It's been a long time, my old friend.

[Mia Monroe]

Fear froze her for a breath, its icy fingers seeking purchase around her heart and bringing forth all the fears she'd once had for herself. But it was only a breath, after that moment, it was gone, replaced by the instinct that had saved her life over and over. she brought her fist round to crash against the whipids jaw, seeking to bring him pain, to loosen that grip. Velok reeled, but his grip only tightened and he used her to steady himself, pulling Mia closer.

She pulled a bolter from her thigh and pulled the trigger point blank at his chest. Gore splattered her and she stepped backwards as his grip released on her arm and he tipped sideways, gaping hole in his chest and toppled off the cliffs edge. Breathing heavily, Mia's hands shook as the adrenaline rushed through her. She stepped back from the cliffs edge, thunder rumbling louder than ever as she wiped gore from her face and turned back to the only man she'd loved. The Bard of the Hyperlanes. Rel Connory. Galeth Henst. So many names, so many different faces, not like hers. Her face had literally changed, Galeth had shifted with his personalities. She took a tentative step towards him and he mirrored her action.

Something was wrong about this, but she couldn't put her finger on it, nor could she see clearly through the glaze of tears threatening to overwhelm her. "You're not coming back, are you?" She asked, another step mirrored again. Mia blinked, tears warm as they ran down her cheeks, fingers reaching to touch his face, her forehead pressed against his.

It was a moment of bliss, all fears vanished and she remembered what it had been like to have him at her side. She felt his own hands move to cup her face, but then they were about her neck squeezing tight. His appearance flickered from Rel to Velok and back again. She couldn't breath, panic rising in her, finger scrambling once more for her weapons, but he'd gotten his legs under hers, the ground slamming hard into her back, knees preventing her from reaching her weapons.

She clawed at his face, punched, tried to dig her thumbs into his eyes, but Rel/Velok held on despite her onslaught, his appearance constantly changing.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mia Monroe"]


And so at this moment Siobhan, or rather a rather realistic, well-proportioned apparition of her, manifested upon the mountain top. Dark clouds dotted the sky, thunder roared and bolts of lightning slashed from the heavens.


Mia was on the ground, seeking to ward off a shape that seemed to be shifting between being an apparition of Velok and of a man Siobhan was certain happened to be Rel Connory. The father of Mia's kid. He had her pinned down beneath him and seemed to be trying to choke her, at least that was what Siobhan surmised from her angle. Well, she was not having that.


Mia was her sister, even though she'd sort of razed a planet. Besides, this one had only just gotten the chance to thread with her again. Furthermore, she really hated the talking Warthog and was so done with him. Fury and rage swelled up inside her. Siobhan's lightsabre ignited with a suitably dramatic snap-hiss, producing a burning orange blade. Crossing the distance, she thrust the tip of her blade down towards Velok's back, aiming to stab him, without accidentally hurting Mia.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Orange plasma punched through Velok/Rel's chest stopping inches from Mia's face. His visage stopped flickering, fixed on that of Rel's as surprised eyes looked down at it in surprise. Mia tugged her left hand free from under his knee and seized the end of the lightsaber, shunting it sharply across his chest to where his heart should have been.

His mouth split into a wide, silent scream and he exploded into nothing. Coughing and gasping for breath, Mia climbed slowly to her feet and looked at Siobhan for a long moment. She didn't need to ask why she was here, or even confirm if it was actually her. Siobhan had never been a demon in Mia's mind because Siobhan had never hid anything from her. One of the things she could rely on her sister to be, was brutally honest at every turn.

"What took you so long?" She asked, rubbing her throat. The wind blew across the cliff top and Mia stiffened, reaching behind her head to pull her beskad free, before peering over the cliffs edge. Face's hidden behind t-visors were slowly making there way up the mountain. "I've heard it said that some people make their own prisons. This is mine. I've tried a thousand times to get off this damn ledge and it never works, probably never will. What visits me here are my own demons." She drew back and looked at Siobhan. "You shouldn't be here. This isn't your fight."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mia Monroe"]


"Whatever. It's mine now," Siobhan grunted. Bending down, she retrieved her lightsabre after Velok/Rel exploded into nothingness. She was happy to see the Warthog die another death, even if it was in a dream. Alas, there was no time to rejoice.


