The Butcher and the Weaver

[Rosa Gunn]

Above the blue hue of Tygara's surface, Ashira's Light seemed to glitter, not the usual sight Rosa expected when visiting a spaceport, with its great curves and bright arches, it gleamed. It was lacking the usual dull grey one comes to associate with space stations, especially those that had been in use for decades, tarred with what one could only assume to be engine grease, though how it got there, Rosa would never no. No, Ashira's Light was clean, regal and she very much doubted that its creators would ever let it slide into standards one would normally come to expect.

The Golden Rose looked even more battered in comparison and Rosa felt like she should have perhaps paused to consider where she was going and who she was meeting and maybe washed the old girl as she drew into the large hangar. Next time, she told herself, though she knew full well she wouldn't. What she needed was a new ship it was just one of those things that she'd not yet gotten round to, the Foundation came first and foremost.

Powering down, she lowered the landing ramp, pausing to glance at herself in a mirror to make sure she was presentable before descending and making for the for side of the station that housed Firemane Industries. [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] was a legend. There was no denying it, there wasn't a child in the galaxy the hadn't heard of her and either feared, or wanted to be her. Immensely powerful in the force for one, she was CEO, General, Grandmaster...the list of titles were endless as were the nicknames. Butcher sprang to mind more often than not.

Rosa had met her once, briefly, at a dark time. Rosa did not like recalling the memory, as un-fond of Rave Merrill as she had been, she had been a good friend of Seydon's and her death had knocked the empath sideways, especially so close to building the psychic prison that she had for her deadly alter-ego. So consumed by her own issues, she didn't recall ever having the chance to actually speak to Siobhan, and upon reaching Firemane Industries and tracking the woman's office down to knock the door, she wondered what title was best to use...

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


"Come in," a moment would pass before Rosa heard a voice from inside the office, beckoning her to enter. It was an authoritative voice. That of a woman accustomed to being in command. The imposing blast door opened, as if pulled by an invisible hand, which would enable Rosa to cross the threshold and enter an office that could only be described as majestic.


Whatever else the press might say, all those stories about Siobhan having expensive tastes were accurate. The Jedi's shoes would touch an expensive, elegantly woven carpet. The room was dominated by a majestic mahogany desk stacked with datapads and folders engraved with aurebesh sigils. In addition to all the paperwork, one could also make out various holopics, showing Siobhan's wife, two teenage girls, two toddlers and other women who seemed important in her life. State-of-the-art communications systems allowed the Countess to reach even remote outposts near instantaneously.


A massive transparisteel window offered a brilliant view of the blue-green orb that was Tygara, the myriad celestia bodies that dotted the void and the ships that prowled the vast expansive like ravenous sharks. There was room for guest chairs, couches and so on. The wood of the book shelves lookd fancy as well.


Behind the desk, the Butcher was seated inside a throne-like chair. It was an unspoken rule in Firemane that no one was allowed to have a bigger chair than the boss. Word was that she had a thing about her height. Indeed, physically the Countess did not look that imposing. She was more athletic than muscular, and, as Rosa would see when the Lady arose from her chair and approached her, she walked with a limp.


However, she had a presence and carried herself with a seemingly boundless confidence. Siobhan was dressed in a black coloured women's business suit complete with a fancy skirt, stockings and heels. Long cascades of red hair, only faintly touched by streaks of silver, framed her viciously scarred, but still attractive face. "Master Gunn, welcome to Firemane. I trust your trip was pleasant," she said whilst extending her hand for Rosa to shake, if she was so inclined.


Siobhan had a firm grip. Not too firm, just the right balance. The words that leapt from her tongue carried a strong Rimkin accent, mixed with a bit of an Eldorai one. Her tone was polite, but aloof. Distant. Mental walls encased her mind. Not impregnable, but strong. "Please sit down. Can I offer you anything? Tea perhaps?"

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Siobhan had been in the wars since she'd last seen her, that much was clear, yet the scars o her face seemed only to enhance the woman's beauty. The healer in her reacted instinctively to the limp in her leg, reaching out in the force to assess the damage and see what could be done. Her bones were pockmarked and scarred in a crisscross manner with numerous repaired breaks, here and there, small peices were missing, though if she looked hard enough she could find them in the wasted muscle about it. Rosa did not pry further, she did not want to presume to attempt to heal her, some people were awfully protective of old batle wounds.

