrow at the hanger for final planning and I can introduce my sand babies!” She grinned, taking the common racist pejorative as a badge of honour.

“I’ve heard great things about the Fire Phoenix, so I think we’ll get on fine. I’ve got a fire girl in my group too, very useful for setting fire to scum. If anything comes up, contact me.” She handed over a business card like device which one could slot into a communicator to save details.

When the two were gone Tegaea looked at her daughter. “So I’ll see you later, dear. This wasn’t an attempt to usurp you, they volunteered, and there’s few people in Firemane who hate slavers more than Hasana. I figured she’d be a good asset for you – but you’re still running your side of the operation.”

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Tegaea Alcori"]

Elpsis' command of Zandri was limited. For some reason, she had learned quite a few curses though. She suppressed a laugh at the colourful insult. "See you then," she took the proffered business card. When the two were alone, she turned to her mother. "No, no, it's fine. She looks she's got her head in the right place. Besides, it means I got less chit to micromanage. I want to lead, but I know I still got stuff to learn. Just won't stand for being patronised."

xxx

Meanwhile, Shazora and Hasana had headed out. "So that was the Young Phoenix. She has Kerrigan's fervour...but is different in manifold ways. She seems pleasant," Shazora remarked. "I know restraining you is all but impossible and our people's lives are at stake, but do be careful out there. I would rather have you in one piece without the Galactic Cross than with the medal but lacking a limb or two." The fact that Hasana hated medals and never allowed them to decorate her uniform was besides the point.

 

[Tegaea Alcori]

[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"]
Tegaea nodded. “Good to hear, Elpsis. She’s a tough and reliable soldier, reminds me a bit of myself in my younger days. Those two will go far. Anyway, I won’t keep you. 17:00 tonight, I’ll come by with Alisa. Not sure if you’ve met her, but she’s my new bodyguard. Sio insisted I have one, even when I’m with you, something about never being able to trust when evil might strike. Anyway, I’ll introduce you tonight.”

XXX

Hasana meanwhile mulled over the situation. “She seems tough. Different from the parents, but maybe she’s more like they were once. Siobhan and Tegaea have embraced their titles and power – good for them. Elpsis has something to prove, I see that in her. She’ll be a strong ally against the beasts.”

“You worry too much, little orchid. I will take care of myself, if only so I don’t have you scolding me!” She saw though that her paramour was serious and sighed. “I’ll be careful. I promise.” She gave her a kiss. “I wouldn’t let you and the girls down.”