Noise came from below the mountain. Figures with visages hidden behind T-shaped visors were coming their way. They were armed to the teeth, armoured and seemed angry. What were the odds that they were wearing actual beskar as opposed to durasteel? Probably high, since this was Mia's own mental prison. Siobhan had the feeling she should have willed her mind to give her dream self better gear, before jumping into the dreamlands.


She muttered an Eldorai curse under her breath. "Time for us to...liberate you." Incredibly lame pun, considering Mia's honorary title during her time as Mandalore. "We kick the arse of the demons your mind conjures up, go down this frakking mountain and get the hell out of jail." Fortunately, she had experience with masochistic mental prisons created by your own subconscious.

 

[Mia Monroe]

The pun was so lame that it earned a eyebrow raised so high it almost vanished into her hairline. "Really? Liberate me? Got nothing better than that tucked up your sleeve have you?" She shook her head muttering, though there was a smile around the corners of her eyes. it felt remarkably good to not be alone. An idea struck her and she reached to grab Siobhan arm, tugging her closer.

"I'm really sorry if this hurts." She closed her eyes and filled the space around them with fire. she let it roll down the cliffs edge, cooking the demons in their armour, setting fire to every tree she could reach with it. The heat was intense enough to burn and blister without fire ever making contact.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mia Monroe"]


Siobhan looked indignant. Or at least pretended to. "What? My puns are great. Tegs would agree. So would all my girls." Sio, Tegs is your wifey and your harem girls get paid to stroke your bloated ego. In any case, it seemed to have cheered Mia up a bit. So she considered it a win. Then suddenly Mia grabbed her and pulled her close. The Mandalorian's iron grip made the Countess wince. Ouch. "You know you're not, Hands," she mock grumbled.


Sio did not have the time to make a lame attempt at flirtation because the space around them was lit up. They were surrounded by a ring of fire. The heat was blistering and made Siobhan recoil a bit. Tutaminis flared to life on instinct. Fire swept down across the edge of the cliff, devouring trees and Mandalorians. What did fire like? Oxygen and wood. What did it consume? Everything.


Siobhan was sadly lacking in pyrokinetic skill. But she could add fuel to the flames, so to speak, by producing a telekinetic whirlwind. The result? A flaming tornado. Team Natural Disaster was always a hit on the battlefield.

 

[Mia Monroe]

The fire was devastinging, eating its way through the dreamscape even without thier help. Mia stopped feeding it as Siobhan's telekinetic wind took a hold of the flames and drove them skywards. Mia's hands dropped to her side and she watched it with her mouth slightly agape in awe. Because lets face it, venue in your dreams, how often do you get to see a fire tornado tearing through your enemies?

Eventually it eased, and the smoke cleared enough for them to see the devastation they'd wrought in Mia's dreamscape. Tree were blackened as far as the eye could see, beskar encased corpses smoked slightly and all was still and silent, save for the occasional crack of a tree under the heat still clinging to most of them.

"You know something, Legs?" She said glancing at her sister. "I think theres very few things that could actually stand against us, together." This pleased her immensely though she coldn't quite put her finger on why it made her so content. "Come on." She inclined her head toward the cliff edge where a path lead down its face.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mia Monroe"]


This one is reminded of a Vietnam War movie they really liked. Something along the lines of 'I love the smell of napalm' in the morning would probably be appropriate. Alas, this one cannot post gifs. Stupid site crash!


Regardless, eventually the magnificient fire tornado ceased, having consumed all that dared stand in its path. Trees had been stripped of all that was green and turned black, Mandalorians had been cooked inside their beskar coffins. There was naught but silence. The silence normally associated with a graveyard.


It struck Siobhan how...easily she and Mia had fallen back in their old routine. Admittedly this was all inside Mia's mind and thus not real per se, but memories of beating up Bando Gora and hunting Vornskr still reared their head. As if the past few years had not happened. She pushed these thoughts aside.