She took the offered hand, smiling at its firm grasp. "Pleasant enough, Lady Kerrigan." she replied "I think hyperspace is about the only time i get to rest these days." she settled into the chair offered. "Tea would be lovely thank you." She allowed herself a moment to look around the room while Siobhan made the tea, noting the expensive taste and breathtaking view. Rosa herself, had never been fond of the view of space, even with Tygara framed in all its beauty, she still found it cold. Give her a view over an any day, even the vast desserts of Tatooine provided a far warmer sight.

"This is a beautiful station," she commented "It's like someone plucked a cathedral from a planet and stuck it in space. I'd never have imagined it would look so...regal."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


A ghost of a smile played across Siobhan's lips when she heard the compliment. The Lady was more aloof than she had been in the past, but her love of compliments was enduring. Besides, her station was marvellous. "I'm glad it has that effect. I love being surrounded by beauty. Besides, entire families live on this station and raise their children here. So I might as well make sure they're not living on a cold, rusty bucket. That's just depressing. You should visit one of our worldships. They dwarf Ashira's Light by far," she spoke, while she busied herself making the tea.


"Atrisian green tea. It always helps me relax. I blame my Atrisian sister for getting me addicted to it," she explained when she limped towards Rosa and put an elegant ceramic cup down in front of her. Sugar was close if Rosa took her tea that way. Siobhan had a bit of a sweet tooth. Taking her own cup, she limped back to her throne. A perceptive Force-user like the empath would feel that Siobhan's heels were Force imbued, courtesy of [member="Joza Perl"]'s company. This allowed the Lady Kerrigan to indulge her love for high heels without all the pain that normally involved.


The Countess winced slightly before she sat down, experiencing a stab of pain that shot through her. This was one of those days when her bad leg was doing worse than usual, reminding her that she that her battles had taken a toll on her. She was not getting any younger. "I take it this is your first visit to Tygara. Perhaps I can show you some of the planet and what we've built on it," she brought the steaming cup to her mouth and took a sip.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa smiled. That was an idea she could relate too. If families were to live and be raised it should most definitely be among beauty. That was part of what she was trying to achieve with the new sites for refugees to live. She didn't want to build camps, she wanted to build homes, permanent or temporary it didn't matter. As one family was ready enough to move on on their own, there was certain to be another ready to takes its place. "I'll certainly add them to my list of places to visit." she commented on the worldships. If the dwarfed Ashira's light, then they truly must be something worth taking a side trip to see.

She accepted the tea with thanks, her hands curling about the cup to stave off the cold of space that she was most definitely imagining. "I have an unhealthy addiction to caff, myself. In fact, i'm fairly certain the reason i purchased my ship in the first place was because of the top of the range caff maker it had installed." she chuckled, taking a sip of her tea. It was slightly bitter, but refreshing. She left the sugar untouched, prefering the natural taste of the tea.

A flash of concern crossed her face at Siobhan's wince, force imbued heels may well have been taking what normal pain she would suffer wearing such magnificent heels, but there was obviously something grating on the nerves in the leg. She opened her mouth, wanting to offer her skills to ease the womans pain, but closed it again. Perhaps it was till too soon.

"I would love that!" she replied at Siobhan's suggestion. Perhaps there would be opportunity here to find a location for another sanctuary like the Silent Temple.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


Pain is just weakness leaving the body, Siobhan chided herself harshly. She could not perceive the thoughts running through Rosa's mind. However, the flash of concern on the Jedi's face did not escape her attention. The Countess felt embarrassed about her momentary display of weakness.


"Excellent! It's a date." The apparent enthusiasm Rosa displayed at the mention of a tour of the planet seemed to have the effect of piercing Siobhan's shell. However, the moment of cheerful levity was fleeting. A moment later, the queenly mask was back on. On the outside, she looked poised and elegant, the unquestioned mistress of her domain. Those confident, brown eyes and harsh lines in her face masked sorrow and weariness.


