Fide Nemini [Siobhan Kerrigan]

[Zonia Kalranoos]

​

The Learning Circle, planet Kegan, south of SSC space​

Theme​

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Steel eyes stared into the offing, where the cerulean sky met the serene surface of the ocean. The sun was in zenith, its lustrous rays slowly scorching Tionne's photo-sensitive skin. Clad in a plain ivory coloured swimming suit, the former Jedi went for a swim in the vast ocean. Water was cold enough to provide cooling during a hot summer day, but also pleasant enough for swimming. The northern hemisphere of Kegan was in its summer phase, days growing ever longer until the night was nothing more than a few hours of dusk. The Learning Circle facility was situated south of the Capital, in the subtropical region, the monastery build atop the ocean shelf that was the intermezzo between the sandy shores and deep waters of Kegan's only body of water. Two towers dominated the view, with bells that rang to summon students for prayer and study.A quiet sanctuary it was, where only the change of seasons marked the passage of time.

Many moons had passed since Tionne Thanewulf arrived to the recluse cloister of the Benevolent Guides, after the incident at the Maw in Hutt space. The galaxy had already forgotten that she ever existed. The redhead preferred it that way. Yet, no man or woman was an island. The Hapan couldn't stay on Kegan forever, nor could she hide from those would eventually feel her newly acquired talent through the Force. Only one person could be trusted and Tionne was not sure if she'd respond after so much time that had passed. Her hopes had been answered when a ship emerged on the horizon, racing towards the beach where the former Jedi stood. She could no longer feel Siobhan Kerrigan in the Force, no longer percieve her exciting presence that chaffed against her senses like a feather against the skin of a subdued lover. But the shape of the ship and the roar of the engines spoke volumes of its affiliation.

Firemane.

Tionne pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, somewhat uncomfortable with her current, much more mature visage. Last time Siobhan had seen her, Tionne was a young woman, now the Hapan appears to be older than her. Without a doubt, there would be many questions to be answered when her friend would land, a good deal of them asking where Thanewulf was when the galaxy was falling apart.

"Mother Matier." a voice sounded from the comm - "Your guest has arrived."
"I know." replied the woman softly and drew in a deep breath, then began walking along the beach to where the ship was about to land. Wind flagged wet strands of her red hair across the face as she stood half-way between the ship and gates of the monastery, her bare feet sinking into the moist sand. A peculiar mixture of shame and excitement stirred within her as she awaited for the ramp of the ship to descent and Siobhan Kerrigan to set foot on the beach.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Matier"]


The shuttle swooped down from the sky and descended upon the beach like an eagle, throwing up columns of sand and dust in the process when it finally touched down upon the ground. The ramp was lowered and the Lady herself emerged from the craft and limped down. Siobhan still carried a cane, but carried herself with an aura of command, poise and elegance. As if she were a queen visiting an outlying province of her kingdom, though this obviously did not apply to this world. Sand crunched beneath her shoes as she stepped down from the ramp.


Siobhan was wearing a strapless red dress that hugged her curvaceous body. The warm sun kissed her face and her toned, bare shoulders and arms. The wind whipped across her firemane, which cascaded about her shoulders in a full mane that framed her face beautifully. Siobhan brushed a stay lock of red from her face when it got into the way. Brown eyes swept across the serene, sky-blue ocean, the beach and the monastery. The landscape was a picturesque beauty, but for a change Siobhan was not focused on it.


No, she was focused on a certain redhead. Who seemed...very different now. An expression of surprise, if not shock crossed Siobhan's face. Confusion was written over her features. "Tionne?" Truth be told, if Siobhan had not felt the woman's aura before, she would not have made the connection. If Tionne had not called ahead. A palpable shift could be felt in the woman's aura. She felt diminished in the Force, though not severed. Moreover, she was a good deal older. "What happened to you?" she gasped, feeling a bit perplexed as she crossed the distance.

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

"Siobhan." the Hapan greeted, the tone of her voice laced with uncertainty. Kerrigan's facial expression revealed she was more than surprised to see her friend wither from a youthful woman to a seasoned lady. Tionne was somewhat ashamed and thus avoided to look Sio directly in the eyes. A few silent moments passed between them, before Thanewulf glanced over Firemane's shoulder to make sure they were alone. Finally, their gazes met and locked instantly.