"Agreed. We are pretty badarse together," she said. She took a breath. Summoning the big whirlwind seemed to have cost more energy than she was comfortable admitting. She followed Mia down the cliff. Smouldering corpses of Mandalorians lined the path, amidst fires that still raged here and there, though at far reduced intensity. For some reason they the bodies had not vanished instantaneously like Velok's. She paid them no mind.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Spoiler

Just for you XD

Mia did her utmost not to look at the bodies, the unsettled her, made her stomach twist as she wondered if they were supposed to represent all those she'd killed on Mandalore. It was necessary. she repeated the mantra again in her head and pushed on. She couldn't look back, even with Siobhan at her heels, looking back meant she would see them all and it would give them life.

A headache was beginning to form, a needling behind her eyes a side affect perhaps of the slicing that was being down to her mind, she let out a hiss of pain and lost her footing, or rather the rock beneath her crumbled.

"Feth!" was the only word she could utter before she dropped out of sight. She scrambled for purchase on the sheer cliff face as she feel, finally her beskar fingers jammed themselves into a crack and she hung there for a moment, staring down at what could have been a nasty fall. Something rigid that poked out of the cliff face next to her began to move, turning its ugly face towards her. Mia's eyes widened at the sight of the amphistaff and she promptly smacked her free fist onto its head, squashing it against the wall, but all around her they were beginning to stir.

"Siobhan!" she called, a touch of urgency in her voice. "A little help would be great!"

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

And suddenly the situation had gone FUBAR again. It would not be a good adventure if that did not occur. Mia was holding on to a cliff to keep herself from falling into the pit below, and suddenly they were swarmed by amphistaffs. Nasty little creatures. One of the many reasons why Siobhan was quite certain the Galaxy would be better off if the Vong were wiped out. Alas, she did not have access to Alpha Red.


"Hold on!" As several of the snake-like beasts stirred around Mia, Siobhan raised rocks with her mind. There were loud, angry hisses when creatures were squished or struck by rocks propelled at an absurdly fast pace. Reaching around with her mind, she tried to grab ahold of Mia and raise her. However, this blinded Siobhan to the presence that suddenly manifested behind her.


Right until forking arcs of dazzling hatred suddenly shot towards her. Unable to brace herself in time, Siobhan was suddenly struck by a blast of Force Lightning that shrieked from the fingertips of a female Sith Pureblood dressed in dark robes. Mia would have definitely recognised the evil witch, having had an unpleasant encounter with her on Coruscant. Siobhan fell to the ground, and as she sought to hold back the electrical onslaught with her lightsabre, an amphistaff crept towards her.

[member="Mia Monroe"]

 

[Mia Monroe]

Mia felt her stomach lurch as Siobhan's grip on her faltered, she seized the ledge above her before she had the chance to plummet any further the distance crackle of force lightening made Mia grit her teeth angrily and she hauled herself onto the ledge small pockets of fire erupting around her and she incinerated advancing amphistaffs. Siobhan was still above her, her red hair cascading over the edge. Mia caught a glimpse of the red face queen attacking her and a fury erupted in her chest like she'd not felt in a long time.

The need to be up there overwhelmed her and she blinked, finding herself standing close by them, such was the nature of the dream scape. She advanced, her boot stamping heavily on the amphistaff heading for Siobhan before she placed herself into the torrent of lighting and advanced on Mierin. "You already killed me queen, you don't get to kill my Sister." She advanced, skin glowing from tutaminis as the lightening struck her over and over, when she was within arms reached she seized the purebloods wrists, careful to close her fingers tightly over the compartment on her arm that concealed the amphistaff that had killed her and proffered her with a Keldade Kiss.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mia Monroe"]


The storm of lightning ceased striking Siobhan when the former Mand'alore the Liberator unleashed her fury upon the Sith witch her mind had conjured up. Truly, Mia had a very pleasant mind. Anyone would want to go on a leisurely stroll through it.


