Research Time (Siobhan)

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

"Yes, Jedi Krook displayed a lack of enthusiasm about my departure. He can stuff it," Phylis said with a smirk.

Coming on board he noted Harmony, but she was ready for the innuendo and merely raised an eyebrow. "And I her, naturally. Opposites attract, it is said, hmm?" Phylis said with a glint in her eye rarely seen before.

ERP-69 rolled up behind Phylis and beeped.
“Now, now, Six-Nine, that’s not nice. I’m sure Miss Harmony’s hairstyle is an old Dahomian tradition. We must respect such customs if we’re going to Tygara!” she said, wagging her finger at the droid. The Astromech made a sound suspiciously like a snigger.

“Hmm, lead the way, Siobhan. I assume there’s more than one bedroom on this ship?”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


"No, per Eldorai tradition I must share my bedroom and commune with the Goddess with you. It's important to respect customs, you know!" Siobhan declared. She was apparently under the delusion that she was being terribly sly and witty. She chuckled, then made a gesture to Phylis, indicating that she follow her.


"I'll show you your bedroom." Said room was obviously less big than Siobhan's cabin, which had a very nice mistress bed, but still very comfortable. Siobhan would lead the way, which would give Phylis a very good view of her tight, leather-clad butt. In the unlikely case that the librarian was even remotely paying any attention to it! "By the way, keep up the snark. I like you this way," Siobhan said with a bright smile, turning briefly to look upon Phylis before she opened the door.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Phylis was not looking at Siobhan’s ass, but instead at the furnishings around her.
“Hmmph, I am making an effort. When in Theed after all,” Phylis replied.

She sat on the bed in her allocated room. All the furnishings were a pleasant cream colour. “I’m amazed you can keep this so clean, white is very difficult to keep from staining,” Phylis commented. She put her bag down and stretched out on the bed.

“So, hmm, how long’s the flight?”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


"It'll take a bit. Twelve hours at least, I'm guessing. So if you want to rest for a bit or freshen yourself up, there's time. We can have some food and drinks if you like. Eldorai wine is magnificient," Siobhan said with a smile, though whilst she did so she was still leaning on her somewhat annoying cane. Doctors had said she should get used to having to use it for a long time. One had even claimed she would not be truly combat capable anymore. She had dismissed that claim.


As for Eldorai wine, it was truly magnificient.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“Hmm, is this the part where you ply me with wine so I lower my defences?” Phylis asked slyly. “It won’t work, but I’ll have dinner…and wine…with you. But first I would like to get freshened up. I’ll see you in the dining area in half hour.”

When Siobhan was gone the Jedi Master carefully examined the room to ensure there were no hidden cameras or peepholes. She wasn’t expecting any, but one had to be sure….

Locking the door securely and putting Six-Nine on watch she went to the refresher and then dressed in her robes again. She’d only managed to grab one set on the way out so she would likely have to find something on Tygara.

After drying her hair and preparing herself she stepped out and headed to the dining room. Harmony was waiting, probably looking for snarky revenge after the previous hair comment.
“Welcome, Jedi Mistress. Lady Kerrigan will be along soon.”
“Thank you, Harmony.”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Siobhan looked completely innocent. "Phylis, dear, rest assured, if I managed to seduce you into my bed I'd like you to be completely sober and not inebriated. Can't have you not remembering all the lovely things I'd do to your beautiful body. Or being able to blame it on the wine," Siobhan said with a wink before departing.


"By the way, there's no cameras. I'm not that obsessed," she added. Doubtless Phylis would still look for them! In any case Siobhan freshened up and put on a nice black dress - not THE black dress [member="Mirien Valdier"] loved so much because that probably would not be fitting - then having one of her concubines....err, attendants do her glorious firemane, she headed to the dining room.


"There we go, all freshened up. Let's start. Harmony, please set the table, dear."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Phylis’ eyebrows raised at the first, a faint blush colouring her cheeks before she turned away.
“Siobhan, your provocations lose their edge after a while. However, I am slightly reassured that you but such stock in consent and choice. Perhaps I had expected different.”

She sat at the table and let Harmony serve her the meal. The Jedi Master noticed that the girl knelt down beside her to serve the dish, offering a good look at her bountiful cleavage. Or would do, if Phylis was looking. Rather, she looked at the girl’s eyes, not judging, but steady, and Harmony ceased her games and went to Siobhan after a moment.

“Thank you, Harmony. A toast, Siobhan, to new worlds,” Phylis said, raising her wine glass.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Phylis' comment had actually struck a nerve with Siobhan, whether this had been intended or not. Maybe she was being oversensitive. "I never force myself on anyone, Phylis. That's barbaric and wrong. I'm not Kaelin. I enjoy female beauty, I have a big harem, and I enjoy it. But any woman who joins my bed does so consensually. Trust is a big part of the games I play," she had said.



