The Butcher and the Weaver

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa looked a little crestfallen at Siobhan's sharp words, but in truth, she'd expected nothing less. Siobhan was a proud woman and Rosa had struck a nerve by pointing out her pain. She followed the limping noble from her office, falling into step next to her eyes downcast. She looked up however when Siobhan apologised and smiled.

"It's alright, I expected nothing different. I figured you were the sort that liked to bear your injuries as though they were punishments. I'm a healer by trade and its my duty to offer," she met Siobhan's eyes unblinking and fearless. "Even if someone is too proud to accept help. Just because you can manage, doesn't mean you have to."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


"They all have history. They remind me of where I came from, what I struggled against and what I overcame - and what I did not. They push me to fight harder," Siobhan elaborated. Her tone had become less defensive.


She scrutinised Rosa. "You remind me of a healer I know. You'd probably get on well," she remarked as she led Rosa out, passing the seemingly endless array of offices. A megacorporation never slept and so even at this late hour activity was quite hectic and the amount of offices made it look like a maze, but she still navigated well enough.


Outside of the Firemane complex, a speeder awaited them, for the station was quite big. A scarred elf with dark greyish skin sat in the driver's seat. She had the bearing of a soldier and was dressed in a Firemane uniform that sported the emblem of the Fire Order - a magnificient Phoenix wreathed in flames.


When the two ladies approached, the Drow got out and opened the door for them. "Lady Mistress, Mistress Jedi, this one greets you and is ready to pilot your craft. Where would Lady Mistress like to venture?" she asked politely in heavily accented Basic.


"I've been trying to wean her off referring to herself in the third person. No luck so far," Siobhan muttered as an aside to Rosa before she addressed the young Xioquo. "Evening, Karrigan'Xalda. Take us to my suite."

 

[Rosa Gunn]

"I'd be lying if I didn't say that was a foolish mindset to have. Memories can serve perfectly well as reminders of suffering, the fact that you use pain as a way to push yourself further is somewhat disconcerting. One might say you've a likeness to Sith." iIt was not meant as an insult, simply an observation, but no sooner as the words left her mouth did Rosa realise that it may very well be taken as insult. "Sorry." she said again with an apologetic smile.

She smiled at the Drow, replied to Siobhan without skipping a beat. "Some habits are hard to break."

She settled herself into the speeder beside Siobhan.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


Siobhan's eyes narrowed. The look on her face could only be described as icy. "I am nothing like a Sith," she said flatly. She remained grumpily silent throughout the drive, while her Xioquo minion navigated their craft through the labyrinthinian districts of the Ashira's Light.


Eventually they reached the section the rich and powerful dwelt in, arriving at the Kerrigan-Alcori suite. Xalda brought the speeder to a halt and stepped out, opening the door for the two ladies. "Do you require anything else from this one, Lady Mistress?" she asked demurely, sensing her Lady was in a mood.


"No, thank you. You can take the rest of the night off," Siobhan responded and limped towards the entrance of her residence. She typed a pass code into a security console and the door opened after it had been confirmed, revealing a tastefully opulent penthouse.


Perhaps the universe sensed that Siobhan could not remain gloomy and grumpy for the entire thread, so it decided to cheer her up by sending in the little ones. And so a little girl came rushing towards the pair. "Auntie Sio!" little Adril exclaimed as she rushed towards the older woman, pulling her into the kind of no-holds barred, powerful hug that only a child with far too much energy is capable of.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa couldn't help but smile at Siobhan's mood. People often got sulky when people were honest with them. The truth, no matter where it came from, was always a little painful. While she should have been slightly nervous she took the fact that the dinner offer was still open and she'd not been launched across the space station as a good sign that she'd not ruined things yet. She mouthed an apology at their driver, and waved goodbye.

Whatever she had expected of Siobhan's home (expensive furniture and lavishly decorated among that list) she had not expected the child. Rosa caught herself before giving away any outward sign of shock. It wasn't that Siobhan shouldn't have children, it was simply that she had wanted them so much herself, they always left her a little unsteady. The battle of Roche had left her barren, and Seydon's Trial of waters had sterilised him. Recovering quickly she smiled down at the girl.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]

