The Birth of Fire (Madeline)

[Phaedra Amaryllis]

"I'm not discounting that in the least. Believe me, I understand. I'm still trying to process it myself." Even she glanced back again to Moira. For a moment, she just paused and thought through it, the reasons and possibilities. If she had been told from the start, Phae didn't image she would have reacted well. She hadn't reacted all that great in the beginning, untrusting, frightened and easily pushed to flee.

"Neither one of us were in great shape when we both woke up. Both of us needed intensive care and help. And knowing myself, I don't think I'd have reacted that well to knowing this when I first woke up. Which could have ended in me getting badly hurt, or regressing. And I sure as hell don't appreciate it being kept from us for this long, in some ways I can understand the reasoning. Doesn't mean I like it." Phae sighed and again looked back to Moira. The next part she really didn't want to have to explain. All the details there, she didn't really have and there was no doubt it would be extremely painful for Enyo.

"As for who....." Phae wrung her hands nervously, anxiously looking for the best place to start with that delightful part of the equation. "I have a sister ... a Jedi. A supposed healer and seer. Not that I really buy the healer part, not with what she did to me. Leaving me to waste away, slowly losing my memories and everything that made me who I am, because of some vision that I'd become greater than she was." Phae shrugged quickly, pushing the pain that came with away as quickly as possible. "She exploited my situation for personal gain, and Archangel, helped to save me, us."

"Your story, I ..." Phaedra bit at her lip, not really wanting to explain this, knowing how much it would hurt her dear friend. "Your situation is a little more grim than mine. If that's even possible." Once more she turned again to Moira, wanting a way out of having to be the one to tell Enyo. For now she let a moment pass for all she'd spoken to sink in, and then maybe she could stomach telling Enyo the rest.

[member="Enyo Typhos"]

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Phaedra Amaryllis"]


Shock crossed Enyo's features. "How...how could your own sister do that to you?" she exclaimed. It did not cross her mind that something about this story could be off. After all, it was Phaedra telling her and she trusted her. Moreover, Phae believed it herself.


"Just because she had a dream about you being better at what...healing? How can you do that to family? That queen. I'll rip her heart out." Clearly she had inherited her counterpart's protective and violent instincts. However, then she saw Phaedra hesitate. "What about me? How can it be worse? Tell me. I have a right to know."


She winced when Callisto placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "There's no way to soften the blow or make this any less unpleasant for you, Enyo. I'm sorry. A Dark Jedi called Siobhan Kerrigan, who's a friend of Phaedra's sister, created you as a clone. To use as a host for her soul to inhabit one day."


Shaking, Enyo took a step back. Her breathing was laboured, she was struggling to control herself. "Y-you mean, I'm not...a real person? I'm just...a clone...meatsuit some witch made because she wanted to live forever? What would've...happened to me if she...possessed me?" She almost spat the last words.


There was a pause before Callisto spoke once more, voice soft. "Your consciousness would've been obliterated, only she would've remained. You were never meant to have an independent existence or even leave the cloning tube, until she needed a new body."


"But...you said I was sick?"


"Yes, we presume the cloning process was imperfect. If Kerrigan had found a way to cure the disease, she would've simply disposed of you and created a different clone."

 

[Phaedra Amaryllis]

Enyo's emotions were difficult to handle. It took the little redhead everything she had to keep from darting out of the room to the safety and silence of the hallways. "I don't understand it, either. I just ... it's hard to fathom that anyone would do that, much less family."

Seeing Callisto move forward, Phaedra grimaced a little fearing the emotional storm that was bound to follow. Taking a deep breath she readied herself, knowing too well it was going to happen. It took a lot of self control on her part to withstand Enyo's emotions as she learned the truth of her creation.

"You are a real person, just as real as me. Just because you weren't conceived in a womb, doesn't make you any less human." Phae finally managed to say, as she stepped forward, wanting to comfort her dear friend and help to ease her pains. "You're safe here, and you have me." She spoke quietly as she laid a gentle hand on Enyo's shoulder. "They've done their best to take care of us, protect us from the horrors outside of this place. It's going to be okay, I promise. May not feel like it right now, but it will be. We can get through this, Enyo. I know we can, so long as we have each other."

[member="Enyo Typhos"]

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Phaedra Amaryllis"]


Slowly, Enyo seemed to calm down. Phaedra's words seemed to have such an effect on her. "Yes, I have you," she said quietly, feeling Phae's gentle touch upon her shoulder. In return, one of her hands moved down to cup the little redhead's cheek.


"We'll get through this together, you and me. And we'll make them pay. Your sister...and that queen Kerrigan. We'll make them both pay one day." Her tone was a good deal softer and less rage-filled than before, but there was a fire in her eyes.