"You made sure nobody followed you? Right?" she asked,ginger brow furrowing - "Nobody must know you are here."
Plump lips stretched into a thin line as Tionne approached her, motioning her to walk by her side towards the entrance to the monastery. Tionne couldn't help but to notice how elegant Firemane was, even when standing on a desolate beach on some backwater planet at the very edge of the galaxy. She bore herself like a queen even when stomping through mud, her regal posture immaculate and unyielding. For all Thanewulf knew, the galaxy could be crumbling down, but Siobhan would still be standing firm, her resolve and determination solid as rock. No amount of hardship could weather her soul. Tionne had grown fond of that particular trait over time, even more than it was appropriate.

"I'd like to know that as well." she finally replied - "I am kind of sorry I didn't start use anti-aging cream on time."
The joke was a bit distasteful, but showed she still had spirit. Tionne's wit was somewhat of a universal constant.

"I have no-one else to turn to. No one whom I trust enough." explained the redhead as they made way towards the stone gates of the cloister.
"Thank you for being here on such a short notice, given all of your duties. I just don't know what to tell you... I need to show you."

An elderly woman clad in ivory white robes approached them, carrying some sort of metallic ball on a swing from which thick smoke emanated. The scent of incense permeated the air around them.
"Tea is served on the terrace of your quarters, Mother Matier." she informed, before disappearing into atrium of the compound. Tionne nodded, then turned her attention back to Firemane.

"I hope your wife does not know you are here."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Matier"]


A frown creased Siobhan's features. This particular line of questioning perplexed her a bit. For a moment or two, it made her feel somewhat suspicious. Briefly her eyes turned towards the elder lady carrying a metallic ball that released a lot of smoke into the air. However, she waited with the Q&A session until the elderly lady had departed, leaving behind the smell of incense as it escaped into the air around them.


"Mother Matier? Did you get a cult while I wasn't looking?" she asked sarcastically. "I don't understand the problem, but I haven't talked with Tegs about this and I'm difficult to follow. Besides, I came from Tygara and few non-elves operate on the planet. Especially those I don't employ. So, why the secrecy? Is someone gunning for you? And why am I suddenly the younger woman now?"


If an aging cream was to blame, then Siobhan wanted to know so that she didn't accidentally use it! Perhaps that was the new Sith plot. She reached out with her hand and gently stroked Thanewulf's cheek. "You're still beautiful, you know," she said softly.

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

"Thank you, my dear..." the redhead replied, implanting a delicate kiss into Siobhan's palm - "Although I feel like a corpse." A smile followed, only to disappear a few moments later. There were more pressing matters to discuss, other than flattery and courtship both of them so much enjoyed. Tionne's features grew serious as she ascended up a wide flight of marble stairs that lead to her quarters on the first floor. The interior of the monastery was ascetic but elegantly carved in ivory stone, the style of the architecture dating back to High Galactic culture of the waning years of the Republic. Each and every occupant they've come across was female; from girls to elderly ladies, all clad in the same linen, sand-coloured dresses . Thanewulf didn't bother to explain the purpose of the Learning Circle, not before she'd give Kerrigan some context.

"But you didn't come here to tell me that. We need to talk about....well..." she paused for a second, unsure how to word the events that unfolded properly. The door of the room was opened, revealing a spacious chamber with recliners next to a fireplace carved out of marble and a large bed hidden under a semi-transparent baldachin. Two lyre-shaped chairs and a table were placed on the terrace, shade provided by a pair of potted palm-trees. The view of the sea was majestic, ocean reaching as far as the eye can see. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of seagulls echoed amidst the cloister walls.

"It seems I fell into a black hole." Tionne finally said it upon stepping onto the terrace - "I think you better sit down."
Inhaling deeply, she faced Siobhan and sighed, motioning her to take one of the chairs, then poured her a cupful of Atrisian tea, her favourite.

"To my knowledge, I am the only person ever to return to space-time after crossing the event horizon." Thanewulf stated, as if Siobhan knew what she was talking about. Highschool physics.

"Aaaand... Some pretty weird stuff is going on." she concluded and sat across her friend, feeling sorry she only ordered tea instead of a much needed alcoholic beverage.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Matier"]


High school physics! Siobhan had never attended high school and been forced to catch up on her education during her brief time as a Jedi. Poverty had kind of gotten in the way. Her eyes widened. "A black hole? I think I need a whiskey," Siobhan remarked before sitting down on the lyre-shaped chair beneath the palm tree. Ahead of her was a glorious view of the sky blue ocean that seemed to be begging for a swimming session.