Siobhan leaned back into her chair, crossing one silk encased leg over the other. It was doubtful that her bad leg liked that, but it was what a Lady did in her mind. "So, tell me about the Foundation. I met Boolon Murr once many years ago. Back in the Pyre's glory days. I cannot quite remember if he was still a Republic Jedi then. We were very much ideological opposites, but we found common ground. Surprisingly. I was sad to hear about his death."

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa was slightly taken aback. Siobhan was the first person she had met with that had actually made the connection to Boolon Murr and her foundation. She gave a sad smile. "He was a dear friend, and a good teacher. I learned a great deal from him and it seemed only fitting that the Foundation should be named after him. I like to think he would have approved of what I'm trying to achieve, even if a little uncomfortable with the choice of name." She chuckled. The days were a little darker after his passing.

Rosa gave herself a small mental shake, sitting up a little straighter and focusing on the question. "Our overall aim is to provide humanitarian aid and sanctuary to any who need it, regardless of allegiance or beliefs. Our current goal is to establish settlements for refugees to be relocated too. I'm not talking about your pop up humanitarian camps but actual homes where they can start a new life. Whether they chose to remain there permanently is there own choice, the idea is to give them a foundation to build from, be it to settle down, grow a family and become a part of the new culture or to make enough money to take themselves elsewhere. The point is to give them opportunity. On top of this, we're looking to set up sanctuaries across the galaxy, temples, if you will, open to all and equipped with medical facilities and dormitories."

She paused to take a sip of her tea. "As time goes on, more locations are established and we grow in number of hands available to help we can start looking at direct involvement of extracting refugees from warzones."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


Siobhan nodded. "Most people who try to play Samaritan forget that their good deeds will be for naught if they neglect this little thing called sustainability. No matter whether it's providing aid for refugees or freeing slaves. I learned that lesson as Exarch. Every society needs a solid foundation to build on. It's even more important for people who've experienced horrors, found themselves uprooted and driven from their homes through no fault of their own. The average camp is rampant with disease, abuse and crime. Without opportunities, people are easy prey for criminals and charlatans. No surprise the galaxy is inundated with pirates and insane cults," she commented. Realising that she was rambling a bit, she got back on track.


"So what is it you need most? Monetary donations, transport ships, space for settlements far away from conflict zones? Firemane has access to all three. How do you plan to ensure security in your outposts and settlements? I understand the Foundation wishes to remain unaffiliated with any galactic power."

 

[Rosa Gunn]

"All of the above." she replied with a small chuckle. Feeling strangely nervous about the casualness of the open offer. 'ask and ye shall receive' was not something she had encountered yet. Thus far it had been, a case of 'this is what we can give you' with some small tweaks here and there that she was managing to work in her favour.

"The settlements protection and security falls under that of the local government. Those who have offered places have done so with this factor well underlined. We set them up, we locate people but it is down to the refugees and the locals to work together to build the community together. Else wise they would be isolated and a potential target. As for the sanctuaries," she smiled "as yet, there is only me, though I don't doubt if I made a few calls i'd have a sizeable back up if i ever needed it. Going forwards, its incredibly impractical, that much I am aware of, but I am also a Jedi with a stupidly impractical faith in the force and in the goodness of people to not strike an apparently defenceless sanctuary." She didn't need to know [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] well enough to know that this would irk her. She was clearly a woman of practicality and very different beliefs where the force was concerned.

"I imagine, judging by the fact that you have asked, that you have an alternative suggestion?"

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


Siobhan frowned slightly. Her younger self would have launched a rant about the supposed naivete of such beliefs. Age had not mellowed her opinions...but made her more tactful. She took the world as it was, and dealt in cold, harsh facts.


"I could think of many groups who'd regard an apparently defence sanctuary as perfect prey. Sith, fascists, Bando Gora and so on. Sometimes for no other reason than to sate their sadistic desire to destroy for the sake of it. Those without guns tend to be the victims of those who have them," she commented cynically. In this Galaxy, the strong did as they willed and the weak suffered what they must. It was harsh, it was unfair...but that was the way the wheel turned.


Or at least Siobhan thought so. Perhaps the truth lay somewhere in the middle between idealism and cynicism. "If I were you, I'd look recruit able-bodied women and men in the settlements. They'd have the most incentive to protect the sanctuaries of the group that helped them start over. Part of their remuneration would flow back to support their families back home," she suggested.