"Hey there, sweetie. How's my little Addy?" Siobhan said happily, mussing the little one's brown hair. It seemed that her grumpy mood had been washed away in the blink of an eye. Distraction generally worked when her mood was bad but not apocalyptic.
"My name is Adril!" the girl declared a bit peevishly.
"But I like Addy. It sounds adorable. Where's your sister?"
"Livy is reading her books. She only does it to show off with her big words."
"Well, I'm sure we can pull her away from her books for a moment." Internally, Siobhan felt happy that they had not been arguing about toys again. She stepped aside to give Adril a better look of their guest. "Adril, this is Rosa Gunn, a Jedi Master and a guest of the family. Master Gunn, this is my niece Adril."
Adril looked at their guest with the typical curiosity of a child. "Hello Master Gunn, nice to meet you," she said politely, stretching out her tiny hand. "Are you one of Auntie's girlfriends?"
"Adril!" Siobhan's face had turned as scarlet as her firemane. The Countess looked mortified.
"What? Many ladies who visit are your girlfriends. Auntie Chessie said so."
"Yes, well...Anyhow, Ms. Gunn is a guest and a business partner, not a girlfriend." She was so going to have a talk with Chesna about which topics were not appropriate for children.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa took Adril's hand and shook it gently, laughing at her question. "Your Aunt is right, Adril, i'm just a business partner, though," she leaned forward to the girls ear whispering "Between you and me, I think she'd like me to be more."

She winked as she drew back, letting go of Adril's hand, and flashing an innocent smile at Siobhan. "Kid's say the greatest things don't they?"

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


Siobhan flushed slightly. She should never underestimate a child's ability to embarrass her. She blamed Chesna. "Yes, they do indeed. Adril, be a good girl and fetch your sister," she ordered in a tone that managed to be both sweet and sound like 'I am kinda sorta grumpy with you now'.


Adril wrinkled her nose. "Auntie always wants it to be more," she grumbled. She was happy that there was no chance of her Auntie kissing their guest. That kind of thing was so gross. She looked up at Rosa. "You're nice. Alright. I'll go get Livy. She'll go on about how she has to order all her books."


By title or date? Siobhan wondered. "Addy, just fetch her," Adril ran off, presumably grumbling about being called Addy. Siobhan meanwhile took off her heels and put her coat away. Beckoning Rosa to follow, she led her towards the dining room. Predictably, it was expensively furnished. "Livy spends most of her time with her nose deep in books, Addy is more adventurous and outgoing. But they're good kids. I've been looking after them since they were toddlers."

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa followed Siobhan's lead, removing shoes and padding barefoot after the redhead through he home. Rosa barely glanced around her, Siobhan's office had been enough for Rosa to know the woman's tastes. As a minimalist herself, she'd never really understood the draw towards rich furnishings. Each to their own.

"What happened to their mother?" Rosa asked, oblivious that this may have been a personal question that Siobhan wouldn't want to discuss.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


"She's...not with us anymore. She was a brave girl. Very spirited," Siobhan responded. Her expression did a good job masking the pain. So did her tone, but it was too practiced and rehearsed. Her aura, however, could not camouflage the sorrow. Natoline's descent into madness had left a void inside her. She'd been one of her bravest, dearest daughters - and her first student. The wound was no longer raw, but it still hurt.


"They don't really remember her," she sat down on one of the couches. A very pretty, dark skinned servant girl brought refreshments. "Do you have a children?" Once upon a time that would have been a silly question to ask a Jedi. Little did Siobhan know how unpleasant it would be for Rosa.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

The pain that came off Siobhan wasn't so powerful, but Rosa had not expected nor prepared for it and as a result it hit the empath hard. She drew in a sharp gasp and exhaled slowly, easing it away from her. In hindsight, it had been foolish not to expect something sorrowful when an aunt was left to raise her nieces.

"I'm sorry." she replied earnestly. Settling down into the couch beside Siobhan and wincing openly at her question. She shook her head in response. "I lost my chance of children at the Battle of Roche. Forced miscarriage at the hands of Mikhail Shorn." It was surprisingly easy to say, perhaps it was because she had become so used to the idea that she could never have them. She shrugged, trying to be nonchalant and failing ever so slightly.

"Everything happens for a reason."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


Roche brought back memories. She knew Shorn by reputation. She hadn't expected Rosa to have been there...or to have suffered such a loss. "I'm sorry for your loss. No mother should have to go through that," she said feelingly. She felt bad for having reminded the Jedi healer of it, even though she could not have known. "I've lost children as well," she added a bit quietly. One had descended into madness, the other was dead as far as Siobhan was concerned.