Waves swept against the sandy beach, seagulls made noise. It was all very picturesque and peaceful. Such a stark contrast to the revelations she was receiving. "Sounds crazy, but I've experienced crazier things, including visiting hell once, so I believe you," she took a sip from her steaming cup. Atrisian tea happened to be her favourite.


It allowed her to gather her thoughts, while a gentle breeze caressed her skin. "So you were trapped alone all this time. Damn. I'm so sorry. Where did this happen and how did you escape? A lot has changed while you were gone. You feel...different in the Force."

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

Fingers plucked two black berries of grapes from the fruit stand, which were then placed two inches apart atop the polished surface of the table carved out of pure jade. Quite didactical, one would think, to use grapes to represent respective black holes. After all, Tionne came from a long line of scientists and professors and had a natural inclination towards explaining difficult and sometimes mind baffling concepts to those who weren't experts.

"The center of the Maw Nebula near Kessel contains two supermassive black holes. They are considered wonders of the galaxy, but are also very interesting to us physicists who study the fabric of space-time. You see, I was a Jedi because I needed to be one, and a scientist because I enjoyed. Despite it turning virtually into a hobby with lack of time and resources." she began explaining, then took a sip of the tea. The aroma was exquisite, but the beverage was still too hot, so the Hapan set the cup down for now.

"Of course, I was delighted to recieve a call from University of Alderaan to study the Maw system of black holes, despite it being in Hutt space. The Republic swore the scout ship had stygium cloaking... which was not entirely true. A day and a half into the mission, we were intercepted by a Hutt Cartel patrol ship. At that time I was out of the vessel, trying to repair the spectroscope so we can take X-ray picture of the binary holes from a safe distance. Even before I was able to negotiate some kind of treaty through the comm, they fired at us and managed to blow up the bridge. The sheer force of the blast propelled me towards the black holes until I fell right into the middle."

Her index finger tapped exactly between two grape berries, then swirled them around in a circular motion.
"We know almost nothing about black holes and what happens at the event horizon, let alone what happens when two black holes spin around one another. For all we know, physical laws of our universe cease to exist."
Grey eyes narrowed a bit.

"Siobhan, I was only there for about five minutes, before I fainted. Next thing I remember is this place and people here treating me like some sort of a deity." Tionne added, clearly showing she was too disturbed everyone called her Mother Matier.

"I can't begin to explain what kind of a sensation it was to feel your entire being pulled apart by the massive gravitational force of binary black holes. Yet, it was not pain. No...something far worse...like I ceased to exist, but I was aware of it."
A few idle moments passed, before Thanewulf gazed back at Kerrigan with a disdainful look on her freckled face.
"And I've lost the ability to use the Force, mostly."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Matier"]


Siobhan was no scientist and probably could not be considered an intellectual, but she'd heard about the Maw. It was serious bad news. "What the hell were you thinking going on a trip to the bloody Maw? Were you even thinking? Big brain like you should know the risk," she exclaimed. No, she was not being a happy camper at the moment.


"And not to trust Republic crap. Or the ability of Hutt goons to act like civilised people." Blunt, to the point, in other words, typical Siobhan. The Countess took a deep breath as she tried to compose herself. Before she accidentally did something ill-advised such as break the nice table or drop a palm tree. Fortunately for everyone involved, she managed get a grip on things.


"I'm sorry. You're no longer trapped, that's what matters. Why are the locals here all over you? Not that I'm not glad you had someone to help you recover, but are you sure you can trust them?" Now her tone conveyed genuine concern as opposed to anger. On the surface, the people inhabiting what seemed to be a cloister of some sort seemed pleasant enough, but for all Siobhan knew their polite demeanour might obscure more malevolent intentions.


She knitted her brow together in contemplation. There was no way to approach this subject tactfully, especially after Tionne had already let the cat out of the bag herself. "You felt...weaker in the Force when I landed. What can you still do?"

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

"These people are not keeping me here against my will, Siobhan." the redhead reassured her as she summoned the same elderly lady who had served them tea. She was the majordomo of the monastery and made sure Mother Matier had everything she desired. The old lady brought forth a datapad and placed it on the table, right in front of Firemane. On the screen, the listings from financial market, including prices of Firemane stocks. Thanwulf leaned on the armrest and glanced towards Sio as the servant of The Learning Circle disappeared from the terrace, leaving the two of them alone again. Only when she was certain nobody could hear them, the Hapan spoke again.