In a way, that was just expanding on what Rosa intended to do anyway in her settlements. "Droids are a possible supplement. Moreover, I could make some of my people available. It would be a good chance for some of my acolytes. They'd certainly make good instructors." Of course, a non-profit organisation such as the Foundation would have a healthy interest in not tying itself too strongly to any organisation, no matter how benign. Otherwise it would be difficult to maintain a reputation for neutrality. However, Firemane had a good reputation.


"I approve of your security plan for the settlements. I did the same with Freetown. People get the tools, but then they must rise to the occasion and help themselves," she picked up her cup, her fingers holding it between perfectly manicured nails while she took another sip.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa knew that what Siobhan said was true, she perhaps knew that it was what she was going to say. A Jedi she might be, and one who placed a great deal of faith in the humanity of people and her belief in the force and that there was, somewhere, good in all people. She had not always been a Jedi, in fact she'd spent five years in the hands of the one sith, twisted and changed. She had been, or rather Layil had been one of those sith who would have taken great pleasure in ripping apart a sanctuary like the Silent Temple, for the sheer pleasure of it.

All the same, she was an idealist at heart. "You're right of course, but one can hope, can't they?" she smiled. " I like the idea of opening up the chance for those who've been helped to give something back, i'll take it into consideration. In the meantime, I've only a handful of people which will suffice for the moment. However as our network grows its possible I'd have to take you up on the offer of bodies to help bolster our numbers."

She paused, running things through her mind for a moment, eyes drifting to the view behind Siobhan and taking a large gulp of her tea. "What have you got in the way of ships?" she asked, turning her attention back to Siobhan.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


Siobhan nodded when Rosa had spoken. There was a significant ideological gulf between them, but the Countess could acknowledge that while the Jedi was too idealistic for her tastes, she was no blind summer child with her head in her clouds. The way she spoke and how she carried herself told her that this woman had experienced the darker side of the galaxy, even though Siobhan was in the dark about her past or her experiences with the One Sith.


"We've got a varied portfolio," she pressed a button and various holographic projections came to life. "The Liorre-class super freighter," she pointed to one of them. "A solid workhorse. It has a tremendous carrying capacity and is able to transport up to 60, 000 people. One of the galaxy's biggest freighters. It served Firemane well during the Exodus from Kaeshana."


There was a flicker of something on her face when she referred to the Eldorai's homeworld, but then it was gone. "That's the Caraval," she pointed at another image. "It's designed to transport a division sized force plus equipment to a planet's surface, but could easily be converted to civilian purposes. Furthermore, it's a tough nut to crack."


The last image was terribly ugly. "The Nest is uglier than a Gamorrean, but you can fit an entire heavy dropship squadron inside it. Those are our newest ships that would be most suitable to your operations. We also have plenty of mothballed frigates that are dated but still serviceable."

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa caught the flicker, a shift of something dark and something she knew all to well. She didn't comment or enquire, she merely lodged it under things she'd noticed about Siobhan. The woman was an almost impenetrable mask, but Rosa was also a damn good empath. She turned her attention to the holoimages revolving slowly in front of her. The Liorre seemed almost too good to be true, with complete modularity she could use it as a medical freighter as well transport ship for relocating refugees.

The Caraval appealed for similar reasons though with the added bonus of its defences. If it could take a few hits, it could be used in a warzone with ease to extract people. The Nest, trued to Siobhan's word was ugly, but perfect or moving supplies. "They all have their advantages." she commented, indicating at the Liorre. "How easy would it be to convert this into a medical freighter? Its all well and good if we move people, but not so much if we can't treat them on the move."

The other two she would take as they were, a couple of them if she could. Siobhan's openess of what she had and her disinclination to mention anything in the way of limits made Rosa's incredibly excited and she had to maintain a great deal of self control to not say she'd take five of all of them and as much money as Firemane could spare. It was important that this was well balanced and she didn't ruin it for herself and the foundation in the future.

"And how many ships aere you willing to part with?" she added.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


"Converting the Liorre is pretty simple. It was designed to be modular and flexible. Each of the pods can hold hundreds of wounded and sick. We had many injured to treat during the Exodus and could not stop in the middle of the journey. You just got to get the medical equipment set up and get medical staff on board," Siobhan explained.