 

[Phaedra Amaryllis]

Phaedra the tiniest hints of a smile as Enyo cupped her cheek. "I'm not going anywhere. Always going to be here for you." Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around her sister, hugging her tightly. It was really the only thing she could think to do to help ease the situation and comfort Enyo.

"We will. In the end, we'll make them both pay." She whispered quietly in return. "For now, we have to wait, train, and prepare."

[member="Enyo Typhos"]

 

[Enyo Typhos]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHit_vQ1f7Q​

"Yes, one day we'll reveal ourselves and have revenge." There was something feral about Enyo's eyes and the cold, grim smile. Reminiscient of Siobhan in her most violent moods. There was a fire inside her eyes. She resembled contained wild fire or a barely tamed predator. How ironic that both Siobhans had been driven by revenge.


She caressed Phaedra's cheek and hugged her tightly, which probably had the slightly comical effect of the smaller redhead's face being nested against her...considerable bust. Finally she released her. "Not now, but one day. So...what happens now? Kind of hungry right now, and when do we get to properly train in this Force stuff?"

[member="Phaedra Amaryllis"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

Force arcane, shards, artefacts. This did not add up. Unless you took a broader view and thought outside the box. Droids could not use the Force. Unless you counted Shards. Perhaps Archangel wanted to harness them. Or...it was creating its own Forcers?


[member="Madeline Kahoshi"] had done it once. Sumiko Tanaka's ships took off from Coruscant, the Eternal City that never slept. Archangel might have just become a lot more dangerous than she'd originally thought. This posed a problem. One day the Inquisition would have revenge.

 

[Phaedra Amaryllis]

Phaedra nodded, feeling the fire burning within Enyo. It was hard not to feel the same desire for revenge, the same want and need to end the lives of those that had done them both so terribly, horribly wrong. Her empathy would not let her escape much of any of what Enyo was feeling, and this time she hardly seemed to mind as it bled over to her.

The redhead leaned into Enyo's gentle touch. She found herself pulling the brunette tighter and closer to her. There was safety and comfort in the arms of her sister. With a sigh she finally let go when Enyo released her, but kept close by. "My question is the same as hers. I want to know when we start to train this. We need these skills if we are to stand any chance against what is out there. "

[member="Enyo Typhos"]

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Phaedra Amaryllis"]


"One day, Phae. One day," Enyo said quietly. She had a far away look on her face. Perhaps for a moment she imagined herself wielding a blue lightsabre, cutting down Jedi and Firemane traitors. She released Phaedra, but held on to her hand.


At this point Moira decided to chime in. "In two days. We have hired an Eldorai rebel called Talsir Vanaeth. Like you, she has reason to despise Firemane. The Company propped up a reactionary puppet regime on the Eldorai's homeworld, then when they learned that an asteroid would destroy the planet, they abandoned all elves except the rich."

 

[Phaedra Amaryllis]

Phaedra nodded, "One day." She agreed. Tightly she entangled her fingers with Enyo's with no interest in letting go. They shared this pain, this burden together. It was just one more thing to bind them tightly to one another and to Archangel, all as planned.

"Two days." She said looking to Moira. "Are we to train here? Or are we leaving to visit this woman and learn from her?" Maybe a part of her was a little hopeful to leave the confines of the Archangel base and see something of the galaxy outside, without the HRDs keeping an eye on their every move. And such an excursion would allow her and Enyo time to discuss recent events and what they both thought about it. The redhead then shook her head, hearing of what else Firemane had done. "Such cruel witches, they deserve to be burned to the ground."

[member="Enyo Typhos"]

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Phaedra Amaryllis"]


"Are you that eager to leave the nest and explore the galaxy already?" Callisto asked in a wry tone. Not at all sounding like a mother whose two girls wanted to spread their wings and fly.


"We have an offworld facility prepared on a world called Gehenna. Both of your 'sisters' have history with it and it is perilious, but this also makes it a good place to start your training. Your trainer is very familiar with it."

 

[Phaedra Amaryllis]

Phaedra glanced back to Callisto, and shook her head. "It's not that, necessarily. I was merely curious as to where the training would take place. I suppose in part, curious if we might get to see something outside this place, soon. That's all."

The little one nodded, "Okay." She sighed after, it at least offered her what she had desired - getting away from the droids for a while. After all, she was still a touch upset and undoubtedly Enyo was as well. "I suppose we'll need to pack and get ready to leave soon, yes?"

[member="Callisto Scarlett"]

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Phaedra Amaryllis"]


"Gehenna," Enyo repeated the name. It did not roll easily off the tongue. "Somehow it feels like...I should know the place. Feels strange." She had never set foot on the world, but somehow it felt to her like the place had meaning to her. Even without her memories, she felt herself shudder a bit, but she clamped down on this feeling of foreboding for Phaedra's sake.