"I'm hiding here. Mostly because I don't know what to make out of all of this..."

The former Jedi beckoned her guest to look at the stock prices listing. A trading portal was opened, which allowed for the purchase of stocks of all companies listed on the Galactic financial market, including Arceneau Trade Company. Tionne locked her gaze with Siobhan's and opted to explain.

"You see... there is no one I trust more in this galaxy, but you. But I need to know if you trust me too."
Her gaze was diverted to the datapad, where interactive graphs flew over the screen, one of many tools investors used to decide which stocks to buy.

"Stock prices follow a stohastic process we call random walk, which means they cannot be predicted. They are random at best. Whoever earned anything on the stock market, it was due to pure luck. Whoever says they can predict stock prices...they are lying."
Tionne paused a moment, then sank in her chair.

"I want you to use all of your available funds to buy twenty millon worth of Arceneau Trade Company stocks. Now." she half-commanded, curious if Siobhan would take this leap of faith. The stock market was a zero-sum game, unless you had insider information. Or you were able to see the future.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Matier"]


"I'm familiar with the stock market. I run a big corporation. Saying it's all down to luck is an oversimplification though," Siobhan responded. She didn't like the half-commanding tone with which Tionne addressed her when the redhead told her to purchase ATC stocks.


It was true that the stock market was a risky zero-sum game unless you had insider information, which in Tionne's case was unlikely since she'd been stuck in a black hole and then been recuperating in this cloister. That left farsight - or the belief that she had it, at any rate. It constituted a form of reverse insider trading.


This was probably not a conclusion many people would arrive at, but Siobhan was quite familiar with the gift due to knowing Laina and a certain [member="Coryth Elaris"]. However, she'd seen their prophecies come true and while Firemane was a megacorporation, throwing away money based on the word of someone may be a genuine seer or deranged due to having been trapped in a black hole was another question. Force Visions took a very long time and control to comprehend. They were often uncontrollable or deceptive, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.


"I'll take a small leap and postulate you're trying to demonstrate you can see the future and thus know these stocks will be profitable because you've seen it. I'm familiar with the gift. However, without wanting to be insulting, it's an awful lot of money and I only have your word. Give me something more down-to-earth."

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

Tionne laughed a little upon seeing Firemane display her trademark suspicion. The woman was old enough not to believe everything she heard or saw. The Hapan couldn't blame her. Humans were beings somewhat addicted to certainty, in this chaotic world.

"I must have overestimated how much you liked me, Lady Kerrigan." she retorted, half-jokingly - "I'll keep that in mind."

The gift of Force Visions was extremely rare, with only a select few Force users being able to master it. A long time ago, when the universe was young, all Jedi had this ability. As it grew more complex and the entropy increased, order made way to disorder and over the course of several generations, the power was lost to all. There were still individuals who could see glimpses of the future, snapshots of events that were to unfold. Their gift was intuitive, as they were graced by visions for as long as they remember. Tionne's experience was different; instead of feeling, she understood. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she was a highly trained physicist with advanced knowledge of quantum mechanics. Quite ironic, really, to have a physicist pop into a black hole. It was the same as if a neurosurgeon suddenly suffered a stroke; he or she would be fully aware of what's happening to their body. A perfect amalgam of feeling and understanding.

"Oh, I wish I just saw the future." said Tionne and drew two pieces of paper from the drawer of the table and a pen, then slid it over to Siobhan, then rose from her seat and walked towards the edge of the terrace, facing away from her. Her eyes settled on the ocean surface that coruscated under the brilliant yellow rays of the sun. A perfect day at the seaside.

"Write a number on each of the two papers and fold them over. Any number you like." she instructed, leaning over the stone railing - "Don't worry. I haven't summoned you here to trick you."

A miniscule smile crept to her face.

"Once you are done, choose a paper you will give me, folded. And just slide it over to my side."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Matier"]


In all fairness, Siobhan's understanding of how farsight worked was probably limited. Sometimes she had strange dreams that purported to be visions, but they were quite useless gibberish, though she'd run into alternate Siobhan Kerrigans a few times. One of them had been a Sith. That encounter had not gone well!