Siobhan's skin felt like it was on fire. Pain had spiked inside her chest and she spat droplets of blood. Crucitorn kept down the pain. She breathed in deeply and anger washed over her. To a degree, she was touched by Mia reacting with such vehemence. While the dar'manda and the Sith Pureblood were locked in their wrestling match after the latter had been on the receiving end of the traditional greeting for unwanted visitors to Keldabe, Siobhan moved to the side.


I really, really wanted to kill you ages, she looked upon the Sith with loathing in her eyes. Her somewhat bruised lips curled into a thin sort of smile. Orange tendrils of Drain Life leapt from her fingertips, shooting towards the apparition. She was hungry and wanted the damn queen gone.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Mia recognised the tendrils that stretched from Siobhan to Meiren, releasing the sith from there grapple and stepping back rapidly. Let her have this one, let Siobhan bury the pureblood in whatever way she deemed necessary. The pureblood seemed unable to fight back, almost unwilling as her life was drained from her in a fury that Mia wasn't sure she'd seen in her sister's face before.

When she let out her last sigh and toppled, another carcass to join the masses they had already created Mia felt something change in the air about them, something in her heart shifted. "I realise what hell I've put you through," she said turning her attention to Siobhan "I thought I already did, but I didn't, not until now. I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you."

The distant rumble of thunder that had been ever present in their battle had quietened and Mia understood its meaning swinging her eyes to the horizon. "I've punished myself for long enough." she whispered to herself before glancing at Siobhan. "I've got this, Siobhan. Time for you to go."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mia Monroe"]


Siobhan met Mia's gaze. "Yes, you hurt me. A lot," she confirmed. There was no point in denying it or trying to soften the blow. "But you didn't betray me...unlike many others." Her tone was laced with bitterness. Even members of her own family had turned on her. The past years had left her with scars that were etched deeply in her psyche. Was it selfish of Siobhan to place this above what had happened to the millions who perished in the firestorm that had consumed Mandalore? Probably. But she still cared about Mia.


"I accept your apology. Now get your arse in gear and get down this damn mountain. That's an order." Then she gave the other woman a hug - whether she wanted it or not. Slowly, Siobhan dissipated, her form fading from the dreamspace while the rumble of thunder slowly died down.

 

[Mia Monroe]

The Liberator let out a breath as Siobhan dissipated before her and rolled her shoulders, turning her gaze towards the horizon for another moment. Something stirred at her foot and she brought her boot down hard upon the amphistaffs head without looking. This was her mind. She was in control here. She could feel Velok's memories beginning to fade, but she could knew the echo of the whipid was trying to fight back, digging his claws in deep where he could.

She took off at a run down the mountain trail, trusting her feet and trusting her instincts in the force so guide her, drawing her beskad from her back as she reached the bottom, where he waited for her. Thunder rumbled again as the aged whipid ignited his lightsaber and beckoned her forward.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mia Monroe"]


And so Siobhan awoke in the real world. Her eyes fluttered open. At some point she must have fallen, for she was lying on a couch. It took a moment or two for her eyes to adjust to the bright light in the living room. "Chesna?"


"Right here, Mistress. You alright?"


"Just dandy," Siobhan muttered and tried to get up, but her legs protested. They felt like jellie. "How far are you?"


"Almost done." The primeval Eldorai paused, looking troubled. "I saw what she did. I won't break your confidence, but you know that, but so many people died. Innocent people. Children."


"I'm aware. When the Mandalorians seek retribution, they'll be in the right. I'd do the same if I was one of them. She spilt more of their blood than any Sith Lord. And for what? Not that it matters now."


"Velok made her lose sight of who she is...but she still made the decision herself. People can change...I did. Maybe she can do the same. But don't get your hopes up about her suddenly doing a 180 because we flushed him out. She may still cling to the idea that murdering her people was 'for the greater good', if only because admitting otherwise is too painful." there was a note of warning in the tone of the normally carefee elf.