At the press of a button, the hologram would shift to a more detailed view of the interior of the super freighter. It was not designed for beauty or creature comforts, but it would get the job done. The Liorre was not the biggest freighter on the market. That title went to a ship manufactured by Silk. However, it was a solid workhorse. "For a start, I believe six ships is fair."

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Six ships....that was a lot of equipment to fill, let alone find staff to run. She chewed her lip for a moment in thought, wondering how and when she was going to find the people to man them. The supplies and equipment were not an issue, she'd just enough money starting to come in to outfit them, and Natalie LaForte was in the process of designing medical droids for her, so at least she'd have something soon enough.

"They're perfect." she said finally draining the last of her tea and setting the cup down. "You mentioned earlier you could free some of your people up, do you, per chance, have some that may serve as skeleton crew for two of these ships? I will leave the others with you for the time being, until I can find more hands, if of course, that is acceptable?"

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


"Yes. That's fine by me. I don't have a list handy at the moment, but I shall put the Personnel Division on the case. By the time the two ships are ready to leave, you should have a skeleton crew. My people are professional and do their job well," Siobhan responded evenly.


That way Rosa would get the people she needed to fulfil the minimum crew requirement, instead of having to go on a tedious search herself. Moreover, they'd actually do their job properly. Of course, it would also allow the Lady Kerrigan to steer the process a bit. A very liberal-minded CEO might have allowed the Foundation to advertise, but Siobhan was possessive when it came to her realm and her minions.


Picking up a pen, Siobhan scrawled down some notes. Even though she was a far more refined person these days, her handwriting was still atrocious. Even protocol droids had trouble deciphering it. "Have you eaten anything, Master Gunn?" she suddenly asked, seemingly at random.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Food hadn't even crossed Rosa's mind, so wrapped up in their discussion and preparations prior to her arrival she had forgotten to eat. That wasn't uncommon, in fact the only time she really remember to eat regularly was when Seydon was around to cook for her. When he wasn't it was caff and ration packs all the way.

"No," she replied with a chuckle as her stomach gave a soft rumble. "I haven't."

Now the thought of food was drifting round her mind, Rosa could not shake the fact that she was hungry. Perhaps a break to eat would be a wise idea, lest she become distracted by it.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


"Well, then we'd best rectify that, yes? My suite is close. We can continue our talk there. I have good cooks. We'll take my speeder." Fortunately for Rosa, Siobhan would not be cooking. The Countess' prowess was considerable in many areas, but her skill at kitchen warfare did not even approach that of a novice.


Rising up, Siobhan got to her feet. She tensed slightly when she stood. Perhaps her leg was playing up again. Either way, she relaxed after she picked up her cane, using it to stabilise herself a bit more as she leaned on it. Beckoning Rosa to follow, she limped out of the office.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa couldn't bear it, she couldn't stand seeing someone in pain and not at least try and do something about it. "Lady Kerrigan..." she began rising after her, looking a little hesitant. "Forgive my intrusion, but, perhaps, once we've eaten, you will permit me to examine your leg? I understand if this might be considered a step over the mark, but I can't help but notice that you're in pain and I would very much like to fix that." The words tumbled out of her mouth, and she was suddenly a different woman to the one who had been all business mere moments ago.

This was a personal matter, though, and personal matters required totally different approaches. Equally, she did not want to offend a woman who could not only break her in two, but could potentially be one of her largest investors.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


Siobhan was instantly taken aback when Rosa brought up her leg - and offered help. It made the Lady Kerrigan feel defensive. "I am perfectly fine. I do not need fixing. I've thrashed Sith Lords. I can handle a little pain," she said flatly, in a rather sharp tone.


Was this kind of 'I'm a tough queen and need no help' macho bullchit healthy? Not even remotely, but among the deadly sins Siobhan regularly induldged in, pride was very high on the list. Pain is just weakness leaving the body, the words shot through her mind like a mantra as she limped out. Each step was torturous.


Nonetheless, she seemed to realise the effect her words might have on her guest. "I am...sorry for getting cross," she said awkwardly, speaking in a softer tone, though she sounded a bit stiff. "I appreciate your concern, but I can manage."