She was familiar with how Coryth and Laina used their power, but didn't have a deeper understanding. Ironically, the reason Firemane had first heard about the lost elf world of Tygara was that Coryth had received a vision. How this worked on a metaphysical level was something Siobhan had difficulty understanding, she just knew that it did. At heart, she was a practical woman who wasn't inclined to gamble.


Her eyes followed Tionne as the redhead got up and walked to the terrace, facing the beautiful ocean and the luminous sky. "I don't believe you're trying to deceive me, Tionne. I simply don't act on blind faith alone," she took the pen and the two pieces of paper, then wrote down numbers. She believed in what she could grasp and observe in the real world.


On one paper she wrote 223, on the other 69. She folded both, then passed the second over after a moment of deliberation. "There you go."

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

Thanewulf returned to her seat, slumping into the chair opposite of Firemane. She leaned back and propped elbows on the armrests for comfort, her gaze fixed at the two folded sheets that Siobhan had laid infront of her. Without a single world uttered, Tionne closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, calming herself completely until breathing became rhytmic and she fell into a meditative state where all her bodily functions were reducted to absolute minimum. In order to be able to sense the finest subtleties of the Aperion, one needed to surpress their being fully, completely dismantle themselves to the point where they were nothing but a collection of atoms born from the bellies of stars. Only then was the Hapan able to sense the fine weave of space-time, the quantum collapse of the wave function that was the very fabric of reality.

Technically speaking, it involved letting her own existence trickle back to the fifth dimension, into the set of all persmissible events under current physical laws. She was still at the Maw, floating at the event horizon, but her sheer will made it possible to manifest herself in the four-dimensional universe, the exact same universe where Siobhan had written 69 on the first paper for her to read, and 223 on the second. To navigate the Aperion meant to be able to see not just how events will unfold in one or a few universes, but in all. While all self-conscious beings could switch between alternate universes by exercising free will, they could not see where they are headed. Only a being in the fifth dimension could be the navigator.

A few idle moments passed, without anything of interest happening; and just as Siobhan was probably losing her interest, Tionne's image began to flicker, like a hologram with bad reception. If Siobhan was to try to touch her during these intermittent periods that lasted but a fraction of a second, she would feel her friend was not there. Instead, Tionne let her being oscillate between different universes, searching for the one where Siobhan had made an alternate choice of sliding her the other paper. It was a toilsome mental task that required infinite amount of time, even for someone brilliant as Tionne, but her physical body was floating at the very edge of the black hole, where time literally comes to a stop. What was infinite in her reference frame, was finite in Siobhan's.

The entire ordeal lasted a minute at most, before the flickering ceased and the former Jedi Watchman opened her eyes. Her hand reached for the second paper, then opened it.
When her gaze fell upon the number, Thanewulf felt the wave function collapse, with two alternate universes fleshing out from Siobhan's simple decision. One where she knows well the taste of Firemane's lips tonight, and the other, where she doesn't.

"223." she voiced quietly, before setting down the paper with number 69 written on it. The redhead smiled softly. Such an extraordinary event of pancosmic proportion had just played out before Firemane's very eyes, one that could affect fate of the galaxy, yet her appetite for tactile and emotional easily transcended all grandeur of the moment. Tionne couldn't blame her, she felt the same.

"You amaze me every time, Siobhan Kerrigan."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Matier"]


It went without saying that Siobhan was very strong in the Force. Her entire being radiated power, white hot and unrelenting, like standing beneath the sun on the sand dunes of Tatooine and feeling the intensity of the heat around you and the immensity of the stars above you while a tornado swept across the land. There was nothing subtle or delicate about her use of the Force. It was a hot sun that could just as easily burn as provide caring warmth.


In her grasp, it became a storm that she willed to bend to her. Thusly, she was also blind to the more mystical and arcane applications of the Force, for every Master faced a tradeoff between power and insight, between the ability to chuck rocks and to listen. If one were to compare the Force to a river, then she would be the one to compel the stream to flow in a direction she found pleasing, but everything else would pass by her as background noise.


Hence, Aperion was not something she could touch. Idle moments passed during which her interest waxed and waned as it seemed nothing was happening, then Thanewulf's image began to flicker like a hologram with a poor connection. Siobhan reached out to touch the redhead, but the ginger showed no reaction. It was as if she were possessed or simply not there, like her consciousness had been transferred into a distant realm that lay outside of Siobhan's reach. However, she could feel a wave of power wash over her.