The awkward moment was broken up when two little girls entered the room. "I finally fetched Livy, Auntie Sio. It's her fault we're late. She went on about how she had to order her books!" Adril declared.

"Aunt Siobhan, Adril sabotaged my efforts to order my book shelf. She kept putting my books into the wrong order," Livia said in her most earnest, innocent tone.

"Girls," Siobhan sighed slightly. "Livia, this is Jedi Master Rosa Gunn. She's a guest."

Livia stepped towards Rosa, looking at her curiously. She stretched out her hand. "Hello," she said softly, glancing towards her aunt, she added, "I thought you did not like Jedi, Aunt Siobhan."

"I like those who aren't stupid," Siobhan responded. She was probably silently cursing her kids' ability to embarrass her.

"Adrll said you're nice. Can I call you Aunt Rosa? We have many aunts, but no mother."

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Ross placed a gentle hand on Siobhan's arm. It was one thing to lose a child you had never met, another entirely to lose children who had had the opportunity to capture your heart entirely. She could not convey her sympathy into words.

The children's return shattered the moment, bright and beautiful as they were. So very different in personality, Adril and Livia were quickly capturing Rosa's heart. She laughed at Livia's comment about Siobhan not liking Jedi.

"That's understandable, I don't like most Jedi either." She accepted Livia's hand and shook it. Slightly taken aback the request to call her aunt. "Would you like another Aunt, or would you rather have a friend instead? Aunts, after all, can be incredibly bossy, and I'm not sure I'm up to that standard."

She flashed Siobhan a slightly apologetic smile.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


The sweet moment of comfort was short-lived, but Siobhan appreciated it nonetheless. She could not say who of them had had it worse, but her experiences had wounded her deeply, even though she was reluctant to show it out of fear of appearing weak.

In the meantime, it seemed the two girls were quite taken with Rosa. Livia gave the older woman's words some thought, then nodded solemly. "That is true. Our aunts can demonstrate quite controlling, dominant qualities," she said, trying to ignore Siobhan's reaction. Her auntie was not sure whether to get mad or be weirded out by...Livia's strange manner of talking.

Adril nudged her twin in the ribs. "Don't get her mad!" Louder she said "We love all our aunties! You can be another!" she declared loyally.

"Girls, behave and be respectful to our guest. I believe Master Gunn could be a great friend to you both," Siobhan interjected sternly.

"Yes, Aunt Siobhan. I am sorry," Livia said, sounding a bit contrite, then brightened, "I do love you lots."

"Same. Sorry, Auntie," Adril agreed.

"Good girls. I'm sure Master Gunn will be happy to answer any questions you have if you ask politely. Now let's go to the dining room. Dinner should be ready. You two can help set the table." Didn't rich people have servants for that? Well, Siobhan had many, but she still expected the kids to do some chores.

As they made their way to the dining room Livia gave Rosa a curious look. It seemed she had something on her mind. "Master Gunn, if I may ask, what Jedi class are you? Are you a Guardian, a Sentinel or a Consular?" Would she ask about Rosa's Prestige Class next?

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa laughed at Siobhan's interjection. "You see, so very bossy. They're alright Siobhan, anyone who takes offence at a child's words is a fool. Speak you minds always, girls." She cupped both their chins briefly. "Especially to me."

She followed the family to the dining room, her lilac eyes meeting Livia's curious gaze with a small smile. She pondered the question for a moment. "If you had to put me into a class, I suppose I would fit best in Consular...or Sentinal...However, these classes are those created by the Jedi Order and are incredibly constricting in my personal opinion, A jedi cannot truly explore all aspects of what the force can offer if they follow just one path. I can fight as well as a guardian, bring harmony like a consular and use what ever tools I may have before me to solve a situation, where the force cannot. I left the Order a long time ago and created my own class."

She followed the children's lead, helping them set the large dining table for the four of them.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


There was an expression of confusion written across Livia's face. "You're all three? But I thought you had to stay in one. That's neat," she declared. It would probably be a useful RPG mechanic, but would inevitably get nerfed. She glanced towards Siobhan. "Auntie Siobhan, what is your class? You have the powers of a Consular...and the attitude of a Guardian?"


"And I can use guns and otherwise solve problems without resorting to space magic. It's called thinking for yourself, sweetie," Siobhan replied with an indulgent smile, "instead of being locked in a box created by old fossiles stuck in a temple."