"I'm not. And saying sorry doesn't wash the blood away, except in sappy fairy tales. Enough talk. Let's get it done." Her tone was terse. Slowly, she managed to get up and keep herself from falling, though she was swaying a little. While Mia fought her mental battle against the old Whiphid, she would continue the deletion process.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Beskad and lightsaber clashed beneath darkening skies, sparks spitting from their blades and bouncing over the ground. Their movement was a blur, a whirl of fury too fast for the naked eye to see. Mia struck low, Velok's blade humming down to meet her, she cracked her elbow across his snout and he staggered back. Mia did not let up as rain began to fall, she advanced after him, beskad swinging up to carve a bloody line from left hip to right shoulder. Velok roared, the first noise either of them had made since the fight had begun.

A fist swiped for her, the force swiping with it. The blow itself missed but the force did not, throwing Mia several feet to her left. She hit the ground hard and rolled, coming up on one knee. He followed her, energy sparking at his clawed hands, lightning jumping in great arcs towards her.She was ready for it, lips pulled back over bloody teeth in a wide smile. She slid back, under its force, palm raised and a glow with tutaminis as she drew its energy within. She anchored herself, one hand holding tightly to her sword the other absorbing the direct assault.

He shifted the attack as he drew closer, driving the spakrs at her from every angle, he skin glowed where each hit struck and she disappared beneath the crackling light show, eyes fixed on him, waiting for him to come closer. Inch by inch he did and she coiled the muscles in her legs, preparing to pounce. Blood rushed in her ears, singing to the rhythm of her adrenaline pumped heart.

Thud-thud. Thud-thud.

Another step closer.

thud-thud. thud-thud.

She sprung, lightening bouncing off her in all directions, beskad aglow with the heat of it. It hissed upwards slicing clean through the flesh and bone of his arm. The stink of cauterised flesh filled her nose, his scream of fury and pain drowned out the thunder. She followed the upwards slice with a back hand slash to cleave through his neck. The body swayed for a moment or two, as if unsure that it was truly dead before it crumpled.

Mia's beskad slid from her fingers and she stepped back, sinking to the ground breathing heavily. She stared for a long moment as his defeated form letting it sink in proper.

She began to laugh.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mia Monroe"]


And so Velok perished again. In a manner of speaking at any rate. When Mia clove through his neck with her beskad and ended his existence in the dreamscape, Siobhan and Chesna struck. A mental wave of Force would surge through Mia's minds, eradicating the last embers of Velok that resided inside her. The shadowy tendrils that had wrapped themselves around her soul were burnt away, being roasted in the cleansing flames.


Without frying her brain, of course. Siobhan would have been very upset if that had occured. For a long time, the talking Warthog's memories had resided inside her. They had strengthened the former Mand'alor and endowed her with great power.


Indeed, without them she would not have cheated death and returned from the Netherworld after being slain on Coruscant. However, the power of the Walking Holocron had come at a price. One that could be measured in mountains of corpses upon the blighted landscape of Mandalore. How being freed of him would affect Mia was was another question that could probably only be answered in time.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Mia felt the memories leave her, it was like she'd been stuck in a hot room for hours and someone suddenly opened a window to let in a cool breeze that blew over her mind, cleansing as it went. Her own memories became sharper, no longer blurred by the sith lords presence. She laid back on the ground and closed her eyes, letting the sensation wash over her, letting her mind become blissfully blank for the first time in a long time...and probably the last.

When her grey eyes flitted open again, she was not staring at a stormy sky, but instead at the ornately decorated ceiling of Siobhan's living room. By manda that woman spared no expense when it came to showing off her wealth. She turned her head slowly to see Chesna and Siobhan standing over her and managed a small smile.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Mia Monroe"]


For someone who'd been born in the gutter and used to hate aristos and unnecessary luxury, Siobhan sure loved her pretty things. A psychologist would probably speculate why. Anyhow, Mia awoke from her slumber, with her mind purged from Velok's poisonous influence.


"Hey, vod'ika," Siobhan said softly and a bit tiredly. Was Mia even the younger one? Eh, whatever. "Take it easy. How are you feeling?" She shot Chesna a look, just in case the primeval Eldorai was about to make a joke laced with lame innuendo.