Siobhan knitted her brow together, then almost as soon the moment had begun, it was over. Tionne's eyes fluttered open and she spoke the number written upon the other folded paper. "Aww. Flatterer. I live to impress the ladies," Firemane spoke, voice like a caress. Her lips curled into a smile. Of course, one could still voice the suspicion that these were parlour tricks of some sort, but Siobhan liked to think she'd become good at separating truth from illusion. For one, she had felt the intensity of the Force building up inside Tionne.


"Sorry for acting suspicious. I understand now why you took precautions. Your secret's safe with me." She got up from her chair and walked over to Tionne, albeit with a slight limp. Her hand snaked down to give the woman's shoulder a gentle squeeze. Siobhan was wearing a lovely scent. "So, how do you it? I mean, I've seen farsight before. That looked very intense though."

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

Tionne's hand found its way to hers, now gently placed atop the back of Firemane's palm. The fragrance she wore reminded of springs in Nabooian royal gardens, with subtle notes of Velanie flowers. Thanewulf, on the other hand, smelled of the natural purity of the ocean. A warm breeze blew from the offing, ever so gently twirling long strands of copper hair that framed her now mature face. Her gaze was set somewhere into the distance, where the surface of the ocean met the azure skies.

"To be quite frank, I have no idea." she replied idly, before gathering her thoughts to offer an explanation, albeit a very confusing one - "But I have a theory."
Her free hand reached for the cup, merely to take another sip of the Atrisian tea.

"I am not really here." A moment passed before she continued, used to set the cup down. "Not in the same sense as you are here."
What she was about to tell Kerrigan was nothing short of mind-boggling, on the very verge of metaphysical, even beyond the Force itself.

"If you would to travel to the Maw, you'd see me floating at the event horizon, forever trapped on the edge of space-time. From your reference point, I am as good as dead. For this universe, Tionne Thanewulf is dead, in the physical sense of the word."

The redhead looked up,locking gaze with Siobhan.
"Do your eyes deceive you then? Well, no. I am here, because I want to be here." she explained, carefully observing Firemane's expression - "From what I've gathered, I exist in the fifth dimension, which is outside of the time-space continuum you live in. While you cannot simply chose not to exist in this particular universe, the one where we are on the terrace and you are thinking of how my lips taste. I, on the other hand, can. If I stop wanting to be here, I simply stop existing."

Tionne simply could not muster a better explanation that did not involve a bunch of equations. The notion of multiverses was highly debated among scientists. It was ironic really, to have Thanewulf as definitive proof of it.

"So you do realized I am a bit...confused myself. Still trying to figure out what to do with this...gift. To have the ability to see all permissible futures for everyone is... well, a bit unsettling. Farsight allows the seer to have a glimpse of a single manifestation of the future. I see it all - a universe where you and me never met, a universe where Coruscant is now the Republic capital and a universe where your wife was killed by the Sith."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Matier"]


Boom. And so Thanewulf dropped a big bombshell. Truth be told, Siobhan found herself lost for words when the metaphorical bomb detonated, sending shockwaves cascading across the terrace and all around them.


"You're...not really here? You're physically dead?" she exclaimed, sounding understandably shocked. It was very hard for her to wrap her mind around this. There was an awkward pause during which Tionne's words sunk and Siobhan tried to absorb them to the best of her abilities. After all, even scientists and scholars had difficulty with the theory of the multiverse!


"So you're really floating around in some other dimension, you're only here because you will it enough and you can look into parallel universes." She was saying this more for her own benefit than Tionne's. It was probably not a pleasant thing for the ginger to be reminded of her predicament after having just described it, but it helped Siobhan get her thoughts in order.


The fact that Tionne mentioned a universe where Tegaea had been killed gave the whole affair some credibility. Kaelin and one of Shadow's lackeys had tried to assassinate her. "That's fethed up. I'm so sorry. Far as I'm concerned, you are real. You sure there's no way to...fix this?" Acting on impulsive, she pulled the redhead into a hug. Her lips brushed against Tionne's.

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

A light kiss was placed on Sio's lips, affectionate and chaste. Tionne's hand made its way to cup her cheek, her thumb swiping gently against the immaculate skin of Firemane's face. She drew her into a tight hug, and buried her face between Siobhan's collarbone and neck. The smell of her perfume was intoxicating, its lush fragrance carving itself into Tionne's memory. When she finally pulled away, their gazes locked.