Then there was the skip to the dining room. Unlike Phylis, Siobhan obviously appreciated Harmony's bountiful cleavage while the Dahomian served her dish and poured her a glass. "Mistress, that dress looks magnificient on you and your firemane is lovely" Harmony said innocently, for she had long discovered that puffing Siobhan up was a good way to get a raise because the woman was very vain.


Siobhan was probably not totally oblivious to that, but enjoyed the attention nonetheless. "Aww, thank you Harmony," she said happily, giving the servant girl a kiss before turning her attention back to Phylis and likewise raising her glass. "And to unlikely but good friendships," Siobhan said with a smile. They clinked nicely together and she took a sip from her wine.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
For her part Phylis nodded, taking a sip of the wine. It was sweeter than she was used to, but still an excellent vintage.
“I was going to ask…emulating your wife’s hair?” Phylis asked, eyebrow raised. The red hair looked disconcertingly different, but she’d soon get used to it.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Siobhan savoured the taste of the very excellent wine, then smiled brightly. It was very good vintage and as sweet as she liked it. Then she gave Phylis a smile. "Kind of. Redheads are awesome after all. Do you like it?" she asked brightly. She casually twirled her now very red hair. "Mirien likes me red."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“It is very…hmm…different,” Phylis said tactfully. “I admit that as a Jedi I am not exactly an expert on these things, but you are still married, yes?”
In as polite a way as possible, Phylis was raising the ‘are you dying your hair for your lover rather than your spouse’ question.

She continued to eat and drink. She did look at Harmony occasionally. She had some questions for the girl…though likely ones the Dahomian would find very odd!

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


"Yes, I am still married, Phylis. Happily married. Tegs is an amazing woman. We've got two lovely daughters. I believe you met Nato on an expedition of yours?" Siobhan asked, taking a sip from her wine before cutting herself a slice from her steak.


"I went to hell to get Tegs and Galina back. I love my wife, we've there for each other at our best and worst moments. We don't agree on everything, but we have a connection. I also care very deeply about Coryth and Mirien. Don't know what Tegs'll say about the red hair yet. Guess I just need to find out! If this is a 'did you change it for Mirien' type question, the answer's no. Anything else you want to ask me about my love life? I'm an open book and we're friends after all."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
Phylis looked a little uneasy. “My apologies, didn’t mean to pry. I’m just not very, well, used to these sorts of relationships. The anthropologist in me is fascinated by how it all works, as I know a lot of people are not as open-minded about relationships.”

Desert came, and with it a large bowl of whipped cream to go with their saan pie.

Phylis eyed it warily. She had heard stories. Still, no one was immediately proposing it be used as anything other than food, so she took some.

“So how’s progress on Tygara? I don’t know much about it, except what I’ve seen in the holonews. It’s not exactly tier one news. Too many other less pleasant things going on,” Phylis said with a sigh.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Siobhan had no clue what anthroprologist meant, but gave 'her' Phylis a smile. "Nothing to apologise for, I don't mind. Ask away. I'm cool with being your...what it's called anthropological study project into unconventional relationships! To be honest, I don't understand how monogamous relationships work. Seems to me like monogamy is monotony, as Tegs would say."


There, now Phylis could gain new insights! "As for Tygara, work is going fine. Firemane's set up a base, we've got surface ships on patrol on the seas and there's some trade going on. Stuff to help the Qadiri modernise and move on from slavery. We've had fights with the Xioquo, they're kind of like dark elves from holovids, but terribly fractious. We drove them away from an island they were using as a base for slaving operations. Semiramis is doing her best to appear accommodating...probably as a charade to use us for her own ambitions against her rivals. The court is as a scheming nest of vipers, but we're used to that."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“I can see myself releasing a documentary soon for the Discovery holochannel entitled ‘The Mating Habits of the Wild Kerrigan’! Hmm, and like any naturalist, I will have to get close enough to observe, but not too close so I get ensnared,” Phylis joked.

“The Qadiri are their largest group, I presume. They do sound much like their Kaeshana cousins in that regard at least. I strongly suspect that one of them will try and do something frightfully silly and try to rebel against you. I only hope you control the urge to oppress them too badly.”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Siobhan laughed. Genuinely. Yep, she liked snarky Phylis. "Not even a little bit ensnared? I promise to release you from my web. Aren't you just a little bit curious?" she asked innocently, winking at the librarian.