"Master Gunn, have you ever killed a Sith? Auntie Sio tells us lots of neat stories," Adril interjected as they sat down and the servants brought delicious smelling food. It was a natural question to ask for someone who'd been raised on slightly sanitised war stories from her roof-dropping aunt. She missed the stern look her aunt shot her and pressed on before someone could restrain her. "Can I hold your lightsabre? Please? Auntie Sio won't let me hold hers. I won't turn it on, promise." Awkward!

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa paused at the question, setting down the knife and fork she'd picked up and twisted in her seat to face Adril. "No, I have not. That is where your Aunt and I differ on our views. I would rather avoid killing a sith, regardless of the atrocities hat he or she may have committed, there is light in everyone and it is possible to draw that light out. I am living proof of such."

Her gaze flickered up, ever so briefly to meet Siobhan's eyes before dropping back to Adril. "Your aunt, on the other hand sees a disease that only fire can cure." Everybody had different opinions on dealing with the sith and it was true that some of them had to be killed in order to protect the majority. Still, it would never have been something she'd tell her children. Forgive first, punish as a last resort.

She shook her head sadly at Adril's request to hold hr lightsaber. "Whether you intend to activate it or not, I could not bare the though that you might by mistake and hurt yourself." she paused for a moment. "I do, however, have a couple of training sabers on my ship if you would like to try them instead?" She looked back at Siobhan. "Assuming of course, that your aunt does not mind."

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


"I agree. Warfare and violence does make one great," Livia said carefully, unintentionally echoing a certain little, green gnome. "Though there is nobility in defending oneself, it should not be pursued as anything but a final contingency."


Once again...Siobhan was weirded out by her niece's odd way of talking. She spent too much time reading books. "Rosa has her way, I have mine. If you want peace, prepare for war. War is hell, but often necessary. The bad guys aren't suddenly going to turn a new leaf because you offer them a hug. And it doesn't make their victims any less dead. Stretch out a hand to a Sith, and more often than he'll cut it off." Many parents, even those who agreed with Sio's views, would probably be against telling this to children in such a blatant manner. But she considered it important.


You took a chance with Mirien, the inner voice nagged at her. That was different. And she wasn't a Sith anymore when we met. What about Mia? She has more blood on her hands than most Sith you killed. I'm not having this conversation.


"Auntie Sio is a hero. She's saved many people," Adril interjected, sounding genuine. However, she was soon distracted by more important matters! At first she appeared crestfallen when Rosa turned down her request to hold her lightsabre, but then her eyes lit up at the prospect of playing with a sabre - albeit a training one. "I can try out a sabre? Really? That's so neat. You're the best. Can I, Auntie Sio? Please!" Her enthusiasm seemed boundless, and she looked at her aunt with pleading eyes.


"You may try out a training sabre with Master Gunn. But you must follow her instructions to the letter. If you give her any reason for complaint, I will be very cross," Siobhan spoke. She did not raise her voice. It remained soft, but very serious.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

"Perhaps," Rosa responded to Siobhan's thoughts on the sith. "More often than not you are correct, but we should not deny them the opportunity for redemption. Disabling is just as effective as murder." That was what it was, at the end of the day. It didn't matter whether you killed in war or out of war, it was murder all them same. The term 'all if fair and love and war' was often taken far too literally.

She looked round at Adril. "I can't deny that, your aunt has saved a great many people." Yet, there is a reason she holds the nickname Butcher. She did not voice this thought, she did not want to mar her nieces opinion of her. They clearly adored her and she them, to come between that would be sacrilegious. A smile touched her lips as she watched Adril's burst of enthusiasm and her plea for Siobhan to allow her to try out a saber.

She met Siobhan's eyes briefly and bowed her head slightly in respect. This was clearly a big step to allow her niece to try such a thing, and she was deeply honoured by the gesture of her allowing Rosa to teach her. "Have they had any training?" she asked, curious.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"]

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


"Well, I...uh...yeah, I've had lots of training," Adril looked shifty, clearly wondering whether admitting that she had not would mean she could not use the training sabre. She looked to Auntie Siobhan for support.

"No, she hasn't," Siobhan interjected. "I suppose that makes you her first teacher."

"Ms Gunn, I would dearly like to join my sister in an evaluation of these training weapons. I hope I might be able to divine some understanding of the fascination ascribed to a plasma melee weapon in an era of ranged energy weapons," Livia spoke up.

Adril put her hand over her eyes. "She means she wants to play and find out why everyone likes them so much." It was clear that Adril spoke fluent Livy. She'd graduated top of the class.