"There is no way to amend this, I am afraid. Unless you can go back in time and prevent me from boarding the expenditon ship in the first place." she retorted, still holding Siobhan close - "But there is a way how you can help me, if you are willing."

The redhead took Sio by her hand and lead her to the edge of the terrace that overlooked the ocean. The sun was dragging towards the horizon, as the afternoon slowly crept up on the sky, colouring it in titian hues.

"If the wrong kind of people found my whereabouts, consequences would be dreadful, for everyone. It is paramount that they never know where I am, that they can't find me." said Tionne, somewhat unsettled by what she was about to ask -

"I need a ship. Fast. Undetectable." the Hapan woman voiced her plea - "But I have no credits to pay you."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Matier"]


A chaste but affectionate kiss. Siobhan inhaled the natural purity of the ocean when she tasted Tionne's scent. She hugged the redhead close when she buried her face inside her neck, and stroked the former Jedi's hair. There was nothing sensual about her touch, for it was meant to be soothing.


A frown creased her beautiful but scarred features. "Time travel is beyond even me, I'm afraid," she said sardonically. In another timeline Siobhan had gone back in time, but that had been accidental.


For a moment she was quiet. Her eyes swept over the lovely blue ocean. The sun was slowly moving up into the sky. Everything looked so peaceful and idyllic. A far cry from the stark, cold reality of the Galaxy. She looked thoughtful, then nodded when Tionne voiced her request.


"I can arrange for Firemane to build a ship for you," she spoke finally. "Fast, sure. And we can make it comfortable inside. Undetectable? I take it you mean a stealth ship. We've made those before. We'd just need stygium crystals if you want the best. Do you think you can acquire those?"

 

[Zonia Kalranoos]

Tionne's fair features brightened a notch when Siobhan offered to comission a ship for her. In all truth, the Hapan did not expect her to be so...generous. Many thanks were in order, later. However, there was the not so simple task of acquiring stygium crystals. They were rare, and thus rather expensive. Thanewulf might have lost her connection with the Force, but she was still an exemplar of resourcefullness. She smiled mysteriously, laying a hand on Kerrigan's shoulder, her index finger playing with a stray lock of her hair.

"I'll think of something." she quipped with a wink - "Don't I always come up with a solution?"
Her gaze turned to the sea, but her hand remained entrenched in Sio's hair. The texture of it was pure silk, as if woven by Dathomiri spiders.

"Stygium is mined on Aeten II. I'll just find a gambling parlour and see the outcome of sabacc. Not the most elegant of ways, but it will work." the redhaired woman discerned her plan, certain she would be able to earn enough money before somebody would notice she was cheating. A hard mission, given how every such establishment had security who's sole task was to keep con-artists away.

"Random events I can forsee without much effort. The outcome of a dice-roll, the occurence of rain." she continued upon shifting her gaze back to Firemane - "When free-willed individuals engage in actions, the outcome becomes less clear. Especially if your actions affect the actions of another. We are more interdependent than we think..."
A timid smile crossed Tionne's lips.
"...I mean, look at us. Where would I be without you? Waiting to be found on this planet, to be a tool to some Sith Lord who wants to navigate the tides of space-time? I don't even know how to begin to thank you..."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Matier"]


Siobhan unconsciously arched into the touch when Tionne's played with her hair. She was not only proud of her magnificient firemane, but a rather touchey-feely person. Moreover, Tionne was still a very beautiful woman.


Siobhan chuckled. "Cheating at sabacc with farsight? I approve. Aeten's a good choice. The Mandalorians lost control and no one's come to claim it. But be careful, ok?"


After all, any gambling den worth its name had security measures meant to keep con artists out. After all, the house was always supposed to win! Siobhan frowned when the prophetess talked about the reach and limits of her ability, suddenly reached for her neck and took off what seemed to be a pendant, putting it into Tionne's hand.


"It's a hold-out bolter. One-shot, but packs more of a punch than a hold-out blaster. I can provide ammo later. Just in case." She took a step closer. "You don't have to repay me, it's ok. But if you want to, I can think of a few...creative ways," then she captured Tionne's lips in a kiss. It was not a no-holds-barred assault on the woman's mouth, Siobhan was being more polite than that. But it was definitely not chaste either.