"And come on, I don't oppress people that much. I'm totally benevolent...well, mostly. The Qadiri are the largest group, yes. Probably most similar to the Eldorai. But they're very fractious and divided. Semiramis just rules the biggest kingdom. And no single ruler is seen as being the supremre representative of the Goddess in the way the Star Queen is. There's some sort of clerical leader called the Saoshyant. Politics over there make the court intrigues on Kaeshana look downright stable."


Needless to say Siobhan did not like disunity much. No, some day Tygara would have to be united. Obviously she would want a fancy title and power. Anya should be Queen though! The irony was that Anya the born aristocrat and Eldorai was probably far more modern in her views and bearing, while Siobhan had gone native.

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“I’m interested, I might even be interested enough to observe you in action, but I don’t think I’ll be taking part.” She looked again at Harmony. “Not whilst I’m a Jedi anyway. I am curious though how you advertise for your positions. It must make for a, hmm, interesting interview process.”
Harmony gave an outrageous wink. “Mistress Siobhan is very vigorous with her application process.”
“I’m sure she is,” Phylis said with a smile.

“The planet sounds like a mess, much like the rest of the galaxy is right now. I hope you can successfully balance out the competing groups. If not, there will be, hmm, war. Well, probably massacres is the better term.”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Needless to say Siobhan's mind plummeted in the gutter at the idea of Phylis observing her in action. Some very raunchy images would bleed over to the librarian. "I have high standards and test my girls most thoroughly. You're totally welcome to watch any time, dear. I'll have to make it extra stimulating for you. Do make detailed notes," she said with a smile and a wink. "After all, knowledge is precious and I know how dedicated you are to it."


Chesna would definitely have to join in. Briefly the Countess pondered the likelihood of getting Phylis to leave the Jedi. It seemed like a mission impossible to her. The woman's refusal to give into her charms was maddening, yet it just increased Siobhan's desire for her. She had the impression that Phylis knew this and was having fun trolling her.


Then she turned her attention back to Tygara. Siobhan was capable of having a serious discussion after all. "Tygara is a mess, yes. Even more tempestuous than Kaeshana. We're trying to find a balance because I have no desire to just fight Semiramis' wars for her. But there's gonna be war with the Xioquo. They're run by sadistic slavers and quasi-Sith and I'm tolerating that. They're very fractious, so we may be able to exploit internal tensions and put a queen in place who's more...amenabe. Better than just invading them outright and having total war. Change cannot come out of the barrel of a gun alone, but in this case not without. I want to get rid of slavery, but I can't just wave my lightsabre around and expect all the slaves to be magically set free and be shiny and happy."

 

[Phylis Alince]

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]
“Hmmph, maybe I will watch. It’s not like you seem to have any modesty about it,” Phylis said, though without rancour and with a smile.

“I appreciate your sentiment to do right by people there. Going in too idealistically and demanding freedom for all tends not to end well for anyone. Remember though, even if the Xioquo leaders use the Dark Side and commit evil, not all their people are such. Fear and tradition can do the most terrible thing of all; it can make one apathetic to the morality of their actions. They may not be saying yes, but they are also not saying no. My only hope is you’ll be able to help them in a way which limits deaths.”

“As I’m sure you’re aware, the same applies to the Qadiri. Your vast superiority in technology might make them fear and admire you, but it doesn’t make them like you. Perhaps there is a way to limit such damage, but I fear that there will come a breaking point where they will force your hand. How far will you go if they rise up, Siobhan? Will you turn your weapons on them, blaster against bow?”

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Phylis Alince"]


Siobhan was quiet for a good while. She took another sip from her glass, then put it down. "Phylis, you know me and I respect you too much to pretend to be something I'm not. I've slaughtered my way across the Galaxy, killed monsters and probably brought about the deaths of many good people along the way. Do I want to subjugate Tygara in a bloody campaign of slaughter? No. War doesn't make you great, the Jedi had that thing right. Once the bullets start flying ideals tend to go out of the window. What I want to do is settle down with my wife, my kids and my lovers and forgot the world's problems," she said bluntly.


"But that's the ideal. I want to do the right thing and bring progress to the planet. A chance for the slaves to actually be free and live their own lives, for it to get trade and be free of the depradations of pirates. And unity. I don't expect to be loved by everyone. Blasters and starships inspire fear, perhaps obedience...but not love. But if there's war I will fight with all the means at my disposal. Not all Xioquo are evil, it's just a wicked culture that encourages wickedness. Same with the Qadiri seeing slavery as natural because it's been that way for centuries. I wouldn't be any different if I'd grown up there. But when there is conflict...I will do what I have to do to win. I cannot promise that it will be clean. War never is, but I will do my best to keep collateral damage low. I've got enough blood on my hands."