"Kerrigan fought a great battle there many years ago. It was a very bloody day," Callisto said softly.


"Well, it'll be nice to see something other than this station. I think I've watched all the holonet channels by now and Phae's probably read everything in the library," Enyo joked, trying to inject some levity into the conversation.


"I'm sure we'll have ordered new ones by the time you return. You two should go have something to eat. Take the rest of the day off. I'll come by later and help you pack o make sure you've got all the essentials."

 

[Phaedra Amaryllis]

Phaedra glanced to Enyo, looking a little concerned having caught a little of what she was feeling. There was something, something about the place that she couldn't place her finger on just yet, that felt wrong. Something in it felt so dangerous. Why or what exacty was bringing Phae that feeling, she wasn't sure. In truth she just wanted it to go away. Not exactly aware of her counterpart's gift with prophecy and visions - both past and future.

The redhead gave Enyo a bit of a nudge with her elbow. "Oh, come on ... I'm not that bad. Though, I may have ... possibly ... maybe read almost everything. There's a couple lame history books that I've not yet gotten to. Nor do I really want to." She said with a bit of a smile, trying to at least help cheer things up.

Phae gave a nod to Callisto, and having no inclination to stay in the training room any longer, she gave a tug at her sister's arm. "Come on Enyo, let's get something to eat and get out of here." Already the tiny woman was moving, heading to the door.

[member="Enyo Typhos"]

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Phaedra Amaryllis"]


And so Phae left the room and pulled the ironically far taller woman along. "Yes, ma'am," Enyo snorted a bit, but didn't seem to mind much. She was not particularly inclined to linger in the training room. "So we finally get to leave the big station of the many corridors that all look the same. You excited?" she asked in what seemed like a chipper tone. Perhaps she was just trying to improve the mood and calm her own nerves.

 

[Phaedra Amaryllis]

Phae smiled faintly, hearing what her Sister said behind her. Once out of hearing distance of the droids, on the way to their part of the base. "I don't know if I'm more excited or relieved. I just want to be away from them for a while." She said softly. "And well, I do want to see what's outside this place, what the galaxy out there is like. You?"

[member="Enyo Typhos"]

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Phaedra Amaryllis"], [member="Valiens Nantaris"] (tagged because of reasons)


"Same. Some place that's...less sterile all the time would be nice. I'd like to see a forest. Maybe a beach and go for a swim in the ocean. Only seen them on telly," she said wistfully. Apparently some of Sio's tastes had passed on. She looked at Phaedra and cracked a smile. "Guess we'd have to pack lots of sun screen for you, huh? Come on, let's get some food."

 

[Phaedra Amaryllis]

"No kidding, getting tired of the same walls, down every hallway." She nodded, "Yeah, a beach would be great." Something about water, the beach, the ocean and swiming just felt right to Phae. Entirely unaware this was one of her 'sister's' great loves.

Phaedra rolled her eyes and giggled a little bit. "Yes, I suppose we would have to. Can't have me looking like a space Lobster." Finally she pulled Enyo into a small cafeteria space, where they both could get food for themselves. She soon enough grabbed a tray and collected a salad with a fair bit of fruit alongside it.

"I don't know, I suppose I'm still irritated about the whole secret keeping thing. I think they could have trusted us both more, and it wouldn't have been nearly as shocking to discover." She said with a shrug as she took a seat at the table.

[member="Enyo Typhos"]

 

[Enyo Typhos]

[member="Phaedra Amaryllis"]


"I'm quite unhappy about it. Damn machines should've fething told us the truth," Enyo said, more than a little irked. "But...they did look after us, and if these people are as evil as they say, we do need them."


She was trying to keep more of a rein on her emotions in order to avoid upsetting her older sister. "Anyway, come on. I'm hungry. And you know you'd be the cutest space lobster ever," she joked and elbowed Phae slightly. Her joke was probably rather lame, but she was trying to lighten the mood a bit. Anyhow, by now they had reached what passed for a cantina and a friendly droid cook provided them with food. Unlike with many cantinas, it was actually tasty.

 

[Phaedra Amaryllis]

Phaedra nodded, "I agree, completely. Should have been told. And you're right they have taken care of us, when we were most vulnerable. So, that counts for something. And you have a point, we do need them to help protect us."

Phae just chuckled, "Maybe, but I don't want to find out. Seems rather .... unpleasant." With food in hand the redhead took a seat though she mostly picked at her food, suddenly not as hungry as she thought, and still somewhat wrapped up in thinking through the new information they'd both received. "Kinda wonder what this new training will be like, and this person....." She said softly, sounding a little unsure now about it.

[member="Enyo Typhos"]